Gunter Schickert - Samtvogel. 1974 Germany

Günter Schickert - Samtvogel. 1974 private

CD reissue: 2013 Important

LP reissues: 1975 Brain; 1981 Brain; 2010 Wah Wah (Spain)

Packaging details: Until ebay came along, I wasn't aware that "Samtvogel" had originally been a private press. My original copy (that I bought in the late 1980s) was the green Brain version that was licensed one year later. A few years ago, I upgraded to a mint copy of the same release, which will stay here till the end I think. While most of the "Rock On Brain" (1981) series of albums featured substandard covers, I have to admit that I do enjoy the one they pressed for "Samtvogel". It's certainly one of the more obscure of the orange/multi-colored Brain releases (see second cover above). It seemed this album would never get reissued, and was one of the last of the green Brain albums to be considered (there's still a few to go!). But the ice finally broke in 2010 with the announcement of both a CD and an LP reissue. Except only the LP came out! Finally, 3 years later, the CD is here. And it's a beauty! A stunning tri-fold digi-pak with in-depth liner notes and a review. The CD itself looks like an old Impulse jazz release (thanks goes to Gnosis Mike for that observation). About the only bummer is the lack of bonus tracks, which is a bit surprising given that Schickert was one of the original "bedroom" composers.

Notes: Schickert was one of the pioneers of the sound-on-sound guitar based electronik musik movement along with Achim Reichel (AR & Machines) and Manuel Gottsching (Ash Ra Tempel). An intense, burning, cyclical pounding of the senses, as Schickert tries to resolve the angst of the Cold War Berlin world he lives and breathes. A psychotic aural vision that is so perfectly realized.

Gorizont - The Portrait of a Boy. 1989 Russia

Gorizont - The Portrait of a Boy. 1989 Melodiya.

CD reissue: 2000 Boheme Music

Packaging details: Everything I said about "Summer in Town" applies to "Portrait of a Boy". The original cheap vinyl pressing that I once distributed due to popular demand, and that the CD is far superior with excellent liner notes.

Notes: Life at the tractor plant must have caused a certain kind of insanity, as Gorizont returned with one more flourish at producing a highly creative record. On this effort, Gorizont present us with five tracks, with the last piece adding vocals for the first time. Perhaps even more complex than "Summer In Town", this continues the use of ominous fuzz guitar and shifting meters offset by happy melodies. Paradoxes such as this are what make progressive rock such an exciting genre! Comparisons to "Uzed" era Univers Zero wouldn't be entirely inappropriate - understanding that it's highly unlikely Gorizont were familiar with the Belgian band. Similar conclusions are often drawn from different premises.

Gorizont - Summer in Town. 1985 Russia

Gorizont - Summer in Town. 1985 Melodiya.

CD reissue: 2000 Boheme Music.

The idea behind this blog was to celebrate the excellent reissues of the past and present. I need to do a better job of focusing on some of the excellent CD reissues from the last 25 years that have been sitting in my collection for a loooong time (while keeping up with modern reissues as well).

Packaging notes: Like all Soviet era releases, Gorizont's two albums were on the state label Melodiya. Cheap single sleeves and muddy sounding vinyl is what you can expect. Still, this album was such a revelation, that I started distributing the album here in the States via contacts in England and Finland. I probably sold or traded at least 30 copies throughout the early to mid 90s. The CD is the only way to go if you want a quality product. Boheme was a fantastic label from Moscow, that reissued almost all of the classic Melodiya progressive rock albums from the 1980s. "Summer in Town" comes with lengthy, and insightful, liner notes in English (and Russian). As you can see on the cover (which is the CD press, LP is all in Cyrillic), Horizont is the more accurate translation. But back in the day we all knew this record as Gorizont - so I'm sticking with it, ignorant as that may sound. :-)

