Berits Halsband. 1975 Sweden

Berits Halsband were an obscure band from the small coastal town of Hudiksvall, in central Sweden. Their relative isolation allowed the group an artistic freedom that ultimately created one of the greatest progressive jazz rock albums... ever.

In the mid 1970s, Sweden was harboring a handful of jazz bands looking to push the envelope beyond the usual bebop standards or electric noodling. These groups were very much influenced by the North American freaky fusion of Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Collectives such as Ibis, Ablution, Egba, Kornet, and Archimedes Badkar were bringing that same kind of kinetic creativity up to Scandinavia. And one has to figure those long, dark winters played a role in creating hallucinations even among the most puritan of Lutherans wandering about in their show shoes.

This was the creative environment that Berits Halsband were operating in.  Their artistic contribution to the scene, and most distinctive mark as it were, would be the musical crossover to the indigenous Scandinavian folklore of the local wooden dance hall. Berits Halsband's brand of progressive music wasn't dished up through the Zappa blender (like the popular Samla Mammas Manna for example), but rather more of an introspective art school approach. As with other large scale ensembles, the 8 piece Berits Halsband makes full use of its entire membership in unique ways. To underscore this point, consider the prominent use of trumpet, which is often filtered and heavily effected through a wah wah pedal. Their second lead instrument of choice is the lovely flute, often in unison with the trumpet, or as a peaceful solo alternative. And while Side 1 sounds like the best soundtrack to your dream Stockholm vacation, side 2 takes us closer to home, near the Arctic Circle, for some serious deep funk grooves. And here we find some added ring modulated electric piano combined with amazing fuzz electric guitar soloing. All this layered on top of a trance-like bass and a very busy percussion section. While the musical ingredients are familiar, the end result is entirely Berits Halsband - one of a kind.

In conclusion, Berits Halband's sole album is a strange bedfellow meeting of 1974 electric era Miles Davis, combined with the Swedish ethnic rock of Kebnekaise, and the psychedelic pyrotechnics of Flasket Brinner. Yes... it’s that good.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Forsaljud. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2003).

CD: 2015 MusicBazz. Papersleeve edition with superb liner notes and great sound.

8/28/07 (Gnosis); 12/31/15 (new entry)

Navigator - Oceanic Empire. 2002 Denmark-Germany

Oceanic Empire is an essential slice of Berlin Skool Electronik Musik. The Danish/German combo offer up some of the finest sequences / guitar overlays one can find in the genre - competing mightily with legendary contemporaries such as Redshift and Radio Massacre International. 'Secret of the Cave' is about as perfect a realization of the entire genre as any track I've ever heard. If you're the sort who just can't get enough of that mid to late 70's Tangerine Dream sound - and apparently I'm one of these sorts - then do not hesitate to buy this CD when/if given the chance.

Ownership: CD: 2002 Groove Unlimited 

12/30/15 (new entry)

Subject Esq. 1972 Germany

Like fellow countrymen Nosferatu, Subject Esq. were informed more by current British rock trends, than what was happening in the German underground. So if bands like Raw Material or Indian Summer are to your liking, then Subject Esq. will most certainly satisfy. I think it's a very good example of the sound, with high energy, creativity, and plenty of great period instrumentation. They would later change their name to Sahara and embark on a similar sound, while adding more complexity to the compositions.

Ownership:  LP: 1972 Epic (Germany). Gatefold. Online acquisition (2024).

CD: 1992 Ohrwaschl. Jewel case edition. There are liner notes on the backplate, but they are in German. Includes two live tracks totaling 28 minutes. The sound is of good bootleg quality, and the tracks are more jamming in nature, hardly surprising given the era. A nice addition and much welcomed, but not essential on its own. 

2/9/98 (first listen); 2008; 12/29/15 (review/new entry); 8/6/20

Troya - Eruption. 1976 Germany

When I first bought this CD on Lost Pipedreams - not long after it was released - I hated it, and sold it immediately. Years later, I had a chance to hear it again, and my opinion softened considerably. And now I have the Garden of Delights CD in my possession, and think the album is quite good actually. What changed? Well me of course... and thousands more albums have been heard with these ears. Helps form the time and place aspect of the music. So yes it's true what they say - hardly a progressive rock masterpiece. And for certain a lo-fi recording, and with the master tapes forever lost, no chance of improving upon that fact either. All of which doesn't make for a bad album really. Musically, it's quite interesting, very much a product of its time. Melodic, semi-progressive tracks, with excellent period analog instrumentation (Hammond Organ mainly with some nice fuzz tone guitar among other usual suspects). The performance is good, vocals are subpar, and honestly it reminds me more of what you would find in "basement America" than what is typically associated with high quality German progressive rock. Charmingly amateurish.

