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

Mandragora - Temple Ball. 1994 England

For my money, Mandragora were one of the top UK festival / space rock bands of the 1980s and 90s, perhaps only bested by Ozric Tentacles and Omnia Opera (though really obscure bands like Crow and Blim were just as outstanding, but those are more recent discoveries for me).

Mandragora's trajectory was a bit different, however. On album at least, they started with hard rock, moving ever slow slowly to space rock, then onto ethnic tinged electronic rock, some techno, etc... I like all of their albums, but it was on Temple Ball that the band finally unleashed their ferocious guitar fronted space rock style. Like many of the bands of their era, Mandragora mix in recorded TV and radio bits to add to the ominous atmosphere, before launching into another intense jam.

The monster track here is 'Talking to God (Part IV)', but other great pieces include 'Zarg', 'Inside the Crystal Circle', 'Rainbow Warrior' and the title track. The album claims to be recorded live "in the Crystal Feb '94", but I don't think it's an actual concert. If it was, then it's been completely edited like a studio album and there's no audience noise. I prefer it this way myself.

This is definitely the best album on the excellent Mystic Stones label, and sadly, very close to the label's last release.

Ownership: CD: 1994 Mystic Stones. Standard jewel box release. 

1995 (first listen); 11/17/11 (review / new entry); 7/6/22

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)

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)