Thirsty Moon. 1972 Germany

Three plus years ago I wrote:

For me, quite possibly the reissue of the year (along with their second You'll Never Come Back). Long Hair surprised everyone with these reissues I think. Complete with unique liner notes from the band and an independent reviewer, bonus tracks (in this case a 5:42 minute number that's highly relevant to the release) and a high quality production... ...I've had this for many years on LP, and never tire of it. Thirsty Moon play a favored style of Krautrock for me: Jazzy, improvised, heavy, intense, creative. They sound like no one particular group, but elements of similar German acts like Brainstorm, Kollektiv, Embryo, Emergency, Xhol Caravan and Missing Link are apparent. Six piece band with added percussion, two keyboardists (one dedicated to electric piano) and a reeds player. The band gels on a number of fronts, especially in energy and passion - something that is rarely captured in a bottle like this. Conny Plank's engineering is all over this too (phasing, panning, gadgetry galore). And 21.5 minute 'Yellow Sunshine' is a classic for the ages - like Missus Beastly playing in the production of the Cosmic Jokers series of albums. Yes, this is in the Top 75 albums of all time for me. Maybe even Top 50.

Ownership: LP: 1972 Brain. Amazing gatefold cover of a moon spun tornado that holds up the sun and the fiery flames spell out Thirsty Moon. Online acquisition (2000). My first copy was the Rock-On Brain version known as Yellow Sunshine that was acquired via mail order (1991).

CD: 2006 Long Hair. Jewel case with liner notes, photos, and one solid bonus track.

1991; 2000; 12/18/06; 2/22/10 (new entry)

Elluffant ~ Netherlands

Release Concert (1972)

The always misspelled Elluffant (2 f's) had one album that is something very different, almost like an avant garde classical album gone awry. It appears it may have been some sort of science project, whereas the protagonist built his own pipe organ, and came up with this fuzzy sounding monstrosity that I'm sure Mike Ratledge would've enjoyed playing. With an added drummer, they just jam for two side long sessions. Radical and noisy, but ultimately a tad boring.

Pigshit (LP). Acquired in 1992. An obvious bootleg that I sold off years ago.

Still not on CD as of 10/4/26.

1992; 2/18/10 (review)

Captain Marryat ~ UK ~ Scotland

Captain Marryat (1974)

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this album, considering some of the hype surrounding its excessive value in original LP form. I really thought it would be average at best. But not so. It screams the era in which it was released. It's naive, it's honest, it's well played, and it's memorable. Nice melodies, and surprisingly strong vocals. Long sections are set aside for guitar (nice fuzz tone) and organ jams. And they are also very well executed. Very much a UK styled rock / progressive album from 1974.

This album was about as mythical as they come in collecting circles. For years, it was only whispered about and many decried its very existence. But then a couple of copies popped on ebay in early 2009, each securing well over $4,000 each and many collectors (including me) became curious what all the fuss was. Shortly thereafter, the excellent Shadoks label, a reissue company whose primary focus is that of the most obscure albums, came through with both an LP and CD reissue. The turnaround on this one - going from impossible-to-find-mega-rarity to CD reissue is about as fast it will ever happen. But it's a win-win for all progressive rock fans.

Ownership: 2009 Shadoks (CD). Booklet with liner notes and photos.

6/20/09 (review)

2/17/10 (new entry)

Rumple Stiltzken Comune ~ Switzerland

Wrong From The Beginning (1977)

Rumple Stiltzken Comune are the only progressive rock band I know from the Italian section of Switzerland. Despite their background, Rumple Stiltzken Comune sounds most like an English band. Especially echoes of Van der Graaf Generator and Gabriel era Genesis can be heard. While the vocals can get a little clumsy at times, the music more than makes up for it. It's quite complex, and not an easy listen. It's fully involved as they say. 4 very long and convoluted compositions. If you like your music dense and difficult, while employing the classic 70s analog rock instrumentation, then Rumple Stiltzken Comune is one for you to seek out. I quite enjoy the album myself.

Ownership: CD: 2000 Black Rills. Booklet with photos and a short history. My copy shows a numbered edition of 250, and mine is #243. However the Discogs version does not have this indicating it may have been repressed. Acquired in 2001.