Notes: Gorizont is a classic example of a Soviet era band that was sponsored by an industrial collective. That's correct, Gorizont was a tractor plant band (technically funded by the Cheboksarian Plant of Industrial Tractors - I couldn't make that name up if I tried). As an aside, I personally think the downfall of the Soviet Union was that half of their economy was still based on tractors - in the 1980s... Anyway, I can tell you this: No John Deere plant that I know of was producing these kind of musicians! A truly wonderful find, Gorizont are one of the most innovative progressive bands from any country - much less the mid 1980s of the old USSR. Three long and involved instrumental tracks adorn this fine work. There's a certain Camel like bounciness to the main melodies that add an air of optimism to the proceedings. However, just at the point where you relax into a comfortable "Snowgoose" groove, the Moogs go wild, the bass blasts out a grinding a Magma styled riff, and the guitar blisters forward with a violent Heldon-styled nightmare. All in different meters, you understand. Just as the rollicking roller coaster has you about to heave over the side, the music suddenly shifts back to a pleasurable symphonic mode - only to throw you back into the dark hole from whence you came. A true yo-yo album that remains exciting listen after listen.

The Search Party - Montgomery Chapel. 1969 USA

The Search Party - Montgomery Chapel. 1969 Century.

CD reissue: 2013 Lion Productions (as "The News is You: The Sacred & Secular Music of Nick Freund")

LP reissue: 2000 Void

Packaging notes: One of the most sought after psychedelic records, originals of The Search Party have been super expensive since the day I started collecting rarities in the 1980s. Somewhat surprising to find out, then, that the Century label is not some boiler room operation, but rather a mainstream Christian music label from Los Angeles! Void was the first to market with a legit reissue on LP. Two years ago I was amazed to discover that "Montgomery Chapel" had yet to be pressed on CD (legit that is - plenty of pirate editions). Lion finally came through - and in a big way. The CD includes the full album by St. Pius X Seminary Choir "Each One Heard in his Own Language About the Marvels of God" from one year prior. Full historical liner notes and photos round out this splendid release. Without a doubt, Lion's CD is the definitive edition.

Notes: I've heard about The Search Party ever since the 1980s when I first started receiving progressive and psych rarities catalogs. Even then, this album was off the charts rare and expensive. I never did bother to seek it out, figuring it was another over-hyped Christian psych album (you won't see me use the term over-hype very much, but with Christian psych, it truly does apply). So finally last week I heard the album. Oh wow, this really is good. No wonder everyone made a fuss years ago. My kind of atmospheric, doomy psych with Voxx organ, acoustic guitars, haunting male/female vocals and occasional fuzz guitar outbursts. About the only comparison I could think of is the brilliant Music Emporium album, on their more cosmic tripped out tracks.

Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited - Innocent Canon. 1971 Japan

Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited - Innocent Canon. 1971 King

CD reissues: 2007 King; 2012 King

Packaging details: "Innocent Canon" is another one of those hopelessly obscure Japanese underground albums that few know about. Inomata himself is a known jazzer, but like many of his contemporaries, he went out of his mind with psychedelic music between 1970-1972. The first CD press went by before anyone noticed. Now you have a second chance, and I certainly didn't miss it this time. I'd make the same suggestion to you all before this disappears into the mists of time. The artwork throughout features some very weird erotic sketches.

Notes: If "Lost in Translation" had been made in 1971 instead of 2003, then "Innocent Canon" would most certainly have been its soundtrack. Forget the fictional Sausalito with their hipster lounge covers of forgotten Mary Butterworth tunes, and cozy-up with Sound Limited and their groovy late 60s Beat Club smackdown. This is the psychedelic soundtrack of your imagination, but never actually witnessed. One complete acid drenched freakout by a deranged Japanese jazz big band, where the action takes place in a carnival funhouse rather than the video arcade. They even lift the phased-drum-with-narration-bit from no less a luminary than Group 1850's "Agemo's Trip From Mother Earth". Damn, this is awesome.

Micah - I'm Only One Man. 1971 USA

Micah - I'm Only One Man. 1971 Sterling Award.

CD reissue: 2013 Shadoks (Germany)

LP reissue: 2012 Shadoks (Germany)

Packaging details: Absolutely one of the rarest American private pressings. I had never even heard of it until my buddy Heavyrock played his original for me about 7 years ago. So unless you have a nice trust fund going, you'll probably want to fork over for one of the Shadoks reissues. I opted for the CD, which has just recently been released. The LP is a rather simple single sleeve, typical of US pressings of the era. The CD features plenty of historical notes, a recent interview (which you can also find online), and photos to supplement this issue. It's unfortunately a rather short album (< 30 minutes) and there are no bonus tracks. Don't let that deter you though, as it's 29 minutes of excellence with no wasted moments.

