Soft Machine ~ England

The Peel Sessions (1969-1971 / 1990)

Continuing on with the haven't-heard-in-forever project comes The Peel Sessions by "The" Soft Machine. This is a title I recall listening in the car quite a bit upon acquiring in 1996. And not again from then on. This is one of the earlier archival releases from the band, where they have been mined extensively since, most notably by Cuneiform. The first disc of this set had been released prior, as part of the 3xLP Triple Echo album, itself an archival release. In that way this is a reissue with a whole disc of bonus tracks. Soft Machine are a lot like Tangerine Dream in that their live material is mostly improvised, thus making each album unique on its own. To be clear, Soft Machine is working much closer to their original compositions than the true improv of T. Dream. Entirely different style of music which is the primary reason I suspect. One example is the made up lyrics of 'Moon in June' calling attention to their contemporary situation on the radio, complete with adverts. 

The music is comprised of six different sessions from 1969 to 1971 (the booklet leaves out 6/1/71). The first two years capture my personal favorite era of the group, and has them at their energetic best. The 1971 jazzy free improv sections are very much present (especially on 'Neo-Calibran Grides' and 'As If'), and are a bit lesser to my taste. However the entire two disc set does encapsulate the spirit of the original Soft Machine quite well.

Many of Soft Machine's archival albums overlap and run into each other. How many I keep is still up for internal debate. But for certain this title represents an essential entry. 

Ownership: 1990 Strange Fruit USA (2xCD). Cryptic liner notes. Acquired in 1996.

1996; 7/28/25 (review)

5 / Fifth (1972)

I've long been critical of this album stating it's more of a pure jazz album, and really a free jazz album at that (see below). Thus veering far away from my interest area in the band. A careful evening listen had me more sympathetic. Rather than avant garde jazz, I heard more of an atmospheric sound. A noirish type outing. Though there are some irritating bouts of noise that I'll never warm to, mostly Fifth does remain composed. And 'Drop' is Ratledge doing what he does best - fuzz out the organ and solo wildly. I've never owned this on LP, so it's nice to finally find one in the wilds (from our last trip to Detroit). Keeping for now.

Ownership: 1972 Columbia (LP). Acquired in 2025.

First copy: 1999 Columbia Europe (CD). As Fourth / Fifth.

1999; 6/21/25 (review)
 

Six (1973)

Of the first seven classic Soft Machine albums, the only one I do not have a grasp of is today's feature: Six. In fact, I believe this is only the second time for me to hear the sprawling double album, the first time some 20 years ago. In hearing it again last night, my appreciation levels went up considerably and I enjoyed a +1 listen.

The first album is a live recording and is a throwback to their 1969 era of music, where each song segues into the next. Recent woodwinds member Karl Jenkins adds a new found enthusiasm, and even Mike Ratledge seems to be having fun again poking around on his antiquated organ. While it missus the dusty aura of old reel to reels, and certainly has a smoother jazz tone, this will be the closest Soft Machine gets to their original roots. Ironically it also predicts the future, as Seven continues this motif into the studio.

The second album returns us back to the Third era, with long improvised unfocused tracks, but without the free jazz tendencies of the two predecessors, albums I never warmed up to personally. Again, Ratledge's organ and Jenkins saxophone lead the solo and melody parade. And while I didn't mention it for the first LP, the crack rhythm section of Hugh Hopper and John Marshall also sound energized. An excellent album overall.

Ownership: 1973 Columbia (2xLP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2023.

First copy: Columbia Europe (CD). Acquired in 2003.

2003; 11/21/23 (review)

Third (1970)

I had a colleague once who insisted that this one album - yes this one - is the greatest album of all-time. I had been turned off by Soft Machine early, having unfortunately started with Fourth and Fifth. That wasn't my thing then... and honestly they still aren't. Way too much free jazz, which I know many of you enjoy, but we all have our filters. But he was persistent, and let me borrow his commodity CD that I took to work with me everyday for a week. Back then I was still a computer programmer (~1992), so I brought my Discman and just let 'er roll throughout the course of the day. Over time, I understood where he was coming from. It would never be a favorite for me, but at least I could appreciate the inventiveness - and yes it's distinctive enough to be a favorite album for the right listener - I could see that. It was their transition from psych / prog to jazz. Because of this experience, I eventually bought the first two albums, ones I enjoyed immediately. But yea, for 1970 this is some extraordinary material. 

Ownership: 

1970 Columbia (2xLP) Gatefold. Latest upgrade: 2024.

2007 Sony Japan (2xCD). Includes the full Live at Proms 1970 album. Acquired in 2013.

First copy: 1991 Columbia (CD). Acquired in 1992.

1992; 5/10/13; 1/9/23 (review)

Softs (1976)

By 1976, Soft Machine - as one may have known them - were no more. Mike Ratledge was still hanging around but wasn't very involved. By this time you essentially had Nucleus calling themselves Soft Machine. And musically that holds true too. Soft Machine had gone from psych to prog (or Canterbury if you will) to jazz to jazz rock and now onto fusion. As with all the best albums in the latter genre, Softs gets a gold star due to the melodic songwriting versus any kind of show-offy chops display. The album is frontloaded with the best tracks like 'The Tale of Taliesin' and 'Ban-Ban Caliban'. John Etheridge's guitar is the highlight of the instrumental roster. I have friends that never cared much for Soft Machine, but enjoy this album since it intersects with their interest in all things jazz fusion.

