Mythologic - Standing in Stillness. 2003 USA-Pennsylvania

I've waxed on about Erie, Pennsylvania's Leger de Main in the past. Their debut was a personal favorite of the mid 90s, and represents a soundtrack of a time and place for me. After that, I more or less lost track of the band. I loyally picked up albums involving the band, but didn't really give them much attention beyond an initial play or two, and then filed deep into the abyss of the ever growing collection. And here we are some 15+ years later revisiting the CD, and I had no memory whatsoever, though at least I had it properly categorized with my metal collection.

In effect Standing in Stillness is Leger de Main with an additional metal guitarist. The Rodler family (Melissa Blair now married in) are joined by a one Steve Matusik, who was with a local Erie metal band called Andeavor. But the music is clearly a Rodler product, and their style of instrumental progressive rock is all over this. Now with the metal guitar sound, we move from a Yes influence to that of Fates Warning perhaps. Works for me! Melissa's vocals are the same as ever, strangely even more subdued than on Leger de Main's works. Each track is chock full of ideas and flow nicely. This is a prog rock album with metal elements, not the other way around. Well worth investigating for prog metal fans, and especially those who enjoyed the Leger de Main albums and can stomach metal guitars in addition.

Ownership: CD: 2003 Progressive Music Management. Jewel case with lyric booklet. 

2004; 7//05; 6/20/19

Richard Sussman / Andy LaVerne / Bob Moses ~ USA ~ New York

Tributaries (1979) 

On the surface Tributaries is your garden variety instrumental jazz fusion album on Inner City. In some ways it is, but it's the instrumentation that makes this one interesting. Sussman and Laverne both play keyboards here, and the instrument of choice is decidedly the piano. But it's the other toys that create the separation here: Mini-Moog, ARP Omni, and Fender Rhodes. So for analog synth fans, Tributaries suddenly becomes more than just an idle curiosity item. The songwriting is uniformly good, and there's plenty of great melodies. The piano playing is quite accomplished as well. This leaves the 3rd member of the trio Bob Moses, who provides the drumming. His style is scattered and energetic, giving the album a bit more urgency than usual. Overall a fine fusion album, and one that is still unknown.

Ownership: 1979 Inner City (LP)

No reissues exist as of 3/12/25.

6/20/19 (review / new entry)

Sabbtail - Otherworlds. 1998 Sweden

Sabbtail were an obscure band from Sweden who released 2 albums under the cover of darkness, and disappeared without fanfare.

If looking at the ratings only on various sites, one would think Otherworlds was yet another boring Swedish power metal album that is best forgotten. Oh not so fast there partner. It is ostensibly a European power metal album, but that would be its only common - and dull - feature. In a parallel universe, one could imagine Rainbow performing this if they'd adopted metal instead of hard rock. And in actuality some of this album is indeed hard rock, but distorted heavily. So yes, some of the riffs recall Ritchie Blackmore circa 1980, and others conjure up Yngwie Malmsteen.

But the kicker to the whole thing is the presence of... the Hammond Organ! Say what? Now Hammond's are not entirely unique in metal, but generally they are relegated to background status, and often times you can't hear it anyway. That's not the case here, and in fact, the organ is featured often, with some wicked soloing. So now pack your Rainbow staff with Jon Lord as well.

Even stranger is the production, which is a complete mess. Everything is in the red zone and distorted. The bass is mixed WAY up front. The winners in this decidedly odd way of producing are both the fuzzy bass and the Hammond. It takes a couple of listens to orient, but once it does, one hears something satisfying and completely different to the norm. It's all very familiar, and yet not like anything else either. For that alone, this comes recommended. Flawed as it may be.

Personal collection
CD: 1998 Canyon (Japan)

Adding to the strangeness, this obscure album not only has a domestic Swedish release, but one also for Japan, which I ended up with in some bulk buy a few years ago (yes, a few years ago - just getting to it!). Anyway, you can get the Swedish CD for pennies on the dollar. This seems just like the type of CD that will be collectible in 10-15 years time.

