Atlas - Blå Vardag. 1979 Sweden

Atlas were another group from northern Europe that played a highly melodic and pleasurable instrumental progressive rock. Similar to Rousseau in that way, as I just spoke about in the Flower in Asphalt review. Atlas are a bit more fleshed out and complex, but I found myself enjoying the more compact and punchy Rousseau on these revisits. I also hear the Dutch band Pantheon in these grooves. The type of music Atlas projects on "Blue Tuesday" has aged very well for me, and has proven to be timeless.

Ownership: LP: 1979 Bellatrix. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2020). Cover projects the mood of the title. 

CD: 1995 APM. Jewel case. Booklet contains recording details. Also includes three very relevant bonus tracks: One from their next album when known as Mosaic; another from a 1995 reunion recording; and finally, an archival rehearsal from 1978. This CD is becoming as rare and expensive as the LP.

1995 (first listen); 6/24/10; 8/9/13; 6/23/22 (review / new entry)

Poobah - Steamroller. 1979 USA-Ohio

These notes go back to 2005 and were enhanced heavily on a listen 8 years later. Last night's revisit only underscored how great an album it is.

Not deterred after not being signed to a major label for US Rock (1976), Gustafson reformed Poobah again, and released one of the best hard rock albums for the entire 1970s in Steamroller. Not prog or psych or metal, just straight up hard rock. Power trio hard rock the way a band from Youngstown, Ohio oughta be. These guys just kick ass on the album from the beginning to the end. In reflection, there is a slight progressive rock angle added here, and tracks like 'Jump Thru the Golden Ring' recall Judas Priest's similar type efforts. Instrumental bonus track 'Atom Bomb' has piano introducing what ultimately becomes a proggy styled jam. The only track here that is superfluous is the Zep cover, otherwise it's all aces. If you at all have interest in the US Midwest private hard rock scene, this is the album to get.

Ownership: CD: 2005 Monster. Purchased new upon release. Fantastic reissue with full liner notes and 5 great bonus tracks. One is mentioned in the review above, the other 4 come from a live concert at Biggy's in Youngstown in 1979. If I could go back in time, I would love to go to a place called Biggy's and listen to Poobah. That might be a top 5 priority actually. Worth noting that the Monster CD altered the track order, much to its benefit I think, as it flows more natural than the LP proper.

11/05; 9/25/13 (new entry); 6/12/22 (update)

Lisker. 1979 Spain

Lisker's sole album is a rather simplistic, primarily instrumental album filled with fuzz guitar and flute, nice melodies, and a healthy amount of energy. From the above statement, two items are worth calling out: 1) The melodies are well thought-out, and are memorable long after the music has stopped. And 2) the guitar tone is decidedly psychedelic, which is quite the rarity for a 1979 recording. Lisker tracks close to the French band Triode in terms of overall sound. And the melodic quotient could make one state that Lisker is to the Basque Country what Gotic is to Catalonia. Plus the psychedelic influences of course. Excellent album.

Ownership: LP: 1979 Xoxoa. Gatefold. There was a time when this was highly sought after and very expensive. I obtained my original copy in a trade back in 1994 from a well known European dealer. When the CD came out, I couldn't resist trading it to a friend / dealer for 30 new CDs. Even today, I question whether or not that was a good idea. But money was much more scarce then for the UMR. However, as is often the case, I reacquired arguably even a better copy, at a cheaper price from a good friend of the UMR in late 2018. This replaces the aforementioned CD that offers nothing else. 

7/7/13; 12/9/18

Nu - A Golpe de Latigo. 1979 Spain

Ñu's sophomore effort A Golpe de Látigo sees the band streamlining their sound further, as the music here is heavier and more compact than their stunning debut. All the same, Ñu is still very much a progressive rock band with Jose Carlos Molina continuing to sport a mean flute, and the violin touches have yet to disappear. But for 1979, this is an incredibly heavy album. The raw proto-metal guitar sound, and the Halford-esque en Español shrieks of Molina, all have a passing resemblance to same era Judas Priest. So imagine perhaps Ian Anderson walking into the studio for the Hell Bent for Leather sessions, while contributing to the songwriting - and after listening to a Bloque album perhaps - and you have an idea of what Ñu has accomplished here. Groundbreaking stuff.

