Ursa Major. 1972 USA-New York

Solid hard rock album from New York City featuring guitarist Dick Wagner. The openers on each side provide the highlights. Not Earth shattering, but for certain a must for early 70s hard rock fans.

Ownership: LP: 1972 RCA. Like the Goma, this was acquired at the end of last year (2019). I had some trade credit with a local store, and they had this one priced reasonably, so I snatched it up. It's a crispy mint copy too and the single sleeve cover has a nice texture. 

12/2/07; 6/19/14; 1/7/20; 11/29/20 (new entry)

Goma - 14 Abril. 1975 Spain

I've struggled with Goma's sole album in the past, but it's finally starting to penetrate. Solid progressive rock from Spain, but not necessarily representative of the region. I think the jazzy segments wore me out originally, but I hear them within context now.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Movieplay. Comes in a very nice gatefold cover. Acquired a copy via a trade/cash deal with a Japanese friend/collector at the beginning of the year, but didn't give it a separate posting. I owned this LP in the early 90s, but couldn't justify keeping for the price. But that won't happen now. 

Skinner Box - The Playhouse. 1990 USA-Arizona

Now this title brought back a flood of memories. Not that I ever heard of Skinner Box before. But the style - and the label / backdrop - that's where the memories came in. There was a time roughly between 1992 and 1995 that I had a fondness for the "4AD sound". Now we have terms like Darkwave, Ethereal Wave, Ambient Pop, Dream Pop, and so on. I doubt I could tell you the difference from one to the other. In any case, my favorite band of the style back then - probably like everyone else - was Dead Can Dance. It's a sound I associate my early Colorado living experience with. I even went to a Lisa Gerrard concert in Boulder in 1995. And then... I just stopped. No particular reason really, just went back to my comfort zone of progressive rock. This music and scene was like a different side of me that I had buttoned up and stuck in the attic. Until now.

As for the label, Bobok were part of a larger collective known as Toxic Shock. This was the pre-internet age, and grassroots music labels were sprouting everywhere. To get the message out about what they were issuing, albums often times had newspapers (or flyers) included with detailed descriptions of other releases. I remember when Cuneiform did this, and they were very much similar during these years. These detailed description would often times take a quote from the leading underground DIY magazine of the day: Option. If you were looking for something new to hear - whether it be on cassette or LP (CDs were still considered too expensive for startups), Option was the go-to source. They had no particular genres they specialized in - but just about every underground band from the US found their way to Option. It was how I discovered Black Sun Ensemble for example. 

Black Sun Ensemble ties us back to the origin of Toxic Shock - that is, Tucson Arizona. This fine southern Arizona town, not too far from the Mexican border, is also the home of the University of Arizona. Universities - in particular back then - were the hot spots for new sounds and styles. While of course there was a lot of repetitiveness, genuine exploratory music was being created. And since social media didn't exist, much of it happened in local silos. This is how something could be the "Seattle Sound" with grunge or the "Tampa Bay Sound" with death metal. It was an exciting time, one that is not likely to be repeated again. As an aside, Toxic Shock also had a brick and mortar store - that I visited in 1994, in the middle of this period.

As for Skinner Box, they perform the style of music in question quite well. The angelic female voices, the percussion and bells, the synthesized sound, flute, and even some psychedelic guitar - all of it transported me back to that time of my life. I wouldn't mind finding other albums like this again. Good times.

Ownership: LP: 1990 Bobok. Single sleeve. Has a label newspaper and lyric inner sleeve. Part of the 50 cent bin raid. This may very well prove to be the hidden gem of the entire haul.

Stone Fury - Burns Like a Star. 1984 USA-California

Stone Fury are most known for being the breeding ground for vocalist Lenny Wolf, later of the popular Led Zeppelin copyist band Kingdom Come. Burns Like a Star is a hybrid of hard rock and 1980 styled heavy metal. Obviously Wolf's vocals take center stage, and one can tell with a bit of training, he could tame his voice to be that of Robert Plant's. He can be a bit overwrought here though. Even better though is the inventive guitar riffing. I didn't expect much from the album, but this is definitely a cut above for the style. My favorites are 'I Hate to Sleep Alone' and 'Tease'. Also to mention there's some good solos here and the songwriting is more thought out than one might initially think. A little bit of "80's balladry" here and there, but this one's solid. Keeper.

Ownership: LP: 1984 MCA. Single sleeve. 50 cent bin raid from Independent (2020). 

11/25/20 (first listen / review / new entry)

Yusef Lateef - Detroit Latitude 42° 30' Longitude 83°. 1969 USA-Michigan

Yusef Lateef is a name I'm familiar with, but as I'm something of a novice when it comes to jazz, I cannot say I've heard any of his albums until now. I'm sure his earlier work is more traditional, though I'm reading he incorporated more Asian influences than most. On Detroit Latitude 42° 30' Longitude 83°, Lateef has joined in with the funk crowd, with a bit of psychedelia. His primary instrument here is flute, and his playing recalls the great Lloyd McNeill at times. I was completely sold at the opener 'Bishop School', which is darn near perfect for the style. 'Eastern Market' is a another highlight. And so it goes. Only the finale, the noirish smoky jazz of 'That Lucky Old Sun', could be considered traditional. Overall a wonderful piece of music, and I look forward to discovering more from Lateef.

