Barrett Elmore - Woodlands. 2012 Sweden

The first significant track here, 'The Creek', gives us a sleight of hand, as it purports that Barrett Elmore are coming from the neo-psych / shoegaze camp. But my fears were quickly removed by 'The Nixie', and the album manages to get weirder, more psychedelic and even progressive with each track. By the end of the album, on the 12 minute bonus track 'Psilocybe Semilanceata', Barrett Elmore are firing on all the right cylinders (or dropping all the right tabs). This is the kind of album one would expect to come out of the Subliminal Sounds stable with Gustav Ejstes writing the songs and Reine Fiske providing acid fuzz leads. File next to your three Smell of Incense albums.

Ownership: 2012 Trail (CD)

7/2/12 (new entry)

Änglagård - Viljans öga. 2012 Sweden

For years there was talk of a comeback. To the point of ridiculousness. It became something of a running joke. If not for the participation of actual band members on the various progressive rock focused chat boards, the whole thing would have been discredited. Then, seventeen years after Epilog had been released, another one of those tired announcements arrived: Änglagård has reformed and will have a new album out soon! Weee. Yawn. Heard that before.

Except this time it was real. The album cover was posted. The minute I saw it I just knew this was going to be special. Of course the naysayers were out in full force decrying the cover. Really? Where is the optimism of our planet anyway? To be honest, cover notwithstanding, I was still a bit skeptical. Spiritual leader Tord Lindman was no longer involved. And most importantly - 17 years is a long time. Really no band, in any era, is able to capture the spirit and angst of their youth. Anyone who has scaled challenging mountains, and the metaphoric equivalent in daily life, will tell their mighty tale on what a wonderful achievement it was - except the thought of doing it again is fatiguing. There's a price to pay for greatness. You have to exceed your mind, body, and spirit to accomplish it. And all of that is hard to regain, especially after going about the normal/mundane daily routine as we do.

But this is Änglagård, and they were always different. Personally, I'm floored by how great Viljans öga is. It sounds like classic Änglagård for certain, but it's still quite unique. They have changed some, and perhaps for the better. In fact, the two middle tracks 'Sorgmantel' (12:07) and 'Snårdom' (16:14) might be some the best compositions they've ever performed. Is it their best album? No, I'm not willing to say that. All three studio efforts are brilliant but I'm still partial to Hybris, perhaps the nostalgia factor wins the day.

So the question remains: Is this the bookend to a great era of progressive rock? Or are we about to embark on a new journey? I hope for the latter. Of course.

Ownership: LP: 2012 private. 2xLP. 45 RPM. Gatefold. Full sized booklet.

CD: 2012 private. Digipak.

CD: 2013 Arcangelo (Japan). Papersleeve edition. Part of a 3 mini-LP box set.

6/30/12 (first listen / review / new entry)

Anyone's Daughter - Adonis. 1979 Germany

The post-Genesis movement had gained some traction in Germany and Anyone's Daughter (named incongruously after a Deep Purple song from Fireball) was one of the more marquee groups to climb out of the scene (other more obscure references include Neuschwanstein, M.L. Bongers Project, Sirius, Ivory). Anyone's Daughter's music was one that had the good sense to watch the pop charts while infusing quite a bit of complication to the mix so as to maintain a certain musician integrity. Anyone's Daughter had anticipated the neo progressive movement by about 3 years, and actually did benefit financially (a little anyway) from the exposure, though they came at it from a right angle. 1980s era progressive catalogs would always include Anyone's Daughter as they were, along with Eloy, easily Germany's number #1 export in this category. Hoelderlin's Clowns and Clouds is another good benchmark. Adonis is a very good album and if you like the more melodic side of progressive rock, then Anyone's Daughter's debut should be considered a must for the collection.

LP: 1979 Brain
CD: 2010 Tempus Fugit / SPV

The Tempus Fugit CD is splendid. This CD, which restores the original cover art, features not only two lengthy extended progressive rock cuts that total close to 20 minutes ('The Taker', 'The Warship'), but also a cool video of the album opener. It also features a full-sized poster (from a cover they would later use for an album called Last Tracks), and a booklet with a full band history and unique photos. The second scan was the cover used for the first round of reissues.