Ownership: LP: 1980 Chapa Discos. Gatefold. Online acquisition from 2020. According to Discogs, the version I have is one year later from the original. My first copy was the Zafiro CD (1991) but offers nothing else, and I decided to move it out. 

11/4/16 (RYM)

Epitaph - Return to Reality. 1979 Germany

Epitaph faces the same problems of many progressive bands from the early 70s - they change. Their 1971 debut is a superb slice of Krautrock followed by a couple of fine hard prog albums. They disappear for about 5 years, and reemerge with a fetching cover and some lengthy tracks. A new prog album obviously? Ehh... No.

When I first started deep diving into the bins in the mid 80s, this album showed up. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Some 35+ years later, and here we are again with the LP in hand. I already know it's not a prog album. Let's hear it with a different perspective, which is what I should have done back then too. Youth.

OK, yes, I like this album. Very strong hard rock entry, and the extended tracks allow Epitaph some room to maneuver with more ideas. They're a 5 piece with excellent keyboard work and dual guitars. It's not a strikingly great album, but very professional. And much better than some of the pandering hard rock bands in the US and UK during the time. This isn't a commercial album at all, even if it has some friendly hooks. The best way to approach albums like this is to strip away their legacy and the Brain label, and pretend you just found a private pressing from Nebraska by a band called Epitaph. Believe me, it makes a difference. One's mind drifts to a different landscape, and the music fits that narrative. SFF this is not. Quality hard rock is the game here. Keeper.

Ownership: LP: 1979 Brain. Single sleeve. Orange label. Recent acquisition from an antique mall. I generally avoid antique malls, as the records are almost always multi-X higher priced than retail and usually in crap condition. And that's mostly the case at this antique mall as well. But this particular dealer has quality merchandise at competitive prices (i.e. a bit lower than local b&m's). I picked up a couple of other commodity items as well. I'll be back to this table again. Oh - a word about the cover. It's what we today call "cheesecake". And she's a pretty model. Just don't look too close under the arms...

Legend - From the Fjords 40th Anniversary Edition. 1979 USA-Connecticut

Legend were a Connecticut based group whose sole album is truly a "legend" among early heavy rock collectors. You'll find scant evidence of music like this on the open market, especially from this era. What is today known as epic heavy metal, Legend were pioneers of a style that didn't find its audience until 20 years later. If you're a fan of early Manilla Road (Invasion, Metal, Crystal Logic, and especially the archival Mark of the Beast), then by all means seek this one out. Long, involved, semi-complex tracks with fantasy imagery is what you'll find here...and very heavy for 1979. 

Ownership: CD: 2019 Cult Rock Classics (Greece). Purchased at the end of 2019. 

Now this is some package and made the long wait for an official reissue worth it (originals are very pricey). Legend band leader and guitarist Kevin Nugent had passed away many years ago, and it was the other two gentlemen who stepped up to get behind this release. While bassist Fred Melilio stayed quiet, drummer Ray Frigon wrote a book for us, including quite an expose on his Christian faith and the psychology on why he couldn't continue with the group. There's also a lengthy interview with the Greek born album artist, who became somewhat famous in music circles. In addition to the extensive packaging, there are 5 relevant demo quality bonus tracks that are worth hearing. 

6/27/09; 12/11/20 (new entry)

Nuevo Mexico - Hecho en Casa + Nuevo Mexico (Ceramica). 1975/1979 Mexico

When I think of progressive rock from Mexico, I immediately go to the 80s when bands such as Iconoclasta, Delirium, and Praxis first hit the scene. And certainly Mexico had a most exciting psychedelic period in the early 70s that included Dug Dugs, Toncho Pilatos, Antorcha, El Tarro De Mostaza, El Ritual, and a few others, most of them hiding on obscure 45s. But classic 70's styled Prog? Nope. Can't think of any.... except one. And here it is. Nuevo Mexico's Hecho en Casa. And it's not just merely good, but rather it's great! Mostly I'm reminded of the Italian scene, and specifically Osanna comes to mind. This is primarily due to the harder edged guitars, impassioned vocals, and the strong presence of flute. Just hearing this album tells us there's plenty more from the time and place. But was it recorded - that's the question isn't it?

As for the second album, I completely misunderstood it on original listen some 23 years ago. I had it in my head as some sort of Latin pop/boogie rock album. But that's not right. It's not really a prog album, nor is it hard rock, but it has elements of all the above. There's also a couple of instrumentals that recall prime era Santana. It definitely fits the term "eclectic". So while not every track is a winner, the majority are satisfying with a couple of skip-overs. Maybe not worth having on its own,  but certainly great to have as bonus tracks.

