Brand X - Masques. 1978 England

Masques is the third studio album from well known session jazz fusion group. Collins and Lumley are gone but the sound more or less is the same. Keys man Peter Robinson came from Quatermass, another interesting ingredient to add to the stew. Some fiery guitar work from Goodsall as usual. 'Deadly Nightshade' is a stone cold classic. Not much else to say - table stakes for any reputable fusion collection.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Passport. Single sleeve. Mint copy from the Austin Record Show for $4. Strange as it may sound, I can't recall ever owning this on vinyl before. I wasn't a big Brand X fan in my original foray into the prog underground during the 80s, and I only picked up a used commodity CD sometime in the 90s that's long gone. I'd been on the lookout for a clean LP in the wilds, but they're usually pretty beat. Nice to finally find one.

5/13/23 (new entry)

Shylock - Ile de Fievre. 1978 France

I decided to go a second round with Shylock's sophomore album. Earlier in the year I noted that there was no +1 bump like others of its ilk. I didn't believe my own assessment. And sure enough, last night I achieved that extra dimension. Part of the issue with Ile de Fievre is that it starts so strong, it's hard for anything else to keep up. But the variation of tracks plays to its advantage in the long haul. Not an easy album to describe, but definitely fits comfortably in the all-encompassing progressive rock genre. Excellent guitar and Hohner Clavinet are the keynotes here.

Ownership: LP: 1978 CBS. Single sleeve. Purchased at University Records in Lubbock while still in college (1986).

CD: 1996 Musea. Complete with a full history and one bonus track. The latter is pretty rough sounding with plenty of dropouts. It does tell us, however, that Shylock were well on their way to a great 3rd album before disbanding.

1986; 2/15/23 (LP 4.8); 4/22/23 (new entry)

Gotic - Escenes. 1978 Spain

Gotic's sole release in their lifetime is one of the most positive and joyous albums ever made. Life affirming, cheerful, satisfying, heartwarming, uplifting, and whatever other adjectives come to mind here. Primarily a quartet of flute, keyboards, bass, and drums, this is the blueprint of what I call "European Warm Progressive". You also hear this sound quite a bit in Quebec during the same era. Led by Jep Nuix's flute and Jordi Vilaprinyó's electric piano and synthesizers, Gotic's compositions are constantly on the move in true progressive rock fashion. This while Rafeal Escote's bass is always propelling the compositions forward in a kinetic way. Guest guitar adds color but is never the focus. Escenes is the album to bring you back to a happy state. A true masterpiece of the style.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Movieplay. Gatefold. Mail order acquisition (1994). I consider this LP to possess the most beautiful cover in my collection - numero uno. In fact in 2014 I bought a second copy so I could display the incredible Doroteo Puebla cover. See 3rd photo on how beautiful the gatefold looks side to side. It's a centerpiece of my collection.

CD: 2002 M2U (Korea). Stiff but beautiful papersleeve edition. This was the first mini-LP to hit the market and I snapped it up quickly. It's a bit tape hissy, but after putting on the LP to compare, I can understand why they jacked it up like they did. Interestingly enough, I also bought the Japanese box to house it in, even though I never bothered to pick up their own papersleeve edition. This is one of those albums that I first discovered via CD (in 1990), and I played it nonstop in the car after obtaining it. That would be the 1988 Fonomusic edition which is incredibly basic. No matter, I for certain got my money's worth before swapping out for the M2U version.

1990; 1994; 2003; 12/1/22 (new entry)

Tangerine Dream - Hamburg Feb 24th 1978, Audimax. Germany

I was most excited to hear this show. It's interesting to note that while Tangerine Dream's concerts are well documented from 1974 to 1977, the cupboard remains nearly empty for the year 1978. There are only 2 commercially available shows from the Cyclone tour. I was also curious why there is nothing from 1979's Force Majeure. Turns out that the band cancelled their prepared tour out of disgust with the music industry's move to arenas and away from the small venues. Well that would explain it then.

