Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting – Orosvisor. 2010 Sweden

Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting are a really fantastic new band from Sweden that has completely captured the mood of the anarchic 1970 Scandinavian underground. Long instrumental psychedelic journeys filled with loud acid guitar solos, droning violin and an active rhythm section. The mystical Dark Ages folk of yesteryear provide the basis for the melodies. No doubt Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting absorbed first album Flasket Brinner as a blueprint, and further added touches of the second Kebnekaise and some of the more lucid moments from Algarnas Tradgard. It's exciting to know that there are modern groups out there exploring paths that were stopped way too soon. Orosvisor could be considered a distant cousin to Dungen's debut.

Ownership: LP: 2010 Kommun 2. Single sleeve

12/16/11 (new entry)

The Norman Haines Band - Den of Iniquity. 1971 England

Post-Locomotive British rock from the accomplished keys player Norman Haines. Stylistically very diverse, and it takes awhile to get its sea legs. The title track and When I Come Down are the highlights of the first side. With side 2 we get a splendid near 10 minute jam, that truly catches a groove and allows for some excellent guitar soloing over the tranced out organ-led rhythms. Not lost is the longish electronic oriented piece with fuzz organ and electric piano that closes the album. The bonus tracks demonstrate that Haines' songwriting was to improve greatly, even if geared more towards an overt commercial direction with horns (Daffodil and Autumn Mobile were actually released in 1970). I was reminded of Dave Lawson's work with Web I Spider and Samurai in particular. This album takes a couple of spins to comprehend, but it's post British psych at its best. File next to your Nicholas Greenwood Cold Cuts album.

Ownership: CD: 2011 Esoteric. Jewel case with six bonus tracks, mostly made up of rare singles + excellent liner notes.

I had the French original on Odeon but decided to part with it (2/11/24).

2008; 12/12/11 (new entry)

Ske - 1000 Autunni. 2011 Italy

Ske is the new project from Paolo "Ske" Botta, keyboardist for avant progressive rock band Yugen. It's interesting to note that Ske's album is on AltRock's "symphonic progressive" sub-label Fading. I say interesting, because to my ears, 1000 Autunni fits the avant progressive definition better.

Like some modern groups, Ske seems to have compiled the best parts of what progressive rock has to offer, and reassembles them into a hodge podge of the entire genre. So, in effect, what you get with 1000 Autunni is Progressive Rock Extract. Especially the Canterbury scene, Anglagard influenced Nordic symphonic rock, and angular avant progressive (similar to his other group Yugen).

Is there anything wrong with that? Well no, not in my opinion. It almost guarantees a pleasant listen, though I do find myself hoping for a more individual persona and style to emerge. At the time of this writing, Ske's album is #1 on Gnosis for 2011 (and remains in that position as of Sept 2017), and it's easy to understand why. Though it's almost like a perfect reproduction, rather than an original. Perhaps more listens will reveal more of what I'm looking for and my rating will go up even more. In any case, I can only see Ske improving from here. All things considered, this is a fine debut.

Ownership: CD: 2011 Fading

12/8/11 (new entry)

Ozric Tentacles - Paper Monkeys. 2011 England

Ozric's best studio album in about a decade. Paper Monkeys seems more motivated than the last few efforts. Definitely more energy, and features some fine guitar rave-ups from Ed Wynne, similar in that way to The Floor's Too Far Away (another newer Ozric album that I'm quite fond of). Electronica continues to influence their sound - perhaps even more so than prior. There's no mistaking this is an Ozric Tentacles album, and it doesn't appear they're ever going to change the formula. But for what they do, this is one of the better ones.

Ownership: CD: 2011 Madfish

11/28/11 (new entry)

Frob - s/t. 1976 Germany

High energy jazz rock with fuzz guitar, organ, electric piano, and Moog as the lead instruments. More energetic than Morpheus or Release Music Orchestra for example. A less funky Munju perhaps. Every track smokes, and there's quite a bit of variation in the jams. The guitar work is unreal and I think the raw production helps. Great atmospheric organ too. There are no weak tracks, nor is there anything that particularly stands out. It's remarkably consistent.

CD: 2004 Garden of Delights

Vos Voisins. 1971 Canada-Quebec

Vos Voisins is a really good example of heavy organ and blues based progressive rock. This seemed to be a somewhat popular breed of music in Quebec in the early 1970s, and can also be found in other fine groups such as Champignons or Dionysos. Some wonderful fat guitar leads too. High quality French vocals as well. A couple of the tracks are piano lead introspective numbers. Best song, in my opinion, is 'Le Monstre de la Main'.

Ownership: LP: 1971 Polydor. Online acquisition (2021). 

CD: 2011 ProgQuebec. Jewel case. Features two bonus tracks, liner notes, and photos. These bonus tracks are from a very scarce 45.

It's a recent revelation that the alternate cover comes from 1977. As the story goes, the original "wanted poster" rendition had to be pulled, due to Polydor not receiving permission from the Allo Police tabloid to use their logo.

My first copy was in fact the alternate cover. Acquired via mail order from Le Pick Up in Montreal (1994).

