Jade Warrior. 1971 England

Debut album from arguably the first world fusion band. Jade Warrior's opening move is a complete hedge, mixing Asian soundscapes with blistering psychedelic rock. Nothing ever really develops but I find the album an easy outing and one that begs for repeated listens. An unusual trio of guitar, bass, hand percussion, and flute. As inventive as The Third Ear Band and Jan Dukes de Grey, but a completely different sound. I've owned this album in one form or another for 33 years and it remains in the excellent category.

Ownership: 1971 Vertigo UK (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2020.

First copy: 1971 Vertigo US (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 1989.

1989; 11//05; 11/28/22 (review)

Crime in Choir - Trumpery Metier. 2006 USA-California

Not long after release in 2006, I penned the following: "This is their 3rd album and the grades on the first 2 are mediocre. Wow – I like this one! I guess this is what I expect out of a modern progressive group. It’s all instrumental but accessible – not esoteric in that European way that seems to turn off more mainstream listeners. But not so vapid as to turn off more grizzled veterans like myself. Complex and mathy, nice mix of modern and vintage instrumentation including keys and reeds. Another band who’s heritage can be traced to the At The Drive In family tree (Mars Volta, Sparta)."

In 2017, I reviewed the predecessor, where I did a better job of capturing the essence of Crime in Choir: "San Francisco's Crime in Choir are like a number of bands to appear in the second millennial landscape. The music is exceptional, and the audience for it at the time was nil or fleeting. Especially here in America where creativity was at a high, but the data to find such gems was hard to filter. I only knew of the band because they wrote me directly to review their 3rd album Trumpery Metier, which impressed me on impact (2006). So a little exploration had me going back one album further, which would be The Hoop... As I arrive on RYM's entry, I see math rock as the genre. Crime in Choir is math rock in the same sense as an instrumental Soft Machine and Egg are. Don Caballero, Crime in Choir is not. And thus lies the problem with our modern situation. I can certainly understand the assertion (perhaps the band themselves made it...), but for those of us raised in a different generation, instrumental progressive rock is what we would have thought on first listen. And so had it been marketed to such an audience, the end result would have probably been the same from a financial perspective. And totally different from an artistic one. The music found on The Hoop is highly melodic, and keyboard driven. Even space rockish at times. No, Crime in Choir are not Canterbury, and they are certainly modern. And yet my comparisons hold."

---

In hearing it again last night, all the observations I made for The Hoop hold here. In my initial review, I did use the word "mathy". Now I recall the details: The band had sent me an online download - not the CD. And of course a promo package to go with it. I stopped dealing with these "zero dollar investment" review pleas almost before I started. And the respective groups rarely would even say thank you. In any case, they did refer to themselves as math rock, but that was more the term of the day as I noted above. The timing of hearing this recently is that, interestingly enough, it reminded me quite a bit of Mahogany Frog, another similar band operating at the same time but up north a ways. 

Ownership: CD: 2006 Gold Standard Laboratories. Purchased a year later from my initial review. Interesting artwork. Comes with a tri-fold booklet with photos of the band. Seems they didn't market themselves correctly, as they were clearly a retro prog band with a different motivation. Maybe not a financial boon, but certainly from an artistic legacy perspective.

7//06 (review); 3/26/07 (acquired); 11/27/22 (update)

Traffic - Heaven is in Your Mind. 1967 England

Heaven is in Your Mind is essentially the US version of Mr. Fantasy (and was originally released that way here in the States). Psych era classic from one of England's most inconsistent groups. You all know how I hate to throw the term overrated around, but damn this band gets a lot of praise for a lot of mediocrity. But their debut was really something special, tapping into the nascent UK psychedelic movement perfectly. 

Ownership: CD: 2000 Island. Thrift shop find from a year ago (2021). Another excellent CD with full liners, and 4 bonus tracks, two of which are the missing songs from the original UK release. It must have been awful to be a collector the late 60s. You see this with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (and others I'm sure) where the UK and US releases were different, forcing people to consider importing the other version (which was a bloody fortune in those days).

