Flasket Brinner ~ Sweden

Flasket Brinner (1971)

---3/30/01

Sweden at the beginning of the 1970's, like Germany close by, had an exciting music scene where American and British trends were being ignored. Here the bands were not shackled by commercialism and could pursue the freedom to explore all sorts of combinations of styles. In this environment, bands such as Algarnas Tradgard, Samla Mammas Manna, Kebnekaise and International Harvester produced a very exciting rock culture filled with creative ideas. All appeared on the Silence label, the Swedish equivalent of Germany's Ohr label. Flasket Brinner (The Flesh is Burning) were but one of these great bands. On their self-titled debut, Flasket Brinner pursued the instrumental free-form jam mixed with the odd progressive composition in a live setting. The style is very much inspired by the free jazz scene that flourished in late 1960s Europe. However here, the instrumentation was more rock based with organ, guitar, bass, drums, flute and sax. The playing is extremely energetic which, if not careful, will catch the listener in a bit of head-banging. And, best of all, the melodies were based on traditional Swedish themes making a wonderful concoction of rock, free jazz, psychedelic and folk. A brilliant album overall and a must for fans of Euro psychedelic fusion.

---2/11/21

It's been a full 20 years since I last heard this album, a long time favorite that should be heard more often than that. Not much more to add to the above review, as last night's listen confirms a wonderful experience. I would also add that Side 2 definitely picks up the pace and is the better half. The album peaks on the awesome 'Bosses Låt'. I believe most - if not all - of this album is live. Sometimes it's obvious, other times I think they just filtered out the audience noise. There is some overlap here with the brilliant Mellotronen 4xCD set. Most notably, this lineup ties to the 1970 (disc 1) concert. 

Ownership: Silence (LP). Later 70s pressing. Acquired in 1998.

1998; 3/30/01 (review); 2/11/21 (update)

Swedish Radio Studio, Gothenburg, November 9, 1971 (2003)

The second disc in the set (see below for further description) is also the only one not from the master board. I love the backstory: Bassist Per Bruun's father had recorded it on reel to reel straight from the radio back then. I related to this because when I first started doing late night radio (1989) on our local NPR station in Dallas, my old man recorded the show (six hours on occasional Saturday nights) from the local cable system (NPR was background music to any number of "information" channels) onto VHS (yes, VHS). I still have those recordings because of him. Why did he do it? Well he certainly didn't like the music. He just wanted to hear his son talk on the radio. Proud Papa I think they call it.  I suspect a similar reason for Mr. Bruun.

So with that, the sound quality here isn't as strong as the others, but it's most certainly better than bootleg standard - and better than many official releases honestly. The music here is undoubtedly Fläsket Brinner. A true representation of the term psychedelic progressive with a very strong Swedish folkloric backdrop. Today, a band like Agusa would be a good facsimile of this type of sound. 'Jätten Feeling' is absolutely gorgeous. Goosebump material. As the album continues, one begins to realize - on this particular evening - that we're listening to Fläsket Brinner play the music of a one Bo Hansson, and many of these same themes can be found on his own albums. With a good bit more fiery psychedelics of course. As we move further into the disc, we go from Hansson to the more obscure Maffy Falay, a Turkish trumpet player who had relo'd to Sweden in the 60's. Not only are both Swedish and Turkish themes apparent, but the music takes a turn for the jazz underground. Overall, a superb set. And to think it's just one of four superb sets.

Ownership: 2003 Mellotronen (4xCD). This CD box set is quite simply one of the greatest - if not the greatest - archival package for fans of the early 70s European psychedelic progressive past. The entire product is brilliant - from the packaging, to the detailed liner notes, and dozens of rare photos, and of course four full albums of live Fläsket Brinner, the final disc being entirely new. The first three intersect with - but is no mere copy - of what the band had released on their two official releases (which featured live material as well). All but one are straight from the master board too. It's what dreams are made of. Acquired in 2003.

2003; 3/16/19 (review)

Flasket (1972)

Flasket is a fantastic Swedish psychedelic progressive album, continuing on from the awesome debut. While the first album had more of a jamming like outlook, their second album focused more on compositions. At its best, like on 'Grismakt', we hear Flasket Brinner mixing in Swedish folk melodies, while building on an instrumental intensity. The pyrotechnic psychedelic jamming found here is some of the finest ever committed to tape. Other classic tracks include 'Klotet', 'Bennys Hammare', 'Jatten Feeling', 'Batum', 'Bosses Lat', 'Tysta Finskan', and 'Orspranget'. There are a couple of throwaway tracks like 'Anderssons Groove' which is a typical early 70s rock n' roller completely at odds with the other material.

