Freedom to Music
Archive for January, 2007
Lubos Andrst – Capricornus (1980) (@320)
31 Jan 2007
Known as the leading blues guitarist to have come out of Czechoslovakia, Lubos Andrst was influenced by the likes of Eric Clapton and B. B. King. He began his career in 1966 as the guitarist in a rock band called the Roosters. However, in 1969 he gave up rock guitar to focus on jazz fusion and blues. In 1973, he co-formed the jazz fusion band, Energit. In the 1980s he formed the Lubos Andrst Blues Band that performed with English singer Paul Jones and American blues singer Katy Webster. He recorded several solo records, the first of which, Capricornus (1980), was split between work with his band and solo guitar work with the violinist Jan Hruby.
Track List:
01. Capricornus
02. Nadeje (Hope)
03. Ke Konci Leta (In The Late Summer)
04. 2 X 15
05. Dalky (Space)
06. Vzpominky (Reminiscences)
07. Cesta Domu (The Way Home)
08. Ikebana
09. Doteky (Touches)
Link in comments.
Renaissance – Camera Camera (1981) (@192)
31 Jan 2007
For all the curious and completionist people out there :)
(Review from progarchives.com)
Many changes in the band before recording this album : Two longtime members have left the band, a change of record company, in 1979 the band had to replace the sound of the orchestra by the use of keyboards and synthesizers. Also their musical style has changed a lot since the previous album. One can notice this by the ‘plastic’ keyboardsounds and the bass lines which sometimes are pretty irritating. Most of the tracks are short in length and haven’t the complex structure of their seventies recordings. In fact some of the stuff is pure pop and songs like “bonjour swansong” comes close to the sound of Abba. Please go on reading. But not everything is bad. Annie Haslam still has a great voice and on this album she uses her voice with more creativity than she did before. Fortunately there’s also some tracks which are worthwhile checking out. Especially Ukraine ways takes you back to the days of their musical peak. Tyrant-Tula is also an interesting track, maybe not progressive rock as we know it but quite surprising and consistent with a mix of progressive and reggae. Okichi san is more a typical Renaissance track with eastern influences. These tracks make the album still a must have for the die-hard fan. A greater effort than the next album “time-line” which I would recommend to no one.
Line-up:
- Peter Barron / drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Jon Camp / bass, electric guitar, backing vocals
- Michael Dunford / acoustic & electric guitars, backing vocals
- Peter Gosling / keyboards, backing vocals
- Annie Haslam / lead & backing vocals
Track List:
01. Camera Camera (6:01)
02. Faeries (living at the bottom of the garden)(3:45)
03. Remember (4:33)
04. Bonjour swansong (3:32)
05. Tyrant-Tula (5:58)
06. Okishi-San (6:00)
07. Jigsaw (5:00)
08. Running away from you (3:35)
09. Ukraine ways (6:37)
Link in comments.
Amon Duul II – Yeti (1970) (@256)
30 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
Amon Düül II was born of an artistic and political community called Amon Düül (which recorded during the late sixties a long live session made around collective and free musical improvisations).
Unlike their later, more refined efforts, this embryonic recording showcases the more urgent sound of a band with strong ties to the European counterculture barricades of 1968. The music is almost raw in spots, but not without a certain primitive beauty, moving from the dreamy psychedelia of “She Came Through the Chimney” (complete with bongo drums and more than a whiff of cannabis) to the feedback-soaked power of “Archangel Thunderbird”, on which the strident upper-octave singing anticipates Johnny Rotten’s angry vulpine growl by more than half a decade.
Elsewhere the album is very much a product of its time: spaced-out one-chord guitar jams with pounding drums and thrashing cymbals, ghostly violins in Middle Eastern echo chambers, and the amps all cranked to maximum distortion. For lack of a better comparison (always the cheapest form of criticism, to be sure) think of a shotgun marriage between “Space Ritual” Hawkwind and the more cosmic digressions of early Pink Floyd, circa “Ummagumma”.
It’s worth noting that the original 1970 release was a double-LP, with the entire second disc (the last three tracks on the CD) improvised in the studio. But good luck trying to find any significant difference between the songs and the jams. There’s a sometimes astonishing uniformity of style throughout the album, to a point where the composed portions sound no less spontaneous than the unrehearsed playing.
That sort of creative balance was of course not uncommon in the early ‘70s (especially in Germany). But its absence from too much of what passes for popular music these days is what makes a band like Amon Düül, and an album like “Yeti”, even more valuable a generation later.
Line-up:
- Renate Knaup / vocals, tambourine
- Chris Karrer / violin, guitars, vocals
- John Weinzierl / guitars, vocals
- Falk Rogner / organ
- Peter Leopold / drums
- Dave Anderson / bass
- Shrat / bongos, vocals
Track List:
01. Soap Shop Rock:
a) Burning Sister (3:41)
b) Halluzination Guillotine (3:05)
c) Gulp A Sonata (0:45)
d) Flesh-Coloured Anti-Aircraft Alarm (5:53)
02. She Came through the Chimney (3:56)
03. Archangels Thunderbird (3:30)
04. Cerberus (4:18)
05. The Return of Ruebezahl (1:35)
06. Eye-Shaking King (6:37)
07. Pale Gallery (2:11)
08. Yeti (Improvisation) (18:00)
09. Yeti Talks to Yogi (Improvisation) (6:06)
10. Sandoz in the Rain (Improvisation) (8:55)
Links in comments.
Renaissance – Live at Carnegie Hall (1976) (@256)
30 Jan 2007
I don’t like VBR but unfortunately I don’t have the audio CD of it and this was the best rip I could find. If someone has a quality constant bitrate rip of it, I’d be more than happy to post it. Same goes for King Biscuit concerts Vol.02.
(Review from vintageprog.com)
Renaissance was for some unknown reason always more popular in the USA than in Europe, so it was quite natural for them to record their classic double live-album over there. “Live at Carnegie Hall” featured songs from the four previous albums, and proved that the band could pull off their complex and orchestral compositions and arrangements very well on stage too. The title-track from “Prologue” kicks it all off, and is followed by strong versions of “Ocean Gypsy”, “Can You Understand”, “Carpet of the Sun”, “Running Hard” and “Mother Russia”. These versions may not add anything that the studio-recordings didn’t have, but it’s still great to hear them in a live setting. The band also talks and comments a lot between the songs, adding the magic live-atmosphere that far too many live-albums lack. The second record in the set is taken up by only two tracks. Fist we have of course “Song of Scheherazade”. The album itself was actually still not released when the band played it here, and the audience must have gotten some quite enormous expectations for it after hearing the track for the first time that night. But the real highlight of the album is the fantastic 23-minute version of “Ashes are Burning”. This is undoubtedly one of the best performances the band ever caught on vinyl, and Camp delivers some of the most beautiful bass playing I’ve ever heard. “Live at Carnegie Hall” remains one of the best live albums from a progressive rock band.
Line-up:
- Jon Camp / bass, pedals, vocals
- Michael Dunford / acoustic guitar, vocals
- Annie Haslam / lead vocals
- Terrence Sullivan / drums, percussion, backing vocals
- John Tout / keyboard, backing vocals
- New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Tony Cox
Track List:
CD1:
01. Prologue (7:35)
02. Ocean gypsy (7:55)
03. Can you understand (10:20)
04. Carpet of the sun (4:15)
05. Running hard (9:43)
06. Mother Russia (10:48)
CD2:
01. Scheherazade (28:50)
02. Ashes Are Burning (23:50)
Links in comments.
Focus – Hamburger Concerto (1974) (@256)
29 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
Baroque and Roll is only one of the many eclectic ways to describe the wonderful sound of Focus on the Hamburger Concerto album. The baroque influence shines through here more than on any other album previous but the music is consistently as strong as the previous two studio albums at least. No yodelling here as on “Hocus Pocus” which kicked off Moving Waves but the opener proper (after “Delite Musicae” served as a fine gentle prelude) on this album while not being the forceful driving rock anthem that “Hocus Pocus” was still bears an identity to the hard rock traits of Focus and especially the guitar playing of Jan Akkerman and in fact both songs come from the same common ground musically and even the names of both have a trait in common too but it would be wrong to state that Focus were trying to achieve the same effect as both tunes are quite different, “Hocus Pocus” is a unique track that could never be copied without it sounding too blatant. I even heard some whistling in there somewhere… If Focus are a progressive rock, which they have been cited as, then they are like no other. In my opinion the typical prog rock outfit takes themselves too seriously but Focus add humour to their depth of textures and allow some fun to creep into the songs while never losing face. The rocking “Harem Scarem” has some odd noises thrown in for good measure alongside some fluid and clean musicianship as is par for this entire album which is joyful and a fine exploration of varying styles like the afore mentioned baroque with the lute making sweeping moves. But it is the guitar playing which is the biggest draw for me when listening to Focus and in that department they never fail to excite. Hamburger Concerto is an electrifying album with a sense of theatre involved in the execution and arrangement, especially on the 20 minute plus title suite. It is unlike anything else in my book and certainly works better than previous lengthy workouts. I still cannot split their first three albums, they all have their own merits but they might just have progressed a little more with the Hamburger Concerto. A band this consistent merging good songwriting talent with carefully executed musicianship must be heard. Focus is an apt name for a band who play this sharp.
Line-up:
- Thijs van Leer / organ, piano, harpsichord, electric piano, flute, alto-flute, arp synthesiser, recorder mellotron, vibes, accordion, the organ of St. Mary the Virgin – Barnes, handclaps, all voices, whistling
- Bert Ruiter / bass guitar, auto harp, triangles, chinese finger cymbals, handclaps, swiss bells
- Colin Allen / drums, conga drum, tambourine, castanets, cabasa, woodblock, chinese gong, timpani, handclaps, flexatone, cuica
- Jan Akkerman / flute, timpani, handclaps, all guitars
Track List:
01. Delitae Musicae (1:13)
02. Harem Scarem (5:52)
03. La Cathédral De Strasbourg (4:59)
04. Birth (7:46)
05. Hamburger Concerto (20:19)
i) Starter
ii) Rare
iii) Medium I
iv) Medium II
v) Well Done
vi) One For The Road
06. Early Birth (2:54)
Link in comments.
Renaissance – Illusion (1970) (@192)
29 Jan 2007
It’s time to fill in the blanks :). Unless there’s specific request, I don’t plan to pass the 1980 mark with Renaissance, since after that they moved towards a more pop direction.
(Review from vintageprog.com)
Renaissance’s second album proved to be hard to complete. Hawken left during the recording, and the band had to include the rushed and half-baked “epic” “Past Orbits of Dust” with Don Shin on keyboards to fill up the album. The record was also commercially doomed as it only was available in Germany (it was of course released domestically some years later when Renaissance’s career started to take off). On a more positive note, guitarist Michael Dunford joined the band and would prove to be important in the songwriting-department of Renaissance. “Illusion” was also the first album to feature lyrics by poetess Betty Thatcher. Musically it was also an improvement over the debut, and showed a more focused band, with the exception of the earlier mentioned “Past Orbits of Dust”. Jane Relf delivers her best vocal-performance with the group on the lovely and strongly classical-influenced ballad “Face of Yesterday”. The complex “Mr. Pine” was the most typically progressive the first line-up of Renaissance ever got. The dark and moody “Golden Thread” featured strong vocal-harmonies that would be one of the trademarks of the classic Renaissance sound. “Love Goes On” and “Love is all” are on the other hand two short, repetitive and lightweight tunes. The best moments of the album left no doubt about the potential and ambitions of the group, but they had still not yet managed to develop it into a convincing whole.
Line-up:
- Keith Relf / vocals, guitar
- Jim McCarty / drums, vocals
- Louis Cennamo / bass
- John Hawken / keyboards
- Jane Relf / vocals, percussion
Track List:
01. Love Goes On (2:51)
02. Golden Thread (8:15)
03. Love Is All (3:40)
04. Mr. Pine (7:00)
05. Face Of Yesterday (6:06)
06. Past Orbits Of Dust (14:39)
Link in comments.
Embryo – Embryo’s Reise (1979) (@256)
28 Jan 2007
(Review from spacelook.de, progarchives.com)
Embryo (not to be confused with Italian and Swedish death metal bands of the same name) are a musical collective from Munich who, lead by former R&B and jazz organist Christian Burchard, boast the participation of some 400+ musicians since their beginnings in 1970. Over the years, the band went from classic space rock to jazz fusion, then Burchard soon started travelling the world and recording LPs with African bands and Middle Eastern musicians.
In 1978 Embryo embarked an ambitious touring performance and recording trip to the Middle East via Afghanistan and Pakistan to India. The trip lasted nearly two years and , was documented on hundreds of hours of tape. As a result of this journey, the band released “Embryo’s Reise” (1979), a document on their experiences in Asia, a pioneering effort in the addition of ethnic elements into rock, and a sample of exciting live and studio recordings.
This is a nearly perfect fusion of western and eastern music. It has a session character because most of it is improvised. The recordings are made in many different places with many different musicians, but the athmosphere is very unique.
Line-up:
- Roman Bunka / guitar, vocals, bass, piano, guitar synth, drums, oud (1.7/3, 2.1/4/5/6)
- Christian Burchard / vocals, drums, synth-vibes, percussion, tamtam, marimbaphone, pianet (all)
- Remigius Drexler / acoustic & electric guitars (1.1/6)
- Edgar Hoffmann / violin, Soprano saxophone, shinai, dilruba, flute, harmonica (1.1/5/6), screaming (2.1)
- Uve Müllrich / bass, electric guitar, oud, rhubab, electric saz, vocals, percussion (1.1/2/5/6, 2.1/5)
- Michael Wehmayer / organ, piano, harmonium (1.1/2/5/6, 2.5/6)
Track List:
01. Strasse nach Asien (12:50)
02. Lost scooters (3:55)
03. Anar, Anar (3:20)
04. Es ist, wie’s ist (6:30)
05. Kurdistan (4:40)
06. Far East (6:35)
07. Chan Delawar Khan (3:30)
08. Farid (13:25)
09. Cello, cello (8:25)
10. Rog de Quadamuna Achna (7:42)
11. Hymalaya radio (4:20)
Links in comments.
