Munju - Le Perfectionniste. 1984 Germany

Munju's final album is a highly creative work combining their Kraut Fusion roots with 80's X-Wave music. At this point, Munju were jamming with Sweden's Von Zamla, and they were clearly influenced by the era in which they existed. Neue Deutsche Welle and other experimental electronic forms of the time are present and accounted for. Michel Berkmans of Univers Zero guests on bassoon, playing a decidedly more upbeat music than his own outfit. Munju are a long way from High Speed Kindergarten on Le Perfectionniste. Gives us a snapshot of what Embryo may have accomplished had they stayed with modern trends versus going all-in world jazz. Roman Bunka would have fit perfectly here. This album has aged wonderfully for me, and resulted in a +1 listen last night.

Ownership: LP: 1984 Ixthuluh (Austria). Single sleeve with detailed insert. Online acquisition (2002). To this day, inexpensive copies can be found. Never been reissued, primarily because the master tapes are presumably lost.

2002; 12/30/22 (new entry)

Wind - Seasons. 1971 Germany

Wind's debut defines the 1971 German hard rock sound. These reviews can pretty much auto-write at this point. Heavy organ and guitar with gruff vocals leading long jams with shorter introspective interludes, including flute. Start lining them up: Zarathustra, Weed, Second Life, Haze, Dies Irae, Epitaph, Eloy, Virus, etc... All from the same year and country. It seemed Germany were filled with bands such as this from the top to the bottom. And that doesn't even get us to the progressive and cosmic bands journeying around. What an era!

Ownership: LP: 1971 +Plus+. Single sleeve. Acquired via trade with a well known German dealer (2018). 

The CD on Second Battle was my introduction to the album (2010). 

2010; 12/30/22 (new entry)

Candlemass - Dactylis Glomerata. 1998 Sweden

A completely unique album for Candlemass, and for metal in general actually. Organ and synthesizers play a big role here, all for the purpose of atmosphere. Crushing riffs are a tribute to early Sabbath, but also to their own Epicus Doomicus Metallicus album. So, you are correct, the powerful front man vocals of prima donna Messiah are nowhere to be found - and perhaps this isn't really a Candlemass album at all. But taken on its own accord, it may be my favorite by them. If you're like me, and always on the lookout for some adventure with your metal, but still within the rails (i.e. not crazy batsh*t stuff) then you too may come to realize how great this album is.

They should have opened the album with the bizarre silent movie styled organ ditty 'Cylinder' with the absolute crushing 'Karthago' following right after. What a sequence!

Ownership: CD: 1998 Music For Nations (UK)

2//06; 2//13 (RYM); 12/29/22 (new entry)

Nova - Blink. 1975 England-Italy

Well... you all know this fine Italian-English fusion combo, made up of members of Osanna, Cervello, etc...  As for the music, it never quite hits the excellent level for me, which the following two do manage to obtain (and I have reviewed separately here on UMR). Perhaps a bit too jazzy saxy for my liking, but for certain there's room for the LP to remain here.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Arista (UK). Single sleeve. Online acquisition from a fellow collector (2014). There was a time when finding their debut was very difficult here in the States since it was never released domestically like the others. Today it's a very affordable album online, but not one you're likely to find at a local store. 

1//14; 10/23/21 (LP 2.52); 12/26/22 (new entry)

Picchio dal Pozzo - Abbiamo Tutti i Suoi Problemi. 1980 Italy

Picchio dal Pozzo's sophomore release is quite a departure from their debut. In fact, it's not until track 4 that the album demonstrates a rock element at all. This is tried and true avant prog, bordering chamber music. Only at the end, on the near 16 minute track on Side 2, does the band show their Italian prog meets Canterbury roots, and essentially saves the album from the sell bin. 

Ownership: LP: 1980 L'Orchestra. Online acquisition (2018). Sealed copy no less. Loose importer's seal of course, and the flexi was not to be found. This LP replaces the CD which had replaced the Japanese LP that I first purchased in 1992.

1992; 4/1/19; 3/12/22 (LP 3.7); 12/24/22 (new entry)

Murple - Io Sono Murple. 1974 Italy

Murple's sole album (in their original formation) is a solid entry for fans of Italian prog, though not the one you play to make a convert. Mostly offers up all the trademarks of the genre (impassioned vocals, twists and turns, dynamic changes). The one head raising exception is 'Variazioni in 6/8' which is extraordinary. I hadn't heard this album in some 20+ years, but my memory of the contents were accurate. One of the mandatory purchases, but down the road some.

Ownership: LP: 1974 BASF. Stunning gatefold cover with nice tri-fold textured lyric insert. Acquired from a friend in Houston back in 2000. My original discovery of the album came from the Mellow CD which was purchased real time (1992) but it offers little, including a marginal sound, so I let it go.

9//92; 2/12/22 (LP 3.3); 12/24/22 (new entry)

Synthesis. 1976 France

Here's another old CDRWL item. In this case the entry was driven by the receival of the LP back in 2010. As I was to find out not long after, a CD reissue had existed going back to 2002, so the entry was nullified quickly, but remained there until now. Here are the original notes: Musically falls into that unique French fusion of funk, jazz, disco and progressive rock all rolled into one. Reminds me somewhat of the early efforts by Cortex and Edition Speciale. 25 piece group (with soft female chorus vocals) recalls some of the Quebec groups like Ville Emard Blues Band, Toubabou, and Contraction. Very good effort. Amongst the notable participants, Didier Lockwood plays violin while Andre Ceccarelli is on the drumkit.

---

That definitely captures the essence. Given my latest predilection for all things jazz funk, I enjoyed a +1 listen last night on this revisit. Almost +2 if considering the first side. It doesn't quite hold up on the back end, but this is quite a satisfying effort. As noted above, there are no less than 25 participants, though the two primary songwriters are trumpet player Ivan Jullien and keyboardist Philippe Briche. Possesses a wonderful groove with clear optimism, very much in tune with the spirt of the times. Great album overall.

Also to point out, there were two bands in France with the name Synthesis, each released a self-titled album. The other is from 1973, and can also be found in these pages.

Ownership: LP: 1976 Arc. A gift from a good friend of UMR (2010). Features a wonderful embossed gatefold cover.

4/18/10 (CDRWL); 12/24/22 (new entry)

Flotsam and Jetsam - Doomsday for the Deceiver. 1986 USA-Arizona

My only exposure to Flotsam and Jetsam real time was No Place For Disgrace (1988), an album I picked up and enjoyed but it never bowled me over. I kept it for a long time before ultimately letting it go. I wouldn't have done that today, but it's not a big deal. Only in the last few years did I finally obtain a CD of their debut. Of course I knew who the band were back in the day. If you were a thrash metal fan who didn't? As any dedicated fan knows, this is the album that bassist Jason Newsted debuted on. Within that same year he would famously replace Cliff Burton in Metallica after he died in a tragic accident. But when this debut album was released, it was a rather obscure and typical Metal Blade thrash release, of which one a week were coming out back then. Doomsday for the Deceiver is meat and potatoes thrash. It's not particularly heavy for 1986, certainly nowhere near Master of Puppets. The dual guitar lines are crisp and melodic, and Eric A.K. breaks glass with the best of them. Newsted does show his massive bass chops here, and at times it seems he's the lead instrument. The guitar solos are a slight cut above, as Flotsam and Jetsam always had an ear for melody. As the years roll by, I do get a nostalgia pull out of this era of thrash, so I enjoyed a +1 listen.