Massacre - s/t. 1989 Chile

Massacre's debut album is something very strange - for the era and the location (1989 Chile). If you don't get past the first song then you'd think that you'd stumbled onto some chugging metal album with Spanish vocals. 'Temblor del Cielo' follows with mellotron. OK then. A strange mix of thrash, heavy metal, screaming vocals, spacey keyboards (synthesizers, organ, mellotron), fusion, prog, and whatever else popped into their nutty heads. It's definitely progressive metal, but not in the way the term has come to mean. You couldn't be further away from Dream Theater than this. And of course they close with a metal cover of Los Jaivas' 'Todos Juntos'. Wow. Overall a gritty, odd, not always satisfying, but undeniably fascinating album. One of a kind, that's for sure.

LP: 1989 Oso
CD: 1998 Toxic

The original LP came out on Oso Records in 1989. I had it once, but sold it off (it was already rare in the 90s) when the CD came out. Now that CD is rare too... Easy to see why. Not a typical album.

CD sold: June 2019. Received too good an offer to pass up.

Eberhard Weber - Yellow Fields. 1976 Germany

The talent that Eberhard Weber brings forth on Yellow Fields is drool worthy. Rainier Brüninghaus (Eiliff) on keyboards and the venerable Charlie Mariano, fresh off a stint with Embryo, on saxophone and Middle Eastern reeds, is an irresistible combination. But in the end they are here to support, not dominate, Weber's vision. Music like this is often referred to as "ECM Jazz", and it's easy to see why it has its own category. It's jazz music for the comfortable and sophisticated middle aged set, never radical but also not banal either. As someone who has just sailed past middle age, and yet never experienced what that feeling and way of being is supposed be like, music like this inspires a compulsive hand clap, while my mind wanders about what else I'm going to listen to later in the session. As I often say in business meetings, I might be the oldest person in the room - but I'm not the most mature.

For mature audiences only.

LP: 1976 ECM (USA)

Tom Nehls - I Always Catch the Third Second of a Yellow Light. 1973-1975 USA-Minnesota

Tom Nehls. So much to say here, and yet it's not easy to do so. As Nehls himself asserts 'Words Can't Explain'.

Nehls was in high school in Minneapolis - yes high school - when I Always Catch the Third Second of a Yellow Light was recorded and released. Even the title is incredibly clever and something most Americans who drive can relate to. The album does not have an obvious comparison, though it's clear that Nehls had the uninhibited imagination that comes with a certain kind of genius. Fortunately no producer or record executive got in the way to ensure that Nehls was focused on making a hit record. Apparently Nehls was quite obsessed with the creative works of the late 60s like Sgt Peppers or the Mothers of Invention. This comes across over and over. But only in the approach, not the sound.

This is a real grassroots effort. Basically Nehls and his high school friends went about making a rock album. And Nehls was fortunate to befriend a one Paul Stark who had just opened a professional studio. And Stark was anxious to test various ideas and sounds, and he found his counterpart with Nehls. So they had the opportunity to record - over a lengthy period of time - an album of intense creativity.

Ostensibly you will find Nehls filed in the "real people" category. Oh it's real alright, but not in the way the term has come to mean, that of semi deranged, incompetent artistry. The liner notes on the Now Again release address this as well. Rather this is real in that the imagination has no bounds. You won't hear another album like this - ever.

Going over a track by track would be difficult. This is one of those albums where one has to state: "You have to hear it". It should be noted the music is not radical or avant garde in the slightest, but rather something familiar but twisted. The songwriting is almost at the Burt Bacharach level, a writer that subconsciously must have entered Nehls' mind while composing this album. But it's also very psychedelic, in its purest state: Studio manipulation and other effects to throw one off balance.