Notes: Micah started in Terre Haute, Indiana before relocating to upstate New York. "I'm Only One Man" is head and shoulders above most of these hard rock / psych US private pressings from 1971. Long runs of guitar and organ solos, with a great vibe throughout. I love the way the Hammond is played in a choppy manner, as well as the wah wah guitar solos. Just nonstop kickass music, the way you want all of these type of rare private albums to sound, but rarely do. Only bummer is that Side 2 is only 11 minutes long. For me, Micah's music is the definition of BAD ASS. They exude early 70's coolness. Micah are the perfect realization of Uriah Heep now that I think about it.

The Old Man & The Sea - s/t. 1972 Denmark

The Old Man & The Sea - s/t. 1972 Sonet

(moving this entry forward to call out the new stunning Shadoks LP reissue!)

CD reissues: 2003 Dunk; 2011 Belle Antique (Japan mini-LP)

LP reissue: 2013 Shadoks (Germany)

Packaging details: For as long as I've been collecting progressive rock (mid 1980s), The Old Man & The Sea's sole album has probably been Scandinavia's most sought after major label record, along with Junipher Green's debut. As such, it was always too expensive for me to buy a copy. Unfortunately, for years on end, this album thrived strictly in the bootleg market - both on LP and CD. Then in 2003, unbeknownst to everyone (including me) there was an authentic CD put out by a small label called Dunk. No one even carried it for sale! And it was just as obscure as the album itself, though not as expensive of course. Finally, in 2011, Marquee's Belle Antique put out a fresh copy completely remastered by former band member Tommy Hansen - who also happens to now be a famous producer. This is an unusual move for Belle Antique, who are usually content to put fancy packaging on already remastered CDs. So the only way to really get a quality CD reissue of The Old Man & The Sea is to fork over for the Japanese mini-LP. As for the packaging, the original gatefold album cover is stunning - thus a perfect vehicle for the mini-LP format. And recently Shadoks has come through with a beautiful LP reissue. The thick gatefold has been replicated perfectly, and includes an insert with a full history and interview. They even received permission from Universal to use the original orange Sonet label!

Notes: Musically speaking, The Old Man & The Sea fits squarely in the Scandinavian / Northern European sophisticated heavy rock bag. Heavy organ and guitar lead the instrumental solo sections, while rough English vocals add a bluesy feel to the proceedings. It's definitely influenced by the "Vertigo" UK sound, but of course deep divers will likely recognize other Scandinavian acts such as Norway's Ruphus (first album) or Host, Finland's Kalevala, and Sweden's November. Excellent album.

Missus Beastly - Dr. Aftershave and the Mixed Pickles. 1976 Germany

(I'm going to skip GoD's archival issue of Bremen 1974 for now. I'm still trying to get my mind around it. So let's move to the next Missus Beastly album, which I had published a couple of years ago, but will slot here for convenience. I've also updated the contents)

Missus Beastly - Dr. Aftershave and the Mixed Pickles. 1976 April

CD reissue: 2011 Garden of Delights.

Packaging details: The original LP comes in a folder cover, without borders. I didn't own this album until the ebay years of the early 2000s, where I won a copy. And recently I've supplemented the LP with the much anticipated Garden of Delights CD. It features two excellent bonus tracks (taken from the "Umsonst und Draussen" festivals - see entries for those concerts in this blog), great sound, thick booklet with history and photos. Superb reissue as always. Worth noting this was the first album on the April label, later renamed Schneeball for legal reasons.

Notes: "Dr. Aftershave..." sees Missus Beastly moving onto the more-in-fashion funky sounds of the era, while still building on the jazz rock of the 1974 album. Anyone who is familiar with Embryo's "Bad Heads and Bad Cats" will immediately recognize the sounds here (and they share many members between the groups).

