Freedom to Music
Archive for May, 2009
Wishbone Ash – Timeline Live (1991) (@256)
31 May 2009
Thanks to Penny Cilin for the contribution.
(Info from wishboneash.co.uk)
Recorded at Nagoya Bottom Line, on 23th of May, 1991; this recording features Andy Powell, Martin Turner, Ted Turner and Ray Weston – not the strongest live performance from this period by any means, but the only available live recording from this era. An early BBC session completes the package.
Line-up:
* Andy Powell – guitar
* Martin Turner – bass
* Ted Turner – guitar
* Ray Weston – drums
Track List:
01. Lost Cause in Paradise – 4:58
02. Standing in the Rain – 6:11
03. This Strange Affair – 5:00
04. The King Will Come – 6:50
05. Throw Down the Sword – 5:57
06. In The Sun – 6:19
07. Why Don’t We – 8:15
08. Wings of Desire – 4:18
09. Time Was – 2:30
10. The Living Proof – 5:59
11. Blowin’ Free – 9:17
12. Vas Dis – 4:17
13. Where Were You Tomorrow – 5:45
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Wishbone Ash – BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert (1972) (@256)
30 May 2009
Thanks to Penny Cilin for the contribution.
(Info from wishboneash.co.uk)
Recorded at London, Paris Theatre on May 25th 1972 — this is the legendary 1972 BBC In Concert programme, featuring 70+ minutes of live Wishbone Ash at their peak, just after the release of Argus.
Line-up:
* Andy Powell – guitar
* Martin Turner – bass
* Ted Turner – guitar
* Steve Upton – drums
Track List:
01. Blowin’ Free – 5:51
02. Time Was – 9:51
03. Jailbait – 5:00
04. The Pilgrim – 10:31
05. Warrior – 5:40
06. Throw Down the Sword – 6:31
07. The King will Come – 7:41
08. Phoenix – 19:37
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Kaleidoscope – White Faced Lady (1971) (@256)
29 May 2009
(Review from progarchives.com)
This album was in fact made by the progressive encarnation of “Kaleidoscope”, whose name was “Fairfield Parlour”, recorded in 1971. At the early stages, the band had the help of Moody Blues’ Mike Pinder, who was setting a studio at his home. Unfortunately, at that time, the band was not so popular and lost their deal at Vertigo shortly after the completion of the album. They tried to move to RCA, but the company didn’t want to risk the release of a double album by a relatively unknown band. The band completed the album, but couldn’t get another deal and the album was shelved till the 90s, when the interest in old psychedelic and progressive rock resurfaced.
The sound is different from psychedelic beginning, more folk and symphonic, though with some psychedelic influences still evident. The songs are mostly short, but their themes are connected, since the album was made to be a rock-opera, with lyrics and a history of the concept in the booklet, about the life of the White-Faced Lady, an innocent girl that becomes a movie star by accident and eventually has achieved the stardom, but lately only faced the downsides of life.
“Overture” is a complete orchestral-instrumental piece, with a very beautiful brass and strings, along with the band, which enters in the middle of the track. The song is a very beautiful beginning to the album. “Broken Mirrors” is attached to “Overture”, and starts with good acoustic guitar, inventive bass lines, some bits of flute and excellent singing. The lush orchestral arrangements come back during the chorus, along with electric guitar, plus some percussive sounds working as effects.
Next song is is a “homage” to Elvis, which in fact turns to be a not proper “homage” because the in lyrics, the White-Faced Lady, nicknamed Angel, is pregnant and hoping Elvis is going to marry her. By reading the booklet, you discover that she was only “psychologically pregnant”. The song is very mellow, with good acoustic guitar riff and drumming. There is an orchestral interlude in the middle of the song, that goes with the song till the end.
“Nursey, Nursey” starts with horns and sound effects, then turning in an electric folkish song with good guitar riff, drumming, some harmonica sounding like a brass instrument and a somewhat catchy chorus. Then comes “Heaven in the back row” with good piano and harpsichord intro, plus electric guitar and drums in the chorus and gorgeous orchestral arrangements, as usual appearing during the song. The vocal melody is very beautiful, both during the verses and during the chorus, that has some good bass lines.
“Burning Bright”, is another beautiful ballad, and is rather short, with acoustic guitar and percussion intro and orchestral arrangements and electric instruments in the chorus and instrumental interludes. The vocal and orchestral arrangements are very delicate and beautiful. “Matchseller” has a long and good classical acoustic guitar intro before comes the singing and then keyboards, good bass lines, drums and some flute in the bridge and the chorus. The vocals are superb as usual.
“Coronation of the Fledgling” is a short orchestral interlude, though some versions of the album list this song as the orchestral interlude plus the first part of the next song. “All hail to the hero” starts with good guitar (electric and acoustic), along with great bass sound and keyboards. Then the song changes in another part, less folk and more psychedelic rock, with remarkable chorus, good lead guitar, bass, flute, along with good brass arrangement.
“White-Faced Lady” is an organ based song, with beautiful piano, bass and drums added progressively. The vocal work is top-notch, with changes and a pompous chorale. The chorus is guitar based and different from the rest of the song. The song marks the end of the first part of the album, dominated by folkish mellow songs.
The second part of the album has longer songs, more rocking, including some jamming. The first song is “Freefall”, that starts with sound effects and then with acoustic guitar riff and horns. The chorus has lush orchestral arrangements. The song has some changes in the rhythm and the end is a instrumental part (except for some repeating of the name of the song), with good piano, orchestral arrangements and bird sound effects. “Standing” has also two parts, that are split in some versions of the album. The first part is a psychedelic percussive part, with very unusual percussion riff, along with a good bass riff. The second part has organ and electric guitars as the main sounds, some interesting bass and flute. With some changes, the song is notably psychedelic, including some short jamming in the end of the song. “Diary song: The indian head” is a short song with a woman singing like in a prey, though in some versions of the album The Indian Head is the second part of Standing and the woman part is part of the next song.
