Kimio Mizutani - A Path Through Haze. 1971 Japan

In 1971, it seemed as if Kimio Mizutani contributed to at least 365 albums. So it's hard to imagine he also had time to release his first solo album. On A Path Through Haze, Mizutani brings along some of his like minded studio buddies such as Takeshi Inomata (drums), Masahiko Sato (organ, piano, Moog), and Hiromasa Suzuki (electric piano), along with 3 others on bass and vocals, a string quartet, and a woodwinds quartet. That's quite a crew! For a guy who is known for his unhinged fuzzy guitar solos as a guest, A Path Through Haze is remarkably subdued. Nonetheless, Mizutani puts together eight wonderful instrumental progressive rock tracks. Honestly this album has little to do with the experimental 1971 Japanese jazz/rock/psych landscape, but rather predicts the more measured prog rock scene of the mid 1970s. In particular I hear flashes of a band such as Camel circa Moonmadness. Often times you'll read that A Path Through Haze is a Canterbury album. While I doubt it was a major influence at the time, the musical conclusions of the two are similar. Fuzz bass, electric piano, searing guitar all within the confines of beautiful songwriting will draw those comparisons. Also of note is the very early use of the Moog synthesizer, still not a common presence in 1971, especially in Japan. 'Sail in the Sky' is my favorite of the eight tracks on display here, but every song is delightful. Easy recommendation to global progressive rock fans.

Ownership: CD: 1998 P-Vine. Wonderful thick gatefold mini-LP with an insert in Japanese. Also includes the original recording details in English. Purchased this real time at Other Music in Manhattan (which is sadly no more) - a nice brisk walk from my hotel in Chinatown. For all the summer of 1998 I had a DBA gig in Soho and would often times dine in Little Italy. Needed that walk.... 

BTW, if looking for an original LP, be prepared to get a second mortgage. I'm not sure I've actually ever seen this album. It looks like only one copy has sold on ebay over the years (the same album sold twice - lots of flakeroo buyers out there).

1998 (first listen); 6/28/15; 1/30/21 (review/new entry)

Cliffhanger - Mirror Site. 1998 Netherlands

I've spoken about Cliffhanger here before, on at least two other albums. While dozens of bands had their imagination captured by Genesis, most found their way performing music in the same manner as Marillion or IQ. What we now call neo prog is essentially an updated version of the master prog class of Genesis and Yes. Over time that sound eroded further towards an AOR like friendliness. But there were a microscopic few others who skipped the 80s and went right to the 1970-1976 source itself. Cliffhanger were one of those bands, and to date they have yet to be recognized as anything special. And that's too bad really, as they put a lot of great ideas and songwriting into each of their recordings. On Mirror Site, the 70s are alive and well in Rinie Heigen's guitar sound and playing - and especially Gijs Koopman's woody and edgy bass work. Not so much this time with Dick Heljboer's keyboards, though he does put the mellotron sampler to good use. Much is made of Heigen's unusual vocals, generally panned across the board. I find myself liking the imperfection as it is. Perhaps years of listening to Krautrock bands attempting to sing in English - and further on with the metal bands of the 80s - made my ears numb. All the same, I've always heard vocals as another instrument rather than a pleasant lyrical reader. And in this case, Heigen has this strange Dutch accented Peter Gabriel thing going on that I find compelling. Regardless, it remains unclear if Cliffhanger will ever be considered anything more than an "old 90s Dutch SI" group that will be washed away with history. Or will they one of the bands that is recognized and restored? Not a question that is likely to be answered in my lifetime. 

Ownership: CD: 1998 Musea (France). Purchased new online upon release. Jewel case with a fine booklet containing lyrics, band photos, photography, and recording details.

Rainbow Theatre - The Armada. 1975 Australia

I've spoken at length about Rainbow Theatre's sophomore effort Fantasy of Horses, but never did get around to putting any notes down for their debut The Armada. It's a similar style effort, a bit more unfocused and has less impact, but still a fascinating listen. In effect Rainbow Theatre is a combination of royal classical, progressive rock, and horn rock. Keith Hoban's vocals are operatic, and Julian Browning leads the group with his guitar, mellotron, and songwriting. There are two key lengthy tracks (each with 4 subsections) and 3 shorter ones sandwiched in between. The opener 'The Darkness Motive' is the winner here given its fast pace, heavy instrumentation, and constantly moving parts. It would be this track that provided the blueprint for Fantasy of Horses. As stated in the review for this second album, there really was (or is) no one like Rainbow Theatre, as unique a group as there ever has been. And it's not experimental, but rather they carved out their niche inside the confines of what is known and accepted.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Clear Light of Jupiter; CD: 2006 Aztec. The LP comes in a fine gatefold cover. I purchased this from a very good friend in the 2000 time frame. Like all Aztec releases, the CD is an essential supplement. It comes in a thick tri-fold digipack, filled with liner notes, photos, and memorabilia. As with Fantasy of Horses, the bonus track is a modern classical piece composed by Browning. I purchased this online shortly after release - interesting to note this was reissued after Fantasy of Horses.

