Merkin - Music from the Merkin Manor. 1973 USA

Where to even start? Merkin are... weird. Not-on-purpose-weird either. They're from Orem, Utah for starters - right in the heart of Mormon country. Their album was released in 1973, which is a good 5 years past its sell date. This kind of flower pop psych was long out of fashion and I have a feeling the band would have no idea that was the case. Merkin sound like the Free Design if they were a real psych band with a killer fuzz-tone guitar right out of the Haight-Ashbury 60s scene. Make no mistake, Merkin are a bunch of squares like Free Design, which is where the allure lies actually. For years I questioned the quality of this album, and thought it might be part of the collector hype machine. Perhaps it still is, as the compositions here are wildly uneven. But when they hit the zone, it's downright divine. 'Ruby' is an all-time classic, one of my faves of the 60s (oh wait...). 'Todaze' and 'Watching You' are also awesome, mixing it up where you least expect it. They have this whimsical sunshine pop charm about them - mixed with an angry psych tone, that projects their inner conflict no doubt. The Osmonds they are not.

Monster album? No. But one that is so incredibly alluring. One of those Gnosis 10 / 3.5 star albums that is better than the grade implies.

Personal collection
LP: 1999 Akarma (Italy)

The heavy cardboard single sleeve LP reissue from Akarma is taken directly from the Gear Fab CD, and is credited/licensed as such. So this is definitely one of their legit reissues. Unfortunately the CD itself was taken from vinyl rather than the master tapes (likely lost). And there is no additional history provided. On the plus side, the 3 bonus tracks from the CD are maintained, and the first 2 are very good.

Gift - Blue Apple. 1974 Germany

Gift is a good example of why I'm somewhat reticent of the all-encompassing Krautrock tag. It means many things to many people. I first heard this album via the bootleg Germanofon CD near on 20 years ago, and didn't think much of the music at all. Well it certainly wasn't the Krautrock I was looking for! And I hardly was a kid back then - what? 31-32 maybe? I recently obtained the Telefunken (EastWest) CD and now I hear the album for what it is: Organ driven German hard rock, another genre I'm quite fond of. What you'll find here is a mix of Night Sun, Gomorrha, Epitaph, Birth Control, Dies Irae, and Fly to The Rainbow era Scorpions (listen to the two part 'Reflections' for the latter reference). The album starts off rather straightforward, though the title track features an abundance of flute-tape mellotron, not exactly a staple of the hard rock medium. Starting with 'Don't Waste Your Time', things become obviously more progressive... and more interesting for this listener anyway. There's even some heavy Italian prog references towards the end, especially the closer. Yea, I blew the call on this one. 

Ownership: LP: 1974 Nova. Gatefold. Recent acquisition from the Denver Record Show (2022). Let go of the 1998 Telefunken CD which made up the above review.

11/21/15; 8/28/16 (new entry); 5/4/22 (LP addition)

Crysys - Hard as Rock. 1981 USA-Oregon

Crysys were a band from Portland, Oregon who released this one fine hard rock / metal album and then disappeared without a trace. Though released in 1981, they were clearly following along the same path as others of that American late 70s restless breed like Riot, Granmax, The Rods, Bad Axe, and Alkana. Judas Priest were certainly an influence, perhaps even early Van Halen. There's some sophistication in the arrangements, and all the tracks rock hard with plenty of metal riffing, and remain interesting throughout the length. It's from the era where the blues still played a major role in everything hard rock, and there's traces of that here within the songcraft. The psychedelic cover and hair metal styled moniker doesn't do the band any favors with an expected audience that never appeared, despite two LP pressings and covers. For late hard rock / early metal fans, this is an historical gem not to be missed. Excellent.

Ownership: LP: 1981 Long St. Records. This album is a new discovery for me, when I stumbled upon the Metalworks LP for cheap in Dec, 2015 (which I sold in our Purple Peak Records sale this spring). Of course, I soon found out that was a second pressing, and seeing that the original wasn't that much more expensive, I had to secure one, which I've now done. There is no legit CD as I write this, though a pirate does exist. So straight to the CDRWL it went!

The original is on Long St. Records and features the cool psychedelic cover as mentioned in my notes above. The Metalworks issue (1983) usurped a photo from the back cover of the original and blew it up for their front cover. I can understand that, given the audience it was trying to lure in. Though perhaps a fantasy warrior cover may have been more appropriate.

As an aside, Metalworks was a sublabel of importer/label Jem Records, who were clearly trying to tap into the burgeoning heavy metal market. As far as I can tell, this is the only full length album to be released, before abandoning the project. They certainly had the right idea, and one has to look at their execution as an example of poor business judgement. Time has proved they made a costly mistake, and Jem ultimately ended up bankrupt in 1988 (for various reasons).

Syrius - Most,Mult, Lesz. 1970-1972 Hungary (archival)

As you can see, I did decide to move this CD out recently (can't keep them all!). But I thought the post would be informative for those who have an interest in the band and title.

This CD is a nice archival release of Hungarian jazz rock / proto-prog from the early 70s.

Tracks 1 to 5 are from their historic (I imagine it to be anyway) journey to Australia in 1971, where their first album was recorded as well. Jackie Orszaczky would later immigrate there and release another fine album (actually better). These songs are mostly covers save 'Who is the Clown', but all the same are excellent jazz rock renditions of familiar tunes. And easily represent the best material and production here.

