My Solid Ground ~ Germany

My Solid Ground (1971) 

---Jul 1997

One of the oddballs of the early German scene. Basically, the raison d'etre of this is the 13 minute 'Dirty Yellow Mist' which is one of the finest examples of Floydish Krautrock ever committed to tape. Power chords, growling organ, industrial phased vocals, tribal drums. But the rest is a complete departure which offers a basic hard rock sound with a couple of innovative pieces like 'The Executioner" which feature echo voice overs. 

The CD issue makes the purchase more essential. Because here we get the full story. Turns out 'Dirty Yellow Mist' was originally part of a 24 minute composition that also features as its main theme a boorish hard rock tune known as 'Flash Pt. IV' on the LP. But other than the opening and ending, we are graced with the experimental side of My Solid Ground. Some of the guitar playing here reminds me of the Ash Ra Tempel Private Tapes series from around 1971. Really hot stuff! And yet another version of the great Dirty Yellow Mist song is also featured. Clocking in at only seven minutes this time - it features more depressing lyrics than the original.

---Dec 2004

This album has always been about the 13 minute opener ‘Dirty Yellow Mist’, one of the most tripped out Krautrock pieces from a most tripped out scene. Organ, pounding drums, fuzz guitar leads, heavy chords, processed spoken vocals. I love the way it builds intensity as more keyboards are added. Had they continued down this route, My Solid Ground would be mentioned in the same breath as the awesome debut by Gila. However, the other seven tracks are in the hard rock zone, some creative like ‘The Executioner’ (with echoed voices and meter changes) and ‘Melancholie’ (instrumental hard rock with piano as the lead) - while others are purely in the bonehead category. 

The Second Battle CD is the way to go here. The 24 minute bonus version of ‘Flash’ contains an alternate version of ‘Dirty Yellow Mist’, as but one part of this magnificent suite.

---11/7/2026

I didn't realize I had two separate reviews of this fine album. Those were both pre-UMR, so time for a revisit and to enter here.

It's interesting that I used the word "bonehead" in my last review to describe the four other hard rock tracks presented on the album. Unbeknownst to me at the time, but bonehead is a subgenre of hard rock that is much sought after, especially in the 45 world. Similarly, my point of view has softened quite a bit on these "lesser" tracks. Going in with the mindset of album-length Krautrock, the three highlighted tracks above resonated strongly with me. This time I listened to the others as if they were isolated hard rock singles, perhaps two different ones. I would be elated to have them on 45 if they existed. With that new perspective, I was able to enjoy a +1 listen overall.

Ownership: 1997 Second Battle (CD). Tri-fold digipak with seven bonus tracks, as noted above. Acquired in 1997.

First copy: bootleg (LP). Acquired in 1991.

1991; 7/28/97 (review); 12//04 (second review); 11/7/26 (update / new entry)

Bwana ~ Nicaragua

---10/6/07

You can practically count the number of great progressive / psych albums from Nicaragua on one finger. And here it is. But their sole representative isn't only good, it's nothing short of amazing. I suppose it comes as no surprise that the major influence here is Santana. In particular the first two albums. The organ tones are not as heavy and the guitarist doesn't have near the chops as Carlos (though he's no slouch either). And while vocals exist on Bwana, they aren't a key to the sound. And when it's time to get indigenous, they naturally raise the sounds of pre-Colombian South America versus Mexico. So at this point you may be thinking we have a watered down version of Abraxas, but that's not the case at all. Where Bwana gains ground is in their use of percussion, which is more varied and is also a feature rather than an accent. There's also a tribal voodoo element going on throughout, making me wish I knew of other groups coming out of Nicaragua during this era. Six long tracks, totaling over 45 minutes, and not a dud amongst them.

---11/7/26

When I wrote that review, I thought Bwana were from Colombia, which was the prevailing theory at the time. It was some years later that a couple of members corrected the facts, and it turns out they were from Nicaragua, a considerably more impoverished country. I substituted the countries above.

While listening to the album last night, I started to think I may have rated it a point higher than my current feelings about it. Perhaps I was giving it an "obscure country" bump. As noted on the Gunesh review, these albums contain sounds not usually heard anywhere else, which makes it that much more exciting. But that's not really the case with Bwana, where the music is without a doubt influenced by Santana and other bands operating in that field. What was missing, I noticed, is the lack of high quality songwriting that we often find in the Latin rock genre. Santana, Malo, and Chango all come to mind here.

However, another aspect I tend to reward is the sound itself. And this is a big draw for Bwana. The entire organ, guitar, bass, and multiple types of percussion still resonates large with me. By the second straight listen, I was fully engrossed into the contents. As I said, you can count rock albums from Nicaragua on one finger (Alfonso Lovo was archival), and for them to get it right on one try is very impressive.

As the years have gone by, we've now learned the album was released in six different countries, many without much history for pressing rock records: USA, Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Dominican Republic. No domestic pressings have yet to surface (and probably won't). Here in the States, it's not unusual to find albums on Caytronics (sometimes in thrift bins), a label dedicated to Latin music. But I've never seen Bwana, to this day.

