Spontaneous Combustion - Triad. 1972 England

I had the below review previously combined with the debut on one UMR entry. I'm now separating those apart since I just got in the LP for Triad. I didn't relisten to it, so these notes remain nine years old. A recent relisten (2024) confirms these findings.

Triad, released later in the same year of 1972, picks up where Spontaneous Combustion leaves off, and is more in line with that era's music. There is still some psychedelia left in the recipe, but Triad is geared more towards hard rock, as well as showcasing their progressive compositional acumen. It would seem that Spontaneous Combustion's Achilles' heel was their inability to focus on what they did best, and their albums can be confusing to listeners. Perhaps that's what they hoped to achieve, but history tells us they failed to gain an audience - and only were later discovered by curious collectors of early 70s UK underground rock. Many consider Triad the better of the two albums, and I'm inclined to agree, though they grade out roughly the same regardless. Three years later, the band reformed into the group Time, and it was there the group showed their true colors of being an all-out progressive rock outfit. Though it too never caught an audience.

Ownership: LP: 1972 Harvest (USA). Single large holed sleeve where you can mix and match the front and back covers in a variety of ways. Recent acquisition (2023) from a friend in Los Angeles.

CD: 2012 Esoteric. Jewel case. Booklet with a full history. Adds three bonus tracks taken from 45s.

11/24/14 (first listen / review / new entry); 2/12/24

Spontaneous Combustion. 1972 England

Spontaneous Combustion's debut sounds more like an album from 1969/70, and still has clear psychedelic overtones, especially considering the hazy vocal approach, and melodic disposition. The album is a mixture of styles that includes hard rock, pop, progressive, folk, and ballads. The last two long form tracks demonstrates that Spontaneous Combustion are an experimental bunch at heart, and the album becomes more unpredictable, progressive, and interesting. It's clear this guitar trio are very talented, and could really pack many ideas into a small window when they wanted to. A fine debut. 

Ownership: LP: 1972 Capitol (USA). Single sleeve. Recent acquisition from JL (2023) before the Austin Record show. I prefer the UK cartoon original, but this is fine too. 

This LP replaces the Esoteric CD (2012) that made up the review above. 

11/24/14 (new entry); 7/8/23

Fermata - s/t + Pieseň z Hôľ. 1975; 1977 Slovakia

Fermata's debut is a hard hitting fusion album from arguably Slovakia's finest group. Where Fermata creates separation from many of their peers is they never take their eye off of the composition, and actually know how to craft a memorable melody. So it's not just pyrotechnics, though there's plenty of that here too. Some fine psych edged guitar, Rhodes Electric Piano, and fat 70s analog synthesizers to bathe in here. Great start for the band.
Pieseň z Hôľ sees Fermata taking the debut and amping it up a bit. A little bit more diverse this go round from a compositional perspective, but difficult to imagine fans of the debut - or of the hard hitting Mahavishnu Orchestra styled progressive fusion - being disappointed here. And 'Priadky' has one of those kind of hard driving bass riffs you're not likely to forget soon. What a groove. Great guitar and keyboard work as expected. Another splendid album from Slovakia's finest.

Personal collection
CD: 1997 Bonton 

When I started collecting in earnest in the middle 1980s, one of the best points of entry was Eastern Europe. This is because the albums could still be had for a low price, especially fusion albums from Poland, Hungary, and the former Czechoslovakia. I know many bemoan the digitization of music, but if there was ever a region that the CD benefited most, it was the former Eastern Bloc. The final vinyl product usually was a disaster (cheap materials), but as we've come to find out, the recordings themselves were usually of a very high quality, and the master tapes all carefully stored by the State. So I quickly moved the LPs out once the first CD hit the market (3rd image). Unfortunately this CD compilation leaves off the 11 minute track 'Perpetuum III' from the first album. The 1999 CD of Dunajská Legenda does include this piece. And that's the way I own the first album as a whole. Not ideal for sure. All of the second album is here though. Apparently the 2009 CD (last image) is a 2 CD set that fixes this issue, but I haven't seen or heard it myself. As indicated prior, the sound quality of the first CD is fantastic - much better than any original vinyl of these titles.

Pocket Size - Exposed Undercurrents. 2014 Sweden

Contemporary 2014 Sweden is loaded - and I mean loaded - with rock bands emulating the sounds of the early 1970s. Most are of the US/UK hard rock variety, or they go for that "turn the amps to 11" stoner pseudo-metal sound. There are fewer bands that are making a try for the true progressive rock era sound of the early 70s era. I don't mean the all-in-proggy-prog Anglagard type either, but rather the more common sound of the day coming from Sweden like November, Saga, Flasket Brinner, and Trettioariga Kriget. There's a real psychedelic element to Pocket Size's sound as well, and that can only be considered a plus to the UTR's world.