2001; 2/6/10 (review / new entry)

Xhol Caravan - Electrip. 1969 Germany

Before Tangerine Dream, before Embryo, before Kraftwerk, before even the Ohr label, Xhol Caravan released what may be the first album to rightly own the name Krautrock. The band started as a straightforward soul group, Soul Caravan, and bastardized the name for the new direction the group was heading. Early innovators of the creative German sound, and borrowing heavily from that country's love of jazz, Xhol Caravan would always be a historical footnote. Sadly the band disbanded before it could be granted legendary status.

In 1969, on the little known Hansa label, Electrip was released to an unsuspecting public. Sporting wild artwork of a psychedelic nude woman, the buyer had to know this was going to be a special affair. And indeed it is. Starting with a toilet flush, the album blasts away with 'Electric Fun Fair'. Featuring primarily electric sax, electric flute, and organ as the solo instruments, the music is a mixture of free jazz, psychedelic, Zappaesque humor, and progressive jazz rock. 'Pop Games' and 'All Green' continue along this path with the same optimistic melodies and insouciant demeanor. Perfect music for driving the MG convertible around the Autobahn, hardtop down, blond babe with heavy mascara and white go-go boots actually admiring your hip music selection. The latter track would be the prototype for similar groups such as Missus Beastly, joyful yet experimental jazz rock. Side 2 is a slightly different breed of cat. On the 17 minute 'Raise Up High', the instrumental sections are very similar to the previous side, but here they added some wild English vocals to the mix giving the song a rough hard rock feel to it. As well, this track displays a more experimental and improvisational angle with some free blow moments. Overall, a classic in the field of Krautrock fusion and the catalyst of an entire movement.

Ownership: CD: 2000 Garden of Delights. This is the de facto aural reissue and features the label's usual great liner notes, previously unseen photos, and a rare 45 single when they were known as Soul Caravan. Purchased new upon release.

LP: 1997 Tripkick. The original LP cover is striking in its use of color and is replicated beautifully on this reissue. And it's usually featured on display in my music room. This was the first legitimate reissue of the album. Purchased new upon release from a mail order dealer.

3/23/01 (Gnosis); 2/15/10 (new entry)

Atman - Personal Forest. 1993 Poland

Atman were perhaps the original freak folk band from Eastern Europe. Personal Forest is about as psychedelic as any album ever released, and yet it's not entirely clear if that's what the band were striving for. In fact, it takes a bit to get going to be honest. It's not unusual to see folks call this a "world music" or, even worse, a "new age" album. It does start off by giving that vibe, but as the album goes deeper into the middle, or forest as it were, the album becomes incredibly intense, and is truly a trance inducing album. Voices, strange homemade and ancient instruments along with tribal drums take the listener to places formerly not discovered. All of Atman's albums are recommended, but none came close to the brilliance of Personal Forest. And that also includes the post-Atman group The Magic Carpathians.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Drunken Fish

Originally released as a cassette under the moniker Theatre of Sound Atman.

1999; 2/15/10 (new entry)

Bacamarte ~ Brazil

Depois do Fim (1983)

Considered by many, including myself, as the best 1980s era progressive rock album for all of South America. The scene was rich in the 1970s, but had pretty much died by the 80s, with a handful of exceptions. Bacamarte definitely sounds like a band from the 70s, and it's been said the album was recorded in 1978. Speedy guitar runs, complex meters, soaring female vocals and melodic passages all define this mature work. Highly recommended. It must be said though, that the band doesn't really sound Brazilian as there's a total absence of indigenous sounds. In this way, Bacamarte are more like the current South American progressive scene as found in both Brazil and Chile.

Ownership: CD: 1995 Rarity. Contains one bonus track. Acquired in 1995.

First copy: 1983 Som-Arte (LP). Acquired in 1992.