Tangerine Dream - The Dominion Theatre Concert 6th November 1982

I was most looking forward to hearing this source recording of what ultimately became Logos. At twice the length, I was curious what segments were left out. You get your answer quick, because almost the entirety of the second disc is what makes up Logos. Other than the opening, the first disc is mostly unique, though still borrowing from then-current themes such as Exit's 'Choronzon'. They carefully edited some other sections, and there are times when only a minute or two were shaved off for the original LP. They also included two tracks from White Eagle, both verbatim to the album originals. They might as well have just played the record for the concertgoers. At this point of my life, of course, there would be no chance the original source would supplant the extract, because it's the latter that is imprinted in my mind. It's Logos the album that is part of my personal history. That said, the original concert is a burner, something that must've been an amazing experience for the audience at hand. 

Ownership: CD: 2020 Virgin. Part of the Pilots of Purple Twilight box set that I have detailed on the White Eagle entry. Interesting that they decided to put the archival release ahead of the existing album. I would have done it the opposite - and that's exactly what I did for personal listening.

Zopp. 2020 England

Just like yesterday's La Maschera di Cera, Zopp are a band designed specifically for a progressive rock sound of the 1970s past. In this case it's the music of Canterbury - and even more to the point, National Health. It's a two piece group lead by Ryan Stevenson, who plays every instrument under the sun, including a host of analog keyboards (or simulations thereof), fuzz bass, and lead electric guitar. Essentially Stevenson is Zopp. Joining him in this endeavor is drummer Andrea Moneta, who does a fine job of maintaining the polyrhythms expected of the genre. In this way Ryan Stevenson is emulating another Englishman, a one Andrew Marshall, he of Willowglass fame. Marshall is all about Anthony Phillips era Genesis in the same manner that Stevenson is all about National Health. A bit obsessive, but very welcome to these ears anyway. In addition to the two piece, Stevenson recruited no less than 4 others to join him, most notably Andy Tillison of The Tangent and others. The album has a full sound, what you would expect from a much larger ensemble. All the great qualities of Canterbury are present including the wedgy analog sounds, the insouciant melodies, and the complexity of composition. For what Zopp set out to accomplish, they nailed it! I seem to never tire of the Canterbury genre, as it's a timeless and beautiful sound. It doesn't seem fair that we only got two studio National Health albums (not counting DS Al Coda or archival material of course). I mean if precisely one million bands and artists can copy the same old American Idol fare, it's not too much to ask for some small Canterbury portions is it? Zopp fits most comfortably with contemporary Italian and Spanish artists such as Moogg, Homunculus Res, and Planeta Imaginario. Easy recommendation for genre fans.

Ownership: CD: 2020 Bad Elephant. Comes is a sturdy tri-fold digipak with recording details and photos.

La Maschera di Cera - S.E.I. 2020 Italy

La Maschera di Cera is arguably the band that best represents the Italian early 1970s progressive rock renaissance. I made that same point a few years ago for my modern Italian prog list. It's been a full 7 years since their last album, the fantastic Le Orme influenced Le Porte del Domani. So has La Maschera di Cera continued to improve or did the rot sit in? 

The album gets to business right away with thunderous woody bass, crunchy Hammond organ, complex rhythms leading to Martin Grice's (Delirium) flute, mellotron sounds, and Italian vocals. You just got your answer. Boom! And they don't let up from there. 3 tracks and 45 minutes later and there's nothing but greatness to reflect on and savor. This is an album made by retro prog guys for retro prog guys. No room to negotiate here. You're either in or you're out. With their 6th release in 18 years, I think La Maschera di Cera has somehow managed to top everything they've done prior. They continued to improve with age, and clearly are ardent students of their own native early 70's music culture. Brilliant really.

Ownership: CD: 2020 AMS. Comes in a fine mini-LP package with a booklet that contains Italian lyrics and a couple of photos. 