The band themselves seem to possess a confused identity. In effect, the group is the vision of guitarist Peter Pedersen. Depending on which site you are reading (including their own), you're likely to see the band listed as Pocket Size, Pocket Size Sthlm, or Pocket Size Stockholm. No matter, as what's most important is that Pedersen brings in no less than 9 participants for his creative work. So this isn't a solo work with a monolithic viewpoint - or worse - a sterile digital sound. Not even close. What you get here is exactly what you would expect from a studio effort circa 1972, complete with all the requisite analog instruments and a certain je ne sais quoi attitude. Hammond organ, saxophone, electric guitar with a multitude of effects, spacey vocals (much of it in glorious Swedish), theremin, vibraphone, and flute give one an idea of what to expect. Put that together with a planned structure and a few melodies, a handful of complicated breaks, and some solo sections. This was the way music was presented years ago, when the last thought on Earth was obtaining a radio hit or falling in line with whatever scene a band was perceived to be associated with. A knowledge of jazz, classical, blues, and early rock and roll was all that was needed - and a strange desire to actually progress from there. Give me more of this.

Ownership: LP: 2014 Mill Hill. Single sleeve. Acquired directly from Peter Pedersen (2019).

CD: 2014 MillHill. Slip case that I include with the LP.

11/21/14 (new entry)

Bernd Kistenmacher - Outlines. 1991 Germany

Bernd Kistenmacher was one of the leading lights of the new wave of Berlin School electronic solo artists coming from Germany in the middle 1980s. Comparisons to Klaus Schulze are unavoidable, though Kistenmacher wisely borrowed from Schulze's late 70s output rather than the programmed sound he preferred at that time. By 1991, Kistenmacher himself was somewhat marginalized as his influence - and others - ushered in a boatload of new artists in the genre. This was a good time for Kistenmacher to take a break, as his sound was beginning to sound all too familiar, just as his idol had done before him. This is a nice, and varied, elektronik album performed by a seasoned veteran, and well worth the expenditure to own.

Ownership: CD: 1998 Green Tree

11/21/14 (new entry)

Zakarrias - s/t. 1971 England

After many years of mystery, turns out Zakarrias is an alias for an obscure Austrian singer slumming in London named Bobby Haumer, and most of the material came from a former power trio known as Salt. That band featured Hawkwind's Huw Lloyd-Langton on guitar and future Steamhammer member John Lingwood on drums. After Salt fell apart, Haumer was surprisingly offered a deal with Deram, where he re-purposed the material with a makeshift band including winds player Geoff Leigh (later of Henry Cow) and Peter Robinson (Quatermass) on keyboards. There's way more to the story of course, as told in great detail with the Cherry Red CD, but in effect that's the backdrop. The album wasn't promoted, and as such it barely sold any copies, hence its incredible rarity today. The music is certainly an odd mix of folk, blues, hard rock, and progressive. Haumer's vocals really do possess a Robert Plant tone, and thus the Led Zeppelin references are credible (think LZ III). And knowing these tracks were initially written with a hard rock band in mind, the compositions do make more sense. But given all the acoustic guitars, piano, and flute, the material seems just a bit off from the presentation. And that's the charm I guess. An album I definitely enjoy and recommend, but certainly lower-tier stuff when talking 1971 progressive rock from the UK underground.

Personal collection
CD: 2010 Cherry Red

This is one of the real biggies, and originals are truly scarce, with demand extremely high. Originals usually sell for well over $1K and have sold for as much as $3,500 (within the last year). Why anyone would pay that much for a good, not great, album with a single sleeve cover that looks like Howard Stern is anyone's guess. I'm kidding of course. Certainly I understand the collecting mentality, and for those who want every UK Deram release, this album will prove to be an obstacle. I didn't hear Zakarrias myself until about a decade ago, and only via a CD-R someone sent me, as even the first Japanese CD was extinct by that time. The Cherry Red CD is the definitive version to own. From the master tapes, with a much needed history to tell (see notes below). Cherry Red is the parent of Esoteric, and the material is similar to what Esoteric would normally reissue, so not sure why it wasn't to be honest.

