Posts tagged Sakalli&#8217;s Pick

(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)

Grateful Dead were already established as paragons of the free-form, improvisational San Francisco psychedelic sound. Much of the sound of this album comes both from Jerry Garcia’s pairing with Robert Hunter as well as the band’s friendship with Crosby, Stills and Nash. Hearing them sing, the band thought they could try that and decided to work a little.

The acoustic “Workingman’s Dead” is a lovely exploration of American roots music illuminating the group’s country, blues, and folk influences.

The lilting “Uncle John’s Band”, their first radio hit, opens the record and perfectly summarizes its subtle, spare beauty; complete with a new focus on more concise songs and tighter arrangements, the approach works brilliantly.

Despite its sharp contrast to the epic live space jams on which the group’s legend primarily rests, “Workingman’s Dead” nonetheless spotlights the Dead at their most engaging, stripped of all excess to reveal the true essence of their craft.

Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / guitar, pedal steel, vocals, songwriter
- Bob Weir / guitar, vocals
- Ron “Pigpen” McKernan / keyboards, harmonica, vocals
- Phil Lesh / bass, vocals
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums, percussion
- Mickey Hart / percussion
with
- Robert Hunter / lyrics
- David Nelson / acoustic guitar

Track List:
01. Uncle John’s Band – 4:45
02. High Time – 5:15
03. Dire Wolf – 3:15
04. New Speedway Boogie – 4:07
05. Cumberland Blues – 3:18
06. Black Peter – 5:44
07. Easy Wind – 5:00
08. Casey Jones – 4:24

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Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, Sakalli's Pick

Ayreon – Human Equation (2004) (@256)

25 Jul 2010

(Review from seaoftranquility.org, metal-archives.com, progarchives.com)

With his new Ayreon album, Arjen Lucassen seems to be moving deeper and deeper into the rock opera world. Looking at the lyric sheet here it looks like something written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The guest list on each album is getting longer with the singers on this album being assigned roles to play.

The Human Equation follows the story of a man who falls in a coma after plowing his car into a tree. While in a coma, he unlocks some hidden region of his mind where he confronts his emotions and and memories. Meanwhile, his best friend and wife sit at his hospital bed waiting for a sign of life.

Like most rock operas, the songs work best as a unified whole, but songs like “Day Eleven: Love” and “Day Sixteen: Loser” certainly do stand out for the great vocals and melodies. There is one thing that cannot be overlooked and that is the impressive roster of singers and instrumentalists Lucassen has assembled for his latest project: Martin Orford from IQ and Ken Hensley from Uriah Heep make small but invaluable contributions. Hensley’s short but raging Hammond organ solo on “Day Sixteen: Loser” certainly takes us back to Hensley’s work with Uriah Heep.

As for the singers, James LaBrie from Dream Theater plays the part of the man in the coma, simply known as Me. If you are used to Labrie’s work with Dream Theater, be prepared to be surprised here. For the most part, his singing is mellow and happily he proves that he has more depth as a singer than he is generally given credit for. Heather Findlay from Mostly Autumn is cast as Love and her singing is as impressive and moving here as it is with her own band. Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth is given ample opportunity to shine as well; the man has a great voice. Relative newcomer Marcela Bovia also deserves a mention as the wife; judging from her performance with Ayreon, she has a bright future ahead of her.

Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, analogue synthesizers, Hammond, Mellotron, additional keyboards, mandoline, vocals as ‘Best Friend’
- Devon Graves / vocals as ‘Agony’
- Devin Townsend / vocals as ‘Rage’
- Eric Clayton / vocals as ‘Reason’
- Mikael Akerfeldt / vocals as ‘Fear’
- Magnus Ekwall / vocals as ‘Pride’
- Heather Findlay / vocals as ‘Love’
- Irene Jansen / vocals as ‘Passion’
- James LaBrie / vocals as ‘Me’
- Marcela Bovio / vocals as ‘Wife’
- Mike Baker / vocals as ‘Father’
- Ken Hensley / Hammond (16)
- Oliver Wakeman / keyboards (17)
- Martin Orford / keyboards (15)
- Ed Warby / drums
- Joost van den Broek / synthesizer (2), spinet (13)
- John McManus / Low-flute (13,16,18), tin-whistle (18)
- Jeroen Goossens / flute (3,5,9,14,18), alto-flute (2), bass flute (5,14), panpipes (6), descant and treble recorder (13), didgeridoo (16), bassoon (18)
- Robert Baba / violins
- Marieke van der Heyden / cello

Track List:
CD1
01. Day One: Vigil – 1:33
02. Day Two: Isolation – 8:42
03. Day Three: Pain – 4:58
04. Day Four: Mystery – 5:37
05. Day Five: Voices – 7:09
06. Day Six: Childhood – 5:05
07. Day Seven: Hope – 2:47
08. Day Eight: School – 4:22
09. Day Nine: Playground – 2:15
10. Day Ten: Memories – 3:57
11. Day Eleven: Love – 4:18
CD2
12. Day Twelve: Trauma – 8:59
13. Day Thirteen: Sign – 4:47
14. Day Fourteen: Pride – 4:42
15. Day Fifteen: Betrayal – 5:24
16. Day Sixteen: Loser – 4:46
17. Day Seventeen: Accident? – 5:42
18. Day Eighteen: Realization – 4:31
19. Day Nineteen: Disclosure – 4:42
20. Day Twenty: Confrontation – 7:03

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Arjen Lucassen, Ayreon, James LaBrie, Jeroen Goossens, Ken Hensley, Marcela Bovio, Martin Orford, Sakalli's Pick

Northern Kings – Reborn (2007) (@256)

22 Apr 2010

(Review from amazon, revelationz.net)

Northern Kings is a Finnish symphonic metal cover supergroup. The Kings are comprised of four vocalists, who are all frontmen of successful Finnish heavy metal bands — Marco Hietala from ‘Nightwish’ and ‘Tarot’, Tony Kakko from ‘Sonata Arctica’, JP Leppaluoto from ‘Charon’ and Jarkko Ahola from ‘Terasbetoni’. Each vocalist has his own trademark sound, including deep, satanic, operatic metal rock vocals. It’s all-consuming and larger than life.

The band masterminded the idea of recording their own metal versions of an electic selection of pop staples. Unlike most bands who try to reproduce the sound and arrangements of the original songs, the Northern Kings have deconstructed the arrangements, by coming up with their own renditions, most of which is backed with metal guitars, a full symphonic orchestral backing, and electronic enhancements.

The general vibe on the album is to give the metal makeover a fully orchestrated backing (string section, the works), with some electronic noodling thrown in . The metal guitars are prevalent, but there is the northern vibe of the band’s renditions. It’s not a gimmick, but it is very dramatic, very lush and grandoise sounding.

The sonic attack of the bands’ take on each song just blows you away. Unlike most artists or bands who record a cover, the version is traditionally inferior and not a patch on the original. It’s quite an accomplishment to take a song like Peter Gabriel’s ‘Sledgehammer’ or Lionel Richie’s ‘Hello’ and give it a new lease of life.

Hearing songs from a variety of genres and decades turned completely on their heads is an awesome way to spend the afternoon, especially when the tracks are tackled with such passion and no thought to consequence in forcing the listener to think outside the box.

You’ve heard these songs before… just never like this.

Line-up:
- Marco Hietala / vocals (1, 2, 6, 10)
- Tony Kakko / vocals (2, 3, 5, 8)
- Jarkko Ahola / vocals (2, 9, 12)
- Juha/Pekka Leppäluoto / vocals (2, 4, 11, 13)

Track List:
01. Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey) – 5:29
02. We Don’t Need Another Hero (Tina Turner) – 4:48
03. Broken Wings (Mr. Mister) – 5:32
04. Rebel Yell (Billy Idol) – 7:29
05. Ashes To Ashes (David Bowie) – 4:39
06. Fallen On Hard Times (Jethro Tull) – 3:54
07. I Just Died In Your Arms (Cutting Crew) – 5:49
08. Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel) – 5:08
09. Don’t Bring Me Down (Electric Light Orchestra) – 4:06
10. In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins) – 4:35
11. Creep (Radiohead) – 5:38
12. Hello (Lionel Richie) – 4:31
13. Brothers In Arms (Dire Straits) – 6:59

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Marco Hietala, Northern Kings, Sakalli's Pick, Tony Kakko

Nightwish – Once (2004) (@256)

14 Apr 2010

(Review from amazon, wikipedia, seaoftranquality.org)

It was bound to happen – Nightwish’s recording budget increased, and the Finnish quintet added an entire orchestra to their new album, thus forging their second breakthrough album. Like giving a child everything he has ever wanted, the band have let loose their boundless creativity. The album is very similar to their previous release, “Century Child”, but with strings, horns and woodwinds in absolutely every nook. It is absolutely over-the-top, but in a band such as this, it is fitting and magnificent.

The opening song, “Dark Chest of Wonders” begins with a pounding metal riff unlike anything else on the album – very reminiscent of “Slaying the Dreamer”. However, it doesn’t last. Soon afterwards, trademark Nightwish power-riffs kick in, infectious and energizing, bringing along with them a parading symphony that does not go unheard. The last chorus is absolutely beyond belief, with the band almost *dueling* with the symphony in a musical power struggle.

The chart-topping single “Nemo” is a monster, building slowly from a simple piano line and molten guitar riff into an over-the-top, orchestral breakdown. Thanks to Turunen’s vocals, the song also possesses a haunted quality.

“Wish I Had an Angel” features bassist Marco Hietala’s gruff vocals on the chorus and believe it or not the song manages to marry dance music with heavy metal! “Planet Hell” is accessible and tremendously melodic; showcasing the symphonic textures in a very isolated, gothic atmosphere.

Both “Dead Gardens” and “Romanticide” are rough-and-tumble, even too much for some ears, a violent kiss-off that ends with bassist / back-up singer Hietala scowling “Spit on me, let go, get rid of me / And try to survive your stupidity” over one of the most headbanging riffs of recent years.

The eight minute “Creek Mary’s Blood” depicts the plight of Native American Indians, the song features John Two-Hawks, a Lakota musician on flute, chants and vocals. It is a brooding and evil sounding song with a folk feel behind it’s malevolence. Woeful, slow and touching, building up to becoming a horn-driven hard rocker.

“Ghost Love Score” is a near 10-minute concoction of tremendous melodic fireworks. Everything from the chorus to the symphonic bombast to the choirs is absolutely hypnotic and energetic. The song makes any other song seem pale, ordinary and thoughtless. The choirs that aid in the choral delivery are mostly female, and absolutely majestic. The song is theatrical and truly unrivaled.

The album was a huge success, it allowed them to perform the “Once World Tour”, taking Nightwish to play in many countries they had never visited before.

Line-up:
- Tuomas Holopainen / Keyboards and Piano
- Tarja Turunen / Vocals
- Marco Hietala / Bass guitar, male vocals
- Erno “Emppu” Vuorinen / Lead guitars
- Jukka Nevalainen / Drums
with
- Marc Brueland / Spoken part (11)
- Jouni Hynynen / Growling (7)
- John Two-Hawks / Vocals, Native American flute
- London Philharmonic Orchestra – Orchestra
- The Metro Voices – Choir

Track List:
01. Dark Chest of Wonders – 4:28
02. Wish I Had An Angel – 4:06
03. Nemo – 4:36
04. Planet Hell – 4:38
05. Creek Mary’s Blood – 8:29
06. The Siren – 4:45
07. Dead Gardens – 4:28
08. Romanticide – 4:58
09. Ghost Love Score – 10:02
10. Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan – 3:58
11. Higher Than Hope – 5:38
12. White Night Fantasy (Bonus) – 4:04
13. Live To Tell The Tale (Bonus) – 4:58

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Marco Hietala, Nightwish, Sakalli's Pick, Tarja Turunen

Nightwish – From Wishes To Eternity (Live 2001) (@256 + Video)

07 Apr 2010

1 comment

(Review from wikipedia, progarchives.com, metaleater.com)

The band’s first live album was recorded in Tampere, Finland on the 29th of December 2000, during the Wishmaster tour. Nightwish was becoming a international smash, but they were still with that novice’s passion and eager to show the world their power.

The songs sound fantastic and are almost studio quality. Aside from the bassist who stands in one place, the band members are energetic and get due attention from the camera, though Tarja remains the focus. Jukka Nevalainen likes to twirl his drumsticks, which adds an entertaining flare to his tight playing.

The performance is bolstered by a tasteful use of lighting and pyro. Often you see the silhouettes of crowd members clapping along to the songs, which is a nice touch. While there’s not much by way of stage banter, at least the dialogue is in English and Tarja’s accent rules: “I vant you to sing vith me”.

The atmosphere at the concert is superb and every time the camera cuts randomly to a section of the audience, there is a sea of outstretched arms and pointing index fingers of fans who are singing along word for word.

In addition to a show of Nightwish material, the band also performes a medley, “Crimson Tide, Deep Blue Sea”, which borrows melodies from many sources, including Hans Zimmer’s music in the 1995 movie Crimson Tide.

Line-up:
- Tuomas Holopainen / synthesizers
- Jukka Nevalainen / drums
- Tarja Turunen / lead vocals
- Sami Vanska / bass
- Emppu Vuorinen / guitar
with
- Tapio Wilska / male vocals (4)
- Tony Kakko / male vocals (14)

Track List:
01. The Kinslayer – 4:12
02. She Is My Sin – 4:49
03. Deep Silent Complete – 4:24
04. The Pharaoh Sails to Orion – 6:39
05. Come Cover Me – 4:44
06. Wanderlust – 4:34
07. Instrumental (Crimson Tide / Deep Blue Sea) – 3:29
08. Swanheart – 3:55
09. Elvenpath – 4:51
10. FantasMic Part 3 – 3:24
11. Dead Boy’s Poem – 6:52
12. Sacrament of Wilderness – 5:06
13. Walking in The Air – 5:10
14. Beauty & The Beast – 6:40
15. Wishmaster – 5:03

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Live, Nightwish, Sakalli's Pick, Tarja Turunen, Tony Kakko, Video

Wishbone Ash – Live Dates (1973) (@320)

27 Dec 2008

(Review from amazon, progarchives.com)

“Live Dates” is one of those classic live albums of the 70′s that any rock fan must have. Unlike many of their peers, Wishbone Ash are really better live than in the studio, as this album shows all the time. The performances are spotless, beautiful and extremely well recorded.

This is, clearly, the place to marvel at the band’s innovative melange of blues, folk, Yes- style riffs, and endearingly cosmic lyrics, not to mention its centrepiece–the tag team dueling guitars of Andy Powell and Ted Turner. The album is full of great guitar solos, licks and duels, fine vocal hamonies and a very strong rhythm section.

The album’s main attraction is the epic “Phoenix”, expanded by seven minutes from its studio version and included in two different performances. It’s precisely the sort of psychedelic jam that used to really wow them at the Fillmore during the Summer Of Love. Other highlights include a heartfelt version of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Widow”, and an impressively arranged take on the Jimmy Reed blues classic “Baby What You Want Me to Do” (misidentified, for some reason, as the Everly Brothers’ “You Got Me Runnin’”).

Line-up:
- Martin Turner / Vocals, Bass
- Andy Powell / Guitars, Vocals
- Ted Turner / Guitars, Vocals
- Steve Upton / Drums

Track List:
CD1
01. The King Will Come 7:15
02. Warrior 5:41
03. Throw Down The Sword 5:57
04. Rock ‘n’ Roll Widow 5:44
05. Ballad Of The Beacon 5:16
06. Baby What You Want Me To Do 7:36
07. Phoenix (Bonus Live In Memphis) 17:05
CD2
01. The Pilgrim 9:17
02. Blowin’ Free 5:24
03. Jailbait 4:38
04. Lady Whiskey 5:40
05. Phoenix 17:20

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Live, Sakalli's Pick, Wishbone Ash

Haggard – And Thou Shalt Trust The Seer (1997) (@256)

24 Dec 2008

1 comment

(Review from progarchives.com, metal-archives.com, amazon)

Haggard was founded in 1991 and started playing unoriginal and a little bit uninspired death metal. They managed to change their musicial style to something way sophisticated – then Haggard became one of the first classical/orchestral/symphonic metal bands in the world.

Black Sabbath meets Johann Sebastian Bach? This may be a very loose description of the 16-member outfit from Munich, but the fact is their roots lie as much in death metal as in classical/medieval music. Their albums combine some fine classical moments (cello, flute, oboe, harp, violin as well as dreamy female vocals) with the iron riffs, growling male vocals and raw violence of death metal bands.

The album has a very tight structure and powerful songwriting combining metal and classical music perfectly — a balance between heavy (metal) and soft (classical) music. What an excellent harmony. The band has a perfect balance between modern electrical instrument skills as well as those acoustic ones, all performed flawlessly.

Along only 41 minutes there are great operatic chores, death metal vocals, heavy guitars, but mostly about 15 traditional organs that give Haggard their own identity and sets them appart from the rest of the bands that follow this music pattern.

