1982 private
Priority: 3
3/4/25 (new entry)
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Monday, February 24, 2025
Sunday, February 23, 2025
The Mesmerizing Eye ~ USA
Psychedelia - A Musical Light Show. 1967 Smash
Priority: none
This was one of those "CDRWL main list" albums that I never featured. Not that it deserves one, but trying to be thorough here.
Love the cover though. Great use of fonts and art.
2/23/25 (new entry)
Saturday, February 22, 2025
The Tangerine Zoo ~ USA
The Tangerine Zoo. 1968 Mainstream
Outside Looking In. 1968 Mainstream
***The Tangerine Zoo reissued on vinyl by Sundazed (2023)
Priority: 1 (for Outside Looking In)
2/22/25 (new entry)
Curtis Knight ~ USA
Down in the Village. 1970 Paramount
I'm sure others are worthy of consideration, but this is the only title I'm familiar with.
Priority: 1
2/22/25 (new entry)
Chasar ~ Scotland
Chasar (Gypsy Roller). 1983 MPM (MC); 1985 American Phonograph (LP)
Priority: 1
2/22/25 (new entry)
Progresiv TM ~ Romania
Dreptul de a Visa. 1976 Electrecord
Priority: 1
I never added this prior thinking the Rockin' Beat reissue was legit. But apparently not and it's never been rectified.
2/22/25 (new entry)
Friday, February 21, 2025
Kjol ~ Switzerland
Take It On. 1979 Tonstudio Zuckerfabrik
Brigeen Doran's Kjol with Fernando Saunders – Sunny Day. 1981 Roof
Priority: 3
2/21/25 (new entry)
Nebu ~ Canada
Nebu. 1978 Les Disques Cadence
Motus. 1980 Les Disques Cadence
Priority: 3
2/21/25 (new entry)
Affirmation ~ USA
Identity Crises. 1985 Rhombus
Priority: 3
Their Inner City debut Lost Angeles was reissued on CD by Rhombus (the label this LP is on). Strange.
2/21/25 (new entry)
Chango ~ USA
Chango. 1975 ABC
For whatever reason I never added Chango to the CDRWL. The Akarma issue is considered unauthorized by the band (though Discogs hasn't mentioned it) and that still hasn't been rectified.
Priority: 1
2/21/25 (new entry)
Saturday, February 1, 2025
Think ~ New Zealand ***REISSUED***
We'll Give You a Buzz. 1976 Atlantic
***On Frenzy with eight bonus tracks. This is the same label that reissued the first Ragnarok album.
UMR review
Priority: 2
UMR review
Priority: 2
3/14/10 (new entry); 2/1/25 (complete)
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Formas ~ Spain ***REISSUED***
Largos Suenos. 1981 Surcosur
***Reissued by 5 Lunas Producciones Dec 2024
Formas also has two cassettes I haven't heard to date.
One of the many Rock Andaluz albums from Spain during the late 70s and early 80s, which Triana had popularized to great success starting in 1975. It can be argued that Formas isn't progressive rock at all, but rather straight up Flamenco rock, with short, compact tunes. The irregular rhythms, hand claps, synthesizer,s and Arabian voices add an exotic flair, and I personally find this style of music highly appealing. This is a second tier work for the style, but a good one all the same, and it's too bad the album missed the first wave of CD reissues coming out of Spain in the 1990s. As with most Spanish albums, it features fetching art work.
Priority: 2
One of the many Rock Andaluz albums from Spain during the late 70s and early 80s, which Triana had popularized to great success starting in 1975. It can be argued that Formas isn't progressive rock at all, but rather straight up Flamenco rock, with short, compact tunes. The irregular rhythms, hand claps, synthesizer,s and Arabian voices add an exotic flair, and I personally find this style of music highly appealing. This is a second tier work for the style, but a good one all the same, and it's too bad the album missed the first wave of CD reissues coming out of Spain in the 1990s. As with most Spanish albums, it features fetching art work.
Priority: 2
3/18/11 (new entry); 12/7/24 (complete)
Monday, September 23, 2024
Carpineta ~ Italy
---See below for recent news
And as promised yesterday, here is that new Italian discovery from The AC. Of all the countries that have had almost complete reissue coverage in regards to progressive music from the 70s, Italy is most certainly in the lead. Though this one does fit the profile for the few that still remain like Gramigna, Ultima Spiaggia, Arpaderba, Roberto Picchi, Orchestra Njervudarov, and others. All the same, Carpineta up until now, is a complete unknown. And it's fantastic! Much of what I just said is far more detailed in The AC's review below.