This along with No Place are still the only 2 albums I've heard by the group, and they are still around to this day. These are the type of albums I hope to find in a thrift bin CD pile. Or vinyl in some cases, but of course they are now price prohibitive if paying retail.

Ownership: LP: 1986 Metal Blade. Single sleeve with lyric inner bag. What a crazy cover. Scored this from JL a few months ago. Perfect mint as all his stuff is. He doesn't have a lot of thrash, but glad he had this title. The LP replaced the commodity CD that I picked up in 2016. The CD does have one extra track, the very good instrumental 'Flotzilla'. It's a well done instrumental but it doesn't have the wow factor to encourage me to keep the otherwise commodity CD.

9/1/16; 12/23/22 (new entry)

MFSB - Universal Love. 1975 USA-Pennsylvania

Finally found a nice copy of the only MFSB I've enjoyed to date. Mostly Mother Father Sister Brother sounds like easy listening music with a repetitive beat. But not so on this album, which has way more edge.

Some 12 years ago I wrote: Well I'm hardly the world's foremost disco fan, but doggone if this album from Philadelphia's MFSB isn't infectious as they get. The first 3 tracks are fine mirror ball numbers, and represent the genre well, but nothing extraordinary. Things get to be very interesting on 'Love Has No Time and Place', with flute, Moog, sax, electric piano, echoplex guitar, cool strings, and soaring female chorus vocals. It's cool in that French school sort of way, like Cortex or the Lafayette Afro-Rock Band. And then there's 'K-Jee', a 5 star masterpiece if there ever was one, and for my tastes, the best song of the entire disco movement. Also I'd say it's the best song on Saturday Night Fever as well (quite astute of the producers to include the track honestly). 'My Mood' is awesome too, sweet and mellow. Captures the mood perfectly, per the song title. Overall, as good an example of the disco style as you can possibly hear.

---

And that review sticks the landing. Especially the three tracks I called out. 'K-Jee' was already 2 years old when it managed its way onto the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. It's important to remember that MFSB isn't just a part of the Philly Sound - they are the Philly Sound. They backed up all of those great soul acts of the 70s on the Philadelphia International label.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Philadelphia International. Gatefold. Recent $1 acquisition (2022) from What's Left Records.

12//08; 3/17/11 (RYM); 12/23/22 (new entry)

Nucleus. 1969 Canada-Ontario

Another old CDRWL item that I recently acquired on vinyl. My original notes stated:

I'll be the first to admit I'm not the world's biggest "psych" fan. I absolutely adore psychedelic influences in my progressive rock, but actual psych rock tends to be too straight for me in most instances, and rarely lives up to the genre name. But when an album is truly psychedelic in both sound, and composition, then I take notice. Nucleus is that album. In fact, at times it's a bit too disjointed to get into. It's really a strange phenomena they have going here. They seem to be jamming, but in odd time signatures ---- for each member. Perhaps it's pure incompetence, and no one band member can keep up with the other. Maybe. But I doubt it. It sounds intentional to me. It's downright disorienting at times. Which, almost by definition, is psychedelic. There's some incredible Hammond organ and acid guitar on here, with all sorts of screamed, distant, and... well... melodic vocals. Damn, this album is just flat out cool honestly.

---

That remains my understanding of this most unique album. Because of this creativity, I bumped it a +1 into the masterpiece category. As the years ago by, it's albums like this that standout as truly interesting. I listened to it twice in a row and I couldn't really pinpoint what they were doing. That's a plus. And the sound is delicious, all the right textures. A stellar album.

Ownership: LP: 1969 Mainstream (USA). Single sleeve. Recent online acquisition (2022) at an excellent price point. Like all Mainstream albums, it still hasn't been reissued on CD. There are a couple of LP reissues, but I'm guessing they're pretty cheap-o. In any case, it would be great for a specialty label to get a hold of those old Mainstream tapes. I'd for sure supplement both this and the Stone Circus LP's with an additional CD.

9/18/13 (CDRWL); 12/22/22 (new entry)

Terje Rypdal - Odyssey. 1975 Norway

I first found this album while still in college in the middle 80s. It just wasn't for me at the time. In reacquiring the album and hearing it for the first time in over 25 years, I can understand why. I was expecting a more active jazz rock / fusion, fields of music I was just getting into in my early 20s. That's not what Odyssey is about. It's a sprawling double album made up of primarily late night noirish jazz. The kind that is usually the sole reserve of the saxophone. But Rypdal substitutes his electric guitar and it's thick, rich, and wonderful to hear. As mellow as it comes but with an acidic tone that gives it a back end bite. Also worth pointing out are the longer tracks that feature hypnotic bass and drums. This aspect recalls Joe Henderson or Miles Davis. Or even fellow Norwegians Tangle Edge, who would apply this same technique many years later but for the psychedelic jam audience. Odyssey is an investment of time, and is best taken in on a quiet peaceful evening.

Ownership: LP: 1975 ECM (USA). 2xLP gatefold. Recent acquisition from Dr. Boom (2022). The first copy referenced above was picked up in 1986 at Ralph's in Lubbock, and I sold it sometime in the 90s. The gatefold is appropriately minimalistic, adding to the allure. Interesting to note that Discogs' stock LP has a cut corner. That's exactly how my first copy was. Fortunately this one does not.

12/21/22 (new entry)

2022 Classic Rock / AOR Journal Vol. 2 - Complete

Bruce Koenig. 1980 Kingsnake (LP). Scored this one cheap at a local store. Worth a try I figured. Koenig is from Milwaukee, and his sole work represents the bar scene of the era. Misleading cover indicates a country rock affair, with the cowboy hat, Jim Beam, and ladies of the evening purring up close. The back cover is far more accurate. Some harmless looking guys playing club rock. Not so much boogie, more singer songwriter influenced with funk touches. Koenig plays keyboards and sings. A lot. Not too much room for instrumental prowess. Reminds me a bit of Peter Berkow & Friends from nearby Illinois. I'd submit it's average for the style. (Dec)

ZZ Top - Rio Grande Mud. 1972 London (LP). This album was in RT's stash. I recently wrote about my acceptance of Tres Hombres, their follow-up to the album in hand. And last year I filed the debut into the collection as well. But what of Rio Grande Mud? Man, does this ever go hard for the blues. Much more so than the others. It's as "clean" as the cover indicates. Harmonica is just as much a key instrument as guitar. 'Just Got Paid' is an all-time classic hard rock tune, but mostly this is straight blues. I still enjoyed a +1 listen, but I'm going to let this one sail. (Oct)