Line-up:
- Florian Bartl / oboe
- Karin Bodenmüller / soprano voice
- Fiffi Fuhrmann / crumhorn
- Kathrin Hertz / violoncello
- Steffi Hertz / viola
- Danny Klupp / guitars
- Kerstin Krainer / violin
- Lutz Marsen / drums, kettle drums
- Robert Müller / clarinet
- Andi Nad / bass
- Asis Nasseri / vocals, grunts, guitars
- Kathrin Pechlof / harp
- Sasema / soprano voice
- Florian Schellinger / bass voice
- Hans Wolf / piano, synths, cemballo
- Christoph von Zastrow / flute
with
- Schalleluja Kammerchor / chorus

Track List:
01. Chapter I – The Day As Heaven Wept – 5:46
02. Chapter II – Origin Of A Crystal Soul – 5:55
03. Requiem In D-Minor – 2:08
04. Chapter III – In A Pale Moon’s Shadow – 9:38
05. Cantus Firmus In A-Minor – 2:32
06. Chapter IV – De La Morte Noire – 8:02
07. Chapter V – Lost (Robin’s Song) – 4:25
08. Outro – A Midnight Gathering – 2:59

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Haggard, Sakalli's Pick

Judas Priest – Painkiller (1990) (@256)

03 Dec 2008

Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.

(Review from allmusic, metal-archives.com, wikipedia)

“Painkiller” marked the debut of current drummer Scott Travis. Judas Priest dropped the 80s-style synths (except one track), returned to their classic 70s style, while borrowing contemporary speed metal techniques, resulting in their most critically acclaimed album in a decade. The album is viewed by some as the quintessential speed metal album and the style proved highly influential to European power metal bands such as Gamma Ray and Primal Fear.

The band’s performance of this album is incredible. Rob Halford’s singing is very diverse, ranging from high pitched screams (Painkiller or All Guns Blazing) to a mix of slightly high but more noticeably low pitched singing (Between the Hammer and the Anvil or Leather Rebel). K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton go crazy with their solos on the album, and often are not satisfied with just one. Ian Hill’s bass follows the guitars to create the perfect sound for the album. Scott Travis proves to be an amazing drummer on his debut here, most noticeably on the title track.

Songs like the title track, “Leather Rebel” and “Metal Meltdown” thrash like mad; Halford’s shrieking and growling is positively frightening, as he uses his incredible vocal range to an almost King Diamond-like effect. But it isn’t just the rediscovered power that makes “Painkiller” a great musical effort: the elegant “A Touch of Evil”, for example, is reminiscent of the progressive, intricately arranged pieces of their ’70s work. Seasoned keyboardist, Don Airey provided the beautiful keyboards on it, which greatly added to the atmosphere of the song.

Following the tour for this album, singer Rob Halford left the band and maintained little contact with his former bandmates throughout the 1990s. Judas Priest declared that they did not exist anymore after Halford had left.

Line-up:
- Rob Halford / Vocals
- K.K. Downing / Guitar
- Glenn Tipton / Guitar
- Ian Hill / Bass
- Scott Travis / Drums

Track List:
01. Painkiller – 6:06
02. Hell Patrol – 3:36
03. All Guns Blazing – 3:57
04. Leather Rebel – 3:35
05. Metal Meltdown – 4:48
06. Night Crawler – 5:45
07. Between The Hammer & The Anvil – 4:48
08. A Touch Of Evil – 5:45
09. Battle Hymn – 0:56
10. One Shot At Glory – 6:47

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Glenn Tipton, Judas Priest, Rob Halford, Sakalli's Pick

Judas Priest – Defenders of the Faith (1984) (@256)

26 Nov 2008

Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.

(Review from allmusic.com, amazon.com, metal-archives.com)

Having recaptured their heavyweight status with “Screaming for Vengeance”, Judas Priest stuck with their successful formula for the follow-up, “Defenders of the Faith”.

Sporting a darker, more violent side than “Screaming for Vengeance”, it nevertheless continued the same tradition of fast, rat-a-tat-tat drumming from Dave Holland, K.K. Downing/Glenn Tipton twin-Stratocaster guitar solos that intertwined with each other at blistering speeds, and high-pitched screeching courtesy of Rob Halford. It’s a solidly constructed, unapologetically commercial metal record.

Though the album didn’t produce any massive hits; there are more highlights than many previous albums. “Freewheel Burning” starts the album on a fast up tempo pace that never relents. Jawbreaker, Rock Hard Ride Free, The Sentinel, Love Bites, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll, … it’s hard to narrow the list of highlights.

This album may not be as popular as “British Steel” or “Screaming for Vengeance” but it just as influential and powerful as the two.

Line-up:
- Rob Halford / Vocals
- K.K. Downing / Guitar
- Glenn Tipton / Guitar
- Ian Hill / Bass
- Dave Holland / Drums

Track List:
01. Freewheel Burning – 4:25
02. Jawbreaker – 3:27
03. Rock Hard Ride Free – 5:35
04. The Sentinel – 5:04
05. Love Bites – 4:47
06. Eat Me Alive – 3:35
07. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll – 4:07
08. Night Comes Down – 4:01
09. Heavy Duty – 2:25
10. Defenders Of The Faith – 1:28
11. Turn On Your Light – 5:23
12. Heavy Duty / Defenders Of The Faith (Bonus Live) – 5:26

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Glenn Tipton, Judas Priest, Rob Halford, Sakalli's Pick

Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970) (@256)

13 Sep 2008

(Review from wikipedia, progarchives.com)

The historic four members of Black Sabbath went to the same Birmingham secondary school but played in two separate groups.

Tony Iommi initially played guitar left-handed. He lost two fingertips of his fretting hand in an industrial work-related accident at the age of 17. This almost convinced him to stop music but his foreman offered him a Django Reinhardt album (who also had limited use of his fretting hand) and this helped Iommi overcoming his handicap. After attempting to learn to play right-handed, Iommi strung his guitars with extra-light strings (using banjo strings, which were a lighter gauge than even the lightest guitar-strings of the time) and wore plastic covers over the two damaged fingers. He fashioned the latter himself, by melting plastic liquid-soap bottles into a ball and then using a soldering iron to make holes into this ball, putting his fingers in while the plastic was still soft enough to be shaped. He then trimmed and sanded away the excess plastic to leave himself with two thimbles, which he then covered with leather, to provide better grip on the strings.

Following the breakup of their previous band in 1968, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward sought to form a heavy blues band. They enlisted bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. The new group also featured slide guitarist Jimmy Phillips and saxophonist Alan “Aker” Clarke but after two gigs these two were dismissed and the band continued as a four-piece with the name “Earth”.

“Earth” played club shows in England, Denmark, and Germany, with sets consisting of cover songs by Jimi Hendrix, Blue Cheer, and Cream; as well as lengthy improvised blues jams. In December 1968. While playing shows in England in 1969, the band discovered they were being mistaken for another English group named “Earth”, and decided to again change their name.

A movie theater across the street from the band’s rehearsal room was showing the 1963 Boris Karloff horror film Black Sabbath. While watching people line up to see the film, bassist Geezer Butler noted that it was “strange that people spend so much money to see scary movies”. Butler wrote a song titled “Black Sabbath” after reading a book by occult writer Dennis Wheatley, and seeing a black-hooded figure standing at the foot of his bed. Making use of the musical tritone, also known as “The Devil’s Interval”, the song’s ominous sound and dark lyrics pushed the band in a darker direction, a stark contrast to the popular music of the late 1960s, which was dominated by flower power, folk music, and hippie culture. Inspired by the new sound, the band changed their name to Black Sabbath in August 1969, and made the decision to focus writing similar material, in an attempt to create the musical equivalent of horror films.

It is difficult to find a more influential album in the heavy metal genre than Black Sabbath’s debut album. Graced with a gloomy old mill filtered photo with a so-called witch, the Brummie quartet went straight for the dark side of rock and their sinister looks sporting large crosses were certainly enhancing intently this image. Recorded and produced (almost inexistently by Rodger Bain) in just two days, this might seem today a real botch job in the light of modern technology, but it is precisely this rough, raw finish that gave this album its aura.

If anything must represent heavy metal, than the eponymous album opener is it: from its thunderstorm and bell intro, to the sinister slow descending riff (based on Gustav Holtz’s Mars piece from The Planets Suite) and Geezer Butler-inspired depressive lyrics, the group cannot help but launch a chain of reaction in everyone.

The following gloomy “Wizard” track is a blues-derived riff-laden song with an unusual pace and the dreamy, almost ambient by their standard, “Wall Of Sleep” with its great slower mid-section are not as much attention-grabbing, but remain quite solid tracks that make this album an all-time classic.

Closing the first side is an epic love song (NIB is not Nativity In Black), starting on a pulsating bass solo, than Iommi’s solid guitar riff takes over accompanying an average Osbourne vocal line, but for some reasons, the whole thing works quite fine and this track remains a classic to this day. Ward’s jazzy drumming throughout the album brings a bit of lightness to his three mate’s overpowering heaviness. Butler’s style is also bringing much air, as he generally shadows Iommi’s riffs (instead of countering or underlining them) and plays much like his inspiration, Cream’s Jack Bruce.

The flipside starts on a rare cover, the groovy bass-ed up Evil woman, which was originally intended as the single. “Sleeping Village” seems like a collage of three pieces, but comes off well in its second half, and might be as close as the band gets to an instrumental on this album. As this track ends in a feedback, the most impressive almost 11-min “Warning” (an Ainsley Dunbar Retaliation cover) starts exactly on that same feedback, and although it might appear as completely indulgent nowadays, it is one of the most Sabbath tune ever. Indeed the track is full of “solo” playing that seem to drag on a bit, especially Iommi’s guitar twangs in the middle section, but it got most future metalheads understanding what Iommi’s modified sound was all about. The closing “Wicked World” is another great Black Sabbath track, getting lost in the shuffle of their first two albums’ abundance of good ideas.

Line-up:
* Tony Iommi – Lead Guitar & Keyboards
* Geezer Butler – Bass
* Ozzy Osbourne – Vocals
* Bill Ward – Drums

Track List:
01. Black Sabbath – 6:21
02. The Wizard – 4:24
03. Behind The Wall Of Sleep – 3:37
04. N.I.B. – 6:08
05. Evil Woman – 3:24
06. Sleeping Village – 10:44
07. Warning – 3:31

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Bill Ward, Black Sabbath, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne, Sakalli's Pick, Tony Iommi

Marillion – Script for a Jester's Tear (1983) (@256)

13 Jul 2008

(Review from progreviews.com)

The year is 1983. Synth-pop and new wave have won the war against punk. The dinosaurs of the progressive rock movement are shells of their former selves. What was a self respecting progressive fan to do? There was about to be a revival, of sorts (and not for long), which thrust all things “prog” back into the limelight. The genesis, so to speak, of that revival was Marillion’s debut album “Script for a Jester’s Tear”.

Heavily influenced by classic Genesis, the album set the template for the neo-progressive movement that has stayed with us to this day (for better or worse, depending on your point of view). Longish songs, twiddliy keyboard bits (using cutting edge digital equipment) and soaring guitar solos are all in play here. Not as complex as the classics, but daunting enough to scare away the riff raff.

The greatest distinction from what came before was Fish, the band’s charismatic Scottish frontman. While he certainly sounds a bit more like Peter Gabriel in spots, Fish’s lyrics went to places that the more abstract verse of Genesis and Yes dared to tread. From lost love (“Script for a Jester’s Tear”) to drug addiction (“He Knows You Know”) and suicide (“Chelsea Monday”) to the troubles in Ireland (“Forgotten Sons”), these songs are much more personal than most of 70s progressive. Which is not to say there isn’t some clever social skewering around, too (“Garden Party”). While in the wrong hands these conceits lead to perhaps the most tired neo-progressive cliché, Fish is master, both of the words and the delivery, and isn’t in the same league as most modern melodramatic hacks.

Almost every song is imperfect in some way, but all have redeeming features to make up for it.

“Script For a Jester’s Tear” is in the true spirit of early 70s era progressive rock containing all the main ingredients, emotive and thought provoking lyrics, keyboard and guitar interplay utilizing various effects and above average musicianship.

This edition comes with a bonus CD. There are 3 tracks from Marillion’s EP prior to this debut album with a couple of alternate and demo versions.

Line-up:
- Fish (Derek Dick) / vocals
- Mark Kelly / keyboards
- Mik Pointer / drums, percussion
- Steve Rothery / acoustic & electric guitars
- Pete Trewavas / basses

Track List:
CD1
01. Script For A Jester’s Tear – 8:42
02. He Knows You Know – 5:23
03. The Web – 8:52
04. Garden Party – 7:19
05. Chelsea Monday – 8:17
06. Forgotten Sons – 8:23
CD2
01. Market Square Heroes (Battle Priest Version) – 4:18
02. Three Boats Down From The Candy – 4:31
03. Grendel (Fair Deal Studios Version) – 19:10
04. Chelsea Monday (Manchester Square Demo) – 6:54
05. He Knows You Know (Manchester Square Demo) – 4:29
06. Charting The Single – 4:51
07. Market Square Heroes (Alternative Version) – 4:48

Links in comments.

Fish, Marillion, Sakalli's Pick

King Crimson – Red (1974) (@256)

15 Jun 2008

(Review from progreviews.com, vintageprog.com, wikipedia)

With David Cross’ exit from the band, King Crimson forged ahead as a trio, and produced this, the last album Crimson would make in the 70s. Red is often cited as the strongest of the three Larks’-era albums, and sometimes of King Crimson’s entire discography. Generally, here the band is consistently heavier in force and tighter in focus than ever before, with the departure of any remaining possibility for the violin line of abandon from Cross.

The first side is a juggernaut of solid musicianship and probably represents the most accessible and distilled album side for this era of the band. The title-track opens the album, and is as typical for this version of Crimson as it can get, consisting of a simple but yet powerful and heavy riff that carries the track all the way through. “Fallen Angel” is a strong vocal-track with the mellotron mixed very far back in the sound on the verse, while the chorus is a far heavier and more electric thing. “One More Red Nightmare” is another prime example of how Fripp could use a very simple riff to create a really powerful and enjoyable progressive rock track.

The masterpiece of Red, however, is doubtlessly the album’s closer “Starless”. It’s hard to find a more emotional, down-to-earth moment in Crimson’s repertoire than Wetton’s weary voice clutching for a ray of hope as it enters past the melancholic, mellotron-drenched opening: “Sundown, dazzling day…” The thunderous climax (in 13/8) and sweepingly powerful ending of the song closes the chapter on 70s Crimson like an unstoppable (and unforgettable) deluge.

Robert Fripp, increasingly disillusioned with the music business, was turning his attention to the writings of the mystic George Gurdjieff, and did not want to tour as he felt that the “world was coming to an end”. The Red line-up never toured, and two months before the album’s release Fripp announced that King Crimson had “ceased to exist” and was “completely over for ever and ever” and the group officially disbanded on late September 1974.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitars
- Bill Bruford / drums
- John Wetton / bass, vocals
with
- Mark Charig / cornet
- Mel Collins / soprano saxophone
- David Cross / violin
- Ian McDonald / alto saxophone
- Robin Miller / oboe

Track List:
01. Red – 6:17
02. Fallen Angel – 6:04
03. One More Red Nightmare – 7:07
04. Providence – 8:11
05. Starless – 12:18

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Bill Bruford, David Cross, Ian McDonald, John Wetton, King Crimson, Mel Collins, Robert Fripp, Sakalli's Pick

Ezginin Gunlugu – Oludeniz (1990) (@256)

06 Mar 2008

(Review from wikipedia)

“Ezginin Gunlugu” is a Turkish band formed in 1982 in Istanbul by Nadir Gokturk, Emin Igus, Hakan Yilmaz, Sebnem Basar, Tugay Basar and Vedat Verter.

“Ezginin Gunlugu” is noted for their musical diversity and vocal harmonies. Their music is based on anatolian folk music composed with contemporary interpretation. They use a large variety of instruments. One of the strongest connections to their listeners is their use of the lyrics — using well known poems and singing songs with political allusions.

After this album, Emin Igus left the band, leaving Nadir Gokturk as the sole original member of “Ezginin Gunlugu”, marking the end of an era in the band’s musical journey.

Line-up:
* Emin Igus / vocals
* Nadir Gokturk / keyboards
* Tanju Duru / guitar, bass
* Cuneyt Duru / bass
* Serdar Gonenc / percussion
with
* Sumru Balikcioglu / vocals
* Ayse Tutuncu / piano
* Fatih Sacli / flute
* Mustafa Suder / fiddle, viola, saxophone
* Goksel Baktagir / qanun
* Levon Balikcioglu / accordion
* Halis Butunley / percussion

Track List:
01. Japon Balikcisi (Oludeniz) (Poem: Nazim Hikmet)
02. Bir Masalda Turku (Poem: Afsar Timucin)
03. Sasirti (Poem: Lorca)
04. Bilinmeyen Ulke (Poem: Alexander Pushkin)
05. Ve Cocuklar (Poem: A. Kadir)
06. Musahipzade (Instrumental)
07. Cocugun Kurgulari (Poem: Afsar Timucin)
08. Gelmiyorsun (Poem: M. Gunduz Gokturk)
09. Gece Icinde (Poem: A. Kadir)

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Sakalli's Pick, Turkish

Vangelis – 1492 : Conquest of Paradise (1992) (@256)

13 Dec 2007

1 comment

(Review from progarchives.com, amazon)

You mean there was also a movie?