Track 6 is a sprawling 35 minute jazz rock suite recorded in 1970 in Budapest, and is completely unrelated to the album of the same name released in 1976. While the composition is fairly solid, the length is not justified, the performance lacks fire, and the recording is of decent bootleg quality.

The final title track was recorded in 1972 in Budapest, and once again is a fine composition, though lacking any notable qualities.

Definitely a worthy endeavor, though not an easy recommendation, despite the enormous challenges the band must have endured back then.

Personal collection
none. Sold the 1994 CD on Gong.

The CD on the Gong label features liner notes (in Hungarian), and the details of the recordings (which I supplied above).

Tasavallan Presidentti - Pop Liisa 01. 1973 Finland (archival)

Tasavallan Presidentti are one of the "big 2" when talking Finnish progressive rock in the early 70s, at least from a commercially successful standpoint in their own native land. Like Wigwam, the band are known as diverse - but uniformly excellent - songwriters. Unlike Wigwam, they acted more as a cohesive unit when composing, and thus their albums were more consistent on the whole. But in Finland itself, Tasavallan Presidentti were most known for their live concerts, which were driven strongly by an improvisational desire. Lead by superstar guitarist Jukka Tolonen, the band moved in and out of lengthy jams with ease. Up until now, there hasn't been any aural evidence of this side of the band. Once again, these fantastic archival finds from Svart have opened up a new window for all of us to peek inside. For this session, recorded September 12th, 1973, Tasavallan Presidentti offer up two lengthy jams. The first 'Lennosta Kii', clocking in at 19+ minutes, is not easily recognizable. It's actually a composition from equally legendary jazz man Eero Koivistoinen, taken from his rare debut LP recorded in 1968. For those who have their doctoral studies in Tasavallan Presidentti's music, you then will recognize this main melody as 'Caught from the Air' from Milky Way Moses, though with Finnish vocals and significantly rearranged. As far as jams go, 'Lennosta Kii' is more than satisfactory, though perhaps not exceptional. The second and last jam is 'Dance' (14:28), taken from Lambertland, and extended considerably here. This performance is much more engaging, and there's a point past the half way mark where the band is firing on all cylinders and they catch a trance induced groove that is highly infectious. This takes the album one more notch on the rating scale. Overall the session seems like a completely new album, and not simply live readouts of previously recorded material. An absolute can't miss purchase if you at all have any interest in 70s Finnish progressive rock.

Ownership: CD: 2016 Svart. Combined on the same CD with Jukka Hauru & Super Kings (Pop Liisa 2). Fantastic archival release with full historical liner notes and relatively great sound.

8/25/16 (new entry)

St. Albert's Dream. USA

This is a fantastic compilation of obscure 45's, and unreleased archival material. No duff tracks, everything in the pocket as it were. This to me anyway, is the perfect type of compilation. All non album tracks, superb music, and all very hard to find. Unfortunately like the Devil's Kitchen on the same label, no historical data was provided, which would have enhanced the overall product that much more. Of course, I'm grateful for the music period, so we'll just have to do the rest on our own.

As Tymeshifter indicates, this comp is of the "heavy psych" variety, which is a personal favorite genre of mine as well. Special thanks goes to local Fort Worth associate John Perez (Brainticket label, Solitude Aeturnus, Liquid Sound Company) for turning me onto this record.

Greylock Mansion were from Tucson, Arizona (home base of the LSD label) and released two 45s in 1970 on Dynamic Records. This track is one of the highlights of the compilation.

Butter (not Butler as designated here) - no idea? Says unreleased master tape from Roger Jones (1972).

Jerimiah are reputed to be related to Brother L Congregation, and were from Victoria, Texas (southwest of Houston, and southeast of San Antonio, near the Gulf Coast). This track came out on the Kumquat label as a 45 single (1969).

Weasel comes from a 45 on Westpark Records, a division of Soundville out of Houston, Texas. So we'll presume they were from there (1969).

Wheatridge - no idea again. Says "uncredited acetate" (1970).

Oracle were another band from Tucson, though I can find no evidence of where this track comes from (1972).

Brand X (hmm sounds familiar... but no) were from Indianapolis and released this track on a 45 on Steel Breeze Records (1970). This is another highlight of the comp.

Mechanical Switch were from the small south Texas town of El Campo between Victoria and Houston. This track is on a 45 on Bag One Way Records (Feb 1969 according to one source).

Murphy's Law - can't find anything on this one either. The track is a Uriah Heep cover from their 1971 Look at Yourself album (and sounds a lot like a demo version of Uriah Heep actually with trumpet added). Date listed is 1972.

Sleepy Hollow were from Phoenix, Arizona and released this track on a 45 from ECI Records (1969).

Frozen Sun were yet another band from Tucson. This track was on a 45 from the Capt. Zoomar label (1969).

LP: 2013 Lysergic Sound Distributors

Streetdancer - Rising. 1977 USA

This has been a long time feature over at the CDRWL. Moving here to UMR now with freshly penned notes. And the first two photos represent some of the sealed LP copies we are currently selling over on Discogs and on Purple Peak Records!

