Archive for February, 2008

(Review from longhairmusic.de, progarchives)

On the 16.07.1970 Coupla Prog entered the radio studio to record their own opera “Edmundo Lopez”.

The session would be a challenge as the piece was not just a bunch of songs mixed into each other but a continuous 60-minute opus with 11 different parts. As this was just a basic radio-recording studio with no facilities for overdubbing or editing it was to prove very difficult. It was decided to record the pop-opera in two parts: one approximately 25 minutes long other approximately 36.

The difficulties arising from the session are not at all noticeable and Coupla Prog produced an almost perfect piece of underground and progressive rock history played with passion and very high quality.

This tragedy of music is a gripping story about Edmundo, a young south-american who gets between the lines of a civil war. Grown up and teached to non-violence he’s pressed into the army, escapes, defends himself and others with a gun and finally is sentenced to death for that.

The songs are blending into each other, basically Heavy Bluesrock similar to Vanilla Fudge for example, full of suspense, theatrical and dramatic in parts because of the story and also provided with typical freakish krautrock elements of that time. The band’s strength is without a doubt the amazing Hammond drenched keyboard work.

Guitarist and singer Rolf Peters, who writes the lyrics and is the musical brain behind the story of Edmundo Lopez, died in 1971 at the age of 21 from an overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol. This was not a surprise to those who knew him. A newspaper article from the time compared him to Dylan Thomas if he’d lived longer and had more time to develop his creative talent.

Line-up:
- Rolf Peters / guitar, vocals
- Reiner Niketta / bass, organ, piano, vocals
- Wolfgang Schindhelm / organ, piano, vocals
- Hubert Donauer / drums

Track List:
01. Praludium (2:01)
02. Introduction (5:29)
03. Alone In The Mountains (7:48)
04. Kill’ Em (4:35)
05. Pamphlet To Mr. M. Thompson (5:06)
06. Night (4:25)
07. Christobal G. (7:04)
08. On The Way To A Village (6:03)
09. Kaki Gatal (7:25)
10. Listen Rain (6:02)
11. Extroduction (5:06)

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Coupla Prog

Gentle Giant – Interview (1976) (@256)

28 Feb 2008

(Review from progresiveears.com, vintageprog.com, progarchives.com)

“Interview” is a controversial album. Some regards it as Gentle Giant’s last great studio-album, while others claim it was the band’s first in their downward spiral toward the late 70′s. For this reason is sometimes hidden in the shadow of its predecessor. Only half of one song off of Interview ended up on their monumental live album “Playing the Fool”. Yet “Interview” is a near-flawless masterpiece- easily more experimental than its predecessor.

As with other Gentle Giant albums, “Interview” is a mixture of two faces of the Giant. About half the tracks show the Giant is still the master at rocking out in its own insanely intricate way, and yet the same intense rhythmic prowess can be heard during the more “gentle” passages. The album’s final track, “I Lost My Head” is the most obvious example of this dichotomy. The first half is a subtle yet syncopated and textural example of Minnear’s unique keyboard approach but turns into a full-volume showcase of Derek Shulman’s distinctive vocal phrasing. “Another Show” is 20 minutes worth of intensity packed into just 3 and a half minutes. Behind the full bands kinetic onslaught, a mournful, descending pitch bend on the organ adds an unexpected emotional contrast. This piece precedes the most atmospheric track on the album, “Empty City”, providing even more welcome opposition.

One of the most amazing aspects of “Interview” is that despite being late in Gentle Giant’s career the creative energy is really high. The powerful title track reportedly contains a piano sound altered with newspaper being placed between the hammers and the strings. Design is obscure from start to finish, featuring a sort of repeated vocal chant behind the main melody (and countermelody, of course), some of the most dissonant vocal passages in their entire output, and enough varied instruments to suggest that they might have raided the “miscellaneous percussion” box from the local middle school.

Interspersed between the seven tracks are various short excerpts of a fabricated interview with Gentle Giant. At one point the interviewer asks what kind of music the band does at which point ALL of the members respond simultaneously with different answers. This introspective theme is contained in the lyrics of a number of the songs, continuing where “Free Hand” left off. So while the words are still intriguing, one shouldn’t expect to hear any more of minstrels, runaways and sea voyages on this album.

Although still loaded with crazy rhythms and contrapuntal shifts, there is a subtle shift in direction towards more straightforward songwriting but not anymore than say “Three Friends”, this album is still very worthy of them.

Line-up:
- Gary Green / guitars
- Kerry Minnear / keyboards
- Derek Shulman / vocals, saxes
- Ray Shulman / bass, violin
- John Weathers / drums

Track List:
01. Interview (6:54)
02. Give It Back (5:08)
03. Design (4:59)
04. Another Show (3:29)
05. Empty City (4:24)
06. Timing (4:50)
07. I Lost My Head (6:58)

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Gentle Giant

Coupla Prog – Sprite (1970-71) (@224)

28 Feb 2008

10 comments

(Review from progarchives.com, longhairmusic.de)

Coupla Prog from Baden-Baden/Germany is known for a melange of kraut and heavy bluesrock, full of suspense, theatrical in parts, with a derivative sense of professionality. The new band name results from a shortened version of “A Couple Of Progs”.

Though they were active between 1969-1975; the band’s complete material is live played, pure, without reworking and overdubbing, the result of sessions recorded at studio U1 of Radio Südwestfunk between 1970 and 1972. Heavy blues rock, blues, electronic music, free style, occassional classical music references and echoes of post Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, Vanilla Fudge but also Procol Harum distinguished the sound of the band.

The music is extremely varied, never commercially oriented, but always homogenous and exciting music, which occasionally diverge from the well travelled tracks of kraut and prog rock. Talented craftsmen, the band captures the zeitgeist of the era.

The group played not only in relevant clubs and youth centres but also to large audiences at open-air concerts in Karlsruhe and Heidelberg.

Although the group never managed to secure a record company deal they did, thanks to SWF, leave behind an extensive and musically valuable legacy for underground and progressive rock fans. Highly addictive.

“Sprite” contains 7 tracks that were recorded on 26.02.1970 and 16.04.1971.

Line-up:
- Rolf Peters / guitar, vocals
- Reiner Niketta / bass, piano
- Wolfgang Schindhelm / organ, piano, trumpet, vocals
- Hubert Donauer / drums

Track List:
01. I Wanna Be Free (5:10)
02. Goodbye, Guns, Be By Gones (11:45)
03. The Queen Is Selling Out (9:30)
04. Die Wut Über Den Verlorenen Groschen – The Anger Of The Lost Penny (4:35)
05. Ode To The Vanilla Fudge (7:00)
06. Auf Dass Er Sich Im Grabe Umdrehe – He Would Turn In His Grave (12:00)
07. Dies Irae – De Mortuis (5:00)

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Coupla Prog

Aksak Maboul – Un Peu De L'Ame Des Bandits (1980) (@256)

28 Feb 2008

(Review from progweed.net, gnosis2000.net)

Aksak Maboul were sort of an “odd man out” among the original RIO bands, caught somewhere in between the more humorous faction (Etron Fou Leloublan) and the darker, more serious groups (Univers Zero).

“Un Peu de L’ame des Bandits”, their second album, contains tracks which are all over the map musically.

The opener, “A Modern Lesson”, has that unique This Heat rocked-out feel with a loose, improvisatory, female vocal style similar to Gutura (an obscure French avant progressive act). This is followed by the two-part “Palmiers en Pots”, a relatively traditional homage to 1920′s Polish living room dance parties. “Geistage Nacht” is the requisite Zeuhl number with great throbbing bass by Fred Frith and excellent winds work from Michel Berckmans and leader Marc Hollander. Also noticeable here is a pioneering version of what would later be known as “Drums N’Bass” music. A great track! “I Viaggi Formano la Gioventu” is a trip to the Middle East with dumbeg and cello playing traditional scales. Similar in some ways to Agitation Free circa Malesch without the psychedelic guitar. So naturally a distorted noisy punk number (“Inoculating Rabies”) would follow, although all through the mayhem are some nice composed bassoon and bass clarinet work. It’s all about contrasts with Aksak Maboul!

Finally “Cinema” closes with a fantastic early Univers Zero-like chamber rock workout. However Aksak Maboul experiment more with free noise than Univers Zero. ever did. Also worth noting is the inclusion of some fabulous tortured Heldonish guitar from Frith.

The CD release contains a bonus track by post-Aksak Maboul band “Honeymoon Killers” which recalls the opening track.

Line-up:
- Marc Hollander / organ, piano, bass clarinet, Alto saxophone, xylophone, percussions
- Vincent Kenis / bass
- Michel Berckmans / basson, oboe
- Chris Cutler / drums, percussions, radio
- Fred Frith / bass, guitar, prepared guitar
- Catherine Jauniaux / voice
- Denis Van Hecke / cello, electric cello, voice
- Frank Wuyts / piano, synthesizer
- Yvon Vromman / guitars, vocals
- Veronique Vincent / guitars
- Gerard Fenerberg / vocals, guitar
- Jeanf Jones Jacob III / drums

Track List:
01. A Modern Lesson (5:00)
02. Palmiers En Pots: Trio / Tango (3:24)
03. Geistige Nacht (5:20)
04. I Viaggi Formano La Gioventu (5:13)
05. Inoculating Rabies (1:59)
06. Cinema (23:03)
07. Bosses De Crosses (Bonus) (7:02)

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Aksak Maboul, Chris Cutler, Fred Frith, Michel Berckmans

Gentle Giant – Free Hand (1975) (@256)

27 Feb 2008

(Review from vintageprog.com)

“Free Hand” is probably Gentle Giant’s most medieval-influenced record since “Octopus”.

The opener “Just the Same” has, just like “Proclamation” from the previous album, a weird and bouncing melody, but now further enhanced by a stronger jazz-influence. The instrumental passage ranges from beautiful and atmospheric to more rocking and jazzy, with lots of quirky sounds from Minnear while Green provides some aggressive guitar playing.

“On Reflection” is one of Gentle Giant’s most distinctive songs, and that says quite a lot. It starts as a full a cappella just like “Knots”, but with a stronger and more accessible melodic presence. This leads into a wonderful medieval-styled ballad in the middle, before the opening theme appears again, but now played as a full-band progressive rock instrumental. The title-track is complex and sophisticated hard rock dominated by Minnear’s many strange keyboard-sounds and riffs.

The opening sounds of “Time to Kill” are reportedly taken from “Pong”, the world’s first arcade game ever. The song itself is Gentle Giant from their catchiest and most down to earth side, but still with all the ingredients that made them one of the most complex and interesting progressive rock bands.

“His Last Voyage” is probably the most fantastic atmosphere the band ever managed to make. Here Minnear’s voice really came to its full and right use. Only “Aspirations” from the previous album shows his vocals from an equally good side. “Talybont” is a cheerful and uplifting little instrumental number where the medieval-feel will make you think of dancing minstrels, castles and jesters. This feel is partly maintained by the upbeat and energetic closer “Mobile”, but has perhaps a more conventional (if that term really can be used about Gentle Giant) folk-influence.

“Free Hand” album is unique and unpretentious progressive rock that couldn’t have been delivered by any other band than Gentle Giant.

Line-up:
- Derek Shulman / vocals, recorders, sax
- Ray Shulman / bass, violin, recorders, vocals
- Gary Green, guitars, vocals
- Kerry Minear / keyboards, vocals
- John Weathers / percussion

Track List:
01. Just The Same (5:33)
02. On Reflection (5:40)
03. Free Hand (6:15)
04. Time To Kill (5:03)
05. His Last Voyage (6:26)
06. Talybont (2:40)
07. Mobile (5:01)
08. Just the Same (Bonus Live) (4:50)

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Gentle Giant

Aksak Maboul – Onze Danses Pour Combattre La Migraine (1977) (@192)

27 Feb 2008

Thanks to Ulfgar for the contribution.

(Review from progarchives, wikipedia)

Aksak Maboul began in 1977 as a duo of Marc Hollander and Vincent Kenis. The same year, the band recorded their first album, Onze Danses Pour Combattre la Migraine (meaning “Eleven Dances for Fighting Migraine”).

Mark Hollander and Vincent Kenis — overdubbing massively and assisted by a small army of session players–produce a wonderful “dog’s breakfast” of music, covering a vast spectrum on this album; everything from various regions’ ethnic music to “fake” jazz to proto-techno is covered. Each is twisted, spun, flipped, and combined with other types of music to create a classic of the avant-prog genre. Most of the pieces are well written, but there are a few pieces that drag. However, these tracks are short and quite excusable on a 17-track album.

Ultimately, this is a quite well-written effort which should be enjoyable to fans of the genre. The quality, variety and uniqueness of this album is high caliber. If you aren’t a rock-in-opposition (RIO) fan, however, this would probably not be the best introduction.

Line-up:
* Marc Hollander – keyboards, percussion, drum machine, xylophone, mandolin, alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet
* Vincent Kenis – accordion, guitar, slide guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, percussion
* Chris Joris – keyboards, soprano saxophone
with
* Paolo Radoni – guitars (4)
* Jeannot Gillis – violin (4)
* Catherine Jauniaux – voice (4, 16)
* Lucy Grauman – voice (6)
* Ilona Chale – voice (6)
* Juliette – voice (10)
* Lee Schloss – soprano saxophone (17)
* Frank Wuyts / keyboards (16)
* Denis Van Hecke / electric cello (16)
* Michel Berckmans / bassoon (16)
* Geoff Leigh / saxophone (16)

Track List:
01. Mercredi Matin (0:23)
02. Saure Gurke (Aus 1 Urwald Gelockt) (2:23)
03. Animaux Velpeau (0:37)
04. Milano Per Caso (3:17)
05. Fausto Coppi Arrive! (1:08)
06. Chanter Est Sain (3:08)
07. Son Of L’Idiot (3:19)
08. DBB (Double Bind Baby) (3:26)
09. Cuic Steppe (4:18)
10. Tous Les Trucs Qu’il y a la Dehors (1:56)
11. Ciobane (0:24)
12. The Mooche (1:35)
13. Vapona, Not Glue (6:37)
14. Glympz (4:51)
15. Three Epileptic Folk Dances (2:19)
16. Mastoul Alakefak (5:06)
17. Mastoul, One Year Later (Live) (3:32)
18. Comme On A Dit (1:51)

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Aksak Maboul, Michel Berckmans

Grateful Dead – Blues for Allah (1975) (@256)

27 Feb 2008

(Review from allmusic, amazon, arts.ucsc.edu)

Grateful Dead went into a state of latent activity in the fall of 1974 that lasted until the spring of the following year when the band reconvened to record “Blues for Allah”.

When the album hit shelves in September of 1975, the Dead were still not back on the road — although they had played a few gigs throughout San Francisco. Obviously, the time off had done the band worlds of good, as Blues for Allah — more than any past or future studio album — captures the Dead at their most natural and inspired.

The opening combo of “Help on the Way,” “Slipknot!” and “Franklin’s Tower” is a multifaceted suite, owing as much to Miles Davis circa the E.S.P. album as to anything the Grateful Dead had been associated with. “Slipknot!” contains chord changes, progressions, and time signatures which become musical riddles for the band to solve — which they do in the form of “Franklin’s Tower.”

Another highly evolved piece is the rarely performed “King Solomon’s Marbles”, an instrumental that spotlights, among other things, Keith Godchaux’s tastefully unrestrained Fender Rhodes finger work displaying more than just a tinge of Herbie Hancock inspiration.

These more aggressive works contrast the delicate musical and lyrical haiku on “Crazy Fingers” containing some of lyricist Robert Hunter’s finest and most beautifully arranged verbal images for the band.

Weir’s guitar solo in “Sage & Spirit” is based on one of his warm-up fingering exercises. Without a doubt, this is one of Weir’s finest moments. The light acoustic melody is tinged with an equally beautiful arrangement.

Blues for Allah’s 12 minute middle eastern flavored title suite is a leap for even some hardcore heads. It’s said to be a requiem for King Faisal of Saudi Arabia killed in 1975 (incidentally, a Dead head). Another rumour is that the song refers to the Yom Kippur War (1973) between Israel and the Arabs.