12/2/21 (CD 2.15); 11/23/22 (new entry)

Krakatoa ~ USA ~ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Togetherness (2001)

Strange this one. I'm really fond of We Are the Rowboats, a wonderful mix of avant prog, post rock, and neo psychedelia. But this title was more of the former and not so much to my liking

Former ownership: 2001 etherdrag (CD)

11/22/22 (review)

We Are the Rowboats (2003)

Krakatoa were an interesting band from Philadelphia (later Brooklyn) who combined avant progressive, post rock, and psychedelic music to great effect. They took the best elements of each: The quirky complexity of avant prog, while foregoing the dorky pursuit of the cutesy. From post rock they inherit the modern day melodicism, but avoid the staid 4/4 rhythms for a much more complex approach. And the true secret ingredient is the addition of a late 60s psychedelic edge, adding something to the music that many newer bands in the progressive rock field forget to do: Rock.

Even with the above, on paper anyway, the band sounds marginally interesting if the contents aren't mixed properly. And that's where Krakatoa creates their separation from the competition. Wonderful stuff.

Ownership: 2003 Cuneiform (CD). Booklet features recording details, a concert photo, and art.

2003 (first listen); 2/1/10 (review); 1/24/25 (update)

Also own and need to review Plan Ahead.

2/1/10 (new entry)

Garybaldi - Nuda. 1972 Italy

Way back in 2005 I wrote: "On Nuda, band leader and guitarist Bambi Fossati is pretty much a post-Hendrix child, with that early proto-progressive sound I find so appealing, especially in the organ work. And this thing really smokes on the last third of the album. Again, nothing at all like what we would normally associate with Italian progressive rock, but had this come out as a small press psych record from Detroit circa 1970, you’d have a completely different perspective. Scorpion (on Tower), Maximillian, The Purple Image and The Next Morning are more accurate barometers than Semiramis and Osanna. In this light, it seems almost remarkably progressive."

---

In last night's listen, my first since then, I concur with the above. The Hendrix tracks are front loaded, with the opener being quite the banger. '26 Febbraio 1700' reminded me of Electric Sun's interpretation of Hendrix, though I doubt Roth would have known Fossati, but who knows. The final track on side 1 is where the band tilts towards progressive rock. And the final side long composition is completely prog rock focused with killer guitar, Hammond organ, and plenty of rhythmic changes - all hallmarks of the Italian scene. Excellent album.

Ownership: LP: 1972 CGD. Stunning triple fold out cover from comic strip artist Guido Crepax, with jungle animals protruding from every crevice. I picked this up online from an Italian dealer in 2001, and it was one of my top LP wants at the time. Not likely it will ever leave either.

CD: 2004 Strange Days. Purchased new upon release. Japanese paper sleeve edition that replicates the original in every way. I splurged for the box set as well which contains 5 CDs, and Nuda is the box art as well (best choice for sure). This package will also stay with me until the end I suspect. 

The above CD replaced the Japanese jewel case release, which I picked up in 1994 and that was my introduction to the album. This wasn't part of my initial foray into Italian prog in the late 80s, even though I was aware of it from mail order dealers.

1994; 5//05; 11/20/22 (new entry)

Miles Davis - Get Up With It. 1974 USA

If anyone asks me what my favorite Miles Davis album is, I will respond Get Up With It. Even though this focused listen (albeit in the car) resulted in a -1, it still falls in the exemplary range. Because what's good is astoundingly good. I'd like to start this discussion with Disc / Record #2 as it's more familiar in terms of Davis' other albums from this period. Essentially you get the deep jazz funk that Davis was offering up live during this era. Especially Dark Magus, Pangaea, and Agharta reflects what these studio versions relay. Wah wah guitar, bursts of trumpet, layered organ, bass, drums, hand percussion, sax, and flute all playing the murkiest of fuzzy funk. It's an hour of trance jamming, though I'm not fond of the short 4 minute 'Red China Blues'.