Vangelis has created a stunning soundtrack that doesn’t need the movie to support its musical theme. If you did not know this album was a soundtrack from a movie, there is nothing from the music that would tell you.

The album is usually classified as “new age”, which is a bit of a stretch. It can be difficult to classify someone like Vangelis, who uses synthesizers in combination with cameos by several other instruments and vocal performances when required to create a work that sounds more like a full orchestra versus a guy with a bunch of keyboards and a mixing board.

With its romantic approach, where emotion is more important than technique, there are no words to describe how great and deep “Conquest of Paradise” is. Within songs like “Hispanola”, the title track and “Pinta Nina Santa Maria” are contained several different emotions and rooms that will blow the various corners of your mind away. It is impossible to not get touched by the beauty contained on each of these twelve songs.

This music is ideal for someone who likes classical music and progressive rock. If you enjoy traditional classical music such as Dvorak and Stravinsky, and you also like groups like Yes, Moody Blues and King Crimson, then this album will likely appeal to you.

An amazing and emotional album, try to forget any prejudice against Vangelis (and new age music in general) and listen to this album, you won’t regret it.

Track List:
01. Opening (1:22)
02. Conquest of Paradise (4:48)
03. Monastery of la Rabida (3:38)
04. City of Isabel (2:16)
05. Light and Shadow (3:46)
06. Deliverance (3:28)
07. West Across the Ocean Sea (2:53)
08. Eternity (1:59)
09. Hispanola (4:56)
10. Moxica and the Horse (7:06)
11. Twenty Eighth Parallel (5:14)
12. Pinta, Nina, Santa Maria (Into Eternity) (13:20)

Links in comments.

Sakalli's Pick, Vangelis

Kitaro – Silk Road Vol. 1 (1980) (@256)

24 Nov 2007

6 comments

(Review from allmusic, amazon)

Kitaro’s style is the epitome of the contemplative, highly melodic synthesizer music. This famous Japanese composer taught himself to play electric guitar in high school — inspired by the R&B music of Otis Redding. After his early works with the Far East Family Band, he met the innovative German synthesist Klaus Schulze during a trip to Europe. Kitaro was hooked. He built his first synthesizer and began experimenting with all kinds of unusual sounds.

In 1980 he produced the first of several soundtracks for Silk Road, a Japanese television documentary series that ran for five years. The music is fluid and harmonic, blending smooth electronic lines with influences from traditional Japanese music, rock, and the romantic Western tradition. The album became a phenomenal success — people loved his combination of lush, majestic textures and gentle, almost naive, melodies.

The tracks are a seamless stream of melody, with a mellow loveliness and a liquid lyrical mood. There are incredible transitions throughout the pieces, making this a true masterpiece and a treasure to own.

Track List:
01. Silk Road (Shichu No Michi)
02. Bell Tower (Shoro)
03. Heavenly Father (Tenchi Sohzo Shin)
04. The Great River (Harukanaru Taiga)
05. The Great Wall Of China (Chohjo)
06. Flying Celestial Nymphs (Hiten)
07. Silk Road Fantasy (Silk Road Genso)
08. Shimmering Light (Kikari To Kage)
09. Westbound (Nishi Ni Mukkatte)
10. Time (Toki No Nagare)
11. Bodhisattva (Bosatsu)
12. Everlasting Road (Towa No Michi)

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Kitaro, Sakalli's Pick

Ten Years After – Recorded Live (1973) (@256)

15 Oct 2007

(Review from starling.rinet.ru)

This “official Ten Years After bootleg” was culled from performances during nights in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Paris and Frankfurt, and the sound quality of the live recording is just fantastic.

It’s interesting to compare this record to “Undead”. How ‘huge’ have they grown – almost in every sense. From a secluded club scene to large arenas in major European capitals; from a homemade lousy equipment to the Rolling Stones mobile; from half-hour gigs to extended concerts; from half-obscure jazz covers to international hits; finally, from the raw, unpolished, even though mighty energetic tones to a well-polished, professional, intoxicating ‘wall-of-sound’.

“Recorded Live” was recorded at a rather late period in the band’s career, when they were already almost spent creatively and on the brink of dissolution, but it is a well-known fact that live playing and “general creative state” are two absolutely different things. Live playing and its quality depend on quite a few factors, including, simply speaking, the particular mood of the band’s members on the day of the gig, which, in turn, may depend on the weather or the expression on that guy in the front row’s face. Luckily, most of the performances on this album were drawn from moments when the band seemed to be in relatively high spirits.

The album feature a lengthy run-through of their most driving and famous numbers. They kick off with ‘One Of These Days’, only to continue with the unforgettable riff of ‘You Give Me Loving’. Later on, the band, as usual, breaks in some of the oldies, like ‘Help Me’ and ‘Good Morning Little Schoolgirl’. On the way, Alvin displays some cute little tricks, like showing his prowess at classical guitar (‘Classical Thing’), resurrecting the ‘Skoobly-oobly-dooboob’ ditty (‘Scat Thing’) and just playing the fool (‘Silly Thing’).

The two highlights of the show are, of course, a terrific fifteen-minute version of “I Can’t Keep From Crying”, which is again transformed into tons of different things on the way, including even a few lines from “Cat’s Squirrel” and even “Sunshine Of Your Love” and “I’m Going Home”. “I Can’t Keep From Crying” was the central point for showing Alvin Lee as a ‘guitar experimentator’ – in particular, he liked to tune his guitar and play it at the same time. “I’m Goin’ Home” is predictably close to the Woodstock version, except that the various sections are interspersed in a different way and the drums are much more prominent. With all the ‘boo-boo-babys’ in place, and the old rockabilly classics medley in the middle, it’s simply a superb version.

Line-up:
* Alvin Lee – guitar, vocals, harp
* Leo Lyons – bass
* Chick Churchill – keyboards
* Ric Lee – drums

Track List:
01. One Of These Days
02. You Give Me Loving
03. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
04. Help Me
05. Classical Thing
06. Scat Thing
07. I Can’t Keep From Cryin’, Sometimes (part 1)
08. I Can’t Keep From Cryin’, Sometimes (part 2)
09. I Can’t Keep From Cryin’, Sometimes (part 3)
10. Silly Thing
11. Slow Blues In ‘C’
12. I’m Going Home
13. Choo Choo Mama

Links in comments.

Alvin Lee, Live, Sakalli's Pick, Ten Years After

King Crimson – Islands (1971) (@256)

23 Sep 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

‘Islands’, released in 1971 and was King Crimson’s fourth studio record. The band has changed a lot in the meantime and left only Robert Fripp and Pete Sinfield as original members, who signed all the tracks, but the two instrumentals together. From the more symphonic outfit of the beginnigs, the band moved into jazz rock with Mel Collins on sax, Boz Borrell on bass and lead vocals and Ian Wallace on drums, plus some guest artists from the jazz-rock field like Keith Tippet and Marc Charig. The overall athmosphere is the typical Frippish one of tension, threat and danger which he supports all through the record with his trashing biting guitar play, alternating with some sweeter passages.

‘Formentera Lady’ starts of slowly with a bowed bass, flute, piano and chimes and a first beautiful theme, alternating with a second theme over a funky ostinato bass line, that will later on be elaborated by guitar, mellotron, a sax solo and soprano vocallizes blending into….

‘Sailor’s Tale’, a syncopated up-tempo jazz instrumental with flute and sax , giving way to a slower heavy funk rhythm change over which Fripp plays thrashing razor blade chords and a threatening mellotron.

‘The Letters’ starts with a delicate guitar, a mournful melody, before the brass section and distorted guitar come crashing in, followed by a baritone sax solo and a second part with angry desperate vocals ponctuated by the guitar and an A Capella outro.

‘Ladies Of The Road’ starts a as a slow blues with guitar and tambourine, followed by a howling tenor sax and heavy drums until the chorus gives place to a Beatles like Barbershop vocal arrangement and a sax solo.

‘Gulls’ is a classical elegy for strings and oboe, a sweet melody played by the oboe over pizzicato strings.

‘Islands’ the title song presents a perfect balance of lyrics and music a masterpice of Fripp and Sinfield. A beautiful melody accompagnated by piano and flute and leaving place to a second theme played by cornet and a harmonium and then by mellotron and oboe. All the second half of the long track functions as a long outro over a distant and discret rhythm a cornet solo, harmonium and mellotron chords fading slowly out.

This vastly underrated album of King Crimson’s discography, is a great fusion of elements from their previous two albums mixing the lyrical style of “In the Wake of Poseidon”, and the orchestration and improvisation found on “Lizard”.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, pedal harmonium and sundry implements
- Mel Collins / flute, bass flute, saxes and vocals
- Boz Burrell / bass guitar, lead vocals and choreography
- Ian Wallace / drums, percussion and vocals
- Peter Sinfield / words, sounds and visions
with:
- Keith Tippet / piano
- Paulina Lucas / soprano
- Robin Miller / oboe
- Mark Charig / cornet
- Harry Miller / string bass

Track List:
01. Formentera Lady (10:14)
02. Sailor’s Tale (7:21)
03. The Letters (4:26)
04. Ladies Of The Road (5:28)
05. Prelude: Song Of The Gulls (4:14)
06. Islands (11:51)

Link in comments.

Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Mel Collins, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp, Sakalli's Pick

Bulent Ortacgil – Benimle Oynar Misin? (1974) (@256)

28 Jul 2007

(Review from ortacgil.com, sozluk.sourtimes.org)

Ortacgil started playing the guitar in high school. With a bunch of his classmates, they ended up playing under various names. Influenced mainly by The Beatles, Cat Stevens, Donovan and Bob Dylan, he published his first single, called “Anlamsiz” while still in highschool. It wasn’t until 1974, he released his first studio album.

Every once in a while, you hear a record for the very first time and it becomes instantly ingrained into your memory. You intuitively know every note before it comes, you can hum along from start to finish, you feel that it has always been with you and will stay with you for eternity. His absolutely phenomenal 1974 debut “Benimle Oynar Misin?” is considered a landmark album in Turkey. Ortacgil’s songs are written and arranged simply and tastefully, with his voice and gorgeous fingerpicked guitar playing in the forefront of almost every track, and sparse accompaniment on piano, trumpet, saxophone, strings, and several other instruments played by a long list of sidemen and women. The music on this record follows in the tradition of British folk singers and folk rock bands. The mood is melancholic, but with a strong underlying sense of hope and joy.

Even if you don’t understand a word of Turkish, this could be one of the most moving and engrossing records you may have heard. With its amazingly naive sound and unique atmosphere, it’s truly too beautiful to put into any words.

After this album, Ortacgil got married and took a 10-year break from his music career, working as a chemical engineer before his come back in the late 80s.

Line-up:
* Bulent Ortacgil – acoustic guitar, vocals
with
* Onno Tunc – bass
* Cezmi Basegmez – drums
* Ergun Pekakcan – piano
* Attila Ozdemiroglu – vibraphone, flute, tombom
* Nukhet Ruacan – vocals
* Erol Duygulu – sax
* Metin Orser – trumpet
* Tuncer Ozcan – trumpet
* Erdogan Ergun – trumpet

Track List:
01. Gunaydin
02. Kediler
03. Benimle Oynar Misin?
04. Olmali mi Olmamali mi
05. Sik Latife
06. Hersey Sevgiyle Baslar
07. Suna Abla
08. Dort Kisili Dus
09. Anlamsiz
10. Yagmur
11. Yuzunu Dokme Kucuk Kiz
12. Sen Varsin
13. Bahar Turkusu
14. Gunaydin II

Link in comments.

Sakalli's Pick, Turkish

Whitesnake – Starkers in Tokyo (Live 1998) (@256)

01 Jul 2007

(Review from amazon)

There are no drums, no bass, no keyboards, no back-up vocals, just a single voice and a single guitar.

Whitesnake has been around just over 20 years at the time of this concert, and it proves to be one of David Coverdale’s finest. Yes, his voice doesn’t have it’s range like it did in the 70′s, but he can still melt your heart when he sings ballads.

Not surprisingly, that’s what Starkers In Tokyo contains most of, slow blues burners and late 80′s ballads, with a few newer tunes thrown in. It opens with Sailing Ships, a relaxing rendition that sets the tone for most of the show. Slipping next into the mournful Too Many Tears, Coverdale pouring his heart and emotion into the song. About halfway through, from 1987′s selftitled album comes the show rev-upper Give Me All Your Love. The last three songs are excellent, Is This Love, the heavy Here I Go (which is about the fastest song performed) and Solider of Fortune. The latter being a lovely addition, digging into his Purple bag of tricks.

All-in-all, a relaxing, comfortable listen that will soothe you from a rough day.

Line-up:
* David Coverdale – vocals
* Adrian Vandenburg – guitar

Track List:
01. Sailing Ships – 4:37
02. Too Many Tears – 4:13
03. The Deeper The Love – 4:09
04. Love Ain’t No Stranger – 3:15
05. Can’t Go On – 3:50
06. Give Me All Your Love – 3:21
07. Don’t Fade Away – 4:26
08. Is This Love – 3:09
09. Here I Go Again – 4:46
10. Soldier Of Fortune – 4:22

Link in comments.

David Coverdale, Sakalli's Pick, Whitesnake

Aziza Mustafa Zadeh – Dance of Fire (1995) (@320)

27 Jun 2007

(Review from fly.co.uk)

Aziza comes from an exceptionally musical family. Her mother, who goes everywhere with her, was an outstanding folk singer before giving that up to manage her daughter. Her father is known as the architect of jazz in Azerbaijan. She started playing the piano when she was 3 years old, gave her first concerts with 14, and won her first international prizes with 17.

Aziza is an enchantress. Her music covers every tempo, her rhythms range from the simplest 4/4s to the most complex treasures of the music of her homeland, Azerbaijan. And yet not for a single moment does she release her hold on you or allow the mist to clear while she plays.

Perhaps it is this uncommon self-assuredness that led to recording with a great many fusion greats assembled to play her compositions. Al Di Meola plays guitar, Bill Evans, sax. Stanley Clarke, no less, takes up the bass while Omar Hakim drums. An astonishing group of musicians to be playing on a 25 year old’s album.

The album chrysalises much of what Aziza is about — a fusion of jazz and mugam (a traditional improvisational style of Azerbaijan) with classical and avant-garde influences.

Line-up:
* Aziza Mustafa Zadeh – Grand piano and vocals
* Al Di Meola – Acoustic guitar
* Bill Evans – Soprano and tenor sax
* Stanley Clarke – Acoustic and electric basses
* Kai E. Karpeh De Camargo – 5-string electric basses
* Omar Hakim – Drums

Track List:
01. Boomerang – 4:24
02. Dance of Fire – 6:02
03. Sheherezadeh – 2:52
04. Aspiration – 2:23
05. Bana Bana Gel (Bad Girl) – 12:32
06. Shadow – 5:54
07. Carnival – 7:29
08. Passion – 7:10
09. Spanish Picture – 9:00
10. To Be Continued – 5:59
11. Father – 5:57

Links in comments.

Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, Sakalli's Pick

Who – Who's Next (1971) (@256)

22 Jun 2007

(Review from allmusic.com, wikipedia)

Much of Who’s Next derives from Lifehouse, an ambitious sci-fi rock opera Pete Townshend abandoned after suffering a nervous breakdown, caused in part from working on the sequel to Tommy.

The album had its roots in the flotsam of the disastrous Lifehouse project, which Who bandleader Pete Townshend has variously described as intended to be a futuristic rock opera, a live-recorded concept album and as the music for as a scripted film project. The project proved to be intractable on several levels and caused stress within the band as well as a major falling out between Townshend and The Who’s producer Kit Lambert. Years later, in the liner notes to the remastered Who’s Next CD, Townshend wrote that the failure of the project led him to the verge of a suicidal nervous breakdown.

After giving up on recording some of the Lifehouse tracks in New York, The Who went back into the studio with new producer Glyn Johns and started over. Although the Lifehouse concept was abandoned, scraps of the project remained present in the final album. The introductory line to “Pure and Easy” which Townshend has described as “the central pivot of Lifehouse” shows up in the closing bars of “Song is Over”. An early concept for Lifehouse — feeding personal data from audience members into the controller of an early analog synthesizer to create musical tracks — was recycled as Townshend used the vital statistics of Meher Baba as random input to generate a backing track on “Baba O’Riley”. A primary result of the abandonment of the original project, however, was a newfound freedom: the very absence of an overriding musical theme or storyline (which had been the basis of previous Who projects) allowed the band to concentrate on maximizing the impact of individual tracks.

Apart from Live at Leeds, the Who have never sounded as loud and unhinged as they do here, yet that’s balanced by ballads, both lovely (“The Song Is Over”) and scathing (“Behind Blue Eyes”). That’s the key to Who’s Next — there’s anger and sorrow, humor and regret, passion and tumult, all wrapped up in a blistering package where the rage is as affecting as the heartbreak. This is a retreat from the ’60s, as Townshend declares the “Song Is Over,” scorns the teenage wasteland, and bitterly declares that we “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” For all the sorrow and heartbreak that runs beneath the surface, this is an invigorating record, not just because Keith Moon runs rampant or because Roger Daltrey has never sung better or because John Entwistle spins out manic basslines that are as captivating as his “My Wife” is funny. This is invigorating because it has all of that, plus Townshend laying his soul bare in ways that are funny, painful, and utterly life-affirming.

