Epitaph - Stop Look and Listen. 1972 Germany

As with Abacus and Kin Ping Meh, Epitaph took more of a UK approach to prog rock on their debut. And all 3 groups switched gears on their sophomore effort and moved towards hard rock - perhaps even the rural variety of said genre. Of this sample size, Epitaph's second album is the clear winner. Guitar is the focus, but they haven't yet dropped the organ, most notably heard on the lengthy 'Fly' track, a vestige of their Krautrock past. This is the album that allowed their international breakthrough follow-up Outside the Law to happen. With only 5 tracks, there's plenty of room for guitar based jamming. An excellent entry for hard rock fans, lesser so for Krautrock and prog.

Ownership: LP: 1972 Polydor. Single sleeve. Recent online acquisition. First time for me to own this title in any format.

1/29/22 (new entry)

Lloyd McNeill - Treasures. 1976 USA-Washington D.C.

I've spoken about my admiration for Lloyd McNeill on the Asha album post, so I won't cover that here again. Five years after his 3rd (and arguably best) effort Washington Suite, McNeill returns with Treasures. Right from the opening 16 minute 'Griot' time stands still as the music sounds every bit like a 1971 McNeill effort. Along for the ride are some Brazilian musicians he befriended along the way during various travels, including most prominently pianist Dom Salvador. The middle two tracks demonstrate the South American influence, with a bit more of a rock rhythm and some happy flute from McNeill. The closer is closer to a jazz ballad, and points to an earlier period. Great album overall, and a must for McNeill fans.

Ownership: CD: 2019 Soul Jazz (UK). Purchased from an online retailer upon release. Comes with a history of McNeill, a couple of photos, and his full discography in pictures. Long overdue and much needed reissue.

1/28/22 (new entry)

Peru - Constellations. 1981 Netherlands

Back again with another electronic album. Peru are (still around I think) a 3 piece (a play on their names apparently) who play a raft full of keyboards primarily of the Korg variety. Want to take a stab at who they are trying to emulate? Yea sure, why not: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! So yes, of course Schmoelling era Tangerine Dream lives deep in these guys. I believe this is their second album. It's more of the same, of which I'm just enjoying at the moment. As one of my organization's younger members blurted in a meeting recently (hilariously so I might add) "I'm going through some shit, don't judge me!". She was of course joking, but I could relate...

Ownership: LP: 1981 CNR. Single sleeve. One more from the Baltimore score while visiting on business in December. It was dirt cheap. You can also find copies online cheap and easy. But watch that postage...

1/28/22 (new entry)

Nuova Era - Dopo L'Infinito. 1989 Italy

The late 80s were an exciting time for progressive rock, as all the signals were there for a renaissance. It had successfully moved to the underground, and there was still a market hungry for new talent. Italy was one country that hadn't seen much activity, and so when Ezra Winston arrived on the scene in 1988, happy days were ahead. Trouble was, they were more UK and Dutch influenced than what one would expect from Italy. Ah, but the cavalry was on the way. And leading the charge was Nuova Era. By their second album Dopo L'Infinito, the band had found their footing, and released the first bona fide Italian prog album in many years. Two side long tracks, going through a myriad of dynamic and meter changes, all sung in glorious Italian. As with any great prog band from Italy, the best parts are the breaks, the sudden change that is loudly announced via guitar or keyboards, followed by a barrage of heavy rhythm. And Nuova Era is relentless on this front, making the second side the stronger of the two. Make no mistake though, Dopo L'Infinito is definitely an early 70s styled prog album from a composition standpoint, but the instrumentation is very much that of 1989. So analog purists may still scoff, but for fans at the time, it was manna from heaven.

Ownership: LP: 1989 Contempo. Gatefold with lyrics in the centerpiece.

