Finch - Beyond Expression. 1976 Netherlands

I could have sworn I wrote about this album before. This was one of my earliest mail order purchases while still in college, and is yet one more important album that encouraged me to continue my deep dive into obscure European progressive rock. Glory of the Inner Force is one of the most important records in my collection, so I was very excited to be able to get this title for reasonably cheap, even back then.

From a style perspective, it's largely a continuation of the aforementioned Glory album. I'm going to quote from the other two studio album reviews, as that will likely auto-write this one. 

"Glory of the Inner Force is quite simply hyper kinetic instrumental progressive rock, or what we used to call symphonic fusion...  One criticism I've constantly heard about Finch is that they're more about chops than composition, and yet I hear it completely different. Despite the fast paced nature of the recordings, and the many twist and turns that goes on throughout each track, there is also a strong melodic component as well - very similar to Focus regarding this latter characteristic."

(Galleons of Passion): "But on close inspection, one can hear that Finch had already moved in this direction on Side 2 of Beyond Expression. And what makes it successful is the superb guitar playing of Joop van Nimwegen. He clearly is one to wear his emotions on his guitar sleeve, and his playing here is incredibly expressive. In this way, Nimwegen could be compared to Mario Millo over in Australia. In fact, that to me is what Galleons of Passion reminds me of most: Sebastian Hardie. The appropriately named 'Reconciling' closes the album in more kinetic fashion, hence reconciling with their past Glories."

Beyond Expression has three long tracks that use the same heavy / soft formula of instrumental symphonic fusion with plenty of thematic and meter changes throughout. Essential.

Ownership: LP: 1976 Negram. Single sleeve. Acquired from a California based dealer through Goldmine Magazine while still in college (1986). Mine fortunately does not have a tear on the back like the Discogs stock copy. 

CD: 1994 Marquee / Pseudonym. Jewel case with gold disc.

1986 (first listen); 1994; 2009; 1/10/24 (review)

Finch - The Making of... Galleons of Passion / Stage '76. 1976-77 Netherlands (archival)

I've written about Finch extensively in the past as they were one of the earliest obscure European prog bands for me to discover in the early 80s (via the ATCO (USA) issue of Glory of the Inner Force), so I won't cover that again here. Suffice to say when this archival discovery was released in 1999 it was a huge boon to fans like myself. Though oddly enough, after dutifully buying the set immediately and hearing it to great satisfaction, it has sat patiently another 23 years for its second visit (there's that number again...). As such I didn't remember anything about it.

The first disc is The Making Of... Galleons of Passion, and is essentially an earlier version of what was to be released. All five tracks are represented here, and to my ears the rougher mix is more pleasurable. Galleons of Passions was a bit too slick for a band like Finch. So I find this to be the definitive version. Even better is there are three unreleased tracks from the same session, any one of them could have - or should have - been on the original album. It's a short album and there was room for all of them. The best of these three IMO is 'Phases'.

Disc 2 is the Stage '76 portion. Here you have 71 minutes of live Finch in their prime. There are two tracks from Glory of the Inner Force and two from Beyond Expression. All of them energetic recreations, though they don't deviate much from the original material. Best of all is the unreleased 17 minute 'Necronomicon', sounding all the world like a missing track from Glory. Instrumental progressive rock like only Finch could do. Overall a must pickup for fans of the group.

Ownership: CD: 1999 Pseudonym. Fatbox 2xCD set with superb liner notes detailing the full history of the band (and the only place I have this).

1999 (first listen); 6/27/22 (review/new entry)

Finch - Galleons of Passion. 1977 Netherlands

When I first bought the LP of this album over 30 years ago, I was somewhat disappointed with the result. Of course, like most folks, I had heard the two albums preceding it, thus setting up the wrong expectation. And I feel this album still suffers for that same reason among the general progressive rock listening populace. The first two albums, of course, are barn burners - and Galleons of Passion is anything but. It's more a slow to mid-paced instrumental album, similar to many of the Neo Prog albums later to come from The Netherlands actually.

But on close inspection, one can hear that Finch had already moved in this direction on Side 2 of Beyond Expression. And what makes it successful is the superb guitar playing of Joop van Nimwegen. He clearly is one to wear his emotions on his guitar sleeve, and his playing here is incredibly expressive. In this way, Nimwegen could be compared to Mario Millo over in Australia. In fact, that to me is what Galleons of Passion reminds me of most: Sebastian Hardie. The appropriately named 'Reconciling' closes the album in more kinetic fashion, hence reconciling with their past Glories.

This proved to be the end for Finch, though fortunately some fantastic archival recordings would surface some 15 years later, including one that demonstrates a more raw version of this album. That's for another day...

Ownership: LP: 1977 Rockburgh (UK). Single sleeve with an awesome cover, one that I present on my wall of albums. Online acquisition (2011). The first copy I bought was in 1985 via Goldmine mail order. Purchased along with Agitation Free's Malesch and Finch's second album. I did sell that copy when I got the CD. Despite there existing a native press, the Rockburgh issue is generally considered the original.

1985; 3//11; 7/13/16; 1/1/17 (new entry)

Finch - Glory of the Inner Force. 1975 Netherlands

Glory of the Inner Force is quite simply hyper kinetic instrumental progressive rock, or what we used to call symphonic fusion. I've owned this album for over 30 years, and I never tire of it. One criticism I've constantly heard about Finch is that they're more about chops than composition, and yet I hear it completely different. Despite the fast paced nature of the recordings, and the many twist and turns that goes on throughout each track, there is also a strong melodic component as well - very similar to Focus regarding this latter characteristic. I personally think Glory of the Inner Force is one of those great "starter" albums to new fans of the genre. It's immediately likeable - and it rocks hard. At this point in my life, Glory of the Inner Force will likely always be a Top 50 album for me.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Negram. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (1999).

LP: 1975 ATCO (USA). Single sleeve. Purchased at Bill's Records in Dallas (1985). 

CD: 1994 Belle Antique (Japan). Jewel case. Gold disc with liners in Japanese. Features the Colossus single, which is also excellent, and similar to the LP proper.

The ATCO release is one of the very first European "obscurities" I had discovered in the middle 80s while still in college. This was back at a time when I bought albums strictly on how they looked, and how long the songs were. I had become pretty adept at it by this point, and Finch was an obvious target once I saw it. Besides they had a drummer named Beer! Hey, this was long before the internet, and research materials were non-existent back then. Crate digger veterans will know what I mean here! For years, I had wanted a copy of the Dutch original, which I think is the nicer cover. In the catalog days of the late 80s and 90s, this was a fairly expensive item.

But when the great market equalizer ebay came along, it turned out there was plenty of supply. I bought one cheap as soon as possible and even today you can find one at a very reasonable price. The American version is very common. However finding one without a massive promo sticker and sawcuts is much more challenging. 

1985; 1994; 1/6/15 (new entry); 10/31/19