Ownership: 1990 See For Miles (CD). Historical liner notes. Acquired in 2004.

7//04; 9/26/22 (review)

Volume Two (1969)

---12/20/18

A very unusual album, in that there's about 16 minutes of brilliant music and a lot of downtime / incidental sounds. The fact that it ends on a high note I think leads to a higher rating / reputation, but a focused listen reveals a lot of gaps. I'm hardly trashing the album at 4 stars - but I do feel I was also swayed by the strong ending as well. Side 1 in particular is pretty weak except for the monstrous 'Hibou, Anemone and Bear' which was a live staple for years. If wanting to hear this album in a more dynamic fashion, I would recommend the superb archival CD Noisette from Cuneiform.

---1/17/23

This listen confirms that sentiment. I think Volume Two has maxed out for me - not seeing how it goes to the first division. Too inconsistent, but the highs go way high here.

Ownership: 1969 Probe / ABC / Command (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2022.

First copy: One Way (CD). Acquired in 1994.

1994; 12/20/18 (review); 1/17/23 (update)

Backwards (1970 / 2002)

Cuneiform are the gold standard for all things Soft Machine, and their dogged determination to release anything and everything worthwhile is to be admired. And in my world, anything pre 1971 is worth investigating, and then after that, it's hit or miss. Most of this album was recorded from concerts in May 1970, performed in London. In effect, it's Soft Machine Third live. The band is beginning to really stretch out into jazz norms, something they eventually crossed the threshold over to wholly - and less to my personal interest. I won't claim this one to be essential, like say Noisette is, but for the hardcore faithful, it most certainly is. 

Ownership: 2002 Cuneiform (CD). Historical liner notes. Acquired in 2002.

2002; 1/10/16 (review)

Other albums I own: The Soft Machine; Seven; Bundles; Virtually; Noisette; Live at Proms.

Albums previously owned: Fourth; Spaced; Live At The Paradiso 1969

1/10/16 (new entry)

Rare Bird ~ England

Rare Bird (1969)

Continuing on with my project of listening to albums I haven't heard in forever comes Rare Bird's debut. I lucked into finding a beautiful UK original (what a cover!) while traveling on business in Tampa - St. Pete way back in 1996. I cannot find evidence that I've heard it since I arrived home way back then. And in this case, I think that may have really been the only listen.

Rare Bird were one of the earliest bands to jump onto the burgeoning progressive rock scene. In fact they were the first band to receive a release on the iconic Charisma label. A four piece that features the unusual lineup of two dedicated keyboardists. One on Hammond organ solely (Graham Field) and the other on electric piano (David Kaffinetti). The music has plenty of psychedelic references, similar to the Pussy Plays album in that way. But whereas that album leans in on the Floydish Piper motifs, Rare Bird has more of The Nice buried within. I find the songwriting charming and engaging, something I doubt registered as much nearly 30 years ago. 

On that same fateful day I also found the UK original of As Your Mind Flies By, but it was much less to my taste back then and I sold it. We'll see if I find it again, and if my opinion has changed.

Ownership: 1969 Charisma (LP)

10/16/96 (acquired); 7/27/25 (review) 

Buddy Rich ~ USA

Big Band Machine (1975)

There are albums out there, without any reason at all it seems, that go for dirt cheap when demand should outstrip supply. Big Band Machine is an example of one of these albums. While I'm sure it sold decent copy in its day, it by no means is a commodity like the Sergio Mendes albums. I bring the latter up because much of his work is brilliant too, but at least the supply is so vast it explains their thrift shop status. And the fact this is the first copy I've found in six years of hard digging tells me it's not that common either. It takes only one influencer and you can bet these will dry up quickly and good luck in sourcing them again for $2. Regardless, it's the music that counts and with that...

Musically it isn't so different from The Roar of '74, an album that at least has some kind of following. It's big band music for the rock and funk crowd. The cover indicates a sort of staid performance, the bandstand loaded with members all dressed up to play the charted music on the stand before them. But the music isn't standards. Even the 'Tommy Medley' is barely recognizable as a Who composition. While Rich throws in a few drum solos, they are very short and purposeful, like most stage bands would do. The album rocks out nicely with plenty of jazz funk to enjoy. One of those albums you won't be able to sell, but why would you anyway?

Ownership: 1975 Groove Merchant (LP). Gatefold.

7/22/25 (review)
 

The Roar of '74 (1974)

The Roar of '74 represents the type of album I've been looking for in the wilds for some time. That of the rockin' funky big band sound. As a former stage band performer, we occasionally played some pretty cool tunes that made it fun. We also played standards that were necessary for a school band. The Roar of '74 opens with three very hot tracks that just won't let up. It shows the potential of big band in a rock setting. After this about half the rest maintain the funky goodness while the other three tracks are more of what would be expected. Reviews suggest - at best - this is nothing more than "cop show sh*t". Well... I happen to like "cop show sh*t". Buddy Rich was 56 or 57 when this was recorded. He was going hard late in life, especially for his generation. Also like the neat cover that represents the era well.

Ownership: 1974 Groove Merchant (LP) 

7/6/24 (review)

7/6/24

Witch Blade ~ Sweden

Månsken (2022)

For whatever reason, I'm finding more and more new LPs at deep discounts at record stores here in Colorado. To me it does signal that the LP boom of the last decade, and especially the pandemic, has subsided. That generation has now grown up and have other responsibilities. So those of us who hopelessly never stopped collecting vinyl can scoop them up for cheap. And then probably get stuck with them for the rest of our lives... But does it matter?