Last listen: August 8, 2019

Cuprum - Musica Deposita. 2011 Czech Republic

With Cuprum what you get is good old fashioned hard rock meets progressive with loads of fuzzy guitar, Hammond organ and a little flute. Sure, it's retro 1971 England or Germany, and a sound you've heard from other modern bands like Wicked Minds (Italy), Seid (Norway), Siena Root (Sweden), Blood Ceremony (Canada), Hypnos 69 (Belgium) and a few others. But the Czech Republic has no such tradition, and hearing this style performed with the Czech language is quite interesting indeed. About the only band from 1970's Czechoslovakia that even came close to this sound was Flamengo and maybe Modry Efekt - both groups only at their most hard rocking selves. The songs for the most part are quite compelling, even though it does possess that been-there-done-that feeling. I think if Cuprum expands their instrumental palette, adds a few more ideas per composition, navigates the twisty road and turns on a dime capriciously and truly does "go for the gusto", then they will hit Masterpiece status. Even as it stands, I'm quite happy with what they accomplished on this most extraordinary debut.

Ownership: CD: 2011 private

6/11/12 (new entry)

J.E.T. - Fede, Speranza, Carità. 1972 Italy

There are few albums that open as strong as this one. The 11 minute title track is right there with the absolute best of the original Italian progressive rock movement - say primo Il Balletto di Bronzo. FAY DAY, SPA RAN ZA, CA REE TA leads right into the first couple of incredible minutes of 'Il Prete e il Peccatore' and then… ugh… the album breaks into a more typical Italian singer songwriter style. Well not exactly as dire as that, but the intensity of the first 13 minutes is never regained. This album usually gets listed as a disappointment by many because of this trend, but I think a lot of that has to do with the expectations that were delivered early on. I've always been partial to the dramatic 'Sinfonia Per un Re' and it sounds better now than ever (love those fuzz guitar solos and Hammond washes). And closer 'Sfogo' is a good - fun - energetic instrumental with wordless voices piece. Oh.............. but that first track - been listening to it for over 20 years and it still blows me away!!

Ownership: CD: 2005 BMG (Japan); LP: 1993 Si-Wan (Korea). The album was originally released with a die-cut textured chalice cover. The chalice itself is a pretty thick cardboard piece (I have a friend who owns a nice original copy). Missing from some online discographies is the next issue, which was both a CD and LP on the Crime label (each 1988 Japan). It is this 1988 issue that you'll commonly see two extra tracks for Side 2. These two tracks are both taken from a rare 45 and not on the original LP. I once owned this Japan CD, and can confirm. Also - the original LP does not list the final track 'Sfogo' on the back cover even though it's listed clearly on the label. The Japan LP from 1988 came with a perforated chalice, that you could detach yourself and paste into the gatefold. Obviously not the best option and doesn't truly replicate the original, but an interesting idea all the same. The 1993 LP from Si-Wan (Korea) features the original gimmix cover, but the cover is smooth and the chalice is a thin sliver not reminiscent of the original. It isn't until 2005 that the original LP is finally duplicated exactly with the thick chalice insert - in the mini-LP CD format from BMG (Strange Days), which I own as well.

Babylon ~ USA ~ Tampa, Florida

Babylon (1978)

Well it's quite apparent by reading many reviews, that a lot of folks (mainly progressive rock fans) aren't too keen on the sole studio Babylon album. Not to be a contrarian, but I like it immensely. The CD liner notes say that Babylon were influenced by Genesis, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Van Der Graaf Generator, Happy the Man and "various European and American progressive bands". Yea, whatever. It's 98% Genesis circa 1970-1973 and 2% the rest and maybe Yes is 50% of the 2%. So they ape the sound of Trespass through Selling England By the Pound. Is that so bad? The songs are entirely original, but the style is ridiculously similar to Gabriel and crew. The US landscape of 1978 is filled with bands that mixed progressive rock with AOR styled pop rock. Not Babylon. This is progressive rock made by geeks to be listened to by progressive rock geeks (I'm guilty as charged). Personally I think 'Dreamfish' is their masterpiece and a song that perfectly fits their sound. It's like Genesis extract: Hyper, intense, dramatic and complex. A great album, and Tampa Bay's one sole contribution to progressive rock... long before they would become the Death Metal capital of the world.

Ownership: 1978 Mehum Music (LP). Acquired in 1993.

