Dillinger ~ Canada ~ Toronto, Ontario

Dillinger (1974)

In some ways, Dillinger's debut is darn near the perfect early 70s progressive hard rocker, with grungy organ and loud guitar, fronted by an extra-testosterone-laced lead vocalist. One can easily see this band being label mates of Spirit of Christmas (both were on Daffodil), though Dillinger were certainly not as ethereal. But there are a couple of downers – one is their rancid rendition of a Spirit track ('Nature's Way')  – and, gasp, the obligatory over long drum solo on the side long 'Live and Return'. Still, a great example of the Midwestern progressive sound. They were to improve on their second Don't Lie To The Band album.

Ownership: 1974 Daffodil (LP). I'm wondering why this album isn't known as A Lease of Love? That's what shows on the label. Acquired in 2022.

First copy: 1998 Unidisc (CD). Acquired in 2005.

2005; 8/31/13 (review); 1/27/23

Don't Lie To The Band (1976)

Don't Lie To The Band is the second and last album by Dillinger before evolving into The Hunt. The music is at the crossing path of unabashed FM radio hits and off-the-hinges radical complex progressive rock.

This title front loads all the bad tracks. In fact, the first ten minutes are pretty rough to be honest. It opens strong enough with a hard rockin' cover of Spooky Tooth's 'Two Time Love' from The Mirror' album. This is followed by a funky version of The Beatles great composition 'Taxman'. Downright blasphemous if you ask me. And finally we get the awful 'It's Not All Mine', a hideous ballad that represents everything that was wrong with FM radio in 1976. Well... isn't this exciting? I'm thinking sell bin at this point.

Enter nine and a half minute 'Munchkin Men' which introduces us to 35 minutes of great music. It's a completely different album. This track is a highlight and demonstrates to us the band is willing to pull out all the stops, recalling every great Midwestern album from Albatross to Yezda Urfa. Fat Hammond organ solos, shredding guitar, emotional vocals, wild flute, acoustic guitar, a thousand meter changes. It's a heart stopper to be sure. The next three tracks continue in this manner, three of which pass the six minute mark, and are all clinics in mixing the commercially accessible with an academic approach - and mixed with serious chops. It's what all of us underground heads, if we are entirely honest, wished Journey, Styx, or REO Speedwagon to have done in the late 70s.

---7/6/26

I did not realize until now that the last track was not on the album. It's a bonus cut taken from the b side of the 'Two Time Love' 45. It's very much like the second half of the album. The CD didn't mark it as a bonus nor did the booklet make mention of it. Looks like the label just threw it in. Glad they did though. Excellent addition!

Ownership: 

1976 Daffodil (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2019.

2001 Unidisc (CD). With one bonus track. The booklet shows the original album cover except it's now colored in. Acquired in 2006.

3//06; 7/6/11 (review); 7/6/26 (update)

7/6/11 (new entry)

Groon ~ England

Refusal to Comply (1994)

An obscure one-off from England, Groon present a very powerful instrumental guitar fronted power trio. Make no mistake, this isn't a guitar hero album. All fully composed with a very unique rhythm section, almost jazzy, and always scattered. Somewhat Crimsonish - Red era - in their approach of mixing jazz, progressive, and the avant-garde. You could almost say that Groon is to the 90's what Red (the UK group) was to the 1980's. What separates Groon from the crowd is the brilliant drumming of Steve Clarke which is both active and forceful. And what is the background of bassist Algy Ward and drummer Steve Clarke? The unlikely NWOBHM band Tank! Who knew? I recommend this album to all looking for something different in the too worn out genre of the guitar power trio.

Ownership: 1994 Progressive International / Dissenter (CD). Acquired in 1995.

4//95; 8/15/13 (review / new entry); 5/24/19

Lothlorien - Il Sale Sulla Coda. 1998 Italy

A fresh listen tonight reaffirms my position below.

For my tastes, Lothlorien were one of the finest of the late 90's Italian progressive rock bands, of which there were many. The differentiators are the strong keyboard work (in particular the piano), the flute, and the fantastic vocals in Italian. The music is constantly on the move, and the guitarist isn't afraid to take the proceedings into the 90s. Musically, the band's melodic style recalls the pastoral Errata Corrige - except as met up with 1989 period Nuova Era perhaps. This is a really fine effort, with a compositional style similar to the original 70s masters, but there's no mistaking this is from 1998. If I had a complaint, it would be the overly bright 90s production. Otherwise, excellent in every way. I would love to see this band reform for a second effort.

Ownership: CD: 1998 Lizard. Jewel case with nice fold open lyric booklet.

1998; 8/13/13 (new entry); 6/5/21

Rhun ~ France

Fanfare du Chaos (2013)

Like Caillou, Rhun are a new French band that fits squarely into the Zeuhl tradition. While Caillou were looking outward to the jazz side of the medium, Rhun sits very comfortably with the master creator of the genre itself: Magma. There are both jazz and classical references presented on Fanfare du Chaos, a CD from AltRock that combines the previous year's EP (first 3 tracks) with a 2008 unreleased demo (last 3). The music is rough and tumble for the most part, with the expected operatic Kobaian used as the vehicular language. Soft flute and bassoon are often juxtaposed against a blitzkrieg of fuzz bass, electric guitar, pounding drums, and squealing sax. Hard to imagine fans of both 1001 Centigrades and Mekanik era Magma - as well as the great Weidorje - not lapping this one up. It's a straight play for the hearts of traditional Zeuhl fans everywhere, of which I'm one. And they succeed for the most part. Rhun fortunately avoids the excess of modern bands such as early Koenji Hyakkei and second album Scherzoo, though I wouldn't mind if they traded a few of those pure noise improvisational parts (especially some of the atonal sax squonks) for actual songwriting. This is a band with tremendous potential. Let's see where they go next.

Ownership: 2013 AltRock (CD)

Discogs has quite the argument going over what the band name and title is! I'm going with how it was originally when released.

8/7/13 (review)

8/7/13 (new entry)