Ownership: 2002 Universal / Mellotronen (CD). Tri-fold digipak. Features liner notes and photographs. The original is a double LP, but the CD is a single. To accomplish this feat, the band dropped two tracks. One a very short incidental piece from the studio album. The other is the awful 'Wild Thing' cover, by far the worst thing on the original live side - and a blessing it's been left off. Acquired in 2002.

First copy: 1972 Ljudspar (2xLP). Gatefold. Acquired in 1998.

1998; 2002; 1/1/10 (review); 6/9/21

Also own three more archival CDs as part of the box set as noted above.

1/1/10 (new entry)

Motiffe ~ England

Motiffe (1972)

When this album came up for a relisten, I had forgotten about the personal history I had with former associates of the band. At the bottom of this post, I'll include some of their comments.

As for the music, it's instrumental progressive rock spread across five lengthy tracks. Not much more to say really, as the melodies are well written, and the musicianship is nice. Flute and guitar are the primary instruments with keyboards, bass, and drums rounding out the group. There's some sparse saxophone as well.

The downside here is the recording quality - or at least what the general public is subjugated to. I've heard two versions of the album to date, but never the original (who has?). It's pretty rough sounding, and there's quite a bit of loss. It sounds more like a one mic cassette tape demo than a finished product. Hard to know if the Deroy version is truly that bad. Obviously the masters have never turned up.

2006 Shadoks (LP). A complete brick of a reissue. A made-up cover (essentially a blowup of one section of a Bosch painting) with absolutely no data. And I spoke of the sound quality above. But it's miles better than the CD-R on Ammonite, which is unlistenable and should have never been sold to the general public (sucker here bought it new when it came out).  Acquired in 2006.

Reissued later on CD by Seelie Court in 2021.

---

I first heard from bassist David Shackley in 2005 who had promised me a a digitized version from his copy. He was also in the process of moving out of England, and it never happened unfortunately. He did, however, provide a brief history of the band: "We were all still at school when we did this! The line up was Ian Wilson Flute & vocals, (who subsequently went on to manage the Alarm), Quentin Bryer Sax (working for Reuters in Holland) Mike Avery keys (MD of Hamburg opera) John Grimaldi (who went on to join Flux, Argent & his own bands Casual Atheletes & Cheapflights he sadly died of MS in 1983) Mark Pasterfied Drums (a graphic designer in Cornwall) and me on bass who went onto Flux with John & then umpteen cabaret & show bands. I still play as a semi pro in a pub band Deaf Shepherd !"

Then in 2013, the CDRWL heard from Cheapflights manager Peter Cloclough: "We managed John Grimaldi, and Cheap Flights in the 70s. I have started a archive of Johns music, as it doesn't deserve to get lost to future generations... he was a true innovator. It can be found here. These are free to listen/download... its all for posterity. There are around 60 tracks in all, and as you will see it shows the eclectic nature of John and his music, as it covers all the popular genres of the 70s. Pics are there too. Most of this has come via tape, and from various sources, and we are slowly trying to clean up what we have (the technology exists). Thought you may be interested. I have downloaded some MP3 versions of Motiffe, and am going to try a simple clean up to see what happens. However, if you have a good version, and would consider donating, it would be absolutely amazing (I kid you not). For your information, as you know John sadly died in 1983 of MS. What I think you don't know is Mark Pasterfield, who played drums in Motiffe, also joined him in Cheap Flights in 1977 (recordings on soundcloud), but also really devastatingly died of a thrombosis in 1978/9. "

This was followed shortly thereafter by "For 30 years we thought Mark Pasterfield was dead....shocking news...he isn't !!!! Oops." Rumors of his demise were - apparently - greatly exaggerated.

I did validate that the link is still up and running. There is a lot of music there to check out if interested.

And that was it. Still never heard a clean copy of the original.