For quick reference, I'd say Carpineta tracks closest to Canzoniere del Lazio at the end of their storied career (Morra 1978, Miradas). That is - at their most progressive! Mid 70s Area also deserves a shout out, as well as artists as disparate as Gramigna, Franco Battiato, and even Aktuala. For my tastes, Carpineta surpasses all of them. Yea, it's that good.
OK, enough of my 30,000 ft view. Let's get down to The AC's much more professional reading liner notes: "There's probably no individual progressive rock scene from the classic 1970s era that has been more thoroughly excavated and cataloged than the Italian one. Massive printed tomes and comprehensive web archives are devoted to it, and a multitude of record labels have left practically no stone unturned, reissuing almost the entire back catalog of noteworthy albums, often multiple times over. A quick glance here at the CDRWL will confirm this, showing a relatively paltry selection of Italian LPs, most from the more obscure jazz/fusion oriented corner of the scene. A few well-known items (like Orchestra Njervudarov or Canzoniere Del Lazio) have somehow managed to avoid reissue, but overall it's pretty slim pickings. The continued passionate following (and incredibly high prices of many originals) have necessitated a very active reissue scene, and created a legion of dedicated collectors, both locally and abroad, who over the ensuing decades have dug to the very bottom of the well in hopes of unearthing that one last Italian gem. So it's with great surprise that I offer this particular album up for your inspection, as it does seem to be a genuine specimen of that rarest of birds - a previously undiscovered Italian progressive LP from the 1970s, not (to my knowledge) ever mentioned in any of the standard Italian prog references or encountered by collectors until just the past year or so.
Hailing from the ancient province of Cosenza in southern Italy, Carpineta seem to have been named after a type of tree, although turning the record sleeve over will reveal that each letter of the name seems to stand for something, possibly making it an acronym: "Carpini Abbandono Rabbia Pianti Incontaminazione Nord-africa Emigrazione Trasformazione Abbrazzamuni". Really rolls off the tongue, eh? With a name like that, and being from 1978, you might be able to guess that we're within the realm of that strange and uniquely Italian take on avant-prog and RIO that proliferated (on a relatively minor scale) from the mid 70s through the early 80s, in the wake of the classic early 70s prog scene's demise, rising in tandem with (and sometimes related to) the increasingly popular jazz-rock/fusion movement. But as I'm sure you know, this whole little mini-movement was quite diverse and hard to put a finger on, mixing in elements of progressive rock, jazz/fusion, Italian folk, pop, ethnic/eastern and avant-garde elements in wildly varying combinations. None of these albums really sound alike, even if you can kind of pigeonhole them due to the time, place and politics. Carpineta are no different, in being completely different. Does that even make any sense? In any case, what we have here is a mixture of elements that's not easily summed up. It opens with an abstract piece full of droning reeds (the "zampogna", a characteristic southern Italian bagpipe, is frequently used on this album, although often in a way that almost makes it sound like an eastern instrument), clattering percussion and declamatory vocals. After that we move into avant-prog territory, with varied but cohesive songs featuring elements of prog, jazz-rock, indigenous southern Italian folk and even psychedelic rock. There's a wide instrumental palette here, as aside from the standard progressive rock instrumentation and impassioned Italian vocals (which at times are sung in the local dialect, which seems to be somewhat Greek-influeced, if I'm not mistaken) they utilize various wind instruments, exotic percussion and also indigenous elements like the previously mentioned zampogna, mandolin, etc. However, the two things that really stand out are the electric guitar work and the drumming. The lead guitar is often played in an almost anachronistic psychedelic style, loaded with fuzz and distortion, while the drummer sometimes freaks out in a nervous, twitchy jazz-inflected way, unleashing rapid-fire rolls and fills like Furio Chirico after downing a few too many cappucinnos. This all really comes together on side two, in the manic and appropriately titled "Storie di cose nostre", with vicious lashings of fuzz guitar, hyper-active drumming and angry screaming vocals, creating one of the most relentless tracks you'll ever hear on a 70s prog LP. But naturally this is followed up by a mellow, sunny Italian folk-oriented song. And so it goes. A fascinating album that I've found myself returning to again and again, which certainly deserves to be reissued and discovered by the wider Italian prog fanbase. Hopefully someone in their home area can find these guys and get on the case!