Line-up:
* Roger Daltrey – lead vocals
* Pete Townshend – guitar, piano on “Baba O’Riley”, synthesizer, backing vocals, lead vocals on “Song Is Over” and “Goin’ Mobile”
* John Entwistle – bass guitar, brass, backing vocals, lead vocals, piano on “My Wife”
* Keith Moon – drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Baba O’Riley – 5:59
02. Bargain – 5:34
03. Love Ain’t for Keepin’ – 2:11
04. My Wife (Entwistle) – 3:41
05. The Song Is Over – 6:16
06. Getting in Tune – 4:50
07. Going Mobile – 3:43
08. Behind Blue Eyes – 3:39
09. Won’t Get Fooled Again – 8:32
10. Pure and Easy (Bonus) – 4:22
11. Baby Don’t You Do It (Bonus) – 5:14
12. Naked Eye (Bonus) – 5:31
13. Water (Bonus) – 6:25
14. Too Much of Anything (Bonus) – 4:25
15. I Don’t Even Know Myself (Bonus) – 4:56
16. Behind Blue Eyes (Bonus) – 3:28

Links in comments.

John Entwistle, Keith Moon, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Sakalli's Pick, Who

21. Peron – 21. Peron (1975) (@256)

20 Jun 2007

(Info from homestead.com)

The Izmir College band was formed in 1970 highly influenced by Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and even performed Tommy at some schoolshows back in 1972. They won the Milliyet contest in 1973 with a self written tune. After that the group members changed, (due to graduating), a viola player was added and renamed their group into ’21.Peron’.

Their influences expanded and included Zappa, Genesis and Gentle Giant, with still sympathy for the Anatolian rock which they continued to develop. In 1974 they did a progrock jingle for a national radio show by Umit Tuncag who supported jazz and progressive music. By 1975 they moved to an instrumental style of music with some Yes and Genesis influences, which was respected but hard to understand for the (Turkish) general public. At that time they recorded 5 tracks themselves, but it was impossible to find a label to release this. More “experimental” or progressive music from small groups outside the Altin Mikrofon contest and the Milliyet (schoolband) contest simply were not promoted.

In 1977 the group had the permission by label owners Attila Ozdemiroglu and Sanar Yurdatapan to record in a professional studio another 6 songs. The tracks had to find a more compact form and balance for the market’s rules. The tapes were used once for a TRT national broadcast airplay but then were left unused ever since. In 1978 the band made live arrangements for an additional orchestra. “Petruska” was played live in a 12 minute version (rock band with orchestra), but this full version recording was not included on this album yet.

Around the same time the German band Embryo started their first world music tour (documented for the Indian & Pakistan parts afterwards on “Embryo’s Reise). In Turkey they played with 21. Peron although the important part of the violin wasn’t there, because Alp had to leave the band for his studies.

In 1979, just as a joke, the band suggested a song for the Eurovision song festival and won the national competition. Due to the oil crisis and threats by other Middle eastern countries, Turkey’s participation in Israel was cancelled, so the band never came to it.

Only recently Arkaplan label put their old recordings together to publish the album they once had dreamed of to release.

“Anne” has a anadolu rock flavour but also includes some psych organ, wah wah guitar and violin improvisation with a developed sound, varying from a garage psych feeling, but it is definitely symphonic in its evolution. “18400 TL.” is inventive with its sound, and compromises progressive rock, and bluesrock or beat rhythms, with anadolu folk and anadolu fuzz psych ideas, also in a symphonic way. Fantastic !

“F.M.O” is more experimental, improvised. Progressive music to lick your fingers to. The track was meant as an imaginary mini-soundtrack. “Petruska” is based upon Stravinski’s composition, in a great progressive / chamber music rock interpretation, inventively played. Stunning ! If this version of 6 minutes is already that good I wish to hear the 12 minute version with additional arrangements !! I’m sure Stravinsky would have approved this work.

Side B starts with “Cocukluk Anilarim”, a more relaxed track with a banjo-like ethno-folk instrument, electric guitars, great psych organ, violin, drums. “Inilti” and “Bes” are good symphonic tracks with much more keyboard chord input, guitars, and drums, just like various West European bands from mid seventies. “Sarap Mahzeninde Gece” has a combination of driving Anadolu elements, with heavy prog rock with refined but powerful arrangements, arranged perfectly into a progressive form. “FMO II”, a bit more moody, fits perfectly here with Curved Air like violin adaptation and a bit more experimenting within improvisation (with echoed and experimental sounds, guitars, violin). Last track “Arap Bebegin Dansi” (with a Debussy theme) starts a bit different, with a more fun rhythmical moog and organ (with some dance violin) combined unexpectedly with some heavy prog rock guitars. In some way it gives another aspect of the Anadolu rock scene, reminding me of Erol Buyukburc area/story, here it still is with all its seriousness intact.

Line-up:
* Alp Gultekin – Violin
* Andreas Wildermann – Keyboards
* Haluk Oztekin – Guitar
* Erden Erdem – Drums
* Aron Serez – Bass
* Gokhan Akcay – Bass
* Seyhan Eris – Guitar
* Halil Yildirim – Drums

Track List:
01. Anne
02. 18400 TL
03. F.M.O. (Film Muzigi Olabilir)
04. Petruska
05. Cocukluk Anilarim
06. Inilti
07. Bes
08. Sarap Mahzeninde Gece
09. F.M.O. II (Film Muzigi Olamadi)
10. Arap Bebegin Dansi
11. Anlatamiyorum (Bonus)
12. Koy Dugunu (Bonus)

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Sakalli's Pick, Turkish

Camel – Stationary Traveller (1984) (@256)

06 Jun 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

This version of Camel sounds slightly different than the band of the seventies. Since the release of Nude the songs are mainly built on the splendid guitar melodies of Latimer. He uses his position as de facto leader to showcase his guitar prowess. Kayak’s Ton Scherpenzeel joins Camel on keyboards. Throughout the album the influence of Scherpenzeel is noticeable as he puts some colour to the music. He even wrote one little instrumental which fits in perfectly. Chris Rainbow takes lead vocals on a couple of the tracks.

The cover art of this album takes you back to Berlin at the time when the wall was built. Stationary traveller may be a concept album but its concept isn’t dominating the music. You can easily listen to the fine songs separately without digging deep into the lyrics, although the lyrics explain why there isn?t an uplifting mood.

The result is an excellent album by any standards. Once again, we have one of Camel’s striking opening themes, with a brief but dramatic lead guitar piece instantly grabbing the listeners attention and setting the mood for the rest of album.

Stationary Traveller is probably one of the most underrated albums of the eighties. Unfortunately it would be the last Camel album for the decade.

Line-up:
- Andy Latimer / flute, guitar, vocals
- Ton Scherpenzeel / organ, synthesizer, piano, keyboards, mellophonium, vocals
- David Paton / bass, vocals
- Paul Burgess / percussion, drums
- Mel Collins / sax
- Chris Rainbow / vocals

Track List:
01. Pressure Points (instrumental) (2:10)
02. Refugee (3:47)
03. Vopos (5:32)
04. Cloak and Dagger Man (3:55)
05. Stationary Traveller (instrumental) (5:34)
06. West Berlin (5:10)
07. Fingertips (4:29)
08. Missing (instrumental) (4:22)
09. After Words (instrumental) (2:01)
10. Long Goodbyes (5:14)

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Camel, Chris Rainbow, David Paton, Mel Collins, Sakalli's Pick, Ton Scherpenzeel

Yeni Turku – Vira Vira (1990) (@256)

12 May 2007

(Info from wikipedia)

Yeni Turku was founded by Derya Koroglu, Zerrin Yasar, Selim Atakan in 1978 in Ankara, Turkey. All group members changed several times throughout the years, except the lead singer Derya Koroglu. Their music combine the sound of traditional Turkish and modern musical instruments, such as the oud, baglama, kemence, qanun and guitar. Many of their lyrics are based on poems by critically acclaimed contemporary Turkish poets. This combination produces a broad range of Turkish and Mediterranean melodies, that unites Anatolian and Byzantine cultures. Yeni Turku’s blend of traditional and ethnic songs appeals to all generations and cross-cultural audiences.

“Vira Vira” is their sixth studio album, issued in 1990.

Line-up:
* Derya Koroglu – guitar, baglama, vocals
* Selim Atakan – piano, flute
* Murat Buket – lute
* Cengiz Onural – guitar, stringed violin
* Tugrul Bayrak – bass
* Tayfun Duygulu – soprano saxophone, clarinet
* Halis Butunley – percussion, vocals

Track List:
01. Vira Vira
02. Inatci
03. Beklemek
04. Oyle Sevdik Seni
05. Irmak
06. Anne
07. Dalgaci Mahmut
08. Eski Asklar
09. Deliler
10. Umut
11. Gece Yarilari
12. Saril Bana

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Sakalli's Pick, Turkish

Grobschnitt – Solar Music Live (1978) (@256)

12 May 2007

10 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

“Do you hear solar music? Do you hear solar music?” is the musical question being asked here and if this Grobschnitt live album doesn’t space you right out, it’s time to call up NASA and rent a space shuttle.

Of all the live albums in my personal collection I would have to rank Grobschnitt’s “Solar Music – Live” as one of the all time classics. I have adored this album for years and was happy to hear that Eroc of the band had re-mastered the original recording adding an extra 13 mins void off of the earlier CD pressings. “Solar Music – Live” rests on its own as yet another one of Grobschnitt’s greatest moments and is a fantastic voyage into the heart of the sun. The concert essentially runs as 1 long piece of music offering great guitar, bass and keyboard interplay. Although “Solar Music” does appear on the studio album “Ballermann” it is live where we get to hear the theatrics and the pure energy Grobschnitt were able to muster up. Keyboard work is highly atmospheric and paves a great path for the magical electrical guitar work present on this album.

Line-up:
- Stefan Danielak / guitar, vocals
- Joachim H. Ehrig / synthesizer, drums, vocals
- Wolfgang Jäger / bass
- Volker Kahrs / keyboards, vocals
- Gerd Kühn / guitar, vocals

Track List:
01. Solar Music I (4:38)
02. Food Sicore (3:52)
03. Solar Music II (6:03)
04. Mühlheim Special (10:43)
05. Otto Pankrock (6:26)
06. Golden Mist (10:56)
07. Solar Music III (12:26)
08. The Missing 13 Minutes (13:08)
09. Vanishing Towards The East (0:35)

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Grobschnitt, Sakalli's Pick

Jethro Tull – Roots to Branches (1995) (@256)

06 May 2007

(Review from amazon.com)

Roots to Branches was an instant classic from the moment I first heard it. I bought it the day it came out and today it remains on my top three Jethro Tull releases of all time, usually occupying the very top spot and for good reason. Each song sounds at once as if it had always existed in some classic rock time capsule that had just been unearthed, and Eastern influences swirl throughout much of the record like the smoke from a hookah, hanging in the air with poetic grace. With Roots to Branches Ian Anderson found music that perfectly suited the changes in his voice and used it to great effect, sounding not unlike old wood polished with a deep finish over a period of many years.

The songs themselves are well crafted and rich in texture. Roots to Branches builds up slowly from out of the darkness and casts shadowy chords across a lyrical landscape of ever changing beliefs with a mixture of sadness and sarcasm. Rare and Precious Chain snakes its way through a hypnotic rhythm, with enchanting results, while Out of the Noise runs rampant in pursuit of playful disregard to any musical boundaries. This Free Will has a weight to it you can virtually feel, and the song Valley is a deeply moving track set to a parable about the haves and have nots laid bare against a background of moral inconsistencies. It’s one of my favorites in a record filled with favorites. Dangerous Veils dances wildly about in strip tease fashion, Beside Myself sounds refreshingly familiar and new all at once, and Wounded, Old and Treacherous is mischievous and devilishly good. At Last, Forever, Stuck out in the August Rain, and Another Harry’s Bar seem to me to be incredibly beautiful odes to love and mortality told with a sense of wistfulness and melancholy.

Line-up:
* Ian Anderson – Vocals, concert flute, bamboo flute, acoustic guitar
* Martin Barre – Electric guitars
* Doane Perry – Drums
* Andrew Giddings – Keyboards
* Dave Pegg – Bass guitar (tracks 3, 5, 11)
* Steve Bailey – Bass guitar (tracks 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Track List:
01. Roots To Branches – 5:11
02. Rare And Precious Chain – 3:35
03. Out Of The Noise – 3:25
04. This Free Will – 4:05
05. Valley – 6:07
06. Dangerous Veils – 5:35
07. Beside Myself – 5:50
08. Wounded, Old And Treacherous – 7:50
09. At Last, Forever – 7:55
10. Stuck In The August Rain – 4:06
11. Another Harry’s Bar – 6:21

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Dave Pegg, Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull, Martin Barre, Sakalli's Pick

Traffic – On the Road (Live 1973) (@320)

28 Apr 2007

9 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

It is hard to criticise this incredible live album negatively at all. For me one of the top progressive live albums to come out of the 70′s. Remember Yessongs, Second’s Out and also Ricochet by Tangerine Dream, On The Road sits proudly up there with these gems and it was a double LP release. The musicians worked brilliantly together with Reebop Kwaku Baah back in the percussive fold. Here we have “jamming” at it’s absolute best. “Glad / Freedom Rider” the opener is 20 minutes of mesmerizing sound. Being live the tracks have been lengthened to accomodate for the apty titled On The Road, “Light Up Or Leave Me Alone” is another great track as is the live version of the much debated “(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired” but for me the highpoint is the seventeen minutes of “Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys”. As I said all the instrument playing is of exceptional quality but Chris Wood’s sax and flute needs a special mention too. Not an album to ignore especially if you are fond of those great 70′s live albums.

Line-up:
- Jim Capaldi / vocals, percussion, drums
- Steve Winwood / vocals, guitar, piano
- Chris Wood / saxophone, flute
- Reebop Kwaku Baah / percussion
- Roger Hawkins / drums
- David Hood / bass
- Barry Beckett / keyboards

Track List:
01. Glad / Freedom Rider (20:49)
02. Tragic Magic (8:30)
03. (Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired (10:20)
04. Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory (6:40)
05. Light Up Or Leave Me Alone (10:30)
06. Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys (17:35)

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Chris Wood, Jim Capaldi, Live, Reebop Kwaku Baah, Sakalli's Pick, Steve Winwood, Traffic

Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak (1976) (@192)

23 Apr 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

On Thin Lizzy’s third album with new guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, Jailbreak, the band perfected their hard-rocking, storytelling, guitar-laden style and were rewarded with worldwide breakthrough success. It also marked the first album where the band finally realized they were a true hard rock band, and put a stop to the soft rock that plagued such albums as 1974′s Night Life. Although vocalist/bassist Phil Lynott was unfairly criticized as being a Bruce Springsteen soundalike at the time, it was on Jailbreak that he came into his own, perfecting his storytelling lyric-writing and becoming a true poet in the process. Songwise, the album was also Lizzy’s first really consistent album; there is simply not a single weak track in the bunch. The hard-rocking war tales of “Emerald” and “Warriors,” the killer boogie of “Angel of the Coast,” the country rocker “Cowboy Song,” and a pair of rock’s greatest anthems, the title track and the perennial radio favorite “The Boys Are Back in Town,” are among Lizzy’s best tracks ever. Add to it such strong album cuts as the Dire Straits-esque ballad “Fight or Fall” plus the heartbroken tales “Running Back” and “Romeo and the Lonely Girl,” and you have one of the finest hard rock albums of all time.

Line-up:
* Phil Lynott – bass, vocals, acoustic guitar
* Scott Gorham – lead guitar, guitars
* Brian Robertson – lead guitar, guitars
* Brian Downey – drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Jailbreak (Lynott) – 4:01
02. Angel from the Coast (Lynott, Robertson) – 3:03
03. Running Back (Lynott) – 3:13
04. Romeo and the Lonely Girl (Lynott) – 3:55
05. Warrior (Gorham, Lynott) – 4:09
06. The Boys Are Back in Town (Lynott) – 4:27
07. Fight or Fall (Lynott) – 3:45
08. Cowboy Song (Downey, Lynott) – 5:16
09. Emerald (Downey, Gorham, Lynott, Robertson) – 4:03

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Brian Robertson, Phil Lynott, Sakalli's Pick, Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy

Alan Parsons Project – Eye in the Sky (1982) (@256)

22 Apr 2007

(Review from seaoftranquility.org)

Once you hear the familar sounds of Alan Parsons’ fairlight and layered synths from Eric Woolfson & Haydn Bendall on the opening “Sirius”, a classic Alan Parsons Project instrumental piece that became a familiar theme to many sporting events, so begins the popular 1982 release Eye In the Sky.

The title track was a big hit on FM rock radio back when the album was originally released, a lush pop/prog song with Woolfson’s emotional vocals and swirling Wurlitzer, complemented nicely by Ian Bairnson’s tasty guitar work, who is a vastly underrated player. The engaging “Children of the Moon”, which features plenty of proggy keyboards from Woolfson and a soulful vocal from bassist David Patton. Check out the soaring choir and orchestra on this one, as well as some jazzy piccolo trumpet from John Wallace. The layers of vocals on the quirky “Gemini” almost remind of Gentle Giant with a Pink Floyd edge, while the somber yet catchy “Silence and I” is a 7+ minute piece with lush keyboards and orchestra, plus another solid vocal from Woolfson. About mid-way through the song things pick up quite a bit, and it actually turns into a bombastic classical flavored rocker, with a tasty guitar solo from Bairnson to close things out.

