Phantom ~ USA ~ Detroit, Michigan

Phantom's Divine Comedy Part 1 (1974)

Phantom were in reality a Detroit area band slumming around with the name Walpurgis. Vocalist Ted Pearson* had an uncanny resemblance in both voice, and even appearance, to Jim Morrison, and thus Capitol thought it might be a good idea to exploit the myth that Morrison was still alive. It's hard to imagine a corporate entity such as Capitol getting in on such sophomoric antics, but it does appear that's exactly what happened. Naturally the whole idea fell on its face, and Phantom disappeared as they came, through the ether.

The sad thing about this ruse, is it was entirely unnecessary. Phantom, in fact, were really quite adept on their own accord. In effect, Phantom are a hard rock band, with psychedelic and progressive characteristics. So the Doors comparisons begins and ends with Pearson's voice. The rest is somewhat unique for an American major label band from 1974. The opening track 'Tales from a Wizard', 'Spider's Will Dance', and the last 16 minutes of the album are the highlights. It's just this kind of mystical hard rock that is now being recreated by a new inspired youth. So while Capitol were trying to exploit history, Phantom were actually predicting the future. Wonderful irony.

* - For years thought to be Tom Carson, but he was in another band. Ted Pearson later legally changed his name to Arthur Pendragon. All the hard data is out there now, so no more need for conspiracy theories :-)

---4/27/18 update

I recently received a very nice note from RD Francis, who has written a book about "The Phantom". Looks very interesting, and nice to know the facts are now coming to the fore.

Ownership: 1974 Capitol (LP). Acquired in 2023.

First copy: 1993 One Way (CD). Acquired in 1996.

1996; 1998; 11//04; 7/11/13; 7/25/15 (review / new entry)

Legend - Death in the Nursery + Frontline. 1982 Jersey (UK/Channel Islands)

Legend's second album Death in the Nursery attempts to streamline their sound a bit, and tighten up the ship. And fortunately... they failed. Legend is one of those bands that just can't seem to help themselves when it comes to creative songwriting. One gets the impression that if you told Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) to write more poppy material, he'd come back with similar compositions as found on Death in the Nursery. While no one would dare label Legend "Prog Metal", they are in fact more unpredictable than any established band in that field of music. Side 1 is a tad weaker than the debut, though almost all the material is still excellent, with 'Time Bomb' being their token "ordinary" metal track, similar to 'Bad Girls' from the debut. Side 2, however, opens up Pandora's Box, and the tunes begin to stray all over the place without rhyme or reason. Awesome. 

Still marching forward without a label deal, Legend gives it a 3rd go with Frontline, this time going with the EP format. 'Stormers of Heaven' was the track that received the accolades from the metal press of the era, and it would seem to be the best choice for a single. For Legend, however, it's a bit ordinary. The other tracks, of course, are unpredictable with fantastic breaks/riffs, and cool psychedelic solos. It is the sound of Legend, one that most of the world unfortunately was deprived of for so long. If only a single enlightened label had come along...

Ownership: LP: 1982 Workshop. Single sleeve with lyric insert. Recent acquisition from JL (2023).

CD: 2002 Monster (as Anthology). 2xCD is awesome, and it includes all of the band's work from 1981 to 1983 (including Frontline and demos). Features fine liner notes with historical newspaper clippings and photos. 

2002; 7/23/15 (new entry); 4/1/23 (LP acquire)

The Jimmy Castor Bunch - It's Just Begun + Phase Two. 1972 USA

It's Just Begun: I'll never forget the first time I heard the title track. It was only a few years ago, and my wife had our cable TV on the "soul channel". Yes, that's right, the cable TV music channel (Urge I think - dreadful in every other way I'm afraid). And I looked over at the TV and said "What the hell?". I just sat there mesmerized (luckily not on YouTube or no doubt it would be viral now). I've heard - what - a million songs now? How have I never heard this? We are talking a grinding bass like Jannick Top of Magma, with some fuzzy guitars thrown on top for good measure. And, as you might guess, that's not the only monster track here. Psyche and LTD are freaking amazing - especially the latter, sounding like Funkadelic dropped in on a Santana concert - with Miles Davis performing on trumpet. Of course, it's not all like this, because if it were, it would be a 5 star monsterpiece. But we go way up here. Way up.