1990; 1/28/22 (new entry)

Maneige - Montreal, 6 AM. 1980 Canada-Quebec

Believe it or not, this is the first time I've heard this album, or at least a dedicated listen. For many years, general wisdom has it that Maneige's first 4 albums are all one needs, and they fell off a cliff after that. Well, I beg to differ. But it is different than its predecessors. Their first couple of albums are prog rock, and the next 2 are prog fusion, or what we used to call symphonic fusion. So it should come as no surprise that by 1980, the band had moved wholly into the jazz fusion space. There are no epics, but rather 9 short and punchy instrumentals. No vocals and it certainly isn't pop. It's a full 6 piece with flute, sax, guitar, keys, bass, and two percussionists. Essentially the same lineup as the recently reported Katamaran - Cafe Florian. I must've played each side 3 times back to back, something I rarely do anymore. The second side has a rougher edge, and honestly could have fit easily on Libre Service. Easy recommendation to fusion fans, but do expect it to be different than what came before it.

Ownership: LP: 1980 Interim. Single sleeve. Was part of the Baltimore record store haul. Priced at $8, which is about the going rate online, but it's not something you'll likely see in the wilds here in the States. Interesting name for the label, as it ended up being self-defining, not lasting more than one year and 8 LP's. Also worth noting that Maneige's first 4 albums all have at least 7 to 8 releases including reissues, and after that there's only the one original LP release. No reissues at all, and this would be a great title for CD enthusiasts.

new entry

Tyndall - Sonnenlicht. 1980 Germany

My first encounter with Tyndall's albums was at a specialty import store in Dallas known as The Record Gallery. It was the summer of 1985, and I was working as an engineering intern (see Pink Floyd Meddle entry for more on that), and as such I had some money to spend on my fast growing record collection. It was like walking into a parallel universe, where all the albums were completely different than anything I'd ever seen before. This is where I loaded up on the Pop Import reissues of Ash Ra Tempel, Popol Vuh, and others while looking at dozens of other albums that looked very intriguing. I still had a limited budget so deciding what to buy was not easy. I had no guideposts, no internet links to sample. Just pure gut instinct. And despite the beautiful cover, I was thinking this was probably going to be a bit too much "80s electronic" and not enough psychedelia and rock that I was craving. Now some 36 years later, I find it again at a record store. Of course I'll buy it.

My instincts proved correct. There's no way I would have kept this past the mid 90s LP purge. It's rudimentary electronic music made by two German dudes who possess a pretty good setup for the time. It had already been done by 1980, and would be done countless more times afterward. But for whatever reason - probably nostalgia - I'm loving this sound today. Rather than go for the side longers, Tyndall offers up 7 solid compositions in the Berlin School tradition. There are no fat Modular Moog sequences, the keyboards are more common variety than that. You can probably image the sound in your head without hearing it, but if you're like me, and you can't get enough of that distinct late 70s and early 80's electronic music, then of course Tyndall's debut Sonnenlicht would be a welcome addition. Not one to start with though.

Ownership: LP: 1980 Sky. Single sleeve with an eye catching cover. This was part of the Baltimore store pickup, and priced not much more than a thrift shop (despite being nearly perfect mint), similar to the Gandalf albums. Easy to find online, and not that expensive (though more here in the States than Europe).

new entry

Osage Tribe - Arrow Head. 1972 Italy

Osage Tribe were an "early days" Italian prog band where they mixed late era psychedelia, hard rock, and progressive rock seamlessly. There was likely no attempt to be part of a scene, yet that scene existed inside Osage Tribe. Originally lead by none other than Franco Battiato, Osage Tribe were a trio at the time of recording. They're basically a hyperactive rhythm section with Nuova Idea's Marco Zoccheddu doing everything else. I really like his guitar style, which is generally fast and loose, with plenty of psychedelic soloing. He brought the same style to his next venture - the decidedly jazz influenced Duello Madre. I'm not real keen on the lengthy opener 'Hajenhanhowa'. It's a bit slow paced, and has a distinct "1960s American TV Western" variation of Native American music (see Ownership section for more). After this, the remaining 4 tracks are classic Italian prog styled numbers, and could be considered the missing link between Il Balletto di Bronzo's two albums, even if there's no relation. An excellent album overall, that gets better with each listen.