I'm probably the biggest fan of the Cyclone album that you will ever find. I love that Tangerine Dream went back to their rock roots while incorporating their latest progressive electronic sequencer style. Musically speaking, the Hamburg show delivers exactly what is expected - that of a rock band playing improvised experimental progressive music. Edgar Froese continues to plug in and wail, just as he had the year prior on tour. Unfortunately this is not a well recorded show. Other than Froese's guitar and some of the synthesizers, most of the instrumentation is drowned out and there's much loss in the tape. It's an audience recording, and you're more likely to hear coughing and fidgeting than the music. Most notable in its absence is Klaus Kruger's drumming, an instrument that usually rises to the foreground in recordings such as this. I can only hope the Paris show is better, as presented by Reactive/Esoteric. Otherwise it's a lost year for live shows it would appear. Froese, for his part, wasn't satisfied with this tour. Pretty grumpy guy sometimes, eh?

Ownership: CD: 2004 Castle (UK). Part of the Bootleg Box Vol. 2 as discussed in the Nottingham entry.

10/14/22 (new entry)

The Muffins - Manna/Mirage. 1978 USA-Maryland

Here's what I said about my thoughts on The Muffins from the Open City review: "For my tastes, The Muffins are an entirely frustrating band. Their best work IMO is the archival material pre-1978, which is heavily influenced by the Canterbury movement, and is mostly represented on the fantastic Chronometers CD that came out some 17 years after the fact. The Muffins proper debut, Manna/Mirage, is an album of contrasts mixing lucidly composed, highly melodic, jazz rock tracks - with some of the most annoying tuneless/structureless improvisations ever put to vinyl. In effect, The Muffins moved from Soft Machine II to Henry Cow's In Praise of Learning."

Like with Def Leppard's High 'N' Dry, I had no intention of buying this again. See ownership section as to how this came about. Whatever the case, time for a fresh evaluation. It was about a decade ago I sold off the CD and declared I was done with Manna/Mirage. But I've never heard it on vinyl. Even though the CD sounds way better, I for whatever reason found myself enjoying this more on the umpteenth reevaluation. Nothing has really changed in my mind though - the Canterbury sections are great, the tuneless improvisations are irritating. But there's just a lot more of the former than the latter, and I'm not sure why I'm realizing that more now than prior. The Muffins are not the most swinging Canterbury group, and they tend to be a bit stilted in their overall performance. But there's a lot of great here too. I heard enough this time to hold onto it. For now.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Random Radar. Single sleeve. Purchased from a local store (2022). The odd thing here is this store had it for over a year. It was priced fairly, definitely under online retail. Had I been interested in the record, I would have paid their original price. But I wasn't, and it was too much to "invest in". Eventually they gave up - no one in Colorado Springs wants this record apparently - and slashed it 50%. Well now it's a steal. I'll just resell it then for a hefty margin. Oops, guess I'm keeping it after all... BTW, this copy is close to mint and it's still quite noisy. Not the best pressing.

6//09; 8/21/22

Max Webster - Mutiny Up My Sleeve. 1978 Canada-Ontario

Interesting that I just listened to Rush's debut, when Max Webster's Mutiny Up My Sleeve showed up at the front of the LP listening box. In the US many of us associate Max Webster with Rush because they were usually the opening band. Until now I hadn't really understood the connection beyond both were from Toronto. But after hearing Rush's opening move it does make sense. I hear Mutiny Up My Sleeve as a possible route that Rush themselves would have taken had John Rutsey remained in the band. It's a solid mix of hard rock, boogie, AOR, and yes, even some proggy bits. I hear some Saga in these grooves as well. There's some really strong and mildly complex compositions on this album, much more than I expected. Great melodies too. Some of the good times rock n' roll and straight rock segments take it down a notch.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Anthem. Single sleeve with lyric inner. There are 3 Canadian pressings with different label layouts. Mine is as shown. Interesting to note that all the lyrics have been translated into French, which you'd expect more from a Quebec based group. I picked this up a few weeks ago (2022) at a thrift shop.

8/20/22 (new entry)

Guadalquivir. 1978 Spain

My scratch off notes for Gnosis over 20 years ago says: Guadalquiver's self-titled debut approaches music similar to that of bands like Iceberg in that it combines fusion styles (for example Return to Forever) and adds indigenous Castillan Spanish themes. The final concoction is excellent and everyone should taste the flavor of Spain like this.