Happy Family - Minimal Gods. 2014 Japan

It would be 17 years until we finally heard from Happy Family again. Their third album Minimal Gods sees Happy Family moving in new directions while maintaining their brand identity as it were. If you came to this album looking for a somewhat similar sound to their first two albums then... I have good news, you will not be disappointed. But as indicated, Happy Family have begun to tread new waters.  Most notably, an obvious modern math rock component has entered into their overall sound. Normally that's a term that is anathema to me, but in the capable hands of Happy Family, they are able to transcend the genre norms of clinical and cold precision, for something more alive and a sound that bursts from the speakers. Some would argue they always had a math rock type sound, and that may be true to some extent, though I personally heard more Present and even Canterbury if considering Happy Family's first album. What's most interesting to me is that Minimal Gods doesn't sound anything like the first two albums, and yet the music is entirely - and non mistakenly - Happy Family. There's a certain genius in being able to do that without alienating your fan base. Let's hope we don't have to await another generation to hear a 4th album.

Ownership: CD: 2014 Cuneiform (USA)

11/18/14 (new entry)

Happy Family. 1995 Japan

Perhaps no band arrived with such an in-your-face sound as Happy Family did in 1995. Their fabled live shows were popular amongst the tape trading crowd of the early 1990s. So there was quite a bit of buzz on what their first CD would sound like. The band insisted their albums come out on the preeminent Avant Prog label Cuneiform, and were willing to wait until that label had room on their release schedule. By 1995, anticipation was high, and Happy Family not only delivered, but exceeded, most everyone's expectation.

Consider the first track 'Rock & Young'. Hard to imagine anyone delivering such a strong overpowering opening punch as Happy Family did here. If this track doesn't move your heart rate up a few beats, you're probably dead already, and no one told you (did Aunt Sally forget your birthday for the first time? well, there you go...). And it gets more intense from there. With fuzz bass, fiery sustain electric guitar, staccato piano, buzzing synthesizers, spastic rhythms, and an incredible imagination, Happy Family has to be in the discussion as one of the best albums of the 1990s. The label's comparison of a mix between Magma, King Crimson, Weidorje, Area, and Univers Zero are just flat out spot on. Happy Family took what Belgium's Present were doing in the 1980s, and accelerated it by 100 mph. Strap your seat belt on - hit play - and roar through 50 minutes of incredible intensity and complexity. Get rid of your treadmill, you'll burn 1000 calories just listening to this album. Need.... Gatorade.

Ownership: CD: 1995 Cuneiform (USA)

1995; 11/18/14 (new entry)

Exponent - Upside Down. 1974 Germany (archival)

Well... here's the next big thing for archival progressive rock collectors. Imagine Spektakel as played by Eloy. This is more German symphonic than classic Krautrock, and I know many of you are nodding your head to that observation. This is definitely a dream for keyboard fans, and there's oodles of organ, Moog, electric piano, and mellotron to absorb and treasure. While there is guitar, it definitely plays second banana to the awesome banks of keyboards. And, as indicated prior, the album is geared more towards the symphonic progressive genre with plenty of meter breaks and compositional acumen. This is not a atmospheric Krautrock zone out. Side 2 is a bit more of a blues based jam, and also possesses a slightly lesser sound quality, but still no less awesome of a listening experience - perhaps calling out a more classic German sound ala Sixty-Nine here. On the topic of sound quality, it's very good for an archival recording, but hardly Abbey Road Studios standard, so be sure to keep expectations in check. Top drawer this one goes in.

Ownership: LP: 2014 Korusuro. Single sleeve with brief liner notes in German.

CD: 2015 Garden of Delights. Jewel case. Full historical liner notes in English. One 6 minute bonus live track.

11/18/14 (new entry); 7/9/16

Happy Family - Toscco. 1997 Japan

Happy Family's second album is a bit more "avant prog by the numbers" than the debut which was more of a consolidation of personal influences (Zeuhl, Symphonic rock, Canterbury, Chamber) and then sped up 10x. The intensity is still apparent, though there's more of an attempt to integrate cutesy type melodies - a hallmark of the genre - as if to overcompensate for the unrelenting tension the band brings forth. There's really no standout tracks, though the two lengthier numbers seem to play to Happy Family's strength of producing massive - and fast moving - slabs of sound. Toscco is an excellent sophomore effort, and many see it as an improvement, though I felt it was more of a step back to a safe zone, and thus less influential and reckless than the debut.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Cuneiform. Typical new jewel case release. Contains original cartoon artwork. 