1994 (first listen); 1/20/11 (review); 11/13/11 (update/new entry); 2/11/23 (update)

Polyphony ~ USA ~ Virginia

Without Introduction (1972)

Polyphony were a complex and intense American progressive rock band from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Without Introduction brings forth an enormous amount of energy. Loud guitar, shredding organ, two hyperactive percussionists, and hazy psychedelic vocals is what you'll find here. ELP's Tarkus suite seems to be the main influence here, with a bit more of that American rough and tough edge, not to mentioned the heavy guitar presence. 'Juggernaut' is the pick of the litter, but the entire 37 minutes is well spent. I've always been a bit surprised this album isn't more revered, as I find it among America's finest progressive rock albums from the early 1970s along with Metaphysical Animation and Ram's Where In Conclusion.

Ownership: 1972 Eleventh Hour (LP)

1993 (first listen); 11//04; 11/12/11 (review); 10/13/16 (update)

Tonton Macoute. 1971 England

Tonton Macoute was the name of Papa Doc Duvalier's private military force in Haiti, loyal to his rule. They brought forth a reign of terror that paralyzed the island state with its systematic violence. With such a menacing moniker, one would presume Tonton Macoute to be a heavy and sinister rock band. Quite the opposite. Their sole album is a proto-progressive jazz rock affair, similar to other UK artists of the day like Raw Material and Diabolus - though more instrumental than either. The album features one brilliant flute driven composition in 'Flying South for the Winter'. Other classic tracks include 'Don't Make Me Cry' and 'Natural High' Parts I and II. Only misstep is 'You Make My Jelly Roll'. 

Ownership: LP: 1971 Neon (Germany). Gatefold. Online acquisition (2024).

CD: 2010 Air Mail (Japan). Papersleeve edition that mimics the original in miniature. 

Former ownership: LP: 2001 Akarma. Gatefold. This was my introduction to the album.

12//01 (first listen); 11/12/11 (review / new entry) 

Toshiaki Yokota and Genshi Kyodotai - Primitive Community. 1971 Japan

Well... here it is. An album only whispered by a few in the know. A Knights Templar secret for the ages. Yesterday, I spoke of Heavyrock's amazing collection. This isn't one he owns. He had to buy a CD-R transfer from a Japanese dealer who was keeping it closely guarded. And it wasn't cheap. And this from someone he buys a lot from! But since the original sells for a few thousand, what are you going to do?

The most prominent member here is Yokota's constant electric guitar companion - Kimio Mizutani. Just the mere mention of Mizutani usually has heads like me scrambling for a listen. There's also a track listing... and it's all originals save one cover - a Beatles instrumental called 'Flying' from their Magical Mystery Tour album. The Beatles, of course, were not known for their instrumentals. A full dissertation on this song can be found here. It's important to note that there are almost no covers, as Yokota had a few pay-the-bills albums like "Exciting Flute" and "Young Young Flute" that are nothing but jazz flute renditions of Bacharach, Simon and Garfunkel, Blood Sweat & Tears, ad nauseum.

So now it's time to pull back the curtain, and display the contents....

I feel like I'm in a Steve Berry novel here...

Toshiaki Yokota and Genshi Kyodotai is at the meeting place of jazz and rock. That exciting time at the turn of the 1970 decade, long before what is commonly referred to as fusion, when the ambition of free jazz met with rock's exciting psychedelic nature. It wasn't important to display Berklee-trained chops, but rather it was about texture, atmosphere and creativity at its most radical. But fortunately it stops short of free jazz's reckless abandon - that point where it's just noise for the sake of noise. There is meaning to every note, instrument and pattern. As well, we get a peek-through-the-bushes look at a Japanese sacrificial ritual as described by the tribal drumming, Hammond organ shards, wordless monk chanting, Yokota's flute and Mizutani's acid fuzz guitar blazing a wah wah trail all to be one with Kami. And that's before we get to the Hare Krishna chorus. An album like this becomes mythical because it is mystical. It's in the same league of sixth dimensioners like Älgarnas Trädgård's Framtiden Är Ett Svävande Skepp, Förankrat I Forntiden, Lula Côrtes e Zé Ramalho's Paêbirú or Pierrot Lunaire's Gudrun. If Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser had heard this band, they would have been signed to the Ohr label on the spot.

This album perfectly fits my idea of a freaky underground album. No, it's not the greatest album of all time. Or even close. But it is the kind that you want to listen to over and over. Because it's fascinating and exhilarating.

CD: 2011 Think

It was only a year ago that this album was a complete unknown - only whispered about in quiet dark corners. An album that costs as much as a down payment on a house. I was fortunate enough to obtain a CD-R copy from my friend Heavyrock, and presented what I believe to be the first ever expose about the album, on the CDRWL. This was followed by more coverage on the internet including Yokota himself - and less than a year later, we have a full blown reissue - in the mini-LP format no less! Think is Disc Union's new jazz oriented label, and they really opened with a whopper! This reissue alone is validation enough for me that the CDRWL was well worth the time to do. The review below is what I wrote last year (with slight variations). Also please see my review of Flute Adventure first. It's worth reading, just to give some slight background on Yokota himself.

Sunlight - Creation of Sunlight. 1968 USA-California

Sunlight's sole album is an excellent example of sunshine pop psych, complete with harmony vocals, flute, organ, and fuzz guitar. The album is frequently compared to the early Strawberry Alarm Clock albums - not an unfair comparison - though not near as consistent overall.

Ownership: CD: 2005 Lion Productions. Jewel case. Contains historical liner notes, and a rare single, of which one of the two songs is unique.