Ownership: LP: 2013 Vinyl Magic / Bla Bla. Gatefold. Acquired not long after release from an online retailer. This is the first time for me to hear it. Definitely taken from vinyl (still sounds great), but given the fact that originals are hyper rare, it's far better than nothing. The cover is stunningly beautiful even though it's completely inaccurate. The girl on the cover is - of course - no Native American. She's a sexy white girl in a skimpy costume - male fantasy overload essentially. It reminds me of the gift shops you'll see throughout the American southwest (certainly including here in Colorado) with paintings of what could be called "Caucasian Indians". I think the Cheech and Chong inspired centerpiece and back cover may offer some clues to how all this happened. There's a lyric inner sheet as well, with one side a mirror image (sort of useless). 

CD: 1994 Vinyl Magic. Standard jewel case. Features as bonus tracks their rare 1971 single. If the cover wasn't bad enough, the music here is nothing short of exploitive pop music. Apparently it was a hit in their native Italy at the time. It's not enough to keep the CD for (especially since those 2 tracks aren't very good really). Not sure why they didn't include them on the vinyl repressings, other than the quality of the music. 

BTW - if you want to hear authentic Native American music, I encourage you all to seek out the various Folkways albums dedicated to various tribes from the 1950s and 60s. These were field recordings of actual ceremonies from the time. They're extremely lo-fi, but 100% authentic.

1994; 2008; 1/26/22 (new entry)

Katamaran - Cafe Florian. 1978 Germany

Katamaran is another long time CDRWLister. Cafe Florian is their second album and last night's revisit resulted in a +1 after back to back listens. Primarily due to the depth of the compositions, which I didn't pick up on before. I didn't have separate notes up for this title, so starting from scratch here. A full sextet, all members get a chance to shine in an ensemble setting. Wolf Burbat is the clear leader, as not only does he write the songs, but he provides the primary lead instruments, that of flute, synthesizer, piano, and Rhodes. But the others don't just sit back and buy a ticket to watch. There's plenty of electric guitar, saxophone, bass, drums, and a dedicated percussionist as well (from Kollektiv!). A very solid album for the category.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Plane Jazz. Single sleeve. Picked up with the others at a Baltimore record store late last year (2021).  

None of their albums have been reissued in any format (as of 6/8/24), though originals aren't terribly expensive.

10/08/09 (CDRWL); 1/25/22 (new entry)

Ring van Möbius - Past the Evening Sun. 2018 Norway

It doesn't take too long to figure out that Ring van Möbius (Ring van Mobius if searching) have Van der Graaf Generator on the mind while listening to Past the Evening Sun. The dense compositions, the broad stroke saxophone, heavy bass, and the psychotic Peter Hammill style vocals all point to Pawn Hearts. The vocals might be a bit more soft affected than Hammill's - perhaps a bit of Gabriel even, and some of the mellotron work recalls early King Crimson, so it's not all intense - all the time. Ring van Möbius were to switch gears for their second effort The 3rd Majesty (for arguably the better) which I managed to get some words down on this blog. For another Norwegian retro prog band reference, Past the Evening Sun reminds me of Gargamel. Easy rec for fans of complex early 70s prog rock.

Ownership: CD: 2018 Apollon. Purchased not long after release from an online retailer. Booklet is a nice colorful layout with lyrics, and a band photo.

1/14/19; new entry

Black Sabbath - Mob Rules. 1981 England

Mob Rules is the second album from the post Ozzy Black Sabbath / pre Dio solo era. Like with Heaven and Hell, the music is more energetic than what one usually associates with the Sabs. It's borderline heavy metal, though really it's more like juiced up hard rock. For whatever reason, even though I was very familiar with Heaven and Hell real time, I never took the time to hear the follow-up. The title track and 'Turn Up the Night' received perfunctory airplay but it was hardly ubiquitous. It wasn't until about 2005, after picking up a commodity CD, that I became aware of the quality herein. Besides the more upbeat tracks, the two highlights here are the longer, more thought-out, tracks: 'The Sign of the Southern Cross' and 'Falling Off the Edge of the World', the latter featuring a particularly compelling riff about halfway through. For whatever reason, I was brought back to Dio's time with Rainbow, especially the mammoth 'Stargazer'. Mob Rules is good goods.