1/25/21 (new entry)

Forza Elettromotrice - Mutazione. 2018 Italy

Mutazione is the second full album from the band sometimes known as FEM Prog Band. This latter moniker has all kinds of conflicting connotations in English, so it's good to see the band moving towards their actual pre-acronym name. Musically speaking, the album is a bit more subdued than its predecessor, though still very much entrenched in the Italian style. New band members Alessandro Graziano and Pietro Bertoni provide two of the more distinctive sounds of Mutazione. The former brings a strong voice and occasional violin, while the latter adds trombone to the proceedings. Anytime I hear trombone mixed into Italian prog I first think of Jumbo's Vietato, and the instrument is utilized in a similar brassy way here. Primary songwriter Alberto Citterio provides some gorgeous piano lines along with the usual synthesizer kit. Highlight songs include 'Il Cielo Di Sé' and the closer 'Se C'É Una Buona Ragione'. Overall Mutazione proves to be an excellent entry for the genre.

Ownership: CD: 2018 private. Recent online acquisition. Jewel case with booklet containing Italian lyrics and member photos. There's a scanner code to retrieve the lyrics in English (maybe other languages too), but I didn't try it. 

1/24/21 (new entry)

Forbidden - Twisted Into Form. 1990 USA-California

After hearing Forbidden Evil I was most excited to check out this sophomore effort. By all accounts, Twisted Into Form features better songwriting, production, and was even more complex than its predecessor. And given this was from 1990, right in the epicenter of the prog thrash movement, I figured this would go into my all-time favorites stack for the genre. Everything proved to be true from my above statement, except the conclusion. I preferred Forbidden Evil. It starts off - as one person humorously stated about another metal album - with the Federally mandated clean acoustic guitar instrumental. And of course this leads to the inevitable bludgeoning of 'Infinite'. At this point my hopes were super high, as this track just kills with riff after riff, and multiple thematic changes. After this comes 'Out of Body', and the album begins to lose its luster. I'm waiting for the quirks of the genre to show up, the make-it-up-as-we-go-along aesthetic. But it's all too... too... professional. In this way, I'm most reminded of Testament and their transition from the rough and ready Legacy to the polished New Order. From a pure ratings perspective I find Twisted Into Form about the same as Forbidden Evil, but the latter has more potential for growth in this area. Other great tracks include the lengthy 'R.I.P.' and the closer 'One Foot in Hell'. It's a great album, yes everyone is correct on that front, but it's not unique enough to stand out as a pillar. Bummer.

Ownership: CD: 2008 Nuclear Blast (Germany). Jewel case with a fine layout of lyrics and photos. Recent online acquisition. 

This CD also includes a reissue of their EP entitled Raw Evil 1989 - Live at the Dynamo. On paper this looks great, as it features three tracks from their debut plus Judas Priest's masterpiece 'Victim of Changes'. Had I bought this real time after Forbidden Evil, I would have been completely disappointed. It starts with the Priest track. Quick history of 'Victim of Changes': This was a blues rock piece, going back to the early 70s, written by Judas Priest founder and original vocalist Al Atkins. It made its debut on Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) and proved to be a superb hard rock meets progressive rock number while still maintaining its blues foundation. But it was on 1979's Unleashed in the East, that the track became one of the greatest metal songs of all time. Priest amped it up from hard rock to metal, and added an incredible amount of emotional intensity. Gives one goose bumps just thinking about it. So what will a talented thrash band do with such a masterpiece? Ruin it, that's what. 'Victim of Changes' calls for subtlety and proper pacing. Forbidden rushes through it as if they have to go to the bathroom. It's a horrible rendition and they would have been far better served to cover something like 'Exciter' or 'Killing Machine'. I think only a progressive rock band could tackle 'Victim of Changes' and make it unique and exciting. The other three tracks are typical metal concert fare. With a husky voice: "This song is [about][comes from]" (unintelligible) blaaahhhhhrraa (cue high hat) - then huge racket ensues. It's not that they can't play live - they most certainly can - it's just so much gets lost in translation. The studio brings out the best of most bands like this.

1/23/21 (first listen / review / new entry)

Tangerine Dream - Hyperborea. 1983 Germany

Hyperborea was the second "new" studio album from Tangerine Dream to be released after my first  discovering of the group and buying up their back catalog. By this time I had entered college, and without a doubt, Tangerine Dream would be the band I proudly stated were my "favorite". Just as White Eagle was received warmly upon initial impact, so was Hyperborea. Perhaps even a bit better in my mind at the time. It seemed a bit more adventurous, though unlike anything else in their catalog. Objectively speaking, I would still make those claims. Subjectively, the album hasn't moved upward like White Eagle has. Some of that can be chalked up to the time and place. But honestly the music is getting colder and more mechanical by each release. They certainly hadn't yet gone on auto pilot, but that was to come a mere two years later. The clues were here already. No question that I would still recommend the album on its own, but I would acquire everything in front of it first.

