Tasavallan Presidentti. 1971 Finland

Tasavallan Presidentti's second album, released only in Sweden oddly enough, is very much in the spirit of other albums from the UK and Continental Europe during this time. Bands as disperse as Colosseum, Ahora Mazda, Tonton Macoute, Zior, and Ikarus come to mind. Strong woodwinds (flute;sax), gruff vocals from Englishman Frank Robson, and excellent guitar from Jukka Tolonen highlight this excellent period piece. If you're already a fan of early 70s European progressive rock, then Tasavallan Presidentti's sophomore effort is one more to add to your stack.

Ownership: LP: 1971 Columbia / EMI (Sweden). Single sleeve and it still has the original EMI audiophile inner. Online acquisition from 2013. Almost 9 years later, I'm finally hearing this copy (and add another decade since I heard the album at all). Because it was released in Sweden, and not Finland nor the UK, it's by far the scarcest of the Tasavallan Presidentti albums. Prior to the LP, I did own the CD (2002 EMI Finland), which offers a nice history (preserved below) and lyrics. No bonus tracks. Just not enough there to keep it.

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xxx

yyy

Klaus Schulze (& related) (1970s) ~ Germany

Irrlicht (1972)

Klaus Schulze's debut is a dense work, bordering serious Classical. No trademark sequencers to be found here. Systems music with an orchestra, or as the cover suggests Quadrophonische Symphonie für Orchester und E-Maschinen (I'm telling you, Spelling Bee champions in Germany must be impressive!) To me, at first, the strings sounded like mellotron - just in the way the sound is presented. This is music to write about the end of society as we know it. A dirge. Dark, abstract, formless. 

Ownership: 1972 Ohr (LP). Gatefold.

10/13/90 (acquired); 1995; 12/31/21 (review)

Body Love (1977)

Well it's Klaus Schulze circa 1977, so there's no surprises here at all. It's music that was used for a pornographic film, but the music really doesn't match the topic. It's more rhythmic than Mirage, in line with Moondawn perhaps. If you're a Schulze fan, it's one to add to the collection, but this isn't one of his more revolutionary albums. 

This is the original cover with the movie set shots. Certainly wasn't going to do well here in the States looking like that (and other more conservative countries back in 1977), so they made an "export version" that was considerably less risque.

Ownership: 1977 Metronome (LP)

1989 (acquired); 1998; 9/21/20 (review)

The Schulze-Schickert Session (1975)

Review here

Other albums I own and still need to review: Cyborg; Picture Music; Blackdance; Timewind; Moondawn; Mirage; Body Love Vol. 2; X; Dune

9/21/20 (new entry)

Ambrosia. 1975 USA-California

For many years I scoffed at the notion that Ambrosia were somehow one of America's finest progressive rock bands. Which if we were to compare to bands like Cathedral, Yezda Urfa, and Mirthrandir, that would still hold true. But for the general buying public, the US didn't offer much in that way. There was Starcastle of course, which met its own chorus of derision, for an entirely different reason. The type of groups that got a foothold here were the ones that had a strong commercial sensibility. If the mindset moves towards Styx, Alan Parsons Project, Supertramp, Klaatu, FM, Saga, and early Journey - then Ambrosia has a seat at that table. Of course the previous aren't all American groups, but it's that particular style that the A&R guys were interested in signing. The arrangements go way beyond trivial pop slop, and there's genuine progressive rock hidden in these grooves. As I've gotten older, I'm appreciating more and more this kind of sound - a combination of nostalgia and objective evaluation I'd submit. So yea, this one stays.

Ownership: LP: 1975 20th Century. Single sleeve. I'd been on the lookout for this album in the wilds for the last 3 years, but it's been surprisingly scarce. If couch surfing, you can score a copy cheap and easy. This one came from the Denver Record show a couple of months ago out of someone's $1 bin (2021). The record is in EX shape, but the cover is VG- and it's missing the lyric insert, so I'll keep looking for a better copy.