“Song from Jon” is much different from the overall mood of the album, being the most elaborate of the album, with a somber mood. It starts with a dense acoustic guitar riff, along with some piano. The vocal melody has a tense mood. The song adds electric guitar, sitar, flute, percussion, keyboards, even going into an instrumental part with indian flavor. The song end in an instrumental jam, with guitar solos, variations, different sounds, etc. The song represents a turning point in the concept history, when the things start go wrong for the protagonist, which will be furthered in the next songs. “Long Way Down” is a song with great bass lines and good guitar riff. The mood of the song reflects something more serious and philosophical, reflecting the tone the song has in the history of the rock-opera. The guitar and bass interplay is excellent.
“Locket” returns to the mood of the first part of the album, but it is a rather sad song. The song has beautiful acoustic guitar, piano and chimes, plus some beautiful flute in the chorus. The vocal melody is superb. “Picture with Conversation” is based on guitar, both acoustic and electric. The piano is beautiful and delicate. There is some strong bass lines and good drumming, both regular and percussive effects. The song has an instrumental ending that returns to the first musical themes presented in the album, with different arrangements.
“Epitaph: Angel” provides the perfect ending. It starts with singing only, and goes building over the same theme, introducing a beautiful female chorale, acoustic guitar, bass, drumming, electric guitar, piano and orchestral arrangements, peaking three times in a superb way. Pay attention to the superb classical guitar and bass interplay and feel all the beauty of the vocal melody and lush orchestral arrangements.
“White Faced Lady” unfortunately was unreleased at the time, leading to the collapse of the band. The fate prevented the band to make more concept-albums like this one and we could never see how Kaleidoscope would evolve in the “golden age of progressive”.
Line-up:
- Peter Daltrey / vocals, keyboards
- Eddie Pumer / guitar
- Steve Clark / bass, flute
- Dan Bridgeman / drums
Track List:
01. Overture – 2:48
02. Broken Mirrors – 2:49
03. Angel’s Song- Dear Elvis Presley – 2:39
04. Nursey, Nursey – 3:47
05. Small Song – Heaven In The Back Row – 3:21
06. Burning Bright – 2:03
07. The Matchseller – 3:50
08. The Coronation Of The Fledging – 0:20
09. All Hail To The Hero – 5:03
10. White Faced Lady – 4:41
11. Freefall – 5:13
12. Standing – 6:12
13. Diary Song- The Indian Head – 0:54
14. Song From Jon – 6:56
15. Long Way Down – 4:05
16. The Locket – 2:58
17. Picture With Conversation – 3:38
18. Epitaph- Angel – 7:48
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Kaleidoscope – Faintly Blowing (1969) (@256)
28 May 2009
(Review from progarchives.com)
Faintly Blowing was the second and last Kaleidoscope album at the time they were active, since the band would change its name to Fairfield Parlour and would change its style to folk progressive rock. As Kaleidoscope, their music is pure british psychedelia. Compared with their debut, “Tangerine Dream”, Faintly Blowing is a clear progression in psychedelic techniques and studio wizardry. The songwriting is strong as in their first album, so it has everything to be a good album.
The highlights include “Music”, “Feathered Tiger”, “If you so Wish” and “(Love Song) For Annie”.
“(Love Song) For Annie”, surprisingly, has hard rock arrangements during the verses, with good keyboard and guitar. This part alternates this with a mellow chorus, with chimes, acoustic guitar and mellow singing. “If you so wish” is a beautiful song, with great acoustic guitar arrangements, some orchestral arrangements, woodwinds and beautiful vocal arrangements. “Feathered Tiger” is clearly inspired by “Sky Children”, from their previous album. It is a long stotytelling song, with a nice guitar riff. The long lyrics and the singing shows a strong Dylan influence. “Music” is a shining jewel of psychedelic rock, with strong rhythm section and powerful guitars dressed with distortion, phasing and feedback. From the middle to the end, the song becomes avant-gardish, with lots of effects and studio trickeries.
This edition of the album comes with a lot of nice bonus tracks, including new songs like Do It Again For Jeffrey, which is a nice psychedelic song, Let the World Wash In, which was the theme song of 1970 Isle of Wight festival, inluding sitars and flutes, and Mediaeval Masquerade, a medieval instrumental song, that suits better Fairfield Parlour.
The album is more psychedelic and more folkish and points slightly to the direction “Fairfield Parlour” would take.
Line-up:
- Peter Daltrey / vocals, keyboard
- Eddie Pumer / guitar
- Steve Clark / bass
- Danny Bridgman / drums
Track List:
01. Faintly Blowing – 4:10
02. Poem – 2:55
03. Snapdragon – 2:44
04. A Story From Tom Bitz – 3:47
05. (Love Song) For Annie – 2:35
06. If You So Wish – 3:42
07. Opinion – 0:20
08. Bless The Executioner – 3:00
09. Black Fjord – 3:15
10. The Feathered Tiger – 5:11
11. I’ll Kiss You Once – 0:59
12. Music – 6:10
13. Do It Again For Jeffrey (Bonus) – 3:16
14. Poem (Bonus Mono Single) – 2:54
15. Baloon (Bonus) – 2:20
16. If You So Wish (Bonus Mono Single) – 3:42
17. Let The World Wash In (Bonus) – 4:13
18. Mediaeval Masquerade (Bonus) – 2:41
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Kaleidoscope – Tangerine Dream (1967) (@256)
27 May 2009
(Review from progarchives.com)
The English band Kaleidoscope (not to be confused with American band which existed at the same time and played basically psychedelic rock too) is an almost forgotten band from the late 60s and early 70s.
