Natdamperen ~ Denmark

Natdamperen. 1975 Abel

Boogieman Eats Frikadeller. 1976 Abel

Visions. 1979 Respons

UMR review

Priority: 3

5/22/15 (new entry)

Jiro Inagaki and His Soul Media ~ Japan ***REISSUED***

Dousojin (Yabunirami Minyoukou). 1972 Columbia

***Reissued by Columbia May 2015

UMR review

Here are the details from the AC, with his usual fantastic review:

"Nippon Columbia: NCB-7017 (Adventure In Sound series), 1972, Japan

Jirou Inagaki & Soul Media (Music) Yasushi Sawada (Vocals) Yasuhiro Koyama (Composer, Arranger)

Side 1: 1 - Inanome 2 - Kigishi 3 - Susomi 4 - Kusakahi 5 - Arisobe

Side 2: 1 - Tabute 2 - Sasara 3 - Yabunirami No Isan

Saxophonist and band leader Jirou Inagaki was a familiar face to Japanese jazz audiences in the 1970s, putting in countless hours as a studio session man, collaborating with most of the other big names on the scene, and fronting his own group, the Soul Media. Their early 70s catalogue is a real mixed bag of serious jazz (including collaborations with luminaries such as Masahiko Satoh and Hiromasa Suzuki), exploitation/covers LPs and a few albums worth of easy-going jazz-funk, such as "Head Rock" and "Woodstock Generation", which unsurprisingly later found favor with the hipster DJ types, leading to easily available CD reissues. However, in the midst of all this they also produced one album that should hold great interest to fans of progressive and psychedelic rock. Would it surprise you to hear that it also just happens to be horrendously rare and virtually unknown? No, I didn't think so. In any case, "Dousojin" (a type of Shinto fertility deity, often depicted on stone statues such as those seen on the album cover) is yet another attempt at fusing traditional Japanese music with "New Rock", in this case an interesting fusion of prog/psych and a uniquely Japanese sort of folk-rock. The songs, arranged by composer Yasuhiro Koyama (who also penned one side of Toshiyuki Miyama's "Tsuchi No Ne", another of Columbia's "Adventure In Sound" albums), are all actually variations and elaborations on traditional Japanese "minyou", old folk songs known to people all across Japan for countless generations. The whole album flows very nicely, running seamlessly from solemn folky songs to fuzz-guitar and piano led progressive pieces and back again, always maintaining a deeply Japanese atmosphere. The musicianship and production are both top-notch, as well. Another of Japan's truly excellent "lost" albums, terribly rare and barely known even in its own homeland. Hopefully a proper CD reissue will rescue this from obscurity someday, as I believe it could have wide appeal to fans of prog/psych, folk-rock, and enthusiasts of Japanese music in general."

Priority: 3

1/5/12 (new entry); 5/20/15 (complete)

Manzanita, USA

Manzanita - Pirate Lady. 1979 private

Back to the rare AC stash that was recently sent in. Wow - what a cover! If I had run across this LP at a store, I would have bought it immediately, and asked questions later. So AC, what is it? "San Diego based group's sole release of pleasant instrumental fusion. Melodic sax and electric piano are the main ingredients here. Tends towards the smooth side, but has just enough compositional interest to keep you listening. Another one of those obscure private fusion LPs that boasts surprisingly excellent production values."

I'll admit this one was too jazz-light-fusion for me. Certainly easy to listen to, even though it's not pushing any of my buttons. As we know, though, there's a large audience for this sound, and the AC is zeroed in tight with it, so this is one of those times you probably need to ignore my comments (perhaps good advice in any event). For fans of high quality, yet smooth, fusion.

Priority: none

TCB ~ USA

TCB - Open for Business. 1970 Traffic

UMR review

Priority: 3

Myrth, USA

Myrth - s/t. 1969 RCA

Here's a title that would have been certain to be part of the CD-R revisit project, but I bought the LP in the meantime, and thus it gets its debut ahead of that. It's a relatively common album, but finding one without a cut corner, saw cut, or any other such damaging mark proves to be quite a challenge. I finally found one, and in fact the cover above is that copy.

Near the bottom of the main CDRWL post, I have a number of horn rock bands clumped together. These are albums that I haven't featured yet, and perhaps some will never be, as they aren't very good IMO. But Myrth is certainly worth further consideration.

I'd say within the horn rock spectrum, Myrth tracks closest to Ides of March. The vocals are gruff, and the music is hard charging. The horns are tight and well charted. And, yes, there's a commercial slant to some of the material, that is wonderfully offset by more progressive leanings. This is exactly the style of music you'd find on Ides of March's "Vehicle", a much under appreciated album in my eyes. It remains debatable if the horn rock era will ever find a new fan base after its initial run. But if it does, Myrth should be an early consideration. I would be a first day buyer.

I haven't been able to discern where Myrth originated. The album was recorded in Hollywood, and it would seem given the logistics of a large ensemble, that southern California would be the logical source. But I've also found references to Utah and Arizona, that are possible but not conclusive. More great info about the band can be found here, where I queried about the location of the group. As you can see, it remains inconclusive.

Priority: 3

Pandora ~ Sweden

Measures of Time. 1974 SMA

UMR review

Priority: 3

5/10/15 (new entry)

Azabu Ongaku Shudan, Japan

Azabu Ongaku Shudan - s/t. 1971 private

And now we arrive at the serious rarity hinted at a few days ago. I tried every database trick in the book, including image recognition and kanji translations, and could not find one thing about this album. As we know with Japanese albums, it's not uncommon for a name to take hold even if it's entirely incorrect. And the AC always give us the correctly translated version, so I thought maybe I'd find an erroneous entry somewhere. But alas, I did not. So it appears we are introducing the world to this most intriguing album. As stated here on the CDRWL before, Japan is the final frontier for super rare / unknown albums from the original psychedelic and progressive rock time frame. Sure... Germany, England, and our own beloved United States seem to still be harboring some undiscovered gems (Metaphysical Animation perhaps the greatest of them all), but it is in Japan where we continue to find the most unknowns. And where we often find the AC doing his deepest exploration.  Before reading one sentence, I started listening to the album. The first track is heavily influenced by 1968 era Chicago Transit Authority, which is a really good thing in my book. Then there's some random messing about in the studio, with some chamber/classical bits, and in comes a guitar freakout - and once again Terry Kath leaped to straight to mind. What is this anyway? Off to the notes I went...

