Pop Instrumental de France (Laurent Petitgirard) - s/t. 1971 France

With a corny name like Pop Instrumental de France, one would think this was going to contain happy organ covers of 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'Paperback Writer'. But this being France in 1971, insiders know it will be something entirely different. A splendid romantic instrumental rock album, with a large palette of instruments creating different moods, atmospheres, and rhythms. Somewhere between William Sheller's Lux Aeterna, Jean Cohen-Solal's two albums, and Alain Goragues La Planete Sauvage, you'll find Laurent Petitgirard's Pop Instrumental de France. A must pick up for fans of early French progressive rock.

Personal collection
CD: 2006 Vadim

The CD on Vadim comes with great liner notes from Laurent Petitgirard, sports new artwork (second scan), and features an excellent sound.

Last listen: 2007

Master Cylinder - Elsewhere. 1981 USA-Texas

Not much is known about this Fort Worth based jazz rock group (even though they're from my neck of the woods, their album wasn't exactly a staple of local jazz or rock radio). On the usually soulless Inner City label, Master Cylinder was anything but that. Their album has a strong melodic sense, and it seems the group must have been informed by the Canterbury groups like early Soft Machine or National Health, as well as the DC based Happy the Man. While ostensibly a jazz album, it's these rock elements that bring Master Cylinder to the next level. A very good album that time has forgot.

Ownership: LP: 1981 Inner City. Single sleeve. Sealed copy acquired online (2012).

Not reissued as of 8/2/24.

2008; 9/30/17 (new entry)

Bloodrock - Bloodrock 3. 1971 USA

Solid workman-like blue collar hard rock album from my current hometown of Fort Worth, with grungy Hammond and heavy guitar leads. At least 4 tracks here are total winners. Only pitfalls are 'You Gotta Roll' which is their only foray - this time - into what seemed to be the mandatory boogie/good time rock-n-roll number. And 'A Certain Kind' is the type of ballad Bloodrock should have avoided altogether. CSN&Y album closer doesn't do the band any favors either. But otherwise this one is solid hard rock fare and a must for fans of the genre. These "Cats" (residents will get it) are local boys who done real good. Makes me want to go to Kincaid's Grocery on Camp Bowie, and get a cheeseburger and a real (chocolate) ice cream shake. In a Chevy Mist Green painted grocery. And I did just that today... (I really did! On the day I wrote these notes which was Nov 7, 2015. Just never added to UMR until now).

Personal collection
LP: 1971 Capitol

Last listen: November 6, 2015

Salem Mass. 1971 USA-Idaho

For such a relatively remote place like Idaho - especially in the early 1970s - it's hard to imagine that not only one, but two bonafide underground rock albums emerged. One is the archival Stone Garden, and the other did manage to get released on LP privately, and that's the one we're talking about today. In reading other reviews of this album, it's clear few are taking into account the remarkable progression this album portrays, given the circumstances from which it arrived. Comparing Salem Mass to Black Sabbath or any other major label British or American band from 1971 is comparing things as all things equal, when they had no chance to be. And yet Salem Mass is quite an accomplished record on its own accord. It is definitely heavy, with fuzz guitar galore, and also plenty of fat organ sounds. And I kind of like the raw vocals that fits the music perfectly. But the shocker here is the use of the Minimoog (don't forget the Minimoog went into production only in 1970). Where the heck did they get one of those? In Caldwell, Idaho? I mean it's one thing for ELP to break one out, but for a local hard rock band playing the outlaw cowboy beer bar scene? Are you kidding me? Just for this alone, the album should be held in high esteem among those who look for quality more thoughtful underground albums. What other underground hard rock band (non major label) used a Minimoog this early? The music is quite melodic, and definitely has a late psych era vibe, which was more common here in America during that time. This one is a must listen.

Personal collection
LP: 1999 Akarma (Italy)

This reissue comes in a fine heavy textured cover. As I stated on Discogs recently: Akarma has a checkered past, no question about it. But not this title. It was licensed directly from Gear Fab and even includes their insert! Unfortunately someone had removed the Gear Fab association without backup data and now nobody can sell the album on Discogs because of the (once) incorrect appellation (I changed it back to legal). Though to be fair, it's the label's own fault, as they had far too many questionable releases. Guilty by association I guess.

Zarathustra. 1972 Germany

There are albums that deserve their polarity in opinion. Radical cutting edge music that is likely to divide the popular vote. Or an album of questionable music ability, yet has a vibe that resonates with the downtrodden. Zarathustra is none of these things. I can't for the life of me understand the negativity this album faces. This is square-on 1971/1972 German Krautrock of the hard rock variety, and sounds very similar to many other bands of its ilk - none of which I've seen get thrown under the bus like Zarathustra has here. This is the good stuff if looking for that patented heavy guitar/organ sound and rough vocals with accented English. It all goes with the territory. If you love this album, then certainly bands like Hairy Chapter, Haze, Weed, Dies Irae, Gomorrha, Vinegar, Night Sun, and countless others will delight. It's just another great album from a great scene as far as I'm concerned.

Ownership: LP: 1989 Second Battle. Gatefold. Comes with booklet and historical liners. Acquired new upon release. My copy is #899 for reference.