Phase Two: Many Americans will remember a comedy/drama show in the 1970s called "Good Times". It was set in the deplorable Cabrini-Green housing projects in central Chicago, and depicted a hard working family struggling to make ends meet - in the most difficult situations imaginable. But there was always time for a laugh amongst the serious drama. It was lighthearted, but very serious too. The show was excellent, and both critics and fans enjoyed it. Over time, though, folks apparently lost interest in the "hard hitting" drama aspect. And so the shows' popularity particularly soared when eldest son "J.J." would enthusiastically yelp "DY-NO-MITE". And as you might imagine, the show deteriorated rapidly into a caricature, where it just became plain silly. And all the seriousness was gone. And that, my friends, is Jimmy Castor Bunch's "Phase Two".

Personal collection
CD: 2014 Robinsongs / Cherry Red (UK)

Garden variety mainstream US release on LP. According to Discogs, It's Just Begun would appear to still be in production with new LP pressings every so often. I just recently picked up the Robinsongs release on CD, and it's a great reissue with complete liner notes and contains both albums in full.

Outer Limits - The Scene of Pale Blue. 1987 Japan

The CD version starts off in that typical brash, digital 1980s way the Japanese are famous for. I was beginning to question why I liked this album at all, as many of those 1980s Japanese prog bands have fallen into the sell bin over the years. Ah, but 'Marionette's Lament' is from a single, and not the LP proper.

 
Once we get to 'Mixer', we are off and running with The Scene of Pale Blue. And on this LP, verse their earlier stunted works, Outer Limits provides us with plenty of long exploratory instrumental parts. And a willingness to break out the old equipment, like the mellotron for example, which was still unusual in those days. Some of the heavy angular guitar / counterpoint parts recall mid-70s King Crimson. Lead violin and old school rhythm guitar flesh out the sound nicely. Unfortunately the band brought back the silly low singing voice on 'Anti Podean' and those sections have to be considered a lowlight. A fine album from the late 80s Japanese symphonic progressive scene.

Oh, and the CD also includes the fine 8+ minute fusion-oriented bonus track 'Pteridophyte' taken from the 1990 Made in Japan compilation called Out of Works. I would consider this track essential listening.

Ownership: CD: 1999 Musea (France). Jewel box release with bonus tracks as noted above.

My first copy was the LP purchased in 1990.

1990; 4//06 (review); 7/21/15 (new entry)

Biglietto per L'Inferno ~ Italy

Biglietto per L'Inferno (1974)

So how does one describe the brilliance of Biglietto per L'Inferno? It's not one of those obvious single listen masterpiece albums that's for sure. Let's put it this way: If Banco del Mutuo Succorso is the marquee at the Teatro alla Scala, and Celeste is found playing in a small Umbrian village church, then Biglietto per L'Inferno resides behind the Porta Alchemica. This album is pure arcana. Perhaps the ultimate example is 'Confessione', which turns into complete madness by the end, with more twists and turns in one minute than most albums conjure up for their entire length. Every track has this veil of mystery and exploration that goes beyond normal understanding. Venture deep into the forest and see for yourself...

If in the market for an original LP, you need to tread carefully, as there does exist a very convincing boot from the 1980s. If you follow Augusto's rules, you'll be fine though. 

On the CD I can hear an attempt was made to fix the sound, but... yea, it's never going to sound great I'm afraid. In some ways, that's part of its charm and... well, read above. 

Ownership: 1974 Trident (LP); 2006 Trident / BTF (CD). Papersleeve. Gatefold.

1989 (first acquired); 4//06; 7/9/15 (review / new entry)

Day of Phoenix - Wide Open N-Way. 1970 Denmark

Like a lot of bands from Denmark, Day of Phoenix jogs along in a loose, rambling, jammy style. For whatever reason, the last vestiges of the San Francisco psych scene could still be found in Copenhagen. Not to say that the English variety of progressive had not yet crept in - because it had - just that the outdoorsy open festival atmosphere was still prominent. The album is remarkably consistent, with the title track winning by a nose.