"This large "group" was actually an amateur musical collective from the exclusive Azabu section of Tokyo who recorded this singular document of avant-psych freakout and then dispersed back into the void. Things get underway with a blast of driving brass rock-esque jazzy psych, before some spacey classical flute leads into a weird piano and percussion motif that repeats over and over, starting again just as you think it's finally done. You can tell that they're just trying to mess with your mind at this point. Soft acoustic folk-psych follows, but is disrupted by a noisy outburst and radio speech that is swallowed up in ominous avant-garde piano dissonance. A brief flute interlude precedes a headlong dive into wild garage psych, morphing into a full-on psychedelic jam with organ and absolutely insane fuzz guitar soloing. Quietly, a rising chorus of birdsongs emerges, backing a return to the gentle acoustic folk guitar and flute heard previously. But then, a strange surge of fluttering electronics heralds a chaotic collage of Japanese phone conversation, backed by a sinister electronic dirge. Clattering percussion rises from this seething mass, heralding an onslaught of pounding rhythms, droning horns and destructive psych guitar, with wisps of strange noise and moaning in the raging storm. Abruptly, the haunting acoustic folk psych and flute cut in, ending the chaos in a moment of zen. This is a truly harrowing piece of music, encapsulating the bad acid freakout visions you're glad you never had. Unfortunately, side two can't keep up this kind of all-out delirium, and the group's roots as a large-scale amateur music collective come to the fore, with some strange and inept jazz and folk songs, rambling detuned jazz bass and piano, and even a lengthy late night jazz club jam session. However, a few moments of interest are still lurking within. A couple of somewhat experimental classical piano and flute pieces, and a very Third Ear Band-esque number with percussion, flute and droning strings are the highlights, and the album closes with one final brass rock/orchestral blast with bleeping electronics to come full circle. Privately pressed in micro quantities and still only known to a few hardcore Japanese collectors, this album, while by no means a consistent masterpiece, is still an essential snapshot of authentic psychedelic freakout on the outer fringes of the era's underground scene."

This is one of those albums that really strikes a chord because of the time and place. Truly a group stretching the boundaries of what was known - very much a product of 1971, an era when this mentality was the norm rather than the exception. The highs go really high here, and so the corresponding down time is more tolerable. Because there's some serious payoff action to witness. Always a hallmark of an album worth repeated listens. And, as such, I christen this a:

Priority: 3

Zone Time, Japan

Zone Time - s/t. 1976 private

So here's the first of two albums we are introducing to the world (this week, that is...) - or at least I think we are! Of the two, this one is definitely more mundane (relatively speaking), but still worthy of discovery. Tomorrow we have a real humdinger. (Note that the term "humdinger" has now officially been sighted in the CDRWL). The AC tells us: "Very obscure private press LP by a group of Keio University students. An extremely long (almost 55 minutes) and well-produced album that's all over the map musically, from keyboard driven semi-prog to ultra-heavy guitar psych/hard rock, soft rock, crooning balladry, etc. It's like they took every idea from the early/mid 70s rock scene that they could think of and tried to cram it in here. Quite inconsistent obviously, but with some real moments of interest. The guitar work stands out in particular, with some excellent psych and hard rock style soloing. Sort of fascinating, but it will probably try your patience by the end. Beautiful cover art, and comes with a nice booklet."

Can't add much to this. A diversified album, with an obvious background of the great acts of the day, perhaps once again The Beatles being a primary influence here, despite the late date. It is indeed more 70s rock than 60s psych, but in effect, the kitchen sink mentality is at play here. And do I hear some Peter Frampton in these grooves? Why I think I do! 55 minutes is an extraordinary length for the era. Perhaps too much so.

Priority: none

News: Collusion to be reissued on Audio Archives

I'll be honest and state upfront that a lot of these Audio Archives discoveries of the past few years have been disappointing. I actually thought this was another archival release, but it appears to have been released in 1971 on the SRT label. Guessing SRT to be some sort of custom pressing plant, similar to our own RPC. In any case, I couldn't find any evidence of the original vinyl, have never seen one for sale, and it hasn't been on ebay before. Which means little of course, just data points.

Having said all of that with a pall of doom, I do have to admit this album looks to be intriguing. It certainly reads that way in any case. We'll keep an open mind, and hope to be pleasantly surprised.

Label says: "Reissued on compact disc, this is a genuine prog rock obscurity from 1971, originally released in a tiny run on the custom SRT label. Collusion was a Dagenham-based six piece with twin guitars and interwoven male/female vocals as the main ingredients. Expect hard-edged prog-rock with tasty folk and jazz elements. This engaging CD features seven original tracks with the stunning 'Bluebirds' and the epic 'Sweetbread Line' as the undisputed highlights. The CD is presented with a special poster sleeve offering rare pics and memorabilia. There also are extensive sleeve notes and a band history by singer Tony Davison, plus an additional comment by their manager and esteemed promoter Darrol Edwards."

Apartment One, Netherlands

Apartment One - Open House. 1970 Pink Elephant

I first came across this title around 1990 or so from a Dutch catalog, circled it, and then never saw it again. Ever. Over time, it became one of my top curiosities. And then about 10 years ago, it was pretty much the top curiosity. Not long after that, I was fed a CD-R copy, and of course disappointment ensued. Just as in my experience at the beginning with this album, I totally forgot about it. Until the CD-R revisit project unearthed it again. There's been an entry on the main list of course, but now we're giving the album its own page.

Apartment 1 (or Apartment One as noted on the label itself) is a straightforward late psych / early hard rock record. Sounds more like what was happening with their fellow countrymen in the 1960s Dutch scene with albums from Cosmic Dealer, The Outsiders, and Q65. Plenty of excellent fuzz guitar and soloing to enjoy here. All on top of some splendid older organ sounds. The opening tracks on each side are instrumental, and represent the best material on the album. The vocals are in machismo English - with a gospel tinge. As such, it reminds me of the vast bone yard of US post psych albums from 1970 on labels like Paramount, ABC, Verve, Rare Earth, and Mercury.

Priority: none

News: Wolfgang Dauner Group's Rischkas Soul coming soon on Long Hair!

Big news today! The great German reissue label Long Hair is releasing the much wanted Rischkas Soul on CD and LP soon. I was wondering if Dauner would ever get to his (IMO) best title. Now we know he will!

Label says: "For the first time on CD and Vinyl reissue Dauners famous release 'Rischkas Soul'! Recorded in November, 1969 and first released as a so called private pressing the recordings had a second release nearly three years later on famous German label Brain (1016, 1972). Dauner with his strong sidemen Sigi Schwab, guitar and Eberhard Weber, bass and cello with two drummers (Braceful and Wittich) played cool jazz fusion with fluiding organ play from Dauner, sometimes heavy, sometimes dreamy and psychedelic guitar eruptions from master of guitar Sigi Schwab, tuneful and melodic and mostly straight on rhythms. CD and LP come with informative booklet/ insert and liner notes from Wolfgang Dauner himself. A must have!"

And since I have that Brain label LP copy, I'll probably just get the CD this time. But if you don't have the LP, it's worth getting for the gatefold artwork!

