Forza Elettromotrice - Mutazione. 2018 Italy

Mutazione is the second full album from the band sometimes known as FEM Prog Band. This latter moniker has all kinds of conflicting connotations in English, so it's good to see the band moving towards their actual pre-acronym name. Musically speaking, the album is a bit more subdued than its predecessor, though still very much entrenched in the Italian style. New band members Alessandro Graziano and Pietro Bertoni provide two of the more distinctive sounds of Mutazione. The former brings a strong voice and occasional violin, while the latter adds trombone to the proceedings. Anytime I hear trombone mixed into Italian prog I first think of Jumbo's Vietato, and the instrument is utilized in a similar brassy way here. Primary songwriter Alberto Citterio provides some gorgeous piano lines along with the usual synthesizer kit. Highlight songs include 'Il Cielo Di Sé' and the closer 'Se C'É Una Buona Ragione'. Overall Mutazione proves to be an excellent entry for the genre.

Ownership: CD: 2018 private. Recent online acquisition. Jewel case with booklet containing Italian lyrics and member photos. There's a scanner code to retrieve the lyrics in English (maybe other languages too), but I didn't try it. 

1/24/21 (new entry)

Forbidden ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Twisted Into Form (1990)

After hearing Forbidden Evil I was most excited to check out this sophomore effort. By all accounts, Twisted Into Form features better songwriting, production, and was even more complex than its predecessor. And given this was from 1990, right in the epicenter of the prog thrash movement, I figured this would go into my all-time favorites stack for the genre. Everything proved to be true from my above statement, except the conclusion. I preferred Forbidden Evil. It starts off - as one person humorously stated about another metal album - with the Federally mandated clean acoustic guitar instrumental. And of course this leads to the inevitable bludgeoning of 'Infinite'. At this point my hopes were super high, as this track just kills with riff after riff, and multiple thematic changes. After this comes 'Out of Body', and the album begins to lose its luster. I'm waiting for the quirks of the genre to show up, the make-it-up-as-we-go-along aesthetic. But it's all too... too... professional. In this way, I'm most reminded of Testament and their transition from the rough and ready Legacy to the polished New Order. From a pure ratings perspective I find Twisted Into Form about the same as Forbidden Evil, but the latter has more potential for growth in this area. Other great tracks include the lengthy 'R.I.P.' and the closer 'One Foot in Hell'. It's a great album, yes everyone is correct on that front, but it's not unique enough to stand out as a pillar. Bummer.

The CD also includes a reissue of their EP entitled Raw Evil 1989 - Live at the Dynamo. On paper this looks great, as it features three tracks from their debut plus Judas Priest's masterpiece 'Victim of Changes'. Had I bought this real time after Forbidden Evil, I would have been completely disappointed. It starts with the Priest track. Quick history of 'Victim of Changes': This was a blues rock piece, going back to the early 70s, written by Judas Priest founder and original vocalist Al Atkins. It made its debut on Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) and proved to be a superb hard rock meets progressive rock number while still maintaining its blues foundation. But it was on 1979's Unleashed in the East, that the track became one of the greatest metal songs of all time. Priest amped it up from hard rock to metal, and added an incredible amount of emotional intensity. Gives one goose bumps just thinking about it. So what will a talented thrash band do with such a masterpiece? Ruin it, that's what. 'Victim of Changes' calls for subtlety and proper pacing. Forbidden rushes through it as if they have to go to the bathroom. It's a horrible rendition and they would have been far better served to cover something like 'Exciter' or 'Killing Machine'. I think only a progressive rock band could tackle 'Victim of Changes' and make it unique and exciting. The other three tracks are typical metal concert fare. With a husky voice: "This song is [about][comes from]" (unintelligible) blaaahhhhhrraa (cue high hat) - then huge racket ensues. It's not that they can't play live - they most certainly can - it's just so much gets lost in translation. The studio brings out the best of most bands like this.

Ownership: 2008 Nuclear Blast Germany (CD)

1/23/21 (acquired / review)

Forbidden Evil (1988)

By 1988 my interest in metal had waned significantly. I was interested in new and different kinds of metal, but primarily my focus had shifted almost entirely to international progressive rock, in particular Italy had become my new drug of choice. So when Forbidden showed up on the stage, they were touted as yet another Bay Area thrash metal band. That ship had already taken off as far as I was concerned. Having been a diehard for the previous five years starting with Metallica's Kill 'em All, I had absorbed quite a bit of the style up to that point. My personal bookends to this scene were two new bands at the time: Testament and Death Angel. The last semester in college, they were to be my swansong of managing my anger while trying to get my engineering degree. After that, a new day was born.

I provide this introduction for context. For if Forbidden Evil had been released just one year prior, it would have been my favorite from the current new crop of bands. In reality, Forbidden were tapping into the progressive thrash market, something that bands like Metallica had dabbled in, but never focused on. Over the years, I continue to add metal albums from the late 80s and early 90s that were performing music similar to what Forbidden are here. It's complex, yes, but also heavy (in a rough sort of way) and the tunes are very interesting, constantly weaving in different directions. 'Through Eyes of Glass' in particular sees Forbidden at their most creative. Of course the solos tend to be a million miles an hour, which was de rigueur for the day, so those tend to lack impact over time. And there's also this strange pig squeal guitar noise that pops up here and there, which begins to sound like a gimmick after awhile. Small gripes on an otherwise excellent effort.

Ownership: 2008 Nuclear Blast Germany (CD). Contains a short history, lyrics, photos, and memorabilia. There's also four live bonus tracks. Like most metal bands, they tend to be raw run-throughs of the studio material. Improvisation is not one of the major tenets of the thrash genre.