Ownership: LP: 1969 Atlantic. Single sleeve. Promo. This will be the first of many albums I will be reporting on from the RT Collection. RT is a local collector and a customer/friend of Purple Peak Records. He has thousands of albums strewn about everywhere, and has asked us to help him curate them. His interest is in 60s folk (and we found many already for his permanent collection), so we'll end up with the rest per agreement. As you can imagine, most of the albums are junk - either good for mailers or, at best, $1 bin items. Of course there's plenty more good stuff to sell at the shows or trade locally. For the first few hundred, this is the only album I've kept so far. I have a few more I've pulled to listen to though. Tons more to go through. And that's just the first batch! This will be a huge undertaking.

Saturnia - α Ω α. 2012 Portugal

Saturnia is the solo project of a one Luis Simões, a multi-instrumentalist from Portugal. His primary interest is psychedelic space rock, somewhat similar to Sweden's ST Mikael, but more varied and less aggressive. I can remember reading about his albums at the beginning of the millennium. However the idea of a one man show - playing in a style that I prefer the synchronicity of a band - wasn't enough for me to separate some money from the wallet. Fast forward some 20 years, and I have trade credit to use, and there is Saturnia. It was mixed with a pile of other new heavy metal titles, which makes sense when you realize the album was released on Elektrohasch, the house label of stoner extraordinaire Colour Haze. Why not give it a chance? And I was rewarded with a very thoughtful psychedelic journey. The variety of instruments and the decidedly warm tone definitely transcends the genre norms. It sounds very much like something that could have been released in the early 70s. A double album set is almost certain to induce boredom and yet it never feels that way. I didn't pick up any highlights, but I'm certain more focused listens would yield such. Not sure I need a lot more of Saturnia, but as one representative for the collection, α Ω α is a good one.

Ownership: LP: 2012 Elektrohasch. 2 LP set. Gatefold. Wonderful overall presentation. As noted above, recently picked this up in trade with our local friends at What's Left Records.

Synchro Rhythmic Eclectic Language - Lambi. 1976 France

Synchro Rhythmic Eclectic Language's Lambi is an album that has an interesting reputation. If doing some background checking, you'll likely read descriptions such as Afro Cuban Psych or West Indies Funk. Well that may very well be the case, but I'm here to tell you this is definitely a Zeuhl album as well. With the throbbing irregular bass, chanting vocals, horn charts, and violin soloing there's no denying the Magma references. And then when you realize that the violinist is none other than Jean-Yves Rigaud, fresh off a stint on the Zao Z=7L and Osiris albums, then you know the lineage is there, and it's no coincidence. The driving and throbbing bass on side 2's 'A.B.C.D' is a highlight, putting one in a trance like state. Powerful rhythms, heavy amounts of percussion, organ, and violin solos, define this excellent work.

And the story doesn't end there. For those who possess the LP or CD reissues, there is an entire album's worth of material that is just as sublime! Not to be missed for fans of the album proper.

Ownership: LP: 2019 Sommor (Spain). Gatefold. 2 LP set. Recent online acquisition. Essential reissue given the aforementioned full album of bonus tracks. Scarce liner notes are in French (they may even be part of the original release) - other than the hype sticker. That's a bummer. It appears the CD version also has these bonus tracks.

12/7/10 (CDRWL)

Testament - The Gathering. 1999 USA-California

As noted prior when I picked up the first 5 OAS on CD, Testament's debut The Legacy was at the tail end of my metal phase, coinciding with my graduation from college. Their sophomore effort The  New Order never really resonated, and it wasn't until a couple of years ago that I reunited with the band's latest works. But I had missed everything between. One of those is The Gathering, an album considered by many to be their grand comeback, coming off a couple of groove and death metal releases (which I've not heard). 1999 was not a great time for traditional thrash bands, and Testament would have been an anomaly to go back to their roots as it were. The opening track 'D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)' packs a wallop and recalls the very best of the early albums. But Testament didn't turn their back on their newly found fans, and there's plenty of very aggressive music here, with occasional death growls. Chuck Billy has the type of voice to pull it off, but my tastes will likely never quite adjust to it. His regular voice would have made these tracks better in my opinion, but OK. The album weaves in and out of inventive thrash and more hardcore punky death metal. One could see this being a revelation in 1999 for fans of thrash metal who never abandoned the cause. For myself, I barely listened to any metal during these years, so it's all revisionist history. I prefer their initial phase along with what they're doing now.  All the same, this remains a keeper.

Ownership: LP: 2020 Nuclear Blast. Gatefold. Orange vinyl. More trade credit with my partners at What's Left. Demand for vinyl must be high for this title, as at least 3 distinct pressings have emerged in as many years.

Wolfgang Dauner's Et Cetera - Knirsch. 1972 Germany

A mixed effort from Dauner, Knirsch combines the higher key heavy fusion of Mahavishnu Orchestra with Et Cetera's affliction toward experimental free jazz. On board for this excursion are noted jazz guitarist Larry Coryell, Colosseum's Jon Hiseman (drums), and long time Dauner contributor (and future Exmagma member) Fred Braceful on hand percussion - the all-star cast proves up to the challenge of mixing these diverse styles. Dauner himself provides a nice variety of keyboards from traditional Clavinet, piano, Mini-Moog, and Rhodes onto off-key analog electronik instruments for the most "out there" segments. Some of the experimental bits go on for too long, as was common from this era of jazz rock, but still a very worthy addition for any underground fusion collection. Final piece 'Yin' is my personal favorite and closes the album in fine fashion.

