Spooky Tooth ~ England

Spooky Two (1969)

As mentioned on the first post, I found this album on cassette at a garage sale of all things. The tape was sitting on Side 2, so we'll start there.

Fun to hear B3, as I've only known that song from Judas Priest's cover of it some nine years later. I've heard it dozens of times, so the original seems so tame in comparison. But one can see why they covered the song, as it's riff heavy. And it's not like the Priest had a Hammond organ, so there is some distinction.

Otherwise, I'm not getting too much out of this title. It reminds me of the lost year of 1970 albums coming out of North America. It's proto that I guess lol. A mix of blues rock, gospel, and mild psych. B1 is a good psych tune, and I recognize A1 from some radio airplay years ago. A4 has some decent guitar jamming. The rest doesn't go anywhere for me. I prefer the other two titles below, and by some margin.

A&M (MC). 80s pressing.

10/15/26 (review)   

Ceremony (1969)

If you read the below review first, this didn't quite go as planned. I still haven't heard my cassette of Spooky Two, but I found this LP at the Denver record show last week for a couple of bucks, and I fast tracked it to the front of the listening line.

Ceremony is the album they did with musique concrete legend Pierre Henry. It's more integrated than the Deep Purple Concerto album I just reviewed, but not by a whole lot. Spooky Tooth performs a mostly heavy blues rock that can get pretty freaky in places. This is Spooky Tooth at its best, and we hear this sound mostly on A1, B2, and B3. Some really great guitar jams. The music apparently was written for a Christian mass of some sort. The lyrics are heavily Christian, like a record coming from that genre. I wasn't aware Henry was so much of the faith. I'm rather certain Spooky Tooth were not, and they tried to disassociate themselves from top billing here. The album had potential to be a proto Krautrock classic. Imagine Pierre Henry pulling a Klaus Schulze, and the instrumentation lets loose for the duration. But it's way too ordinary for that, and blues rock is the end conclusion. An interesting album, though not something I need to keep. It did inspire me, however, to create a page for the band.

A&M (LP). Later 70s pressing.

4/18/26 (review)

It's All About (1968) 

Spooky Tooth is another one of those bands that I've known about for most of my record collecting life but never actually heard. Found a nice pink Island copy up in Denver. It wasn't cheap but it was a really good deal, and it's hard to pass on these early UK pressings. I would describe the music as a type of psychedelic soul. From the latter comes the passionate crooning. From the former is the period sounds and instrumentation. Nothing really blew me away here, but I found it a pleasant listen throughout. Also I came to learn that one of the album's best tracks 'Too Much of Nothing' is only on these early pressings. It was swapped out with something apparently lame on the subsequent A&M releases. I've been told their second album is much better. I have it on cassette of all things, so I'll get to it eventually unless I find the LP first. At that point I might build out a page for them. 

Ownership: 1970 Island (LP). Pink "i" label. Acquired in 2025.

4/29/25 (review)

4/18/26 (new entry)

Catharsis ~ France

Et S'aimer et Mourir (1976)

Catharsis' 6th, and last, album (not counting one reunion) shows the band more in jazz fusion territory. Much more accessible than their earlier works, the focus here is on both the melody and the beat. Bolded on each track is the Synthorchestra Farfisa, making it look like an advertisement for the new instrument. The music isn't so far from the jazz funk scene of Placebo, Solis Lacus, and Cortex, though it's more measured, at times mellow, and less robust.

1977 Festival (LP). Gatefold. Back cover has the recording details. Acquired in 1994.

1994; 1996; 6/20/15; 9/25/26

Catharsis / Volume II "Les Chevrons" (1972)

Catharsis' second album is quite simply music for liquid light shows. Head music as they would call it back in the day. I found this to be an improvement from their debut Masq. The instrumental psychedelic rock music of Les Chevrons is more compact, and demonstrate more compositional quality than the strictly atmospheric Masq. The title track, with its haunting organ melody, is particularly memorable. This isn't meant to be challenging prog music. Kick back, digest your beverage of choice, and let the music take you to new places you haven't been. Or at least enjoy the slide projector.

Ownership: 

1975 Festival (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 1994.

1990 Griffe (CD). Includes all of Masq and three different songs from various singles.

1994; 4/3/13; 3/3/24 (review)

Vol. 4: Illuminations (1972)

Even though this is Catharsis' 4th album, and many online discographies list the album from 1975 - in reality it was recorded at the same time as their first three albums (including an EP). Musically it ties closest to their debut Masq. Essentially it's atmospheric rock music with wordless female vocals and a psychedelic backdrop. Not the kind of album to knock your socks off (presuming you would want such an occurrence), but for a pleasant mid-evening listening session, it serves its purpose.

Ownership: 1975 Festival (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 1996.

1996; 11/18/20 (review)

Catharsis / Masq (1971)

Catharsis' debut is like an imaginary instrumental psychedelic soundtrack album, with wordless female vocals. 1969 Pink Floyd plays a huge role in their sound at this point in their career. It's mostly atmospheric, and doesn't offer much detail for the attentive listener. However, as background music while driving, it more than serves its purpose. 'Tunnel Extatique' is certainly the highlight of the four track set.

Ownership: 1990 Griffe (CD). Includes Les Chevrons. The title is a bit misleading because it indicates that you are also receiving the 3rd album - an EP called '32 Mars'. This is not the case. Rather you receive three singles, including the aforementioned 'Masq', in addition to the single edit version of 'Les Chevrons' and, of course, '32 Mars'.

First acquired the LP in 1993.

1993; 1998; 4/3/13; 9/1/19 (review)

Three of the early Catharsis albums were self-titled, so when Festival reissued their early albums in 1975, they appended titles to them. Those names stuck, as that's how many collectors refer to their albums by. Catharsis were a relatively popular band in their day with six albums and 13 singles, not counting the many collaborations they were involved in.

Other albums I own: Le Bolero du Veau des Dames

9/1/19 (new entry)

Pink Floyd (& related) ~ England

Many consider Pink Floyd the greatest band of all time, and Dark Side of the Moon the greatest album of all time. I don't agree with either assessment (though I own three copies of the album in question) but it's not hard to understand why both of these remain true. Pink Floyd are not an easy band to pigeonhole, and they went through various incarnations of sound and style. Some I love, others I find incredibly dull and boring. I've heard most of their output, including various solo albums. But I haven't documented them all (by a long shot). This post will be updated and forwarded many times before I'm done.

David Gilmour (1978)

It feels odd listening to this album for the first time on cassette. Strangely that's the only way I've found it in the wilds. No CD or LP. I'm talking thrifting and garage saling here. I have plenty of opportunities to overpay at a record store, believe me. This album came out when I started listening to FM radio intently, so I have to say it seems like I've heard most of it before. But it's been ages. The album is largely derivative of the Pink Floyd sound of the era. One can hear Dark Side, Animals, and The Wall in these grooves. Gilmour has always had a bluesy bent to his guitar playing, and that remains the highlight of this album as well, especially the opening instrumental, B2, and B4. The songs tend to drag, even the much heralded 'There's No Way Out of Here', a track they played every hour back in the late 70s.

1978 Columbia (MC)

9/24/26 (review)

Richard Wright - Wet Dream (1978)

In the not-so-distant past yours truly ran a global project management organization. One of my employees was a good PM as an individual, but not a great one. I had to step in on occasion to handle escalations, and there were even calls for me to let her go. I said "no way" as she's a major key to my team's success, even though I had many better PM's, no question about it. They were bewildered by that observation. What she lacked as an individual contributor she more than made up for as a team player. I saw her as a key pillar of why we were successful. Her peers loved and respected her. She is who made the team - a team. And she was 100% supportive of my initiatives even if she struggled to implement them herself. Not for a lack of trying, we're all different. That's how I see Richard Wright. I feel the same way about George Harrison of the Beatles and Led Zep's John Paul Jones. As individuals they're good players and decent songwriters. As part of the larger collective they were the secret sauce. What makes a good music group great is the input of everyone, not just the leaders. And that applies to business as well. So that's my take on Wet Dream. It's a fine, slightly mellow, mostly instrumental album. Nothing special but certainly not a disaster. Wright is a team player not a solo star.