Renaissance – Azure d’Or (1979) (@256)
28 Jan 2007
(Review from vintageprog.com)
This was where the band really gave in for the pressure of making more commercial music, and ended up with a complete sell-out. “Azure d’Or” is filled with Abba-like pop songs like “Jekyll and Hyde” and “The Winter Tree”. I won’t deny that some of these songs certainly have solid hooks, but they’re definitively not progressive rock. The band had now also ditched the orchestra completely, and the task of creating some atmosphere and symphonic sounds was left over to Tout’s synths. As you can hear clearly on “Only Angels Have Wings” they were unfortunately of a very synthetic kind, and sounds almost like a joke compared to the orchestral arrangements of the old records. Where the hell are the tasteful sounds that he used on “Novella”? “The Golden Key” and the instrumental “The Discovery” are the only tracks here with the slightest hint of what Renaissance used to be. Drivel like “Forever Changing” is so far from classic Renaissance as it possibly can get, and the album as a whole was the final nail in the coffin for Renaissance as a progressive rock band. They were not exactly the only band that ended the 70′s in this way, but it doesn’t get less sad for that reason.
Line-up:
- John Camp / bass, pedals, acoustic guitar
- Michael Dunford / acoustic electric guitars, harp
- Annie Haslam / lead vocals
- Terrence Sullivan / drums, percussion
- John Tout / piano, keyboards
Track List:
01. Jekyll and Hyde (4:38)
02. The Winter Tree (3:02)
03. Only Angels Have Wings (3:43)
04. Golden Key (5:13)
05. Forever Changing (4:48)
06. Secret Mission (5:00)
07. Kalynda (A Magical Isle) (3:43)
08. The Discovery (4:23)
09. Friends (3:30)
10. The Flood at Lyons (4:57)
Link in comments.
Renaissance – A Song for All Seasons (1978) (@256)
27 Jan 2007
(Review from vintageprog.com)
This is a transitional album where the band started to flirt with more pop-oriented material on expense of their more progressive stuff. And when Renaissance went pop, like they do here on “Closer than Yesterday”, “Back Home Once Again” and the hit “Northern Lights”, they started to sound unpleasantly much like ABBA. But the album fortunately also featured enough lengthy progressive epics and symphonic arrangements to make it worth a listen. “Day of the Dreamer” and the title-track are two complex songs that more or less maintained the Renaissance sound of old. And the opening track “Opening Out” has a really beautiful melody that immediately grabs the listener. “Kindness (At the End)” is also quite good, while “She is Love” on the other hand only manages to bore me. The pop songs makes “A Song for All Seasons” an uneven affair, but the progressive tunes are good enough to make it worth checking out if you liked their previous albums. And ironically enough, this was their most popular album home in England, even if it was the first clear sign of the end of the band’s best period.
Line-up:
- Jon Camp / bass, bass pedals, electric guitar, lead vocals
- Michael Dunford: 6 and 12 string guitars
- Annie Haslam / lead vocals
- Terrence Sullivan / drums, percussion
- John Tout / keyboards
+ The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Track List:
01. Opening Out (4:15)
02. The Day of the Dreamer (9:43)
03. Closer Than Yesterday (3:19)
04. Kindness (At The End) (4:48)
05. Back Home Once Again (3:16)
06. She is Love (4:13)
07. Northern Lights (4:07)
08. A Song For All Seasons (10:55)
Link in comments.
Harmonium – Si On Avait Besoin D’une Cinquieme Saison (1975) (@256)
27 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
With the opening strains of Vert, a magical reflective journey unfolds. Harmonium’s second album is a lush symphonic pastoral work, full of great melodies, powerful strings, darting flute runs, and virtually ever-present acoustic guitars. It reaches maximum intensity in the two epics Depuis L’automne and Histoires Sans Parole, but every piece is memorable. Unlike the first album with featured a guest drummer on one track, and was generally quite upbeat, this one moves along for more than 40 minutes, with scarcely a percussive sound, although main man Serge Fiori does keep time on the bass drum occasionally.
Having said that, the three shorter pieces do echo the style of the folky debut album. Vert, is a mournful acoustic ballad, becomes a jazzy celebration with scat vocals, great harmonies and understated electric piano. Dixie is an exuberant acoustic ragtime piece, the likes of which I have never heard before or since. Harmonium’s mastery over their instruments is amazing on this one, as Serge Locat’s tasty piano work intersperses with the dual acoustic guitars of Fiori and Michel Normandeau, with bassist Louis Valois underpinning the whole thing superbly. En Pleine Face is an incredibly moving delicate little hymn, on which Fiori reminds us just what an expressive vocalist he is.
But despite the quality of the shorter songs, nothing can match the scale of the two epics … which are eleborate folky gems with astounding melodies. The moment when the breathy sax of Pierre Daigneault introduces (and accompanies) a guitar ramble in Despuis L’Automne is something special, and yet is superceeded by Histoires Sans Parole. The opening flute segment alone (which lasts for three gorgeous minutes) should break a few hearts, and when the acoustic guitars, piano and incredible mellotron strings lead into another intoxicatingly beautiful riff, it’s almost impossible to take. Fans of acoustic Zeppelin and prog-folk of all colours, need to hear this majestic piece. It then breaks up into an eerie Crimsonesque adventure, with a unique emotional intensity … by the gods when Fiori leads a wordless vocal, you want to cry. The beautiful ramble continues, with the odd jazzy undertone, before the opening flute melody returns backed this time, by the bass of Valois.
I don’t know if this is unequivocal progressive masterpiece. But as far as progressive folk albums go, it is has a virtually unapproachable status (Gryphon’s Red Queen To Gryphon Three is a rival that comes to mind). One day, you will fall in love with this album, I assure you of that.
Line-up:
- Pierre Daigneault / flute, piccolo, Soprano saxophone, clarinet
- Serge Fiori / guitar, flute, zither harp, bass drum, vocals
- Serge Locat / piano, mellotron, synthesizer
- Michel Normandeau / guitar, accordion, vocals
- Louis Valois / bass guitar, electric piano, vocals
Track List:
01. Vert (5:34)
02. Dixie (3:26)
03. Depuis L’Automne (10:25)
04. En Pleine Face (4:51)
05. Histoires Sans Paroles (17:12)
Link in comments.
Jane – Age of Madness (1978) (@256)
26 Jan 2007
(Review from vintageprog.com)
“Age of Madness” is usually referred to as Jane’s last good album. The songs were considerably shorter and simpler than before, but the sound and music was in the same style that Jane had developed in the late 70s: synth-based, spacey and atmospheric tunes side by side with heavy riffs and more down to earth-tracks. The title-track, “Memory Symphony”, “Auroville” and “Meadow” was spacey symphonic progressive rock at its most typical German. “Bad Game” is a solid hard rock track, and Hess delivers some nice slide-guitar in “With Her Smile”. However, the single “Love Song” was an embarrassing attempt at a pop-hit, and “Get This Power” sounds like it could have come from “Jane III” or “Lady”. In other words: basic and uninteresting blues-rock with a hard edge. But with their later albums in mind, “Age of Madness” was most of the time yet another satisfying slice of spacey, German symphonic progressive rock with some hard rock elements thrown in. But their career was pretty much downhill from here, and you can safely avoid all their later albums.
Line-up:
- Klaus Hess / guitars, keyboards, synths, vocals
- Martin Hesse / bass, vocals
- Peter Panka / drums, vocals
- Manfred Weickzork / keyboards
Track List:
01. Age of Madness (5:45)
02. Memory Symphony (4:25)
03. Auroville (3:40)
04. Love Song (3:53)
05. Bad Game (5:14)
06. Get This Power (2:40)
07. With Her Smile (4:20)
08. Meadow (3:27)
09. Age of Madness (part II) (2:39)
Link in comments.
Renaissance – Novella (1977) (@256)
26 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
Following in the footsteps of “Scheherazade”, although not getting as brilliant in terms of overall musical quality and artistic magic, “Novella” still deserves a place of honor in the history of Renaissance, mostly because it is full of so many good ideas, the habitual exquisite performances (typically featuring Haslam’s captivating singing and Tout’s keyboards, including more synth than ever before), and excellent arrangements for band and orchestra.
Line-up:
- Jon Camp / bass, bass pedals, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Michael Dunford / acoustic guitar, vocals
- Annie Haslam / lead vocals
- Terrence Sullivan / drums, percussion, backing vocals
- John Tout / keyboards, backing vocals
Track List:
01. Can You Hear Me? (13:39)
02. The Sisters (7:12)
03. Midas Man (5:46)
04. The Captive Heart (4:16)
05. Touching Once (Is So Hard To Keep) (9:26)
Link in comments.
Modern Folk Uclusu – Bizim Tepe Konseri (1986) (@256)
25 Jan 2007
Dogan Canku, Selami Karaibrahimgil and Ahmet Kurtaran formed Modern Folk Üçlüsü in July 1969. As a folk trio, they were active in Turkish music scene till 1981. Modern Folk Üçlüsü was the first band that introduced harmonic chorals into Turkish folk songs. Most current vocal harmonies in Turkish folk and pop songs may be regarded as the result of their innovative experiments.
Since 1981, they occasionally re-unite in concerts. “Bizim Tepe Konseri” is an official recording of the concert that took place in Robert College of Istanbul on July 31st, 1986.
Track List:
CD1 :
01. Hincal Uluç Sunuş [3:16]
02. Doce Cascabeles [3:01]
03. Monday Morning [3:29]
04. Jamaica Farewell [2:27]
05. Latin Potpori : Cielito Lindo / Adelita / Qundo Calienta El Sol [5:02]
06. Ali Paşa Agidi [4:01]
07. Senden Bana Yar Olmaz [3:45]
08. Ali Veli [5:27]
09. Dözeren [8:11]
10. Kanun Taksimi [1:28]
11. Efem [3:39]
12. Gül Yüzünde Göreli [3:25]
CD2 :
01. Mang Wani Mpulele [5:14]
02. Rüzgar Uyumuş Ay Daliyor [4:33]
03. Klasikler (Kiz Sen Geldin / Gel Gidelim Çamlicaya / Erdi Bahar) [4:34]
04. 0ncecikten Bir Kar Yagar [5:04]
05. Gecelerim [2:39]
06. Gökte Yildiz Ay Misun [2:25]
07. Sandal [4:19]
08. Bugün Ayin Üçüdür [6:21]
09. Ayrilik [4:48]
10. Leblebi – Leblebi Dogaçlama [6:54]
Links in comments.
Renaissance – Turn of the Cards (1974) (@256)
25 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
The usual wonderful, folky, symphonic, naked sprint through a fragrant autumn meadow you may have come to expect from Renaissance at this time…and why not?! Turn of the Cards is in my opinion a prog masterpiece. Big words, I know, and I never thought Ashes are Burning could be topped, but this album, the bridge between Ashes are Burning and Scheherazade, does not fall over for a second. Every track is a gem.
The bands performance is stunning as ever, John Tout in particular plays a fine album. The classically inspired piano intro to ‘Running Hard’ sets the mood perfectly and the graceful symphonic fall into the song itself produces one of those ‘hair on the back of your neck moments’ Did for me anyway! (Check out the live version on Carnegie Hall!!) This is currently my favourite track on the album. The pace of the song gives the impression of charging headlong; wonderful musical onomatopea (yes I know. That’s not how you spell it) “Things I don’t Understand” is another classic with great harmony vocals and a floating haunted feel, as it changes pace and mood, skillfully executed by these very talented musicians.
Mother Russia closes the album perfectly. Another Renaissance epic, or perhaps semi epic, to stand proudly alongside ‘Ashes are Burning’ and ‘Song of Scherazade’. An addictive album, skillfully played and written with beautiful classical references and one of the best vocal performances from Annie Haslam I’ve heard.
Line-up:
- Jon Camp / bass, vocals
- Michael Dunford / acoustic guitar, vocals
- Annie Haslam / lead vocals
- Terrence Sullivan / drums, percussion, backing vocals
- John Tout / keyboards
Track List:
01. Running Hard (9:37)
02. I Think of You (3:07)
03. Things I Don’t Understand (9:29)
04. Black Flame (6:23)
05. Cold is Being (3:00)
06. Mother Russia (9:18)
Link in comments.
Birth Control – Operation (1971) (@256)
24 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
Birth Control’s second album, Operation, stands as one of the band’s finest recordings, getting the vote as the second best album of 1971 by one of Germany’s leading music magazines. Operation has Birth Control employing a nine-piece string section as well as a smaller brass entourage in order to produce a larger sound, and while their progressive air is just beginning to flourish, a rather large difference in musical strength and instrumental craft is noted right away. Not fully abstract or left-of-center just yet, the powerful crunch of Bruno Frenzel’s guitar surely leads the way, dominating the rhythms of every track while complimenting the aeronautics of the keyboard passages. With the tempos quicker because of the stern synthesizer work, the entire album moves along at a brisk pace.
With the band maturing and slowly working back toward a more progressive rock route, Operation makes for a truly consistent studio album that offers a firm cross section of their sound.
Line-up:
- Bruno Frenzel / guitar, vocals
- Bernd Koschmidder / bass
- Bernd Noske / drums, vocals
- Reinjhold Sobotta / organ
Track List:
01. Stop Little Lady (7:16)
02. Just Before the Sun Will Rise (7:35)
03. The Work Is Done (5:56)
04. Flesh and Blood (3:27)
05. Pandemonium (6:34)
06. Let Us Do It Now (11:09)
07. Hope (4:19) (Bonus Single)
08. Rollin’ (3:54) (Bonus Single)
09. The Work is Done (4:01) (Bonus Single)
10. What’s Your Name (3:36) (Bonus Single)
11. Believe in the Pill (3:43) (Bonus Single)
Links in comments.
Renaissance – Ashes Are Burning (1973) (@256)
24 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
This is Renaissance at their peak. The band mixes perfectly rock, classical music, folk, and a soprano female vocalist. The guitars are usually acoustic in this record, the piano is prominent as well as the amazing Annie Haslem’s vocals. The drumming is usually simple, except for the title track with its excellent percussion. The bass guitar has a similar sound to Yes’ bass.