The music of Kaleidoscope is firmly rooted in the 1960′s. It is intensely vocal, with little instrumental development and generally short highly melodic tracks. Albums such as Beatles’ “Sgt Pepper” and “Revolver” clearly had a strong influence on both the melodies and the lyrics here.
The music’s not very progressive since it has not many experimental sounds, no electronics, no jamming and the classical parts are subtle, but the arrangements are excellent, with solid drumming, great guitar, superb vocals by one of the most underrated vocalists ever (Peter Daltrey), beautiful melodies and an efficient psychedelia both in happy songs and sad songs. The lyrics are superb and the production is excellent.
The selftitled opener, “Kaleidoscope”, has great drumming and percussion, nice guitar and bass riffs and excellent vocal harmonies. The song is rather short and doesn’t leave much space for variations, but for many breaks in the riffs. While “Kaleidoscope” is a happy song, “Please Excuse My Face” is a beautiful sad psychedelic ballad, with great vocal melody and a beautiful acoustic guitar riff with some interesting progressions.
“Dive Into Yesterday” is the song with the most unusual structure. There are different parts and moods. The guitar has many interesting variations, with some effects during the different parts. The drums accompain the changes of the song structure, with many different drumming patterns. The vocal melody is very good.
“Mr. Small, The Watch Repairer” has a wicked percussion pattern and very different tones for guitar and keyboards, with some orchestral-like sounds, being a very traditional psychedelic song, more focused in different sounds. “Flight from Ashiya” has bass pedals with a very different guitar riff, with many variations in the sound of the guitar over the same tone. The vocal melodies are superb in the one again. Next song, “Murder of Lewis Tollani”, is somber in lyrics and sound with strange guitar effects during the verses, making a somber sound and the part after the chorus is much more somber. The flow of the song is uncommon and it adds to the drama of the song, talking of a murder.
“Further Reflections In The Room Of Percussion” is another superb psychedelic song. The first verses are common psychedelic, but the verses before the chorus have a subtle dissonance that grows until the chorus that is different that the rest of the song. The next times the dissonant part appears, it becomes more and more dissonant because it turns into guitar effects. The vocal melodies in this song is superb also.
“Dear Nelly Goodrich” is a very beautiful psychedelic ballad that starts with a good classical acoustic guitar riff and mellow singing in one channel and then comes the harpsichord in the other channel and after the rhythm section. The instrumental interlude has interesting interplay between the guitar and the harpsichord. The lyrics are innocent and fit very well the sound of the harpsichord.
“Holidaymaker” has many sounds of a beach, brass and light psychedelic arrangements, being a very traditional happy psychedelic song. The lyrics are also festive. “A Lesson Perhaps” is a great song with only a very beautiful classical acoustic guitar riff and with philosophical lyrics spoken with a good amount of drama according to the content of the history being told.
The last song is “The Sky Children”, with 8 minutes. It is not a psychedelic jam neither a suite, but a story telling song with extensive lyrics and a beautiful instrumental arrangement of keyboards and guitar. The arrangement does not change much, just some few progressions over the same theme and some heavenly chimes. The vocals are superb and have the right tone to the childish dreamy story. The extensive lyrics are superb constructed and this song even it not being a crazy psychedelic jamming or an early multi-section suite it is a masterpiece of its own.
A number of bonus tracks are included on this edition of the album, including an obvious attempt at finding that elusive hit single (the band were under pressure from the record label to do so) “Jenny Artichoke”. The song has much in common with the Hollies “Jennifer Eccles”. The brief “Just how much you are” is pleasantly orchestrated, bringing to mind a Herman’s Hermit’s B side “The most beautiful thing in my life”. An obscure reference perhaps, but it gives a good indication of the type of music we have here.
Line-up:
- Peter Daltrey / vocals, keyboard
- Eddie Pumer / guitar
- Steve Clark / bass
- Danny Bridgman / drums
Track List:
01. Kaleidoscope – 2:14
02. Please Excuse My Face – 2:10
03. Dive Into Yesterday – 4:46
04. Mr. Small, The Watch Repairer Man – 2:42
05. Flight From Ashiya – 2:40
06. The Murder Of Lewis Tollani – 2:47
07. (Further Reflections) In The Room Of Percussion – 3:19
08. Dear Nellie Goodrich – 2:46
09. Holidaymaker – 2:29
10. A Le – 2:41
11. The Sky Children – 8:00
12. Flight From Ashiya (Bonus Mono Single) – 2:40
13. Holiday Maker (Bonus Mono Single) – 2:29
14. A Dream For Julie (Bonus) – 2:46
15. Please Excuse My Face (Bonus Mono Single) – 2:10
16. Jenny Artichoke (Bonus) – 2:36
17. Just How Much You Are (Bonus) – 2:10
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Judas Priest – Live in Concert 25th June 1980 (@256)
26 May 2009
(Review from amazon)
There was a time when British Steel was the hottest, hardest, and most awesome substance on the planet. This concert by the mighty Judas Priest was performed and recorded at the The Rainbow Music Hall, Denver, Colorado, 25th of June 1980. Judas Priest had just released the ‘British Steel’ album in April of 1980 and were once again touring the great expanse of North America. This concert is the bands first ever performance in Colorado and they make sure it is a special night for the sold-out audience.
This album captures Judas Priest on a night when they were “on” as they say in the ‘biz. The show opens with the famous “thunder” intro to “Metal Gods”. The band then rips not into “Metal Gods” but “Hell Bent For Leather”. The band then proceeds into “The Ripper” and “Running Wild”. Halford then introduces their new single at the time “Living After Midnight” and Tipton exhorts the rabid audience to “come on!”
The renditions of “Sinner” and “Beyond The Realms Of Death” are great but the real winners here are the new songs off of ‘British Steel’; “You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise”; “Grinder” and especially “Steeler” really rock. Getting to hear the band perform “Steeler” live is a real treat because they rarely play this song live!
