News: Panko (Musik) coming soon on Garden of Delights!

WOO-HOO!! A quick glance over to the Coming Soon list at Garden of Delights shows they are to reissue this album (recorded in 1971 but originally released on cassette in 1983) - officially titled "Weil es so Schön Perlt". We first learned of its existence from Eric over at Mutant Sounds, and added it to the CDRWL back in June of 2009.

We had even mentioned back then: "This would be perfect for a Garden of Delights reissue, especially if the master tapes are still around and could be cleaned up." Could GoD be peeking over at the CDRWL? We have zero evidence that they know of this blog, but whatever the case, we'll be delusional here and take .00001% of the credit.

This is super news, and yet another piece of the grand Krautrock puzzle will eventually be filled in. As always with GoD, remember that albums can sometimes sit for 5+ years on their Coming Soon list. But they are very good about eventually getting them out!

They also will reissue the first two Virus albums. And while both of those have been out on CD legit for many years, these will most certainly be the definitive editions to own. I'll probably consider upgrading. Also for vinyl fiends, they are also planning to reissue "Revelation" on LP as well.

News: Firyuza may be reissued soon on Melodia!

This news comes courtesy of our friend Lev from Russia, and I'll quote what he wrote in Progressive Ears this week: "Earlier this year Melodia celebrated its 50th anniversary. Coinciding with that, they announced that they are going to reissue 50 most wanted items from their catalog. Mind you, this includes audioplays, children's tales and other stuff like that, because having been basically the only music label in the entire country for a good quarter of the century, they naturally had a very eclectic roster of releases. But anyway, three separate polls were run to determine which albums are going to be rereleased. As a music critic, I participated in the critic's poll and added the Firyuza album to a list of works that were put to vote. And lo and behold, it made it into a final top 50 after all votes were counted!" 

Outstanding news and nice to see folks we know adding some influence!

Here's our feature on Firyuza.

Mick Clarke, England

Mick Clarke - Games. 1978 Blubber Lips (Germany)

Another quality album sent in from our friend SF. Clarke's sole work is a fine electronic album in the Klaus Schulze tradition. There are two major breaks from the norm though, and both feature guitarist John Carrick. First is the 'Walls of Night', where Carrick lays down some vicious electric leads over the Moog sequencer runs - in the Richard Pinhas or Edgar Froese tradition. And on 'Time is Now', he adds acoustic accompaniment to great effect. These two additions add greatly to this otherwise standard one man electronic musician show.

Album was recorded in Newcastle, lending credence that Clarke is an English musician. It's anyone's guess how he ended up on the Heidelberg based Blubber Lips label (Pancake, Chameleon, Steve Robinson, etc...).

This is a good one for Berlin School electronic fans.

Priority: 3

Kyaldan, France

Kyaldan - Breiz. 1978 Arfolk.

Here's another one from our good friend SF. Kyaldan is basically Breton folk meets electric rock. Some of this album, especially early on in, reminds me of Rush oddly enough (?!). I don't use Rush as a reference much. A very interesting album, though probably a bit too Celtic folk oriented for my personal taste. If what I said above excites your imagination, then you're a good candidate for checking this one out!

SF states it better than I when he says: "Housed in a beautiful gatefold cover on the Arfolk label, Kyaldan explores traditional Breton/Celtic themes like the Dead, Merlin the Fishermen lost at sea...What makes this record special to me is the unique blend of vocals harmonies and the electric treatment of Breton Folk along with a powerful rhythm section. I have always been fond of synths mixed with acoustics and this album falls right in my sweet spot.

It is mostly sung in French with two English songs and the title track Breiz in Breton. All listed as original compositions. Kyaldan is a family outfit backed with a core of strong musicians."

Thanks again SF!

Here's a Kyaldan tribute page. Thanks John!

Priority: none

Jack Hammond ~ USA

Jack Hammond - Open the Doors. 1980 private
The Jack Hammond Group - A Fatal Beauty. 1982 Fatal Beauty Records

UMR reviews

Priority: 3

Life, England

Life - Life After Death. 1974 Polydor.

There are so many bands out there with the name Life, it's near impossible to keep up. I thought I'd heard them all, but MM had sent this one in this past Spring, and it was one Life that had escaped me.

Side 1 is pretty much all good times rock n' roll with honky tonk piano and party-time themes. But even on these tracks, Life throws in some sophisticated organ breaks and even a little flute. Side 2 dumps the easy life, and focuses more on their serious side. Here, Life demonstrates a strong early Uriah Heep influence. Organ dominates the sound, and there's quite a bit more thought injected into these compositions. Tough album to evaluate. I could go Priority 3 based on Side 2, but probably will keep at None, as the first side is pretty weak IMO.

There's a newly pressed CD out there that just arrived on the market, but honestly it looks dubious to me. I'm more than willing to be proven wrong. Just send me the hard data.

Priority: none

Après la Pluie, France

Après la Pluie - La Célèbre Ascension Abyssale de Joseph Celsius. 1978 De Plein Vent

Following on yesterday's notes about Theatre Aleph, I figured I should post this album that I had made a reference to - one that MM had sent in a couple of years ago. These are all a bit out my normal scope, but I know there are fans out there. Some exposure is better than none.

Apparently this album is a full story represented in song. As such, it can be unbearably vocal heavy. Lead and sung by Roger Lombardot, the album on the surface at least, has some resemblance to Ange or Mona Lisa or perhaps even La Saga de Ragnar Lodbrock. In fact he wrote the lyrics for at least one Ange track, so the comparison is more than cursory. But the lack of instrumental breaks takes away any chance that non-French speakers will come out with anything but a Parisian Sunday-Morning-Comic-Book reading. Strangely enough, there is some mellotron interspersed that might endure the odd specialist to the album.

