Ben Bell - Patchwork Cacophony. 2014 England

In general, I'm not a fan of solo albums, but when Ben Bell asked me to give a listen to his debut work Patchwork Cacophony, something told me this might be a bit different. And sure enough, I was right (at least this time...). I knew Ben from the Fusion Orchestra reformation album (technically with an appended 2 to the moniker). He seemed like such a genuinely pleasant fellow, and his positive demeanor and overall disposition were perhaps a bit closer to my own. And it was obvious, to me at least, that he had an enormous influence over Fusion Orchestra's return success (artistically speaking of course).

Basically Ben Bell plays about 40 instruments here, and that's one reason why it works so effectively. This includes the critical ingredients such as keyboards, guitars, and drums/percussion. So instead of the usual limited palette, Bell creates a myriad of sounds via both older analog, and newer digital, instruments. In this way, Bell could be considered a modern Mike Oldfield, marrying his Hergest Ridge and Amarok eras in seamless fashion. Though perhaps Bell's work is more in line with traditional symphonic progressive, than what the mercurial Oldfield would release. The only track with vocals, 'Dawn Light', has a distinct Supertramp feel - at their most progressive. Hammond organ, acoustic piano, and sampled mellotron drive the tones, and he does an admirable job with the rhythms - and especially the additional percussion. And an occasional fuzz guitar intrusion never hurt anyone (especially me!). Of course, one can always benefit from the "creative friction" and synergy of a group effort, though admittedly the stress levels are so much calmer when it's only you that you're left  arguing with...

I had to laugh when Bell stated "As a gesture to my teenage version of myself who loved reading these lists while listening to albums, trying to spot each part like a a treasure hunt checklist:". And then he listed the instrumentation in detail. Yea, well, I also liked doing that when I was 13 too. And guess what? I still like doing that as I close in on 51...

In conclusion, a highly recommended album for symphonic progressive rock fans.

Ownership: CD: 2014 Patchwork Studios

1/26/15 (new entry)

Errata Corrige - Siegfried, il Drago e Altre Storie. 1976 Italy

For those coming at Errata Corrige with the expectation that this will be another Italian wild ride along the likes of Museo Rosenbach and Semiramis, they will most certainly be sorely disappointed. But patience and a strong appreciation of excellent songwriting, will ultimately convert the most discerning of listeners. Acoustic guitar, flute, and wonderful vocals in Italian define this fine work. There is definitely a rock component (including electric guitars and synthesizers), as well as a clear jazz school influence that pervades. Some of the melodies will raise the hair on your arms. To me, this is one of those feel of Italy albums, and once you're hooked on that drug, there's no going back. And Errata Corrige will provide that fix we all need.

Personal collection
CD: 1989 Vinyl Magic

Errata Corrige's album is very scarce as an original since private presses from Italy were still unheard of in 1976, and this is one of the first along with Apoteosi.  The Vinyl Magic CD, which was my introduction to the album, is basic but the quality of the sound is high. The 2002 version is distinguished by the changing of the cover color from blue to pink and a bar code on the back. No LP reissues to date, which is a bit of a surprise I think. (Ask and he shall receive.... see comments!)

Moving Gelatine Plates. 1970-1979 France (archival)

I had secretly hoped that Moving Gelatine Plates would have archival material sitting in the vaults somewhere. And now we have proof that such a thing exists. Side 1 features recordings from a concert in 1972. 'The World of Genius Hans', 'Astromonster', and 'London Cab' are presented here with fascinating alternate versions of the originals - not surprising given the jazzy disposition of the band in general. This particular concert is after the 1971 studio recording of Genius Hans and features new drummer Alain Clarel. Naturally enough 'London Cab' is the most different of the three, since it's from the debut album. Side 2 contains material from two different settings in 1978 and 1979, when they were officially known as Moving. The first track is called 'Galantine', which is wordplay for 'Gelatine', and it is indeed an excellent rendition of the debut album composition. The shorter 'Syntheme' follows, and is one of the better tracks from their 1981 album. Though in rawer form, which is more pleasant to my ears anyway. Both of these tracks were from a 1978 concert. The 13+ minute 'Like a Flower' is a 1979 home recording of an older track going back to 1970, but never recorded in studio form until the reformation "Removing" album (2006). All 6 tracks are of "bootleg standard" quality. There is quite a bit of loss in these tapes - but the music is definitely recognizable, and at times, revelatory. And certainly enjoyable.