“Blues for Allah” shows the Dead at their jazziest: light-footed, fresh and intricate.

Line-up:
* Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals
* Bob Weir – guitar, vocals
* Keith Godchaux – keyboards, vocals
* Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals
* Phil Lesh – bass
* Bill Kreutzmann – drums
* Mickey Hart – drums
with
* Steven Schuster – flute, reeds

Track List:
01. Help on the Way/Slipknot! – 7:21
02. Franklin’s Tower – 4:33
03. King Solomon’s Marbles – 5:16
04. The Music Never Stopped – 4:36
05. Crazy Fingers – 6:42
06. Sage & Spirit – 3:06
07. Blues for Allah – 12:44
08. Groove #1 (Bonus Instrumental) – 5:45
09. Groove #2 (Bonus Instrumental) – 7:35
10. Distorto (Bonus Instrumental) – 8:14
11. A to E Flat Jam (Bonus Instrumental) – 4:39
12. Proto 18 Proper (Bonus Instrumental) – 4:18
13. Hollywood Cantata (Bonus Outtake) – 4:14

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Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia

Gentle Giant – Power and the Glory (1974) (@256)

26 Feb 2008

(Review from vintageprog.com)

Gentle Giant continued their winning streak with this concept album about power that corrupts people and society. Many believed it was inspired by Watergate, but the band themselves has always denied that.

“Proclamation” opens the record in a stunning way with its bouncing, quirky and very catchy melody. As always there’s also room for complex instrumental parts, and the grandiose chorus has been sped up and down to make it sound out of tune in order to mock its fascist-like feel. This was indeed a classic opening to the album.

The album continues with the same very high standard. “So Sincere” is, despite the extremely complicated nature of the arrangements and melody, one of Gentle Giant’s catchiest songs. If they ever had a hit, this should have been the one. It became one of the best-known songs from the album, and also a favourite in concerts.

“Aspirations” is one of Minnear’s most beautiful vocal performances where his soft voice floats gracefully upon the laidback and pleasant arrangement. A ballad with no signs of tasteless and sugary sappiness. “Playing the Game” is a lot more challenging musically, and both the rhythms and main melody sound to have a slight Eastern influence.

The second side opens with “Cogs in Cogs” that represents Gentle Giant’s most aggressive and hardest rocking side, but with complex and unusual riffs that few or no heavy rock bands would have the imagination or even ability to write. Personally I think “No God’s a Man” have a feel similar to “Playing the Game”, despite being a completely different song. It opens with the main theme being played instrumentally, before going into the verse that has lots of the band’s complex harmonies, and the chorus itself don’t appear until the very end of the song. “The Face” is a fast and folk-influenced song with some outstanding violin and an aggressive guitar solo from Green. The closing number “Valedictory” is basically a shorter and slower version of “Proclamation” with a considerably heavier and different arrangement.

“The Power and the Glory” album is another triumphant masterpiece recorded at a time when Gentle Giant obviously just couldn’t make any mistakes.

Line-up:
- Derek Shulman / vocals, saxes
- Ray Shulman / bass, violin, vocals
- Gary Green / guitars
- Kerry Minnear / keyboards, cello, vocals
- John Weathers / drums, percussion, vocals

Track List:
01. Proclamation (6:47)
02. So Sincere (3:51)
03. Aspirations (4:40)
04. Playing the Game (6:46)
05. Cogs in Cogs (3:07)
06. No God’s a Man (4:27)
07. The Face (4:12)
08. Valedictory (3:21)
09. The Power And The Glory (Bonus) (2:52)

Link in comments.

Gentle Giant

Crosby, Stills and Nash – Crosby, Stills and Nash (1969) (@256)

26 Feb 2008

(Review from wikipedia)

The genesis of the band lies in two 1960s rock bands, The Byrds and The Hollies, and the demise of a third, Buffalo Springfield. Friction existed between David Crosby and his bandmates in the Byrds, and Crosby was dismissed from the Byrds in the fall of 1967. By early 1968, Buffalo Springfield had also disintegrated over personal issues, and after aiding in putting together the band’s final album, Stephen Stills found himself unemployed by the summer. He and Crosby began meeting informally and jamming. When the Hollies ventured to California in 1968, Nash resumed his acquaintance with Crosby. Creatively frustrated with the Hollies, Nash decided to quit and throw his lot in with Crosby and Stills.

The trio presented a new wrinkle in building upon rock’s roots, utilizing folk, blues, and even jazz without specifically sounding like mere duplication. Not only blending voices, the three meshed their differing strengths, Crosby for social commentary and atmospheric mood pieces, Stills for his diverse musical skills and for folding folk and country elements subtly into complex rock structures, and Nash his knack for radio-friendly pop melody, to create an amalgam of broad appeal.

Released in 1969, their first album was a very strong debut for the band, instantly lifting them to stardom, a sparkling set immortalizing the group’s amazingly close. Strong sales, combined with the group’s emphasis on personal confession in its writing, paved the way for the success of the singer-songwriter movement of the early seventies. Their utilization of personal events in their material without resorting to subterfuge, their talents in vocal harmony, their cultivation of painstaking studio craft, as well as the Laurel Canyon ethos that surrounded the group and their associates, established an aesthetic for a number of acts that came to define the “California” sound of the ensuing decade.

Line-up:
* David Crosby / rhythm guitars, vocals (except on 11)
* Stephen Stills / guitars, bass guitar, organ, vocals (except on 12 & 14)
* Graham Nash / vocals, acoustic guitar (on “Lady Of The Island” & “Marrakesh Express”).
with
* Dallas Taylor / drums, percussion (except on 11-14)

Track List:
01. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes – 7:25
02. Marrakesh Express – 2:39
03. Guinnevere – 4:40
04. You Don’t Have to Cry – 2:45
05. Pre-Road Downs – 3:01
06. Wooden Ships – 5:29
07. Lady of the Island – 2:39
08. Helplessly Hoping – 2:41
09. Long Time Gone – 4:17
10. 49 Bye-Byes – 5:16

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David Crosby

Kin Ping Meh – 6 (1977) (@192)

26 Feb 2008

(Info from deafsparrow.com)

The remaining band members tried a new beginning. With new band members and a new contract with Bellaphon, they recorded “6″ in 1977 but were unable to continue their success story, mainly because of the less charismatic vocal performances.

In the Summer of 1977, the band finally disbanded.

Line-up:
* Gerhard Mrozeck / guitar
* Kalle Weber / drums, percussion
* Michael Pozz / vocals
* Ron Sheepmaker / keyboards
* Chuck Trevor / bass

Track List:
01. Things Of Age
02. Take Her Under
03. A Lick And A Promise
04. Love Of Mine
05. Hooked
06. Elevator Love
07. Tin Soldier
08. Never More

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Kin Ping Meh

Gentle Giant – In A Glass House (1973) (@256)

25 Feb 2008

(Review from vintageprog.com)

Phil Shulman left Gentle Giant after “Octopus”. Instead of finding a replacement, the band decided to continue just as they were. It seemed to have absolutely no negative effect, as they delivered yet another one of the very best works with the masterful “In a Glass House”.

The opener “The Runaway” starts with the sounds of glass breaking rhythmically and has everything you could expect from a Gentle Giant classic: weird rhythms, quirky riffs, ethereal vocal-harmonies, jazzy passages with xylophone-solos, medieval influences and an overall breathtaking complexity few other bands could master. No wonder why this song became a permanent part of their concert repertoire.

“An Inmate’s Lullaby” is perhaps their most percussive track ever. It’s a very laid-back and atmospheric song with mildly distorted vocals (not unlike King Crimson’s “Moonchild”) and an arrangement that consists of nothing else than a lot of various percussions. The main part of “Way of a Life” is a fast-paced and aggressive tune, but features also complex keyboard themes and a more symphonic and melodic part in the middle in the style of “Think of Me With Kindness”, which also appears again toward the end of the song.

“Experience” starts as a medieval-influenced song with a fairytale-like melody sung by Minnear. The vocals were not surprisingly switched over to Derek Shulman for the heavy and ballsy mid-part. “Reunion” is a short and tender acoustic ballad, and could possibly not have been more different from the ultra-complex title-track that follows. It starts like an upbeat jig followed by medieval-like main melody before returning to the jig again. The pace then changes drastically and the song becomes slightly jazzier, and the rhythms change faster than you probably can take in on first listen. The tune pretty much then stabilizes itself into a rocking and heavy mid-tempo song, but the unexpected chord-changes and complexity continues even here. There’s also a short and bluesy acoustic guitar-solo very unusual for Gentle Giant mixed in with the medieval surroundings and heavy riffs.

“In a Glass House” is just as good as “Octopus” and of course just as essential.

Line-up:
- Derek Shulman / vocals, alto sax, soprano sax, recorder
- Ray Shulman / bass guitar, violin, acoustic guitar, percussion, backing vocals
- Gary Green / 6 & 12 string guitars, mandolin, percussion, alto recorder
- Kerry Minnear / keyboards, tuned percussion, recorder, vocals
- John Weathers / drums, percussion

Track List:
01. The Runaway (7:15)
02. An Inmate’s Lullaby (4:40)
03. Way of Life (7:52)
04. Experience (7:50)
05. A Reunion (2:11)
06. In a Glass House (8:26)
07. The Runaway/Experience (Bonus Live 1976) (10:01)
08. In a Glass House (Bonus Live 1974) (9:49)

Links in comments.

Gentle Giant

Incredible String Band – Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (1968) (@256)

25 Feb 2008

(Review from wikipedia, allmusic)

One of the most engaging groups to emerge from the esoteric ’60s was the Incredible String Band. Basically the duo of Mike Heron and Robin Williamson, its sound was comprised of haunting Celtic folk melodies augmented by a variety of Middle Eastern and Asian instruments.

The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter is the third album by the Incredible String Band, released in March 1968. It is regarded by many critics as a quintessential example of hippie culture, with its promotion of ideas such as communal living, eastern mysticism and pantheism; though this slightly undermines the inherent skill of musicianship found on the album.

The album features a series of vividly dreamlike Robin Williamson songs, such as “The Minotaur’s Song”, a surreal music-hall parody told from the point of view of the mythical beast, and its centrepiece is Mike Heron’s “A Very Cellular Song”, a 13-minute reflection on life, love and amoebas; its complex structure incorporates a Bahamian spiritual (“I Bid You Goodnight”) and an adaptation of a Sikh hymn (“May the pure light within you”). It has a layered production, using multi-track recording techniques and a very wide array of instruments from all corners of the world, including sitar, gimbri, shenai, oud, harpsichord, panpipes and kazoo.

Line-up:
* Robin Williamson – vocals, guitar, gimbri, penny whistle, percussion, pan pipe, piano, oud, mandolin, Jew’s harp, chahanai, water harp, harmonica
* Mike Heron – vocals, sitar, Hammond organ, guitar, hammered dulcimer, harpsichord
* Dolly Collins – flute organ, piano
* David Snell – harp
* Licorice McKechnie – vocals, finger cymbals

Track List:
01. Koeeoaddi There – 4:49
02. The Minotaur’s Song – 3:22
03. Witches Hat – 2:33
04. A Very Cellular Song – 13:09
05. Mercy I Cry City – 2:46
06. Waltz of the New Moon – 5:10
07. The Water Song – 2:50
08. Three Is a Green Crown – 7:46
09. Swift as the Wind – 4:53
10. Nightfall – 2:33

Link in comments.

Incredible String Band

Kin Ping Meh – Concrete (Live 1976) (@224)

25 Feb 2008

(Info from deafsparrow.com)

Schmitt left in 1975, and was replaced by Chris Klober (keyboards, ex-Curly Curve). This line-up recorded the band’s only official live album — Concrete.

After this double album, the band’s recording contract ended, Harrison and Wroe left the band.

Line-up:
- Geff Harrison / vocals
- Alan Joe Wroe / bass
- Uli Gross / electric guitars
- Gerhard Mrozeck / guitar
- Chris Klober / keyboards
- Kalle Weber / drums and percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Light Entertainment (4:15)
02. Come Together (5:35)
03. Too Many People (4:27)
04. Me and I (4:43)
05. I Want to Die A Millionaire (8:01)
06. Night-Time Glider (6:48)
07. East Winds (7:04)
CD2
01. High Time Whiskey Flyer (11:54)
02. Blue Horizon (7:19)
03. Dancing in the Street (3:39)
04. Don’t Force Your Horse (4:43)
05. Good Time Gracie (3:42)
06. Rock Is the Way (6:43)

Links in comments.

Kin Ping Meh, Live

Gentle Giant – Octopus (1972) (@256)

25 Feb 2008

(Review from vintageprog.com)

Mortimore (played the drums only on the “Three Friends” album) left the band already before this album when he was badly injured in a motorcycle accident. John Weathers replaced him who would remain Gentle Giant’s drummer for the rest of their career. His first album with the band became what many considers being one of Gentle Giant’s absolute masterpieces: “Octopus”.

If the band ever had a signature tune, then it is the opener “The Advent of Panurge”. The vocal harmonies and melodies display their influence from medieval music even stronger than before. And when the more rocking and upbeat parts of the song kick in, it’s more powerful and dynamic than ever, even if it actually follows along the same melody as the quiet parts. This song is Gentle Giant in a nutshell, and the lyrics continued the story of “Pantagruel’s Nativity” from “Acquiring the Taste”.

“Raconteur Troubadour” is based in strange rhythms and a strong presence of violin, but also with lots of trumpet and organ during the more symphonic passages. “A Cry for Everyone” is one of the band’s most powerful and hardest rocking songs, but far from a straightforward rocker. Minnear delivers some deliciously melodic and grandiose parts that quickly shift into faster and more aggressive tempos with creative and unusual riffs. “Knots” is a showcase for the band’s very impressive multipart vocal harmonies and became a permanent staple of their concerts. The record is produced so well that the xylophone solo in the middle of the track actually sounds like it’s coming from somewhere “outside” your speakers.

The instrumental “The Boys in the Band” is one of the tightest and most complex compositions you’ll ever hear, featuring riffs, melodies and rhythms so demanding that not many other bands in the world could have played this properly. The most overlooked song on the album is “Dog’s Life”. It’s basically a rather acoustic tune with plenty of violin and a quite whimsical part in the middle with lots of sounds that undoubtedly must have influenced Gryphon quite a bit. “Think of Me With Kindness” is a grandiose ballad sung by Minnear. It’s perhaps surprisingly simple and sweet for coming from Gentle Giant, but no one can complain about the beautiful melody and arrangement. But the closer “River” is musically more interesting and demanding, with its slow, tough and heavy pace and melody.

“Octopus” is one of those albums that every progressive rock fan has to have in his collection. The fact that one of the best progressive rock albums of all time consists of eight songs with an average length of four minutes each, simply shows how good it is.

Line-up:
- Gary Green / guitars, percussion
- Kerry Minnear / all keyboards, vibraphone, percussion, cello, Moog, lead and backing vocals
- Derek Shulman / lead vocals, alto saxophone
- Philip Shulman / saxophones, trumpet, mellophone, lead and backing vocals
- Ray Shulman / bass violin, guitar, percussion, vocals
- John Weathers / drums, percussion, xylophone
with
- Martin Rushant / laugh coinspin, variable speed oscillator
- Mike Viccars / moog operator

Track List:
01. The Advent Of Panurge (4:45)
02. Raconteur Troubadour (4:03)
03. A Cry For Everyone (4:06)
04. Knots (4:11)
05. The Boys In The Band (4:34)
06. Dog’s Life (3:13)
07. Think Of Me With Kindness (3:31)
08. River (5:52)

Link in comments.

Gentle Giant

Aerosmith – Aerosmith (1973) (@256)

24 Feb 2008

(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)

Bassist Tom Hamilton, guitarist Joe Perry were playing together in a local band called “Jam Band”. When they moved to Boston in 1970, they tried to form a new band. They met up with drummer and backup singer Steven Tyler. Tyler adamantly refused to play drums in this band, insisting he would only be in the band if he could be the frontman and lead vocalist. The band agreed and thus Aerosmith was born.