1/21/21 (acquired / review)

1/21/21 (new entry)

Tyburn Tall ~ Germany

Tyburn Tall (1972)

Tyburn Tall is one of the true legends of the European LP collector's underground. Fetching obscene amounts of cash, the album by default could only be met with derision when finally heard. A fresh spin does demonstrate, however, an excellent album when compared to its peers - that of the amateur private release. Organ is the dominate instrument and there's plenty of electric guitar follow up. Deep Purple is the blueprint here (including classical rips), and if the idea of an unpolished raw MK. II captures the imagination, then certainly Tyburn Tall will satisfy. Much is made of Klaus Fresenius' impassioned vocals, generally panned across the board. Personally I think they're great - perhaps not technically of course - but from the human perspective. To me he sounds like a proto thrash singer, screaming in a high pitch, perfect for any self-respecting 80s metal band. Clearly Ian Gillan is his role model here, and he doesn't have the pipes, but he goes for it anyway. It's just this kind of X factor that makes albums like Tyburn Tall endearing.

Ownership: 1994 Penner (CD). Full liner notes and plenty of photos. Includes two bonus tracks, both renditions of Colosseum tracks and are excellent as well. Though the CD doesn't sound great, the liner notes point out that the original isn't any better. Acquired in 1998.

1998; 4/27/16; 1/20/21 (review / new entry)

Eric Johnson - Tones. 1986 USA-Texas

Eric Johnson burst onto the scene in 1986, seemingly out of nowhere. He was part of the mid to late 80s guitar fronted band scene along with many others such as Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Like most folks, my introduction to Tones was the fine instrumental 'Zap'. In hearing this album for the first time all the way through, I didn't recollect anything else from the album, though I'm sure others were played on the radio at the time. Even though I enjoyed 'Zap' back then it never occurred to me to pick the album up. By 1986 I was moving fast and furious into the world of obscure European progressive, and underground music in general. I didn't think the guy with the spikey hair was going to give me what I wanted at the time. And in retrospect that would be a true statement. The time for me to hear this album is now, as I can reflect on the era in a more objective manner. Johnson's album is not really a guitar hero album, especially given the number of songs with vocals. It's AOR music for the most part, but with a definite slant towards the time and place. What I now call simply 80s Music. Most of the FM friendly tracks feature some excellent jazz fusion styled breaks, giving the music a fresh sound. Overall Tones is much better than I expected, and I've decided to keep it for now.

From the above, I purposely left out what I knew about Johnson's history. I said "seemingly out of nowhere" and that's exactly what I knew in 1986. But by 1988, as I'm now deep in the rare catalog world, I learn that Johnson was the guitarist for the very obscure - but very good - Austin based psychedelic band Mariani (1970). He was only 16 at the time, but clearly he was head and shoulders above most kids his age here in America. Then a couple of years after that, I learned he was the lead guitarist for Electromagnets, yet another excellent group, this time in the field of jazz rock (1975). So by the time of Tones, Johnson was a grizzled veteran at the age of 32. That experience really comes to fore on the album. Eric Johnson's path to stardom was circuitous, but fascinating. It was also fleeting. Though he enjoys a cult following to this day (especially considering the follow-up Ah Via Musicom, which I've not heard), Tones was to be his 15 minutes of fame. Good for him.

Ownership: LP: 1986 Reprise. Single sleeve with lyric inner. This came from last week's (rather small) haul of thrift shop pickups. I fast tracked this one to the front of the stack as I was most curious of the contents within.

Faust ~ Germany

Faust (1971)

Similar to my thoughts about Can, Faust has never been my favorite kind of Krautrock. But whereas Can were an authentic band with wild experimentation, Faust could be looked at more as an art project than an operating touring troupe. This is no secret. Faust were a manufactured group and were basically instructed to create something new and different. To do that in 1971 Germany would have been to put out a "normal" album lol. Most of the Faust catalog leaves me cold, but I've always been fond of the debut. Primarily Side 1 where Faust is more of a cohesive rock band verse studio manipulators. In an era where experimentation was the norm rather than the anomaly, I hear Faust as middle of the road in that scenario. But as one could predict, Faust has become legend. Fair enough, it most certainly is a fascinating listen throughout. I'm keeping it that's for sure. But not anywhere near my personal list of masterpieces.

Ownership: 2003 Polydor Japan (CD). Papersleeve

1/16/21 (review / new entry)

Pyramid ~ England

Pyramid (1997)

I've railed against the authenticity of these Psi-Fi releases in every platform I could find, where it was stated they were somehow authentic - since about 1997. So I'm going to leave that topic alone here, other than to point out this album's silliness. Let's see... unknown personnel (but with very detailed instrumentation); engineered by "The Mad Twiddler"; and of course the album cover looks like a photoshop of a 1920's Art Deco Fritz Lang poster. But hey - there are 100 of them out there! Send me a copy when you find it. I'm sure those who put this out are having a good laugh. The downside to the sophomoric antics is that it takes away from the music itself.

Of the six supposed authentic releases, 1997's Pyramid remains my favorite. This is one 35 minute track that absolutely oozes the atmosphere of early Krautrock. Though they claim the date to be 1976, the sound they achieved sounds more 1971. And the reality is it's from the same studio that Sun Dial were recording in during the late 90s (don't forget Ohr Musik and Quad!). 

I'm most reminded of Steven Wilson's IEM project, a band that had released their debut near the same time. Though I own it, I don't currently have a review. However I do have some notes down for Have Come For Your Children (2001). To quote "So if the idea of lengthy cosmic psychedelic Krautrock jams - with an enormous amount of studio gadgetry and tricks - are your bag, then boy do I have a recommendation for you. The album kicks off with a 35 minute number which defines everything IEM is about.... the piece does a remarkably great job of filling that time with intriguing jams and a variety of cool sounds, including way-fuzzed out psych guitar, flute, pounding drums, and mellotron". 

Other than the flute we pretty much have the description for 'Dawn Defender' as found here. What is a dawn defender anyway? A pyramid! Clever British lads. But are we defending for it or against it? Questions.