Ownership: CD: 1997 La Ciruela Electrica. Both of  Nuevo Mexico's albums are on this CD en todo. Not sure of the date of the CD, but since that's when I bought it, we'll be bold and call it! The CD has no info beyond track titles.

2/2/20 (new entry)

Firyuza. 1979 Turkmenistan

Way back in the mid 1990s I used to joke that if the album was from Turkmenistan, it had to be good! Of course I was talking about the Gunesh Ensemble. At the time, most of the planet was not aware that another progressive oriented group existed from the same place and era. Turkmenistan, to this day, is pretty much isolated from music such as this.

Now that we have proper reissues, the band's history comes to the fore. And sure enough, band leader Dmitry Sablin was once a member of Gunesh going back as far as the late 1960s! And the backstory of the foundations of Gunesh and Firyuza is fascinating. We forget now that Iran was once a staunch ally of the United States. So it was for most of the 1970s that the American military had bases throughout the country. And... Iran borders Turkmenistan. It was via the American Military radio coming from Iran that many in Turkmenistan heard the sounds of jazz and rock for the first time. They would record these shows and pass reels to each other - a great secret. Subversive youth exists everywhere! Governments never want to admit this fact of human nature. Firyuza, by the way, is a small picturesque village in Turkmenistan.

The album itself is unique, but not overtly so. There are moments that recall the high energy of Gunesh. But there's also long flights of spaced out fusion. The compositions are unique in the way they develop - seemingly without purpose - but this is where the allure lies. It's all a bit foreign to Western ears, but wonderfully so. And with a full 7 piece band, the palette is multi-dimensional. A must listen.

Ownership: LP: 2019 Soviet Grail. Single sleeve. Comes with a multi page insert with a full history.

CD: 2019 Soviet Grail. Jewel case. Same as above.

Firyuza is the rarest progressive rock album from the former USSR. I had wondered why for years, since Gunesh's second album (not first - it too is rare) was available in the West (perhaps not legally, but relatively easy to get). Now we know why. Unlike Gunesh's second album, which was pressed throughout the empire, Firyuza was strictly pressed and released to the local market. How many copies is anyone's guess, but certainly not too many. And who knows how many still exist. Record collecting in the 1970s was not likely a thing in Turkmenistan.

When Boheme Music (Russia) reissued the USSR progressive rock classics in the late 90s and early 00's, Firyuza seemed to be a glaring miss. But it's very possible that the master tapes did not (or do not) reside at the main Melodiya offices in Moscow or Saint Petersburg.

Enter 2019, and the superbly named Soviet Grail. Apparently the label spent a number of years cobbling this reissue together. And it required "real detective work". I can imagine. Both the CD and LP reissues feature an excellent essay/history of the band, with a couple of rare photos. There are no bonus tracks. Which makes sense when you realize how difficult it was for the band to even record this - basically on their own dime. A dime they did not have. Were it not for charitable volunteers, it's likely the recording would never have happened.

9//08; 8/11/10 (CDRWL); 12/1/19 (new entry)

Aquarelle - Live a Montreux. 1979 Canada

For their second album, Aquarelle took the unusual step - at such an early stage of the band's career - of releasing a live album. Even though it is a live recording, most of the material is entirely original with the exception of the closer. Throughout this engagement, the composition style is similar to Sous un Arbre, except there are obvious ploys to appease the jazz crowd, perhaps to be expected at such a famous jazz festival. For example there’s the inclusion of electric piano, more soloing (especially saxophone), the addition of some funk (which was popular then), less female voice, and the electric bass playing has more of that "warm" jazz sound as opposed to the more direct rock approach of the debut. All of these are slight distractions from the special sound of the first album, and thus rates slightly less, but scores a little better with traditional fusion fans.

The newly penned tracks 'Second Réveil', 'Récital des Grenouilles', and 'L'Étranger' are all excellent and would have been fine additions to their prior effort. The only disappointment is 'Estérel', where 'Part I' is a snoozer of a chamber-like piece and 'Part II' is really annoying, where the sax honks and the new female vocalist caterwauls her way through it. This leads to the raucous closer, the 9 minute extended version of the riveting 'Magie des Sons' from the debut. One of Aquarelle's best tracks, the extra time is padded with an incredible piano concerto from bandleader Pierre Lescaut (my, what a talent!) as well as a bit of a drum/violin hoedown. Pierre Bournaki is clearly the other great talent in the band. The crowd really seemed to love it as well.