From the Chicago area, Streetdancer are one of the more energetic of the jazz fusion bands to come from the USA. Their debut borders on free jazz, is entirely dominated by saxophone, and is a difficult listen. However on this, their sophomore effort, the music is completely different. Adding a guitarist and a violinist, Streetdancer jumped in with both feet in crafting their version of the early Mahavishnu Orchestra sound. And it smokes pretty much from the beginning to the end. This is the kind of rough-hewn fusion I personally love with distorted guitar, soaring violin, and an active rhythm section. It gets a little loose in places, not surprising given their free jazz background, but for the most part it's a tight, kinetic barnburner. No fusion head should be without it.

Personal collection

LP: 1977 Dharma

Metamorfosis - Papallones i Elefants. 1982 Spain

Despite the surreal cover art, Metamorfosis do not belong to the Spanish progressive rock revival of the late 1970s. Rather, this is a homage to Chick Corea's Return to Forever, or perhaps even fellow countrymen Iceberg. Minus the insane chops that is. No matter, as the melodic content is high, and the compositions are well written. Had this been a private American album from 1982, fusion enthusiasts would be hollering about it everywhere. And so, yes, recommended indeed.

Top Drawer - Solid Oak. 1972 USA-Ohio

Top Drawer play a straightforward blues rock, but with strong psychedelic and hard rock underpinnings. The latter is best exemplified by the guitar leads which are stronger than most from this era, especially in the Midwest private press arena - in fact, it's a sound you're most likely to encounter in the region circa 1972 or later (it turns out that the 1969 date was wrong too). So Top Drawer were definitely ahead of the pack in that regard. The organ is present only as dressing to the overall salad. The songwriting is quite good throughout, with only the 'Baker's Boogie' track being somewhat a waste of time, though I'm sure it was popular in the local clubs of the day. I can see from other reviews that folks are frothing about 'Song of a Sinner', but personally I hear it very much in league with the other tracks here, perhaps drawn out a bit more with its bluesy vibe, though arguably it's still the album's best composition  - along with the hard driving closer 'Lies'. Nothing on the album is extraordinary, but a very solid release throughout, and much better than I had anticipated. A little bit of an early Dragonwyck vibe here too (from nearby Cleveland), minus the obvious Morrison-isms.

Top Drawer were not from Kentucky as is widely cited in catalogs and on the internet, but rather from Mansfield in north central Ohio.

Looks to be an album that has escaped a quality CD or LP reissue. Oh, there are many reissues, but they are either dubious or outright pirate. Would be a good title for a psych / hard rock reissue specialist.

RYM erroneously has a listing for a Repertoire release, which would be legit, except best I can tell it's a reissue of this album: The Gods - To Samuel A Son

Gerard - Live in Marseille/Battle Triangle. 1998 Japan

Gerard had 7 studio albums prior to this, their first live album. All the tracks have been culled from their studio recordings, and there's an additional cover of a Banco del Mutuo Soccorso composition from Darwin. Generally live albums bore me, as they're nothing but a run-through of the studio material, but recorded in front of a live audience. That's not the case here. First of all, it's just the keyboard trio. As such, no vocals or guitars are present. Rather it's a non-stop blitzkrieg of Hammond fueled* instrumental workouts with fuzz bass and hyperactive drumming - and where each track has been turned up to "11". The album is just relentless in its intensity. Those looking for color or nuance will need to skip right over this one. Imagine the 1970 UK group Aardvark on a non-stop bender without vocals. Not for the fainthearted.

*This is absolutely the sound they obtain, but in reading the liner notes and the internet, it appears all the keyboards used were modern day Korg synthesizers run through Leslie pedals. If only other contemporary bands had adopted such a thick and meaty sound!

Ownership: CD: 1998 Made in Japan. Purchased new upon release, based on recommendations from friends. The album is titled Live in Marseille, subtitled Battle Triangle, and further it says "Ltd. Edition for Fan Club", as the indigenous release features one short bonus piece called 'Revenge', which sounds just as great as everything else on the album.

8/21/16 (new entry)

Stencil Forest - Opening Act. 1983 USA-Indiana

Small world time for me. One of the members of Stencil Forest is the older brother of a very good friend of mine who I met through my work in the software industry. When I first visited his brother (who had already relocated to Denver where we all lived), he stuck this album in my face and said "So you're into obscure rock music - bet you haven't heard of Stencil Forest?". He was right - I hadn't (this was back in 1995). They were from that unlikely hotbed of talent - Fort Wayne*, Indiana (Ethos, latter day Happy the Man). For those that are exceptionally perceptive, they did indeed get their name from the Happy The Man tune and apparently hung out with them quite a bit in the early 80's. So fast forward to 2004. They just re-mastered the tapes and privately released their sole album on CD. It sounds absolutely fantastic! Very professionally done throughout. Musically this is Midwest pomp/AOR with a prog twist. Think Styx, Kansas, later period Starcastle, REO Speedwagon, Shooting Star, etc… Oh you know, stuff that comes from this list. Given the progressive leanings, probably the Canadian group Saga would be the most apt comparison. What’s most interesting is how creative some of the instrumental breaks can be. Not in a flashy chops way, but very much like a Happy The Man or Genesis in their prime would do. There’s also the cringe inducing choruses and obvious play for radio, but they really were shooting for the big time, as was everyone else in those days. Had this come out a couple of years earlier, they might have made it too. The only song on here that plays it straight throughout is 'Looking Back', one that can be skipped over quickly. The title track is a Cliff Notes version of what Stencil Forest are all about. You’ll be fumbling for the remote after hearing the starting sequence with its 1980's AOR guitar chord rock and insipid chorus lines. Then, suddenly, the composition shifts to a complex and highly melodic mid-section. And back and forth it goes. This type of adventurism wasn't found on most 1980's arena rock albums. 'Celestial Voices', 'Just a Fantasy' and 'Crossroads' all have this yin / yang quality about them. 'The Pandemonium Shadow Show' is, not surprising with a title like that, the all-in progressive rock track that makes fans of the genre wish they'd just done a whole album of similar. It’s also the longest track clocking in near 9 minutes (again no surprise). The final two tracks, 'Indian Summer' and 'Five Studded Poker Player' are probably the best overall when considering the balance of melodic content and progressive interludes. In fact, the latter track would've been my surprise pick for a single, as it has the type of hook that lasts long after the album has ceased playing. Even the 1992 bonus cut ‘Five by Five’ is similar in construct. For vintage gear heads, it’s the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory with Mellotron, Hammond B-3, Mini-Moog, and Hohner D-6 Clavinet. Stencil Forest are a six member group so a lot of ideas and synergy can be heard. I can really appreciate the time and place aspect of this kind of music. And this is one of the finest examples I’ve heard – especially for the genre’s late date.