In addition to the album proper, there is a 1970 single that is known to be their first ever recordings. And it is an entirely frustrating experience. The first side is 'London Cab' - an excellent 6+ minute rendition and perhaps the highlight of the entire album. And it's in 33 RPM, which I figured they did on purpose knowing us folks with real turntables have to physically alter the mechanics (no easy switch, that is to say) to obtain 45 RPM. But alas, side 2's 'X25' is indeed just that: 45 RPM. And at only 2 minutes, it takes longer to move things around than it does to hear it. Honestly, I wouldn't bother as it's not much different than the original anyway. To complicate matters, the liner notes have these tracks confused with each other. I assure you, the longer track is 'London Cab' (though not labeled on the disc itself).

Personally, I think all 8 of these tracks would have been better served as CD (or LP) bonus material to the original albums, but Monster Melodies is to be commended for giving the buyer good value for their money considering the entire package.

You can read more about this release (in French) here

Ownership: LP: 2014 Monster Melodies

What you see in the photo is what you can expect to receive on this fine archival release from one of Paris' more famous record stores (and one I've personally been to): Monster Melodies. It's an expensive package, but for diehard fans like me, it would have to be considered an essential purchase (if you still have a turntable that is). So what do you get for your money? The cover is a thick glossy gatefold, and the inside is filled with vintage newspaper articles (all in French). The back of the cover has detailed liner notes of the recordings in English. The vinyl is heavy duty, and pressed in appropriate Genius Hans Pink (perhaps Sherwin-Williams should offer this?). The inserts include an informative band family tree from 1966 to the present, with biographical information (again all in French) on the other side on thick textured paper. As well, a band logo post card with an archival photo is included. As you can see, there is also a single disc that contains their original first recordings. Overall a superb document.

1/24/15 (new entry)

R.I.P. Edgar Froese

Today we learned of the passing of Edgar Froese. This is a sudden occurrence and comes as a shock to us all. I don't think there is another artist I could credit more to my personal growth in music than Mr. Froese.

Ashra - Blackouts. 1978 Germany

On Blackouts, Manuel Gottsching returned to the guitar once more to release his masterwork of the Virgin era. His blend of soulful electric guitar with whooshing synthesizers and sequencers has never been matched to this day. The set of tracks 'Midnight on Mars', 'Don't Trust the Kids', and 'Blackouts' is simply astounding, and Manuel's guitar playing here is hotter than anywhere since the early Ash Ra Tempel days. The title track is absolutely on fire by the end of the piece. 'Shuttle Cock' possesses the sound on sound guitar of Inventions For Electric Guitar.

The original LP states that Gottsching plays "Sequencer, Keyboards, and a lot of guitar" and he thanks Udo Arndt for the "lonely guitar sound". As well as "This record should be heard comfortably". I cannot for the life of me understand the criticism this album gets. I've had this on LP for over 30 years, and there is an amazing vibe here that I never tire of. I've spent many hours closing my eyes and listening intently to it visualizing the imaginary movie it projects. A brilliant masterwork for my tastes.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Virgin (Netherlands). Single sleeve. Acquired at The Record Gallery in Dallas (1985). It was a really cool store in a hip part of Dallas near downtown that had tons of European imports (primarily electronic focused) and doubled as an art gallery. I learned about dozens of albums from that store - as well as spending my entire 1985/86 summer-from-college employment paychecks there. 