Ownership: LP: 1983 Virgin; CD: 2020 Virgin. As part of the Pilots of Purple Twilight box set that I detailed on the White Eagle post. The LP purchased that day in late 1983 was part of the commodity LP replacement program. I finally found a replacement copy at a record store near Denver. 

As for the bonus tracks, they are taken from the Risky Business soundtrack. This movie was released during the late summer of 1983 right before I was to enter college. It's one of those "my generation" movies though in retrospect, it's pretty dumb. I still like it. But for me, what was even cooler, is that Tangerine Dream's music was all over it. And at the best times during the movie. Some of the music is taken from Force Majeure and Exit, while just that much more is original material of a similar nature to Tangram/Thief. With this, and Nicolas Cage wearing a Tangerine Dream T-Shirt in Valley Girl, it felt like a form of acceptance. Old times...  

new entry; 2/1/22

Forbidden - Forbidden Evil. 1988 USA-California

By 1988 my interest in metal had waned significantly. I was interested in new and different kinds of metal, but primarily my focus had shifted almost entirely to international progressive rock, in particular Italy had become my new drug of choice. So when Forbidden showed up on the stage, they were touted as yet another Bay Area thrash metal band. That ship had already taken off as far as I was concerned. Having been a diehard for the previous 5 years starting with Metallica's Kill 'em All, I had absorbed quite a bit of the style up to that point. My personal bookends to this scene were two new bands at the time: Testament and Death Angel. The last semester in college, they were to be my swansong of managing my anger while trying to get my engineering degree. After that, a new day was born.

I provide this introduction for context. For if Forbidden Evil had been released just one year prior, it would have been my favorite from the current new crop of bands. In reality, Forbidden were tapping into the progressive thrash market, something that bands like Metallica had dabbled in, but never focused on. Over the years, I continue to add metal albums from the late 80s and early 90s that were performing music similar to what Forbidden are here. It's complex, yes, but also heavy (in a rough sort of way) and the tunes are very interesting, constantly weaving in different directions. 'Through Eyes of Glass' in particular sees Forbidden at their most creative. Of course the solos tend to be a million miles an hour, which was de rigueur for the day, so those tend to lack impact over time. And there's also this strange pig squeal guitar noise that pops up here and there, which begins to sound like a gimmick after awhile. Small gripes on an otherwise excellent effort.

Ownership: CD: 2008 Nuclear Blast (Germany). Recent online acquisition. Jewel case with booklet containing a short history, lyrics, photos, and memorabilia. There's also 4 live bonus tracks. Like most metal bands, they tend to be raw run-throughs of the studio material. Improvisation is not one of the major tenets of the thrash genre.

Sweet - Level Headed. 1978 England

Sweet were one of my early favorite groups. Level Headed was their new album at the time and 'Love is Like Oxygen' was the track getting regular airplay - a song I enjoyed immensely. We'll get to that soon. On the first day someone could shuttle me to the mall (I was only 13 at the time), I waltzed into the two record shops to purchase the album, only to find they were sold out. I decided to buy the album before it - Off the Record. I enjoyed that album (to be discussed another day), though I won't say I was blown away by it. I had one friend back then who was also into music like I was, and he did find Level Headed. Neither of us were overly impressed, and I decided to forgo buying my own copy. Not long after, I bought Desolation Boulevard (US version of course) and Give Us a Wink and that solidified my early fan status.

Since I recently made the decision to pick up old commodity LPs from my youth (must be found in a store, and very inexpensive - or trade), I thought Level Headed would be an early score. As but one example, I walked into a local store and bought a stone mint Saga's Heads or Tales for $4 at the beginning of this adventure. But Level Headed had proved to be elusive. Again, I'm not going to mail order these things - that would have been too easy. Finally, after 2 years, I secured a copy - and it was properly discounted in the budget bin. Perfect.