Priority: none

Theatre Aleph, France

Theatre Aleph - La Nuit Suspendue. 1982 Kiosque d'Orphee

This one comes courtesy of our friend SF. He had sent me a batch of rare French albums in the late Spring, so its high time I get some of these out there!

" La Nuit Suspendue" is a theater play set to music. So a bit of a slog if you don't speak French, though there is some wonderful piano, string synthesizer and flute here to enjoy. References include Après la Pluie, Chene Noir, J.A. Seazer, and even Mike Oldfield.

SF further adds: "I was drawn to this record for the cover and also the mythical label...Kiosque d'Orphee who brought us many wonderful obscurities such as Didier Bocquet, Jean Luc Hamonet, Orval, Emeraude, Kennlisch and Rictus to name a few. I had seen it on want lists as well so when I came across it, I bought it.

I did not know what to expect when I put it on. I had done some research and found out that Theatre Aleph was a group of performers started by Oscar Castro in the late sixties in Chile, who was imprisoned in the seventies by the Pinochet government and later exiled in Paris where he created La Nuit Suspendue a stage play put in music by Desiderio Arenas. The play was recognized with an award in 1982. As for the record itself, there's not a lot of information to be found.

Listening to it I found the record original and was quite taken by the play and the different actors coming in and out adding layers upon layers, I have always been partial to concept albums and narrated text on music...this was no exception. I know I am not doing the record justice so you will just have to listen to it and decide for yourself :)"

Thanks SF!

Priority: none

News: Rise Above Relics to reissue Horse, Bran and Fusion Orchestra

Thanks to a note from Laser Ken via the label's newsletter, it looks Rise Above Relics is ready to reenter the reissue market fray after a couple of years off.

Of the 3 prominent reissues announced, only Fusion Orchestra has been released prior. However it was through the "common copy" Asian markets like EMI (Japan) and Si-Wan (Korea). These are entirely legit and from master tapes, but lack the kind of retrospective history and bonus materials that a specialist label like Rise Above will most assuredly give us. I have the Japanese mini-LP and original LP, but most likely will add this version to the collection and own all 3. It's a great album with a great cover, so it's worth owning the extra copies.

I've never featured Horse on the CDRWL, though they are in the main list. They seemed rather an ordinary hard rock group to me, but reading reviews on RYM demonstrates that fans of the genre consider them well above average. Since I only have a cheap CD-R, perhaps a well researched and great sounding CD will change my view. That wouldn't be the first time. And this will be the first ever legitimate reissue of the album.

Brân (note diacritic) is a very obscure Welsh folk rock band from the mid 1970s. This isn't within my interest area, but I know many of you out there are dedicated fans, and I'm rather certain this will be met with great anticipation, especially given they haven't been reissued prior in any form. I'm not sure which (or all) of the 3 albums will be released, but my guess would be a full set on 2 CDs. That's purely speculation on my part.

Welcome back Rise Above Relics!

News: William Sheller's "Lux Aeterna" released on Omni

Thanks to readers Mio and Gal, we learned of this reissue. Now this isn't the first reissue of the album (despite the advert you see below from the label), and I own the original CD which was pressed by CBS France many years ago (and distributed primarily to Japan).  It was certainly one of the rarer CDs in my collection. But no more! And this version looks to be a huge improvement on the "single card" jewel box CBS CD.

Review added to UMR

I haven't run into the Omni label of Australia before, but they have a sterling reputation. Here's what they say about the album: "Written in 1970 and released in 1972, William Sheller’s Parisian Love In/Freak Out “Lux Aeterna” is a psychedelic mass of staggering beauty and dexterity. Composed to celebrate the marriage of a dear friend, the LP’s twin themes of spiritual and global union are mirrored in its grand orchestral and choral arrangements, rock drums, fuzz/flanged guitars and gurgling stratospheric analogue synthesis.

This renowned and treasured rarity was originally issued in miniscule amounts and is officially reissued for the first ever time. Remastered with stunning depth and clarity from the original master tapes and presented with exclusive liner notes, rare photos and a swathe of rare 45 only tracks (including the sitar-fuelled/beat driven score for the 1969 film “Erotissimo”).

*Remastered from the original CBS mastertapes 2012.
*19 track CD. All original recordings.
*20 page full colour booklet with exclusive liner notes and rare photos.
*Includes the staggeringly beautiful concept LP reissued for the very first time anywhere! Plus a swathe of rare 45 only and original film score tracks!

1. Introit (3.22)
2. Ave Frater, Rosae Et Aurae (4.25)
3. Opus Magnum - Part 1 (2.47)
4. Opus Magnum - Part 2 (3.10)
5. Lux Aeterna (1.30)
6. Sous Le Signe Des Poissons (5.57)
7. Hare Krishna (6.22)
8. Sous Le Signe Du Verseau (6.41)

10. Generissimo (1.49)
11. Excitissimo (1.16)
12. Erotissimo (4.20)
13. My Year Is A Day* (3.06)
14. Lands Of Shadow (2.54)
15. Couleurs (2.12)
16. Le 4 Saisons (3.45)
17. Leslie Simone (2.52)
18. Adieu Kathy (2.19)
19. She Opened The Door (3.01)
20. Living East Dreaming West (3.21)