“You’re Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned” is a funky rocker, very typical of early 80′s AOR material, littered with tight keyboard work from Parsons, crunchy guitar riffs, and plenty of catchy vocal melodies. The popular “Psychobabble” is a proggy yet funky track with plenty of hooks and classy instrumentation, while “Mammagamma” is a futuristic sounding instrumental not unlike some of the Tangerine Dream output of the same era. Expect loads of synths, delayed guitar riffs, and electronic drum programming on this one. ‘Step By Step” is a fairly generic funk rocker, easily the weakest track on the album, and the closing “Old and Wise” sees the band return to dreamy, orchestral progressive rock, complete with emotional vocals, layers of keys, strings, brass, and reeds. The sax solo from former King Crimson member Mel Collins is especially noteworthy on this one.

Line-up:
* Alan Parsons – keyboards, fairlight programming
* Eric Woolfson – keyboards, vocals
* Andrew Powell – keyboards, orchestral arrangements
* Ian Bairnson – guitar
* Mel Collins – saxophone
* David Paton – bass, vocals
* Stuart Elliott – drums & percussion
* Chris Rainbow – vocals
* Lenny Zakatek – vocals
* Elmer Gantry – vocals
* Colin Blunstone – vocals

Track List:
01. Sirius (1:48)
02. Eye In The Sky (4:33)
03. Children Of The Moon (4:49)
04. Gemini (2:09)
05. Silence And I (7:17)
06. You’re Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned (4:50)
07. Psychobabble (4:50)
08. Mammagamma (3:34)
09. Step By Step (3:52)
10. Old And Wise (4:52)

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Alan Parsons, Alan Parsons Project, Andrew Powell, Chris Rainbow, David Paton, Eric Woolfson, Mel Collins, Sakalli's Pick

Fleetwood Mac – Then Play On (1969) (@192)

20 Apr 2007

(Review from amazon.com)

Remember when Fleetwood Mac was still a blues band? Before Buckingham and Nicks came along to water down the group’s sound into a syrupy pop outfit that cranked out one album of lowest common denominator top 40 music after another? For anyone who has never heard the band in the early years, nearer their origins, the experience could come as a shock. There’s a lot to be said for the argument that the band should have changed their name when they took that radical turn into pop music…

But this album is near the beginning, and it’s a joyful experience. The amazing Peter Green (guitar, vocals), the steady rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood (drums) and John McVie (bass), all fresh from some serious schooling in the ranks of the legendary John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, formed Fleetwood Mac in 1967, joined by guitarist Jeremy Spencer, and, just before this set was recorded, guitarist Danny Kirwan. Their first couple of albums were well-received by critics and fans alike in their native UK — with “Then Play On”, the band began to expand their songwriting horizons, while remaining true to their blues roots.

The guitar work from the triumvirate of Green/Spencer/Kirwan is stunning, as are their vocals — each infusing his own compositions with a unique personality, yet fitting into the overall sound of the band at the same time. There are some memorable unbeat, rockin’ tunes here — but what stands out for me after all of these years are the slower, moodier pieces — vocals and instrumentals alike.

Green’s ‘Closing my eyes’, the second track on the album, is one of the most heartfelt expressions of loneliness and despair I’ve ever heard — but it’s not maudlin. He can sing ‘…one day I’ll die — maybe then I’ll be with you’ and it doesn’t come across as trite for even a second. Danny Kirwan contributes three tunes in this laid-back but strongly emotional vein as well: ‘Although the sun is shining’ has an achingly beautiful, unusual chord progression — ‘When you say’ and ‘Like crying’ are gems as well. The instrumentals — Kirwan’s ‘My dream’, Green’s ‘Underway’, are things of beauty, and the two jams ‘Searching for Madge’ and ‘Fighting for Madge’ allow the bandmembers to stretch out a bit in a more upbeat vein.

There are rockers here as well — notably two classics from Peter Green, the classic ‘Oh well’ (presented here in its entirety, it didn’t even appear on the original lp except as a bonus 7″ included in early copies) and the playfully nasty ‘Rattlesnake shake’ (I remember that the ‘underground’ FM station in my home town wouldn’t even play this track — they were SO adventurous).

This is a truly classic recording — from the band’s finest hour. It’s no “Rumours” — and that’s a good thing!

Line-up:
* Peter Green – vocals, guitar, harmonica
* Danny Kirwan – vocals, guitar
* John McVie – bass
* Mick Fleetwood – drums
and
* Jeremy Spencer – piano on “Oh Well” {Pt 2}
* Christine Perfect (McVie) – piano
* Big Walter Horton – harmonica

Track List:
01. Coming Your Way – 3:47
02. Closing My Eyes – 4:50
03. Showbiz Blues – 3:50
04. My Dream – 3:30
05. Underway – 2:51
06. Oh Well – 8:56
07. Although the Sun Is Shining – 2:31
08. Rattlesnake Shake – 3:32
09. Searching for Madge – 6:56
10. Fighting for Madge – 2:45
11. When You Say – 4:22
12. Like Crying – 2:21
13. Before the Beginning – 3:28

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Danny Kirwan, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Sakalli's Pick

Univers Zero – Uzed (1984) (@320)

14 Apr 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

Uzed’s the cornerstone of Univers Zero’s career. Up to now, Univers Zero’s music had been mostly acoustic RIO, developing sinister moods and searching for human’s darker instincts. But with this album, Denis was to change considerably Univers Zero’s direction and this was due in no small part to the friendly competition he maintained with ex-Univers Zero Roger Trigaux, who had formed Present (with Denis holding the drum stool), and pushing each other to explore new musical territories. By now, Daniel Denis was the last remaining original member, Berckmans devoting his effort to Von Zamla. In comes future long time collab Dirk Descheemaeker on winds, Genet on bass and assorted string instruments, Plouvier (another future central figure) on keyboards and Mergen on cello and sax.

This album, as I said above, is the start of a new direction and can be easily seen as a blueprint for all their future album until Implosion. The music had now shifted from the sinister and macabre to the sombre and mysterious ambiances, the eastern influences being much more present (pardon the pun ;-), than previously. One of the most striking results is that the album is generally more melodious than the previous three, which often flirted with dissonance and atonal music. Here, the music has mystic and grandiose aspects not previously developed. The opener Présage is probably my favourite track as the mystery of the mid-eastern dawns (with the cello strongly inducing Arab ambiances) in a yet-asleep harem (see why I think this is their best track? ;-) and the first smell of Green tea as you are heading for the hamam with three beautiful creatures, and the clarinet providing the drama: this almost 10-min track is flawless. The manic Doctor Schwartz is a 100 mph nightmare with Plouvier’s piano providing the base for a haunting cello and clarinet. Wrapping up the first side of this wax slice, is Celeste (with two guest-musicians), a slow-developing almost 7-min track where the piano has the dominant role until the monstrous entrance of the “beast and Delory’s electric guitar (sometimes reminding you of Pinhas or Fripp) is clearly its angry scream. The only flaw I can think of is that the track ends in a fade-out.

Parade is probably where Miriodor took a good deal of their inspiration and the mad breaking noise are extremely disturbing, but the insane beat is not letting you off the hook. Centrepiece Emmanations is one stunning and most convincing track, where Univers Zero is simply taking on the role of a progressive giant group, but if it is not known widely among the progheads, it is mostly because this album was recorded in 1984. Had it been recorded a decade earlier, no doubt that this album would be standing with Magma’s 1001° Centigrade or Henry Cow’s Legend. Denis’s composing powers are simply impressive and his percussions are awesomely inventive, and the oppressive but enthralling ambiances make the almost 16-min track seem too short. In the closing section, the track diverges into electronic delirium, which some twenty years later, Denis will come back to and base his Implosion album around similar themes.

Clearly the album separating the two phases of Univers Zero, this album will serve as a template for Univers Zero albums for two decades to come (including Denis’s two solo albums).

Line-up:
- Daniel Denis / drums, percussion, synthesizer
- Dirk Descheemaeker / soprano sax, clarinet, bass clarinet
- Christian Genet / bass, balafon, bowed guitar, tapes, whistle
- Andre Mergen / cello, alto sax, voice
- Jean-Luc Plouvier / electric & acoustic pianos, synthesizer, piano strings, percussion

Track List:
01. Presage (9:48)
02. L’Etrange Mixture du Docteur Schwartz (3:52)
03. Celesta (for Chantal) (6:55)
04. Parade (6:37)
05. Emmanations (15:43)

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Daniel Denis, Sakalli's Pick, Univers Zero

Inti-Illimani – Viva Chile! (1973) (@256)

13 Apr 2007

(Info from delcanton.com, allmusic.com)

Inti-Illimani is a Chilean Nueva Cancion group whose music is inspired mainly by the indigenous cultures of Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Argentina. Other sources of influence include European, African and mestizo cultures. The group’s name, literally “Sun-God”, refers to the mountain spirit, or apu, of a mountain near La Paz, Bolivia known locally by the Aymara people as Illimani. Inti-Illimani’s music, featuring the ancient sounds of over 30 wind, string and percussion instruments, has been a prominent symbol of Latin American indigenous peoples for some 35 years. While the political message of Inti-Illimani’s music is not as explicit as that of its early contemporaries like Victor Jara and Ali Primera, the group’s songs were seen as powerful statements in the ’60s and ’70s, at a time when the celebration of Latin Americans’ indigenous roots was associated with the struggle for social and political justice.

Inti-Illimani came into being in the ’60s when a group of engineering students attending Santiago Technical University, one of Chile’s most politicized institutions at the time, discovered they shared a deep interest in the music of indigenous Andean music. In 1968, the band release its first single, a two-song EP titled, “Por La CUT” which was quickly followed by “Voz para el Camino” that same year, and “Si Somos Americanos”, “Canciones de la Revolucion Mexicana” and their first LP, “Inti-Illimani”, in 1969. Appreciation of Inti-Illimani’s music grew quickly and over the next few years they toured internationally and released several more albums.

In 1973, while on tour in Italy, Chile’s democratically-elected socialist president, Salvador Allende, was deposed in a bloody week-long, U.S.-approved coup d’etat that brought the notorious General Augusto Pinochet to power. Victor Jara, perhaps the most well known of the Nueva Cancion artists and a close friend of Inti-Illimani, was brutally tortured and killed in a stadium where some 5,000 other dissidents were slaughtered. Soon after the coup, the military junta outlawed the music of Inti-Illimani and other artists. Several musicians, including the members of Inti-Illimani were banned from Chile. The group spent the next fourteen years in Italy, where. During their period of exile, they released 20 more albums beginning with “Viva Chile”.

Viva Chile was the first of the group’s albums to emerge from a new life as exiles in Rome; so, literally, this spirited music of revolution and rebellion was recorded within a short stroll from the type of hearty lunchtime pasta that is more likely to inspire a siesta. The decisive summarization of thoughts that sometimes occurs as a preamble to dreamland is a nice way to describe the choice of both repertoire and final program sequence. Viva Chile! lays bare the musical roots of this ensemble, in large part a style of folk music from the Andes that has unfortunately become a trifle stereotyped due to overexposure. In the case of Inti-Illimani, the growth from this original starting point has been lush, extending into a challenging form of expression known as nuevo cancion, or new song. Rich emotions and musical surprises bloom almost constantly from these pieces. In combination with politics, as in “Venceremos” or “Cueca de la C.U.T.,” it becomes a garden that any lover of protest songs will want to sit in and meditate. Sniffing along while the military industrial complex is overthrown is hardly the only sweet bouquet provided, however. From the very start of the album, intricate and terrifically mixed percussion breaks provide some of the finest moments. “Cueca de la C.U.T.” is simply amazing, sounding like small drunken men have invaded the speaker box with wooden mallets. Instrumental pieces involving various combinations of stringed instruments such as guitar, tiple, and charango are also part of the program, a style that the group seems to have downplayed in later releases. “Ramis,” “Tatati,” and “Subida” are short and simple treats; “Longuita” utilizes a picking style that sounds like country & western, though it is uncertain what country. “Venceremos” is the big vocal hit, an anthem among anthems, and as is typical in the effective sequencing, it is sandwiched between two of the instrumentals. As mentioned in passing, a distinct Andes style involving pan pipes, known as zampona and a certain kind of repetitive melody has been transformed from obscure ethnic music into ghastly kitsch courtesy of Paul Simon and “El Condor Pasa.” This style is used somewhat heavily as this album begins, then passes away into a kind of distant mist as the program becomes more political. It is truly sad that someone else’s recording career can so jeopardize the experience of understanding a beautiful musical concept, but that’s showbiz. Some listeners will have to toil mightily, hefting aside pounds of prejudice and unfortunate indoctrination in order to truly understand what this group is all about. As hard as that is bound to be, it might be of some assistance to present the following image, complete with the caveat that it is presented only a short time after reading a flattering account of Simon’s sure and knowing ways while collaborating in the studio with a bunch of vintage gospel entertainers. The traditional Indian music utilized by Inti-Illimani is of a much finer vintage than those old Simon & Garfunkel records in the den. The zampona flutes and various drums and rattles, each carefully used to create maximum impact, have an individual and combined intensity, would be literally be described as muy grande in Spanish, that is really way too big for a Paul Simon record — a giant, gleaming zampona being inserted in a place where the sun don’t shine, where the Sun God never visited.

Line-up:
* Horacio Duran Vidal
* Jose Seves Sepulveda
* Jose Miguel Camus Vargas
* Horacio Salinas Alvarez
* Jorge Coulon Larrańaga
* Max Berru Carrion

Track List:
01. La Fiesta De San Benito
02. Longuita
03. Cancion Del Poder Popular
04. Alturas
05. La Segunda Independencia
06. Cueca De La C.U.T. (Central única de trabajadores)
07. Tatati
08. Venceremos (Himno de la Unidad Popular)
09. Ramis
10. “Rin” Del Angelito
11. Subida
12. Simon Bolivar

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Sakalli's Pick

Led Zeppelin – Presence (1976) (@320)

13 Apr 2007

(Info from wikipedia)

Following their triumphant Earls Court appearances, Led Zeppelin took an unplanned break from touring. In August 1975, Robert Plant and his wife Maureen were involved in a serious car crash whilst on holiday in Rhodes, Greece. Robert suffered a broken ankle and Maureen was very badly injured; a blood transfusion saved her life. Unable to tour, Plant headed to the channel island of Jersey to spend August and September recuperating, with Bonham and Page in tow. The band then reconvened in Malibu, California. It was during this forced hiatus that much of the material for their next album, Presence, was written. The album was recorded within three weeks at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany, with Plant in a wheelchair.

Both Page and Plant had planned this album’s recording session as a return to hard rock, much like their debut album, except at a new level of complexity. It marked a change in the Led Zeppelin sound towards more straightforward, guitar-based jams. Whereas their previous albums contain electric hard rock anthems balanced with acoustic ballads and intricate arrangements, Presence was seen to include more simplified riffs. It is Led Zeppelin’s only studio album that features neither acoustic tracks nor keyboards (almost buried in the mix, a lone acoustic guitar can be heard on “Candy Store Rock”).

In contrast to earlier albums which contained several tracks played live at Led Zeppelin concerts, only two tracks from Presence were played in full on stage. “Achilles Last Stand” and “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” were added to the setlist for the 1977 tour of the United States and stayed through the band’s final concerts in 1980. Some of the guitar solo from “Tea for One” was also incorporated into “Since I’ve Been Loving You” in these shows, but the actual song was never performed live until the Page and Plant tour of Japan in 1996, where it received three airings backed by an orchestra.

Presence is one of Led Zeppelin’s more overlooked albums, languishing in the monstrous shadow of its predecessor, Physical Graffiti. Despite the original criticisms; Jimmy Page has called Presence his favourite album, and “Achilles Last Stand” his favourite Led Zeppelin song. Robert Plant has also stated that he thinks Presence is the album that probably sounds the most “Led Zeppelin” of all their LPs.

Line-up:
* Jimmy Page – Electric Guitars
* Robert Plant – Vocals and Harmonica
* John Paul Jones – 4,5 and 8 string Bass Guitars.
* John Bonham – Drums and Percussion

Track List:
01. Achilles Last Stand (Page/Plant) – 10:25
02. For Your Life (Page/Plant) – 6:20
03. Royal Orleans (Bonham/Jones/Page/Plant) – 2:58
04. Nobody’s Fault But Mine (Page/Plant) – 6:27
05. Candy Store Rock (Page/Plant) – 4:07
06. Hots on for Nowhere (Page/Plant) – 4:43
07. Tea for One (Page/Plant) – 9:27

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Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, Sakalli's Pick

Lou Reed – Transformer (1972) (@256)

12 Apr 2007

9 comments

(Review from amazon.com)

Over these eleven perfectly crafted tracks, Lou Reed showed us various little panoramas of Andy Warhol and The Factory, transvestitism, New York’s (homosexual) scene, urban decadence, (narcotics) use and more in a wonderful blend of humour and irony and in a brilliantly diverse musical setting. The guitar-driven hard rock of Hangin’ Round and Vicious is balanced by the subdued power of the poetic Perfect Day and the imaginative arrangements of Walk On The Wild side and Goodnight Ladies. Transformer is a literate, intelligent and enduring statement of an era and is one of the few albums of the glam-rock movement that has survived with its artistic integrity intact and that still has something to say today. David Bowie and Mick Ronson produced it with all the expertise they lent to the Ziggy Stardust album. But its varied styles, broader subject matter and feel of personal experience make it a better album than Ziggy Stardust. Unlike on most of Lou Reed’s other albums, there is great melodic variety too.