Line-up:
- Jon Camp / bass, vocals
- Annie Haslam / lead vocals
- Terrence Sullivan / drums, percussion, backing vocals
- John Tout / keyboards, backing vocals
- Michael Dunford / acoustic guitar
Track List:
01. Can You Understand (9:49)
02. Let It Grow (4:15)
03. On the Frontier (4:53)
04. Carpet of the Sun (3:31)
05. At the Harbour (6:50)
06. Ashes are Burning (11:24)
Link in comments.
Finch – Glory of the Inner Force (1975) (@256)
23 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
If spastic, hyper, jazzy, intense instrumental progressive rock is your thing, Finch delivers. There’s plenty to absorb without the distraction of a vocalist (where would a vocalist possibly find a good pocket to sing in here?), the music being busy and kinetic through each of the 4 long songs.
What separates Finch from some other instrumental combos in the prog/jazzrock/fusion realm is the solidity of their arrangements. Nothing sounds improvised or off-the-cuff. Where bands like National Health, Kenso and Happy The Man seem to come from an improvisational background, Finch delivers solid structures at every turn. Myriad parts are layered on top of each other, constantly shifting mood from one bar to the next, all of it sounding “written” rather than “jammed”. Joop Van Nimwegen’s guitar solos are fired off with a certain electricity that must’ve been improvised to some degree, but his sense of structure and timing make for some extremely memorable moments. His style is like Steve Howe (the melody) meets John McLaughlin (the speed). The Rickenbacker of Peter Vink grumbles and does some nice acrobatic turns (“Paradoxical Moods”), while the keyboards and drums color the tunes further with their nimble, fusion-esque intensity. The entire ensemble is like early Camel on a gritty acid excursion, maintaining a cool control while teetering on the brink of collapse. Their most energetic and raw excursion. A top-notch work of transcendental prog-rock indulgence.
Line-up:
- Jan Van Nimwegen / guitars
- Cleem Determejer / keyboards
- Beer Klaasse / drums
- Peter Vink / bass
Track List:
01. Register Magister (9:22)
o2. Parodoxical Moods (10:43)
03. Pisces (9:29)
04. A Bridge to Alice (13:13)
05. Colossus Part I (3:28)
06. Colossus Part II (3:36)
Link in comments.
Renaissance – Prologue (1972) (@256)
23 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
A slightly misleading title for this album, as it was actually the third release under the Renaissance name. In fairness though, the line up completely changed prior to the release of this album, which saw Annie Haslam take on vocal duties for the first time.
Renaissance were forerunners for present day prog bands such as Karnataka and Mostly Autumn, complete with predominantly female vocals. “Prologue” was a major step forward for Renaissance from their rather patchy debut album, containing as it does a number of very strong pieces.
The opening “Prologue”, and the closing “Raja Khan” are similar, in that they are both essentially instrumental tracks, even though they have female vocals. There are no lyrics, the vocals merely leading the melody, the way they do on Pink Floyd’s “Great gig in the sky” for example. Both are excellent tracks, well performed, and refreshingly original. The other tracks have more orthodox vocals. “Kiev”, my favourite track, is somewhat unusual in the it has a male lead. The track tells a lovely story, bisected by one of Renaissance classically based piano pieces.
A superb album of lush melodies, full of originality, great song writing, and great performances. The LP sleeve is very original too.
Line-up:
- Jon Camp / bass, tamboura, vocals.
- Annie Haslam / lead vocals, percussion
- Rob Hendry / guitar, mandolin, chimes, vocals
- Terry Sullivan / drums, percussion
- John Tout / keyboards, vocals
Track List:
01. Prologue (5:39)
02. Kiev (7:39)
03. Sounds of the Sea (7:09)
04. Spare Some Love (5:05)
05. Bound for Infinity (4:17)
06. Rajah Khan (11:14)
Link in comments.
Eloy – Floating (1974) (@256)
22 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com, allmusic.com)
One of the most popular German bands of the ’70s, Eloy went through several stages in their long career, with the only constant member being guitarist/vocalist Frank Bornemann. Transforming from a political-themed hard rock band to a spacey progressive rock band who sounded something like a mix of Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd, the group in later formations would move toward a more accesible hard rock sound with strong progressive elements.
Far from Eloy’s classic period with eloquent symphonic spacey suites, this album can be disconcerted for its most heavy rock parts. Generally the musical tendance is more basic but well, very catchy and dynamic. The opening “Floating” is a heavy rock improvisation based upon an efficient melody. A lot of inventivity and changing moods in this composition (alterning relaxed, percussive atmospheres to a speed rock ‘n roll with epic guitar solo and Hammond organs). No real vocals, just a simple line to sustain the main melody. “The Light From Deep Darkness” is a conceptual musical theme about the time of creation. It starts with a mysterious, calm melodic introduction, and then the climax turns into a heavy “trip”, always mixing a dialogue between Hammond organ and aggressive guitar rhythms. The track contains some nice improvised organ solos. A masterful composition which culminates the album. “Castle in the Air” is an other efficient heavy rock track with cool “heroic” tone. “Plastic Girl” introduces us into an inter-galactic organ universe with repetitive dark guitar arpeggios. “Madhouse” is a freak ‘n roll song. A “detached” interlude divides the track after an absolute mind blowing guitar break which starts the second part. An important album in the band’s discography and a must for fans.
Line-up:
- Frank Bornemann / guitars, vocals
- Luitjen Jansen / bass
- Frtz Randow / drums
- Manfred Wieczorke / organ, acoustic guitar
Track List:
01. Floating (3:59)
02. The Light From Deep Darkness (14:37)
03. Castle In The Air (7:13)
04. Plastic Girl (9:05)
05. Madhouse (5:16)
Link in comments.
Renaissance – Renaissance (1969) (@256)
22 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
Following the break-up of The Yardbirds in early 1968 drummer Jim McCarty and guitarist/vocalist Keith Relf formed Together, an acoustic based group. This short lived then became Renaissance in early 1969 with the addition of John Hawken (keyboard), Louis Cennamo (bass) and Jane Relf (vocal).
So, this is the pre Annie Haslam period of the band. Musically, I would say this debut album has significant contribution in laying strong foundation of progressive rock music altogether with King Crimson, ELP, Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd. Renaissance has its own identity than the others. This debut album sets an important milestone for Renaissance music direction in the future.
Jane Relf’s vocals are not really always in the foreground: other musicians also sing on this album. For those who expect an Annie Haslam performance, then forget about it. The lead & backing vocals are interesting though. This record is definitely piano oriented: when there are piano or harpsichord, this album sounds quite classical baroque. On the first side, it is a bit disappointing to hear an outstanding first baroque part, followed by a rythmic piano rock ballad containing harmonica a la Zappa, and finally finished with a minimalist psychedelic instrumental part. This record, like the next one, has some psychedelic influences. The best moment is definitely the progressive part on Innocence: very structured and delightful! For 1969, this record is really avant-garde.
Line-up:
- Keith Relf / vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Jim McCarty / percussion, vocals
- John Hawken / piano, harspichord
- Louis Cennamo / bass guitar
- Jane Relf / vocals, percussion
Track List:
01. Kings And Queens (10:55)
02. Innocence (7:05)
03. Island (5:57)
04. Wanderer (4:00)
05. Bullet (11:24)
06. Island (single) (Bonus)
07. The Sea (Bonus)
Link in comments.
Atoll – Rock Puzzle (1979) (@192)
21 Jan 2007
(Review from progressor.net)
Atoll is one of the most renowned bands that came from France and is also the only French band that had an English vocalist in its lineup (see above). Atoll released five studio albums in all, and “Rock Puzzle” is their fourth. As far as I can remember, this is their only album that features a symphonic orchestra.
The music on the first two tracks on “Rock Puzzle”: L’Age d’Or and L’Ultime Rock makes a very mixed impression on me. It is about quite a strange combination of Pop Rock and Classic Symphonic Art-Rock. To say more precisely, all the vocally instrumental parts here are built by a simple couplet-refrain ‘scheme’, while the arrangements in purely instrumental parts fully correspond to the unwritten laws of Classic Art-Rock. Female backing vocals, romantically optimistic moods, and elements of light Classical Music – these are the other notable aspects of the songs standing at the head of the album’s track list. Surprisingly, the next piece: Kaelka (3) turned out to be a real gem of Classical Music. For the most part, it consists of diverse and beautiful, and what’s central, constantly developing interplay between passages of piano, those of a few violins, and solos of oboe. Kaelka should have certainly been placed on track 4, because on Smarta Kitschy (4), Atoll are unexpectedly back to the ‘Classic Symphonic Pop Rock’ they started with, though the vocal parts here are more diverse than those on the first two tracks on the album. Beginning with the fifth track, the band quite radically changes a musical direction as if having remembered that they’re a classic Art-Rock band, after all. A true, diverse and intriguing, by all means excellent Symphonic Art-Rock with pronounced elements of real Classical Music is presented on Eau, La Maison de Men-Taa, and Puzzle (5, 7, & 8). Although Garces de Femmes (6) is more accessible than these three, unlike all the songs located in the first half of the album, it conforms to the concept of Classic Art-Rock in its entirety. Among the three bonus tracks: Here Comes the Feeling, No Reply, and Eye to Eye, the first was written by Wetton and is most likely the worst song ever recorded in Atoll’s history. It is clearly of ‘pre-Asian’ origin, is very poppy, and doesn’t contain separate instrumental parts at all. The other two bonus tracks, written by the Atoll musicians, are on the whole on par with the first two songs on “Rock Puzzle”, though stylistically, they’re about a progressive Hard Rock.
I’ve read many reviews of “Rock Puzzle”, and in my view, most critics underrate it and are mistaken when saying it’s almost completely out of interest to Prog-lovers. If not to take into account bonus tracks, this is quite a good album on the whole and is better than many other Progressive-related outputs released the same year, in 1979.
Line-up:
Tracks 1-11
- Andre Balzer / lead vocals
- Christian Beya / lead guitar, 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar, back vocals
- Alain Gozzo / drums, percussion, back vocals
- Michael Taillet / Eminent 310, Korg & Prophet synthesizers, acoustic piano, Fender piano, clavinet D6, percussion, back vocals
- Jean-Luc Thillot / bass, Moog bass pedal, 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar, back vocals
Tracks 12-14
- John Wetton / lead vocals, bass
- Michael Taillet / keyboards
- Jean-Jacques Flety / guitar
- Alain Gozzo / drums
Track List:
01. L’Age d’or (dans 8000 ans) (5:58)
02. L’Ultime rock (4:08)
03. Kaelka (2:54)
04. Smarto Kitschy (7:51)
05. Eau (H20) (5:53)
06. Garces de femmes (4:11)
07. La maison de Men-Taa (4:10)
08. Puzzle (8:07)
Bonus Tracks
09. L’Ultime rock (studio Z version) (3:50)
10. Puzzle (studio Z version) (7:40)
11. Atari that’s a game! (Smarto Kitschy – American Mix) (8:00)
12. Here Comes The Feeling (4:30)
13. No Reply (4:05)
14. Eye To Eye (5:20)
Links in comments.
Thin Lizzy – Vagabonds of the Western World (1973) (@256)
21 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
Despite a huge hit single in the mid-’70s (“The Boys Are Back in Town”) and becoming a popular act with hard rock/heavy metal fans, Thin Lizzy are still, in the pantheon of ’70s rock bands, underappreciated. Formed in the late ’60s by Irish singer/songwriter/bassist Phil Lynott, Lizzy, though not the first band to do so, combined romanticized working-class sentiments with their ferocious, twin-lead guitar attack. As the band’s creative force, Lynott was a more insightful and intelligent writer than many of his ilk, preferring slice-of-life working-class dramas of love and hate influenced by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and virtually all of the Irish literary tradition. Also, as a black man, Lynott was an anomaly in the nearly all-white world of hard rock, and as such imbued much of his work with a sense of alienation; he was the outsider, the romantic guy from the other side of the tracks, a self-styled poet of the lovelorn and downtrodden. His sweeping vision and writerly impulses at times gave way to pretentious songs aspiring to clichéd notions of literary significance, but Lynott’s limitless charisma made even the most misguided moments worth hearing.
After achieving a reluctant Top Ten hit with a rock version of the traditional Irish pub ballad “Whiskey in the Jar,” Thin Lizzy began work on Vagabonds of the Western World — their third, and ultimately last album for Decca Records. The single’s surprise success gave the band bargaining power to demand more money and time to record, resulting in their first sonically satisfying album. The environmentally-conscious R&B of “Mama Nature Said” kicks things off with Eric Bell leading the way on slide guitar. The overblown “The Hero and the Madman” and the tepid “Slow Blues” threaten to derail the proceedings, but all is well again when the band break into their first bona fide classic “The Rocker.” Brimming with attitude and dangerous swagger, Lynott sets the tone, as drummer Brian Downey explodes into life for the first time on vinyl. Lizzy’s Irish heritage permeates the title track, and the beautiful “Little Girl in Bloom” is absolutely flawless, featuring Lynott, the poet, in top form. In many ways, Vagabonds of the Western World actually rocks harder than Lizzy’s next album, the soulful Nightlife — often considered the band’s first “important” record. And with the inclusion of four non-LP singles, including the aforementioned “Whiskey in the Jar,” this package becomes even more appealing.
Line-up:
* Phil Lynott – Bass + Lead Vocals
* Eric Bell – Guitars + Vocals
* Brian Downey – Percussion
Track List:
01. Mama Nature Said
02. The Hero And The Madman
03. Slow Blues
04. The Rocker
05. Vagabond Of The Western World
06. Little Girl In Bloom
07. Gonna Creep Up On You
08. A Song For While I’m Away
09. Whiskey In The Jar (Full Length Version)
10. Black Boys On The Corner
11. Randolph’s Tango (Full Length Version)
12. Broken Dreams
Links in comments.