All the above tracks (except*) were released on CBS Records (France) (1968-1972)
Tracks 1-8 from the CBS LP 65030 (1972)
Tracks 10-12 from the CBS O.S.T 45 EP “Erotissimo” 4231 (1969)
Track 13 from the Arabella/CBS 45 3330 (1967/1968) (released as “Les Irrésistibles”)
Licensed courtesy of Jean Eckian
Track 14 from the CBS 45 3600 (1968) (released as “Les Irrésistibles”)
Licensed courtesy of Jean Eckian
Tracks 15-16 from the CBS 45 3451 (1968)
Tracks 17-18 from the CBS 45 4564 (1969)
Tracks 19-20 from the CBS 45 4810 (1970)

Original CBS/Arabella Recordings
Produced by William Sheller and Jean Eckian

Track 9 is two minutes of intentional silence to separate the original album programme from the (markedly different) extra tracks

(P) Originally Recorded 1967-1970. All Rights (except 13/14) Reserved By SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

Executive in charge of CD reissue: David Thrussell
Layout and design: David K. Landis for Shake It Loose Graphics
Remastered 2012 by Alvin Lucia at The Iron Mountain Analogue Facility

All titles (except 13/14) licensed courtesy of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (AUSTRALIA) PTY LIMITED
This compilation (P) + (C) The Omni Recording Corporation 2012"

News: FM (Canada) albums coming soon on Esoteric

According to an announcement on Progressiveears, Esoteric plans on reissuing the first 4 FM albums plus other live material. Other than "Black Noise", I don't believe any of these have been on CD until now. They also announced Happy the Man, though those albums have been available for many years.

News: Aztec Records is back up and running!

Thank goodness for this. Back in April we learned that Aztec had gone bankrupt. Some new investors have arrived, and Australia's best CD reissue label is again in business. It remains to be seen if they continue reissuing their more progressive oriented titles. But we're cautiously optimistic.

According to their website: "Aztec Music, the Melbourne based music distributor which has been releasing, distributing and importing music since the late-nineties, has been acquired by a consortium of strategic investors led by Paul Dainty. The consortium assumes immediate ownership of Aztec’s suite of assets (including a vast catalogue of DVDs, CDs and LPs) after the business was placed into receivership in March 2012. The news was announced via a joint statement today.

“Aztec Music has left an indelible mark on the Australian music scene. The new team looks forward to continuing the tradition through the reissue of classic Australian albums and the importation of rare and highly collectible compilations from overseas”, said Paul Dainty.

Gryphon Entertainment will handle distribution. Gryphon Entertainment Managing Director, Glenn Elliot, is also delighted to be supporting the new direction for Aztec, commenting: "Gryphon Entertainment is excited to be associated with Aztec whose passion and expertise sets it apart as a proudly Australian brand".

Aztec Music stalwart Ted Lethborg, who will head up the new operation, is excited about the future: "To get a second chance to continue the preservation of Australia's rich musical heritage (via the Aztec Music reissue label) is an unexpected and welcome surprise. We are all looking forward to both working towards resurrecting the label and continuing our unique music importing model.""

News: Mike Selesia's "Flavor" reissued!

I didn't see this one coming. But the Shout! label of Japan (distributed by Universal), via their "Deep Jazz Reality" series, have uncovered this obscure gem from Fresno, California and released it on CD as a mini-LP.

This was one of our Priority 2's, so a much welcome reissue indeed!

We featured Mike Selesia almost exactly 2 years ago.

Serge Bringolf / Strave ~ France

Strave Live. 1983 RBO

UMR reviews

Strave. 1980 Omega Studio. ***Reissued by Soleil Zeuhl, Feb 2011

Vision. 1981 Omega Studio. ***Reissued by Soleil Zeuhl, Jul 2012

Priority: 3

4/29/10 (new entry); 2/15/11; 7/25/12

News: Mellotronen releases archival Panta Rei album

Somehow I missed this release (titled "The Naked Truth") from April. Or did I? All I can find is this album has been released on LP, and of course that's not the focus of this site. However, here is the original advert for it, as found on progg.se (with the help of Google Translate):

"New live album with the Uppsala group PANTA REI
Their psychedelic LP from 1973 is still one of the most sought after LPs from the 70s. Mellotronen has now published five songs recorded live in Kummelnäs of 1973 with a nice 8-page mini book of the same elegant style as Asoka, Sabu Martinez disks, etc. Some 100 unique pictures and lots of information including interviews.
______________
LP LTD. 500 copies!
Also available on CD"

So there it is - a CD. Not that I can find one for sale. Probably it will come along soon. Note the slight differences in the cover art to the original.

What is with this title anyway? There are so many reissues of the 1973 album, and still NOT ONE legitimate CD of the debut. There's a legit LP (Golden Pavilion) and a pile, and I mean a pile, of pirate CD editions. And now we get what looks like a very interesting archival release from the same era. So why not a legit CD version of the album to go with this? I'm just grateful to own the original LP.

Our original feature of the album is here.
  
Perhaps the best news out of this is that Mellotronen is still releasing archival albums!

Mike Selesia ~ USA ***REISSUED***

Flavor. 1976 private

***Reissued by Shout! Jul 2012

UMR review

Priority: 1

8/14/10 (new entry); 7/4/12 (complete)

Abacus ~ Germany ***REISSUED***

Abacus. 1971 Polydor

Just A Day's Journey Away. 1972 Polydor 

Everything You Need. 1972 Polydor 

Midway. 1973 Zebra 

***All reissued by Green Tree in 2012

Moved the debut to UMR 

Until the last couple of years, I'd only heard the band's last 1970s work Midway (1973) and it was pretty horrendous save the long title track.. Recently I heard their 3rd effort Everything You Need, which is quite a drop off from the great first album. All of Side 1 is rural/country rock and is downright terrible. But all is not lost, as the second side is one long suite. Though based again on a rural rock theme, there are plenty of quirky progressive rock moves, that recall the first album. The dramatic difference between the first and later albums reminded me, again, of Nine Days Wonder. 