Line-up:
* Lou Reed – guitar, keyboards, vocals
* Herbie Flowers – bass, tuba
* Mick Ronson – guitar, piano, recorder, backing vocals
* John Halzey – drums
* Ronnie Ross – baritone saxophone

Track List:
01. Vicious – 2:58
02. Andy’s Chest – 3:20
03. Perfect Day – 3:46
04. Hangin’ Round – 3:39
05. Walk on the Wild Side – 4:12
06. Make Up – 2:58
07. Satellite of Love – 3:40
08. Wagon Wheel – 3:19
09. New York Telephone Conversation – 1:31
10. I’m So Free – 3:07
11. Goodnight Ladies – 4:21
12. Hangin’ Round (Acoustic demo) (Bonus) – 3:57
13. Perfect Day (Acoustic demo) (Bonus) – 4:50

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Lou Reed, Sakalli's Pick

Cat Stevens – Tea for the Tillerman (1970) (@256)

02 Apr 2007

(Review from allmusic.com, wikipedia)

He began to perform his songs in coffee houses and pubs. Thinking that his Greek name might not be memorable as a stage name – “I couldn’t imagine anyone going to the record store and asking for that Stephen Demetre Georgiou album. And in England, and I was sure in America, they loved animals.” – he started calling himself Cat Stevens, chosen because a girlfriend said he had eyes like a cat.

With two studio albums under his belt, Stevens was living a fast-moving pop-star life and in early 1968 at the age of nineteen, he became very ill with life-threatening tuberculosis. During several months in the hospital and a year of convalescence, Stevens began to question aspects of his life, took up meditation, read about other religions and became a vegetarian. In that time, as part of his spiritual awakening and questioning, he wrote as many as 40 songs which were much more introspective than his previous work. Many of those songs were to appear on his albums in years to come.

His first comeback album Mona Bone Jakon was full of references to death, but Tea for the Tillerman was not about dying; it was about living in the modern world while rejecting it in favor of spiritual fulfillment. It began with a statement of purpose, “Where Do the Children Play?,” in which Stevens questioned the value of technology and progress. “Wild World” found the singer being dumped by a girl, but making the novel suggestion that she should stay with him because she was incapable of handling things without him. “Sad Lisa” might have been about the same girl after she tried and failed to make her way; now, she seemed depressed to the point of psychosis. The rest of the album veered between two themes: the conflict between the young and the old, and religion as an answer to life’s questions. Tea for the Tillerman was the story of a young man’s search for spiritual meaning in a soulless class society he found abhorrent. He hadn’t yet reached his destination, but he was confident he was going in the right direction, traveling at his own, unhurried pace. The album’s rejection of contemporary life and its yearning for something more struck a chord with listeners in an era in which traditional verities had been shaken. It didn’t hurt, of course, that Stevens had lost none of his ability to craft a catchy melody; the album may have been full of angst, but it wasn’t hard to sing along to. As a result, Tea for the Tillerman became a big seller and, for the second time in four years, its creator became a star.

Track List:
01. Where Do the Children Play? – 3:52
02. Hard Headed Woman – 3:47
03. Wild World – 3:20
04. Sad Lisa – 3:45
05. Miles from Nowhere – 3:37
06. But I Might Die Tonight – 1:53
07. Longer Boats – 3:12
08. Into White – 3:24
09. On the Road to Find Out – 5:08
10. Father and Son – 3:41
11. Tea for the Tillerman – 1:01

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Cat Stevens, Sakalli's Pick

Genesis – Selling England by the Pound (1973) (@256)

30 Mar 2007

10 comments

(Review from vintageprog.com)

Selling England by the Pound was a flawless masterpiece that demonstrated some of the best and most perfect songwriting, arrangements, production and performance that could be found in 70′s symphonic progressive rock. The album also showed Genesis from their most British side, as most of the lyrics were influenced by British history, legends and folklore. Steve Hackett delivered my all-time favourite guitar-solo in the stunningly beautiful “Firth of Fifth”. “The Cinema Show” started as a typical Genesis-tune of the quiet and atmospheric kind, but built up to an impressive and mighty instrumental-part that I wish could go on forever. And at the very end, it returned to the main theme of the fantastic opener “Dancing With the Moonlit Knight” that very well could be my ultimate favourite-track by Genesis. Phil Collins was also allowed to sing a few lines in the laid-back “More Fool Me” where the simple arrangement made a comfortable break from the mighty and majestic cascade of sound on the rest of the album. “The Battle of Epping Forest” had some of the most complex lyrics Gabriel ever wrote, and the album even scored their first hit-single in form of “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)”. The sound and style of the latter track would point forward to the next album.

Line-up:
- Tony Banks / keyboards, 12 String guitar
- Phil Collins / drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals (4)
- Peter Gabriel / lead vocals, percussion, flute, oboe
- Steve Hackett / electric guitar, nylon guitar
- Mike Rutherford / bass guitar, 12 string guitar, electric Sitar

Track List:
01. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight (8:01)
02. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) (4:06)
03. Firth Of Fifth (9:34)
04. More Fool Me (3:09)
05. The Battle Of Epping Forest(11:43)
06. After The Ordeal (4:12)
07. The Cinema Show (11:06)
08. Aisle Of Plenty (1:31)

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Anthony Phillips, Genesis, Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Sakalli's Pick, Tony Banks

Uriah Heep – The Magician's Birthday (1972) (@256)

27 Mar 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

The second album by the “classic” line up is a natural follow on to the magnificent “Demons and Wizards”. All the elements are still in place, the Roger Dean Sleeve, the fantasy themes, and of course the great music. “Sunrise”, which became the opener for the live set, sets the scene immediately, with Byron’s first appearance being in the form of a controlled scream.

The track are generally short and straight forward, with only the title track having a more complex structure. “The Magician’s Birthday” (track) picks up the fantasy theme, and weaves a tale around the battle between good and evil. This is interrupted by a lengthy guitar solo from Mick Box, accompanied only by Lee Kerslake on drums, and the occasional spooky theme from Hensley’s keyboards. The track climaxes in the battle itself, played out with stereo effects, before Byron ascends to ethereal bliss and fades.

There are softer numbers on the album such as the lovely Hensley ballad “Rain”. Apparently Hensley wanted to make the final chorus much louder and more powerful, but the rest of the band pushed back. He took the opportunity to record his preferred version on his solo album “Proud words on a dusty shelf”.

The tracks are generally marginally less strong than those on “Demons and Wizards” but, “The Magician’s Birthday” is still a superb album with many fine moments.

Line-up:
- Gary Thain / bass guitar
- Lee Kerslake / drums and percussion
- Mick Box / guitars
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, guitars, Moog synthesizer
- David Byron / vocals

Track List:
01. Sunrise (4:04)
02. Spider Woman (2:25)
03. Blind Eye (3:33)
04. Echoes In The Dark (4:48)
05. Rain (3:59)
06. Sweet Lorraine (4:13)
07. Tales (4:09)
08. The Magician’s Birthday (10:23)

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David Byron, Ken Hensley, Lee Kerslake, Sakalli's Pick, Uriah Heep

Marillion – Misplaced Childhood (1985) (@256)

27 Mar 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

After a couple of early album which, while competent and enjoyable, sounded a bit too like (Gabriel era) Genesis tribute albums, Marillion suddenly found their own identity with “Misplaced Childhood”.

Nominally a concept album, this is not so much a story, as series of individual tracks blended together to form a coherent, beautifully constructed piece (as Genesis did with “Supper’s Ready”). The album opens with orchestral keyboards introducing Fish on the brief but melodic “Pseudo silk kimono”. This leads into a couple of what might be considered surprise hit singles. “Kayleigh” (a name which Fish apparently conjured up from the names Kay and Leigh, but which led to a generation of similarly named female offspring!), and “Lavender”, an interpretation of the “Lavender blue” nursery rhyme song. These two tracks manage to achieve the usually elusive feat of blending in completely on a classic prog rock album, while simultaneously holding a wide commercial appeal.

The “Lavender” theme reappears in instrumental form later on side one, as part of a powerful lead up to the closing track (on LP side one), “Heart of Lothian”. The title of this track relates to Fish’s Scottish heritage, Lothian being the area in which the city Edinburgh is located (one of the city’s football clubs is “Heart of Mid-Lothian”). Side 2 is the slightly weaker side, but it’s all relative, and in CD format the album flows well from start to finish.

In summary the best album by far from the Fish era, and possibly the best Marillion album to date.

Line-up:
- Fish / vocals
- Mark Kelly / keyboards
- Ian Mosley / drums
- Steve Rothery / guitars
- Pete Trewavas / basses

Track List:
01. Pseudo silk kimono (2:13)
02. Kayleigh (4:03)
03. Lavender (2:27)
04. Bitter suite (5:53)
05. Heart of Lothian (6:02)
06. Warterhole (expresso bongo) (2:12)
07. Lords of the backstage (1:52)
08. Blind curve (9:29)
09. Childhood end? (4:32)
10. White feather (2:23)

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Fish, Ian Mosley, Marillion, Sakalli's Pick

Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick (1972) (@256)

24 Mar 2007

(Review from vintageprog.com)

This album was Tull’s crowning achievement and definitive masterpiece as it showed Tull at the most ultra-progressive, consisting of one continuous 43-minute piece spread over both sides of the LP. The lyrics on the album was written by a kid named Gerald Bostock, who of course was none other than Ian Anderson himself, and they dealt with everything from childhood heroes to sexual curiosity. The whole story (and lots of other things) can be read in the 12-page newspaper that the record was wrapped up in. Keyboardist John Evan had now also been much more involved and integrated in Tull’s sound, and his organ-playing is often similar to Tony Banks in tone and sound. This album could probably have been analyzed over several pages as it’s so complex, rich, varied and compositionally brilliant. It varies from soft, acoustic passages to very energetic, cheerful parts and then to aggressive jams, some medieval-influenced stuff and folk-melodies. Anderson’s superb flute-playing is present all the time, and he was undoubtedly one of progressive rock’s most talented persons in this phase of Tull’s career.

Line-up:
- Ian Anderson / flute, acoustic guitar, violin, saxophone, trumpet, vocals
- Martin Barre / electric guitar, luth
- Barriemore Barlow / drums, timpani, percussion
- Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond / bass, spoken word
- John Evans / organ, piano, harpsichord

Track List:
01. Thick As A Brick – Part 1 (22:39)
02. Thick As A Brick – Part 2 (21:05)

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Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull, Martin Barre, Sakalli's Pick

Judas Priest – Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) (@192)

22 Mar 2007

(Review from wikipedia.com, allmusic.com)

Judas Priest are a heavy metal band formed in 1968 in the northwest midlands of England, near Birmingham. Originally formed by K.K. Downing and Ian Hill, Judas Priest’s classic line-up consists of vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, and bassist Ian Hill.

Their debut album Rocka Rolla (1974) suffered management problems; according to the band, producer Rodger Bain, (who was an established professional, having produced numerous albums for famous groups such as Black Sabbath) had too big a say in the production of the album. He left out stage classics “Tyrant”, “Genocide”, and “The Ripper”, and cut another, “Caviar And Meths”, from a 10-minute song to a 2-minute instrumental.

With their next album, the band gained some more experience and confidence, fully participating in the production, as well as choosing the producers. The result was Sad Wings of Destiny (1976). This album featured mostly old material, including the aforementioned stage favorites and an epic “Victim Of Changes” – a song combining “Whiskey Woman”, a stage classic since the era of the first Judas Priest (Al Atkins’ band) and “Red Light Lady” brought by Halford from his previous group, Hiroshima.

The groundbreaking Sad Wings of Destiny was the first great Judas Priest album, simultaneously taking the entire heavy metal genre to new depths of darkness and new heights of technical precision and musicality. Sad Wings of Destiny sounded like little else on the metal scene in 1976: it was heavy and chillingly bleak, in an almost unrelenting way that hadn’t been seen since Black Sabbath’s heyday, but its arrangements were much more intricately crafted, its sonic textures more varied, its grooves tight and menacing, yet tinged with a gothic elegance under the raging torrent of guitar riffs.

Line-up:
* Rob Halford: Vocals
* K.K. Downing: Guitars
* Glenn Tipton: Guitars, Piano, Backing Vocals
* Ian Hill: Bass Guitar
* Alan Moore – drums

Track List:
01. Victim of Changes
02. The Ripper
03. Dreamer Deceiver
04. Deceiver
05. Prelude
06. Tyrant
07. Genocide
08. Epitaph
09. Island of Domination

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Glenn Tipton, Judas Priest, Rob Halford, Sakalli's Pick

Free – Fire and Water (1970) (@256)

14 Mar 2007

(Review from wikipedia, amazon.com)

1970′s Fire and Water was Free’s third album, and the one which made them international stars. They were featured at the Isle of Wight Festival that year; the liner notes to this CD tell of how Pete Townshend approached the group on the ferry over to the Isle of Wight and congratulated them on the success of “All Right Now.”

The album and single were a massive successes, catapulting the band to near-iconic status. Commercial success brought with it accusations of “selling-out” which the purist Kossoff took badly: he took a defensive stance in one interview, stating that “obviously ‘All Right Now’ is part of us, but it’s a frivolous part, it isn’t what we want to be remembered by. We’re generally more serious”. Nevertheless ‘All Right Now’ is indeed what the band are remembered by, and in my humble opinion it can actually be considered as one of the weaker songs of this great album.

Line-up:
- Paul Rodgers – lead vocals, piano
- Paul Kossoff – guitar
- Andy Fraser – bass
- Simon Kirke – drums

Track List:
01. Fire And Water
02. Oh I Wept
03. Remember
04. Heavy Load
05. Mr Big
06. Don’t Say You Love Me
07. All Right Now

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Free, Paul Kossoff, Paul Rodgers, Sakalli's Pick

Fairport Convention – Rising for the Moon (1975) (@256)

13 Mar 2007

(Review from wikipedia, freakemporium.com)

Fairport Convention is often credited with being the first English folk-rock band. Formed in April 1967, Fairport rapidly developed from playing cover versions of American ‘west coast’ style music to an individual style which melded rock music with traditional English tunes and songs.

Sandy Denny briefly re-joined Fairport Covention to reunite with her husband Trevor Lucas and other another Fotheringay mainstay Jerry Donahue. Together with Dave Swarbrick and co they made this truly great album. It combines the best elements of both Fotheringay and Fairport Convention but was sadly to be Sandy Denny’s last album for the band. The beautiful rousing title track is one of the best English Folk Rock songs ever recorded and other tracks like ‘White Dress’ and ‘Iron Lion’, are of the same standard. Rising For the Moon is certainly an essential part of the Fairport Convention cannon.

Line-up:
* Jerry Donahue (electric, acoustic and slide guitars)
* Trevor Lucas (acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonica)
* Dave Mattacks (drums, percussion)
* Dave Pegg (bass guitar, electric guitar, backing vocals)
* Dave Swarbrick (fiddle, viola, mandolin, autoharp, acoustic guitar, dulcimer, vocals)
* Sandy Denny (piano, acoustic guitar, electric piano, vocals)
* Bruce Rowland (drums, percussion)

Track List:
01. Rising for the Moon
02. Restless
03. White Dress
04. Let It Go
05. Stranger to Himself
06. What Is True?
07. Iron Lion
08. Dawn
09. After Halloween
10. Night-Time Girl
11. One More Chance
12. Tears (Bonus)
13. Rising for the Moon (Sandy Denny’s Original Demo) (Bonus)
14. Stranger to Himself (Sandy Denny’s Original Demo) (Bonus)
15. One More Chance (Sandy Denny’s Original Demo) (Bonus)

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Fairport Convention, Sakalli's Pick, Sandy Denny

Magna Carta – Seasons (1970) (@256)

01 Mar 2007

(Review from allmusic.com, wikipedia, mangac.com)

Magna Carta was originally formed in London in 10 May 1969 by Chris Simpson (guitar, vocals, Harmonica), Lyell Tranter (guitar, vocals) and Glen Stuart (vocals). The band are renowned for their gentle ballad style and mythical subject matter. Although never purely a folk band, they managed to successfully bridge the gap between folk and folk rock. The trio released albums for Fontana Records and Vertigo Records, enjoying particular success with 1970s Seasons before Tranter returned to Australia.