Within collector circles, the band has always been known as Creation of Sunlight. However, according to the liner notes of the CD, the band was called Sunlight and Creation of Sunlight is the album title. Despite being on the quirky Windi label, which was based in Utah, the group were from Long Beach, California. Windi is most famous for releasing the Merkin album.

Watch out for bootlegs of this title as they were numerous prior to Lion's reissue.

1997 (first listen); 10/27/11 (review / new entry); 11/10/19

Mahoujin - Babylonia Suite. 1978 Japan (archival)

Mahoujin was quite a discovery for Made in Japan back in the early 90s. Probably the best of their archival finds (another title from this series that we recently featured is Round House). Mahoujin are quite simply an instrumental progressive rock band performed by a keyboard trio. It runs the gamut of similarly minded trios starting with the obvious - ELP - and moving on to Trace, Egg, Triumvirat and even Le Orme. Plenty of polysynths and mellotron to absorb. The music never really takes off, or gets chaotic. However it is highly melodic, and the pace varies enough to hold the attention span in check. I've owned this CD for 20 years, and it's always a good one for a revisit.

CD: 1991 Made in Japan

RYM lists the group as Mahojin, though the spine of the CD marks it as Mahoujin. Probably another lost in translation situation. As well, the cover scan I've provided comes from RYM, and it's been doctored. The original CD cover is not as colorful - more like a typical medieval European painting which is what the cover emulates.

Dr Tree - s/t. 1976 New Zealand

Dr Tree's sole album is one of the hottest fusion albums of the 1970s. That's a pretty bold statement given the multitude of albums in the genre, but for those that know the album, it remains true. A 6 piece, with dual percussion, fiery guitar, Fender Rhodes, bass and.... trumpet. This latter element adds a unique dimension. And while you may be thinking this will put it in the Miles Davis camp, that wouldn't be right either. This isn't the heavy deep groove of Miles (which would have been fantastic as well), but more like the high energy of prime Return to Forever with trumpet as one of the lead instruments. Obviously plenty of room is also left for the guitarist to shred and the keyboardist to fly. The two percussionist's keep the tunes hopping throughout. Considered by fusion fans as a must own. Just be sure to get the only legit version as discussed above!

As an aside, you may be asking where the period is on Dr(.)? It doesn't appear anywhere on the album, though I do think it is meant to be short for Doctor - rather than just the Dr letters. (see comments for an explanation).

CD: 2007 EMI

If you're looking to obtain this title, be very careful. Most of the versions that are available here in the US are bootlegs, in one case a pirate attempt was released after this legit version. The CD I own is printed by EMI New Zealand and is pretty much a straight reissue, with unique liner notes about the band. Almost assuredly you will need to import this directly from New Zealand.

Rock Workshop - s/t + The Very Last Time. 1970-1971 England

Rock Workshop were yet another early 70s horn rock band, when that sound was all the rage, due to the massive popularity of Blood Sweat & Tears and Chicago. In England you could find other bands in this style like Heaven and Brainchild. Lead by jazz guitarist Ray Russell, Rock Workshop had the pedigree to go far. Musically, the band played both sides of the horn rock spectrum - from blues to jazz. The music never really goes off the rails, rather opting to clearly try to grind out a hit, as Ray Russell grouses about in retrospect in the liner notes. All the same, there are plenty of super tracks found on both albums (including the bonus tracks). Good fuzz bass, acid guitar and advanced horn charts. As readers of my blogs know, I like a good horn rock album - and no doubt Rock Workshop are in the top half of the genre. While I wouldn't call this top tier like the aforementioned Brainchild or Heaven albums, Rock Workshop is a fine example of the UK brass rock style. The bonus tracks on The Very Last Time are awesome, showing the band at their most raw and progressive, and thus the more recommended of the two CDs.

CD (Rock Workshop): 2002 Angel Air
CD (The Very Last Time): 2004 Angel Air

Each CD features copious bonus tracks, band written liner notes, previously unreleased photos. Excellent reissues. These were released on a high profile label like Angel Air, no doubt due to the fact that the leader of Rock Workshop was none other than relatively famous jazz guitarist Ray Russell's band.

Surgery - Übermorgen. 1980 Germany

Yet another unknown German fusion album from the late 70s and early 80s. File along with the "German M" groups like Moira, Mosaik, Munju, Missus Beastly and Morpheus. Some pretty hot psychedelic guitar, especially on the first side. Superb unison melodies with the sax and electric piano. Can get to be a bit breezy on Side 2, though some of it reminded me of Ash Ra's Correlations in the guitar work oddly enough. A Latin jazz vibe pervades. Very good representation of the style.

CD: 2010 Garden of Delights

The CD features 10 bonus tracks, history, and photos.

Sithonia - Confine. 1995 Italy

On the Spettacolo Annullato review, I mentioned that it would be interesting to hear that album with a more modern (and analog) recording. In some ways Confine is that album. Not quite what I would expect from a band today, but at least this effort from 1995 has more heft than its predecessor. Especially surrounding the guitar sound, which when in riffing mode, at least gives off a whiff of true heavy metal. Make no mistake, Sithonia aren't a progressive metal band, but at least if they're going to use a heavier tone, give it a little muscle - and they did. The keyboards are still digital, but are somehow mixed a little further back and the sound is a bit better as a result. On the down side, I don't think Giovannini's vocal performance is as inspired as on Spettacolo Annullato, and the compositions aren't as memorable or as deep. There is no question they manage to capture the spirit of the best themes from their past though it doesn't quite hold as well together. 