*Some of the band members were from Elkhart, but they set up shop in Fort Wayne.

Ownership: LP: 1983 Realtime. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2018).

CD: 2004 private. Jewel case release with one bonus track. Acquired as noted above.

9//04; 8/21/16 (new entry)

Sintesis - s/t. 1976 Argentina

Sintesis were an obscure instrumental band who released this one fine album back in 1976, and this is my first exposure to the work, perhaps unbelievably considering its greatness. Sintesis' music is at that exciting point between jazz rock and progressive. In particular the guitar playing is kinetic, and provides the jumpy leads over the irregular rhythms. At times, an edgy fuzz tone psychedelic guitar adds an incendiary element. Soft lines of flute and violin smooth the edges, and provide the beautiful melodic phrases. This is an album that seems to be on the precipice of jumping off to immortality, only to be reeled back by more traditional jazz rock offerings, often times lead by the saxophone. In particular 'Algunas Maneras De Expresarme' is sublime, as are the opening two tracks and the closer. The CD on BlueArt (see more below) adds an excellent bonus track. When looking at comparisons, one hears the early 70s Italian jazz rockers such as La Seconda Genesi or Duello Madre. Combine this with local stars such as Crucis, jazz rock era Arco Iris, and the equally obscure El Trio. A super find, when it seemed all others of its ilk had already been dug up and safely placed in museums.

Personal collection
CD: 2016 BlueArt

The new CD on BlueArt is awesome, with excellent sound (appears to be from the masters), and full liner notes (in Spanish though), plus the aforementioned bonus track. BlueArt specializes mainly in jazz and Tango, so this is my first exposure to them, even though they've been around for over 15 years. The CD has yet to be entered into Discogs, which I may end up doing myself (and just did...). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first legitimate reissue. It appears the excellent PRW of Brazil had intended on reissuing it nearly 20 years ago, going so far as to apply a catalog number, but we (the collective we) cannot find evidence of it actually being released. If anyone can prove this to the contrary, I would be much obliged. 

Various artists - Enchantement. 1987 France

Note that the CD reissue is much improved from the original LP here: Two are replacements of different material (Edhels, Boffo), and two are new (Anoxie, Halloween). The latter two total over 16 minutes, so not an insignificant addition. And the Halloween track is arguably the best thing on here. I used to own the LP, but traded it out for the CD not long after release, and considering the excellent Edhels LP track is a bonus on the Still Dream CD, that made the decision easy. The CD booklet is as informative as ever about each band participating.

Overall, this album is quite representative of the late 80s French progressive scene, which is not the same thing as saying it's superb. There's a certain New Wave charm to some of the tracks (Elohim, Pulsar, Ange), and there's the made-up-on-the-spot group Atmosphere, who nonetheless provide one of the album's highlights (just don't go looking for the mythical non-existent LP).

And from the original LP - Minimum Vital, Raison de Plus, and Sombre Reptile were among the highlights. Sadly the latter two never achieved the same level of expertise with their somewhat futile CD efforts later on. Minimum Vital, of course, have continued to be one of the bright lights of French progressive rock for almost 30 years now.

For me, it's all a bit of nostalgia, as I knew the guys from Musea, and was just starting my own extensive journey into the netherworld of obscure progressive rock way back in 1987.

Personal collection
CD: 1989 Musea / Baillemont

TEE - Tales of Eternal Entities. 2016 Japan

The fluidly named TEE this time stands for Tales of Eternal Entities, and this is the Japanese band's 3rd album. I had feared that TEE's involvement with French TV's latest album may have given the group a new found rigidity. Fortunately that is not the case, and TEE return with their distinctly mid to late 70s warm European progressive rock sound. Flute, guitar, and analog sounding synth lines dominate the melodies, while the rhythm section mixes things up often to keep the music from becoming static. As in the past, you'll hear traces of Asia Minor, Solaris, Gotic, and perhaps more pointedly than ever, the godfather of such a sound: Camel. TEE could also be seen as an instrumental parallel band to Spain's L'Herba d'Hameli. 'Epimetheus' is a brilliant opener, and it appeared this album may well in fact be their best work to date. 'Mother Earth' is another standout track. There is nothing less than what I would consider an "excellent" track here. I would offer that Tales of Eternal Entities is a hair off the pace from the prior Trans-European Expression, but all of their albums are outstanding and not to be missed. Borderline 4.5 stars here (Gnosis 11), but will stay conservative. One of the best albums from 2016 so far for my tastes.