As noted above, the album scores a notch below the studio effort, but is still not be missed by fans of crossover jazz fusion and progressive rock.

Personal collection
LP: 1979 Atlantic

There does exist a CD on Belle Antique from Japan. The source was provided by the band. I didn't hear this CD, but if their version of Sous un Arbre is any indication of the quality, I'll pass. Both of these really need to be reissued properly.

Charles Kaczynski - Lumiere de la Nuit (Light of Night). 1979 Canada

Charles Kaczynski is a fairly obscure artist who pops up now and again on the internet and then disappears. His debut album Lumière de la Nuit has long been known to collectors as a very good example of the symphonic style of progressive rock. He's basically a one man orchestra here, and the (primarily) instrumental music is beautiful and rich. Though there's a multitude of instruments played by the talented Kaczynski, violin is clearly his instrument of choice. By Side 2, the music begins to become overly familiar, and it's clear Kaczynski could have benefited from the synergy of his peers. The compositions are well written, and it's too bad this was the end of Kaczynski's progressive rock career during the classic era.

Ownership: LP: 1979 private - Light  of Night (English edition)

The LP has 2 editions, one in the native French, the other with the English title Light of Night. The CD was also originally pressed privately, and later distributed by ProgQuebec with a sticker affixed with their logo on the back of the digi-pak. As such, there is no history as per protocol for the label.

First entered into the UMR: March 4, 2010 and updated.

The Muffins - Open City. 1977; 1979-1980 USA (archival)

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.

And now we review Open City, which is in reality another archival release. I've owned the CD for many years, but never the LP. This is an important distinction because up until today, I hadn't paid much attention on how different they are - at least in terms of how to approach the album and its final result. As it turns out, the first 7 tracks are (mostly) unique to the CD and come from a concert in 1980. They're in full blown Henry Cow territory here. Since it's compact, it does bring out some of the better attributes of said band, that is to say there are actual songs here to enjoy with wonderful passages and even some fuzz bass, a vestige of their Canterbury past. But it also contains the mandatory checklist that includes monotone female vocals, noisy improvs, and a certain melodic structure that is so predictable, it's laughable - and yet that audience will tell you it's radical and unique and no one else has ever done it. lol, yea OK clique boys. Tracks 8 & 9 are from 1979, and again, we're treated to the Manna/Mirage side of the band. So as I was earmarking the CD for my next sale comes....

...the lion's share of what was on the original LP, itself an archival release from Cuneiform back in 1985. Tracks 10 to 14 are from 1977, and is a wonderful warm and sunny, yet complex, jazz rock with Canterbury overtones. I thoroughly enjoy this era of The Muffins. What a contrast to the edgy atonal later material. 'Not Alone' is the highlight of the entire disc, and it comes at the very end, nearly 50 minutes into it. No wonder I could never figure out why I kept this CD!

In some ways, Open City may be the definitive Muffins album. It captures both of their styles at their best, and is likely to please one or the other type fan, and in many cases both. For me, it's only the jazz rock/Canterbury side that works.

From a rating perspective, I will keep two grades: The LP is a half point higher than the CD - though I recommend the latter oddly enough to obtain the whole experience.

Ownership: CD: 1994 Cuneiform. Jewel case release with booklet filled with historical liners and photos. As noted above, this contains additional archival material to the LP.

2001; 10/11/17 (new entry)