With that prelude out of the way, what does Witch Blade musically bring to the table? Old fashioned early 80s styled heavy metal. At that point where hard rock bands were adding muscle and some fantasy themes. Oftentimes proggy in nature but not compositionally so. A non British NWOBHM as it were. The other endearing aspect of Witch Blade is the group sings defiantly in their native Swedish. And they make a big deal out of that. I love native languages in music, so sign me up. Don't expect too much here. Eight solid workmanlike tracks, all easy on the ears if you are familiar with the NWOBHM style.

Witch Blade takes me back to an exciting time in the late 80s and early 90s when new vinyl LPs were coming out with a distinct look backwards (I'm thinking of the Colours label as but one example). The packaging of the LP is addicting: Great cover art, a well made but primitive booklet, poster, postcard, sticker, and probably something else I can't remember (album is filed).

Ownership: 2022 Dying Victims (LP). Details above.

7/1/25 (review)

Supersister ~ Netherlands

To the Highest Bidder (1971)

As with all of my Supersister collection, I first obtained this album in my "pre documentation" phase. And like most of the others, it's been well over 20 years since I last heard it. According to RYM and the specialist Prog Archives site, To the Highest Bidder is their singular best achievement. My memory didn't have it that way, and I recall always being slightly disappointed with the album despite appending an excellent rating for it. As the follow up to Present to Nancy, the bar was exceptionally high to clear and To the Highest Bidder fell a bit short in my estimation. With countless other influences entering my thought process, would a recent deep dive with To the Highest Bidder change my perspective?

No. In fact, my reaction has been the exact same since 1993. That is, I prefer the debut. And my high rating remains as well. Even though I hadn't heard the album in ages, I found myself quite familiar with the contents. Indicating that I had for certain dissected the album prior, just without any corroborating notes to support. 

The album opens with its strongest cut 'A Girl Named You' which is largely a continuation of Present From Nancy. Has the same tight rhythmic structure and beautiful flute / keyboard interludes. The breakdown, for me anyway, occurs on 'No Tree Will Grow', a rather maudlin piece. While artistically well done, it doesn't display the optimistic magic the band traditionally projects. Seems to be on the wrong album by the wrong band. Side two is dominated by 'Energy', a lengthy track that possesses various fits and starts. The "go" patterns are aces but there is some curious down time as well. The way-too-short closer 'Higher' brings me back to the Supersister I love with its "running through the fields of happiness" aura.

The UK Dandelion LP includes the single 'She Was Naked' which is missing on the Dutch originals. 

Ownership: 

1971 Polydor (LP) Gatefold

1990 Polydor (CD) with Present From Nancy.

1993 (acquired); 1995; 7/17/25 (review)  

Memories are New (1971 / 2000)

Even though I consider Present from Nancy as one of the greatest progressive rock albums ever made, I'm not overly familiar with anything else the band released, though I've owned them all going back to the late 1980s and early 90s. Because of this strong affection with their debut, it didn't take much convincing for me to purchase Memories are New not long after release. Like with so many of my purchases, I listened to it upon receipt and filed it away. Nearly 23 years later while physically looking at my collection, I see this CD and have absolutely no idea what it sounds like. Is it even worth keeping? Well, let's see... Memories are new after all.

Memories are New is really three albums in one, and the documentation of what it contains is poorly handled. The first four tracks (~26 minutes) are from a live concert (no idea where and when) that contains some of their best work from Present from Nancy and Pudding and Gisteren. There's a short undocumented interlude that leads to the only provenance noted here: An NDR radio concert from April of 1971. These seven songs (~24 minutes) are very interesting. Some familiar Supersister themes are infused with new material and the studio's home orchestra. In reading other reviews, many aren't keen on this symphonic approach, but I think it represents the meat of the release, and makes it worth owning. It isn't an academic high brow exercise, but rather a true mix and match of instrumentation and style. The "third album", as it were, is what appears to be pre-Supersister recordings (~10 minutes). We're left to believe these come from the late 60s, at least based on what I've found. Fun to hear Supersister in their developing stages moving from freakbeat and psychedelic into prog. 

To conclude - one hour of previously unreleased Supersister, mostly unique in both sound and composition. +1 listen for me.

Ownership: 2000 Soss (CD). Booklet contains memorabilia scans. 

2001 (acquired); 11/4/23 (review)

Pudding en Gisteren (1972)

As noted below, I consider Supersister's debut Present from Nancy one of my Top 50 albums, maybe even a higher bracket. But each subsequent album moved away from the Canterbury core of that brilliant work, and by this 3rd release, Pudding en Gisteren is embracing the Zappa world of silliness more and more. Which resulted in a -1 listen this go round. Having said that, I wouldn't want to consider my collection without Pudding en Gisteren, but the thrills per minute are substantially diminished. For me those highlights include the first half of 'Judy Goes on Holiday' and portions of the side long title track, which maintain the Soft Machine II motif that make Supersister so enduring.

Ownership: 1972 Polydor UK (LP). Die cut gatefold. Perfect cut, with no tears which we see sadly too often. 

1992 (acquired); 10/17/21 (review)

Iskander (1973)

Iskander is Supersister's 4th LP, and steers the band from an insouciant Canterbury styled group toward a more traditional prog rock concept album. Still, on close inspection, one can hear similarities to their first three albums, and there's plenty of familiar rhythms and melodies that one recognizes from the world of Soft Machine. It's just not as overt. So if one thinks of Iskander as played by neighboring Trace, rather than the predetermined expectation of what Supersister should sound like, the album opens up in a big way given this new perspective.