Priority: 2 (for the debut)

5/3/10; 2012 (complete)

Anders Koppel ~ Denmark ***REISSUED***

Aftenlandet & Regnbuefuglen. 1977 Demos

***Reissued by Cowbell Music 2012  

Anders Koppel was the keys player for Savage Rose and this his most known solo album. Parts of it were used for a soundtrack to a film called Aftenlandet, and the album definitely has a soundtrack flow to it. There's very little cohesion between the tracks, though if each composition is evaluated individually, there's much to admire. An all instrumental album, Koppel was successful in putting together a quintet, giving it more a rock band feel, rather than just a bunch of studio musicians getting together to lay down some incidental music.

Priority: 3

2/3/10 (new entry); 2012 (complete)

News: Sensations' Fix to release a 2 CD archival album

Thanks to a note from Wayside Steve on Progressive Ears, we learned that Sensations' Fix plans on issuing a 2 CD set called "Music is Painting in the Air". The release date is set for September 24th.

Here's the press release: "Music Is Painting In the Air is a collection of new mixes and unheard music from Sensations' Fix's prolific output between 1974 and 1977. Revered as one of the great articulations of progressive music, Music Is Painting In the Air offers guide posts to those familiar with Sensations' Fix's amorphous catalog and an approachable primer to those just journeying on the sensational trip.

The story of Sensations' Fix begins - and never quite ends - with Franco Falsini. Born in Florence, Italy in 1948, Falsini became a teenage rock 'n' roll convert through a steady supply of 45s sent home by his London-based sister. Following his sister's footsteps to swinging 60s London, Falsini put his love of music into practice, fronting a space blues trio that riffed its way from the UK back to Italy in a Ford Transit.

Falsini became smitten by Vinnie Sherman, an American woman working as a waitress at a nightclub in Florence where Falsini was holding down a residency. The newlywed lovers made their way to Alexandria, Virginia in the summer of 1969. Arriving on August 15th, the first day of Woodstock, a spirit of freedom filled Falsini and fueled his creative proclivity.

Falsini blazed a trail for home recording that has impressed upon inward resourcing and reflecting musicians and DIY enthusiasts in the decades since. A technology stalwart, Falsini employed a floor model MiniMoog and a tricked-out Teac 4-track machine to transform the Virginia basement of the house shared with Sherman into a cosmic conduit and launch pad for Sensations' Fix.

The reach for space from a personal place is nowhere more apparent than on Fragments of Light, early basement recordings solicited by Falsini as deal demos and surprisingly flipped into the first of six Sensations' Fix albums released over the next five years. The up-close fidelity of Fragments - coupled with Falsini's emotive guitar leads and sparse, sentimental vocals - creates a private quality that separates the album from other extravagant progressive rock productions contemporary to its 1974 release.

Relocating back to Italy on the heels of Fragments' release, Falsini, alongside drummer Keith Edwards and bassist Richard Ursillo (both American expats), charged through another two Sensations' Fix albums, Portable Madness in 1974 and Finest Finger in 1976, and a stunning solo album Cold Nose (Naso Fredo) in 1975. Without marketing or tour support to expose Sensations' Fix to a wider European audience, Falsini and his band of psychedelic renegades left Italy for the golden shores of California and their possible salvation. In 1977, Sensations' Fix released Vision's Fugitive on an independent label and fulfilled their major label obligation shortly after with Boxes Paradise.

Falsini spent the next couple decades between New York City and Paris, creatively contentedly creating above par electro-pop (The Antennas) before returning to Florence to launch the Interactive Test dance music label. Meanwhile, the legend of Sensations' Fix grew. On his 2002 album, The Private Press, DJ Shadow sampled from two Sensations' Fix songs. More recently, Sonic Youth curated a career retrospective titled Sensational Fix at Life Gallery in Saint-Nazaire France.

For Music is Painting in the Air, Falsini and his son Jeyon set forth on a year-long voyage to restore and revisit the original Sensations' Fix analog tapes. Honoring Falsini's tradition of autonomy, this collection, as with the majority of the Sensations' Fix catalog, was mixed solely by Falsini. The sequence is chronologically defiant, encouraging the listener to free associate the recurring themes' origins and immerse in the body of music as its own universe.

Once this celestial body suit is occupied, it becomes apparent why the forward-thinking yet emotionally-accessible quality of Sensations' Fix's music is still finding the universal audience for which its intended. Falsini's disregard for time and insistence on reinvention provides an infinite reach for his music. The end-goal was seemingly unmarketable by the industry then, but perfectly harmonious with a culture constantly evolving now.

Sensations' Fix's Music is Painting in the Air is released September 24th, 2012 on 2xLP, 2xCD, and digital formats. Physical formats come housed in elaborate packaging, including a unique reverse bound record jacket and full color liner notes by Franco Falsini and Joshua da Costa."


A contributor to the site further took a stab at the source of the tracks:

"Just based on song titles, it looks like up to 40 minutes of this material was previously unreleased. But of course, they might have just edited and renamed material from the old albums.