What's special about Get Up With It is the first disc / record. 'He Loved Him Madly' is quite simply one of the most beautiful and calm chill out pieces ever recorded. I remember the first time I heard it in the mid 90s (from a friend's cassette dub). I was exhausted after playing a 5 game tennis match. I just sat there in the chair mesmerized - and at total peace. In hearing this album recently in traffic I came to the conclusion that all radio stations should make it mandatory to play music such as this during 5 o'clock rush hour. Someone cuts you off? Noooo problem. I've got 'He Loved Him Madly' playing. Nothing's going to bother me. Same goes for subways, or any other hectic place. And that's not even my favorite track. That would be the next one 'Maiysha' which is the most accessible track here ironically enough. Sounding all the world like a 60s easy listening song funneled through Davis' funk filter, it's a potent combination. And the final track on this disc is 'Rated X' which is the exact opposite. Here Davis pulls out his inner Krautrock with his static-y organ and motorik drums. It's noisy, but one could imagine Can or someone similar playing something like this. More funky of course, but the vibes are similar.

Overall, a fantastic work. A bit too long in places and really could have used some trimming on Disc 2. But I'm sure the philosophy was to pack it all in there and let you filter what you wish. Fair enough.

Ownership: CD: 2000 Columbia Legacy. Outstanding reissue including full liner notes from session member David Liebman and a few photos. Looks like I picked this up near the time of release and was the first copy for me to own. I consider this my primary.

LP: 1974 Columbia. 2xLP gatefold. Bought this last year (2021) at a local record store for a good price. Superfluous really, but it's cool to own on vinyl. Probably will stick around for a long time too.

11/17/22 (new entry)

Toxik - This This. 1989 USA-New York

I wasn't sure where I was going to land on Think This, Toxik's second album. The CD I purchased includes their debut World Circus, and I struggled with it. The production is very tinny and it seems to have as much in common with punk as it does thrash. The irony there is that it was recorded at Morrisound, the epicenter of the death metal movement. They were just getting rolling with that genre when Toxik arrived, and it just seemed they didn't know what to do with the group's sound.

Think This is much better fortunately. Even though Toxik is one of the more (relatively) known bands in the tech thrash space, they were by no means one of the more radical or heavy. Their sound fits the late 80s style, with herky-jerky rhythms, air raid siren vocals, gang choruses, crazy solos and riffs. It's like a stripped down Realm without the electronics. I also heard a prototype to where Heathen would land on their classic 1991 album Victims of Deception - especially the documentary narratives.

Ownership: CD: 2022 Dissonance. 2xCD with attractive tri-fold digipak. Excellent reissue that includes both of their albums in full. Insightful historical liner notes and additional photos round out this fine collection. If I ever warm more to World Circus, I'll feature it separately.

11/15/22 (new entry)

Magrathea - Legends. 2004 England

Magrathea are one of these bands that play in the oxymoronic "retro neo prog" style. This had come up through the weed out stack, as it seemed entirely unnecessary for me to possess such an album when I already have plenty of the real deal. Speaking of that, the irony here is that I just listened to one of those "real deal" bands (Twelfth Night), an early album which had nothing to do with the neo prog style. 

As I was listening, I pretty much had convinced myself that my prophesy of it belonging to someone else would be fulfilled. But then I began to realize just how perfect this album is for the style it is emulating. I mean if Anglagard can ape 1973, then why can't Magrathea copy 1982? And that's really your story line here: This is a pitch perfect realization of the early 80s NWOBPR. And just as Anglagard represents the ideal verse the reality of the scene, so does Magrathea. Everything about this screams some obscure cassette that was sold through Lotus Records and some dive bars throughout London. The cover, the sound, the compositions. It's IQ, Tamarisk, and Lahost all wrapped up in a stencil drawing of some Grendel like creature up to no good. I don't need to load up on albums like this, but since it's already here, I see no reason not to keep it. It's neo prog extract of the finest kind.