Then there's the presence of American WWII vet and famed jazzer Charlie Mariano on sax and flute. He was in his own discovery phase of life, moving on from his hometown Boston and his underground psych / prog / jazz group Osmosis, and digging deep into the European scene. It appears he spent most of 1973 in the Netherlands, first jamming with flutist Chris Hinze, before hooking up with Supersister - an odd combination that doesn't necessarily gel as one would hope (Supersister weren't a jazz group for certain). Mariano was to eventually head back to Germany and jam with Embryo for a couple of years, which was a better fit for the talented saxophonist.

Overall, Iskander is more consistent than its predecessor, but lacks the charm of the early albums. Objectively though, an excellent album if you approach it on its own terms.

Ownership: 1973 Polydor (LP). Gatefold.

10//88 (acquired); 4/14/18 (review)

Present From Nancy (1970)

Present From Nancy is a top 50 album for yours truly. At this point they were a bunch of teenagers who studied Soft Machine Volume 2 and somehow managed to improve on it. Perhaps it's the single minded focus that youth can possess, while employing a yet-to-be-disillusioned imagination. Whatever the case, Supersister distilled the best parts out of Soft Machine and Caravan, and left an artifact for the ages. Stips' keyboard playing is top notch, employing the fuzz organ as much as possible, while the remainder of the band puts the tight and complicated rhythms together behind him. Add some beautiful and melodic flute, and the soft affected vocal style that the Dutch seem to have mastered as much as the English, and you have an album that is irresistible.

Ownership: 

1970 Polydor (LP). Gatefold. First pressing

1990 Polydor (CD). with To the Highest Bidder.

1993 (acquired); 3/9/10 (review); 3/17/17

3/9/10 (new entry)

Ejwuusl Wessahqqan ~ Germany

Ejwuusl Wessahqqan (1975)

There was a time, perhaps even still true, where I would seek out bands with names like Ejwuusl Wessahqqan. The more exotic, the less commercial, the better as far as I was concerned. Their music isn't quite as out there as the moniker suggests, but it nonetheless does meet the non-commercial purity test. The music is more towards an earlier era, that of Trikolon or even the Dutch band Ellufant. Essentially a three piece who play long form instrumental organ jams, fuzzed out properly. And the bassist brings along his own stringed creation called the Filouphon, drawing comparisons to Patrice Moullet (Alpes) and his Cosmophone. Despite the premise, the album does hold ones' attention for its duration, showing some adeptness at free form jamming. 

The CD adds 17 minutes more of similar from a year later. Even better might be the 10 minutes from their 1980 incarnation known as Koala-Bar, though the band doesn't appear to have moved beyond their 1972 premise. Maybe a bit more composition is now being applied.

Like many albums in my collection, I haven't heard Ejwuusl Wessahqqan in approximately 25 years. The only recorded date is when I purchased the CD, pretty much as soon as it was released. Since the band name is so unique, I even scoured formed prog rock chat boards to see if I threw in a few sentences description. Not only did I not find anything from me, but the album has rarely ever been spoken about by anyone. Once obscure, always obscure I guess. That's what happens when you name your group Ejwuusl Wessahqqan*. I'm pretty sure I heard the album another time in the 1998 to 2002 time frame, but I wasn't taking diligent notes back then.

Though I did find that I posted an old want list in early 1996 that included this album. Yea good luck with that Genius Hans. I probably was just showing off that I knew of it haha. Today it's a four figure rarity, and I have no desire to own it, unless I somehow find it in the wilds (hey, you never know). The CD offers much more regardless. I must've came to the same conclusion 29 years ago, as the album fell off the want list that same year.

*If curious, the band name comes from a short story by Clark Ashton Smith called The Weird Of Avoosl Wuthoqquan. The Weird Of Somethin' I tell ya. Strangely this title is not mentioned in the historical liner notes.

Ownership: 1996 Penner (CD). Booklet with history, photos, and the four bonus tracks as noted above. Acquired in 1996.

1996; 7/12/25 (review)

Solution ~ Netherlands

Fully Interlocking (1977)

Solution's 4th album continues their evolution of sound. On Fully Interlocking they mix smooth jazz rock with an AOR sensibility. Other than A1 and B3, the album is instrumental. The grooves are irresistible and the melodies are sublime. A2 and A3 are particularly strong. The star of the show isn't Tom Barlage this time, but rather Willem Ennes, whose synthesizer tones are truly timeless. Reminds me of Franklin Street Arterial for you deep divers. Only B3 can be skipped and an unfortunate close to an otherwise great album. Fully Interlocking is a step up from its last two predecessors, and sits in second place against the almighty debut. One of those under the radar classics no one talks about. A late era release by a group where it seemed their best days were behind them. Though it appears their last two albums after this see Solution fall off the cliff, I still wouldn't mind giving them a shot.

Strangely, Fully Interlocking was clipped from the American release schedule. It wasn't until four years later that the album received a release on the First American label (misnomer apparently). By 1981, the type of music Solution is peddling here was long out of fashion.

Ownership: 1977 Rocket Record UK (LP). Acquired in 2025.

7/13/25 (review)
 

Cordon Bleu (1975)

Solution's third album follows a similar trajectory to that of Germany's Passport. The overall sound is that of a friendly jazz rock with a progressive rock heritage. Solution remains slightly truer to the latter genre, and even includes sparse vocals. I found Side 2 more pleasant to the ear, and it was enough to find shelf space, something the sophomore effort failed to do.

