Tangerine Dream - Newcastle October 25th 1981, City Hall. Germany

By 1981 Tangerine Dream were pretty much in prescriptive mode. Strange for a band whose first decade were made up of totally improvised concerts, making each and every recording worth seeking out. Most of this CD is made up of tracks from Exit with early versions of compositions later to show up on White Eagle and Logos. With no variation whatsoever. What makes this concert interesting is that there is quite a bit of unreleased material here - at least from a studio perspective. Most of these can be found on Disc 1 with 'Thermal Inversion' being the sole rep on Disc 2. All of these tracks would have fit comfortably on Exit or White Eagle. And 'Bondy Paradise' is the one place where we do get some guitar improv from Froese, something he was to bring back (again) in the late 80s. So that's about 48 minutes of new music - well worth seeking out. The recording quality for this set is acceptable, better than the '78 and '83 shows.

Ownership: CD: 2004 Castle (UK). Part of The Bootleg Box Set Vol. 2. More details can be found on the Nottingham entry.

10/20/22 (new entry)

Sir Lord Baltimore - Kingdom Come. 1970 USA-New York

A legendary album, Sir Lord Baltimore are one of the originators of the American hard rock style. Almost every track features thunderous rhythms and grungy guitar. And screaming vocals. Like a mix of Grand Funk Railroad and Led Zeppelin. The tracks are well written too, this isn't a boneheaded exercise in masculinity. For whatever reason, this is the first time for me to own this classic in any format. Despite the name, the group's origins were in Brooklyn*. 

Ownership: LP: 1970 Mercury. Gatefold. Purchased at the Denver Record Show (2022) for a bargain price. Dealer lowered the price because it had one "loud pop". Turns out it was an embedded dust speck. I get those a lot in the thrift shops. Grabbed a sharp wood toothpick, and nudged it out. Back to normal. I'll take the discount, thank you!

*As it turns out, yours truly is a direct descendent of Sir Lord Baltimore. Apparently the presumed financial benefits of such a legacy have long drifted into the wind... Might explain why I find myself constantly working for Maryland based companies, and Baltimore in particular, even though I've never resided there. But now I'm back working for a SF Bay Area company. And would you believe my boss is based in Baltimore? It gets freaky that way sometimes.

10/20/22 (new entry)

Goliath ~ USA ~ Indiana

Hot Rock & Thunder (1974)

Like with Alpha Centauri, there's a lot of miscommunication regarding Goliath. If holding the album in your hands, it appears they're from Louisville, Kentucky. But it turns out they're from Indiana. Terre Haute in fact. For some reason we have some geniuses out there talking about being from the sweaty south shores of Lake Michigan, in the Chicago suburbs. They seem to be talking about Gary, not Terre Haute which sits west of Indianapolis on the Illinois border. These things matter when you realize the micro scenes of music operating in the Midwest during the 70s. One other key fact is this album was recorded in 1972, so it's pretty early in the game.

What is that game? Hard rock, that's what. Almost every review out there sings the praises of  'Dead Drunk Screamin'', and the rest isn't up to snuff. I was also familiar with this track from one of the Wayfarer Strangers comps on Numero. It's a great track, no question. But there's plenty more greatness here, most notably 'Silver Girl' which has a strong progressive rock quotient - and is my personal favorite. Both the opening two songs and the proggy 'The Apocalypse' are also excellent. So yes, the title track and the album closer drift towards boogie rock, so they can be skipped. They're also relatively short and nonconsequential. It appears this album was repackaged by a tax scam label in the 70s, and I'm beginning to wonder if 'Silver Girl' is even presented correctly. I see timings in the three plus minute range, but the song on the original is easily six to seven minutes. Lots of questions regarding this release. The only history of the band I know of is in the Numero booklet, but they didn't go into detail about the album. Really needs a quality reissue to set the record straight, so to speak. Don't listen to the naysayers, see if you can get a copy of the original - or at least a burn of it. Great early 70s hard rock here.

Ownership: 1974 Bridges (LP) 

No reissues as of 3/30/25.

10/19/22 (review / new entry)

Alpha Centauri. 1977 USA-Colorado

When holding this in your hands, you would think this is an obscure Canadian band from Winnipeg. Not a lot of bands operating out of Manitoba, and as it turns out, neither were Alpha Centauri. Apparently the group decided to expand their audience by going up to the northern prairie. An odd bit of research I would think. Not that Alpha Centauri were from the big city - coming from the northeastern town of Greeley. But Denver would have been closer... As I said about Greeley in my review for the Brutal Planet tape: This town is famous for a fine college (University of Northern Colorado) and... the smell of cow poo. Maybe that's why they left?

In any case, what do we have here musically speaking? Ah, that first track is a burner! The perfect blend of jamming hard rock and AOR sensibilities. This is exactly how it should be done. Great fat sounding synthesizers and crunching hard rock guitars. With that setup, most of the tracks deliver a similar type sound. It's more hard rock than commercial, but Alpha Centauri have a deft touch for both. A2 and B3 aren't up to snuff, but the rest more than make up for it. No wonder this title is sought after. Top tier for this kind of sound.

Ownership: LP: 1977 Salt Audio Devices (Canada). Single sleeve with insert. Recent acquisition (2022) from JL at a super price. There is a CD on Rock Candy, and I believe that's where it became known they were from Colorado. Had I not found this LP - knowing what I know after hearing this - I would certainly buy that CD, as the label is first rate. Since they are from here in Colorado, maybe I'll find another LP copy, though I have no idea if they brought many back home. I've never seen it otherwise, even in my first stint here back in the 90s.

