Nattura - Magic Key. 1972 Iceland

Nattura were Iceland's representative of Europe's progressive rock slant on the psychedelic movement, especially those with female vocals. There's a strong focus on melody without compromising instrumental integrity. The compositions are well thought out, and it definitely belongs to the early 70s progressive rock scene. For some folks that means Magic Key is "commercial", though I would vigorously argue against that. Given that there are some male vocals, and Nattura are Scandinavian, perhaps Ruphus'  debut New Born Day is the band's closest cousin. From a composition standpoint, I hear quite a bit of Sandrose, but the female vocals are more pleasant. In this way, Goliath or Affinity come to mind. One of the oddest aspects of Magic Key is the heavy use of synthesizer, such an early date for the instrument to be a feature - and especially from a remote country such as Iceland. In this way, Nattura reminds me of those Idahoan outlaws known as Salem Mass. So yes, Magic Key is for deep divers, and if you recognize the above associative name game, then you'll want to get on your flippers. Essential in my world.

Ownership: LP: 1972 private. Single sleeve. I was first offered this album at a Dallas record show (sometime in the early 90s) from a Houston based dealer that I used to buy from frequently. I had no idea what it was, and I was in no financial position to drop ~$100 on a spec buy. Even if I knew what it was, I couldn't afford that. Later in the decade (while now living in Denver), I traded for it from a fellow collector in Austin. I have to think he bought it from the same dealer. There couldn't have been too many copies of this private Icelandic album roaming around Texas right? And since that time, I've taken it back and forth from Texas to Colorado. It's not going anywhere (from my collection that is). This was a charter entry for my CDRWL. That problem was solved last year by Japan's Belle Antique. Not sure I'll be getting it (presuming no extras), but if I didn't own the album already, I would certainly spring for it.

Circus 2000 - An Escape From a Box. 1972 Italy

An Escape From a Box is one of the more misunderstood albums from the Italian progressive rock scene. Mainly because it has nothing in common with what one expects from the land of PFM or Banco. Circus 2000 are the European extract of prime Jefferson Airplane, but with a distinct progressive rock element similar to Julian's Treatment, Mad Curry, or Sandrose. Escape From a Box is one of the most creative albums from this niche. Laid back, sensuous, hypnotic, and mesmerizing. Resident hottie Silvana Aliotta provides the sultry, and witchy-squeaky (trademark pending) vocals. Hippy dippy opener 'Hey Man' is the only slip up, and even most of that tune works well once the instrumental engine starts to roar. 'You Aren't Listening' is seductive, 'Our Father' has intense Gothic choirs, and 'When the Sun Refuses to Shine' draws you into the vortex of another universe. Brilliante.

Ownership: CD: 2023 Grapefruit. 2xCD box set titled I Am the Witch. Also includes the full album of their debut and the Boxing Circus archival EP. Comes with a full history and plenty of photos and scans.

LP: 1999 Akarma. Gatefold. Acquired at Amoeba Records in San Francisco (2000). Neat cover art. As such, it sits high on my wall of albums. Otherwise I probably wouldn't keep it. Originals are impossibly expensive, so this will have to do.

Former ownership: CD: 1989 Vinyl Magic. Jewel case. This was my introduction to the album and stayed in the collection for 35 years until now (2024). 

1989 (first listen); 1996; 2000; 3/20/07 (review); 4/9/18 (update / new entry); 7/25/24

Cleves - s/t. 1971 New Zealand

From the small agricultural community Clevedon in New Zealand, arrives the Brown siblings (in Sydney, Australia) and their band Cleves (trimmed from their initial moniker of Clevedonaires). Sister Gaye provides the bluesy female vocals, making them a natural fit for the Post psychedelic, proto progressive with female vocals list. Musically, electric guitar and Hammond organ dominate, and most of the music is sublime - with an emphasis on melodic songwriting and strong psychedelic oriented jams. While big name bands are within easy reach (Jefferson Airplane et al...), I personally hear that unique European take on the sound, especially Mad Curry (Belgium) and Goliath (England). Only misstep is the album closer 'Waterfall' which is the only track that resembles their rural background. Not an album for those who like to use the word "dated" in their reviews, but for those who actually immerse themselves into the period in which it was released, there are many rewards to be found.

Personal collection

CD: 1998 Vicious Sloth (Australia)

Originals are very scarce and fairly expensive. Discogs doesn't even have it listed, as they must be presuming it is an archival release. But there's been plenty captured from ebay. The only CD is the now rare Vicious Sloth release (it's since been booted in Eastern Europe, so be careful!), which comes with some nice liner notes, a 45 single, and the near 17 minute Music from Michael EP (1970). The LP reissue has just recently surfaced. Bitch is Cleves Ver 2.0, and who only had a couple of singles to their name. It's a double album, with Bitch receiving a full LP, so guessing most of that album is archival. I haven't heard it at this point. As an aside, the original Cleves artwork does a disservice to Gaye Brown. As you can see in scan #2, and if you look for images on the Google, she's a very pretty lady - with a look similar to Katie Holmes or even Susan Dey in her prime.