1989; 9/30/17 (new entry)

Il Rovescio della Medaglia - La Bibbia. 1971 Italy

This is one of the more misunderstood of the Italian progressive rock albums. Most known for Contaminazione, this has about as much relevance to that album as Tangerine Dream’s Electronic Meditation has to Phaedra.  A concept album around that always popular topic of the Bible, this mixes studio electronics and an experimental edge with primal blues hard rock. It’s not that it’s simple music - just unrelenting. A trio with more hard guitar than you’ll find on almost any Italian album. I had forgotten there was flute interspersed in a couple of places. 'Sodoma E Gomorra' is almost like a big band swing jazz track as done by a hard rock trio. Too funny given the topic.

Personal collection
CD: 2005 BMG (Japan)
LP: 1989 RCA

The CD above comes in a mini-LP. Both the CD and LP reissues have the cool insert.

Last listen: June 2005

Trettioåriga Kriget - Hej På Er. 1978 Sweden

1978 was a tough year for mainstream progressive rock bands in general. And while Trettioåriga Kriget were hardly a household name here in the States, they certainly were well known back home in Sweden. To survive, the expectation was for a band to produce a hit record of some sort. It's pop, punk, and disco - and a global plague of ADD. No more long journeys into the netherworld to sit back and contemplate. And Trettioåriga Kriget's first two brilliant albums are just that, showcasing an imaginative and talented band. So what's a group like this to do? Compromise. And honestly, Trettioåriga Kriget did about as good a job as anyone in accomplishing this. Had everyone followed this blueprint, prog rock may have indeed survived longer than it did. But most were hapless at trying (and leading lights Yes and ELP certainly turned in their respective clunkers for the year). Hej På Er balances straightforward rock with deceptively complex progressive music in compact form. It's not perfect of course, and the first two tracks are pretty bland. As if they were trying to fool the coked out record execs, and hoping they'd leave before the good stuff began playing. It's not a monster album naturally, but it's accomplished and not something to apologize for. It's instantly recognizable as a Trettioåriga Kriget album, but a bit more diluted. Something akin to a double IPA being reduced to a lager.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Mistlur. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2014).

2008; 4/23/14; 9/27/17 (new entry)

Ibis. 1974 Sweden

Ibis is Vildkaktus version 2.0 and sees the band moving more toward the jazz center. Featuring an enormous amount of ring modulator electric piano, one could be forgiven on thinking you were listening to a The Fourth Way or Love Cry Want album. Couple this with some fantastic guitar leads and the occasional Swedish melody, and you have quite an album to reckon with. Berits Halsband is another group that went in this direction, but they took the whole concept deeper into freaky underground waters. Sure, there are some experimental bits to wade through, and Ibis can get lost in the weeds on occasion, but overall this is a fine release. I get the feeling a CD reissue would uncover some archival jam material that some of these sketches were built on. That would be awesome.

Ownership: LP: 1974 Grammofonverket

Here's an LP I've owned since the late 1980s. No legit CD or LP reissue as of yet. As mentioned above, I would suspect a wealth of quality material awaits in a vault somewhere.

Deluge Grander - August in the Urals. 2006 USA-Maryland

Deluge Grander is a group created by the ever creative mind of Dan Britton, formerly of Cerebus Effect. Cerebus Effect was crazy enough, but this takes it to the next level. Greg Walker enthused in his catalog: "One of the best American albums ever! Banco meets Anglagard meets Crimson with lots of tron and long tracks." Well, that should setup everyone for a disappointment. Or does it? August in the Urals is so far in the old fashioned progressive camp, that it will appeal to one kind of fan – the old fashioned progressive rocker. This is very much in the over-the-top 1970s American school of complex proggy prog ala Cathedral, Mirthrandir, Pentwater, and Yezda Urfa. It was bound to happen sooner or later, a band would be completely and totally influenced by obscure worldwide progressive rock. Not jazz, psych, blues, beat, classical, or anything else. Not Yes, Genesis, and ELP but rather Locanda Delle Fate, Pulsar, Dun, and Anglagard. Much like Wobbler, if you turn your nose up at it, then it’s probably time to admit you just don’t like progressive rock anymore. Or at least anything new that sounds old. It’ll be condemned as so darn uncool by the hipsters, that it’s likely to be considered interesting by a passing stranger. As for me, well this is the style of prog rock I like most, so almost anything like it will get a gushing review. Hardly an unbiased, fair, and balanced outlook I realize. Not that it’s perfect by any means, the vocals being one of the areas that could use some improvement. And it’s a little short of memorable melodies and good grooves. But no complaints from me, there’s so little of this kind of music anymore, I’ll take whatever is given me. Appropriately enough, the cover is a grandiose Thomas Cole painting, the same one used by doom metallers Candlemass on Ancient Dreams. Who’d a thunk Baltimore would end up being the center of the universe for European prog?

Ownership: CD: 2006 Emkog

2006; 9/26/17 (new entry)

Greylock Mansion. 1969 USA (archival)

Lysergic Sound had previously released a wonderful compilation called St. Albert's Dream. And from that we learned of many new obscure 45s and archival recordings. For me, the very best was a track called 'Catafalque' from a band named Greylock Mansion out of Tuscon, Arizona. So when the announcement came that there was a whole album's worth of material from 1969, the excitement level in the underground most surely spiked. It certainly did for me. Often times, though, these modern discoveries from the psych era are a disappointment. That is definitely not the case here.