In retrospect, it’s a bit shocking how fully formed the signature Aerosmith sound was on their self-titled 1973 debut — which may not be the same thing as best-executed, because this album still sounds like a first album, complete with the typical stumbles and haziness that comes with a debut.

Despite all this, Aerosmith clearly showcases all the attributes of the band that would become the defining American hard rock band of the ’70s. Here, the Stones influences are readily apparent, from the Jagger-esque phrasing of Steven Tyler to the group’s high-octane boogie, but the group displays little of the Stones’ deep love of blues here. Instead, Aerosmith is bloozy — their riffs don’t swing, they slide. They borrow liberally from Led Zeppelin’s hybridization of Chess and Sun riffs without ever sounding much like Zep. They are never as British as Zeppelin — they lack the delicate folky preciousness, they lack the obsession with blues authenticity, they lack the larger-than-life persona of so many Brit bands. They are truly an American band, sounding as though they were the best bar band in your local town, cranking out nasty hard-edged rock, best heard on “Mama Kin”, the best rocker here, one that’s so greasy it nearly slips through their fingers. But the early masterpiece is, of course, “Dream On”, the first full-fledged power ballad. There was nothing quite like it in 1973, and it remains the blueprint for all power ballads since. The rest of the record contains the seeds of Aerosmith’s sleazoid blues-rock.

Line-up:
* Tom Hamilton – bass
* Joey Kramer – drums
* Joe Perry – guitar, percussion, backing vocals
* Steven Tyler – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion, keyboard, wood flute
* Brad Whitford – guitar
with
* David Woodford – saxophone (5, 6)

Track List:
01. Make It – 3:45
02. Somebody – 3:45
03. Dream On – 4:28
04. One Way Street – 7:12
05. Mama Kin – 4:25
06. Write Me – 4:11
07. Movin’ Out – 5:03
08. Walkin’ the Dog – 3:12

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Kin Ping Meh – Virtues & Sins (1974) (@256)

24 Feb 2008

Thanks to Ulfgar for the contribution.

(Review from progarchives.com)

‘Virtues And Sins’ is a further slide towards a more standard Anglo-American influenced rock. Even though this album is less phenomenal than the previous Kin Ping Meh 3, “Virtues & Sins” still represents good hard rock music of the time.

The melody line at “Good Time Gracie” is a good one to enjoy. “You’re a Liar” represents a simple composition with good riffs and arrangement. The following “Night-Time Glider” has powerful structure and excellent nuance. The album title track combines good melody and music harmony.

As a natural follow-up to their previous album, if you liked “3″, you’ll probably like this one too.

Line-up:
- Geff Harrison / vocals
- Alan Joe Wroe / bass
- Uli Gross / electric guitars
- Gerhard Mrozeck / guitar
- Chris Klober / keyboards
- Kalle Weber / drums & percussion

Track List:
01. Good Time Gracie (3:27)
02. You’re a Liar (7:19)
03. Night-Time Glider (5:39)
04. When Summer’s Gone (5:37)
05. Whisky Flyer (5:44)
06. Rich Kid Blues (6:52)
07. Living Your Lies (5:37)
08. Virtue and Sin (4:25)

Link in comments.

Kin Ping Meh

Gentle Giant – Three Friends (1972) (@256)

24 Feb 2008

(Review from progreviews.com, vintageprog.com)

Three Friends is one of Gentle Giant’s simpler albums, and also one of their best. It possesses all of the standard Gentle Giant qualities: odd time signatures, vocal and instrumental counterpoint, great melodies and a variety of instruments and moods. However, Three Friends lacks the hyperactivity of their other albums. The constant switching (within a single song) in tempos, moods, and time signatures are less abundant here. “Three Friends” proves that there is some truth to the “less is more” theory. By simplifying the music, the other Gentle Giant qualities stand out even stronger.

The album also contains three Gentle Giant classics : “Schooldays”, “Peel the Paint”, and “Three Friends”. “Schooldays” is a haunting, eerie, and quirky snapshot of childhood and its emotions. Kerry Minnear’s keyboards create the mood on this song, through beautiful solemn melodies, and odd, gently morphing rhythms. The canon-like vocals are also excellent. “Peel the Paint” is a heavy progressive rock song complete with saxes, aggressive singing and a faster tempo. The cool thing about this song is that it rocks and it is very progressive. The main guitar/sax riff has a one, two, three, four beat with two being drawn out; the effect is like taking the standard 4/4 rock riff and knocking it off-kilter. “Three Friends” is wonderful, with the glowing pipe organ sound and heavy, jagged bass working together to create a beautiful, ethereal (and almost religious) mood. The choral singing puts this piece over the top.

The band themselves usually overlooks and underrates “Three Friends”, but the record has a solid place in the string of classic albums which Gentle Giant made in the first half of the 70′s.

Line-up:
- Derek Shulman / vocals
- Phil Shulman / sax, vocals
- Ray Shulman / bass, violin, 12 string guitar, vocals
- Gary Green / guitars, percussion
- Kerry Minnear / keyboards, vibraphone, percussion, Moog, vocals
- Malcolm Mortimore / drums
with
- Calvin Shulman / boy’s voice (2)

Track List:
01. Prologue (6:13)
02. Schooldays (7:37)
03. Working All Day (5:12)
04. Peel The Paint (7:31)
05. Mister Class And Quality? (3:23)
06. Three Friends (5:26)

Link in comments.

Gentle Giant

Status Quo – Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon (1970) (@256)

23 Feb 2008

(Review from allmusic, statusquo.co.uk, adriandenning.co.uk)

It’s very easy to judge bands on the embarassments they later become. Is it that hard to believe that once upon a time Status Quo were actually quite good, before they were “in the army now”? What may surprise many music followers is how heavy Status Quo are here.

From the opening trundle of “Spinning Wheel Blues” and onto the closing, lurching medley of “Is It Really Me”/”Gotta Go Home”, the most underrated album in Status Quo’s entire early catalog eschewed the slightest nod in the direction of the band’s past.

The album consists of ten tracks, more bluesy and rock oriented than anything previously seen on Status Quo albums — the mournful ballad “Everything”, the raucous “Shy Fly”, the blues numbers “Spinning Wheel Blues” and “Lazy Poker Blues”, now classic Steamhammer cover “Junior’s Wailing” and “Is It Really Me/Gotta Go Home” later becoming the first of Quo’s mammoth live pieces.

Line-up:
* Francis Rossi / Guitar, Vocals
* Alan Lancaster / Bass, Guitar, Vocals
* Rick Parfitt / Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
* John Coghlan / Drums

Track List:
01. Spinning Wheel Blues
02. Daughter
03. Everything
04. Shy Fly
05. Spring Summer and Wednesdays
06. Junior’s Wailing
07. Lakky Lady
08. Need Your Love
09. Lazy Poker Blues
10. Is It Really Me / Gotta Go Home

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Kin Ping Meh – 3 (1973) (@320)

23 Feb 2008

(Review from progarchives.com, deafsparrow.com)

When Werner Stephan, Willie Wagner and Torsten Herzog left; it marked the end of Kin Ping Meh’s first phase. Gerhard Mrozeck recommended Geff Harrison (his old friend from 2066 & Then) as a replacement for Werner Stephan. The quintet of Harrison, Mrozeck, Schmitt, Wroe and Weber recorded ‘Kin Ping Meh III’ (1973) with added female choir and wind section.

Most previous fans found their ‘new’ sound far less appealing than their previous one. It was mainly because of singer Geff Harrison’s influence that the band developed a hard rock image. Kin Ping Meh moved from space/cosmic rock to more straightforward hard rock, more British sounding then ever. Kin Ping Meh opened in concerts for hard rock superstars like Deep Purple and Slade and appeared on a couple of television shows.

The opener “Come on In” soon became a hit. This song has a simple yet powerful riffs combined with interesting drumming by Kalle Weber. It has a similarity on his drumming with the music of Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman”. Though the highlight is probably the lengthy “Circus” which has a progressive composition.

Line-up:
- Geff Harrison / vocals
- Alan Joe Wroe / bass
- Uli Gross / electric guitars
- Gerhard Mrozeck / guitar
- Frieder Schmidt / keyboards
- Kalle Weber / drums & percussion

Track List:
01. Come on In (5:20)
02. Random (3:46)
03. Love is the Day (4:55)
04. Rock is the Way (4:43)
05. Circus (14:06)
06. Mrs. Holmes (7:20)

Link in comments.

Kin Ping Meh

Gentle Giant – Gentle Giant (1970) (@256)

23 Feb 2008

(Review from vintageprog.com, gepr)

Gentle Giant were one of the most original British progressives, with an unlikely mix of dissonant 20th-century classical chamber music, mediaeval vocal music, jazz and rock. The Shulman brothers Derek, Phil and Ray in addition to keyboardist Kerry Minnear and guitarist Gary Green made up the core of the band. All of them were highly talented musicians and composers who knew just how to express this through a series of outstanding albums that remain some of the best and most essential progressive rock ever made.

Most people do not like Gentle Giant at first listen. They definately take some getting used to, but once you get used to them they are great.

Their self-titled first album in 1970 shows several great promises.

The opener “Giant” starts with Minnear’s organ before bursting out into a tune that is both heavy and jazzy at the same time. The track was sung by Derek Shulman who usually sang the more rocking and aggressive parts, while the softer voices of Minnear and Phil Shulman often dominated the more quiet passages. The song also features a beautiful instrumental part in the middle that slowly builds up to a grandiose climax before returning to the main part again.

It’s the next song that really stands as the centrepiece of the album. “Funny Ways” would get a permanent place in the bands live repertoire. Musically it’s a very progressive ballad, ranging from soft and wonderful vocal parts with cello and violin, and then to considerably more upbeat instrumental passages that include grandiose trumpet-themes!

The heavy, distorted and sax-drenched prog of “Alucard” was undoubtedly inspired a lot by “21st Century Schizoid Man”-styled King Crimson, but the band avoided completely to sound like a clone, and Minnear’s synths on this track will undoubtedly not remind you of anything else you’ve heard before.

But the whimsical “Isn’t It Quiet and Cold?” is, to be brutally honest, forgettable filler. And the otherwise excellent “Nothing at All” (which would remain Gentle Giant’s longest studio track with its 9 minutes) is weakened by an annoying and pointless drum-solo.

“Why Not” is quite good heavy progressive rock, and the quiet break in the middle was the first sign of the band’s interest in medieval music.

The album closes with the band’s version of the British national anthem, which is actually a bit more rocking than Queen’s version five years later.

As a debut, “Gentle Giant” holds up impressively most of the time.

Line-up:
- Derek Shulman / lead vocals, backing vocals, some bass
- Phil Shulman / sax, trumpet, recorder, lead vocals, backing vocals
- Ray Shulman / most bass, violin, some guitar, percussion, backing vocals
- Gary Green / lead guitar, 12 string guitar
- Kerry Minnear / keyboard, some bass, cello, lead vocals, backing vocals, some tuned percussion
- Martin Smith / drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Giant (6:24)
02. Funny Ways (4:23)
03. Alucard (6:01)
04. Isn’t It Quiet And Cold? (3:53)
05. Nothing At All (9:08)
06. Why Not (5:31)
07. The Queen (1:40)

Link in comments.

Gentle Giant

Wings – Wings Over America (1976) (@256)

22 Feb 2008

7 comments

(Review from amazon)

When Paul McCartney formed Wings back in 1971, it was intended to be a touring unit as much as a recording one. After spending the latter half of his time with the Beatles confined to the studio, McCartney was itching to get back onto the road. By the time September 1975 rolled around, Wings’ tours had been on the modest side. This latest one would last over a year and take the band around the world. The triple-album “Wings Over America” was recorded during this time and despite its heft, the performances within contained no filler and werebristling with energy from start to finish.

Wings’ secret weapon was guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, an underrated musician whose playing lit up the opening medley. Along with material from a mix of Wings albums, McCartney proudly revisited his past bydusting off latter-day Beatles songs which had previously been studio-only manifestations.

Being a beautiful triple live album, Wings Over America has an excellent sound and gives a faithful atmosphere reproduction of what a Wings concert could be.

Line-up:
* Paul McCartney / bass, guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals
* Linda McCartney / keyboards, percussion, piano, vocals
* Denny Laine / guitars, bass, piano, keyboards, percussion, harmonica, vocals
* Jimmy McCulloch / guitars, bass guitar, vocals
* Joe English / drums, percussion, vocals
* Tony Dorsey / trombone, percussion
* Howie Casey / saxophone, percussion
* Steve Howard / trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion
* Thaddeus Richard / saxophone, clarinet, flute, percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Rock Show – Jet / Venus And Mars – 10:19
02. Let Me Roll It – 3:44
03. Spirits Of Ancient Egypt – 4:05
04. Medicine Jar – 4:06
05. Maybe I’m Amazed – 5:20
06. Call Me Back Again – 5:15
07. Lady Madonna – 2:37
08. The Long And Winding Road – 4:28
09. Live And Let Die – 3:34
CD2
01. Picasso’s Last Words (Drink To Me) – 1:54
02. Richard Cory – 3:05
03. Bluebird – 3:43
04. I’ve Just Seen A Face – 2:11
05. Blackbird – 2:27
06. Yesterday – 1:49
07. You Gave Me The Answer – 2:05
08. Magneto And Titanium Man – 3:21
09. Go Now – 3:46
10. My Love – 4:14
11. Listen To What The Man Said – 3:41
CD3
01. Let ‘Em In – 4:09
02. Time To Hide – 4:55
03. Silly Love Songs – 6:04
04. Beware My Love – 4:59
05. Letting Go – 4:33
06. Band On The Run – 5:47
07. Hi Hi Hi – 3:47
08. Soily – 5:44

Links in comments.

Denny Laine, Live

Kin Ping Meh – Fairy Tales & Cryptic Chapters (1970-71) (@192)

22 Feb 2008

(Info from lpcdreissues.com)

The beginnings of the Mannheim based Krautrock-legend Kin Ping Meh: This edition presents 4.5 hours of only unreleased stuff, which should be interesting for Kin Ping Meh fans.

Among the recordings, there are many “new” old songs, cover versions, sessions, great live performances and alternative versions of Kin Ping Meh’s better known repertoire.

Line-up:
* Kalle Weber / drums, percussion
* Joachim Schafer / piano, guitar, vocals
* Frieder Schmitt / organ, piano, electric piano, mellotron 400, vocals
* Willie Wagner / guitars, mouth organ, vocals
* Werner Stephan / lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
* Torsten Herzog / bass, vocals

Track List:
CD1 (Take Five Dreams Until Kissing Time)
01. Fantasy I – 2:23
02. I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know (Take Five Recording) – 4:45
03. Something (Take Five Recording) (Harrison) 2:47
04. You’ve Made Me So Very Happy (Take Five Recording)(Holloway) 3:42
05. Light My Fire (Take Five Recording) (Doors) 3:17
06. Spinning Wheel (Take Five Recording) (D. Clayton-Thomas) 3:17
07. My Future (Alternate) 4:03
08. Too Many People (Alternate) 4:17
09. Haze 4:19
10. In A Better Way 3:39
11. Old Man From Peru 2:49
12. Woman (Live) 4:25
13. Organ Intro (Alternate) 3:09
14. My Dove (Alternate) 4:10
15. Fairy Tales (Alternate) 9:45
16. Fantasy II 2:20
CD2 (Live Lessons At Bier’s Dancing School)
01. I Believe, that I’m a Winner 5:47
02. Help 4:35
03. Forget It, I Got It 5:26
04. Everyday (Live) 4:27
05. Don’t You Know (Live) 6:25
06. I’m a Man (Live) 8:25
07. Progressive Blues Jam 10:59
08. Everything’s My Way 3:09
09. Child in Time 6:04
10. Alexandra (Live) 2:47
11. Salty Dog 4:27
12. Happy Song 5:31
13. Killing Time 6:35
CD3 (Sometime Beside Drugson’s Trip)
01. Good Morning Kin Ping Meh (Radio Presentation) 2:18
02. Everything’s My Way (Live) 7:05
03. Everything’s My Way (Alternate Instrumental) 3:40
04. My Future (Alternate Instrumental) 2:56
05. Too Many People (Alternate Instrumental) 4:23
06. Theme From Fairy Tales (Alternate Instrumental) 1:52
07. Don’t You Know (Alternate Instrumental) 2:01
08. Final Blues (Alternate Instrumental) 1:01
09. The Ballad Of Drugson’s Trip (Live) 7:20
10. Sometime (Live 1971) 5:44
11. Don’t Get Confused (Live Early Fairy Tales) 8:42
12. Help (Live) 4:46
13. Too Many People (Alternate) – 3:41
14. Do It Babe (Early Dove Version) – 3:13
15. Drugson’s Trip (Alternate) – 2:48
CD4 (Final Cuts From Bier Conventions)
01. Stage Announcements – 0:57
02. Everything’s my Way – 4:31
03. Haze – 5:14
04. Witch Craft – 6:17
05. In a Better Time – 4:08
06. Salty Dog – 4:37
07. I’m a Man – 8:34
08. Child in Time – 7:00
09. Stage Announcement by Joachim Schafer – 0:52
10. Everything’s My Way – 4:03
11. Salty Dog – 4:28
12. Alexandra (Rehearsal for a Musical Called Rausch) 2:08

Links in comments.