Ownership: LP: 2021 Rhino / Warner. 2xLP gatefold cover. Recent trade credit acquisition from a local store. A fantastic reissue, it would be hard for me to even keep an original, if I ever found one. The second disc features the single from the movie Heavy Metal with the original B-side of a live version of 'Die Young' from the previous album. Also included are extracts from 1982 concerts in Portland and London, which includes an interesting mix of the first half of Southern Cross with the blazing second half of the Heaven and Hell title track. The centerpiece has extensive historical liner notes with participation of the band and family members. There's even an interesting retrospective from the original cover artist, who was active with the Catholic church, and didn't even know who Black Sabbath were. He has since reconciled...

1/23/22 (new entry)

Pythagoras - After the Silence. 1982 Netherlands

This is the second album I've heard this year with a "For Jimi" tag. Though for Pythagoras' sophomore effort, it's far more a stretch than on Jukka Tolonen's Hysterica. This isn't a guitar centric album, but definitely belongs to electronic music forms, very prevalent in the day. Given that one member of the duo is a drummer, it definitely is more "electronic rock" in the same manner that Klaus Schulze's Moondawn is. Though one can argue that Pink Floyd is more an influence on the rockier sections. Lots of guests on this platter including Arjen Lucassen on guitar (he of Ayreon fame, who made a decent career of it 15 years later), Plackband (long before they ever saw a release), flute, violin, and a rare appearance of the Novotron. The keyboards are a mix of the latest digital synthesizer technology of the day, with copious amounts of the legacy mellotron. A different sound for the genre, and excellent on the whole.

Ownership: LP: 1982 Syntone. Single sleeve. Was part of the large haul from the Baltimore record store late last year. The photos you see are this copy as we added them to Discogs. Also changed the date to 1982, as the labels are clear about this. The back cover shows 1981, which is probably the source of the incorrect year.

new entry

Pell Mell - Marburg. 1972 Germany

Pell Mell's debut is representative of the heavy prog movement rolling through Germany during the early 70s. While many groups were exploring various realms of Krautrock, or going for the jugular with a particularly acute hard rock, there were others that incorporated progressive rock motifs. Marburg is one such album, and recalls the recently reported Sahara Sunrise, along with Eloy's Inside / Floating, and Metropolis' sole album as but a few examples. The copious use of violin adds Hoelderlin to the mix. 5 long tracks, filled to the brim with heavy guitar/organ instrumental work and strong compositions. Pretty much a can't miss item if all these ingredients sound good to you.

Ownership: LP: 1972 Bacillus. Single sleeve first pressing "unboxed Bellaphon". Acquired online in 2015, and this is the first time for me to hear this copy. The first version I bought was the purple Bellaphon label released in the late 70's likely. Bought that new from a UK mail order dealer in 1990 and was replaced by this.

1/22/22 (new entry)

Zanov - Moebius 256 301. 1977 France

I have some thoughts up on this blog already about Green Ray, Zanov's debut. His sophomore effort continues in that vein. The late 70s was filled with budding electronic musicians getting ahold of (very expensive at the time) analog synthesizers and making a go at being the next Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Vangelis, or Jean-Michel Jarre. Most became obscurities as soon as they were released, but Pierre Zalkazanov did manage to receive 2 releases on the venerable Polydor label (even though he kept his day job - presumably to afford the equipment!) and had a great reputation in France - probably the most innovative country during that era. The album starts off with 3 vignettes, similar to Richard Pinhas' Chronolyse, before launching into lengthy excursions. The energy level is high, and this is the dynamic electronic music many of us crave. Excellent on the whole.

Ownership: LP: 1977 Polydor. Single sleeve. Was part of the Baltimore purchase late last year.

1/21/22 (new entry)

Pink Floyd - Animals. 1977 England

I'm not sure I've heard this album since the late 1980s, even though I've consistently owned a copy that whole time. For me this is the end of the Pink Floyd I enjoy. I never could stand The Wall, an album I've had a chance to revisit in the last 3 years. I'll never understand its allure beyond a couple of good tracks. Animals, however, is their final non commercial stance. Not to play on titles here, but it's also dog slow. This is music to kick back, turn down the lights, and absorb. It misses the dynamism of its predecessor, and is not an immediately likeable album. Which I believe is the point. Gilmour gets a chance to really shine here, and taps into his late 60s blues repertoire. It's one of a kind in their discography. Even though it's been 30+ years since I last heard it, I felt like I knew the contents anyway. And the rating of excellent remains unchanged.