Ownership: 1975 Rocket (LP). Acquired in 2025.

5/23/25 (review)
 

Solution (1971)

Strong debut from Solution, a fuzz-laden organ and sax / flute driven band from The Netherlands. The primarily instrumental music is highly melodic, a common and much welcome trait among Dutch progressive rock groups. On this album, Solution reminds me of fellow countrymen Pantheon and the Danish Burnin' Red Ivanhoe with props to the overlord of this kind of sound - Hot Rats era Frank Zappa. In fact, 'Circus Circumstances' sounds like Samla Mammas Manna playing the music of prime Zappa.  'Koan' and 'Trane Steps' are the best tracks here, but no weak moments are to be found. 

The cover is also one of my all-time favorites. I love the little kid on the tricycle with his life-vest "solution" riding along the canal, which is priceless. The snapshot of a quiet sunny 1971 neighborhood in Holland (Spaarnwoude apparently) is also great. 

Ownership: 

1971 Catfish (LP). Acquired in 1994.

2012 Esoteric (CD) Liner notes and photos. Acquired in 2012.

1994; 9/8/12 (review)

Divergence (1972) 

What a dubious opening for Solution's second album Divergence - the first six minutes of 'Second Line' mounting to nothing more than a crooner's piano ballad that is painful to endure. But the last two minutes of said track offer hope for those of us who adored their debut album. The following title track will remind most folks of Focus, and that's because it was included as part of the 'Eruption' track as found on Moving Waves, though the organ and sax breaks found here are entirely their own. 'Concentration' veers dangerously close to being a proto Kenny G, when the music suddenly takes a dark turn to the skanky bar on the corner. And after the drunks have left, the band gets down to business and proves their instrumental worthiness. The album closes as it starts, and is the death knell. I can only shake my head, as the immense brilliance of the debut is pretty much lost here.

Former ownership: 1996 EMI (CD). Was included with the debut album (minus one track), but I swapped this CD for the Esoteric version which doesn't have it. Acquired in 2004.

2004; 9/8/12 (review)

9/8/12 (new entry)

Anna Sjalv Tredje ~ Sweden

Tussilago Fanfara (1977)

---12/30/10

Anna Själv Tredje were very much in the Tangerine Dream / Klaus Schulze electronic genre, but with a distinct Swedish twist and some wonderful offbeat space jams with lead electric guitar. Features one of my all time favorite album covers!

---7/5/25

A succinct review, but it does capture all the ingredients. This is my first listen since the CDRWL revisit. A very interesting one-off, the album captures all that was great about the 70s electronic movement. The use of electric guitar adds the space rock feel that we also hear in bands like Ashra, and especially those in France like Richard Pinhas / Heldon, and Hydravion. Some of the more static and academic electronic recalls very early Klaus Schulze at the time of Irrlicht or Cyborg. Trance inducing.

Tussilago Fanfara remains one of the most requested albums for a reissue of any sort (as of 7/13/25), as originals have skyrocketed in recent times. I acquired my copy when it was still relatively cheap to obtain (and brand new no less).

And yea, I still agree that the cover is mind melting. It's on regular display here at Casa UMR.

Group is technically spelled: Anna Själv Tredje

Ownership: 1977 Silence (LP)

1990 (acquired); 12/30/10 (review); 7/5/25 (update)

7/5/25 (new entry)

The Fents ~ USA ~ Los Angleles, California

First Offense (1983)

---4/29/12

There's no question that First Offense is of 1983 vintage, especially after taking in the opening track. Funky slap bass, synthesizers, and slick production qualities are laid out early and offer a somewhat dubious beginning. Perhaps a First Offense indeed. But The Fents were far more interesting than that, and as the album unfolds, a sophisticated blend of instrumental jazz and rock emerges, with complicated rhythms, smoking solos, and grittier sounds. The band themselves were influenced by some of the leading fusion artists of the day like Bruford, Holdsworth, and Dixie Dregs, and those artists' fingerprints are all over this.

---7/5/25

In hearing the album for the first time since, I also wanted to mention how melodically strong the album is. The album continues to shine when others of its ilk have lost their luster over time.

Ownership: 1983 Not Yachting (LP)

4/29/12 (acquired / review); 7/5/25 (update)

The Other Side (1987)

I've been familiar with The Fents going back to the late 80s (thanks to PPR Jeff), but this is the first time for me to hear their second, more widely available album. It skipped the CDRWL project since it was released on CD from the beginning. I finally secured a copy at a local store. I'll be honest I didn't have high hopes for it, figuring it would be too modern, slick, and digital for my tastes. Something akin to Spyro Gyra for example, minus the saxophones. And if keyboardist Adam Holzman had it his way, they would have succeeded to fulfill my prophecy - his tones scream late 80s. But guitarist Ted Hall would hear none of it, and he's blistering away on his guitar with a sound from a decade prior. Calling up the collective spirits of Terje Rypdal and David Torn, Hall rips, especially on side 2 as the album begins to creep into the consciousness. My listen started in the good territory and eventually landed on great. Plenty of room for growth here. Nice surprise.

Ownership: 1987 Passport (LP)

4/2/23 (review)

Both the debut EP and First Offense have yet to be reissued as of 7/13/25.