1978 Columbia (LP)

4/8/25 (review)

The Division Bell (1994)

I've clearly avoided writing about any of the Floyd albums post The Wall (and including that album which I don't like). I'll try to make a concerted effort to get down a few words at the very least going forward. One wonders what the point of superstars like Pink Floyd putting albums out like The Division Bell? It's not a terrible album by any means, but it's just so... so... ordinary. Gilmour gets in some nice bluesy licks, and Mason is mailing it in on the drum kit. He was never a jazzer, but c'mon, I could play drums on this album. And I don't how to. There's some smooth jazz, and more than a few references to Dark Side of the Moon, trying to capture a moment in time from 20 years prior. 30 years on from that, it just looks like a desperate writer turning out the same scripts from their blockbuster New York Times Bestseller from the 70s. Boring and unnecessary.

1994 Columbia (CD)

2/26/25 (review)

Obscured by Clouds (1972)

The last of the classic Pink Floyd albums for me to reacquire. And the first back out the door. I thought I liked this one more than I do. Atmospheric, but ultimately dull effort. I think had it been totally instrumental psych I'd be more enamored with it (and there is some of that). Maybe if I find a cheap cassette or CD I'll hold onto it, but I'll take the money for the LP. 

---1/26/26

I did find it on CD, but it did not change my opinion. I did notice that elements of Dark Side of the Moon were becoming apparent on Obscured by Clouds. In that way, the album is historically significant.

1972 Harvest (LP)

8/13/24 (review)
 

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) 

Famous psychedelic album from the creative mind of Syd Barrett. Sort of random in its songwriting approach, it is just that quality that makes this album special. Clearly (ironically) it came from an addled mind. Bizarre and completely out of left field for 1967. Pink Floyd never really sounded like this again once the remainder of the brain trust took over, though there are elements on Saucerful of Secrets. One of a kind.

Ownership: Columbia / EMI Germany (LP). 70s pressing. Acquired in 2022.

First copy owned: A Nice Pair 1983 Capitol (2xLP). Acquired in 1985.

1985; 7/21/23 (review)  

Wish You Were Here (1975)

I knew I had this album rated too high. And sure enough a -1 ensued, putting it right into the Gnosis 11 category. Not first division for me. But I have to say that Richard Wright's synthesizer performance here almost pulled it over the threshold anyway. He really should have spent some time with Klaus Schulze. Who knows what he would have conjured up if he had. 'Welcome to the Machine' still captures my imagination though - a brilliant track. Even with this critique, I'd offer that this album is my favorite Floyd except for album #1 of Ummagumma. A very important release by a band that were selling out arenas and were incessantly played on the radio. Not a commercial album at all, and yet they managed to make it one. Impressive.

Ownership: 

2011 Harvest (LP). Outer bag packaging, and all sorts of other goodies like posters and postcards. Much better than my original 80s commodity LP that's for sure. Acquired in 2011.

2000 Capitol (CD)

First copy owned: 1980 Columbia (LP). Acquired in 1985.

1985; 2/15/23 (review)

Ummagumma (1969)

If there's a single source that one could point to as the origin of cosmic Krautrock, I think Ummagumma may very well be that album. Along with their Dutch counterparts Group 1850 - and a shoutout to Frank Zappa's Hot Rats and Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - you can hear the sounds that Germany took and ran with in their earliest days, especially the bands circling the Ohr label. Depending on one's view, Ummagumma is a live album with bonus tracks - or one cohesive album with a completely different focus for each disc. I think it's best to take the former approach, and it's the live album that is significant here.

There are very few albums that possess two bona fide monster tracks, but here we have what I consider the definitive versions of both 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene' and 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun'. The former is a textbook example of how to build a solemn mood and then absolutely destroy it with one of the most intense climaxes in history. 'Set the Controls...' is about as trippy a number as you can find on any album, anywhere. If Pink Floyd were some obscure group that few had heard about, and these numbers were played back for the first time, it would be a natural reaction to think it was German made. 'Saucerful of Secrets' is no different from an atmosphere perspective, and in fact one could point to none other than Ash Ra Tempel's Schwingungen side longer as but one follower. The opening track is 'Astronomy Domine', the Syd Barrett composition that makes one wonder what direction would have the Floyd gone with him still at the helm.

The other album could best be described as "guys dickin' around in the studio". Which is not to say the album is worthless, as there's some good moments to be found from all four. They would have been better served to distill the best parts (if they would even know what those were) and disperse it evenly around the album. Similar to what Yes did on Fragile a few years later. Because it's separate like this, and the very nature of the type of music being presented, this is why I think it's best to view them as bonus material versus a part of the main album. Otherwise my score would be lower in aggregate.

Ownership: 

1986 EMI / Harvest Germany (2xCD). Fatbox. One of the first LPs I replaced with a CD, and even today, that decision makes total sense to me. Some albums were meant to be on CD, and this is one of them. I reacquired the LP later just because.

Harvest (2xLP). 70s pressing. Gatefold. Reacquired in 2019. First acquired in 1985.

1985; 8/7/22 (review)

Animals (1977)

I'm not sure I've heard this album since the late 1980s, even though I've consistently owned a copy that whole time. For me this is the end of the Pink Floyd I enjoy. I never could stand The Wall, an album I've had a chance to revisit in the last three years. I'll never understand its allure beyond a couple of good tracks. Animals, however, is their final non commercial stance. Not to play on titles here, but it's also dog slow. This is music to kick back, turn down the lights, and absorb. It misses the dynamism of its predecessor, and is not an immediately likeable album. Which I believe is the point. Gilmour gets a chance to really shine here, and taps into his late 60s blues repertoire. It's one of a kind in their discography. Even though it's been 30+ years since I last heard it, I felt like I knew the contents anyway. And the rating of excellent remains unchanged. Love the industrial Britain gatefold cover with the flying pig. It's wall worthy really.

Ownership: 

Columbia (LP). Gatefold. 80's pressing with barcode. Upgraded in 2024. First copy acquired in 1985.

1995 Columbia (CD). Acquired in 1996.

1985; 1996; 1/21/22 (review)

Meddle (1971)

Well, you all know this album. Features two excellent proggy space rock numbers in 'One of These Days' (the only song from this album, incidentally, you would have heard on the radio back in the day) and 'Echoes'. And then there's four rather boring folk rock tracks sandwiched in between. These are far more prosaic and backporch-y than the mystical dazed folk of More, for example. They're definitely no longer a psych band by this time. I particularly enjoy the second movement (as it were) of 'Echoes' with its excellent organ and guitar jam. The interesting aspect of this album is just how ordinary it is for 1971. No doubt that Pink Floyd were major influencers throughout the 60s. But on Meddle, they seem to be followers. There's many more examples of music like this from 1970 and '71 that is much more interesting. And this blog is full of them. After this, it seemed Pink Floyd realized this situation as well, and went about making Dark Side of The Moon. I'm not really a fan of the latter, but it's hard to argue that it wasn't groundbreaking. They were leaders once again.

Ownership: 

1986 Capitol (CD). In the summer of 1986, I was working as a summer intern at a major US government military defense contractor in the Dallas area. It was a great gig, and I was very lucky to get it. I had mediocre grades (electrical engineering, to be fair...) and not much else going for me. But a very close buddy of mine's dad was one of the four owners of the company (see Al Di Meola's Elegant Gypsy post for more about this friend). Yes, it's true, it's who you know... In any case, I did thrive at the job, and was making serious money for a 21 year old intern. So what does a 21 year old dude in 1986 with money do? He buys him a new stereo, that's what! With a CD player! Wow - I was rich. We forget now how expensive CD players - and CDs - were at the time. Of course since I bought a new player, I needed product to go with it. There was a limited selection of CDs at the time. And, of course, there's no way I'm buying a CD of something I already have on LP. Meddle was one of the few Pink Floyd albums I didn't have at the time. So... it was the first CD I ever owned! In fact, it's so old, it has a smooth jewel case with no ridges. Those have become collectible now too, of all things. 