1992; 1995; 2/9/10 (review / new entry)

Atlantis Philharmonic ~ USA ~ Cleveland, Ohio

Atlantis Philharmonic (1974)

Atlantis Philharmonic is a duo formed in the Cleveland area. Despite the small lineup, it sounds like a much larger ensemble with a full array of keyboards (primarily organ), guitar, bass, drums, and quite a bit of percussion. The album contains a mix of instrumental and vocal work, and even veers towards the commercial in a couple of places. In this way, Atlantis Philharmonic is clearly a product of the Midwest progressive rock scene. It's heritage is obvious on repeated listens. A long time favorite of mine.

Ownership: 

1974 Dharma (LP). Acquired in 2014.

1990 Laser's Edge (CD). Acquired in 1991.

1991; 1998; 2/8/10 (review / new entry)

Nosferatu ~ Germany

Nosferatu (1970)

It is interesting to read modern reviews of Nosferatu, with comments like "all been done before" and "they borrowed different elements of albums prior". It once again demonstrates that we have a lot of young-uns out there downloading 50 albums a day and not digesting the music properly when listening. Or taking the time to understand the history. Had this album come out in 1973, then OK, maybe. But for 1970, Nosferatu were actually ahead of the curve. It's a distinctly British form of rock, with amplified sax / flute / guitar / organ and rough vocals. Listen to bands like Aquila, Hannibal, Indian Summer and Raw Material to see what I mean. It's a sound based in blues not jazz, the latter being more of an influence on Teutonic bands of the era.

Ownership: 2010 Long Hair (LP). Gatefold with history. Apparently they messed up the master for B1. I'll have to reacquire the Ohrwaschl CD to hear the difference. Acquired in 2010.

First copy: 1993 Ohrwaschl (CD). Acquired in 1993.

1990; 1993; 2/7/10 (review / new entry)

Shiver ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

San Francisco's Shiver (1972)

Hard to fathom now, but San Francisco was once a blue collar town filled with longshoreman, canning slugs, underpaid brewery and chocolate factory workers. Even the beats like Jack Kerouac championed it. Despite this, there were a surprising few bands that represented that downtrodden underbelly of SF Society, and today are all but forgotten as the mega-millionaire software moguls, leftist academics, and clueless hipster culture freaks have overrun the place and celebrate what they don’t understand. 

Enter Shiver, one of the most insane power trios to ever play anywhere, anytime. Recorded in that uncertain time between hippy-dippy psychedelia and the gritty days of post OPEC oil embargoes, Shiver gives us a peek into a time / place that is largely forgotten. We’ll make this review real simple: If you like long instrumental jams, with loads of effects applied to the guitar, and a relentless rhythm section, then you need this. Yesterday. The songs themselves are mere blues rock skeletons (with male Joplin-like vocal grittiness), in reality nothing more than excuses to launch into the next crazy jam. ‘Tough as Nails’, ‘Fixer’, ‘Bone Shaker’, ‘Interstellar Vision’ and the 14+ minute ‘Alpha Man’ are all about rocking you into oblivion. 

Rockadelic originally unearthed these archived recordings a few years back, and now Shadoks has taken the role of the CD issuer. Certainly in the top echelon of amazing finds from the good investigators of Rockadelic, an LP specialist label that has found more rare treasure than anyone else. Soundboard recording is in amazing shape, and isn’t too far removed from a major label live release of the era. 

Shadoks’ CD adds four more tracks, in lesser sound, and quite frankly, lesser quality, as they call out Shiver’s more basic blues rock roots to no purpose. Quit at the original Rockadelic release and you have a full album that is essential for those that dig cosmic blues jams. More rough and ready than the spaced out Krauts of Ash Ra Tempel and Guru Guru, but we’re in the same ballpark here. Actually as I reflect on my own review, the German band Silberbart would be a good comparison here.

Ownership: 2001 Shadoks (CD) Booklet with liner notes and bonus tracks as noted above. Acquired in 2006.

First copy: 2000 Rockadelic (LP). Acquired in 2000.

2000; 10//06 (review)

2/6/10 (new entry)

Ibio ~ Spain

Cuevas de Altamira (1978)

Ibio, like many Spanish bands of the late 1970s, incorporated regional influences into their unique brand of progressive rock. And while the majority of these bands resided in Castile (Madrid), Catalonia (Barcelona), or in Andalucia (Sevilla, Cordoba, and Grenada) - Ibio represented the Asturias region. Much of this can be attributed to the new freedoms of expression after years of Franco repression, when regional pride was discouraged.