Former ownership: CD: 1995 Mellow. Jewel case. Lyric booklet with photos. They probably should have tried for better artwork.

1//96 (acquired); 10/12/11 (review / new entry); 9/10/24 (update)

I Teoremi – s/t. 1972 Italy

I Teoremi was one of the few early 1970s Italian progressive rock albums that I didn't care for initially. I bought the first CD as soon as it came out (Vinyl Magic), and ditched it immediately. But that was my mistake. I Teoremi is more of a guitar based hard rock album, with elements of progressive rock - mostly found in the shifting rhythms and overall atmosphere. In this way, I Teoremi is more like the first two Il Rovescio della Medaglia albums, or perhaps even Osage Tribe. This shift in mindset allowed me to approach the album differently, and with a whole new appreciation for what it is.

CD: 2011 Belle Antique (Japan)
CD: 1993 Vinyl Magic

Originals on Polaris are insanely rare and expensive. The Belle Antique mini-LP perfectly represents the album in miniature. Well I presume so anyway, not that I've actually seen a real original. The CD features a textured gatefold cover with an inner flip over the vinyl entrance area. It's hard to appreciate the beauty of the cover with the scan provided (taken from the CD and a bit better resolution than what I've typically seen).

Jettison Slinky - Dank Side of the Morn. 1999 USA-California

Jettison Slinky, a 10 piece ensemble lead by keyboardist Graham Connah, were another interesting band coming from the fruitful 1990s San Francisco Bay Area scene. There's a strong Canterbury melodic sense throughout, and the heavy guitars, keyboards, and dual female vocalists point to an obvious affinity for National Health. It's almost shocking to me that an American band can pull off this most distinctly English style of rock music. One of the ladies on the album is none other than Jewlia Eisenberg, leader of the Klezmer inspired band Charming Hostess, and a darling of the Avant Progressive fan base. Trombone and clarinet add a unique palette. Beyond the Canterbury references, there's also a distinct mid-1960s Brill Building campy/sweetness going on with the melodic jingles recalling perhaps a mix of the Rascal Reporters and Stereolab. And I'm also hearing characteristics of U Totem, where the density of the compositions become a bit hard to penetrate. On the album's closer 'Eternal Dalmation', Jettison Slinky begins to experiment with avant-garde deconstruction which is an unnecessary and disappointing conclusion to an otherwise very satisfying album.

Ownership: CD: 1999 Evander

10/11/11 (new entry); 8/19/15

Kollektiv. 1973 Germany

Kollektiv's album on Brain is one of those Krautrock gems that few paid attention to until recent times. Generally panned by the underground rock community as "jazz", this is squarely in what is now known as "Kraut fusion" and had it been on the MPS label (which it should have been probably), would be even more sought after by those into "rare groove". Loads of flute, electric sax, driving bass, scattered rhythms, and that all-important fuzz guitar is never too far away. The missing link between Xhol Caravan and the late 70's fusion movement in Germany (Mosaik, Cry Freedom, Morpheus, Katamaran, Munju, etc...). Essential.

Ownership: LP: 1973 Brain. Beautiful gatefold cover with a gimmix insert attached on the inside portion, that was to be used as a game to mix variations on words like Pop, Rock, and Jazz. Acquired at the Austin Record convention long ago (1989). My copy has been cut like most (carefully and very nicely done), so at least I can play the game. An unperforated sheet goes for two to three times the price. 

CD: 2007 Long Hair. Jewel case with liner notes, photos, and 4 long bonus tracks.

1989; 2008; 2010; 10/11/11 (new entry); 9/2/18

Wapassou – Messe en re Mineur. 1976 France

My notes on the debut state: "Wapassou are certainly one of France's most innovative bands of the 1970s. And that's saying something given the competition. Basically Wapassou are a drummer less trio, with Crumar organ, piano, synthesizers, violin, guitar, bass and female vocals. Haunting, atmospheric music."

Welp - that's about it! They've just stretched the concept to one 40 minute composition. The female wordless vocals are an acquired taste, but they are memorable nonetheless. And very melodic. There's really no other group like Wapassou during their prime. The fact they managed a three album run (and maintaining distribution from RCA) while playing music such as this - is rather remarkable. Even for France, a country known for avant-garde artistry, that's not typical. 

Ownership: LP: 1976 Crypto. Single sleeve. Originally owned the Omega Studios reissue, but ultimately ended up with the original (2014). Also once owned the Musea CD, but it offered nothing else and the liner notes were in French, so I let it go.

1990; 10/10/11 (new entry); 2/8/23

Sithonia - Spettacolo Annullato. 1992 Italy

Spettacolo Annullato is Sithonia's sophomore effort and is a huge leap in quality from their good-not-great debut.

In some ways, the band succeeds despite itself. The guitarist plays in that annoying pseudo-metal riffing style, stopping just short of actually being balls-out metal (which would be far more preferable actually), with plenty of pig squeal guitar leads to send everyone racing from the room covering their ears. Worse are the digital keyboards, a set of plastic wonders that A Flock of Seagulls most assuredly would enjoy playing.