---  

Clearly I had yet to learn how to spell the band name correctly... Or Castilian... In any event, I'm a bit less enthused about the title now than prior. This is my first listen since then, and it resulted in a -1. Which is still good enough to keep. Other than perhaps the handclaps, the Spanish influence is very similar to what was going on here in the States at the time. Return to Forever being one of the primary proponents, and others in Chick Corea's sphere like Al Di Meola and Mingo Lewis. Also fellow countrymen Iceberg were operating in the same territory, as noted above. There isn't much diversity in terms of style - 7 tracks that mine the same cave. Best track for my tastes is A4 'Generalife'. Overall a very good example of the Spanish fusion genre of the late 70s, so if you're in the market for that, Guadalquivir is a good bet.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Harvest. Single sleeve pressed on green wax. Online acquisition (2015) and was an upgrade to the first copy I bought back in 1992 from a mail order dealer. I also owned the CD on EMI, but it adds nothing extra so it can go.

1992; 1/18/01 (Gnosis); 7/18/22 (new entry)

Edgar Froese - Ages. 1978 Germany

As noted before, other than Macula Transfer, Froese's solo albums tended to mirror what he was doing with Tangerine Dream at that time. Ages very much represents the Cyclone and Force Majeure albums, though with more of an electronic focus. The difference maker here is drummer Klaus Kruger who puts in a splendid performance.

Though, to be honest, it takes a bit to get going. Album 1 of the double set could have used quite a bit of trimming. Both 'Metropolis' and 'Tropic of Capricorn' are way too long and aren't that exhilarating to begin with. Only 'Era of the Slaves' is representative of the excellence the album affords. 

For an album that has 33 minutes of just OK material, it just goes to show how strong the second half is, which is among Froese's best achievements, and that's saying something given the sheer amount of brilliance he'd composed over the years. 'Nights of Automatic Women' is the most energetic piece Froese was ever involved with. The blazing sequencers are only topped by Kruger's energetic and inventive drum kit work. 'Icarus' sounds like a leftover from the Macula Transfer album with its thick Moog sequence and heavy psychedelic guitar work. 'Children's Deeper Study' is a very unique sequencer driven piece with awesome production and a melody that sticks long after. 'Pizarro and Atahuallpa' is yet another very unique piece that features mellotron, hand percussion, and funky wah wah guitar. One of those rare songs where the mellotron carries the memorable melody line. 'Golgatha and The Circle Closes' reminds me of the mournful endings of both the Stratosfear album and the Force Majeure title track. This closes off a stunning album of electronic music.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Virgin (UK). 2xLP gatefold. Purchased this new in early 1983 while still in high school at Metamorphosis in Dallas. Obviously a very important album in my music development. There are two covers that you will find, one has blue lettering, the other green. This copy is the former.

CD: 1997 Virgin. Straight jewel case reissue. In order to fit on one disc (it's 83+ minutes long) they tragically left off 'Golgatha and The Circle Closes' rather than edit A1 or B. Though they should have just issued it as a double. To this day, this situation sadly has yet to be rectified. As was his habit, Froese did remix and re-record this album in 2005. I haven't heard this version, but Discogs rightfully considers it a different album verse a reissue. This "new" album comfortably fits on one disc.

4//83; 7/5/22 (new entry)

Sintesis - En Busca de una Nueva Flor. 1978 Cuba

Sintesis' debut perfectly captures Latin America's blend of simple romantic singer songwriter music with complex symphonic rock. Though isolated in communist Cuba, Sintesis managed to tap into that same mindset. Whether they obtained music similar on the black market, or were privileged to hear prog albums from Argentina and Venezuela, one cannot say. The compositions are well crafted, and the synthesizer work in particular recalls the more known UK bands from the mid 70s. Fine electric guitar as well. Female vocals in Spanish add to the allure. En Busca de una Nueva Flor remains the sole progressive rock album I own from Cuba. I enjoyed a +1 listen on this revisit.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Sol & Deneb (Mexico). Fine reissue with a short history of the band in Spanish. Features 2 bonus tracks, both from their 1981 self titled second album. I presume these to be the most progressive rock oriented songs from that album, but I've never heard it in full. This CD features unique artwork, and is the 3rd cover to do so. The second LP issue was released in Mexico, and I suspect that is the source of this CD as well.