Cuevas de Altamira is a fine album with wonderful guitar leads and nice keyboards (including mellotron, which wasn't very common in Spain). As I read current reviews, some folks trash the affected traditional singing (sparsely used but powerful when present), which underscores to me once again that few take the time to understand the time and place of a recording. Personally, I miss the regional influences in modern Spanish progressive rock.

Ownership: 1978 Movieplay (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 1999.

First copy: 1990 Fonomusic (CD). Acquired in 1991.

1991; 2/2/10 (review / new entry)

Machine and the Synergetic Nuts ~ Japan

Leap Second Neutral (2005)

One of the three great Japanese progressive bands of the 2000's including Pochakaite Malko and Naikaku. Influenced by the Canterbury scene of the late 1970s (National Health, The Muffins), heavy 90s Japanese instrumental progressive rock like Happy Family and Bondage Fruit along with a distinct taste for modern jazz like St. Germain. Complex, energetic and highly melodic. Band lists Soft Machine, Weather Report and Frank Zappa as influences.

Ownership: 2005 Cuneiform (CD). Acquired in 2005.

3//05; 2/1/10 (review)

Also own: Machine and the Synergetic Nuts (2003)

2/1/10 (new entry)

George (Joji) Hirota ~ Japan

Sahasurara (1976)

Joji Hirota's debut album, going with the more anglicized George here, is a fascinating blend of jazz fusion, progressive rock, experimental avant garde combined with indigenous tribal Japanese elements. Plenty of flute, chanting and manic vocals, acoustic and fuzz guitar, piano, vibes, and a variety of percussion are the primary ingredients. At times, especially during the middle of side 2, it strays a bit too much toward the avant-garde, perhaps similar to J.A. Caesar in that way. Overall a very unique, but satisfying album.

Ownership: 1976 King (LP). Acquired in 2010.

No reissues as of 5/26/26.

9/27/07 (review); 1/28/10 (update / new entry)

Deadwood Forest ~ USA ~ Austin, Texas

Mellodramatic (1999)

When Anglagard blew through the progressive rock world in 1992 with their debut album Hostbris, it wouldn't take long for other bands to hop on the train and try something similar. Austin, Texas based Deadwood Forest took it a step further, and recruited Anglagard drummer Mattias Olsson to produce their second album. Anglagard themselves had played once in Houston in 1993, giving the respective groups a common thread. Mellodramatic is one of the more successful attempts at achieving the classic progressive rock sound. Primarily played on analog gear, including gobs of the requisite mellotron. There's also quite a bit of 60s psychedelic songwriting in place, which gives it a unique bent. I personally never tire of the style, so Deadwood Forest has a place in the collection for a long time.

Ownership: 1999 Shroom (CD). Acquired in 2000.

2000; 7/17/06; 1/28/10 (new entry)

Circus ~ Switzerland

Movin' On (1977) 

There is no better progressive rock album from Switzerland than Movin' On. The first four tracks are really swell, but what sends this album to the stratosphere is the 22 minute plus title track. It's actually quite amazing there isn't any electric guitar, though the bass and drum work is just phenomenal here, and propels the music to an incredible intensity. The first ten minutes of the aforementioned title song is jaw dropping in its composition, execution, and intensity. That sequence is hard to beat on any album, anywhere.

Ownership:

1977 private (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2000.

1990 Decoder (CD). Acquired in 1991.

1991; 1/19/10 (review)

Also own: Circus (1976)

Previously owned: Live; Fearless Tearless And Even Less

1/19/10 (new entry)

La Seconda Genesi / Paride e gli Stereo 4 ~ Italy

La Seconda Genesi - Tutto Deve Finire (1972)

The first two tracks on Tutto Deve Finire are instrumental jazz + rock with squonking sax, a driving rhythm, and a general sense of abandon. I'm reminded most of Duello Madre at this point. The remainder of the album is more geared towards the early Osanna sound (L'Uomo in particular) with wailing flute, crunchy organ, loud guitars, and super vocals in Italian. 'Dimmi Padre' is definitely the highlight, a composition that could have been lifted right off of Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno's excellent album. It's the classic Italian progressive rock sound, and done so well here.