Ownership: LP: 1972 MPS / BASF. Knirsch comes in a mighty fine thick and sturdy gatefold, and as with every MPS album, is pressed on excellent vinyl. I bought this one on ebay in the early days of the platform (1999 / 2000 or so).

Was reissued on CD in 2010.

5/28/09 (CDRWL); 11/18/20 (new entry) 

The Giant Hogweed Orchestra. 2004 Finland

When you name your band The Giant Hogweed Orchestra one can expect a Genesis like sound, correct? Nope! Maybe at some point they were like Gabriel and crew, but by the time their sole album was released, they were clearly an instrumental space rock band. And to be honest, I have way too much of that in the collection, so surely this one will not make the cut? Wrong again. What a great vibe this album has. It starts off more in the Ozric Tentacles vein, and I was starting to review what I could sell it for. Then it begins a slow descent into this kind of mellow psychedelic vibe. Of course having flute as a predominant instrument helps create that mood. And the two guitarists have just the right acidic tone. It just continues to draw you into a trance like state. What a great album to wind the day down with. I didn't remember much about this album from the past to be honest, but this listen was impactful. Definitely a keeper.

Ownership: CD: 2004 Mellow. Jewel case. 

Recorded in 2002 and has that date on the CD, but I think Discogs is correct on the release date.

12//05 (first listen); 11/18/20 (review/new entry)

Napoli Centrale. 1975 Italy

Napoli Centrale's debut possesses one of the most poignant album covers I've ever seen. With scenes from the ghettos of Naples, one would expect an album of much gravitas and a message of upheaval. Considering the cover, I really want so much from this album, but there isn't much to get I'm afraid. Musically it's pretty standard mid 70s jazz rock fusion. No more edgy than Nova, for example, and less accomplished and interesting. Only the tracks with vocals show the band was capable of so much more. Not to say it's a bad album - it most certainly isn't. Had it been released by a American group on some major label, its value would be less than $5. I fear to say I might be keeping this... for the cover.

I found some old notes I wrote many years ago. I don't agree with everything I said, but this part remains true: Politically oriented band, though the album doesn’t have that angry feel of their socially conscious brothers in Germany.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Dischi Ricordi. Gatefold. Very powerful message. Words are not needed. I picked this one off of ebay a few years ago. Like most Italian "prog" albums, copies are not cheap.

Steve Roach - Empetus. 1986 USA-Arizona

Arguably this is Steve Roach's definitive Berlin School album before moving on to more ambient realms. There are plenty of inventive sequences that owe some debt to Schmoelling-era Tangerine Dream, but for the most part he retains a completely original sound. Focus is on structure rather than solos. I have way too many Berlin School albums as it is, but this one remains.

Ownership: CD: 1986 Fortuna (Germany)

Catharsis - Vol. 4: Illuminations. 1972 France

Even though this is Catharsis' 4th album, and many online discographies list the album from 1975 - in reality it was recorded at the same time as their first 3 albums (including an EP). Musically it ties closest to their debut Masq. Essentially it's atmospheric rock music with wordless female vocals and a psychedelic backdrop. Not the kind of album to knock your socks off (presuming you would want such an occurrence), but for a pleasant mid evening listening session, it serves its purpose.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Festival. Comes in a fine gatefold. Purchased online some years ago. As mentioned above, the album was originally released in 1972 with the title of simply Catharsis (as were all of their early releases). When the second presses came along a few years later, all of the albums received new titles. The album is a very short 30 minutes, and it's unfortunate the album was never issued on CD with the other remaining titles, similar to the first 3. 

11/18/20 (new entry)

Forgas Band Phenomena - Roue Libre. 1997 France

In a recent post I featured Deus Ex Machina's Equilibrismo da Insofferenza. That same order included Forgas Band Phenomena's debut album. That's a lot of music to absorb at once! What a surprise Roue Libre was at the time. The only album that Patrick Forgas released that was even remotely interesting - to me at least - was Cocktail, an album from 20 years prior with funk and fusion influences. 23 years later from acquiring both the above albums, I can say with certainty that the veteran's new combo has held up better. Contained here are 3 instrumental tracks from a 6 piece band, totaling 45 minutes. Sounds like it could be a yawn fest. Yet it's nothing of the sort. The music continues to evolve, shift, explore, rock, and dance. It never stays in place too long - and it doesn't use crutches like aimless jamming or experimental noise to plow through the time. It's tightly composed and remains highly melodic throughout. Roue Libre is truly a brilliant work. There have been 5 more recordings from the Forgas Band Phenomena since, and they are all excellent, though this debut may very well be their best. This is one of many 1990s prog albums that have fallen into the forgotten category.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Cosmos. As noted above, purchased new not long after release. Nice layout with historical info on the Free Wheel and some info about the band. The CD has become quite scarce and has never been repressed or reissued.

1997; 11/18/20 (new entry)

Candlemass - Ancient Dreams. 1988 Sweden

I reference Candlemass quite a bit, but I've only written about one of their more obscure releases - From the 13th Sun - which isn't even a typical album from them. Unlike many of the metal bands I've been listening to of late, Candlemass is a band I did manage to keep up with real time. In fact I own all their albums except their latest The Door to Doom. Ancient Dreams was released in the middle of their 80s heyday. With the striking Thomas Cole painting and Messiah Marcolin in his prime, Ancient Dreams most assuredly is one of their best albums... right? For me, it's one of my least favorites. And that includes some of their off-the-beaten path albums like the aforementioned From the 13th Sun and Chapter VI. And I say that coming off a recent +1 listen. That is to say, the album is still excellent but it seems like it should be so much more. It may be the production which isn't meaty enough for music such as this. Also it seems the band goes on auto pilot, buys a ticket, and watches Marcolin sing. Doom metal is at its best when it shifts unexpectedly, something Candlemass are masters at - but not so much on Ancient Dreams. Classic Candlemass album worth owning? Absolutely. But not their best effort.