7//86 (CD acquired); 8/28/21 (review)

The Early Tours '70-'71

Title is a misnomer, as apparently the music here was all taken from one concert in Amsterdam on June 26, 1971. This is certainly prime Pink Floyd, though it only includes the music they were doing in 1969. I have to trust that the source credit is correct (from Discogs - and I'm sure other established bootleg sites). The titles don't actually reflect the songs here, but most of this is on the live side of Ummagumma, which is my favorite of all the Floyd albums (just disc 1 mind you). The other tracks are an extended version of 'Cymbaline' from More, a track that otherwise I was not familiar with. Its placement here is perfect though. And finally 'Embryo', a track that you find almost exclusively on live bootlegs. It too has the perfect "Cosmic Krautrock" sound - I say that in deference to Pink Floyd being probably the most influential of all bands for that scene. 

Ownership: 1976 Space (LP). Acquired in 2021.

7/7/21 (review)

More (1969)

This is Pink Floyd at their druggy drifty best. This is the sound that Dom perfected on Edge of Time. I'd heard this album back in the day, but I was way too impatient for music such as this back then. I find side 2 the better of the sides, as it really captures the ethos of the times. Mostly acoustic guitar, tribal drums, and low-fi keyboards, with sparse vocals and the occasional rockin' burst. Love the trippy image windmill cover.

Ownership: 

1973 Harvest (LP). Acquired in 2026.

Capitol (CD). Acquired in 2025.

7/13/21 (acquired / review)

Relics (1971)

I've never owned Relics before, and my memory had this as a compilation. Which is true, but not a typical one. Today you can get most of these on a more modern CD reissue, but I don't have them, so this worked out perfectly. Relics is for fans of 60s Pink Floyd, and that's my favorite era of the band. Five of the 11 tracks are on studio albums, and the others come from rare singles and comps. Just having the studio version of 'Careful with That Axe, Eugene' makes it worth keeping, and the other tracks are great as well.

Ownership: Sounds Superb Belgium (LP). Acquired in 2021.

6/20/21 (review)

Albums I own: A Saucerful of Secrets; Atom Heart Mother; The Dark Side of the Moon; A Momentary Lapse of Reason; two different multi-disc bootlegs

Other albums previously owned: The Wall; The Final Cut; Delicate Sound of Thunder

8/28/21 (new entry)

Carol Of Harvest ~ Germany

---8/21/01

Carol of Harvest are one of the legends of the progressive rock collecting world. Released on the ultra-private Brutkasten label, Carol of Harvest were destined to be a big collectors item. Frequently praised as the “best prog folk group ever”, the foundation was laid for dealers to fetch four-figure sums. “Acid guitar, long tracks and gorgeous female vocals”. All things considered, Carol of Harvest are a competent late 1970’s German progressive rock band with a slight folk edge. I hear similarities to fellow-countrymen like Rebekka and Werwolf, both considerably less expensive in the day before the CD reissue. Basically, Carol of Harvest blend female vocal-led folk melodies with drawn out prog rock arrangements featuring Moog synthesizer and some complex meters. Throw in some loud acid guitar solos and you have the makings for a super-imaginative record dealer to hype this puppy through the roof. This is no lemon mind you. Plenty of good ideas and original playing to entice the most cynical prog rock fan.

---8/22/26

Ha - look at that, I'm hearing this album again almost 25 years to the day of that review. Totally random. There was another listen mixed in there, as noted on the bottom line. You can sense from my original review a bit of the cynicism of my view of the record collecting world at that time. To correct one thing I said above, Brutkasten wasn't really a label, but one of those DIY imprints like Century, Rite, FLVM, and others. Essentially a private release from a known pressing plant. I'm also dialing back the prog rock tag towards folk rock.

For the music itself, one can appreciate the enthusiasm it garnered back in the day, as the music fit the UK psychedelic folk rock genre like a glove. And the additional synthesizers only add to the allure. For whatever reason that particular strain of folk was extremely popular with record collectors back then. In particular Trees was a leading light. And Carol of Harvest "avoids" the Krautrock sounds of the Pilz era bands like Emtidi and Broselmaschine. The music is very much what one would expect to hear in England from 1972. So the original date puts it out of time and place, yet another bit of excitement for collectors.

For my tastes, it's a rather basic folk rock album with shrill female vocals, excellent psychedelic guitars, and fine synthesizers. Brass tacks I realize, but I never derived much out of the album. I could probably "force" myself to love it, but I could do that with many albums if I tried hard enough. If your tastes run towards folk rock, I would highly suggest you consider hearing this album. It is a cut above the norm.

As for its rarity, it's truly scarce. Discogs alleges that 69 people own it. That's nonsense. Most of those are the 1994 reissue for certain. Even the copies that sold were either that reissue, or missing the record altogether. The guy who has the $11,000 copy, while high, isn't crazy. So yes, buy the reissue. I'll probably let this go, but I just realized I never added to UMR, so here it is.

Ownership: 2001 Second Battle (CD). Digipak. Booklet with lyrics and photos. Acquired in 2001.

First copy: 1994 Brutkasten (LP). Acquired in 1994.

1994; 8/21/01 (review); 5/23/18; 8/22/26 (update / new entry)

Iron Butterfly ~ USA ~ San Diego, California

Sun and Steel (1975)

Sun and Steel is the second of Iron Butterfly's 1975 reunion albums, and represents their final studio effort. As noted on the Metamorphosis review, the band was always "jus' gonna" reunite. They were hapless after 1968.

As for the music, it's not as bad as its reputation suggests. Technically it fits in the hard rock genre, but the whole effort is at least three to four years behind the times. The keyboards are from an earlier era with plenty of the trusty Hammond, and would you believe, quite a bit of mellotron! B2 and B4 are practically prog rock compositions. The latter the highlight of the album, though interestingly it's the title of their previous effort. The problem here is their variation of hard rock. Long time guitarist Erik Braunn brings the appropriate tone. The issue is they're stuck in bar n' roll land. Pounding piano and BTO styled dance tunes are all the wrong moves for a band that never could see their own potential. Iron Butterfly should have been as relevant as Iron Maiden is today. Their mantra: Should have been.

Source: 1975 MCA (LP)

8/14/26 (review)  

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968)

I've written about every original-era Iron Butterfly, except for the big one. For my prelude to the Ball album (see below), I wrote the following:

Iron Butterfly. Sigh. Was there ever a group with more commercial potential, and then just fell off the face of the Earth? Maybe, but this band has to be at least in that conversation. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida wasn't just a good seller, it was a major blockbuster - the album that put album rock on the map. And it was highly influential to boot. One can hear the early Krautrock and UK Vertigo groups taking a page directly from it. They were, in effect, crowned to be America's own Led Zeppelin - a band that opened for them, before ultimately the other way around.

---

And then I went on to describe why Iron Butterfly weren't meant for the big time. So now we tackle the album that sent the group through the stratosphere. They weren't a one hit wonder in the traditional sense, which is usually saved for singles and the like. When I started hitting the used bins in early 1984, most of the record store owners had to say something about everything I bought - for some unknown and annoying reason (aged druggies in reality). Such as Focus' Moving Waves. "We used to get stoned during the yodeling parts...". In general, the reaction I received for albums I brought to the counter were "what the hell is that anyway?". Oftentimes I didn't know either - it looked cool so thought I'd try it out. Usually for less than three bucks (today some are going for $500 or more you Einsteins). But there were two bands that received outright derision from these clowns. One was Grand Funk Railroad (which I will still defend) and... Iron Butterfly. Especially this album. Constant references to what a joke it was. Not good music like - I dunno - The Band or Bruce Springsteen. Yea, OK. I'll make my own decisions, thank you. I always marched to my own drummer anyway (so to speak haha in this case), so other's opinions didn't matter much to me at age 19. Still don't nearly 40 years later.