And that concludes our Missus Beastly feature. I may add in Bremen 1974, we'll see. Of course, I'm also expecting "Space Guerilla's" to come out this year, which I will feature at that time. In the liner notes for the vinyl reissue of the 1970 Missus Beastly, they have the CD labeled as issued in "2013", so that's a good sign. In the meantime, our feature for this album can be found in the CDRWL.

Missus Beastly - SWF Session 1974. Germany

Missus Beastly - SWF Session 1974. 2012 Long Hair (LP and CD). Archival recording.

Hmm! So we have an interesting one here. The question is: Are you willing to buy an alternate version of the 1974 Missus Beastly album? If the answer is yes, then definitely get this. If not, read on. I'm disappointed in Long Hair for not mentioning the similarities between the two. And the lackluster liner notes make no explanation as to why some of the tracks have different names than on their vinyl counterpart. It's worth noting that these recordings (two different sessions) were recorded near the dates of the studio release, so the similarities with the actual album are certainly understandable from the band's perspective.

The album begins with 'Fly Away', which is track 6 on the Nova album. It's a great example of why the original album is so brilliant in my eyes (the album itself is a 5 star/Gnosis 14 Masterpiece as far as I'm concerned - see yesterday's entry for more detail).

But now the problems start. The second track would appear to be unique, if titles are what we go on here: 'Simsalabim'. But the melody is instantly recognizable and, sure enough, it's the 'Paranoidl' track from the LP.

Now things really get weird. Track 3 is 'Talle', which turns out to be '20th Century Break' on the original, and happens to be one of my favorite tracks of all-time. No mention, as I stated earlier, as to why the difference in track titles. To make matters worse, 'Talle' from the LP is the ONLY track not on the SWF Session. Good grief - what a mess.

'Free Clinic' is a unique track, though there is a longer improvised live version on the GoD reissue (as a bonus track).

'Geisha' is a pretty faithful representative of the LP version. 'Space in the Place' is the first truly new piece (I think) represented here. But at just two minutes, there's not much to grab onto.

'Song For Ann' is a beautiful Dieter Miekautsch piano piece - except it too was released on the (get ready) Missing Link album from 1972 (Missing Link... Missus Beastly. Ay-yi-yi. Keeping up with me here?). It's slightly different than the LP version, but not by much.

'Dauerwurst', like 'Simsalabim', is not new. It's a renamed version of 'Vacuum Cleaner Dance' from the Nova LP. It's driving me nuts why none of this has been mentioned before!

'Julia' is a lively rendition of the Nova album opener. Different enough to be exciting, and perhaps what this SWF could have been about. But no.

And we get to the last two tracks - which are finally unique. 'Serenade to a Soul Sister' is no doubt an embryonic version of 'Vloflutho' which shows up as a bonus track on GoD's CD of the '74 album.

Had I not heard most of this material before, this would be a solid 5 star/14 Gnosis rating. But.... 3.5 / Gnosis 10 it must be.

Missus Beastly - s/t. 1974 Germany

Missus Beastly - s/t. 1974 Nova

CD reissue: 2005 Garden of Delights

Packaging details: Even though Missus Beastly's second album is in my Top 50 of all-time, I have no desire to own the original LP. The cover is absolutely hideous, and downright offensive. According to the CD liner notes, the band had no artistic control of this situation, and it appears to be the poor judgment of the label themselves. The cover doesn't represent the style of music at all. If you do desire an original, copies can still be found at a reasonable price - though not cheap. The CD is definitely the way to go here, with full liner notes, photos, and additional bonus tracks.

Notes: The evolution to a Masterpiece status (Gnosis 14; RYM 5 star) is a strange phenomenon. Like many albums at first glance, Missus Beastly's second album struck me simply as better than average (3.5 stars as it were). That was over 15 years ago when I first heard it. As the years went by, something about the album kept drawing me to it. Not all masterpiece albums take this long of course, but this is one of those albums that gets into your skin and just won't let go. It's now to the point where the measuring stick for all things jazz rock must go up against it. Cosmic Dreams At Play says of this album "uninspired slick fusion", which could not be further from the truth. The drumming on here is amazing, jet propelled, sporadic, and energetic. The piano playing is divine, frequently compared to McCoy Tyner's best work. The dual sax/flute combination drives the melody and solo lines and they're always in control. And the tunes are memorable long after the music has stopped. And now we finally can hear the masters tape version on CD, thanks to Garden of Delights. Comes with 4 bonus tracks, which demonstrates a much rawer and looser Missus Beastly, but still very engaging.