Ownership: 2001 Acid Symposium (CD). This is an unauthorized release. At the time, little was known about Bwana, and I hadn't even considered if it was legit. I wasn't so focused on that topic too much back then. Acquired in 2002.

The album never has been reissued properly. So it remains on the CDRWL.

2002; 10/6/07 (review); 11/7/26 (update / new entry)

Gunesh ~ Turkmenistan

Looking at the Earth (1984)

---1/21/01

For their second album Looking at the Earth, Gunesh stepped it up a notch on the creative scale. We still have two barn burner horn rockers. This time, though, Gunesh also added some trippy Caucasus mountain music, Muslim prayer calls, psychedelia, hot fusion, Vietnamese traditional music, etc... to make for one of the finest albums I've ever heard. Rishad Shafi is possibly the greatest drummer to be found in the prog rock archives (Peter Gabriel considered him once but working it out with the Soviet authorities proved to be too much).

---11/5/26

After listening to both Gunesh albums back to back (multiple times I must add), I've come to the conclusion I like the debut better now. The conclusion of this has more to do with my elevated interest in that first album. I'm more familiar with their second album, having owned a copy for 32 years now. Looking at the Earth is the more consistent album for certain, and shaves off the ballads and other quirky pop rock sounds. The use of Hohner Clavinet is a dream for those who love the instrument generally associated with funk music. The horns remain tight as ever. The psychedelic element has been mostly removed, a small matter in the overall scheme of things. And of course, Shafi doesn't let us down with his massive drumming capability. My already high rating does not change for this fantastic album.

What's missing, for me at least, is the insane peak moments that the debut brings. Those three tracks I highlight below are pinnacles of my entire collection, especially A2.

Ownership: 1999 Boheme (CD). Titled Rishad Shafi Presents Gunesh. Includes the debut as well. Acquired in 2000.

First copy: 1984 Melodiya (LP). Acquired in 1994.

1994; 1/21/01 (review); 11/5/26 (update)

Gunesh (1980)

---1/21/01

Progressive music comes from all corners of the Earth but who would've suspected Turkmenistan? The words just escape me on just how brilliant their first two releases really are. In a nutshell they are a Middle Eastern sounding progressive horn rock / fusion group. But Gunesh are better than that may imply.

To describe the first album, Gunesh, imagine if the first Chicago Transit Authority album had among its ranks a drummer who was just an insane madman, and they played Middle Eastern themes. Unique? Oh yes! And unbelievably good too.

---11/4/26

It doesn't appear I've heard either of their albums in the last 25 years. Time to get them both into the UMR with a fresh listen. While the obvious instrumental highlight is the incredible drumming of Rishad Shafi, special mention should also go to vocalist Khajiriza Ezizov. He sings in a very impassioned manner, his voice always in control. I believe they call the style Bagshy (according to AI and a video I saw). There's also some wonderful psychedelic guitar interspersed among the tight horn charts. A2, A4, and B1 are all incredible highlights, and unlike anything else in my collection.

In looking at the CD, it appears only six of the eight songs are present. So I tracked down the missing pieces on YouTube. 'White Dove' (A3) is a sax driven sentimental ballad. B2 is very similar, though with a cool organ sound. One could see why these were chopped off of a prog rock oriented CD. But it does tell the whole story, and not surprising at all that these type of songs were on the LP proper. I can imagine that for those growing up in Turkmenistan, that this type of music would be much welcomed. We hear similar in Latin America during the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Ownership: 1999 Boheme (CD). Titled Rishad Shafi Presents Gunesh. Includes the Looking at the Earth album as well. Acquired in 2000.

1/21/01 (review); 11/4/26 (update)

10/29/26 (new entry)

Steve Tibbetts ~ USA ~ Minneapolis, Minnesota

Exploded View (1986)

The collection I acquired in January had all the Steve Tibbetts LPs from Yr to Big Map Idea. I've owned Yr for many years (but never on LP until now), and at one point or another I owned Safe Journey and (possibly) the album I'm covering here. 

I did listen to Northern Song earlier this week, which was his debut for ECM. This title I hadn't heard prior. Once again, as I say often about the label, it's all very adult. It was a pleasant listen, almost all acoustic guitar and hand percussion, though not something that captured my imagination in any way. So it found itself to the sell bin.
 

Next up would be my revisit of Safe Journey which I recall starting off with a bang, which it indeed does. He brings back the electric aggression of Yr, and as I noted on that review, one can hear the atonal guitar sounds of David Torn. Then... back to the style of Northern Song. There is another electric number, and you can tell Tibbetts is probably struggling internally on where to go next with his sound.

Exploded View would be the answer to that question. Seemingly he is going to follow the same formula as Safe Journey, except he's extending the electricity much further here. And adding a ton of percussion from long time collaborator Marc Anderson. Asian themes are predominant. The album gets stranger and wilder as it goes, always a hallmark of a good album. Exploded View seems to exist to defy ECM and their traditional adult jazz format. My memory of the contents of Exploded View are considerably more faint than Safe Journey, questioning how I heard it in the first place. I wasn't expecting to keep this, but this title is highly unique and satisfying, so I will.