Ownership: CD: 2004 private. Online acquisition (2017). The packaging is as basic as it gets, and I suspect that's by design.

7/2/17 (first listen); 11/14/22 (review/new entry)

Twelfth Night - Live at the Target. 1981 England

As mentioned many times on this blog, when I first started collecting progressive rock, there was no contemporary scene for me to relate to. Nothing from my generation to follow and collect. Everything I was gravitating to was from the 70s - and likely the early part of the decade at that. It was late in my high school years of 1983 that I began to learn of a new movement coming out of England called The New Wave of British Progressive Rock (from UK metal magazines no less). And Twelfth Night were one of the more prominent bands receiving attention along with Marillion and IQ. I was in college by the time I finally heard Twelfth Night. Live and Let Live (1984) was being imported into the States, and I snapped up a copy "like a bulldog on a pork chop". My reaction was positive but not wowed. The one exception to that comment is the finale 'Sequences'. After this, I also picked up quickly their new album Art and Illusion, and it was clear Twelfth Night were no longer interested in being a progressive rock band, and those dollars were forever lost. Buying import records on a college budget was a very expensive endeavor. At least before I landed that plum engineering intern job in 1985...

And that was my initial history of Twelfth Night. Around 1990 or so, we (the Dallas contingent) were visiting a local friend in Fort Worth - someone who was to release many prog albums of his own or in groups. Underground Railroad would be one band you may recognize him in. In any case he was selling off a number of records and CDs, and one of those was Live at the Target (1989 UGUM). There's 'Sequences' again with 3 other tracks. Once home, I spun the disc and was listening to something completely different than expected. First thing to note is the album is all instrumental. Secondly, this album has nothing to do with what is normally associated with neo prog. This is space rock of the highest order. More in line with Nektar, Gong, or Hawkwind than anything Genesis related. Had I heard this album first, I would have been a big Twelfth Night fan from the off. Which I guess would have ultimately led to a great disappointment similar to what I experienced with IQ in the mid 80s. All 4 tracks here are great. Well written tunes, executed perfectly, and the jams are exhilarating. Andy Revell is a master of the wah-wah peddle, Brian Devoil's drumming is kinetic, while Clive Mitten distinguishes himself as a strong bass lead. Rick Battersby's keyboards provide more color than solos, but is seamlessly blended. Even though I was familiar with this album for over 30 years, I enjoyed a +1 listen.

In addition to the album, the Definitive Edition CD offers a full second disc of mostly live material, some of it unreleased, or only on other archival issues. The music found here is very similar to the Target concert. Some of the recordings are a bit rougher, but still enjoyable throughout, especially as bonus material. And at 73 minutes, it's a double LP's worth of extra music.

Ownership: CD: 2011 Festival. Brilliant reissue with the extra CD as noted above. Purchased new not long after release and quickly replaced the original bare bones UGUM reissue. Incidentally that reissue is called out in the liner notes as "unauthorized", though no one on Discogs has bothered to label it as such. I doubt I'll do it either. Anyway, not only do you get the bonus disc, but also a thick booklet with many historical perspectives, photos, newspaper articles, and other memorabilia. A first class job all the way, and this remains my primary copy.

6//90; 2//11; 2/20/12; 11/13/22 (new entry)

Morning Sky ~ USA ~ New Hampshire

Sea of Dreams (1976)

---8/3/10

On the surface, New Hampshire based Morning Sky are a typical mid 70s jazz flute ensemble. Then the sweet airy female vocals add some life, and the peppy rhythms recall the Lloyd McNeill Quartet. Then, out of nowhere, arrive these loud fuzz guitar solos that are truly exciting in this context. Fascinating album and very much worth seeking out! 

---10/31/22

On last night's +2 listen it's apparent I way undersold this one. Heck, I almost went +3 into Self-Actualization territory. A2 and B1 do reach those heights. Perhaps only B2 is a bit wandering and experimental for an album such as this. Both the female and male vocals are soothing and well done. Flute plays a major role as does the electric guitar. The music is ensemble driven, not solo focused, and depending on one's definition could be considered progressive rock. There's more than a nod to Canterbury here, though I think it's coincidental verse a concentrated effort. A brilliant album overall.