Missus Beastly - s/t. 1970 Germany

Missus Beastly - s/t. 1970 CPM

CD reissue: 2002 Garden of Delights

LP reissues: 1971 OPP (as Nara Asst Incense); 2000 Tripkick; 2012 Garden of Delights

Packaging details: Missus Beastly's debut album is one of the earliest examples of a studio album being pirated and resold ("Nara Asst Incense"). While this has sadly become common practice in the CD era, it was very rare in the early 70s when the industry was more tightly controlled. I mention it here only as an historical curiosity, rather than as a recommendation to look for it. Needless to say, the CD and LP versions from Garden of Delights is where you'll want to focus your buying power. The GoD LP duplicates the brilliant gatefold cover, and provides full liner notes. This is the version I own. Originals on CPM are extremely rare and expensive. The OPP version, as expected given its legal status, is much easier to find.

Notes: Missus Beastly's debut is squarely in the psychedelic blues rock camp, and is significantly different than their later (and brilliant IMO) jazz rock albums. Highlights here are the gloomy organ, Mississippi Delta blues guitar, and downer vocals. Definitely strives for a down and out American alley sound. And succeeds for the most part.

Pancake - No Illusions. 1979 Germany

Pancake - No Illusions. 1979 Blubber Lips

CD reissue: 2012 Garden of Delights

Packaging details: Unlike the first two Pancake's, I didn't purchase the LP until a few years ago on ebay - a copy I still own. Kind of a bizarre cover, that crosses the harsh realities of the late 70s with the psychedelic dolls of the original Ohr LP covers. As for the CD, Garden of Delights had this listed for reissue as far back as when they first released the "Roxy Elephant" album (2003). Then it dropped off their "coming soon" list, and was re-added back a couple of years after that. And finally here is the CD! An excellent job as usual, with full liner notes and photos. As well, this version contains 6 bonus tracks. The first 3 are a set of demos from 1980 that was to be their 4th album. The other grouping is a live reunion from 2002.

Notes: "No Illusions" is Pancake's third album, and an improvement compared to its two predecessors. Again, guitarist Walter Negele was forced to rebuild the band almost from scratch. Here, Pancake presents a typical German symphonic progressive album with female vocals which veers towards the sound of bands like Octopus circa "Boat of Thoughts" or Streetmark's "Eileen". While the first two albums tended to meander, "No Illusions" demonstrates a mature band, with tighter arrangements, and a more forceful approach.

Pancake - Out of the Ashes. 1977 Germany

Pancake - Out of the Ashes. 1977 Blubber Lips

CD reissue: 2008 Garden of Delights

Packaging Details: Almost the exact same situation as "Roxy Elephant" at least as far my original ownership is concerned (bought LP early 90s, sold in the middle 90s). Again, many years later I picked up the GoD CD which fills in the history, with copious photos, plus one bonus track this time.

Notes: Original guitarist and main songwriter Walter Negele basically had to build the band from the ground up. For this lineup he added a keyboardist along with a talented singer, to provide a more symphonic sound than prior. As with "Roxy Elephant", same period Jane would have to be looked upon as an influence, since they too had switched to a more spacey sound reflecting their new interest in all things Pink Floyd. This type of sound was hugely popular in Germany at this time, as not only major indigenous bands such as Eloy and Grobschnitt had migrated in this direction, but a host of more unknown groups like Indigo, Fly, and Shaa Khan had also tried their hand had emulating "Animals" era Floyd. Overall, "Out of Ashes" demonstrates a more confident Pancake, and is a slight improvement on the debut. But they were to accomplish even more on their final album "No Illusions".