Amazingly, Judas Pries manages to up the energy even more with a fantastic back-to-back performance of “Genocide” and “Tyrant”! The ‘explosions’ heard at the end of “Tyrant” occured when Halford came on stage with a faux machine gun and pretended to spray the audience with bullets! The night closes out with the Peter Green penned “Green Manalishi”.
The audio quality of this album is generally good; yes, there are some minor audio fluctuations in the very beginning but this occurs during the echo portions of Halford’s vocals when he is singing “The Ripper” and “Running Wild”. The audio dips slightly during “Living After Midnight” but is brought to equilibrium halfway through.
Line-up:
* Rob Halford – vocals
* K.K. Downing – guitars
* Glenn Tipton – guitars
* Ian Hill – bass guitar
* Dave Holland – drums
Track List:
01. Hell Bent for Leather – 2:54
02. The Ripper – 2:51
03. Running Wild – 3:30
04. Living After Midnight – 3:44
05. Sinner – 7:50
06. Beyond the Realms of Death – 6:50
07. You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise – 5:42
08. Grinder – 4:00
09. Victim of Changes – 7:50
10. Steeler – 5:34
11. Genocide – 10:43
12. Tyrant – 6:06
13. Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) – 3:20
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Exmagma – Exmagma 3 (1975) (@256)
25 May 2009
(Review from green-brain-krautrock.de)
This, the band’s third album from 1975, was intended as a double-LP but never got released until recently.
While all the influences, from Hendrix via Soft Machine to ‘Bitches Brew’-Miles Davis, remained intact, the band at this stage had clearly developed a great ability in songwriting and singing. Which made a difference compared to their first two -strictly instrumental- albums, which didn’t always make things easier for the average rock fan. ’3′s not Kraut, it’s not rock, it’s not jazz, it’s not avantgarde. It’s all of that in perfect balance! And the result is much bigger than the sum of the parts.
Line-up:
- Thomas Balluff / organ, electric piano, clavinett-c effects
- Fred Braceful / sonor drums, percussion extraordinaire
- Andy Goldner / fretless electric bass, electric guitar, alto sax, tape recorder
Track List:
01. Box 25 – 3:35
02. My Baby’s Gone I’m Out Of Tune Blues – 2:07
03. Torpedo Tits – 3:58
04. Fred Braceful Is Talkin’ To Bread Faithful – 1:13
05. It’s So Nice – 6:05
06. Rock & Roll – 7:45
07. Weltstar – 0:17
08. The Pope – 5:49
09. Uberm Beutental – 3:19
10. Dr. Phil S.H. – 7:34
11. Qu’est-ce Que c’est- – 1:19
12. Da Da Too – 2:28
13. Stoned Chicken – 5:25
14. In Arkansas Steht ‘n Atomkraftwerk – 1:11
15. Full Moon Again – 12:06
16. Walkin’ On Ice – 4:27
17. If I Could – 0:18
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Exmagma – Goldball (1974) (@256)
24 May 2009
(Review from KrautrockGroup)
The second album by this little known jazz fusion/avant garde trio is sure to get your toes-a-tappin’ and you head-a-bobbin’ with its catchy jazz fusion groove. Going against the traditional kraut vein of longer freeform epic instrumentals, ‘Goldball’ contains ten songs that are short and to the point. Despite this reality, the tracks somehow manage to contain a great deal of improvisation. Recorded and mixed by Konrad Plank, the sound is rich and at times a bit cosmic.
The two snappy jazz fusion numbers ‘Marilyn F. Kennedy’ and ‘Dada’ are sure standouts due to their incredible grooves. Showcasing avant garde tendencies, ‘Tango Walperaiso’ and ‘Greetings To The Maroccan Farmers’ offer up unique rythms and sounds. The offbeat, Jam Factory For People Insane’ contains the albums only lyrics and a slight hint at a Faust-like sound. Clocking in at just under the six-minute mark, ‘Habits’ sounds like a mutant hybrid of jazz and space rock elements. Probably the two most overlooked tracks on the album are the short numbers ‘Dance Of The Crabs’ and ‘Last But One Train To Amsterdam’. Both tracks contain rocked up jazz riffs which form a loop and groove into infinity.
Line-up:
- Thomas Balluff / organ, electric piano, clavinett-c effects
- Fred Braceful / sonor drums, percussion extraordinaire
- Andy Goldner / fretless electric bass, electric guitar, alto sax, tape recorder
Track List:
01. Marilyn F. Kennedy – 2:30
02. Dada – 3:36
03. Adventury With Long S.tea – 2:53
04. Groove – 4:53
05. Mango Wolperaiso – 2:36
06. Jam Factory For People Insane – 4:04
07. Habits – 5:57
08. Dance Of The Crabs – 0:53
09. Greetings To The Moroccan Farmers – 6:36
10. Last But One Train To Amsterdam – 0:56
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Exmagma – Exmagma (1973) (@256)
23 May 2009
(Review from progarchives.com)
With two young veterans from Germany’s R’n'B scene who happened to be talented musicians and an extraordinary African American drummer who seemed to have the swing right there under his skins and all over his muscles and bones; the band was originally formed as Magma, later changed to Exmagma after finding out about the French outfit of the same name. The trio of Braceful’s infinite dynamics, Balluff’s avant-garde sensible creativity and Goldner’s vigor and refinement created their sound. Funny how the band’s name makes a straight allusion to the trio’s resignation of its original name – this sort of humor that is evident in the album covers is also present in the music itself, among the obvious cleverness provided on the articulated jams, improvisational moves and strategic variations.
The 1973 eponymous debut album is an outstanding example of experimental jazz-rock with a high degree of psychedelic heat and a lucid progressive-oriented awareness.