1993; 1999; 2004; 3/11/10; 6/10/12 (review); 7/5/26

Once owned: Better Conditions For The Dead; Night Over Never

6/10/12 (new entry)

Flamengo - Kuře v Hodinkách. 1972 Czech Republic

This is an extraordinary album given the time and place. Flamengo's music is similar to some early 70's UK underground bands such as Raw Material, Tonton Macoute, Web's I Spider, and especially Diabolus. It would be hard to imagine that Flamengo would know any of these albums, and thus came to a similar musical conclusion through a completely different lens. Sax, flute, guitar and organ are the primary solo instruments. Incredible songwriting with memorable melodies, that does remind the listener of the early 70s Italian scene (PFM, Celeste, QVL). Passionately sung in Czech, and I wouldn't want to hear it any other way. Also worth noting is the awesome production, which sounds like it was recorded in Germany or England. Too bad the oppressive governments of Eastern Europe didn't allow more artistic freedom in the early 70s. Flamengo's sole album gives us perhaps the best example of what could have been.

Ownership: CD: 2012 Supraphon; Of all their reissues, this CD trumps them all. What a magnificent package. It comes in a tri-fold digipak (with original album cover art) that fits comfortably into a cardboard sleeve. This version features 3 bonus tracks and all the Czech lyrics. The sound of the album itself is even better than the 1990 disc. I cannot stress enough how great the original production was for this album. It is truly up to Western European standards.

LP: 1972 Supraphon. Recent online acquisition (2019), and comes in a flimsy single sleeve. It's simply a trophy for me. The CD remains the primary.

6/3/12 (review / new entry); 4/7/14 (update);

Buffalo - Only Want You for Your Body. 1974 Australia

A friend recently pointed out that one of Buffalo's third album influencers was none other than Terrible Ted Nugent. They've moved on from the Sabbath inspired Volcanic Rock album and upped the pace, while maintaining a certain lascivious standard as on 'I'm a Skirt Lifter, Not a Shirt Raiser', 'I'm Coming On', and 'Kings Cross Ladies'. Great guitar leads that would make Detroit's buffalo hunter proud (hey, wait a minute...). Seriously, every stoner band worth its bong has tried to emulate Dave Tice's voice. Do not even claim to be a fan of said scene without at least paying homage to the originator. And the track 'What's Going On' predates British Steel era Judas Priest by six years.

Sadly, Buffalo would slide way downhill from here. Boogie rock was the all the rage downunda, and Buffalo succumbed. Gotta make a livin', I can understand that.

Ownership: CD: 2005 Aztec. Six panel digipak with liner notes. Includes two relevant bonus tracks.

5/27/12 (review / new entry); 1/22/24

Ñu - Cuentos de Ayer y de Hoy. 1978 Spain

Jose Carlos Molinas is the charismatic leader of Ñu and he employs a unique dramatic vocal style and also plays a mean flute. Heavy guitar (bordering the early 80s heavy metal style) and violin round out the major components of their sound. Ñu are generally compared to Jethro Tull, but I don’t hear it myself. As we know, any time aggressive rock is mixed with flute, you’ll get that reference. In some places Ñu is like a proto Deus Ex Machina, especially when you compare Molinas' histrionic singing with Alberto Piras' style. The last two tracks 'El Juglar' and 'Paraiso de Flautas' are extended complex compositions with copious flute and violin.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Chapa Discos. Gatefold. Online acquisition (2011).

CD: 1992 Crime (Japan). Jewel case. Features one bonus track, taken from a 45.

1993; 5/20/12 (new entry); 7/19/19

Pentwater - Out of the Abyss. 1973-1976 USA-Illinois (archival)

Out of the Abyss is off-the-rails hyper complex mid 1970's US progressive rock. If you like non stop complexity similar to Yezda Urfa and Mirthrandir, then this album is for you. It certainly is for me! Get ready for a brain-load.

Without a doubt, Pentwater's release remains my favorite of the 1970s archival releases. It's truly a shame that this band never had a chance to properly record an album until they were past their prime, managing to get one album out in 1978 (which I'll feature soon). They did reform recently, and have proven once again what a talented bunch they are.

As with the Neuschwanstein that was recently posted, I also managed to get a more formal review of this album out for I/E back in 1993. The below is that review, though updated and cleaned up a bit:

About a year ago I was talking to Greg Walker, head of Syn-Phonic, and asked "What's your next project?". He replied "Pentwater". "PENTWATER!" I cried. "What's so progressive about Pentwater?" I already knew of their sole 1978 album, and while good, it wasn't great. Greg quickly responded "No, not their album but some awesome unreleased stuff !" Well, the CD is out, and "Out of the Abyss" proves Mr. Walker was right. In a big way. Pentwater (who hail from the Chicago area) are but another example of how awesome the underground progressive scene was in America. It's really a shame that the major labels were (and still are) too focused on pop radio airplay potential to recognize where the true talent lies. But hey, all progressive rock is pompous, pretentious, corporate-fed, getting-away-from-rock-n-roll's-original-intentions mumbo jumbo right? It's true, read your Rolling Stone Record Guide...