10/19/22 (new entry)

2022 Metal Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

*Axewitch - Visions of the Past. 1984 Finger Print (LP). The 3rd and last of the Axewitch buys. This one is sandwiched in between, and had the more intriguing looking cover, especially the back. For the debut I wrote: "A bit by the numbers for 1983, and lacks the crunch necessary to have much impact. Decent set of tunes, but nothing leaps out.". And for the 3rd album, I penned: "This album catches Axewitch moving from metal to hard rock, a popular thing to do for bands looking to get more radio attention... Fairly dull album that lacks the hooks of a Def Leppard". Visions of the Past is definitely more like the debut in every way. It still needs more heft but it's a bit more quirky. I didn't pick up on it first, thinking it was a bit typical of the style. But by side 2 I was hearing a variety of interesting changes, though still subtle. Rates out the same as the debut, but on the high side of the range. This one has growth potential whereas the other did not. We'll see. Hard decisions will need to be made. Eventually. (Dec)

Anthem - No Smoke Without Fire. 1990 Music for Nations (LP). Somehow I managed to get five of the six initial Anthem albums. This one is no different than the others. Straight up riffing heavy metal from Japan without much invention. Apparently Don Airey plays the keys but it's not listed on the LP.  Not bad at all, just not that interesting either. (Dec)

Anthem - Hunting Time. 1989 Music For Nations (LP). The addition of keyboards up front seemed to distinguish this Anthem album from the others. But they quickly muzzle him and get down to their patented straightforward heavy metal sound. These guys from Japan consistently deliver the goods, but they don't take any chances, and the music gets a bit long in the tooth by the end. Like I've said about the three prior Anthem albums - I would have kept them all just a few short years ago. But no more. (Oct)

Axewitch - Hooked on High Heels. 1985 Fingerprint (LP). This album catches Axewitch moving from metal to hard rock, a popular thing to do for bands looking to get more radio attention. And an unpopular thing to do if wanting to maintain your underground street cred. For a band with a name like Axewitch - and from Sweden - it was the wrong move at the wrong time. And this was it for the band until a recent reformation. Fairly dull album that lacks the hooks of a Def Leppard, as but one peer who knew what they were doing. Average at best. (Oct)

Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond. 2000 Century Media (CD). Picked this one out of a thrift shop in Alamosa, Colorado a few months ago. Strange the items you might find out in the middle of nowhere, though there is a university there. Unfortunately it was the only thing like it in the store. I figured I wasn't going to keep it, but for 50 cents, I thought it was worth a shot. At first I was intrigued by the Iced Earth styled power metal. But it quickly went the European route, picking up the chugga chugga pace and singing "row row row your boat!!" - or so it seems. Good stuff on the whole, but obviously as you can tell from my weed-out project, the days of these kind of CDs sticking around are over, even though the origin story makes it more memorable. (Oct)

Dark Star. 1981 Avatar (LP). Dark Star is a legendary NWOBHM album with a striking cover. In reading reviews, there's a lot of bemoaning the fact that Def Leppard made it and these guys didn't. I vote for Def Leppard. Mostly a hard rock album with metal tendencies. Still some boogie and radio friendly tunes in here, not matching the album art. Final slightly prog track 'Green Peace' is great, but not enough to save this. File next to Demon's Unexpected Guest. (Sep)

Blind Fury - Out of Reach. 1985 Roadrunner (LP). Part of the same buy as above. It's about half like the Dio album and about half classic NWOBHM of the good kind, similar to Iron Maiden. So simplicity meets complexity. Blind Fury were an English based band that were essentially the same as the unfortunately named Satan, but with a new singer. This is not brainless metal, and a lot of good ideas are put forth. 1985 is a bit late for this sound, as the metal world had evolved much further by then. I gave it three listens over two nights, but to make it into the collection, the bar continues to go higher, and Blind Fury fell a bit short. (Sep)

Cerebus - Too Late to Pray. 1986 New Renaissance (LP). Like with Blind Fury, thia album registers very good but falls just short of the line to gain (as the old timey football guys used to call a first down). Production is a little thin, something the label is known for, though this is my first encounter with Ann Boleyn's imprint (Hellion leader). Straddles the fence between speed and traditional metal. Highlights include the title track and the instrumental 'Talk is Cheap' (ha). Probably would have kept this back in the day, and would be a sentimental favorite now. But since I'm just hearing it for the first time... (Sep)

Dio - Sacred Heart. 1985 Warner Bros. (LP). I was pretty sure this one wasn't going to make the cut, and I was right. Last in Line is borderline as it is, but there's a nostalgia pull there. I have none with Sacred Heart, an album I didn't bother with real time. I'm sure I read reviews of it back then, and they said something along the lines of "more of the same". Well that certainly wasn't going to work for me in 1985. And sure enough, it's more of the same. But even less dynamic. I didn't recognize a single song here. Dio did the needful here and then hit the road to promote. Not a bad album of course, just by the numbers straight forward heavy metal. (Sep) 

various artists - Bullets Volume 1. 1986 Combat (LP). A very good comp, but nothing worth holding onto. Best tracks are from Megadeth and Helstar, both of which I already own, though apparently the former is a unique mix (found on later reissues). Agent Steel's entry comes from an EP. It's pretty raw and also can be found on later reissues. Lots of thrash and hardcore here. I picked it up since it was only $1. (Sep)

Axewitch - The Lord of Flies. 1983 Finger Print (LP). Another one from JL. Another solid metal effort, this time from Sweden. A bit by the numbers for 1983, and lacks the crunch necessary to have much impact. Decent set of tunes, but nothing leaps out. (Sep)

*Voivod - Angel Rat. 2022 Real Gone (1991) (LP). This is an RSD release. While I really enjoyed Nothingface when it came out, I never did pursue Angel Rat and rejoined Voivod on The Outer Limits. I do enjoy this period of Voivod, even though there's a certain slickness to their sound, ironic given their raw background. Angel Rat's reputation back in the day was that of "psych metal", but honestly the most psychedelic aspect of this album is the cover painting. And it's barely metal. It's a sound of the late 80s and early 90s, but definitely not alternative. The pacing is brilliant, and the tunes are immediately likeable, proving that songwriting was one of their hidden strengths. (May)

Anthem - Gypsy Ways. 1988 Music For Nations (LP). 2nd of four Anthem albums I bought at the last Denver record show. I'm probably not going to keep any of them, but don't want to prejudge the contents. This one was even more basic than Bound to Break. Like Loudness, the music is straight up heavy metal. By 1988, one would hope for more progression. Which is not to say it isn't any good, and in fact all of their albums rate highly with current metal fans. It's definitely "true" for those where that term matters. The good news is we sold the album only a few hours after listing it (beautiful copy too). They have their loyal fanbase for certain. (May)