You'll know if this album is for you by the end of Side 1. 'No People in the Forest' is a psychedelic folk wonder. The beautiful short instrumental 'Words Can't Explain' leads into the stunning 'Clean Air'. When the female angelic vocals come in over the bells, if you aren't getting goosebumps up and down, then we're not aligned on what great music sounds like. And who provides those melt-in-your-tracks vocals? Dorothy Benham. Who?  Look her up. I recommend Google Images. Did you just miss a breath or two? She was Miss Minnesota in 1976, and Miss America in 1977! That's quite some accomplishment. Nehls wanted her on more of the album, but the timing of the sporadic recordings and school activities didn't allow for her to be there for more than one track (don't forget about that -  these were all kids in high school! And good kids too, involved with the school, that sort of thing). Oh what a pity.

'The Underwater Symphony' closes the side in very experimental fashion. Very trippy, but again extremely listenable. Side 2 continues this path, but becomes even more rock focused - and then you hit the album's peak at the end - the lengthy 'Your Death' is a tripped out psych rocker, and packs one heck of a wallop for an album such as this.

So let's talk about the new 2xCD/LP reissue set on Now Again (2019). The liner notes are excellent, one more of an opinion piece from a well known collector, the other a deep dive with Tommy Nehls himself, who has remained a professional musician all his life (living in Florida these days). When reading the first part, I kept seeing words like Texas and private press. Paul Major and the whole 80s / 90s collecting scene. I must know this guy! Well, sure enough, they were penned by Rich Haupt, he of Rockadelic fame. I spent a lot of time with Rich in the late 80s and early 90s. He was incredibly generous with his time, and I visited his house on many occasions. I wasn't in his inner circle, primarily because I was too poor for that crowd lol. But that didn't matter to Rich. He was the king of finding rare obscurities. The stories I could tell... Anyway I learned a ton from him back then. By the mid 90s I had moved away to Colorado and Rockadelic became more professional.

Tom Nehls is the perfect album to see his well-written notes. I don't recall this album from back then, so guessing it was a later 90s discovery. I don't remember when I first ran into his name, but most likely an ebay auction that netted a fortune. I made notes of all albums like that in the hope that one day I'd get to hear them. When the CDRWL really started in earnest back in 2009, Nehls was an early score (no, not the LP, but rather a cd-r). As I was about to enter it into the wish list, I discovered it had been reissued by Nehls himself! So I contacted Tommy Nehls and we had a nice dialog. And I purchased the "CD", but unfortunately it too was a CD-R, but professionally done. Later a friend confirmed that he pressed it as a manufactured CD. I never bought it again. Fortunately because...

No, I'm not done here. As alluded to above, there is now a double CD set with full liner notes, a few photos, and...........

A full album of newly found archival material! Are you kidding me? Whereas I Always Catch the Third Second of a Yellow Light was recorded in 1972 and 1973, these recordings come from 1974 and 1975. It's unmistakably Tom Nehls with different influences, including some that were more popular in the mid 70s. But with his own unique vision. It's almost as good as the album proper. Perhaps it's just as good, but I'm just getting my mind around it for the first time. Oddly the liner notes don't address these recordings. All we know is that Nehls stayed in Minneapolis and went to the University of Minnesota before transferring to a university in Wisconsin in 1975. So we're left to guess that he continued on with Stark until he left the state.

If you made it this far, I presume the album is already in your shopping cart. If not, you didn't get this far.

Ownership: CD: 2019 Now Again. Details are above.

Former ownership: cdr: 2006 TLN.

Originals are a small fortune. Apparently they pressed 1000 (which is a lot), but only sold ~100 to friends and family. The other 900 LPs stayed with Nehls' sister until - tell me if this doesn't sound familiar - her basement flooded. Sigh.