Plastic Ono Band – Live Peace in Toronto (1969) (@256)
20 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
Although one of the world’s best-kept secrets at the time, this was John Lennon’s declaration of independence from the Beatles, the document of a concert appearance at Toronto’s Rock and Roll Revival festival about a month after the conclusion of the Abbey Road sessions. Thrown together literally on the wing (they rehearsed only on the flight from England), the ad-hoc band consisting of Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton on guitar, Klaus Voorman on bass, and Alan White on drums hit the stage to the surprise and delight of the thousands who packed Varsity Stadium. “We’re just going to do numbers we know, you know, because we’ve never played together before,” confesses John, who was reportedly extremely nervous before going on. But the repertoire ought to have been a cakewalk for a quartet of seasoned rockers — blues-based oldies (“Blue Suede Shoes,” “Money,” “Dizzy Miss Lizzie”) and basic recent Lennon numbers (“Yer Blues,” “Cold Turkey,” “Give Peace a Chance”) — and they lay it down in a dignified, noisy, glorified garage band manner. Lennon is in fine vocal form, confident and funny despite his frequent apologies, while Yoko confines her caterwauling to “Cold Turkey.” That was side one of the original LP. Side two, alas, was devoted entirely to Ono’s wailing, pitchless, brainless, banshee vocalizing on “Don’t Worry Kyoko” and “John John (Let’s Hope for Peace)” — the former backed with plodding rock rhythms and the latter with feedback. No wonder you see many used copies of the LP with worn A-sides and clean, unplayed B-sides — and Yoko’s “art” is just as irritating today as it was in 1969. But in those days, if you wanted John you had to take the whole package.
Line-up:
* John Lennon: Electric guitar, vocals
* Eric Clapton: Electric guitar, vocals
* Klaus Voormann: Bass
* Yoko Ono: vocals
* Alan White: Drums
Track List:
01. Blue Suede Shoes
02. Money
03. Dizzy Miss Lizzy
04. Yer Blues
05. Cold Turkey
06. Give Peace A Chance
07. Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow)
08. John, John (Let’s Hope For Peace)
Link in comments.
Rufus Zuphall – Avalon and On (@256)
20 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
The story of this posthumous album is that the high-quality demo tape did not please their new label that had started promoting the group in a different manner than the band was heading in another. So the band could not record it and broke-up. These 5- tracks demo tapes reappeared in the 94 4-record box-set and they were later released under the ten-working title Avalon. Were added three tracks from their early stages and another three from a reunion concert in 99.
These demo tapes can actually show how much a great album this would’ve been had it been allowed to be properly recorded. Actually, the demos are fine enough to be released on their own as a full-fledged album (since Ruphus Zuphall was always proud of its rough and raw sound). The 11-min+ Avalon is a rather interestingly progressive track with a medieval-influenced guitar middle section. The next tracks are yet unfinished also, but the great Pachebel and the short Prelude (a guitar duo that has reminiscence of Hackett and Rutherford) are both a pure joy if you are not picky of sound quality. The last two demo tracks were clearly intended as part of other more intricate composition.
Where things go slightly awry is with Krause’s vocals: they were never Ruphus Zuphall’s forte, but in this demo, they are (understandably) just acceptable. Again looking at the three potential albums, Ruphus Zuphall had a relatively unique sound, but even these demo tapes sound so typical of them, that it remains difficult to tell quickly on which track you are listening to.
On the other “side” of this record are three tracks coming from early recordings, among which is a 12-min+ Dylan cover of Hollis Brown, which starts slowly and builds a slow crescendo, and if the track stays on the same tempo, the jam-like ramblings are quite enjoyable for non-demanding progheads. Granum Cerebri has a rather messy intro, but develops quickly into a riffy guitar and flute thing. A bit naďve, but this track was recorded prior to their debut album and is still a joy to hear. An early version of their classic reprise of Portland Town follows.
The last three tracks are taken from a re-union concert in 99 with the original line-up and doing tracks from their debut album: Of a much better quality than the bonus live tracks of their two historical albums (Cd version), all three are closely respected in spirit.
If you enjoy much the other two historical albums and like me considered Ruphus Zuphall worthy of an obscure and tiny cult-status, this “posthumous “ release will most likely please you, and it might not be anymore essential than the other two records, but not much less either.
Line-up:
Tracks 1 – 8:
- Gunter Krause / guitar, vocals
- Thoms Kittel / guitar, keyboards, bass
- Klaus Gulden / flute, percussion
- Manfred Spangenberg / bass
- Udo Dahmen / drums
Tracks 9 – 11:
- Klaus Gülden / flute
- Helmut Lieblang / bass
- Günter Krause / guitar
- Udo Dahmen / drums
Track List:
Avalon:
01. Avalon Suite (11:26)
02. Pachebel (4:03)
03. Prelude to: Who Will I Be Tomorrow (2:40)
04. The Cold Of Winter (1:48)
05. A Thousand Mothers Weeping (1:49)
And On:
06. The Ballad Of Hollis Brown (12:26)
07. Granum Cerebri (4:06)
08. Portland Town (4:20)
Bonus tracks:
09. Knight Of Third Degree (6:37)
10. Spanferkel (2:34)
11. Freitag (7:05)
Links in comments.
Flairck (+Corpus) – Circus Hieronymus Bosch (2002) (@Video)
19 Jan 2007
Well actually I had planned this one as a memorable ending for the Flairck posts on Tuesday, but damn the slow upload speeds, I just finished uploading.
Audio is exactly copied (AC3 5+1), video is encoded in xvid4 – 720×576 – 25 fps, the total show is 95 minutes long.
(Info from flairck.nl)
The ‘acrobatic’ musicians of Flairck, Holland’s foremost acoustic band and the ‘musical’ acrobats of Corpus, the well-known acrobatic theatre group from Amsterdam have joined forces in a new theatrical circus production called Circus Hieronymus Bosch.
For five hundred years after painting his unparalleled masterpieces, the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch has never ceased to astonish those who have come into contact with his work.
This production was inspired by a long search for the meaning of the work by this most secretive master-painter of the Low Lands.
Track List:
01. Overture (Erik Visser) 7:24
02. Creation (Erik Visser) 10:25
03. Circus of Life (intro) (Erik Visser) 2:36
04. Laziness (Eric Vaarzon Morel) 8:25
05. Vanity (Nihad Hrustanbegovic) 5:59
06. Lust (Erik Visser) 6:52
07. Jealousy (Erik Visser) 2:56
08. Circus of Life (coda) (Erik Visser) 3:23
09. The Blue Barge (Erik Visser) 4:41
10. Hell (Erik Visser) 17:29
11. Hesitation (Erik Visser) 6:28
12. Heaven (Erik Visser) 14:23
13. Finale (Erik Visser) 3:20
14. Credits (Erik Visser) 1:01
Links in comments.
Free – Tons of Sobs (1968) (@256)
18 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)
Most remarkable about the birth of Free was the young age of the band members who first came together to rehearse at the Nag’s Head pub in Battersea, London, on April 19, 1968. Bass player Andy Fraser, was only 15 years old while lead singer Paul Rodgers, lead guitarist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke were also still teenagers. By November of that year they had recorded their first album Tons Of Sobs for Island Records and, although it was not released until the following year, the album documents their first six months together and contains studio renditions of much of their early live set.
Although Free was never destined to scrape the same skies as Led Zeppelin, when they first burst out of the traps in 1968, close to a year ahead of Jimmy Page and company, they set the world of British blues-rock firmly on its head, a blistering combination of youth, ambition, and, despite those tender years, experience that, across the course of their debut album, did indeed lay the groundwork for all that Zeppelin would embrace. That Free and Zeppelin were cut from the same cloth is immediately apparent, even before you start comparing the versions of “The Hunter” that highlight both bands’ debut albums. Where Free streaks ahead, however, is in their refusal to compromise their own vision of the blues — even at its most commercial (“I’m a Mover” and “Worry”), Tons of Sobs has a density that makes Zeppelin and the rest of the era’s rocky contemporaries sound like flyweights by comparison.
Line-up:
* Paul Rodgers – Vocals
* Paul Kossoff – Guitar
* Andy Fraser – Bass
* Simon Kirke – Drums
Track List:
01. Over the Green Hills (Pt. 1)
02. Worry
03. Walk in My Shadow
04. Wild Indian Woman
05. Goin’ Down Slow
06. I’m a Mover
07. Hunter
08. Moonshine
09. Sweet Tooth
10. Over the Green Hills (Pt. 2)
Link in comments.
Rufus Zuphall – Phallobst (1971) (@256)
18 Jan 2007
(Review from geocities.com/krautrockgroup)
‘Phallobst’ was the second and final Rufus Zuphall release. The band were from Aachen, the same city that spawned Necronomicon. The music on this album is an eclectic mixture of classical, blues, and folk influences. The fairly simple song structures showcase everything from soft folky melodies, raucous heavy blues riffing, as well as flute and guitar interplay on classical and rock themes. Four of the tracks are instrumentals with ‘Schnupfer’ coming off as the most “progressive”. ‘Makrojel’ is the strongest of these cuts and features folk flavored rock with sporadic classical touches and a prominent flute. The other instrumentals, ‘Wenn Schon, Denn Schon’ and ‘Prickle Prit’ are heavy blues rockers with catchy guitar riffs. ‘Waste Land’ and ‘I’m On My Way’ are the strongest of the tracks containing vocals as both are laid-back folk tunes. ‘Waste Land’ contains soft guitar work, ethnic percussion and evocative flute leads. ‘I’m On My Way’ builds slowly and contains an atmospheric mellotron and clavinet. Contrasting these are the two heavier tracks ‘Closing Time’ and ‘Portland Town’ which incorporate a more standard rock approach.
Line-up:
- Gunter Krause / guitar, vocals
- Thoms Kittel / guitar, keyboards, bass
- Klaus Gulden / flute, percussion
- Manfred Spangenberg / bass
- Udo Dahmen / drums
Track List:
01. Closing time (3:21)
02. Wenn schon, denn schon (3:35)
03. Schupfner (5:13)
04. Waste land (5:10)
05. Makröjel (5:53)
06. Prickel Pit (3:51)
07. Portland Town (3:52)
08. I’m on my way (5:01)
09. Paint It Black (Bonus Live)
10. Kartoffeltango (Bonus Live)
11. Wade In The Water (Bonus Live)
12. Sau Aas (Bonus Live)
13. Spanferkel (Bonus Live)
14. Schupfner (Bonus Live)
15. Portland Town (Bonus Live)
16. Makröjel (Bonus Live)
Links in comments.
Ekseption – Back to the Classics (1976) (@224)
17 Jan 2007
Special thanks to CrimsonKing for the contribution.
(Review from progarchives.com, allmusic, vintageprog.com)
Ekseption is a Dutch band that was famous during the late sixties/early seventies for the way it combined themes from classical composers with contemporary rock and jazz in a blend of dominating, virtuoso keys and trumpet plus sax(es). In their eight year existence, Ekseption came as close as any group from the European continent ever did to stealing the thunder of early classical-rock outfits such as the Nice and rivaling the early work of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
The story of Ekseption as we know it begins when they won the first prize at the Loosdrecht Jazz Festival in 1968, and they were rewarded with a record contract with Philips. At the suggestion of Rick van der Linden, the band’s keyboard player, they decided to record rock versions of Beethoven’s “Fifth” and Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance”. Although initially the single with “The Fifth” did not catch on, three months after it was released suddenly it began to sell like hotcakes, and the basis for the now famous Ekseption formula was established: a cocktail of classical music with (symphonic) rock and jazz. Following the success of the single, their first album was recorded, which contained a mix of covers, classical themes in a rock/jazz setting, and one song written by the band.
“Back to the Classics” is one of the latter albums of Ekseption. Several members left Ekseption after the “Mindmirror” album had flopped, and the band were probably very close to a full break up at this point. But letters from fans who wanted a return to the old style with classical themes encouraged the band to continue. Vennik, Janssen and van der Broek hired several sessison-musicians to complete the band on “Back to the Classics”. The album seemed pretty much to be Vennik’s baby, as he had arranged most of the music. Some of the adaptations on the album were actually a bit more adventurous than earlier. Vivaldi’s “Sonata in F” is being played on recorder, giving it a slightly medieval mood. Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nacthmusik” is almost completely unrecognisable, and has the same cheerful feel as “Sonata in F”. The light and laidback arrangement on Schubert’s “Ave Maria” is also representative for the versions of Mozart’s “Clarinet Concerto in A, K. 6223 and “Erbarme Dich” from Bach’s massive “Mättheus Passion”. Händel’s “Flue Sonata in no. 5 in F” and the theme from Purcell’s “Abdelazer” are the versions with most in common with old Ekseption. The end of Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 643 sounds like something from a 70’s detective series in Ekseption’s version. The album closes with a beautiful version of Smetana’s “Moldau” that stands as one of the best moments on the album. The slick production and the overall laidback feel of the album makes “Back to the Classics” a less dynamic and powerful record than the earlier ones, but it was still easily Ekseption’s best since “Trinity”.
Track List:
01. Sonata in F (5:20)
02. Ave Maria (4:53)
03. Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade nr. 13 in G K.525) (4:13)
04. Clarinet concerto in A (4:25)
05. Violin concerto in E minor, Op.64 (5:00)
06. Have mercy on me (Erbarme Dich) (6:57)
07. Flute sonata nr.5 in F (4:53)
08. Theme from Abdelazer (3:58)
09. The Moldau (Ma Vlast) (6:51)
Link in comments.
Van der Graaf Generator – Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other (1970) (@320)
17 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
I just listened again to this album in order to be sure what I am writing. This was my favourite since some 20 years ago when I start listening to this kind of music. The magic is still there and it is even stronger. I still get the same shiver and a feeling of pure horror on the opening menacing sequences of “Darkness” like in those times when I listened it for the first time! “Refugees” is still one the most beautiful crying ballads I ever heard. Here the band was complete with Jackson and Potter, adding the signature sound of saxes/flutes and bass respectively. Van der Graaf Generator were somewhat peculiar band lacking the electric guitarist and bassist in most of their career, concentrating on the sounds of organ and saxophones. On this album, however, Potter (who would soon left the band to rejoin not earlier than 1977 “Quiet Zone”) adds both instruments fantastically, giving a feeling of a “pure” rock band. This is evident in “Whatever Would Robert Have Said” and “After the Flood” where he plays additional electric guitar, with distorted feedback effects similar to the unique style of Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane.