Ownership: 1997 Psi-Fi (CD)

1997 (acquired); 1/16/21 (review / new entry)

Skin Alley ~ England

Skin Alley (1969)

One of the more unheralded progressive rock albums, Skin Alley's debut laid down the blueprint for what the English scene was to sound like for the next three years. For the subtype of music Skin Alley is doing here - namely flute, saxophone, mellotron, maudlin vocals, guitars, and jazzy rhythms all weaving through complex compositions - one could argue they were first. One year later and bands like Marsupilami, Indian Summer, T2, Goliath, Cressida, Raw Material, and many others would follow suit. Every track here is excellent, not a dud among them. One wonders how this album has fallen through the cracks when lesser others have been elevated. An historical breakthrough and a thoroughly enjoyable listen, this album is long overdue in receiving any kind of recognition. 

Ownership: 2011 Esoteric (CD). Part of a 2 CD compilation called Big Brother is Watching You that also includes their second album, a 1970 single, and an unreleased album entitled Stop Veruschka. Comes complete with full liner notes.

First copy: 1996 Audio Archives (CD). Acquired in 1998.

4/3/98; 1/15/21 (review)

Two Quid Deal? (1972)

For years I passed over this one in the bins. The US Stax copy was a regular buck bin special, and with that ridiculous cartoon rat and cheese cover, it never occurred to me this would be anything worth pursuing. Years later I discovered their brilliant debut and very good followup, but maintained (for no good reason really) that this must have been their sellout album.

And I was right. Except.... Skin Alley were no good at it! You can tell this album is pandering to the early 70s US Billboard charts. You can hear popular bands at the time like Rare Earth in these grooves. But even so, they cannot seem to stop themselves from a full helping of a mid song progressive rock break. It's in their DNA. So while the first three tracks all start out with a bit of concern, it doesn't take long for the band to find their sea legs, and create music similar to their debut, especially on 'Bad Words & Evil People'. I wasn't too keen on 'Graveyard Shuffle' nor 'So Glad', but 'A Final Coat' takes us back to the opening trio of tracks. And 'The Demagogue' is similar. For my tastes the best track is the instrumental 'Skin Valley Serenada' that seems to be the model blueprint for a band like Rousseau for example. A gorgeous flute melody over a happening jazzy rhythm pattern makes this one special. In my opinion, Two Quid Deal? surpasses To Pagham and Beyond in quality. Yes, that surprised me too.

Ownership: 1972 Transatlantic Germany (LP). With poster. Acquired in 2022.

First copy: 2005 Strange Days (CD). Papersleeve. Acquired in 2018.

6/9/18 (review)

6/9/18 (new entry)

Yes - Time and a Word. 1970 England

The older I get, the more I appreciate psych-era Yes - part 2. Once again Chris Squire's bass takes the lead, whereas Banks goes a bit more psychedelic in the solos. And Bruford really shines here, more so than on the debut. The orchestration was probably a bit too much addition, and it's a shame they didn't employ the mellotron instead. One can imagine the instrument being interjected to great results. 'Them' and 'Astral Traveller' are brilliant, and represent two of my all-time favorite Yes songs. Other great tracks include 'Everydays', 'Sweet Dreams', and 'The Prophet'. Great album.

Ownership: LP: 1972 Atlantic. Similar to what I said on the Yes debut entry, right down to the outlet mall CD pickup in the late 90s. These two albums are inextricably linked in my world. In fact I listened to both back to back last night, which I often do. I picked up this LP online in 2016. Single sleeve with lyric insert. It's not the first edition (generally known as the "plum" label), but it is an early green/red label UK gatefold pressing as you can see. Once again, the American censors couldn't handle the original topless lady cover and came up with something... atrocious. 

1/7/21 (new entry)

Yes. 1969 England

The older I get, the more I appreciate psych-era Yes. I'd even suggest I like their first 2 albums better than their much heralded prog breakthrough The Yes Album. The debut has some great songwriting and you can hear Jon Anderson singing in a distinctly British style. Chis Squire's bass is already very prominent and demonstrates his leadership. Love Tony Kaye's old fashioned organ and Peter Banks jazzy solos as well. 'Survival' is the recognized great track here, and I'm with the majority. But there's plenty more to savor including 'Looking Around', 'Harold Land', and The Byrds' 'I See You'. Excellent album throughout.

Ownership: LP: 1971 Atlantic (UK). Gatefold. Second pressing, first with the green and orange label. Recent pickup (2022) from the Denver Record Show from a well known record shop in the area. Interestingly enough I'd never owned this on LP prior. Back when I first discovered Yes as a young teen, I bought Yesterdays on LP, and that ended up being the representation of the first 2 albums until the CD era.

The first CD I owned was a mass produced US release picked up at an outlet mall in Commerce  (Los Angeles area 1997). Long sold off.

1997; 1/7/21 (new entry); 10/11/22 (LP acquisition)

Shiva ~ England

Continuance (1983 / 2004)

I've spoken about Shiva's sole album before (see below), as I found it to be one of the NWOBHM's more intriguing releases. A combination of heavy metal and Rush-like textures and more complex songwriting. The aptly named Continuance was ultimately meant to be the second album. The label (Heavy Metal Records) were struggling financially - as were the band - so things weren't going too well to begin with. After recording the first five centerpiece tracks found here, they excitedly played them for the label, only to be rejected. Not "heavy" enough they claimed. Ha! There's a twist from the usual not "commercial" enough. In hearing this, the label wasn't wrong, if heaviness was to be the deciding factor. If anything, Shiva had honed their songwriting skills and offers up more ear-friendly tracks. But the key ingredients of Firedance remain, that of the complex breaks and extended guitar soloing. I've read some counterpoint reviews stating that Shiva really weren't influenced by Rush. Listen to the 9+ minute 'Eden (Silent Running)' and get back to me on that. These guys have Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures written all over them, minus the synthesizers of course. Filling out the disc are two more demo tracks featuring a different drummer, and five other demos from various parts of their career - all from the earlier days. I found most of these just as good as their "two" albums proper. So if you're a fan of Firedance, you'll want this too. If unfamiliar with Shiva, then start with Firedance and go from there.