Magna Carta’s second album was dominated by the 22-minute, nine-part suite “Seasons,” which took up all of side one. “Seasons” was indeed a grand conceptual work inspired by the changing of the seasons. The exquisite Seasons concept piece, which, to use the words of Chris Simpson, was “based on the life journey of the soul, and the rounds of the Seasons in my beloved Nidderdale”. Its laudable ambition apart, it’s pretty ordinary, mild pop-influenced early-’70s British folk-rock. There’s a dated preciousness as it varies the pace slightly from jolly full-band good-time folk-rock and pastoral harmonizing to twee fairytale-like narration and almost pop-like orchestration. The six standard-length songs on side two can strike an almost too-cheerful pop-folk bounce, with soft rock orchestration and harmonies that make it vaguely reminiscent of American sunshine pop at points. Simon & Garfunkel are an obvious influence, too, on songs like “Give Me No Goodbye” (overlaid with slight sitar licks), “Scarecrow,” and “Elizabethan,” though Magna Carta could make Simon & Garfunkel sound almost heavy in comparison. The closing “Airport Song,” which was plucked from the LP as a shot for a hit single, goes furthest into pop with its bossa nova beat and easy listening arrangement, though the Simon & Garfunkel influence in the vocal harmonies is nearly overwhelming.

Line-up:
- Chris Simpson / guitar, vocals
- Lyell Tranter / guitars
- Glenn Stuart / vocals
with
- Tony Carr / drums
- Spike Heatley / bass, accoustic bass
- Derek Grossmith / Flute
- davey johnstone / guitar, vocals
- Barry Morgan / drums
- Tony Visconti / bass, percussion and recorder
- Rick Wakeman / organ, piano and keyboards
- Tim Renwick / recorder
- Peter Willison / cello
- London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gus Dudgeon

Track List:
01. Seasons
02. Goin’ My Way (Road Song)
03. Elizabethan
04. Give Me No Goodbye
05. Ring of Stones
06. Scarecrow
07. Airport Song

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Magna Carta, Rick Wakeman, Sakalli's Pick

Alan Parsons Project – Freudiana (1990) (@256)

16 Feb 2007

12 comments

(Review from allmusic.com, amazon.com)

Back in the ’70s, engineer/producer Alan Parsons wanted to dedicate an entire album to fantasy writer Edgar Allan Poe. He hired numerous musicians and singers to help him in what would become the first album of the Alan Parsons Project. Initially meant to be a one-time experience, the “project” turned into a full-time band, and quite a successful one, with that. Some two decades later, Eric Woolfson, Parsons’ long-time companion, puts up his own project. This time, it is not about Poe but about Freud. The subsequent band and album are both named Freudiana, as is one of the tracks. And of course, the whole is produced by — who else — Alan Parsons himself. The result is a concept album which offers — to quote the liner notes: “an image of the composer seen through a Freudian mirror.”

1990′s “Freudiana” was the last album that singer/composer Eric Woolfson collaborated on with Alan Parsons. It is an Alan Parsons Project album in all but name. It features virtually the exact same revolving door of musicians & singers that have featured on previous Project albums, such as co-leaders Parsons & Woolfson, guitarist Ian Bairnson, drummer Stuart Elliot, and “Gaudi” bassist Laurie Cottle, as well as singers Graham Dye, Chris Rainbow, John Miles & Eric Woolfson himself, along with “newcomers” Leo Sayer, Kiki Dee, and 10cc’s Eric Stewart. “Freudiana” is structured like a Project album, and it’s incredible music & production sounds like a Project album.

After “Freudiana,” Woolfson parted ways with Alan Parsons to concentrate on musical theater (and “Freudiana,” in fact, was later staged as a musical in Vienna in December of 1990). While Parsons continues to make albums under his own name (minus the “Project” moniker), it can’t be denied that Woolfson’s unique singing & songwriting contributions are missed. But he couldn’t have chosen a better album to exit with — many Alan Parsons Project fans actually name “Freudiana” as their favorite “Project” album.

The lyrics go through various interpretations of Freud’s works, studying all his most famous cases (Wolfman, Ratman, Dora, Little Hans, Schreber and the Judge). Some songs (like “Little Hans”) are reminiscent of the Beatles — which shouldn’t be too surprising, considering Woolfson used to be a member of Herman’s Hermits. Others are obvious reminders of the Alan Parsons Project (most noticeably “Dora”). The rest can be progressive at times (“Funny You Should Say That,” “No One Can Love You Better Than Me”) and the whole is very creative and intelligent. Lead vocals, as on all of the Alan Parsons Project releases, are shared by a number of singers — from Woolfson himself to Kiki Dee, Eric Stewart and John Miles. The strongest performances are by Leo Sayer (“I Am a Mirror”) and the Flying Pickets (on the strange, yet incredibly powerful, “Funny You Should Say That”).

Line-up:
- Laurie Cottle / bass
- Stuart Elliott / drums and percussion
- Ian Bairnson / guitars
- Eric Woolfson / keyboards, vocals
- Richard Cottle / synthetizers and saxophones
- Alan Parsons / additional keyboards
- Andrew Powell / orchestra arrangement and conduction
- Leo Sayer, Graham Dye, The Flying Pickets, Kiki Dee, Eric Stewart, Frankie Howerd, Marti Webb, Gary Howard, Chris Rainbow, John Miles / vocals

Track List:
01. The Nirvana Principle
02. Freudiana
03. I Am A Mirror
04. Little Hans
05. Dora
06. Funny You Should Say That
07. You’re On Your Own
08. Far Away From Home
09. Let Yourself Go
10. Beyond The Pleasure Principle
11. The Ring
12. Sects Therapy
13. No One Can Love You Better Than Me
14. Don’t Let The Moment Pass
15. Upper Me
16. Freudiana
17. Destiny
18. There But For The Grace Of God

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Alan Parsons, Alan Parsons Project, Andrew Powell, Chris Rainbow, Eric Woolfson, Sakalli's Pick

Andrew Lloyd Webber – Jesus Christ Superstar (Original Cast Recording) (1970) (@256)

07 Feb 2007

11 comments

(Review from allmusic, amazon)

Jesus Christ Superstar started life as a most improbable concept album from an equally unlikely label, Decca Records, which had not, until then, been widely known for groundbreaking musical efforts. It was all devised by then 21-year-old composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and 25-year-old lyricist Tim Rice. Jesus Christ Superstar had been conceived as a stage work, but lacking the funds to get it produced, the two collaborators instead decided to use an album as the vehicle for introducing the piece, a fairly radical rock/theater hybrid about the final days in the life of Jesus as seen from the point of view of Judas. If its content seemed daring (and perhaps downright sacrilegious), the work, a “sung-through” musical echoing operatic and oratorio traditions, was structurally perfect for an album; just as remarkable as its subject matter was the fact that its musical language was full-blown rock music. There was at the time an American-spawned hit theater piece called Hair that utilized elements of rock music, but it wasn’t as unified a work as Webber and Rice’s creation, and it was less built on rock music than on pop music that referred to rock; Webber and Rice’s work presented a far sharper, bolder musical edge and pushed it much further and harder than Hair ever did.

It may not have been the first rock opera (the Who’s Tommy was released in 1969), but Jesus Christ Superstar was a legendary album. Telling the story of the last days of Christ from the point of view of Judas (Murray Head), the still-unmatched original cast also stars Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan as Jesus and Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene.

The incredibly loud orchestra of the stage performance is toned down a bit, showcasing the excellent rock songs that made this album a #1 hit in 1971. I first heard this album when I was about 4 or 5 years old, and still, even today, there’s a chill that runs down my back when Judas sings “Heaven on Their Minds” or when Jesus screams “just watch me die!” in “Gethsemane”. Not one of the endless movie soundtrack, or broadway versions can hold a candle to this interpretation. It’s the only Jesus Christ Superstar one needs to own.

Line-up:
Main Vocals :
* Murray Head – Judas Iscariot
* Ian Gillan – Jesus Christ
* Yvonne Elliman – Mary Magdalene
* Victor Brox – Caiaphas, High Priest
* Brian Keith – Annas
* John Gustafson – Simon Zealotes
* Barry Dennen – Pontius Pilate
* Paul Davis – Peter
* Mike d’Abo – King Herod
Musicians
* Bruce Rowland – drums, Percussion
* Allan Spenner – bass guitar
* Henry McCulloch -electric guitar, acoustic guitar
* Neil Hubbard – electric guitar
* Peter Robinson – piano, electric piano, Organ, positive organ
* Chris Mercer – tenor sax

Track List:
CD1
01. Overture
02. Heaven On Their Minds
03. What’s The Buzz/Strange Thing Mystifying
04. Everything’s Alright
05. This Jesus Must Die
06. Hosanna
07. Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem
08. Pilate’s Dream
09. The Temple
10. Everything’s Alright
11. I Don’t Know How To Love Him
12. Damned For All Time/Blood Money
CD2
01. The Last Supper
02. Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say)
03. The Arrest
04. Peter’s Denial
05. Pilate And Christ
06. King Herod’s Song(Try It And See)
07. Judas’ Death
08. Trial Before Pilate (Including 39 Lashes)
09. Superstar
10. Crucifixion
11. John Nineteen Forty-One

Links in comments.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ian Gillan, Sakalli's Pick, Tim Rice

Amon Duul II – Yeti (1970) (@256)

30 Jan 2007

13 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

Amon Düül II was born of an artistic and political community called Amon Düül (which recorded during the late sixties a long live session made around collective and free musical improvisations).

Unlike their later, more refined efforts, this embryonic recording showcases the more urgent sound of a band with strong ties to the European counterculture barricades of 1968. The music is almost raw in spots, but not without a certain primitive beauty, moving from the dreamy psychedelia of “She Came Through the Chimney” (complete with bongo drums and more than a whiff of cannabis) to the feedback-soaked power of “Archangel Thunderbird”, on which the strident upper-octave singing anticipates Johnny Rotten’s angry vulpine growl by more than half a decade.

Elsewhere the album is very much a product of its time: spaced-out one-chord guitar jams with pounding drums and thrashing cymbals, ghostly violins in Middle Eastern echo chambers, and the amps all cranked to maximum distortion. For lack of a better comparison (always the cheapest form of criticism, to be sure) think of a shotgun marriage between “Space Ritual” Hawkwind and the more cosmic digressions of early Pink Floyd, circa “Ummagumma”.

It’s worth noting that the original 1970 release was a double-LP, with the entire second disc (the last three tracks on the CD) improvised in the studio. But good luck trying to find any significant difference between the songs and the jams. There’s a sometimes astonishing uniformity of style throughout the album, to a point where the composed portions sound no less spontaneous than the unrehearsed playing.

That sort of creative balance was of course not uncommon in the early ‘70s (especially in Germany). But its absence from too much of what passes for popular music these days is what makes a band like Amon Düül, and an album like “Yeti”, even more valuable a generation later.

Line-up:
- Renate Knaup / vocals, tambourine
- Chris Karrer / violin, guitars, vocals
- John Weinzierl / guitars, vocals
- Falk Rogner / organ
- Peter Leopold / drums
- Dave Anderson / bass
- Shrat / bongos, vocals

Track List:
01. Soap Shop Rock:
a) Burning Sister (3:41)
b) Halluzination Guillotine (3:05)
c) Gulp A Sonata (0:45)
d) Flesh-Coloured Anti-Aircraft Alarm (5:53)
02. She Came through the Chimney (3:56)
03. Archangels Thunderbird (3:30)
04. Cerberus (4:18)
05. The Return of Ruebezahl (1:35)
06. Eye-Shaking King (6:37)
07. Pale Gallery (2:11)
08. Yeti (Improvisation) (18:00)
09. Yeti Talks to Yogi (Improvisation) (6:06)
10. Sandoz in the Rain (Improvisation) (8:55)

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Amon Duul, Amon Duul II, Dave Anderson, Sakalli's Pick

Eloy – Floating (1974) (@256)

22 Jan 2007

(Review from progarchives.com, allmusic.com)

One of the most popular German bands of the ’70s, Eloy went through several stages in their long career, with the only constant member being guitarist/vocalist Frank Bornemann. Transforming from a political-themed hard rock band to a spacey progressive rock band who sounded something like a mix of Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd, the group in later formations would move toward a more accesible hard rock sound with strong progressive elements.

Far from Eloy’s classic period with eloquent symphonic spacey suites, this album can be disconcerted for its most heavy rock parts. Generally the musical tendance is more basic but well, very catchy and dynamic. The opening “Floating” is a heavy rock improvisation based upon an efficient melody. A lot of inventivity and changing moods in this composition (alterning relaxed, percussive atmospheres to a speed rock ‘n roll with epic guitar solo and Hammond organs). No real vocals, just a simple line to sustain the main melody. “The Light From Deep Darkness” is a conceptual musical theme about the time of creation. It starts with a mysterious, calm melodic introduction, and then the climax turns into a heavy “trip”, always mixing a dialogue between Hammond organ and aggressive guitar rhythms. The track contains some nice improvised organ solos. A masterful composition which culminates the album. “Castle in the Air” is an other efficient heavy rock track with cool “heroic” tone. “Plastic Girl” introduces us into an inter-galactic organ universe with repetitive dark guitar arpeggios. “Madhouse” is a freak ‘n roll song. A “detached” interlude divides the track after an absolute mind blowing guitar break which starts the second part. An important album in the band’s discography and a must for fans.

Line-up:
- Frank Bornemann / guitars, vocals
- Luitjen Jansen / bass
- Frtz Randow / drums
- Manfred Wieczorke / organ, acoustic guitar

Track List:
01. Floating (3:59)
02. The Light From Deep Darkness (14:37)
03. Castle In The Air (7:13)
04. Plastic Girl (9:05)
05. Madhouse (5:16)

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Eloy, Sakalli's Pick

Rare Earth – Ma (1973) (@256)

14 Jan 2007

9 comments

(Review from allmusic.com)

Rare Earth began as an R&B band called the Sunliners in Detroit in 1961. Of the musicians who would be part of the band dubbed Rare Earth, only sax player Gil Bridges and drummer Pete Rivera were present. John Parrish joined on bass in 1962. Rod Richards became a guitarist with the group in 1966. Keyboardist Kenny James came into the fold the same year. After years of doing the club circuit, the group changed their name to Rare Earth and released Dreams/Answers on Verve. The album received little reaction and the group was picked up by Motown Records as the first act on their yet-to-be-named new label. Rare Earth suggested to Motown that the label name their new subsidiary after the band and Rare Earth Records was born.

Ma is Rare Earth’s most satisfying LP, Norman Whitfield wrote and produced all five songs. “Ma”, the title track, had been done by Temptations and Undisputed Truth but nobody rocked the sucker like Rare Earth; they jam for 17:17 on the funkiest mama song ever. “Hum Along and Dance,” first appeared on the Temptations’ Psychedelic Shack; Rare Earth gives the groover and update, a rolling organ sets it off. Lead, Gil Bridges brags about his musical ability on the loud, horn dominated stomper “Big John In My Name.”A haunting arrangement of “Smiling Faces Sometimes” will make you shiver. And you don’t get much more sensual than the soft and lush “Come With Me,” where a female simulates an orgasm that puts Donna Summers’ exhibition on “Love to Love You Baby” to shame; it’s the only new song on the LP, but who’s quibbling, MA is da bomb!

Line-up:
* Gil Bridges / Flute, Saxophone, Vocals
* Peter Hoorelbeke / Drums, Vocals
* Ray Monette / Guitar, Vocals
* Mark Olson / Keyboards, Vocals
* Pete Rivera / Drums, Vocals
* Mike Urso / Bass, Vocals

Track List:
01. Ma – 17:15
02. Big John Is My Name – 4:16
03. Smiling Faces Sometimes – 6:01
04. Hum Along And Dance – 5:14
05. Come With Me

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Rare Earth, Sakalli's Pick

Cockney Rebel – Human Menagerie (1973) (@256)

12 Jan 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

Indulging for the first time in Cockney Rebel’s debut album — and one uses the word “indulging” deliberately, for like so much else that’s this delicious, you cannot help but feel faintly sinful when it’s over — is like waking up from a really weird dream, and discovering that reality is weirder still. A handful of Human Menagerie’s songs are slight, even forced, and certainly indicative of the group’s inexperience. But others — the labyrinthine “Sebastian,” the locquacious “Death Trip” in particular — possess confidence, arrogance and a doomed, decadent madness which astounds. Subject to ruthless dissection, Steve Harley’s lyrics were essentially nonsense, a stream of disconnected images whose most gallant achievement is that they usually rhyme. But what could have been perceived as a weakness — or, more generously, an emotionally over-wrought attempt to blend Byron with Burroughs — is actually their strength. Few of the songs are about anything in particular. But with Roy Thomas Baker’s sub-orchestral production driving strings and things to unimaginable heights, and Cockney Rebel’s own unique instrumentation — no lead guitar, but a killer violin — pursuing its own twisted journey, those images gell more solidly than the best constructed story. The Human Menagerie is a dark cabaret — the darkest. Though Harley has furiously decried the band’s historical inclusion in the Glam Rock pack, there’s no separating the nocturnal theatrics of “Muriel the Actor”, “Mirror Freak” or “What Ruthy Said” from at least the fringes of the movement. The difference is, other artists simply sung about absinthe and Sweet Ipomoea. Harley actually knew what they were.