Ownership: CD: 2016 Musea Parallele

8/19/16 (new entry)

Duello Madre. 1973 Italy

Duello Madre's sole album is a superbly executed jazz rock from this one-off Italian prog band, that featured a supergroup of sorts (Osage Tribe, Nuova Idea, Circus 2000). Musically could be compared to Embryo of the same era, with disjointed and hypnotic bass lines, jumpy electric guitar, wailing sax, and beautiful flute. It's not a solo-over-standard-beat-bass album as has been proposed, but rather a fully realized work, with intense jamming sections, melodic composition, coupled with atmospheric parts (including some fine Italian vocals on the first track). First half of the album combines jazz with Italian flavored progressive rock, whereas the flip side goes more for a deep jazz rock groove. Excellent representation of the genre circa 1973.

Ownership: LP: 2004 Vinyl Magic. Gatefold with lyric inner sleeve. Recent online acquisition (2021). This replaces the 1993 Mellow CD which was my introduction to the album.

8/17/16 (new entry)

Dark - Tamna Voda. 1988 Germany

Dark definitely has an Inner Mounting Flame burning on Tamna Voda, their second and final album. Guest L. Shankar has the spirit of Jerry Goodman flowing through his strings, while guitarist Miroslav Tadic emulates Mahavishnu John as much as possible. All the while, band leader Mark Nauseef keeps it all together with his ferocious drumming. Additional percussion keeps the party alive. There's the fire, water, earth, and air that was classic Mahavishnu Orchestra. David Torn is on board as well, and his atonal guitar contributions are obvious (and welcome), and the atmospheric pieces recalls his own Cloud About Mercury. The album loses momentum towards the end, but overall a very fine fusion work. It's modern and heavy, but the style clearly points to the early 70s. A long forgotten album that I think many fusion fans would enjoy.

Former ownership: CD: 1988 CMP. Jewel case. Simple booklet with recording details and a band photo.

2006 (first listen); 8/17/16 (new entry); 5/23/24

Stardrive. 1974 USA

If only... if only Robert Mason was instead Robert (pronounced row bear) Massonne and he wrapped his neck in a wool scarf, wore octagonal glasses, and had a cigarette dangling from his lips... and he recorded on the Pole label... man, wouldn't he be the hipster's choice in these enlightened times? And, sacrebleu!, there's even a track called 'Pulsar'! Ah, but it wasn't meant to be for our downtrodden American protagonist. He is Robert Mason, a doppelganger for any male extra on Fargo, who released this buck bin LP special, only to be further driven to indignity by having it reissued on CD by Wounded Bird. No info, no enthusiasm, no nothing. But then again, there is hell to pay for naming a track 'Air Sauce', now isn't there?

There's a review in there somewhere. Remember the magazine Highlights at the dentist's office when you were a kid? It's kind of like that.

Personal collection
CD: 2009 Wounded Bird

The Ceyleib People - Tanyet. 1967 USA

From Los Angeles, The Ceyleib People released this one 23 minute album of instrumental psychedelic music with a heavy emphasis on looking eastwards toward India, which was quite the trendy thing to do in 1967. So if the idea of mixing sitar with the Chamberlin (precursor to the Mellotron) is an exciting concept for you, then The Ceyleib People will certainly satisfy. I quite like it myself, though it is a bit of musical wallpaper to be honest. Conditionally recommended. I'll probably hold onto to it for a few years more, though not likely to make it for the long haul.

Personal collection
none

The second scan is the German original, which appears to have had wide distribution in Europe. The Dropout CD is the only legit reissue and doubles the length by adding a mono mix, which certainly does sound better in this case. The stereo version is lacking... something.

Feb 2018 update: As hinted above, I decided to  move out the CD.

Sod - s/t. 1971 USA

Coming from Las Vegas, Nevada, Sod are one of many horn rock albums from the late 60s and early 70s to have emerged onto the scene. There are some really great tracks on this one, especially 'Too Loose to Get Tight' parts 1 and 2, 'Things I Wanna Say', and 'Makin' It'. As is often the case with the genre, the random dabbling in blues and soul pop drag down the immense potential classic this could have been. Oh well... still one not to miss if coming across in a rummage sale.

You'll often see the name stylized as the acronym SOD, but best I can tell, especially considering the album cover, the band name is Sod - defined as "the surface of the ground, with the grass growing on it."