Ownership: LP: 1988 Metal Blade (USA). Single sleeve with a gorgeous cover. Bought this at a local Dallas record show not long after release. Often times I'm surprised that albums such as this aren't that expensive. Though it seems to be heading in that direction. Wouldn't sell mine in any case.

Trouble. 1984 USA-Illinois

I had my hands on this album a couple of times in the 80s while still in college, but just couldn't pull the trigger. I had recently purchased The Skull, and as mentioned in that post, I wasn't overwhelmed at the time. It's an album that has grown in stature with me some threefold. Obviously new copies of the debut were still around at normal prices. In retrospect, it probably was the right move, only in that the debut is not that dissimilar to The Skull. Perhaps a bit more Black Sabbathy and less mid paced 80s metal crunch, but essentially it's in the same ballpark. And because of that, I also think this album is great. They were pioneers of thoughtful slow metal, when just about everyone else was going a mile a minute - and not necessarily thinking it through either. Trouble has transcended time very well.

Ownership: LP: 1984 Metal Blade. Single sleeve. Recent acquisition from a local Denver record store. It was on the wall where the expensive and rare stuff is. And it wasn't cheap for sure, but still a bargain compared to what it's selling for online. Mint too and still in shrink. Even if I bought one new in 1985 or 86, it's likely it would not have remained in this good of shape!

new entry

Alfredo Carrion - Los Andares del Alquimista. 1976 Spain

Alfredo Carrion was involved with arguably the most known progressive rock album from Spain: Canarios' Ciclos. This ultimately lead to him releasing a similarly big budget prog album with Los Andares del Alquimista. The opening side is more song oriented whereas side 2 is more grandiose. Music like this creeps on you and before you know it, you realize you are listening to something very important and intense. In the same manner as maybe William Sheller. I had heard this album once in the initial CD days of the late 80s and early 90s, and it didn't make an impact. But I'm certain I was looking for music that was more immediate. Los Andares del Alquimista is anything but immediate. If there's ever been an album to enjoy a bottle of wine with, this would be the one.

Ownership: LP: 1976 Movieplay. Recent online acquisition. Comes in a fine gatefold. It shows Carrion smoking a ciggy. I've noticed albums that feature key protagonists smoking are usually very good. I think some serious academic research is needed on this front... As noted above, not an album that struck me as worth getting some 30 years ago. Glad I had a chance to rectify that situation

Dream Death - Journey Into Mystery. 1987 USA-Pennsylvania

Much like the Gaskin album I recently posted about, Dream Death's name came about while researching top metal bands of the 80s. Now by 1987 it was much tougher to keep up with all the newer bands, but I was still trying. But I missed Pittsburgh's Dream Death, that's for sure. They were on New Renaissance, so for certain they were getting press. In any case, here's how Dream Death is summarily described: Doom Thrash. Now there's an oxymoron if I ever saw one. But ya know, after hearing Journey Into Mystery, doom thrash it is! It's a very strange sound they have going here. It's one part Celtic Frost (especially the vocals and overall muddy atmosphere) and one part Trouble. It's a fascinating blend, and it's definitely the kind of kvlt music that lingers long past its natural life. I've heard good things about their 2013 reunion album. May need to investigate that as well.

Ownership: LP: 2017 High Roller (Germany). Recent online acquisition. Single sleeve. Clear vinyl. Very nice reissue with a full color poster of the album cover plus the original lyric inner sleeve. No liners though. Originals aren't terribly expensive if in the market for one.

Taramis - Queen of Thieves. 1987 Australia

I recently posted about Taramis' second album Stretch of the Imagination. That reminded me to seek out the debut. I had read that Queen of Thieves was more like Iron Maiden and far less complex than their sophomore effort. But I didn't find that to be the case. This is certainly in line with some of the other crazy progressive thrash bands hovering about in the late 80s. One never knows where the music will take you next. Yet another solid album from downunda. Pity they stopped when they did. 

Ownership: LP: 1988 Metal Blade (USA). Recent online acquisition. Sealed no less. And surprisingly not expensive. Single sleeve with quite the eye catching cover.

Weed - Weed...! 1971 Germany

Weed are the quintessential 1971 German heavy rock band. Hard guitars and jamming organ with soulful but harsh vocals. So many bands like this coming from Germany during this era, and all are satisfying on some level. If groups like Virus, Zarathustra, Gomorrha, Hairy Chapter, first album Eloy, and countless others resonate with you, then you'll want to add Weed to that stack.

Ownership: LP: 2014 Long Hair. Gatefold. Recent online acquisition. Nice reissue with a short history in both English and German. Originals are super expensive, and the CDs are also scarce and pricey, so the LP reissue is your best bet if in the market to secure a copy.

Epizootic - Daybreak. 1976 Sweden

Epizootic's sole album is a highly ambitious, but amateurish kind of progressive hard rock. There are many nice touches that are unusual for such an aggressive album, including electric piano and flute. It definitely features a high level of complexity, not always found on harder edged albums like this. Really great guitar throughout. The vocals are a bit strained, which recalls many an early 70s German album - so it just takes a bit of time for the ears to adjust. 