Pancake - Roxy Elephant. 1975 Germany

Pancake - Roxy Elephant. 1975 private

CD reissue: 2003 Garden of Delights

LP reissue: 1978 Blubber Lips

Packaging details: My first copy was the Blubber Lips LP. For years, I thought this was their second album after "Out of the Ashes", but obviously we now know it was the debut. I didn't realize the Blubber Lips version was a reissue! In any case, this album became a victim of my "great LP purge" of 1995-1996. No regrets really (as is the case with 95% of what I sold via catalog back then) , but I have since gone back and picked up the excellent Garden of Delights CD, with complete liner notes, photos, etc... I wish they'd included the two Nyrvana Pancake singles as bonus, rather that putting them on one of their "Psychedelic Gems' series. I haven't heard these singles myself, but will check them out on YouTube when I get a chance. One fun fact: Back in the early 90s, when we had a weekly radio show here in DFW, I asked the host how he would describe the album cover. He dutifully started to do so, until he heard myself and others in the studio start busting out laughing. Yea, I know, sophomoric dork humor right out of Porky's or American Pie. Who said the UMR was highbrow anyway?

Notes: Pancake's debut is a good representative of the German rock sound of the mid 1970s. So it's not really Krautrock per se, nor Deutschrock, but it definitely has a progressive mindset, with plenty of good ideas. There are no keyboards, and the songs are driven by dual guitars. From a compositional perspective, mid 70s Jane and Birth Control would probably be a good guidepost here, but other obscure references would include Poseidon, Madison Dyke, and Prosper. Obviously, Pancake is not where you start your German progressive collection, but for deep divers like myself, this is worth owning. They were to improve from here.

Silberbart - 4 Times Sound Razing. 1971 Germany

Silberbart - 4 Times Sound Razing. 1971 Philips

CD reissue: 2012 Long Hair

LP reissue: 2012 Long Hair

Packaging details. I picked up an original of this LP back in my mad "wheeling and dealing" days of the mid 1990s. I was a bit perturbed by the bb hole, and moved it out rather quickly. I should have kept it anyway (though I'm sure I got something great in return for it), and now it costs more than I'm willing to pay (and this has been the case since I've been on ebay). As far as reissues, the album was strictly fodder for bootleggers for the entire CD era. Until late last year, when Long Hair finally broke through with a legit issue with Universal's consent. It's not a great sounding record, as the liner notes of the CD point out that the recordings were made in less than ideal circumstances. But the original doesn't sound any better, this I can assure you. I have the reissue LP on the way to me now, and should be here any day (hopefully today in fact). I always loved that psychedelic gnome cover! I'll update this post if I see anything extraordinary about it, though I'm not expecting anything beyond the same liner notes.

Notes: An appropriately named album, as Silberbart on their sole album provide the listener with four very long freaked out blues psych tracks similar to "Bo Diddley" era Guru Guru. This isn't an album you hear much about, other than from early 70s hard rock collectors, but it's more towards the psychotic Krautrock sound than the usual straightforward 4/4 blues rock (vocal style notwithstanding). When compared to groups like Hairy Chapter, Haze, Light of Darkness, Dies Irae, Second Life and dozens more, Silberbart is the clear winner.

The Eleventh House - Level One. 1975 USA

The Eleventh House - Level One. 1975 Arista

CD reissue: 2012 Wounded Bird

Packaging details: We've mentioned this before, but Arista initially started as an American response to Virgin, and they signed many interesting progressive bands in their first couple of years of existence. And Larry Coryell saw the label as a good place to sign up his Eleventh House group, after a one year stint with Vanguard. But because of this label shift, "Level One" had been absent from the CD market. While the debut is common on CD, "Level One" had remained without a CD reissue until last year, when Wounded Bird finally came to the rescue. Wounded Bird is never the ideal choice to reissue a CD, but at least they are legit and straight from the masters. No fuss, no muss. And I gladly bought one as soon as it was released. As for the cover, I think we can lay claim that Coryell is the original "Leisure Suit Larry"! The last studio effort from The Eleventh House, "Aspect", only exists on CD as a rare Japanese import. I suspect Wounded Bird will eventually reissue that one as well, since it too was on Arista.