4/2/23 (new entry)

2025 Electronic Journal Vol. 1

Synergy - Sequencer. 1976 Passport (MC). For Synergy's debut, I concluded: "Larry Fast's debut is definitely a well put-together album... 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." I could conclude similarly here. For an album named Sequencer, there's a surprising dearth of it presented here. I have his next album on LP here in the stacks. We'll see if it fares any better (Jun).

various artists - Infrasonic Waves Volume II. 1999 Ocher (EP). 7 inch 33 RPM. One of those oddball things you sometimes find at a thrift shop. This short 15 minute plus EP features four bands that I was previously unaware of: Magnetophone, The Groceries, Salome, and Our Glassie Azoth. RYM pins the genres as Space Rock Revival and Post-Rock. I really didn't hear any rock on this. Mostly electronic music. Discogs says Abstract, Experimental, and Ambient, which is more accurate. 15 minutes is about the right length for this kind of thing. I enjoyed it but nothing I need to hold onto. (May)

Waveshaper - Retro Future. 2014 Werkstatt (LP). White vinyl 45 RPM. Found this at the flea market in Albuquerque for a couple of bucks, and it looked intriguing. Waveshaper is Swedish synthesist Tom Andersson and his stock in trade is known as Synthwave. There's an exhaustive description on RYM of what this genre means, and Waveshaper fits hand in glove. But to someone who doesn't live in the micro subgenre world of the 2010's, to me it sounds a heck of a lot like Tangerine Dream circa Le Parc. Upbeat synth music with wedgy 80s styled keyboards. It's a fairly monolithic affair, but it's fun to go back to the 80s like this. Nothing I need at this point, but I can see the appeal. Of note, RYM lists this album as a compilation, but it's not really. Andersson is a modern musician who will record a song and then publish it on a streaming service. Technically this a "compilation" of the "best" tracks according to his fans. But these songs don't exist anywhere else, especially in physical form. (May)

The Orb - Orbus Terrarum. 1995 Island (MC). The Orb is a collective that's been in and around my sphere of interest for many years. Especially in the 90s. They were the house club (or is that clubhouse?) electronic side of the UK Festival Psych movement. And many participants cross-breeded. But I never heard any of their albums until now. Honestly I didn't get too much out of this release. It always seems to be on the cusp of something interesting, but never really goes anywhere. It's not ambient and it's certainly not dance oriented (no beats for example). They were a "chill out" group for a lack of a better term. In reading reviews, it seems most of the UK press drubbed this title yet it was welcomed by American audiences. Today on RYM it rates relatively high. I'd call it good and nothing more. I'll definitely continue to seek out titles by them, and there are many. (Jan)

Steve Dougherty - The Journey. 1992 Blue Duck (CD). Dougherty is a Baltimore based electronic musician who describes the album as thus on the back tray: "Using heavy drums, bass and rhythms with electronic effects to form an intense electronic sound." Wow - that sold me! At the thrift shop, mind. So is it all that? Nope, but it's a intriguing effort all the same. The opening track does have quite a bit of percussion and one could see an attempt at the Shrieve-Schulze sessions. In other places Tangerine Dream's Hyperborea comes to mind. Overall it's a bright early to mid 80s styled electronic album. All plusses as far as I'm concerned. The issue is a lack of ideas. There's an enormous amount of repetition, and as the album journeyed on (so to speak) I found myself looking for the fast forward button. Tempted to keep this because of its obvious obscurity, but I think I'll move on from it. Discogs has an entry for the cassette tape (no owners and no wants), so I added this CD. The tape is listed as an EP (because of the silly six song rule), but it's a full length LP for sure. (Jan)

*Monta - Unsuspecting. 2005 private (CD). Found this at a thrift shop in Topeka, Kansas two years ago. Monta are a group from Kansas City and they categorize themselves as "influences of post-punk, new wave, dub, future jazz, abstract funk, space rock, Krautrock, synth-pop and psych rock." Which is fairly accurate if looking for an idea of what it sounds like. I tend to associate music like this with the turn of the century. What we used to call "chill out music". The first couple of tracks did seem more like the early electronic Krautrock experiments (Cluster maybe) with its shimmering electric piano and heavy analog synth textures. It doesn't take long for the beats to show up, but at least they are of the jazzy variety. It's an interesting album for certain and I like the use of real instruments (including guitar). (Jan)

The Presets - Apocalypso. 2008 Modular (CD). Got this for free from a local shop (Dec 2024). RYM attributes these genres to this album: Electro House, New Rave, Electroclash, Electropop, Synth Punk. It's more granular than metal genres! I don't know any of them, but you can still guess what it sounds like. You know those scenes in television shows and movies where they go to a flashy nightclub and a bunch of male and female models are dancing with their collective arms up in the air, looking like they all belong in a cage? This is that soundtrack. I have to admit to really liking the thick wedgy synthesizer tone they obtain, something Wavemaker would have been proud of (hey, I managed to get Wavemaker into a Presets review, not bad eh?). The only problem is - that's about the only sound they use. The vocals will remind you of those 80s synth pop bands like Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. I think it's overall very good actually. But to get into the collection these days, another one has to go out. It's not that good.

*The Electric Groove Temple - Sequence Me. 1996 Trichone (CD). Collection revisit (Oct 2024). In 2005 I wrote: "The idea of real psychedelic / acid guitar played over synthesized techno music is very appealing to me, and that’s about all there is to say about this one." In reading more about the band, apparently they used all organic instruments, no samples. I couldn't figure out how I ended up with this CD in the first place, having purchased it real time according to my database. The internet preserved the Laser's Edge review of it, and then it became clear. His review is spot on calling out references such as Eat Static and Santana.