Ownership: CD: 1994 Repertoire (Germany). Fine reissue with liner notes for both Day of Phoenix and the Danish late 60s psychedelic scene overall. It does appear the CD is sourced from vinyl however.

7/6/15 (new entry); 5/13/20

Dominic Woosey - Straylight. 1992 Scotland

Before getting to the review of the album, I have to say the background for Mr. Woosey is quite interesting. I thought this to be one of the more obscure albums in my collection, the perfect definition of my Under the Radar blog. RYM has only 3 ratings and 4 cataloged. Only two of us on Gnosis have it rated. And yet on Discogs a massive 240 claim ownership, and up to 5 pressings exist. Most of these are from the 1994 repress, which is what I own as well. Recycle or Die is not a small private label, but rather an imprint for none other than WEA Musik of Germany. The CD comes in a fine professionally made digi-pak. If the below review sounds interesting to you, the CD is available at low prices from dealers on Discogs. I saw a couple on Amazon as well. I first learned of this album from Audion magazine, and since the Freeman's are major contributors to the Discogs site, they have added a lot more data surrounding Dominic Woosey. But it does appear his fame has been short lived, as I didn't find anything modern from him, including any kind of web presence. Strange really.

Straylight is a really fine work from Scotsman Woosey. In the Berlin School tradition, with sequencers and electric guitar, operating more or less in the same territory as Cosmic Hoffmann. Much of this could have been a long lost electronique album from France or Germany circa 1976. Last track is a bit of a departure and features female narration, with shades of 'Jenseits' era Ash Ra Tempel, though clearly a product of the late 80s sound, perhaps more like Steve Roach during this era. Well worth seeking out for fans of the genre.

Spyros adds: "Hello Dominic Woosey was more a house/techno artist with little interest to my ears. I originally listened to him in the "Brand-X Series" compilation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDMMc1-tMz0) and cannot say I liked what I've heard. That's why I haven't paid an attention to any particular release of his."

Ownership: CD: 1992 Recycle or Die.

1999; 7/5/15 (new entry)

Lily - V.C.U. (We See You). 1973 Germany

As the liner notes of the Garden of Delights CD state: "(Lily) had a specific style of their own and were almost uninfluenced by other bands." Amen to that. You'll hear snippets of other Krautrock bands such as Nine Days Wonder, Nosferatu, Out of Focus, Thirsty Moon, and Brainstorm. And yet none are really that similar. Psychedelic guitar and saxophone are the primary instrumental vehicles here, while the rhythm drives forward the compositions at a healthy clip. An excellent album.

The album cover and band moniker, of course, does the band no favors at all. Completely misrepresented as some sort of 3rd rate and unfunny glam rock band, Lily is none of the above. The actual name of the group was Monsun. But some moron at Bellaphon thought that since Tiger B. Smith were selling well with their glam image, so should Lily. And one and done Monsun goes...
 
The CD version contains 40 minutes of bonus material (tracks 7 to 10) meant for a second, yet unreleased, album from 1974. These are of lesser sound - and music - quality. It's loose jam material for sax/guitar for the most part, and certainly are worthy as bonus tracks.

Personal collection
CD: 2002 Garden of Delights

Originals are a single sleeve with a particularly dumb cover (we discuss this above). Good thing they interpreted VCU, otherwise who would know? All the same, originals are scarce and fairly expensive. The only CD is from the always great Garden of Delights, and this was my introduction to the album upon its release. On this reissue, you get a full album's worth of material from what was to be their second album in 1974. And of course all the usual great liner notes, photos, etc... Garden of Delights is the gold standard for CD reissues!

Jiro Inagaki and His Soul Media - Dosojin. 1972 Japan

We featured this title on the CDRWL a few years ago, and so it is with great pleasure to be able to bring it here to the UMR, now that we have a CD in hand. Dosojin is a collection of traditional Japanese folk songs, but in many cases distorted beyond recognition, and at times, very psychedelic. 

Ownership: CD: 2015 Nippon Columbia. Papersleeve.