1998 (first listen); 2006; 4/11/10 (review); 2/11/21 (update / new entry)

Kingdom Come Arthur Brown - Galactic Zoo Dossier. 1971 England

If anything holds back Galactic Zoo Dossier it's the name recognition of Arthur Brown. Not that he wasn't an incredible performer, but rather he'll always be associated with the Crazy World and their famous 'Fire' track. The much older 6' 3" inch towering lead singer cobbled together a new progressive rock group called Kingdom Come, and with Brown's distinctive voice, it's hard to disassociate at first. But once you do, you'll realize a couple of things: 1) Galactic Zoo Dossier is very much an English styled progressive rock album from 1971 and 2) Arthur Brown is the perfect lead singer for such an adventure. And he doesn't grab the limelight either, as the 5 piece band behind him goes through multiple iterations combined with excellent songwriting. Michael Harris' organ recalls Vincent Crane while Andrew Dalby lays down some molten guitar leads. And Julian Brown is featured on none other than the VCS, a cool sounding old synthesizer that one usually associates with Franco Battiato or Tangerine Dream. There are 16 tracks here - or segments really - so a lot to digest in one setting. You'll just have to get your head around it first though.

Ownership: LP: 1971 Polydor. First pressing gatefold with giant poster. Recent online acquisition that replaces the basic Voiceprint CD (1993) that I picked up back then.

Marakesh ~ Netherlands

Marakesh (1976)

Marakesh were a mid 1970s Dutch band that came and went without much notice. Band leader Dick de Jong had played in the final incarnation of Supersister and with that experience created his own collective. Marakesh is typical of many bands from the Netherlands, where the focus is on the melody more than chops, or complex composition. At times I'm reminded of the same-era German bands such as Indigo and Fly. Especially the latter, considering the saxophone presence. Keyboards are made up of the trusty Hammond organ and an ARP String Synthesizer. What gives Marakesh a slight edge over other albums of its ilk is the inspired and overly amplified electric guitar work. This is especially apparent on two of the longer (and better) tracks 'Autumn / DY 49' and 'Hounted Man', the latter named for guitarist Evert Houtman. 'I Will Stay' is another highlight and the album closes in funky fashion with the overly sexualized 'Will You Do It'. One can see the transition from the early 70s Netherlands bands like Pantheon, Cargo, and Earth & Fire to Marakesh - and then onto the proto neo-progressive groups like Saga, a style that seemed to be an enormous influence on all modern era Dutch groups. The duo of Mirror and Lethe are also guideposts, though Marakesh weren't quite the masters of melody as those groups could be. Overall Marakesh proves to be an excellent album, one that requires a few listens to penetrate due to its diversity of sound.

Ownership: 1976 Mirasound (LP). Lyric / doodle artwork insert.

No legit reissues as of 3/28/25.

1998 (first listen); 8/30/10; 2/7/21 (review / new entry)

Le Groupe X ~ Italy

Frrrrrigidaire (1973)

Le Groupe X were an interesting, and very obscure, Italian band that released two rare albums during the 70s. For the most part Le Groupe X is the working name of a one Gianluigi Pezzera, a person in the Franco Battiato sphere of influence. Right from the beginning, Frrrrrigidaire announces what one can expect for the duration - big fat drums beats and thick wedgy Moog sounds. No wonder the album is sought after - as it's a sound sampler's magic heaven. Some of the melodies are a bit trite, while others are more thought provoking. Throughout there's a bed of acoustic and electric guitars creating that unique Mediterranean soundscape. It's all instrumental with a jazzy undertone, though the music still belongs to progressive rock. Likely to have been made for the TV film library market though it's not obvious that this is the case, especially considering the track lengths, especially the long start to side 2 with 'Multi Facet'. Overall, a fine album that has improved over time for me.

Ownership: 1973 Cipiti (LP). Comes in an extraordinary multi-fold out cover. 

No reissues exist as of 3/28.25, though the album closer 'Transfert 2002' did find its way onto a two part 45 released in 2004.