Phrydderichs Phaelda, Germany *** REISSUED ***

Phrydderichs Phaelda - Bruch=Stuecke. 1975 private

*** Reissued by Ultra-Vybe (Japan) in 2020  

Phrydderichs Phaelda, well.... you know it's something that should be given full attention! So exactly what do we have here AC?

"This group hailed from the town of Dinslaken, and apparently the odd name was a play on their pianist/group leader's, Friedrich Schepers. It seems that he was a music teacher in the area, and the rest of the group consisted of students from his school. Musically, this is a nice instrumental jazz rock set, driven by electric piano, jazzy guitar and a dextrous rhythm section. Angular but melodic, with a few compositional twists and turns to keep the interest level up. Quite well-recorded for a small local private press, too. It should be noted that this album was actually recorded and released in 1975, not 1981 as is usually listed."

So... as the AC said, it's a nice instrumental jazz rock set. Keyword here is jazz.... followed well behind by rock. Overall, this is inoffensive music that is sure to please all, and wow nobody. Sounds like a US album too, not even a small hint of its German heritage. Not Krautrock, Kraut fusion, or even sauerkraut. Instrumental music lead by lightly amplified guitar, electric piano, and a tight rhythm section. As far as jazz music goes though, this is a mighty fine listen, and flows by with much ease and comfort. A good one for a late night drive down the interstate. Professional to a fault, and well recorded as the AC notes above. I'd buy one if a CD came along.

Priority: 3

Tocabiol, France

Tocabiol - Es El,  Es Ela... 1977 Revolum

Here's a title I ran across the other day, and decided to promote from the main list to give it more exposure.

The first half of "Es El,  Es Ela..." is strictly regional folk music, while the other is a long spaced out acid folk rock journey, with narrative vocals. This half reminds me some of Sergius Golowin without the intense percussive build-ups. Perhaps they have another session similar that would make a great CD? The album is sung in Occitan, a language found in southern France and northern Spain.

Tocabiol has a second album that came out in 1979 (Beleu), but I recall that one is of little interest to progressive rock fans. I have it in one of my later CD-R binders, so I'll relisten to see if my opinion changes at that time.

Priority: none

Alpha Ralpha ~ France

Alpha Ralpha. 1977 Warner Bros.

UMR review

Priority: 2

4/29/15 (new entry)

Yesterday's Children ~ USA

Yesterday's Children.1970 Map City

UMR review

Priority: 2

A lot of iffy reissues of this title. Need a definitive one.

4/28/15 (new entry)

News: Zanov's In Course of Time now on CD!

Some of you will remember at  the end of last year our announcement that Zanov was looking into reissuing his back catalog. And he was looking for Facebook Likes. I guess he got enough of them, because we have our first CD! "In Course of Time" is his 3rd and final album from the original run. Furthering the good news, the Dutch label Groove Unlimited has placed it on their imprint. Given that they are the most respected and largest of the electronic music labels/mail order houses, this can only be a good thing for Zanov, as hopefully he'll be encouraged to reissue the first two albums as well. Thanks to Gnosis Mike for the tip on this!

News: Charlies archival Jail Sessions to be reissued by Shadoks in May

Shadoks continues to mine the great late 60s/early 70s Finnish hard rock / progressive band Charlies. This title, as per Shadoks protocol, had been released on LP already earlier in the year. This particular album is getting a fast track to CD without the usual 2 to 3 year waiting period. It appears to contain 4 additional tracks not found on the LP. I haven't heard the album yet, and didn't find any reliable reviews, but the label hype sheet does sound intriguing for certain: "After 'Musiikkia Elokuvasta Julisteiden Liimaajat' and 'Buttocks' here we have our 3rd release by the great Finnish band CHARLIES. This album was recorded in 1969 and 1970 in Charlies rehearsal room, an 'drunk tank' at the local jail, since Kari Lehtinen's father (later on known simply by the nickname ”Pitkä”) was the local police officer, so the band could use this room for playing and recording. After Charlies got the 1969 Julisteiden Liimaajat album done, and even though they got a lot of positive feedback from it, they never thought the final product sounded right. Pitkä (bass) and Eero (guitars) spent a lot of time considering how to deliver a much harder sounding album as a follow-up, representing the true Charlies spirit. They got the chance to make a new album, one that would be released by the famous Love Records label. The result again was only as good as the budget resources provided. Although in the end, the album Buttocks gained a good, hard reputation, they were never content with it. One night Pitkä said: ”Eero, we should have made our album from your tapes, the result would have been much different.” So the recording your hear now are those tapes the band was very happy with. Much heavier in sound, amazing electric guitar, 100% pure heavy underground sound. After 45 years this Charlies album comes out as the band wanted it to sound like with many alternative versions of songs from the Buttocks album and unknown songs as well. 100% pure Charlies!"

Nariyuki Shimamoto, Japan

Nariyuki Shimamoto - Prelude To... 198? Private

And the second rarity in this week's batch from The AC...

"Early 80s (there's no date listed on the LP, but I'm guessing it's from around 1982, based on the sound and style) progressive electronic obscurity from Japan. Ghostly synths, weirdly effected vocals and a little acoustic guitar create a mysterious atmosphere, although it's all a bit insubstantial and light on thematic development. Gets kind of repetitive by the end of the album, as a seemingly endless synth wash stretches off to the horizon. Closest comparison would be some of the obscure cassette-only releases by Osiris from the same period."

And while I haven't heard these Osiris cassettes, I did once own the LP (documented elsewhere here), and take away the wild fuzz guitar, and that's exactly what you get here. It's primarily an early 80s styled electronic musik album with polyphonic synthesizers, and completely lacking in heavy analog tones. Picking up a later Earthstar sound here, given the cool vocal effects. This latter element propelling the album to its greatest heights.

Priority: none

Nimbus, Germany

Nimbus - s/t. 1980 private

And now it's time for our weekly review of the AC's latest archeological finds. Of all the albums in his latest dig, I have to say Nimbus (Germany) is one that I keep hearing about, but never have actually heard. Its reputation is stellar, so does it live up to the "hype" as it were? I use the term hype carefully, but I fear to say that there are many out there who do, in fact, hype this one to me. As in "buy my CD-R... now!" (I don't buy or trade CD-Rs, but that doesn't seem to stop the solicitors of such).  And one can't possibly have a deep dive expedition without at least one Kraut Fusion album, now can we?

Let's check in with The AC and see what his lab results produced: "Yet another instrumental progressive fusion rarity from the vast German private press scene. But this one's a cut above the norm, with excellent compositions spiced with a healthy does of progressive rock, keeping things interesting all the way through. The keyboard work in particular stands out. Unfortunately, the sound could do with some cleaning up, which makes a reissue all the more necessary. This is certainly in the top tier for this style, so hopefully one of the German labels will step up to the plate someday."