CD: 2008 Arcangelo (Japan). Papersleeve edition. Has Manuel Gottsching's name on it instead of Ashra.

1985; 2/9/01 (Gnosis); 1/22/15 (new entry); 6/17/18

Ave Rock. 1974 Argentina

Understanding the poor sound quality, as mentioned below, plays a major role in one's appreciation of Ave Rock's debut. My opinion has flip-flopped over the years, and I'm now of the mindset that this is a very fine progressive rock album. As with many records from Argentina, the style of music recalls the 1970s Italian scene, which makes sense given their ancestry. Imagine heavy organ rock like Uriah Heep and Deep Purple that is suddenly tipped on its head with all sorts of crazy rhythms, counterpoint, melodic dissonance, and general madness. Bands like Triade, Alphataurus, and L'Uovo di Colombo all come to mind here. And with the good comes the bad, which includes the whiny singer-songwriter bits and the straight up rock and roll segments. But that's the music of the early 70s Italian era - and the music here on Ave Rock's debut. I highly recommend you listen to this with headphones, and focus intently through the grime of the original recording. Casual listening will leave a negative impression.

Ownership: LP: 2019 Svart (Finland). Gatefold. Recent online acquisition (2022). Fine reissue that replicates the original cover, with an additional insert of liner notes, not particularly that in-depth. The sound is not very much improved from the CD (see below), so that was disappointing. Also they goofed up on the "obi" strip. For gatefolds, you either keep it open ended or it fits on the front panel. Here they put it over both panels so you can't open it lol. Fortunately it slides off easily. They caught their mistake for Espacios.

This LP replaces the CD on PRW (Brazil), which is of good quality, typical of the label, with photos, lyrics, and a nice layout. However the sound is not good at all. It's taken from a noisy LP - and if I had to guess - it probably was a minty copy too. I've never owned the original but I have to suspect, based on personal experience, that it doesn't sound very good. And this tells us the masters are probably long lost.  My first copy to own was on the LP on Marcoumar. The packaging was very well done, but of course the sound was no better (sourced from the CD I'm sure). And then I found out it was a pirate edition and ditched it to auction a few years ago. 

12//9; 1/18/15 (new entry); 8/4/22 (LP upgrade)

Love Cry Want. 1972 USA-Washington DC (archival)

For those who aren't familiar with this album - it is the singular most dirty and nasty early 70s jazz rock album ever released. Larry Young, who went on to record the magnificent Lawrence of Newark, was at the peak of his creative powers by this time, coming off a successful stint with Tony Williams' Emergency. The album is steeped in the jazz tradition, so no doubt there's plenty of loose improvisation parts, but when they catch a groove in the Miles Davis manner, there is nothing better than this. There's fuzz guitar, fuzz organ, fuzz bass, fuzz drums, fuzz percussion, fuzz in the sky, and fuzz in the earth. If you're familiar with the band The Fourth Way and their album Werwolf, take that as a base, and amp it up 100 times. I've read comparisons of Love Cry Want to Wolfgang Dauner's Et Cetera and Exmagma - and I think that's a very perceptive observation.

Over the years, I have to admit this album has lost some of its luster. I love the raw anarchic sound, recalling some of the Krautrock masters. But truth be told, it really does get too noisy and cacophonous in places. Those - who I personally know - that rate this at the highest level - love it just like this. So if you gravitate that way, you really cannot go wrong here. I do like it - will likely keep it forever -  but it no longer is in the top division for me.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Newjazz.com. I remember seeing the entry of this CD for the first time in a late 90s Wayside printed catalog (the annual green one). I'd never heard about it anywhere - in any magazine nor on the internet. But with Larry Young's name on it, and the promise of it being heavy jazz rock, and an attractive low price, how could I go wrong? I also remember informing many people about this album back in the 1998-1999 time frame. It's a nicely done CD with great sound, and some liner notes, which I reprinted below. Joe Gallivan is one of the members of this trio, and newjazz.com is his label.

