Sky Dancer ~ USA

Alive. 1977 All in One

UMR review

Priority: 2

3/4/25 (new entry)

Crystal Haze ~ USA

1977 private

Crystal Haze is an obscure demo type release from Decatur, Illinois circa 1977. Some really good hard rocking tunes here with above average guitar work - particularly on 'Truth of the Ages', 'January', and the latter part of 'Two Times Under'. There's also some folky ballads, a little boogie, and an opening guitar fronted instrumental. The creaky old organ is way too buried in the mix. A good one for private hard rock collectors, though not mandatory.

Priority: 3

3/4/25 (new entry)

Skywalker ~ USA

1982 private

Skywalker were a hard rock band from Chicago, and High Flyer is their sole release, and quite scarce today. Despite being from 1982, the band sound every bit like they're from the 1975-76 era. The songs are straightforward hard rockers, with excellent breaks and great guitar solos. The vocals are high pitched, and FM radio is where he wants to be heard. The real anomaly here is the keyboard of choice - the trusty Hammond B3. Not a lot of bands in the early 80s still lugging that thing around, and it's what makes the album special. And that's all they used too - no synthesizers! Even the one throwaway track 'So Hard Baby' is saved by a nice organ solo. 'Rock the Night Away' is the highlight of Side 1, with some great riffing, and by looking at the track titles and song lengths of Side 2, I was certain to have an excellent album to witness. It wasn't to be. 'Disco Queen' is a lot like the opener on Side 1, which is solid. 'Living Free' on the other hand comes dangerously close to that old chestnut 'Free Bird' at times, and the mid section which promises to unleash, never quite does. And the vocals here are strained and cringe-worthy. 'High Flyer' is another good hard rocker, but again, one wishes for a bit more steam to motor ahead with. All in all, a very good entry for hard rock genre fans. But one whose immense potential was not met on the whole.

Priority: 3

3/4/25 (new entry)

Hurricane Express ~ USA

1978 R.C.K.

Hurricane Express were a hard rock band from Milwaukee who released one private LP (1978 R.C.K. Records) and off into the annals of history they went. Clearly the major label talent scouts blew the call on this band, as Hurricane Express definitely were tapped into the lean and mean late 70s sound, and as the other reviewer's suggest, this is a band that should have "made it".

The album opens up inauspiciously with the dreadful cliched boogie rock of 'Rock & Roll Man'. But things pick up quickly with the fine riffs and hook lines of 'Don't Let Me Go', and it's where we begin to hear the fantastic guitar work. Other tracks of note are 'Let's Do It Up' and 'When You See Me', the latter featuring some fine extended guitar work. 'Rock Me Like a Hurricane' is the only other skip over track, but there's a title to think about, eh? Perhaps we could have a word... Scorpions? 'Frenzy' recalls the Nuge on 'Motor City Madhouse'. And speaking of the Motor City Madman himself, that gets us to the closer - and best track - 'Death Watch'. The song itself won't win any awards, but the mid section guitar solo is quite inspired. It's trance-like similar to 'Stranglehold', arguably Nugent's best moment in the sun as well.

Overall a mixed bag, but a solid entry for the genre. And with one killer lengthy cut.

Priority: 3

3/4/25 (new entry)

Spell ~ USA

Time Waves. 1979 Tsunami

Spell is the duo of synthesist's Jack Tamul and Joe Deihl, both based in Jacksonville, Florida. They do a fine job at emulating the Berlin School style of electronics, especially within the cosmic atmosphere category, perhaps a bit like fellow Americans: Earthstar. Though there is little in the way of sequencing... unfortunately. Quite a bit of acoustic piano adds a warm touch, though it pushes the contents towards the New Age scene at times.

Priority: 3

2/24/25 (new entry)

The Mesmerizing Eye ~ USA

Psychedelia - A Musical Light Show. 1967 Smash

The Mesmerizing Eye's sole album is a short affair made up of 23 minutes of psychedelic incidental music. It appears the entire album consists only of the "weird" parts from Friendsound, Fifty Foot Hose, Silver Apples, etc... I'm sure you can gather this is an exploitation album. One that was likely sold at the cash register of K-Mart's back in the 1960s - a good starter album for the middle-class, bored white couple set, about to embark on their first neighborhood swinger party...