The informative liner notes let on that Greylock Mansion were heavily influenced by both Iron Butterfly and The Doors, as well as opening for acts as obscure as Brain Police from San Diego. And there's your recipe ingredients for Greylock Mansion. This takes the best elements of all 3 bands: The heavy fuzz sinister sound of primo Iron Butterfly, the somewhat psychotic Morrison-like rantings and vintage organ of The Doors, and the cut-above psych-era songwriting of Brain Police. The Doors influence in particular shows up most prominently, and the closer 'Mars' is as heavy a long form 60s track as you will ever hear. All throughout I was reminded of another band with a similar background, but 100's of miles to the northeast and a completely different landscape - and that would be Dragonwyck from Cleveland. There are many similarities between this album and the 1970 demo recording of Dragonwyck (aka Fire Climbs).

One concern I had going in was how would the sound quality be. And while it's hardly Abbey Road, only the most finicky here will be disappointed. It's certainly no worse than the Mystic Siva album (another reference actually), and that was released real time. The only track that is less than ideal is 'Spiders', but the music will erase any annoyances you may feel.

This LP is a must pickup for fans of heavy psychedelia.

Personal collection
LP: 2015 Lysergic Sound

Unlike St. Albert's Dream and Devil's Kitchen from Lysergic Sound, Greylock Mansion does come with an informative history as noted above. In addition there is a deluxe lyric sheet, and a 8x11 repro of a vintage concert poster. Awesome all around.

The only strange omission was that of the track 'Amazon' (a nice psych pop tune like The Doors in a similar fashion), which was the B Side of 'Catafalque'. Perhaps that will be covered in a later comp or CD reissue.

Free System Projekt - Protoavis. 2004 Netherlands

The hard part about reviewing any Free System Projekt album, at least from this era, is trying to come up with something new to say. I suppose figuratively one could make a similar claim about FSP - that is, musically they have nothing new to say. But nothing new, while still being great, are not mutually exclusive comments. On Protoavis, Free System Projekt have completely zoned in on the 1974-1975 era of Tangerine Dream, where the sequences remind one of Phaedra and the overall atmosphere and style are more toward Rubycon. This is my personal favorite years of Tangerine Dream, so of course I'm going to enjoy Free System Projekt. Not enjoyment at the same level mind you - one cannot replace the magic of initial discovery in one's youth - but the familiarity makes it comfortable. A safe place to cuddle up in.

Former ownership: CD: 2004 Quantum

6/1/07 (first listen); 9/24/17 (review / new entry)

The Trip - Caronte. 1971 Italy

The Trip were formed in London in the mid 60s and at one point had a young guitarist named Ritchie Blackmore in its stable. So not exactly your normal Italian prog rock pedigree. And as such, The Trip were always outliers in the evaluation of great bands from Italy. To best appreciate The Trip, one needs to take in account the western European landscape of whatever was popular at the time of release. Up-front organ rock was quite popular in Germany and England in 1971, and that's exactly the sound you'll find here on the mostly instrumental Caronte. Anywhere between Atomic Rooster and Orange Peel, one will spot the sounds found here. Hammond organ, loud guitar, experimental bits, a jammin' and a rockin'. Not entirely an unknown sound in Italy in 1971, as one could also point to the New Trolls and Le Orme for doing similar. Le Orme's Collage in particular was the band's own odd album out, with a strong Krautrock influence, though they also sung in the native tongue and had began to look inward to what was happening back at home. Not The Trip however. So if you love 1971 era hard driving progressive rock (and who doesn't?) - but foreign languages and indigenous sounds turn you off - then The Trip's Caronte will likely be one of your favorites from "The Boot".

Personal collection
LP: 1990 RCA / Contempo
CD: 2008 Sony

The LP original and reissue comes in a fine gatefold.

Phlox - Rebimine + Voltimine. 2007 Estonia

Phlox are an Estonian band that play in the very heavy fusion category (no metal though). Hard driving, fast, complicated and downright exhilarating. A 6 piece group with guitar, sax, Moog, and electric piano being the primary solo components. The opening track alone ‘Rahn’ is likely to leave you with jaw dropped and completely out of breath. We hear flute on this track, and it’s unfortunate that it’s the only use on the album, because the contrast with the heavy guitars and blazing rhythms is awe inspiring. That’s not to say the rest of the album isn’t as impressive, because there’s so much here to like. The only fault I can find is their tendency to take the sax and electric piano jams too far - and thus lose us in the weeds (especially on the last 2 live improvisations, which should have just been left off altogether). Fortunately that’s a few and far between occurrence. Somewhere between Naikaku, Panzerballet and National Health is where you’ll find the sound of Phlox. Superb.

Ownership: CD: 2007 MKDK

11/14/07; 9/21/17 (new entry)

John L. and Adamah - Lonesome In Overdrive. 1996 Germany

A magnificent album that hardly anyone knows about, and it features an original iconic Krautrock freak!

About a couple of times a year, something will arrive that re-lights my collecting fire. Not long ago, it was Del Jones Positive Vibes. Prior to that it had been Berits Halsband that reawakened me. If you saw this CD in the store, you’d pass right over it. The artwork and lettering look like a new age album on the Narada label. It’s dedicated to Greenpeace and half the songs are about whales. It’s subtitled Malinuuga Music, which according to the liner notes is the indigenous rhythm of Europe, unrelated to African and Native American percussion. Yea, well whoopdee doo.