So what of Level Headed, and where did my initial resistance come from? Right from the beginning, that's where. Even today, I find little to embrace about the opening 3 tracks. They're OK of course, but the melodies aren't striking, and gone is the hard rocking Sweet that I later enjoyed. It's not until 'Fountain' that things begin to improve dramatically. Then comes 'Love is Like Oxygen', one of God's gifts to music. It's such a bizarre tune really - and how it became the "hit" off the album is even more puzzling. Starting off with power chords (finally!) Sweet sings in a high pitched but odd styled harmony. This is followed by some Brian Wilson like mellow interludes that raise the hair on your arm. The mid section then shows that Sweet may have had a fondness for Camel - as they totally go prog here. This leads back to the power chord section. And finally, the album closes with a cool funk bit (que?). What the heck did I just hear? None of it makes sense, but I think it's brilliant. No wonder I was drawn to this at a young age. Side 2 starts of in a Gryphon-goes-pop manner (which by that time was the sound of Gryphon anyway). There's a couple more middling tracks which leads to the other great track from the album, it too a side closer. 'Air on 'A' Tape Loop' is about as strange as 'Love is Like Oxygen'. This time it's a groovy instrumental with only harmony vocals on top - as if Deodato had walked in for a cameo.

Level Headed is not a great album by any means, but there's 13 minutes of brilliance and about 20 minutes overall of excellent material. That's plenty good for me.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Capitol. Gatefold with lyric inner. Recent acquisition from a b&m in Denver. Oddly, given my observations above, the sticker on the album indicates it had been sitting around since July at this low price. Works for me! 

Psychedelic Gems 3. 1970; 1975; 1979 Germany

When Psychedelic Gems 3 was released, it proved to be a goldmine of unreleased material. Having almost nothing in common with each other, the three bands represented here nonetheless proved to be an interesting combo. The problem is - it was a short lived situation. My Solid Ground's 25 minute track quickly found itself on a Second Battle CD reissue from the same year of release (1997). Werwolf followed seven years later, as Black Rills reissued the Laser's Edge version of Creation, but with these three tracks appended. Those I'll cover (or have covered) in their own respective entries. The only track left then is Mr. Grabstein, which is an excellent hard driving Krautock number, recalling early efforts by Message and Grobschnitt. It's eight minutes long - so is that worth keeping this CD for? Not on its own. But the entire package remains of interest. This is the only place, that I'm aware of, that covers My Solid Ground's history (certainly Second Battle never seemed interested in such things). Werwolf's liner notes were copied verbatim into the Black Rills CD, but the photos were not. And of course Mr. Grabstein is also well documented. Would be great to hear more from Mr. Grabstein that's for sure.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Garden of Delights. 

1997; 1/21/21 (new entry); 11/16/23 (removed)

Tyburn Tall. 1972 Germany

Tyburn Tall is one of the true legends of the European LP collector's underground. Fetching obscene amounts of cash, the album by default could only be met with derision when finally heard. A fresh spin does demonstrate, however, an excellent album when compared to its peers - that of the amateur private release. Organ is the dominate instrument and there's plenty of electric guitar followup. Deep Purple is the blueprint here (including classical rips), and if the idea of an unpolished raw MK. II captures the imagination, then certainly Tyburn Tall will satisfy. Much is made of Klaus Fresenius' impassioned vocals, generally panned across the board. Personally I think they're great - perhaps not technically of course - but from the human perspective. To me he sounds like a proto thrash singer, screaming in a high pitch, perfect for any self-respecting 80s metal band. Clearly Ian Gillan is his role model here, and he doesn't have the pipes, but he goes for it anyway. It's just this kind of X factor that makes albums like Tyburn Tall endearing.

Ownership: CD: 1994 Penner. Jewel case with full liner notes and plenty of photos. No one does CD reissues better. Includes two bonus tracks, both renditions of Colosseum tracks and are excellent as well. Though the CD doesn't sound great, the liner notes point out that the original isn't any better. Not that I've heard one - who has? It's as rare as they come. So I'll trust them on that assessment. This was part of a collection buy I picked up in the late 90s. It seems to be perpetually on the weedout stack, but it has now found its way to a permanent place in the collection.

Mushroom - Cream of Mushroom. 1998 USA-California

The hype sticker on the casing states "Debut CD from Mushroom with Krautrock, psychedelic & jazz fusion influences. Their sound is similar to Tortoise, Miles Davis, Can, Soft Machine." And with that Mushroom threw down the gauntlet. This was in the early days of the American Krautrock revival, and where better to start than San Francisco. Of course only Can above could be considered Krautrock but it is the centerpiece of the CD - namely the 24 minute 'The Reeperbahn'. This track has Can written all over it with its hypnotic repetitive groove and analog sounds dropped on top. As it turns out, the CD incorporates Mushroom's true debut, 1997's LP of the same name as the lengthy track, along with four new compositions. From the LP we also hear 'On the Corner (Part 2)' which of course covers the Miles reference. And there's some fuzz bass, so I guess that's to be the Hopper nod. Graham Connah is the keyboardist here, and his next venture would be Jettison Slinky, one of the few American bands who paid homage to the Canterbury scene. In the end what you get with Mushroom are all the obvious pop culture references and musical influences. As a listener, it would be easy to write it off as hipster imitation. But what I hear is an innovative band taking in all the influences and creating something wholly unique. Mushroom would continue to be a fascinating band for the next 10 years or so before fizzling out. If curious, this CD debut would be as good as any place to start, though not their very best.