12/28/21 (new entry)

Steve Hillage - Fish Rising. 1975 England

Steve Hillage's debut is sort of an amalgam of You-era Gong and Hatfield & The North. Certainly the godfather of modern space rock, Hillage's group looks like a proto Ozric Tentacles, complete with wool caps, goofy names, and crazy song titles. Then there's Dave Stewart, probably the last guy to go in for such tropes, though he has history with Arzachel doing just that. With Hillage. Ah what the heck, one more time going out getting high with the boys (and girls) from school before getting serious. Well, sort of serious. So yea, Canterbury goes space rock. A combination that can be nothing but great, especially if one sticks to protocol. And they did.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Virgin. Single sleeve with lyric insert and a Virgin company audiophile inner. Cool artwork. This is an odd one really. For whatever reason, I never stumbled onto the album in my initial used record forays while in college. And there's multiple US pressings to find. When I started hanging around like-minded friends after graduation, it was a glaring omission in the collection. It wasn't until 1992 that I finally secured a copy - an older pressing used CD. Well, good enough. Finally in 2014 I bought a UK first pressing original online, and stored it away. This is the first time I've listened to it, almost 8 years later. Looking at the vinyl, this might be the first time anyone has played it. Perfect mint. That old CD doesn't offer anything (except instructions on how to play a CD - in 4 different languages lol). C'ya!

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Lisker. 1979 Spain

Lisker's sole album is a rather simplistic, primarily instrumental album filled with fuzz guitar and flute, nice melodies, and a healthy amount of energy. From the above statement, two items are worth calling out: 1) The melodies are well thought-out, and are memorable long after the music has stopped. And 2) the guitar tone is decidedly psychedelic, which is quite the rarity for a 1979 recording. Lisker tracks close to the French band Triode in terms of overall sound. And the melodic quotient could make one state that Lisker is to the Basque Country what Gotic is to Catalonia. Plus the psychedelic influences of course. Excellent album.

Ownership: LP: 1979 Xoxoa. Gatefold. There was a time when this was highly sought after and very expensive. I obtained my original copy in a trade back in 1994 from a well known European dealer. When the CD came out, I couldn't resist trading it to a friend / dealer for 30 new CDs. Even today, I question whether or not that was a good idea. But money was much more scarce then for the UMR. However, as is often the case, I reacquired arguably even a better copy, at a cheaper price from a good friend of the UMR in late 2018. This replaces the aforementioned CD that offers nothing else. 

7/7/13; 12/9/18

Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking. 1969 England

Iconic folk rock album by highly respected English band Fairport Convention. It wasn't that long ago I spoke of my disappointment after hearing Full House, as I heard that as too traditional English folk for my tastes. Largely I could make the same claim here about Fairport's 3rd studio effort, but there are some exceptions, in particular 'Autopsy' and especially the 11+ minute 'A Sailor's Life'. There's just enough here to make me want to keep this, with special consideration given the ownership situation below. And I have to say that the cover is perfect, and gives it a real dimension you rarely see from this era. Those could have been my grandparents, looking somewhat similar in 1969. And to know that Sandy Denny met a tragic end at only 31, is that much more heartbreaking.

Ownership: LP: 1969 Island. Single sleeve. Yes, this is a true first edition UK pink Island with the "block" logo design. This came from the RT collection (2021), and represents for me the bookend of a year long journey that began with Yusef Lateef's Detroit Latitude album. When I add up all the miscellaneous factors here, this one goes into the must keep category.