Kin Ping Meh

Yngwie Malmsteen – Rising Force (1984) (@256)

21 Feb 2008

(Review from guitar9.com, allmusic.com)

Malmsteen was a teenager when he first encountered the music of the 19th century violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini, whom he cites as his biggest classical music influence. Through his emulation of Paganini concerto pieces on guitar, Malmsteen developed a prodigious technical fluency. Malmsteen’s guitar style include a wide, violin-like vibrato inspired by classical violinists, and use of such minor scales as the Harmonic minor, and minor modes such as Phrygian, and Aeolian. Malmsteen also cites Brian May of Queen, Steve Hackett of Genesis, Uli Jon Roth, and Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple as influences.

His first solo album, Rising Force was a revelation upon its release in 1984; Eddie Van Halen had introduced dazzling speed to the realm of rock guitar technique, and the compositions of Randy Rhoads had begun to fuse heavy metal with neo-classical influences, but no one before Yngwie Malmsteen was able to combine those elements with such blinding virtuosity.

Malmsteen’s innovative guitar style made Rising Force a mandatory primer for ’80s metal guitarists, with its classical chord progressions and Malmsteen’s use of harmonic minor scales, a wide vibrato imitative of classical violinists, and impossibly fast picking techniques, including the sweep-picked arpeggio (sort of a cross between strumming a chord and picking each note individually). Malmsteen’s obsessions with Bach, Beethoven, and Paganini are used in the service of a dark, stately, gothic atmosphere and sent guitar students scurrying to learn their works as well as Malmsteen’s own. The true inauguration of the age of the guitar shredder.

“Rising Force” shook the guitar world and raised the standard of technical excellence forever. Almost overnight, guitarists learned it was possible to play a guitar nearly as fast as a classical violinist plays a violin, and players such as Tony MacAlpine, Joey Tafolla, Vinnie Moore and Joe Stump followed in Malmsteen’s footsteps to release neo-classical dirges of their own.

“Rising Force” is definately worth listening for the six instrumental classics alone.

Line-up:
* Yngwie J. Malmsteen / electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar and bass pedals
* Barriemore Barlow / drums
* Jens Johansson / keyboards
* Jeff Scott Soto / vocals

Track List:
01. Black Star – 4:53
02. Far Beyond The Sun – 5:52
03. Now Your Ships Are Burned – 4:11
04. Evil Eye – 5:14
05. Icarus’ Dream Suite Op.4 – 8:33
06. As Above, So Below – 4:39
07. Little Savage – 5:22
08. Farewell – 0:49

Link in comments.

Kin Ping Meh – No 2 (1972) (@256)

21 Feb 2008

(Review from gepr, progarchives.com)

Kin Ping Meh attempted to enrich their sound by adding three more members (an octet, now) and by diversifying guitar styles (three guitarists).

Their second album is much in the liner of their debut hesitating between a hard rock direction and a more middle-of-the-road version of rock. They insist on singing in English and do it relatively well. Musically the group is apt, but none of the musicians are virtuoso and don’t try to show-off either.

The notable track here is the cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together” which extended into an 11 minute jam that’s got a nice underground vibe to it. This was apparently a concert favorite. There are two other long tracks, “Livable Ways” and “Day Dreams” which are both about eight minutes long. “Livable Ways” starts off with spacy organ and dark Mellotron then adds some heavy guitar doses of psychedelia. “Day Dream” is a somewhat dreamy, somewhat Beatleish tune that doesn’t really go anywhere. This is followed by a bluegrass banjo/guitar ditty. There are also a couple of acoustic guitar based tunes, as there on the first album.

Line-up:
- Kalle Weber / drums & percussion
- Torsten Herzog / bass, vocals
- Frieder Schmidt / keyboards, vocals
- Willie Wagner / guitar, vocals
- Werner Stephan / lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
- Uli Gross / electric & fingerstyle guitar
- Gerhard Mrozeck / guitar

Track List:
01. Come Down to the Riverside (3:13)
02. Don’t Force Your Horse (3:46)
03. Come Together (6:00)
04. Together Jam (4:55)
05. Liveable Ways (8:00)
06. Day Dreams (7:56)
07. Very Long Ago (2:54)
08. I Wanna Be Lazy (2:58)
09. Sometime (Bonus Single) (4:33)
10. Sunday Morning Eve (3:58)

Link in comments.

Kin Ping Meh

Wild Turkey – You and Me in the Jungle (2006) (@320)

21 Feb 2008

(Review from amazon)

Fast forward 8 years and the band started to investigate another reunion. Consisted solely of ex-Wild Turkey members, the band recorded a new studio album and hit the road once again.

In addition to classic rock songs, the album includes the beautiful Catalan Lullaby and the traditional celtic Northern Lights. Nothing fancy here but a solid proof these guys can still rock after all those years.

Line-up:
* Glen Cornick / bass
* Gary Pickford-Hopkins /vocals
* Mick Dyche / guitar
* Graham Williams / guitar
* Steve Gurl / keyboards
* Clive Bunker / drums
* John Weathers / percussion

Track List:
01. Propaganda
02. Friendly Fire
03. Split It Down The Middle
04. Snakewalk
05. Catalan Lullaby
06. Faultline
07. You And Me In The Jungle – Wild Turkey & Jungle Dreams
08. Northern Lights
09. Play Another Fast Song
10. Soldier Boy
11. U Got It

Link in comments.

Glenn Cornick, Wild Turkey

Kin Ping Meh – Kin Ping Meh (1972) (@256)

20 Feb 2008

(Review from deafsparrow.com, alexgitlin.com, progarchives.com)

Originally a floating group of amateur and pop musicians from Mannheim, the band consisting of Werner Stephan, Joachim Schafer, Fritz Schmitt, Torsten Herzog and Kalle Weber formed in 1970. The name Kin Ping Meh (meaning “branch of a plum blossom in a golden vase”) is taken from a Chinese 16th century novel depicting the life and customs of that time. They played live extensively during their early years, performing a rough hard rock modeled on British bands like Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and Spooky Tooth. After winning several contests, Kin Ping Meh got a recording contract. Joachim Schafer left the band just before the recording of their first album. He was promptly replaced by Willie Wagner (guitar, harmonica, vocals), who joined the band in the Windrose Studio.

The debut starting out with a lengthy Fairy Tales where the organs and guitar trade licks and solos reminiscent of Deep Purple, Wallenstein or Birth Control. Although one of the more pleasant tracks on this album, the song works well but there are lengths and the drum passages is heard-elsewhere. The following slow “Sometime” is a better track to give you an idea of the typical Kin Ping Meh sound, with delicious organ layers underlining the verses and searing guitars leads between the verses and chorus. While the third track is also a lengthy affair, “Don’t You Know” is again promising but delivering fully. The jam-like instrumental sections are brutal of a change.

The flipside is much in the same spirit developing a semi-hard rock where the short tracks succeed to other mid-length, but there is nothing really enthralling, but rest assured nothing boring either. Typically the type of album that needs a few listens before unleashing its treasures; but those riches are not that deep either.

Line-up:
* Kalle Weber – drums, percussion
* Torsten Herzog – bass, vocals
* Frieder Schmitt – organ, pianos, Mellotron, vocals
* Willie Wagner – guitars, harmonica, vocals
* Werner Stephan – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion

Track List:
01. Fairy Tales 9:53
02. Sometime 5:48
03. Don’t You Know 7:30
04. Too Many People (Live) 5:01
05. Drugsen’s Trip 5:52
06. My Dove 3:36
07. Everything 5:15
08. My Future 2:47
09. Everything’s My Way 3:20
10. Woman 4:12
11. Every Day 4:14
12. Alexandra 2:37
13. Too Many people 3:50

Links in comments.

Kin Ping Meh

Hawkwind – PXR5 (1979) (@320)

20 Feb 2008

Thanks to Mr Miyagi for his contribution.

(Review from progarchives.com)

The late ’70s were a lean time for Hawkwind, bickerings over name rights, never having really recovered from the loss of Lemmy Kilminster or the departure of Nik Turner – and despite their growing army of fans from the punk scene, they found their stock generally falling; which is a surprise, given the quality of this album.

The songs, on the whole are generally more mainstream rock than fans had been used to up to this point. The album sort of picks up where “Quark Strangeness and Charm” left off and if you liked that album you should have no problem getting into PXR5.

Lyrically, Calvert trims the fat and comes up with stunning poetry, sewn through with satire regarding everything from the space race (Uncle Sam’s on Mars) to urban decline and alienation (High Rise) – the sci-fi is still there, of course, with ‘Robot’ parodying Asimov’s 3 laws of robotics.

Overall, this is a tighter, rockier Hawkwind, and the final album to feature Robert Calvert in the driving seat.

Line-up:
- Dave Brock / vocals (4-5-8), guitar, bass, synthesizers
- Robert Calvert / vocals (1-2-3-6-7)
- Simon House / keyboards (2-3-6-7-8), backing vocals (2-7), violin (6-8)
- Simon King / drums
- Adrian Shaw / bass, backing vocals (2-3-6-7-8)

Track List:
01. Death Trap
02. Jack of Shadows
03. Uncle Sam’s on Mars
04. Infinity
05. Life Form
06. Robot
07. High Rise
08. PXR5

Link in comments.

Dave Brock, Hawkwind, Robert Calvert

Wild Turkey – Stealer of Years (1996) (@256)

19 Feb 2008

(Review from myspace.com, amazon)

After their second album, a series of line-up changes occured, most significantly Bernie Marsden (of later Whitesnake) joined and the band continued touring heavily. Though moderately successful, this line-up wasn’t able to release the third album and eventually broke up in 1974.

Fast forward to 1996 and HTD Records who, out of the blue, invited Turkey to reform and cut a new platter. After initial hesitation, Cornick and Hopkins decided to reunite the band with guitarist Tweke Lewis and new drummer Brian Thomas to record a superb comeback album in the shape of Stealer Of Years. Fourteen new songs were recorded at Digitaff Studios in Wales.

It is an unashamedly 1970′s rock album with nobody trying to sound relevant to 1996 when it was recorded. Kicking off with the funky rhythms of Wrap it Up and Take it Home”, the album has some great riffy songs like Gunslinger, the spaced out Anthem of the Universe and the hauntingly melodic “Far Away Friends”. Though it’s not only seventies-style riff rock, the rest of the album reverts between that unique, Tull-inspired Turkey of the seventies, with more modern, acoustic-based rock that offers great melodies, and some inspired guitar playing by the underrated Lewis.

After some live gigs following the album, the members of Wild Turkey once again went their separate ways.

Line-up:
* Glen Cornick / bass, guitar, keyboards
* Gary Pickford Hopkins / vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica
* Tweke Lewis / guitar
* Brian Thomas / drums

Track List:
01. Wrap It up Take It Home
02. St. Catherine’s Bells
03. Battlefield
04. With You in Mind
05. Gunslinger
06. Stealer of Years
07. (Whirlwind) Egyptian Romance
08. Take All You Can Get
09. Far Away Friends
10. Riff Me Rock Me
11. Anthem of the Universe
12. Life Is What You Make It
13. American Song
14. Klementina

Link in comments.

Glenn Cornick, Wild Turkey

Khan – Space Shanty (1972) (@256)

19 Feb 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

Space Shanty was a one-off shot by a little-known group led by soon-to be Gong star Steve Hillage. This inspired work is almost certainly the rockiest and least jazzy album to emerge from the vibrant Canterbury scene, thus rendering it among the most accessible. There are some incredible exchanges from two Canterbury icons Hillage and keyboardist Dave Stewart (who also starred in Egg, Hatfield And The North and National Health) and that alone makes this record indispensible.

Khan is not as typically quirky as the likes of Hatfield, no does it have quite the trippy vibes of Gong or indeed the Hillage masterpiece Fish Rising but when our heroes get going, this is truly compelling stuff.

Highlights include the free-flowing (and occassionally hard-rocking!) title track, “Mixed Up Man Of The Mountains” (which starts off with a great blues-rock riff before launching into a kick-ass exchange of solos between Steve Hillage and Dave Stewart, with some great basswork from Greenwood thrown in as well) and “Driving To Amsterdam” (which alternately rages and reflects) but they are all good. “Stranded” is a dreamier, laid-back electric piano dominated piece that curiously evokes an image of a ragged-sounding America, also features a rare acoustic guitar solo from Hillage. “Hollow Stone Escape Of The Space Pirates” is a charming Caravanesque psych epic that includes a mesmerizing multi-tracked solo from Hillage and Stargazer also has some dizzying moments.

It’s too bad that they didn’t last long enough to make more records.

Line-up:
- Nick Greenwood / bass, vocals
- Steve Hillage / guitars, vocals
- Eric Peachy / drums
- Dave Stewart / organ, piano, skyceleste, marimbas

Track List:
01. Space Shanty (Incl. The Cobalt Sequence And March Of The Sine Squadrons) (8:59)
02. Stranded (Effervescent Psychonovelty No.5) (6:35)
03. Mixed Up Man Of The Mountains (7:14)
04. Driving To Amsterdam (9:22)
05. Stargazers (5:32)
06. Hollow Stone (Escape of the Space Pirates) (8:16)

Link in comments.

Dave Stewart, Steve Hillage

Family – It's Only A Movie (1973) (@256)

19 Feb 2008

(Review from allmusic, amazon)

Alas, the last Family album. At the end of an incredible run of creativity and intensity, they turned out their loosest, funkiest effort. For a swan song, this is pretty a good one. Generally, at this point in a band’s career, when personnel changes become more frequent, live shows become more unpredictable, and substance use seems to become more central to the band than singing and songwriting, you would think that Family would simply cough up a final piece of dreck and say so long. But Movie is a relaxed, funny and funky record, almost sunny in disposition. This set is full of wit, invention, surprise and punch-in-the-gut rocking.

The streamlining left them tougher and fully able to tackle material that ranges from the honky-tonk ofthe title track and the sassy balladry of “Leroy”, to the steamroller of “Boom Bang” and the funky “Sweet Desiree”.

Rare is the band that can close the book on their own career with an album ending song called “Check Out”. It’ll spin your head around in your own living room. You’ll be standing on your couch crying for more, but that was all they wrote. We still miss them.

Line-up:
- Roger Chapman / Vocals, Guitars, Percussion
- John ‘Charlie’ Whitney / Guitars, Mandolin, Percussion
- Jim Cregan / Bass, guitar
- Tony Ashton / Keyboards
- Robert Townsend / Drums, Percussion

Track List:
01. It’s Only A Movie (5:06)
02. Leroy (5:39)
03. Buffet Tea For Two (5:20)
04. Boom Bang (3:01)
05. Boots ‘N Roots (5:00)
06. Banger (3:05)
07. Sweet Desiree (3:40)
08. Suspicion (3:21)
09. Check Out (4:29)

Link in comments.