Atrium - Color Seed. 1979 Germany

Just when you thought you'd heard every German funky fusion band from the late 70s and early 80s, in flies yet another one - this time its Heidelberg's Atrium. Color Seed starts off in caricature fashion, with funky bass, 4/4 rhythms, flat vocals in English, and...... hand claps (oh, really, this is ghastly stuff). Yea, get down baby. Track two 'Southern Breeze' then sends us on our expected island vacation, and here we have an upscale sophisticated soft tropical number with wordless voice. Excuse me sir?... sir! Can I get another Mai Tai please? What? Oh sure, with the umbrella is fine.... Right. Track three gets us back into the darkened lounge for more funky business. I do like that they use trombone, an instrument not represented near enough in jazz fusion. Next song reintroduces vocals, but this time in German. Hmm... some nice psychedelic guitar tones, synthesizers, and organ here. Over a disco beat mind you, but maybe we're getting somewhere now. What will Side 2 bring? OK, this is more like it. Psych guitar, electric piano, and more complex meters. And then the next one adds in a bit of progressive rock (you can see where this is going can't you?). Time for the longest track 'Quasimodo Man', coming in at a full 7 and a half minutes. This one is a bit more typical hard edged fusion, with some trading licks of psychedelic guitar and synthesizer. 'Snail Bait' closes the album and brings us back to the island to ensure the party doesn't stop... or get too weird. 

Sort of a night and day album like Eik's Speglun, but I'm afraid in this case, the highs aren't quite enough.

Last listen: July 5, 2014

Sukellusvene - Vesi- Ja Lintumusiikkia. 1979 Finland

Very nice fusion album. Primary instruments are sax, synthesizer and guitar. Sounds much more like an album from 1973/74 than anything as late as 1979. More of a gritty edge, and one track sounds like a lost organ freaky fusion number that would've shown up on the German MPS label (and naturally my favorite track). Another anachronism is the use of the wah wah pedal as a rhythm component. Not a totally breathtaking release, but executed perfectly for the 70s jazz fusion sound. Overall the album recalls early Weather Report and Bill Connors era Return to Forever. File next to the Jupu Group album. Band translates to "Submarine" and the album to "Water- And Bird Music".

Personal Collection
LP: 2016 Svart

The reissue LP comes in a fine gatefold cover,with a history of the band. Also included is a reissue of the 45 single. Originals on Love are very rare. The album has yet to find its way to CD. One would presume Svart will eventually tackle these Finnish albums once they've sold out of the LPs. Or at least I hope they do. June 2018 update: Svart did eventually reissue this one on CD.

Impeccable - Live on the Rox. 1979 USA-Texas

Impeccable's Live on the Rox is an amazing artifact from another time and place. We’re talking Lubbock 1979... Roughnecks and Longnecks, spur cuts... sawdust floors. Tall Texans with black hats - walking in lockstep. Beautiful cover girl models who work on Daddy's ranch in towns with names like Happy and Muleshoe. Uh Johnny! I wouldn’t lose sight of that Lone Star can and drink it! Probably contains Billy Joe’s Happy Days chew and spittle. This is a cowboy crowd too wasted and pissed off to know that destiny has them strapped to a mechanical bull while supposedly enjoying them some George Strait. No sir Mr. Urban Cowboy, not here, not now. No John Travolta here sonny - he's a weeny disco boy anyway. Rather have some of that bad ass hard rock and roll, which incidentally Marshall Stacks nicely with their Midwest brethren in places like Michigan and Ohio. Album cover even says “Disco Sux”, Johnny Travolta punk. Disagree with me? Wanna take your beef to the parking lot? Hell, let’s just fight anyway.

Guitarist Darren Welch absolutely shreds (riffs and solos) on this monster of underground rock. Vocalist Don Allison selected Geddy Lee as a influence circa Fly By Night to obtain just the right high pitch, to soar over the hoots and hollers of this rodeo crowd. There’s even an intelligent break or two to add to the Rush metaphor. One track is even called Lizzy, so now you know. 

Bored tonight? Join Willie, Danny, Bubba, Gary, and me while we head to The Rox and check out those tight jeans on those sexy West Texas mamas. We’ll even buy another round for our boys in Impeccable. See the hazy smoke. Smell the broken beer bottles. For tomorrow is another day at the cotton mill.

Ownership: LP: 1979 GBC. Single sleeve. Reacquired from an online dealer (2024).

CD: 2016 Rockadrome. Jewel case release with liner notes from guitarist Darren Welch, and a rare single from their original incarnation as Axxe from 1978. 

This may have been my very first "obscure discovery". Not that I knew it at the time. See, I was a student at Texas Tech in Lubbock from 1983 to 1987. Believe me, what I said above is not merely fantasy, but what I actually observed! The bins of one local store were suddenly filled (in my final year) with sealed copies of the album for about $2 each (easily more than 100 they had). A few years later in 1992, when I knew more of what I was doing (if I ever knew what I was doing), I swooped back through West Texas and bought the remaining ones, but that's after a few other folks had done the same. Anxious to make my profit I sold every one of them rather than holding one back for myself (doh). The liner notes inform us that GBC stands for Great Big Con lol. 

