UMR changes for 2017

Pardon the mad dash to the finish line here. I'm not even close to finishing up 2016, but I need to call it here for this year. Clearly I had my best year in writing reviews (most of which sit on RYM), and as I was reviewing my daily journal, it became increasingly apparent that what I was trying to accomplish on Under the Radar was not sustainable considering my current employment role. I'm caught up to June basically (yes, June....), with a few important releases that I'd rather highlight once a day, rather than in a bundle.  UTR will remain and have a specific purpose. You can read about that over there.

So starting this week, as you probably already noticed, I have decided that Unencumbered Music Reviews will be my blog for all reviews, regardless of the era. So with those shackles off, you will begin to see many more contemporary releases sprinkled in. Many of them were not published yet because of the logjam I had over on UTR (plus the backlog I have here). It will take me some time to move the existing reviews over from Under the Radar and I have no intention of making that a dedicated project. It will evolve slowly - perhaps taking more than a year to accomplish.

The purpose of this blog is now two-fold: 1) Act as a buying guide for my fellow collectors. And 2) a place for me to document my personal collection (perhaps adding more color to what is already in Gnosis, RYM, and Discogs).

With any luck at all, I'll start off 2017 getting a few more in, and then starting this Monday afternoon, my current job will likely be all encompassing for most of the year. Look for regular updates on Saturdays and Sunday mornings though! And perhaps an occasional weekday morning. We'll wrap up 2016, as well as report on all new listens in 2017. New reissues will be promoted to the top of the list, and then back to the journal entries.

Blackwater Park - Dirt Box. 1972 Germany

I first heard Dirt Box not long after the first Second Battle LP release in 1990. The album had quite a lofty reputation even then among rare LP collectors, and so after hearing its contents, I was sorely disappointed. Of course "Krautrock" had a completely different meaning to me at the time than "early 70s German hard rock". About a decade later, a famous (then) death metal band inexplicably named their album after this band, and suddenly the album reached the stratosphere in reputation. And now, some 15 years on from that, everyone is rushing to the front of the line to state it isn't really that great, it's overrated, bla bla bla.... Well, sure, given that. Not their fault though.

But what do we have here exactly? An early 70's German hard rock album. In retrospect, Opeth should have named their album after Night Sun, or Epitaph's debut, if anxious to exploit the region's immense hard rock talent from the early 70s. But then again, those bands didn't have a cool moniker like Blackwater Park, now did they?

By the time I finally got my head around to what this band was trying to accomplish, all the reissues had long sold out due to their sudden fame, and CDs were fetching collector's prices. So it is with this, some 26 years after first hearing the Second Battle LP, I finally picked up the album for my own collection, via a fresh reissue from Long Hair.

A completely objective viewpoint demonstrates that Blackwater Park were a very good hard rock band, but not necessarily extraordinary beyond one track. At that would be 'Rock Song', which is absolutely exemplary, and one of the finest early 70s "pure heavy metal" tracks you'll ever hear - and does remind me of Night Sun actually, and the psychedelic sequences here are devastating. The opening two tracks are also quite excellent. But there's some trash to wade through as well, in particular the horrific 'Dirty Face'.

Go in with your eyes and ears open, and let the album come to you verse the other way around. But the band had no chance to live up to an expectation it didn't ask for.

Personal collection
CD: 2015 Long Hair

The Long Hair CD comes with a full set of liner notes in German and English. No bonus tracks, as with the other reissues.

Motoi Sakuraba - Gikyokuonsou. 1991 Japan

Motoi Sakuraba's career began in the Japanese 80's progressive rock renaissance as the ivory tickler for the little known group Deja-Vu. Gikyokuonsou is his debut solo album which displays his immense talent, not only technically, but as a composer as well. The all instrumental album stays interesting throughout, and there's plenty of tonal color to keep it from monotony. The rhythms tend to be jumpy and staccato oriented, while Sakuraba performs his best piano concertos, seemingly random at that. Sadly this would be his only true progressive rock album, as apparently he landed a choice gig as chief composer of soundtracks for a company specializing in anime, and subsequently released a number of albums in supporting roles to games, films, etc... Many of those albums are excellent in their own right, but have a different purpose and aren't consistent for sit-down listening. Despite this local fame, and a second pressing on Musea (France), Gikyokuonsou remains an unknown today. An excellent album that could use some more exposure.

Personal collection
CD: 1991 Made in Japan

Bought the CD not long after it was released. For most of the 90s it was incredibly difficult to find, until Musea reissued it in 1999.

Last listen: June 11, 2016

NoVox - s/t. 2005 Netherlands

The Dutch band Cliffhanger may have been my favorite of all the groups working under the "neo prog" banner. I always liked their adventurous songwriting, elaborate compositions, and mix of modern and vintage equipment use. NoVox contains all the members of Cliffhanger minus vocals (hence... the name No Vox). Here the group mixes up full-band compositions with piano solos, fuzz bass/drum workouts, and mellotron featured tracks. Maybe what I like most from Cliffhanger, and NoVox, is the bass playing. He's very active and has that woody sound that really drives the material forward in an exciting way. An excellent, but long forgotten album, that too few know about. Time for a discovery.