----

Liner notes from the CD: "June 1972. The times were filled with darkness and turmoil. This music, of loving, of crying, of wanting, makes a powerful statement. It is awash with the anguish of the times, yet it heralds the promise of better days to come.

Love Cry Want was a legendary jazz fusion group based in Washington D.C., and led by guitarist, Nicholas. This recording took place during a series of concerts in Washington, held across from the White House in Lafayette Park, and featured the late, great jazz organist Larry Young, who had just recorded the historic “Bitches Brew” LP with Miles Davis and had left the Tony Williams Lifetime and guitarist John McLaughlin to combine forces with Nicholas and drummer, Joe Gallivan.

This second incarnation of Love Cry Want featured the triumvirate of Nicholas, Gallivan, and Young performing some of the most important music in the history of jazz. No record company would release this music, which was ahead of it's time.

Nicholas, who pioneered the development of the first guitar synthesizer (in association with Electronic Music Laboratories) performs on the first prototype guitar 'synth' along with fellow musician, Joe Gallivan, who pioneered the development of the drum synthesizer with inventor, Robert Moog.

June 1972, Lafayette Park.

Richard Nixon was President. There was a nasty war going on in Vietnam, good people were rioting in the streets and cities were aflame. During this series of concerts outside the White House, President Nixon ordered aide, J.R. Haldeman, to pull the plug on the concert fearing that this strange music would “levitate the White House.” This is that music.

Personnel:
Nicholas: prototype guitar synthesizer, ring modulator, wind, rain, thunder, lightning, water, hi-tension wires and wailing dervish 
Joe Gallivan: drums, steel guitar, moog synthesizer, and percussion 
Jimmy Molneiri: drums and percussion 
Larry Young: Hammond organ."

-----

I somehow doubt the above story myself (it's a bit of "Loch Ness Monster" sighting and plays on the popular local D.C. Watergate theme). But as I also say - never let facts get in the way of a good story!

8/13/20

Cressida. 1970 England

The main thing to consider when listening to the debut by Cressida, is that they were all about the song. In essence, it's short form sophisticated pop music. But given the era's wonderful analog instrumentation, and the underlying culture of psychedelia, the band were able to pack a lot of ideas into the confined structure. All the while displaying some incredible tonality (the guitar sound is divine). Certainly a band like The Moody Blues played a role in their development. As did early King Crimson. One could compare Cressida to Czar, and not be too far off the mark. 

Ownership: CD: 2009 BGO. Jewel case. Includes Asylum and features extensive liner notes.

Former ownership: CD: 2007 Vertigo (Japan). Papersleeve edition.

1995 (first listen); 1/16/15 (review / new entry); 2/19/22

Cressida - Asylum. 1971 England

Asylum, naturally enough, took things to the next level for Cressida. I think for folks looking for more traditional progressive rock that would be in their listening comfort zone, Asylum is the more naturally likeable album. Here, Cressida seem to be consciously aware that they are a progressive rock band and have provided longer and more dense compositions. The good news is they never lost sight of the song.  And blessed with a dynamic singer, Cressida by all rights should have been one of the big names from the English scene. It wasn't meant to be, and for many years were only known to the LP collector world. But they have been discovered again, and have now rightly been considered one of the great bands of their era.

Ownership: LP: 1971 Vertigo (Germany). Gatefold. Acquired at the Rocky Mountain Record Show (2024).

CD: 2009 BGO. Jewel case. Complete album along with their debut. With extensive liner notes.

Former ownership: CD: 2001 Vertigo (Japan). Papersleeve edition.