12/27/21 (new entry)

Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus. 1986 Sweden

There are times when an album is released that no one could possibly anticipate its historical impact. And that most certainly is the case for Candlemass' debut. In 1986, thrash metal was dominating the underground, and bands were popping up everywhere to be the next Metallica. So what did this unknown band from Sweden do? Slowed it way down, and referenced early 70s Black Sabbath. At the same time they brought interesting lyrical themes and a grandiose approach to the compositions. A genre was born: Epic Doom Metal. It would be many years before anyone even recognized that it was happening. Candlemass had a strong run through the end of the 80s and petered out in the 90s like most metal bands from the decade prior. They floundered along through the early 2000's, only to be held in the highest esteem upon Messiah Marcolin's (brief) return in 2005. By that time Candlemass were the band everyone was chasing to be. When reviewing the music, it's not the heaviest production one can hear, and some ideas are stretched longer than they need to be. But its impact remains timeless, a powerful statement going into strong headwinds. That's the definition of true metal. My personal favorite among the 6 lengthy tracks is 'Under the Oak' which features a massive riff that Iommi would be proud of. Interesting to note that iconic vocalist Marcolin isn't on this debut, but rather a guest by the name of John Langquist. Many consider him Candlemass' best singer. Somewhat similar to Greg Munford and the Strawberry Alarm Clock.

Ownership: LP: 2010 Peaceville (UK); CD: 1992 Leviathan / Black Dragon (USA). The LP is a beautiful gatefold pressed on red vinyl, sounds terrific, and features insightful liner notes for each track inside the centerpiece. Also included is an inner sleeve with historical footnotes. The CD is basic, and I don't even recall how I ended up with it, but I didn't buy it new. It's an early pressing, which has some demand, but I think I'll keep it anyway. The first copy I owned was the original Leviathan LP (USA) purchased while still in college (1987). This was an excellent example of my "silted port" metal LP collection that sat dormant for 25+ years. It comes in a single sleeve that had a huge cut corner. It was one of the few I decided to let go of in recent times, to no regret. Especially now that I have this much superior reissue, that I bought at What's Left the first time I visited the store last year, right after they opened. A great way to start our relationship!

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Strange Days - 9 Parts to the Wind. 1975 England

Strange Days comes from the last throes of UK progressive rock in 1975. Similar to other bands of its ilk, namely Druid, Kestrel, Time, and Fruupp - Strange Days went boldly forward with a combination of complex progressive rock, with a lucid dose of commercial material just in case a high powered record executive might tune in. They didn't, and off to the obscurity grave went Strange Days. But for deep divers of arcane progressive rock, don't miss this gem. The last two tracks in particular demonstrate that Strange Days were a group to be reckoned with, and include many complex progressions. Oddly, the lengthiest tune with the overtly proggy moniker 'The Journey' is mostly a tedious Broadway play styled production, and is the weakest link to an otherwise super album.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Retreat/EMI. Laminated single sleeve with lyric inner. Purchased online in 2016. I was sort of late to the party on this album. I'm not sure how I missed this album in my initial accumulation of LPs, but it just never came across my desk. The Japanese papersleeve CD, which arrived many years later, was my introduction to the album. The CD includes their one 45 as well, though it's not unique enough to hold onto, since it's truncated songs from the album proper.

8/9/15

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Garofano Rosso. 1976 Italy

The odd album out in the Banco del Mutuo Soccorso canon, though they were to repeat it again on Di Terra. That is, this is Banco without vocals! Francesco di Giacomo is such an integral part of the band, it doesn't seem possible to hear the music without him. And he's still a member, being credited here with "documentazione". The music (a soundtrack to an Italian TV series) is still patently Banco DMS, though they're changing with the times and adding more jazzy elements to their sound. The Nocenzi brothers continue to lead the band with their organs, pianos, and synthesizers ripping away. You'll hear some familiar themes from past albums as well. The music isn't as edgy or as epic as their earlier efforts, but taken on its own account, Garofano Rosso is a fine listen.

Ownership: LP: 1976 Manticore. Single textured sleeve. Recent purchase from a Baltimore record store while there on business. My first copy was the Orrizonte pressing going back to the late 80s. I sold it in the 90s while purging parts of the collection. Not long ago I obtained the Japanese CD. There are apparently two original pressings of this album. The more familiar would be the smooth cover, and this is confirmed by the Japanese mini-LP, which are usually meticulous about replicating first editions. However my cover is textured with an "orange peel" pattern. This version would appear to be more obscure. The CD doesn't really offer much more, so I'll let it go.