Personal collection
CD: 2005 Musea (France)

Bondage Fruit - VI. 2005 Japan

Bondage Fruit's 6th, and apparently last album, sees the band diversifying their sound to the point of no identity. The Zeuhl backbone of their early works has all but been rubbed out here. Not to say that they didn't hit pay dirt on a few of these numbers. Opener 'Three Voices' is the longest piece here, and sounds like Tortoise playing the music of Mahavishnu Orchestra. Which seems like an oxymoron, until you actually hear it. A fantastic opening. 'Rath' is a raga rock piece, and fits well with Bondage Fruit's style. 'Locomotive' is a strange tune that's closer to Southern Fried blues rock, and contrary to what I said about 'Rath', this seems a bit self-indulgent for a band with no history of such. 'Dear Gazelle' has a bit of KBB styled Celtic violin, but begins to cook wildly midway, and is my personal favorite of the album. A very strong heavy fusion piece. 'The Train' recalls mid 70s King Crimson with long stretches of atmospheric violin but gets a bit long in the tooth after a while. 'Something Green' is a pretty melancholic instrumental that eases the tension. And 'I/O' sounds like 'Dueling Banjos' meets Bollywood electronica.

I don't normally do track by track breakdowns, but as you can see from above, there is no cohesiveness here. Which I don't personally consider a good trait for an album. Certainly worthy of consideration, as my 3.5 grade (Gnosis 10) attests to, but not to the standard of their early work.

2005; 12/31/16 (new entry); 3//19 (removed from collection).

Cliffhanger - Circle. 2001 Netherlands

Circle is Cliffhanger's 4th, and apparently last, studio effort. As I recently stated on the NoVox review, this Dutch collective are among my favorites of those who play in the Neo Prog genre. And the primary reason for that is that Cliffhanger goes beyond the typical 80s Marillion type sound, and looks back to the origins of the movement itself: That of Selling England by the Nursery Foxtrot. The album opens up somewhat inauspiciously with the straightforward 'Limits', before climbing back onto the Genesis wagon with 'Autumn'. And from there it's all aces. Cliffhanger defiantly stick with analog gear, or at the very least, attempt to sound like a band from the 70s. Thick wedgy organ, psychedelic guitar, and woody bass define this mature work. Admittedly Rinie Huigen's heavily accented voice takes a bit to adjust to, but once you have, you'll find the music fits perfectly with his intonation. The final instrumental 'Chateau Jam' demonstrates that Cliffhanger could have been a successful space rock band if they had wished. Along with Sweden's Simon Says, Cliffhanger kept the original early 70s Genesis spirit alive into the new millennia.

One of the rare bands where "neo prog" and "retro prog" are accurate genre tags, despite the obvious contradiction.

Personal collection
CD: 2001 Musea (France)

Grobschnitt - Jumbo. 1975 Germany

Grobschnitt's third, Jumbo, can be considered a natural progression from Ballermann. No doubt attaining a modicum of success on the previous album, Grobschnitt decided to continue along the path of the song-based portion of their predecessor. In some ways they've actually surpassed Ballermann as the songs are more clever and the music somewhat more interesting. There's a strong Genesis element here, with a bit of their goofball interjections to annoy. Unlike Ballermann, there are no space rock opuses to offset the shorter songs. Still, I find this album more enjoyable as I get older. The German version (aka Mit Deutschen Texten) is exactly the same music - but with German lyrics sung on top. So there's really no point in obtaining both separately. Unless you're a linguist of course...

Ownership: LP: 1975 Brain. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2014). Jumbo apparently sold well as the album pretty much remained in print throughout Brain's original LP cycle (including orange and black labels into the early 1980s). The German text version is actually a separate catalog number. English language originals are on the green label without the word Metronome printed.

CD: 1998 Repertoire. Jewel case release with full liners. This version has both the English and German text releases.

2014; 12/31/16 (new entry)

Bullfrog. 1976 Germany

If there's ever an album to demonstrate to me how much my musical palate has evolved, it's Bullfrog's debut. I first found the LP on Annuit Coeptis (US press) while rummaging around the bargain bins in the mid 1980s. This wasn't an uncommon album to find in those days, usually with the promo-copy word "Free" tattooed in on the bottom. When I first saw it, and I was still new to the whole Krautrock thing, I was certain it was going to be a killer. Especially with that crazy cover and those long tracks on Side 2. Whatever the case, this is decidedly not what I wanted to hear. And I felt like I wasted $2 valuable dollars and couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Of course in those days, unloading albums was not a profitable thing to do, so I held onto it for a few more years and traded it off for something halfway decent (probably not).

Fast forward 30 years, and I now have a chance to source the Sireena CD on the cheap. Ah, why not? Let's see what I think of this album now. After hearing the first two tracks, I felt somewhat vindicated. Boring, straightforward hard blues rock, with a little bit of boogie, and really bad vocals. OH WELL, looks like it's back in the sell bin...

And then comes 'I Came from the Sky'. "Hey, wait a minute...". From here on out, we have an excellent hard rock album, with organ and synthesizer - and especially some fantastic guitar work. Those "bad vocals" start to sound good in the context in which they are delivered. By the time we get to the first lengthy number 'Get Away', I'm completely immersed into their sound. There's plenty of great melodies and theme changes throughout to keep the listener involved. Basically we have an inventive album along the lines of prime-era Jane or Birth Control, at that perfect point between hard and progressive rock, tilted more toward the former. Once you've bought into the premise, even the first two tracks no longer sound so bad.

30 years ago, I didn't have any foundation to build on. I was looking for some Kozmic Krautrock, not some "lame hard rock" that sounded weaker to my ears than the steady regimen of metal I was digesting back then. And of course I didn't have any patience, being a typical tempestuous youth. Proof positive - once again - that music appreciation can often come from experience.

Ownership: LP: 1976 Annuit Coeptis (USA). Single sleeve. Recent acquisition from the Denver Record Show (2022). My first copy goes back to 1985, as described above. Decided to not keep the Sireena CD, but preserved the liner notes.