‘The First Tune’ is the first tune in the album, although more exactly it is a conglomerated series of various tunes. With a basis of organ, bass and drum kit, the band first indulges on a slow-tempo 3 minute jam full of psychedelic vibe; the second section is a brief interlude that states a denser aura, featuring distorted clavinet and a more distorted bass guitar (pretty much like Soft Machine at its noisiest), while the drummer brings complex adornments to his steady funky rhythm pace; the third and last section turns down the density a bit while retaining the power and the funk-oriented foundation. ‘Tonjes Dream Interruption’ further enhances the Soft Machine connection (“Third” and “Fourh” eras) in a very robust fashion, while ‘Interessante Ole’ travels to the North American territory of free jazz, featuring sustained flows on organ and bass conveniently supported by Braceful’s precise swing and soaring rolls. ‘Two Times’ follows with its 2-part sequence: the first one is very soul-oriented, led by the bass guitar’s pounding line, while the second one shifts to an extroverted jazz-rock climax.
The album’s second half is occupied by the gigantic piece ‘Trippin With Birds / Kudu / Horny’, a convincing manifesto of Exmagma’s pretentious of explosive experimental jazz-rock. The artistic goal encompassed in this 19-minute musical journey is so challenging that it really has to be a crowning moment in the history of krautrock, rivalling with the quintaessential weirdness of Faust, the exquisite dynamics of Agitation Free or the Dadaist spirit of Amon Duul II. The ‘Trippin’ with Birds’ section is a deconstructive full of electrifying tension and surreal landscapes that include ultra- spacey organ effects, tortured sax improvisations and calibrated dramatic percussive interventions. The ‘Kudu’ section enters a gradual transition to a jazz-rock jam partially structured under a “free form” guise, plus some extra Hendrixian ingredients (on organ, not guitar). In moments like this, a close relatedness between Exmagma and other jazz-krautrock heroes such as Embryo and Dzyan can be felt. Finally, the ‘Horny’ section finds Goldner switching to guitar, somehow emulating Guru Guru while the whole ensemble aims at a moment of solid dispersion. This monster track is the perfect closure for this spectacularly abrasive gem of krautrock.
Line-up:
- Thomas Balluff / organ, electric piano, clavinett-c effects
- Fred Braceful / sonor drums, percussion extraordinaire
- Andy Goldner / fretless electric bass, electric guitar, alto sax, tape recorder
Track List:
01. The First Tune – 7:37
02. Tonjes Dream Interruption – 4:17
03. Interessante Ole – 2:50
04. Two Times – 2:25
05. Trippin With Birds / Kudu / Horny – 18:48
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Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Live Classics King Biscuit Flower Hour (1974-77) (@256)
22 May 2009
(Review from progarchives.com)
ELP live releases are notorious for overlapping with each other, and this is no exception. Unlike most King Biscuit releases, the tracks included here are not always unique. The recordings are actually sourced from two concerts from 1974 and 1977. The 1974 recordings are from the Tulsa USA performance and the 1977 recordings are from the “Works” tour, were recorded at The Coliseum, Wheeling, West Virginia USA without an orchestra.
In terms of recording quality, the sound here is excellent, Greg Lake’s acoustic guitar passage sounding particularly clear. The bias of the song selection towards the “Works” (Volumes 1 and 2) albums means that many favourites are missing, while space is found for other more prosaic songs such as “Pirates”. The “Piano improvisations” are rather clumsily extracted from the “Take a Pebble” suite, and certainly do not benefit from being presented in isolation.
Better than the numerous bootlegs which the band have recently gathered together and given official releases, but one for dedicated fans of the band only.
Line-up:
- Keith Emerson / keyboards
- Greg Lake / vocals, bass, guitar
- Carl Palmer / drums, percussion
Track List:
01. Peter Gunn Theme – 3:44
02. Tiger In A Spotlight – 4:23
03. C’est La Vie – 4:21
04. Piano Improvisation – 5:40
05. Maple Leaf Rag – 1:17
06. Drum Solo – 1:25
07. The Enemy God – 2:46
08. Watching Over You – 4:13
09. Pirates – 13:28
10. Fanfare For The Common Man – 8:21
11. Hoedown – 4:24
12. Still, You Turn Me On – 3:02
13. Lucky Man – 3:09
14. Piano Improvisation – 7:10
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Jacula – Tardo Pede In Magian Versus (1972) (@256)
21 May 2009
(Review from progarchives.com)
After the first Jacula album, Antonio Bartoccetti and Doris Norton took some time off. They traveled around Europe visiting old castles and returned to the Marches area where they found one to live in. It is at this location in 1971 where they began composition of this second and final Jacula album and again they note the use of séance in their writing. In 1972, now into the classic years of the Italian progressive scene, they rejoined organist Charles Tiring and medium Franz Parthenzy in Milan to record their new work.
This second album is arguably stronger than their fine debut, perhaps more daring, and shows improvement in their skills of performing and arranging. The five tracks that make up this dark, atmospheric feast are more focused than those on the debut. There is more urgency and greater dynamic variation. Rather than being on a path all their own as in 1969 Jacula were now surrounded by the peak of the Italian progressive movement. With all of the influences and activity around them they could have morphed into something more commercial; instead they doubled down and produced an album of unbelievable sincerity. They even dropped much of the Sabbath like electric guitar from the first album. Bartoccetti has said that he enjoyed Iomni’s guitar style but that it was squandered a bit on the trappings of a rock band’s repetitions. Jacula fiercely stays away from any commercial intention here with an avant-garde mixture of classical and progressive styles.