I always liked the first side. In some ways it's similar to Brainticket's Cottonwood Hill. I love those first two tracks and would die to hear more like it. But the focus is always on the 30 minute Brainticket suite. Same for In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. All the songs are good - much better than the short form tracks on Heavy or Ball. So they improved in this way too. One wonders what would have happened had they just stuck with the single version of the title track, and added four or five more songs like it. Would have the album been more well received today? Would have it been as monumental as it was in its day? I think the answer to the first question is yes, and the second a big no.

The old-timers will tell you the truth - there just wasn't anything like this in 1968. I was all of 3 when this came out, so I cannot tell you a thing about its impact real time. But I am a student of history and it becomes clear that one must have context when listening to it. And do not kid yourself - if you don't think young Germans and Englishmen were tuned deep into this, then you're not serious. One can hear the embryonic form of Krautrock very clearly. And so did all those bands in the British underground.

About midway through the six minute mark comes the famous drum solo. Now if you can take anything away from my ramblings on this blog, you will have noted I hate drum solos. To me they are the biggest waste of recording space ever. I love this drum solo. It is a work of art. He's not spazzing out like an overly caffeinated zoo animal bashing on whatever he can find. Yea, I've sat through plenty of Neil Peart's drum solos at Rush concerts. Ron Bushy wins. Maybe not on technical points, but on enjoyable points. And - oh by the way - it ends at the nine minute mark. A whopping two and a half minutes of solo time, big deal. Then comes in the haunting organ. Like early Tangerine Dream or Mythos - or Pink Floyd. Yea, your cherished gods Pink Floyd were listening too. Everyone was, that's the point of this review. Then comes the guitar. It just oozes psychedelic atmosphere. How about checking out what they're doing at the 13 minute mark. Seriously? You're going to declare this album is no big deal? 

And here we are in 2023, and people are still talking like the record store guys in 1984. No hope for mankind I guess.

Ownership: 

1968 ATCO (LP). Monarch pressing. Best copy I've ever had. Acquired in 2026. First copy was from 1984. There were a few others.

1995 Atlantic / Rhino (CD). Cover features a Lenticular image. Features a live version of the title track performed way too fast with now the drums becoming annoying, but sure why not? It's the live experience. Also includes the single 45 version. Acquired in 1996.

1988 ATCO (MC). Acquired in 2024.

1972 Atlantic Germany (8 track). Acquired in 2025.

All I need now is the reel to reel!

1984; 6/23/06; 9/15/23 (review)

Metamorphosis (1970)

Metamorphosis is the album that supports the thesis of Ball. By this time, Iron Butterfly were so utterly confused as to what their self-identity was, they ended up in a stasis of nothingness. Like many bands coming from the US in 1970, Iron Butterfly's album can simply be described as "rock". It's mildly heavy, it's mildly progressive, and it's mildly annoying. 'New Day' represents about the only decent song here, while the rest sort of blows by without notice. 'Butterfly Bleu' is their last gasp at thinking perhaps maybe they were still a groundbreaking unit. And there are glimpses of great within, but of course most of it is just noodling around in the name of high art. They really had no clue at this point what they had started only two short years before. And then finally Ingle threw in the towel. Game over. As we learned with the 45 of 'Silly Sally', Iron Butterfly continued on in vain without him. They were moving in the direction of BST styled horn pop, so they were definitely going the wrong way. It was hopeless.

Iron Butterfly were to reform in the mid 70s without Ingle in tow. That unit predictably had little impact and also imploded. For the 40 years since then, Iron Butterfly has reformed (with Ingle this time) and broken back up. There's always going to be a new album, but yet it never somehow surfaces. Now the living members are in their 70s. Somehow I doubt a Spettri like phenomena will happen here (2973 La nemica dei ricordi). Woulda, coulda, shoulda. That should be on their tombstone outside the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Almost there, but not quite.

Former ownership: 2009 Victor (CD). Papersleeve.

4/15/17 (review)

Ball (1969)

Iron Butterfly. Sigh. Was there ever a group with more commercial potential, and then just fell off the face of the Earth? Maybe, but this band has to be at least in that conversation. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida wasn't just a good seller, it was a major blockbuster - the album that put album rock on the map. And it was highly influential to boot. One can hear the early Krautrock and UK Vertigo groups taking a page directly from it. They were, in effect, crowned to be America's own Led Zeppelin - a band that opened for them, before ultimately the other way around.

Ball is exactly the type of album that demonstrated why Iron Butterfly weren't meant for the big time. It's just so average. A band caught twixt and between heavy rock, pop rock, and psychedelic with no ambition. All played at 70% of capacity and enthusiasm. There's excellent stuff on here for certain, like 'In the Time of Our Lives', 'Filled With Fear' and 'Belda-Beast', but nothing mind blowing as on In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Doug Ingle was an immense talent. I don't get The Doors comparisons, other than they both had sonorous voices. Ingle was far more rough than Morrison, and had he come along a generation later, would have made for the perfect heavy metal lead singer. His keyboard style was born from the church (his dad's Midwest influence), and he sounds like he's playing a pipe organ sometimes. Ball should have been the album to project Iron Butterfly to the next level of creativity. But they seemed to recoil from the responsibility. Nine songs totaling 33 minutes, some of which are real throwaways. Nothing really memorable. It seems they didn't know their place in history and thus gave it away unceremoniously. And this was the album they did exactly that with. There's another chapter to tell here of course, but that's for the Metamorphosis review.

1969 ATCO (LP). Gatefold Unipak. Acquired in 2020.

4/15/17 (review); 8/3/21

Heavy (1968)

Iron Butterfly's debut is often flogged because of what came after it, not because of the album itself. The weighty expectations of a much forgotten album, and in retrospect, isn't heavy in the slightest. As stated by others, heavy didn't mean "heavy metal" in 1968. Even philosophically no one will ever accuse Iron Butterfly of being Descartes. But that doesn't mean that the group didn't release a competent, if not extraordinary, late 60s psych release. There are four really solid tracks here in 'Possession', 'Unconscious Power', 'You Can't Win', and 'Iron Butterfly Theme' with fine organ, guitar, and vocals. Sure, there's some filler here too. Honestly, rare is the US major label psych album which didn't have filler. Keep expectations in check, and I think you'll find Heavy an album worthy of your time.

Ownership: 1969 ATCO (LP). Acquired in 2021.

7/12/16 (review); 10/2/21

1/1/17 (new entry)

High Tide ~ England

Sea Shanties (1969)

High Tide's debut is arguably the heaviest album to be released up to that point in time, even predating the first Black Sabbath album. Perhaps Blue Cheer's Vincebus Eruptum comes first chronologically, though High Tide seems more professional. Tony Hill sets the amps to 11, while Simon House destroys his poor violin into oblivion. Like the first Stray album, the group's primary focus is on long and intense jams. There just wasn't anything else like this on the market, especially on a major label. Guess the execs thought it was worth a shot. Probably didn't work out commercially speaking, though clearly High Tide were leagues ahead of their time.

Unlike their second album, High Tide does appear to take the time to put together a composition or two, though it doesn't seem like they were patient enough to let them breathe before pummeling the listener with some more distortion. I love their sound and its relentless. I'm not sure anyone sticks around until the end, but the last track is truly complex progressive rock.

Ownership: 1994 Repertoire (CD). Booklet with liner notes. Acquired in 1996.

First copy: 1969 Liberty USA (LP). Gatefold. I'll get this one back eventually. May even splurge for the UK original. Sold it long ago when US commodity pressings like this weren't worth much. How times have changed. Acquired in 1988.

1988; 1996; 6/2/16; 8/7/26 (review)
 

High Tide (1970)

High Tide were a well known UK heavy primarily instrumental rock group with powerful guitar and violin leads. The Eclectic / Esoteric CD is a must own just to hear the near 16 minute 'The Great Universal Protection Racket', which was recorded with the same sessions as the others on the album and was a last minute cut due to time constraints. And it's as strong as the other material, maybe even a little better.