Foghat. 1972 Reprise (LP). As mentioned on the Stone Blue post, Foghat were one of my favorite bands as a young teen. They were a very popular band in the mid to late 70s when I first started listening and collecting music. All these years later, I'm finally hearing their debut. Pulled it out of the Denver Record show for a couple of bucks. The most known track here - and by far the best IMO - is the opener 'I Just Want To Make Love To You'. The rest is boogie / pub rock and far from my interest area. I had presumed as much going in, so it met my low expectations. (Oct)

Black Pearl. 1969 Atlantic (LP). Black Pearl play a decidedly psychedelic boogie-soul-blues type of music, similar to other west coast bands during that era. The guitarist is accomplished and his sound is welcome. The songwriting isn't for me though. I like the execution but not the style. It's certainly good, and if you enjoy the genres as noted above, Black Pearl will find a place in your collection. (Oct)

Jim Oliver - Runaway Children. 1986 Runaway (LP). I had high hopes for this one - coming from my current hometown. Featuring a fantasy cover, and Discogs' description of hard rock meets avant-garde, could this be Colorado Springs' version of Richie Duvall or Tom Nehls? Nope. Maybe even Jimmy Hotz? That's closer, but Oliver is more AOR focused than the more proggy leaning Hotz. Despite all the window dressing, and a synthesizer focus, the music is pretty boring mid 80s styled commercial FM rock. More like what Alan Parsons was up to at this point, without the experience. What a bummer. (Oct)

Freeway - Off the Streets. 1979 Big Girl (LP). This one looked intriguing. A small label pressing from Houston that was produced by ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard and featured his wife at the time, Cathie. She's only on a couple of cuts and shares the limelight with two other male vocalists, so it's not really female fronted AOR. It is, however, Album Oriented Rock. Of the worst kind. Pure unadulterated pop slop worshiping at the altar of the FM radio god. Ten relatively harmless tracks with a little bit of heaviness in the guitar, and no memorable songs. It's bad hairstyles and bad tunes. Disappointing. (Oct)

Freeze. 1979 Titanium (LP). Similar to Lucksinger, this is Female Fronted AOR, though it's advertised (and registered on Discogs) as prog. Maybe the last two tracks qualify for the latter designation but even that's a stretch. I like this Chicago based band though, it's a bit more raw and the musicianship is high, especially the guitarist. Unfortunately there are no real highwater marks and there's just not enough here to keep. Fell just below the "Mendoza Line". Pardon the baseball metaphor, 'tis the season. (Oct)

Brave Belt. 1971 Reprise (LP). This isn't for me. Country rock, pretty much what the cover advertises. This is Randy Bachman's first band after leaving The Guess Who. I was hoping for a couple of good cuts similar to his former band, but there were none to be found. Disappointing. Ultimately they evolved into Bachman-Turner Overdrive and were even more boogie rock focused. (Oct)

Lucksinger. 1986 private (EP). I'm always on the lookout for private releases, and this one fit the bill. Pulled this out of a local record shop for a couple of bucks. From Los Angeles, Lucksinger were your classic mid 80s AOR band. What is today known as Female-Fronted AOR which has a niche following. For my tastes it fell a bit flat as they didn't take any chances. Just six 3 to 4 minute tunes, each clearly attempting to get radio airplay. No inventive musicianship or compositions, just pure mid 80s commercialism. For what it is, I'd submit it rates out to be average. (Oct)

Il Volo. 1974 Italy

Il Volo's debut is largely an extension of Formula 3's final album La Grande Casa (before regrettably reforming into something decidedly non-prog rock in the 90s). For that album I wrote: "The album sounds exactly like the cover looks. It's pastoral, a bit poppy, and often times very beautiful. No manner of rationalization will likely raise this to masterpiece status, but that doesn't mean it's not a pleasant album. It's very much in league with what was going on in Italy at the time, and you can hear elements of this same sound on the debut by Il Volo, which Formula 3 rolled up into. I would only recommend this album to hardcore fans of the genre, and not as a starting point or early recommendation. Go in calm, and you will leave calm. And with a smile on your face."

And that review applies here. The primary difference is Il Volo does amp up on occasion. The first track is a powerful opener and encapsulates all that is great about Italian prog in general. Some of the singer songwriter bits are a bit much to endure, but overall I'm always reminded of the Mediterranean Sea when hearing this album. A long time favorite at the UMR HQ. 

In fact, Mrs. UMR joined me for this listening session and gave her approval as well. We also listened to Le Orme's Uomo di Pezza in full, and she's now claiming to be a fan of Italian progressive rock. After 26 years of marriage it's starting to sink in. That's what it takes sometimes lol.

Ownership: LP: 1974 Numero Uno. Gatefold. Was purchased at VVV in Dallas (1988) along with many other treasures of my collection. Plan on keeping this till the end. Let someone else sell it... The cover is one of my favorites and is always featured on my "wall of albums". That's why the wife wanted to hear this and Le Orme, as she was curious of the sounds underneath the artwork.

CD: 2004 BMG (Japan). Papersleeve edition.

1988; 2004; 8/23/19; 12/18/22 (new entry)

2022 Funk / Soul Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

*Rhythm Heritage - Disco-fied. 1976 ABC (LP). For their breakout single 'Theme from S.W.A.T.' (1975) I wrote the following almost exactly 2 years ago: "It all started here for me. Yep, this is the first vinyl I ever bought. My aunt stuck a couple of bucks in my pocket to buy a record and to subsequently piss off my parents. It worked (aunt's are good that way). By 1976 I had accumulated a couple of handfuls of 45s such as this, and then got tired of it (sold in a garage sale), and went back to collecting the more familiar ball cards. No more music for me I said! Yea, there's a grand proclamation that held... for about a year. In any case, how screwed up of a 10 year old was I to get this anyway? What kid runs out to buy 'Theme from S.W.A.T.'? I didn't even like the show! 45 years later, as I was buying a pile of records, I saw this for $1. Had to have it. Honestly I had forgotten all about what it sounded like. You know what though? This is a really great mid 70s heavy instrumental funk track! And the flip side is good too, with some cool Moog soloing. I'm keeping it this time." That flip side is not on this album though. For disco music, this is a good title throughout. The arrangements are excellent, great analog instrumentation, and plenty of good musicianship. I can only imagine that they simplified from here, though I'll have to try one out if I see it, which I'm sure I will. I don't have high hopes for Disco Derby, but would you believe it's quite scarce and expensive, despite being on MCA? Huh. (Dec)

*Andrea True Connection - More, More, More. 1976 Buddah (LP). I remember the hit single from when I first started collecting 45s at the tender age of 10 and 11. Amazing what they allowed on AM radio back then for young ears. Of course it's well known now that Andrea True was a porn star - and continued in that industry afterward. At that age I would have had no idea what that meant, though I don't think the general populace was tapped into that knowledge either. No more than Marilyn Chambers was the 99.44% pure girl for Ivory Snow. The album titles are filled with sexual innuendo. But why is it any good in the first place? She's a reasonably good singer but didn't really have strong stage presence or even a Donna Summers like voice. Gregg Diamond. He was the mastermind behind the project. Anyway, easy listening background music that brings back the mid 70s for me. (Dec)

Big Apple Brass - Opus de Metropolis. 1978 Royal Flush white label promo (LP). Thrift shop find (Dec). This one looked obscure and the first two titles read very intriguing: 'West Side Rock' and 'Funk Latino'. Followed by 'Big Apple Boogie' and 'Finger Lickin Disco' so I guess there was that to consider too. In any case, the Big Apple Brass were one of those large horn bands that decided to hop onto the disco bandwagon. There's some nicely performed horn charts and some rock elements - though guitar is strangely missing from 'West Side Rock', one of the more overt disco tracks here. Ah well, fairly harmless stuff. Not bad, but not the best the genre has to offer. 