Surface 10 - In Vitro Tide. 2000 DiN (CD). What a surprising find! It's not every day that a DiN recording finds itself at a thrift shop in the USA. But it becomes apparent it's another casualty of Independent Records' closing last year as it has their markings on it. There's no way I'm leaving something like this behind. I'll buy it for a couple of bucks without research and figure it out later. So who is Surface 10 anyway? It's a pseudonym for a one Dean DeBenedictus, a Los Angeles based artist who specializes in "IDM". What does that stand for? Intelligent Dance Music. Sure, OK, I'll bite. Essentially Electronic Dance Music (EDM) for those that can't keep a beat. Well that would be me for certain. So it seems useless on the dance floor. Can't imagine my nieces' going much for this. How about for listening? Well, no, kind of annoying honestly. I can appreciate the effort applied, but not sure who the audience for such a thing would be? (Sep 2024)

* - Keeping for the collection

2025 Revisits of prior UMR entries Vol. 2

Reminder that the links will go to the newly created UMR band pages.

WLUD - Carrycroch'

Agitation Free - 2nd

The Smell of Incense - Of Ullages and Dottles

Accept - Balls to the Wall

Psychedelic Gems

Grupo N.H.U.

Apoteosi

Tabletom - Mezclalina

McLuhan - Anomaly

Patrick Vian - Bruits et Temps Analogues 

Tender Aggression ~ Germany

Fly Disco Fly (1976)

Now here's one for you. Grabbed this with a whole stack of jazz funk albums (plus this) on the cheap. But once I saw the lineup on this album, I knew it was going to be the pick of the litter. 

Where do we start? I say we blame Sylvester Levay and go from there. Who? He's the Hungarian fellow who played on that most legendary underground Krautrock album Vita Nova along with a pre-Dzyan Eddy Marron. While hanging out in Germany, he figured out (rather astutely) that disco may be the next fad. So he forms Silver Convention, gathers up some pretty ladies, releases 'Fly, Robin, Fly' and it's "up up to the sky". Weeeeee. Dance dance dance. 

On a similar theme, some years ago I ran into a disco album by ORS (Orlando Riva Sound) that featured some Krautrock luminaries on Moog. Precedent had been set. 

With that prelude, let me introduce you to Dieter Reith. He would prove to be the next-gen Wolfgang Dauner. Dauner was a jazz keyboard guy playing around with heavy jazz rock and even Krautrock. But he wasn't above pop culture norms, and did a little bit of psychedelic hullabaloo as well in his day (The Oimels anyone?). Reith was also a jazz keyboard guy playing heavy jazz rock. But his pop culture would prove to be disco, with a capital D. Along for the ride, he brings Siggi Schwab and Dave King, both having played with Embryo among many others. And Curt Cress on the drum kit. He even drags in Ralf Nowy on sax. These are all heavy hitters in the German underground. 

So no matter the style, the compositions (mainly from Reith) are going to be first class with memorable melodies. And plenty of thick 70s analog keyboards to add the proper dressing. All with a string orchestra (from the no-chance-to-be-popular-otherwise Helmut Geiger Group) and a 4/4 beat, mandatory elements to make it a disco album. Curt Cress must've loved the paycheck he got for this. No fills or improvs, just keep a beat. Tough ask. 

More fun is the title of the album itself. It was released in their native Germany as Power Sandwich. What does that even refer to? We are decades before the term Power Lunch became a thing in business circles. Even better, in Spain, they decided to go with Disco Sandwich. I mean Disco Sandwich? How awesome is that? They should have just called it Tuna Taco to get to the crux of the matter. Speaking of the ladies, it appears Schwab enjoyed a good lusty evening. He was also involved with those Vampyros Lesbos albums.

In America these titles weren't going to fly, so to speak. How about Fly Disco Fly? Yea, no way we're trying to cash in on the Silver Convention or anything. I mean they only sold millions of copy. It didn't work obviously as who the hell has heard of this album before? 

Well I now have. If you have any tolerance whatsoever for disco, get this as it's really quite good. If questioned by those raising an eyebrow, say you were in it for the musicians involved. We all bought Playboy back in the day for the crossword puzzles.

Ownership: 1976 Morningside (LP)

6/23/25 (review / new entry)

I have another Dieter Reith on CD. When I get to it, I'll probably combine it here.

Ain Soph ~ Japan

A Story of Mysterious Forest (1980)

Ain Soph's debut is an island unto itself within the band's lengthy history. Starting as a Camel tribute band known as Tenchi Sozo, only dodgy live archival recordings exist, so it's difficult to critique their sound of the 70s. 

By 1980, the newly named Ain Soph were clearly influenced by all things jazz fusion. The opener demonstrating their adeptness at blistering Mahavishnu Orchestra type jazz rock. 'Natural Selection' sees the band consolidating many of the themes from Return to Forever's Romantic Warrior, mixing progressive rock with sunnyside breezy fusion. The first side closes with a more studied Canterbury styled piece complete with mellotron. Side two is completely different, calling on their progressive rock past, not really favoring any one band, but all the usual English suspects could be called out.

It would be another six years before Ain Soph resurfaced, this time with an album titled Hat and Field, and sounding nothing at all like a Canterbury group but rather a standard 80s jazz fusion was presented (see below). This would be the sound they took forward.