Pentwater's music is quite similar to other superb American bands like Cathedral, Easter Island, and Mirthrandir. As with the aforementioned bands, Pentwater play an extremely complex and intricate music that embodies the best parts of the English masters like Yes, Gentle Giant, Genesis, and King Crimson yet in no way plagiarizes their music. The 8-minute 'EM 54' that opens this CD demonstrates just how involved a work this is - a constant barrage of sounds, ideas, and instruments are all tossed and turned to deliver an overwhelming, yet always exciting, piece. The first 2 minutes must of taken a month to write and record alone! Aside from traditional rock instrumentation, this highly talented 6-piece play flute, harpsichord, Mellotron (YEAH!), Mini-Moog, oboe, Theremin, violin, and assorted percussion ranging from anvils (?!) to tubular bells. Pentwater began in 1970 and lasted until 1978 (the year of their LP). The material for this CD was taken from 1973-76. During their existence they recorded 54 songs from which, according to Mr. Walker, future projects will come about.* Good deal.

* Well, Greg, it's been 20 years now Bud. Don't hurry. No rush. :-)  (Greg is a good friend. I have to rib him....)

Ownership: CD: 1992 Syn-Phonic

5/19/12 (new entry)

Neuschwanstein – Battlement. 1979 Germany

The below is a review that I originally wrote for I/E magazine in 1993. Remember them? I've altered it somewhat to reflect new information, and perhaps clean it up a bit. I can't remember if this one got published or not - but the magazine was always very kind to me.

There seems to be some debate as to whether or not Neuschwanstein is similar to Genesis. I think they are, and it's not entirely a coincidence, given the many other bands in late 70s/early 80s Germany who attempted a Genesis-like sound (Ivory, Sirius, ML Bongers, Zarathustra (1982)). But by no means are they plagiarist. In fact, Battlement actually expands on the classic sound, though there's still no mistaking who provided the influence. The opening two tracks 'Loafer Jack' and 'Ice with Dwale' are straight-on Selling England by the Pound style and reminds me quite a bit of another excellent Genesis styled band: The Austrian group Kyrie Eleison. 'Intruders and the Punishment', 'Beyond the Bugle', and 'Battlement' follow and its here where we separate the men from the boys. An overabundance of time changes, guitar and synthesizer soloing, phased voices, and all sorts of unexpected twists and turns distances this release from the wannabees. The CD reissue comes with the ubiquitous bonus track. According to the bio, 'Midsummer Day' was omitted from the original LP due to its commercial nature. A strange statement considering how progressive it really is. So in conclusion, if classic Genesis is to your liking then you will love this. If not, then you may still like it. This one comes highly recommended.

LP: 1979 Racket
CD: 1992 Musea (France)

This is one of those albums I first learned about via the Eurock catalogs of the late 1980s. Eurock was a goldmine of information back then as well as the only place you could buy something like this. I bought quite a few LPs from Archie in the 1980s, with the limited funds I possessed. As for the CD, Musea sent me the liner notes script and asked that I proofread it, asking that I not be "too American" in my delivery. They didn't ask me again, so I think I failed at being "English" LOL. They were nice enough to give me credit in the liner notes anyway.

Analogy ~ Germany

Analogy (1972)

I imagine most of you are familiar with the musical contents of this album, as it's been on the market steadily for over 20 years. I know many who don't like it mainly due to Jutta's powerful, but unsettling voice. She is indeed the consummate "acquired taste". Cynics will say that's tantamount to saying it's terrible, but the listener just accepts it. I disagree, as I think it adds color to the music. Overall I feel the music captures the essence of the early 70s heavy progressive rock era very well.

I consider Analogy as one of the core albums of the post psychedelic, proto progressive with female vocals category.

This CD also has two unreleased bonus tracks: A live piece and one short studio track.