Ownership: 2004 Majestic Rock (CD). With booklet containing lyrics and a full history in microscopic print crammed onto 2 pages. With a normal font it would have been 8 pages I think! Acquired in 2021.

1/5/21 (review)

Firedance (1982)

---1/6/14

I'm such a sucker for the older NWOBHM bands, before they felt compelled to be in lockstep with the "scene", and here they just sort of made things up as they went along. Very much like my favorite progressive rock bands of the early 70s. Has more of a Rush influence than usual for a UK band from this era. There's some commercial stuff here that keeps it from a higher rating (especially on Side 2), but it's still a great listen. It'll probably grow on me over time (and it has!). File this one in the innovative early metal category next to Legend (UK), Diamond Head, Sacred Blade, and Manilla Road.

Ownership: 1982 Heavy Metal Records (LP). With lyrics. Acquired in 2020.

First copy: British Steel Russia (CD). Pirate. Acquired in 2014 (was supposed to be the original CD, but I got gypped). Replaced with the above.

1/6/14 (review); 6/11/20 (update)

6/11/20 (new entry)

As Is. 2000 USA-Florida

As Is (a name that is impossible to research) were a band from the Orlando area who released this one album before calling it a day. The album was sold to me as such (paraphrasing) "1976 archival prog metal from Tin House". I couldn't find it in either Discogs or RYM, so I pulled the trigger. Just as I enjoy finding unknown vinyl, I also love digging for unknown CDs. That was the original premise of the Under the Radar CDs blog over 10 years ago, before I repurposed it.

10 seconds into this, and I knew it wasn't from 1976. This is no analog recording and those synth patches scream the 90s. Which would explain the lack of any kind of history in the liner notes. In fact, the entire sales pitch was misleading. Do I think the seller purposely misled me? Nope, not at all. The 1976 part can only be considered some sort of miscommunication or misremembrance. Is it prog? No. Is it metal? No. Is it related to Tin House? Sort of - but not the 1971 version of the band. Tin House had a reunion and released their own obscure follow up in 2009. The guitarist for the resuscitated Tin House was a one David Mikeal, and he was the leader of As Is. And that's who the seller obtained this directly from. As for the musical style indicators, that can be chalked up to the seller's own background. For years, I watched psychedelic sellers refer to anything with a keyboard as progressive rock. And likewise, anything that has a slightly fuzzy guitar tone gets labeled as metal.

So what is As Is (so to speak)? Hard rock with AOR aspirations. They were part of the AOR revival scene that was active back in 2000 (and I'm sure still exists in some form or another). They were bringing back 1980 era FM radio. Melody and choruses, with hard rocking guitars and some extended ideas. For what they set out to accomplish, it's quite good. Mikeal does lay out some good licks and solos, and the remainder of the band fills in quite nicely. Most are singers too, so vocals play a key role, but do not dominate. This is not a field I have much experience with (retro hard rock/AOR?), so I'm lacking in comparisons. It really doesn't sound like a band from 1980 because of the modern instrumentation, but musically it could be tied to any number of groups like Saga, Toto, Styx, Blue Oyster Cult, etc... So while I was disappointed the album didn't match the intended premise, I'm certainly pleased to own this. Probably wouldn't have sought it out on its own, nor am I clamoring for more of it, but there's a place here in the collection for As Is.

Ownership: CD: 2000 private. Recent online acquisition. Jewel case with booklet containing lyrics and recording details. Very homemade looking. The photos on the back of the booklet do like they are from the 70s, so that could be where the seller got the idea. But its intention is probably more scrapbook related.

Twenty-Five Views of Worthing. 1972-1973; 1977 England (archival)

Twenty-Five Views of Worthing were like a lot of bands in the fertile early 70s - plenty of opportunities for live gigs, but no time for a proper recording. There were so many musically intriguing groups in those days, it was difficult to get noticed. And even when you did, such as the case with Twenty-Five Views of Worthing, the labels would often put you on the backburner. Had the band come around a couple of years earlier, most assuredly they would have been familiar to us all now. But by 1973, when it was show time, the label lost interest in their shiny new toy. They wanted more commercially oriented music that would sell copy, not another artistic band loved by the critics but the general populace could care less. That label in this case was Island, they of King Crimson, Traffic, and Jethro Tull fame most prominently (in the prog world), but of course many other big names too.

And the type of music that suddenly found itself out of fashion? That of Canterbury, or at least the sound the region is associated with. Twenty-Five Views of Worthing were very much entrenched in that genre. The psychedelic background, the pop sensibilities, the fuzzy analog instrumentation, and the jazzy instrumental breaks define their composition way. In looking for one best track to sample, I'd recommend 'Joke Without Words' which is, not surprisingly, the longest song on offer here. The first 3 tracks come from their earliest incarnation of 1972 to 1973 (including the above). This was to be the recording lineup that Island ultimately shunned. There's one track from 1973 (known as their Transition phase) that shows Twenty-Five Views of Worthing heading more towards a jazz career. Musically it's still not far from Canterbury, but having a full time trombonist will have that effect. The final 3 tracks do come from an existing (though incredibly obscure) 1977 EP entitled Rat Brain Incision. Of course with a name like that and considering the time and place, obviously this will be some sort of punk rock offering, right? Nope - more Canterbury. Never say die I suppose. And the material here is just as strong as what came before it. Remember that National Health were peaking during this era as well. So 48 years after we were to first hear of Twenty-Five Views of Worthing, we now have a proper recording. Hooray. Well worth your time in obtaining especially considering the overall package (see below).

Ownership: LP: 2020 Wind Waker. Gatefold with a lavish booklet filled with liner notes, photos, newspaper clippings, and concert bills. First class job all the way. Purchased this from our good friends at The Vinyl Archivist, who also first recommended it to me.