Side one is Jacula at their most intense in places: Charles Tiring again glows with majesty on the church organ, harpsichord, and Moog. In UFDEM he plays more intently than on the first album which could sometimes be laid back in vibe, no such feeling here. Bartoccetti adds in some wicked bass slides here, but the main attraction is Norton’s fierce vocals, she just pours herself into it. All of Norton’s vocals go beyond “singing” which often is mostly entertainment; she truly communicates — channeling emotions and images.
“Praesentia Domini” begins with a gorgeous mix of synth and organ but then turns into one of Jacula’s most sinister tracks. Norton and Bartoccetti begin a spoken word chant that sounds like a ritual summoning or perhaps a séance but the effect is really creepy for those with tender ears. The chanting is Latin and just increases with intensity joined by disturbing moog effects before the organ comes back for a dramatic ending. There first two tracks may be difficult for newbies but hopefully listeners will endure to side two which is more forgiving-just remember, give yourself time to get used to their sound, it grows on you after a spell.
Side two is where “Tardo” really becomes a solidified classic and betters the first album a bit. In “Jacula Valzer” Doris Norton’s wistful, seductive, other-worldly vocalizations float atop a strange mixture of flute, guitar, and effects. The melody here is just mind bogglingly cool. It feels like childhood innocence being lost to some kind of madness or mayhem. It feels like danger disguised as a siren song. It is a break in the heaviness of the music around it and yet it is no break at all, but rather an illusion of levity. From this ethereal foreboding it just gets more and more delicious.
“Long Black Magic Night” is the rose on this black marble alter that is side two. Just fantastic. It begins with a flute solo that says so much in the melody. Haunting flute leads to Doris’s vocal in English this time, over her own violin that sounds amazingly like someone crying. Her accent is heavy as some have noted with derision but the vocal is absolutely effective anyway. It’s like she’s reciting something in a sad, detached way that sort of lulls you to trance. She closes with the prophetic sentence “the long, black, magic night has begun”. After a short pause she repeats the sentence a second time but you hear this brilliant twist on emphasis. The first time the sentence is delivered in a sort of monotone recitation style as the whole track was. But after the pause when she repeats the sentence, you hear a chilling excitement rise in her voice like a vampire whose spotted blood. Very subtle, but you can hear her go from a narrative to character mode, seemingly thrilled that the “magic night” has begun. You can practically see her face changing from solemn to mischievous grin as her words are followed by a loud ominous low end reverberating note.
Closing the album is the beautiful “In Old Castle” which is another long Charles Tiring organ work that allows the listener to decompress a bit after the unease of the previous three tracks. This one sounds a bit more like the debut album-who’d have thought I’d ever fall in love with the sound of an old man playing church organ unaccompanied. So it’s not jaw dropping complexity.it needn’t be. On the whole, a stunning piece of work.
Jacula represent one of the most original and underappreciated groups of the 70s Italian scene. Controversial but above the fray. Beautiful but full of nightmarish impressions. This highly experimental collective centered on Antonio Bartoccetti and vocalist/violinist Doris Norton, uniquely pushed the boundaries between progressive, gothic and classical music. Their compositions are elaborate and dark and drenched in the blood red, funeral church organ of collaborator Charles Tiring. Jacula may well be a love/hate experience for many listeners but for those who dig it, oh man..
Line-up:
- Antonio Bartoccetti / vocals, guitars, bass
- Doris Norton / vocal, synths
- Albert Goodman / drums
- Charles Tiring / church organ, piano
Track List:
01. U.F.D.E.M. – 9:02
02. Praesentia Domini – 10:58
03. Jacula Valzer – 6:21
04. Long Black Magic Night – 6:21
05. In Old Castle – 9:36
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Jacula – In Cauda Semper Stat Venenum (1969) (@256)
20 May 2009
(Review from progarchives.com)
For those who want a snapshot description of the music… look at the album cover… look closely at it and conjure up thoughts of music that might fit it. Music that conjures up up images of rotting decaying flesh, souls not at rest but tormented by things that can only be dreamed of the the most vivid of nightmares. A cover so descriptive of the music… they used the same cover on their second album 3 years later.
Jacula was formed in Milan in 1968 by occultist Antonio Bartoccetti. After finding his creative partner in Doris Norton, a partnership that would last through the next decade, they recorded a landmark album in London in 1969. The album had a limited pressing of some 300 albums, and for many years was forgotten.
The music is fascinatingly dark, moody, atmospheric brand of music that conjures up Sabbath like gloom and doom without crunchingly heavy riffs but through the use of the organ, the church organ in particular. Also absent are silly childish lyrics that some have tried to use to convey horror or darkness. There are vocals here.. spoken word in places.. chantlike in others… that are interspersed through the songs. Never the focus of the songs.. being a narrative if you will.
Bartoccetti is often regarded as one of the finest guitarist to come from this period of Italian rock. This is not his album to shine but what is most striking about his playing on this is a tone that is downright metallic — very different from what others were doing in that year. His guitar is mainly texture on this album though and it leaves plenty of space for keyboardist Charles Tiring. The album is an organ lovers’ fantasy. Though not a solo or a dash of it, the church organ is driving a whole album.
Obviously not a varied album and one that may only apply to certain progressive fans.. and even then.. at certain times and moods. But when the time comes for wanting something dark and atmospheric.. there are few albums better.
Line-up:
- Anthony Bartoccetti / guitar, bass & vocals
- Charels Tiring / keyboards
- Doris Norton / drums, special effects
- Fiamma Dallo Spirito / vocals, violin, flute
Track List:
01. Ajtus – 4:06
02. Magister Dixit – 10:30
03. Triumpratus Sad – 3:34
04. Veneficium – 2:21
05. Initatio – 6:48
06. In Cauda Semper – 10:05
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Gringo – Gringo (1971) (@256)
19 May 2009
(Review from Tapestry of Delights)
Evolving from student beat groups, Utopia / Toast, in 60s Bath; Gringo toured in Europe and even made a living with a club residency on the south coast of France. They were opening act on a UK tour featuring Barclay James Harvest and Caravan.