12/31/16 (new entry); 5/4/22; 2/15/23

Nebu - s/t. 1978 Canada

Low key, atmospheric smokey jazz with flute, piano, and standup bass. Gets experimental at times. Like Lloyd McNeill on a bad trip. Good one.

Personal collection
LP: 1978 Les Disques Cadence

The Next World - Symphonic Rock. 1973 USA

Such a strange album, this one is. The album is as exactly stated: Symphonic Rock. Yes, it's an orchestra that rocks. All instrumental, all original material, with some nice fuzz guitar. Side 2 is definitely better than the first. If it were Italian, it would sell for $1,000 as a Library Classic. It's American, and looks like one of those 1967 exploito albums your dad had in his collection, and he couldn't explain how it got there. Way out of date for 1973.

Personal collection
LP: 1973 Era

The album comes in a nice gatefold cover. Can't imagine much demand for a reissue here, but a CD could be cool, especially if there are some bonus tracks to be had.

Affirmation - Identity Crisis. 1985 USA

Much more edgy and interesting than their 1980 debut. There's almost a bit of "Kraut Fusion" here (think Real Ax Band), combined with the more obvious electric viola driven Jean-Luc Ponty styling. Rare that a jazz rock album from 1985 has any personality at all, much less surpassing one from a better era. Nice album here.

Personal collection
none

Would have been a Priority 3 on the old CDRWL blog.

Hemisphere - Attachment X. 2002 Germany

The band calls this "a psychedelic deep ambient soundtrack". I personally don't hear any psychedelic, and not much deep. This is a pretty typical modern day ambient styled electronic album. Layers of synthesizers create a mood, that eventually transition into something more rhythmic, and then back for more atmosphere - and then more beats... et cetera. It dutifully follows directions from the Electronic Cookbook.

One piece worth calling out is 'Point Four'.  It's an inventive track that creatively uses voice, and adds a bit of kick with electric guitar. An instrument that is almost entirely absent from this release otherwise. This track is like a modern take on Edgar Froese's Macula Transfer.

Ownership: CD: 2002 Groove Unlimited (Netherlands)

Tarot - Reflections. 2016 Australia

Tarot's first album (or the compilation of cassette EP's as it were) was a great opener that had a unique blend: The music of the early 80s epic metal bands as played by 1971 era Uriah Heep.

Reflections sounds like 1974 era Uriah Heep. Period. End of story. Not the best period of that fine band now is it?

I'm all for the newer bands recreating the past, with history on their side to filter out only the best parts that have aged well to modern ears. But we don't necessarily need to rehash the past verbatim either. Is the third album going to be straight AOR, followed by a disco album, and then synth-pop maybe?

OK, I'm sure that isn't going to happen. And this is a very good album without context. But I was hoping for more dynamic output. Reflections is a bit ordinary to be honest. Interestingly, I found the vocals to be an improvement on the debut. They had to do something, though as I've read elsewhere, not everyone agrees with the execution.

12/29/16 (new entry)

Kopecky - Serpentine Kaleidoscope. 2000 USA-Wisconsin

Serpentine Kaleidoscope is the second album from the brothers' Kopecky, hailing from Racine, Wisconsin. The music is primarily a sophisticated kind of (mostly) instrumental prog metal, with middle eastern and Asian themes, including sitar from brother William. There's a couple of experimental tracks that detract a bit ('These White Walls' and 'Wings of Asphyxia'), but otherwise a very fine effort - one that will satisfy fans of progressive rock, jazz fusion, and metal.

Concerning Racine, interestingly enough I worked in the city for most of 1997 (as an IT contractor for tractor/farm equipment manufacturer J.I. Case). It's a nice town primarily made up of blue collar workers, with delicious family run Italian/Pizza restaurants (RIP Totero's), Greek diners, and Kringle shops on every corner. I hadn't heard of Kopecky while there, but admittedly I wasn't seeking live music at the time, nor was I plugged into that aspect of the culture. Though it's likely the band built up their following in nearby Milwaukee regardless.

CD: 2000 Cyclops (UK). CD is housed in a standard jewel case, and was released by the UK progressive rock specialist label Cyclops. The label is no longer active, though copies are still available for below retail. I suspect that will not always be the situation.

Removed from collection (2022)

12/29/16 (new entry); 6/8/22

Pyramid Peak - Ocean Drive. 1999 Germany

After 6 cassettes and 3 CD-R's, Pyramid Peak finally release their first solid state album. They are a German trio who essentially all play synthesizers in the field of electronic music. Wanna take a guess who they're influenced by? This would be the upbeat early 1980's era Tangerine Dream, just before they became incurably cutesy. Ocean Drive has some of the best digital - repeat: not analog - sequences I've heard in a long while. Some of the synthesized beats are more of our current next century era than the T Dream we all know and love. Also worth noting that the keyboard soloing is more geared towards Klaus Schulze than Edgar Froese. Pyramid Peak, along with Rainbow Serpent, were among the leading groups from the mother country of Berlin School electronic music in the 2000 decade. Recent revisits have resulted in a +1 rating.

Ownership: CD: 1999 Invisible Shadows. The CD proper is on Invisible Shadows, and these CDs have gone extinct over the years. A label from Germany called SynGate have reissued many of their titles, but in the inferior CD-R format, which is truly unfortunate. I'm glad to have been able to source the original CD when it was still available.