1/5/12 (first listen / review); 6/18/15 (update)

The AC sums it up nicely: "The songs, arranged by composer Yasuhiro Koyama (who also penned one side of Toshiyuki Miyama's "Tsuchi No Ne", another of Columbia's "Adventure In Sound" albums (and also now reissued)), are all actually variations and elaborations on traditional Japanese "minyou", old folk songs known to people all across Japan for countless generations. The whole album flows very nicely, running seamlessly from solemn folky songs to fuzz-guitar and piano led progressive pieces and back again, always maintaining a deeply Japanese atmosphere."

6/18/15 (new entry)

Continuum ~ USA ~ Chicago, Illinois

End of Line (1984)

Continuum were a heavy fusion band from Chicago featuring John Redfield on keyboards, Robert Baglione on guitar, and Robert Allen on bass with various drummers/percussionists, most prominently Randy Harrah. The albums starts off a bit disconcerting on the title track with slap bass, disco beats, and cheesy synthesizers. But Baglione gets the psychedelic tinged guitar going thus adding a much needed edge to the proceedings. The jazz sequences featuring piano also light it up. Has some of the most insane guitar runs I've ever heard - imagine somewhere between late 70s Al Di Meola (technique) and early 70s John McLaughlin (tone/style). You're going to want to get your air guitar out for this one! There's way more meat on its bones than most 1980s era fusion albums. Not quite as angular as the Inserts' Out of the Box for example, but we're talking that kind of aggressiveness. A very welcome development and a window to what the 1980s could have been.

Ownership: 1984 Schmizz (LP)

No reissues as of 2/24/25.

6/6/15 (review / new entry)

Sepi Kuu ~ Finland

Rannan Usvassa (1980)

---8/4/09

Rannan Usvassa is one of the most tripped out albums from an era not known for it. Contained within these grooves are intense droning/narrative Finnish vocals, acoustic guitars, and flute - along with searing fuzz/echo/phased guitars, synthesizers, and hand percussion. The overall vibe recalls the more serious tracks as found on Krautrock classics such as Walter Wegmuller's Tarot or Sergius Golowin's Lord Krishna Von Goloka. Comes completely out of left field, especially considering the time and place. A one-of-a-kind masterpiece as far as I'm concerned.

---7/4/96

I spent many a night in back rooms of record stores in Helsinki receiving an education on Finnish progressive rock. Sepi Kuu was the crown jewel of the lot. The minute I saw the cover I knew this was going to be special - A depressed girl sitting on the grass looking across the river at the huge castle hanging on the cliff. Above there is a flying saucer. Whoa! And the music? Beyond dark and depressing.  This reminds me quite a bit of the more sincere and heavy parts of Walter Wegmuller's Tarot. Tablas, flute, harmonium, droning - almost spoken - vocals, and (best of all) the way fuzzed out guitar that is more distorted than almost anything I've ever heard. My friends from Finland tell me the lyrics all deal with deep philosophical/religious ideas. Too much.

---5/31/15

For as long as I've been collecting LPs, there really aren't that many albums that I personally discovered, but this is one of them. Or at least popularized it for the overall collector community. I was introduced to this album by a knowledgeable record store in Helsinki when I visited there back in 1993. I knew it was a special album the minute I heard it, and bought a few of them on the spot (and one was given to me as a gift). At that time, the album was a complete unknown, and I enticed well known dealers from around the world with it - and all reported back their satisfaction with the music. 

Ownership: 

1980 Help (LP). Acquired in 1993

2015 Rocket (CD). Lliner notes in Finnish (translated below). Acquired in 2015.

Sepi Kuu history

English translation of the Rocket liner notes. Once again, a huge thanks to Kai for these: "The Finnish music industry was going through a huge transition in the late 1970s. Record sales dropped dramatically with the onset of recession. This bankrupted many small Finnish record companies or forced them to stop releasing records.

Fewer records were sold, but consumption of recorded music changed, too. Of Finnish rock music styles, especially new wave punk and, briefly, rockabilly enjoyed chart success. At the same time, styles like progressive rock found their market niche shrinking more and more. Mainstream iskelmä music had been dominated by nostalgic dance music since the mid 1970s, but now it began to seek hits from more obvious pop numbers, such as Finnish covers of disco songs.