And as usual, The AC's findings are as accurate as a DNA sample. One of the more frustrating aspects about this release is finding information on it. Try looking for Nimbus (1980 Germany) on the internet or any online discography. Oh, I tried all my database tricks I picked up as a professional DBA in the 90s, but not much relevant showed up in any event. Too generic I'm afraid.

The music is as The AC describes, a highly melodic instrumental jazz rock album, with guitar and keyboards in the lead. Bands like Surgery, Mosaik, Moira, and Profil are all good guideposts here, and all just as obscure as hell too (though at least the former did get reissued by Garden of Delights - and one we bought immediately).

And speaking of GoD, this album has their name all over it. Clearly one for their digital archival machine. And, just as the AC notes, a sound cleanup probably will take this one up a full point.

Priority: 3

News: Fractal to reissue 3rd and 4th Sonorhc albums

Thanks to reader Gal, we learned this morning of this imminent CD reissue that is due on April 27. Amazonia is an archival album, released here for the first time. Both of these albums will be presented on one CD.

Label says: "Good news from the Sonorhc’s « space shuttle » ! After the two first albums « Purf » (1972) and « Outrelande » (1982) released last year, Fractal records deliver now the second volume of the expedition with the third and the fourth album of the band : « Portes d’Orient (East Gates) » (1984) and « Amazonia » (1985) again on CD, perfectly remastered and in the same concept « two albums in one ».

As a band who claim to be « without leader », Sonorhc is a collective with variable line-up as shows this reissue : four musicians (Youval Micenmacher, Laurent Cokelaere, Pierre Buffenoir, Jean-François Gaël) on « Portes d’Orient » and only two for « Amazonia » despite this one could be saw as almost entirely composed by Jean-François Gaël alone, inevitably one the of major force in their ranks. Jean-François Gaël is born in Paris in 1938. He worked as guitarist, composer or arranger with : Hélène Martin, Francesca Solleville, Marc Ogeret, Marcel Mouloudji, Jean Ferrat, Colette Magny, Catherine Sauvage, Henri Gougaud, Antoine Tomé, Mama Béa and with poets : Jacques Prévert, Louis Aragon, Eugène Guillevic, René Char, Pierre Seghers... Theses collaborations will find success five times for the «Grand Prix du Disque de l’Académie Charles Cros» award. He worked at the GRM in 1965, at the GMEB in Bourges in 1985 and at the IRCAM in 1995. He now composed film soundtrack for cinema and TV in his own studio.

So, here is finally reissued and for the first time after thirty years (yeah !) two sounds library records. Title name for each will transport you immediately in the right place: don’t need to move, the space shuttle travel for you ! With 32 tracks in total and with the adequate instrumentation for both albums : « Portes d’Orient » is a stunning meditative ethnic musical trip for guitars, bass, drum, percussions, moog, duduk, flute, guembri, arghoul, woodblock, hurdy gurdy… Overall it reminds the famous Agitation Free first album « Malesch » without the « rock » side but adding the « spiritual » side of Peter Michael Hamel works. « Portes d’Orient » is a very scarce album nowadays and almost impossible to find now in original vinyl LP. « Amazonia » use more synths but also many others ethnics instruments making this one a relaxing and melodic album in a reverie jungle mood. Jean-François Gaël done three trips in the Wayanas tribe in Amazonia and he also worked at that time for the french serie TV « Carnets de l’Aventure » and then brings together all his « amazonia » themes for this album. The patterns are diverses and united, going from Bernard Parmegiani’s electroacoustic side (« Passoula ») to Francis Bebey’s « psychedelic » sanza (« Sanza Sun »), Jorge Reyes’s ambiant ritual (« A Ouanary ») or Steve Roach’s tribal works (« Pakira »)… Two hidden lost gems made in France finally dig up ! Sonorhc go back in time (the space shuttle show you the correct sense of the reading : from the right to the left) and explore the consciousness !

NB :

- (1) : « Portes d’Orient » from 1984, is the real third album of the GROUP Sonorhc, and it should be NOT credited only to the duo : « Jean François Gaël - Pierre Buffenoir » (it’s an error) : there were no artists name printed indeed on the original cover album, but the Sonorhc logo appears well on the camel saddle in the drawing made by Jean Pierre Lamerand at that time.

« Amazonia » is a complete unreleased album recorded in 1985, never published before, and again with a front cover made again and at that time (!) by Jean-Pierre Lamerand.

- (2) : The album « K’an » (1993) became in that way the fifth album of Sonorhc.

The West Coast Workshop, USA

The West Coast Workshop - The Wizard Of Oz And Other Trans Love Trips. 1967 Capitol

This one came up via the CD-R revisit project and is being promoted from the main list. I've had this one a long time, having been fed a copy by my old friend ProgCzar about a decade ago. Like many major label US psych albums, this title remains elusive for legit reissues. There is at least one pirate of this album, so watch out!

The West Coast Workshop is one of the better exploitation albums you can hear. It's primarily orchestrated pop music geared for a mature adult crowd. That is until they break into these cool long jams featuring flute, tablas/hand percussion, and sitars. In the end, you have a "psychedelic" version of the original soundtrack + a handful of originals. Get hip man. Solid. As one online zine (Scram) states it's "easy listening gone horribly awry". Well said.

Priority: none

News: Two jazz titles of interest: Caldera - Dreamer / Lloyd McNeill - Tanner Suite now on CD

Gnosis Mike informed me a few weeks ago of the Caldera, and I'm just now getting around to it. We're both fans of the Latin jazz rock / funk / pop ensemble from New York. I even enjoy their more commercially oriented Earth Wind and Fire styled albums (especially on Sky Islands). Dreamer is considered by many as one of their best, if not the best, despite being their 4th and final album. It's the only one I haven't heard to date. The CD is pressed by Capitol of Japan, but is currently available at a domestic price (here in the States anyway). According to the various discography sites, they had also pressed a CD of this title back in 1990, but it was rare as hen's teeth, I'm sure, before this repress.

The second scan shows Lloyd McNeill, an artist that I've done a poor job of covering in the past. Not sure why, as I'm a huge fan of the jazz flautist, who plays with an incredible spiritual passion. Though truth be told, the music is on the margins of what we cover here. Tanner Suite is definitely not the place to start though. It's more sparse, and academic as it were. I do highly recommend the other two "Asha" releases that have already been reissued in the last 5 years: Asha 1 (1969) and especially Asha 3: Washington Suite (1970). These CDs on Universal Sound are with direct involvement of McNeill, and are well worth exploring. McNeill returned in the mid 70s with 3 fine flute jazz albums, slightly updated for the times (though McNeill was always his own person with his own sound), and those remain without a CD reissue. Ultimately I'll give them a feature here on the CDRWL.