Ownership: CD: 2001 Garden of Delights. Jewel case release full liner notes and photos. Recent acquisition (2015). Originals are off-the-charts expensive, and given that only 200 were pressed (and I believe it given how few I've ever seen), it's a case of no supply. Stick with the CD here unless you're wealthy or obsessive (or both). 

1994; 1//10; 12/29/15 (new entry); 11/17/23

Manfred Hubler / Siegfried Schwab - Vampiros Lesbos: Sexadelic Dance Party. 1969 Germany (archival)

Vampiros Lesbos is pretty much what you would expect from an album such as this: Psychedelic tinged jazz rock instrumentals. Nothing cutting edge, but good rhythms and wonderful early 70s analog tones. Schwab would go on to Embryo not long after, giving him future street cred. A fun set of music, and a good way to shock your neighbors next time you have them over for a glass of wine and cheese (literally and figuratively I suppose).

I did see the movie once, didn't even get through it. Pretty dull stuff, though I'm sure it was much more exciting in 1970.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Motel (USA). Comes with fine liner notes including from Jess Franco himself. Nice sound too. Very much recommended. Found this at a garage sale in the Fort Worth area (2015). From a middle aged lady about my age. Sitting right next to Willie Nelson too. You never know what you'll find in people's closets....

8/27/10; 12/19/15 (new entry); 10/9/23

Topper - At Last. 1977 USA-Missouri

As stated in many places, I truly enjoy the underground rock scene of the great American Midwest and Topper are no different. This time hailing from Kansas City, we have a band that was typically over ambitious, and wonderfully amateurish. The Moog soloing in particular is inspired. There are a lot of ideas on their one album, and it's clear they had a few Uriah Heep, Nektar, Yes, and Led Zeppelin albums in their closet. Basically a mix of hard rock, progressive, and a little bit of FM/AOR too. And they get a little too close to plagiarism in a couple of places ('Smile for the Clown' rips straight from 'Stairway to Heaven' incredibly. Guys, surely you were aware everyone knew this song already. Right?).

Ownership: LP: 1977 Scot. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2015).

2009; 5/29/10 (CDRWL); 12/11/15 (new entry)

Charlie Mariano with the Chris Hinze Organization. 1973 USA-Netherlands

Straight up jazz session with American WWII veteran saxophonist Mariano joining forces with the Chris Hinze Combination from the Netherlands. This CD is a reissue of Charlie Mariano With The Chris Hinze Combination with the 18+ minute "bonus" title track improvisation thrown in the middle. Mariano himself was just taking baby steps into the European underground (see Osmosis for some American subversiveness) with jazz flutist Hinze's outfit. He was later to embark into an enlightening journey with Krautrock legends Embryo, and participate on some of their finest works shortly thereafter. 'Traditional South Indian (Carnatic) Kirtanam' is exactly the type of music he performed later with the underground Embryo. A real Hepcat, man.

Former ownership: CD: 1995 Black Lion (Germany) as Blue Stone. Jewel case. Booklet has original liner notes.

For a long time I didn't realize my CD of Blue Stone was the same album as this, and I couldn't understand why I never could find it on the online discographies. I ended up adding it myself to Discogs very recently, and have suggested to RYM to link them together. Freedom is the primary and original label, and is owned by Black Lion.

2003 (first listen); 12/10/15 (review / new entry); 4/23/24

Spaces - Border Station. 1981 USA-Utah

If you saw this cover in a store, you'd swear it was a typical late 1970s disco album (maybe French though...) - or perhaps even a slick fusion album. But Spaces are neither (though the opening track may have you thinking it might be). Yea it's fusion, sure. And, yes, there is a funk component. But primarily this is one hard hitting jazz rock album in the mid 1970s style, with plenty of fiery guitar, rumbling rhythms, and period keyboards (Rhodes, Mini-Moog, Clavinet, etc...). Well worth obtaining. Spaces appear to be from Provo, Utah - and the album was released in Salt Lake City.

Ownership: LP: 1981 Red Giant. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2015). Not reissued as of 8/5/24.