Angelus Apatrida - Cabaret de la Guillotine. 2018 Century Media (LP). Truth be told I heard the CD that comes with it, leaving the vinyl unplayed. Good thing, as I'm going to sell it. Well done thrash from Spanish band. I believe this to be their 6th album. The music was instantly recognizable - that of Testament, Death Angel, Exodus, and other Bay Area bands from the 80s that I knew real time. And that's the problem. This field has been plowed too many times. I didn't hear anything new, just a couple of innovative riffs. Even though I'm a fan of the style, it's going to be tough to impress me at this point in this genre of music. (May)

*Apocrypha - The Forgotten Scroll. 1987 Shrapnel (LP). The first of many metal albums that I bought at the record show. Apocrypha (a perfect name for a metal band) were from Las Vegas, Nevada, and played a mix of thrash and classic metal, known more these days as US Power Metal. Nothing particularly mind blowing, but very well done and represents the metal scene of 1987 quite well. The guitarist later went on to fame and fortune with Third Eye Blind, switching out the leather garb for flannel shirts, much to the dismay of his metal fans. (May)

*Tyton - Mind Over Metal. 1987 Medusa (LP). I find it somewhat amazing that you can still buy high quality sealed metal albums from the 80s for under $10 (part 3). I had quite a time with this title. The first copy was indeed sealed, but warped beyond recognition. Sent photos to the original seller, and he said he's "never seen it so bad". We laughed about it, and he immediately sent a refund. Nice guy. The second seller had an open copy. I got it very cheap along with another album. They were both crazy warped. Sent them back (no comment from dummy seller) - and he just relisted them! What a terrible seller. Finally an old friend of mine also had an open copy, and he confirmed it was lightly warped (though flat as a pancake compared to the other 2 - played perfectly). He was going to send it to me for free, but I bought a couple of other things to justify the postage for him. Anyway... the music. For 1987, Tyton was considerably less heavy than the competition. They referred to it as "melodic metal", which is true, but that doesn't mirror the modern connotation, which implies "commercial". Mind Over Metal is old school NWOBHM styled metal with thoughtful compositions, a few more ideas than usual, and well executed. The type of album you would think would do well on the radio even, but it came along five years too late. I like it. (Mar)

*E-X-E - Stricken By Might. 1987 Shatter (LP). I find it somewhat amazing that you can still buy high quality sealed metal albums from the 80s for under $10 (part 2). Like a lot of these dead stock seals, they feature cut corners and are likely to contain a warp. This checked both those boxes, but my tone arm rode the wave without issue on this one. Has there ever been a worse front and back cover than this album? I doubt it. I would have never considered buying this real time, and I'm sure I ran across it at some point. Take away their silly image, and focus only on the music, and what you have is a solid mix of heavy / thrash / speed metal. It's raw but sounds awesome. And they pack in a few ideas per track. Like a more advanced Exciter with elements of Slayer sprinkled throughout. The hype sticker says "thrash w/class". OK, I'll buy that - so they really should have reworked their image if they believed it. We used to call this "cartoon metal" in my day. As with Wild Dogs, time has been kind to E-X-E and this album has a solid reputation among the faithful. I have to agree with that assessment. (Feb)

*Wild Dogs - Reign of Terror. 1987 Enigma (LP). I find it somewhat amazing that you can still buy high quality sealed metal albums from the 80s for under $10. While the big names are going for ridiculous sums (considering they were mass released in the first place - thank goodness I kept most of them), there are plenty of more unknown groups that are selling for deep discounts. Portland's Wild Dogs is one of them. Really strong metal here, what would become known later as US Power Metal, though in its day it was just called heavy metal. Probably because they didn't go all-in thrash during an era when it was expected, the band languished in obscurity. But the metal community today gives this one a big thumbs up. And so do I. (Feb)

Overkill - Feel the Fire. 2021 Megaforce (1985) (LP). Green/Black vinyl. Overkill is one of the more simpler of the thrash purveyors of the 80s, but I found myself attracted to the rawness of their debut. There are elements of NWOBHM in here which I find highly appealing. Whereas I decided to move out The Grinding Wheel, given that by 2017 they should have more to offer, I'm far more forgiving of a debut album from the 80s. Probably a good thing I didn't pursue the band real time, as I was looking for more progressive oriented and thought provoking material. My days of just pure headbanging had already sailed by 1985. (Feb)

Overkill - The Grinding Wheel. 2017 Nuclear Blast (CD). Collection revisit (Jan). My thoughts from 2019 were: "This is Overkill's 18th full length studio album, and they are showing no signs of slowing down. The only other album I own by Overkill is Under the Influence, and that was a relatively recent acquisition, so this is a band I missed entirely when I was really into metal back in the 80s. Solid thrash with excellent guitar work and some inventive riffs. Perhaps a bit too many vocals, but I do enjoy Ellsworth's voice and attitude. This one falls to the high side of the rating." Perhaps because I'm hearing more old school metal these days, I'm backing away from this title. It's more Exodus than Testament if that makes sense. Each track gives us two to three fairly routine riffs, and there's usually at least one zillion-notes-per-minute solo. And, in retrospect, there's way too many vocals. The ending of the album shows promise as they are more USPM than thrash. My rating remains unchanged, but now I have it on the low side of the grade. Love the tri-fold digi-pak, but mannnn do I have too much music like this already. Need to slim down, and by-the-book late era thrash is a good place to target. 