Notes: I personally feel that "Level One" is a half step up from the debut. All the edgy instrumental work has stayed in, but with stronger songwriting this go round. Coryell's fiery guitar work remains intact, and there's a few melodies to latch onto. A very good fusion album.

The Eleventh House - Introducing The Eleventh House With Larry Coryell. 1974 USA

The Eleventh House - Introducing The Eleventh House With Larry Coryell. 1974 Vanguard

CD reissue: 1990 Vanguard

Packaging details: The original LP - and CD - are easy to find, and inexpensive, from online auction and retailers. Like most albums on Vanguard, the cover art is quite interesting. The CD is a straight reissue, with no extras of any sort. It's too bad the album has been commoditized in this fashion. It's highly unlikely, at this point, that any specialist label would take it on.

Notes: No doubt that guitarist Larry Coryell, seeing the success of peers such as John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, and Joe Zawinul, stated something along the lines of "Hey, I can do that!". And so he compiled his own all-star lineup including legendary players such as Randy Brecker (trumpet) and Alphonse Mouzon (drums). And off to the studio they went, to demonstrate the immense amount of chops they possess. The songwriting on the debut is a bit of an afterthought - rather its sole purpose seems to be a springboard for complex instrumental sections and showboating solos. Still it's always great to hear musicians, as talented as these guys obviously are, to plug in and rock their brains out. All the mid 70s musical trappings are baked in here - so you'll get your fill of rock, jazz, funk, and tropical. You can't miss on this one if fusion is your bag.

William Sheller - Lux Aeterna. 1972 France

William Sheller - Lux Aeterna. 1972 CBS

CD reissues: 1989 CBS; 2012 Omni (Australia)

LP reissue: 1975 CBS

Packaging details: My first copy of this album was the second LP press featuring the dapper Sheller on the cover. The top cover is the original, which is also (fortunately) used on both of the CDs. The 1980s press was one of the rarest CDs in my collection for many years. It was pressed in France by Columbia and distributed, I think exclusively, by Marquee in Japan. It came with a full back plate obi, with a biography of Sheller, written entirely in kanji. I traded for one out of Japan sometime in the 90s, and I don't think I ever saw a copy again. The CD was so obscure that when Omni came along with their CD reissue, they stated it was the first legitimate press on the market. There were pirate editions floating about, so I can understand why they said that. But the 1980s press is absolutely legit - but no one knew about it!

--- All this to say that the Omni CD is by far the best way to go if you're looking to own this. It too has proven to be a bit difficult to obtain here in the US, but Dusty Groove recently brought in some extra stock, so hopefully it will stick around long enough for you all to get one. For some reason, our standard US progressive dealers haven't imported this version in. It may just be too expensive, I don't know. Not only does the CD feature the entire "Lux Aeterna" in its best sound yet, but you also get the very rare 1969 "Erotissimo" EP and no less than 8 other rare singles recorded from 1967 to 1970. One of these singles was a huge hit in France called "My Year is a Day", a Sheller penned song for an American student group (sons of diplomats living in Paris) called Les Irresistables. The financial windfall from that single helped to fund "Lux Aeterna". We learn all of this from the fantastic liner notes of the CD. A great job all around. It would be great if Omni reached a little further into the vaults and released the Popera Cosmic album, which Sheller produced. It too will need bonus tracks, since I recall it being under 30 minutes long.

Notes: William Sheller (nee Hand), will never be mistaken for a subversive underground rocker. He comes from a well-to-do past and was formally trained in music at various academies. And while he had a passing interest in rock music, like everyone else due to the mid 60s fun of The Beatles, it was never his true passion. "Lux Aeterna" was composed to celebrate the marriage of dear friends (you can just picture the gallant ball already). This is true symphonic progressive rock. Sheller didn't need cheap imitations like mellotron to produce what he had envisioned. He had a whole orchestra and choir at his disposal! Of course there is a significant rock element present, which is how it hit the underground collecting channels. The lush, but dark, nature of the compositions coupled with psychedelic guitar and drums is a very powerful musical statement. The album gets heavier and darker as it goes, and thus the acid guitar solos really pack a punch in this setting. A truly exquisite work, and proves that Sheller - had he wanted to - could have been a brilliant progressive rock "star". But that would have been far too restraining for the young Sheller, and he has since gone on to release dozens of albums in a variety of styles. "Lux Aeterna" is  the perfect complement to the Jean-Claude Vannier "L’enfant Assassin des Mouches" album.