1/18/01 (review); 2/7/21 (update / new entry)

Haikara - Geafar. 1973 Finland

Geafar is the second album from Lahti's Haikara. Recently I wrote of the debut, and similarly I had no recollection of this album either, even though I've owned it in one form or fashion for close to 25 years. It starts off with a bang, a massive fuzz bass riff that leads to a somewhat trite song going on about a "revolution" of some sort - while peacefully sitting outside on the porch enjoying a drink. Gil Scott-Heron this is not. It would be Haikara's only attempt at English, and with lyrics like "we gotta change the world, we gotta change the people...", probably a good thing this was it. Huh? Change the people? With what - aliens? Also the chorus' sounds like an early 70s children's TV show. With fuzz bass and great instrumentation mind you. I suppose if one were to view it from a Stark Reality lens, it's excellent. This then leads to the second track, and back to proper incomprehensible Finnish. The easy to remember 'Kun Menet Tarpeeksi Kauas Tulevaisuuteen, Huomaat Olevasi Menneisyydessä' starts a varied three song sequence, that is engaging if not overly substantial. And we finally get to the near 15 minute title piece, the one track that does recall the debut - but even better. This is Haikara at their complex best. In the end, their two classic progressive rock albums are very different from each other, and yet they rate out about the same.

Ownership: LP: 2015 Svart. Picked this up from a friend a few years ago, after receiving a great offer for my former CD copy that I had owned since the late 90s. An excellent reissue that converts the original single sleeve to a gatefold, and adds liner notes, recording details, and vintage live photos. Also includes a lyrics sheet. Not sure which side of the insert makes the least sense, the one track in English or the ones in Finnish. You decide.

Canamii - Concept. 1980 South Africa

Canamii were a one time project from South Africa created by an EMI sound engineer, various musicians, and a teenage female vocalist. Not surprisingly one can begin to draw parallels to Renaissance, Earth & Fire, and even the folkier groups such as Mellow Candle and Caedmon. The music here is at the border of progressive rock and AOR. With a varied set of 12 tracks, there are plenty of excellent moments to be found, and it's these hidden gems that make the album special. Not everything is aces, but for the most part, this is a far more pleasurable experience than where progressive rock was headed worldwide, when one thinks of Asia, Alan Parsons, etc... Worthy of pursuit.

Ownership: LP: 2010 Missing Vinyl (Greece). Single sleeve with a fine Roger Dean inspired cover. Purchased new online a few years ago. The reissue includes the original insert but unfortunately leaves out the liner notes that came with the Fresh Music CD - even though this was directly licensed from them. This is one of those albums where the cover makes a difference, though if the CD comes my way at a good price, I'll probably snap it up as a supplement.

Chou Pahrot ~ Scotland

Chou Pahrot Live (1979)

With an instrumental focus on violin and electric guitar, sometimes played in a complex fashion, Chou Pahrot are about as close to the early High Tide albums as you'll find at this late of a date. Live recording could use a little polishing, though I do like the raw bass sound. Overall one of the best UK albums of the late 1970s, and one of the very few that weren't either punk, New Wave, or metal influenced.

Ownership: 1979 Klub (LP). Acquired in 1997.

No reissues exist as I update this post on 4/16/26.

1997; 9/7/09 (review); 2/2/21 (update / new entry)

Kimio Mizutani - A Path Through Haze. 1971 Japan

In 1971, it seemed as if Kimio Mizutani contributed to at least 365 albums. So it's hard to imagine he also had time to release his first solo album. On A Path Through Haze, Mizutani brings along some of his like minded studio buddies such as Takeshi Inomata (drums), Masahiko Sato (organ, piano, Moog), and Hiromasa Suzuki (electric piano), along with 3 others on bass and vocals, a string quartet, and a woodwinds quartet. That's quite a crew! For a guy who is known for his unhinged fuzzy guitar solos as a guest, A Path Through Haze is remarkably subdued. Nonetheless, Mizutani puts together eight wonderful instrumental progressive rock tracks. Honestly this album has little to do with the experimental 1971 Japanese jazz/rock/psych landscape, but rather predicts the more measured prog rock scene of the mid 1970s. In particular I hear flashes of a band such as Camel circa Moonmadness. Often times you'll read that A Path Through Haze is a Canterbury album. While I doubt it was a major influence at the time, the musical conclusions of the two are similar. Fuzz bass, electric piano, searing guitar all within the confines of beautiful songwriting will draw those comparisons. Also of note is the very early use of the Moog synthesizer, still not a common presence in 1971, especially in Japan. 'Sail in the Sky' is my favorite of the eight tracks on display here, but every song is delightful. Easy recommendation to global progressive rock fans.

Ownership: CD: 1998 P-Vine. Wonderful thick gatefold mini-LP with an insert in Japanese. Also includes the original recording details in English. Purchased this real time at Other Music in Manhattan (which is sadly no more) - a nice brisk walk from my hotel in Chinatown. For all the summer of 1998 I had a DBA gig in Soho and would often times dine in Little Italy. Needed that walk.... 