Mazarati. 1986 Paisley Press (LP). From the Denver Record show (Oct). No idea what it was but it looked intriguing. And it's certainly going for more than the $1 they charged for it. Beautiful copy too. Ten seconds in and I proclaim "this sounds like Prince!" Well yea, duh. I'm always on top of things, eh? A closer look makes this incredibly obvious. First of all they look like Prince. Well - except the white guys, who look like A Flock of Seagulls rejects. The album is on Prince's label and they're from Minneapolis. This is pretty much copycat music - but that means there's some fine guitar. Good on the whole, but no room in the collection for this title I'm afraid.

*Funkadelic. 2000 Westbound (1970) (CD). Collection revisit (Jun). In recent years, funk has become one of my favorite styles. So I was very much looking forward to revisiting this title in the collection. It's an interesting debut - not particularly funky at all. It does have psychedelic aspects, mostly found in the production and with Eddie Hazel's guitar. The latter is not near as focused or as intense as their 3rd album Maggot Brain. A lot of loose jamming can be heard here - many compare to Jimi Hendrix's albums from the same era, but I would suggest this is more laid back than that might imply. One of those albums I'm sure I'd appreciate more as an original LP, but those are extremely hard to find at any kind of a reasonable price. CDs like this oftentimes find themselves out the door, but I can make an exception for a debut by a legend like Funkadelic. I can't say I have too much that sounds like this album.

Ozone - Walk On. 1980 Motown (LP). Found this at a thrift shop (May). It looks like your everyday worthless disco album. But I'd never seen it before so I look them all up anyway as a matter of course. And sure enough, this isn't disco but rather what is known as boogie - or boogie funk. There are some really inventive and complex horn charts here. But for the most part it's still too smooth for my liking. I like my funk raw and dirty, and this is more radio friendly, which the cover indicated all along.

*Sylvia - Pillow Talk. 1973 Vibration (LP). This is not a cover you're likely to miss. To find this cheap ($4) at a local store is also surprising. This album just oozes sex. It's soul/funk, about 50/50 on that scale, but her sultry vocals make the soul music more interesting. I have a rare single from her as well, that I found for a quarter in Cheyenne, Wyoming (?!) just before the pandemic. This album is probably borderline exploitation, but Ms. Robinson puts in an authentic performance. Well worth keeping. Unique at the very least. (Apr)

*Budos Band. 2005 Daptone (CD). Thrift shop find (Apr). Not the kind of thing one finds at the thrifts, and unfortunately there were no other CDs like it in this collection. Interestingly enough I have all the Budos Band CDs except this first album. I figured it would be similar to the others, since they all have the same kind of music (allowing for hard rock guitar later in the career). And I was right. This has their patented instrumental horn funk sound that they continued to perfect. Still, as a debut, this lays the foundation quite well. A definitely keeper, especially considering the cool retro volcano digipak cover. 

*Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information. 2001 Luaka Bop (1974) (CD). Thrift shop find (Apr). Otis' name came up last year on the review for The Brothers Johnson cover of 'Strawberry Letter #23', as he was the author of the piece. A piece I might add that is extraordinary in its strangeness. While it's not on the album proper, it is included on this CD. In some ways Otis' album is like Timmy Thomas' Why Can't We Live Together. That is to say, it's almost entirely a solo album and the music is unusually composed. Today this album has an enormous reputation for its groundbreaking ideas. And while it was hardly alone, sometimes it takes the right source to notice and promote. It's soul music by design, but it sits alone in its creativity. Great CD as well, loaded with historical details and four bonus tracks (all taken from Freedom Flight which I have yet to hear but hope to eventually).

The Jimmy Castor Bunch - E-Man Groovin'. 1976 Atlantic (LP). I've got a review of The Jimmy Castor Bunch's first two albums buried in this site. It's Just Begun is an absolute killer whereas Phase Two is pretty silly. Five albums later and not much has changed from Phase Two. At this point, Castor could be considered P-Funk even if we wasn't a member. Similar irreverence with a bit too much soul thrown in the mix. Too bad as it features an eye catching album cover. I'll pick these up as I go, but I suspect I'll end up just keeping that 2 for 1 CD, and the first LP if I find it. (Mar)

The Blackbyrds - Action. 1977 Fantasy (LP). Pulled this out of a 50 cent binner in October. This is my second go round with The Blackbyrds, having already commented on their debut. Only three years later, this would be the prolific band's 6th album. Really not that much different from the Faze-O I spoke of a couple of days ago. Not quite as much soul (though some), and it does stay with the funk for the most part. But it's of the stringsy variety, hovering around disco, but not quite committing to it. Nice gatefold cover - but gotta let this one go too. Though the beautiful closer 'Dreaming About You' had me a bit weak-kneed. Had to hang tough. (Jan)

* - Keeping for the collection

Gabor Szabo - Macho. 1975 Hungary

This was part of that jazz collection that the Pharoah Sanders was in. Kind of an outlier (as was the Junior Vega), as it's a bit early for whoever this was. As noted on one of the other Szabo reviews, I'll buy any of his albums. And to date I've kept them all, this one no exception. My notes from the next album Nightflight stated: "...Everything about it screams the era from which it came...Enter in Gabor Szabo, who then proceeds to jam over what appears to be backing tracks. His tone is that of a lightly amplified electric guitar, and sporadic acoustic guitar. Some of his solos are sublime, while others don't belong at all, adding to the strange vibe." That could work here, though it must be said that Macho seems more put together. Macho is a very soothing album, and the funk and disco elements are mostly muted. This was a known jazz guitarist beginning to branch out into new mediums. Full 8 piece band with lots of invention. Easy keeper.

Ownership: 1975 Salvation. Single sleeve. Acquired as noted above (2022). Salvation was another Creed Taylor imprint, and was distributed by Motown. Most of the CD pressings are Japanese.