With that bit of grime out of the way, let's focus on why the album works. Primarily it's the compositions themselves, which are incredibly well thought-out while constantly on the move, in that classic early 1970's Italian style. There is quite a bit of thematic development as driven by the fantastic acoustic piano work, and the melodies are in your mind long after the music has stopped. With the right editing, and other factors, some of these songs could have been major label radio hits. But perhaps best of all is new vocalist Marco Giovannini's performance. What an outstanding impassioned display he gives here - some of the finest from the Italian progressive rock scene.

I rarely vote for re-recordings, but I would love to hear Sithonia record this album with a instrument setup of all analog gear and perhaps a bit more crispness during the recording. It should prove to be a masterpiece.

Ownership: CD: 1992 Mellow. Jewel case

1992; 10/9/11

Odissea - s/t. 1973 Italy

The other progressive rock band on RiFi, the label most known for bringing Circus 2000 to the world. Odissea is generally considered a second or third tier Italian progressive work, but I disagree. All the elements of classic Italo-prog are at play here, minus some of the more overt instrumental gymnastics of their peers. The song structures and atmosphere all point to the classic 1973 sound. The gruff and husky vocals recall Jumbo, and I find them highly appealing and very much of their era. I'm not prone to use terms like underrated, but I think this is one case that does apply. The implication is that Odissea are a "soft prog rock" band, but this is by no means a lame singer-songwriter album, and there are plenty of heavy progressive rock moments to be found.

LP: 1973 RiFi
CD: 2011 Belle Antique
CD: 1989 Vinyl Magic

This was one of the very first albums I bought on CD without owning the LP first - and according to my database I've owned it since 1990. I like the scan from RYM (shown here), because it is indeed true that almost all original copies suffer from lamination "crinkling".

2012 update: Finally obtained an original, one that I very much wanted to own.

Area – Arbeit Macht Frei. 1973 Italy

Very well known album that needs no introduction. For my tastes, this is my favorite Area album, closely followed by Crac!. I'm not a huge Area fanboy as many of my friends and peers are, as I tend to shiver at Area's more avant garde and free-jazz moments. Thankfully those are kept at a minimum on their debut album, where the tight unison ensemble work allows Stratos to showcase his unconventional vocal style, which I do enjoy when not done to excess.

Ownership: LP: 1973 Cramps. Gatefold. Bought this at Black and Read in Arvada (2000). Wish I'd been more diligent at the stores back then, as I'm sure I missed quite a bit of cool vinyl. It's the original, but like most copies, it does not include the paper gun. My first copy was a commodity CD (1995), which I replaced with the Japanese papersleeve. It offers nothing else (other than the miniature gun cutout) so off it goes.

1995; 2000; 10/6/11 (new entry); 11/14/17; 1/6/23

Soma - Epsilon. 1991 England

As mentioned on the Dreamtime review, I stated that Soma were a band that didn't live up the hype thrust upon it - that hype something akin to "better than Ozric Tentacles". But as I listen to this album for the first time in forever, I have to say the album doesn't live up to the promise of the very first sequence of tracks presented here. The near 13 minute "first track", which comprises of 'Being - Ghandarva - My Skin (Turns the Colour of the Sand)', is absolutely phenomenal. Some of the best space rock ever committed to tape, with incredible atmosphere, build up, and finally release. The middle section with the solo riffing guitar blazing out of the Moog tweets is jaw dropping in its execution. But the band couldn't keep up the intensity afterward - and it sort of peters out by the end. And the dullish, quiet mix doesn't help matters any. Seems the band could have benefited from an Ozric like production. Still, as with many of the UK festival psychedelic albums, this one has aged well for me.

Mystic Stones, along with Demi Monde, were one of the original leading lights of the creative underground space rock movement in the late 80's and 90s. Strangely the label never did put out a "monster" album, though they have plenty of really good ones - perhaps Mandragora's Temple Ball being the highlight.

Ownership: CD: 1991 Mystic Stones

10/5/11 (new entry); 8/7/18

Heru Avenger - New Aeon + Magique Mistress. 1998-1999 USA-California

Here's an an odd little band that crept out of Orange County, California in the late 1990s. Even in 1998, no one was talking about Heru Avenger. If Greg Walker didn't send me a copy to check out, I probably would never have heard of them - even today. I listened to New Aeon a couple of times, liked it - filed it - forgot about it. An all too common problem when one is in constant accumulation mode, something I fortunately stopped doing a decade ago. And I never bothered to check out the second Heru Avenger until recently, and Greg still has copies - so I bought one!

Heru Avenger is the brainchild of one John Basil, an interesting cat who even managed to get a local article written about him. He's obviously a very interesting guy. In addition, he's a hardcore vinyl, video and literature collector as documented here.

Both albums are remarkably similar, and thus I lumped them together. Basically this is psychedelic chill out music. For the psychedelic, we get loads of fuzz guitar, sequencer based electronics, sax (on Magique Mistress) and real drums. For the chill out, the albums keep a constant low key and steady pace, in a jazz sort of way - like a classic early 70s Miles Davis deep groove. There are no dynamics or compositional aspects to speak of. It's pretty much long space rock jams - all the time. Definitely good background club music - except instead of synthesized techno beats - it's all organic analog rock music. If chill out music existed in 1974, then this is what it would have sounded like. The OC Weekly, in the article quoted above, nails it perfectly by stating: "The first Initiates release was 1998's New Aeon, recorded as Heru Avenger with drummer Craig Teigen of LA's Afrobeat Down. The four epic tracks evoke Hawkwind at their most cosmic and expansive, with hints of the disciplined, improvisational funk of Miles Davis' On the Corner and Get Up With It. Heru Avenger's next release, Magique Mistress (1999), contains marathon, cyclical Afrobeat funk jams with spidery, fluid Michael Karoli-esque guitar and some Agharta/Pangaea spectral jazz ambience, inducing an awestruck stasis."