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)

Lodestone ~ USA

Lodestone. 1981 private

UMR review

Priority: 1

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.

UMR review

Priority: 1

2/22/25 (new entry)

Chasar ~ Scotland

Chasar (Gypsy Roller). 1983 MPM (MC); 1985 American Phonograph (LP)

UMR review

Priority: 1

2/22/25 (new entry)

Relayer ~ USA

The Relayer Album. 1979 Hamilton Street

UMR review

Priority: 3

2/22/25 (new entry)

Progresiv TM ~ Romania

Dreptul de a Visa. 1976 Electrecord

UMR review

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)

Jargon ~ Finland

Jargon. 1980 Dig It

UMR review

Priority: 3

2/22/25 (new entry)

Leviathan ~ USA

Leviathan. 1974 Mach

UMR review

Priority: 2

2/22/25 (new entry)

Atlantic Ocean ~ Sweden

Tranquillity Bay. 1970 Love

UMR review

Priority: 3

2/21/25 (new entry)

Kjol ~ Switzerland

Take It On. 1979 Tonstudio Zuckerfabrik

Brigeen Doran's Kjol with Fernando Saunders – Sunny Day. 1981 Roof

Kjol were a Swiss based jazz rock quartet, lead by renowned saxophonist Brigeen Doran, and her brother Dave on drums. That would be her image on the front cover. Kjol is a Swedish word for "skirt", so it appears this is how the band wanted to announce their feminine leanings. Whether it was an inside joke, or a sincere defiant statement, it's safe to say the moniker hasn't aged well in these politically correct times.

Musically, Kjol are playing a mid 70s styled jazz rock, as one might hear on the German MPS label during this era. Other than the somewhat trite funky opener, the remainder is long form, sax driven, heavy fusion with some fine guitar and keyboard leads. A good one for the genre, and a new addition for my Kraut Fusion list!

Priority: 3

2/21/25 (new entry)

Nebu ~ Canada

Nebu. 1978 Les Disques Cadence
Motus. 1980 Les Disques Cadence

UMR review

Priority: 3

2/21/25 (new entry)

The Next World ~ USA

Symphonic Rock. 1973 Era

UMR review

Priority: 3

2/21/25 (new entry)

Affirmation ~ USA

Identity Crises. 1985 Rhombus

Much more edgy and interesting than their 1980 debut. There's almost a bit of "Kraut Fusion" here (think Real Ax Band), combined with the more obvious electric viola driven Jean-Luc Ponty styling. Rare that a jazz rock album from 1985 has any personality at all, much less surpassing one from a better era. Nice album here.

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)

Chalibaude ~ France

Les Noces du Papillon. 1976 Cezame

UMR review

Priority: 3

2/21/25 (new entry)

Crysys ~ USA

Hard as Rock. 1981 Long St.
Crysys Strikes. 1990 Empire (MC)

UMR review

Priority: 2

2/21/25 (new entry)

Metamorfosis ~ Spain

Papallones i Elefants. 1982 Apolo

Despite the surreal cover art, Metamorfosis do not belong to the Spanish progressive rock revival of the late 1970s. Rather, this is a homage to Chick Corea's Return to Forever, or perhaps even fellow countrymen Iceberg. Minus the insane chops that is. No matter, as the melodic content is high, and the compositions are well written. Had this been a private American album from 1982, fusion enthusiasts would be hollering about it everywhere. And so yes, recommended indeed.

Priority: 2

2/21/25 (new entry)

Sod ~ USA

Sod. 1971 Decca
Face the Music. 1972 Decca

Coming from Las Vegas, Nevada, Sod are one of many horn rock albums from the late 60s and early 70s to have emerged onto the scene. There are some really great tracks on this one, especially 'Too Loose to Get Tight' parts 1 and 2, 'Things I Wanna Say', and 'Makin' It'. As is often the case with the genre, the random dabbling in blues and soul pop drag down the immense potential classic this could have been. Oh well... still one not to miss if coming across in a rummage sale.

You'll often see the name stylized as the acronym SOD, but best I can tell, especially considering the album cover, the band name is Sod - defined as "the surface of the ground, with the grass growing on it."