12/16/22 (first listen / review / new entry)

2022 Fusion / Jazz Journal Vol. 2 - Complete

*Larry Coryell - Planet End. 1975 Vanguard (LP). The album represents two different sessions: 1970's Spaces and 1974's The Eleventh House. Also included is one Coryell solo guitar piece which serves as an interlude. I prefer the heavy fusion of the Eleventh House, and both of these tracks would have fit great on the debut. No surprises if you're familiar with that album. Even though they represent half the tracks, it's only about 30% of the time (10 minutes). I'm less familiar with Spaces, a much more "out" setting reminding me some of Wolfgang Dauner's work from this period. Fairly raw and a mite untogether that is, of course, the point. Not an easy listen, but not uncomfortable either. This version of the band represents about 60% of the material here (about 20 minutes). In essence, Planet End is more geared towards the Spaces audience with some extra mid 70s fusion punch. (Dec)

*Carpenters - Close to You. 1970 A&M (LP). Pulled this out of What's Left for $1 (Dec). I see this album all the time in the thrifts, but usually not in the best condition. I had a copy prior that I gave to a friend. Anyway I get all weepy with this title. 'We've Just Begun' just slays me every time, hitting on some core nerve of innocence from my 5 year old self. And it's never been fair (at all) to pair up Bacharach and these two siblings. Sentimentality overload! Has anyone ever listened to that last Richard Carpenter piece 'Another Song'? What the hell? Sounds like Krautrock, and Karen is bashing the drums like Klaus Schulze's sister, not Richard's. What did Nixon say? "Finest young group in America is going to entertain us tonight. The Carpenters ladies and gentlemen." Wow. Bet they didn't play 'Another Song'... Crate digger tip: The white label promo version of this album goes for big bucks. Since I learned that little tidbit, I've inspected the label from scores of copies, but never have yet seen one. It is indeed scarce.

Pharoah Sanders - Love Will Find A Way. 1978 Arista (LP). Thrift shop find (Dec). You're not going to find too many people who say this is the Sanders album to buy. Though one could argue it's his most accessible work. Smooth jazz and disco are not the qualities Sanders brings to the table. It starts off pretty nice actually but the material runs thin after awhile. And it gets almost irritating by the end. The general populace ranks this as his low point. 

Junior Vega - Images of Music. 19?? Variety (LP). Interesting recent thrift shop find (Dec). Trumpeter Vega plays a compendium of Latin jazz styles including Samba, Bossa Nova, Mambo, Bomba, and Guajira. Mambo is about 40% but I'll be damned if I could tell you much of a difference between them. Blindfolded I doubt I could identify even the Bossa Nova track, a genre I've become very familiar with in the last 3-4 years. He's backed up by no less than 11 musicians. This one is a borderline keeper, as it has a very satisfying sound.

Oriental Wind - Live in der Balver Hohle. 1978 JG (LP). Collection revisit (Sep). Back in 2001 I was taking chances on ebay for any interesting looking jazz rock records, mostly European. This was long before the CDRWL, YouTube, and other outlets provided to me. If I saw something at a good price, that appeared like I would enjoy it, I would pop for it. Oriental Wind was somewhat typical of the style of albums I was buying. This is a very fine world fusion effort, with spirited Turkish drummer Okay Temiz leading the Swedish quintet through a serious of extended workouts. Musically I'm reminded of Embryo's later jazz efforts (many years after this) and some of Aera's work, in particular the saxophone playing. All in all, falls a bit too much into the jazz playing field for me to grab ahold on, though my rating remains the same (very good). 21 years on from that first listen and I don't think this one will make the cut, even though there are no reissues. Bar keeps getting higher.

Krzysztof Zgraja - Laokoon. 1981 Polskie Nagrania (LP). Collection revisit (Sep). Same as the above, purchased near the same time for the same reason. And like Oriental Wind, my rating remains unchanged, but this isn't really much in my wheelhouse. Laokoon is hardcore flute jazz, well done for the style, and certainly isn't pop influenced fluff. But it's not avant garde either. This title, however, did manage to get reissued in 2018. So if I change my mind at least a copy can be attainable. 

Anna Margarida - Anna. 1968 Vault (LP). Recent thrift shop find (Sep). Since I restarted my crate digging activities in 2019, two types of music emerged as new styles of choice for me: funk - especially jazz funk - and bossa nova. Ms. Margarida is of the latter. From Brazil, naturally enough, this is her primary album. It's very soothing and well done. However it's a bit too orchestrated and syrupy for me to want to go extra rounds with it. So it falls short of the Sergio Mendes bar. Not enough tequila in this Margarida (just had to write that didn't I?). 

Chakachas - Jungle Fever. 1972 Polydor (LP). This ended up being a disappointment. I had a rare single by these Belgian guys (captured here on UMR) and thought a full album would be pretty cool. I expected Latin Funk or even some Latin Rock. What you get is Latin Jazz. Pretty much the same kind of music Rene Bloch was doing a decade prior. Nothing wrong with that of course, just not what I'm looking for. Closing title track is by far the best thing here. Oh well, can't win 'em all. (Sep)

*Pekka Pohjola - Keesojen Lehto. 2021 Svart (1977) (LP). Pohjola's 3rd solo album, known in the English world as The Mathematician's Air Display. I didn't currently own a copy, and since this reissue features a gatefold with a history, I went ahead and grabbed it - at a good price too. I don't find Pohjola's solo work all that gratifying, but they are still very good, worthy of ownership. This album has a lot of participation from Mike Oldfield. So much so, that in the early 80s they tried to pass this off as a Mike Oldfield solo album! That was not very nice - and probably downright illegal. (May) I later ended up with the UK original as well. Kept this for the "wall of albums".

*Rafael Moreira - Acid Guitar. 2005 Music Magnet (CD). Thrift shop find (Apr). With a title like that, there was no way I'm leaving it behind. I have no idea who Moreira is, but this is one superb album. Acid Guitar is not exactly what I expected though. In fact I was afraid it would be one of those nauseous guitar feedback overload albums like we hear coming from Japan. It's nothing of the sort - rather it has a bit of funk and Bossa Nova mixed in. The latter an homage to Moreira's native Brazil. There are some sublime psychedelic guitar moments as well as hard rock. A wonderful surprise on what appears to be a mostly unknown CD. A CD I might add that is a private pressing that comes in a first class 6 panel digipak.

* - Keeping for the collection

This Oneness - Surprize + Amalgamated Funk + Sonic Geometry. 1975-1976 USA-Minnesota

Where have I been these last few days? Right here. Immersed into the newly released CD from This Oneness. We'd been waiting for this release for some time (3 years?), as the band promised two more albums that were fully recorded but never released. That day has finally arrived, and what a package it is. More on that later. Let's start with the original CDRWL entry:

Minnesota based group who performs a Mahavishnu styled heavy fusion with Canterbury touches. The song portions are of the Midwest progressive rock variety ala Ethos and Albatross. The odd song out is 'Please the Sunshine', an almost-gospel like vocal track that is a bit painful to endure. Overall an excellent fusion album.