Ownership: CD (New Aeon): 1998 Initiates International

Former ownership: CD (Magique Mistress): 1999 Initiates International

One of these is enough. Keeping the debut.

1999 (first listen); 10/4/11 (review / new entry); 5/9/24; 10/14/24

Mr. Quimby's Beard - The Definitive Unsolved Mysteries of... 1999 England

By 1999 the festival space rock sound, most famously pushed forward by Ozric Tentacles, Omnia Opera and Mandragora, was starting to get a bit long in the tooth. Many would argue that rot had set in as far back as 1995. Perhaps it was the era these albums came out in, or just the onslaught of too much good music all at once, but all of these type of albums have aged remarkably well for me. I can't seem to get enough of psychedelic guitar, swooshing and sequenced synthesizers, heavy bass and crashing drums. If you're like me, then Mr. Quimby's Beard is another band to add to your collection. They had two albums prior to this, that I recall being a bit inferior. But as the premise lays out, I have to wonder if time will be kind to those as well.


Ownership: CD-R: 1999 Stone Premonitions

I had been confused about this release for some time. And it's only recently I realized I had the CD-R version. A reader had clarified the release with me by writing in to Under the Radar: "This album was actually recorded in 1997, but left unfinished by the band. After 2 years of gathering dust Stone Premonitions (the record label they were with at that time) decided to release it. At first as a cassette, followed shortly by a cdr. Both were titled "The Unsolved Mysteries of" and although both had a different track list, each contained unfinished versions of a few of the songs that appeared on the final band release, plus a handful of tunes that band decided not to use on the "Definitive" version. "The Definitive Unsolved Mysteries of...." was completed in 1999 and released by the band, initially as a cdr (July 1999) to help raise funds for the later CD version, which was finally released January 2000."

UMR good friend Spacefreak also added: "Mr. QUIMBY'S BEARD (another band with remote roots to the anarcho-punk scene) as a band started in early 1983. Recording-wise, they were somewhat latecomers to the scene as their recording output started in 1994, with a cassette only release of their first album. Their 2nd was issued by Dave Anderson's Demi-Monde label on CD only format and from then onwards the band only released CDRs (mostly on the Stone Premonitions label home of the great CENSUS OF HALLUCINATIONS). "The Definitive Unsolved Mysteries of..." was indeed release in 2000 and it is nothing more than a remix of their 1999 "The unsolved mysteries of Mr. Quimby's Beard". So that explains the 1999 reference on the reworked version.

I have also the opinion that the rot in that particular scene started in 1994 with the Criminal Justice Bill that penalized open air raves and free festies all over Britain. According to that Act, police could direct people to leave a rave, stop people on their way to one, and seize vehicles and sound equipment. The current provisions applied to gatherings of 20 or more, where amplified music is played at night which "by reason of its loudness and duration and the time at which it is played is likely to cause serious distress to the inhabitants of the locality". Both outdoors or, where people are trespassing, indoors."

10/4/11 (new entry)

Round House - Jin Zo-Ni N Gen. 1978 Japan (archival)

There was a time in the late 1970s that Japan's progressive rock scene was completely underground, with little to no formal product output to show for it. This was before the "Our 80's" as Marquee Magazine labeled it a decade later. When I started collecting Japanese progressive rock in the 1980s heyday (for Japan that is), the two premier names in the business were Kenso and Bi Kyo Ran. Round House is clearly cut from the same cloth, where both fusion and King Crimson influences are apparent. A complex instrumental fusion, that never loses focus on melodic composition. The group is a quintet made up with dual guitar leads, and plenty of electric piano.

If there's a complaint, it's that the sound quality wasn't quite ready for prime time. That's not to say it's audience bootleg quality either - but some of the dynamics are clearly lost. I'd say it's at 85% - and heck I know plenty of pure studio albums even today that sound worse than that. There were very few archival releases in 1991, so Made in Japan is to be much lauded for the effort here.

Round House's sole album was compiled from two different 1978 sessions (studio and live).

Most of the cover scans on the internet are from the 2003 reissue. The one I have pasted is more like mine, except the Made in Japan Records has been rubbed out (I believe this is from a pirate version). I couldn't find the original and I'm too lazy to scan mine in.

CD: 1991 Made in Japan

February 2019 update: Sold the CD

Orion - La Nature Vit, L'Homme Lui Critique… 1979 France

In the early 1970s, Ange were the big name in French rock. Combining the progressive rock of Genesis and Yes with theatrical lyrics in the native tongue proved to be all the rage in France during this time. And naturally enough, it spawned an entire music movement with a side benefit of national pride being displayed. Mona Lisa were probably the style's most known student, but plenty of lesser known groups sprung up during this period as well. The CDRWL is filled with them (Trefle, Oniris, Ada Le Fol and many others). Musea, too, in the early 1990s did their part in educating the world on this most unique and peculiar French style. Bands like Grime, Pentacle and Synopsis were introduced to us, and the pot seemed endless. Orion was but one of these groups - and certainly one of the more inspired bands of the era. Flute, electric and acoustic guitars, a hyper rhythm section, and of course the impassioned vocals define this mature work. There's a touch of Pulsar's space rock sound as well. With the right breaks, Orion could have been huge. But alas, 1979 was too late. I hope that Musea starts up the reissue engine again, and releases the remainder of these great bands as demonstrated in the CDRWL.