Charlie Whitney, Family, Roger Chapman, Tony Ashton

Wild Turkey – Turkey (1972) (@320)

18 Feb 2008

(Review from myspace.com)

Shortly after the tour for “Battle Hymn”, Jon Blackmore quit the band and was replaced by a talented young player called Mick Dyche. Further touring in England and Europe ensued before the band were once again back in the studio to capitalise on the success of “Battle Hymn”.

This time Cornick self-produced the album himself with experienced hand Robin Black taking care of engineering duties. The second album entitled simply Turkey was released in September 1972 and found the band in a somewhat more confident groove, rather than feeling their way so to speak as bands usually do on their debut recordings.

This bolder offering showcases some outstanding songs including Good Old Days, Eternal Mother/The Return and Universal Man. Gary Pickford Hopkins wrote a poignant ballad Tomorrow’s Friend which was another highlight.

Turkey differed in another significant way from Battle Hymn in as much as it included some elegant electric piano passages on certain songs enriching the sound in the process. These duties were taken care of by Steve Gurl, the band’s roadie, who was promptly invited to become a member of Wild Turkey.

Line-up:
* Glen Cornick / Bass, Guitar, Keyboards
* Gary Pickford Hopkins / Guitar, Vocals
* Jeff Jones / Drums
* Tweke Lewis / Guitar
* Mick Dyche / Guitar, Vocals, Slide Guitar
* Steve Gurl / Piano, Keyboards

Track List:
01. Good Old Days – 4:13
02. Tomorrow’s Friend – 4:07
03. A Universal Man – 3:49
04. Eternal Mother / The Return – 7:59
05. Ballad Of Chuck Stallion And The Mustangs – 3:40
06. The Street – 4:45
07. See You Next Tuesday – 6:53
08. Telephone – 3:35
09. Soldier Airplay (Bonus Live) – 5:44
10. Brother (Bonus Live) – 7:18
11. Social World (Bonus Live) – 7:58

Links in comments.

Glenn Cornick, Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey – Battle Hymn (1971) (@320)

18 Feb 2008

(Review from collecting-tull.com, amazon)

In 1971, Glen Cornick took the momentous step of leaving Jethro Tull having played bass on their first three albums: “This Was”, “Stand Up”, and “Benefit”. He left a group that is undoubtedly one of the world’s most influential and viable products of seventies rock to face a challenge that most musicians would find daunting. He left to find the musical freedom he felt he needed to extend his musical creativity. A founder member of Jethro Tull, Glenn had started to write songs that were not compatible with the musical identity of Tull and rather than remain just playing bass with them, he decided to go his own way.

The decision made, Cornick got together with four musicians, each of them came from vastly differing backgrounds, but as Wild Turkey, the name he chose for his new band, they have developed a corporate style that has been welded together over few months. The band rehearsed, talked music and lived together in a farmhouse they rented for a month and then went out on the road. They started to build a reputation by playing to the club audiences that are instrumental in building a band’s following rather than make use of the name and stature Glenn Cornick earned within Jethro Tull and rush straightaway into the recording studios to trade on his past. Wild Turkey steadily built an ever increasing following among club and college audiences around the country.

Highlights include the very heavy “Butterfly” which opens the album, the title track — a combination of heavy and acoustic music, “Gentle Rain” featuring a glittering organ and harpsichord, “To the Stars” characterized by a tasty piano and a flamboyant finale and “Dulwich Fox” — a nice little acoustic guitar song with some very pleasant vocal harmonies.

If you are interested in good harmony-singing, likes good folk-hardrock songs, then you are in for Glen Cornick’s “Turkeys”.

Line-up:
* Jon Blackmore / Guitar, Vocals
* Glen Cornick / Bass, Guitar, Keyboards
* Gary Pickford Hopkins / Guitar, Vocals
* Jeff Jones / Percussion, Drums
* Tweke Lewis/ Guitar

Track List:
01. Butterfly
02. To The Stars
03. Twelve Streets of Cobbled Black
04. Dulwich Fox
05. Easter Psalm
06. Sanctuary
07. One Sole Survivor
08. Gentle Rain
09. Battle Hymn
10. Sentinel
11. Social World (Bonus)
12. Traffic Island Jam (Bonus)

Links in comments.

Glenn Cornick, Wild Turkey

Vas – Feast of Silence (2004) (@256)

17 Feb 2008

(Info from vasmusic.com)

“Feast Of Silence” is the duo’s first album in three years, after two solo projects and extensive recording and touring with Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, Japan’s Kodo drummers and Zakir Hussain.

The band have significantly expanded their compositional range, with a wider array of vocal stylings in evidence than on any of their three earlier Vas albums — incorporating Indian, Middle Eastern, Eastern European and for the first time, songs with English lyrics. They have also broadened their instrumentation, incorporating guitar and bass and other elements into their signature blend of multi-ethnic percussion, cello, and bansuri flute.

Track List:
01. Amrita (Churning The Sea Of Milk)
02. In Our Faith
03. Mandara
04. Izgrejala
05. Moksha
06. The Reaper And The Flowers
07. Bardo
08. Feast Of Silence
09. Kali Basa

Links in comments.

Vas

Stray – Suicide (1971) (@256)

17 Feb 2008

Request of Mal.

(Review from amazon, allmusic.com)

One of the most consistent and popular bands of the 70s, Stray trod a fine line between Hard Rock, Prog, and harmony-driven Boogie, their powerful playing, hook-laden melodies and accomplished harmonies appealing equally to all three audiences. Formed in 1966, the band yielded a prolific career yet managed to elude the fame enjoyed by contemporaries like Cream, Thin Lizzy or even Mountain.

A natural follow-up to their debut album, “Suicide” is another imaginative melding of different musical genres under the broad, forgiving definition afforded by the progressive rock tag. “Suicide” has more keyboards and a reflection of the album title, the lyrics are darker overall mood.

Opener “Son of the Father” alternates quiet passages of sublime but chilling beauty with other hard-driving but rather upbeat sections — all supporting questioning meditations about generations of men sent off to war after war. Some ensuing tracks, like “Nature’s Way” and “Do You Miss Me?” continue to showcase Stray’s copious testosterone via wicked power chords and boogie grooves (but always interlaced with some unexpected jam or jazzy accent), and the especially forceful “Jericho” catapults untold scores of contrasting riffs against one another with urgent intensity, ultimately culminating in a truly frightening descending riff sequence.

Other songs include the musically elegiac “Where Do Our Children Belong”, the Southern rock feel of “Run Mister Run” with its cow bells and blue-collar construction, and finally, there’s the controversially themed title track, which combines a Black Sabbath-like bass progression from Gary G. Giles with foreboding fuzz chords and sizzling solo licks from Del Bromham (reminiscent of Sir Lord Baltimore) to impart its gloomy story.

Suicide’s a multi-faceted creative accomplishment, under any circumstance — especially considering the album was reportedly recorded at Olympic Studios in just 30 hours!

Line-up:
* Del Bromham / Organ, Guitar, Harpsichord, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals, Mellotron
* Richie Cole / Percussion, Drums
* Steve Gadd / Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion, Vocals, Bells
* Gary G. Giles / Bass, Guitar

Track List:
01. Son Of The Father – 5:50
02. Nature’s Way – 3:32
03. Where Do Our Children Belong – 3:41
04. Jericho – 4:57
05. Run Mister Run – 3:54
06. Dearest Eloise – 2:33
07. Do You Miss Me? – 6:31
08. Suicide – 7:49
09. Encore (Bonus) – 0:40

Link in comments.

Vas – In the Garden of Souls (2000) (@256)

17 Feb 2008

(Info from vasmusic.com)

Vas’ third album blends their vast global influences into a sound entirely their own. This is most evident on the title track, where the duo uses Tibetan bowls, oud and a processed cello over a harmonic vocal drone to produce a sound eerily ancient and modern at the same time. Unbecome, features Ali’s haunting solo voice surrounded by cello, temple bells, and drones in an evocative and powerful fusion of sound. “Ceremony Of Passage” is a percussion powerhouse, where drum is layered upon drum to sound like an entire village drumming. The effect is surprising melodic, as Ellis coerces tonal sounds from the drum skins.

“In the Garden of Souls” is a unique soundscape of voice, percussion, and sonic textures that defies genres and creates for the listener a one of a kind musical experience.

Line-up:
* Azam Ali / Vocals, Tanpura, Dulcimer (Hammer), Riqq, Frame Drum
* Greg Ellis / Dumbek, Conga, Cymbals, Keyboards, Tabla, Bells, Nagara, Udu, Frame Drum, Toms
with
* Cameron Stone / Cello

Track List:
01. In The Garden Of Souls
02. Inamorata
03. Samaya
04. Prayer For Soheil
05. Ceremony Of Passage
06. Beyond Despair
07. The Inward Coil
08. Ephemere (Upon The Faded)
09. Lila
10. Unbecome
11. Sevdama

Links in comments.

Vas

Martin Barre – Stage Left (2003) (@320)

16 Feb 2008

(Review from amazon, guitar9.com)

Jethro Tull’s guitarist’s newest solo effort is a pleasure for the ears and for the soul. Never overdone, Barre knows what needs to go in and what is superfluous. Using a collection of guitars and mandolins, he plays incredible melodies and solos, heartfelt rhythms and overall powerful music.

Martin Barre lets his talent and his flair come out and moves in a direction which, although not alien to Tull, is nevertheless quite his own. This eclectic album includes 13 instrumentals and one vocal track all which were composed by Barre himself. A wide range of guitars and stringed instruments are the focal point of each track.

Highlights include the opening Allman Brothers-style raveup “Count The Chickens” and the acoustic folk of “As Told By”, “Favourite Things”, “D.I.Y” and “I Raise My Glass To You”. The Track “After You, After Me” shows off a slight Steve Vai/Joe Satriani groove while the acoustic “Spanish Tears” and the Clapton-eque “Celestial Servings” display a lighter jazz feel. “Winter Snowscape” has a style that is similar to that which is heard on the Windham Hill record label.

The two tracks that sound the most like Jethro Tull are “Stage Fright” which features Barre playing the flute in a very Ian Anderson-like style and “Don’t Say A Word”, the album’s closing vocal track in which guest singer Simon Burrett sounds quite similar to Anderson vocal-wise.

Line-up:
* Martin Barre / Guitars
with
* Jonathan Noyce / Bass
* Andy Giddings / Keyboards
* Darren Mooney / Drums
* Simon Burrett / Vocals (14)

Track List:
01. Count the Chickens
02. As Told By
03. A French Correction
04. Murphy’s Law
05. My Favourite Things
06. After You After Me
07. D.I.Y.
08. Spanish Tears
09. Stage Fright
10. Winter Snowscape
11. Nelly Returns
12. Celestial Servings
13. I Raise My Glass to You
14. Don’t Say a Word

Link in comments.

Martin Barre

Hallelujah – Hallelujah Babe (1971) (@256)

16 Feb 2008

(Info from Crack in the Cosmic Egg, longhairmusic.de)

Hallelujah were in fact an Anglo-German duo, split off from Doldinger’s Motherhood. They absconded to England to make their album, and sought the aid of much travelled top session-musicians Rick Kemp and Pete Wood. Incidentally, Pete Wood had somewhat of a global career in subsequent years with Al Stewart (‘Year Of The Cat’). And good, old Rick Kemp had heads turning, at least in the British Isles with his group, “Steeleye Span”. But, strangely the album only gained release in Germany!

Adventurous and creative, though quite wordy in the song department, Hallelujah’s influences were wide: a touch of the Beatles’ “A Day In A Life”, a hint of Wonderland, and lots of Pink Floyd folky Roger Waters influence — an accessible blend of progressive and psychedelic styles.

Line-up:
* Paul Vincent – guitars, vocals
* Keith Forsey – drums, vocals
* Pete “Funk” Wood – keyboards
* Rick Kemp – bass

Track List:
01. Hallelujah
02. Signs Of Strange
03. Z. i. p.
04. The Winter Song
05. English Rain
06. Mini Funk
07. Waterloo
08. Friend
09. Ode To A Little Knight

Link in comments.

Vas – Sunyata (1997) (@256)

16 Feb 2008

(Review from amazon, vasmusic.com)

Vas, the Latin word for vessel, describes how Persian born vocalist Azam Ali and American born percussionist Greg Ellis approach, or more precisely, receive their music. It is indeed accurate to say their music completes them. Their musical style transcends cultural and geographic boundaries.

The rich, hypnotic voice(s) of singer Azam Ali and the percussive virtuosity of Greg Ellis combine to create an eclectic, ecstatic, eastern-inspired symphony of sound. Gentle but fascinating, Ellis’s ever-changing percussive textures underlie Ali’s structured, repetitive vocal chants, which are sung and overdubbed in non-linguistic syllables. “Free from the constraints of any written language” suggests Ali in the liner notes, “the voice is capable of sounds no instrument can create”. And so it is.

Ali, of Iranian and Indian heritage, also plays hammered dulcimer and Ellis’s list of exotic hand drums and other world percussion instruments reads like a language all its own. The resulting album, which is this duo’s debut release, sounds like the collaboration of 10 performers rather than just two!

“Sunyata” has it all and is well worth listening to — reverent and meditative but exuding considerable tension, mystery and passion as well.

Line-up:
* Azam Ali / Vocals, Bendire, Dulcimer (Hammer)
* Greg Ellis / Dumbek, Keyboards, Vocals, Tamboura, Bells, Bendire, Madal, Shaker, Nagara, Udu

Track List:
01. Ningal
02. Saphyrro
03. Refuge
04. Sunyata
05. Apsara
06. Astrae
07. Iman
08. Remembrance
09. Arc Of Ascent
10. At Siva’s Feet

Links in comments.

Vas

Martin Barre – Meeting (1996) (@320)

16 Feb 2008

(Review from amazon)

“The Meeting” is an assured recording that doesn’t take the easy way out by resorting to flashy overkill. Although there are some great instrumentals on here, Barre concentrates more on song structure and melodic invention than on bombarding us with notes. The title track has a wonderful, twisted riff mixed with some melancholy. “The Potion” has a hard progressive-blues feel to it. Those guitar lines are razor sharp. “Outer Circle” has been played at Tull concerts. Once again, the guitar parts sound like twisted metal (yes it’s a cliche but it’s true).

“I Know Your Face” has a slight resemblance to Tull with its flute part; though more of a similarity with John Mayall’s more recent music. “Misere” is a favorite at Tull concerts too, with good reason. The main melody is incredibly appealing, though hardly obvious. Barre’s improvisations on that melodic figure are breathtaking! “Spanner” veers from lilting jazz to electric riffing in a most satisfying manner. Kind of like if the Rippingtons knew how to rock…..

“Tom’s” is yet another wonderful instrumental with, ho-hum, more excellent guitar playing. As to the title, apparently Ian Anderson isn’t the only cat lover in Tull. “The Dreamer” has some world music influence, and (of course) great guitar playing. The kids with the English accents make “The Audition” sound kind of like a Pink Floyd song, without the cynicism.

With his large repertoire of side(wo)men, Barre delivers another solid album.

Line-up:
* Martin Barre / guitars, flute
with
* Maggie Reeday / vocals (1, 2, 4, 6, 8)
* Jonathan Noyce / bass (1-3, 6-9)
* Darren Mooney / drums (1, 2)
* Andrew Murray / bass, keyboards, additional programming (1-7, 9)
* Joy Russell / back vocals (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
* Ian Francis / back vocals (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
* Paul Cox / vocals (2, 8)
* Matt Pegg / bass (4)
* Gerry Conway / drums (3, 4)
* Miles Bould / percussion (4-6, 9-10)
* Mel Collins / sax (3, 7)
* Doane Perry / drums (5, 7, 9)
* Marc Parnell / drums (6)
* Dave Mattacks / drums (8, 11)
* Mark Tucker / keyboards (11)
* Jennifer & Elayne / voices (11)

Track List:
01. The Meeting 4:28
02. The Potion 5:21
03. Outer Circle 5:54
04. I Know Your Face 5:16
05. Misére 6:01
06. Time After Time 5:43
07. Spanner 6:55
08. Running Free 5:16
09. Tom’s 3:58
10. Dreamer 3:24
11. The Audition 3:18

Links in comments.