Ownership: 2002 Akarma (CD). Tri-fold Karma-Pak. Liner notes in Italian. Acquired in 2010.

First copy: 1994 Mellow (CD)

5//05; 1/8/10 (review); 7/20/16; 12/4/21

Paride e gli Stereo 4 - Naufrago in Città (1971)

Naufrago in Città is an interesting album from 1971 that supposedly was recorded before La Seconda Genesi's classic. One of the rarest albums on the planet (as is Seconda Genesi), but it's not really progressive rock, so definitely prepare yourself for the proper expectation. The music is all instrumental, and is primarily acoustic guitar with flute, and some organ accents. Very pleasant, and at times, recalls Era di Acquario's more serene moments. A fine album.

Ownership: 2002 Akarma (CD)

5//05 (review); 7/20/16 (update); 12/4/21

1/8/10 (new entry)

Albums that need Reissue - The 11s (Mike)

OK here's the next tier. There's lots so I'm not going to review or blurb them and if anyone whose reading knows something here has had a legit CD copy I don't know of, by all means I'd appreciate the correction. Some of these I probably haven't listened to or researched in as much a decade. So here we go...

Ablution - st
Cannonball Adderley - Experience in E/Tensity/Dialogues
Arco Iris - Agitor Lucens V
Association P.C. - Erna Morena
Babia - Oriente o Occidente
Berits Halsband - st
Toto Blanke - Spider's Dance
Toto Blanke/Electric Circus - Live at the Quartier Latin
Blim - Zero (MC)
Wolfgang Bock - Cycles
Brave New World - Impressions on Reading Aldous Huxley
Cai - Mas Alla de Nuestras Mentes Diminutas (needs a better one)
Dr. Dopo Jam - Fat Dogs & Danishmen
Dragon - Scented Gardens for the Blind
Emergency Exit - Sortie de Secours
Franco Falsini - Cold Nose
Flame Dream - Calatea
Flame Dream - Elements
Flasket Brinner - st
Flying Island - st
Fondation - Sans Etiquette (MC)
Good God - st
The Graced Lightning Side
Group 1850 - Paradise Now
Peter Michael Hamel - The Voice of Silence (this may have been used as bonus material)
Happy Family - Flying Spirit Dance Live (MC)
Ibis - st (Sweden)
L'Infonie - Volume 3333
Kolinda - 1514
Kvartetten Som Sprangde - Kattvals
Dave Liebman - Lookout Farm
Michel Madore - Le Komuso a Cordes
Magdalena - Lanean Sartzen
Michel Magne / Elements - L'Eau
Alain Markusfeld - Le Desert Noire
Bennie Maupin - Slow Traffic to the Right
Memoriance - Et Apres
Metropolis - st
Micah - I'm Only One Man
Barry Miles & Silverlight - st
Mtume - Rebirth Cycle
Organisation - Tone Float
Oriental Wind - Chila-Chila
Oriental Wind - Bazaar
Oriental Wind - Live in Bremen
Het Pandorra Ensemble - III
Panta Rei - st
Parrenin/Fromont/Lefebvre - Chateau dans les Nuages
Dave Pike Set - Album
Dave Pike Set - Salamao
Placebo - 1973
Ram - Where? In Conclusion
A.R. & Machines - Echo
Dieter Reith - Knock Out
Yochk'o Seffer Neffesh Music - Ima
Shakti - BBC In Concert
Sunbirds - st
Third Ear Band - New Forecasts from the Third Ear Almanach (MC)
Tri Atma - Instead of Drugs
Uludag - Mau Mau
Michal Urbaniak's Fusion - Atma
Michal Urbaniak - Fusion III
Stomu Yamashta's East Wind - Freedom is Frightening
Zanov - Moebius
Zypressen - st (MC, 1992)

4/16/23 (update)

Jumbo - Vietato ai Minori di 18 Anni? (Mike review)