3/2005 (OMD); 12/28/16 (new entry); 5/7/20; 3/22/22

Squonk Opera - Howandever. 1994 USA

Howandever is the debut album from Squonk Opera, a highly creative 6 piece outfit from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I suspect the group itself never saw themselves as a "progressive rock" band, yet they were adopted by the fans from the outset, and who wouldn't accept a new following? Not long after this album, they found their way to North Carolina and played for the small but exuberant ProgDay crowd. Their music is highly eclectic, bordering on what we now refer to as "avant prog", though never consciously trying hard to fit any such expectation, whatever that may be. There's an Irish meets Indian meets Broadway Play theme throughout (as noted by instruments such as Celtic flute, Wind Synthesizer, and Electronic Tabla). 'Dance of the Seven Vowels' takes the first two native elements and blends them directly together. Of course, having noted that, '... as yet...' has a strong Moorish Flamenco bent - with tablas of course. Eclectic... yeaaaa. Throughout, the female vocals of Kate Aronson soar peacefully over the proceedings - and certainly Lisa Gerrard needs to be in the conversation, even if not entirely accurate. The opener 'Inside Height' is a jaw dropper, and worth the price of admission alone. 'The Unusual Mrs. Spitz' and 'Whistle & Spit' are hilarious, and sounds more like the dialog one might run into from a modern cable TV show or movie, and would have to be considered ahead of its time in terms of smart female cynicism. This is the type of album I like almost by accident, and I've not ventured further with Squonk Opera fearing that it was a "chance meeting" never to be repeated again. I certainly will never turn down an opportunity to hear any of their other works, and would welcome to be proven wrong in my presumption. It appears the band even attained a bit of mainstream fame as a contestant on America's Got Talent (2011), and were eliminated in the quarters. I'll have to ask my wife if she remembers them (she loves those shows...).

Personal collection
CD: 1994 Forgotten Works

I bought this privately released CD not long after it was released, and saw the aforementioned concert in 1996. Nowadays this album has been completely forgotten, which is too bad really. Seems the label name is spot on.

Sinister Street - Trust. 2002 Netherlands

There have been so many neo prog bands coming from the Netherlands in the last 30 years, one has to wonder if the genre isn't a major component of the country's GNP. Like many post-Marillion bands, Sinister Street balance Genesis-like (lite?) (pseudo) progressive rock with traditional radio friendly AOR. I guess the big question here is: Who listens to the radio anymore? Despite what it might seem reading my profile and reviews, I'm no "prog snob". In fact, I'm quite fond of the Neo Prog genre, especially in its earliest incarnation when better known as the New Wave of British Progressive Rock - and the subsequent followers of said movement (Collage's Basnie sends chills up my spine, for example). But while some bands chose the progressive angle, others took the more simple broad stroke composition style (vocal-chorus-instrumental-vocal-chorus-epilog). One style is not better than the other, of course, objectively speaking. All the same, subjectively speaking, this album is a bit straightforward for my tastes at the very least. There are some fine moments, as you can see from my track ratings, but mostly this album is for a different audience than I. As such, I did move out the CD.

Personal collection
none

Chainsaw Jazz - DisConcerto. 1993 USA

Lead by bass player Mark Smoot and joined by Muffins drummer Paul Sears, Chainsaw Jazz unleashed one of the hardest and most energetic avant progressive albums ever released. The kind of album that would be the crown jewel of the Italian AltRock label had it been released in modern times. Joining the aforementioned rhythm section, Chainsaw Jazz employs two guitarists providing the necessary raw hard rock (not metal) edge that propels the music forward in an exciting way. The melodic components are provided by the other two members - one on saxophone while the other plays violin and electric mandolin. The first 3 tracks demonstrate that Chainsaw Jazz can possess restraint and discipline, and avoided those annoying tuneless and cacophonous improvisations that mar many of these type of releases. But starting with 'Neon Baby' they would occasionally spazz out as if they had to prove they belong to the spirit of free jazz. Had they avoided this common trap, I would've been compelled to rate this higher.

Personal collection
CD: 1993 Cuneiform

Killing Floor - Out of Uranus. 1970 England

The front cover is magnificent, showing a psychedelic collage of the beautiful female face and form. A complex album no doubt, right? It is - like the album itself - a facade. The gatefold shows nothing more than adolescent sexual fantasies. And the back cover lowers to the sick. Crawl Naked Women! CRAWL! Likewise the album presents itself as a credible early form of progressive hard rock. The title track (lots of 13-year-old yuks there, eh?) could have easily been the mythical Al Atkins' Judas Priest album we never got to hear. 'Soon There Will be Everything' has mellotron poured over everything giving off a whiff of sophistication and forward thinking. 'Acid Bean' begins to show the cracks of normality, and by the time of 'Sun Keeps Shining' we are in the gutters of straight-up blues rock. 'Call for the Politicians' is particularly bad (Sex Pistols meet Greg Kihn, in 1970?), before the band pull themselves up for two more decent tracks, and then back to the alleys of dirt and sleaze. Not blues rock? Bunk. What else could you call it? Not a bad album at all - above average on the whole actually - but it could have been so much more. The one-track deviant mind of the 15 year old was... derailed. Apparently.

Personal collection
none. Sold the 1988 SPM CD.

Originals were pressed in many countries, but the UK LP is worth a fortune. Because of its wide distribution, licenses abound, and there are a lot of shady reissues out there - though perhaps not outright pirates.

Logos - L'Enigma della Vita. 2014 Italy

Logos are a seasoned band from the northern Italian town of Verona, who bring forth an intriguing mix of progressive rock styles from the past. Those coming to this album hoping for a 70's styled sound, however, will most certainly leave disappointed. Even the supposed "vintage" sounds of the mellotron and organ are emulated, or certainly sound that way.

None of which deters this writer in the slightest. Logos seem more like a band of the 90s, that next generation of exciting Italian groups that blended the classics with a more modern sound. From a composition perspective, Logos certainly do look back further to the golden age.