Ownership: LP: 198? Columbia. Gatefold. Cover and stiff lyric insert from garage sale (2019). Upgraded vinyl from another garage sale (2024). Both are reissues with the barcode.

Love the industrial Britain gatefold cover with the flying pig. It's wall worthy really. For an album that sold zillions of copies, it's hard to find in the wilds, and ridiculously expensive at record stores (and they get that money too!). My first copy would likely have been this version, or one like it, since it has the bar code. Looks like I originally bought this at a Sound Warehouse in Dallas in 1985. I eventually replaced it with the 1986 CD (but it was later than that) - one of the oldest CDs in my collection. I probably played it once. Not seeing a need to keep it around either.

1985; 1/21/22 (new entry)

Popol Vuh - Einsjäger & Siebenjäger. 1974 Germany

After a few albums of pure electronic music followed by tranquil acoustic forms, Popol Vuh changed directions again and decided to add a rock component mostly missing prior to this. It's just as much about former Amon Duul II (and Sameti) guitarist and drummer Daniel Fichelscher as it is about Florian Fricke at this point. Einsjager & Siebenjager is made up of long spacious and rambling instrumental pieces that feature electric guitar, piano, crashing drums, with sparse wordless female voice and flute. That voice belongs to Djong Yun, who would become more prominent on their next couple of albums. Popol Vuh have discovered a unique sound here, one that solely belongs to them, even to this day. Genre tags are difficult, and this is where the all encompassing Krautrock name comes in handy. It's proto new age, but no one would recognize the sound at such an early stage.

Ownership: LP: 1974 PDU (Italy); LP: 1982 Pop Import. Both LP's come in a single sleeve with a striking day-glo yellow and orange cover. I first bought the Pop Import copy new at The Record Gallery in Dallas in 1987, as part of my initial discovery of the Kosmische scene. Today it sits high on my wall of albums due to the beauty of the cover. The play copy is the PDU original (in better shape than Discogs' photo apparently), that I acquired online in 2020, and which I heard for the first time last night. There's some debate on Discogs about the original pressings. The date stamper of the PDU version is mid December 1974. So it would be highly unlikely for it to be issued in 1974, but rather 1975. However the copyright date of 1974 is clear. The German original is dated 1975. It has been suggested that yes, the Italian version is in fact the original release in this case.

1987; 1/20/22 (new entry)

Surya. 1979 France

Surya was a fusion band lead by the Lockwood brothers, and released this one album. In the US, the album was listed under Didier Lockwood's name with the title of Surya. Strange move, as I doubt Didier Lockwood meant too much to the average American at the time. Could have been a copyright thing. In any case, Surya is a smoking hot fusion album with Didier's violin up front, supported by Francis' piano, and some fantastic synthesizer work from Luc Plouton. "In every band" drummer Jean My Truong is keeping bassist Sylvain Marc busy trying to maintain the pace. It's not all chops, as you can find some beautiful songwriting such as found on 'Aspiring Answer'. There's some funky business too, as to be expected from the era. All in all, a superb fusion album for fans of the genre.

Ownership: LP: 1979 Cornelia. Single sleeve with information inner. Was part of the large haul purchased in Baltimore. My first copy was the aforementioned Didier Lockwood on Inner City, that used to proliferate the dollar bins, but is becoming scarcer.

new entry

Gandalf - Journey to an Imaginary Land. 1980 Austria

As mentioned recently, I've been really enjoying mid 1970s to early 80s fusion of late. Perhaps even more acute is my interest in late 70s and 80's progressive electronic. Blame Tangerine Dream. For whatever reason, I just can't seem to get enough of their later sound, even though I still prefer their 70s output. Now comes Gandalf, an individual I was first introduced to by Eurock in the late 80s. I always fell for his incredible hype (oh yes, ol Arch was the king of hype - the real definition of the word, not the lazy modern reviewer take), and felt taken as I so often did back then. The album in question was Magic Theatre (1983), which I'm sure I'd probably really enjoy now lol. But his definition of the album wasn't what Gandalf is - more like what I would have expected from a Klaus Schulze or mid 70s TD album. Yea, right.