News: Maloo All About the Things reissued on Made in Germany

And here's the second notice from Grant. I have to admit this is one announcement I flat out missed. I saw it - oh yes I did - and just ignored it. Not sure why, as Maloo is in the main list (notes below), though I never gave it a feature. It's been a long time since I heard the album and it was in the stacks for the CD-R revisit project. The good news is, if I find it more agreeable than prior, now I can buy the CD from the always excellent Made in Germany label!

Finding information in English about this reissue has proven tough. But from what I can gather, this is a 2 CD set of related artists. Spaces of Reflection is from 1976, and is a new title to me. It appears to be a free jazz album if the notes below hold true. And predates 1977's Maloo effort. With trusty aid Google Translate by my side, I will attempt to decipher the label's hype sheet, and edit accordingly:

"SPACES OF REFLECTION 

The duo with Bernd Töberg (g) and Michael Kullick (dr), was throughout this creative period (1974 - 1976) strongly influenced by the 'Coltranschen freedom' (ED: We'll guess this means John Coltrane here). With this particular style of jazz, to make the total improvisation as the heart of their work, it was the exceptional duo's first time to explore further a random harmony instrument. The high art of improvisation, and the dense congenial interplay of guitar and drums, that comes along thematically most melodic and rhythmic, has been able to unite in a progressive fashion, modern jazz, rock, blues and free improvisation itself.

ALL ABOUT THE THINGS 

By mid-1976, however, the duo had taken on a musical change. Because the new works were now composed with complex issues and an extended functional harmony, and did not want to play again and again to the absolute power limit, the duo has been extended by a bassist for a new trio named 'Maloo'. With Wolf Struck on double bass, the new songs could now be played much more relaxed. With the addition of another electronic instrument (Moog Synthesizer), it was possible to insert the new compositions with advanced sound textures to create even more space for the artists. The album was produced by REINHOLD HEIL who at that time studied at an engineer school in Berlin. He was a member of the jazz-rock band BAKMAK and went to NINA HAGEN BAND and SPLIFF later.

CD 1 – Spaces Of Reflection:
1. India 08:25
2. Voodoo 11:50
3. Funkline 03:35
4. Turn Around 09:24
5. Impressions 05:57

CD 1 Total: 39:11

CD 2 – All About The Things:
1. Lenthe 12:26
2. Jordan 05:04
3. Bolus 05:04
4. Nightmare 10:42
5. Samba De Linthe 02:04
6. Nightingale Waltz 07:56

CD 2 Total: 38:16"

My own notes on Maloo stated (again, it's been a few years, so I do want to hear it again): "All instrumental light jazzy rock. Rhythms are pure jazz while the guitarist noodles away with a slight amplified tone. At times, I was strangely reminded of Harmonia's "Deluxe", though Maloo are entirely different genre wise. It's just the way the guitarist meanders about, similar to how Rother would do on occasion. Not a great album by any means, but one worth a listen or two if you appreciate jazz guitar with a rock edge."

News: Easy Chair reissued on World in Sound

OK, time to take a break from the rarities until later in the week and catch up on some news and CD-R revisits. CDRWL reader Grant has informed us of a couple of relevant reissues that have come about recently. First off is this extreme rarity from Seattle circa 1968 reissued by the high quality World in Sound label of Germany. Easy Chair was recorded on one side and featured only 3 songs totaling 20 minutes. There's no bonus tracks here, so consider this a mini-CD as it were. I've not heard of the band or album prior to this announcement. (4/21/15 update: I did listen to it on YouTube last night, and I have to say it is really good. Somber stretched-out blues psych. It's sadly too short, so a CD may be superfluous, but I'll buy one if the right price comes along).

Label says: "Long expected and now re-issued (with remastered sound) for the first time! Easy Chair's 1968 one-sided album, with a running time of 20 minutes, is one of the most sought-after US North-West psych-underground records of all time. Original copies have been sold for over 1.000 US$. Justly remembered as psychedelic rock pioneers, they crammed an amazing career into only one year of activity. Easy Chair performed with the Yardbirds, Cream and the Mothers of Invention. Their epic West Coast blues features the unique chemistry of psychedelic guitar leads, fluid lines and hypnotic chording. By the end of 1968 they caught the attention of Zappa's crew and signed a record contract with Bizarre Records. Unfortunately Easy Chair broke up too soon, though multi-instrumentalist Jeff Simmons, together with drummer Al Malosky, recorded the 'Naked Angels' soundtrack (re-released by WIS in 2008). After releasing his solo album 'Lucille Has Messed my Mind up' in 1969, Jeff joined The Mothers."

Tower of Dreams, USA

Tower of Dreams - s/t. 1981 private (EP)

From the mysterious lands of Japan to the medieval castles of Europe, so goes the AC. Well at least if cool album covers are any indication. But alas, the band is from New Jersey. As the stylus drops, one hears some dark electronics. Oh, this one is going to be good! Let's check the AC's dig notes shall we? "If you were to stumble upon this odd little artifact of the private press heyday, you'd probably be pretty excited, thinking you may have just discovered some lost relic of the US progressive rock underground. Evocative band name and song titles, all instrumental, primitive but cool black and white fantasy artwork, weird comic insert with conceptual track descriptions, etc. A sure fire score, right? Well, "not so fast, my friend!" as a certain sports broadcaster is wont to say. Unusually released on 10" vinyl, this is somewhere between a very short LP and a long EP (around 20 minutes), being the work of New Jersey bassist Gene O'Brien and his backing band. Musically, it's kind of hard to pin down, as it's not really prog, psych or fusion per se. Maybe "atmospheric instrumental rock" will do the trick? It's all very low-key, with just a few flashes of guitar soloing to liven things up, and rhythmically quite straight forward. It seems to be themed on sleep and dreaming, so I guess the overall soporific atmosphere is appropriate. About the only direct comparison I could make would maybe be the most sedate parts of the Bob Bath Band album (similarly instrumental, guitar-oriented, and methodically paced), but even that's a stretch. A puzzling one really, although I can't help but kind of like it. For US underground completists only."

Ah crap. The review is very fair, and it does remind me of those American bands that surfaced in the early 80s when the majors had long pulled out of the progressive market, and anyone with a good connection and a few extra dollars, would get an album pressed. They all have this sort of "dull" sound. Not the music necessarily, but there's just no edge to the instrumentation or production. As The AC notes, I kind of like it too. But honestly, past the cool cover and intriguing comic book, there's not a whole that that pushes this one forward into the tantalizing category. Interestingly enough, a copy sold for all of $2.99 last week on ebay. Not all long lost artifacts have value.

