French TV - 11: Ambassadors of Good Health and Clean Living. 2016 USA-Kentucky

Ambassadors of Good Health and Clean Living is the 11th album from French TV, who hail from Louisville, Kentucky. Their patented brand of instrumental music typically straddles the fine line between Avant Prog and Canterbury styled fusion. On this effort, the needle definitely points to the former. Even though they are joined here by the fine Japanese band TEE, a band deeply rooted in the European progressive rock tradition, French TV's sound doesn't seem to be affected much by their presence. As is often the case with Avant Prog, the music is intricately composed and superbly executed. All the same, it lacks groove and soul, something I tend to champion more as I get older. Music like this seems charted for performance at a symphony hall. One wishes they'd let their hair down, and kick out the jams brothers and sisters. Oh well, still a fine effort despite the cold calculating disposition. However it does appear the band is on the slow decline to irrelevancy. This one was predictable in its unpredictable metric style.

Former ownership: CD: 2016 Pretentious Dinosaur. Digipak

5/28/16 (first listen / review / new entry); 2/19/24

Anglagard - Hybris. 1992 Sweden

The single foremost album that took 90s prog music kicking and screaming back into the 70s. Progressive rock was just beginning to make its comeback in the late 80s and early 90s, when Anglagard showed up and promptly flattened everyone on their ass. Most bands back then were more enamored with Marillion than Trettioariga Kriget (who?). Anglagard once and for all proved that the albatross moniker of "progressive rock" was a style of an era, not a philosophy that must be maintained with a certain high standard of modern creativity. Today, the term retro-progressive is used for bands like Anglagard, but that's a modern appellation. We were just grateful that "prog" was back at all, and in its original form. For that alone, Hybris will always be highly revered by rabid fans like moi. Of course the naysayers came out in droves at the time - just as they do now - stating mostly the obvious: It's not new. No, it isn't new. It is, however, an amazing distillation of a familiar sound - without any of the baggage of the 70s to get in the way. This was created by fans of the genre - for fans of the genre. Thank you Anglagard for paving that path that has continued to be well traveled today.

Ownership: LP: 1992 Colours (Norway). Beautiful gatefold with all sorts of goodies (booklets, stickers, notes). The Colours label was perhaps the last great progressive rock LP-only label before CDs took complete control, and before the vinyl renaissance of the 2010's.

CD: 1992 Mellotronen. Jewel case. This was one of the first new albums (perhaps the first?) where I had to have both the LP and the CD.

CD: 2013 Arcangelo (Japan). Papersleeve edition. Box set that uses Hybris as the cover and stores all three of their albums.

1992; 2010; 5/27/16 (new entry)

Radio Massacre International - Solid States. 2003 England

Solid States is made up of 4 live and studio concerts during November of 2002, performed in both Philadelphia and the Los Angeles area. This is one of Radio Massacre International's more psychedelic releases, and that's primarily due to the abundance of electric guitar. Basically what we have here are long journeys of Berlin School electronic music with fat analog sequencers, mellotron, and loud acid guitar solos. If this sounds like Encore era Tangerine Dream, including the concerts-in-the-USA theme, then yes, you have tracked the scent indeed. One cannot possibly get enough of 'Coldwater Canyon' in my book, and here you'll swim in roughly 2 and a half hours of it. Essential.

Ownership: CD: 2003 Northern Echo. 2xCD


5/26/16 (new entry)

Sammal - Myrskyvaroitus. 2015 Finland

Sammal are yet another modern "proto-prog" Scandinavian group to reach back to the glory years of 1970 to 1974 for inspiration. The instrumentation is entirely analog, as are the production techniques. We recently featured another such group from Finland - Malady - and the results here on Sammal's second album are very similar. The indigenous tongue is also quite important for the overall product to be successful (and thanks to Fairyeee for the cool explanation about 'Stormvarning'). For us Americans, who almost have no chance of understanding Finnish (or even figuring it out), we'll miss out on the meaning, but the sound of the language is integral to the presentation, and quite enjoyable to the ears. The end result is something akin to a Finnish Uriah Heep, circa 1972. It's a familiar recipe with a unique preparation. So if bands like Kalevala, Nimbus, and Haikara put a smile on your face, so shall Sammal.

Ownership: CD: 2015 Svart

5/20/16 (first listen / review / new entry)

Il Paese dei Balocchi. 1972 Italy

I think Il Paese dei Balocchi's sole album is the kind of Italian progressive album that is taken for granted. Usually filed under terms like "second tier", and though not an unfair statement when compared to the likes of PFM, Banco, Biglietto per L'Inferno, Semiramis, Il Balletto di Bronzo, ad infinitum, one should still call this "first tier". A beautiful piece of rock music. I think the orchestrations / singer songwriter romantic stuff is what doesn't sit well for first time visitors / scan-through listeners. After a bombastic opening, the album gives the listener a bit of a head fake. That said, all of the mellow parts are so well done and there are no whiny bits to endure, which usually detracts from other albums in the genre. Overall, it's looser and more sparse than most coming from Italy during this time. One of the few albums with a killer pipe organ solo. I do believe this is a classic! Yes, I do.

Ownership: LP: 1972 CGD. Originals come in a wonderful gatefold sleeve. I've had this on LP a few times, including the single sleeve Japanese press. Looks like I purchased this copy online in 2004.

CD: 2004 Strange Days (Japan). Mini-LP/papersleeve that replicates the original. Part of the Triade box set, and is likely to go nowhere anytime soon.

11//04; 5/10/16 (new entry)