Which gets us to the first album by Heinz Strobl (yea, Gandalf...). Generally cast as a "new age" album, this really is nothing of the sort. Journey to an Imaginary Land is very much in tune with the European progressive electronic sound of the day, especially what you might hear in France. I'm a sucker for acoustic and electric guitars within the context of a synthesizer heavy album, and there's much to savor here. There are no drums, but plenty of percussion, another hallmark of a thought out electronic album. There's a little bit o' twee here and there, but mostly this is a strong work in the genre, and most certainly would appeal to vintage Mike Oldfield fans along with the aforementioned French scene. Oh cool, I also picked up the second album Visions. More to come on that soon enough.

Ownership: LP: 1980 WEA (Germany). Single sleeve. Was part of the Baltimore haul from December. This one came at a thrift shop price, so no way I leave it behind, regardless of my previously held opinion. Had it been $10, I would have moved on. So kudos to the record store! Albums like this are cheap if sitting at home mail-ordering, but no way you'd ever actually find it in the wilds.

new entry

Premiata Forneria Marconi - Live in U.S.A. 1974 Italy

Truth be told, this was the very first Italian prog rock album I ever heard. Long before I truly "discovered" the scene, I found a used (and warped - much to my dismay later) copy of "Cook" for $1. It was 1984, and I had no perspective whatsoever to what I was listening to. Because the record was in bad shape, I didn't really form an opinion, and it would be another 3+ years before I started deep diving. Once I did that, PFM surfaced quickly, and like just about everyone else, fell hard for their first 3 Italian language albums.

They were popular in Italy too, and started to gain a nascent worldwide following. ELP's Manticore picked up both PFM and Banco, and made a go at this potential fertile scene. One eentsy weentsy change: Gotsta sing in English fellas. And that was the Achilles' Heel, the music just doesn't blend the same. But at the height of their fame, Premiata Forneria Marconi managed to tour here in North America. The full concert has since been released (and to this day, I haven't heard it), and this record represents an extract of two distinct concerts - one in New York City and the other in Toronto. The first side doesn't offer too much, a typical run through of studio versions, though it's quite spirited, and 'Dove... Quando...' remains beautiful (wisely left in the native language). The allure here is the second side, where PFM shows their tremendous improvisational instrumental chops. Definitely a unique enough album to want to keep.

Ownership: LP: 1974 Numero Uno. Single sleeve with a lavish booklet. A lavish booklet that is half empty - someone didn't pass their Scrapbook class! This copy is an online acquisition from 2020, and represents like my 6th version to own in one format or another. I detailed the first one above. I've sold or will sell every other version, and I'll make this the final keeper copy for the collection. One day I'll need to hear the 3 CD set.

For certain, the original release has its quirks from a packaging/marketing perspective. For one, I'm rather sure Toronto was never part of the USA. Live in North America would have been the better title.  In America the album was retitled as Cook, with a completely different package, understandable on a number of fronts. The back cover is hilarious, looking all the world like your typical smog filled 1974 New York City day. I encourage everyone to see a vintage episode of Kojak (starting with the second season), which was filmed on location in the same era, and compare. The crowd appears to be like a modern progressive rock gathering, ya know - about 40% full. And the audience looks like they all came up from Little Italy or down from the Bronx - word of mouth from the locals apparently. And it's sponsored by none other than Schaefer Beer. The ultimate example of what was later termed a "city beer", it eventually was gobbled up by other cheapy beer companies and now exists in name only with a different formula. In other words not exactly a Budweiser sponsored event, and one wonders if they even managed to get an ad spot in the New York Post, much less the Times. While pouring over the credits, I noticed Tony Harrington gets a Grazie Speciale. He would later form the All Ears label, America's first private label dedicated to progressive rock.

1984; 1995; 1/19/22 (new entry)