Mark Pierson Band ~ USA ~ Massachusetts

Songs for the Sirens (1976)

---1/14/15 review

I found this album to be an extremely pleasant piece of music. And there's an underground experimentalism found here that gives off a whiff of Ohr era Krautrockian glory. Perhaps the abundance of flute plays a major role in this perception. We tend to forget that many of the original German underground rockers had a jazz background before entering the studio stoned out of their frickin' minds. Now - to be clear - this is a straight up instrumental jazz rock album in the mold of MPS more so than a Kosmische Musik freakout session. But one that is wonderfully underproduced which gives it that underground garage feel.

Mark Pierson is one of a seemingly endless number of folks to consider use of the generic rainbow album cover. The kind of sleeve you expect to find at Goodwill for 10 cents fronting the "The Megachurch All-Stars Sing The Osmonds" (with one tube of toothpaste included!).

---1/2/21

In hearing this last night, I had a +1 experience. Songs for the Sirens has a vibe that is entirely European, and takes your mind to some unique places. Favorite tracks include 'Wind', 'Arabesque', and the title track. But there's not a stinker in the bunch. Highly consistent throughout, and a superb offering overall.

Ownership: 1976 Gothic (LP). Purchased directly from guitarist Mark Gordon. Acquired in 2021.

No reissues as of 4/14/26.

1/14/15 (review); 1/2/21 (update / new entry)

The Carolyn Hester Coalition. 1968 USA-New York

Carolyn Hester was an integral part of the Greenwich Village folk scene of the early 60s. Coming originally from Waco, Texas, she was among the royalty, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary - and Bob Dylan. She's credited with starting the latter's recording career, and as the legend goes, the famous trio was to be called Peter, Paul & Carolyn.

My Dad had a couple of Hester albums in his collection, and thus it's no surprise to find this one in RT's collection which is similar to what my Dad had (x100 mind you). To paraphrase the ad cliché - this is not your father's Carolyn Hester. Just the fact Dad only had 2 of them (and they were in really good shape) tells me he wasn't much of a fan to begin with. Had he somehow stumbled onto this one - and bought it on a whim - he would have screamed in anguish at how terrible it was. RT being about 10 years younger, enjoyed early rock (witness all The Beatles and Stones, acts that my Dad hated). He also loved Carolyn Hester, as I've found 5 to 10 copies of each of her early albums. Only one of these (so far) and haven't found Magazine yet. Long way to go still.

Apparently Hester's career nosedived when folk went out of fashion, so she decided to make a go at psychedelia, an unusual move for her running set. The "Coalition" proved to be quite good, and really does add psychedelic styled rock, with some excellent fuzz and good rhythm work. Hester has a gorgeous voice, and she makes both the covers and her (quite adept) original compositions shine. You can tell she's still a folky at heart, but at least she made a sincere attempt at psychedelia. The first 2 tracks are quite possibly the best, and it gives you an idea if this album would be for you. Given all the factors above, this is definitely a keeper for me.

Ownership: LP: 1968 Metromedia. Single sleeve. That's quite a sexy cover, demonstrating that Hester was all in for this new career direction. She was still only 30 at the time of this release. She was also extraordinarily beautiful for the folk scene, and definitely had her name attached to all sorts of love scandals in the early 60s, all of which she denies. It wasn't easy for career women in those days (think Mad Men era), so I'd be apt to believe her.

2020 Classic Rock / AOR Journal Vol. 3 - Complete

Jigsaw - Sky High / Brand New Love Affair. 1975 Chelsea (SP). From a local store for 25 cents (Dec). Rhythm Heritage was the first single I ever bought, but 'Sky High' was my first AM hit that I loved. I think I heard it first in the dentist office - seriously! I was 10. All these years later, I still like it. I think it's those echoed vocals - very trippy! The flip could almost be considered a throwback to the psychedelic era.

Grateful Dead - Steal Your Face. 1976 Grateful Dead / United Artists (LP). From RT (Dec). Last year at a garage sale, I picked up a small stack of Dead CD's, all earlier than this release. I enjoyed them at various levels. In addition to that, I have a box full of live cd-r's that I have yet to dig into - seems like a good retirement activity. In any case, very few people are singing the praises of Steal Your Face, and it's easy to see why. Apparently it was a contract obligation album. I read some other anomalies that Deadheads will understand more than I. Most of this is country rock, and not very interesting at that. Great cover though, like many of their albums sport.

Dave Matthews Band - Remember Two Things. 2014 Bama Rags (2xLP) (1993). Thrift shop find (Dec). I'm familiar with Dave Matthews but I know nothing of his music. When traveling to Baltimore, in the evening when I hit the various restaurant bars/craft beer houses in Fells Point, I seem to run into an inordinate amount of Dave Matthews groupies, who follow him around. I'm more befuddled by this situation than I am Fleetwood Mac. I don't know what I was expecting (jam band?), but it wasn't this. It's just so.... ordinary. And boring. I'm sure the live shows are far better and more experiential. Besides, this was his first album, so maybe not representative. I could care less to find out. It's a double LP, and I fell asleep a couple of times trying to get through it.

* - Keeping for the collection

Wobbler ~ Norway

Dwellers of the Deep (2020)

Here's how I opened up my review of From Silence to Somewhere: "For any number of legitimate reasons I can lay out, it wasn't until November that I heard my first new album of 2017. And that one album was Wobbler's 4th opus From Silence to Somewhere. But what a way to ring in the new year! 11 months belated perhaps, but it doesn't matter because I can say with a certain amount of confidence this will be album of the year for me."

Three years and one month later, and ummm, yea exactly that. In fact I insisted in getting this listen in, lest I miss the entire year.  God how I love Wobbler! I keep expecting many other bands to follow in their footsteps, and yet very few (if any) really do. They seem to do everything just right, including awaiting three years to release a new album. For 2020, I have figuratively traveled the world with vinyl LPs - given the vast amounts of crazy pieces brought in while digging in the wilds, or inheriting a houseful of records from a fellow collector. Despite that, I love coming home to my favorite "city" - that of early 70s styled symphonic progressive rock. It seems I will never tire of this most wonderful genre.