1988 (first listen); 1/16/15 (review / new entry); 3/5/22

Secret Oyster - Furtive Pearl. 1973 Denmark

Secret Oyster were one of the more well known European fusion groups back in the day, as their albums sold quite well back home, as well as benefiting from good distribution around the world, especially in the US. In fact they were one of the first European fusion groups I’d heard, having stumbled upon Furtive Pearl (the US release on Peters International) as far back as the mid 1980's. Founded by members from Burnin' Red Ivanhoe, Secret Oyster subsequently added psychedelic guitarist Claus Bohling from Hurdy Gurdy and jazz pianist Kenneth Knudsen from Coronarias Dans to form one very hot quintet. Their 4 albums, released between 1973 to 1976, are all remarkably similar, but never repetitive or lacking inspiration. The debut mixed in more avant-garde jazz styled noodling, and this is where the Coronarias Dans influence comes in. But the album also features some of their more unhinged rock moments, as Bohling really lets loose on the electric guitar (witness his literally stinging solos on 'Fire & Water' and 'Public Oyster'). The only minor gripe I have with the band, is that Karsten Vogel's primary wind of choice was the soprano saxophone, a variety of the instrument I don't personally enjoy as much as the tenor or alto. All the same, a superb debut by a band clearly on the rise.

Ownership: CD: 2007 Laser's Edge (USA). Excellent reissue with liner notes from band leader Karsten Vogel, and includes two great live tracks. Originals come in a single sleeve and feature a rendition of an historical postcard of the fishing port of Nibe, in Jutland where the band recorded the album. Furtive Pearl is the US release, and maintains the American standard that the cover must be worse than the original. Naturally this was my introduction to the album, having found a copy at a record swap in the mid 80s. Secret Oyster became almost legendary in "reissue circles" (does such a circle exist? you ask...) as the progressive rock act that was most neglected. In fact, when label owner Ken polled a chat board in 2006/7 on which band he was going to reissue that had "multiple albums", I guessed immediately Secret Oyster. I win :-)

LP: 1974 Peters International (USA). Single sleeve. Acquired at a local store (2023). Beautiful copy too. Oh well, forget the original cover, my nostalgia goes here as noted above.

1/13/15 (new entry); 5/14/23 (LP acquire)

Crium Delirium - Power to the Carottes. 1972-1975 France (archival)

Crium Delirium were a French band that performed a loose jamming psychedelic music with a jazz touch. Saxophone and flute play an equal role to the guitars and keyboards. The primary group is a sextet, and the compositions are relatively well thought out for a band of this style. As with any archival release, you will hear a myriad of genres and the sound quality will vary greatly (especially given that these are live recordings). In general, you will most likely be reminded of 1972 era Soft Machine, instrumental Gong, and early Clearlight. Probably the band that Crium Delirium most reminds me of is Ame Son. A fine historical document.

Personal collection
CD: 1994 Legend Music

A very fine archival CD from Legend Music, who released a few great things in the early to mid 90s, and then disappeared. The CD comes with a thick booklet filled with all sorts of details, photos, and lyrics. Unfortunately it appears the more lucid and historical notes are in French. There is a page in English, but it's a stream of consciousness tale of vagabonds and communal life. Interesting but not informative. But then again it doesn't take much to figure out these guys were a bunch of creative freaks with a psychedelic music streak. Another unfortunate aspect is that the individual songs are not dated or their live location placed. The CD today is very hard to find. I bought one when it came out, and regrettably moved it out too soon. But I recently sourced one for the collection on the cheap. So I'd just advise if you are in the market for one, patience may pay off. Demand appears to be low. I suspect that's because few even know what it is! Well I guess I'm screwing that part up, now aren't I?

Opus-5 - Serieux ou Pas. 1977 Canada

Recorded in 1977 but abandoned after their label Celebration (most famous for Harmonium) went belly-up. This isn't the typical half-baked archival release where major portions were still missing from the final product. In fact, I'd say the oven was turned off only about 10 minutes too soon. You can tell they have many great ideas working here, and the depth of the musicianship and compositions are at the same high level as Contre-Courant. And the quality of the recording is superb. It seems they still needed time to finish arranging, compiling, and scrubbing the edges off. It's really a pity they couldn't finish what they started, as this may very well have been the second greatest album to ever come from Canada. Behind only their first album... Even still, an essential album for progressive rock fans.