Priority: none

Akuma No Bansankai, Japan

Akuma No Bansankai - Dinner in Honor of Demon. 1976 Demon Record

Well, then, what a place to start on the dig, eh? Look at that cover. And that title. Oh my, we're a long way from the Japanese progressive rock I grew up with (Fable on the Seven Pillows anyone?). I think digging something like this out of the ground must come with some sort of curse or somethin'. And thus said the Elder "He who shall uncover Dinner in Honor of Demon shall spend eternity with album cover on thy mind". Alright, let's check in on what the AC's notes were while he was excavating this one: "Private press psychedelic/folk-rock anachronism from a group of Hiroshima high school kids that generally sounds more late 60s than mid 70s. The album starts strong with some cool amateur guitar psych, loaded with effects, ancient sounding organ and possessing a decidedly trippy vibe. It's a lengthy album however, and kind of gets bogged down in more standard acoustic guitar/piano driven folk-rock much of the time. Would probably go down well with the private psych/folk collector crowd. Like a number of these obscure amateur/student group private presses from Japan, it's actually a very well-produced album, with cool cover art and a nice booklet."

Hard to argue with his initial findings. It's a bizarre album, that moves seamlessly amongst many styles. Each side's opening with variations of [standard 1940s Asian theme] is a bit silly, but some of the lounge bits offset by fuzz guitar were very interesting. At times the album is brilliant, with crazy effects and crazier ideas all coming at you randomly and seemingly out of place. While at others, the fast-forward button begins to look appealing (especially on Side 2). One can even hear a proto Pizzicato Five here. Honestly, the album seems more influenced by 1967-68 era Beatles than anything else. So yes, as the AC notes, one could see this going down a storm with the well heeled collector set who already have everything else, but for the rest of us, it remains merely an interesting curio. Perhaps it would serve well as a featured item in a small town museum.

BTW - you will not see the name Akuma No Bansankai anywhere on the internet, but since the AC speaks fluent Japanese, he was able to decipher the cuneiform tablets for us.

In doing further homework on this title, I came across this sale item, for the super cheap price of $820 (the dollar isn't that strong yet): "A Divine Treasure in my home town Hiroshima.
Superb Fuzz Psych Prog Rock Teens from Hiroshima High School.
Include a member Young Genius Yoshihiro Kunimoto who
later became arranger for Jun Togawa, Denki Groove.

Such fame were Teenager Underground Scene in Tokyo.
Miki (Young Char involved), Rotten Peach etc.
This album from Hiroshima. However, this album had
a young genius keyboard player Yoshihiro Kunimoto.
And he managed and made this splendid album.
If they released a thousand copies and many collectors could hear,
this would be in the top ten of Japanese Psych album.
Gee but Pressed only less than 100 copies.Cool Mystic Mona Lisa Art Cover.
Recorded at Demon Record Studio 29th March to 5th May 1976.
They were high school students 17old in those days.
(They were from Hiroshima Kokutaiji High School which
lots football players are graduated.)
Cool Atmosphere in the Whole This Album.
Great Fuzz Psych, Key Prog, Technical Guitar Jam, Tricky Ideas,
Competent Guitar Plays, Outstanding Lunacy Effects etc etc
Also includes Mystic Prog Folky which in Rural Psych Style,
Basement Heavy Psych Hard Rock ala Blues Creation's Druggy Blues Rock,
Also include Day Dream Folky tune in Half Doze "Happy End" Style
with Hypnotic Lyrics. Outstanding Psych Prog Album Totally.

A1 - Super Highway 3:03
A2 - Shinkirou No Machi 4:45 (Town of The Mirage)
A3 - Yume Ni Notte 3:08 (Ride The Dream)
A4 - Wakare 3:17 (Farewell)
A5 - Tokai No Natsu 1:03 (Summer of The City)
A6 - Torikawa Ondo 2:50 (Torikawa Leading)
A7 - Kimi No Tamenara 6:07 (Only For You)

B1 - Dainashi 1:45 (It's Spoiled)
B2 - Chippoke Na Tayori 3:22 (Small Letter)
B3 - Koisuru Kotono Muzukashisa 4:32 (Difficulty of being in Love)
B4 - Oyome-San 2:55 (Bride)
B5 - Furu Ame Ni Tatoete 4:30 (For example, like Rain falls)
B6 - Moon Drops 2:49
B7 - Hoshikuzu Atsumete 4:03 (Collect Stars)
B8 - Dinner in Honor of Demon 2:00

Personnel
Prod by Yoshihiro Kunimoto, Tomoya Masaki
Engineered by Yoshihiro Kunimoto, Takanori Imada, Shouji Hirata + Demon
Takanori Imada - Lead Vocal
Yoshihiro Kunimoto - Hammond Organ, Synthesizer, Vocals
Masanori Kobayashi - Guitar, Vocals
Tomoya Masaki - Guitar, Vocals
Hitoshi Ninaya - Guitar, Vocals, Chorus
Takuya Ohmura - Guitar, Vocals, Chorus
Shouji Hirata - Guitar, Chorus
Atsushi Kiba - Bass, Chorus
Shigenori Hamaguchi - Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Vocals"

Priority: none

New Discoveries are Upon Us

Like the archaeologists who toil away in the Egyptian desert, we too have discovered new and mysterious faces - in the form of rare music yet unheard or unseen by the masses. That most famous of music scientists, The AC, has returned with perhaps his biggest haul yet of unknowns. I took a sneak peak at the stack, and I will just say it is impressive (Including at least one album I never thought I'd hear in my lifetime). Especially after all this time has passed. How does he do it? We'll never know - it is his trade secret.

As well, I've been sitting on a couple of my own LP purchases (similar to Datura and Iliad in that way), and we've heard from old friends like Heavyrock as well in recent weeks. And we have a new friend that we've known for awhile, but has also made some suggestions that require our own personal dig. If that's not enough - the CD-R revisit project will remain on track, and more common albums like Tripsichord, El Tarro de Mostaza, Finchley Boys - to name the most recent activity - will be uncovered as not having legit reissues - a tragedy in of itself.

I don't anticipate going back to daily postings, but I think you will see more activity in the short term as we work through these aural scrolls discovered by the master himself. We are talking back to the Ginga Rale Band and Metaphysical Animation days of yore. I have no idea of the quality of these albums. I know it will be a mix of the good, the decent, and the bad, but as journalists we must discover the truth.

With any luck at all, we should have a new posting ready by Thursday or later in the week.

Tripsichord, USA

Tripsichord - The Tripsichord Music Box. 1970 San Francisco Sound. 1971 Janus

Here's a title I never thought to enter into the CDRWL. I came across it during this week's CD-R revisit project, did some homework, and realized this one is like so many of the classic American psych albums before it - nothing but pirates and shady types. I first heard this album via LP in the late 80s. Yet another one of those awful muffled white label bootleg jobs that held back my musical progress by 5 years. Eventually ended up with a decent cassette dub that now sits on this CD-R. I was all set to buy the CD too when... ugh.