Disc 1
01. Barnhause Effect (4:46) (presumably from "Vision's Fugitives" album)
02. Cold Nose Part 3, 4th Movement (3:23) (presumably from "Cold Nose" album)
03. Leave My Chemistry (3:37) (presumably from "Portable Madness" album)
04. Acudreaming (3:02)
05. Grow On You (4:17) (presumably from "Vision's Fugitives" album)
06. Scraping Delay (1:10)
07. Warped Notions Of A Practical Joke (Instrumental) (1:37) (presumably from "Vision's Fugitives" album)
08. Dark Side of Religion (3:28)
09. Cosmic Saudade (4:39)
10. Cold Nose Part 3, Movement 2 (1:29) (presumably from "Cold Nose" album)
11. Fragments of Light (3:07) (presumably from "Fragments of Light" album)
12. Into The Memory (3:11) (presumably from "Finest Finger" album)
13. Cold Nose Part 3, Movement 5 (1:01) (presumably from "Cold Nose" album)
14. C'e Nessuno (4:02)
15. Map (4:57) (presumably from "Finest Finger" album)
16. Moving Particles (2:24)

Disc 2
01. Cold Nose Part 3, Movement 3 (0:42) (presumably from "Cold Nose" album)
02. Music Is Painting (2:55) (presumably an edit of the track from "Fragments of Light" album)
03. Left Side Of Green (4:12) (presumably from "Finest Finger" album)
04. Chelsea Hotel (Room 625)(2:07) (presumably from "Vision's Fugitives" album)
05. Fix A Water Fountain (Instrumental) (2:31) (presumably from "Vision's Fugitives" album)
06. Leave My Chemistry (3:36)
07. Overflowing Ashtrays (1:13) (presumably from "Vision's Fugitives" album)
08. Strangelands (1:54)
09. Cold Nose Story (4:03) (presumably from "Cold Nose" album)
10. Slow Motion Movie (1:59)
11. Fortune Teller (1:43) (presumably from "Vision's Fugitives" album)
12. Fortune Teller Coda (2:43) (presumably from "Vision's Fugitives" album)
13. Crossing Berlin (5:14)
14. Darkside 1 & 3 (3:06)
15. Darkside 2 (3:30) "
 
Looks interesting to me!

I don't have a cover for this one yet.

News: Made in Germany to reissue Lutz Rahn's (Novalis) solo album

Saw this late last week, and meant to give it some air time. Made in Germany continues to release some interesting obscure material from Germany. I haven't personally heard this album, but I've been told it's a pretty decent electronic styled release. Love the cover!

Also look for the 1980 album by Novalis called "Augenblicke" as well as the 1984 album "Bumarang", both of which are well past their shelf date as far as I'm concerned, though I know a few progressive rock fans that enjoy these - so good news if you're a fan!

The label says this about "Solo Trip":

"By the end of the seventies the band Novalis from Hamburg had to cope with a lot of stress including their charismatic Austrian singer Fred Mühlböck. Creatively as well as commercially the band had reached the height of their career. In 1978, their masterpiece Vielleicht bist du ein Clown? had been released, one year later saw the release of their first and only superb concept album Flossenengel.

At the same time Novalis' keyboardist Lutz Rahn took a Solo Trip (thus title of the longplayer). The album contains elements of classic ambient piano music, vibrant organ loops and idyllic electronic soundscapes. Many a follower of the band was wondering and even feared if this solo trip of the introvert and innovative keyboard virtuoso could be seen as an act to free himself from the shackles of his native band. Even today Rahn is objecting vigorously to this thought by assessing 'This 'coup' solely resulted from my musical curiosity. When we founded Novalis in 1971, my main instrument was the Hammond organ. I wanted to use most of the latest electronic musical instruments that been had developed such as sequencers. These numerous new possibilities had an impact on my song writing and arrangements.' And he adds: 'In the course of events I have developed a certain taste for musical experiments. Aside from working with Novalis I was tempted to pursuit other paths. During these trips I had collected quite a bit of material - but not with the purpose to create a solo album from that. Most of the tracks emerged even earlier, even years before, and not shortly before the release of Solo Trip.'

And on a Solo Trip he went indeed. Except drummer and personal friend Helge Tillman it was Lutz who played all instruments. The fact that there are no vocals on the album does not at all decrease the dynamics and extraordinary versatility of the eight tracks. 'Besides, I am a lousy singer. That's why I left it at that,' Rahn explains with the stoical humour being typical for the North of Germany.

According to Lutz there is no concept behind Solo Trip. 'It is simply a selection of instrumental ideas and thoughts, ideas exciting to me. What's more, I wanted to experiment with my electronic instruments and devices, which used to be state-of-the-art, without having to compromise with some other band members,' he confirms. Solo Trip won high praise, especially from pro keyboardists who compared the production to early works of French sound magician Jean-Michel Jarre or those of the Japanese band Far East Family headed by the most talented keyboard sorcerer Kitaro.

Despite rave reviews Solo Trip remained Lutz Rahn's only solo album. 'I never really intended to be a solo artist,' he explains. 'I was far too dedicated to the band and happy with it. My picture on the album wearing a clown mask which I was able to hide behind certainly summed up a principle of mine.' "

News: Franck Dervieux to be reissued by ProgQuebec!

In news we've been waiting to see for some time, ProgQuebec has announced their CD reissue of Franck Dervieux's marvelous 1972 opus "Dimension M". PQ has already reissued most, if not all, the albums associated with Dervieux (Contraction, VEBB, Toubabou, and various solo acts). This is an essential early progressive rock work. One of our Priority 2's, but very close to a priority 1. I'll be a first day buyer.

Here's our original entry.

Great news here!

Franck Dervieux ~ Canada ***REISSUED***

Dimension M. 1972 Columbia

***Reissued by ProgQuebec Jun 2012

UMR review

Priority: 2

9/3/09 (new entry); 6/19/12 (complete)

News: Poliphony to be reissued by Audio Archives

The always interesting Audio Archives has announced their intention to reissue the very rare film library album by Poliphony. This is a surprise choice, but a very welcome one. Poliphony is a fine addition to the CD collection and is one of our Priority 3's.