Interesting to note that ECM didn't even bother to release this on LP here in the States. It went straight to CD in an era when players were still expensive.

Ownership: 1986 ECM Germany (LP). Acquired in 2026.

2/6/15; 11/5/26 (review)
 

Steve Tibbetts (1977)

Steve Tibbetts' debut album is as groundbreaking as his more recognized second album Yr. My recollection of his debut was something more akin to an instrumental acoustic guitar album with a blazing freakout electric piece at the end. But actually there's more than that on display. There are synthesizers throughout, and the acoustic guitar accompaniment is more common in what one would hear on a French electronic album back in the 1970s. Which makes me wonder if Tibbetts didn't spend a bit of time in the Import section of his local Minneapolis record store. And, yea, 'How Do You Like My Buddha?' is still a killer closer.

Ownership: 1977 Frammis (LP). Acquired in 2018.

9/14/18 (review)

Yr (1980)

Minneapolis based guitarist Steve Tibbett's second album is quite a diversion from his debut, and as well for the ECM label that reissued this a full eight years after the fact (with a new cover). Starting where 'How Do You Like My Buddha?' left off from the otherwise all-acoustic debut, Tibbetts gets straight to the point of the album at hand. The all instrumental Yr features Tibbetts on acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards (including quite a bit of mellotron), and all sorts of stringed instruments. Accompanying him is a bassist, and no less than four credited percussion players. So while the album cannot help but feel tribal, especially looking eastward toward Asia, the album doesn't comfortably fit in genres such as World Fusion or New Age. Primarily this is due to Tibbett's decidedly psychedelic guitar style. There really is no album like Yr in the vast annals of musical history, that I'm aware of anyway. Including from Tibbetts himself who more or less began to adopt the ECM aesthetic going forward. Perhaps early David Torn provides a slight guidepost, but this is far more warm and alive. Even if you've heard other Tibbetts albums, I strongly encourage you to lend an ear to Yr (so to speak). It's a revelation.

Ownership: 1980 Frammis (LP). With signed insert #769. Artist is shown as Steve Tibbtz. Acquired in 2026.

First copy: 1988 ECM Germany (CD). Promo. Acquired in 1991.

1991; 7/24/13; 8/11/15; 7/17/18 (review)

Also own: Big Map Idea

Previously owned: Northern Song; Safe Journey; A Man About a Horse

7/17/18 (new entry)

Pekka Pohjola ~ Finland

Jokamies / Everyman (1983)

I bought this LP when it first came out in the States (under the Everyman title). I'm not even sure why I bought it to be honest. I think the cover drew me in. I wasn't aware of Pohjola in those days, even before I ran into anything by Wigwam. Maybe I knew he was a fusion artist, not sure.

And, mannn, was I disappointed. Whatever I was expecting it certainly wasn't this. One of my most scarring spec buys of my early collecting career. I was probably at my poorest in 1984, so it was a spontaneous bad decision.

This is my first time to hear it since that time of my life. The collection I acquired in January had just about every Pekka Pohjola on LP. The two below I already owned, so those extras went into the sell bin. The rest, as you see on the bottom of this post, await for me to hear for the first time - or at least the first time in over 30 years. I will be tackling those in the next couple of months. I pulled this one forward because I already had familiarity.

If I had the benefit of context setting, then I would have been able to digest the album much better. Of course I just would have avoided it altogether. Apparently it's a soundtrack to a television movie made in 1983. It says so on the back cover too, but I guess I was too impatient to read it. In any case this is far more an electronic album than the prog or jazz fusion we associate the great bass player with. I could see Vangelis releasing something similar though it's less upbeat. There are some proggy twists here and there, but that's not the focus of this rather unusual release. Glad I could reconcile with it, though certainly not something I need to keep.

1984 Breakthru' (LP)

1984; 11/4/26 (review)
 

Keesojen Lehto (1977)

Pohjola's 3rd solo album, known in the English world as The Mathematician's Air Display. 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.

Ownership: 2021 Svart (LP). Gatefold with history. Acquired in 2022.

4/30/22 (review)
 

Pihkasilma Kaarnakorva (1972)

This is Pekka Pohjola's debut solo album, the famed Wigwam bassist who had a very successful and prolific career. At this point in his journey, Pohjola had Frank Zappa on the mind, and with that comes the good and the bad. On the positive side, the tight compositional framework and high melodic content provide a very satisfying listen. But there are some arty improvisations. The bass is also mixed way up front, perhaps not that surprising. And at times, it's a bit noodly in that department. All in all though, a very good start, and well worth keeping. Also features a wonderful stained glass cover art. 

Ownership: 197? Love (LP). According to Discogs this label "shouldn't exist" as it doesn't fit the prototype of any other Love label. The rim text tells us it's not a 1972 original, and that copyright notifications were not added until 1976. Just judging by all the factors here, it's probably released between 1973 and 1975. Acquired in 2022.

1/4/22 (review)

Also own: Harakka Bialoipokku; Visitation; Katkavaaran Lohikaarme; Urban Tango; Flight of the Angel

1/5/22 (new entry)