Ownership: LP: 2020 Long Hair. Single sleeve. Has an insert with a brief history in both Germany and English, with scans of newspaper clippings and the like. 

No legit CD reissue as of 6/24/24.

8/26/10 (CDRWL); 11/17/20 (new entry)

 

Crypt Sermon - Out of the Garden. 2015 USA-Pennsylvania

Sometime in 1989, while standing in line at the grocery store, my eyes fixated on a new novel called Foucault's Pendulum by the Italian author Umberto Eco, who I was unfamiliar with even though he already had a best seller with Name of the Rose. I've never been a book-of-the-week kind of guy, but the premise was highly intriguing. And it introduced me to the world of Medieval secret orders, namely The Knights Templar, a topic I continue to be fascinated by. I find it humorous that I was introduced to such a weighty topic in the Tom Thumb grocery store line. Right next to The National Enquirer and packs of gum.

Not long prior to this discovery, I had also been introduced to a new metal band from Sweden called Candlemass. They played in a style called "doom metal", and it seemed to be a direct response to the era's preferred fast approach including speed metal and thrash. Calling upon classic Black Sabbath, but with a modern sense of heaviness and lyrical content, Candlemass blew the dust off of the 70s in a most exciting way.

Crypt Sermon is the combination of those two late 80s personal discoveries. When I first saw the LP, I asked the record store owner what kind of music it was, and that cinched it for me. It reminded me of first discovering Manilla Road's Crystal Logic in 1983 - no way a cover like that would house anything but an interesting record. And I was rewarded with a fine album in the doom metal space. I'm not too keen on the funereal side of the genre and prefer some crunchy mid paced riffing, and that's precisely what Out of the Garden provides. Vocals are more matter-of-fact than the operatic Candlemass style, but otherwise the comparison holds true. If any of what I said above resonates, you'll want to grab this one.

Ownership: LP: 2019 Dark Descent. Single sleeve with cool insert of Medieval paintings. Silver vinyl. The label is based in my current hometown of Colorado Springs, and the record store that Purple Peak Records partners with (What's Left Records) also works directly with the label. So that's how I was introduced... 

11/17/20 (new entry)

2020 Classic Rock / AOR Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

HCL - High Cost of Livin'. 198? P.I.N. With the two below (Nov). Yet another 80's private pressing, this time from Salisbury, Maryland. Interesting mix of styles here, though there's no question of its 80s provenance (they do have a CD from 1991, suggesting this could have been from 1990). The strangest aspect of the album is its blues rock leaning, with some strong electric guitar. Its impact is diminished by the production, but it provides a unique juxtaposition. 

The Jacks - In Danger. 1985 Quest (LP). With the Morningstar (Nov). Music moves towards an AOR / New Wave / Hard Rock sound. Very 80s, and also had potential to make it for the era. The album is a six song EP with two "single" versions appended on to make it an LP. The Jacks were from Omaha, Nebraska and quietly disappeared.

Morningstar - Venus. 1979 Columbia (LP - white label promo). From a Denver area record store (Nov). Morningstar were a band from Kansas City going back to the late 60s. By the time they got around to releasing their two albums in the late 70s, FM album oriented rock was all the rage. Venus was their second and last album. Somehow I got it in my head I liked this band and paid real money for it ($4 lol). Eh... no. It's the pandering side of AOR. You can tell they're in it for the money, which probably lead to their ultimate obscurity. One very good track with 'Never Meant to Be' (hmmm...they got that right) and 'Hard Bargain Driver' is pretty good. The rest can be avoided.

Toto - Toto IV. 1982 Columbia (LP). Thrift shop find (Nov).  Everything that was bad about commercial rock radio when I was in high school - can be found on this album. Not for me....

Humble Pie - Smokin'. 1972 A&M (LP). Thrift shop find (Nov). Never been much on Humble Pie, but I don't know them that well either. Smokin' is mostly blues to blues rock and the vocals are suitably raspy, if not annoying. There's a couple of Led Zep styled rockers here that I quite like. Overall it's good, but not good enough for my tastes to keep.

Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery. 1979 Jet (LP). Thrift shop find (Nov). Another one of those groups that was omnipresent in my youth. I'm sure I heard a couple of their albums back in the day, but God knows I don't remember any of them. So let's give it a whirl. Meh. I don't have too much issue with the disco elements, it's more the lack of great songs. 'Don't Bring Me Down' is the hit from this, and man is that an annoying song. I'll be sure to pick up any of their albums as I see them. They have some songs from the early to mid 70s that I do like. 

Fleetwood Mac - Mystery to Me. 1973 Reprise (LP). Thrift shop find in Pueblo (Nov). What's a mystery to me is why Fleetwood Mac are so popular - at least after they dumped the blues. More adult contemporary music for those who are more mature than me (I sense a theme here...).  I do admit to really enjoying 'Hypnotized', perhaps a luck-out track on their part. Opener 'Emerald Eyes' is good too. The rest you can have. I keep finding this title at thrifts, and not near as marketable as the Stevie Nicks era. Perhaps I should layoff next time.

The following all came from the same thrift shop find (Oct)

Cheap Trick - Heaven Tonight. 1978 Epic (LP). This is Cheap Trick's 3rd album. In the last five years I've also heard their first two. I'm 0 for 3 on Cheap Trick. I don't get the allure. It's not my kind of rock n roll I guess. Clearly I'm in the minority - or at least back then I would have been. 