Amidst all this change, the music industry entrepreneur Jorma Heliander (1946 – 2013) set up his Tophits-Finnhits record label in 1978. The label only lasted until 1981, but it released a lot of dance music, cover versions of contemporary hits and rockabilly.

In 1980, Heliander set up another label, Heliander Production, in parallel with Tophits-Finnhits. The label operated for two years, releasing about twenty albums and a host of singles. Its greatest commercial success was the comedy album Iltaravit (The Evening Horse Races) which starred, among others, popular actor Heikki Kinnunen.

The most individual and undoubtedly least commercial album Heliander Production ever released was Sepi Kuu's Rannan usvassa (In the Mist of the Shore). Released in 1980 on vinyl only, Rannan usvassa had been recorded earlier that year in a bus converted into a recording studio. Juha Heininen was the recording engineer.

In the musical climate of 1980, the psychedelic folk rock of Rannan usvassa went almost totally against the grain. Some contemporary listeners may have been reminded of Pekka Streng's albums Magneettimiehen kuolema and Kesämaa from ten years earlier. They may have also found it dated at the time. Today it sounds arguably like an album ahead of its time. Its groundbreaking experimentalism and unconventionality have inspired and encouraged many experimental music makers in the 21st century.

Rannan usvassa is truly a solo album by Sepi Kuu (alias Teppo Lehto). He not only sang and played all the instruments but also composed and arranged all the songs and painted the cover. The lyrics were provided by artist and poet Mikko Tola (1954 – 1989).

Rannan usvassa garnered little attention on release. It never had a sequel either. Over time this record shop nightmare has become a much sought-after collector's item, with copies changing hands for as much as 600 Euros on international Internet auctions.

You are holding the first official re-release of Rannan usvassa. Shadoks Music will re-release the album on vinyl concurrently with this Rocket Records release. Unfortunately, these releases could not be made from the album master tape. It was destroyed in a fire at Jorma Heliander's house a few years ago. What you hear has been sourced and expertly mastered by Thomas Hartlage from a good-condition vinyl of Rannan usvassa."

5/4/93; 7/4/96; 8/4/09 (review); 5/31/15 (update / new entry); 7/20/24

Cytrus - Kurza Twarz. 1980-1985 Poland (archival)

If you ever wondered what it would sound like if mid 1970s Kansas mixed with early 1980s Solaris - and who wouldn't wonder about that? - then you now have your answer. With perhaps some additional guitar rave-ups similar to late 70s Fermata. It's obscure prog blender night! Seriously though, this archival release from Poland's Cytrus is absolute dynamite. Recorded from various radio studio sessions over a period from 1980 to 1985, the band goes on to prove they are an instrumental tour de force. At least for the first 11 tracks presented here (1980-82, 84). The final 4 tracks (1983; 85) apply vocals to a bit more conventional songwriting, though they never stray too far away from a creative break... or three. Cytrus' wunderkind is Marian Narkowicz, the inventive gentleman who provides both the violin and the flute.

Personal collection
CD: 2006 Metal Mind

The CD comes with full liner notes in Polish, but laid out so one can easily discern the salient facts. Many photos as well. Wonderful sound too.

Sproton Layer - With Magnetic Fields Disrupted. 1970 USA-Michigan (archival)

Back in February/March of 1998, while still a "road warrior" consultant, I had a gig in San Ramon, California, which included a corporate apartment there. So every Sunday night, like clockwork, my wife would drive me to the airport and I'd make the flight from Denver to Oakland, usually arriving by around 9:00 PM local time. As soon as I sat into the rental car, the first thing I did was turn the radio dial to KFJC, certainly the most interesting radio station one can hear in this country. They played all sorts of experimental/progressive music, and it was usually a learning experience for me. The catch was I had limited time to hear it. Since the station is based in Los Altos Hills (closer to San Jose), their range was somewhat limited. Once I crossed the East Bay foothills, into the area of what is known locally as the Tri-Valley, the signal would be broken and ultimately lost.