Hell's Kitchen - If You Can't Take the Heat... 1989 Boner (LP). This one sounded good on a quick sample, so what do we have? Well, just reviewing the cover of a rotisserie chicken being crucified is one clue. Then the guys on the back looking like a bunch of goofballs is another. And the label name... So they're not taking themselves seriously at all. But it's definitely metal. Reminded me instantly of Motorhead and that thought never went away. Tank is another reference. Simplistic straightforward heavy metal with silly lyrics. Really not too bad at all, but I'm going to sell it. (Jan)

Silent Memorial - Cosmic Handball. 2009 Limb (CD). Apparently this album was released in Japan in 1998, but was released later for the masses in 2009. Silent Memorial were a Swiss band who play prog metal in the Dream Theater style. Do you know how much of this kind of stuff I have sitting around here? That includes CDs I still haven't even heard from bulk buys a few years ago. I still have a soft spot for Dream Theater, and certainly will keep anything that takes the sound in new directions. Cosmic Handball doesn't really but there are some cool proggy progressions all the same. This is the classic case of "having too much of the same thing", even though I rate it very good. There will be a lot of these I have to get rid of. Not enough time. (Oct 2021)

* - Keeping for the collection

Lightshine - Feeling. 1976 Germany

Feeling is one of those albums that seems to have been made to sound rare. It's really perfect from an underground perspective. It doesn't possess the Krautrock sound as we know it, more like a late era psychedelic band who recently discovered progressive rock. The guitar is higher pitched and maintains an acidic tone. There's flute and synthesizer, but the Krautrock staple of organ is nowhere to be found. Unusual song structures and vocal styling. Lightshine's overall sound is more French than German. 

Ownership: LP: 2012 Garden of Delights. Single sleeve, numbered edition (mine is #486). Online acqusition (2016). Excellent reissue with full band and original label history. More fleshed out than the original CD, which was my introduction to the album (1994). This was one of Penner's (pre-GoD) early releases, before they became more thorough.

1994; 4/24/16; 2/19/22 (LP 3.4); 10/17/22 (new entry)

Tangerine Dream - Hamburg Feb 24th 1978, Audimax. Germany

I was most excited to hear this show. It's interesting to note that while Tangerine Dream's concerts are well documented from 1974 to 1977, the cupboard remains nearly empty for the year 1978. There are only 2 commercially available shows from the Cyclone tour. I was also curious why there is nothing from 1979's Force Majeure. Turns out that the band cancelled their prepared tour out of disgust with the music industry's move to arenas and away from the small venues. Well that would explain it then.

I'm probably the biggest fan of the Cyclone album that you will ever find. I love that Tangerine Dream went back to their rock roots while incorporating their latest progressive electronic sequencer style. Musically speaking, the Hamburg show delivers exactly what is expected - that of a rock band playing improvised experimental progressive music. Edgar Froese continues to plug in and wail, just as he had the year prior on tour. Unfortunately this is not a well recorded show. Other than Froese's guitar and some of the synthesizers, most of the instrumentation is drowned out and there's much loss in the tape. It's an audience recording, and you're more likely to hear coughing and fidgeting than the music. Most notable in its absence is Klaus Kruger's drumming, an instrument that usually rises to the foreground in recordings such as this. I can only hope the Paris show is better, as presented by Reactive/Esoteric. Otherwise it's a lost year for live shows it would appear. Froese, for his part, wasn't satisfied with this tour. Pretty grumpy guy sometimes, eh?

Ownership: CD: 2004 Castle (UK). Part of the Bootleg Box Vol. 2 as discussed in the Nottingham entry.

10/14/22 (new entry)

2022 Psychedelic / Garage Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

The Love Generation - Montage. 1968 Imperial (LP). Thrift shop pickup in Cheyenne, Wyoming (Oct). The Love Generation are pure unadulterated Sunshine Pop. Similar to The Association, Sagittarius, The Millennium, and The Free Design. The latter is - by far - my favorite of this type of saccharine infused pop. The odd thing is you'd think a band from Los Angeles would have a better feel for the style than a group from Buffalo, New York. Unfortunately The Love Generation is too orchestrated, sweet, and sappy to appreciate. Over-engineered. Ultimately it gets down to the songwriting, and the only track I took notice of is 'Love is a Rainy Sunday'. Good on the whole, but inessential. 

Eric Burdon & The Animals - Love Is. 1968 MGM (2xLP). This was a straggler from the RT collection. Sprawling double set with cover tunes that go into extended jams. Fairly dull but has some good ideas and instrumentation. I far prefer The Twain Shall Meet from this era though. (May)

The Zombies. 1965 Parrot (LP). Another RT remnant languishing in the listening box. An almost perfect copy too. I had a pretty beat one that I sold at one of the shows, and I didn't really pay attention to it then. For 1965, this was groundbreaking stuff. 'She's Not There' is brilliant. But mostly this is pop music from an earlier era. Of historical interest, but not really my thing. (May)

*Trigon - Emergent. 2005 HeavyZenJazz (CD). Collection revisit (Apr). For cosmic blues jamming, I feel that Trigon perfected that sound on this effort. It never really gets boring, and the production is first rate. It's not a sloppy run through. This might be the gold standard of the late era groups doing this kind of thing. Not progressive in the slightest, just plug in and wail.

*Montage. 2001 Sundazed (1969) (CD). Thrift shop find (Mar). Montage is essentially the third Left Banke album, and is orchestrated Baroque Pop. There's some wonderful melodies interspersed throughout, and recalls a more innocent time. A New York City that didn't exist even then, but provided a fanciful departure for listeners. Fine reissue with extensive liner notes and four relevant bonus tracks, though two are instrumental arrangements of songs on the LP. The overall package makes it a keeper.

Spacemen 3 - Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To. 2018 Superior Viaduct (1986) (LP). In the early 90s when me and my running set were uncovering every stone looking for obscure prog and psych, this title stood out with its most outrageous and hilarious title. We never did hear it back in the day, though maybe one of the guys secured a cassette dub of it. So when a heavily marked down new sealed copy showed up, I nailed it. And this is the extended 2 LP version that includes even more outtakes. The album itself is just that, and was recorded in 1986. Eh, I wasn't very impressed. Pretty basic guitar trio alt-rock stuff. More like 1966 garage revival than cutting edge neo psychedelia. The album doesn't live up to its name. Should have been called Drinking Coffee To Make Music To Drink Coffee To. (Mar)

* - Keeping for the collection

El Trio (Lapouble / Lew / Cevasco) ~ Argentina

Todo en su Medida y Armoniosamente (1974)

Every once in awhile I'll go through my want list to see if an affordable copy has been offered. When I looked up this album, I learned it had been reissued only last year - cool! Originals go for a ton, and you're likely to have to pull it out of Argentina, a dicey proposition at best. It initially landed on my want list due to the CDRWL. 