2009 (first listen); 6/9/19 (review / new entry)

James Brown - Sho is Funky Down Here. 1971 USA-Ohio

Sho is Funky Down Here is the brother album to The Grodeck Whipperjenny, an album I've been talking about for over a decade. Given the new reissues on Now Again, it gives us a chance to revisit these classics in the proper manner. And in my case, I never did hear this album until now. And you can't talk about one without the other, because essentially these albums are lead by arranger and keyboardist David Matthews. Brown for his part mumbles a few words on two tracks, gets in a couple of organ chords, and models for the cover. Hey why not? Matthews didn't mind... talk about a marquee name behind you! Besides Brown was his employer at the time.

The music of both albums are similar, that of a hard instrumental psychedelic funk. Whereas The Grodeck Whipperjenny had elements of a European early progressive rock act, Sho is Funky Down Here is more purest in its stance. This one has a groove that won't quit. And if you like your funk with fuzzy guitars, then it's hard to imagine you not loving this one. At 31 minutes, though, it leaves you wanting more.

Ownership: CD: 2019 Now Again

Similar to The Grodeck Whipperjenny with excellent liner notes, photos, and a nice digipak. Still think they should have reissued the 2 albums together, but OK, they mined the source for more revenue. My business mind approves. My consumer mind doesn't.

6/9/19 (new entry)

Xaal - On the Way (En Chemin). 1992 France

Xaal were a band from France who managed 3 albums until the mid 90s before calling it a day. On the Way (En Chemin) was their second album, though most of us thought it was their debut. I purchased this CD immediately upon release, and that's how it was sold at the time. It was many years later that we learned of their very obscure cassette release, which is now accepted as their debut.

Xaal play a decided form of Zeuhl mixed with fusion. Not sure why some reviewers are skirting the Z word altogether. One listen to the title track, and you'll recognize that bass and drums work as obvious Jannick Top / Christian Vander, not John Wetton / Bill Bruford. And the whole album is this way. Xaal (a Zeuhl moniker if I ever heard one), were the leading light for the genre at the time, a movement that was on life support by 1992 (Magma for their part were on hold and Vander was still leading Offering). And as the contemporary leader, they did not let their fan base down. Xaal were a guitar based trio, with a strong sense of melody and groove, the latter to be expected. So in addition to the obvious Zeuhl trance like rhythms, one will hear other progressive rock/fusion bands of the era such as Tiemko and WLUD. All instrumental, and satisfying from beginning to end. A must for Zeuhl fans.

Personal collection
CD: 1992 Progressive International (UK)

The name of this album is in full: On the Way (En Chemin). The Progressive International release is the original. It was later that it was reissued by MSI in France (Discogs claims 1992 as well, but there's no supporting data for this release). Also to note, the album was recorded in 1991, but released a year later.

Surprisingly an album that one can still find for a reasonable price. These are just the type of CDs that have become collectible. I suspect it's only a matter of time. It was never pressed on vinyl or reissued beyond the French release. If this album sounds good, and you collect physical assets, then I wouldn't wait too much longer.

Schwarzarbeit ~ Germany

Schwarzarbeit (1980)

Schwarzarbeit's debut is like a lot of albums from the late 70s and early 80s German landscape. It's a type of symphonic progressive rock, but never too daring, and a couple of AOR moments thrown out in case a record executive happens to stop by. Mostly melodic in that later Novalis way, or later Camel if you prefer. Mostly reminds me of same era Anyone's Daughter. Hard to imagine a couple of these guys ended up playing in that most progressive thrash band Mekong Delta. They can't possibly be more different. Perhaps there was some pent-up anger that needed to be released?

Interesting for me to realize I had published some notes about this album on the CDRWL, but never duplicated them here. Why it's interesting is those notes were penned nine years ago, and yet this review could have been that review, even after a recent revisit. So here they are for posterity:

---7/28/10

Good ole Schwarzarbeit. I bought the second album well over 20 years ago, and was surprised to find out that it's still without a CD issue. And that's because of Musea's issue of their 3rd album James Gordon's Story, which I also bought at the time of release (1994 / 1995). So now I've finally heard the debut, and I can say that Schwarzarbeit are remarkably consistent. The key word with Schwarzarbeit is "almost". They're almost very good. The debut starts off with a pretty awful vocal number only to be followed by eight well done melodic rock instrumentals. The second album is similar, as is their final album (only released on CD). Schwarzarbeit are the kind of group that is nice to have in the collection, but not one you'll pull out with any kind of regularity. There's always something better to listen to. But it could be worse... It's almost great.