Ownership: CD: 1998 Normal (Germany). Jewel case with band and song credits. Purchased not long after release at Mod Lang in Berkeley. 

At the time I had a corporate apartment in San Ramon and on rare occasion would do the Telegraph Ave. swing by Amoeba and Rasputin as well. Wish I had that opportunity again...

4//98; 1/19/21 (new entry)

Eric Johnson - Tones. 1986 USA-Texas

Eric Johnson burst onto the scene in 1986, seemingly out of nowhere. He was part of the mid to late 80s guitar fronted band scene along with many others such as Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Like most folks, my introduction to Tones was the fine instrumental 'Zap'. In hearing this album for the first time all the way through, I didn't recollect anything else from the album, though I'm sure others were played on the radio at the time. Even though I enjoyed 'Zap' back then it never occurred to me to pick the album up. By 1986 I was moving fast and furious into the world of obscure European progressive, and underground music in general. I didn't think the guy with the spikey hair was going to give me what I wanted at the time. And in retrospect that would be a true statement. The time for me to hear this album is now, as I can reflect on the era in a more objective manner. Johnson's album is not really a guitar hero album, especially given the number of songs with vocals. It's AOR music for the most part, but with a definite slant towards the time and place. What I now call simply 80s Music. Most of the FM friendly tracks feature some excellent jazz fusion styled breaks, giving the music a fresh sound. Overall Tones is much better than I expected, and I've decided to keep it for now.

From the above, I purposely left out what I knew about Johnson's history. I said "seemingly out of nowhere" and that's exactly what I knew in 1986. But by 1988, as I'm now deep in the rare catalog world, I learn that Johnson was the guitarist for the very obscure - but very good - Austin based psychedelic band Mariani (1970). He was only 16 at the time, but clearly he was head and shoulders above most kids his age here in America. Then a couple of years after that, I learned he was the lead guitarist for Electromagnets, yet another excellent group, this time in the field of jazz rock (1975). So by the time of Tones, Johnson was a grizzled veteran at the age of 32. That experience really comes to fore on the album. Eric Johnson's path to stardom was circuitous, but fascinating. It was also fleeting. Though he enjoys a cult following to this day (especially considering the follow-up Ah Via Musicom, which I've not heard), Tones was to be his 15 minutes of fame. Good for him.

Ownership: LP: 1986 Reprise. Single sleeve with lyric inner. This came from last week's (rather small) haul of thrift shop pickups. I fast tracked this one to the front of the stack as I was most curious of the contents within.

Faust. 1971 Germany

Similar to my thoughts about Can, Faust has never been my favorite kind of Krautrock. But whereas Can were an authentic band with wild experimentation, Faust could be looked at more as an art project than an operating touring troupe. This is no secret. Faust were a manufactured group and were basically instructed to create something new and different. To do that in 1971 Germany would have been to put out a "normal" album lol. Most of the Faust catalog leaves me cold, but I've always been fond of the debut. Primarily Side 1 where Faust is more of a cohesive rock band verse studio manipulators. In an era where experimentation was the norm rather than the anomaly, I hear Faust as middle of the road in that scenario. But as one could predict, Faust has become legend. Fair enough, it most certainly is a fascinating listen throughout. I'm keeping it that's for sure. But not anywhere near my personal list of masterpieces.

Ownership: CD: 2003 Polydor (Japan). Mini-LP that replicates the transparent cover to its finest detail. Purchased new online not long after release. This replaced an earlier jewel box CD. I made the mistake of leaving the package "as is". Unfortunately the clear plastic and the CD surface had a chemical reaction leading to hazing on the disc. I have it in a paper sleeve now to keep it from deteriorating worse. It didn't affect the ability to play fortunately. I've never owned this on LP even though the Recommended (UK) 1979 reissue could still be found new throughout the 1980s. I had heard some of it at a local shop back then and it was too out for me at that time. Maybe still is....