T Rex - Electric Warrior. 198? Reprise (1971) (LP). Here is the blockbuster T Rex album. The one with 'Bang a Gong (Get it On)'. I never liked that song, and the album is only worse. Every day that goes by, I'm reminded how much I don't like classic rock. At least I'll get a good profit from it.

Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock N' Roll. 1974 Rolling Stones (LP). Well I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I have very little use for the Stones. I do need to spend a bit more time with their 60s work, but to date, I can't really stomach any of their 70s/80s albums. And this is no exception. However.... there is one great track that I couldn't believe was the Rolling Stones. A jazz rock number called 'Time Waits For No One'. A great six and a half minutes buried in the middle of this teenage wasteland. All these years, and I never once heard this on the radio. 

Rolling Stones - Tattoo You. 1981 Rolling Stones (LP). This is the second copy in two years I've found. I can barely get through it. Not sure I did....

Asia - Alpha. 1983 Geffen (LP). Somewhere in this blog I went on a nostalgia rant about the debut. I never bothered to hear anything else by the band back in the day, as I was done with that sound. Without any past association, Alpha is going to have to make it on its own songwriting merits. Pffft. Jeez, what a pile of manure this is. Whatever was great about their first album, was tossed completely for a more commercial sound. How could it be more commercial? Listen to this and find out. See ya.

---end of sale

*Keef Hartley Band - The Battle of North West Six. 1969 Deram (LP). Thrift shop find in the Denver area (Oct). I know very little about Keef Hartley, though his early titles were recommended to me not that long ago. Though apparently this album is considered the weak link between his debut and 3rd album. If that's the case, then I'm certain to love the other two, because I found much of this to be quite good. A solid mix of hard rock and horn rock, with solid songwriting. Very good on the whole and cannot see a reason not to keep it.

Boaz - Three of a Kind. 1978 Blue Moon (LP). In the world of thrifting, this is what one would call a "great score" (Oct). And no, Boaz is not really a commodity, though the music kind of is. Having said that, side 1 had me thinking this was a keeper, with some strong hard rock songs and excellent lead guitar. Side 2 devolves into boogie/country rock, and quickly lost its luster. Pretty good on the whole I'd submit. Boaz were from Madison, Wisconsin - clearly from a different era of the city. 

Dynamics - Another Day. 1976 Aspen (LP). Thrift shop find in Fort Morgan (Oct). OK this isn't really a commodity, but I'm always on the lookout for local grooves. This is a small press classic rock album from the Denver area (despite label name). Pretty typical of a 70s bar band, and nothing at all to get excited about. 

*Boston. 1976 Epic (LP). Thrift shop find (Sep). After ALL these years, I'm kind of warming up to Boston. They were omnipresent in my youth, to great annoyance. I was told - in no uncertain terms - that yes, it is a fact, that Boston is one of the greatest albums of all time. No it isn't. Used to piss me off. Well, it still kind of does. Making matters worse, it was sort of known, even back then, that these guys were Massachusetts Institute of Technology wise-asses looking to formulate a hit record. Well they certainly succeeded! They do have some well written songs here, and that guitar distortion wasn't unwelcome at all back in the day. OK, OK, I'll keep it now. First time ownership. No promises on long term commitments. (2024 note - still have it!)

* - Keeping for the collection

Fluence. 1975 France

Lead by Pascal Comelade, Fluence's album is a long, minimalist journey with organ and synthesizer primarily in the lead. This is combined with occasional, but massive fuzz guitar from Richard Pinhas (Heldon) on Side 1 with Gabriel Ibanez providing similar on Side 2. It's this latter element that makes the album worth seeking out, though overall it can be a bit static at times. Like a lot of music in this space, it's often best to let it play in the background to give it time to marinate in your mind.

Ownership: LP: 2020 Etats Unis (USA). Single sleeve. No other information is provided. 

I was surprised to learn that this release was part of a recent RSD. What an odd choice I thought - and from an American label no less. I didn't really have any intention of buying it, but then I was at my local record store - and there it was! Didn't expect them to bring this one in. Obviously it didn't get picked up on the actual day (something I typically avoid), so I was there to scoop it up (probably the only person in town who even knew it was). Not something I would typically buy (it wasn't discounted or anything), but I do like to support my local brick and mortars as much as possible. They do need the business! Despite the lack of documentation, it's a good reissue. It sounds much better than the Tapioca version I owned in the 90s and certainly better than the CD-R I had. The album remains without a CD issue (as of 6/17/24), which would have to top this LP for me to consider buying at this point.

7/11/10 (CDRWL); 11/14/20 (new entry)

Don Robertson - Spring. 1984 USA-Colorado

I remember reading about this album in Eurock back in the 80s. They had referenced his debut album Dawn from 1969 as a classic of its kind. I have since heard that album (though still do not own), and have to agree that it is a unique early psychedelic infused new age styled work. I presumed Spring would be New Age without the psychedelic aspects, especially 15 years later. Yes and no. It's not really New Age at all, at least as the term has come to mean - that of a hollow digital recording, canned percussion, and saccharine melodies. And while it's not exactly psychedelic in the 60s sense of the word, there is a disorienting aspect to his sound here. Primarily what Robertson has managed to achieve here is the same kind of "crystalline" sound that Klaus Schulze did on 'Crystal Lake' (Mirage). And yes, there is a Berlin School component here. There's a lot of depth to the composition and sound structure. One of a kind to my ears. A pleasant surprise and explains why this album is sought after.