Ownership: 1976 private (LP)

No reissues as of 3/30/25.

8/3/10 (review); 10/31/22 (update / new entry)

Fragile - The Album. 1983 USA-California

Seems of late I've been going all-in for Female Fronted AOR, but it's a coincidence I assure you. With Lucksinger, Freeway, and Freeze all getting time on the turntable, it appears I have found a new genre to seek. Only problem is - I didn't keep any of those. Freeze was close, the others were not. But San Jose's Fragile takes it one step further. Their music is heavier than the other bands, and the synthesizer work is deliciously thick. There's even some Hammond here - it's a total 70s rig Hank Shaheen's got set up, and I sense he's the primary songwriter, though the band as a collective take the credit. And Dean Palmer shows up big with some great guitar solos. In this way, the band remind me of Alpha Centauri (Colorado), that I also recently crowed about. Despite the band's moniker, this isn't really prog, though elements of the genre creep in. Primarily - again - due to the 70s analog keyboard presence. Vocalist Jane Brey has a decidedly non-sweet voice recalling Pat Benatar. Definitely one of the better FFAOR albums I've heard.

Ownership: LP: 1983 Big Cheese. Single sleeve. Other than Lucksinger, all of these FFAOR albums came from JL, so I'm guessing that was/is his fetish. Surprisingly the band reissued this on CD in 2009. Though I'm sure that will prove to be harder to find than this LP. The cover as shown isn't exactly correct, as it has a white border drawn within. My copy has some substance and some writing, so I won't be able to override what's in Discogs. The date is on the label, which I could photo I suppose, perhaps one day.

10/29/22 (new entry)

Food - Forever is a Dream. 1969 USA-Illinois

Hailing from Chicago, Food's only release Forever is a Dream is a really odd little album. At times it's spaced out pop psych, at others it's heavy psychedelic, while they also seem to have just left the garage. It's orchestrated, but not saccharine. The vocals are drifty and airy. I could swear I hear mellotron too, though it could just be real strings. It's also a long album for its type. I would get up to flip the record, only to realize there were two more songs on each side to go! I'd heard this album before, but in the wrong contextual mood. This is a good one for solitude late night quiet listening. Mrs. UMR would refer to this situation as "lonelytude". With that in mind, my rating went up +2.

Ownership: LP: 1969 Capitol. Single sleeve. Recent acquisition from JL. Very rare in its original state. Forever is a Dream did get reissued (appears legit) from a label in Australia called Ascension in 2000.

10/28/22 (new entry)

The Original Rabbits ~ USA ~ Denver, Colorado

Tails from the Big Green (1986)

Found this at the Denver Record Show. No clue what it was, but the insert said they were from Denver. A quick bit of research on Discogs showed that it was obscure and that it was "hard rock". I didn't believe them but for $1 (in perfect condition) who cares right? And it checked two boxes for me: 1) mostly unknown and 2) local. The cover, however, looks like an Indie or Alt Rock record. As the years go by, and my tolerance levels continue to go up for most styles - including even country (only vintage 50's/60's though) - I absolutely cannot stand Indie / Alt rock. As you can probably guess since I'm featuring this title, it was no such thing.

It's not really hard rock, but that's not entirely inaccurate either. Actually the first band that entered my mind was Saga (Canada). That unique blend of 80s music, prog, AOR, and yes, hard rock. There's also more than a nod to Belew era King Crimson. And sure, there's some straight New Wave too. The Original Rabbits were probably three to four years late to the dance, and the major labels were onto the next big thing. But this is a really cool private press. Definitely a keeper for me.

Ownership: 1986 Rabbit Trax (LP). Lyric / picture insert. 