---

As it turns out, the Mahavishnu reference is very poignant, since John McLaughlin was indeed a major influence. Both musically and spiritually. Now we know the album itself is only a small part of the story of this intriguing band. They went on to record two more albums, but without the woodwinds of Robyn Lee, which definitely changed their sound. Most of the proggy ambitions are gone, and its place is a ferocious jazz fusion. Not atypical of its era, but a cut above in quality. There's very few vocals after Surprize. And there's a tendency to break into jazz guitar land, with the expected rhythms of that genre. Only to turn back on the amps and the full instrumentation goes all in for heavy rock. Electric guitar and analog synthesizers rule the sound palette. Some really strong Moog work will be heard. The rhythm section is outstanding as well. Worth mentioning that the sound quality of these two additional albums is first rate. They could have (or should have) been on a major label. And there's enough material on Sonic Geometry to make up for a double album.

And what did these guys do on their off days? Shoot pool, drink beer, hang out at bars? Nope - they were the touring backup band for none other than Olivia Newton-John. Well, someone had to do it! But it goes to show how talented they really were. 

In the end, This Oneness were truly a professional outfit. One of those legendary regional bands that should have been known worldwide. That's a tale that's been told too many times I'm afraid. Anyway, buy this triple CD if you have any interest in American fusion.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Oz. Single sleeve. Acquired online (2012). I believe this may have been a Midwest Mike contribution to the CDRWL, and I was able to secure the LP relatively quickly.

CD: 2022 Oz. 3xCD as described above. Titled The Story of thisOneness. In addition to the two extra albums, you get a full history with contribution from most of the members. Full recording details are provided inside the multi-foldout digipak as well. We also learn that the band stylized their name as thisOneness, so the original cover was literal not artistic.

5/22/10 (CDRWL); 12/13/12; 12/12/22 (new entry)

Konkrete Kantikle. 2001 USA-Washington

Back in 2004 I had the opportunity to buy the entire Ventricle set of releases for a very cheap price, so I decided to pull the trigger. Over the years, I've trimmed almost all of them out. They range from horrific (Corpse You Luv) to pretty good, most falling in the latter category. They're all variations on a theme, with ethereal female vocals and mellotron. The flagship "band" were Mauve Sideshow, and if you are curious to go further, I'd suggest any of their 4 CDs as a starting point. Led by "Dusty Lee", the Seattle based Ventricle label was a showcase for his musical vision. One he had started with a collective called Kangaroo Kourt before moving out of state. Known prior as Lee Blair, he was one of the original heads from the Texas scene (Austin in this case), and I bought plenty of rare Krautrock and French LPs from him in the late 80s that I still own to this day. We were complete opposites in just about anything you could name, but we shared the same musical tastes. And I remember him being very kind to me and always willing to share his vast underground music knowledge, which was hard to come by in those days.

The one CD I am for certain to keep is Dream Radiation, though I haven't heard it since that initial buy. But I do have a special memory of it. The second one that managed to get this far is Konkrete Kantikle, which I haven't heard since then either. The primary difference here is the heavy use of organ (rather than mellotron), including what sounds like pipe organ. The 17+ minute centerpiece is as good as anything Klaus Schulze mustered up in the early 70s, and the haunting voices bare a slight resemblance to a wordless Rosi. Only track 5 gets a bit too far out there, but it's short. So that likely closes the book on Ventricle for me - Konkrete Kantikle and Dream Radiation will remain with the collection.

Ownership: CD: 2001 Ventricle. Acquired as noted above (2004). The cover may remind you a bit of Anglagard's last 2 releases.

2004; 12/9/22 (new entry)

Embryo - Umsonst und Draussen - Vlotho 1977. Germany (archival)

Over 12 years ago I wrote the following, while covering the Vlotho 1977 album proper: "'Getalongwithasong' is the requisite Embryo appearance. They are certainly the "name" band in these festivals and they let absolutely no one down. This is a track that would show up on Apo Calypso but in an extended 14 minutes form at that point. Garden of Delights has announced their intention to release Embryo's entire Umsonst concert on CD."

7 years after I posted that, Garden of Delights came through with that release. And 5 years after that I finally got around to purchasing it - primarily because the label's product is notoriously difficult to source here in the States. And what of the full concert - did it live up to expectations? Absolutely. You have to be predisposed to like this stage of the band though. The 1975 to '78 era of Embryo is definitely the most user friendly and, dare I say, commercial period for the legendary group. A major reason Embryo are so listenable during this stage lays with guitarist Roman Bunka. He has a good voice - much warmer than the usual English singing from Germans back in those days. And his guitar playing and tone is perfect for this set up. The music is jazz funk - Krautrock style. There's always an edge to their instrumentation. No extreme highs here, just an album that is easy to listen to. Comfort food for established fans. And the music is mostly unique to this release, offering up the same kind of thrill one gets from an archival Tangerine Dream release for example.

Ownership: CD: 2017 Garden of Delights. Recent online acquisition (2022) as noted above. Has the usual great history and photos the label is known for. The history is relatively truncated, primarily dedicated to this release alone. And that's because GoD had already exhaustively covered the band to this point.

12/9/22 (new entry)

Megadeth - Killing is My Business... And Business is Good! 1985 USA-California

Bought this album on the same hot Dallas summer day in 1985 with Exodus' Bonded with Blood. Had very high expectations for both, but neither met them. Exodus received more listens, but neither title made it too far into the 90s with moi. And both were gone - long sold off for a fraction of today's going rates. These two groups are forever linked together in my mind, but they are very different, despite both having strong Metallica connections. I've discussed my reunion with Exodus on a couple of posts already, but not Megadeth.

Unlike Exodus, Megadeth has aged much better for me. Also to note, I did go one more album with Exodus real time (Pleasures of the Flesh) before giving up on them. Megadeth did not receive a second chance. It was only 5 years ago I executed a bulk buy on a pile of classic thrash CDs. There were many Megadeth albums in there. And this included the ones that had achieved great commercial success in the 90s. Those I remember hearing from one of the girls I worked with (strange I know..), and wasn't very enamored with (1994 to 1995 time frame). And that remained true here as well. But from this set of CDs, it was albums two through four that had impact with me. I'd heard some of these songs on Headbangers Ball and the like but never pursued the albums, because you know, I already bought the debut and wasn't into them. But the first album was strangely missing from this batch. Perhaps for the better, because it gave me an excuse to buy an original - or close to an original - vinyl record. It's the nostalgia pull thing again. With Bonded in Blood I settled for trade credit for a modern 2010 pressing. But I planned to holdout on Killing, and that day has finally arrived (see Ownership below).

In hearing this album again, I could see where my disappointment came from. It's not very heavy, which was its primary fault. By 1985, I wanted a Metallica styled production. Apparently Megadeth blew their budget on booze and drugs. Well, OK, whatever. Makes for a good story, but plenty of bands with no budget did better than this. What I hear today is something of a guitar fronted jazz fusion band doing thrash metal with screaming James Hetfield (early James Hetfield) styled vocals thrown on top. When you realize that both guitarist Chris Poland and drummer Gar Samuelson (who later formed the brilliant Fatal Opera) were actually playing in a jazz fusion band prior, then it all comes together. Few would argue that Mustaine wasn't adept at playing the guitar, and his riffing style here is fairly advanced for 1985. So that's your story line. It's not a brilliant album by any means, and way too short. Also it was miles behind where Metallica were by then. If Mustaine was a woman scorned, then he still got steamrolled by her former lover. But it does have a place in history, and I'm glad to have it back. 