In 1973 the Italian blues band turned progressive rock juggernaut released their third and final studio album, leaving behind nothing until Mellow decided to add a black eye to their rep with one of the worst demos of all time (from a far later period) and a balanced but perhaps slightly uninspired 1990 live show from when they opened for Magma and IQ, perhaps one of the first examples of a concert where two different audiences shared a venue. But with Vietato ai Minori di 18 Anni? the band left behind what is probably one of the finest testaments of the Italian progressive rock movement from the 70s. With an almost Dylanesque, poetic soul the band took their almost folksy song-oriented sound, already developed into progressive rock by the time of DNA, and made one of the most startlingly consistent yet experimental albums to come out of the scene. Where PFM were blazing pastoral Moodys and Crimsonesque soundscapes and Banco were almost turning classical music into rock opera, Jumbo were almost the perfect example of how you could throw almost everything else into the stew. Over and over again, fragile ranconteur-like songs, sung by a raucous, earthy bard explode into different directions, sometimes expelling the most incredible rock riffs, at others meandering dreamily into dissonant and swelling soundscapes, and sometimes even being bent Dali-style in the studio, as if the whole session was being operated by guest Franco Battiato. All of this is delivered in the rawest of emotions, an expressiveness that arises from gravel, rock, anger, rage, repression, viciousness and yet a basic humanity, a wistfulness like a wise old man retelling a life story. There's absolutely no note wasted on this, even on the experimental, tortured "Gil" one is rapt as the anguish is wrapped in layers of mellotron, spiralling VCS3s from Battiato and eventually an Aktuala-like tabla beat from Lino "Capra" Vaccina. It all reminds you that progressive rock will just never be the same again, as if modern music was just too self-aware or post-modern for there to ever be this combination of sheer naivete and musical brilliance again, as if a similar cornucopia of moods and styles would prematurely decay due to the looming fist of musical culture and reference and knowing mockery so prevalent today. What was once letting it flow is now chutzpah but here you have a jigsaw of original brilliance that actually centers on a rough blues singer strumming on an acoustic guitar, at its heart there's such a depth of soul that in the end it leaves you ragged and most importantly like you've traversed gigantic differences in only 40 minutes. And not only is the music cohesive despite it bringing so many strands together, but woven through are some of the most catchy and immediate riffs and themes ever produced by the style, the equal to the greats of the era without the mistake of overburdening the music with concept, musical egos and excessive sentimentality. At the end one can't help but think of the bard packing up his strings and walking to the bar for a mug already looking ahead to the next stop.

Mike's List of Criminally Out of Print CDs

OK so now the Top 30 unreissued CDs are out of the way, I think it's time to tackle some CDs that I'd like to see again. This won't be as comprehensive, as if I own some really out of print CD already I won't post it here, as that would take some research to figure out what's gone or not. This is a list of discs I'd really like to see again as I missed them or sold them or whatever. 

1. Edgar Froese - Epsilon in Malaysian Pale Edgar's got a serious penchant for adding graffiti to his old art that's extremely frustrating to his fans and to date I haven't seen a single positive review of the redos of albums like Epsilon and Aqua, which apparently have been techno-fied and modernized and well, just about everything a classic fan doesn't want. I thought I'd read this has to do with conflict with Virgin, but nonetheless I can't think of much worse than dressing up old recordings (although perhaps we'd have to put one point in the Froese column for Green Desert). Anyway unlike Aqua, Epsilon's been out of print for ages and is prohibitively rare and not only that but the Virgin CDs were utterly abysmal sounding. In fact I actually owned this once and then got rid of it for that very reason, keeping a copy of the Brain LP but as these things go, I never listen to it and would do so had I had it on a CD or CD-R. But anyway this is one I don't expect to see despite it being the top one on my list. It's one of the best mellotron and electronics albums ever created, like the soundtrack to a prehistoric vista. 