One evening, in that 20 minute period, on came this pretty incredible psychedelic album with fuzz guitar and trumpet (?!). Since most of what they played was modern, I was very intrigued by what I was hearing. My only fear is I would lose the signal before knowing. But I caught a break, and needless to say by now, it was Sproton Layer. No other explanation was offered. I said to myself: "Well I got to get me this new group called Sproton Layer!" lol. I started doing research on the internet, and lo and behold Wayside had it in stock, with the explanation that it was an archival release from 1970. That certainly makes sense! But why would Wayside have it? Because the ever creative Roger Miller, was not only in Mission of Burma, but also the avant prog band Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, a band who was on Wayside's own Cuneiform imprint. Amazing how all these things fit together sometimes. I bought it immediately, and now it has come up for a revisit. I'm not sure I've heard this album since 1998!

Anyway, if all the above bores you, suffice to say Sproton Layer will not! The band hailed from Ann Arbor (University of Michigan) and the music is a highly creative post psychedelic album, just prior to the progressive movement taking hold, and the trumpet adds a fresh layer of sound not typically found amongst the fuzz guitar blasts. I often say that 1970 is the American confused year both musically and socially - and Sproton Layer is the perfect representative of that era.

If you've gotten this far into the review and you're reading about a psych band from 1970 with trumpet, what might be you thinking? Yes, that's correct, the "psych monster" C.A. Quintet of Trip Thru Hell fame (from nearby Minnesota). And the results are remarkably similar. The only difference is Sproton Layer never released an LP in their day. Because if they did, it would also cost over $1,000 today. With ample availability, this is an easy recommendation for fans of late psychedelic and early progressive rock. This album is still criminally unknown.

Ownership: CD: 1991 New Alliance. Neat little archival release from New Alliance, a subsidiary of SST, and a long way from anything you would expect from the label. No doubt it obtained a release due to the Mission of Burma ancestry (Roger Miller). In doing research for this title, I discovered it was also released on LP, and perhaps even more surprising, it was reissued by Germany's World in Sound on both formats.

Kin Ping Meh - s/t. 1971 Germany

Since we're cooking on the hard rock / heavy blues psych / progressive rock borderland, it's hard to avoid stepping back into 1971 Germany - where there were dozens of such bands. Kin Ping Meh's debut is a classic of the style, with great guitar riffing, and Hammond organ solos at every turn. The vocals have that wonderful Teutonic slightly-out-tune heavily accented English that seemed to be all the rage back then. The drums are even phased, indicating that perhaps Dieter Dirks walked in to knob twiddle a bit (but it was indeed Conny Plank - so the street cred here is off the charts). The lyrics would make any of today's motivational speakers proud "..don't you know we need each other" (ad infitium) and "Too Many People..le...le.. TRY to PUT ME DOWN". The latter track being the only low point, with a bloozy boozy harmonica driven sound. As if to make up for this letdown, Kin Ping Meh blow the speakers out on the followup track, the exceptional Drugson's Trip. Some mellotron and extended space rock jamming only add to the vibe of yet another great 1971 German release. Unfortunately this was to be the only decent album from Kin Ping Meh, who seemed anxious to find their audience on American radio. With no such luck, despite multiple tries.

Personal collection
CD: 2004 Polydor /Universal

The Universal CD comes in a fine digi-pak, with a full history that I'm sure was also provided on the Repertoire CD (same reviewer). Unfortunately, this version leaves off the bonus tracks, though I haven't seen anyone speak that highly of them in any case.

Dreadnaught ~ USA ~ New Hampshire

Gettin' Tight with Dreadnaught (2015)

With CD in hand, I see they have maintained the early 60s retro jazz theme in regards to the cover and album title, a nice little detail that I appreciate anyway. The always deprecating and humorous Dreadnaught tells us "...we're 19 years in and think we're making the best music of our career. Of course, we could be completely off base about that". lol. And in their bio section we get this gem "Two-thirds of the band definitely have Italian blood". I love irreverence.