Their recorded legacy is a quality album of pop-tinged progressive rock that still sounds fresh, with a lightness of touch and many distinctive twists. The song-within-a-song piece, Emma And Harry, is worthy of note, but all nine tracks are good. It is tempting to wonder if “Land of Who Knows Where” may have been inspired by a certain Caravan album released the same year.
Gringo split and John Perry joined Spreadeagle but not in time to play on their only album. The Caravan connection reappeared and he joined that band in time for the “Girls Who Grow Plump” album. He played later with Quantum Jump, Curved Air and Aviator and did a host of session and solo work. Henry Marsh sampled chart success with Sailor, and Simon Byrne worked with Brotherhood of Man among others. There you have Gringo
An overlooked band and album, worth discovering. The B-side of their single is a non-album track.
Line-up:
- Henry Marsh / guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Simon Byrne / drums, vocals
- Casey / vocals
- John G. Perry / bass, vocals
Track List:
01. Cry The Beloved Country – 5:55
02. I’m Another Man – 4:17
03. More And More – 4:43
04. Our Time Is Our Time – 5:05
05. Gently Step Through The Stream – 3:55
06. Emma And Harry – 3:56
07. Moonstone – 4:40
08. Land Of Who Knows Where – 4:06
09. Patriotic Song – 5:18
10. I’m Another Man (Bonus Single) – 3:39
11. Soft Mud (Bonus Single) – 3:16
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Marillion – Early Stages Official Bootleg Box Set (1982-87) (@256)
18 May 2009
(Review from progarchives.com)
This set of live CDs from the BBC’s “In Concert” vaults and EMI’s own recordings, captures Marillion in the years from 1982 to 1987, a period which under the leadership of charismatic frontman/vocalist Fish saw them make the leap from the pubs & clubs, to major festivals & finally to arena headlining status in their own right. It is in the tracks repeated on various discs from this set where you see them growing and progressing (to coin a phrase): “Garden Party” (formerly known as The Garden Party Of The Giant Cucumber Massacre) appears in all but the 1987 recording, “He Knows You Know” in the first three concerts, together with anti war protest Forgotten Sons (just as relevant now as then), and early stage favourite, the 20 minute Grendel, appears in the 1982 Marquee set, and again in stupendous form on the Reading Festival recording from 1983 (ironically, the last time they played the piece on stage) – as an aside, “She Chameleon” is played in the 1982 Glasgow set, a full 2 years before it appeared on their second album Fugazi: slightly different lyrically & musically, but the same song nevertheless.
The first of these recordings, from Glasgow’s Mayfair in September 1982 the week after the band had signed to EMI Records is a mixed affair; Marillion as a young band, having only just attained their first recording contract already had a strong and loyal fan base, and in addition had the bare bones of what would become future stage favourites. The versions recorded here, however suffer from a poor sound balance (Stephen Rothery’s guitar being virtually inaudible throughout), and what appears a fairly nervous performance – far from being faster than the eventual studio recordings, as is usually the way, the versions here are slow and considered. Despite this, however, Fish’s commanding stage presence & the early versions of the (at the time) unreleased first single Market Square Heroes & what would become the debut album closer ‘Forgotten Sons’ save the day.
In 1982, Marillion had a spiritual home – the Marquee in London’s Wardour Street; it is on residencies here they honed their live reputation, and it is one of their final Marquee gigs which is represented in full here by the second and third discs of this set. One of three post Christmas gigs in December 1982 from which crowds had to be turned away due to Marillion’s now huge popularity (at one point, Fish virtually apologises for having to play Hammersmith Odeon in future) and one of their final stepping stones to the larger halls their as yet unreleased first album would guarantee them, these recordings, made only three months after the Glasgow gig, see Marillion as a far more confident & coherent force; the playing is tighter and more assured, the sound balance considerably better, the crowd, packed in like sardines as they were, hugely enthusiastic, and rightly so. The set list is very similar to the Glasgow CD, but here includes the epic Grendel (the confines of the Marquee being ideal for Fish as Grendel to pull a punter out of the front row & ritually dismember him) and the first recorded instance of their playing Script For A Jester’s Tear; at the time a new track they had debuted on these three shows, this is recognisably a very early version, with mellotron replacing piano in the opening & some of the lyrics still at a formative stage. As usual, the set is closed with the usual threesome of Forgotten Sons, Market Square Heroes and the playful if maybe a little over-long crowd favourite, Margaret.
By August 1983, the new progressive rock bands had been taken to the hearts of the rock press, and the Reading Festival, which at the time was the number one music festival for aspiring bands to play, was packed with the new breed, but pride of place again belonged to Marillion, who’d played there mid-Sunday afternoon the previous year, but here made a return on Saturday evening. The year had been a good one for the band, with sold out shows across Britain & Europe, the debut album riding high in the charts, the only down point being the departure of Mick Pointer from the drum stool, temporarily replaced here by session men John Martyr & Andy Wall on drums & percussion respectively. Playing to approximately 40/50,000 people in the open air, subtlety is a casualty, with Marillion having a whale of a time & playing full blown progressive rock. Opening with probably the strongest version now available of Grendel – ironic, as this is the last time it was played live – Marillion’s popularity is immediately in evidence, with the crowd singing along to every word (something noticeable throughout this CD) and the band play off this enthusiasm throughout their 75 minute set. Grendel closes with a mellotron and guitar swathed coda which bears more than a slight resemblance to Yes’ Starship Trooper & then it’s into yet another version of Garden Party with the Reading Festival choir lustily singing back during the call & response section (unsurprisingly strongest on their response to “I’m rucking”). Script For A Jester’s Tear is followed by the first of the new songs here, an almost complete “Assassing”, soon to be the opening track of the second album, and “Charting The Single”, Marillion’s arch swipe at the vagaries of the record industry, and also their next single. With these behind them, Marillion are back in familiar, but understandably populist territory, closing the main set with a storming rendition of Forgotten Sons featuring Fish on superb form, before returning for encores of He Knows You Know, and the predictable, but inescapable Market Square Heroes, which the crowd’s singing and the band’s evident enjoyment of the moment closes the set on a massive high.