The first impression you'll hear is one of mid 70's Pink Floyd, that peculiar deliberate and methodical songcraft, mixed with heavy spatial atmospheres. It isn't until 'In Fuga', that Logos demonstrate their Italian heritage (beyond the language of course). And the followup track 'Alla fine dell'ultimo capitolo' is where it becomes apparent that Logos came of age during the 90s. In particular I hear the influence of Consorzio Acqua Potabile coming through here. And the third ingredient is a healthy dose of space rock jamming, which provides that spicy kick to take off the implied rigidness. When Logos mixes their ingredients just right, the results can be divine.

One track that will certainly raise your head from your smart phone is 'In Principio', a title that holds a clue. Indeed there is a noticeable pastoral flavor here, reminding one of - yes - Celeste. Midway through there's a splendid space rock jam, as if Sensations' Fix walked into the studio with a bag of psychedelics. I've never heard anyone mix these two styles so splendidly.

On the other hand, L'enigma della vita can drag on occasion, and the rhythms can often be more perfunctory than creative. Personally I found the vocal style to be very good, perhaps not to the standard that Italian prog often brings forth, but if from any other country, Logos would fly high.

There's an enormous amount of music here to absorb, and given that much of it requires one's full attention, the relistenability factor is high. I was torn between 3.5 and 4.0 here (Gnosis 10/11), but given my predilection for the style, I'm staying with the higher score.

Ownership: CD: 2014 Andromeda Relix

12/27/16 (new entry)

Pussy - Plays. 1969 England

Did you ever think there should have been another album between Pink Floyd's Saucerful of Secrets and Atom Heart Mother, and not named Ummagumma? I love the latter album, with its frenzied and psychotic live takes on album 1, though album 2 does reek a bit of unhinged experimentalism without focus. Which was the point of course. But what if it wasn't? One answer to this quiz is Group 1850's Paradise Now, an album I've frothed about much in the past. And another is... ("oh the foreshadowing Tom, you're killing us!")

Seriously,when I started collecting music the term "psych prog" was thrown out for just about every album on the planet. Do you know how few true examples there are of this sound? Pussy Plays is the pure embodiment of it. In a perfect world, Pussy Plays would have been played incessantly on classic rock stations, and we'd all be more civilized because of it. But of course, we know how it all turned out, and the only people who care about this now are crazies like yours truly... it didn't even catch on with the hipsters! #233 on RYM as I write this in May 2016. C'mon. Really? No "Comus factor" here apparently.

Side 1 is filled with catchy melodies in that Swingin' London sort of way, with plenty of effects, period instrumentation, creative ideas, and... completely zonked out of their friggin' minds, making Syd Barrett look sober as a judge by comparison. 'All of My Life' is the highlight of a stellar set of tunes. The weakest track, is also its most famous due to it supposedly being the "weirdest" (I guess - it has theremin - whoopdee-doo), and that's 'Comets'. It is a great song... that gets annoying in places unfortunately.

The wheels come completely off on Side 2. My goodness. It is hard to find a better side of music on any album of the 1960s. Period. Progressive, melodic, psychedelic, intense, serene, insane, psychotic, beautiful.

Personal collection
CD: 2006 Air Mail (Japan)

Originals have been a steady 4 figure album since I started collecting in the 1980s (check popsike.com if you don't believe me - and I still have catalogs from the early 90s asking for well over $1k too). One of the best 60's/70's albums in my collection that I don't have the original LP of. And perhaps it does deserve the asking price... I'll look under every rock until I find an affordable (and nice) copy.

Until then, the Japanese Air Mail mini will have to do (officially licensed from the UK and mastered in Japan for this release only - and the mini textured flap back cover is replicated to the last detail). I've had this album for over 20 years (starting with the Background CD), and it just continues to improve to my ears.

There's a lot of shady reissue action with this album, especially on the LP front. The only one that looks completely above board (other than the 1969 Italian licensed one) is the 2009 reissue from Record Collector, which was mastered straight from the original tapes, and is quite hard to source in its own right. I would be leery of any other LP reissues out there.

Xhol - Altena 1970. Germany (archival)

Like with Soft Machine, Xhol has a tremendous amount of interesting archival material, given their improvisational nature. Similarly, they suffer from the same problem as the Softs do, and that is many of these releases run into each other. If you are to only obtain one I'd suggest the Motherf*ckers Live set (1968-1969) from United Durtro. But if wanting more of that vintage Krautrock jazz rock sound, live and in color, Altena 1970 is a fine representative. It meanders and wanders for much of its duration, but that's what the concert ticket bought you. Authentic to the core.

Personal collection
CD: 2006 Garden of Delights

Garden of Delights is to be commended for their relentless efforts to release so much material from the great Xhol Caravan. The CD gives you the maximum amount of minutes, and there's a wealth of historical info in the liner notes.

P205 - Vivat Progressio - Pereat Mundus. 1978 Germany

P2O5 is a chemical compound (and band name is stylized as such) called Phosphorus Pentoxide, which according to Wikipedia means: "a potent dehydrating agent as indicated by the exothermic nature of its hydrolysis". Well, then... isn't that edifying? In effect, it has no practical meaning, which is what the band were striving for - a practical meaning. So they were dumbo chemistry students... and dumbo musicians as well. What we have here is bonehead hard rock with organ. It just happens to be I like bonehead hard rock with organ... so there's that.

Personal collection
CD: 2007 Garden of Delights

A very rare album in original form, the usually great Garden of Delights CD should suffice for most folks, and their LP partner at the time Amber Soundroom fulfills the vinyl requirement.