What one notices about Dwellers of the Deep is they have backslid a bit to their very Yes-like Rites at Dawn. Which is hardly a complaint, but it does take away from their native Nordic Anglagard-y approach of From Silence to Somewhere. All the same, I found myself enjoying Dwellers of the Deep on the same level for the first half of the album. Especially on 'Five Rooms' where I could swear I heard an organ jam that could have come straight from a Caravan album circa 1971. In The Land of Grey and Relayer one dreams of. The second half of the album, while still excellent, didn't quite have as many hair raising breaks and melodies that Wobbler are capable of. At this point, I'm rating the album a skosh off a masterpiece. But of course that could change over repeated listens. Whatever the case, yet another great album by a great band. Let's take that one step further: Wobbler are my favorite contemporary band. Competition is welcome of course.

Ownership: 2020 Karisma (CD). Booklet with lyrics, photos, recording details, and artwork. 

12/30/20 (acquired / review); 12/2/25

From Silence to Somewhere (2017)

For any number of legitimate reasons I can lay out, it wasn't until November that I heard my first new album of 2017. And that one album was Wobbler's 4th opus From Silence to Somewhere. But what a way to ring in the new year! 11 months belated perhaps, but it doesn't matter because I can say with a certain amount of confidence this will be album of the year for me. It's currently in the running for album of the decade. Of course not everyone will agree to such an assessment, but as I write this, it maintains the top spot on Gnosis, ProgArchives, and RYM (for the style progressive rock that is - only #42 overall (#32 in 2023), but impressive all the same). For the same reasons Anglagard finds themselves under the bus on occasion, so will Wobbler: It's an old sound brought forth. Oh my though - we're talking an album that goes toe to toe with the best of 1972. From Silence to Somewhere is Wobbler living up to their potential - and then some. I've been a fan since Hinterland first hit the shelves, and had no problem with its, and successor/predecessor Afterglow, obvious Anglagard/Sinkadus worship. Wobbler took an odd turn on Rites of Dawn, circling The Yes Album wagon and draining it completely of all its assets. Though one can't blame the band for taking advantage of Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo's strong resemblance to Jon Anderson.

But what of From Silence to Somewhere? Well it's pretty much progressive rock perfection, that's what. I've stated this phrase before, but it bears repeating: If you find yourself not enjoying this album, then it's time to reassess your love of classic progressive rock. At a bare minimum I can say this as a matter of fact, rather than opinion: This is what I look for when hearing progressive rock. At this stage of my life, it's rare I want to hear an album more than 2 times straight before moving on to the next one in the stack. With From Silence to Somewhere, it's all I wanted to hear for days on end. I came back to it in the same way I would revisit Close to the Edge as a young teenager. Each time the album would reveal more about itself. Like a John Le Carre novel, it twists and turns in various directions, keeping you guessing even though you already know the outcome. And the sound is so perfect. Thick and wedgy and luscious. You just want to bathe in it.

The 21 minute title track and the closer 'Foxlight' are just merely great. But it's within the depths of the album you find the 2 gems that are lifetime achievements. The moody introspective 'Rendered in Shades of Green' is the definition of a piano and mellotron soaked instrumental. The melancholic feel of a misty windswept Scottish countryside. Then blasting out of the gates comes the piece de resistance 'Fermented Hours' sounding every bit like Il Balletto di Bronzo tackling 'Gates of Delirium'. Every metal band worth their leather strap would love to create this kind of intensity, and yet it's done through an obvious progressive rock lens. Breathtaking.

After the album is finished, there's only one thing left to do. Hit Play again. And again.

Ownership: 2017 Karisma (CD). Digipak with 12 page booklet.

11/17/17 (acquired / review)

Afterglow (2009)

Though Afterglow was released second, this is really a newly recorded version of older material dating back to 1999. Here, the sound is more obviously influenced by Anglagard with mellotron, heavy guitar, grungy organ, flute, woody bass - the whole package. So definitely closer in sound to Hinterland than their newest release Rites of Dawn. Easy recommendation for those into the heavy early 1970s sounds of northern Europe. For me, I'm not sure I'll ever tire of this sound. The more the merrier.

Ownership: 2009 Termo (CD)

2009 (acquired); 10/12/11 (review); 11/30/17

Hinterland (2005)

Not since Anglagard, did a band receive so much attention before their debut release. There were plenty of folks trumpeting its release ("pass the torch", bla bla bla) and, not unexpected, a full gathering to say Wobbler are really not all that amazing - overrated, over-hyped, over whatever. Since there isn't a single album that everyone agrees is great, this point / counterpoint is bound to happen in the virtual progressive rock town hall. Personally I don't think we can have enough bands like Wobbler. It's analog keyboard heaven. It has the flutes, the woody bass, the active drumming, the loud fat acid guitar leads, the great production. It's rhythmically complex. It's dynamic with real climaxes and releases. It's an open ended style of progressive music, that allows for many avenues, crooked alleys and hidden piazzas. And it takes many listens to discover the various paths. So not every band is the all-time greatest ever, but if there were 50 bands operating in the Wobbler style, most would score very well with me. Either that, or perhaps we've reached a new pinnacle of cynicism, and you have to begin to wonder if you're even a fan of symphonic progressive rock anymore. Admit it, you stumble on something like this album in the record store: 1974 Polydor Norway. And you wave your hand dismissively and bark "It's just average - whoopeedoo". Yea, sure. Through it all, I can't help feeling bad for good ole' Sinkadus. They're really the only other modern band that went down this route in the 1990s, and they were just TRASHED for daring to walk the sacred ground of Anglagard. Time will most certainly be good to Sinkadus. Time has already been good to Wobbler. Bravo!