So what's the story behind this album cover? Leave it to the excellent It's Psychedelic Baby blog to flesh out (haha) the details. Band member Martin Thurn tells us: "Well, anyone following our career might have noticed that the single had a cover similar to the one featured on our LP. Indeed, the photo session took place shortly before the release of the 45'' when we were already "painted" but still clothed. Subsequent photos with us in the nude were made the same day but not used - for moral purposes in Italy in 1971 -, but when the LP was due to be released, the producer decided to be outrageous and use those nudes. However, since Mauro was still there during the photo sessions, he had to be taken out. Given the time (no digital editing), a blue strip was used to conceal him. Again, the cover was against our wish since our keyboarder Nicola was- and still is - a very good painter and had produced a lovely painting somehow similar to the first ELP-album. Management decided against it but had problems with Italian record shops unwilling to put "pornography" into the shop windows. So, a poster (the famous foot) was used to cover the insider cover. It's interesting that in 2010, our Italian label AMS/BTF re-issued our LP on vinyl with the same poster wrapping."

Augusto Croce of the excellent Italian Prog website offers a similar but more concise explanation: "It had a delicate single cover made of thin cardboard, and some copies were wrapped in a giant poster with a foot (pictured also on the back cover, this was in fact an ashtray!), folded in six parts, to hide the naked bodies. The original picture used for the LP had the six members of Yoice, but at the time of its release Mauro Rattaggi has left the group, so he was hidden under a blue stripe printed on the cover. The Akarma reissue has a retouched picture of the five Analogy members without the blue stripe which has been added to the record like the Japanese albums' obi's." 

Ownership: 

2000 Akarma (LP). Gatefold. History written inside of the gate. The other panel has a photo of the full frontal naked Jutta standing in front of the band. Note that the front cover has "Analogy" in a blue strip down the front. Apparently when assembling the cover in original form, this strip was added later and made a part of the cover. So Akarma took the idea one step further and turned it into an obi like strip, so you can now see the full photo of the original cover underneath (good idea!). With 45 from Yoice. According to Garden of Delights, this version is unauthorized. Acquired in 2000.

2012 Belle Antique (CD). Papersleeve. 4 bonus tracks. Two from the Yoice single and two others. Includes a replica of the original poster used to hide the naked bodies. Acquired in 2012.

First copy: 1990 Vinyl Magic (CD). Acquired in 1991.

1991; 2000; 5/16/12 (review); 6/13/26 (update)

Pre - s/t. 1973 USA (archival)

The album starts off in a dubious manner with a soft acoustic instrumental followed by a spurned love ballad, that's rather annoying. Not exactly orthodox opening moves from the progressive rock handbook. But things get very interesting quickly with 'Water Meeting' and it becomes very clear why we're listening to this album in the first place. It never lets up from there. It's also very clear just exactly who is the influence behind the band. The simple 3 letters of Pre matches their idols. It is the music of classic Yes especially The Yes Album and Fragile. But a little more compact and urgent, common traits of a restless American society. What's most extraordinary about the music of Pre is the recording date of 1973. The American landscape is littered with bands that copied the almighty Yes, but most of them surfaced in 1975 or later. Pre was clearly ahead of the pack. For the first half of the 1970's, perhaps only Polyphony could be considered more "progressive" from the States. All the trademarks are here: Heavy organ, loud woody bass, great guitar leads, complex rhythms, passionate vocals. Best tracks are, not surprisingly, the longest: 'Ascetic Eros' and 'Ballet for a Blind Man'.

What's also great about Pre's album is the quality of the recording. It sounds like it was recorded in a major label studio with a large budget. This is not the typical low budget, 3rd generation drop-out quality we've come to expect.

It was 20 years between the time of this recording and its first release. And that was 20 years ago.

CD: 1992 ZNR

Pre was an extraordinary discovery from ZNR. Since they were based in Kentucky, they had already been responsible for the reissue of The Bluegrass State's most famous progressive rock group: Easter Island. Through that connection, ZNR was hooked up to a band that had a fully realized album in the can - one that had remained unreleased for near 20 years. A group with the simple name of Pre. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that Pre's sole album is the single greatest American progressive rock archival find from the first part of the 1970s (remember that other excellent archival finds such as Pentwater and Yezda Urfa were from the latter half).

The CD today is pretty much extinct, but most of my running set bought one immediately upon release. It's been a good 15 years since I last heard it, and it was peacefully resting deep in the collection. After hearing it again recently, the album still satisfies on so many levels.