Gerry Conway, Martin Barre, Mel Collins

Chess – Original Cast Recording (1984) (@256)

15 Feb 2008

(Review from wikipedia, amazon)

Chess is a musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, formerly of Abba. The story involves a romantic triangle between two players in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any specific individuals, the characters’ personalities are loosely based on those of Victor Korchnoi and Bobby Fischer.

Following the pattern of Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, a concept album of Chess was recorded in 1984, before any stage production was underway.

A single from the album, “One Night in Bangkok”, performed by Murray Head with Anders Glenmark became a worldwide smash; while the duet, “I Know Him So Well”, by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson, held the number one spot on the UK singles charts for several weeks.

But there is SO much more to Ulvaeus and Andersson’s composing than pop – within Chess there is some amazing orchestration (e.g. “Merano”, “Chess”, “Endgame”) that shows their talents as composers. There is also a vast range of songs within the musical- solos, duets, trios, even quartets- which further highlight the versatility of the Swedish duo.

This album is very underrated by many. There are a few moments where the music “could” be considered to be cheesy pop (it’s the 80s after all), but for the most part this is sophisticated music that is wider ranging than what Abba ever achieved.

Line-up:
* Florence – Elaine Paige
* The American – Murray Head
* The Russian – Tommy Körberg
* Molokov – Denis Quilley
* Svetlana – Barbara Dickson
* The Arbiter – Bjorn Skifs

Track List:
CD1
01. Merano
02. The Russian and Molokov / Where I Want to Be
03. Opening Ceremony
04. Quartet (A Model of Decorum and Tranquility)
05. The American and Florence / Nobody’s Side
06. Chess
07. Mountain Duet
08. Florence Quits
09. Embassy Lament
10. Anthem
CD2
01. Bangkok / One Night in Bangkok
02. Heaven Help My Heart
03. Argument
04. I Know Him So Well
05. The Deal (No Deal)
06. Pity the Child
07. Endgame
08. Epilogue: You and I / The Story of Chess

Links in comments.

Tim Rice

Mountain – Climbing (1970) (@256)

15 Feb 2008

Request of Mountain.

(Review from amazon)

Released in 1969, Mountain’s debut album “Mountain Climbing!” is considered by many to be their finest piece of work. The album immediately produced a mega hit with “Mississippi Queen”. Mountain.

These songs are some of the most tasty you will ever hear in hard rock, and some of the heaviest as well; they border on classic heavy metal. The crunchy and searing tone in Leslie West’s guitar is one of a fiery, yet somewhat controlled and harnessed passion.

The tracks range from power chord rockers such as the boogie classic “Mississippi Queen”, “Never In My Life” and “Boys In The Band” to beautiful slower melodic songs such as “Theme From An Imaginary Western”, “For Yasguer’s Farm” to acoustic based tunes like “To My Friend” and “The Laird”.

This album deserves to be in any hard rock lover’s collection or for anyone who is interested in tastefully-crafted and passionate music.

Line-up:
* Leslie West – guitar, vocals
* Felix Pappalardi – bass, rhythm guitar, piano, vocals
* Corky Laing – drums, percussion
* Steve Knight – organ, handbells

Track List:
01. Mississippi Queen – 2:33
02. Theme For An Imaginary Western – 5:08
03. Never In My Life – 3:53
04. Silver Paper – 3:18
05. For Yasgur’s Farm – 3:25
06. To My Friend – 3:42
07. The Laird – 4:38
08. Sittin’ On A Rainbow – 2:22
09. Boys In The Band – 3:35

Link in comments.

Felix Pappalardi, Leslie West, Mountain

Martin Barre – A Trick of Memory (1994) (@256)

15 Feb 2008

(Review from amazon, allmusic)

Martin Barre’s second solo album is dimensionally brilliant yet fun to listen to at the same time. The entire work is awash in a refreshing array of sounds and styles that is decisively polished into an ultra-pristine performance. His venerable grab bag of influence and ideas are ample and prevalent yet invariantly transfigured as each song opens up a new wave of sonic excitement.

It bears much less a resemblance to anything in the Tull catalog than it does to several of Martin’s other British guitar/composer contemporaries, notably, Steve Hackett and Mike Oldfield, who have thrived within their own longevity of successful solo recording careers. Similar enough in construction, however, it is the overall voice and tone of the guitar that both of these artists have revamped and brought out to the forefront as to see the instrument in a more expressive light rather than mimicking mere melody or truncated, sterile techniques.

Featuring a lively mix of hard-rock and R&B with progressive rock, folk and blues sources; the album is appealing to those who enjoy a wider spectrum of progressive musical artists outside of the immediate Jethro Tull / Fairport Convention ring.

Line-up:
* Martin Barre / guitars, flute
with
* Rob Darnell / percussion, vocals (1, 2, 5-11, 13)
* Andy Giddings / keyboards, organ (1-3, 5, 7, 9, 11-14)
* Matt Pegg / bass (1-2, 5, 7-9, 11, 13)
* Marc Parnell / drums (1, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13)
* Mel Collins / sax, alto sax (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11)
* Marc Johstone / additional keyboards (1)
* Tom Glendinning / drums (2, 9)
* Katie Kisson / backing vocals (2, 5, 7, 11)
* Linda Taylor / backing vocals (2, 5, 7, 11)
* Weston Foster / backing vocals (2, 5, 7, 11)
* Joy Russel / backing vocals (5, 7, 11)
* Ian Francis / backing vocals (5, 7, 11)
* Graham Ward / drums (4)
* Rick Sanders / violin (4)
* Martin Allcock / double bass (4, 14)
* Nick Pentelow / sax (5, 7, 11)
* Richard Sidwell / trumpet (5, 7, 11)
* Steve Sidwell / trumpet (5, 11)
* Maggie Reeday / vocals (7)
* Mark Tucker / guitar, vocals (10)
* Gavyn Wright / lead violin (14)
* Wilf Gibson / violin (14)
* Tony Pleeth / cello (14)
* Garfield Jackson / violin (14)
* Malinda Maxwell / oboe (14)

Track List:
01. Bug 4:08
02. Way Before Your Time 4:37
03. Bug Bee 0:51
04. Empty Café 2:08
05. Suspicion 4:26
06. I Be Thank You 2:18
07. A Blues For All Reasons 7:17
08. A Trick Of Memory 3:06
09. Steal 4:48
10. Another View 1:45
11. Cold Heart 5:20
12. Bug C 0:51
13. Morris Minus 3:06
14. In The Shade Of The Shadow 4:10

Link in comments.

Martin Barre

Martin Barre – A Summer Band (Live 1992) (@320)

14 Feb 2008

(Info from TullFAQ)

“A New Day” magazine persuaded Martin Barre to release a limited edition live album. It was limited to roughly 500 CDs and it was sold to the magazine’s subscribers.

The album contains live performances by a band Barre formed to play charity gigs near his home.

Line-up:
* Martin Barre (electric guitars, acoustic guitars)
with
* Maggie Reeday / lead vocals
* Joy Russell / lead vocals
* Mark Tucker / electric guitar
* Craig Milverton / keyboards
* Tom Glendinning / drums
* Matt Pegg / bass
* Rob Darnell / percussion, harmonica, vocals

Track List:
01. Ain’t That Peculiar 3:40
02. Too Tired 3:06
03. Born Under A Bad Sign 3:08
04. One Love 5:32
05. Georgia 4:49
06. Cold Feet 2:21
07. Better Lying Down 3:58
08. I Shot The Sheriff 3:26
09. Barefootin’ 3:17
10. Mustang Sally 4:23
11. Nutbush City Limits 2:47
12. Faith Healer 5:52

Links in comments.

Live, Martin Barre

Anglagard – Buried Alive (Live 1994) (@320)

13 Feb 2008

8 comments

(Review from progreviews.com, progressiveworld.net)

This live album was released posthumously, as the band had sadly broken up at this point. It features the band’s final performance at ProgFest 1994. This concert actually took place after the tumultuous breakup of the band, and they only got back together to fulfill this final commitment.

Afterwards the band thought it might be nice to put the entire concert on disc. In the beginning, it was planned as a double album, featuring the entire concert plus an unreleased composition of around 15 minutes.

Around that time, some of the Anglagard members were active in another band and it looked as if that unreleased 15-minute track would be used for this band. Due to this fact, the record company no longer found it interesting to release 2 CDs, so it was decided to limit the live recording to a single release. “Buried Alive” includes all of the Hybrid album plus two tracks from Epilog.

There is no great variation from the studio albums here; no improvisation or wild reworkings of material. While the band was reportedly devastated at what they saw as a lackluster performance, this is perhaps an overly harsh self-assessment. There are a few screw-ups here and there, but on the whole it is a worthy execution of some difficult music.

Line-up:
- Mattias Olsson / drums, percussion
- Johan Hogberg / bass
- Thomas Johnson / Hammond, mellotron, keyboards
- Jonas Engdegard / guitar
- Tord Lindman / guitar
- Anna Holmgren / flute

Track List:
01. Prolog (2:20)
02. Jordrok (11:46)
03. Hostsejd (14:03)
04. Ifran Klarhet Till Klarhet (9:03)
05. Vandringar i Vilsenhet (13:07)
06. Sista somrar (9:21)
07. Kung Bore (12:34)

Links in comments.

Anglagard, Live

Il Berlione – Il Berlione (1992) (@256)

13 Feb 2008

(Review from progreviews.com)

Everyone talks about the 90s progressive rock revival in Scandinavia, what with the likes of Anglagard and Anekdoten hogging all the headlines (such as they were) — but less well-exposed, it seems, was the renaissance taking place halfway around the world in Japan. Il Berlione were one of a surprisingly large number of great Japanese groups playing a fairly avant-garde, forward looking brand of progressive rock. On their self-titled debut, they occupy a space somewhere between the wildly complex jazz-rock of Tipographica and the jumpy-yet-heavy King Crimson-influenced hard prog rock of Happy Family.

Il Berlione is split neatly into two halves: roughly speaking, the first half is a Canterbury/RIO-fest reminiscent of Legend-era Henry Cow or a slightly less twitchy Tipographica, while the second half delves deeper into the realm of straight-up fusion, complete with lengthy sax and guitar solos atop a relatively static rhythm section. Nestled between the two halves are the “Engei” pieces, brief and relatively tranquil interludes drawing from traditional Japanese music.

The jumpier first half is characterized by tight, agile ensemble work, with the melodies generally led by Hiroo Takano’s saxophone; but most immediately noticeable are the constantly unpredictable rhythms, which on most of these tracks are nearly disjointed enough to be nauseating — in a good way, of course (ironically, “The Stomach-ache” is perhaps the most straightforward and least motion-sickness-inducing of these). These are the more impressive tracks for me as the band is clearly in top form. The second, more straightforward half has its share of highlights as well though, like the aggressive rock-out that is “Make You Die, Your Brain” and the barnburner of a guitar solo that closes out the epic “Kouenji, Memories in the Rain.”

Il Berlione suffers from only a few moments and is a deservedly acknowledged near-classic. Coming at the time that it did, it’s really pretty astounding stuff.

Line-up:
* Naoya Idonuma / guitar, mandolin
* Kazuo Ogura / bass, kalimba
* Hirofumi Taniguchi / keyboards, kalimba, organ, voice
* Hiroo Takano / saxophone, quena, flute
* Masahiro Kawamura / drums, conga, cymbal
* Tappi Iwase / drums
* Tatsuo Shimizu / percussion

Track List:
01. Electrostatic Hotel — 6:15
02. A Triple Role — 3:28
03. Fuseimyaku — 2:57
04. The Etude Composed of All Rests Only for Drummer (Live) — 0:48
05. Lama — 5:12
06. The Stomach-ache — 5:10
07. The Engei- Rasterman Bolero — 2:32
08. Continuing, the Engei- Tin-Peewee — 2:04
09. Make You Die, Your Brain — 5:40
10. Kouenji, Memories in the Rain — 11:32
11. Battle Royal Hostess — 8:08
12. Dancing Rest — 1:09

Link in comments.

Anglagard – Epilog (1994) (@256)

13 Feb 2008

8 comments

(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)

Anglagard’s Epilog manages to do what seemed less likely, to top their excellent debut album.

While Hybris featured some moments of somberness, Epilog finds this emotion intensified in an all-instrumental setting which is sometimes aggressive, sometimes contemplative and almost always heavy with wistfulness and stoicism. The music sometimes sounds closer to the band’s Scandinavian roots than the more overt symphonic progressive of their first album. Flute and mellotron are both given prominent roles in defining the morose nature of the sound here, while electric guitar and organ are often at the forefront of the harder sections. The album concludes with a brief piece on solo piano, preventing a feeling of closure and opting instead to finish the album in the disquieting mood that has prevailed throughout.

Hardly to oversight, “Epilog” is the complementary phase to “Hybris”. Can’t get one without the other. Absolutely Swedish, completely bold and musically unexpected.

Line-up:
- Mattias Olsson / drums, cymbals and percussion
- Johan Hogberg / bass
- Thomas Johnson / Hammond organ, mellotrons and other keyboards
- Jonas Engdegard / guitars
- Tord Lindman / guitars
- Anna Holmgren / flute
with
- Asa Eklund / voice
- Martin Olofsson / violin
- Karin Hansson / viola and double bass
- Jan Christoff Norlander / cello

Track List:
01. Prolog (2:00)
02. Hostsejd (15:32)
03. Rosten (0:14)
04. Skogsranden (10:48)
05. Sista Somrar (13:10)
06. Saknadens Fullhet (2:00)

Link in comments.

Anglagard

Ian Anderson – Plays The Orchestral Jethro Tull (Live 2005) (@256)

12 Feb 2008

(Review from getreadytorock.com, progarchives.com)

The last time Jethro Tull recorded with a symphony orchestra was in 1984 for the excellent album ‘A Classic Case’. Essentially that was the band with a concert orchestra, so we had the great Martin Barre riffing against a full ‘classical’ ensemble.

This time, Ian Anderson is without his bandmates. With not even Tull arranger Andy Giddings as a musical figleaf, he teamed up with the Frankfurt Neue Philharmonic Orchestra in 2004, augmented by several musicians who featured on his solo album ‘Rupi’s Dance’ in 2003.

This double live album stretches from material as old as Bourée from 1969, to something as recent as Ian Anderson’s last solo release, Rupi’s Dance, only two years earlier. The set list varies from acoustic tracks with vocals, with only mere orchestral touches, to the full band pieces where orchestra goes all out, and even songs that have been completely re-written and orchestra makes it its own. Aqualung isn’t even recognizable until vocals begin, which is extremely fresh and even veteran, life-long Tull fans will adore this rendition.

Sometimes the orchestra adds another dimension of energy or substance to the music, and other times it simply complements the melodies, and fortifies the beauty of the music. But it always works perfectly, and it never seems misplaced.

The production is brilliant, the sound quality is excellent and the re-workings of the old songs are nothing short of phenomenal. Any casual Tull fan, or die-hard, shouldn’t miss this.

Line-up:
- Ian Anderson / flute, bamboo flute, acoustic guitar, vocals
with
- James Duncan / drums, percussion
- David Goodier / bass, glockenspiel
- John O’Hara / keyboards, accordian
- Florian Opahle / acoustic and electric guitar
- Various Members of the Frankfurt Neue Philharmonic Orchestra

Track List:
CD1
01. Eurology (3:30)
02. Calliandra Shade (5:42)
03. Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day (4:03)
04. Up The Pool (3:22)
05. We Five Kings (3:32)
06. Life Is A Long Song (3:34)
07. In The Grip Of Stronger Stuff (3:02)
08. Wond’ring Aloud (2:11)
09. Griminelli’s Lament (3:10)
10. Cheap Day Return (1:27)
11. Mother Goose (5:46)
12. Bouree (5:17)
13. Boris Dancing (3:31)
14. Living In The Past (4:48)
CD2
01. Pavane (4:37)
02. Aqualung (10:24)
03. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (4:58)
04. My God (8:52)
05. Budapest (14:04)
06. Locomotive Breath (6:42)

Links in comments.