Ownership: CD: 1989 Aller-Retour. As with its predecessor, the CD couldn't be more basic and bland from a presentation / notes perspective.

A friend recently wrote in to tell me that the album does exist as a test pressing, and he owns one. So not truly an archival release after all.

7/2/21

Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - Tales of the Unexpected. 1979 Canada-Quebec

A very interesting album that has aged well I think (heck - I bought the album when it came out - I was all of 14). 'Sister Change' is a killer psych funk track - a sound that didn't find its audience until 25 years later. The instrumental title track really is something unexpected. Half of it is smoldering psych fusion ala Mahavishnu John McLaughlin while the second half enters into 60s Les Paul / Grant Green lightly amplified jazz territory. 'All Along the Watchtower' is Marino covering Hendrix's version of the Dylan classic, so a bit superfluous I guess, but still great to hear Frank do it. 'Norwegian Wood' is the throwaway here. It's not a bad cover, but too far removed - and soft - for what makes Marino great (besides, it's only 3 minutes). As for Side 2 - well this is the classic Mahogany Rush side. Absolute killer hard blues rock as only Frank and the boys can do it. Blazing solos throughout. 'Woman' is just phenomenal. And the prototype for the amazing What's Next album.

Mark my words - the rediscovery of Frank Marino will one day happen, a great talent who is sadly way too unknown in these times. I might be 80 when it occurs.... but it will happen.

Ownership: LP: 198? Columbia. Single sleeve. As noted above, I purchased this album real time. Replaced with a CD, but recently reacquired a later pressing at the Rocky Mountain Record Show for all of $5.

CD: 1990 Columbia. Standard jewel case. 

1979; 1/7/15 (new entry)

Moses - Changes. 1971 Denmark

A good friend of mine told me once that this is the single worst album of all time. So I just had to hear it. But I didn’t actually expect to like it... and I do! Changes is basically an electric blues rock album not terribly far musically from the debut by Black Sabbath or Blue Cheer. Perhaps a bit more energetic, but not quite as heavy. They aren't as noisy and unfocused as Blue Cheer nor do they expand the compositions as Sabbath would. Moses are a stripped down guitar-bass-drums trio, with a vocalist who clearly enjoys his Carlsberg beer. Despite being Danish, they chose to sing in English, so it doesn’t have any local flavor unfortunately (excepting one track). Where they score points with me is the fuzz guitar soloing. What a great sound the guitarist managed to get out of his 6 string. The solos are competent if not exceedingly original. Overall, a good one for the blues rock style.

Ownership: CD: 2010 Shadoks. Jewel case. Historical liner notes, lyrics, and some photos.

11//06 (first listen / review); 12/30/13; 1/7/15 (update / new entry)

Finch - Glory of the Inner Force. 1975 Netherlands

Glory of the Inner Force is quite simply hyper kinetic instrumental progressive rock, or what we used to call symphonic fusion. I've owned this album for over 30 years, and I never tire of it. One criticism I've constantly heard about Finch is that they're more about chops than composition, and yet I hear it completely different. Despite the fast paced nature of the recordings, and the many twist and turns that goes on throughout each track, there is also a strong melodic component as well - very similar to Focus regarding this latter characteristic. I personally think Glory of the Inner Force is one of those great "starter" albums to new fans of the genre. It's immediately likeable - and it rocks hard. At this point in my life, Glory of the Inner Force will likely always be a Top 50 album for me.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Negram. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (1999).

LP: 1975 ATCO (USA). Single sleeve. Purchased at Bill's Records in Dallas (1985). 

CD: 1994 Belle Antique (Japan). Jewel case. Gold disc with liners in Japanese. Features the Colossus single, which is also excellent, and similar to the LP proper.