Fusion Orchestra - Skeleton in Armour. 1973 England

Fusion Orchestra aren't a jazz, nor chamber, rock band. Rather they represent, to me at least, the swan song for the Post Psychedelic, Proto Progressive with Female Vocals sound, as I've documented via the link provided. Fusion Orchestra are a spirited bunch, and the music borders hard rock, with blazing heavy psych guitar at every turn (with some great solos). There's also a jazz undercurrent, and Jill Saward's voice (and she plays a mean flute too) is husky in that blues sort of way that was popular at the turn of the decade. This is one of the most kinetic albums of the genre, with multiple fast paced meter shifts and a wealth of ideas, and no fan of any of the genres mentioned above will walk away disappointed here. Jill Saward was just a cute teenager when she joined the band in the early 70s. Later she went onto be the professional blond bombshell leading the slick, and very popular, 80s jazz funk band Shakatak.

Personal collection
LP: 1973 EMI
CD: 2009 EMI (Japan)

UK originals come in a wonderful textured gatefold (first photo). As with a few of my albums, I actually found a new original LP copy at a local record store here in Dallas in the mid 1980s. I almost didn't buy it because of the unrepresentative name of the band. But as fortune would have it, I gave up a dinner that night, and now still proudly own that copy. As for reissues, they have been the sole proprietorship of the Asian market. Not sure why this album hasn't been treated to a UK specialist label like Esoteric with full liner notes, but these Asian reissues will suffice until then. The Japanese mini-LP I own is a perfect reproduction of the original in miniature.

Fusion Orchestra 2 - Casting Shadows. 2013 England

Well, well, look who's back? I would not have thought of Fusion Orchestra that's for sure. Original guitarist Colin Dawson reformed the band, with 4 new players involved including the all important ingredient of a female vocalist - this time performed by the lovely Elsie Lovelock. Despite the new membership, the band sounds very much like an updated Skeleton in Armour, which is all one could - perhaps should, given the moniker - hope for. Lovelock's vocals retain that husky soulful jazzy tone that Jill Saward brought forth in the early 70s. And it's nice to see Dawson continue to carry a psychedelic sound in his energetic guitar playing. On the keyboard front, Ben Bell, it appears, has decidedly gone with modern gear - much of it representing the sounds of the past, so he has successfully accomplished what he set out to do. The compositions could have easily been composed in 1974 for a followup album, and I'm not sure I could pay a higher compliment than that. 'Cider Sue' is my favorite of the three main 10+ minute tracks presented. Certainly the material has a modern edge to it, and it would be unrealistic to expect different, but it seems a natural progression for the band, and does not come across as forced or contrived. Had this been a new band from 2013, that no one had heard of prior, I think it would be well received by fans of modern progressive rock. It's a tragedy this one escaped notice. Don't miss this one.

Ownership: CD: 2013 Patchwork Studios

9/2/14 (new entry)

Gringo. 1971 England

Gringo on their sole album present a very intriguing mix of UK styled proto progressive with female vocals, and American harmonized pop-psych. With the progressive opener 'Cry the Beloved Country', Gringo can easily be placed with contemporaries like Room or Goliath for example. But Gringo also look back in time to fellow countrymen The Animals and their edgy psychedelic work. And then there's the pop psych angle, and the female lead harmony work recall The Mamas & The Papas, as well as The Association at times. Gringo is worth seeking out for serious progressive rock archivists.

Ownership: CD: 2013 Gonzo. Jewel case. Features unique liner notes written from each member of the band + many photos. Also two short bonus tracks. I love the Art Deco styled painting that adorns the cover. 

11/04 (first listen); 12/10/13 (review / new entry)

Blood Ceremony - The Eldritch Dark. 2013 Canada-Ontario

The Eldritch Dark sees Blood Ceremony improve on the already excellent Living with the Ancients. The doom metal Black Sabbath component has been reduced, and a decidedly more typical 1969/70 tone has been adopted in its stead. Oh yes, it's still a heavy album - just not as overt as prior. Organ, mellotron, acoustic guitar, fiddle, and flute are more prominent than prior. From a compositional perspective, the band took a page from the early 70s UK folk rock playbook of Mellow Candle and Fuchsia. And Blood Ceremony are now fully admitted into the Post psychedelic, proto progressive with female vocals club. As I said on my Living with the Ancients review, Ian Anderson wasn't the only one walking around with a flute in England in those days - it was a fairly standard instrument in the 1970 English rock landscape. So you may find comparisons to Tull compulsory, rather than accurate.