Ian Anderson, Live

Anglagard – Hybris (1992) (@256)

12 Feb 2008

(Review from progarchives.com, progreviews.com, progressiveears.com)

Anglagard were a short-lived band who nonetheless generated critical acclaim and a loyal following in the early nineties with their brooding mellotron and synth heavy sound that also featured virtuoso percussionist Mattias Olsson and classically trained flautist Anna Holmgren.

The band formed in the summer of 1991 by guitarist and lead vocalist Tord Lindman and bassist Johan Hogberg. The pair placed ads to form a band in the vein of the seventies progressive bands such as Yes and King Crimson, which were successfully answered by keyboardist Thomas Johnson and guitarist Jonas Engdegard. Drummer Olsson and flautist Holmgren were soon added and by the following spring the band were touring and logging studio sessions.

Anglagard means “Garden of Angels” and never a name of a band has been so perfectly chosen, their music is almost celestial, even when they belong to the 90′s the members avoid the use of instruments that weren’t used in the 70′s by their predecessors. Plethoric of magnificent keyboards and mellotrons, is hard not to place Anglagard albums in the same section of the old dinosaurs.

Anglagard manage to walk that fine line in drawing inspiration from the seventies without ever being derivative. There are definitely passages reminiscent of early Genesis or King Crimson, but these are superficial, and for the most part Anglagard pursue their own formula. The sound is brooding, with dissonance being a regular feature. The music still manages to captivate the listener, and some sections are nothing short of magnificent.

So which is the better album? Hybris or Epilog? This is the kind of question that could cause one to rip their hair out.

Only 4 songs in total, each song is lengthy, every song goes thru many changes in tempo, volume and mood — many times within one minute and without sounding like it’s straying, but adding and building. What’s also interesting is that there isn’t any one keyboard song or guitar song. All songs get an even amount of keys, guitar, guitar-guitar interplay, keys-guitar interplay. There are vocals, in Swedish, but of a short duration of only a minute in each song. One song is instrumental. After 44 minutes, you’ll still want more.

Line-up:
* Mattias Olsson / drums, percussion
* Johan Hogberg / bass
* Thomas Johnson / hammond, mellotron, keyboards
* Jonas Engdegard / guitar
* Tord Lindman / vocals, guitar
* Anna Holmgren / flute

Track List:
01. Jordrok (11:10)
02. Vandringar i Vilsenhet (11:53)
03. Ifran Klarhet Till Klarhet (8:04)
04. Kung Bore (12:57)

Link in comments.

Anglagard

Bachman Turner Overdrive – Not Fragile (1974) (@256)

12 Feb 2008

(Review from wikipedia, allmusic)

The title could be thought of as a response to Yes’ Fragile. Some feel that the group achieved a more original sound in this album; it has been described as a cross between Black Sabbath and early ZZ Top. The arrival of Blair Thornton (replacing Tim Bachman) gave the band a true second lead guitar to pair with Randy Bachman, and dual-guitar solos are prominent features on many Not Fragile tracks.

Ranging from the hyper-distorted title track, through the famous but far more timid song “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”, this album is full of Bachman Turner Overdrive’s much liked rock anthems. Indeed, for hard rock fanatics, it doesn’t come much better than on Not Fragile.

Randy Bachman’s electrifying lead guitar is here more raucous than ever before, as are his rowdy vocals (particularly noticeable on the predictable, but fun “Sledgehammer”). The man steals the show on Not Fragile through his extensive and often astounding guitar solos. Generally, though, Bachman-Turner Overdrive are at their prime as a whole, both in songwriting and playing terms.

As regards the mixing, it’s hard to find fault with this release. The drums are clear but not so prominent that they dominate the recording, while the guitars, along with the bass, are kept rigidly in their place.

Not Fragile is one of the finest arena rock albums of the era, featuring all the hallmarks of what makes a classic release in the genre. Randy Bachman’s impressive guitar work and typically boisterous vocals complement the overall framework of the album superbly, as do the crunchy rhythm guitars. This release will astound fans of the genre and band, while those thoroughly against stadium rock may find something to convert their views.

Line-up:
* Randy Bachman – guitar, vocals
* Robbie Bachman – percussion, drums
* Blair Thornton – guitar, background vocals
* C.F. Turner – bass, vocals

Track List:
01. Not Fragile – 4:07
02. Rock Is My Life, and This Is My Song – 5:05
03. Roll on Down the Highway – 3:59
04. You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet – 3:57
05. Free Wheelin’ – 3:47
06. Sledgehammer – 4:36
07. Blue Moanin’ – 3:45
08. Second Hand – 3:23
09. Givin’ It All Away – 3:48

Link in comments.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Randy Bachman

Ian Anderson – Rupi's Dance (2003) (@320)

11 Feb 2008

9 comments

(Review from amazon, progreviews.com)

Along with The Jethro Tull Christmas Album, 2003 saw the release of the fourth Ian Anderson solo album. In fact, pairing a Tull album with a solo album is becoming a bit of a trend.

With entirely characteristic whimsy, the title-track of Rupi’s Dance refers to Ian Anderson’s little black kitten and its bewitching effect on him: “Dainty feet circles inscribe / Upon the frozen parquet / Arabesque in compound time / Stately Pavane or Bourée”. Evidently, this is an album of personal reflections, featuring playful comments on topics as diverse as photo processing outside Paddington Station (“Photo Shop”), the terrors of playing in front of an orchestra (“A Raft of Penguins”) and memories of school exams (“Two Short Planks”).

From the man who once wrote a rambling concept album about a tramp, such lyrical legerdemain is only to be expected; as, of course, is the deliriously high standard of musicianship, especially notable on the instrumental-only tracks “Eurology” and “Griminelli’s Lament”. Ian Anderson plays pretty much everything that can be blown or plucked (or squeezed in the case of the accordion), with a few pals to help out with percussion and keyboards, plus a string quartet to add class on selected tracks.

Rupi’s Dance looks simultaneously to the past and future for its inspiration.

Line-up:
- Ian Anderson / vocals, flutes, guitars, accordion, bass, percussion
with
- James Duncan / drums
- David Goodier / stand-up bass, bass guitar
- Leslie Mandoki / drums, percussion
- Laszlo Bencker / keyboards
- Ossi Schaller / guitar
- George Kopecsni / guitar
- John O’Hara / accordion, keyboard
- Andrew Giddings / keyboards, bass
- Doane Perry / drums on bonus track
- The Sturcz String Quartet
- Martin Barre / electric guitar (14)

Track List:
01. Calliandra Shade [The Cappuccino Song] (5:02)
02. Rupi’s Dance (3:00)
03. Lost In Crowds (5:37)
04. A Raft Of Penguins (3:34)
05. A Week Of Moments (4:27)
06. A Hand Of Thumbs (4:02)
07. Eurology (3:14)
08. Old Black Cat (3:40)
09. Photo Shop (3:20)
10. Pigeon Flying Over Berlin Zoo (4:18)
11. Griminelli’s Lament (2:56)
12. Not Ralitsa Vassileva (4:45)
13. Two Short Planks (4:00)
14. Birthday Card At Christmas (Bonus) (3:37)

Links in comments.

Ian Anderson

Passport – Cross-Collateral (1975) (@256)

11 Feb 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

Passport was never in the same Fusion league as the Mahavishnu Orchestra or electric Miles Davis, but the group nevertheless managed to carve their own distinctive niche in an overcrowded market: no small accomplishment at the time.

A jittery opening sequencer pattern (in what sounds like a hellishly complex time signature) suddenly gels into the easy space-jazz swing of “Homunculus”, with Klaus Doldinger’s saxophone dancing gracefully around a sparkling electric piano solo. The 13+ minute title track sure covers a lot of territory, working almost like a beginner’s guide medley to the music of Passport.

In quick succession it moves from a kinetic start/stop introduction (featuring some primitive electronic percussion triggers) to a brief but lively drum solo by the incomparable Curt Cress, and from there into a relentless mid-tempo rocking section. A blast of rare high-amp electric guitar signals another change of pace, matching equal parts power and finesse before another saxophone freak-out reprise of the opening jam ends the track as it began: stopping on a dime.

Flipping the album over to Side Two doesn’t offer any immediate relief, throwing the unwary listener headlong into the full-throttle punch of “Jadoo”: three minutes of pure adrenalin guaranteed to raise your blood pressure a few notches. Kristian Schultze’s distorted electric piano solo is totally haywire, and the whole thing is propelled by the monster beat of Cress, again proving (and not for the first time) that he was one of the most dynamic and creative drummers of the decade.

The rest of the album is almost a let-down after “Jadoo”: three tracks of pleasant instrumental music, played with Doldinger’s trademark melodic funk and flair, but still sounding tame after all the preceding fireworks. In retrospect, maybe the running order could have been rearranged to better effect.

Passport was a band that was never about to change the world, but they did make it a more pleasant place to live for a while. This album would be an ideal introduction for newcomers, as easy as anywhere else in their long discography, but why not start at the top?

Line-up:
- Curt Cress / drums, electronic percussion
- Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, Moog, electric piano, Mellotron
- Wolfgang Schmid / bass, guitar
- Kristian Schulze / electric piano, organ

Track List:
01. Homunculus (6:17)
02. Cross-collateral (13:33)
03. Jadoo (3:08)
04. Will-O’the-Wisp (6:25)
05. Albatros song (5:25)
06. Damals (4:47)

Link in comments.

Curt Cress

Firm – Mean Business (1986) (@320)

11 Feb 2008

(Review from wikipedia, allmusic, amazon)

The Firm’s second and final album wallowed in the arena rock that only occasionally appeared on the debut. Punchy yet atmospheric with the bluesy vocals of Paul Rodgers, they actually tried to produce a pretty serious album.

One of the album’s tracks “Live in Peace” was first recorded on Paul Rodgers’ first solo album, 1983′s Cut Loose. The differences between the two versions was that Chris Slade played the drums slower than the Cut Loose version except for the ending and Jimmy Page added a bluesy guitar solo at the end of the song.

The album’s title was intended to have a double meaning: that the music business is a hard one, and that the band was serious about its music (“The Firm mean business”). However, perhaps due to the lukewarm-at-best critical and financial success with which the band met, Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers decided to disband The Firm within months of this album’s release.

For anyone suffering Led Zeppelin (or 70s Bad Company) withdrawal symptoms in the mid 80s, the Firm wasn’t quite the answer. Others (without high expectations) might as well give it a try.

Line-up:
* Paul Rodgers – Vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, producer
* Jimmy Page – Acoustic and electric guitars, producer
* Tony Franklin – Bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizer
* Chris Slade – Drums and percussion, backing vocals

Track List:
01. Fortune Hunter – 5:03
02. Cadillac – 5:59
03. All the King’s Horses – 3:21
04. Live in Peace – 5:09
05. Tear Down the Walls – 4:48
06. Dreaming – 6:05
07. Free to Live – 4:17
08. Spirit of Love – 5:07
09. Radioactive (Bonus Special Mix) – 5:54
10. City Sirens (Bonus Live) – 4:31
11. Live in Peace (Bonus Live) – 5:29

Links in comments.

Chris Slade, Firm, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers

Ian Anderson – Secret Language of Birds (2000) (@256)

10 Feb 2008

7 comments

(Review from progreviews.com)

Ian Anderson’s third solo album is an almost entirely acoustic album that should remind Tull aficionados of that band’s folkier outings. Completely unpretentious and based on conventional song forms; it is inoffensive, pleasant, and tuneful. Vaguely Celtic and Eastern influences weave their way periodically through the music, and throughout the orchestration is excellent: despite the relative paucity of instrumentalists, this is a very full-sounding album. The production is clean and clear, allowing the instruments – dominated by acoustic guitar and, of course, flute – to come through sunnily. “Progressive” elements are limited, for the most part, to a diverse array of timbres.

Line-up:
- Ian Anderson / vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, bouzouki, acoustic bass guitar, mandolin, percussion, piccolo
with
- Andrew Giddings / accordion, piano, organ, marimba, percussion, electric bass, keyboards, orchestral sounds
- Gerry Conway / drums
- Darren Mooney / drums
- James Duncan / drums
- Martin Barre / electric guitar

Track List:
01. The Secret Language of Birds (4:17)
02. The Little Flower Girl (3:37)
03. Montserrat (3:21)
04. Postcard Day (5:07)
05. The Water Carrier (2:56)
06. Set-Aside (1:29)
07. A Better Moon (3:46)
08. Sanctuary (4:42)
09. The Jasmine Corridor (3:54)
10. The Habanero Reel (4:01)
11. Panama Freighter (3:21)
12. The Secret Language of Birds, Part II (3:06)
13. Boris Dancing (3:07)
14. Circular Breathing (3:45)
15. The Stormont Shuffle (3:20)
16. Extra Track Intro [unlisted] (0:08)
17. In the Grip of Stronger Stuff [unlisted] (2:50)
18. Thick as a Brick [unlisted] (2:37)

Link in comments.

Gerry Conway, Ian Anderson, Martin Barre

Firm – Firm (1985) (@256)

10 Feb 2008

(Review from allmusic)

Anticipation was quite high when it was announced in 1984 that Paul Rodgers, the past voice of Bad Company, and Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin’s former guitarist, were creating a “supergroup” called the Firm.

Page and Rodgers had first tinkered with the idea of an album after their successful collaboration on the ARMS benefit tour for Ronnie Lane in 1983. Based upon the fact that it had been over five years since Page’s last band effort, and two years since Rodger’s lackluster finale with the original Bad Company, pundits were more than eager to hear what new material the duo would unleash.

Though at the time the debut received a critical drubbing and was all but ignored by the record-buying public, the album is quite good and does nothing to taint the sterling reputations of either of its key players.

Slade’s Bonham-esque sledgehammer attack on the skins, coupled with Franklin’s fretless basslines, added dimension to Rodgers’ smooth vocals and Page’s layered guitar textures. Page’s tone throughout is very reminiscent of the sound of his overdubs on Led Zeppelin’s Coda.

Opening track “Closer” cleverly uses a subtle horn section to good effect, while “Someone to Love” represents all the good elements of the band in one number. Rodgers’ “Radioactive” was actually a minor hit for the band, its quirkiness overcoming the goofiness of the lyrics.

The album’s best cut is “Satisfaction Guaranteed”, a mid-tempo gem with a snaky and exotic Page riff and a heartfelt vocal performance by Rodgers. The album-closing “Midnight Moonlight” could have been the Firm’s best song, but the underwhelming arrangement and superfluous backing vocals partially destroyed it. The fact that “Midnight Moonlight” was actually an unfinished Led Zeppelin cut entitled “Swansong”, left over from the Physical Graffiti sessions, led some to believe that Page had run out of new ideas for the project.

While it is true that this album isn’t as uniformly excellent as Led Zeppelin’s work, it is the best from this short-lived band and turned out to be Page’s most consistent effort from the entire decade of the ’80s.

Line-up:
* Paul Rodgers – Vocals, Guitar
* Jimmy Page – Guitar
* Tony Franklin – Bass, Keyboards, Synthesizer
* Chris Slade – Drums, Percussion, Back Vocals

Track List:
01. Closer – 2:52
02. Make or Break – 4:21
03. Someone to Love – 4:55
04. Together – 3:54
05. Radioactive – 2:49
06. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling (Mann/Weil/Spector) – 4:33
07. Money Can’t Buy – 3:35
08. Satisfaction Guaranteed – 4:07
09. Midnight Moonlight – 9:13

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Chris Slade, Firm, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers

Ozric Tentacles – Floor's Too Far Away (2006) (@256)

10 Feb 2008

(Review from amazon)

The new millenium sure didn’t seem kind to the band. Their second label, Stretchy went under around 2001. They were going through so many lineup changes that you couldn’t even keep track (they even had Hal Waters for a short in the band – none other than the son of Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame!). They tried to mend relations with Snapper, but apparently did not want to continue recording for them, so they moved to Magna Carta. “Spirals in Hyperspace” became more of an Ed Wynne solo album than an Ozric album (with only band members participating on three cuts). Ed even brought his wife, Brandi Wynne to the band. Perhaps the biggest shock was the departure of John Egan, although you have to bear in mind he was not an original member (he did not appear on their first four early cassette releases, it was only 1988′s Sliding Gliding Worlds that he made his first appearance). Still John Egan would be sorely missed, because he was responsible for those wonderful exotic flutes (he used both modern, Western flutes, and Eastern flutes, like the ney) that gave the Ozrics music that extra dimension.