The cover you see above is actually a two piece kit. The gold border and "Pre" lettering is actually a thin plastic film that is inserted into the jewel case and provides a frame around the cover art. An interesting idea, and practical - if you break the jewel case, the film can be transported to another one

Niemen - Ode to Venus. 1973 Poland

Ode to Venus is in effect the SBB 0 (zero) album, predating that great band while providing the instrumental tour de force behind legendary Polish singer Niemen. Skrzek's trademark fuzz bass blasts away, contested only by Apostolis' shredding on guitar. Meanwhile Niemen puts in his usual impassioned bluesy vocal performance. His vocals are emotionally charged throughout, and can only be considered an addition to the great music behind him. Perhaps English isn't the best choice here as I'm sure Niemen singing in his native Polish would have been even more powerful, but we'll take what we can get. Generally Eastern European bands during Communist rule had to tone down the rhetoric, and let the music do the talking. But Niemen was given special privilege, and he took full advantage. This is an essential work.

CD: 2003 CityStudio Media Production / Green Tree (Germany)

CMP was a legit label in the early part of the 2000 decade who had licensed most of the Bellaphon catalog as well as many titles from Sony (like this one). But they're old school late 80s / early 90s styled bare bones reissues, with nothing more than lineup info and lyrics. This CD remains the only legit one on the market.

Zoldar & Clark - The Ghost of Way. 1977 USA

Classic Yes plays a strong role in the influence of this young band.

Personal collection
CD: 2008 Oxford Circus (as The Ghost of Way)

Dellwood is yet another of the infamous "tax dodge" / "tax scam" labels of the late 70s. A convenient loophole in the tax code that let unsavory businessmen write off unlimited losses against profits to save from paying Uncle Sam more than was truly owed (the IRS closed this loophole pretty quickly). All of these so-called music labels were setup to create a loss on the general ledger. Of course, all of these labels should have taken more losses, as they pretty much stole the music given them (via bogus advertisements in music papers stating they were legitimate enterprises). Almost all bands who unwittingly participated in this scam had no inkling their material was released until many years later.

So it's with this background that the CD on Oxford Circus (the only legitimate reissue and titled The Ghost of Way on the CD itself) contains many different tracks from the original Dellwood LP. Unfortunately there's no liner notes to explain why that is the case. As well, from all the online info I can gather, there isn't a definitive guide as to what is what here. Cannata himself is behind the reissue, and it appears that in his mind, the Zoldar & Clark brand name is geared towards the band's more progressive mindset, whereas Jasper Wrath and Arden House represent other aspects of their overall sound. Some of these song titles I don't recognize from anywhere - while others were originally on albums from Jasper Wrath and Arden House.

In any case, this CD is not a reissue of the original LP. But well worth owning in its own right!

Mantra. 1979 Spain (archival)

The CD itself says that Mantra sounds like a combo of Azahar, Iman Califato Independiente and Cai. Hard to argue with that and you could throw in other southern Spanish luminaries like Triana, Medina Azahara and Mezquita if you were so inclined. High energy Flamenco styled rock, with symphonic progressive elements (constantly shifting time signatures, synthesizers, heavy guitars...), is what you can expect here. A musically fantastic album.

So it's pretty much the great archival find of 2012 right? Well, I'd be a bit more enthusiastic if the sound quality matched the musical output. Unfortunately these really are demos, and the dull, thin and muddy bass/drums somewhat ruin a potential masterpiece. The album sounds like it's from a 3rd generation cassette tape. Judging by the copious liner notes (in Spanish), and unique photos, this is no shoddy cash-in effort - the fact remains, this is the best music copy available. Arabiand Rock is to be commended for bringing to light a long lost style of Spanish rock music to the world. An album very much worth checking out for fans of Rock Andaluz.

Ownership: CD: 2012 Arabiand Rock

5/6/12 (new entry)

Cauldron - The Sanctuary Suite. 1998 Sweden

Another random pull from the collection. I bought this in 1999, not too long after it was released, listened to it a few times, and filed it. 13 years later, we return.

Cauldron is a dual collaboration of members from The Spacious Mind and Holy River Family Band. Both were already releasing albums on Michael Piper's The Wild Places label. Cauldron's music is geared towards the psychedelic far out reaches of The Spacious Mind's canon. Long spaced out journeys with droning organ, psychedelic jazz guitar, hand percussion, sitar, trumpet and other sundry instruments are used to create the aural journey. Catches a late 60's Pink Floyd vibe. Put away your jam kit, Cauldron is for late-night zone outs. Excellent album if in the right mood.