Well boys and girls, the reality is this: Had I sent you a tape and stated "Adamah: Unreleased Ohr album from 1972", you would have had ZERO problem believing me. This is the most authentic slice of Krautrock I’ve heard post 1980. In spirit, sound and intensity. Adamah is not some new age wuss who misses his mommy, but rather a nine piece group that features all sorts of analog synthesizers, flute, clarinet, violin, steel guitar, electric guitar, sitar, various homemade stringed instruments, female vocals and no less than 3 full time percussionists. The production sounds as if Dieter Dirks did a number on it, with loads of phasing and other studio trickery. There is wah-wah, fuzz and all sorts of wild moments found throughout. There’s even the female narration in German ala Ash Ra Tempel's Join Inn. And there’s not even a HINT this is done for a retro market or that it’s the 1990s. This is truly organic, time has completely stood still. And if you are paying close attention, yes, this is THE John L. of Ash Ra Tempel's Schwingungen fame! Here he’s dressed in full-blown traditional Jewish attire, complete with flat brimmed hat, long beard and side curls. And he’s holding one of those aforementioned homemade electric stringed instruments with the Star of David on it. And he sounds pretty much the same as he did on the ART album, with chanting, yelling, semi-singing. Most of the album is instrumental, so his vocals are once again a curious, but fascinating, addition. With a 24 year separation between albums, and both masterpieces, John L. has proven he's one of the true creative freaks of our era.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Green Tree

12//04; 9/19/17 (new entry)

St. Elmo's Fire - Live at the Cleveland Agora / Splitting Ions in the Ether. 1980 USA-Ohio

Live at the Cleveland Agora is St. Elmo's debut album from this fine progressive rock band from the namesake city. It would be their only album during their original tenure. Released privately, it was a 4 song instrumental EP that demonstrated a band with immense talent, captured live. Because of this, the sound quality isn't the best, and you get the feeling the band still needed a bit more time to work out the compositions. Since it's instrumental - but not a jam record - then melody and structure will need to carry the load. There are times here when one expects a vocal passage, or perhaps another theme break. It doesn't help that the tracks are fairly longish. Musically it's influenced by the usual UK suspects, just as every other progressive rock band from the Midwest were. St. Elmo's Fire incorporated a bit more King Crimson than usual, and one can also trace a bit of late 70s Rush in the grooves. Overall, Live at the Cleveland Agora is a fine EP, and worth seeking out on its own.

The band were to reform some 18 years later in Iowa (at least administratively), and rather than reissue the EP alone, they added the full concert plus 3 more tracks taken from two other shows in 1980. They also rechristened the album Splitting Ions in the Ether and added new artwork. The 9 tracks on display here are similar to the EP, but elongated even further since the 2 tracks left off were also the lengthiest. The odd thing about these two is they sound better than the 4 tracks from the EP, which have remained somewhat distorted even into the digital age. The other 3 songs are musically similar and 'Gone to Ground in the Khyber Pass' (left off from the EP) might be their best composition on here. Definitely the CD is the way to go if looking for ownership.

St. Elmo's Fire persevered for one more album, Artifacts of Passion, that is arguably an improvement over their original effort.

Ownership: LP: 1980 Corposant. Single sleeve. Had this in the early 90s and sold. Reacquired a sealed copy in 2017.

CD: 1998 Sprawling Productions. Fine reissue and archival release as noted above.

2//09; 9/18/17 (new entry)

Maelstrom. 1976 Canada (archival)

An extraordinary archival find (recorded in 1976) from the good folks at ProgQuebec, Maelstrom is the odd band from La Belle Province that is more influenced by the English than the French. And in this case it's Gentle Giant and Yes as the main protagonists, which translates into Quebecois as Et Cetera meets Le Match combined with Pollen. Maelstrom would be the perfect fit for my Midwest prog list, except they are a bit too far east, and yes indeed, French is the language of choice. Otherwise, this is fastball-down-the-middle proggy prog. Easy recommendation for genre fans.

Personal collection

CD: 2016 ProgQuebec

Accordo dei Contrari - Kinesis. 2007 Italy

Starting with a sound straight out of the early Mahavishnu Orchestra playbook, Accordo dei Contrari waste no time in establishing their heavy instrumental fusion sound. In fact, I was immediately reminded of DFA, another A-list progressive rock group from Italy. All the tracks feature counterpoint in an instrumental setting. They catch a groove, rock hard - change meters, and rock hard again. If I had a complaint, it's that the album as a whole has a certain sameness to it. While I adored the first few tracks, I found my mind wandering as the album continued. Perhaps had I started in the middle, I would feel stronger for the latter tracks. I need to do that actually. Point being, it's this monolithic nature that keeps the album from being a stone classic. A minor complaint, because no doubt this is a fantastic album overall. Recommended to all European instrumental rock fans. Or what we used to call "Euro Rock", still quite possibly my favorite sub-genre of the progressive rock spectrum.

Ownership: CD: 2007 AltRock

2008; 9/16/17 (new entry)

Mar de Robles - Indigena. 2007 Chile

From the opening notes of 'Chucaro', one could be fooled that Mar de Robles' sophomore effort is to be some kind of Dream Theater like instrumental prog metal album. And while that element remains present throughout, there's also a strong fusion element at play here, with the addition of sax (lightly used) and ripping electric guitar solos and complex meters. In addition to that - and where the real separation comes for Mar de Robles - is the incorporation of the indigenous landscape of South America. Rain sticks, tribal percussion, and a plethora of sights and sounds are then added with that patented "European Warm Progressive Rock" style including soft flute and beautiful melodies. I find Mar De Robles to be a unique group operating on otherwise familiar terrain. They're not as inward looking as Peru's Flor de Loto or some metal mutation of Los Jaivas, nor are they some generic bland instrumental prog metal unit looking to show off their chops. They are a fusion metal folk prog hybrid unlike any other. Well worth seeking out if looking for something different in an all too crowded field.