Ownership: 2005 Laser's Edge (CD)

7//05 (acquired / review); 5/2/10; 10/11/11 (update)

 

Rites at Dawn (2011)

My comments are going to echo many you've already seen - it's clear that Wobbler has made a conscious attempt at recreating the textures, sound and compositions of 1971-1972 era Yes. Personally I think it's a style that has plenty of room to improvise and innovate in, and apparently Wobbler agrees with me, as this is a wholly original work within an obvious context. As such, I find many of the parts quite exciting, with vicious Rickenbacker bass, mellotron, organ, and loud acid guitar leads way out front. Some of the acoustic guitar work recalls other British acts of the early 70s. So the band has clearly cut ties with its Anglagard / Sinkadus early 70s retro-Scandinavian past, and migrated towards the British Isles, just as their ancestors did 1300 years ago. Works for me.

For dyed-in-the-wool old school progressive rock lovers like me, this one is a no brainer pick up.

Ownership: 2011 Termo (CD)

7/27/11 (acquired / review); 9/9/23

7/27/11 (new entry)

2020 Hard Rock Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

Def Leppard - Love Bites / Billy's Got a Gun. 1987 Mercury (SP). Yet another surprise from RT. What's an early 60s folk collector doing with this? lol. Anyway - GOSH the A side sucks. It seems each band throughout the 80s was trying to top the other for pandering to a perceived feminine audience. Whatever, it's terrible. The flip is a live version of a track from Pyromania. No room for improv it would appear. Not a great song to begin with. Waste of 11 minutes overall. (Dec)

Aerosmith. 1973 Columbia (LP). Thrift shop find (Dec). At this point, Aerosmith were nothing more than a harder rocking bar band. Two exceptions - 'Movin' Out' is an excellent hard rock number. And then of course there's 'Dream On'. Even though I've heard it precisely one million times, I still find myself captivated by it. Steven Tyler has never been better. And a good thing he gave it his all here. Hard to imagine Aerosmith going much further if it weren't for the blockbuster hit. 

The following came from a local record store, all at 50 cents a pop! (Nov)

Stone Fury - Let Them Talk. 1986 MCA (LP). This is the second album by Stone Fury, before firing up Kingdom Come. The first one was a pleasant surprise and I decided to keep it (and it has its own post here). I should really hate this - from the cover to the obvious synthesized mid 80s styled AOR sound. But these guys have a good command of hard rock, and the songs are pretty decent. Even the synthesizer work is good, a bit Berlinish at times! I'm not keeping this one, but it's better than you would think.

Witness. 1988 Arista (LP). An Atlanta based group, Witness were a bit better than the ones below. They featured a tough female vocalist and even featured some Hammond organ, which was highly unusual for the day. In the end though, all the songs tend to blur together. It's a +1 on Will and the Kill but the genre is about the same. Not worth holding onto.

Victory. 1985 CBS Associated (LP). German group who more or less emulated same era Accept and Krokus. Started out with a couple of decent riffs, but deteriorated quickly. Just like the aforementioned bands. Dearth of material.

Will and the Kill. 1988 MCA (LP). From Austin, Texas, Will and the Kill played the stereotypical American hard rock of the day. Not sure what the allure was in those days for this sound. Not creative, no guitar hooks, and not even good solos. Annoying vocals. 

Kings of the Sun. 1988 RCA (LP). Great name for a band! Should be some weighty stuff here. Bzzt! Australian group with no imagination, and decide to sound like Rose Tattoo and AC/DC. I'm not fond of this type of boogie hard rock. What a waste of a good moniker.

---end of sale

Longtran - Everydays a Weekend. 1984 private (EP). From a Denver area record store (Nov). Presumably Los Angeles based metal / AOR hybrid. A bit like Bon Jovi I suppose. They have a good sound for the time and certainly had a chance to make it based on the quality here. The vocals are a bit overwrought though. Outside of my interest area, but a curious listen. Spine says Everydays a Weekend, so I think the discography sites out there have it wrong.

Bon Jovi - 7800° Fahrenheit. 1985 Epic (LP). Thrift shop find (Oct). What was it about the mid 80s that made these kind of albums popular? I hated them back then, and they've actually aged worse. Bon Jovi's debut was pretty decent actually (not enough to keep mind you...), but the well was already empty by this sophomore effort.

*Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself. 1971 Mercury (LP). From an LP buy in Monument (2019). Uriah Heep are the consummate hard rock band dabbling with progressive. To me, they exude cool. By 2020 standards that is. For those who have a copy of the Rolling Stone Record Guide under your pillow, then Uriah Heep represent everything they hate. History has been kind to these long time warriors. I said this in another Uriah Heep post, but it bears repeating: Seems every high school hard rock garage band of the late 70s used Uriah Heep as a blueprint. I never did own this on LP back in the day, the cheap CD being my introduction. LP wins. (Sep)

* - Keeping for the collection

Dies Irae. 1976; 1978 Monaco (archival)

Dies Irae's archival album demonstrates many parallels with the Satan album I wrote about a couple of years back. They were both from the mid 70s, play a very French style of progressive rock, the recordings are less than stellar, and were released in lavish packages from Monster Melodies. And while the music has a bit of loss (think of an archival tape you may own), the music is too superb to ignore. These recordings are mostly from 1978, with 3 live tracks from 1976, all interspersed. Musically I was reminded of the early 70s French bands such as Ame Son, Atoll, and even Moving Gelatine Plates. Only the final slightly new wavey 'Stake a Bobolink' indicates the time and place. Dies Irae sports a five piece versatile lineup including woodwinds. It's a real tragedy that Dies Irae weren't afforded more time in a proper studio. The final product would most certainly have been considered one of the progressive rock greats from the region. 

Ownership: LP: 2016 Monster Melodies. Gatefold. Clear vinyl. Recent online acquisition. As is usually the case, Monster Melodies provides a lot of value with their product. The cover is very nice filled with lyrics and recording details. Comes with a small poster of a band advert, a cardboard concert flyer, and a postcard of the band playing live. No history, though it can be found online. The cover is a bit misleading, as it looks more like an early 70s psych band, but it's still cool artwork. One could also make a case that the title should be Chaos if considering the label.