Here's our original entry for Poliphony, an album I first heard at Heavyrock's place a few years ago.

Poliphony ~ England ***REISSUED***

Poliphony. 1973 Zella

***Reissued by Audio Archives Jun 2012

UMR review

Priority: 3

2/14/10; 6/18/12 (complete)

News: Serge Bringolf Strave's "Vision" to be reissued soon!

A couple of years ago we first reported this album was to reissued along with Noa. The Noa did get released, but this one was tabled. Until now. Soleil Zeuhl will once again be behind this release, as well as a simultaneous release in Japan from Belle Antique in the mini-LP format. Look for a late July release date. Good news all around.

Catch Up ~ Germany ***REISSUED***

Catch Up - Catch Up 2: Birth of the Second Life. 1976 Calig

***Reissued by Production Dessinee in Jun 2012

UMR review

Priority: 2

6/8/11 (new entry); 6/15/12 (complete)

News: Garden of Delights to release live East of Eden show

I first reported on this title back on April 14th, but we now have a cover and more info, so I'm moving it forward to today.

Continuing with their "Essen" series, Garden of Delights, on their Thors Hammer sub-label, will release a 1970 concert from East of Eden. Like the May Blitz show from this series (which I still haven't heard), I would imagine East of Eden would be a very creative band in live form. For my money, "Mercator Projected" is one of the greatest albums of the 1960's. How's that for a bold statement? But I'm serious here. And 1970's "Snafu" is also fantastic. I'm most interested in how this will turn out.

Further notes on this release: "East of Eden from Bristol in England played elaborate progressive rock with saxophone, violin, and flute. Their only hit, “Jig-a-jig”, ist not typical for their music. The band can look back on a history of eleven long-players, not counted the many compilations. On Thursday, 22nd October 1970, the group performed in the Gruga hall at the third Essen Pop & Blues Festival. The event was recorded semi-professionally by the promoters. The recordings were mastered now in a first-class sound studio with great effort and care. The sound, however, is naturally not as good as that of the studio LPs. The 32-page booklet contains a long band history in German and English, a detailed discography, numerous cover repros as well as a personal retrospective report by Dave Arbus. A must for collectors. It is the first legitimate release of an East of Eden live recording and comes both as CD and as LP."

Gnosis Mike says: "Tom, I think I have a video from East of Eden in 1970 and it's definitely third album mode. I'm not sure how much they toured on Snafu or if they just rejiggered the line up, but there's very little early East of Eden in live form. Unfortunately cuz I'm with ya on the first two."

I should also point out for you vinyl collectors out there, that GoD will also release many of their CDs on LP (Vita Nova, Tyburn Tall, Sunbirds, Sub, Siddhartha, Lightshine, Gila-Bury My Heart). None of them caught my eye personally (you can read about my criteria for buying LP reissues here), but since vinyl is all the rage at the moment, I suspect many will rejoice. I probably would have gone for the Sunbirds, but I already own the original LP of that one. I'm still hoping they'll release the CD of Sunbirds' Zagara this year!

Mandragora, England

Mandragora - Somethink Missing. 1985 private (cassette).
Mandragora - Over the Moon. 1989 private.

Here's a band I've been sitting on for some time. As some of you will recall from last year, we featured many groups from the 1980s UK festival scene. Mandragora has always been one of my favorite acts from that scene, and now I have a chance to report on one of their two releases that are not on CD (courtesy of Midwest Mike). Starting with "Head First" (1991), Mandragora's albums were initially released on CD, and I own them all.

On "Over the Moon", Mandragora display their more song-oriented roots, with vocal-laden tracks and clear nods to hard rock, progressive rock and space rock. Plenty of good riffs (yea, metal heads, riffs) encased in synthesizer waves. What any self-respecting Hawkwind fan would want to hear. Mandragora would become far more diverse after this release, focusing more on their Ozric Tentacles inspired space rock sound.

I just bought a copy of the LP for myself at a decent price. There's a few out there for sale, if you are so inclined.

As of this writing, I have yet to hear the debut cassette.

Priority: 3

News: Catch Up's second and final album to be reissued!

Good news here as this is one of our Priority 2's! We featured this album last summer, so you can read my thoughts of the musical contents there.

This reissue is coming out in Japan via mini-LP, so it is likely to be expensive. The label is Production Dessinee, which I'm not familiar with, but they apparently have quite a few other releases - all outside our scope (or I think that's the case anyway).

Thanks to Laser Ken for the tip!

Schalk Rock, Germany

Schalk Rock - s/t. 1981 private.

And here's Part 5 and the conclusion of our recent German series. Whereas you may expect to see the cliche "last but not least" phrase, I'm afraid to say this is indeed last.

I had this one on a curiosity list for many years, with not even a hint in finding references to it.  Leave it to the AC to turn this one up on our behalf. He said that this would be a good choice to put up on the CDRWL to serve as a warning. Uh-oh, that's not a good sign. LOL. Of course, the AC was right as usual. It's not terrible or anything, but certainly out of scope for what we're doing here. Schalk Rock is not to be blamed, but rather those that seek to profit from it with dubious descriptions. Though I'm loathe to accuse anyone of ill intent, I'm afraid in this case, there's no other explanation.

Described once in a rare catalog (I won't name names to protect the guilty) as "Early Guru Guru with sax", it comes as no surprise that the entry was mostly hype. Schalk Rock is primarily a straight ahead rock group that employs both guitar, sax and harmonica. Some of the guitar leads feature some cool wah-wah and are definitely the highlights of the album, few as they are. Otherwise, a fairly ordinary German language rock release.