---5/22/26

For 1970 England, it was rather unusual for such long jamming sessions, especially on a major label. Tony Hill and Simon House are battling it out on guitar and violin with the rhythm section creating a racket behind them. This is at least a full year before the Krautrock movement got going in full force, and it's there that you might here this kind of unhinged ripping. Perhaps Amon Duul II was in this league by then, though I don't get the impression that High Tide were stoned out of their minds. It doesn't have the gravitas we hear from their neighbors. Blissful jamming I'd conclude. Vocals are an afterthought though they suit the music well. It's telling that High Tide never released a single in an era when that was expected.

There's more material on the bonus tracks than the album proper. Roughly 35 minutes, in fact. Though two of them are just different mixes (or takes). I mentioned 'The Great Universal Protection Racket' in my initial notes, and it does stand out. It feels more composed than the other three jams that made the album proper. Has more of a prog rock approach than psychedelic. Until they throw away the rule book about halfway through, and get back after it. 

After this you're likely to feel a bit exhausted, as the music is relentless without much of a breather. It appears the final bonus song 'Ice Age' was the last recording from the original incarnation of High Tide (not sure if it predates the Precious Cargo sessions). It definitely was more song focused. Would have been interesting to hear them develop this style further.

If psych jamming isn't your bag, then it's probably a good idea to steer well clear of this title. I think if one considers the era in which it was released, it's quite an extraordinary accomplishment. 

Ownership: 2006 Eclectic (CD). Booklet with a full history and photos. Contains four bonus tracks. Acquired in 2011.

First copy: 1994 Repertoire (CD). Acquired in 1994. 

1994; 7/26/11 (review); 5/22/26 (update)

Also own: Ancient Gates

Previously owned: The Reason of Success; The Flood

7/26/11 (new entry)

Robin Trower ~ England

Bridge of Sighs (1974)

One of the greatest albums of all time. And easily my favorite Robin Trower album, and I like them all! At least his 1970s and early 80s output. And, for once, I seem to be in the majority here. The vast majority. Everyone I talk with agrees that Bridge of Sighs is Trower's best. Most agree it's a masterpiece. No matter your religion, race, sex, politics, age; No matter if you're a deep diving underground head, or a novice just getting started, Bridge of Sighs is the one. 

There's not a single weak track either. The title song gives me goosebumps every time I hear those first guitar notes over the chimes. What a tone he's achieved here. 'Day of the Eagle' is a crushing opener. B1 and the closer are also FM radio classics. Even the deep cuts like A3, A4, B2, and B3 deliver the goods.

I haven't done a good job of documenting my Trower collection, and considering I own all his classics on a CD set, it will just be a matter of time. But I'm glad to have covered this one early on.

The CD bonus tracks (2004 edition) come from a spirited performance, and well worth hearing for the rawness of the guitars and the energy level.

Ownership:

1974 Chrysalis Germany (LP). Acquired in 2021.

2004 Chrysalis (CD). Booklet with history. 5 live bonus tracks from 5/29/74, all from this album. Acquired in 2004.

1974 Chrysalis (MC). Green Ampex hard shell and tape. Old school. Acquired in 2024.

2019 Chrysalis (CD). Box set titled The Studio Albums 1973-1983. No bonus tracks.

First copy: 1985 Chrysalis (LP). Acquired in 1985.

No surprise I own so many copies. And if and when I find the 8 track and reel to reel copies out in the wilds, I'll keep them as well. Count on it.

1985; 2004; 8/11/12; 8/8/19; 6/17/26 (review)

 

Passion (1987) 

Hard to pass up this striking cover. A few years ago I completed my journey through the Chrysalis box set of Trower, which ended two albums prior to this (though I need to relisten and document most of them). Free from commercial constraints I would have expected Trower to let loose here. Instead he couldn't give up the dream. As usual, he recruited an excellent vocalist, but the music itself is mid to late 80s blandola with a slick production. Once again his guitar saves the day, especially on the instrumental 'Night'. He should have just recorded a whole album like that. If he had, this wouldn't be a $5 record with nearly 100 for sale at any one time. The music doesn't match the title nor the cover. Bummer.

Source: 1987 GNP Crescendo (LP)

4/10/24 (review)
 

Twice Removed from Yesterday (1973)

In my notes for Victims of the Fury - written late last year mind you - I stated: "If there's an artist I need an "Original Album Series" CD set of, it's Robin Trower. He's just one of those guys I pretty much ignored throughout my life. And for no good reason, especially considering how much I love Bridge of Sighs, and have so for over 30 years." As if reissue labels read my blog, lo and behold that event happened earlier this year! And I have now secured said box set, and licking my chops as to what I will discover. It will be a slow process, but it has begun. And where to begin? At the beginning of course.

Twice Removed from Yesterday is of course that album, and it's my loss that I hadn't heard it until I'm in my mid 50s, yet I was completely familiar with the artist going back to when I was 15 years of age. James Dewar has one of the all-time great smooth blues rock voices, and of course Trower brings with him the ghost of Jimi Hendrix, one of the rare guitarists to continue down that path as late as 1973. Every track here is a gem and a joy to listen to.

Ownership: 2019 Chrysalis (CD). Box set titled The Studio Albums 1973-1983. The box set is pretty basic, with no liner notes - a big missed opportunity right there. However you get ten studio albums of Trower, the last two with different line-ups. They all come in simple slip covers with original artwork. Acquired in 2019.

7/21/19 (review)

Victims of the Fury (1980)

Robin Trower finally records his successor to Bridge of Sighs. Unfortunately at a time when no one was interested in heavy psychedelic oriented blues rock. There's not a hint of 1980 here. Despite that, Victims of Fury did reasonably well in its day, perhaps better with the modern metal audiences looking for more raw - and less polish. Overall this is a great record with 'The Ring' being the highlight of a strong set of tunes. If there's an artist I need an "Original Album Series" CD set of, it's Robin Trower. He's just one of those guys I pretty much ignored throughout my life. And for no good reason, especially considering how much I love Bridge of Sighs, and have so for over 30 years. 

Ownership: 2019 Chrysalis (CD). Box set titled The Studio Albums 1973-1983.

First copy: 1980 Chrysalis (LP). Acquired in 2015.

11/7/15; 11/21/18 (review); 9/30/19

Also own: For Earth Below; Long Misty Days; In City Dreams; Caravan To Midnight; B.L.T.; Truce; Back It Up

7/21/19 (new entry)

Korai Orom ~ Hungary

Korai Orom 2009

As noted on the 2001 Sound & Vision entry, Korai Orom kept going, and I kept going with them. It was a reflexive response. It was my comfort zone. In reflection, 2005 is about as far as I needed to go, and probably that was also one too many. The music is familiar across all their albums, though hardly plagiaristic onto itself, but rather an extension of a formula. Ozric Tentacles, who have a similar mindset to Korai Orom, still managed to create a few super interesting songs once you isolate the listen to the album itself, and not binge across a few. In trying that with Korai Orom, it doesn't seem to work. There are nine tracks here, so my challenge will be see if any of them transcends the expectation, which would put it in keeper status. I take a similar approach with metal bands. As you can see by the listen dates below, I was here two years ago, but didn't get any notes down. Let's rectify that.

Track 2 is a straight up psychedelic guitar space rocker, similar to the Ozrics actually, and not something Korai Orom has explored all that much as I discuss below. After that, well, it sounds like Korai Orom without much spectacular merit. Track 4 had enough changes to qualify for prog rock, but overall yea, just not enough here to distinguish itself from the others. Some of which I plan on keeping until the end.

2009 IG (CD). Tri-fold booklet with a band photo. With a video. Acquired in 2009. 

2009; 2/7/24; 6/15/26 (review)  

2001 Sound & Vision

Next up in the haven't-heard-since-acquiring series is Korai Orom's 5th album. I would have been well served to have maintained pages like this as I went along because I think it would have been obvious not to keep going with Korai Orom for as long as I did. I purged a couple already and now I need to see which ones I want to keep. I'm fond of the first three albums, as they came at the right time and place for me. After that, they all tend to be blurry memories, including 2005 below (which was recent!).