4/6/16; 6/21/22 (new entry)

Foghat - Stone Blue. 1978 England

Foghat were one of the earliest bands I got into as an early teen. And Stone Blue was the new product, following their megahit of Foghat Live. Since it was an early purchase, I must have listened to this 100 times - flipping the record incessantly. Strange then, that I don't think I've heard it in full 40 years. Even more odd is I don't really remember much about it other than maybe the title track and 'Chevrolet'. For the most part it's a strong late 70s hard rock album with the expected excellent lead guitar. What I had forgotten was the album's best track, and quite possibly the best song in all of Foghat's canon: 'Midnight Madness'. Not only does it contain the relentless 'Slow Ride' styled guitar jams, but it actually has a few distinct musical segments. A thinking man's Foghat as it were.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Bearsville. Single sleeve. Part of the 25 cent each haul.

new entry

Second Direction - Four Corners + Steps Ahead. 1976; 1978 Germany

Coming from the jazz wing of the ever large Kraut Fusion movement, Second Direction provides the listener some of the genre's finest moments. In particular when band leader Fritz Münzer pulls out the flute (primarily on 'Storm Flute', 'Flying Carpet Ride', and the title track), the results can be divine. Second Direction have perfectly encapsulated the optimism of the era, with gorgeous melodies and sublime rhythms. Hearing this makes you want to take a ride through the countryside, and enjoy a picnic with a bottle of wine and a beautiful girl by your side. Overall I'd submit that Second Direction ties closest to the two Sunbirds' albums, though all remnants of Krautrock have been filtered out here.

The above was written a few years ago upon acquiring the CD. Now I own the 2 album archival set that includes an unreleased album called Steps Ahead (1978). It's definitely a fully realized album and well produced, but it never made it to vinyl originally. By this time, Fritz Münzer had entirely rebuilt his band. The two key changes are Toni Rabold on trumpet and Pit Löw on keyboards. The trumpet is a welcome addition, and I feel the electric piano has improved from the debut. Unfortunately Münzer put away the flute entirely for this session, and sticks to saxophone. Even worse, though, is that all the compositions, save maybe the album's best track 'Tony's Choice', have that predictable funky rhythm backbone, that was all the rage in the late 70s. The lack of sublime melodies that defined Four Corners really hampers Steps Ahead. Overall it's a fine album, and makes for great bonus tracks. On its own, however, Steps Ahead would have to be considered unnecessary.

Ownership: LP: 2018 Sonorama. Recent online acquisition. 2 LP set in a single sleeve. Like with the Fable, not the best way to package a double LP. There are unique liner notes on the back of the sleeve, which are different (and more thorough) than the Spinning Wheel CD (2000). The sound is very good, a little bit soft / no-noised, and you can hear (with headphones) that it's taken from vinyl. This replaces the aforementioned CD.

2/18/18

After the Fire - Signs of Change. 1978 England

I never believed them. Never believed who? The catalog dealers 25-30 years ago. They were the first to proclaim that After the Fire's debut album was progressive rock. In those days, sellers seemed desperate to make everything either psychedelic or progressive, when oftentimes they were neither. Not even close. So the group who put out 'Der Kommissar' were really a prog outfit? The track that pretty much defines the early 80s MTV sound? Oh stop.

They were a prog band. It's true. In fact, after hearing Signs of Change, I have no idea how they got from here to there. There seems to be no path forward - no "signs of change". On this debut, the only music that After the Fire was predicting was the rise of neo prog. Signs of Change is very much patterned after Hackett-era Genesis. It's not at that level, but the attempt is similar to some of the Continental European bands operating in this space during the same time, such as Saga (Netherlands), Neuschwanstein, and Ivory. Long tracks, complex compositions, full bodied instrumentation. Organ is the dominant instrument. What says the 80s like the Hammond organ, eh? About the only track that even hints After the Fire might be forward looking is 'Back to the Light'. If you stretch your ears behind your head, maybe. Easy recommendation for traditional progressive rock fans. And that's about it.

Ownership: CD: 2011 Angel Air. Recent online acquisition. Jewel case with detailed liner notes covering the history of the band up to this album. Also features 4 lengthy - and very good - bonus tracks. 3 are unique. Overall a superb presentation.