By the way, the "Mu. Co." label was either their own private imprint or a tiny local interest. It has no relation to Mu, the well-known Turin prog/fusion label from the same time period (Zauber, Esagono, etc.)."
Priority: 1
And as promised yesterday, here is that new Italian discovery from The AC. Of all the countries that have had almost complete reissue coverage in regards to progressive music from the 70s, Italy is most certainly in the lead. Though this one does fit the profile for the few that still remain like Gramigna, Ultima Spiaggia, Arpaderba, Roberto Picchi, Orchestra Njervudarov, and others. All the same, Carpineta up until now, is a complete unknown. And it's fantastic! Much of what I just said is far more detailed in The AC's review below.
For quick reference, I'd say Carpineta tracks closest to Canzoniere del Lazio at the end of their storied career (Morra 1978, Miradas). That is - at their most progressive! Mid 70s Area also deserves a shout out, as well as artists as disparate as Gramigna, Franco Battiato, and even Aktuala. For my tastes, Carpineta surpasses all of them. Yea, it's that good.
OK, enough of my 30,000 ft view. Let's get down to The AC's much more professional reading liner notes: "There's probably no individual progressive rock scene from the classic 1970s era that has been more thoroughly excavated and cataloged than the Italian one. Massive printed tomes and comprehensive web archives are devoted to it, and a multitude of record labels have left practically no stone unturned, reissuing almost the entire back catalog of noteworthy albums, often multiple times over. A quick glance here at the CDRWL will confirm this, showing a relatively paltry selection of Italian LPs, most from the more obscure jazz/fusion oriented corner of the scene. A few well-known items (like Orchestra Njervudarov or Canzoniere Del Lazio) have somehow managed to avoid reissue, but overall it's pretty slim pickings. The continued passionate following (and incredibly high prices of many originals) have necessitated a very active reissue scene, and created a legion of dedicated collectors, both locally and abroad, who over the ensuing decades have dug to the very bottom of the well in hopes of unearthing that one last Italian gem. So it's with great surprise that I offer this particular album up for your inspection, as it does seem to be a genuine specimen of that rarest of birds - a previously undiscovered Italian progressive LP from the 1970s, not (to my knowledge) ever mentioned in any of the standard Italian prog references or encountered by collectors until just the past year or so.
Hailing from the ancient province of Cosenza in southern Italy, Carpineta seem to have been named after a type of tree, although turning the record sleeve over will reveal that each letter of the name seems to stand for something, possibly making it an acronym: "Carpini Abbandono Rabbia Pianti Incontaminazione Nord-africa Emigrazione Trasformazione Abbrazzamuni". Really rolls off the tongue, eh? With a name like that, and being from 1978, you might be able to guess that we're within the realm of that strange and uniquely Italian take on avant-prog and RIO that proliferated (on a relatively minor scale) from the mid 70s through the early 80s, in the wake of the classic early 70s prog scene's demise, rising in tandem with (and sometimes related to) the increasingly popular jazz-rock/fusion movement. But as I'm sure you know, this whole little mini-movement was quite diverse and hard to put a finger on, mixing in elements of progressive rock, jazz/fusion, Italian folk, pop, ethnic/eastern and avant-garde elements in wildly varying combinations. None of these albums really sound alike, even if you can kind of pigeonhole them due to the time, place and politics. Carpineta are no different, in being completely different. Does that even make any sense? In any case, what we have here is a mixture of elements that's not easily summed up. It opens with an abstract piece full of droning reeds (the "zampogna", a characteristic southern Italian bagpipe, is frequently used on this album, although often in a way that almost makes it sound like an eastern instrument), clattering percussion and declamatory vocals. After that we move into avant-prog territory, with varied but cohesive songs featuring elements of prog, jazz-rock, indigenous southern Italian folk and even psychedelic rock. There's a wide instrumental palette here, as aside from the standard progressive rock instrumentation and impassioned Italian vocals (which at times are sung in the local dialect, which seems to be somewhat Greek-influeced, if I'm not mistaken) they utilize various wind instruments, exotic percussion and also indigenous elements like the previously mentioned zampogna, mandolin, etc. However, the two things that really stand out are the electric guitar work and the drumming. The lead guitar is often played in an almost anachronistic psychedelic style, loaded with fuzz and distortion, while the drummer sometimes freaks out in a nervous, twitchy jazz-inflected way, unleashing rapid-fire rolls and fills like Furio Chirico after downing a few too many cappucinnos. This all really comes together on side two, in the manic and appropriately titled "Storie di cose nostre", with vicious lashings of fuzz guitar, hyper-active drumming and angry screaming vocals, creating one of the most relentless tracks you'll ever hear on a 70s prog LP. But naturally this is followed up by a mellow, sunny Italian folk-oriented song. And so it goes. A fascinating album that I've found myself returning to again and again, which certainly deserves to be reissued and discovered by the wider Italian prog fanbase. Hopefully someone in their home area can find these guys and get on the case!