Priority: 3

2/21/25 (new entry)

Iguazu ~ England

Iguazu. 1984 Music Factory

Very obscure UK band with a Latin tinged fusion sound. First half of their sole album is a light and breezy fusion with flute and acoustic guitar in the lead role with wordless male/female vocals. At this point, I was recalling Galie from Mexico or perhaps Brazil's Cheiro de Vida. The second half becomes aggressively edgier, with more guest stars on electric guitar, synthesizer, and saxophone - almost to the point of freaky, and thus the revelation of a great find is at hand. However there's no denying its 1984 heritage (especially in the keyboard tones and overall production). Despite that fact, this is something of an essential work.

Priority: 2

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. 

UMR review

Priority: 1

2/21/25 (new entry)

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

3/14/10 (new entry); 2/1/25 (complete)

Rayuela ~ Argentina ***REISSUED***

Rayuela. 1977 Orfeo

***Reissued by Fonocal, Dec 2024

UMR review

Priority: 1

3/16/14 (new entry); 12/10/24 (complete)

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

3/18/11 (new entry); 12/7/24 (complete)

Carpineta ~ Italy

Carpineta. 1978 Mu

---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

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)

Granmax ~ USA ***REISSUED***

A Ninth Alive. 1976 Panama
Kiss Heaven Goodbye. 1978 Panama

***Both albums reissued by Cult Metal Classics (2024)

UMR review

Priority: 2

9/16/24 (new entry / reissue complete)

Tonic ~ Germany ***REISSUED***

This Way. 1980 Peak

***Reissued by Golden Core (Jul 2024)

UMR review

Priority: 2

7/28/09 (new entry); 7/19/24 (complete)

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)

Joachim Kuhn ~ Germany ***REISSUED***

Joachim Kuhn - Cinemascope. 1974 MPS

There may be other titles to consider but I haven't investigated further

***Reissued by Belle Antique Jul 2024

UMR review

Priority: 3

11/6/09; 6/9/24 (complete)

Flasket Brinner ~ Sweden ***REISSUED***

Fläsket Brinner. 1971 Silence

***Reissued by Silence May 2024

UMR review

Priority: 1

7/12/09 (new entry); 5/17/24 (complete)

Kashmir / Patrice Guenat / Laurent Beguelin ~ Switzerland

Alarme! (aka Je Suis...). 1979 Kiswell. (Je Suis... was the original private issue)

Histoire Cruelle. 1982 Kobold

Patrice Guenat / Laurent Beguelin - Les Reflets du Lac. 1986 label unknown.

While researching the band again, I had finally found some info about the third Kashmir album Les Reflets du Lac. Except it wasn't really a Kashmir album at all. I decided to reach out to my friend (Strawbsfan) who had provided me with the Histoire LP originally. As it turns out, he did have an online copy to share with me! So let's see what the contents contain: After the electronic rock of Kashmir's debut, and the bizarre 80s amalgamation that was Histoire Cruelle, it should come as no surprise that this third effort is different than both. The first side (I think) is made up of eight short vignettes. Starting off mostly as a pleasant new age album with the unfortunate 80's digital synth technology being pushed towards the front. It does get interesting in the middle section with the French narration and an orchestral brass movement. This leads to the 18 minute lengthy suite 'Les Oiseaux du Parc', the music does appear to be a classical oriented symphony about "birds in the park". Throughout one can hear Klaus Schulze (especially the use of digital percussion), Deuter, Jean-Michel Jarre, Jerome Froese era Tangerine Dream, and a host of others from the middle 80s. Unpredictable as ever, Guenat offers up challenging music for the discerning listener.

Priority: 3 (for Histoire Cruelle)

6/17/11 (new entry); 2/14/24 (update)

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

5/23/10 (new entry); 1/15/24 (complete)

Earthstar ~ USA ***REISSUED***

Salterbarty Tales. 1978 Moontower
Atomkraft? Nein Danke. 1981 Sky
Humans Only. 1982 Sky

***Reissued by Made in Germany 2023  

UMR review

Priority: 1

11/28/10 (new entry); 12/15/23 (complete)

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

6/1/09 (new entry); 10/25/23 (complete)

Satin Whale ~ Germany ***REISSUED***

 Desert Places. 1974 Brain

***All their albums reissued by Made in Germany 2023 (finally!)  

UMR reviews

Priority: 1

7/25/09 (new entry); 8/17/23 (complete)

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

12/12/09 (new entry); 6/30/23 (complete)

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

11/25/09 (new entry); 5/23/23 (complete)