Ownership: LP: 1986 Music For Nations (UK). Second UK pressing. Single sleeve with inner lyric bag. Recent online acquisition (2022). My original Ride the Lightning LP (also MFN) was purchased real time at HMV in London (a treasure of my collection), so I'm OK with the UK version here. The first copy I owned was the Combat press (same with Exodus) which goes for much more these days. This one will stick around unless JL shows up with a copy (and he might). But he wasn't much for thrash, so I don't have my hopes up.

7//85; 12/7/22 (new entry)

2022 Hard Rock Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic. 1975 Columbia (LP). I find Aerosmith - even in their classic era - very hit and miss. Their debut is essentially bar rock with one monster track (the ubiquitous 'Dream On'), while Draw the Line is a throwback early 70s blues rocker with a couple of interesting ideas. On the other hand Get Your Wings is a fantastic hard rock album, their best in my estimation. And Rocks is also very good, an album that is generally considered their pinnacle achievement by the overall listening populace. But what of Toys in the Attic, their most commercially successful album? It sits between the two I just listed above and features both of their most known hits 'Walk This Way' and 'Sweet Emotion'. Both of which I enjoy. So therefore this should be an easy keeper. Not so fast. The opening title track packs a nice punch and 'Round and Round' is a solid heavy track. The rest is boogie, blues, and bar rock. I remember hearing this album all the way through in the late 70s and early 80s, and it never moved the needle. 40 years later, it still doesn't. It's good and that's about it. Bye bye. (Dec)

Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. 1975 Polydor (LP). Picked up at the Denver Record show on the cheap (Oct). This is the second time for me to run into this album since 2019. Each listen is a little bit more enjoyable, but mostly it always falls short of my expectations. Perhaps because of my personal experience with the band, I find that I enjoy Down to Earth and subsequent albums more satisfying. The exception to this - like just about every one else - is that I think Rising is their masterpiece. And it's much more aggressive and chance taking than this rather tepid debut. As some clever folks have noted, the band should have been called Ritchie Blackmore's Elf at this stage. It all came together in one short year. Once again I cannot find a reason to hang onto this, despite a few good - though not exceptional - tracks.

Demon - The Unexpected Guest. 1982 Carrere (LP). The only Demon albums I know are the Saga-ish The Plague (very good) and the Pink Floyd-ish follow up (good). Since Demon are considered part of the NWOBHM movement, I just presumed that it came from their early albums. Nope! This, their second album, is muscled up hard rock. Which I do like, but I found this album pretty boring overall. Doesn't have the melodic sensibilities of their next album, and there isn't much proggy invention either. (Sep)

Alcatrazz - No Parole from Rock N' Roll. 1983 Rocshire (LP). I remember Alcatrazz well from my freshmen year of college. They were most famous for having Yngwie Malmsteen as their lead guitarist, and they featured former Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet. This is a good hard rock album, as Malmsteen didn't noodle his way through it, and Bonnet is a great singer. I have too much of this kind of thing already, and there's not much nostalgia with Alcatrazz itself, so I'm letting it go. (Jun)

Atlee - Flying A Head. 1970 ABC/Dunhill (LP). More blues rock, and nothing really to distinguish it from the others. (Jun)

C.K. Strong. 1969 Epic (LP). C.K. Strong is the first album to feature future Penthouse Pet model Lynn Carey. It's blues rock all the way, no doubt influenced heavily by Janis Joplin. Except Ms. Carey is a hell of a lot more attractive. She went on to lead Mama Lion for two albums and I believe she still sings at jazz nightclubs to this day. Anyway, I'm not a Joplin fan (musically) and this didn't do that much for me either. (Jun)

Rose Tattoo - Scarred for Life. 1982 Mirage (LP). I had bought the predecessor to this album real time while still in high school. I forget the track now they played on the radio, but I quite liked it, so I plunked down real money for Assault & Battery. It turned out to be very disappointing, and that was the only track I liked on it. Essentially Rose Tattoo are AC/DC clones, trying to capitalize on their fellow Australian's success. I found this sealed at a local store (way cheap), not something you're likely to see at this late date. Rather than break the seal, I listened to the album on YouTube. Yea, same impression. It's AC/DC like hard boogie rock. Not for me, but if you're a fan, Rose Tattoo gives you good value. (Jun)

Billion Dollar Babies - Battle Axe. 1977 Polydor (LP). From that same store they also had a sealed copy of this album (even cheaper). Same thing, rather than break the seal, I checked it out on YouTube. Billion Dollar Babies is made up of former Alice Cooper Band members, hence the moniker. It's pretty much the same kind of hard rock / glam rock that Cooper was peddling at the same time. Pretty average on the whole, but not bad. (Jun)

*Van Halen - Fair Warning. 1981 Warner Bros. (LP) I spoke some of my history with Van Halen on the Women and Children First album. Though I never bought that album real time, I did splurge for Fair Warning upon release. And that's because they were playing the heaviest songs on the radio. And those would be 'Mean Street' and 'Unchained', both I would consider at the top of the heap for Van Halen. A nice return to form, recalling their massive debut. At the time, I wasn't so enamored with the rest, looking for more heavy material. In reacquiring this title, I found myself enjoying the whole thing. Most assuredly their second best album. (May)

*Rainbow - Down to Earth. 1979 Polydor (LP). In an earlier post, I had mentioned that I bought this along with Judas Priest's Rocka Rolla. It was real time in Seattle while visiting my aunt and uncle. I enjoyed it at the time, but I was hoping for something heavier and less poppy. Over the years, it didn't survive some of the LP purging, which was necessary. Now I'm just scooping these up out of nostalgia. I actually remembered this album pretty well, though it's been 30 years since I last heard it. Down to Earth features Graham Bonnet, and he does possess quite the voice. Last year I revisited Difficult to Cure with great results, and I'll give the nod to that album over this, since it's less commercial. But for memories alone, I'll probably keep this one for a long while. (Apr)

*Rainbow - Straight Between the Eyes. 1982 Mercury (LP). This is where I got off the Rainbow bus. I had stayed loyal, but as each year progressed in the early 80s, I wanted heavier and heavier music. And there were bands to fill that desire. Rainbow were going the other way. This is probably the most commercial of the four post-Dio albums. I'll keep it anyway. (Apr)

*Rainbow - Bent Out of Shape. 1983 Mercury (LP). Since I stopped at Straight Between the Eyes, I never did hear this final (for all intents and purposes) Rainbow album - until now. It's a nice return to form, showing off a more meaty hard rock muscle than prior - closer to Difficult to Cure in that manner. It would not have been enough for me in 1983, but I now appreciate this style considerably more. (LP)