The band is usually known by the title of the album - and it is in fact their original name. They had shortened it by the time of this recording (in 1969) to just Tripsichord. The first copy you see is the actual original and probably sits in the SFMOMA it's so rare. The second copy is the more common one, as the relatively large American label Janus picked up the rights in 1971 and released it all too late for anyone to care by that point. Hence its rarity today.

Musically it falls squarely into what was popular in San Francisco in the late 60s. More commonly known as the "West Coast Sound". It's a mix of hard edged psych and jangly rural pop songs. The latter has always been a turn off to me, but The Byrds were an enormous influence in those days, and that was the mix they brought forward to great popularity. Tripsichord's needle moves more towards the psychedelic, and features a few great tracks that you want to hear over and over. Enough so, to award it a:

Priority: 3

News: Branco has reissued rare Love album from Japan (1977)

This is actually old news - as in 2013 old. But The AC ran across this one recently and suggested we announce it here for broader exposure. I heard the sample provided, and it does sound quite intriguing, so definitely good advice. Completely unknown to me prior to this. Label states: "The Japanese band LOVE was formed in '71. They had connections to the well known psych acts Far Out and Flower Traveling Band and the music of all these groups is comparable. Love's lone LP was released privately in 1977, in a limited edition. The album includes one live track, recorded in '74 at Japan's main rock event, the 'One Step Festival', which also hosted Yoko One and Shinki Chen. Since Love was from Fukushima, the band and label decided to donate half of all benefits from this CD-release to the victims of the city's nuclear disaster. The CD comes in a gatefold mini-LP sleeve and includes an insert with lyrics and photos, and an OBI."

News: Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media's "Dosojin" to be reissued in May!

We recently heard from The AC, who brings us this good news: "Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media's "Dosojin" is finally being reissued on CD in Columbia's Deep Jazz Reality series! Now that they've done "By the Red Stream" and "Wandering Birds", this will complete the reissue trifecta of the most interesting (at least from my perspective) Inagaki/Soul Media rarities from the early 70s. The street date is May 20, and it's up on all the Japanese webshops. Here's the Amazon Japan link"

Some of you will recall this to be one of his many great Japanese discoveries over 3 years ago now. We had it as a priority 3. Looking forward to owning this title!

Datura, France

Datura - Mr Untel. 1982 private

Now here's a title I had on cassette years ago, and it made no mark on me whatsoever. So little in fact, I didn't even have it in the main CDRWL, much less as a separate post. As many of you know, the original list was indeed a personal CD wants inventory, and so I purposely left stuff off like Datura. It was only later I started adding everything that fit within scope, even if it wasn't a personal priority. And Datura is an album I forgot all about. Well, time has passed, and I had a chance to source the original LP at a reasonable price (in fact, the copy you see above). It's probably been 15 years (or longer) since I last heard the album, and my personal perspective has changed quite a bit since then. Not only does this belong in the main list, but it deserves a separate post.

Datura's debut reminds me a lot of early Mona Lisa, especially at the time of L'Escapade. That is to say the music is somewhat straightforward, under produced, and amateurish. But it is undeniably French and very much like Ange (whose album Caricatures is another guidepost here). There are small hints of its early 80s heritage, but the music is rooted in the 70s. There's even quite a bit of mellotron on it (one of the rare such albums not mentioned in Planet Mellotron (yet)). It's not a super album by any means, but it's a good one for fans of the French theatrical style. Not the place to start for those looking to hear this most unique genre. This one is for the deep divers. Of which I'm one, so I'm more predisposed to liking it than perhaps others.

Priority: 3

News: Aztec reissues Company Caine's debut on CD

Nice to see Aztec still plugging along downunda. This is one of the titles they had on their Coming Soon list for about a year or so. I haven't heard it personally. Looks to be a bit of a fringe piece for the CDRWL, but certainly fits the overall genre.

Label says: "It’s rare to find an album from the early 1970s that has never been officially reissued on CD (ED: Not as rare as we would wish...). A case in point is the legendary 1971 underground milestone from COMPANY CAINE – A Product Of A Broken Reality. This highly regarded artefact is one of the last albums from the glory days of the Australian progressive-psych scene to attain a new lease of life in the modern digital age.

On Digitally Remastered CD for the first time, Aztec presents a Classic Aussie Rock album brimming with the superior and adventurous sounds of Psych-rock, Blues and Avant-jazz. The band recorded A Product Of A Broken Reality at TCS Studios, Melbourne in July 1971 and it was originally issued on the Generation label in November 1971. Only a rock scene as rich and diverse as that which proliferated in Australia at the time could have produced an album of such varied moods and exploratory styles.

Alongside the likes of celebrated entities such as Spectrum, Kahvas Jute and Blackfeather, the name Company Caine continues to fire the imagination of progressive-psych aficionados around the world. Original and rare vinyl copies of A Product Of A Broken Reality are highly sought after and can fetch high prices on the international collector market.

The story of Company Caine is based around delightfully eccentric singer / song writer Gulliver Smith and nimble fingered guitarist Russell Smith who formed the band in March 1970. Gulliver had started his career in the 1960s as Little Gulliver, recording R&B singles for the In label. Russell came out of the Melbourne blues scene and alongside Gulliver and the other important early member, multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Noone, set out to create a band that played purely original material. Several line-ups came and went before the band broke up at the end of 1972.

A Product Of A Broken Reality included the sprightly single ‘Trixie Stonewallʼs Wayward Home For Young Women’, with the rest of the album ranging from pastoral moments such as ‘It’s Up To You’ and ‘Woman With Reason’ to the spacey sounds of the 10-minute ‘Symptoms’ and on to the head-spinning, Avant-jazz leanings of the unhinged ‘The Day Superman Got Busted’. Included on the CD are six bonus tracks: the 1972 single ‘Dear Carolyn’ / ‘Now I’m Together’ and live sessions from 1971.

Package Contents

Packaged in a deluxe 6 panel Digi-Pak. Digitally remastered by Gil Matthews, with a 20 page colour booklet and liner notes by Ian McFarlane, it's a must-have for fans of Classic Aussie Rock."

El Tarro de Mostaza, Mexico

El Tarro de Mostaza - s/t. 1970 Capitol

This title came up in last night's CD-R session. The second photo shows an LP reissue from the late 90s, and this was my introduction to the album. Throughout the 90s I wheeled and dealed records from/to all over the place. I was far less discerning back then on topics such as authentic reissues and the like. I've always enjoyed this record, but I did eventually ditch this reissue, since as foreshadowed, it wasn't legit. Maybe I should have kept it for reference, but I was doing some thinning about 7-8 years ago, and most of the boots got... well, the boot. So I moved it to a CD-R, and it came up last night after many years of not hearing it.

Not sure why I never bothered to research this title for the CDRWL, but of course as you've no doubt figured out already - it's nothing but pirates on this island. Both for CDs and LPs. I wasn't even sure there was an original. But, yes, the first photo is an authentic one, and they are very pricey. And it's on a major label no less.