BTW, if looking for an original LP, be prepared to get a second mortgage. I'm not sure I've actually ever seen this album. It looks like only one copy has sold on ebay over the years (the same album sold twice - lots of flakeroo buyers out there).

1998 (first listen); 6/28/15; 1/30/21 (review/new entry)

Cliffhanger - Mirror Site. 1998 Netherlands

I've spoken about Cliffhanger here before, on at least two other albums. While dozens of bands had their imagination captured by Genesis, most found their way performing music in the same manner as Marillion or IQ. What we now call neo prog is essentially an updated version of the master prog class of Genesis and Yes. Over time that sound eroded further towards an AOR like friendliness. But there were a microscopic few others who skipped the 80s and went right to the 1970-1976 source itself. Cliffhanger were one of those bands, and to date they have yet to be recognized as anything special. And that's too bad really, as they put a lot of great ideas and songwriting into each of their recordings. On Mirror Site, the 70s are alive and well in Rinie Heigen's guitar sound and playing - and especially Gijs Koopman's woody and edgy bass work. Not so much this time with Dick Heljboer's keyboards, though he does put the mellotron sampler to good use. Much is made of Heigen's unusual vocals, generally panned across the board. I find myself liking the imperfection as it is. Perhaps years of listening to Krautrock bands attempting to sing in English - and further on with the metal bands of the 80s - made my ears numb. All the same, I've always heard vocals as another instrument rather than a pleasant lyrical reader. And in this case, Heigen has this strange Dutch accented Peter Gabriel thing going on that I find compelling. Regardless, it remains unclear if Cliffhanger will ever be considered anything more than an "old 90s Dutch SI" group that will be washed away with history. Or will they one of the bands that is recognized and restored? Not a question that is likely to be answered in my lifetime. 

Ownership: CD: 1998 Musea (France). Purchased new online upon release. Jewel case with a fine booklet containing lyrics, band photos, photography, and recording details.

Rainbow Theatre ~ Australia

The Armada (1975)

I've spoken at length about Rainbow Theatre's sophomore effort Fantasy of Horses, but never did get around to putting any notes down for their debut The Armada. It's a similar style effort, a bit more unfocused and has less impact, but still a fascinating listen. In effect Rainbow Theatre is a combination of royal classical, progressive rock, and horn rock. Keith Hoban's vocals are operatic, and Julian Browning leads the group with his guitar, mellotron, and songwriting. There are two key lengthy tracks (each with four subsections) and three shorter ones sandwiched in between. The opener 'The Darkness Motive' is the winner here given its fast pace, heavy instrumentation, and constantly moving parts. It would be this track that provided the blueprint for Fantasy of Horses. As stated in the review for this second album, there really was (or is) no band like Rainbow Theatre, as unique a group as there ever has been. And it's not experimental, but rather they carved out their niche inside the confines of what is known and accepted.

Ownership: 1975 Clear Light of Jupiter (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 1999.

1998; 1999; 2006; 9/10/20; 1/28/21 (review)

Fantasy of Horses (1976)

---10/2/06

There are few albums that we can truly point to as being wholly original, but Rainbow Theatre’s second album would have to qualify. Not to say it uses made up scales or instruments, but within the common boundaries of what is considered melodic music, Australia’s Rainbow Theatre have most certainly created their own room in the house. An operating 8 piece rock unit (keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, sax, trombone and flute) accompanied by a string sextet, Fantasy of Horses makes full use of the large palette of instrumentation available, not to mention that Keith Hoban’s vocals are sung in operatic style. Overall it’s a spirited affair, not an academic high-brow run through, so rockers have much to sink their teeth into. In fact, the drumming is astounding, and propels the album to great heights of intensity. The four tracks presented here, including two lengthy multi-part affairs, chock full of mellotron and high invention, are a progressive rock lovers dream. At least for those who keep an open mind.

As well, an unusual bonus track has been added - a recent full-on classical work written by bandleader Julian Browning, that is the perfect conclusion to the rocked out album proper. I cannot think of too many albums where that would make sense, but naturally it would be apropos here.