---1/25/10

Highly inventive, and primarily instrumental, guitar trio with fuzzy electric and some well placed acoustic bits. The two tracks with female vocals are the highlights, and add to the jazzy psych allure of the material. Like a looser, more improvisational take on the second El Reloj album.

---10/13/22

I'm going to step away from the El Reloj reference, but despite that, last night's listen resulted in a +1 experience. The album is very unusual in its construct. It's jazz rock but very inventive. The label tries hard to claim it's jazz funk, but that's not the case really. It's just their market they're trying to appeal to. For me the highlight is the title track with Patricia Clark's beautiful wordless voice. Guessing she's not a native with that name, but who knows. This track in particular sounds Brazilian and reminds me of the best of Sergio Mendes. The guitarist isn't highly amplified, but he's active as is the rhythm section. B3 is another highlight. I can do without A3, but the rest is splendid. Unfortunately the album is too short coming in at 32 minutes with one 3 minute throwaway. Even still, it's one of a kind and well worth pursuing.

Ownership: 2021 Vampi Soul (LP). Not the greatest reissue of our time. Straight up release with the only info being on the hype sticker. It's also taken from vinyl, but they did a good job with it all the same. Better than nothing though. 

Not on CD as of 3/30/25. Hopefully more care will be taken if someone does. This album really could use bonus tracks, but probably they don't exist.

1/25/10 (review); 10/13/22 (update / new entry)

Granicus ~ USA ~ Cleveland, Ohio

---4/15/11

Granicus were a Cleveland based hard rock group. Probably the single best example from the US to attempt a Led Zeppelin like raucous electric blues sound. Has a Midwest America sensibility and directness as found in other bands from the region (Poobah for example), but otherwise Page and company is definitely the influence here. Mellotron and acoustic guitar touches combined with Robert Plant styled high pitched vocals puts this album somewhere between Zeppelin's IV and Houses of the Holy. This is essential for hard rock fans, especially those who like a little adventurous progressive compositions mixed in.

---10/13/22

Yea, I'll stand by that. In fact I enjoyed a +1 revisit last night. Like with progressive rock, the US didn't do too much to support our hard rock scene either. Every once in a while a band would pop up and receive a major label signing, only to not be promoted and dropped shortly thereafter. Most bands like Granicus just thrived in the underground and released their albums privately. Really great hard guitar and screaming vocals - it's the boilerplate for the Midwest hard rock sound.

Ownership: 1973 RCA (LP) 

4/15/11 (review); 10/13/22 (update / new entry)

Hammer ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Hammer (1970)

---5/8/12 (edited)

Like almost all major label US albums from 1970, San Francisco based Hammer is a completely hit and miss affair... It's mostly blues and soul based..., with some heavy organ and guitar sprinkled throughout... However, there are two gems here that must be heard. One is the fantastic 'Tuane', an obvious nod to fellow Bay Area stars Santana. The wordless vocals adding a unique flavor to the ripping guitar work and jazzy rhythms. But the real eye-opener has to be the closer 'Death to a King'. This composition's main melody and piano runs are almost exactly like Banco del Mutuo Succorso's 'Metamorfosi' from their 1972 debut! Could have Banco known of this obscure band known as Hammer?...

---10/11/22

So last night's listen resulted in a +2. What I didn't pick up on initial impact was the strength of the hard rock presented. Right from the opening 'Something Easy' I found myself immersed into that unique blend of Blue Cheer meets West Coast psych. There are two primary songwriters here, and they split duties 50/50: A) Guitarist Jack O'Brien and B) Keyboardist Norman Landsberg. It's the latter who provides the two great tracks called out originally. O'Brien's tracks are more straightforward but clearly of his era. And vocalist John de Roberts does a fine job bringing them to light with his raspy tone. Each composer throws in one clunker - A4 and B3 can be skipped, but the rest is fantastic hard rock.

After all these years, I seem to be the only one calling out the obvious BMS reference. Their version is verbatim to Hammer's from two years prior. I made a big deal out of it at the time 10 years ago, but it never caught on. Ah well, not so important, as it's brilliant really. Had the States possessed any kind of progressive rock interest from the labels, Hammer could very well have been our finest export. But one and done it was, and they've long faded to the annals of history.

Ownership: 1970 San Francisco (LP)

5/8/12 (review); 10/11/22 (update / new entry)

Helloween ~ Germany

Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1 (1987)

As noted on the Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II entry, this is the album I was more familiar with as it was released in my final year of college. I never did purchase the LP back then, and only acquired it on CD a decade later. For whatever reason, at the time, this kind of European power metal wasn't working for me, and I sold it. Even though I didn't own it, our local radio station in Lubbock had a pretty decent metal show on Sunday night (if I recall) and they played 'I'm Alive' and 'Halloween' quite a bit. Especially surprising given that the latter is 13+ minutes long. As noted before, Helloween aren't particularly heavy, and there's more than a passing resemblance to Iron Maiden at this stage. It's faster and more neo-classically influenced, but less varied. Many point to this album as the birth of the style that continues in full force to this very day throughout Europe. I enjoyed a +1 listen last night, likely a nostalgia bump from my last days in college, not that I treasured that experience much. Beyond my music collection, that is to say.

Ownership: 1987 RCA/Noise (LP). Lyric inner bag and hype sticker on the cover. Acquired in 2022.