Lot of misinformation about this title, but deep in the bowels of the internet (yea, I don't recommend you go there often either), I found a Spanish language interview (from a local Veracruz newspaper!). And with the ever trusty help of Google translate, I was able to discern a few interesting facts. The album was actually recorded in 1968, but not released until two years later. Apparently it was a "happening sound in", and the band was forced to play for hours on end, with no chance to sleep, eat, bio breaks, etc... Obviously not a pleasant experience for the participants. The name of the band was Los Sonidos (The Sounds), but the producers (rightly I think) suggested that the moniker was boring. And so the band arbitrarily picked Mustard Jar because it was both solid and hard (ummm... sure.... ok). I also found a little nugget that Spain's Guerssen has (or had) been in hot pursuit. The article goes back to 2009, and Guerssen is one of the best - if not THE best - reissue label today. So if they can't get it done, not sure anyone else could - legitimately of course.

Musically, the album consists of two distinct sides. One is a lengthy jam with killer organ (really old stock too - like a Farfisa) and guitars. The other side is more psychedelic pop, but you're never too far away from a blistering acid guitar solo. For 1968 Mexico, this was really quite a pioneering effort. And well worth a reissue. Hopefully Guerssen will succeed.

Priority: 3

Finchley Boys, USA ***REISSUED***

Finchley Boys - Everlasting Tributes. 1972 Golden Throat (recordings from 1968-69)

***Reissued by Reaction/Parasol in 2016***

Priority: 3

News: Soleil Zeuhl to reissue Altais EP + archival material from predecessor Apsara!

Soleil Zeuhl label owner Alain had a teaser announcement on his website a couple of months back, that they were going to reissue some unreleased material from a "late 70s Zeuhl" band. Well, the news has now come to light. And here's the announcement after CDRWL contributor TheH correctly answered the quiz!:

"Bravo! This is indeed ALTAÏS. That band has a unique story : it was born on the ashes of another zeuhl band named APSARA who split when 2 of its members left for joining another zeuhl band, then named GORGONUS. Very quickly afterwards, GORGONUS will be renamed .... SHUB NIGGURATH...! On the other side, the remaining members of Apsara, renamed the band ALTAÏS.
 
Our issue will gather the official ALTAÏS maxi (3 tracks, 14 minutes - 1 track already available on Musea's comp. "Enneade") + the sole studio track ever recorded by APSARA (10 minutes, never released) + live APSARA tracks (40 minutes).

The complete story of the 3 bands will be detailed into a booklet written by Calyx. 

In short, it's gonna be the early days of Shub Niggurath and its short-lived twin band (Altaïs)"

First day buyer here! I thought Altais to be an 80s band, so I guessed incorrectly (and we're now finding out that Apsara existed between 1981 to 1983, so the hint turned out to be misleading based on incorrect data initially provided by the band).

The Growing Concern, USA

The Growing Concern - s/t. 1968 Mainstream

This one came from the same CD-R revisit evening as The Aggregation and Thunder & Roses. Yes, it was quite a productive evening... it's just taking me forever to get time to publish my thoughts here.

Now this title does possess one legit CD and that would be the Japanese P-Vine version from 2008. As it turns out, Sony bought the rights to the Mainstream catalog for reissue in the early 90s. But it doesn't appear they did much with it. At some point, P-Vine licensed this title from local countrymen Sony. Perhaps someone over here knew it came out, but I certainly missed it. But I wasn't really looking for The Growing Concern at the time either. Because of its scarcity, and high import cost, the CD hardly met the demand, and barely put a dent in the pirate ships that continue to dominate this recording. It's clear there's a need for a larger press from a quality reissue label. So here we are listing it in the CDRWL for the first time.

As for the music, if you ever wondered what it would be like if the Mamas and the Papas were a more hard edged psychedelic band like Jefferson Airplane, then Chicago based The Growing Concern will provide you that answer. They have both the fantastic dual male/female harmony vocals, as well as the sandpaper acid guitar sounds. It's more based in pop than Airplane, but it still qualifies as blue ribbon psychedelic. A well done record, and one that would benefit nicely from a quality reissue.

Priority: 3

News: Rocket Records to reissue Sepi Kuu in April!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my heart be still! We had Avalanche on Christmas Eve, and now while "doing the rounds" as it were, I've discovered Rocket Records will reissue this 1980 masterpiece on April 3rd!! I first heard this record in 1993 on a backpacking trip which included Helsinki. I was absolutely blown away on first listen. I'm somewhat in the minority on this one I think. Which is puzzling to my little peanut brain at least. But for me, this is a Priority 1 - as intense an album as one can find from the time and place. And they'll be prying the original from my cold dead fingers. It was, in fact, a gift from one of the gentleman I met that day. And he sadly passed near 20 years ago. So perhaps there is a ray of light coming from him today.

March 1 update: We also recently learned that Shadoks will be reissuing this on LP  as well.

News: Rudiger Lorenz's Southland to be reissued by Bureau B in April

I'll be honest and state I've never heard a single Lorenz album. However, many readers of this site are big fans of 70s and 80s electronic music - as am I obviously. So I'm trying to stay ahead of the curve here, and I think many will be thrilled to see this. I believe this is Lorenz's 3rd album, and first time on CD. Label says: "Rüdiger Lorenz was a pharmacist by trade. He produced and marketed a total of eighteen electronic music albums until his death in the year 2000. As only a few hundred copies of each were circulated, Lorenz's works remained largely unknown. Our reissue will change that! "Southland", originally released in 1984, is stylistically between the new Düsseldorf School (Ata Tak/Pyrolator) and the old Berlin School (Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze)"

Sepi Kuu ~ Finland ***REISSUED***

Rannan Usvassa. 1980 Help

UMR review

Priority: 1

***Reissued by Rocket in 2015

8/4/09 (new entry); 2/7/15 (complete)

Thunder and Roses, USA ***REISSUED***

Thunder and Roses - King of the Black Sunrise. 1969 United Artists

***Reissued by Out-Sider Jul 2023

It's time to promote this title from the main list. This came from the same CD-R revisit listening session as The Aggregation. I'm beginning to appreciate this album more than ever.

King of the Black Sunrise, now that's a cool title, eh? Thunder and Roses were a Philly based band who's stock in trade is what is commonly known as "heavy psych". The primary drivers here are Cream and Jimi Hendrix, and for those that love distorted heavy blues rock, then Thunder and Roses will scratch that itch for the most part. There are some weak spots to be found though, such as the country rock song, and their sleepy version of Hendrix's "Red House". But when they crank up the pace and start kickin' out the jams as it were, then this one is primo. Worth a legit CD for sure. Pirates, naturally enough, own these waters to date.

Priority: 3