Amoeba Split - Second Split. 2016 Spain

Amoeba Split are a band from Galicia, in the far northwest of Spain, who play a decidedly UK form of progressive rock: That of the Canterbury movement. Second Split is appropriately enough the band's sophomore effort. It's been 6 years since their debut, and they're now missing one key component - the female voice of Maria Toro. And with that, the late Canterbury sounds of National Health have fled the scene. No matter, as the all instrumental Amoeba Split have stayed the course, and have arguably released an even better album, demonstrating their experience over style. Opener 'Clockwise' is a clear homage to Soft Machine's Third, at that perfect point in 1970 where psychedelic, progressive rock, and jazz meet. Further in the album, 'Backwards all the Time' is once again a tribute to Soft Machine, this time emulating their 1971 sound, and thus tilts more towards the jazz side of the equation. 'Those Fading Hours' blends Canterbury with David Cross like violin, that gives an odd King Crimson vibe, which is unique and very satisfying. 'About Life, Memories and Yesteryears' once again marries Canterbury sounds with something unusual - this time symphonic progressive rock. Perhaps even a trace of Genesis can be heard. But the best for me was 'Sundial Tick' where the band finally demonstrates a bit of their native heritage, though further east towards Catalonia. And hear they blend their trademark sound with that of the classic Gotic album, and is truly splendid. Overall, a fantastic second album, and hopefully we hear from the band more frequently than every 6 years.

Ownership: CD: 2016 Azafran. Papersleeve gatefold

8/12/16 (new entry)

Pierre Moerlen's Gong - Leave it Open. 1981 USA / France

Late in the game fusion album from one of the big names of the genre. Given the date, and other intangibles, I just presumed this would be yet another American styled fuzak album that dominated the record bins of the day. So I never bothered to hear it until now, when the Japanese mini-LP just showed up (2016). This is anything but fuzak. Leave it Open is a very fine jazz rock album, like the kind you might hear in France during this era, with some superb gritty guitar leads from Bon Lozaga. Moerlen's tuned percussion is integral to the music, and doesn't sound gimmicky, which it often can. And you can almost never go wrong when Charlie Mariano is present on saxophone. Best of all, the songwriting is stellar, and the 17 minute track is never boring, nor does it sound like a bunch of ideas pasted together. There's a moment at the 12 to 13 minute mark that sent my hair on end. The only track here that sounded like I first expected is 'It's About Time' with its predictable funky business. And even at that, it's fairly well done and better than average. But the rest is excellent throughout. A major surprise for me.

Ownership: LP: 1981 Arista (Germany). Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2024).

Former ownership: CD: 2006 BMG/Arista (Japan). Papersleeve edition. This was my introduction to the album and the source of the review above.

The album was never released in the States.

8/11/16 (first listen / review / new entry)

Blood Ceremony - Lord of Misrule. 2016 Canada-Ontario

Lord of Misrule is Blood Ceremony's 4th album, and sees the band time travel even further back than prior. Continuing on with this pattern, perhaps soon Blood Ceremony will sound like The Ventures, while Alia O'Brien dances the Mashed Potato...

Lord of Misrule immerses itself into the 1969 landscape quite successfully, mixing psychedelia, folk, hard rock, with slight traces of prog. Though I've defended Blood Ceremony in the past from sounding just like Jethro Tull, here the band seem to be embracing the tag. So yes, perhaps Stand Up era Tull is indeed the blueprint, with some Jefferson Airplane mixed in, and a cameo from Black Sabbath's first album. All with O'Brien's "witchy woman" vocals layered on top. While the music remains excellent - perhaps I say this due to my predilection for the style - there aren't the standout tracks of the past. It's definitely a very good "mid career" album, with well thought out compositions, but it does lack a certain dynamism.

Let's just hope the next album doesn't feature a cover of Hawaii Five-O. Book 'em Danno.

Ownership: CD: 2016 Rise Above (UK)

8/10/16 (new entry)

Jeremy Steig - Fusion. 1970, 1972 USA

Groove Merchant's US and German releases of Fusion are a double LP, with the first LP being a reissue of the Capitol Records 1970 album Energy, and the second LP containing Fusion (originally released in Japan as a single album).

Even though the second disc has tracks with 'Rock #' named titles, it's Energy that kicks the most booty. Steig, on both of these albums, is just possessed on the flute, wailing almost non-stop for the duration. And some really fine fuzzed electric Fender Rhodes can be heard as well from Jan Hammer. Really can’t go wrong here if you’re a flute rock/funk fan similar to other like minded artists such as Bjorn J:Son Lindh and Chris Hinze.

Personal collection
LP: 1972 Groove Merchant

You really have to pay close attention to this title, because as mentioned above, Fusion can also be the single LP. And some of the CD reissues are of the single LP, not this double. The Something Else CD reissues are each missing two tracks: 'Energy' and 'Rock #10'. The LRC reissue is owned by Sonny Lester, who was also the founder of Groove Merchant. It appears the Unidisc version (3rd scan) is complete.

WintherStormer - Woodwork. 2007 Norway

Norway's WintherStormer is a name that represents the combination of the two main protagonists' Terje Winther and Eric Stormer, both of whom play a large array of analog and digital keyboards. The duo perform an old fashioned Berlin School styled music with plenty of cosmic alien textures and complex darkened sequencer lines. They're augmented on this album by an additional electric guitarist and drummer, which adds some needed fire and affords the group many more composition options to pursue. Overall, definitely on par with Radio Massacre International during this era and/or the genre's founding brain trust of Tangerine Dream-Klaus Schulze's 1970s rock based efforts. 76 minutes of progressive electronic goodness is packed within.

Ownership: CD: 2007 Bajkal

2007; 8/9/16 (new entry)

Pi Corp – Lost in the Cosmic Void. 1973-76 USA (archival)

Archival recordings uncovered by Rockadelic, encompassing the dates from 1973 to 1976, and certainly one of the label's more progressive oriented releases. Pi Corp were a space rock band from Cleveland, Ohio and contains plenty of that ancient Vox Continental organ. Honestly these recordings seem like raw rehearsals that have been heavily affected by studio trickery. The latter element most likely added (or enhanced) many years later, perhaps for this LP release specifically. Interesting album, though not necessarily compelling.