12/26/21 (new entry)

Boomerang (Joel Dugrenot). 1982 France

Boomerang were formed by various members in an out of the Zeuhl camp, namely Zao and Magma. Despite the heritage, Boomerang is not a Zeuhl effort, but rather it fits solidly in the category of jazz rock. But this isn't melodies plus solos, but rather a fully composed work, which distinguishes it from others of its ilk. Though it's from the early 80s, the sound here is distinctly 70s in tone and approach. The X factor of the band is not necessarily Dugrenot, but rather violinist David Rose, whose playing here could only be categorized as gorgeous. Other highlights are Claude Olmos' electric guitar (featuring a more psych oriented tone) and the rhythm section including 3 handed (ha!) drummer Jean My Truong. The album is clearly labeled as a band collective named Boomerang (including spine), though Joel Dugrenot gets full credit for all the compositions and arrangements. His name is featured prominently on the label as well. Later reissues credit the album as a Joel Dugrenot solo effort.

Ownership: LP: 1982 Spalax. Single sleeve. Recent acquisition from a record store in Baltimore while there on business (2021). This replaces the CD on Mantra (acquired 2015), which offers nothing extra. I did not realize Spalax was a label during the LP era, always associating them with CD reissues. Odd, then, that they did not reissue this title on CD.

2015; 1/16/18; 12/24/21 (new entry)

Charles Earland - Leaving this Planet. 1974 USA-Pennsylvania

I knew this was the pick of the litter the minute I saw it. Double LP on Prestige with Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard in the sub marquee. And we're leaving this planet too! Look at that lineup - Eddie Henderson, Dave Hubbard, and the list goes on. Great instrumentation too, with plenty of modern analog synthesizers to boot. This is jazz funk of the highest order. I was familiar with Philadelphia native Charles Earland's name, but can't recall hearing any of his work prior. And it's his B-3 organ that takes the album to its greatest heights. Though from a composition perspective, I enjoyed Joe Henderson's one contribution 'No Me Esqueca (Don't Forget Me)' the best.

Ownership: LP: 1974 Prestige. Gatefold. 2xLP. Great presentation - has the look. Picked this one up with the other jazz related titles from a Denver area record store a few weeks ago, and this wraps up that particular find. How this ended in a $2 bin from a real record store is something of a mystery. I know more than a few stores that would have put this record on "the wall". Their laziness is my gain. Doesn't matter what it's worth, as I'm keeping it for many years ahead!

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Ocean ~ USA ~ Cincinnati, Ohio

Sunrise (1982)

Ocean were like a lot of instrumental private jazz rock / fusion bands in America, putting together a high quality product to an audience of only a few. From Cincinnati, Ocean's primary solo instruments are the guitar and trumpet, with fine keyboard accompaniment. Excellent rhythm section as well. The six lengthy tracks allow the band to stretch, but not too much, keeping each composition in check and the soloists to a minimum. Special shout out goes to band leader Bruce Fox, who adds a deliciously psychedelic tone to his guitar. Certainly an anachronistic sound for 1982! File alongside other like-minded groups from America such as Genre, 3PM, Bellvista, and Gold. 

Ownership: 1982 Ocean Sound Recordings (LP)

Not released on CD as of 5/4/25.

1/18/10 (review); 12/30/14; 12/22/21 (update / new entry)

Jean Michel Jarre - Equinoxe. 1978 France

Some of you may recall my discussion about "fastest" guitarist when I wrote about Al Di Meola's Elegant Gypsy 2+ years ago (well I'm sure you don't, but you can look it up on this blog...). In effect, it was about those tiresome music conversations we seemed compelled to do in college during the 80s. Well....same thing here with Jarre verse Tangerine Dream or Klaus Schulze (more the former as Schulze was still pretty obscure, at least where I went to school). And since I was a huge T Dream and Schulze nut, I wasn't having any of this Jarre nonsense! Silly me. So, believe it or not, I haven't heard this album (intently)... until last night. The problem with hearing Equinoxe in 2020 verse 1983 is that I've already absorbed hundreds of analog synthesizer albums. So it's a bit old hat at this point. But is that a fair evaluation? Not at all. I can see why I scoffed at Jarre being the superior artist 35 years ago, given the music here doesn't have the depth that you'd hear on Rubycon or Timewind - or even Tangram. But in his day, Jarre apparently ruled the stage and drew massive crowds. Equinoxe is not vapid crowd pleasing music, and is a strong electronic work, all things considered. So yes, definitely a keeper here.