Rictus - Christelle ou la Decouverte du Mal. 1981 France

Rictus - Christelle ou la Decouverte du Mal. 1981 Le Kiosque D'Orphee.

CD reissue: 2012 Strawberry Rain (Canada)

LP reissue: 2012 Strawberry Rain (Canada)

Packaging details: An extremely rare album, the original LP was pressed in a limited edition of 250 copies for friends and fans, with the surplus ending up in a village record store. My buddy Heavyrock first played the original LP for me over at his place (about 5 years ago), and the AC followed up with a CD-R. Prior to that, I had never seen a copy, though I can remember having this one on a curiosity list going back to the mid 1990s! Le Kiosque D'Orphee is a very similar label to FLVM, and was basically an LP pressing plant for those who could provide a master tape. To the rescue comes Strawberry Rain, who just released this album in both LP and CD forms. I bought the CD immediately, and it comes in a nice mini-LP sleeve, complete with liner notes, photos and bonus tracks. The bonus tracks are from later versions of the band. The leader of Rictus was directly involved with this reissue. Overall, a fantastic job from an up and coming reissue label that I'm calling the Canadian Shadoks.

Notes:  Very much a deep underground album from France. Raw and primitive overall but with some cool compressed fuzz guitar sounds and a vintage 60's organ to go along with Fender Rhodes, Moog and even some cheap 1980's era synthesizers. At times the album recalls Nuance's "Il est une Legende", especially concerning the ferocious fuzz guitar leads. There's also some dramatic Ange style vocals that are reassuring in this setting. There's almost nothing 1980s about this album, other than the aforementioned keyboards (and even at that, they are rarely deployed). 

Moving Gelatine Plates - The World of Genius Hans. 1972 France

Moving Gelatine Plates - The World of Genius Hans. 1972 CBS

CD reissue: 1993 Musea

Packaging details: Pretty much the same story to tell as the debut regarding the availability of the original LP. Only that MGP's second LP is even more scarce, since it didn't sell as well initially. I bought my copy in 1999 on ebay from a French dealer, before prices became the equivalent to mortgage payments. If there ever was an album I would run into a towering inferno to save, this would be it. If I was forced to sell my collection, this would be the very last album I'd part with. You'd have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers. As I said about the debut, "The World of Genius Hans" is another album that I think would be successful in the LP reissue market. As far as the CD, Musea once again blows away any potential competition. They also conclude the Moving (1980) album with the remaining bonus tracks. Both formats are essential purchases. As an aside, I also own the original Moving LP. But I'm a fanatic.The band reformed in 2006 for one more album, that I will cover in parallel for today's UTR post.

Notes: Everything I love about the debut is magnified and enhanced on their second and final 70s album. They cut the excess (lengthy solos, including the worthless drum bit) while increasing the complexity, the instrumentation, as well as the melodic content. Regarding the latter, an incredible 450 themes were incorporated into these compositions. The end result is nothing short of astounding. I often read reviews where the opening 14 minute title track is mind blowing, and the remainder trails off. I agree with the assessment of the first track. However the album actually improves from there. The shorter tracks allow even more ideas per second to flow through. In fact, I'd say the two best tracks are the ones they chose for a single ('Funny Doll', 'Cauchemar') which I've included in the images above. MGP can do no wrong it seems. Overall, I find the album highly memorable long after the music has stopped. Considering the complexity, that's an extraordinary accomplishment. Most of these complex instrumental albums, especially in modern times, are cold and clinical. Moving Gelatine Plates proves that does not have to be the case, and should be held up as a role model for future generations.

Most everyone has a favorite album. This is mine. A perfect 100 out of a 100.

Depending on my mood, I could also say the cover is my all-time favorite. It's completely captivating, and appeals to my sense of humor.