1987 (first listen); 5/14/92; 7/29/06 (review); 6/19/09 (new entry); 3/17/17 (update)

You - Electric Day. 1979 Germany

Honestly, You's Electric Day represents the perfected rock form of electronic music, which unfortunately had so few examples such as this. The sequencers and Moog solos give it the Berlin School street cred, while the psychedelic guitars and manic drumming recall Germany's underground from a decade earlier. A window into what Tangerine Dream's Force Majeure lineup could have accomplished had they stuck with it. Sigh. Grab a hold of what you can, as there's very little of it to go around I'm afraid to say.

Personal collection
CD: 1996 Cue

The Cain label was one of Germany's great unsung imprints.They had a lot of these type of albums that flew way under the radar back in the day. The third scan is the Rock City issue, which I didn't know existed until researching this entry. The CD is part of a 5 CD set called Era. It had been long OOP, so the Bureau B reissues are most welcome, and include significant bonus tracks.

Hydravion - Stratos Airlines. 1979 France

Hydravion's second album is probably one of the most misunderstood albums one can find. Of course, the cover art contributes greatly to buyer confusion. On first glance, one can be forgiven to think this to be yet another late 70s Parisian coke filled disco party extravaganza. Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? And then the opening misspelled 'Passadena Airport', with its repetitive beat, seems to feed the bias, leaving only the most dedicated listener to persevere. Once 'Telecom' begins though, suddenly the party is over, and the nightmarish world of Philippe Besombes begins. The French narration of 'Ligne Equateur' takes you further down the dark tunnel where it lands at the album's high water mark: The one-two punch of 'Carolyn Sud' and 'Santander'. Here we're as close to Heldon's Interface as any mere mortal will ever get. The positively haunting closer, with its biting psychedelic guitar, leaves a lasting mark on a truly great piece of art.

Perhaps had they named the album Stratospherique, with a Hipgnosis cover similar to the first, would the album be held in higher esteem today. Blame the marketing department.

Ownership: LP: 1979 Carrere. Single sleeve. Purchased at Waterloo Records in Austin (1988).

CD: 2016 Purple Pyramid (USA) As part of the 4xCD Original Album Series (Philippe Besombes).

3//88; 5/25/09; 11/12/16 (new entry)

Modry Efekt - Svet Hledacu. 1979 Czech Republic

Svět Hledačů is the 6th album from Modry Efekt (not counting split and English language re-recordings). The band continues their journey down the symphonic fusion path, both looking forward and backward. On the forward side, and I mean that historically not artistically, the group displays more of a late 70s funky feel into the music. On the backward side, or what we would now call "retro", Modry Efekt peppers in some early 70s progressive rock themes. There's a couple of places I recognized the type of composition Genesis might come up with in 1972 - sung in Czech mind you. Through it all, Hladik continues to demonstrate his supreme guitar acumen. And the production is outstanding with a particularly fat sound that is highly appealing to the modern ear I would like to think. Not their best album, but certainly in the conversation.

Personal collection
CD: 2009 Supraphon (part of The Blue Effect 1969-1989 9 CD compilation)

Easter Island. 1979 USA-Kentucky

Easter Island is an album with a mixed reputation among prog aficionados, but from my perspective, Easter Island is practically the definition of my USA Midwest / Ontario Progressive Rock (1970's/early 80s) list. I do think subjugating oneself into the mindset of the era does enhance the experience. Tons of time changes, counterpoint, multiple harmony layers, mellotron, 70's analog production, and sundry razzle-dazzle will keep the most ADD among you tuned in. I've come across the term "commercial" in reference to this album. Hardly. Unless one thinks 'Gates of Delirium', Mirthrandir, Cathedral, or Yezda Urfa are commercial of course...

Ownership: LP: 1979 Baal; CD: 2016 Belle Antique (Japan). Very rare album in original form, though you'll often see pressing numbers that are lower than the reality. I've seen plenty over the years, but it's never been cheap. Apparently those with a "gold tear" are rarer than the silver, but honestly they probably just ran out of paint. My LP has the silver tear. The first CD reissue was known as Now and Then. There is almost no "Now" on it, just a short synthesizer prelude and postlude. The Japanese CD reissue on Belle Antique replicates the original to the exact detail (and has a gold tear). This version features two live bonus tracks from the late 70s, but they are very rough sounding, and not worth the purchase price alone.