Priority: none

Blister Chap ~ Germany

Goin' In. 1977 Help (Brutkasten)
Sweet Lilian. 1980 Brutkasten

UMR review

Priority: 2

Zarathustra (1982) ~ Germany

Also Spielt... 1982 private

UMR review

Priority: 1

5/22/12 (new entry)

Romantic Warrior, Germany

Romantic Warrior - s/t. 1985 Frog

Here's Pt. 2 of our series. This one also courtesy of MM.

Romantic Warrior are no doubt named after the famous Return to Forever album, though this German band doesn't quite possess the vibrancy of Corea's classic bunch. There's the slick-as-a-butter-dish production, with slap bass, happy rhythm guitar and digital drums. However all is not a loss, as the lead guitar work has a slight bite to it, and there's even a little sitar to break up the monotony. If the term "1985 jazz fusion" doesn't have you fleeing for the exits, then definitely give this one a spin. Otherwise run. Run faraway.

Romantic Warrior went on to release two other albums. It appears their 1986 album "Himalya" is also without a CD issue. And 1988's "Planet" was issued as a CD originally.

Priority: none

Audite, Germany

Audite - s/t. 1983 private.

Today we start a new series of obscure early 80s German progressive and fusion albums. We have 5 to report on that have arrived via various sources recently. Today's post is courtesy of Midwest Mike and is probably the rarest and most sought after of the bunch.

Audite is a vocal heavy German language album, with a clear affinity for the classic 70s progressive rock sound. Sophisticated arrangements are apparent, and the electric guitar work in particular is exemplary. Synthesizers and even a little flute propel Audite to interesting status. No getting away from the canned early 80s production though. I was most reminded of Anabis' "Wer Will?" album though Anyone's Daughter "Piktors Verwandlungen" also sprang to mind. A good one for aficionados of the 80s German symphonic sound, though a bit of a slog for those looking for more dynamic instrumental input.

Priority: none

Roberto Picchi, Italy

Roberto Picchi - Raggi di Sole. 1977 Fonit-Cetra.

Midwest Mike just sent in a bunch of goodies to consider. Before I get to that stack, here is a surprising album that fell through the cracks.

Picchi's sole work is technically listed as a singer-songwriter album, but with most of the tracks exceeding 7 minutes, you can bet that instrumental progressive rock music is also being employed. Acoustic guitar, violin, piano, sax, flute and hand percussion lead the instrumental parade. Comparisons to the best of Claudio Rocchi, Mauro Pagani and Emilio Locurcio wouldn't be out of place. A late era Fonit-Cetra release, and comes at the tail end of the original Italian progressive rock movement. One of the very few Italian progressive rock albums still not on CD. Features a wonderful gatefold cover. A natural choice for BTF.

Priority: 3

News: World in Sound releases archival Cosmic Dealer album

Here's a surprise announcement. The German label World in Sound can always be counted on to turn up some cool rarities and archival releases, and this certainly looks intriguing! I'll be the first to admit that the 1971 Cosmic Dealer album left me wanting, but I'm most curious how this one will turn out.

World in Sound states: "This is the second previously unreleased album by the Dutch psychedelic hard rock band Cosmic Dealer. Their first album "Crystallization" from 1971 is an outstanding and rare masterpiece for all psych collectors and for sure one of the best Euro-Underground rock albums of the 70s. In 1971 the band was shortly disband but found together in 1973 with a few line-up changes but kept the same musical intention: heavy psychedelic, progressive and guitar driven hard rock, with catchy song writing, a few US-Westcoast flashes but also extended instrumental jam excursions. This album contains 6 songs which were recorded in 1973, plus 3 demos from 1971 and as bonustracks there are 4 live cuts also from 1971 including the title track from their debut Crystallization. The CD with a total running time of 68 mins contains a 12 p. booklet with lots of photos and linernotes and is carefully re-mastered to catch the real spirit of the beautiful and intense music. Definitely a must-have piece for all 60s psych freaks!"

News: Wounded Bird releases second Eleventh House album!

Following on the announcement of Lighthouse, I think most of you will be even more excited that the second Eleventh House album is finally coming out on CD. This album has alluded the digital treatment so far, whereas the first album has been released at least twice.

Review added to UMR

Label advertises: "Larry Coryell is best known as one of the original jazz-fusion guitarists of the 1970s. He is still making excellent albums to this day. He has issued solo albums, along with collaborations with John McLaughlin and other fusion-jazz luminaries. He also headed up the highly praised fusion group The Eleventh House. This group featured drummer Alphonse Mouzon and keyboardist Mike Mandel. One of the most requested fusion albums for CD reissue has been Level One. This album is now making its worldwide CD debut!" 

Again we call on Dusty Groove to give their imitable review: "A really heavily-jamming album from Larry Coryell's Eleventh House group – certainly to be expected, given that the lineup includes John Lee on bass, Mike Mandel on keyboards, and Alphonse Mouzon on drums! The sound has plenty of rock-fusion touches – and Coryell's guitar is searing, but a bit more mainstream than before – certainly not slick, but just jamming like a range of other similar players from the same time. Titles include "Nyctaphobia", "That's The Joint", "Struttin With Sunshine", "The Other Side", and "Some Greasy Stuff"."

News: Wounded Bird releases first Lighthouse album

And today we have three more interesting CD announcements that warrant mention.

Wounded Bird is always a label worth watching. Even though their releases tend to be old school early 90's styled bare bones jewel cases (like One Way from the days of yore), they are at least legit and usually straight from the master tapes.