2. Hatfield & The North - Hatwise Choice This is already out of print apparently but the small boutique outlet who distributed it pushed it outside the realm of viability for overseas customers by adding exorbitant postage and insurance charges (that is it would cost about $30 in the end for one disc). I have no idea if it would have any viability via a US reissue but I'd love to see it as it's a ripping collection of a band who was extraordinary live. Of course, what I'd really like to see is the full shows (for instance the bootleg of 3 BBC sessions that nearly everyone has is really one of the finest live comps of all time), but hey we're getting to fractions of fractions. Maybe I'd be the only left buying a 6 CD anthology of live Hatfield albums but then again maybe that would make paying for insurance reasonable. 

3. Kaipa - Stockholm Symphonie Released in very small quantities in Japan this is not only the best document of Swedish prog band Kaipa but includes some of the best Allmans-inspired guitarwork from Roine Stolt, slightly stretching out some of the comps and giving it all an amazing atmosphere. Just writing about this makes me wanna hear it but I bet 90% of the owners have a boot copy of some sort. I say make it a double if there's some more unreleased live material from the band and get it out there again. This is the main argument why they were Sweden's answer to Yes. 

4. Can - The Peel Sessions I expect one day we'll see another round through the Peel Sessions vaults so this is one I'm not terribly worried about, even if it's second only to the magnificent Tago Mago in terms of great Can. Although perhaps someone would have to license it out now such as what we've seen with Soft Machine's Peel Sessions. Would like to see the Gong sessions out again as well and I'm sure there are more I can't think of off hand. 

5. Dan Ar Bras - Douar Nevez, Terre Nouvelle Perhaps the closest the French folk scene ever got to progressive rock and featuring stalwart Magma (and I think Fairport) related musicians in the back up bands, this Hexagone release was always lost in distribution outside of Europe, usually only showing up in catalogs for $25 to $30 when you could find it, in fact it was quite a bit rarer than the Malicorne CDs were. With an LP and rip in hand, it's not terribly crucial, but I like it enough to want an original. His best album by far. 

6. Gwerz - Au Dela The very best work from the short lived French folk band Gwerz, this had a really epic feel I always found that transcended what can be a painfully hard to listen to genre (bombardes aren't to everyone's tastes and certainly not mine). But there's something lyrical, majestic and almost Dylanesque about this at times and I find it mesmerizing. But once I'd heard it it was already too late to find a hard copy. Musea even reissued their first and inferior release so I was hoping this would follow, but alas good Musea releases of any sort seem far and few between these days. 

7. Steve Roach / Vidna Obmana - Circles and Artifacts When doing an ebay sweep a couple years I went one or two items too deep and this was one of them, in fact I have absolutely no idea what I was doing unloading this, I think I wanted to thin up on a massive Steve Roach collection (mostly the first few albums, the guitar releases etc). Anyway I miss it, it was certainly right in line with the drony stuff they were doing around the black box era IIRC. Perhaps too, having it as part of a photo exhibition (nicely done but not really something I ever have time to sit down with) was partly the reason for letting it go, but now it seems to go for about $40 to $50, so I hope one day it gets its own CD release without the frills. 

8. Ragnar Grippe - Sand Bought this when it was released in small quantities only to realize, perhaps later that the CD was defective and a whole spot in the middle of the CD had peeled off killing half the CD. So I suppose I could sit with the original packaging and plop a CD-R inside knowing I paid my dues, but you know that really annoying collector thing just gnaws at you. Cuz this is a really cool pingy, weird synth album that's really like no other, it just has a unique one of a kind atmosphere. But I suppose a stopgap will have to do as I was not only surprised it ever got a CD release, but would be even more so to see it get a second one. 

9. George Harrison - Wonderwall Music With Beatlemania in full fling, this early Harrison instrumental album is one I'm not particularly worried about, I've seen it go in and out of print all the time, it's just that it's always been a bit pricy. But I've always found it so charming and surprisingly good for an album that gets little chat. Who knows maybe a search on Amazon right now would turn this up for a good price, it's included here based on my last search which showed a minimum $50 for a copy. 