1997; 12//06; 10/11/22 (review)

Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II (1988)

I'd never heard this title before, having been more familiar with Part 1 back in my last days of college. This one came out right after I graduated and I was mostly focused on putting my paycheck to rare and obscure prog albums. Definitely that was the right move here, as Helloween brings a relatively lightweight galloping metal album to the fore. The final 13+ minute track introduces more of a prog element, but this is a long way from what Fates Warning were already doing and miles away from Sieges Even and Watchtower. I'd submit this album is about 80% Iron Maiden and the remainder belongs to Queen and Styx. There are distinct musical references to 'Suite Madame Blue' here, which isn't a bad thing. Michael Kiske sounds a lot like Bruce Dickinson on this platter. Still, you'd have to be in a pretty grumpy mood not to enjoy this, as it's a lot of fun. Worth holding onto for sure.

Ownership: 

1988 RCA (LP). Acquired in 2022.

1988 RCA (MC). Acquired in 2026.

4/29/22 (review)

Walls of Jericho (1986)

The only album I've ever owned prior by Helloween is the next one Keeper of the Seven Keys Part One (since reacquired). Over time, I did tire of it, and sold. But I was informed long ago that Walls of Jericho is much more raw and unpolished. Which is more appealing to me. And that's exactly the case. There's nothing too revelatory here, and there aren't any great riffs, but I found myself drawn to the overall sound. I kind of like Kai Hansen's shrieking vocals, as he attempts to outdo Rob Halford. No such luck, but it's fun to hear him try. Hence, they added a more seasoned vocalist after this. 

Ownership: 1986 Combat (LP). Acquired in 2021.

6/12/21 (review)

10/11/22 (new entry)

Tangerine Dream - Washington Apr 4 1977, Lisner Auditorium. Germany

From my review of The Official Bootleg Series Volume Three (Detroit March 31): "These vintage Tangerine Dream live albums never fail to satisfy. The 1977 set is the Detroit live concert of which snippets were taken for the Encore album. 'Cherokee Lane' and 'Monolight' apparently were scripted for most of the concerts, so no major revelations there. But once Edgar plugs in the guitar for 'The Emerald Beyond', it becomes absolutely jaw dropping. 'Conjuration' also features some intense Froese soloing. I never knew that Tangerine Dream ever revisited their Electronic Meditation years."

I could probably leave it just like that and this review would suffice. Though I'm going to take it further and state that the Washington show is even more fleshed out. The Ford show in Detroit above was only their second concert on the tour. The Washington show was their 6th, and by then they had a better idea of what the US audiences were enjoying - or at least what they perceived to be enjoying. Interesting to note that they had returned to Detroit for a show on Apr 3rd. I haven't heard any of the three concerts in between, and from what we understand, most were improvised beyond the 2 set pieces mentioned in my Detroit review. Froese really kicks out the jams here, most notably on the 27 minute 'Monolith' (a wordplay on 'Monolight' I would presume). This is in 'Kalter Rauch' territory! Another revelation is the use of Spanish themes and guitar on 'Rain in Spain'. I don't recall hearing this sound from them prior. And I could swear there's some dirge-y organ in here as well. One thing I like about this recording is Professor Mota (who I'm sure just as many could do without), who proves to be quite knowledgeable about the band - and progressive music in general. His accent is hilarious "Tanyerine Dream" and he is incredibly enthusiastic about the whole affair. The interview with Chris Franke was interesting and we learn that he too was going to have an upcoming solo album like his peers Froese and Baumann, but obviously that didn't happen (until 15 years later - totally different). This might be my favorite show of them all to date, and I've enjoyed so many of them.

Ownership: CD: 2004 Castle (UK). 2xCD. Part of the The Bootleg Box Set Vol. 2. I discuss this box in more detail on the Nottingham 1976 entry. Sure enough my picky home CD player couldn't get through 'Monolith' so I moved it to the SUV. And despite hitting potholes on an interstate, it played through fine. I've decided to move the whole box there as music like this is perfect for running errands in the city.

10/10/22 (new entry)

Kornelyans - Not an Ordinary Life. 1974 Serbia

For Korni Grupa's debut I wrote: "For my tastes, Kornelyans' Not an Ordinary Life is one of Europe's great progressive rock albums. On paper, it goes against one of my key rules: It's sung in English verse the native tongue. There's always an exception."

It's been a dozen years since I last heard this album, but it remains one of the true gems of 1970s Euro Prog. The pop style found on its predecessor has been rubbed out in favor of more complex songwriting. The key contributor here is Kornell Kovach - naturally enough since the moniker of the band carries his name. His keyboard work, in particular his use of synthesizers, is brilliant. His composition style, while certainly understanding rock's appeal, has the mind of a serious classical bent similar to many an Italian prog band. The fact that Not an Ordinary Life was recorded in Italy is not a coincidence, and with Kornelyans the label thought they'd found another international act to promote along with PFM. One cannot blame the perception as vocalist Zlatko Pejakovich proved to be quite adept at singing in English. Guitarist Josip Bocek also puts in some heavy licks here and there.

The highlights here are the 2 lengthy tracks - 'Not an Ordinary Life' and 'Man with a White Flag'. If I recall right 'Fall Off the Land of Woman' is a remake from the debut ('Bezglave ja-ha Horde'), and is also a great hard driving track. The "hit" from the album is 'Generation 1942', which with the proper promotion, really should have been a known song to Western audiences. Great melody, poignant lyrics, excellent instrumental work. But I think a Yugoslav band in 1974 would have been a tough sell in the States. Apparently the album didn't sell well and was mostly forgotten until the reissue era which coincided with a new found audience for all things Yugoslavian prog.

For pure progressive rock, I find Not an Ordinary Life to be the best of all the former Yugoslavian albums, its main competition coming more from the psychedelic Pink Floyd of Igra Staklenih Perli. Arguably it even bests albums from all of the Iron Curtain, maybe only Flamengo offering a better choice.

Ownership: LP: 1974 Ricordi (Italy). As with all my favorite albums, I wanted to possess an original LP as long as it's not going to be a mortgage payment. In addition I really wanted the Italian version which will certainly be of higher quality than its Yugoslav equivalent. That day finally happened sometime in 2016, as I found a very nice copy online at a reasonable price. Single sleeve with a "pinched" spine. Comes with the lyric inner bag as well.