Now a word about Alia O'Brien's vocals. Throughout the album, I was reminded of someone very specific. But I couldn't figure it out. Then it hit me. All I needed to do was look at my own list above. It's Silvana Aliotta of Circus 2000, who no doubt was influenced by Grace Slick herself. And the first time I read a description of Circus 2000, her vocals were said to be "witchy". How appropriate, then, that O'Brien has a similar voice. Not sure if it's intentional (probably not), but definitely a cool voice to possess.

All the changes Blood Ceremony implemented on The Eldritch Dark are for the better as far as I'm concerned. Even the lyrics have improved. It's still witch stuff, but at least they seem to be taking it more seriously and professional than prior.

Ownership: CD: 2013 Metal Blade (USA)

5/28/13 (new entry)

Earth and Fire - s/t. 1970 Netherlands

Earth and Fire were always a pop band at heart, trying to win over current audiences with their brand of "whatever is vogue now". For their 1970 debut, Earth and Fire reached back to the psychedelic-rock-with-female-vocals music of Jefferson Airplane to find success. They do an admirable job of said sound, with a good set of tunes and some excellent acid guitar and heavy organ. Truth is, Earth and Fire's debut came about one or two years too late to have any major impact - though it really is an excellent representation of the style. 'Love Quiver' is the highlight of the 9 originals present, a track that features some glorious fuzz organ work.

Earth and Fire are one of the pillar bands of my Post Psychedelic, Proto Progressive with Female Vocals list.

CD: 2004 Universal (Japan)
LP: 1971 Nepentha (UK)
CD: 1991 Polydor (Japan)

As you can plainly see, there were many releases of Earth and Fire's debut. Each label apparently had license to alter the cover to their tastes. The top one is the Dutch original. Next is the UK version on Nepentha, in all its die-cut gatefold Roger Dean glory, and is BY FAR the most desirable (& expensive) original LP copy to own. The third photo is the German release on CBS. 4th is the original Japanese press. And finally we show the Rotation CD that displays only the matches, which is on one of the releases I didn't put up (the Red Bullet LP I believe). 20 years ago, I found the Nepentha LP in a store, but traded it for an album that was my top want at the time - and is arguably worth even more than the Nepentha release today. It was a win-win trade, as I'm certain the gentleman who has my Nepentha LP still treasures it as well. As for reissues, the 1991 press from Japan was the first to market, and I owned that version until the Japanese mini-LP came out. Generally the Japanese stick to the original release when it comes to packaging, but I'm glad they made the exception here and went with the fabulous UK copy.

Blood Ceremony – Living with the Ancients. 2011 Canada-Ontario

I personally love the combination of female vocals, flute, organ, and fuzz guitar - so Blood Ceremony can almost do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. Jethro Tull is an inevitable comparison because of the flute, but there are no similarities beyond that. Personally I think bands like Tomorrow's Gift (first album), Goliath (UK 1970), Room, and Affinity are closer to the sound here than Tull. And if you don't know these bands, and enjoy Blood Ceremony, then cool - new albums for you to discover right? (though I feel compelled to mention that none of these groups have a metal component).

Ownership: CD: 2011 Metal Blade. Digipak with booklet. 

3/14/12 (new entry); 9/11/23 

Axe – Live & Studio. 1970 England (archival)

Axe were a bit more psychedelic influenced than most UK bands from this era, though they do remind me somewhat of the Julian's Treatment album. The female siren squeal vocals recall Circus 2000, and in fact, Axe's recording here seems like the missing album between the two Circus 2000 gems. Some really splendid guitar (with acoustic accompaniment) can be found here.

Kissing Spell found all sorts of oddities like this in the early 1990s. Mostly in the hard rock and folk genres, but with an occasional foray into progressive rock. Their booklets were light on details, but still better than nothing.

CD: 1995 Si-Wan/Kissing Spell
LP: 1993 Kissing Spell

Made in Germany - s/t. 1971 Germany

Made in Germany are yet another example of the many great female vocal lead proto progressive albums coming from Europe during the 1971 era. Sometimes panned as a "pop" album that hasn't "aged well", there are truly only scant examples of that to be found here (opening tracks on each side are pure plays for pop stardom). Anyone familiar with the continental European scene of this time, will instantly recognize the Berlin based Made in Germany as a prototypical adventurous band for their time. Listen for organ, flute, acid guitar and the husky female vocals that are all associated with the genre. Joy Unlimited would have to be considered Made in Germany's closest comparison.

CD: 2002 Long Hair

A year after this release, Metronome launched the Brain label, and that's most certainly where Made in Germany would have been placed had they still been around. The CD is a typically great Long Hair reissue, with unique liner notes, photos and many bonus tracks. The bonus tracks do show the band going into an entirely pop direction and are of iffy quality.