10/26/22 (review / new entry)

The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta. 1980 England

This was another title that was part of the 2019 buy. As stated before I was anxious to make a profit and didn't take the time to properly absorb the album. The only other time I bought a pile of X-Wave albums was back in 1993, and this was part of that as well. So I was familiar with the contents going in. I enjoyed a +2 listen last night as this is one strange album. It's quirky as heck, with all sorts of odd touches one doesn't associate 80s music with. Of course the band themselves were already veteran proggers with an uncanny knack of predicting music's future. Somewhat like Rush in that way, and it's no surprise that the latter band ultimately ended up sounding like The Police. No doubt Zenyatta Mondatta is more commercially oriented than Rush, but there are parallels here. As a bonus, Andy Summers gets in some mean guitar licks. I can do without track B1, one of their more annoying hits (why does the radio always seem to play the worst songs?) but everything else is very enjoyable here.

Ownership: LP: 1980 A&M. Single sleeve with picture inner bag. Another good pickup at the Denver Record show (2022). Though like INXS' The Swing, this album remains easily available and inexpensive. Even more so than some of The Police's other albums.

12/25/19; 10/25/22 (new entry)

INXS - The Swing. 1984 Australia

By the time INXS really made a name for themselves in the late 80s, I was so far detached from contemporary music I barely knew who they were. The Swing is one of their earlier albums, and comes at a time when I might have heard some of this, but wouldn't recollect it - or care about it. Now is the right time for me to digest albums such as this. I enjoy INXS at this stage of their career for the same reason I like Duran Duran. It's fast paced, crisp, a touch of funk, and catchy. Best of all is that INXS brings 2 guitarists to the party so there's more than a nod to hard rock here - buried under the glossy production mind you. Not all of The Swing is convincing, and it can get way too close to ordinary pop at times. But I heard enough to give it some space for the short term anyway.

Ownership: LP: 1984 ATCO. Gatefold with printed inner bag. Not a lot of gatefolds in the 80s, so that's something different. And yes, yet another great deal at the Denver Record show, though this title surprisingly doesn't go for that much compared to other 80s albums of its ilk.

10/24/22 (new entry)

ZZ Top - Tres Hombres. 1973 USA-Texas

This is the 3rd copy I've run into since 2019. I flipped the other 2 quickly, but this time I wanted to see if my opinion had softened towards this album. And the answer is yes. The music here is exactly what most folks associate pre-80s ZZ Top with. It's crisp and punchy blues rock with excellent guitar solos. Have Mercy. Not real keen on A5 (many folks aren't) or B1 but mostly this delivers the hard rock goods. This album has a lot of familiar tunes to those who listened to FM radio growing up. It's greasy South Texas good fun - just as the inner gatefold of the Mexican dinner setup suggests. Incidentally, Mexican food was not yet a staple of the American diet in 1973. ZZ Top were trailblazers on that front too.

Ownership: LP: 1973 London. Gatefold. Another fine pickup at the Denver Record show for a fraction of going rates. Discogs shows this version as from 1977 without any data to support it's a reissue. I think they just copied the wrong entry when creating it.

1/4/20; 10/24/22 (new entry)

Duran Duran. 1981 England

Some recent UMR thoughts about Duran Duran: "(Rio) One of those albums that define my high school years, or the latter part of them. I was favorable to Duran Duran even back then, but didn't go so far as to buy their albums. I was still a metal head getting into progressive and electronic. Duran Duran were for the boys who "played for the other team" (don't make me explain)... They have an edge on them, with great guitar and superb songwriting."

"Duran Duran - Seven and the Ragged Tiger. 1983. Well didn't this end up being a disappointment?... Side 1 is particularly boring. Side 2 is much more interesting but not enough to save it. I'd call it good on the whole, but that certainly isn't going to cut it. Garden variety New Wave. Misses the energy and punchiness of Rio that's for sure."