Nazareth - Hair of the Dog. 1975 A&M (LP). There are two songs that I know from Nazareth, both played to death when I was young. And they both reside on this album. The title track ("son of a bitch...") and 'Love Hurts'. And they are fairly representative of the album present. I never liked either song, so I never pursued Nazareth after all these years, and that proved to be the right move. The dollar bin snagged another victim (except the resell factor...). Hair of the Dog is mostly non innovative hard rock with decent guitar from Manny Charlton combined with the distinctive voice of Don McCafferty. The latter coming awfully close to AC/DC's Bon Scott at times. To my ears, they're terrible. Love might hurt, but that's nothing compared to McCafferty. I was about to label the album as average, but the final 10 minute track 'Don't Judas Me' is really quite good, especially the guitar work, which borders space rock. Still not enough to keep though... (Mar)

*Aerosmith - Get Your Wings. 1984 Columbia (1974) (LP). Bar code reissue in shrink and barely touched. I've come across the debut a couple of times while "looking for inventory", but this is the first time for me to snag Get Your Wings. Commercially speaking, it's also their most obscure album considering the megahits of that debut through Draw the Line. This is the rough and tumble Aerosmith I enjoy, much more so than its predecessor. No nonsense greasy, dirty fingernails hard rock. Tyler's unique scratchy voice hollering over Perry and Whitford's jammin' guitars. I still get a charge out of their cover of 'Train Kept a Rollin', the album's best known cut. Keeping this one for sure. (Mar)

*Lucifer's Friend - I'm Just a Rock 'n' Roll Singer. 1974 Billingsgate (LP). This album has a major image problem. The cover, title, and band moniker are all wrong. And while it's true that the title song does have boogie rock components, it still features an excellent hard rock break. And it's not representative of the album on the whole. Only A2 is similar, and it too features a superb ending. The rest of the album is very good hard rock, and the last two tracks go completely prog, with mellotron and the works. This is only the second album I've heard by Lucifer's Friend (at the time...), and it's far better than Good Time Warrior which I've already panned in these pages. (Mar)

*Blue Oyster Cult - The Revolution By Night. 1983 Columbia (LP). I first heard this album on my winter break from college in 1983. It was relatively new then. It was the same time period that I picked up Savatage's Sirens and Manilla Road's Crystal Logic. A friend swore it was great, but as you can see, I had completely moved away from poppy hard rock such as BOC. I thought it was terrible and maintained a low rating for the next 40 years almost. With this era of the 80s in my lens, now is a good time to repurchase the album from a local store. Well... yea, I can certainly see why I thought nothing of it at the time. It is lightweight and it is poppy. Which doesn't translate to terrible like it once did. I did recognize the opener 'Take it Away', but nothing else, 'Veins' is really nice and one gets to hear Randy Jackson (American Idol of course...) play a mean bass on the lengthy Shooting Shark. Side 2 is mostly solid hard rock as well. Other interesting guests are Larry Fast (Synergy) and Aldo Nova, a star in his own right not long before. Sure, I'll keep it for now. (Mar)

*Hex A.D. - Astro Tongue in the Electric Garden. 2020 Fresh Tea (LP). I wasn't sold at first on the 3rd album by this Norwegian band. The first track sounds like Candlemass and 'Astro Tongue' has all the trappings of a typical Stoner album. While those two genres are welcome here, it's not something I'm on the lookout for. I have plenty already and will likely trim some off the collection. Ah, but not so fast. Things get much more interesting on the proggy 'The Day the Sky Exploded', where keyboards and meter and thematic changes add a whole new dimension to their sound. The other two tracks on side one are pre and postludes. Fortunately all of Side 2 maintains the momentum, and there's even some Iron Maiden like riffing. The album sits at the border of hard rock and metal, with more than a nod to progressive rock. The difference maker is keyboardist Mags Johansen who brings a raft full of vintage keys, most notably mellotron and Hammond. The band's image is also mixed - the album cover demonstrating psychedelic prog, whereas the fonts and titles are Stoner all the way. The hype sticker is misleading as well, where it states this album is for fans of: Rush (huh?); Rainbow (que?); Iron Maiden (yes, but only Side 2); Opeth (well maybe, I know little about this band beyond Blackwater Park). In addition to the fine cover, there's a four page insert with band photos, lyrics, and album credits. (Mar)

*Radio Moscow - New Beginnings. 2017 Century Media (LP). San Diego's Radio Moscow is a band I'm familiar with but never heard until now. Strong heavy psych influenced hard rock would be the summary. High energy and great guitar work. There's a lot of this kind of music on the market, but Radio Moscow distinguishes themselves. Borderline Stoner, but avoids most of the genre trappings. Excellent offering. Packaging is quite extraordinary - comes with a full poster, lyric inner, company advert and, most importantly, a factory pressed CD. Very good value overall. (Feb)

*Piel de Pueblo - Rock de las Heridas. 2012 Beat Generation (Spain) (1972) (LP). As I mentioned about seven years ago (seems like yesterday), I had a plan to revisit many of these bluesy hard rock albums from Argentina. This is one of the good ones, with blistering guitar throughout. Nothing subtle about it. Nice reissue as well. (Feb)

*Van Halen - Women and Children First. 198? Warner Bros. (LP) Good ol' Van 'Alen. Ask me what the best hard rock album ever is, and I may very well say it's Van Halen's debut. What a mind blowing release that album was when it was released (and still is). That's a tale for another day. They dropped significantly on VH II, which I purchased and sold. So when the 3rd album came out, I just recorded it off the radio. And that was my copy for a few years, deciding not to buy the album. In reflection, that was the right move. However, I can afford to be more lenient now - and the album is exactly as I remember it. And well I should, since it gets constant airplay. I would argue that Women and Children First is a distinct improvement on II, but a far cry from the debut. Solid muscle hard rock, and the band hadn't lost their way just yet. They were still a "man's band", inching ever closer to winning over the ladies. (Feb)

Blue Oyster Cult - Extraterrestrial Live. 1982 Columbia. 2xLP. The first live album I ever bought was On Your Feet Or On Your Knees, which became a personal favorite when I was 14. To this day, it remains one my top live albums in the collection. By the time ETL came out, I was already tiring of BOC, and this live album seemed perfunctory. I had seen the band live around this time, and modern reviews are generally very positive, so I plucked down near-retail dollars to buy this used copy. Nope, looks like my 17 year old brain knew better. The key to On Your Feet is the improvisational and energy quotient, both missing from ETL. Obviously seeing them live was a different positive experience, but it isn't captured here. It's a run through of all their hits, and every album has at least one representative including even their least successful Mirrors album. The only cover song is Roadhouse Blues, the Doors chestnut that was overdone in those days. I don't think it's a very good song to begin with, and might be my least favorite Doors hit. Oh well, not every nostalgic pull is going to work out. I'll probably get more than I paid for it at the next Record Show (and I did...) (Feb)

* - Keeping for the collection