Line-up:
- Peter Hammill / lead vocals, acoustic guitar
- Hugh Banton / organ, piano, backing vocals
- Nic Potter / bass, electric guitar
- Guy Evans / drums and percussion
- David Jackson / saxes, flute, backing vocals
Track List:
01. Darkness (11/11) (7:27)
02. Refugees (6:22)
03. White Hammer (8:15)
04. Whatever Would Robert Have Said? (6:17)
05. Out Of My Book (4:07)
06. After The Flood (11:28)
Links in comments.
Grobschnitt – Grobschnitt (1972) (@256)
16 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
Hysterical laughter, simulated machine gun fire, a flute & acoustic guitar piece, passages from the bible read in a deep German voice over stormy soundscapes, a rock symphony in 5 movements, effects and synthesizers galore! How much more progressive rock can you get? And if you’ve ever seen this amazing German band live (like this reviewer did in 1978) you’ll never forget them. With everything from pyrotechnics, painted faces and huge pteradactyl like birds Grobschnitt made other contemporary stage shows look like elementary school Christmas plays. A live version of Die Sinfonie is available on the re-mastered CD along with a history of this unusual musical troupe where each member acquired his own stage identity.The music and themes here, although in the vein of the prog rock stylings of the day, were much more dreamy and drew from psychedelic influences rather than classical ones like many British groups.This classic debut album from one of the most ecclectic German bands to emerge from the seventies is an essential for anyone interested in exploring the developments which were taking place in rock music in continental Europe in the early 1970’s.
Line-up:
- Stefan Danielak (Wildschwein) / rhythm guitar, vocals
- Joachim Ehrig (Eroc) / drums, percussion, electronic effects
- Axel Harlos (Felix) / drums, percussion
- Gerd-Otto Kühn (Lupo) / lead guitar
- Hermann Quetting (Quecksilber) / organ, piano, spinet, percussion
- Bernhard Uhlemann (Bär) / bass, flute, percussion
Track List:
01. Symphony: (13:44)
a) Introduction
b) Modulation
c) Variation
d) Finale
02. Travelling (6:50)
03. Wonderful music (3:40)
04. Sun trip: (17:43)
a) Am Ölberg (Mount of Olives)
b) On the way
c) Battlefield
d) New era
05. Die Sinfonie. Live at Volkspark, Germany, Sept. 71 (29:40) (Bonus)
Links in comments.
Ufo – Ufo1 (1970) (@256)
16 Jan 2007
(Review from amazon.com)
In the seventies, UFO became one of the superpowers of hard rock, releasing awesome album after awesome album in their heyday with former Scorpions guitar virtuoso, Michael Schenker. However, contrary to popular belief, the band’s musical career began quite a bit earlier than the better-known Schenker years. In their earlier days, the band featured a lesser-known guitarist, Mick Bolton. When UFO formed circa 1969, the group was called Hocus Pocus, but changed their name to reflect that of a famous club in London. In this early formative period, UFO released two studio albums, the first of which being the appropriately-titled UFO 1.
When UFO started out, back before they had Michael Schenker join the band, they were a far cry from the incarnation of the band that got popular, and that most people remember them for being. Rather than the straight-up hard rock that would bring the band fame, this early face of the band used a psychedelic, heavy blues rock sound. Many fans of the group have dubbed this a “space rock” sound, and I think this is a good name for the musical sound conveyed here. The record came out in 1970, just as musical trends were changing, and this record serves as a beautiful example of that transitional period for rock and roll. Many of these songs have that classic sixties psychedelic hard rock sound to them, many of them hint at the band’s future sound, and many are the happy medium.
Line-up:
- Phil Mogg / Vocals
- Mick Bolton / Guitar
- Pete Way / Bass
- Andy Parker / Drums
Track List:
01. Unidentified Flying Object – 2:17
02. Boogie – 4:16
03. C’mon Everybody – 3:12
04. Shake It About – 3:47
05. (Come Away) Melinda – 5:04
06. Timothy – 3:28
07. Follow Me Home – 2:13
08. Treacle People – 3:23
09. Who Do You Love – 7:49
10. Evil – 3:27
11. C’mon Everybody (Live) (Bonus) – 4:45
12. Who Do You Love (Live) (Bonus) – 9:26
13. Loving Cup (Live) (Bonus) – 5:16
14. Prince Kajukucoming Of Prince Kajuku (Live) (Bonus) – 8:27
Links in comments.
Greatest Show On Earth – Horizons (1970) (@256)
15 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
Although the Greatest Show on Earth were not the first bunch of rockers to incorporate a powerful brass and woodwind section, they are among the best and heaviest-sounding British bands to have emerged from the post-psychedelia of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Greatest Show on Earth were, in essence, the invention of EMI Records subsidiary Harvest, who were focusing in on new and progressive artists such as Pink Floyd and Deep Purple. When the group was initially signed in 1968, they were an R&B/soul revue whose forte was more along the lines of Stax or Motown, instead of trippy acid rock. After ditching their original vocalist, Ozzie Lane, they eventually settled on Colin Horton Jennings, a multi-faceted performer who would begin to compose originals that would allow the octet to incrementally abandon their Yankee soul leanings. After a few months of woodshedding new tunes, they emerged with a fresh sound and material for their debut, Horizons (1970). The extracted single “Real Cool World” is marked by its open-throttle, galloping tempo and some equally pungent electric organ riffs. As such, it was also given a few cursory spins on BBC’s Radio One; however, the remainder of the disc was criminally overlooked. To modern ears, this is a great shame, as the effort is full of well-crafted and adeptly executed material. Of primary interest is the aggressive rocker “Angelina” and the groovy “Skylight Man.” The latter title features a brief and buoyant trumpet-led introduction by Dick Hanson that recalls the Tijuana Brass more so than, say, Blood, Sweat & Tears or Chicago. The darker “I Fought for Love” stands as one of the edgier sides and is augmented by some stellar organ leads and fills from Mick Deacon. The title track extends over a quarter-hour and allows the combo room to demonstrate their remarkable improvisational skills in the context of an ensemble. In particular, Ron Prudence (drums/percussion) and Norman Watt-Roy (bass/vocals) stand out as a rock-solid rhythm section. Although they stuck around for a follow-up effort, The Going’s Easy, Greatest Show on Earth were never given the due that this release so evidently deserves.
Line-up:
* Norman Watt-Roy / bass, vocals
* Ron Prudence / drums, percussion
* Mike Deacon / Organ, Harpsichord, Keyboards
* Dick Hanson / Percussion, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Horn
* Colin Horton Jennings / Flute, Guitar, Drums, Vocals
* Garth Watt-Roy / Guitar, Vocals
Track List:
01. Sunflower Morning (5:00)
02. Angelina (4:10)
03. Skylight Man (4:33)
04. Day of the Lady (4:12)
05. Real Cool World (4:52)
06. I Fought for Love (4:26)
07. Horizons (14:02)
08. Again and Again (4:02)
Link in comments.
Flairck – Symphony of the Old World (2000) (@256)
15 Jan 2007
(Info from flairck.nl)
It has always been a wish of ours to travel the world with a large orchestra of musicians from every corner of the earth, using all the strange instruments that were created in different places throughout history. An orchestra where talented musicians from all points of the compass touch down for some time, combining their knowledge and love for their own music with each other. “Symphony for the Old World” is a first step in this direction. It is a two-hour theatre-concert in four parts, based on combinations of original and traditional themes from the North, West, East and South of Europe. It is performed by nine musicians: five members of Flairck are joined by a Scandinavian violinist, a Romanian cembalon player, a Flamenco guitarist and a Celtic piper, four soloists from the corners of Europe.
Line-up:
* Erik Visser – guitars
* Ben van den Berg – accordion
* Natalia Rogalski – vocals, glassharmonica
* Jeroen Goossens – flutes and other wind instruments
* Tim Brandsen – double bass and acoustic bass guitar
* Mirella Pirskanen – violin, vocals, Hardanger fele
* Eric Vaarzon Morel – Flamenco guitar
* Marius Preda – cembalon, marimba
* Roelof Rosendal – Uilleann-pipes, percussion, ud
Track List:
CD1
01. The West – 24:25
02. The East – 27:14
CD2
01. The North – 23:45
02. The South – 32:35
03. Finale – 5:17
04. Encore – 5:37
Links in comments.
Flairck – Cuerpos Tocados: Music for the Body (1998) (@256)
14 Jan 2007
(Info from flairck.nl)
01) Inuit Game, Vocal Chords, Vocal Waltz (52093 E. Visser)
These performancces, called “Katajjait” (Inuit, Hudson Bay), are competitive games performed by two women placed face to face and very close to each other. The song stops when one of the women is out of breath or laughs.
02) Amazonians, Dance for Giants and Witches (42293 J. Goossens)
This pre-Columbian fragment gives an impression of South America before its discovery by Columbus.
(Vocals: Arlette Jequier L., Judith Sijp, Natalia Rogalski, Jeroen Goossens, Ben van den Berg, Michel Grens, Erik Visser)
03) Tracheus (32263 J. Goossens)
(Vocals: Jeroen Goossens, Michel Grens)
04) The Woman and the Knife (32153 J. Sijp)
(Vocal: Judith Sijp)
05) Under Water Song, Bathing Pigmy Girls (32023 B. v.d. Berg)
Two girls are bathing in a river while beating their hands on the water to create a musical accompaniment.
(Vocals: Judith Sijp, Natalia Rogalski, Jeroen Goossens, Michel Grens)
06) White Man Coming (42133 B. v.d. Berg)
(Vocals: Judith Sijp, Natalia Rogalski, Jeroen Goossens, Ben van den Berg, Michel Grens, Erik Visser)
07) Song for One Voice and Two Mountains (32043 B. v.d. Berg, E. Visser)
(Performed by: Natalia Rogalski and two delays)
08) Piece for Six Bodies (32083 E. Visser)
(Bodysounds: Natalia Rogalski, Ben van den Berg, Michel Grens, Erik Visser)
09) Whistlers Quartet (22173 B. v.d. Berg)
(Whistling: Michel Grens and an Amazonian friend)
10) Figures (42163 J. Sijp)
(Vocals: Judith Sijp, Natalia Rogalski, Michel Grens and one delay)
11) Song for Two Voices and a Mountain (42233 B. v.d. Berg, N. Rogalski)
(Vocals: Arlette Jequier L., Francesca Ankarola, Judith Sijp, Pedro Espinoza, Michel Grens, Erik Visser)
12) Lament for Lola (52303 E. Visser, N. Rogalski)
Lola Kiepja was the last Selk’nam to live in Tierra del Fuego in the traditional way. Shortly before she died in 1967 her songs were recorded by Anne Chapman.
(Vocals: Natalia Rogalski)
Link in comments.
Rare Earth – Ma (1973) (@256)
14 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
Rare Earth began as an R&B band called the Sunliners in Detroit in 1961. Of the musicians who would be part of the band dubbed Rare Earth, only sax player Gil Bridges and drummer Pete Rivera were present. John Parrish joined on bass in 1962. Rod Richards became a guitarist with the group in 1966. Keyboardist Kenny James came into the fold the same year. After years of doing the club circuit, the group changed their name to Rare Earth and released Dreams/Answers on Verve. The album received little reaction and the group was picked up by Motown Records as the first act on their yet-to-be-named new label. Rare Earth suggested to Motown that the label name their new subsidiary after the band and Rare Earth Records was born.
Ma is Rare Earth’s most satisfying LP, Norman Whitfield wrote and produced all five songs. “Ma”, the title track, had been done by Temptations and Undisputed Truth but nobody rocked the sucker like Rare Earth; they jam for 17:17 on the funkiest mama song ever. “Hum Along and Dance,” first appeared on the Temptations’ Psychedelic Shack; Rare Earth gives the groover and update, a rolling organ sets it off. Lead, Gil Bridges brags about his musical ability on the loud, horn dominated stomper “Big John In My Name.”A haunting arrangement of “Smiling Faces Sometimes” will make you shiver. And you don’t get much more sensual than the soft and lush “Come With Me,” where a female simulates an orgasm that puts Donna Summers’ exhibition on “Love to Love You Baby” to shame; it’s the only new song on the LP, but who’s quibbling, MA is da bomb!
Line-up:
* Gil Bridges / Flute, Saxophone, Vocals
* Peter Hoorelbeke / Drums, Vocals
* Ray Monette / Guitar, Vocals
* Mark Olson / Keyboards, Vocals
* Pete Rivera / Drums, Vocals
* Mike Urso / Bass, Vocals
Track List:
01. Ma – 17:15
02. Big John Is My Name – 4:16
03. Smiling Faces Sometimes – 6:01
04. Hum Along And Dance – 5:14
05. Come With Me
Link in comments.
Wishbone Ash – Wishbone Ash (1970) (@256)
13 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
Some 30+ years before the arrival of “Explosions in the Sky”, Wishbone Ash pioneered the line up of bass, drums and twin lead guitars. They may not have been the first band to do so (that is a debate for the forum) but they were certainly the first to enjoy a run of major success with that structure. (Unlike Explosions in the Sky however, Wishbone Ash were prepared to let each of the lead guitarists ply his trade with solos, and also added vocals to their songs).
This their eponymous debut album displays all the naivety of a band setting out, while simultaneously offering some truly inspired work. It is side two of the album to which we need to look to find anything prog, and in particular to the criminally under- recognised “Phoenix”. This 10˝ minute epic has a classic prog structure, with some wonderful melodies, and supreme guitar work. When placed in context (it was recorded in 1970), it arguably laid the framework for many prog classics which followed. Admittedly it is at times rather clumsy but in many ways that only adds to the attraction of the piece. “Pheonix” was some years ahead of its time, and it still stands up well today as a magnificent opus. The other track occupying side two of the album is the 11˝ minute “Handy”. This is a rather more orthodox extended blues rock number, which in all honesty outstays its welcome considerably.
Side one of the album consists of four more orthodox folk and blues based songs. While these are more than adequate offerings for a first album, on their own they do little to distinguish Wishbone Ash as a band to be watched.
In all, “Wishbone Ash” was a highly credible first album, “Phoenix” in particular offering real hope that the band could come up with some excellent progressive music, with or without keyboards in their line up.