10/6/10 (first listen/review); 12/9/15 (update)

Atomic Simao - Nodo. 2013 Ukraine

In 1993, this wayward backpacker traveler ventured into the mysterious lands of the Ukraine - a very crazy thing to do for an American in those early post-USSR days. Sticking out wildly with long golden curly hair and a red beard, with those jeans and those white tennis shoes. An easy mark for any number of Russian mafioso roaming about. But I met a girl in Lviv... oh but yes, and not one I would ever see back home in Texas. Completely in awe I was, we struck up quite the torrid romance, one that ultimately ended up in engagement with yet another European adventure a year later with her by my side. And then came the ultimate breakup.... Ah yes, Uncle Genius Hans has lots of stories to share around the dinner table. Just not my current one, as Auntie UMR is there, who showed up but yet a few months later and is still the ever beautiful Mrs. Genius Hans some 18+ years later. And Ukrainian-girl-who-shall-not-be-named must not be named.

20 years later from that breakup event, by pure coincidence, I now own my very first album from the Ukraine. Via my very good friend Spyros... from Greece... naturally. Global economy indeed.

And he was astute enough to release this album on LP through his Cosmic Eye imprint.

Atomic Simao play an improvised space rock. So while not exactly a new concept, their execution is exemplary, and when they catch a deep groove with raging fuzz guitars on top and synthesizers flying above... well, you all know the feeling when that happens...

Ownership: LP: 2014 Cosmic Eye

12/9/15 (new entry)

Nektar - Magic is a Child. 1977 England

Well, believe it or not, I'd never heard this record until now. And probably never would have, were it not a throw-in to another LP deal I just purchased. Good thing. Had I heard this 30, or even 20 years ago, I would have dismissed it out of hand. But with my ears today (oh these ears, I tell ya...), I hear exactly what Nektar was going for... and honestly they did a great job at it!

And what they were going for was FM radio airplay. For whatever reason, the radio guys didn't feel there were any hits here. But I disagree, as 7 out of the 9 songs here could have easily caught on with the 1977 crowd. So yes, Nektar are a long way from their (recent) progressive rock past - and even further from their Krautrock roots. But this is still some fine sophisticated AOR, or what we used to call "pomp". A precursor to the neo-prog (later interpretation of said movement) sound honestly.

Good album if bands like Styx, later Starcastle, City Boy, and others of its ilk appeal to you.

Ownership: LP: 1977 Polydor (USA). Single sleeve. Recent acquisition (2022) from a local store that replaces the CD that made up this original entry.

12/6/15 (first listen / review / new entry)

Sfinx - Lume Alba + Sfinx (EP). 1974-1975 Romania

Sfinx's debut album is an extraordinary accomplishment given the time and place. Since so few rock albums were privileged to a deprived audience, Sfinx released something akin to a "Beatles Effect" album, with a mixture of popular styles. But being it was 1975 and all, progressive rock was one of those prominent styles, and this is where Sfinx excelled most. Especially on the stunningly beautiful 'Sinteze' which sounds like an underground track on the Pole label from France - and the Moog solos are divine. Plenty of highlights to go around in the progressive, folk, and hard rock genres, understanding that consistency is not what Sfinx were striving for at the time, so be prepared for some downtime too.

----Sfinx (EP) 1974 Electrecord

Debut recordings from Sfinx, who were to flesh out more on their subsequent debut LP in 1975. Opens with the hard rocking 'Coborise primavera', before delving into the pop songwriter 'Ziua ta'. Flip side consists of what could be called a "classic Midwest USA AOR" sophisticated pomp rocker, before closing with the lovely ballad 'Peste virfuri'. Nice EP.

Ownership: CD: 2015 Soft Records. Tri-fold digi-pak. Great sound, liner notes in Romanian and English (latter truncated somewhat, but informative). It contains both the album and EP as noted above.

Special thanks goes to our good friend Eddie for providing this CD!

12/5/15 (first listen / review / new entry)

VAK - Aedividea. 2015 France

The palindrome named Aedividea CD combines VAK's first two EP's (2012/2014 - minus one track 'Rheet') into one splendid Zeuhl offering. VAK blossoms from the Eskaton branch of the Zeuhl tree. And any time that great band is even whispered as an influence, Magma fans everywhere should be rushing out to obtain their very own copy. And the abundance of flute gives off more than a whiff of Dun. Wow, this is the good stuff right here. Another great find from the specialty label Soleil Zeuhl!

Ownership: CD: 2015 Soleil Zeuhl

12/2/15 (new entry)

Eye - Second Sight. 2013 USA-Ohio

Second Sight is an improvement on their already very good debut album. Eye continues to be influenced by early Nektar, and peaks on the awesome proto-prog 'Cultrider'. The title track sounds as if it were lifted from Tangerine Dream's Phaedra sessions, and 'Waiting for the Tide' has the classic early 70s Pink Floyd sound. What's not to like?

Ownership: CD: 2013 private

12/1/15 (new entry)