Ownership: 1984 DBR. Single sleeve. Never reissued. Interesting to note that Robertson thanks Bernard Xolotl on the back cover (another unique electronic musician of the early 80s). Found this at a thrift store in Wyoming recently. One of many good scores from our trip to South Dakota.

2020 Psychedelic / Garage Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

The following all came from a large thrift shop find of 45s (Nov):

*The Guilloteens - Wild Child / You Think You're Happy. 1966 Columbia promo (SP). What a great name for a band! 'Wild Child' is quite good garage, with a snotty Stones attitude and some pretty cool backwards psych fuzz for the early date. The flip is the usual timeframe's fumble, going for a poppier sound in case the other side offended too much. They were from Memphis. Keeping this one, something of a memento I suppose.

The Barbarians - What the New Breed Say / Susie Q. 1965 Laurie promo (SP). 1965 garage music - so I'll let you figure out who they copied. This is version #965 of 'Susie Q'. No one had any imagination in those days apparently. They were from the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. 

Guess Who's - Hurting Each Other / Baby's Birthday. 1965 Scepter promo (SP). The Guess Who? Well this says the Guess Who's, so that's who! A side sounds very much like a Burt Bacharach / Hal David composition. B side is very Beatlesque. 

The Jackals - Linda Come Lately / Everywhere She Goes. 1969 Liberty promo (SP). The only release from this unknown group. Pop psych with horns. Nothing distinctive to gather them notice and off they went into obscurity. 

The Liverpool Set - Oh Gee Girl /Walking the Dog. 1966 Columbia promo (SP). The Liverpool Set were a garage band from Canada. Obviously patterned after The Beatles, not a lot of surprises here, but always fun to hear stuff like this.

*Love Sculpture - Sabre Dance / Think of Love. 1968 Parrot promo (SP). 'Sabre Dance' apparently was a live song that gained notoriety and thus helped this truncated version sell much copy. They later recorded the extended version for their second album Forms and Feelings. In any case it's a spirited rendition of the classical chestnut with absolutely killer and fast guitar, especially for the era. 'Think of Love' is unique to this 45, and is even better. Again some great fuzz and features a good piano driven riff. 

*The Rising Sons - Candy Man / The Devil's Got My Woman. 1966 Columbia promo (SP). 1966 is usually too early for me to be engaged, and this is no exception. 'Candy Man' is jangly acoustic driven garage and the flip is similar with a slight rural feel. Los Angeles based group that featured Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal.

Wichita Fall - Going to Ohio / Ornamental Sideshow. 1969 Liberty promo (SP). 'Going to Ohio' is from that annoying element of psych that mixed in Baroque and pop for a completely silly song. The flip is much better with some fine harpsichord, though it gets a bit too brassy towards the end. 

---end of sale

Fever Tree - Another Time, Another Place. 1968 Uni (LP). From RT (Nov). There are some very good tracks here including the opener and closer, but there's also some boring ones. It reminds me of later Iron Butterfly in this way. Seems they went into the studio without much material, and just made it up as they went along. Wasted opportunity. 

The Beatles VI. 1965 Capitol (LP). And more Beatles from RT (Nov). If I have my facts straight this album, along with Beatles '65, were both culled from the UK release called Beatles For Sale. In the US, Capitol was attempting to milk the brand for all it was worth. As with Beatles '65, most of these tracks are throwaway numbers. The only track I recognized is 'Eight Days a Week', which I never really cared for too much. The cover looks like guys I worked with when I joined the permanent work force in the late 80s. Paul McCartney is in his element, but boy did John Lennon ever change... Sell bin it is.

The Beatles - Beatles '65. 1964 Capitol (LP). From the RT collection (Nov). Well... Beatles again. Most of my knowledge of this era of the band goes back to grade school when I bought the Beatles 62-66 2xLP set. In contrast to 67-70, there was no Magical Mystery Tour favorite album to refer to as a favorite. In fact the "red" compilation was much more varied for the source material. The only track I recognize here is 'I Feel Fine', and after hearing this album, it would be my pick for best song. Now whether that's due to familiarity, or it is in fact the best cut for my tastes, I'm not entirely sure. For the most part, I hear this album as average and won't keep it.

*The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour. 1967 Capitol (LP) From the same picker as below (Oct). Well, Beatles again. But... I think this is my favorite one. Maybe Revolver is in that race too. The very first full album I ever bought (age 12) was the 2xLP Beatles 1967-1970 set. I played that to death (still own it remarkably). I used to read all the lyrics and got to know all the melodies. After all, it was the only album I owned at one point - and I was excited to use my new stereo. As in all day, every day. What those liner notes told me back then is that many of my favorite tracks came from this very album. 'The Walrus' and 'Strawberry Fields Forever' in particular (early clues that all was not right inside my head....). But also 'Penny Lane', 'All You Need is Love',  and 'The Fool on the Hill'.  Magical Mystery Tour is usually not the album many folks point to as their best, but I think it's their most truly psychedelic album - more so than Sgt Peppers.