"I was never a collector of any of this real time. New Wave / Synth Pop was all the rage when I was in high school. I chose a different route: Heavy Metal... But Duran Duran? Be serious. Now I'm getting all soft in the middle, and finding these albums in thrift shops and bargain bins has been a blast. While also discovering some new cool sounds I completely missed the first go round. Nostalgia has kicked in, though it was always background radio and movie soundtracks for me. You know all those movies that portray 80's boys with poofy hair, lipstick, and eye makeup? Yea, I remember them too. That wasn't me."

And now we get to their debut. I'd been looking for this title for awhile. It's out there, but usually more than I want to pay. The Denver Record show came to the rescue again. This is very much the prototype for Rio and represents what I like from the band. Punchy, aggressive, and catchy. And what is with the finale 'Tel Aviv'? An all instrumental, almost prog rock track! This is my kind of X-Wave. I suspect this and Rio is all I'll keep from Duran Duran.

Ownership: LP: 1983 Capitol. Single sleeve, acquired as noted above (2022). This 1983 repressing came after Rio proved to be a major seller. It features a different photograph of the band, a new logo, and replaces one track with 'Is There Something I Should Know?'. I haven't heard the missing song, but I'm glad the latter made it onto here as it's the only song I recognize from the album (well maybe 'Girls on Film' too) and is very representative of their sound at this time.

10/23/22 (new entry)

Helen Merrill. 1955 USA-New York

As a hardcore crate digger this is exactly the kind of album one hopes to find in the wilds. While your average thrift shop buyer is ready to elbow you out of the way for that beat copy of Dark Side of the Moon, he/she would totally ignore a pristine LP original of Helen Merrill. A $500+ mistake that would prove to be (though I'm keeping the first one I find). I have yet to find one myself, but imagine my surprise when I did see the CD. And Japanese no less - this probably is worth a fortune too. Nada. Merrill is the bomb in Japan and there are many CD pressings, with only a couple from Europe.

Heard of Diana Krall have you? This is exactly who she aspires to be - along with Julie London. And while Ms. Krall has proven to be far more popular, Merrill's debut is the personification of that sound.  And authentic of its era, not a reproduction. Known to her parents as Jelena Ana Milcetic, she was born in New York City to Croatian immigrants. At age 92, she is still alive. Most of her career was spent in Japan thus explaining her popularity there.

What is this music? Jazz vocals. Of the most sultry kind. Breathy, dark, romantic, and atmospheric. The latter as thick as the cigarette smoke enveloping the nightclub she performs at. The very first seconds of this album will make you melt ('Don't Explain'), and if that doesn't grab you, nothing else here will. I'm more fond of the slow burners, which makes up most of the album. There are a couple more "snappy" pieces, but they're also well done. Trumpet, piano, and flute provide accompaniment. You alone tonight, sailor? Buy the 2 drink minimum, grab a seat, and proceed to cry and sweat.

Ownership: CD: 1989 EmArcy (Japan). Thrift shop find as noted above (2022). Incidentally the label is a phonetic spelling of MRC - Mercury Record Corporation. EmArcy was their jazz imprint. Looks like my copy isn't in Discogs, as it's made in West Germany (for the Japan market). The photos here are close enough. Mrs. UMR, a longtime fan of Diana Krall, has already taken it for herself...

10/23/22 (new entry)

Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring. 1986 England

Back in the early 90s, some music associates of mine were singing the praises of Talk Talk. They had become somewhat zombie-eyed about them, and were making grand proclamations that they represented true progressive rock, and that the dinosaurs of Yes and Genesis were old hat and tiresome. Like with religion and politics, once you're dealing with someone who "has the inside skinny on the Truth", it's likely they've taken drink of the local kool-aid - and logic is out the window. My resistance meter went straight to the red zone. After hearing Spirit of Eden, I was predictably nonplussed. It's OK I guess. But it's no Close to the Edge! And that was my Talk Talk experience.