And that decision will not come easy, as this 2001 outing is proving. They have a very pleasant danceable sound that just keeps the head bobbing. The insertion of heavy guitar and flute help appreciate the musical aspect and also provides much needed dynamics. If only there was more of it.

The reality is this doesn't have any particular track that towers above the rest, so it will probably get scooped out at some point without protest. 

Ownership: 2001 private (CD). Digipak with recording details. Includes a video that I have yet to see. Acquired in 2002.

2002; 8/11/25 (review)

 

Korai Orom (1996)

This is the album that sits between their debut and 1997, both of which I've discussed here already. 1996 is the stepping stone from one to the other. It's a bit more zoned-in than the debut, but it's more measured than the kinetic 1997. It's also a bit less dance-y than the latter. I'm finding that Korai Orom is a band I must listen to while chilling at night. For dedicated, focused listening, their music tends to drag. In this way, Korai Orom needs to be approached in the same manner as Tangerine Dream or any similar type of electronic music. When hearing in this light, 1996 gets a +1.

Ownership: 1996 private (CD). Tri-fold booklet. This is a situation where the jewel case isn't modular since it has a pre-printed logo on the front piece (the one that usually breaks). Acquired in 1997.

6//97; 1/6/21 (review)

Korai Orom 1997

Korai Orom's 3rd album, the first to have a title (such as it is), is when the group really started to gel. Their combination of EDM, various culture's indigenous music, and fiery space rock proved to be a popular one, and Korai Orom made a nice career out of it. Most certainly their live shows proved to be even more exciting than the studio efforts. For my tastes, 1997 has remained my favorite of the albums I own by the band. It also happens to be their most energetic, so perhaps not a coincidence. The opener sets the mood perfectly with the hyper percussion and shimmering guitars. I can do without the "hoo ha ha" parts, but otherwise it's exactly what Korai Orom are about. This then leads to the best segue of their career, that of track 2 (they had a habit of not naming their songs) - a countdown followed by a blistering sequence of psychedelic guitar, fast percussion, and wood flutes. If that wasn't enough, the following segue into track 3 almost matches it with yet another killer beat and some awesome Moog like synth sounds. Once again the guitar is on fire here. After this it doesn't maintain this momentum (not sure it could have), but the album is still great throughout. Unfortunately 1997 suffers the same fate as all the Korai Orom albums, and that would be that the tracks are too long. Most of these could have been chopped two to four minutes and the impact would have been that much greater. Certainly if the primary purpose of the music is set for dancing, then one can understand this situation for a live setting. But for home listening, the fast forward button starts to look appealing. A minor gripe I suppose, as I still hold 1997 as one of the finest examples of the genre, and it maintains its excellent rating. If you're into bands such as Ozric Tentacles and want to explore a more exotic alternative, Korai Orom's 1997 is the place to start.

Ownership: 1997 private (CD). Tri-fold digipak. Acquired in 1998.

1998 (acquired); 12/22/20 (review)

Korai Öröm 2005

Korai Öröm 2005 is the 6th album (or 7th if one counts the first cassette) from this fine Hungarian band. Though I have dutifully picked up every album they've released (save their last 2013, so total of nine), I can honestly say I recall little about each. The one that had the great impact here is 1997. In recent years I've gone back to the debut (1995) and 2000 - Sound & Vision, and both fell into a similar pattern which I'll describe here shortly. As memory serves, 2005 was one of the very best, perhaps only second to 1997 in quality. After this revisit, I'm hoping that's not the case.

Listening to this CD now, it's as if I'd never heard the album before as I had no prior memory of it. Just the style. And I fear to say that will be the case for most of the Korai Öröm catalog. In reality, their sound hasn't deviated much from the debut, so it's really a matter of the execution and dynamism of each. So what is that sound? Organic psychedelic dance music, for a lack of a designation more official. And what I mean by organic is they they use real instruments verse just samples, synthesizers, and the like. Because of this, Korai Öröm are often compared to Ozric Tentacles, and in some ways that is a fair conclusion to make. Ozric though were more informed by the 70s space rock bands such as Gong and Here & Now than only considering modern dance music. They blended both seamlessly (and often times just went raucous space rock). Korai Öröm takes an Ozric extract and applies it more toward the rave club circuit. The instrumentation and personnel is impressive, with a variety of indigenous wind and string instruments, a raftful of modern keyboards, electric guitar, additional percussion, and a pounding rhythm section. Along with guest female vocals.

After hearing '2005/1' you'll know if this is your cup of tea or not. The band doesn't extend the style palette much, however the music definitely is varied. The biggest issue I have with Korai Öröm is that they should let loose more in the rock sections like the best bands in this genre do (Ozric, Dasputnik, Quantum Fantay, Vespero). It seems they're always holding back, constantly building the atmosphere and not allowing for more ideas and changes to come forth. It also seems there isn't much in the form of music composition but rather Korai Öröm are more about texture and sound. Yes it's still excellent in aggregate, but one begins to think how much better it should have been.

Personal favorites include the pounding '2005/4' and the exotic, psychedelic, and tuneful '2005/7'.

Ownership: 2005 1G Records (CD). Band photos. Acquired in 2006.

1//2006; 7/18/19 (review)

Korai Orom (1995)

Korai Öröm's debut laid down the blueprint that the band continually draws upon to this very day. They were at once influenced by the UK Festival Psych scene, as well as many of the free spirited dance cultures that came about in the 90s. In effect, Korai Öröm are an organic chill out band. While they certainly do utilize electronics as a core component, the separation aspect is the use of real rock band instruments. In particular the electric guitar is a centerpiece, and often times played with in a fiery fuzz tone manner, and sometimes in high octane mode, which creates excitement within the generally low key "chill" environment. The unusual use of trumpet is also a fascinating addition to their sound. The musical themes often borrow from Western Asian and Australasian indigenous traditions, the latter represented by the heavy use of didgeridoo. On their debut, I'm most reminded of Ship of Fools, a band that arrived late to the UK Festival Psych scene and had a similar approach to crossing over with dance. The main drawback on this debut, is that Korai Öröm stretch their ideas a bit too far, and often times boredom ensues. The group were still finding their identity at this point, and hadn't quite seen their potential yet as a dynamic psychedelic rock unit. All the same, there's a solid 30 to 35 minutes here of excellent music (out of 55), and if you're a fan of the band, it's a must pick up.

Ownership: 1995 private (CD). Acquired in 1995.

5//95; 2/24/17 (review)

2000 Sound & Vision

Sound & Vision 2000 is the 4th album from the Hungarian collective Korai Orom. At this point in their career, Korai Orom sounded like a direct cross between Can and Ozric Tentacles, but as played for Rave parties typical of the turn of the century (later to be named Indietronica). It's repetitive, danceable, and yet still very psychedelic rock influenced. Given they are a large scale band that plays real instruments, the music is far more interesting than a DJ with a massive sampler reserve bank. All the same, while the album is most certainly excellent background music, it's not as engaging on close listens as I'd prefer.

2000 private (CD). Digipak. Acquired in 2000. 

2000; 2/6/16 (review); 7/4/22

Previously owned: Live '93-'96; Korai Orom 2010

2/6/16 (new entry)

Alrune Rod ~ Denmark

Hej Du (1971)

It's been forever since I've heard any of the first three Alrune Rod albums. So it was nice to see Hej Du come up for a listen, especially since I picked up the original LP in the last few years.

Like many bands from Denmark, Alrune Rod's hippie roots are very apparent. This is particularly true on the opening piece, and the term "rural rock" inevitably pops into ones mind. We hear this with Culpeper's Orchard as well. By the title track, clocking in at 15 minutes, a stoned jamming atmosphere begins to enter stage left, complete with impassioned mumbling vocals. Stellar guitar and Hammond organ solos emerge while the rhythm section picks up the pace considerably. I'm more reminded of the Dutch scene like Group 1850 and Ahora Mazda than anything else coming from Copenhagen. This leads to the side long B side. Well it's 1971 northern Europe, so you can already guess where this will head. Early Pink Floyd and the Krautrock movement in neighboring Germany are but two guideposts. Overall, a fairly distinct sound coming out of Denmark and a solid classic of the early 70s underground.