LP': 1979 Oxygene
CD: 1993 Musea

The CD features a great sound, bonus tracks, liner notes, photos. For whatever reason, the band chose to go with a new sleeve. I kind of like the original myself, goofy as it is. The newer one is soooo 1990s clip-art.

Kundalini - Asylum for Astral Travellers. 1996 Sweden

Mauro at Mellow has released a great number of amazing albums over the years, and many sadly fell way under the radar. This album may well be his most hidden gem.

In the 1970's, there was a splendid little Swedish instrumental group called Lotus, who put out two wonderful albums, and then drifted into obscurity.

Kundalini is the second generation of the Lotus blueprint, but with a distinct Middle Eastern and Southeastern Asian focus. Band leader Arne Jonasson (also of the Holy River Family Band) plays a remarkable amount of stringed and wind instruments here. At once he plays the electric guitar in the fiery space rock tradition of Ozric Tentacles or Omnia Opera, while at others he seems comfortable strumming the traditional world string instruments of bouzouki (Greece), saz (Turkey / Iran), cümbüş (Turkey), nyckelharpa (Sweden) as well as wind instruments such as the mey (Turkey), zurna (Turkey), näverlur (Sweden), and recorder (mainly European). This is all backed by a crisp and energetic bass and drum team. And despite the wide variation of world sounds, the melodies are memorable, and the music rocks hard. To highlight but one track, 'Calusari' is brilliant and the melodies stay with you long after the listen is over. Kundalini also dabbles in the odd jazz instrumental, especially towards the end of the disc. Great album this one and it's too bad this was the end for Kundalini. A must pickup for fans of exotic space rock and fusion.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Mellow (Italy)

10/1/11 (new entry); 11/10/20 

Eider Stellaire - s/t. 1981 France

Magma. Zeuhl. I could quit right there, and have served my purpose for many readers. Michel Le Bars ensemble was clearly developed with Christian Vander in mind. But he didn't Xerox the playbook and go off and play pretend. Instead Le Bars took some core formations and then added his own twists and turns, to create one of the best Zeuhl formulas to come along. Ever.

So where are these difference to be found? Vocals for one thing. Or lack thereof. There are no made up Germanic languages or the lingua franca of Eskaton being employed. There are, however, some nice wordless female vocals adding a softer non-threatening Northettes touch to the proceedings. Then there's the guitar. That's right, think about it. Electric guitar on a Zeuhl album. It's a rare species. It does exist, but mainly as an accent instrument. Not so on Eider Stellaire's debut. It's featured often, and adds quite a sizzle especially when paired with some fuzz bass. And, as on any Zeuhl album, if the bass player isn't driving the music forward - and you into oblivion - then quite frankly he's not doing his job. And Patrick Sinergy is up to the task. He may not be Top or Paganotti, but I don't think either of them would be unimpressed either. Electric piano is another staple of the business, and once again, Eider Stellaire succeeds at driving the pace with this perfectly tuned instrument. Add in some delicate flute and melodic sax to provide a little yang, and you have one great instrumental rock album, as only it seems the French can do. And don't bring up the Japanese zeuhl bands to me. Just don't. Oddly enough, the only instrumentalist that doesn't shine is Le Bars himself. On the drumkit, no one is going to forget Vander anytime soon. That's OK - as in sports, the best coaches are rarely the best players. Brilliant.

CD: 2011 Soleil Zeuhl

Originals - especially with the cover as displayed above - are extremely rare. The CD features a great sound, and one excellent, lengthy bonus track. And it's 100% legit - woohoo! For years I had heard this one would NEVER be reissued. I didn't believe them. More importantly, neither did Alain at Soleil Zeuhl.

Algaravia - Breve e Interminável. 1996 Brazil

There was a time in the 1990's when PRW was one of progressive rock's leading lights in terms of discovering new acts. And Algaravia was one of their true gems. Some 15 years later, the band is sadly and completely forgotten.

Algaravia, who open with a track named 'Crimsoniana', leave little doubt to who their heroes are. A dual guitar quintet, with minimal keyboards and an extra percussionist (giving it a slight Santana flair), Algaravia no doubt worship at the Red and Starless & Bible Black altar. But just like fellow South American's Exsimio (Chile) demonstrated a few years later, Algaravia took a portion of the King Crimson sound and moved it further and into new areas of development. Some classic 90's Djam Karet can be heard here too (especially in the fuzz tone guitar explosions). I think it's a splendid album - and a total tragedy the band stopped here.

Ownership: CD: 1996 PRW

9/28/11 (new entry)

Cosmic Invention – Help Your Satori Mind. 1997 Japan

Cosmic Invention were a supergroup made up of Japan's finest astral travelers such as Ghost, White Heaven, Subvert Blaze, and Overhang Party. Despite the heritage, Cosmic Invention were remarkably restrained - thus recalling the 1970's Kosmische Kourier sound more so than the mostly nauseous 90's guitar fuzz overload the above mentioned names are likely to invoke (other than maybe Ghost). And this is a good thing for the UMR. Cosmic Invention seemed to have mastered the best of Can, Emtidi, and the Galactic Supermarket, while the title track is a definite nod to the 1970's hard progressive rock of the Flower Travellin' Band.