---1/18/20 (update)

The original LP I own is a gift from Julian Browning himself after seeing my review of the CD (above). A personal treasure because of that. The cover says it's on Clear Light of Jupiter while the label says RTM (Rainbow Theatre Music?) with a different catalog number. 

Ownership: 

1976 Clear Light of Jupiter / RTM (LP). Acquired in 2006.

2006 Aztec (CD). Multi foldout digi-pak with a full history and artwork. Includes one bonus track (detailed above). Acquired in 2006.

1997; 10/2/06 (review)

1/18/20 (new entry)

Tangerine Dream - The Dominion Theatre Concert 6th November 1982

I was most looking forward to hearing this source recording of what ultimately became Logos. At twice the length, I was curious what segments were left out. You get your answer quick, because almost the entirety of the second disc is what makes up Logos. Other than the opening, the first disc is mostly unique, though still borrowing from then-current themes such as Exit's 'Choronzon'. They carefully edited some other sections, and there are times when only a minute or two were shaved off for the original LP. They also included two tracks from White Eagle, both verbatim to the album originals. They might as well have just played the record for the concertgoers. At this point of my life, of course, there would be no chance the original source would supplant the extract, because it's the latter that is imprinted in my mind. It's Logos the album that is part of my personal history. That said, the original concert is a burner, something that must've been an amazing experience for the audience at hand. 

Ownership: CD: 2020 Virgin. Part of the Pilots of Purple Twilight box set that I have detailed on the White Eagle entry. Interesting that they decided to put the archival release ahead of the existing album. I would have done it the opposite - and that's exactly what I did for personal listening.

Zopp. 2020 England

Just like yesterday's La Maschera di Cera, Zopp are a band designed specifically for a progressive rock sound of the 1970s past. In this case it's the music of Canterbury - and even more to the point, National Health. It's a two piece group lead by Ryan Stevenson, who plays every instrument under the sun, including a host of analog keyboards (or simulations thereof), fuzz bass, and lead electric guitar. Essentially Stevenson is Zopp. Joining him in this endeavor is drummer Andrea Moneta, who does a fine job of maintaining the polyrhythms expected of the genre. In this way Ryan Stevenson is emulating another Englishman, a one Andrew Marshall, he of Willowglass fame. Marshall is all about Anthony Phillips era Genesis in the same manner that Stevenson is all about National Health. A bit obsessive, but very welcome to these ears anyway. In addition to the two piece, Stevenson recruited no less than 4 others to join him, most notably Andy Tillison of The Tangent and others. The album has a full sound, what you would expect from a much larger ensemble. All the great qualities of Canterbury are present including the wedgy analog sounds, the insouciant melodies, and the complexity of composition. For what Zopp set out to accomplish, they nailed it! I seem to never tire of the Canterbury genre, as it's a timeless and beautiful sound. It doesn't seem fair that we only got two studio National Health albums (not counting DS Al Coda or archival material of course). I mean if precisely one million bands and artists can copy the same old American Idol fare, it's not too much to ask for some small Canterbury portions is it? Zopp fits most comfortably with contemporary Italian and Spanish artists such as Moogg, Homunculus Res, and Planeta Imaginario. Easy recommendation for genre fans.

Ownership: CD: 2020 Bad Elephant. Comes is a sturdy tri-fold digipak with recording details and photos.

La Maschera di Cera - S.E.I. 2020 Italy

La Maschera di Cera is arguably the band that best represents the Italian early 1970s progressive rock renaissance. I made that same point a few years ago for my modern Italian prog list. It's been a full 7 years since their last album, the fantastic Le Orme influenced Le Porte del Domani. So has La Maschera di Cera continued to improve or did the rot sit in? 

The album gets to business right away with thunderous woody bass, crunchy Hammond organ, complex rhythms leading to Martin Grice's (Delirium) flute, mellotron sounds, and Italian vocals. You just got your answer. Boom! And they don't let up from there. 3 tracks and 45 minutes later and there's nothing but greatness to reflect on and savor. This is an album made by retro prog guys for retro prog guys. No room to negotiate here. You're either in or you're out. With their 6th release in 18 years, I think La Maschera di Cera has somehow managed to top everything they've done prior. They continued to improve with age, and clearly are ardent students of their own native early 70's music culture. Brilliant really.

Ownership: CD: 2020 AMS. Comes in a fine mini-LP package with a booklet that contains Italian lyrics and a couple of photos. 

1/25/21 (new entry)

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)