Line-up:
- Martin Turner / vocals, bass
- Andy Powell / guitar, vocals
- Ted Turner / guitar, vocals
- Steve Upton / drums
Track List:
01. Blind Eye (3:42)
02. Lady Whiskey (6:11)
03. Error Of My Ways (6:56)
04. Queen Of Torture (3:21)
05. Handy (11:36)
06. Phoenix (10:27)
Link in comments.
Flairck – De Gouden Eeuw (1996) (@256)
13 Jan 2007
(Info from flairck.nl)
Flairck in the Golden Age: a music theatre production inspired by the eyewitness report of the horrific sinking of one of the United East India Company’s biggest ships. The wealth and poverty of the Golden Age, the foundations upon which this enterprise, the first of the multinationals, was built, are reflected in life on board ship. The cramped conditions on the long voyages heightened the contrast between rich and poor, rulers and ruled. When the crew is washed up on a desert island following a shipwreck, however, suddenly a different order prevails: power to the strong. The balance of power is not straightened out until East India Company ships appear on the horizon. An alternation of light-hearted and serious episodes, drama and farce, culminates in the loss of the ship and its hierarchy.
Flairck, augmented to form a bizarre ‘Orchestra of the Golden Age’, present the story as an operatic spectacle. Unlike many of their previous productions, there is a good deal of singing in this one, for which the Polish-Dutch singer Natalia Rogalski has been engaged. With a mixture of 17th-century and new lyrics, compositions and instruments, we are guaranteed a wealth of musical styles, ranging from sea shanties to compositions by the 17th-century Rhetoricians, from minuets to “wooden-leg’ dances.
‘The Golden Age’ is set in 17th-century Holland, on board a ship and on an island in the Indian Ocean. The gigantic sail let down from the tall mast on stage is also used for videos and slides of stormy weather and art from the Golden Age.
With this production Flairck are making a clear effort to show aspects of Dutch history and culture to audiences at home and abroad.
Line-up:
* Erik Visser – Gitaar & (zang), 6 snarige gitaar (Bert Kwakkel), 12 snarige gitaar (Guild). Erik Visser gebruikt D’Addario snaren
* Ben van den Berg – Accordeon (Hohner), Piano, Orgel, Claviola (Hohner), koorzang
* Michel Grens – Marimba (vijf-octaafs Adams Traveller, ‘King George’ tuning), Vibrafoon (Yamaha), Ander gestemd en ongestemd slagwerk, Koorzang
* Carla Veen – Cello, Viola da Gamba, Koorzang
* Natalia Rogalski – Zang, Glasharmonica, Percussie
* Jeroen Goossens – Fluit (Powell/Muramitsu) Kromhoorn, Piccolo (Yamaha), Kena, Alfluit (Jupiter), Sampogna, Basfluit (Philipp Hammig), Didgeridoo, Traverso, Claviola (Hohner), Pijpersfluit, Tinwistle, Blokfluit, Koorzang
* Antoinette Lohmann – Viool, Altviool, Barokviool, Viola d’amore, Koorzang
Track List:
01. Ouverture – 5:17
02. De Heren van Zes Weken – 5:17
03. Adieu – 3:12
04. De Afvaart – 3:14
05. Windstilte – 4:43
06. De Houtenbenendans – 2:30
07. Taveerne van de zeven zeeën – 2:31
08. De Verkrachting – 2:07
09. Zwart was de nacht – 3:42
10. Terra Incognita – Lied van Toeval – 6:41
11. Regen – 2:49
12. Lied van de Wolven – 3:25
13. De Rechtzaken – 3:39
14. Aankomst in Holland – 3:14
15. Finale – 2:48
Link in comments.
Cockney Rebel – Human Menagerie (1973) (@256)
12 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
Indulging for the first time in Cockney Rebel’s debut album — and one uses the word “indulging” deliberately, for like so much else that’s this delicious, you cannot help but feel faintly sinful when it’s over — is like waking up from a really weird dream, and discovering that reality is weirder still. A handful of Human Menagerie’s songs are slight, even forced, and certainly indicative of the group’s inexperience. But others — the labyrinthine “Sebastian,” the locquacious “Death Trip” in particular — possess confidence, arrogance and a doomed, decadent madness which astounds. Subject to ruthless dissection, Steve Harley’s lyrics were essentially nonsense, a stream of disconnected images whose most gallant achievement is that they usually rhyme. But what could have been perceived as a weakness — or, more generously, an emotionally over-wrought attempt to blend Byron with Burroughs — is actually their strength. Few of the songs are about anything in particular. But with Roy Thomas Baker’s sub-orchestral production driving strings and things to unimaginable heights, and Cockney Rebel’s own unique instrumentation — no lead guitar, but a killer violin — pursuing its own twisted journey, those images gell more solidly than the best constructed story. The Human Menagerie is a dark cabaret — the darkest. Though Harley has furiously decried the band’s historical inclusion in the Glam Rock pack, there’s no separating the nocturnal theatrics of “Muriel the Actor”, “Mirror Freak” or “What Ruthy Said” from at least the fringes of the movement. The difference is, other artists simply sung about absinthe and Sweet Ipomoea. Harley actually knew what they were.
Unquestionably he drew from many of the same literary, artistic and celluloid sources as both David Bowie and Bryan Ferry, the only performers who could reasonably claim to have preempted his vision. But he went far beyond them, through the Berlin of Isherwood to the reality of the Weimar; past the Fritz Lang movies which everyone’s seen, to the unpublished screenplays which no-one has read. And though Harley might not have been the first cultural genius of his age, he was the first who wasn’t content to simply zap the prevailing zeitgeist. He wanted to suck out its soul. And he very nearly succeeded.
Line-up:
* Steve Harley – vocals
* John Paul Crocker – violin, mandolin, guitar
* Paul Avron Jeffreys – bass
* Milton Reame-James – keyboards
* Stuart Elliot – drums
* Andrew Powell – strings, orchestral arrangements
Track List:
01. Hideaway
02. What Ruthy Said
03. Loretta’s Tale
04. Crazy Raver
05. Sebastian
06. Mirror Freak
07. My Only Vice (Is the Fantastic Prices I Charge for Being Eaten Alive)
08. Muriel the Actor
09. Chameleon
10. Death Trip
11. Judy Teen
12. Rock and Roll Parade
Link in comments.
Flairck – Chilean Concerts (1995) (@256)
12 Jan 2007
(Info from flairck.com)
This CD contains the live recordings of the 1995 Santiago concerts. Most of the pieces are live versions of the Kamers compositions, but it also features older material such as: Variations on a Lady and Sofia. In “The Art of Drinking” Pisco-bottles (a Chilean spirit) were used as wind-instruments.
Line-up:
* Erik Visser – guitars, guitarango
* Annet Visser – silver & wooden flutes, melodica, sampogna
* Carla Veen – cello
* Ben van den Berg – accordeon & piano
* Thomas Dirks – double- & electric bass
* Michel Grens – marimba, sampogna, drums, djembe & percussion
with
* Franco Cabeillo – Sampogna and kena on “Sofia”
Track List:
01. Concerto Rosso 3:49
02. Rhapsody 2:00
03. Sofia 6:03
04. The Velvet Room 8:35
05. The Garden 5:15
06. The Chapel 3:57
07. The Working Rooms 9:06
08. The City 2:42
09. The Park – Intro 2:39
10. The Park – Cello Solo 2:42
11. The Park – Guitar Solo 3:08
12. Los Momentos 3:53
13. The Art of Drinking 5:43
14. For Antoinette 4:06
15. Variations On A Lady 7:40
Links in comments.
Rainbow – Rising (1976) (@256)
11 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
The brainchild of former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Rainbow quickly developed into one of the ’70s most successful heavy metal bands behind charismatic front man Ronnie James Dio. Together, the duo would produce a string of acclaimed albums which are still considered classics of the genre.
On their second release, Rainbow not only avoid the sophomore jinx; they hit a home run. After replacing the entire band (except Ronnie James Dio) immediately following the recording of the first album, Ritchie Blackmore and the Rising lineup (Blackmore; Dio; Tony Carey, keys; Jimmy Bain, Bass; and the late, great Cozy Powell, drums) had plenty of time on the road touring the first album to get the chops and material together for their second. In particular, “Stargazer” really came together on the 1975 tour and featured stunning keyboard work from Carey. The material is uniformly strong, with “Starstruck” and “A Light in the Black” standing out in particular. Ronnie Dio turns in a great vocal on the stunningly direct (under three minutes!) “Do You Close Your Eyes.” All six songs on the album are up there with anything the band has done, before or since. The playing has a very tight, colorful feel to it, which was lacking a bit on the first record. This album can legitimately be mentioned in the same breath as classic Deep Purple.
Line-up:
* Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Jimmy Bain – bass
* Tony Carey – keyboards
* Cozy Powell – drums
Track List:
01. Tarot Woman (5:58)
02. Run With the Wolf (3:48)
03. Starstruck (4:06)
04. Do You Close Your Eyes (2:58)
05. Stargazer (8:26)
06. A Light in the Black (8:12)
Link in comments.
Flairck – Kamers (1994) (@256)
11 Jan 2007
(Info flairck.nl)
In 1994 some new young musicians joined Flairck. Cello replaced violin and the addition of accordeon, tuned percussion, flutes and double bass opened up new possibilities for this band of symphomaniacs. For the CD and theater production Chambers the idea of a strange chamber orchestra using a great amount of wind, string and percussion instruments as well as voices was tackled to create new compositions of the symphonic kind, set in a construction of rooms that all of us visit or live in during our life-span. From the room we leave without entering till the room we enter without leaving.
Line-up:
* Erik Visser – 6, 8 & 12 string guitars, vocals
* Annet Visser – silver and bamboo-flutes, melodica, panpipes, percussion, vocals
* Cora den Haring – cello, vocals
* Ben van den Berg – accordeons, piano, harpsichord, typewriter, vocals
* Thomas Dirks – double bass, acoustic and electric bass guitars, alto saxophone, vocals
* Michel Grens – marimba, vibraphone, drums, timpani, percussion, vocals
with
* Ton Scherpenzeel – synthesizers
* Bob Schimscheimer – drums
* The boys-choir of the cathedral St. Bavo, Haarlem, conducted by Fons Ziekman
Track List:
01. De Slaapkamer – 3:28
02. De Kinderkamer – 3:55
03. Brandenburg Concerto III – 2:45
04. De Torenkamer – 4:39
05. De Fluwelen Kamer – 7:26
06. Het Tuinhuis – 4:16
07. De Kapel – 2:29
08. Ik kan niet dansen – 4:29
09. De Werkkamers – 6:20
10. De Torenflat van Babel – 7:10
11. De Stad – 6:10
12. Het Park dl. 1 – 4:47
13. Het Park dl. 2 – 3:28
Link in comments.
Flairck – De Optocht (1992) (@256)
10 Jan 2007
(Info from flairck.nl)
The work of the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516?), the Dutch streetliterature from the Middle Ages, the strange music of the fiddlers of this time and also the history of Carnival were sources of inspiration for this CD. The CD contains music which literaly passes the listener by like a parade (from left to right).
Line-up:
* Lorre Trytten – Viool, Spinet, Kokyo, Percussie & Zang
* Annet Visser – Fluiten, Schalmei, Melodica, Accordeon, Harp, Percussie & Zang
* Peter Weekers – Fluiten, Kromhoorn, Doedelzak, Percussie & Zang
* Erik Visser – Gitaren, Koto, Mandoline, Banjo, Percussie & Zang
* Stan Stolk – Contrabas, Akoestische Basgitaar, Gitaar, Percussie & Zang
Track List:
01. De Intocht 1:03
02. Missa Batava 7:14
03. De Blinde Dansen No. 1 0:56
04. De Blinde Dansen No. 2 2:38
05. De Tocht 2:30
06. De Kunst van het Drinken 2:38
07. Pase El Agoa 2:38
08. Kermis in de Hel 2:19
09. De Regen 1:47
10. De Aarzeling 3:38
11. Het Tegendeel 2:33
12. De Tuinen van de Hemel 4:05
13. De Tijdgeest 3:01
14. De Blinde Dansen No. 3 2:25
15. De Kraaienmars 2:58
16. De Blauwe Schuit 4:27
17. De Aftocht 1:25
Link in comments.
Joan Baez – Come from the Shadows (1972) (@192)
10 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
The most accomplished interpretive folksinger of the 1960s, Joan Baez has influenced nearly every aspect of popular music in a career still going strong. Baez is possessed of a once-in-a-lifetime soprano, which, since the late ’50s, she has put in the service of folk and pop music as well as a variety of political causes.
After recording for the folk label Vanguard for more than a decade, Baez moved to A&M. On this label debut, she maintained her interest in country music, recording in Nashville with some of the city’s session aces. She also continued to dedicate herself to radical politics, from her set opener “Prison Trilogy,” which pledged, “We’re gonna raze the prisons to the ground,” to the closer, John Lennon’s “Imagine.” In between were her call on Bob Dylan to return to protest music (”To Bobby”) and her sister Mimi Farina’s touching tribute to Janis Joplin, “In the Quiet Morning.”
Track List:
01. Prison Trilogy
02. Rainbow Road
03. Love Song To A Stranger
04. Myths
05. In The Quiet Morning
06. All The Weary Mothers Of The Earth (People’s Union #1)
07. To Bobby
08. Song Of Bangladesh
09. A Stranger In My Place
10. Tumbleweed
11. The Partisan
12. Imagine
Link in comments.
Jade Warrior – Released (1972) (@256)
09 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
Sudden rhythm changes, bizarre percussion and fearless use of space and distance – before it’s time, and totally out of synch with the rest of Jade Warrior productions. Seminal album for much avant-garde development, including Brian Eno. Must have. Water Curtain Cave and Barazinbar respond particularly well to the application of internal space-enhancements! Five copies later, this is still (with Tarkus and Lark’s Tongues in Aspic) the definitive output of the era.