Dies Irae. 1976; 1978 Monaco (archival)

Dies Irae's archival album demonstrates many parallels with the Satan album I wrote about a couple of years back. They were both from the mid 70s, play a very French style of progressive rock, the recordings are less than stellar, and were released in lavish packages from Monster Melodies. And while the music has a bit of loss (think of an archival tape you may own), the music is too superb to ignore. These recordings are mostly from 1978, with 3 live tracks from 1976, all interspersed. Musically I was reminded of the early 70s French bands such as Ame Son, Atoll, and even Moving Gelatine Plates. Only the final slightly new wavey 'Stake a Bobolink' indicates the time and place. Dies Irae sports a five piece versatile lineup including woodwinds. It's a real tragedy that Dies Irae weren't afforded more time in a proper studio. The final product would most certainly have been considered one of the progressive rock greats from the region. 

Ownership: LP: 2016 Monster Melodies. Gatefold. Clear vinyl. Recent online acquisition. As is usually the case, Monster Melodies provides a lot of value with their product. The cover is very nice filled with lyrics and recording details. Comes with a small poster of a band advert, a cardboard concert flyer, and a postcard of the band playing live. No history, though it can be found online. The cover is a bit misleading, as it looks more like an early 70s psych band, but it's still cool artwork. One could also make a case that the title should be Chaos if considering the label.

12/27/20 (first listen/review/new entry)

Mahagon - Mahagon / Slunečnice Pro Vincenta Van Gogha. 1978 Czech Republic

I've said this before, but some of the best albums I've yet to appreciate, already sit in my collection. I've had Mahagon's debut for many years, going back to finding an original LP in Denver in the 90s. While I've always enjoyed the contents, I'm not sure I could offer up much more than it's a fine fusion album. But this +2 listen confirmed that it belongs in the brilliant column. This is exactly the kind of jazz fusion I really enjoy. There's a funk factor, a bit of horn rock, and some sultry female vocals - in Czech of course, adding that much more of an exotic flair. 

The CD is the way to go here, as it starts out with 2 pre-album 45s from 1976. Both of these are very obscure - expensive / not for sale on Discogs and not listed in RYM - and demonstrate a harder rocking brassier version of Mahagon. This is followed by one more obscure track before launching into the album proper. As with most Eastern European albums, the CD demonstrates a quality production that was diminished by the poor Supraphon pressing.

Then another single is presented along with a solo effort from singer Zdema Adamova. One can tell the band is moving into commercial rock waters, but it's still quite good. The second full album from 1980 is titled Slunečnice Pro Vincenta Van Gogha, and they really lost the plot here. The music is mostly vapid pop and they've completely lost their edge. Fine for bonus material though, as the CD affords.

Ownership: CD: 2009 Indies Happy Trails. Contains many liner notes (in Czech) and photos. Purchased new online upon release.

Anacrusa - El Sacrificio. 1978 Argentina

Prior to this release, Anacrusa had primarily been an acoustic Andean folk group. After relocating to France they added many electric instruments to great effect, especially guitar. Some of these tracks had appeared on prior albums in acoustic form, including their masterpiece 'Los Capiangos'. El Sacrificio is arguably their finest album.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Philips (France); CD: 2003 Rayuela. The LP comes in a fine gatefold cover that I've owned since the mid 90s. I've never been entirely sure that the Rayuela reissues are legit. They certainly don't have the markings of a legit release in any case (no provenance, or liner notes). On the plus side, the Rayuela reissue does include as a bonus track 'Los Capiangos' from their 1976 Global album. This version of the song is my favorite and features a completely surprising - and beautiful - Moog solo in the middle of an acoustic album. I wish for a better reissue, but they must include this bonus track! (doesn't look like the Acqua version does - though that would be difficult to do legally given they are on different labels).

Tømrerclaus. 1978 Denmark

Here's an album I've owned since the CD first hit the shelves, and one I was unfamiliar with prior to that. I never knew quite what to make of it at the time. Even had it on a sale pile at one point. But times have changed...

One gets the impression that had Claus Clement Pedersen chosen the traditional path of obtaining a business degree, cutting his hair while working in corporate Europe, that he would have been your classic vice-president/CFO. Instead he takes on the Carpenter Claus image, and creates a do-it-yourselfer empire inside of Europe's most notorious hippie commune: Christiana. This background helps shape the impression of the music itself. It's a throwback to a bygone era. I would have thought something more progressive rock oriented by 1978, but Tømrerclaus (Tomrerclaus) was anything but conventional. Much of the album has the ghost of Jimi Hendrix within, and the old term "acid rock" comes to mind here. At other times, Tømrerclaus is mumbling in Danish on some sort of folk blues type number. Then there's 'Cellokarma',which is the highlight of the album for me, and one of the most interesting psychedelic tracks ever. It's basically a solo piece for cello. Jacqueline du Pré this is not. Rather the cello is fuzzed out and psychedelic to the maximum. It captures the imagination wildly and begs the question why isn't there more of that in music? Anywhere! The CD comes with no less than 8 bonus tracks, mostly in the style above (and much of it excerpted from a cassette called Snydt, released one year prior).