Moving Gelatine Plates. 1970-1979 France (archival)

I had secretly hoped that Moving Gelatine Plates would have archival material sitting in the vaults somewhere. And now we have proof that such a thing exists. Side 1 features recordings from a concert in 1972. 'The World of Genius Hans', 'Astromonster', and 'London Cab' are presented here with fascinating alternate versions of the originals - not surprising given the jazzy disposition of the band in general. This particular concert is after the 1971 studio recording of Genius Hans and features new drummer Alain Clarel. Naturally enough 'London Cab' is the most different of the three, since it's from the debut album. Side 2 contains material from two different settings in 1978 and 1979, when they were officially known as Moving. The first track is called 'Galantine', which is wordplay for 'Gelatine', and it is indeed an excellent rendition of the debut album composition. The shorter 'Syntheme' follows, and is one of the better tracks from their 1981 album. Though in rawer form, which is more pleasant to my ears anyway. Both of these tracks were from a 1978 concert. The 13+ minute 'Like a Flower' is a 1979 home recording of an older track going back to 1970, but never recorded in studio form until the reformation "Removing" album (2006). All 6 tracks are of "bootleg standard" quality. There is quite a bit of loss in these tapes - but the music is definitely recognizable, and at times, revelatory. And certainly enjoyable.

In addition to the album proper, there is a 1970 single that is known to be their first ever recordings. And it is an entirely frustrating experience. The first side is 'London Cab' - an excellent 6+ minute rendition and perhaps the highlight of the entire album. And it's in 33 RPM, which I figured they did on purpose knowing us folks with real turntables have to physically alter the mechanics (no easy switch, that is to say) to obtain 45 RPM. But alas, side 2's 'X25' is indeed just that: 45 RPM. And at only 2 minutes, it takes longer to move things around than it does to hear it. Honestly, I wouldn't bother as it's not much different than the original anyway. To complicate matters, the liner notes have these tracks confused with each other. I assure you, the longer track is 'London Cab' (though not labeled on the disc itself).

Personally, I think all 8 of these tracks would have been better served as CD (or LP) bonus material to the original albums, but Monster Melodies is to be commended for giving the buyer good value for their money considering the entire package.

You can read more about this release (in French) here

Ownership: LP: 2014 Monster Melodies

What you see in the photo is what you can expect to receive on this fine archival release from one of Paris' more famous record stores (and one I've personally been to): Monster Melodies. It's an expensive package, but for diehard fans like me, it would have to be considered an essential purchase (if you still have a turntable that is). So what do you get for your money? The cover is a thick glossy gatefold, and the inside is filled with vintage newspaper articles (all in French). The back of the cover has detailed liner notes of the recordings in English. The vinyl is heavy duty, and pressed in appropriate Genius Hans Pink (perhaps Sherwin-Williams should offer this?). The inserts include an informative band family tree from 1966 to the present, with biographical information (again all in French) on the other side on thick textured paper. As well, a band logo post card with an archival photo is included. As you can see, there is also a single disc that contains their original first recordings. Overall a superb document.

1/24/15 (new entry)

L'Orchestre Sympathique - En Concert a la Grande Passe. 1979 Canada-Quebec

L'Orchestre Sympathique's jazz rock sound (recorded live, but perfect sound) is defined by flute and tuned percussion, and thus draws comparisons to Pierre Moerlen's Gong and fellow Quebecois legends Maneige very easily. And those references are certainly on the mark. One band that isn't mentioned often, but I pick up in the more intense spots, is that of Dun's Eros. There's no hints of Zeuhl here, and it certainly isn't a dead-on reference, but there are a few similarities especially on 'Houmalaya'. As with any live jazz oriented album, there are a couple of loose improvisation spots that get stuck in the mud, but in general those moments are fortunately held at bay. About 15 years after this album, the Argentine band Las Orejas y La Lengua would release a similar type effort. Highly recommended.

Personal collection
CD: 2005 ProgQuebec

Original LP is a single sleeve cover. The album was included in their concert pricing  - a novel idea that helped fund the project. It's only been in the last couple of years that I was first introduced to the album. The CD features liner notes and wonderful sound like all of ProgQuebec's product.