12/27/20 (first listen/review/new entry)

Images. 1983 USA-Colorado

I'm always on the lookout for local releases, and it seems I've run into this title before, but didn't pay attention close. So when this mint copy showed up at a local thrift shop, I nailed it. These guys were from Castle Pines, just south of Denver. The mountain and lake picture on the cover (oddly it appears the photo is from California - why not Colorado?) makes it look like any number of new age albums on the market at the time. Well it's not that, but it is a variant on smooth jazz. Even though woodwinds artist Joe Anderies lists flute, alto flute, and tenor sax, he is shown playing the trusty soprano sax, and that would be his preferred instrument (to my dismay). On the bright side, main songwriter Lee Bartley provides the wonderful grand piano and Fender Rhodes. There's also some guest female vocals on the first side that adds much needed variety. I found the compositions a cut above normal, and made for a very pleasant early evening listen. Given its provenance, this one stays.

Ownership: LP: 1983 Echo. Single sleeve. Recently acquired as noted above. Easy to find if you're so inclined.

2020 Classic Rock / AOR Journal Vol. 2 - Complete

Missouri. 1977 Panama (LP). With CCR (Dec). I first found this album in a record store when I was still in college in the middle 1980s. On first glance, it looks like money - a cool stenciled drawing of the St. Louis Arch perched atop the Utah desert; small or private label pressing. Except it's not a rare occurrence at all. This album must have sold great numbers for an upstart label such as this. And people have been trying to get rid of it ever since... The music found here is very much a product of the 70s, that segment of the decade that really hasn't aged well. It's bar-band-good-times rock n' roll, with songs about a-lovin' and a-rockin'. Some of the tunes are more trite than others, but it's not a bad way to spend 35 minutes. Closer 'Mystic Lady' proved that Missouri (from Kansas City incidentally) could do more if they applied themselves. Starcastle they were not. By any measure, one would have to admit they were a success story for a brief while in the late 70s. History won't be kind though. 

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country. 1969 Fantasy (LP). Thrift shop find (Dec). I've never been a fan of CCR, nor have I ever understood their allure. What we now call Swamp Rock, it would seem to have no more than a regional following from the southern portions of Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as southeastern Texas. I hadn't originally planned on giving away 35 precious minutes of my treasured evening listening regimen, but after a quick sample to check the condition, I heard enough to do just that. Side 1 starts with one of their hits 'Born on the Bayou'  which isn't too bad really. I find John Fogerty's vocals incredibly annoying, but I guess in an era when Janis Joplin was also popular, I suppose the buying public's ears weren't any more offended. The rest of Side 1 goes by without notice, but not unpleasant. Side 2 starts with 'Good Golly Miss Molly' which has some great guitar, and this is what captured my initial attention. I figured the song would be your usual early rock n' roll boogie number, but it's definitely hard psych. And the closer is the other winner, 'Keep on Chooglin'' also features some very good lead guitar. But this side also has 'Proud Mary' which I think is one of the worst songs of all-time. It's torture to my ears in the same way that Bruce Springsteen is. If I first attentively listened to FM radio in 1977, then I've been enduring this awful piece of music for 44 years. Not to end on a sour note, the album as a whole is much better than I would have imagined. 

*Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run. 1973 Apple (LP). Thrift shop find (Nov). For all of my semi-disdain for the Beatles, I find the solo albums even worse. I don't like the lot of them. Well, until I heard Band on the Run all the way through. This is a weird record, but just the way I like it. If I were to name my favorite Wings' songs, I would have picked the first two here, unknowing they were put together like this. The song construction - for the whole album - is done in a such a piecemeal fashion, and one that I find highly appealing. I don't know if this is McCartney channeling his Magical Mystery Tour days, or if he was suffering from malaria while recording in Nigeria (when having a fever, try to write a few songs in your head, you'll be amazed at what you come up with) - but he's tapped into his inner Brian Wilson for sure. The latter not a throwaway reference. The chorus' can oftentimes be annoying, but the interludes sublime (think 'California Girls' for example). And all of Band on the Run is like this. I think this album is great. Never thought I'd say that about a post Beatles album. And cool, comes with the poster too...

Fat Mattress. 1969 ATCO (LP). One more with the Stoneground's (Nov). This is the band Noel Redding founded after leaving Hendrix. I enjoyed the opening track 'All Night Drinker' due to the presence of Chris Wood on flute. But that would be the end of his contribution, and honestly the end of anything interesting. It's a good psych album, but nothing here grabs the listener, whether it be a fine melody or an exciting instrumental excursion. For 1969, it's a bit blasé.

Stoneground - 3. 1972 Warner Bros. (LP). With the other Stoneground (Nov). Well no surprise here after hearing The Family Album. Except this is even -1 worse. Really grating stuff and not a pleasant experience. Not sure at all where the interest would have lied here.

Stoneground - The Family Album. 1971 Warner Bros. (2xLP). Same as the Rabin (Nov). Mostly live set. The music is a mix of typical early 70s blues, gospel, and pop rock. No songs jump out as memorable. Not my thing at all.

Trevor Rabin - Can't Look Away. 1989 Elektra (LP). From a local record store (Nov). Of course, you all know Rabin. Here he shows his true colors as a pop artist. I didn't expect much from this, and it somehow managed to be worse than I had imagined. Ridiculously vapid. So yes, Trevor, I can look away.

The Guess Who - Share the Land. 1970 RCA (LP). Another day, another classic rock album found at a thrift shop (Nov). I remember liking some Guess Who from their 60s albums but this is clearly transitioning into more of a tougher rootsier rock, that was in vogue in the early 70s. I didn't enjoy any of it really.

Cold Blood. 1969 San Francisco (LP). Another day, another classic rock album found at a thrift shop, part 2 (Nov). Don't be fooled by the pretty lady up front. She's just as annoying as Janis Joplin. Nails on a chalkboard. I had hoped for some cool horn rock here, but it's mostly blues, and not the good kind.

* - Keeping for the collection