You - Electric Day. 1979 Germany

Honestly, You's Electric Day represents the perfected rock form of electronic music, which unfortunately had so few examples such as this. The sequencers and Moog solos give it the Berlin School street cred, while the psychedelic guitars and manic drumming recall Germany's underground from a decade earlier. A window into what Tangerine Dream's Force Majeure lineup could have accomplished had they stuck with it. Sigh. Grab a hold of what you can, as there's very little of it to go around I'm afraid to say.

Personal collection
CD: 1996 Cue

The Cain label was one of Germany's great unsung imprints.They had a lot of these type of albums that flew way under the radar back in the day. The third scan is the Rock City issue, which I didn't know existed until researching this entry. The CD is part of a 5 CD set called Era. It had been long OOP, so the Bureau B reissues are most welcome, and include significant bonus tracks.

Nine Days Wonder - The Best Years of Our Life? 1971-1975 Germany (archival)

For my tastes, Nine Days Wonder is all about their debut album, and they fall off a cliff after that. This compilation covers 4 tracks from that superb era, including two lengthy live radio recordings. All of which was quite good, though not revelatory. From there I braced myself for the worst. And was pleasantly surprised to find that Nine Days Wonder were really a hard rock band at heart, but the production gloss of their followup studio albums took away all their edge. As such, this is a fine compilation of unreleased material, and is worth seeking out for fans of their debut album, with regards to their more aggressive attributes.

Personal collection
CD: 2001 Garden of Delights

Charlee - s/t. 1972 Canada

It's been often said that Frank Marino, at the dawn of his career, heavily copied Jimi Hendrix. More than likely, though, he was more influenced by fellow Montreal resident Walter Rossi and his band Charlee. Listen to the first 3 Mahogany Rush albums and compare to Charlee, which was recorded only a year earlier. Many parallels can be found. Frank eventually forged his own style and became one of the all-time great hard rock guitarists. No telling what Rossi could have achieved had he not chosen a career as a session musician. Excellent hard psych rock album.

Personal collection
LP: 1972 RCA

This album remained "in production" for a few years in Canada, and there are multiple "first presses". The label shown is what Discogs considers the original. My personal copy is with a tan label. There was also a second press released in the USA circa 1976 on the Mind Dust label, with a different cover (2nd scan). No idea what the story behind that is. There are a few pirates since of this album, but nothing legit as of today. Based on the high volume of original sales, I would think a legit CD reissue could do quite well even in these sparse times.

Siloah - s/t. 1970 Germany

Munich's Siloah were a commune-with-nature folk group, that only works in the era that it emerged from. If listening objectively (or sober), the listener will likely note all the obvious flaws, and ultimately be lulled to boredom. But when taking in the time and place, Siloah captures the mood perfectly of the free-from-boundaries mentality that was so pervasive amongst the rebellious German youth at the turn of the decade. An aural archive document of the real underground, something that would be prefab manufactured today, but here ignites the imagination.

To my ears, Siloah's debut recalls Denmark's Furekaaben - where it would seem forbidden someone would actually record the proceedings. But certainly the cosmic Pilz trinity, Paradieswarts Duul, and Kalacakra are in this same conversation, all to a lesser degree.

Like Furekaaben, the album is hardly a stellar masterpiece of songcraft. Best to approach as background music while perhaps viewing B&W photos of German urban parks. A libation wouldn't hurt.

Personal collection
CD: 1998 Garden of Delights

Worth noting that the 10 minutes of bonus tracks on the Garden of Delights CD are just as good as the album proper. In fact, the final track adds in a primitive synthesizer to great result.

M.I.A. - Transparencias. 1976 Argentina

Classically trained pianist Lito Vitale leads the Músicos Independientes Asociados bunch through one of Argentina's first true symphonic rock albums, when everyone else in the country were still mired in the blues. He mixes complex progressive rock with classical interpretations to create his own brain salad surgery. So yes, of course, Keith Emerson rises to the front of the influence line, as he has for many a budding keyboardist in the rock world. Side 2 brings forth a bit more jamming and hard rock to the mix, and probably could have been tightened a bit. So the album certainly has its flaws - it's painful to sit through Pomp and Circumstance at graduations much less for my own enjoyment. But let's give the kid a break, eh? I mean, he was 15 years old when he showed up on the world stage. What were you doing when you were 15? I most certainly wasn't putting out fully realized progressive rock albums with sick piano chops, that's for sure. It usually took me a few minutes just to take the shrink wrap off the LP. Still does actually...

Anyway, MIA were to improve from here, and then lay down one of the all time greats in Cornonstipicum two short years later. When he was an old man at 17.

Ownership: CD: 1994 Belle Antique (Japan). Purchased from a mail order dealer upon release. This replaced the reissue LP, that offered nothing else. The Belle Antique disc was pressed in Argentina but marketed and sold in Japan.

new entry

Goat - Requiem. 2016 Sweden

Mid 1970s Embryo, Archimedes Badkar, and Kebnekaise all mashed up and distilled for the modern age. I dig it. Immensely so.

So the above represented by quick scratch off review. In listening again, I don't have that much more to add. Clearly the band are about indigenous ancient traditions - mixed with the psychedelic. Mostly African, but also the original inhabitants of South America too. My initial three bands listed above all have history with recording music with African musicians, and/or at least focusing on the continent exclusively. I would also add Los Jaivas to this mix as a good representation of South America. Then I'd add a bit of Flasket Brinner, when Goat turn on the psychedelic aspect of their sound. The album runs the gamut of the 1970s, where the first part of the decade is psych oriented, and the latter half of the decade was more into the exploratory spirit of World Fusion. While I'll maintain my 4 star rating, I have two small complaints that hold it back from being an even higher rating. 1) Some of the instrumentals have an excellent premise that they do little with. 'Temple Rhythms' in particular is just screaming for some guitar soloing. The tribal drums and wood flutes provide the perfect backdrop. But rather it just repeats itself rather than progress. I'm sure that's the point - to create a trance like state. But for this listener, it would have been devastating to hear it developed. 2) The female vocals here sound like annoying wails rather anything associated with singing. To be honest, it sounds bitchy as opposed to transcendental. Fortunately the album isn't dominated by them.