Jokes aside, Dreadnaught means business once the tape starts rolling. Blasting out of the gates with Nervous Little Dogs, Dreadnaught come out fighting with fuzz bass, heavy guitar, and roaring rhythms. I haven't heard this kind of fury since the glory days of Nucleus era Anekdoten. The Badger opens in faux disco mode, and shifts gears quickly to a Canterbury like sound. A type of music that fits Dreadnaught like hand in glove, and a sound I would like to hear the band explore further. Knife Hits is a nice bit of instrumental post rock, with some Kong-like heaviness mixed in. Barefoot Kicker is the closest thing to what one could call prototypical Dreadnaught (is that even possible?), with a hint of Americana, rural rock, and complex progressive rock. Excellent use of keyboards and violin on this one too! The odd track out is This Time Next Year which brought to mind The Steve Miller Band, but does fit their oeuvre quite well actually.

Ownership: 2015 Red Fez (CD)

5/10/15 (acquired / review)

Have a Drink with Dreadnaught (2013)

After eight years of non recorded activity, Dreadnaught come back with a new EP, that shows no signs of cobwebs. For Have a Drink With Dreadnaught the group has shed the colder Crimson tones, and have added a good dose of West Coast psychedelia. This music comes across more natural to their Americana tendencies. The melodies are more thought out, and the jams flow more freely. The Grateful Dead, or perhaps even Phish, no doubt should be part of the conversation when discussing this album. I also appreciate the retro early 60s album title.

Like their idols Frank Zappa, Dreadnaught have worked hard to avoid categorization. As such, it will be difficult for a potential fan to enjoy everything the band releases - though no one should question the musicianship, hard work, and quality of the material therein.

Former ownership: 2013 Red Fez (CD)

6/18/14 (acquired / review); 7/5/25

The American Standard (2001)

The band describes themselves as thus: "Over the course of over 17 years, half a dozen albums, and more metric shifts than you can shake a stick at, the ever-evolving DREADNAUGHT has carved out a musical niche unlike any other. This is because, very simply, we're totally and utterly deranged."

lol. Well, it's probably not far from the truth - at least from a musical perspective. If there's one persistent theme amongst the two albums I've heard, it's that Dreadnaught has a strain of Americana in them. The type of Appalachia based music one might find in Central Pennsylvania or West Virginia*. I hear elements of a contemporary fusion band such as Boud Deun, as well as historical early 70s groups from the region like Bucknell University's own Fred. On The American Standard, there's also a distinct modern Crimson influence, with its angular melodies, and dark textures. The tag one reviewer applied to Dreadnaught - "King Crimson at a Hoedown" - is most apt for this album. A very interesting direction to take for a band from New Hampshire.

* - I've read a few reviews where they refer to this as "Southern". That's a different concept altogether, and far more common to hear. The American roots music that Dreadnaught have focused on is a different strain, and rarely heard in progressive rock.

Ownership: 2001 Red Fez (CD)

6/14/14 (acquired / review)

6/14/14 (new entry)

Jackal ~ Canada ~ Toronto, Ontario

Awake (1973)

Jackal's sole album is a very fine hard rock album with bluesy guitar, choppy Hammond organ, and gritty soulful vocals. Like a more lethargic Micah, and anytime that fine band is in the reference column, then investigation should follow in hot pursuit. The album has a bit too many slow moments to be a classic, but when they're on, it is a fantastic experience to behold. Listen to tracks like 'At the Station' , 'For You', 'How Time Has Flown', 'Lost in the World', and the superb closing title track.

Ownership: 1994 The Labyrinth (CD). The Labyrinth was a joint effort between The Laser's Edge and Minotauro, who managed to get out four releases in the early 90s. Acquired in 2015.

5/9/15 (review / new entry); 9/4/23

Claudio Gabis y La Pesada - s/t. 1972 Argentina

The impact of this album has me reconsidering all of the Argentine heavy blues psych/rock albums from the early 70s, which are fortunately numerous. Blues is something that has aged well for me, and hearing some of the more impassioned hard psych records coming from the Southern Cone, makes me think I have a few more discoveries awaiting me. I owe much gratitude to my French RYM friend Horus_in_Monoxyde, who's brilliant review drew me to the album in the first place. I love his writing style anyway, but this one really caught my attention.  I asked if I could share it here on the UMR, and he graciously agreed. So with that: "Wow ! Fantastic scorching, bluesy heavy psych from Argentina with a heavy-handed, shaky amateurish production full of dirt and greasy charm. The opener "Fiebre de la ruta" ("The fever of the rut" ???) burns along and consumes itself with the intensity of something like Night Sun or Orange Peel, and features some crazy, blood-curdling screamed vocals. And that violin is really something! Even the slower, bluesier numbers like "Mas alla del valle del tiempo" or "Blues del terror azul" are genuinely trippy and drenched in a syrup-thick stew of reverb and psychedelic FX.  This is one of those lucky picks, in that it's exactly the kind of thing I want to hear right now - raw, sloppy, post-Altamont psychedelic hard-rock that sounds like it was recorded in some disused garage smelling of motor oil and cold cigarette smoke."