Pyramid. 1997 England

I've railed against the authenticity of these Psi Fi releases in every platform I could find, where it was stated they were somehow authentic - since about 1997. So I'm going to leave that topic alone here, other than to point out this album's silliness. Let's see... unknown personnel (but with very detailed instrumentation); engineered by "The Mad Twiddler"; and of course the album cover looks like a photoshop of a 1920's Art Deco Fritz Lang poster. But hey - there are 100 of them out there! Send me a copy when you find it. I'm sure those who put this out are having a good laugh. The downside to the sophomoric antics is that it takes away from the music itself.

Of the 6 supposed authentic releases, 1997's Pyramid remains my favorite (though Golem is second and I haven't heard that one in years, but will soon enough). This is one 35 minute track that absolutely oozes the atmosphere of early Krautrock. Though they claim the date to be 1976, the sound they achieved sounds more 1971. And the reality is it's from the same studio that Sun Dial were recording in during the late 90s (don't forget Ohr Musik and Quad!). I'm most reminded of Steven Wilson's IEM project, a band that had released their debut near the same time. Though I own it, I don't currently have a review. However I do have some notes down for Have Come For Your Children (2001). To quote "So if the idea of lengthy cosmic psychedelic Krautrock jams - with an enormous amount of studio gadgetry and tricks - are your bag, then boy do I have a recommendation for you. The album kicks off with a 35 minute number which defines everything IEM is about.... the piece does a remarkably great job of filling that time with intriguing jams and a variety of cool sounds, including way-fuzzed out psych guitar, flute, pounding drums, and mellotron". Other than the flute we pretty much have the description for 'Dawn Defender' as found here. What is a dawn defender anyway? A pyramid! Clever British lads. But are we defending for it or against it? Questions.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Psi-Fi. Jewel case purchased new online upon release. Even though I suspected (knew) these were fakes even back then, I did want to hear them all. And this one is for certain a keeper, stupid backstory aside.

1997; 1/16/21 (new entry)

Skin Alley. 1969 England

One of the more unheralded progressive rock albums, Skin Alley's debut laid down the blueprint for what the English scene was to sound like for the next 3 years. For the subtype of music Skin Alley is doing here - namely flute, saxophone, mellotron, maudlin vocals, guitars, and jazzy rhythms all weaving through complex compositions - one could argue they were first. One year later and bands like Marsupilami, Indian Summer, T2, Goliath, Cressida, Raw Material, and many others would follow suit. Every track here is excellent, not a dud among them. One wonders how this album has fallen through the cracks when lesser others have been elevated. An historical breakthrough and a thoroughly enjoyable listen, this album is long overdue in receiving any kind of recognition. 

Ownership: CD: 2011 Esoteric. Part of a 2 CD compilation called Big Brother is Watching You that also includes their second album, a 1970 single, and an unreleased album entitled Stop Veruschka. Comes complete with full liner notes. Purchased new online upon release. This replaced the old Audio Archives CD which was very basic (and possibly unauthorized). I've never owned the original LP, which is not cheap. The cover doesn't inspire me much to be honest. Esoteric unfortunately has earned a checkered reputation due to some questionable mastering jobs and cd-r repressings, but I must say this is one of their crowning achievements. The source material helps with that assessment, but for certain everything about this reissue / archival release is great. At some point we'll review the other albums in the set. I did also check out the 1970 single and it's very good as well. It features one new track 'Better Be Blind'.

Pat Martino - El Hombre. 1967 USA-Pennsylvania

I was a little bit familiar with Martino as his name has been bandied about when talking the kosmigroov genre, a style that I'm tangentially interested in. The one previous album I heard didn't leave much of a mark, though a relisten most certainly is in order. But this one did leave an impression. Immediately I was reminded of Gabor Szabo and Wes Montgomery, as Martino gently leads these jazz instrumental tracks with his fine lightly amplified guitar style. Complementing him on the album are a 5 piece including no less than three on drums and percussion. But the two members that put this one into the excellent category are organist Trudy Pitts (check out the cover of Introducing the Fabulous Trudy Pitts - my kind of woman!) and Danny Turner on flute. The latter is known more for his saxophone work, but the instrument is not to be found on El Hombre. Wonderful late evening listening, a superb chillout close to the night. This was Philadelphia native Pat Martino's debut, though as the original liner notes point out, he was a veteran by this point. 

Ownership: LP: 1985 Prestige. Single sleeve. As mentioned in my last commodity update, I found a pretty good pile of rare jazz at a thrift shop late last week. Most of them were originals, which makes this reissue that much more curious. But the positive side of the situation is this album is in NM condition - both cover and vinyl. Off to a good start - hope to find more treasures like this in that batch.