Small gripes to an otherwise excellent release. I love that modern bands are revisiting these musical areas that were abandoned all too quickly back in the day.

Ownership: CD: 2016 Sub Pop (USA)

12/17/16 (new entry)

Formula 3 - Le Grande Casa. 1973 Italy

Now here's an album that I had no use for when I first bought it. Like many Italian originals, I found it locally here in Dallas in the 1980s. Brand new copy. I had already owned Sognando... so I was thrilled to get this one too. Got it home, slapped it on the turntable and... What the heck is this? Sold it immediately, proud that I was a true progressive rock fan. Cough. Years later I secured another copy, and this time I put on my big boy pants. The album sounds exactly like the cover looks. It's pastoral, a bit poppy, and often times very beautiful. No manner of rationalization will likely raise this to masterpiece status, but that doesn't mean it's not a pleasant album. It's very much in league with what was going on in Italy at the time, and you can hear elements of this same sound on the debut by Il Volo, which Formula 3 rolled up into. I would only recommend this album to hardcore fans of the genre, and not as a starting point or early recommendation. Go in calm, and you will leave calm. And with a smile on your face.

Ownership: LP: 1973 Numero Uno. Gatefold. Acquired at VVV Records in Dallas (1988).

CD: 2003 BMG (Japan). Papersleeve edition.

1//88; 12/11/16 (new entry)

Novalis - Vielleicht bist du ein Clown? 1978 Germany

Once hearing Vielleicht bist du ein Clown?, you'll realize this is where Novalis has been heading for some time. They were never the most complex and densest of writers, and most of their compositions were rather straightforward. But they had a tendency to drench it heavily in dressing, giving it more of a superficial progressive rock feel. Where Novalis shines is their ability to write beautiful melodies, along with very pleasant instrumentals. So it was only logical the group would eventually trim the tree so to speak, and get down to their core competencies. I'd even argue this is stronger than their last recognized progressive rock album Brandung. Of course, Novalis are now on the slippery slope to commercialism, and have started to become more irrelevant to the average progressive rock fan. But this one is a nice transitional album. Better than most that tried during this era.

Personal collection
CD: 1998 Repertoire

I first found this album in a dusty old used record store in west Dallas in the 1980s, a no-go ghetto area back then. A surprising find for the area, but unfortunately I was quite disappointed with the initial impression and sold it. So it's nice to obtain the CD again, and appreciate the album on its own terms, rather than the ones I dictated it must have.

Toni Esposito - Rosso Napoletano. 1974 Italy

Toni Esposito's debut is percussive heavy, with synthesizers, electric piano, and saxophone providing the color. All this on top of a deep funk groove. This is mood music for the early morning or late evening. A good one for jazz funk specialists.

Ownership: CD: 2014 Sony

Ibis. 1975 Italy

I find it humorous that I have somehow cobbled four versions of this album. I didn't even own it at all a few years ago, and that's primarily because I didn't like it much. I still wouldn't claim it to be some great Italian prog masterpiece, but it works well as a hard rock / progressive crossover album. I've come to grips with it on its own terms. The New Trolls never had any identity, and neither did their offshoots, which includes Ibis. Their debut Sun Supreme is a classic album in the Yes mold. Their self-titled second (yes, please be as confusing as possible guys) is nothing of the sort. It could have been a New Trolls album, or a completely new outfit. Most of the album is solid, with a couple of blues/boogie clunkers. The one highlight is the lengthy 'Narratio'.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Polydor. Single sleeve. Heavy laminate wrinkle which is typical for this title. Has inner bag. Online acquisition (2015).

Former ownership: LP: 1982 Polydor (Japan). Single sleeve w/obi. Online acquisition (2010). 

Former ownership: CD: 2010 Polydor (Japan). Papersleeve edition.

I do technically still have it on CD via one of those Progressive Italia box sets, but eventually those will fly as well, once someone releases those darn Sensations' Fix albums properly.

2009; 12/10/16 (review / new entry); 10/12/21

Brast Burn - Debon. 1975 Japan

I'll be honest, when I saw this album come up for a random listen, I figured it might find its way onto the next train out of here. Not even close. My first thought when seeing a 45 minute continuous track - noted as experimental and coming from Japan - is not something of an enjoyable experience.  In fact, noise is the only word that comes to mind. Brast Burn is anything but. It's very transcendental. The music has purpose, with interesting melodies and other sounds, and does maintain a rock base throughout. A thoroughly enjoyable ride.

Personal collection
CD: 1998 Paradigm (UK)

Regarding the CD, Discogs had it labeled as "unofficial". I just changed it. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets changed back, but I wanted to get on the record something that I had recalled years ago. Here are my notes as registered in Discogs: There was a slip of paper included with this CD, which I unfortunately did not keep, that went on to explain that Paradigm had the right to reissue this album. They went to great lengths to explain the legalities of it. The label itself is a legitimate concern, with no history of bootlegging (the Karuna Khyal was released under the same premise), so I think it's fair to give them the benefit of the doubt. It is a classic "gray area" reissue, but I wouldn't label it unofficial or pirate. If I'm overruled, I will accept the outcome, but for now I'm switching it back to legit.