*The Beatles - Abbey Road. 1969 Apple (LP). From a local picker (Oct). I'll freely admit that I'm not the biggest Beatles fan alive. But Abbey Road is in their top 5 for certain. 'Come Together' is brilliant and I certainly do enjoy 'Something', 'I Want You', and 'Here Comes the Sun'. There's probably a couple of others, but their overall eclectic nature wears on me. The cover has the sewer drain (something of a big deal for Beatles collectors I come to find out). 

various artists - Easy Rider. 1969 Dunhill (LP). Thrift shop find (Oct). Nice selection that does a good job of capturing the ethos of the psychedelic era, especially that of the west coast. I prefer the heavier and trippier material, of course, like Steppenwolf (including the iconic title track), Hendrix, The Byrds, and The Electric Prunes. Not as keen on the folky and countryish numbers, but again it is representative. 

*Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails. 1968 Capitol (LP). It's back. I just sold my copy a year ago, and then another popped up at a thrift shop, in about the same great shape (Sep). That's a divine message to me apparently. They are at their best here, just letting the jams fly. Nothing too sophisticated, and songwriting is optional. I wish I could now visit San Francisco - but in 1968. My first time there was in 1995 - long after Silicon Valley had been established. To be fair, I spent many years in the SF Bay Area afterward, because of said industry. It's so hard now to imagine San Francisco as a "city of the Western frontier".

* - Keeping for the collection

Deus Ex Machina - Equilibrismo da Insofferenza. 1998 Italy

In 1998, Deus Ex Machina were one of those bands that myself and my running set were tracking real time. Their first three albums were all excellent, and they seemed to improve with each release. I had the pleasure of seeing them live in 1996 and they didn't disappoint there either. So there was much anticipation when Equilibrismo da Insofferenza was released. And boy, did it pack the WOW factor! They had streamlined their sound further, added even more complexity, while bringing forth a more mature songwriting approach. Not to mention a much better, more retro styled production. For 1998, it seemed to be their best effort yet, and one of the finest prog albums for the entire year - a sentiment shared by many at the time. 22 years later, and that impact has diminished somewhat. The music is dense, with tons of stop/start moments while Piras continued to push the boundaries of the Demetrio Stratos styled vocal gymnastics. And now he's singing in his native Italian verse Latin - which remains a plus in my book. Truth be told, I didn't remember much about the album going into revisit. And I don't remember much about it afterward - and it was only three weeks ago! When reflecting on Deus Ex Machina's best songs, it's starting to emerge that their sophomore effort is their most accomplished, and the one album the band relies on more for their live repertoire. The 90s tinny production was more the issue considering that release. There is an exception to everything I said above - and it's very significant: 'Cosmopolitismo Centimetropolitano' may very well be the single finest track (ever) to marry hard rock and avant prog. And it is memorable. It never stops driving forward, with one of the all time great guitar riffs combined with complex rhythms. And Piras has never been better than here. It was this one song that I think propelled it as one of the great albums in my mind. And for 10 and a half minutes, it most certainly is. For the other hour not so much. Is it Deus Ex Machina's best album? It may still very well be. We'll see how the other albums fare on further revisits.

Ownership: CD: 1998 Kaliphonia. Jewel case with extensive booklet. 

1998; 11/13/20 (new entry)

Malo - Ascencion. 1974 USA-California

A couple of years ago I went on (and on and on) about Malo's debut, and some reminiscence of my time near East Los Angeles in the late 90s. At this point, I'm inclined to rate that album second only to the almighty Chango release for best Latin Rock. Curiously, I never picked up their other 3 albums until now. Ascencion is the last from Jorge Santana and crew. Arguably it's a more consistent album, though it doesn't have the insane high of 'Just Say Goodbye' or the gorgeous beauty of 'Sauvecito'. But it also avoids the more traditional Latin pop style as well. Ascencion combines the best of Latin rock and horn rock for a fantastic album. Every track is very good, but the opening 'Offerings' and closer 'No Matter' are highlights where we hear Jorge plug in and wail. There's some strong Hammond work here as well. And the 3 piece horn group is also on fire. Excellent album for fans of Latin rock.

Ownership: LP: 1974 Warner Bros. Single sleeve with eye catching artwork. Pulled out of a local record store's $1 bin.

Tortilla Flat - Fur ein 3/4 Stundchen. 1975 Germany

Tortilla Flat's debut album is an instrumental exercise in superb jazz composition combined with tight rhythms and driving rock guitar. Tortilla Flat were a six-piece with flute, electric and acoustic guitar, bass/fuzz bass, drums, percussion, and electric piano. The primary lead instrument here is the flute, with plenty of room given to the Rhodes piano and biting fuzz guitar, while the melodies are bouncy and playful, recalling Supersister's 1970 masterpiece Present From Nancy. The primary difference is that Tortilla Flat is a bit more jazzy and less psychedelic than their next door neighbors. This fact probably has more to do with the trends of the year 1975 than anything else. The seven tracks on display feature plenty of room for improvisational jamming over complex rhythms while the compositions are memorable and, at times, beautiful. One of the all-time Euro prog greats.

Ownership: LP: 1975 private. Fold open cover with a lyric insert. I bought this from a well known German dealer (2000) for about a tenth of its going rate. 

CD: 2019 Long Hair. Jewel case with great sound, full liner notes, photos, and two excellent bonus tracks not found elsewhere. 

The CD had been long anticipated. Various labels including Laser's Edge and Musea had intentions of reissuing it. The band even sent me a masters tape CD-R sometime in the mid 2000s to assist in the matter. 

As for the date, the recordings were completed on Dec 22, 1974. It's highly unlikely it was pressed and released in the next 9 days - during Christmas! Unfortunately the liner notes do not specifically address this matter. But 1975 stands to reason.

3/30/01 (Gnosis); 7/11/06; 11/11/20 (new entry)