Personal collection

CD: 2007 Mylodon

Moving Gelatine Plates - Removing. 2006 France

As far as this author is concerned, the first two albums from the French group Moving Gelatine Plates are as superb as any albums ever recorded. It is, in fact, their raison d'être. As such, I'm separating this newer album from their two classic 1970s works.

It was with great anxiety, trepidation and anticipation that I approached their brand new recording, some 34 years later (not counting 1980’s Moving project). Most reunion albums are disasters, perhaps pointing out that the band in question may have not ever understood why their previous works are held in high esteem. Occasionally a band will reform, like fellow countrymen Magma, and pick up right where they left off and wow audiences as they did in the past. With the original logo intact, and montage cover art, there were some propitious signs to hold out hope. When I heard the loud, aggressive and massively fuzzy bass to start the title track, I was certain that MGP did truly understand their place in history. But my excitement was quickly quelled with the brassy-patch digital keyboard that followed, suggesting this was going to be another modern instrumental rock album that has as much in common with smooth jazz as it does with old school prog (the obscure French 90s band Alambic comes to mind here). And, more or less, that’s about right. “Removing” is much more rock based than the jazzy Canterbury inspired group of yore. The drumming is very straight forward and there’s none of the quirky charm from before. As a plus, the fuzz bass continues throughout, the guitar playing is generally excellent and the violin is a very welcome addition. With one exception, “Removing” is split between two styles: 1) Harder rocking tracks and 2) Light rock-jazz instrumentals with soprano sax in the lead.  Both styles feature some sparse, unobtrusive vocals. Songs such as ‘Like a Flower’, ‘Comme Avant’, ‘Nico’ and closer ‘Theo’ represent the former while ‘Enigme’, ‘Bellidor’ and ‘Waiting For the Rain’ are of the latter. The one track that moves the ball forward in a positive way is ‘Breakdown’, which represents both something new (for MGP), challenging and satisfying, with a slight nod to past glories. So a mixed bag, that neither completely disappoints or rewards. It’s a relevant release and, for reunion albums, comes in maybe a notch below Trettioariga Kriget’s “Elden Av Ar”. It does take awhile for a group to gel and regain that old magic (even for a band like Magma this was the case), so hopefully they’ll hold it together a bit longer and create some brilliance as they once had done. (sigh... it does not appear that transpired).

Ownership: CD: 2006 Musea

10/17/06; 9/15/17 (new entry)

Ethos - Relics. 1973-1974 USA (archival)

Fort Wayne Indiana's Ethos are one of the bellwether bands on my USA Midwest / Ontario Progressive Rock (1970's/early 80s) list. If you've read my reviews long enough, or studied that list, then you know what to expect here. Of course this being an archival release - and it predates their major label debut - then you can probably expect more progressive and less commercial. And that's exactly what you receive. Most of the material here is from 1974, with a couple of rougher demos going back to 1973.

For me, on reflection, it's a bittersweet experience. On the one hand it is truly wonderful to hear such great treasure being mined from the vaults like this. On the other, one inherently knows that there should have been so much more. Countless bands operating in a similar territory, but not unified - disparate groups influenced by the same UK bands, though not learning from each other and pushing the boundaries as you would see in England, Germany, or Italy. Everything was grassroots. One of the primary themes of the Midwest Prog list is that America did not have a national scene like the various European countries did. Not a single enlightened record executive, nor a super wealthy individual stepped up and said "I got this". Where were the patrons of the arts? Not everything has to have a bottom line, if one has the wealth to subsidize. I'm pretty sure those that bankrolled the magnificent church frescoes in Medieval times weren't demanding an "ROI". Sigh.

Personal collection

CD: 2000 Black Moon

A great reissue from UMR's good friend Mike O'Neal. and one I bought upon release. The CD comes with a poster insert filled with historical data.

Trespass - Morning Lights. 2006 Israel

One of the most debated topics in chat rooms and posting boards is “what is progressive rock?”. Unless you stick to the literal dictionary version of the word progressive, one answer you can now simply give is Trespass’ Morning Lights. Simply put, Israel’s 2006 contribution to proggy prog are all about old fashioned 1970s styled keyboard trio compositions with classical overtones, just the way bands such as Trace, ELP, Rare Bird, The Nice, Metamorfosi, et al did 30 years ago. The playing is crisp, the array of keyboards is a nice mix of analog (organ overload) and digital, and the tracks are long (including 12 and 21 minute epics) with plenty of theme and meter changes. Not only that but it sports beautiful cover art of a sleeping Zeus on Mount Olympus with his toy Tonka fire engine (very cute). Not much reason to banter on here. By now, you’ve made up your mind on if this album is for you. For those who need an analogy, let’s put it this way: You love to eat, and are always looking for something new. So the roast rabbit in the mushroom lime sauce sounds cutting edge, hip and trendy. But, darn, if a double cheeseburger doesn’t sound better! Pass the fries….