No matter their final ruling, I'm comfortable owning this CD (copy #448), and if an indigenous reissue appears, then I may consider upgrading. Of course, there are plenty of other pirate editions slithering about today, that are best avoided.

Sieges Even - Life Cycle. 1988 Germany

Let's make it two in a row. What I said about Starcastle could apply here. Two entirely different genres, same beef. If you were looking for a technical metal album in 1988, you could seek out Watchtower... or Sieges Even*. Watchtower was first, therefore Sieges Even sucks. Huh? Nonsense of course. I'm a huge Watchtower fan, but for my Deutsche Marks, Life Cycle is the superior album. The compositions are just as dense, but the sound is heavier and the breaks are catchier. Sure lead singer Franz Herde shrieks like a zoo animal in pain, but that was the expected style-of-the-genre. It's not like Alan Tecchio sounded like Tony Bennett. It actually adds to the overall vibe of the organized chaos. I bought the LP not long after release, and it remains one of my all-time favorite metal albums. It's aged very well. The band were to change dramatically from here, never really regaining a foothold into tech metal again.

*It was actually called "Technical Metal" back then (not Tech Thrash). Check out some old Metal Forces mags if you don't believe me. I was a fan of the style from the get, so I was most interested in other bands similar.

Ownership: LP: 1988 Steamhammer. Single sleeve. Acquired from a friend in Florida (1990)

CD: 1988 Steamhammer. Jewel case.

1990; 12/10/16 (new entry)

Starcastle - s/t. 1976 USA

Those who write-off Starcastle as merely Yes clones, are the same ones who would do similar with Eskaton sounding like Magma. It's an easy comparison, makes for a populist styled review, and everyone goes home happy - satisfied in their self-assessed deep historical knowledge on the subject, along with sycophantic approval from other strictly-topical naysayers. Indeed if learning how to write in the first grade is the same as your college term paper, then the logic proves true.

I nearly wrote a dissertation on this very subject, painstakingly compiled for my USA Midwest / Ontario Progressive Rock (1970's/early 80s) list. Every band has influences they merge into their own music. Yes themselves borrowed from many a source to come up with their unique sound recipe. Now Starcastle comes along, takes the Yes recipe as a base, and distills it even further. Druid in England were doing the same thing at the same time, except to critical approval. The USA, while never having our own progressive rock scene like Europe, really took a shine to good ole Yes in the 1970s. So if you were to put together a band during that time, Yes was likely your first choice as an influence. It just so happens that Starcastle actually made a bit of a commercial mark doing it, thus subjugating themselves to years of undeserved ridicule by those who consider the Rolling Stone Record Guide a contemporary gospel that cannot be questioned, lest you too be tagged with a Scarlet M (for Moron) on your hard earned Fragile concert T-shirt.

As I state under the Starcastle entry on the list above: There can be no doubt that Starcastle had front row seats to the Relayer tour, but they also have that distinct American touch in the songwriting. Some will say watered-down, and perhaps that's not far from the truth - but getting on the radio was extremely important to any band who wanted a shot at success. And no local band was going to be afforded the opportunity to release a 'Gates of Delirium' type opus. Their gambit paid off, as Starcastle could only be considered a grand success in this scenario.

In reality, Starcastle weren't the "bloated corpse" (says the music critics, not I) of Yes' sprawling album side suites - but rather it was a more direct sound, similar to The Yes Album. There's more Tony Kaye than Rick Wakeman here, that's for sure.

I would highly suggest listening to this album on its own, taking into account the compositions themselves, then allow the "influence filter" into your mind. As an example of 1970s Midwest American progressive rock, it's damn near perfect.

LP: 1976 Epic
CD: 2010 Rock Candy (UK)

The Rock Candy CD is definitive with excellent liner notes and photos.

Last listen: October 7, 2019

Message - The Dawn Anew is Comin. 1973 Germany

The German/Irish combo's debut album. It took me some time to wrap my ears around this one, as it didn't meet the lofty expectation of the brilliant followup From Books and Dreams (featured here elsewhere). The Dawn Anew is Comin is a bit more straightforward from a hard rock perspective, and fits the landscape of the German underground perfectly. If you're a fan of the genre, this comes as an easy recommendation. If looking for more challenging progressive Krautrock, I'd suggest starting with From Books and Dreams. Personally, I consider this one essential as well. 'Heaven Knows' is the highlight track for me.

Personal collection
CD: 1993 Bacillus/Bellaphon

As for reissues, none are particularly exciting. It would be nice for a specialist label to come along with liner notes and bonus tracks. As far as I can tell, all reissues are straight-up. My first copy was a single sleeve LP from 25 years ago or so. I believe it was the French press...

Soft Machine - Backwards. 1970 England (archival)

Cuneiform are the gold standard for all things Soft Machine, and their dogged determination to release anything and everything worthwhile is to be admired. And in my world, anything pre 1971 is worth investigating, and then after that, it's hit or miss. Most of this album was recorded from concerts in May 1970, performed in London. In effect, it's Soft Machine Third live. The band is beginning to really stretch out into jazz norms, something they eventually crossed the threshold over to wholly - and less to my personal interest. I won't claim this one to be essential, like say Noisette is, but for the hardcore faithful, it most certainly is. The CD comes 

Ownership: CD: 2002 Cuneiform. Jewel case release with full historical liner notes from Soft Machine archivist Aymeric Leroy.

2002; 1/10/16 (new entry)

Mirkwood - s/t. 1973 England

Fine example of the underground UK private press hard rock blues sound. There were only 99 originals pressed and is considered one of the most sought after records in the collector world. The CD reissue contains full historical liner notes, but no bonus tracks.

Personal collection
CD: 2008 Thors Hammer / Garden of Delights