CD: 1991 Vinyl Magic (Italy). Standard jewel case reissue with no extras. Purchased new near the time of release. This was my introduction to the album and band. And it's what I listened to last night. Music this good must have a mobile option even though the CD doesn't offer much else. This is the only reissue of the album by itself, though it you really want to OD on Korni Grupa, there's a 6 CD compilation that came out in 2020.

12//92; 2//10; 10/9/22 (new entry)

Malibran - Le Porte del Silenzio. 1993 Italy

For Malibran's 4th album Oltre L'Ignoto I stated "Their debut was more of an English styled neo prog album, and I eventually parted with it. I plan on revisiting the other pair in short order." And roughly four months later here we are with Malibran's sophomore effort. This is the album where they broke ranks with their British neo prog beginning. However the first 2 tracks here (totaling 17 minutes) maintain the English vocals and the music overall recalls the great Ezra Winston, arguably the godfather of the Italian prog renaissance. It's more polished and mature than their debut The Wood of Tales. For the remaining 35 minutes, Malibran slips into Italian most comfortably, and this includes the 27 minute title track finale. They have eliminated all doubt that their commitment remains with progressive rock through and through. The production and sound choices are clearly from their own era - that of the early 90s. However flute remains the primary instrument, giving it the 70s authenticity we all craved at the time. The songs are well written and repeated listens are encouraged and welcomed. I've owned the album since it first came out, and almost 30 years later, its musical value increases. In fact I enjoyed a +1 listen last night. Having said that, it still falls behind Oltre L'Ignoto. I'll be curious how the 3rd one stacks up. Its day is coming soon.

Ownership: CD: 1993 Pegaso. Jewel case release with a very nice poster booklet and excellent artwork. Their first album was LP only (at the time), and is probably its best asset, so it appears the band was interested in maintaining a semblance of that culture here when CDs were the only choice for consumers. It's limited and numbered, so you would think it would be worth quite a bit today, but prices remain the same as when first released. Though a 1000 copies is a lot for a niche prog buying market (currently only 33 claim ownership on Discogs, including me). In addition, it's been reissued twice in the last 10 years, and the Mellow release has bonus tracks. Interesting about the numbering, because they appended it on the booklet and backplate. On my copy the former is #940 and the latter #976, so it looks like they got them mixed up in production. I suspect the US got the high numbers originally considering I was an early customer.

3//94; 10//09; 10//11; 6//15; 10/8/22 (new entry)

Melting Euphoria - Beyond the Maybe Machine. 1996 USA-California

For Melting Euphoria's 4th album Inside the Gardens of the Mind I wrote: I'll be honest here - I bought way too many space rock albums over the years. I think I was always on the lookout for a new Ash Ra Tempel or Guru Guru experience. The revisits haven't gone well. I hear too much of the same thing. Aimless improvisations with competent, but uninspired soloing. It's not that they aren't any good, or even pleasant to listen to, it's just that it becomes boring after awhile. And this proved to be the case with Melting Euphoria's first 2 albums as well. I have the 3rd, but for whatever reason, their 4th release Inside the Gardens of the Mind came up first. Same result? No! Now this is the kind of space rock that still matters to me. It gets down to the atmosphere of each piece of music. This is not something one can write in words, and yet it is exactly what defines the Kosmische movement itself.

---

And here's that 3rd album finally making its way through the pile. Beyond the Maybe Machine is probably a bit less early 70s German influenced, and there's more of the UK variety here - namely Gong and Hawkwind. This is most notable with the female "space whispering" and synthesizer whooshes. Which by itself would normally result in a been-there-done-that ruling. But that didn't happen here. In particular I enjoyed the bass work in conjunction with some fine drumming and rhythms. An excellent representation of the 90s space rock movement.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Cleopatra. Basic jewel case release with booklet laying out recording and lineup details. Obvious cheap computer graphics. Kind of goes with the era though. Picked this up used at Mod Lang in Berkeley back in early 1998 when I had a corporate apartment in San Ramon. Looks like the store eventually moved to El Cerrito and now shows they are temporarily closed, though I see updates as recent as last month on Facebook, so guessing they're just taking a break.

10/4/22 (new entry)

Sepsis - A Liturgy of Madness. 1991 Russia

Or more properly... Сепсис - Литургия Безумия (aka Liturgia Bezumia)

I had an old review for this, but I couldn't remember who I wrote it for! Found it - for Gibraltar (remember them?*) in 1995 (not that long after its release). So here is that review, slightly altered:

Sepsis in a word are remarkable. Even before you pull the vinyl out of the jacket, you realize that Sepsis is completely in the right frame of mind. The cover depicts a human head with the brain outlined so they are definitely foreshadowing the fact that this will be a cerebral affair. The album features just 2 side long tracks broken up into many sub-themes. The lineup is the basic guitar, bass, drums trio. Simple in format, ultra complex in their approach. You will not miss the keyboards believe me. Liturgia Bezumia is an all instrumental album that will make one sweat trying to keep up with the time signatures. From the first notes of throbbing bass and screaming acid guitar, through rapid fire acoustic strumming, to the Area-like experimental bits, back to screaming guitar, this album will leave you dizzy afterward. All the while the drumming is superb, adding many surprises and keeping it exciting the whole way.

---

I fear to say it looks like it's been 22 years since I last heard it, after acquiring the supplemental CD. The review above holds up well and my high rating is maintained. It's one long track translated as 'Mad Cucumber' Parts 1 and 2. Generally the idea of one 40 minute track of instrumental prog rock sounds pretty snoozy, but Sepsis keeps it exciting throughout. Eastern Europe had so many interesting bands during this period - isolated but connected enough to create something familiar yet still foreign. I recently mentioned this with the Czech Republic on the Stromboli review. Even more to the point would be the one two punch of Survolaj and Talitha Qumi from Romania - both possessing the recklessness found here. Now we all wait for Russia to rejoin us again. I think (and hope) it will be soon - and I'm sure the residents there would wish for that too.

Ownership: LP: 1991 AnTrop. Single sleeve. Looks like I bought this online from Ultima Thule in 1994. Speaking of losing your way, the Freeman's used to be a pioneering guide of new music, especially from Eastern Europe. Now they fight with everyone over matrix details. I try to remember the good times.