Ownership: LP: 1979 Dreyfus. Single sleeve. Thrift shop pickup late last year. In fact, I had found the US copy and then shortly thereafter found this French version. From the same shop!

12/3/20

Legend. 1981 Jersey (UK/Channel Islands)

Legend are (I think they're still around) a band from Jersey, which sits in the Channel Islands. For all intents and purposes they are part of the United Kingdom, but technically are separate. And if you look at a map, you'll see that Jersey is just off the coast of France. It's all intertwined with the Norman invasion of England, and thus has a mixed history and culture.

Understanding this isolation is critical to understanding Legend as a band and their place in metal history. Because they were like none other, and yet all very familiar as well.

The album starts harmlessly enough with the very good, though nondescript, 'Bad Girl'. Even here, though, one of Legend's many great characteristics is demonstrated: The vocals of Mike Lezala. He has a pleasant and soothing high pitched voice, absolutely perfect for the scratchy metal guitar sound provided underneath. He's no screamer, and can actually carry a tune. Starting with 'Taste of Life', the music becomes increasingly complex. Perhaps not in a technical way, but each song unfolds in unexpected fashion. Legend is superb in how they craft a memorable break via a crushing riff. So the familiar names of Black Sabbath and Judas Priest are brought to the fore - but in a way that is neither. Their sound isn't particularly heavy, almost hard rock, though there's just enough distortion to easily consider it metal. The guitar soloing is more psychedelic influenced, which I consider a major plus. The rhythms are also considerably more sophisticated than the usual 4/4 thumping beats one would hear in those early days of heavy metal.

In a perfect world, Legend would have been a great companion band to Iron Maiden on their rapid trajectory through the sales charts. Legend were miles ahead of bands like Saxon, Def Leppard, and Motorhead at this point in their career, especially in terms of creative songwriting. Only Iron Maiden and Diamond Head could compete this early on in the NWOBHM sweepstakes.

Despite the small press private release, Legend were not unknown amongst the 1981 metal intelligentsia, and received very good press from the UK metals mags of the day. Why they weren't signed up immediately is one of the great music industry tragedies, and one has to think their geographic location was the primary factor. I remember Legend being mentioned often, but always in the margins of an article. 

Ownership: LP: 1981 Workshop. Single sleeve. Recent acquisition from JL (2023). This replaces the 2011 Svart reissue (which is a gatefold with lyrics). 

CD: 2002 Monster (USA). Awesome 2xCD set which includes all of the band's work from 1981 to 1983 including demos. Features fine liner notes with historical newspaper clippings and photos. Essential.

2002; 7/23/15; 12/22/21 (new entry); 4/1/23 (LP acquire)

Bruford - Feels Good to Me. 1978 England

Somewhat typical "all star" cast gathering from the late 70s. The good news here is the strong Canterbury component brought on by Dave Stewart, Annette Peacock, and Neil Murray. I don't really hear any of Bruford's former bands Yes or King Crimson here, which is not a problem here. At times the album seems on the border of greatness, but it often falls into the trap of many solo albums - too many disparate ideas and styles. It's a borderline 3.5 to 4, but yes, I have to admit it is excellent on the whole, and much better than most that tried this very thing. Still... it seems it should have been better.

Ownership: CD: 199? EG. Straight up reissue, but does contain excellent liner notes.