CD: 1998 Wild Places (USA)

5/6/12 (new entry); 6/8/22 (removed from collection)

Anders Helmerson - End of Illusion. 1982 Sweden

Classically trained pianist Helmerson put his talents to good use on his sole output End of Illusion. Apparently he felt this might be his only chance to record an album, so what the heck, let's go fer-it! The album goes full throttle - all the time. Helmerson handles the keyboard toy store, while assembling various guests on guitars, bass, drums, violin, and even tamboura. The album has an electronic rock flow about it, similar maybe to You's Electric Day. However the great shadow of Wakeman's classic The Six Wives of Henry VIII looms everywhere.  Helmerson's keyboards dominate the proceedings, and the lightning fast rhythm section exhausts itself trying to keep up. There's not much in the way of composition development, but rather sketches of songs are brought forth along with accompanying jams to fill the time. Despite this flaw, End of Illusion is a very satisfying release especially for fans of 70's era keyboard tones. No doubt Helmerson could be seen as an influence on some of the early 1990s projects like fellow countryman Par Lindh, Spain's Altair, and the Fort Worth,Texas based Covenant (of Nature's Divine Reflection fame).

CD: 1992 Musea (France)

I was first introduced to Helmerson via this CD back in 1993, and purchased on the spot. Original LPs on Skivbolaget have always been scarce.

Last listen: November 29, 2018

Buffalo - Volcanic Rock. 1973 Australia

Buffalo's second album Volcanic Rock takes out the boogie rock and blues of the first album Dead Forever and leaves a damn good heavy rock album in its wake. I'd have to say it's one of the finest in the "slow burn" style, perhaps what could be considered Proto-Stoner. The album slowly turns over, making sure the marinate penetrates the meat. Pulverizing rhythms and omnipresent acid blues guitar solos define this mature hard rock work. And then we come to part 2 of the monumental final track, subtitled 'Shylock', a song which has to be considered amongst the all time great riffs in rock history. One has to think that Black Sabbath may have known this record (especially considering they toured with them in Australia during this period), as three years later they themselves released the monumental 'Symptoms of the Universe', which is remarkably similar. Absolutely essential 70s hard rock album, and Buffalo's best IMO.

Ownership: LP: 1973 Vertigo. Gatefold with poster. Swirl label. Online acquisition (2019).

CD: 2005 Aztec. Six panel digipak with extensive liner notes. They've included two live tracks (10 minutes), both of which could be considered their signature songs: 'Sunrise' and 'Shylock'.

6/3/07; 5/4/12 (new entry)

Lady Lake - No Pictures. 1977; 1997 Netherlands

Lady Lake, from The Netherlands, present a pastoral, melodic, yet complex progressive rock album. Acoustic guitar is the backbone to their sound, and recalls early Genesis around Selling England By The Pound. This ostensible light background is offset by plenty of psychedelic guitar sequences, which are quite striking in this setting. Moog and Fender Rhodes play a major role as well. Vocals are fortunately sparse and ultimately unnecessary. The music never sits still too long, always on the move, while surprisingly being able to maintain its melodic core. My vote for best track would be 'Fading Trees' though 'Magic Twanger' is a close second. Mirage era Camel is probably the most obvious influence overall. More obscure references would include Hoelderlin (Clowns and Clouds), M.L. Bongers Project, and Ivory.

As mentioned below, the CD also contains newly recorded material from 1997 that was originally composed from 1979-1982. Not surprisingly, the music has a similar compositional quality to the original No Pictures album. Of course, the guitar here is more "90s pig squeal" and less "70s psychedelic" which is a pity. The aural landscape is more broad brush, with less finely pointed detail. But still a fine effort, and shows the band hasn't lost touch with their ambitious progressive background. Camel clearly remains their main influence on these tracks. From here, they were to continue and actually improve on their next proper release Supercleandreammachine (2005).

CD: 1997 Musiphyle / Musea (France)
LP: 1978 Q

The CD (the second cover photo) is outstanding. It features wonderful sound, a complete history of the band with unique photos and insights. Perhaps even better, the CD contains a completely new album's worth of material recorded in 1997, and could easily be considered two albums on one CD. Musiphyle is a sub-label of none other than Musea. Not sure why the different designation, though it may have something to do with the new album being included with the reissue.