By the way, the "Mu. Co." label was either their own private imprint or a tiny local interest. It has no relation to Mu, the well-known Turin prog/fusion label from the same time period (Zauber, Esagono, etc.)."
Priority: 1
See the comments section where I have a translated version of what's going on. But essentially the band has decided to re-record the album with one bonus track. So the album remains in this list since it hasn't been technically reissued, but the re-recording is most welcomed as well.
3/3/14 (new entry); 9/23/24 (update)
Monday, September 16, 2024
Granmax ~ USA ***REISSUED***
A Ninth Alive. 1976 Panama
Kiss Heaven Goodbye. 1978 Panama
***Both albums reissued by Cult Metal Classics (2024)
Priority: 2
9/16/24 (new entry / reissue complete)
Friday, July 19, 2024
Tonic ~ Germany ***REISSUED***
This Way. 1980 Peak
***Reissued by Golden Core (Jul 2024)
For the late date, this has a remarkably sophisticated sound – similar more to the classic early 1970s Italian prog scene, than anything typically associated with German rock. Complete with choir mellotron, organ, bells, speedy guitar solos, flute, sax and complex meters. When the vocals kick in, I'm reminded of Grobschnitt's Rockpommel's Land era. There's also a review on the excellent Planet Mellotron site for this very interesting one off.
Thanks goes to Midwest Mike for turning me onto this title years ago.
Thanks goes to Midwest Mike for turning me onto this title years ago.
Priority: 2
7/28/09 (new entry); 7/19/24 (complete)
Monday, July 1, 2024
Strongbow ~ USA ***REISSUED***
Strongbow. 1975 Southwind
***Reissued by ProgAOR Jun 2024
I didn't get a chance to feature this fine hard rock / AOR album. The CD doesn't include either track from their excellent 1973 single, but does have three other bonus tracks.
Priority: 3
7/1/24 (new entry / complete)
Sunday, June 9, 2024
Joachim Kuhn ~ Germany ***REISSUED***
There may be other titles to consider but I haven't investigated further
11/6/09; 6/9/24 (complete)
Friday, May 17, 2024
Flasket Brinner ~ Sweden ***REISSUED***
7/12/09 (new entry); 5/17/24 (complete)
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Kashmir / Patrice Guenat / Laurent Beguelin ~ Switzerland
Monday, January 15, 2024
Vanessa ~ Norway ***REISSUED***
City Lips (Norway) 1975 On
Black and White (Norway) 1976 Compendium
***Both reissued by Norsk Albums Classics in 2023/24
The more known of the two albums, Black and White, is a better than average instrumental jazz fusion album, with some tight rhythms and occasional funky lines. Primary leads come from the sax, but plenty of good guitar and keyboard leads as well. Comparisons to the French group Spheroe wouldn't be out of place. This album received pretty good distribution in the US, and it wasn't too difficult to find in the used bins in the 1980s. Because of this, I'm surprised it still hasn't been reissued to date.
City Lips is similar, again a mix of funk and fusion, with a couple of experimental bits thrown in for good measure. A bit more meaty than Black and White, but not as focused.
Priority: 3
The more known of the two albums, Black and White, is a better than average instrumental jazz fusion album, with some tight rhythms and occasional funky lines. Primary leads come from the sax, but plenty of good guitar and keyboard leads as well. Comparisons to the French group Spheroe wouldn't be out of place. This album received pretty good distribution in the US, and it wasn't too difficult to find in the used bins in the 1980s. Because of this, I'm surprised it still hasn't been reissued to date.