12/20/18

Ronnie Montrose / Gamma ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Gamma 3 (1982)

This guy again. Gamma 3 is essentially the final album from the band, though there was a comeback album in 2000. I thought I had the narrative of this one locked up early on. When one looks back to the 1982 music landscape, Montrose had a big choice in front of him: Does he muscle up and join the burgeoning heavy metal movement? Maybe it's time to participate in the AOR New Wave sweepstakes and get some radio airplay? Or just keep playing spruced up hard rock? From the first two tracks it appeared it was time to "sell out" and beg for FM recognition. So basically Gamma 3 was one too many albums from the band and it was time to hang it up. Review done. Right?

Wrong. Then the album gets very interesting. There are hints on 'Moving Violation' that the band have a few interesting ideas left in the tank. But it's the lengthy side closer 'Mobile Devotion' where the album seals its fate as a keeper. Proggy hard rock, more so than anything he'd done on the first two albums. By now, with a different perspective, the commercial songs start to sound advanced. Side 2 features a killer instrumental in 'Condition Yellow', and there are other tracks that sound like Tangerine Dream went for a go at AORish hard rock. Yes, it's very synthesizer heavy, but that's OK with me - they didn't use them just as a backdrop like so many New Wave bands of the era did. No, they are a feature here. Along with Montrose's great guitar solos of course.  The cover is indicative of the musical direction the band chose here. Gamma 3 ended up being a very pleasant surprise, especially considering the mediocre grades it's received.

Ownership: 1982 Elektra (LP)

12/21/21 (acquired / review)

Gamma 2 (1980)

And one more from the Ronnie Montrose factory. This one is a more conscious attempt to be part of the new 80s decade. It's punchier and more focused than its predecessor, and just as satisfying. Highlight here for me is 'Voyager' which could have been lifted right off of Robin Trower's Bridge of Sighs - another guitarist who hasn't yet got his full due. This isn't fancy pants hard rock - Gamma 2 just brings the meat and potatoes. Great album cover as well.

Ownership: 1980 Elektra (LP)

12/17/21 (acquired / review)

Gamma 1 (1979)

Continuing on with my Ronnie Montrose kick, Gamma was his next collective after Montrose's namesake group. I remember when this album came out, the FM rock stations of the era were quite stoked about it. In fact I recorded the whole album to cassette on one of those "debut nights". For my untrained ears back then, I didn't quite get what Montrose was doing and never pursued further. To my untrained ears now, this is exactly what I'm looking for. Gamma 1 has an updated sound, primarily due to the synthesizers, and Montrose is keeping up in the hard rock sweepstakes as well. Compared to what a band like Whitesnake were doing in 1979, Gamma were much further along. There are some excellent tracks here. My favorite has to be 'Razor King' which sounds like Manuel Gottsching doing hard rock! Yea, imagine that one.

Ownership: 1979 Elektra (LP)

12/10/21 (acquired / review)

Music From Here (1994)

This ticked a couple of boxes: 1) Late era album by forgotten musician and 2) Ronnie Montrose. And boy does it deliver. Montrose is just one of the great hard rock guitarists that never really got his due - somewhat like Frank Marino in that regard. And this is a killer set. Really bizarre album cover too. I love these kind of finds.

Ownership: 1994 Fearless Urge (CD)

11/13/21 (acquired / review) 

Montrose (1973)

I remember Montrose in my early days of collecting, but mainly his later solo stuff or, in particular, his band Gamma. I don't recall enjoying any of them too much (I've since reconciled as you see above). But in reading various reviews, it becomes quickly apparent that Montrose's debut is a groundbreaking hard rock album. And after hearing this for the first time, I have to agree. Most hard rock from the early 70s still had a strong blues base (even Sabbath), and a few bands were playing around with prog. Keyboards (organ in particular) were a big part of any hard rock band's setup. Not so with Montrose's debut. At least on this album, Montrose went straight for the jugular. This is hard rock extract - a formula many bands would follow later. It's about high energy rock, and especially "the riff". Had I been a teen in 1973, I'm sure I would have gone completely nuts over this album in real time. As it turns out, I was 13 when Van Halen's debut exploded onto the scene (1978), and it has remained a favorite album ever since. In many ways, Van Halen's debut is Montrose ver 2.0. Ted Templeman was the producer for both, and the Warner Bros. connection was no accident. Van Halen took Montrose's concept to the next level, and predicted the rise of the heavy metal movement worldwide. Montrose weren't the only band doing this in the early 70s, but the ones that were, generally were in the underground like Poobah or that crazy Icelandic band Icecross. Montrose isn't perfect, and they did slip in a couple of boogie numbers to ruin the flow, but for the time and place - yea - this kicks ass. One more Van Halen connection: The singer? "Sam" Hagar. Perhaps you've heard of him? 