That was 30 years ago. Still rather youthful and close minded myself. In these last few years of crate digging, I've been on the lookout for any Talk Talk, but they are not to be found. Finally scored The Colour of Spring at the Denver Record show, a beautiful copy for $5 - one of the better steals of the show for me. Now I'm going in with a totally different perspective, that of the X-Wave mind. Which is - of course - exactly the roots of Talk Talk themselves. I haven't heard anything by the band - I won't even count that Spirit of Eden experience - but I understand this is their "transitional" album from the standard synthpop to a more serious outfit. With an empty slate of expectation, I let the music do the talking minus filters (as much as anyone can do that). Now I'm on board. Selling it as progressive rock is crazy, but as an established New Wave band maturing to adulthood, this is stellar stuff. And what an interesting selection of instrumentation. Can't think of too many X-Wave bands that dug back into the 70s and pulled out the trusty Hammond organ and mellotron. Overall The Colour of Spring is a somber, moody affair with a rich analog sound. I can imagine this being quite a revelation for many fans of 80s music. Just don't go comparing it to Selling England by the Pound. Different game entirely.

Ownership: LP: 1986 EMI America. Single sleeve with lyric inner bag. Acquired as noted above (2022).

10/21/22 (new entry)

2022 Electronic Journal Vol. 1

Synergy - Electronic Realizations for Orchestra. 1975 Passport (LP). I remember hearing Synergy for the first time going back to my initial foray into electronic music in the early 80s while still in high school. Perhaps I was already gaining a bit of snootiness, but this just seemed so cheesy compared to the classy German musicians that I was into. Haha. Well... Larry Fast's debut is definitely a well put-together album, and it's his only feature of mellotron, but there is a bit of pop classical thrown in that is disturbing. If I didn't have racks of music like this already in the collection, I'd probably load up on Synergy. I'll also try his others as I find them, just for comparison. For music such as this, it's surprising how much copy was sold originally here in the States. (Dec)

Tangerine Dream - Frankfurt June 11 1983, Fassbinder Memorial Concert. 2004 Castle. This is the last CD in The Bootleg Box Vol. 2 and it's entirely superfluous. They really should have added a better show. Essentially this is the same concert as Logos with bad sound. And again, completely prescriptive and familiar. This isn't being counted as part of my collection though of course it remains inside the box. Very disappointing end to a great box set. (Oct)

Tangerine Dream - Turn of the Tides. 1994 Miramar (CD). Thrift shop find (Oct). As mentioned before, I've made the decision to pickup any and all Tangerine Dream post-Underwater Sunlight if I find them at a thrift shop. I found this along with Rockoon. I didn't write about Rockoon, but it wasn't terrible - had a few decent ideas. Turn of the Tides is similar but better. Plenty of good guitar here though the saxophone addition was never a good idea. It's too adult contemporary for a band like Tangerine Dream. 'Jungle Journey' is the highlight for me, recalling their early 80s efforts. As I will say ad infinitum, just not enough room to keep everything.

*Robert Schroder - Harmonic Ascendant. 1984 Racket (1979) (LP). Continuing on with my irrational love affair with 80s electronic (OK, 1979...) is Robert Schroder's debut. He has a million albums, but this is the first one I've heard. One of the early Klaus Schulze disciple recordings, that Schulze released on his IC imprint. Must have been a big hit in their native Germany, as there are many re-pressings. Wonderful Berlin School, though more melodic than usual and not as sequencer based. Maybe too much vocoder on side 2, though if you've had enough drinks, it starts to morph into something more pleasurable... (Feb) 

Neuronium - Heritage. 1984 Jive Electro (LP). Bought this one when it came out, but didn't survive the 90s purge. Now that I'm reliving my 80s Euro electronic experience, I thought I'd give this one another go. Mostly satisfying though the drum machine here is superfluous, without invention. And I have to admit that A2 is pretty dull. So yea, not the pick of the litter after all. (Feb)

Neuronium - Invisible Views. 1983 Roadrunner (LP). I sense a theme. Yet another repurchase, though I originally bought this one later in the 90s. A little bit better than Heritage, and the guitar is still present. These Neuronium's were part of my long game, but they're certainly enjoyable on the whole. (Feb)]

* - Keeping for the collection