City Lips is similar, again a mix of funk and fusion, with a couple of experimental bits thrown in for good measure. A bit more meaty than Black and White, but not as focused.
Priority: 3
5/23/10 (new entry); 1/15/24 (complete)
Friday, December 15, 2023
Earthstar ~ USA ***REISSUED***
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Hades ~ Norway ***REISSUED***
Hades. 1992 Colours (1974 recording)
***Reissued by Norsk Album Classics in Jan 2024
This live album (soundboard quality) reminds me a lot of Osanna's L'Uomo, which in itself was a strong play on the early Jethro Tull sound. That is to say blues based heavy rock with aggressive, stuttering flute as the lead instrument. Many time changes also point to the Osanna way of doing things. The Norwegian vocals recall the unique Scandinavian flair found in bands like Host or Trettioariga Kriget. Great fuzz guitar leads as well. Short album (under 25 minutes), but great all the way through.
Priority: 3
This live album (soundboard quality) reminds me a lot of Osanna's L'Uomo, which in itself was a strong play on the early Jethro Tull sound. That is to say blues based heavy rock with aggressive, stuttering flute as the lead instrument. Many time changes also point to the Osanna way of doing things. The Norwegian vocals recall the unique Scandinavian flair found in bands like Host or Trettioariga Kriget. Great fuzz guitar leads as well. Short album (under 25 minutes), but great all the way through.
Priority: 3
6/1/09 (new entry); 10/25/23 (complete)
Thursday, August 17, 2023
Satin Whale ~ Germany ***REISSUED***
7/25/09 (new entry); 8/17/23 (complete)
Friday, June 30, 2023
Visitor 2035 ~ England ***REISSUED***
Visitor 2035. 1978 Ariola
***Reissued by Made in Germany Jun 2023
Progressive fusion influenced by the usual suspects like Return to Forever, David Sancious and Weather Report. I also pick up some fellow countrymen Skywhale here as well as the US group Flight, and that's a good thing.
Priority: 3
Progressive fusion influenced by the usual suspects like Return to Forever, David Sancious and Weather Report. I also pick up some fellow countrymen Skywhale here as well as the US group Flight, and that's a good thing.
Priority: 3
12/12/09 (new entry); 6/30/23 (complete)
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Hannibal ~ England ***REISSUED***
Hannibal. 1970 B&C.
***Reissued by Talking Elephant May 2023
Hannibal are squarely in that unique early 70s UK blues rock school of saxophone lead proto prog, similar in scope to other same-era English acts like Diabolus, Aquila, and Raw Material (circa their first album). Some really nice jazz-tone guitar work too. Despite the lengthy tracks, there isn’t much in the way of inter-song development. Highlights are certainly the last two tracks: 'Wet Legs' and 'Winter'. A good example of the style.
Priority: 3
Hannibal are squarely in that unique early 70s UK blues rock school of saxophone lead proto prog, similar in scope to other same-era English acts like Diabolus, Aquila, and Raw Material (circa their first album). Some really nice jazz-tone guitar work too. Despite the lengthy tracks, there isn’t much in the way of inter-song development. Highlights are certainly the last two tracks: 'Wet Legs' and 'Winter'. A good example of the style.
Priority: 3
11/25/09 (new entry); 5/23/23 (complete)
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Oz Knozz ~ USA ***REISSUED***
***Reissued by ProgAOR in Mar 2023
UMR review
Priority: 2
8/1/10; 3/1/23 (complete)
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McLuhan ~ USA ***REISSUED***
Anomaly. 1972 Brunswick ***Reissued by Think Like a Key, Jun 2025 UMR review and band history Priority: 1 5/24/09 (new entry); 6/25/25 (com...
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Final Update for this post: October 20, 2015 Current CDRWL News can be found here CDRWL Priority 1 can be found here * - A very good...
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Send a Message. 1979 Kona Gold On the back cover, the band name is stylized as MoFoYa. UMR review Priority: 2 6/16/25 (new entry) -
Metaphysical Animation - s/t. 1973 private. Well, after much ado, here we are. You know, we all hear so many rarities... so many things ...