The ATCO release is one of the very first European "obscurities" I had discovered in the middle 80s while still in college. This was back at a time when I bought albums strictly on how they looked, and how long the songs were. I had become pretty adept at it by this point, and Finch was an obvious target once I saw it. Besides they had a drummer named Beer! Hey, this was long before the internet, and research materials were non-existent back then. Crate digger veterans will know what I mean here! For years, I had wanted a copy of the Dutch original, which I think is the nicer cover. In the catalog days of the late 80s and 90s, this was a fairly expensive item.

But when the great market equalizer ebay came along, it turned out there was plenty of supply. I bought one cheap as soon as possible and even today you can find one at a very reasonable price. The American version is very common. However finding one without a massive promo sticker and sawcuts is much more challenging. 

1985; 1994; 1/6/15 (new entry); 10/31/19

Opus-5 - Contre-Courant. 1976 Canada-Quebec

Opus-5 asks us: "Is it abnormal to speak French?". Which would be the only English lyric on the entire album. That should give you some insight into this band's makeup. Perhaps I should just state this: Contre-Courant is my favorite album from Quebec. Actually, all of Canada. Imagine the best groups from Quebec like Harmonium, Maneige, Aquarelle, Sloche, Contraction, etc... as played by the Swiss band Circus on the 'Movin' On' suite, with perhaps a touch of Picchio dal Pozzo's first album thrown into the blender. Flute, piano, bass, keys, guitar, French vocals, and insane drumming are the base ingredients. Nothing sits still for more than 5 seconds, and there are dozens of ideas going on at any one time. And yet it remains incredibly melodic throughout. There are no loose improvisations, or experimental noise bits to wait out. The whole album is composed to the last note, and yet it is kinetic, exciting, and exhilarating throughout! 'Il Était Magicien' is the album's best track, but there's isn't a weak moment to be found here. A true masterpiece, and one of my all time favorite albums.

Ownership: LP: 1976 Celebration. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2016). This was an upgrade copy. The first LP I obtained was via mail order from a record shop in Montreal (1994).

CD: 1989 Aller Retour. Simple jewel case release. This was my introduction to the album (1990).

1990; 1994; 6/5/09; 1/5/15 (new entry)

Shotgun - Dallasian Rock. 1974-1976 USA (archival)

This one's a bit out of range for the usual UMR fare, but since I grew up in the city of Dallas, I have a fondness for items like this.

Straight up good times hard rock and roll from local Dallas area band. Guitar based rock for the Wet T-shirt Night crowd. Nothing artsy here - just a band that gave you an honest dollar's worth of original rockin' tunes to go with your 50 cent draft of Lone Star or Pearl (Shiner? How 80s). I cut my teeth on KZEW as a pre-teen, and this is the kind of music they'd play often after bedtime. That I captured on my Radio Shack transistor under my pillow (shhh! - don't tell Mom).

And 22 tracks here of rockin' fun. Yes... of course... there's cowbell. Good times indeed.

Personal collection
CD: 2014 Shroom Angel

Digipak CD release that contains 22 tracks, never released before. The main section of the CD is dedicated to studio and live recordings from 1976, with some demos dating back to 1974. There are no recordings from 1975 oddly enough. Great archival release, as is typical of Shroom, with historical notes, and a montage of photos. The LP is a gatefold, and contains the first 11 tracks of the CD (all 1976).

Full Moon. 1980 USA-Pennsylvania

Full Moon are yet another great hard rock band from Central Pennsylvania. Located in between the state capital and Hershey, Full Moon perfectly embodies the independently minded blue collar industrial worker mindset from the time and place. Bring your bowling ball and a 6 pack of Yuengling. The music could best be described as intelligent hard rock. While every track may be somewhat basic regarding the framework, each comes with some incredible harmonic lead guitar solos and bridges. Not surprisingly, the longer tracks add a few more ideas and complexities into the mix - especially 'Winter City'. Any fan of late 70s American hard rock, or the earliest foundations of 80s era metal will enjoy this one immensely. Be sure to get the CD reissue which includes 5 relevant and excellent bonus tracks.