Line-up:
- Tony Duhig / guitar
- Jon Field / flute, congas, percussion
- Glyn Havard / vocals, bass
- Dave Conners / alto & tenor saxes, flute
- Allan Price / drums
Track List:
01. Three-Horned Dragon King
02. Eyes On You
03. Bride Of Summer
04. Water Curtain Cave
05. Minnamoto’s Dream (Fade Out End Version)
06. We Have Reason To Believe
07. Barazinbar
08. Yellow Eyes
09. Minnamoto’s Dream (Sudden End Version)
Link in comments.
Flairck – Alive (1990) (@320)
09 Jan 2007
Special thanks to CrimsonKing for providing this one. It was a missing piece in my Flairck collection. Quality scan covers also included.
(Info from flairck.nl)
This double CD contains recordings of Flairck concerts in 1989 and 1990. From a diversity of concerts in Holland, Germany and Japan, best recordings were selected. It’s a selection of compositions which members of Flairck wrote since the foundation in 1978, with an accent on the most recent work.
Line-up:
* Sylvia Houtzager / violin, sopranino-violin, cello-violin, Salvi concert harp, Hohner accordeon, amadinda, anklung, lyra, wooden shoes
* Peter Weekers / silverflute, bassflute, piccolo, panpipes, bass-panpipes, sampogna (South American panpipes), Uilleann pipes, bambooflute, tin whistle, amadinda, marimba, congas, steeldrum, pebbles, wooden shoes, suitcase-accordeon, milkbottles
* Erik Visser / double-neck guitar, resonance guitar, 6 s. guitar, tanburu, 12 s. guitar, 5 s. banjo, sitar, timpani, wooden shoes
* Stan Stolk / double bass, acoustic bass guitar, gong, snare, wooden shoes
Track List:
CD1:
01. De Houten Bruiloft / The Wooden Wedding 5:27
02. De Smid / The Blacksmith 8:43
03. Tango 5:42
04. De Tol / The Toll 5:52
05. Thin Air 2:31
06. Syldavishe Wals / Syldavian Waltz 5:27
07. Amsterdamse Grachten / The Canals of Amsterdam 2:27
08. De Klopjacht / The Hunt 5:15
09. Andante Poco A Poco Presto Ma Non Troppo 5:26
10. Nieuwe Nederlandse Dansmuziek / New Dutch Dance Music 4:26
11. De Emigrant / The Emigrant 9:57
CD2:
01. De Eerste Dag Na Je Vertrek / The Day You Left 25:47
02. Oost West Express / East-West Express 5:35
03. Aiofe 7:40
04. Sofia’s Voorspel / Sofia 4:35
05. Circus 8:23
06. Variaties Op Een Dame / Variations on a Lady 11:15
Links in comments.
Beck, Bogert and Appice – Live in Japan (1973) (@256)
08 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic, progarchives)
Although the all-star power trio of guitarist Jeff Beck, bassist Tim Bogert, and drummer Carmine Appice discussed a potential collaboration as early as 1970, the project went on indefinite hiatus after Beck suffered a fractured skull in an automobile wreck. With the guitarist on the sidelines for well over a year, Bogert and Appice — who previously teamed in Vanilla Fudge — opted instead to form Cactus with singer Rusty Day and guitarist Jim McCarty, issuing a series of boogie rock LPs for Atlantic before dissolving. In the meantime, following his recovery Beck founded a new incarnation of his Jeff Beck Group, releasing a pair of albums before disbanding the project in 1972; with Bogert and Appice again available, the threesome immediately set to work on recording, issuing Beck, Bogert and Appice to solid sales in 1973. A much sought after live album was subsequently issued in Japan only.
This album was in par excellent with live albums by other classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin “The Song Remains The Same”, Deep Purple “Made In Japan”, Grand Funk “Live” and Humble Pie “Live at Fillmore”. They were all so rockin’!
Beck explores his range of technical capabilities in sliding his guitar. It’s marvelous. It’s not only Jeff Beck who rocked the audience during the the show in Japan. Tim Bogert also performed his tight and dynamic bass lines excellently while Carmine Appice not only providing beats for the rest musicians but he also played dynamically to create great grooves of the songs performed. Of course, the most legendary track is Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”. But other tracks also excellent. “Jeff’s Boogie” and “Going Down” are also great favorite of all time.
Line-up:
- Jeff Beck / guitar, vocals
- Tim Bogert /bass, vocals
- Carmine Appice / drums, vocals
Track List:
01. Superstition (5:17)
02. Lose Myself Without You (10:49)
03. Jeff’s Boogie (3:33)
04. Going Down (3:33)
05. Boogie (4:57)
06. Morning Dew (14:11)
07. Sweet Sweet Surrender (4:43)
08. Livin’ Alone (6:11)
09. I’m So Proud (5:42)
10. Lady (6:16)
11. Black Cat Moan (9:13)
12. Why Should I Care (7:20)
13. Plynth/Shotgun (Medley) (5:57)
Links in comments.
Flairck – Emigrant (1989) (@256)
08 Jan 2007
(Info from flairck.nl)
In the year of 1988 Flairck existed for ten years. This tenth album is called The Emigrant. It contains eleven pieces, which are part of the diary of music the band worked on through the years.
Line-up:
* Sylvia Houtzager – viool, altviool, harp, accordeon, amadinda
* Peter Weekers – dwarsfluit, basfluit, piccolo, panfluiten, doedelzak, steelwhistle, amadinda
* Erik Visser – 6 & 12 s. gitaren, resonantie gitaar, bouzouki, banjo, charangi, hammond orgel, spinet, anklung
* Stan Stolk – contrabas
* Roland Stolk – marimba, klokkenspel, xylofoon, logdrums, toms, grote trom, klein slagwerk
* Sylvia Houtzager – viool
* Rob Zwueste – viool
* Michael Smith – altviool
* Wout van Wilgenburg – cello
Track List:
01. Sofia (Bonus 7 inch remix) 3:18
02. The Wooden Wedding 3:43
03. Andante Poco A Poco Presto Ma Non Troppo 6:00
04. Syldavian Waltz 4:05
05. New Dutch Dance Music 3:37
06. The Milkman 2:39
07. The Hunt 3:41
08. The Flemish Hangover 6:12
09. The Emigrant 3:55
10. The Toll 2:23
11. The Decennium March 3:04
12. Sofia (Bonus 12 inch remix) 5:47
Link in comments.
Moody Blues – In Search of the Lost Chord (1968) (@320)
07 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
The first album by the band as a rock group, as opposed to the virtually unrelated pop outfit of the 60’s (“Go now”), and their subsequent (excellent) one off orchestral project, “Days of Future passed”.
Inevitably much of the music now sounds somewhat dated. For example, the poppy “Ride my see-saw”, displays all the innocence of the flower power era, but in prog terms when seen in isolation is simplistic. There are however strong indications of high quality music which was to come.
“The actor” is a more structured piece with two distinct time signatures, which allows Justin Hayward to display his admirable vocal talents, backed by those now famous perfect harmonies.
Ray Thomas’ usually contributes one or two compositions to each album, on which he takes lead vocals. Had it not been for the fact that Justin Hayward has such a wonderful and distinctive voice, we would perhaps have enjoyed the privilege of hearing Thomas’ captivating vocals on a greater proposition of the band’s output. Here, Thomas’ contribution “Legend of a mind” is his tribute to 60’s guru Timothy Leary. This trippy, flute driven piece is actually quite progressive, but once again now sounds rather dated.
In all, the hippy, flower power influences are strong here, but that does not detract from quality of the music, which remains thoroughly enjoyable.
Line-up:
- Graeme Edge / drums
- Justin Hayward / guitars, vocals
- John Lodge / bass, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Michael Pinder / keyboards, vocals, mellotron
- Ray Thomas / flute, vocals
Track List:
01. Departure (0:44)
02. Ride my see-saw (3:38)
03. Dr. Livingstone, I presume? (2:58)
04. House of four doors (4:12)
05. Legend of a mind (6:36)
06. House of four doors, pt.2 (1:47)
07. Voices in the sky (3:25)
08. The best way to travel (3:14)
09. Visions of paradise (4:15)
10. The actor (4:39)
11. The word (0:48)
12. Om (5:44)
Link in comments.
Flairck – Sleight of Hand (1986) (@256)
07 Jan 2007
(Info from flairck.nl)
In 1986 the idea arose to use the musicians and instruments of Flairck in a number of illusions: a guitar falling apart, floating flutes and disappearing persons, the appearance of a violinist in a balloon. These acts were put onto stage during concerts. The album Sleight of Hand is the musical impression of this period. It was recorded in London and produced by Mike Batt. The album was made with the aid of a Fairlight computer/synthesizer. Four of the nine pieces are sung by English singer Maggie Reilly, but are also performed in instrumental arrangements.
Line-up:
* Sylvia Houtzager – violin, harp
* Peter Weekers – flutes, panpipes
* Erik Visser – guitars, bouzouki
* Stan Stolk – double bass
* Robert Vink – cembalom, percussion
Track List:
01. At the Blacksmith’s Hand (part 1) (trad, E. Visser) 4:46
02. Sleight of Hand (E. Visser, P.Weekers) 6:07
03. Behind the Glass Curtain (P.Weekers) 5:00
04. Trick of the Night (P. Weekers/M. Batt, A. Hill) 4:01
05. Walk Upon Dreams (trad, E. Visser/P. Sinfield) 4:39
06. Seven Card Tango (E. Visser) 4:32
07. Thin Air (P. Weekers) 3:30
08. The Lady Shuffles (E. Visser) 1:06
09. At the Blacksmith’s Hand (part 2) (trad, E. Visser) 3:52
Link in comments.
Audience – House on the Hill (1971) (@192)
06 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
Audience hit their high stide on 1971’s masterpiece, “The house on the hill” featuring the distinctive vocals of Howard Werth and his electric classical guitar work. Audience were definitely not a prototypical progressive rock band…more prog-folk that explores a multitude of connecting genres including jazz, baroque, fusion and even Renaissance-era. Musically, “Audience” combined classical guitar with tenor sax, clarinet, flute, bass, vibes and percussion. This album defies catergorization and ranges from classical rock to Van Der Graaf sax-like dark passages to the art pop influences of 10cc…to the Incredible String Band, CCR, Badfinger and on and on…. Void of heavy mellotron, electric guitar and long epic tracks, yet this album still hits a great artistic high and resonates with a progressive sensitivities. A great album.
Line-up:
- Howard Werth / guitar, guitar (electric), vocals
- Tony Connor / percussion, drums, vocals (background), vibraphone
- Gus Dudgeon / percussion
- Keith Gemmell / clarinet, flute, saxophone
- Trevor Williams / bass, guitar (bass), keyboards, vocals
Track List:
01. Jackdaw (7:28)
02. You’re Not Smiling (5:12)
03. I Had a Dream (4:17)
04. Raviole (3:38)
05. Nancy (4:14)
06. Eye to Eye (2:30)
07. I Put a Spell on You (4:08)
08. The House on the Hill (7:27)
09. Indian Summer (3:16)
10. It Brings A Tear (On original LP)
Link in comments.
Flairck – Bal Masque (1984) (@256)
06 Jan 2007
(Info from flairck.nl)
Originally Bal Masqué was written as an instrumental opera for Flairck and balletdancers. The first performances took place during a Dutch-Belgian tour in the spring of 1984. The libretto of this piece is based on the idea of a masqued ball with a number of important guests, who are staying in a place which is shut off from the outside world because of approaching danger. Apart from an overture and a reprise the music consists of various dances or acts in which one or more of the guests come to the foreground. When, after the Overture, all the guests have arrived, the hostess steps forward in a piece called The Countess. Presto da l’Estate (the third part of the Summer of the Four Seasons by A. Vivaldi) is part of the music played by the musicians at the ball. Inventions (part 1 the Ivory Tower, part 2 Eureka) is the dance of a General and The Rich (a song written by G. Moustaki) is about all the guests. The Debate is the story of a politician and Nocturne is a description of the end of a party. The piece ends with a Reprise of the opening theme. The LP/CD version ends with a guitar version of The Canals of Amsterdam. In 1988-89 the Balletgroup Introdance undertook a tour of Holland with new choreography of Bal Masqué.
Line-up:
* Sylvia Houtzager – viool, altviool, harp, koorzang
* Cornee van der Kleij – dwarsfluit, piccolo, altsax, sopraansax, accordeon, koor- & solozang
* Erik Visser – 6 & 12 s. gitaren, resonantiegitaar, bouzouki, banjo, koorzang
* Ted de Jong – tabla’s, marimba, klein slagwerk, pauken, tabla-taal, koorzang
* Dirk van Gorp – contrabas, cello, orgel, harmonium, koorzang
Track List:
01. Ouverture 2:49
02. De Gravin 3:25
03. Presto de l’estate 2:44
04. Inventies (de ivoren toren) 6:41
05. De Derde Wals 5:44
06. Tango & Les Riches 9:07
07. Het Debat 2:46
08. Nocturne 3:45
09. Reprise 2:40
10. De Amsterdamse Grachten 2:25
Link in comments.
Colosseum II – Electric Savage (1977) (@256)
05 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
I’m afraid I absolutely love everything about this record; Don Airey on searing keys, John Mole thundering on his Fender jazz bass, Gary Moore giving his best performance on record, and Jon Hiseman reclaiming his jazz-rock god status as he leads it all with measured fury. Mostly instrumental and filled with tight, red-hot numbers, this has to be among the best live-in-studio albums in fusion history. But it was much more– it was also heavy prog at a time when most music was either heavy or progressive, with little serious blending of the two. Colosseum II brought the aggression of metallic rock together with the precision of symphonic jazz fusion in a way no one else could touch, not even Mahavishnu, and the result is one of the most electrifying sessions I’ve ever heard. Absolute dynamite.
Line-up:
- Don Airey / keyboards, synthesizers
- Jon Hiseman / drums, tubular bells, Latin percussion, gongs
- John Mole / bass
- Gary Moore / vocals, guitars
Track List:
01. Put it this way (4:54)
02. All skin and bone (3:49)
03. Rivers (5:48)
04. The scorch (6:02)
05. Lament (4:38)
06. Desperado (5:58)
07. Am I (4:15)
08. Intergalactic strut (6:00)
Link in comments.