Tangerine Dream - Logos. 1982 Germany

Logos represents for me the best album of the post Baumann years. Whereas Exit and Thief were soundtracks to my late high school years, Logos became the background music for my early college days of 1983 and 84. In looking at Discogs, the album had already been out some 10 months before I acquired it, as its distribution back then was pretty light in the area I lived in. Musically it's unlike the other albums of the era. I'm not reminded of Tangram, Exit, Thief, or White Eagle while listening, though clearly it's well within their 80s style and instrumentation. That is to say there's no mistaking Logos as a throwback to the Stratosfear era. I find the music highly melodic and the sequences very inventive. There's an innocence surrounding Logos, a feeling one doesn't usually walk away with when talking Tangerine Dream. Logos stands tall within TD's discography, and is the one post 70s album (IMO of course) that challenges their best work from their formative decade.

Ownership: LP: 1982 Virgin (Germany). Single sleeve. Purchased at a Baltimore record shop while there on business (2021). The first LP I acquired was from Metamorphosis Records in Dallas (1983).

CD: 2020 Virgin (as part of the Pilots of Purple Twilight box set). This incredible boxset I have detailed on the White Eagle entry. There are no bonus tracks for the album proper, but the entire concert is also in the box on two discs. 

9/4/83; 7/3/01; 9/18/19; 1/8/21 (new entry); 12/19/21 (LP acquire)

Yes - Time and a Word. 1970 England

The older I get, the more I appreciate psych-era Yes - part 2. Once again Chris Squire's bass takes the lead, whereas Banks goes a bit more psychedelic in the solos. And Bruford really shines here, more so than on the debut. The orchestration was probably a bit too much addition, and it's a shame they didn't employ the mellotron instead. One can imagine the instrument being interjected to great results. 'Them' and 'Astral Traveller' are brilliant, and represent two of my all-time favorite Yes songs. Other great tracks include 'Everydays', 'Sweet Dreams', and 'The Prophet'. Great album.

Ownership: LP: 1972 Atlantic. Similar to what I said on the Yes debut entry, right down to the outlet mall CD pickup in the late 90s. These two albums are inextricably linked in my world. In fact I listened to both back to back last night, which I often do. I picked up this LP online in 2016. Single sleeve with lyric insert. It's not the first edition (generally known as the "plum" label), but it is an early green/red label UK gatefold pressing as you can see. Once again, the American censors couldn't handle the original topless lady cover and came up with something... atrocious. 

1/7/21 (new entry)

Yes. 1969 England

The older I get, the more I appreciate psych-era Yes. I'd even suggest I like their first 2 albums better than their much heralded prog breakthrough The Yes Album. The debut has some great songwriting and you can hear Jon Anderson singing in a distinctly British style. Chis Squire's bass is already very prominent and demonstrates his leadership. Love Tony Kaye's old fashioned organ and Peter Banks jazzy solos as well. 'Survival' is the recognized great track here, and I'm with the majority. But there's plenty more to savor including 'Looking Around', 'Harold Land', and The Byrds' 'I See You'. Excellent album throughout.

Ownership: LP: 1971 Atlantic (UK). Gatefold. Second pressing, first with the green and orange label. Recent pickup (2022) from the Denver Record Show from a well known record shop in the area. Interestingly enough I'd never owned this on LP prior. Back when I first discovered Yes as a young teen, I bought Yesterdays on LP, and that ended up being the representation of the first 2 albums until the CD era.

The first CD I owned was a mass produced US release picked up at an outlet mall in Commerce  (Los Angeles area 1997). Long sold off.

1997; 1/7/21 (new entry); 10/11/22 (LP acquisition)

Korai Orom 1996. Hungary

This is the album that sits between their debut and 1997, both of which I've discussed here already. 1996 is the stepping stone from one to the other. It's a bit more zoned-in than the debut, but it's more measured than the kinetic 1997. It's also a bit less dance-y than the latter. I'm finding that Korai Orom is a band I must listen to while chilling at night. For dedicated, focused listening, their music tends to drag. In this way, Korai Orom needs to be approached in the same manner as Tangerine Dream or any similar type of electronic music. When hearing in this light, 1996 gets a +1.

Ownership: CD: 1996 private. Jewel case with tri-fold booklet. This is a situation where the jewel case isn't modular since it has a pre-printed logo on the front piece (the one that usually breaks). So it needs to be handled gently.

6//97 (first listen); 1/6/21 (review / new entry)