About two years ago we announced that the first 3 Lighthouse albums were coming out on a label called Bandiera. I never saw anything further on that. Not sure if they didn't get issued, or if the label wasn't legit. No matter now, as this release is for certain worth tracking down.

The label says: "Lighthouse was a rock group from Toronto, Canada that issued a number of fine albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The group was headed up by drummer Skip Prokop. Their music was in the style of the horn bands of that era. Their most popular album was their self-titled very first album, Lighthouse, which was issued on RCA Records in 1969. Our CD reissue features two bonus tracks." 

Dusty Groove adds: "The first record by Lighthouse – a strange band that's always incredibly hard to peg, but who have a sound that we always end up liking a lot! The group mix together folk rock styles with a touch of soul and funk – going for some nice grooves that build up from lots of drum work and airy vocal production, touched here by lots of horns, in a style that's a bit like Blood Sweat & Tears, but a lot lot cooler! This first album is something of a landmark in the jazz/rock vein – and titles include "Never Say Goodbye", "Follow The Stars", "Mountain Man", "Whatever Forever", "Marsha, Marsha", and a great cover of "Eight Miles High". This CD version from Wounded Bird has 2 bonus tracks: "If There Was A Time (Single Version)" and "Eight Miles High (Single Version)".

News: Rocket to reissue Farout "Further Out"

The always interesting Rocket Records of Finland has a new reissue that is relevant to CDRWL fans. Rocket is a Finnish-only specialist label, and progressive rock is but one of many styles they reissue. They probably reissue 20 to 25 albums a year, in a variety of different indigenous musical forms. So it's always fun when they cover off on some of the classic Finnish progressive rock scene. I keep hoping they'll take on Nimbus and Sepi Kuu one day!

I haven't heard this Farout album, though it's on the same label (Kompass) as Scapa Flow, that  Rocket incidentally reissued a couple of years back.

There's one review on RYM from Tiliar where he states: "It's a Finnish Jazz-Rock band but their sound is a bit different from the other Finnish Jazz-Rock bands which we maybe know them. this album is completely instrumental and full of Moog and Hammond playing with a hint of progressive nuances. although I'm not the great fan of Jazz-Rock but it's really great and pleasant."

Sounds good to me!

News: Lion releases archival Rotomagus from France

This weekend I did a quick scan of our favorite labels and came up with a couple of news items.

This one caught my eye from Lion Productions, a label who is quickly becoming a favorite (not to mention that they will release 2 Laurence Vanay albums and Probe 10 within the next couple of years!).

Rotomagus looks to be a bit out of scope, but anytime I see the words "Chico Magnetic Band", I must take a closer look. Even if in this case the reference is peripheral.

CD is available as of last week. LP is due in June.

Label says: "ROTOMAGUS "The Sky Turns Red: Complete Anthology" There’s no way to know why CBS Records unceremoniously dumped Rotomagus and the Chico Magnetic Band after one single apiece; suffice to say that decision was a poor one, as both bands have (quite rightly) developed a cult-like following over the years. All in all, the artistic trajectory of Rotomagus was peculiar: they started out as a harmony pop-psych band, shifted through a brief Jimi Hendrix-ian interlude (‘The Sky Turns Red’), straight into a Vanilla Fudge groove; they then went down in flames as a hair-raising monolithic heavy rock power trio. On Julian Cope’s excellent Head Heritage web-site, the Seth Man raves about Rotomagus thus: "The first time I heard this track (‘Fighting Cock’), I did not freak out. I merely walked into a nearby closet and screamed my head off for a minute solid, beat the floor and ripped my t-shirt... then I cowered when it hit me: this thing came out in 1971? Before "Raw Power"?! I just lost my mind... The only thing that predates this monster in terms of being a full-on amassing of all things heavy are all the many key points on Sir Lord Baltimore’s "Kingdom Come" LP and THAT’S it, brother." French magazine Rock & Folk was succinct: "Rotomagus create an emotional music, violent, even aggressive." Violent. Aggressive. Intense. On this disc we bring you the entire output of Rotomagus, including an album-length demo from 1971, the band’s tumultuous, thunderous swansong, recorded as a super jam (live with no overdubs). Our Lion Productions and Martyrs of Pop edition of Rotomagus comes replete with a bi-lingual 32-page booklet, with the entirety of the Seth Man’s article on the band, plus the band’s history in both English and French, printed on FSC recycled, chlorine-free, 100% post-consumer fiber paper, manufactured using biogas energy. Hard to believe this is all pre-1971, as much of the demo is not just proto punk but proto hardcore—with enough fiery attitude to make you want to scream along. The vocals are wild, while the guitar riffs and grinds and approaches a Stooges via Motorhead apocalyptic grandeur. Amazing! 

CD Track List: the unreleased demo (39:41): 1. Laureline; 2. Little Green Man; 3. Fighting Cock; 4. The Sky Turns Red; 5. Runnin’ For Life; 6. I Dig Life; 7. Shout Now; 8. Hello the Binaries; 9. The Flufluting Flatmul. the singles: 10. Le Haut du Pavé (2:48) (Polydor 66 664-A); 11. Nevada (2:40) (Polydor 66 664-B); 12. Eros (2:20) (CBS FR-4997-A); 13. Madame Wanda (3:26) (CBS FR-4997-B); 14. Fighting Cock (3:34) (Butterfly BS 007-A); 15. The Sky Turns Red (2:57) (Butterfly BS 007-B); 16. Laureline (2:22); 17. Porquoi les Hommes (2:29) 

CD edition catalogue number: LION 660 UPC: 778578066024 (CD) 2xLP edition catalogue number: LION LP-121 UPC: 778578312114 (2xLP)"