At London’s Hammersmith Odeon just over a year later, disc 5 of the set was recorded by the BBC for their ‘In Concert’ series. In the intervening period, the second album Fugazi had been released to a mixed reception and showing the band’s starting to move away from the symphonic progressive rock of their original influences, to forging a sound more recognisably their own. The Hammersmith Odeon disc sees Marillion in confident rock band mode, with a much more focused, cleaner and tighter sound (courtesy of Ian Mosley now being installed on drums/percussion), yet losing none of the warmth toward the fans they were known for. Overall, the new material sits happily alongside established favorites Garden Party and Chelsea Monday, which had been given a wash & brush up, but these older songs were already beginning to sound dated against the newer, more hard edged songs such as Assassing and the single Punch And Judy. The real gem of this disc though, and a prime example of Marillion’s confidence at the time is their decision to showcase an entire side of their at the time unreleased album Misplaced Childhood. This is given an expansive introduction by Fish describing it as their new direction; the selection chosen is virtually unchanged from the version eventually released on album, with only a few lyrical differences and is received enthusiastically – although it could be said at that stage in Marillion’s career any new material would be given a good reception, Part one of Misplaced Childhood showed this band at the peak of their creativity & this is reflected in the reaction of the Hammersmith audience. The set closes with the incisive Incubus – a high point from the Fugazi album – and a rousing version of Fugazi itself, with the audience in fine voice during the “where are the prophets..?” closing section.
The sixth and final disc of the series from November 1987, is recorded at London’s cavernous Wembley Arena, the band playing a gig in aid of muscular dystrophy on the back of the commercial success of the Clutching At Straws album; this is also Marillion by royal appointment, the show being attended by Prince Edward (which Fish jokingly alludes to in the intr
o to Fugazi, stating if he explained what the title meant, he’d end up in the Tower Of London). By this time, the band were seasoned professionals, and the 10,000 seat venue must have seemed a long way from playing the confines of Glasgow’s Mayfair, a mere 5 years previously. The selections here highlight Marillion’s sound becoming more guitar based, with Rothery playing well throughout, ably supported by Kelly’s always fluid lines. The gig comes across as a little too workmanlike, with the previous connection to the crowd seeming to fray at the edges (Fish urging the singalong to Fugazi sounds a little forced); this could be down to the venue itself, Wembley Arena being notorious as a soul-less barn – similarly it could be the fact this gig was recorded just a few months prior to Fish’s departure from the band, but whilst this is not Marillion merely going through the motions, the warmth of previous performances on this set is noticeably down by several degrees.
So there you have it, a six CD retrospective of Marillion live during the Fish years; from struggling band playing the clubs to multi million album selling international success story; if you’re an established fan of the band, this is without a doubt a full five star release, a true essential box – seen overall, though, even given the sound problems & nervous performances on disc 1, and the usual warts & all qualities of any live album without overdubs, this set still stands up as a solid release – a good reminder of exactly how good they were in the early years.
Line-up:
- Fish / vocals
- Steve Rothery / guitars
- Mark Kelly / keyboards
- Peter Trewavas / bass
- Ian Mosley / drums & percussion
Track List:
CD1 (Live at the Mayfair, Glasgow, 13 September 1982)
01. Garden Party – 8:19
02. The Web – 10:29
03. He Knows You Know – 5:22
04. She Chameleon – 5:39
05. Three Boats Down From The Candy – 5:19
06. Market Square Heroes – 6:20
07. Forgotten Sons – 10:24
CD2 (Live at the Marquee, Part 1, 30 December 1982)
01. Garden Party – 8:29
02. Three Boats Down From The Candy – 6:49
03. Grendel – 19:54
04. Chelsea Monday – 9:21
CD3 (Live at the Marquee, Part 2, 30 December 1982)
01. He Knows You Know – 8:24
02. The Web – 11:49
03. Script For A Jester’s Tear – 10:20
04. Forgotten Sons – 12:03
05. Market Square Hero – 7:39
06. Margaret – 11:15
CD4 (Live at Reading Festival, 27 August 1983)
01. Grendel – 18:07
02. Garden Party – 6:46
03. Script For A Jester’s Tear – 9:00
04. Assassing – 7:45
05. Charting The Single – 5:22
06. Forgotten Sons – 11:41
07. He Knows You Know – 5:42
08. Market Square Hero – 10:22
CD5 (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, 14 December 1984)
01. Assassing – 6:50
02. Garden Party – 6:53
03. Cinderella Search – 6:16
04. Punch And Judy – 3:30
05. Jigsaw – 7:02
06. Chelsea Monday – 8:13
07. The Pseudo-Silk Kimono – 2:53
08. Kayleigh – 3:53
09. Bitter Suite – 6:01
10. Heart Of Lothian – 4:24
11. Incubus – 9:08
12. Fugazi – 10:32
CD6 (Live at Wembley Arena, 5 November 1987)
01. Slainte Mhath – 5:03
02. White Russian – 6:01
03. Incubus – 8:56
04. Sugar Mice – 7:03
05. Fugazi – 8:15
06. Hotel Hobbies – 4:07
07. Warm Wet Circles – 4:30
08. That Time Of The Night – 5:53
09. The Last Straw – 6:13
10. Kayleigh – 4:29
11. Lavender – 2:24
12. Bitter Suite – 8:07
13. Heart Of Lothian – 3:56
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