Ownership:
1971 Sonet (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2023.

1998 Sonet (CD). Sonet Arene 1969-72. Includes their first three albums plus bonus tracks. Booklet contains photos and recording details. Acquired in 2003.

First copy: 1990's "Sonet" (LP). Gatefold. Unofficial. Acquired in 1998. Long gone.

1998; 2003; 5/18/26 (review)

Deep Purple (& related) ~ England

Deep Purple are arguably one of the best hard rock groups ever, going toe to toe with Led Zeppelin in the 70s popularity sweepstakes. The primary difference is that Deep Purple continued on into the 80s and beyond, and are still releasing new product. I haven't heard a Deep Purple album yet that I didn't enjoy at some level. Granted I haven't listened to anything new from the band in nearly 30 years, but I'm sure I will at some point. As you will see below, the later albums are new to me in the 2020's, that's how long ago I dropped Deep Purple from the buy category (1984). I have more of their classic albums here too, just haven't penned any notes for them yet.

As for the "& related" appellation, I'm casting a wide net. Mostly I'm thinking of groups and artists that I wouldn't likely separate anyway, so might as well include them here. The exception is Rainbow, and I'll get a page up for them the next time I review one of their albums or 45s. 

Concerto For Group And Orchestra (1969)

Concerto For Group And Orchestra is Jon Lord's dream of the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing his own concerto. Which was a really big deal for 1969. The button up orchestra going up against the blues rock ruffians. There isn't much cohesion at all between the two. There's no fusion or interplay here. The classical is the classical, and the rock is the rock. While I can appreciate the former, and own a fair share of classical albums, it's the latter I'm focused on. Had this been released strictly as a typical Deep Purple album, after Deep Purple (III) and In Rock, they may have lost their audience before they got there. It's nothing more than a charming novelty at this point. I can't judge the quality of the concerto itself, that's for a different audience. 

I'd never sat down and heard this album prior. I have this on DVD as well, just haven't viewed it yet. I think it will translate better in that format.

1970 Warner Bros (LP). Gatefold. Green label.

4/18/26 (review)

Whitesnake - A Slip of the Tongue (1989) 

As with their 1987 album, A Slip of the Tongue starts off strong. It doesn't take long, though, for Whitesnake to out-cliche the cliche. The title certainly is indicative of their mindset. One senses at this point that they're jealous not to have been from Los Angeles. They certainly sound like it. Depraved and all of that, but musically it's good hard rock. Nothing more though.

1989 Geffen (MC)

1/29/25 (review)

Tommy Bolin - Private Eyes (1976)

Tommy Bolin's albums show up quite a bit here in Colorado since that's where he first made his name. So what do we have here from Bolin's post Deep Purple life? It's an eclectic album mixing various AOR and classic rock styles. Most of the tracks are pleasant and well written. With excellent guitar work as to be expected. I'm not real keen on A2 and B3, but the rest is very good. The payoff cut here is 'Post Toastee' the only place that Bolin really lets loose on the guitar. I remember hearing this song on the radio while still in high school and wondering who it even was. Once I found out and then saw the album cover, instincts told me to avoid. And that was the right call at the time. Unfortunately this was to be Bolin's last work, dying of a drug overdose at the young age of 25.

1976 Columbia (LP)

4/28/15; 1/27/25 (review)

The House of Blue Light (1987)

In recent years I've inexplicably acquired a taste for later era Deep Purple. As I reflect back, The House of Blue Light would have been the first album I'd ignored entirely and that remained the case until only the last few years. My reunion with Perfect Strangers went much better than expected, and I hear this album very similar to that one. So why would that be the case? I think real time, to my ears at least, these old dinosaur rockers weren't bringing anything new. Blues based hard rock was ever pervasive on the radio and honestly a bit tired by then. Forgetting my initial deep diving into the 70s European underground for a moment, I was also tracking current metal trends, in particular on the thrash side. That was where my high energy dollars were going. Not hard rock retreads.

Today I hear a band that was embracing their past while begrudgingly giving into some 80s trends. Essentially it's retro hard rock 15 years before anyone would think of such a thing. While some of the production techniques remind us of the 80s synth pop bands, Blackmore's guitar is still rooted in the 70s past. Gillan sounds great, though less emotional than his best works. He seems to be emulating Dio oddly enough. Sure 'Call of the Wild' can be skipped (not really a bad song, just the wrong band to perform it). 'Hard Lovin' Woman' has the right title but the perkiness doesn't match. The rest of Side 2 is where the revelation is. One wonders if many fans had the patience to get that far. Every track is a winner and Blackmore lets loose more than usual. 'Dead or Alive' is a great closer where Jon Lord finally shows up with his Hammond B3 and they get into an updated 'Highway Star' solo trade off.

Certainly not suggesting that The House of Blue Light is the pick of the Deep Purple litter, and I'll probably sell it at some point. But it's much better than I expected.

1987 Mercury promo (LP). Acquired in 2024

6/4/24 (review)

In Rock (1970)

Below I wrote for the follow up album Fireball: "While seemingly half of Europe was copying Deep Purple - In Rock's innovations with hard rock, the band themselves regressed back into blues rock." In hearing In Rock for the first time in many years, I think I managed to underestimate it. Every track is a hard rock winner, with Blackmore and Lord trading the heaviest solos of their career. Ian Gillan provides the blueprint for every hard rock, and later, heavy metal vocalist. Paice and Glover are on fire here. 'Child in Time' is a track for the ages. 

Ownership: 

1970 Warner Bros. (LP). Gatefold. Green label. Upgraded in 2025.

Warner Bros. (CD). 2000's press. Acquired in 2006.

First copy: 1983 Harvest / Fame (LP). Acquired in 1986.

1986; 2006; 2/2/23 (review)

Deep Purple (1969)

Deep Purple's 3rd album is an odd bird to be sure. It's a ship without an anchor. Is it prog? psych? hard rock? The answer is yes. They really have a great sound here with Blackmore displaying more of an acid tone than usual and Lord's Hammond way out front. This was to be the end of Mk. 1, before the band decided to rip their shirts open to show their hairy chest while their balls clanged to the ground. It was the right move at the right time, and Deep Purple are legends because of the variation of the band known as Mk 2. What would have happened had they continued with Evans and Simper? Hard to know but likely they would have stayed regional and ultimately faded away - one more 60s English band that is more a footnote than one with a true historical legacy.

In any event, I like this 3rd album - as quirky as The Book of Taliesyn that preceded it. No major highlights but an easy album on the ears that doesn't ask too much from the listener.

CD comes with five bonus tracks, two from a single and three taken from BBC radio sessions.

Ownership: 2003 Purple Japan (CD). Extra thick gatefold papersleeve. Acquired in 2005.

7//05; 12/4/22 (review)

Whitesnake - Lovehunter (1979) 

A real outlier in RTs collection. "I liked the cover" he tells me. Well yea, can't argue that point! Lyrically these guys were really plugged into the macho oversexed culture of the day. Today they would be cancelled for being sexist pigs. Which is, of course, what they were... Musically it's still the same old bluesy hard rock that one would hear from 1973. So they had fallen way behind on that front. Ultimately they would catch up with the era they lived in (see our notes on the 1987 album). A pretty good album, but nothing that really stands out.

1979 United Artists (LP) 

11/24/21 (review)

Fireball (1971)

While seemingly half of Europe was copying Deep Purple - In Rock's innovations with hard rock, the band themselves regressed back into blues rock. At least for the first side. Though the opening title track is a burner, the rest takes us back to the late 60s pre-proggy era of Purple, and is shockingly ordinary. Side 2, however, makes up for it and picks up where the last album left off. Much more interesting and creative hard rock - though not trailblazing. When it's 1971, you are Deep Purple, and your album is named Fireball, one presumes you'll get more than this. Led Zeppelin, for their part, put out 'Stairway to Heaven' among other tracks etched into our collective DNA's. You think they created some separation there in the public's mind? Oh yea. Meanwhile Black Sabbath was dominating the underground with Master of Reality. Most people here couldn't name one song on Fireball, as none of these made it out of the early 70s as far as American FM radio was concerned. They were to make up for all of this in a big way the following year with Machine Head. But they lost some ground in 1971, a most pivotal year.