1997; 11/18/14 (new entry) 

Poobah - U.S. Rock. 1976 USA-Ohio

Carrying on from the debut Let Me In, U.S. Rock adds in keyboards, and there’s a distinct move to an AOR / radio friendly sound. In fact, listening to these tracks with modern ears, it’s almost beyond belief that Poobah weren’t one of the big names of the day. Catchy melodies, powerful and technical guitars, and that sound that made every major band in the 1976/1977 a hit on FM radio. But due to a remarkable run of bad luck, they once again were resigned to releasing the album themselves (and one would presume a major label would advise against the hilariously bad cover).

Personal collection
CD: 2014 Ripple

The easiest to find and least expensive of the 3 original 70s Poobah albums. As one can see, it features a ridiculous cover, and one presumes it's honoring or making fun of the US Bicentennial that was all the rage in 1976. The CD is excellent, as is usual for Ripple. I had to laugh at the photos, which reminded me of my own high school's yearbook! There are an additional 23 minutes of fine live material added as bonus tracks. Still no liner notes though, which is a pity.

Zeit - Waves from the Sky. 2008 Italy

Tommaso Cino (aka Zeit) is most known for his collaborations with ambient artist Alio Die. On Waves from the Sky, Cino demonstrates his passion for the German Kosmische movement, from which he takes his name from. This is pure mid to late 1970s styled analog elektronik musik - haunting, hypnotic, and introspective - influenced by the masters like 'Nightdust' era Ashra, Klaus Schulze's masterful 'Crystal Lake', Pascal Languirand's three albums, as well as home country cosmic minimalist hero Roberto Cacciapaglia. Cino was only 30 years old when this was composed and recorded, so let's hope he plans on future works of a similar cloth.

Ownership: CD: 2008 Hic Sunt Leones

11/10/14 (new entry)

Zanov - Virtual Future. 2014 France

Welcome back Pierre Salkazanov (aka Zalkazanov)! If the digipak cover is any indication, it appears Zanov rediscovered his old analog keyboard toys and picked up right where he left off with In Course of Time. It's as if he walked into the basement, saw the massive equipment, and said "Hmmm... let's see if these things still work, shall we. Oh great - they do." This is old fashioned, all-fat-analog instrumental 70s sequencer based synthesizer heaven. Somewhere between Klaus Schulze's Timewind and Richard Pinhas' Iceland is the sound of Virtual Future. As if the Egg label is still with us, and we've been transported back 35 years. Even though there are a myriad of homegrown electronic artists today, it's refreshing to hear how the old masters used to do it. I can listen to this kind of elektronik musik all day.

CD: 2014 private

11/5/14 (new entry)

Eccentric Orbit - Attack of the Martians. 2004 USA-Massachusetts

A long time ago, I reviewed a then new album by the Israeli group Trespass for Gnosis. The review basically states that if you like keyboard trio proggy prog circa 1972, then you must own Morning Lights. Well... same deal here. Maybe less similar to the Dutch group Trace and more like the Japanese virtuoso Motoi Sakuraba, but this still delivers the goods all day and all night. With some added and varied instrumentation, these guys could create that extra dimension similar to how Pochakaite Malko did on Laya. Special recognition to bassist Bill Noland, who likes to rip out some fuzz bass from time to time. Fuzz bass + mellotron = me like. Opener and closer are the definite highlights, as the aggressiveness plays well for Eccentric Orbit. This album drew almost straight 10s from the Gnosis rat pack (of which I'm part of), and I'm guessing that’s more a reflection of the nothing new assessment. But I tend to be generous to these kind of musical cheeseburgers and grade it a point higher. Big League stuff from the next iteration of Pye Fyte, itself a much neglected late 90s winner.

Ownership: CD: 2004 private

2006; 11/2/14 (new entry)

Buki-Yamaz. 1975 Denmark

Generally I don't go for Danish fusion bands with Spanish album titles, but with Buki-Yamaz, the band has the perfect blend of instrumental dexterity and melodic consciousness. Lots of flute, guitar, and Latin rhythms. Some of it is pretty mellow, and there's a certain cruise ship lounge vibe throughout, that I find somehow appealing in a warped Love Boat sort of way (similar to the Opa from Uruguay we recently reviewed). Hookfarm is the same label responsible for Fred Israel and Drops.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Hookfarm. Online acquisition (2014).

There is a compilation CD (on Music Mecca) that includes a few tracks from all of their albums. But the albums proper have not been reissued in full.

1/26/11 (first listen / review); 11/1/14 (update / new entry); 5/21/19