7/28/10 (review); 6/9/19 (update / new entry)

Quad - Live ICA June 1997. England

Quad was a side project of Gary Ramon's Sundial. The premise here is that Quad would take the neo psychedelic roots of Sundial and apply it more to a Krautrock styled sound. Their two proper albums are indeed quite excellent and do a fine job at recreating the atmosphere of a group such as Yatha Sidhra.

As far as I knew, those two albums were all they released. And even the second one is very tough to score given its limited edition. A few years ago I learned of a 3rd album, released only on CD-R. One can see why this wasn't a proper album. To be generous, I could say this was Ramon's homage to the electronic pioneers, such as Tangerine Dream circa Zeit or early Cluster. But mostly it's pretty dull to be honest, and could have used some more judicious editing and a few more ideas. But for fans of analog electronics, static as it may be, it's certainly worth seeking out for a listen.

Sunblind Lion ~ USA ~ Wisconsin

Above & Beyond (1978)

We recently wrote about Sunblind Lion's debut Observer, and noted how it was an excellent blend of progressive and commercial rock. By 1978 the overall music world, especially here in the States, had moved away from prog. And so Sunblind Lion did as well, as to stay relevant in the game, and keep their slim hopes alive that they may hit the big time. Above & Beyond is the end result. The first eight tracks here are clearly geared for FM radio play, though nothing really stands out, which might explain why Sunblind Lion never got past the regional stage. Of course, like many bands with a progressive rock heritage, Sunblind Lion couldn't resist throwing a bone to its dedicated fan base, and ended with the two part 'King and His Parliament', the obvious highlight of the album for folks like me. But it's too little, too late. Borderline 3 stars but gets the lower mark because they could have done much better. They traded art for dollars. A devil's deal.

6/9/19 (review)

Observer (1976)

Sunblind Lion were a band from eastern Wisconsin who played a familiar type of music from the Midwest region - that of progressive rock mixed with FM radio sensibilities. Likely they were geared toward the former, but to earn a living they mixed in the latter for both club gigs and the rare chance they might get "discovered". All things considered, Sunblind Lion were one of the more successful bands at this racket, and managed a nice three album run. And based on supply and demand economics, it would appear their privately made debut album sold quite well in the local market, given the sheer amount of product that is still available.

The album opens fantastically with the hard driving Kansas styled 'Ride the Wind', with riffing guitars, heavy synthesizers, and ripping organ. Things break down quickly with the club pleasing boogie rock of 'Cat Eyes' and is best skipped over. 'Jamaican Holiday' was their choice for a single, and a good one. Mostly a very pleasant synthesizer lead commercial rock track that is well composed. But unfortunately some of the breaks have that honky-tonk boogie of a Bachman Turner Overdrive. Groan.

Fortunately from here on out, the theme is more progressive than commercial. '(Make It) Another Day' will also remind one of mid 70s Kansas combined with a bit of southern rock ala The Allman Brothers. 'Games of the Lonely' has a very strong synthesizer presence, and could have also been a hit FM rock track of the era. 'Spring Essence' is the most purist of the progressive rock tracks here, and proves Sunblind Lion could have released a masterpiece of the style had they chosen. The 11 minute epic that closes the album is of course more of the same, though not quite as dynamic and takes awhile to get rolling. But once it does, it's superb.

Overall, Sunblind Lion are yet another excellent example of the type of quality material coming from the American heartland of the 1970s. Strong album for fans of the style, but maybe only to them (us).

Ownership: 1976 Homegrown (LP); 1997 Homegrown (CD) Two bonus tracks.

3/16/19 (review)

3/16/19 (new entry)