Flairck – Moustaki & Flairck (1982) (@256)
05 Jan 2007
(Info from flairck.nl)
On this album eight French songs, sung by George Moustaki, are interwoven with instrumental parts. For this reason these songs have an unususal construction. With the cooperation of Martha Contreras (vocals and percussion), the Amsterdam street-organ “De Arabier” and accordionist Joey Rossi.
Line-up:
* Georges Moustaki – Vocals and accordeon
* Martha Contreras – Vocals and percussion
* Annet Visser – Flute, accordeon and vocals
* Sylvia Houtzager – Violin, harp, flute and vocals
* Ted de Jong – Tablas, marimba, vibraphone, vocals
* Erik Visser – Guitars, flutes, vocals
* Hans Visser – Bass, gitars, flutes, vocals
Track List:
01. Chansons 3:35
02. La route 5:26
03. Ma nouvelle aventure 5:03
04. Blessure 7:06
05. Les musiciens 5:32
06. L’amour en passant 7:48
07. Pecheur 5:01
08. Matin 4:39
Link in comments.
Blues Traveler – Four (1994) (@256)
04 Jan 2007
I returned from a two day road trip with a refreshed/cleaned amplifier and two new speakers, thanks to Marko Emmi. After looking at a few albums, I found myself listening to this album with my new speakers.
(Review from amazon.co.uk)
Already established as a reputable act due to years of drop-dead touring, Four is the album that has broken Blues Traveler through to widespread popularity, becoming their first best-seller. Singer John Popper’s frenetic harp coupled with guitarist Chan Kinchla’s chicken-scratch rhythm playing make for a potent one-two punch that goes far in distinguishing Blues Traveler from the hordes of similar “Grateful Dead Baby Bands” that have cropped up in recent years. And while theband still retains that musical formula, Four explores other levels of their organic boogie.
Scaling back the over-extended jams of their previous records, Blues Traveler has returned as a much leaner unit. Opening with the airy “Run-Around”, Four dabbles with pretty ballads (”Look Around”) as well as more upbeat and sunny fare (”Hook”). Guest Warren Haynes’ guitar playing gives “The Mountain Wins Again” a heavy Allman Brothers flavour, and Paul Shaffer’s funky organ fills on “Stand” tango with Popper’s scat-like vocal delivery.
The road is still Blues Traveler’s true calling–it is, after all, where they became the dynamic musical force they are today. But for a studio album made by an acknowledged liveband, Four makes for one helluva rest stop.
Line-up:
* John Popper – Vocals, harmonica, 12-string guitar on “Look Around”
* Brendan Hill – Percussion, drums
* Chan Kinchla – Electric and acoustic guitar, mandolin, backing vocals on “Brother John”
* Bobby Sheehan – Bass, backing vocals on “Brother John”
with
* Paul Shaffer – Keyboards on “Stand”
* Warren Haynes – Steel guitar on “The Mountains Win Again”
* Bashiri Johnson – Percussion
* Chuck Leavell – Piano, Keyboards
* Jono Manson – Vocals on “Brother John”
* Adam Brody – Backup Singer
Track List:
01. Run-Around – 4:40
02. Stand – 5:19
03. Look Around – 5:42
04. Fallible – 4:47
05. The Mountains Win Again – 5:06
06. Freedom – 4:01
07. Crash Burn – 2:59
08. Price to Pay – 5:17
09. Hook – 4:49
10. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – 1:55
11. Just Wait – 5:34
12. Brother John – 6:38
Link in comments.
Flairck – Flairck & Orkest (1982) (@256)
04 Jan 2007
(Info from flairck.nl)
Different to Andersen: a composition in 4 parts for Flairck, singer (Nelleke Burg) and orchestra (Gewestelijk Orkest voor Zuid-Holland). The piece is executed as part of a series of educative projects. (”de Cirkelconcerten” / “The Circleconcerts”). The story is based on a fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen: The girl and the bird. The orchestration is by W. Witteman and E. Visser. Some Phony Symphony: This is an orchestral version of the 3 part guitar concerto which features on the LP The Lady’s Back. It is orchestrated by W. Witteman. The album was recorded during a concert in Music Centre “Vredenburg” in Utrecht. Conductor was D. Porcelijn. Recorded March 13th, 1982.
Line-up:
* Annet Visser – dwarsfluit, altfuit, picollo , accordeon, spinet, hobo
* Sylvia Houtzager – viool, 5sn-altviool, harp
* Ted de Jong – tabla’s, xylofoon, klokken spel, gong, bekkens
* Erik Visser – 12 sn-gitaar
* Hans Visser – klassieke gitaar, akoestische basg
Track List:
01. Anders dan Andersen (Different to Andersen) 26:08
02. Gevecht met de Engel (Some Phony Symphony) 26:00
Links in comments.
Iron Butterfly – Heavy (1968) (@256)
03 Jan 2007
(Review from wikipedia)
Iron Butterfly is a U.S. hard rock and psychedelic band, best known for their 1968 hit “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”. They are sometimes called “the first heavy metal band” due to this song and others like it. Their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been reincarnated several times with various members.
The band was formed in 1966 in San Diego, Heavy was Iron Butterfly’s debut album, released in early 1968. Most of the songs are fairly simple and based largely on the opening riffs, interspersed with some pop songs and blues covers.
The first two tracks, “Possession” and “Unconscious Power”, were both written by keyboardist Doug Ingle and released as the respective sides of a single.
“Iron Butterfly Theme” is a riff-driven instrumental, and one of the longest tracks on the album (it is over four minutes long). It contains come musical themes also present in the band’s mega-hit “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”.
The album’s artwork depicts the band members playing their respective instruments beside a larger-than-life monument of a human ear, with then-singer Darryl DeLoach sitting atop the monument playing a tambourine.
Three of the group’s members (Jerry Penrod, Darryl DeLoach and Danny Weis) left the band shortly after the album was recorded, leaving Ingle and drummer Ron Bushy to find replacements.
Trivia : Led Zeppelin opened for Iron Butterfly. A year to the day later Iron Butterfly opened for Led Zeppelin.
Line-up:
* Doug Ingle – keyboards, vocals
* Ron Bushy – drums
* Jerry Penrod – bass guitar, vocals
* Darryl DeLoach – vocals, guitar, tambourine, percussion
* Danny Weis – guitar
Track List:
01. Possession – 2:45
02. Unconscious Power – 2:32
03. Get Out of My Life, Woman – 3:58
04. Gentle as It May Seem – 2:28
05. You Can’t Win – 2:41
06. So-Lo – 4:05
07. Look for the Sun – 2:14
08. Fields of Sun – 3:12
09. Stamped Ideas – 2:08
10. Iron Butterfly Theme – 4:34
Link in comments.
Flairck – Circus (1981) (@256)
03 Jan 2007
(Review from flairck.nl)
The fourth record has tempted the band, after travelling around in the business for some years, to write a suite about the circus, because they were slowly changing into an (instrumental) circus themselves. The Crossing tells about the journey from Europe to America. The Cooke Circus was the first to cross the ocean with 40 artists, 42 horses and 14 ponies. During this voyage a girl was born, called Oceana. She later became a famous ropedancer. The Circus starts with a view inside an empty tent, after which the actual show starts. It is opened by an instrumental circus orchestra with a central theme that is used later on to join 4 important acts, in which each time a solo instrument performs. This first act is a solo mortale on the twelve-string guitar. The jugglar plays a central part in the second act, in which the bass guitar is assisted by tabla’s. In the break, provided by the street organ “De Arabier”, you can turn the record to side B. In the third act the flute steps forward in a dance on the rope. The violin plays the clown in the fourth act and finally the circus orchestra plays the central theme again in the parade. Dedicated to Thomas Visser. In Struggle for Life the cavalry enters the ring. Sergeant Major Astley started the modern circus. After quitting the army he gave performances with daring horse-acts. Around 1770 he extended this with clowns and rope-dancers, accompanied by a circus orchestra.
Line-up:
* Erik Visser – 6- en 12-snarige gitaar, banjo, ebow, speeldoos, sirene
* Annet Visser – piccolo, dwarsfluit, altfluit, basfluit, accordeon, hobo, doedelzak
* Hans Visser – acoustische basgitaar, pedaalbas, klassiek gitaar
* Sylvia Houtzager – viool, 5-snarige altviool, cello, harp, zingende zaag
* Ted de Jong – tabla’s, xylofoon, marimba, sitar, klokkenspel, vibrafoon, snare-drum, woodblock, gong, pauken, bekkens. toeters
Track List:
01. De Overtocht (Oceana) 8:44
02. Circus Act 1 & 2 – Voor de Pauze 15:51
03. CircusAct 3 & 4 – Na de Pauze 14:10
04. Es Vijf (Struggle for Life) 10:35
Link in comments.
Morphine – Cure for Pain (1993) (@192)
02 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
Morphine are a rarity — bluesy, bare-bones rock & roll without any guitars. Instead of guitar riffs, the trio relies on sliding two-string bass lines, raucous saxophones, and wry, ironically detached vocals. During the mid-’90s, Morphine gained a sizable cult following in America, primarily due to good word of mouth, heavy college airplay, and positive reviews.
With their cult following growing, Morphine expanded their audience even further with their exceptional 1993 sophomore effort, Cure for Pain. Whereas their debut, Good, was intriguing yet not entirely consistent, Cure for Pain more than delivered. The songwriting was stronger and more succinct this time around, while new drummer Billy Conway made his recording debut with the trio (replacing Jerome Deupree). Like the debut, most of the material shifts between depressed and upbeat, with a few cacophonic rockers thrown in between. Such selections as “Buena,” “I’m Free Now,” “All Wrong,” “Candy,” “Thursday,” “In Spite of Me” (one of the few tracks to contain six-string guitar), “Let’s Take a Trip Together,” “Sheila,” and the title track are all certifiable Morphine classics. And again, Mark Sandman’s two-string slide bass and Dana Colley’s sax work help create impressive atmospherics throughout the album. Cure for Pain was unquestionably one of the best and most cutting-edge rock releases of the ’90s.
Line-up:
* Mark Sandman – 2-string slide bass; tritar; guitar; organ; lead vocals.
* Dana Colley – baritone saxophone; tenor saxophone; backing vocals.
* Jermone Deupree – drums;
* Billy Conway – drums on Tks 9 & 11; cocktail drum overdub on Tk 8.
* Jimmy Ryan – Mandolin on Tk 7
* Ken Winokur – Percussion on Tk 13
Track List:
01. Dawna
02. Buena
03. I’m Free Now
04. All Wrong
05. Candy
06. A Head With Wings
07. In Spite Of Me
08. Thursday
09. Cure For Pain
10. Mary Won’t You Call My Name?
11. Let’s Take A Trip Together
12. Sheila
13. Miles Davis’ Funeral
Link in comments.
Flairck – Live in Amsterdam (1980) (@256)
02 Jan 2007
(Review from flairck.nl)
This double album contains recordings that were made on the evening of the 31st of March in the Nieuwe dela Mar theatre in Amsterdam. One of the four sides is covered by The Day You Left, a composition that had been part of the repertoire for quite some time but was never released on record, because it is based on improvosations, and gets off much better in front of an audience than in a studio. Most other pieces come from the album Variations on a Lady and The Lady’s Back, but these live recordings are very different from the studio versions. Four solos are added in the opening number, East-west Express, a harp is used in Aoife and April 3rd starts with a sitar improvisation. On Variations on a Lady the slow first part is left out and the flute improvisation is extended. The encore Sofia’s Foreplay leads to a love scene between two birds.
Line-up:
* Peter Weekers – Powell dwarsfluit, Yamaha piccolo, de Kupper altfluit, panfluiten, Indiase bamboofluit, Uilleann pipes, Lindholm spinet
* Sylvia Houtzager – viool van Nicolas Vuilaume, Hardanger viool, Salvi harp, panfluit
* Erik Visser – Bozo, Guild en Triumph 12 snarige gitaren, Fylde 6 snarige gitaar, Kashua Vina sitar, Ebow panfluit
* Hans Visser – Klassicke gitaren van Dieter Henze en Manuel Contreras, Guild akoestische basgitaar, panfluit
Track List:
01. Oost-West Express 8:20
02. De Stoomwals 6:35
03. Aoife 6:45
04. Reklame 0:14
05. De Eerste Dag Na Je Vertrek 17:50
06. April 3rd / De Vlinder 14:30
07. Voorspel In Sofia 9:00
08. Variates Op En Dame 19:35
Link in comments.
Camel – Mirage (1974) (@256)
01 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
I remember the day I bought this album,a weird guy with a red beard recommanded me the record. I was suspiscious. You know, just like when your mom askes you not taking bonbons from a stranger. I kept the bill, in case…and threw it away 15 minutes later. Impossible (and I’m choosing my words here) to regret buying that record.
2 numbers are getting my constant attention: The song about the Lord of the Rings (track 3) and Lady Fantasy. In the last one, I love the way they end up the song the way they open it. It’s basic, but surprinsingly effective (killer guitar riff…makes your eyes watery).
Latimer also proves himself to be a skilled flautist. This guy is a very very very underrated musician. And you know why? In part (theory) because he has no charisma. But the good thing is that the bands with no charisma (Trace, Focus, Anglagard) is that they get down faster to buisness. And we like that , right? Anyway, thanks tho the red beard guy.
Are you a newcomer in progressive rock? You want to chip in but don’t know where to start? This is a wise and long lasting choice. This record is oldy THE soft spot in my heart. It’s heartwarming, it’s catchy, jazzy and don’t waste one minute on filling. It fell in the cracks of obscurity, but getting it is making a long time commitment.
Catchy tunes, great guitar lines, effective and tasty keyboards and a song about the Lord of The Rings, this record will blow your freakin’ mind off. It did for mine, and I’m still perfectly mornal…er narmol…normal (there you go).
Line-up:
- Peter Bardens / keyboards
- Andy Latimer / vocals, guitars, flute
- Doug Ferguson / bass, vocals
- Andrew Ward / drums
Track List:
01. Freefall (5:47)
02. Supertwister (3:20)
03. Nimrodel (9:12) – The procession – The White Rider
04. Earthrise (6:42)
05. Lady Fantasy: Encounter/Smiles For You/Lady Fantasy (12:46)
Link in comments.