Ownership: CD: 2006 private

10/17/06; 9/14/17 (new entry)

Sway / Sante Palumbo Orchestra. 1973 Italy

Led by pianist Sante Palumbo, Sway is an excellent album heavily influenced by early 70s Miles Davis, even without the presence of trumpet. Throughout, the album features wah wah guitar rhythms and tribal drumming. The first side is a bit looser, with some shrieky sax, drum solos and some piano noise bits. But Side 2 contains 'Mad' which is absolutely sublime. The sax is traded in for flute, there's an actual melody line carried throughout, and the guitar fuzzes out some wonderful solos. CPT (Cipiti) is the same label that released the rare debut by Le Groupe X.

Personal collection
CD: 2013 private
LP+CD: 2016 Schema

Concerning the 2013 privately released CD, many people had asked me about the legitimacy of it at the time. Here's what I wrote for the CDRWL blog and on RYM: "Well... first thing is the "obi" strip uses my description for the album. And they didn't ask for permission. Not that I care all that much really, but it is protocol to do such - so that's a major red flag right there. The sound is absolutely fine considering it's not from the masters. And we do have it on good authority that Palumbo himself is aware of this reissue. This is the classic "gray area" reissue. Sometimes I see that term when they outright mean to say it's a pirate edition. This is not the case here. All the same - I'm not considering this reissued legit, and will keep in the main list. Unless I hear convincing data otherwise. But I don't regret buying this version, and if a legit CD comes along, I'll buy it again willingly. But it's my understanding the masters are gone, and demand is light, so this is probably it. Unfortunately."

Well, fortunately I was wrong! Schema has now come through with a legit reissue (under the moniker Sante Palumbo Orchestra), that is one of their combo LP + CD jobs. I have purchased it as well, and the  CD sounds great to me! I haven't listened to the LP figuring it to be a similar experience. I'll keep the old CD, because honestly, how many CDs out there have your own - unwittingly perhaps - liner notes?

Potemkine - Triton. 1977 France

Potemkine, from Toulouse, were a very interesting band who emerged in the mid 70s. They combined both Zeuhl and jazz rock to great effect. Somewhere between a stripped-down Zao and Transit Express. Triton is arguably their most Zeuhl influenced work, and the album that I had considered their best in the past by a long shot. I don't necessarily feel that way today - that it's so much better than the others, but it's still the one I'd choose if pressed. There's quite a bit of electric guitar here - not a Zeuhl staple - and instead of manic Kobaian chanting, they prefer wordless voices. The bass playing, as is usually the case, is what gives the game away that they are indeed a band influenced by the Magma camp. But it's not a threatening album, and for those who'd rather dip their foot into the Zeuhl ocean, Triton offers a safety net. Easy recommendation, especially for those already predisposed to the 70s French underground.

Ownership: LP: 1977 Voxigrave. Single sleeve. Recent online acquisition (2022). My introduction of the album came via the Phaeton press in 1990, which could still be purchased new back then. Not until recently did I realize that was a reissue. In any case, I let it go once the CD hit the market. 

CD: 2001 Soleil Zeuhl. Excellent reissue. Features great sound, liner notes, and copious bonus tracks. The CD itself is now quite rare, and it remains the sole reissue of the album. The bonus tracks include 2 from the debut, as well as the 2 tracks from their 1974 single. The remaining tracks from the debut can be found on the Nicholas II CD - and that's how Soleil Zeuhl decided to reissue Potemkine: All of their recorded output on 2 CDs.

11/17/11; 9/3/17 (new entry); 2/15/22 (LP acquisition)

Duncan Mackay - Chimera. 1974 South Africa

One cannot speak of Duncan Mackay's debut without at least a passing mention of England's finest ivory tickler's of the era. Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Graham Field, Morgan Fischer, and the lot of them, all can be heard on Chimera. In addition to that, if you're familiar with the Italian artists of the day who were doing similar (Le Orme, The Trip, Metamorfosi, Triade, etc...), then you will hear the variation of that theme as well. In effect, Chimera could be marketed as Tarkus Extract - it's Hammond organ heaven. 3 long tracks that feature more keyboards than you shake a stick at (an interesting phrase isn't it? Why would I shake a stick at something anyway?). I've read in many a place that Chimera is nothing more than keyboard exercises for warm up, but I completely disagree. Perhaps the opener 'Morpheus' is a bit grandiose, but how can one deny the beautiful melodicism of '12 Tone Nostalgia'? The side longer 'Song for Witches' provides both the melody and the 200 notes per minute aspect. This is a very fine album that borders brilliance. Perhaps a bit more sonic palette would have bumped this up a point, but nothing to complain about here. For fans of purely keyboard driven progressive rock, Chimera is tough to beat.

Ownership: LP: 1974 Vertigo; CD: 2009 Fresh Music. The LP was a birthday gift last year. The CD was acquired online new upon release. The original LP comes in a fine gatefold cover featuring surreal fried egg artwork. Personally I think surreal fried eggs are something we need more of... It's of course the spaceship variety - which is an interesting story. And that's because if you were to read the liner notes of the CD (and one should after all..), then you would think that was the only pressing. Non Monsieur. The real original has a blue label and the Vertigo swirl moniker at the top. This is a very highly collectible version and almost never offered. As far as CDs go, Chimera was strictly the fodder of pirates until the excellent Fresh Music label of South Africa came along and put the issue to rest. There are fine liners, photos, etc.. The sound is a bit "loud" but not distracting. There is also one bonus track, but it's clearly more modern and doesn't fit with Chimera. Worth hearing once I suppose. The CD also features a different font.