This one received good reviews and a bit of indie press back when it came out. Today the album is largely forgotten. That's too bad. Kudos to Drag City for keeping the album in the spotlight.

Ownership: CD: 1997 The Now Sound. Jewel case. 

9/26/11 (new entry); 8/20/20

Hands ~ USA ~ Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

Hands (1977 - 1980 / 1996)

Hands is the album that pretty much started it all for Shroom. I'll never forget when I first heard this CD. I fell off my chair, perhaps literally. The fact that Hands were from Farmers Branch*, Texas was surreal for me. Your humble author grew up and went to school all of about 2 minutes from the suburb, in Northwest Dallas. Anyone who is from the area, will remember the landscape well - with KZEW and KDFW 102 (pre-Q102) leading the way in FM radio. The years of 1977-1981 is where I cut my teeth on rock music - loyally listening to Randy Davis on weeknights, calling (bugging?) him many nights, and this incredible man taking my calls, and sometimes saying "hold on dude - let me put on a longer song and we'll talk". I mean, seriously, I was a 15 year old heavy metal punk with a thirst for knowledge and this radio professional would give ME the time? Wow. And he told me where I could find rare records and the like. That folks, is inspiring - even as I reflect over 40 years later. No rose colored glasses either - straight fact.

And so with my Sanyo all-in-one stereo, I would religiously pop in the cassette, and record KZEW's album of the night - which included everything from mainstreamers like Rush and Pink Floyd to AOR's groups such as Airborne (heard of them, have you?). Endless radio ads summoned you to wet T-shirt night at some local Dallas dive rock club (Ritz Theater, The Electric Ballroom, The Paladium, Agora Ballroom) with enticing band names, all long forgotten. But for certain, Hands was not among them. Can we go back to 1978? I want a do over.

Let's talk Hands for a brief moment. Yes, Gentle Giant, Renaissance, Genesis, ELP and every other mainstream progressive rock band will instantly come to mind. Guitar, violin, flute, keyboards, bass, and drums. The music at times is surprisingly delicate and sophisticated. It's not a conclusion one would normally come about considering 1970s Texan culture. But of course that's a caricature - and these guys actually lived there, as did I. Like most of America, DFW was very diverse by then.

A strikingly great piece of American progressive rock, that had no chance at major label attention. By 1980 The Police, Asia, The Buggles, Loverboy, and Journey ruled the airwaves. That's what the labels and fans wanted to hear. Complex progressive rock was out. The New Wave and what we then called "corporate rock" were in. MTV was here to stay.

* So why does the name Farmers Branch mean anything to you? Perhaps you'll recall one of the earliest white rappers claiming he went to some "tough school in the projects". That was Vanilla Ice. And he went to Farmers Branch / Carrollton R.L. Turner High School (didn't even graduate). No street cred in that I'm afraid.

And while on the personal topic, my good friend Dave, who was then starting a band called Storm at Sunrise - asked me my opinion on a guitarist he should choose - someone who could play both hard rock and progressive. I thought of Ernie Myers of Hands immediately - plus he was local to the area. Dave contacted him, and the rest is history.

Ownership: 1996 Shroom (CD). Chock full of interesting history.

1997 (acquired); 9/26/11 (review / new entry)

Windopane - See? 1994 USA-Indiana

In the early 90's there were a few bands from both the Midwest United States and in the UK which featured guitar centric psychedelic groups that revolved around long improvised and frenetic jams. From the UK you had Bevis Frond, Outskirts of Infinity, Ear Candy, Mynd Muzik and the Incredible Expanding Mindfuck. From Ohio and Indiana there was Many Bright Things, Simones, Tombstone Valentine, and... Windopane. The twist here is that Windopane were lead by a husband and wife team of dual guitarists, with an accompanying booklet that implies a heart wrenching story of a child given up to adoption by the female lead when she was only 16. A fairly active drummer rounds out the trio.

There really isn't anything extraordinary about this album, or the compositions within. But if you like a good old fashioned instrumental wah wah guitar extravaganza without ever going to excess, then this is one you should look for in the dollar bin of your local brick and mortar - or favorite auction house.

They released another album a year later, which I recall as not being up to snuff. Don't remember much about it, but I sold it way back when in any case.

Ownership: CD: 1994 Or

9/25/11 (new entry)

National Health - Missing Pieces. 1975-1976 England (archival)

East Side Digital of Minneapolis are most famous for reissuing all 3 National Health studio albums in one glorious 2 CD package - as far back as 1990. It's worth the price of admission alone for the absolutely hilarious liner notes from main protagonist Dave Stewart. So when ESD announced they had unearthed a pile of unreleased gems, prior to their first album, with Mont Campbell (Egg), Steve Hillage and Bill Bruford amongst the usual Canterbury suspects - along with more hysterical liner notes - well... we all couldn't get our wallets out fast enough.

Perhaps most amazing is that most of this CD is on par with their brilliant first two albums (and I'll proudly go on record here - I'm a huge Canterbury fan - and I think National Health are the best band of the entire scene - especially Queues and Cures). Some folks even say it's their best album period. While I won't go that far, I will say this is one of the most essential archival albums ever released.

CD: 1996 ESD (USA)