Personal collection
none

I've had both the black and pink splash vinyl copies, the latter of which I currently own (and have since sold). The recent Italian issue (which comes in a gatefold and sports a different cover and title) includes 3 bonus tracks, though honestly the whole thing sounds like bonus tracks to me.

Haze - C'est la Vie. 1984 England

Haze were one of the more known names from the initial New Wave of British Progressive Rock bands that emerged in the early 80s. They were often mentioned in the same breath with IQ, Marillion, Twelfth Night, and Pallas. Armed with this knowledge, when I arrived in London in the summer of 1984, it was my every intention to come home with their first full length LP C'est la Vie. But it was one I could not find anywhere, and the band's hazy moniker represented my own memory of them. C'est la vie indeed.

Fast forward to 1992, now touring my own country, and we're in Greensboro, North Carolina visiting a record store (as if I'd be doing anything else...). And there (of all places), staring me right back, was the ever elusive Haze album, with its unique blue vinyl cover design. It was there, I was there, and it was $2. Mine. Finally. Eventually arrived back home, played it probably twice, filed it.... and haven't heard it since...

...Since today, 24 years later. The vinyl still has its comfy spot in the collection, but now the CD just walked in the door. Time for a serious headphones listen.

To be honest, I was almost afraid to listen to it. I figured perhaps my quest had added a point or two to the overall rating, in my often fits of nostalgia. The good news is, I enjoyed it more now than I remember. The album very much reminds me of the cassette tape culture that was prominent at the time. So yes it's true, the production quality is lacking, and the performance is amateurish. The band weren't ready for prime time, and yet that's where its charm lies. In addition, Haze weren't your typical Genesis/Yes fixated neo prog outfit, but rather they represented a variety of English bands - anywhere from Iron Maiden to Duran Duran to Van der Graaf Generator. No, they weren't metal or synth pop in the slightest, but the songwriting was reflective. The other major influence that emerges obvious is that of Rush, which gives the band the surge of energy they most certainly needed.

The CD decided to reverse the sides of the LP, so the first track you hear is 'Mirage'. This composition goes back to 1979, 4 years before anything else on the album, and demonstrates that Haze started out far more progressive minded than they ended up. The other standout track is the now-closer 'The Load' which is where VDGG becomes the lead influence. In between are subtle prog tracks, a ballad, a bit of hard rock, and just general no-budget-but-cool sounding 1984 rock.

The liner notes inform us that the song, and record label, Gabadon comes from a translated form of the license plate of a Land Rover the band usurped from a friend to help with touring.

With history now in place, Haze were an early dropout in the neo prog sweepstakes. They were quick to move away from progressive rock, and made their stab at more commercial offerings. A typical failed strategy. The band has reemerged since but I have yet to hear them as I write this.

Ownership: LP: 1984 Gabadon. Single sleeve with plastic cover.

CD: 1996 Cyclops w/The Ember EP

9/29/92; 8/9/16 (new entry)

Iguazu - s/t. 1984 England

Very obscure UK band with a Latin tinged fusion sound. First half of their sole album is a light and breezy fusion with flute and acoustic guitar in the lead role with wordless male/female vocals. At this point, I was recalling Galie from Mexico or perhaps Brazil's Cheiro de Vida. The second half becomes aggressively edgier, with more guest stars on electric guitar, synthesizer, and saxophone - almost to the point of freaky, and thus the revelation of a great find is at hand. However there's no denying its 1984 heritage (especially in the keyboard tones and overall production). Despite that fact, this is something of an essential work.

Siddhartha - Weltschmerz. 1975 Germany

Random thoughts... The German Wapassou; A basement version of Hoelderlin; A cross between Trikolon and Jessica; Sounds like it was recorded in 1970 by high school students.

This is for the hardcore progressive rock fan who have already bought into the premise. For those more objective, or love the new Dogfish Head IPA made with Lysol spray, or scan 30 albums a day on YouTube - you need to avoid this. Really, go away. Leave us alone. :-)

Personal collection
CD: 1994 Penner

A very rare album in original form, any one of the reissues is likely going to be your point of entry here. Amber Soundroom partnered with Garden of Delights, so all the reissues most assuredly come from the same source. As per custom, the Garden of Delights (Penner) CD is chock full of great info, photos, and good sound.

Michael Angelo - s/t. 1977 USA

There are two distinct aspects that define Kansas City based Michael Angelo's work: The year and the mystique. I know for a fact this album gained its reputation originally under the pretense that Mr. Nigro was some sort of forlorn figure who basically lived under a bridge and somehow managed to get this "real people" album recorded (have the catalogs from the 80s to prove this). His bombed-out-of-his mind front cover look may have helped with that legend. And of course, the fact the album came out in 1977 - a year most known for slick pop, glossy fusion, and mirror ball disco - does create quite the anachronism. So with factual history at our disposal, we find out that Michael Angelo was an accomplished session musician recording at a professional studio. Hard to believe really, given the end result, but yes it's true. No idea why this album sounds so under-produced then, which is a somewhat compelling story right there.