Atrium - Color Seed. 1979 Germany

Just when you thought you'd heard every German funky fusion band from the late 70s and early 80s, in flies yet another one - this time its Heidelberg's Atrium. Color Seed starts off in caricature fashion, with funky bass, 4/4 rhythms, flat vocals in English, and...... hand claps (oh, really, this is ghastly stuff). Yea, get down baby. Track two 'Southern Breeze' then sends us on our expected island vacation, and here we have an upscale sophisticated soft tropical number with wordless voice. Excuse me sir?... sir! Can I get another Mai Tai please? What? Oh sure, with the umbrella is fine.... Right. Track three gets us back into the darkened lounge for more funky business. I do like that they use trombone, an instrument not represented near enough in jazz fusion. Next song reintroduces vocals, but this time in German. Hmm... some nice psychedelic guitar tones, synthesizers, and organ here. Over a disco beat mind you, but maybe we're getting somewhere now. What will Side 2 bring? OK, this is more like it. Psych guitar, electric piano, and more complex meters. And then the next one adds in a bit of progressive rock (you can see where this is going can't you?). Time for the longest track 'Quasimodo Man', coming in at a full 7 and a half minutes. This one is a bit more typical hard edged fusion, with some trading licks of psychedelic guitar and synthesizer. 'Snail Bait' closes the album and brings us back to the island to ensure the party doesn't stop... or get too weird. 

Sort of a night and day album like Eik's Speglun, but I'm afraid in this case, the highs aren't quite enough.

Last listen: July 5, 2014

Dzyan. 1972 Germany

Dzyan's debut is an intriguing beginning for the band. It's quite disparate in its approach and is essentially 3 different kinds of albums in one package. On one front there's a distinct jazz rock sound - a style that Dzyan would focus on more later in their career. The sound is very much in line with what was happening on the MPS label in those days. Lots of sax, fuzzy guitar, and experimentation of jazz forms. 'Dragonsong' possesses the kind of energy and style one might find on a Brian Auger Oblivion Express album for example. Another style is that of progressive rock, with vocals and more complex songwriting. And finally, no surprise, but what we consider classic Krautrock - a certain haunting psychedelic atmosphere pervades. It's a solid work, experimental in nature and not cohesive as a whole, but yet works well as an album. Very much a time and place affair, and if you're a fan of such, Dzyan comes easily recommended.

Personal collection
LP: 1972 Aronda
CD: 2010 Long Hair
CD: 199? Rock Fever/Green Tree 

Originals come in a fine gatefold cover and are certainly not common. I bought my mint copy from a French collector some 15 years ago now. My first introduction to the album came via the Rock Fever (Green Tree) CD that came out in 1999. It was always a bit "iffy" in the legal department, and so I replaced it with the Long Hair CD upon release, which is most certainly the definitive edition for that medium.

Fermata - Dunajská Legenda. 1980 Slovakia

Fermata's 4th album Dunajská Legenda sees the band moving towards the jazz fusion center, which was all the rage back then (though probably 2 to 3 years behind the west in retrospect). Opener 'Wlkina' is the typical funky fusion piece, that at first is off-putting, but has a fine mid section. The remainder of Side 1 is quite good, more towards an instrumental prog rock, with excellent melodies and songwriting. Side 2 again gravitates toward the fusion normality. But each track, no matter how trite, manages to squeeze in a few good instrumental passages. In the end, Dunajská Legenda borders excellence, but falls a hair short. A fine album that has aged well for me.

Personal collection
CD: 1999 Bonton

The CD can be a bit confusing if not paying attention. The first track 'Perpetuum III' is actually from their debut album (1975), and even though there are bonus tracks at the end of the disc, this title is not noted as such, and appears to be Dunajská Legenda's opening. It's incongruous to what Fermata were doing in 1980. The reason they did this is, up to that time, the track had not been reissued on CD, so they just added it to this album to complete the task. A kludgy solution at best. And the explanation as to why it hadn't been reissued prior is that the first album had been combined with their second album on one CD, but there wasn't room for 'Perpetuum III'. This situation did not get rectified until 2009, when the label finally decided on a 2 CD set instead.

Otherwise, this is a fine reissue taken from the master tapes. Those 2 other bonus tracks, as mentioned above, are nothing special however.

WLUD - Second. 1979 France

"Wad/Thud" continue on with their second album, creatively titled... yea. And we pretty much hear the same style as the debut - 6 creative instrumental melodic progressive tracks that are pleasant, though not earthshaking. This is Instrumental Prog Rock 101, and you get an easy "A" just for showing up to class. Not everything has to be Master's class hard to be good. Sit back, enjoy your favorite beverage, and immerse yourself into the music of WLUD.

Bonus tracks on the Musea CD add (French) vocals and demonstrate the band was up to no good at the end of their career, desperately trying to find a larger audience. And it didn't work obviously. Besides who wants to hear a band called Thud?

Personal collection
CD: 1997 Musea
LP: 1979 Music'Al

Originals come in a nice gatefold but is not distinctive otherwise. I sold it off once the CD landed. No regrets.