CD: 2000 Boheme. Jewel case release with liner notes in both English and Russian. Bought this as soon as it came out and it's going nowhere. Music like this is perfect for mobility.

3/19/95 (Gibraltar); 10/1/22 (new entry)

* - Looks like the website was taken down in 2019. It's too bad it's not archived. However it does exist on the Wayback Machine. Who knows if that will be up forever. I tried to look up Sepsis and a couple of other bands but it didn't work.

Tangerine Dream - Nottingham Nov 8th 1976, Albert Hall. Germany

Arguably the most famous of Tangerine Dream's unreleased live concerts - at least up there with the Reims show in 1974. There was once a project dedicated to the compilation of these lost live concerts. The best of them, in terms of sound quality, were called Tangerine Trees. This was Volume 1. I now own a few shows from 1976 due to various archival releases in the last 20 years. But this one doesn't recall any I've heard prior, so the improvisation aspect was still very high. It's more aggressive than Stratosfear and less varied than the shows that made up Encore. Froese gets in some mean psychedelic guitar soloing, especially on Part 2. Interesting to read modern reviews poo poo his "guitar heroics", but for me that was always the secret ingredient to their greatness, along with the "big" Moog and mellotron. In any case, an excellent show that was easy to listen to for its entire 80 minute duration. BTW, the concert fades at the end while the band is still cookin'.

Ownership: CD: 2004 Castle (UK). It's been a long time since I yelped "oh my God" while at a store. This was sitting on a shelf in a thrift shop a couple of weeks ago. It was also on my want list - my real one, not the "oh cool, I haven't heard this in years" or the "always wanted to hear this" finds. While Bootleg Box Vol. 1 had been reissued (though my copy is the original Castle version that I purchased real time - probably with the messed up 1975 show), they never got around to reissuing Vol. 2, thus its high price today. However while researching this title, it looks like Cherry Red / Reactive have come to the rescue, and the box set will be issued again at the end of November (2022). The copy I found has some major outer box wear (the inner sleeves are mint), but the discs appear VG+ to NM (poster insert with history is also here). No issues with this first concert, and my CD player can be picky and cranky. And for $3, can't beat the price! I'll just keep this barring any problems with playback on the other shows.

9/30/22 (new entry)

Moxy ~ Canada ~ Toronto, Ontario

Moxy (1975)

I had a good friend in college named Gary. He was your prototypical Odessa urban cowboy. 6 foot 4, thin as a rail, perfect male specimen in every way. But he was lost in this world. Despite looking like a model on a Marlboro billboard, he would bitch and moan to me constantly that he can't find girls to go out with. If the two of us would walk the mall together, the girls would put their eyes on him and practically stare at him, mesmerized they had just met someone from Hollywood. I would notice such things, and the girls made sure to divert their eyes from moi ('tis true, though I got the last laugh, for those who know my beautiful wife of 25 years). So it gives you an insight into the muddled mind of Grr (that's how he pronounced his name - Grr). 

As for music, since he was a good friend, he had to endure my tastes. At that time I was deep diving into prog, but also thrash metal, and a variety of underground rock styles. He primarily liked country (George Strait, that sort of thing) and rootsy rock like John Cougar Mellencamp. But he had a taste for hard rock. One day, while sitting in my apartment, Grr came over (as he often did, lived in the same complex in Lubbock) and we'd start chatting (about girls I'm sure) over my music. And then he blurts out of nowhere: "You know the best hard rock album ever is by a band called Moxy". Who??? Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every once in awhile. Some friend had played it for him, and that's how he knew about it. I never saw that album in college, and more or less forgot about them. 

Until some years ago, a cheap copy came about online and I nabbed it, recalling the story above. I didn't take the time to absorb it properly. This really is a great Canadian hard rock album, with a little bit more thought than your average bonehead band. Apparently Tommy Bolin was hanging out in the studio nearby, and provided some guidance and licks to the proceedings. The album starts off a bit slow, but once it finds its groove, it's a heavy rocker for sure. It's not a stretch to say that Moxy could have been Rush's second album, had they continued along the path of their debut. Another easy +1 listen. Looks like my self-fulfilled prophecies came true. Imagine that.

Ownership: 1975 Polydor Canada (LP). Acquired in 2025.

First copy: 1975 Mercury (LP). Acquired in 2014.

2008; 1/26/14; 8/25/21 (review) 

9/26/22 (new entry)

V.A. - Heroes and Villains: The Sound of Los Angeles 1965-1968. USA-California

I've had this 3 CD set in my car for the last couple of months as it features 90 (count 'em) songs from various groups. This is a theme release, and all the bands are from the Los Angeles area during the era listed. There's no common thread musically, other than they all grew up out of the garage and psych scenes. This is an incredibly well researched release and each of the 90 songs has a history to go with it. It's worth the price of admission just for the 80 page thick booklet!

Featured here are songs that you know by heart, some lesser known hits of the day, obscurities, serious expensive rarities, complete unknowns, and previously unreleased material. There's anything from folk rock to killer psych fuzz presented. One of those complete unknowns are The Royal Teens. The band apparently didn't have a decent copy, and so compiler and writer David Wells reached out to me (seeing we had it in our Unknown Vinyl blog) to inquire if I could record my copy for the release. Of course! And he was kind enough to comp me this copy for it. That's a great trade and I'm grateful to Mr. Wells for it. You'll note that the 2 songs from the 45 still don't sound great (even though it's NM), but that's the original recording - not much we can do about that, but Wells still did a great job with it. Because I was driving around when this was on, I didn't make a note of the highlights. But suffice to say there are some real gems in here, whether previously unknown or very rare. Along with tracks by The Monkees, Mamas & The Papas, Sonny and Cher, etc... Great mix of tunes.

Ownership: 2022 Grapefruit (3xCD). With an 80 page booklet in a clamshell box. The CDs come in individual sleeves. An incredible package really.

9/24/22 (acquired / review / new entry)