Ownership: 2000 Warner Bros. / Rhino (CD). Full written history, new photos, vintage posters, old reviews, and multiple relevant bonus tracks including a 45 single. An excellent reissue. Acquired in 2016.

2//06; 8/13/16; 3/25/17; 10/23/22 (review)

Trapeze - Meduza (1970)

Trapeze's second album is a solid hard rock work, one step ahead of the more blues oriented competition. The band is most known for contributing Glenn Hughes to Deep Purple and Dave Holland to Judas Priest (later), though they had a nice career throughout the 70s. Guitarist Mel Galley found success with Whitesnake as well. Speaking of Judas Priest, one can hear their prototype on tracks like 'Jury' and 'Medusa'. Not a life changing album, but this is good meat and potatoes hard rock.

1970 Threshold (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2022.

8/26/22 (review)

Perfect Strangers (1984)

The hype sticker on my copy screams "Destiny Brought Them Together. Again." So we'll presume then that it was destiny that intervened and broke them up. Again. Or it could just be that Blackmore and Gillan couldn't stand each other. But on this reunion of the famous "Mk. II" band, their first together since 1973, the band sounded fresh. 1984 was an odd time for an old fashioned hard rock band to be trying to make a comeback in a world full of heavy metal bands and New Wave pop artists. Undeterred, Deep Purple did just that. The title track sounding more classic Led Zeppelin than Deep Purple, nonetheless they caught fire and Deep Purple were back in the limelight for the first time in a decade. Jon Lord's organ hasn't changed one bit (no need for cheap synthesizers), Blackmore is ripping solos in his inimitable way, and Gillan is still sounding like a virile young man. The only downside is that Glover and Paice did decide to sound more 80s, and the wide open beats are too simple for these guys. 'Burn' this is not. All the same, a triumphant comeback album.

Ownership: 1984 Mercury (LP). Lyric insert. Reacquired in 2021. First purchased in 1984.

1984; 12/29/21 (review)

Purpendicular (1996)

One of my favorite pastimes of late is enjoying past-their-prime releases of known bands. Uriah Heep, Saxon, and... now add Deep Purple to that list. If nothing else, gives me something to look for while combing the thrift shop CD bins. I had a grade on this from before, but I don't remember a thing about it, which tells me I probably heard it real time. Back then I wasn't so keen on these "has-beens" trying to stay relevant. I also didn't give it a chance I'm sure. In reflection, I'm hearing the classic Deep Purple sound 20+ years from their best years. And when one looks at the line-up, it's Mk. 2 with Steve Morse instead of Blackmore on guitar. Which is sacrilege for many, but Blackmore left Purple behind a couple of times, and hasn't looked back since 1993. So what's a band to do - quit? No. Persevere. Bands as brands as I've said many times before. This is pretty much 70s hard rock with Hammond organ (yep, the old warhorse Jon Lord is still banging away on the heavy piece of wood) and Morse providing a more updated guitar approach (i.e. more notes per minute). Gillan sounds great, and his bluesy voice is timeless. Paice and Glover are a machine by this point. Good set of tunes. What else do you need? 

Ownership: 1996 Prominent (CD). Acquired in 2021.

10/22/21 (review)

The Book of Taliesyn (1968)

Clearly Deep Purple were going towards heady waters with a title and cover like this, especially for 1968. In fact, Deep Purple had to make a conscious decision to move away from prog and over to hard rock eventually, and it was there they found fame and fortune. I had my best listen in 35 years this go round (+1). Really appreciating Jon Lord's Hammond organ contributions at this point of the group's career.

Ownership: 1971 Harvest UK (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2020.

First copy: Tetragrammaton (LP). 80s press. Acquired in 1986.

1986; 2//05; 10/19/21 (review)

Whitesnake (1987) 

I remember when this album first came out, and the track I heard was 'Still of the Night'. Based on that, I purchased the LP. To great disappointment. And sold the LP in the mid 90s (if not before). Once I saw this special edition, I thought this would be a good chance to hear it again. The CD opens with - you guessed it - 'Still of the Night'. Which is not how the originals started, but makes sense in retrospect. It's a foot stomper of a track. Huge fat chords, heavy beats, and creative passages. It's a no wonder I was drawn to this album originally. And that's pretty much it for that style. Certainly tracks like 'Bad Boys' and 'Children of the Night' bring it as well, and have earned their hard rock street cred. But boy is this an album of the 80s or what? Big hair, beautiful bodies, and little brain use. 'Is This Love?' is pathetic - gee, I don't know - is it? I'm pretty sure the only things these guys would have known is 'Is this Sex?'. 'Here I Go Again' is the kind of track one would think a time traveler would make about 80s music, it's such a caricature of the entire genre. We can criticize this album all day long, but this is exactly what audiences wanted back then. It does have a time and place charm, that's for sure. I'm keeping it. File next to your mousse can.

Ownership: 2007 EMI Europe (CD + DVD). 20th Anniversary Special Edition. Double digipak with four live tracks. Acquired in 2021.

First copy: 1987 Geffen (LP). Acquired in 1987.

1987; 3/6/21 (review)

Warhorse (1970)

The debut of Warhorse is quite a powerful tour de force for 1970. Bassist Nick Simper is the big name here, coming fresh off his firing from Deep Purple. Probably no surprise then that vocalist Ashley Holt is a screamer in the Ian Gillan mold, by then certainly Simper's arch enemy. The band also originally had Rick Wakeman in its ranks, but replacement Frank Wilson pounds on the organ with the best of them. But it's guitarist Ged Peck who steals the show here, and lays out a blueprint for the riffing style that was to come years later. There's little from 1970 that has the pure force of 'Burning', the album's highlight along with the raucous closer 'Woman of the Devil'. Of the seven tracks here, five are excellent or beyond. 'Ritual' is, as other's have noted, a bit too close to 'Mandrake Root' for comfort. 'St. Louis' is the only skip over track as it sounds like Deep Purple playing with.... The Partridge Family. I'm serious! Two small marks on an otherwise brilliant hard rock album, a pioneer of the genre honestly.

Ownership: 1999 Angel Air (CD). Liner notes, photos and five bonus tracks. Four are live versions from the album proper, and the other is the demo track 'Miss Jane', which was best left on the cutting room floor. Acquired in 2005.

2005; 5/4/19 (review)

Warhorse - Red Sea (1972)

Add another name to those who feel disappointed by this effort. I had that somewhat cheap looking Thunderbolt vinyl reissue going back to the 80s, and sold it not long after, as I was nonplussed about the music from the get. However, I picked up the Angel Air CD about a decade ago, and thought it good enough to keep. This relisten validates my initial assessment.

In hearing it again, it becomes obvious why most folks tend to appreciate the album, including myself. The first two tracks are excellent, sounding exactly what one expects of Warhorse: That of Mk. 1 Deep Purple emulating Mk. 2. But the appropriately titled 'Confident But Wrong' shows the frayed strands of creativity, and introduces us to four very ordinary rock and roll tracks that are a slog to sit through. Though the lengthy 'Mouthpiece' looks alluring on paper, one quickly realizes there's not much but a skeleton of a song there, with an overlong drum solo to boot. 'I (Who Have Nothing)' begins to turn the corner with its shrieking Ian Gillan-like pleas, but it's clearly too late, and this warhorse has already sunk to the bottom of the sea. And this would be the end for the once promising hard rock band.

Given the pedigree of the band, this album was somewhat "mainstream" in real time, and was pressed in multiple countries. Surprisingly, though, it did not receive a US pressing.

1999 Angel Air (CD). Acquired in 2005.

2005; 7/10/16 (review)

Other albums I own: Machine Head; Made in Japan; Who Do We Think We Are; Burn; Deep Purple In Concert

1/1/17 (new entry)