Last listen: 2015

The Coalition - Naked Movies. 2004 USA

Larry Coryell jams with Joe Farrell, as played by The Lumerians with a dash of St. Germain, while trying to emulate Medeski, Martin & Wood. The kind of modern fusion that was all the rage in the early 2000's, and now goes for a penny if you look in the right place. And will be highly collectible in 20 years - when my copy goes for sale. So get those 1 cent copies while you can. The Coalition consists of band members culled from New York City's late night TV scene (Conan O'Brien, Saturday Night Live), so they are highly trained and seasoned. This is with their hair down and presuming no one was looking. With the tapes rolling. Lucky us.

Ownership: CD: 2004 Midlantic

Originals are on the Midlantic label, which is no longer around. Band and label websites are kaput. Album was reissued on Hudson City, which appears to be keyboardist's Scott Healy's own label. Not sure there was a need for a reissue, but if looking for a new copy, it is easy to find on either label.

10/2/15 (new entry)

Frame - Frame of Mind. 1972 Germany

Frame's sole album is a textbook definition of the hard rock side of the Krautrock scene of the early 70s. Hammond organ and hard guitars drive the sound palette while the blues provides the foundation of the songwriting. There's also an odd folk component to the melodies, taking this album to a higher level than some of the more boneheaded works of the era. This latter element is what makes me think of Virus' Thoughts album, which Frame ties closest to. I also hear bands as diverse as Walpurgis and Weed. When I first heard this album 25 years ago, I thought the buzz around it was unjustified. But over time, I've come to appreciate Frame of Mind on its own terms - one that was more hard rock directed rather than the kosmische and/or prog rock I was more bias toward.

Ownership: LP: 1972 Bacillus/Bellaphon. Beautiful gatefold cover. Online acquisition (2019). 

Former ownership: CD: 2004 CMP. Simple digipak with no other info. 

1995 (first listen); 9/26/07; 6/24/14; 9/7/17 (review/new entry); 4/20/23

Twenty Sixty Six and Then - Reflections on the Future. 1972 Germany

Twenty Sixty Six and Then's sole (released) album is an intriguing mix of styles, and stands somewhat alone in the sheer mass of Krautrock albums from the early 1970s. There are many who will state it's not even a Krautrock album at all, as the term has come to mean, but rather a more pure symphonic progressive rock album. I would submit that the album represents both, and even more. The opening two tracks 'At My Home' and 'Autumn' are Twenty Sixty Six and Then at their best, mixing the patented German Hammond fueled organ sound with a complexity one would typically find in Italy during this era. 'Butterking' is somewhat bizarre, operating under a Zappa influence, and recalling Nine Days Wonder on their own wonderful debut - an album that is even more creative than the one we're talking about here. The title track is where the Krautrock influence becomes more apparent, and one can hear the sounds of early Nektar shining through. Like many experimental long tracks, it can wane a bit, but it's still a fine effort. One of a kind greatness from Germany. Even if you find much of the Krautrock scene "amateurish", then Reflections on the Future is sure to delight.

Personal collection
LP: 1989 Second Battle
CD: 2017 Made in Germany

Originals come in a fine gatefold, and are quite expensive. It's one I'd like to own, but it's going to cost me if I do. My first exposure came via the first Second Battle LP reissue, which I bought upon release. It's a high quality straight reissue of the album, and is all one would need if only wanting to obtain the original LP.

From here on out, though, the story of this album becomes confused in the reissue market. There are two other variations of the album proper, one known as Reflections of the Past and the other is Reflections!. I'll eventually cover both of those releases with their own entry.

So with that, what about the reissue of the actual 1972 album? Other than the 1989 LP reissue, there's the repress on Second Battle in 2008, which was a double LP featuring yet even more bonus tracks. And finally in 2017, 28 years after the first reissue appeared on the market, we finally have a proper reissue of the CD, as released by the high quality Made in Germany label. In addition to the original 1972 album, there's also the two 1970 demo tracks that were on the 2008 2LP reissue, as well as 5 unique (I think!) variations of other tracks from the album. There's also one Steve Robinson solo track to close off the CD ('You are Under My Skin'). The copious liner notes are unfortunately all in German, so it's not clear to me anyway as to why they compiled this reissue the way they did.

Wallenstein - Blitzkrieg. 1972 Germany

I've often joked that winning a Spelling Bee competition in Germany must be one of the hardest things in the world to achieve. It seems half the words are 10 characters or more! So who knows why this album features two glaring blunders within the titles. Perhaps their American on board flunked out of English... Not as uncommon as one would initially think. In any case, with that out of the way...

'Lunetic' (perhaps they could have called it 'Loontic') is absolutely one of Krautrock's finest moments. Jurgen Dollase's frantic and nimble fingered chromatic scales on the electric harpsichord, are juxtaposed against Bill Barone's decidedly cosmic blues jamming - meanwhile the rhythm section is in hyper-drive mixing things up at a rapid and dizzying pace. And all of this is then blended through Dieter Dirk's patented studio trickery - with phasing galore. After 12 minutes of that brilliance, nothing else will register - and I often find myself at a loss for words for the remainder. But on a careful listen, one can hear the band operating on a more purely symphonic progressive level - eschewing the Krautrock tendencies of the opener. And each track features memorable breaks, similar to how Nektar would do on occasion. For me, Blitzkrieg is easily Wallenstein's finest moment, though I still highly recommend the next 3 albums as well.

Ownership: LP: 1972 Pilz. Gatefold. Online acquisition (2010).

CD: 2011 Belle Antique (Japan). Papersleeve edition.

My introduction to the album came from the Pop Import reissue (in 1990).

1990; 10/8/11; 9/3/17 (new entry)