Personal collection
CD: 2004 Microfon / Sony

The CD above comes in a nice digi-pak, and is easy to find. I sourced one for all of $3.74 on Amazon recently.

Burnin Red Ivanhoe - W.W.W., 1971 Denmark

W.W.W. (now that's a forward thinking title) has its roots in the early jazz rock tradition, with clear influences coming from the Canterbury scene. I personally appreciate Side 1 more, as it possesses that unique Continental European take on the Canterbury sound, perhaps recalling similar era Supersister or Moving Gelatine Plates. The six minute title track is a wonderful atmospheric organ driven avant-garde piece right out of the Krautrock playbook. And the two instrumental pseudo-French titles sound like Supersister and Embryo jamming with Group 1850, which is nothing short of great. Side two is more traditional bluesy jazz rock, with gruff vocals and soprano saxophone in the lead (from future Secret Oyster honker Karsten Vogel), and comes off the highs of the earlier set.

Ownership: LP: 1971 Dandelion. Gatefold. Wonderful day-glo yellow with fire engine red lettering. 

Former ownership: CD: 2015 Esoteric (UK). Full historical notes from noted music writer Malcolm Dome (who, perhaps ironically, introduced me and hundreds of others to Metallica's Kill 'em All when he wrote for metal mag Kerrang! all those years ago). The always UK-centric Esoteric informs us in big red letters that the album was originally released in 1972 on Dandelion. Guessing then that the Danish press was a reissue.

1994 (first listen); 1998; 1/26/07 (review); 5/7/15 (update / new entry)

Eldberg - Par er Heimur Hugans. 2015 Iceland

Eldberg returns 4 years later from their debut with yet another stunning retro prog album, with excellent compositions and thick analog sounds, especially in the keyboard department. And.... they continue to bring forth epic tales sung in beautiful Icelandic. For those who insist on understanding the words, then Eldberg is not likely to be for you, unless you're fortunate enough to have spent a vast amount of time in Iceland itself. Personally, as someone who enjoys hearing music sung in the native tongue, I appreciate the vocals as yet another musical instrument, and the singing provided is well done here. In many ways, Eldberg is the second generation of the obscure Norwegian band Octopus ("Thaerie Wiighen"). Fine with me. It's not like the world is filled with albums such as this. After multiple listens, I'd say Eldberg has improved upon their already excellent debut. While they grade out about the same, the band is inching closer to world class status. I already look forward to a 3rd album from them!

Ownership: CD: 2015 Mylodon

5/2/15 (new entry)

M-Opus ~ Ireland

1975 Triptych (2015)

It's about time my brethren in Ireland got into this prog rock thing (My last name is Irish for the record. Then again my Ma is 100% pure Kraut and my Pa was a Celtic mutt. But hey! I have a story brewing here...). Take away the Ulster based Fruupp and the book on Irish progressive rock gets thin in a hurry. So it appears M-Opus discovered Supply, Demand, and Curve did they? Oh - you don't know who I'm talking about? Well, then... In any case, M-Opus goes much further than either band mentioned above, way into the depths of creative progressive rock, as evidenced by the 33 minute 'Different Skies' with its different tones, colors, styles, shifts, and food groups. Much attention has been paid to period instrumentation (keyboards being the most obvious) and compositional style. I'll say this to every band who insists going back 40 years in time to prove some kind of point I GUESS: You have one fan right here. And... keep going! Please.

Ownership: 2015 Rude Chord (CD). Acquired in 2015

5/1/15 (review)

And M-Opus did keep going. I'm the one who didn't keep up.

5/1/15 (new entry)