With all that, “The Floor’s Too Far Away” features Ed (as always) with Brandi, and new drummer Matt Shmigelsky aka “Metro”. Tom Brooks, after a 20 year abscence has made a return to the band (excluding his guest appearance on Erpland) providing plenty of synth bubbles. Merv even guests on “Armchair Journey”, so the presence of Merv and Tom on this album comes to prove that Ed hadn’t forgotten his previous bandmates. Blim is back, once again, providing nice cover artwork, she is to the Ozrics what Roger Dean was to Yes.

Wynne jokingly refers to Ozric music as “ethnological forgery”, but Ozrics’ “The Floor’s Too Far Away”, is far from bogus. Recorded in Wynne’s home studio in Somerset, England, the nine-track, all-instrumental album is a musical reflection of Wynne’s centrifugal creative vision – a vision synthesized into a spiraled, multifaceted tapestry of butt-moving, trance-inducing ethno-techno space rock. “I’ve always been interested in Eastern music” Wynne says. “But none of the scales I use are official, traditional Eastern scales. They are just snippets of what I have picked up over the years from traveling to different places and keeping my ears open”.

There’s probably not one bad Ozric album you can came across. How many bands that been around for over 20 years now can claim this? Not too many. Nice to see them going this strong after all these years.

Line-up:
- Ed Wynne / guitar, keyboards
- Matt Shmigelsky (Metro) / drums
- Brandi Wynne / bass, synthesizers
- Merv Pepler / percussion (2)
- Tom Brooks / bubs

Track List:
01. Bolshem (4:48)
02. Armchair Journey (5:53)
03. Jellylips (6:07)
04. Vedavox (2:51)
05. Spacebase (9:36)
06. Disdots (6:48)
07. Etherclock (8:01)
08. Splat! (8:59)
09. Ping (6:39)

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Ed Wynne, Ozric Tentacles

Ian Anderson – Divinities: Twelve Dances with God (1995) (@256)

09 Feb 2008

7 comments

(Review from amazon, progreviews.com)

12 tracks has been portrayed as 12 dances with God and name of the tracks are the name of the places where the dances happen.

Anderson constrains himself entirely to flute in this all-instrumental album. The instrumentals display considerable variation in mood and feel. Not surprisingly they contain many of the elements that have at some point shown up in Jethro Tull’s music, such as Celtic (“In a Stone Circle”) and classical (“In Sight of the Minaret”) influences. However, Anderson also allows his imagination to stretch a bit more. He explores African influences on “En Afrique” and turns the Irish whiskey into Darjeeling tea for “In the Times of India (Bombay Valentine)”, which reprises the theme of “In a Stone Circle”. Also, compare the bamboo flute invoking entirely Eastern moods on “In Maternal Grace” with “In Defence of Faiths”, which sounds like a hymnal you’d hear walking into St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Anybody who has listened to Heavy Horses has no doubt about Ian Anderson’s ability to compose a complex interplay of instruments. While none of his songs are what anyone would call heavy, there is a lot of variation in the dynamics and mood of his album. Some passages consist of a fulte playing a simple melody over the long, sustained chords of a keyboard, while others involve exciting rhythmic patterns jumping from instrument to instrument.

In Divinities, Anderson captures the essence of a Tao of music with his creative orchestrations, compositions and flute playing.

Line-up:
- Ian Anderson / flutes
with
- Andrew Giddings / keyboards
- Doane Perry / percussion
- Douglas Mitchell / clarinet
- Christopher Cowie / oboe
- Jonathon Carrey / violin
- Nina Gressin / cello
- Randy Wigs / harp
- Sid Gander / french horn
- Dan Redding / trumpet

Track List:
01. In a Stone Circle (3:25)
02. In Sight of Minaret (3:54)
03. In a Black Box (3:24)
04. In the Grip of Stronger Stuff (2:48)
05. In Maternal Grace (3:21)
06. In the Moneylender’s Temple (3:19)
07. In Defence of Faiths (3:11)
08. At Their Father’s Knee (5:43)
09. En Afrique (2:54)
10. In the Olive Garden (2:50)
11. In the Pay of Spain (4:05)
12. In the Times of India [Bombay Valentine] (8:09)

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Ian Anderson

Ian Anderson – Walk into Light (1983) (@256)

09 Feb 2008

(Review from progreviews.com)

After 15 years helming one of the most successful British groups of the 70s, Ian Anderson finally decided to release a solo album under his own name. This decision must have raised more than a few eyebrows, for excepting the band’s debut album, Anderson pretty much was and is Jethro Tull, to the point that people even think that’s his name. So why bother?

Anderson explains this album as an attempt to step away from the organic aspects performed on the more traditional instruments that had defined Jethro Tull up to that point. From the liner notes of the album, Anderson recognized that the 70s were closing fast, and wanted to do his best to remain relevant with the direction British pop music was moving in by embracing the new keyboard technology being utilized by new wave bands on the rise. Walk into Light actually represents a collaborative effort between Anderson and keyboardist Peter-John Vettese, who co-wrote half the songs here, something up to that point that would be unheard of for a typical Tull album.

Indeed, a picture says a thousand words: compare the dapper Anderson in business-like attire amidst the grey monochrome here with the album cover of Songs from the Wood, six years previously. The sound is light years from the folky earthiness of late 70s Tull, and dominated by synthesizers that have long since passed into history: the Rhodes Chroma (released just the year before), the popular Yamaha CP80 electric piano, and a small company of Rolands: the Jupiter 8, Promars, and MC202. When backed by the Linn Drum machine and a pristine sound quality, you should get the picture. Finally, the lyrical imagery also falls lock-step into place. There’s no way “Jack o’ the Green” or “Hunter Girl” could survive in this synthetic environment, so instead we have songs about television, trains, computers, and other objects of modern industry.

Yet, this isn’t a bad album. Despite the de-emphasis of the flute and overemphasis of the synths and Linn, many of the songs still basically sound at heart like Jethro Tull tunes. The intricate counterplay, odd time signatures, richly descriptive lyrics, and Anderson’s very particular phrasing of melody (even the verse of “Walk into Light” sounds in parts somewhat reminiscent of “Mother Goose” from Aqualung), combined with Vettese’s virtuosity (check out that solo on “Different Germany”).

This album has got some decent songs, particular “Fly by Night,” “Made in England,” “Looking for Eden,” and “User-Friendly”. The very catchy “Trains” would have made a good single. Given the times and comparative primitiveness of the technology, Vettese must be given credit for drawing a wide variety of interesting sounds and effects out of these keys.

In retrospect, one can get an understanding of why Walk into Light was a commercial and critical failure. The songs were still too much like Jethro Tull to reach a new audience, while at the same time not nearly Jethro Tull enough in instrumentation to be accepted by loyal fans. In short, an album that ended up on the fence, rather than on either side of it where it stood more of chance. A shame, since again it’s not too bad an album, if you can get past the datedness. Anderson would give it one more shot, taking this sound as well as Vettese to the mother band for their next album, the similarly rejected Under Wraps.

Line-up:
- Ian Anderson / other instruments and serious vocals
- Peter-John Vetesse / vocal, synthesizers, piano and blouse

Track List:
01. Fly by night (3:51)
02. Made in England (4:57)
03. Walk into light (3:08)
04. Trains (3:18)
05. End game (3:17)
06. Black and white television (3:35)
07. Toad in the hole (3:22)
08. Looking for Eden (3:40)
09. User-friendly (3:59)
10. Different Germany (5:22)

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Ian Anderson

Anomaly in the space-time continuum

09 Feb 2008

Something weird is going on with the timestamping of blog.hr, recent postings disappearing to be posted in the future and then re-appearing.

I’m temporarily posting new albums dated as 07.02 as a work-around until they fix the problem.

Ozric Tentacles – Spirals in Hyperspace (2004) (@256)

08 Feb 2008

(Review from ministry-of-information.co.uk, hybridmagazine.com)

In theory, their 2004 album should be radically different to all foregoing releases, as it’s an Ed Wynne solo album in all but name. Of the current nominal lineup of the band, Zia and Seaweed only appear on one track, John only on that same track and one other, and Schoo only on those two plus a third. In terms of writing, three tracks are credited to the band, one to Ed and Merv, and the remaining five to Ed alone. As always, Ed was also the recording engineer and producer, working from his own studio (I think) in Somerset. The artwork isn’t explicitly credited, but includes five Erpman doodles by… guess who. Breaking from this trend, Ed doesn’t play glide bass on ‘Chewier’, nor ‘spikes’ (techno sounds) on ‘Plasmoid’. No, they’re provided by a totally different person, Brandi Wynne… er, Ed’s wife.

Yet the practical impact is less than expected, and this sounds like the Ozrics, merely with shifted emphases. With a couple of exceptions such as ‘Zoemetra’, the overtly ‘Eastern’ influences of foregoing albums seem to have been reduced, taking lesser roles in the soundscape. There’s also a slightly more ‘electronic’ feel than before; live bass only appears on two of the nine tracks; live drums are on three.

It may be a far step from their earlier tripped out, guitar oriented, psychedelic meanderings, but this is still music to sit in your living room and watch the colours and trails unreservedly zipping out of the television set… and your friends’ eye-sockets.

Line-up:
- Ed Wynne / guitar, keyboards, mind colours, programming
- Schoo / drums (1,6,9)
- Seaweed / synthesizers & bubbles (6), kindling (1)
- John Egan / Ney, Blul, Duduk & Silver flute (6,9)
- Zia Geelani / bass (6)
- Merv Pepler / drum programming & Samp-S’N'Stuff (8)
- Brandi Wynne / Glide bass (1), Spikes (5), Tea (8)
- Steve Hillage & Miquette Giraudi / guitar & additional synthesizers (7)

Track List:
01. Chewier (5:26)
02. Spirals in Hyperspace (9:51)
03. Slinky (8:39)
04. Toka Tola (7:46)
05. Plasmoid (5:17)
06. Oakum (9:03)
07. Akasha (7:27)
08. Psychic Chasm (8:44)
09. Zoemetra (7:23)

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Ed Wynne, Ozric Tentacles

Ozric Tentacles – Live at the Pongmasters Ball (2002) (@256 + Video)

07 Feb 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

The band lost their previous drummer Rad at the beginning of 2001, so he was replaced by Stuart Fisher, better known as Schoo, and he is put to good work on this concert. Unsurprisingly, the music is live reruns of material you are already familiar with, but of course the band included added on solos and ambient experiments as well.

Material as far back as “Sliding Gliding Worlds” (“Kick Muck”, “It’s a Hup Ho World”) is represented, up to the title track of “Pyramidion”. Also you get “Oakum”, a song that previously appeared only as a fan club-only issued CD called Oakum, released in 2001. I never heard the original, but this live version is amazing. It starts off deceptively like the beginning part of Steve Hillage’s “Rainbow Dome Musick”, before the synth rhythms kick in and the band really starts jamming with great analog synth leads.

The most amazing thing of this whole concert is it sounds like the band is returning to that earlier sound. They really seemed to cut back on the techno, reminding of their early cassette-era material, except the band is much more experienced at this point, the music has better dynamics. Schoo used nothing but real drums throughout (Rad used combination real and electronic drums), which is a real surprise.

Video: Xvid, 720×576, 25 fps
Audio: MP3, 192 kbit/s
Total Runtime: 117 min

Line-up:
- Ed Wynne / guitar, keyboards
- John Egan / flute, vocals
- Zia Geelani / bass
- Seaweed / keyboards
- Stuart Fisher (Schoo) / drums, percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Oddentity – 11:17
02. Erpland – 5:31
03. Oakum – 8:42
04. Myriapod – 11:10
05. It’s A Hup Ho World – 7:17
06. Pixel Dream – 7:40
07. The Domes Of G’Bal – 6:00
08. Pyramidion – 12:15
CD2
01. Saucers – 8:19
02. Dissolution (The Clouds Disperse) – 12:30
03. Sploosh! – 7:11
04. Ta Khut – 2:35
05. Kick Muck – 5:18
06. The Throbbe – 10:53

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Ed Wynne, Ozric Tentacles, Video

Eagles – Eagles (1972) (@256)

07 Feb 2008

(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)

After their tenure with Linda Ronstadt and with her encouragement; Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner then decided to form their own band. In September 1971, they signed with manager David Geffen, agreeing to record for his soon-to-be-launched label, Asylum Records; soon after, they adopted the name The Eagles as a nod to The Byrds (Leadon had been in Dillard & Clark with former Byrds singer Gene Clark and in The Flying Burrito Brothers with former Byrds Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke).

Balance is the key element of the Eagles’ self-titled debut album, a collection that contains elements of rock & roll, folk, and country, overlaid by vocal harmonies alternately suggestive of doo wop, Beach Boys and Everly Brothers. If the group kicks up its heels on rockers like “Chug All Night”, “Nightingale” and “Tryin’”, it is equally convincing on ballads like “Most of Us Are Sad” and “Train Leaves Here This Morning”.

The album is also balanced among its members, who trade off on lead vocal chores and divide the songwriting such that Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner all get three writing or co-writing credits. Fourth member Don Henley, with only one co-writing credit and two lead vocals, falls a little behind, while Jackson Browne, Gene Clark, and Jack Tempchin also figure in the writing credits.

“Take It Easy” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling” are similar-sounding mid-tempo folk-rock tunes sung by Frey that express the same sort of laid-back philosophy, as indicated by the word “easy” in both titles, while “Witchy Woman”, a Henley vocal and co-composition, initiates the band’s career-long examination of supernaturally evil females.

These three songs became huge hits but the complete album from which they come belongs as much to Leadon’s country-steeped playing and singing and to Meisner’s melodic rock & roll feel, which, on the release date, made it seem a more varied and consistent effort than it did later, when the singles had become overly familiar.

Line-up:
* Glenn Frey – lead guitars, keyboards, lead vocals
* Don Henley – drums, guitar, lead vocals
* Bernie Leadon – lead guitar, banjo, lead vocals
* Randy Meisner – bass guitar, lead vocals

Track List:
01. Take It Easy – 3:34
02. Witchy Woman – 4:14
03. Chug All Night – 3:18
04. Most of Us Are Sad – 3:38
05. Nightingale – 4:08
06. Train Leaves Here This Morning – 4:13
07. Take the Devil – 4:04
08. Earlybird – 3:03
09. Peaceful Easy Feeling – 4:20
10. Tryin’ – 2:54

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Ozric Tentacles – Swirly Termination (2002) (@320)

07 Feb 2008

(Review from wikipedia, progressiveworld.net)

Though released in 2002 this record contains songs made as early as 1992. The reason for this is that the band had to deliver one more album to their record company, Snapper Music, before parting ways, and thus came up with some previously unreleased material.

The album was not promoted by the band in any way and, apart from the songs itself, they did not contribute to either the title nor the artwork.

Regardless of the inconsistencies and incompleteness of this release in other areas besides the music itself, it is the Ozrics after all, a fantastic listening experience.

Line-up:
- Ed Wynne / guitar, keyboards
- John Egan / flute, vocals
- Zia Geelani / bass
- Seaweed / keyboards
- Rad / drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Steep (3:12)
02. Space Out (8:28)
03. Pyoing (4:29)
04. Far Dreaming (5:24)
05. Waldorfdub (6:13)
06. Kick 98 (6:03)
07. Voy Mandala (11:52)

Links in comments.

Ed Wynne, Ozric Tentacles

Jethro Tull – Aqualung Live (2004) (@256)

06 Feb 2008