So what do we have here? Basically a 10-years-past-its-shelf-life folk psych album, with a certain naive outlook. Now it would be easy to criticize those who love this album as being suckers to an imaginary hype , but I can absolutely understand the allure here. It's beyond my personal interest area, but let's be respectful to those who do love it. The album is somewhat unique despite the historical facts.  I personally find it ironic there is a track called Journey, as to my ears, I immediately could envision Michael Angelo as the lead singer for you-know-who.

Personal collection
none

There are multiple reissues to be had. It would appear that the Lion CD and the Anthology LP are the way to go here, as each features more material, especially the CD which encompasses 3 albums. I recently picked up the self-released Guinn reissue on the cheap, and my copy is 16 out of 450 (and have since sold). No idea how it compares to the original or any other reissue. If I get a hold of one, I'll update this post.

Bulbous Creation - You Won't Remember Dying. 1970 USA-Missouri (archival)

Bulbous Creation were from the Kansas City area circa 1969/1970, and whose music can best be described as a powerful blues psych rock, with heavily effected acid guitar, organ, and impassioned vocals (listen to 'Fever Machine Man' to see what I mean here regarding the latter).  'Let's Go to the Sun' recalls the UK band Janus, with its searing guitar leads. Excellent rhythm section as well, even though they rarely stray from the usual 4/4 time. A wonderful find from Rockadelic.

Personal collection
LP: 2014 Numero Group

So it turns out that the original issue of this from Rockadelic was unauthorized, which the label was guilty of in the mid 90s more often than they should have been (especially since they started completely above board, and finished that way too). Not that Bulbous Creation holds any ill will, and in fact credit Rockadelic for bringing the album to the world's attention. So we have a happy ending in this case. All other issues are straight pirates, until we finally get our first fully authorized release from Numero, which is LP only. I ponied up for one, but I have to admit I expected more here. It's pretty much the exact same as the Rockadelic version, a thick single sleeve cover and a heavy brick for the vinyl. No liner notes, better sound, or anything else of interest. Given that its legit, and the Rockadelic version is long OOP, it's definitely worth owning.

Algarnas Tradgard - Framtiden.... 1971-1972 Sweden (archival)

This entry is strictly to celebrate, and make everyone aware of, the recent Subliminal Sounds 2xLP release. We have the 1972 album on Silence already featured here.

Here's the breakdown of the archival material, which is featured on album #2.

Side 3 ('A Warm Wave of Lunar Mist' and 'The Mirrors of Gabriel') was recorded at The Museum of Art in Gothenburg (1972)
Side 4 ('Rings of Saturn') was recorded at Hagahuset, Gothenburg (1971)
Side 4 ('In the Mode of the Ancient') unknown
Side 4 ('Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom') was recorded at Gardetfest, Stockholm (1971)

The music found on these archival recordings are very much like the legendary album on LP #1. The sound quality is very good, though a bit low volume in the mix overall. It's wild and woolly instrumental psychedelic music - as performed by a band from 1,000 years ago - or a 1,000 years in the future. Who would know?

BTW - these bonus tracks are not the same as any of the CD bonus tracks, nor do they have anything to do with the later Delayed album. These are completely unique to this LP release.

Also, in reading the liner notes, I'm quite fascinated by the political climate of the era. As with Moving Gelatine Plates in France, Algarnas Tradgard were all about the music, not Leftist ideals. And so they were harassed not by the expected Establishment, but rather militant Communist groups insisting on blind loyalty to the cause. Wow. Two of the greatest, most extreme, and creative bands of the era, destroyed by what one would assume to be allies. How I can relate to this... Oh yes I can.

Ownership: LP: 2015 Subliminal Sounds. 2xLP gatefold. Includes the original first album. And it's housed in a gatefold cover where the interior is filled with archival photos. In addition, you will receive a large booklet with historical info penned by band member Dan Soderquist. This will be a keeper until the end of time for sure.

8/4/16 (new entry)

Mooch - Mrs. Silbury's Delicious Mushroom Flavoured Biscuits. 2014 England

Mooch were from the second wave of UK festival psych space rock warriors - coming around as they did in the early 1990s. As such, you'll hear a combination of Soma, Mandragora, and Ship of Fools here (among others). Nice to hear this kind of relaxing, yet kinetic style of guitar/synth fronted space rock still being played in 2014. Good stuff all around.

Ownership: LP: 2014 Cosmic Eye

8/3/16 (new entry)

Grey Mouse - Twisted Tango. 2015 Russia

I first ran into Moscow's Grey Mouse on the excellent Psychedelic World Music compilation from Trail Records a few years ago. The opening track is odd, with banjo used as an atmospheric backdrop and slabs of metal fuzz overload. As such, it comes across as some strange stoner band from West Virginia, awaiting their chance to audition for the remake of the movie Matewan. After this, the band get down to what they do best: Central Asiatic ethnic music meets psychedelic space rock - with female vocals. Somewhat like a meeting of Vespero and Ole Lukkoye. If the exotic ex-Soviet lands of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan mixed with the Western concept of high flying space rock appeals to you, then no doubt Grey Mouse will be a must listen. Perhaps a bit more exciting dynamic changes within each track will take Grey Mouse to the level of Masterpiece. They have it in them for sure. Let's hope they continue from here.

Ownership: LP: 2015 Cosmic Eye 

8/2/16 (new entry)