Unquestionably he drew from many of the same literary, artistic and celluloid sources as both David Bowie and Bryan Ferry, the only performers who could reasonably claim to have preempted his vision. But he went far beyond them, through the Berlin of Isherwood to the reality of the Weimar; past the Fritz Lang movies which everyone’s seen, to the unpublished screenplays which no-one has read. And though Harley might not have been the first cultural genius of his age, he was the first who wasn’t content to simply zap the prevailing zeitgeist. He wanted to suck out its soul. And he very nearly succeeded.

Line-up:
* Steve Harley – vocals
* John Paul Crocker – violin, mandolin, guitar
* Paul Avron Jeffreys – bass
* Milton Reame-James – keyboards
* Stuart Elliot – drums
* Andrew Powell – strings, orchestral arrangements

Track List:
01. Hideaway
02. What Ruthy Said
03. Loretta’s Tale
04. Crazy Raver
05. Sebastian
06. Mirror Freak
07. My Only Vice (Is the Fantastic Prices I Charge for Being Eaten Alive)
08. Muriel the Actor
09. Chameleon
10. Death Trip
11. Judy Teen
12. Rock and Roll Parade

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Andrew Powell, Sakalli's Pick, Steve Harley

Rainbow – Rising (1976) (@256)

11 Jan 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

The brainchild of former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Rainbow quickly developed into one of the ’70s most successful heavy metal bands behind charismatic front man Ronnie James Dio. Together, the duo would produce a string of acclaimed albums which are still considered classics of the genre.

On their second release, Rainbow not only avoid the sophomore jinx; they hit a home run. After replacing the entire band (except Ronnie James Dio) immediately following the recording of the first album, Ritchie Blackmore and the Rising lineup (Blackmore; Dio; Tony Carey, keys; Jimmy Bain, Bass; and the late, great Cozy Powell, drums) had plenty of time on the road touring the first album to get the chops and material together for their second. In particular, “Stargazer” really came together on the 1975 tour and featured stunning keyboard work from Carey. The material is uniformly strong, with “Starstruck” and “A Light in the Black” standing out in particular. Ronnie Dio turns in a great vocal on the stunningly direct (under three minutes!) “Do You Close Your Eyes.” All six songs on the album are up there with anything the band has done, before or since. The playing has a very tight, colorful feel to it, which was lacking a bit on the first record. This album can legitimately be mentioned in the same breath as classic Deep Purple.

Line-up:
* Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Jimmy Bain – bass
* Tony Carey – keyboards
* Cozy Powell – drums

Track List:
01. Tarot Woman (5:58)
02. Run With the Wolf (3:48)
03. Starstruck (4:06)
04. Do You Close Your Eyes (2:58)
05. Stargazer (8:26)
06. A Light in the Black (8:12)

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Cozy Powell, Jimmy Bain, Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Sakalli's Pick

Flairck – De Optocht (1992) (@256)

10 Jan 2007

14 comments

(Info from flairck.nl)

The work of the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516?), the Dutch streetliterature from the Middle Ages, the strange music of the fiddlers of this time and also the history of Carnival were sources of inspiration for this CD. The CD contains music which literaly passes the listener by like a parade (from left to right).

Line-up:
* Lorre Trytten – Viool, Spinet, Kokyo, Percussie & Zang
* Annet Visser – Fluiten, Schalmei, Melodica, Accordeon, Harp, Percussie & Zang
* Peter Weekers – Fluiten, Kromhoorn, Doedelzak, Percussie & Zang
* Erik Visser – Gitaren, Koto, Mandoline, Banjo, Percussie & Zang
* Stan Stolk – Contrabas, Akoestische Basgitaar, Gitaar, Percussie & Zang

Track List:
01. De Intocht 1:03
02. Missa Batava 7:14
03. De Blinde Dansen No. 1 0:56
04. De Blinde Dansen No. 2 2:38
05. De Tocht 2:30
06. De Kunst van het Drinken 2:38
07. Pase El Agoa 2:38
08. Kermis in de Hel 2:19
09. De Regen 1:47
10. De Aarzeling 3:38
11. Het Tegendeel 2:33
12. De Tuinen van de Hemel 4:05
13. De Tijdgeest 3:01
14. De Blinde Dansen No. 3 2:25
15. De Kraaienmars 2:58
16. De Blauwe Schuit 4:27
17. De Aftocht 1:25

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Erik Visser, Flairck, Sakalli's Pick

Blues Traveler – Four (1994) (@256)

04 Jan 2007

I returned from a two day road trip with a refreshed/cleaned amplifier and two new speakers, thanks to Marko Emmi. After looking at a few albums, I found myself listening to this album with my new speakers.

(Review from amazon.co.uk)

Already established as a reputable act due to years of drop-dead touring, Four is the album that has broken Blues Traveler through to widespread popularity, becoming their first best-seller. Singer John Popper’s frenetic harp coupled with guitarist Chan Kinchla’s chicken-scratch rhythm playing make for a potent one-two punch that goes far in distinguishing Blues Traveler from the hordes of similar “Grateful Dead Baby Bands” that have cropped up in recent years. And while theband still retains that musical formula, Four explores other levels of their organic boogie.

Scaling back the over-extended jams of their previous records, Blues Traveler has returned as a much leaner unit. Opening with the airy “Run-Around”, Four dabbles with pretty ballads (”Look Around”) as well as more upbeat and sunny fare (”Hook”). Guest Warren Haynes’ guitar playing gives “The Mountain Wins Again” a heavy Allman Brothers flavour, and Paul Shaffer’s funky organ fills on “Stand” tango with Popper’s scat-like vocal delivery.

The road is still Blues Traveler’s true calling–it is, after all, where they became the dynamic musical force they are today. But for a studio album made by an acknowledged liveband, Four makes for one helluva rest stop.

Line-up:
* John Popper – Vocals, harmonica, 12-string guitar on “Look Around”
* Brendan Hill – Percussion, drums
* Chan Kinchla – Electric and acoustic guitar, mandolin, backing vocals on “Brother John”
* Bobby Sheehan – Bass, backing vocals on “Brother John”
with
* Paul Shaffer – Keyboards on “Stand”
* Warren Haynes – Steel guitar on “The Mountains Win Again”
* Bashiri Johnson – Percussion
* Chuck Leavell – Piano, Keyboards
* Jono Manson – Vocals on “Brother John”
* Adam Brody – Backup Singer

Track List:
01. Run-Around – 4:40
02. Stand – 5:19
03. Look Around – 5:42
04. Fallible – 4:47
05. The Mountains Win Again – 5:06
06. Freedom – 4:01
07. Crash Burn – 2:59
08. Price to Pay – 5:17
09. Hook – 4:49
10. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – 1:55
11. Just Wait – 5:34
12. Brother John – 6:38

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Blues Traveler, Chuck Leavell, John Popper, Sakalli's Pick, Warren Haynes

Morphine – Cure for Pain (1993) (@192)

02 Jan 2007

6 comments

(Review from allmusic.com)

Morphine are a rarity — bluesy, bare-bones rock & roll without any guitars. Instead of guitar riffs, the trio relies on sliding two-string bass lines, raucous saxophones, and wry, ironically detached vocals. During the mid-’90s, Morphine gained a sizable cult following in America, primarily due to good word of mouth, heavy college airplay, and positive reviews.

With their cult following growing, Morphine expanded their audience even further with their exceptional 1993 sophomore effort, Cure for Pain. Whereas their debut, Good, was intriguing yet not entirely consistent, Cure for Pain more than delivered. The songwriting was stronger and more succinct this time around, while new drummer Billy Conway made his recording debut with the trio (replacing Jerome Deupree). Like the debut, most of the material shifts between depressed and upbeat, with a few cacophonic rockers thrown in between. Such selections as “Buena,” “I’m Free Now,” “All Wrong,” “Candy,” “Thursday,” “In Spite of Me” (one of the few tracks to contain six-string guitar), “Let’s Take a Trip Together,” “Sheila,” and the title track are all certifiable Morphine classics. And again, Mark Sandman’s two-string slide bass and Dana Colley’s sax work help create impressive atmospherics throughout the album. Cure for Pain was unquestionably one of the best and most cutting-edge rock releases of the ’90s.

Line-up:
* Mark Sandman – 2-string slide bass; tritar; guitar; organ; lead vocals.
* Dana Colley – baritone saxophone; tenor saxophone; backing vocals.
* Jermone Deupree – drums;
* Billy Conway – drums on Tks 9 & 11; cocktail drum overdub on Tk 8.
* Jimmy Ryan – Mandolin on Tk 7
* Ken Winokur – Percussion on Tk 13

Track List:
01. Dawna
02. Buena
03. I’m Free Now
04. All Wrong
05. Candy
06. A Head With Wings
07. In Spite Of Me
08. Thursday
09. Cure For Pain
10. Mary Won’t You Call My Name?
11. Let’s Take A Trip Together
12. Sheila
13. Miles Davis’ Funeral

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Morphine, Sakalli's Pick

Camel – Mirage (1974) (@256)

01 Jan 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

I remember the day I bought this album,a weird guy with a red beard recommanded me the record. I was suspiscious. You know, just like when your mom askes you not taking bonbons from a stranger. I kept the bill, in case…and threw it away 15 minutes later. Impossible (and I’m choosing my words here) to regret buying that record.

2 numbers are getting my constant attention: The song about the Lord of the Rings (track 3) and Lady Fantasy. In the last one, I love the way they end up the song the way they open it. It’s basic, but surprinsingly effective (killer guitar riff…makes your eyes watery).

Latimer also proves himself to be a skilled flautist. This guy is a very very very underrated musician. And you know why? In part (theory) because he has no charisma. But the good thing is that the bands with no charisma (Trace, Focus, Anglagard) is that they get down faster to buisness. And we like that , right? Anyway, thanks tho the red beard guy.

Are you a newcomer in progressive rock? You want to chip in but don’t know where to start? This is a wise and long lasting choice. This record is oldy THE soft spot in my heart. It’s heartwarming, it’s catchy, jazzy and don’t waste one minute on filling. It fell in the cracks of obscurity, but getting it is making a long time commitment.

Catchy tunes, great guitar lines, effective and tasty keyboards and a song about the Lord of The Rings, this record will blow your freakin’ mind off. It did for mine, and I’m still perfectly mornal…er narmol…normal (there you go).

Line-up:
- Peter Bardens / keyboards
- Andy Latimer / vocals, guitars, flute
- Doug Ferguson / bass, vocals
- Andrew Ward / drums

Track List:
01. Freefall (5:47)
02. Supertwister (3:20)
03. Nimrodel (9:12) – The procession – The White Rider
04. Earthrise (6:42)
05. Lady Fantasy: Encounter/Smiles For You/Lady Fantasy (12:46)

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Andy Ward, Camel, Peter Bardens, Sakalli's Pick

Flairck – Gevecht Met de Engel (1979) (@256)

31 Dec 2006

12 comments

It’s already new year’s eve here (though probably my blog doesn’t think so). So for the new year, here is the request of my Greek neighbor Panos1. Happy new year everyone!

I couldn’t find a decent review for this one but if you liked the previous Flairck post, you shouldn’t miss this.

Track List:
01. Oost-West Express 4:52
02. De Vlinder 7:29
03. Voor Antoinette 2:10
04. De Stoomwals 7:14
05. Gevecht Met de Engel I 8:26
06. Gevecht Met de Engel II 8:34
07. Gevecht Met de Engel III 5:33

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Erik Visser, Flairck, Sakalli's Pick

Renaissance – Scheherazade and Other Stories (1975) (@256)

30 Dec 2006

16 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

When somebody asks me about symphonic prog’ I always think of Renaissance and specially of this amazing release, the arrangements, chorus and Annie Haslam’s operatic voice are unique in the musical world and represent by own right what the word symphonic should mean.

Renaissance is a piano and vocals dominated band with elaborated arrangements but sometimes a bit light compared to most of the prog’ bands from the 70’s, not weak but softer and warmer. Using a comparison with sports, if Genesis and ELP are heavyweights that can kill the opponent with the first chord, Renaissance is like a middleweight, who also needs style and elegance to win the fight.

“Song of Scheherezade” a 24 minutes epic based on the 1001 Nights, it’s so impressive that people use to forget the rest of the album, something unfair because this release is well balanced and all the tracks have their own merits.

The album begins with a strange song called “Trip to the Fair” that starts with an impressive 3 minutes piano intro with chorus and light percussion that mixes with talent elements of different musical eras, which is suddenly followed by the wonderful voice of Annie. Maybe the problem with this song is that after the strong opening you expect something more powerful, but the band changes the direction of the song towards a softer and dreamy tune with some jazz chords that create a traveling fair atmosphere, but with the sacrifice of the power that the introduction make the listener expect, a good song but a bit uneven.

The second track (“Vultures Fly High”) has a better balance, starts strong and ends stronger, less symphonic and more rock oriented than the rest of the album but powerful and fast, the band members show they are capable of making good short songs.

Side A (in LP format) ends with “Ocean Gypsy” a softer song where again Annie’s vocals are the highlight, with evident participation of the rest of the members, this song is more predictable than all the other tracks but stronger than the previous because makes clear that Renaissance is a complete band, not only a piano and vocals duet.

Side B is what makes Renaissance a transcendental band, “Song of Scheherezade”, without doubt their most elaborate work, an epic that has everything, solid piano, good orchestra and chorus plus excellent work of all the band, the Arabic atmosphere is perfect and the vocals not exclusively by Annie Haslam are amazing, if you add the spectacular changes and sudden musical explosions you get an unforgettable masterpiece that must be listened before reading any review.

No progressive collection is complete without this album and “Live in the Carnegie Hall” where you can listen a more solid version of “Song of Scheherezade” (if this is possible).

Line-up:
- Jon Camp / bass, pedals, vocals
- Michael Dunford / acoustic guitar, vocals
- Annie Haslam / lead vocals
- Terrence Sullivan / drums, percussion, backing vocals
- John Tout / keyboards, backing vocals

Track List:
01. Trip To The Fair (10:48)
02. The Vultures Fly High (3:07)
03. Ocean Gypsy (7:05)
04. Song Of Scheherazade: (24:52)

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Annie Haslam, Renaissance, Sakalli's Pick

Minimum Vital – Sarabandes (1990) (@256)

22 Dec 2006

(Review from progarchives.com)

This is Minimum Vital’s first official CD recording (their two previous efforts had originally been released on cassette format), and, together with their following one “La Source”, it perfectly epitomizes what the Minimum Vital prog style is all about at its finest hour: melodic symphonic prog with lots of Renaissance and late Mediaeval references, as well as some unmistakable hints of jazz fusion, not unlike early Eclat and early Edhels. Camel and Yes’ softer side are the most featured foreign influences on MV’s overall sound, although it is fair to acknowledge their own originality. The four musicians’ skills are also quite noticeable, especially when it comes to brothers Thierry and Jean-Luc Payssan (on keyboards and guitars, respectively), who are, indeed, the combo’s leaders. “Sarabandes” kicks off with ‘Le Chant du Monde’, a majestic number built on a 6/8 tempo, which portrays a celebratory spirit. A real catchy starter. The enthusiastic mood is soon later retained in ‘Sarabandes No. 1’, which continues to explore the musical heritage from the Renaissance with an added fusionesque touch: the synth solo towards the end is worth a special mention. Sandwiched between these two amazing tracks is ‘Porte sur l’Ete’, a beautiful, serene classical guitar solo piece immaculately delivered by J.-L. Payssan. ‘Cantiga de Santa Maria’ is – despite the archaic connotations of the title – the most modern-sounding number in this album: this is a cantata mediaeval style elegantly delivered over a basis of ethno-pop keyboard layers and loops, with the guitar, drum kit and bass providing additional hues. Bizarre without getting disturbing. ‘Sarabande No. 2’ brings back the colorful ambiences of tracks 1 & 3, with a soft Arabesque twist: the addition of exotic elements allows MV to widen their sonic spectrum and achieve a greater dose of melodic intensity. But the top of intensity is yet to be found in the epic-tinged ‘Hymne et Danse’, the most intricate and diverse track in the album. Here you will find: an amazing piano solo intro that wanders seamlessly through the realms of jazz and the classicist roads of chamber; a majestic main motif that keeps a strong relation to the album’s overall symphonic trait; and, finally, a Gregorian chant in the coda. ‘Danza Vital’ is the most overtly joyful piece in this album: starting with a grandiloquent synth fanfare, the main motif surfaces and goes on constructed over a melodic jazz pop basis. The sense of joy is properly perpetuated in the brief folk-tinged closure ‘Le Bal du Diable’. All in all, “Sarabandes” is one of MV’s most accomplished and prototypical efforts: an excellent prog recording, a must for all symph prog lovers who dig for something refreshing from the 90s.

Line-up:
- Thierry Payssan / keyboards, accordian
- Eric Rebeyrol / bass
- Christophe “Cocof” Godet / drums
- Jean Luc Payssan / guitars, vocals

Track List:
01. Le Chant du Monde (7:37)
02. Porte Sur l’Eté (2:55)
03. Sarabande no. I (6:24)
04. Cantiga de Santa Maria (3:48)
05. Sarabande no. II (7:04)
06. Hymne et Danse (8:52)
07. Danza Vital (7:27)
08. Le Bal du Diable (1:32)

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Jean-Luc Payssan, Minimum Vital, Sakalli's Pick, Thierry Payssan

Beggar’s Opera – Act One (1970) (@256)

18 Dec 2006