Ownership: 1973 Warner Bros. (LP)

7/21/21 (acquired / review)

12/10/21 (new entry)

2021 Fusion / Jazz Journal Vol. 4 - Complete

Double Image. 1977 Inner City (LP). From a store in the Denver area (Dec). At this point of my life, I'm going to pick up anything on the Inner City label, as they have some hidden gems for sure. I suspected this wasn't going to be for my taste, and I was correct. And the primary reason is the lineup itself. The lead instruments are vibraphone and marimba. And that's your namesake "double image". A little tuned percussion goes a long way, and a whole album of it is tiresome, but I have to say this was an enjoyable listen all the same. The primary reason is the backing band (bass and drums) is excellent throughout. One just wishes for a keyboard/guitar styled instrument to break out into a wild solo. Not going to happen here. 

Free Flight - Illumination. 1986 CBS/BFM (LP). From the 25 cent haul at Independent (Nov). I pulled this LP out because the cover looked cool and it had flute in the lead. What the heck, it's only a quarter. Once I put it on though, I knew it wasn't going to be for me. If someone blindfolded me and asked what year it came out, I would have said 1986. This is prototypical smooth jazz. I wonder if there will ever be a renaissance for the kind of tones the band achieves here? I never liked this sound, even back then. Did anyone? lol. In any case, the music itself isn't so bad, and I made it through both sides relatively unscathed. Average for the styled I'd submit.

*Herbie Mann - Memphis Underground. 1969 Atlantic (LP). Thrift shop find (Nov). Even though I truly enjoy flute jazz, I'm not so keen on Herbie Mann. The hairy chested one (what was with that anyway?) tended to be too steeped in tradition to break into the next level of spiritual jazz or heavy fusion. And honestly, Memphis Underground isn't that much different in terms of style. Except Larry Coryell and Sonny Sharrock were on board for this recording, and it's their variations of psychedelic guitar that make the album intriguing. Given the entire package (cool cover!), I'll hold onto this one.

* - Keeping for the collection

Thin Lizzy - Johnny the Fox. 1976 Ireland

Thin Lizzy were one of those bands that were around just a bit too early in my music development. I started devouring FM radio in 1977 / 1978 and initially gravitated to harder edged AOR and prog rock (Styx, Alan Parsons, etc...). And the radio only played the same one song 'The Boys are Back in Town', which I think is a fine composition, but not extraordinary. I still feel that way about it. By 1979, I had adopted the early metal sound of Judas Priest, and Thin Lizzy were too lightweight for what was to come. In this way, they were to my ears the same as AC/DC. But as I look back, had I come around to music one year earlier, I could see myself being a huge fan of Thin Lizzy for the rest of time. I've been on the lookout for their albums in the thrift bins / garage sales for the last 3 years, but they have proven to be elusive in the wilds. When they do become available, people snap them up right away. Finally I landed this one - the album that came after their Jailbreak album that features their most known cut as noted above. And to my ears now, this is exactly the type of hard rock I got into later in life. It's mid 70s straight-to-the-point hard rock. The kind you would hear throughout the heartland of America. Cool riffs and better solos. Good tunes, and excellent vocals. Definitely will continue to pursue others.

Ownership: LP: 1976 Mercury (USA). Single sleeve with lyric insert. Cool cover. Found at a local thrift shop a few weeks ago.

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