10. Motoi Sakuraba - Shining the Holy Ark This is a step down from the first 9 on the list but I wanted to make it an even 10 and it gives me a chance to whine about how hard it is to get Sakuraba CDs outside of Japan. In the video game industry the man's a soundtrack titan but just when you think prog rock is a niche, pair it with video game music and it's like a niche in a niche. Sure, Motoi can get a bit too epic and corny at times, just a little syrupy for my taste, but I love it when he's high energy and spitting out incredible organ riffs over mellotrons and synths (and this comes from a guy who barely can stand most ELP and generally gets bored with keyboard trios). And I think it's just amazing that even to this day his video game soundtracks are prog through and through (such as Star Ocean: The Last Hope). Seriously there's nothing like battling evil with a Hammond B3 playing. Anyway I think Shining was his second released CD and it's not the only one I'd like to see, now that his debut Gikyokuonsou is also OOP as is Beyond the Beyond and maybe a dozen I don't even know.

Mike's Top 30 Unreissued Titles (Part 6 of 6)

And last and only slightly least...

26. Association P.C. - Rock Around the Cock

This unfortunately titled and covered masterwork is maybe only marginally the best of the five Association P.C. albums, of which only one seems to be reissued in the still all too slow MPS reissue series, which seems to be dallying with mediocre titles at the expense of masterpieces like this one (although I should cut them some slack as they initially took one of these off the list.) This is a rather perfect example of what the Europeans brought to the American jazz rock movement, a little bit of freakiness, a slightly askew and dissonant electricity to it and a rise and fall like breathing. Like the Chris Hinze albums mentioned earlier in this series, Courbois and co. start mellow and bring most of the work to screaming climaxes of intensity, all with a fuzzy subtlety than enhances the whole. As a sidebar, lets tag on Erna Morena to this title which if it didn't make this top 30 was only a few slots behind.

27. Peter Frohmader - Spheres

The last of his three early cassette releases and unlike Jules Verne Cycle and Orakel/Tiefe, I believe this one was released privately. It's a surprisingly inside release for the experimentalist but Frohmader's one of those guys I'd always wanted to hear do something inside and this spacy masterpiece foregoes the usual dark, macabre atmospheres for something a bit more Berlin school and a bit more new agey. It's gigantic on resonance and even beautiful in spots and is nothing at all like the Cuneiform albums to come which also concentrate a bit more on pure electronics but take it in a much weirder direction. So how about a two CD release, JVC, O/T and Spheres. Am I the only one who wants this?

28. Makam es Kolinda - s/t (aka Szelscend Utan) (Reissued by Seven Seas 1989)

Apparently this once was reissued on CD in Japan in micro quantities, or at least I remember seeing the catalog number at a store once, but at a time when I could have nabbed any Japanese reissue I wanted this one went in and out with a bang and when a disc is this rare, to the point where you know nobody who actually owns one, you have to still count it in the unreissued spot. This was the first of at least two collaborations between Hungarian and post-Hexagone label folksters along with the more Cage/Riley-esque Makam ensemble and it's possibly the very best work by either group. Recorded in the early 80s it definitely cants towards the Kolinda direction but excels in that it continues the band's progression from the early albums into more angular and progressive directions to create a lively East European gypsy folk prog that's weird, mystical and unmatched in its field.

29. Carnascialia - st (Reissued by Mercury 2010)

Like the previously mentioned album, this is another that came out on CD (apparently under the names of the original musicians rather than the Carnascialia band name) and disappeared almost immediately. Along with members of Area, the duo created a bizarre late 70s avant-folk release with the typical Arabian motifs and weirdness that area also sported, lots of unusual modal riffs that flirt with high energy while remaning almost toe tappingly tuneful. Not exactly progressive rock, like most Italian albums this late (such as Venegoni e Co., the first Mauro Pagani etc) its experimentation is more a collision in various world styles that includes just enough rock to make it buzz as well as a Battiato-like penchant for exploration and collage. 

30. Clivage (Andre Fertier) - Regina Astris

An ancient and psychedelic world fusion with an impressive cover, the debut album of the Fertier-led Clivage, who released three albums, exudes the type of electricity built up from trancey type structures that got their cue from bands like Third Ear Band, Between, Oregon and Aktuala, Clivage approach the same formula from a more restrained base, with hints of classical music and jazz that would become more apparent on later albums, all of which I reviewed a while back here