Overall such a unique album really - and one that has aged well for me.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Ad Perpetuam Memoriam (Sweden). Great reissue with original artwork, photos, lyrics, 8 bonus tracks, and a biography.

Armando Tirelli - Profeta. 1978 Uruguay

Nice mix of dramatic progressive rock and singer songwriter based material. I don't have a lot of progressive rock from Uruguay, so this one makes the cut. And the good material is exceptional.

I found an old review I wrote for UTR (see Mongol entry): "Many parallels with the Jose Cid - 10000 Anos... album from Portugal: Both are from 1978, feature well known artists in their country, and come from countries without a tradition of prog rock. But, really, the Tirelli is more dated sounding. Could've been from 1970 and I would have believed it. Big production opera with narration, horns, local pop music, and of course, progressive rock. Sounds like a cross between Latte E Miele's masterpiece Passio Secundum Mattheum and Jesus Christ Superstar! But I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. Maybe you are too. If so, this is on the high end of that scale. Besides, what else do you have from Uruguay?" 23 years on from that last listen/review, and it's too far off from what I think now!

Ownership: CD: 1997 Record Runner (Brazil). Nice booklet with a small history and original liner notes. Purchased new online upon release.

8/29/97 (rmp-utr#2) 

Zauber (Il Sogno). 1978 Italy

My old friend Mr. Music used to always say this album had "a most incredible vibe". We both bought this on CD when it came out in 1989, and I have to say his enthusiasm encouraged me to keep it. Multiple tries at it in the ensuing years did little to move the needle forward. It's been probably 25 years since I last heard it, and now it's judgement day. You know what? It has this great vibe! :-) These charming Italian albums from the late 70s - long past the heyday - just makes you want to settle into an Umbrian hill town with a glass of wine and watch the world go by. It's definitely a fine progressive rock album, with folk trimmings, and questionable tone choices. Like the aforementioned wine and hill town, albums like this age well.

Ownership: CD: 1989 Vinyl Magic. Who knows what Vinyl Magic were doing in the early days. They rearranged the tracks and added others (bonus) indiscriminately without notes to support. They took the wonderful photo from the back of the LP and botched that all up. The CD is obviously taken from vinyl too. And they appended a new title Il Sogno. According to Discogs, this is what the band wanted. OK, fine. Apparently the second reissue from Vinyl Magic is even more messed with (I'm sure also band driven, given they were still performing back then). So no good reissues I'm afraid. I would love the original LP at this point given the state of the reissues, but hoo-baby, that price!

1990; 4/19/20 (new entry)

Ramses - Eternity Rise. 1978 Germany

Eternity Rise naturally sees the band moving toward more commercial waters. In retrospect though, it's only the two side openers that put much effort into radio charting. The remainder isn't that much different than La Leyla. Today, I hear both albums as excellent, one no better than the other. 

Ownership: LP: 1978 Sky CD; 1993 Sky w/ La Leyla. The LP is a recent online acquisition. The CD is discussed on the La Leyla entry.

Mosaic - Ultimatum. 1978 France

Mosaic's sole album Ultimatum has some really great moments of underground / experimental instrumental rock. Especially the brilliant opener 'Un Trop'. But honestly there are a lot of wasted notes on here - with plenty of bits that sound more like a rehearsal/tune up. And the punkish closer 'Mercenaire' is wildly out of place. The more overtly fusion Zeuhlish 1977 material that serve as bonus tracks are much better (and there's more bonus than the actual LP!), but alas it's not very well recorded. Pity that they weren't able to record properly during this period of the band. This album will have its fans, especially among those who enjoy the quirky French avant prog strain. For me it's a bit too much unfocused and hard to enjoy for the duration.

Ownership: none. The 2003 Mio (Israel) CD is a great reissue with liner notes and lots of bonus tracks as noted below. All the same, the music didn't hold enough interest for me, and I sold it.