CD: 2000 Monster (as State of the Artist)
  
Classic single sleeve American private press, where almost every copy has ring wear. There was a time that when you traveled throughout the US, albums like this would be found in every town's local record store. Years ago, collectors snapped these up - and every once in awhile an original will go up for auction, but not for cheap. The 1996 LP reissue by Monster is straight up, though they decided to use the band logo as the primary cover. On the CD, they switched gears and went primarily with the main cover, though retitled from the single, which is on the CD as two of the 5 bonus tracks. There's also some nice liner notes. Though somewhat scarce on CD, Rockadrome has not reissued this title as they have for most of the former Monster catalog. I bought my copy back in 2004 when it was still readily available, and it was my introduction to the album.

Last listen: November 2, 2019

Truth and Janey - Live 4/8/76. 1976 USA (archival)

Erupts! is a great hard rock concert from 1976 (April 8th, Davenport, Iowa), and features many non-LP tracks as would otherwise be found on No Rest for the Wicked. The sonics aren't perfect, but more than acceptable for the time and place. Billy Lee Janey could jam with the best of 'em!

Personal collection
LP: 2014 Rockadrome / Lion (as Erupts!)

I first remember seeing this double LP set in a Cedar Rapids, Iowa record store while passing through in May of 1989. White cover with the date written across it if I recall right (actual handwriting too, not printed - and not the cover at the top either). Didn't buy it, but was more than curious, since I was familiar with the album proper by them. It was expensive from this particular record store - more than I was willing to pay on an unknown hard rock record - a style that's always been a bit tangential to my personal wheelhouse. Years later I sort of regretted leaving it there. Fortunately for me, some 25 years after the fact, Rockadrome, along with Lion, have reissued it again in its double LP glory, complete with poster. My understanding is the CD issues cut some of the tracks off to fit on one disc. What you see in the second photo is what I bought, excepting mine is pressed on traditional black wax.

Michael Hoenig - Departure from the Northern Wasteland. 1978 Germany

Michael Hoenig's only 70's solo venture turned out to be one of the finest of the Berlin School albums from the time, comparable to similar era works from both Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. This was not by accident. Hoenig himself is part of Berlin underground royalty having been a key figure of the pioneering Agitation Free from the early 70s. This was followed by a fine collaboration with Manuel Gottsching (not released until the 90s), and then a brief few months stint as Peter Baumann's replacement in Tangerine Dream. His education with these masters was not lost, and here he provides some fine sequencing, unique tape manipulations (something he patented with his field recordings with Agitation Free), melodic keyboard soloing, and guest guitars. The latter provided by former band mate Lutz Ulbrich. Also guesting is vocalist Micky Duwe from Metropolis, but perhaps best known for participating in the "Seven Up" sessions with Timothy Leary and Ash Ra Tempel. Some enlightened record executive at Warner Brothers had the wherewithal to release this in the United States (perhaps due to his impending relocation as a Hollywood soundtrack maker), where it unfortunately, no doubt, became a buck bin special within weeks. That said, it ultimately lead to Hoenig's album being heard by far more people than would normally be the case for an obscure elektronik artist from Germany. And is now considered a classic for the style. A designation it deserves.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Warner Bros. Single sleeve. Recent acquisition (Feb 2022) from a local store inside an antique mall. Originals are relatively common in the States. In the early 80s, as a teenager just starting to collect obscurities, this was a title I ran into often, and I bought one for $1. I replaced that LP with the below CD many years ago. 

CD: 1987 Kuckuk. Standard jewel case release which offers little else. However this is good driving music, so I'll keep it too.

1/1/15 (new entry); 2/1/22; 7/22/22