Ownership: 1980 Nexus (LP). With insert

1993 (acquired); 1995; 2009; 3/4/11; 6/21/25 (review)

Hat and Field (1986)

When you boldly go forward with a name like Hat and Field, it better be meaty, complex, charming, and melodic. And you can tell that is what they’re trying to do. But it has a 1986 new agey production and period instrumentation that takes both the meaty and charming parts out. It’s mildly complex. The melodies aren’t too bad, but a tad too breezy. Bands like Machine and the Synergetic Nuts have proven the Japanese are more than capable at this type of sound. Ain Soph were a prog band at heart, but couldn’t seem to master the logos of it all.

Former ownership: 1986 King (LP)

2006 (review)

6/21/25 (new entry)

Taproban ~ Italy

Strigma (2013)

At some point I managed to hear Taproban's first two albums, but I'll be damned if I remember anything about them. So a revisit is in order for certain.

Almost ten years ago to the date, I had an opportunity to secure Strigma, their 4th album, on the cheap. Suitably impressed I filed it away with a nice rating. What did it sound like again?

Taproban, at least on this album, has tapped into the dark side of Italian keyboard progressive rock. Almost entirely instrumental, take away the vocals from Il Balletto di Bronzo's YS, Metamorfosi's Inferno, and Le Orme's Felona e Sorona, and you have a pretty good idea what Strigma sounds like. Three lengthy epics with heavy organ, mellotron, flute, piano, some guitar, and a competent rhythm section. In many ways they are emulating what Nuova Era started with Il Passo del Soldato. This is one of those "Italian prog albums for Italian prog fans" type of deals. It's not entirely original, including a couple of lifted bits from Genesis, but it's a small matter overall.

Ownership: 2013 Musea (CD). Booklet with photos, recording / instrumentation details, and lyrics. Acquired in 2015.

6/13/15; 6/21/25 (review)

At some point it would be great to hear their other four albums (two again apparently), plus whatever compilations they contributed to. 

6/21/25 (new entry)

2025 Classic rock / AOR Journal Vol. 1

Alice Cooper - Easy Action. 1975 Warner Bros (LP) (1970). It's true what they say when folks tell you this is nothing like the Alice Cooper you know. Musically this is a post psych, early prog, slightly jazzy release. If the songs were more memorable, I'd probably hold onto it. Apparently the band hadn't found their glammy hard rock sound yet, one they were to create on their next album Love it to Death.(Jun)

x - Cricket. 1979 Z-Brah (LP). Grabbed this out of a garage sale and it was strangely the only thing of interest in their stack. Signed copy of a private press rock album from Los Angeles is an immediate purchase for me. Guess the homeowners may have known the band in some way and the signature was for them. In any case the music displayed here is Female Fronted AOR (FFAOR), a subgenre that's become popular is recent years. Musically it's too brash for Yacht Rock, too rigid to be disco or boogie, and too AM poppy to be FM oriented. The songs are OK but mostly standard issue efforts looking for hits. Not near as charming as, say, Airborne. This is a very professional looking release. The band had a full management team and must have thought they were backing the winning horse. However, this horse was a loser and the LP was the only thing the label released along with a single (both cuts are from the album). No fame and fortune here. 2.5 stars. (May)

New England. 1979 Infinity (LP). I've been reading some very positive reviews about this album, some saying it's one of the great examples of late 70s AOR. I'm very much into that sound of late, so I thought this might be a good time to revisit the LP. And this copy has been signed by all four members of the band, giving it some value (maybe). I say revisit because I'd heard it real time when a buddy bought the album. I'm not entirely sure of the track we both liked but I think it was 'Shoot', which not coincidentally is also the heaviest thing on here. The one song that receives the highest praise is 'Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya' but I would not have liked that back then, and most certainly not now. In hearing the album throughout again for the first time in 46 years, I'm not swayed anymore now than I was when I was 14. The LP also draws in the prog rock crowd since it has an inordinate amount of mellotron for an album such as this. But not as much as Small Wonder, one of those obscure AOR albums I do appreciate today. New England comes from the time when many bands took on regional, city, or state names as their moniker. No takers for Scranton however. (May)

Brian Eno - Before and After Science. 1977 Island (LP). As I've mentioned before regarding Eno, his albums are unpredictable and generally fall under the guise of "art rock". Before and After Science is no exception to that motif. My observation is that Brian Eno pretty much got to do whatever he wanted to, and today is highly praised for his innovative approach to various kinds of music. I think a lot of artists would have had a similar trajectory had they been afforded the same freedom Eno received. Good for him though, because he took full advantage of it. Before and After Science is another mixed bag of before-its-time New Wave, before-its-time New Age, electronic music, Roxy Music stuff, and whatever else he could cram into 40 minutes. As is usual with him, each side is very different from the other. I'm going to let this go and take the profit, but if I find a cheapie CD out there, I may hold onto it. (May)

Head East. 1978 A&M (LP). Another $1 record. I was in the mood to go as fast as I could through my budget finds and get them into the show boxes. But this title caught my attention. Hey, not bad at all! I had little expectation for it, but it's solid Midwestern AOR with a hard rock punch. Not sure I heard enough to keep, but these guys showed up for this title and earned their place in the late 70s FM landscape. (Mar)

John Mayall - A Hard Core Package. 1977 ABC (LP). Later era Mayall trying to keep up with the times by adding a little funk. But it's still blues rock all the way. Stayed true to his principles, especially considering it was the late 70s, and I think this would be a fine album for loyal fans. Too straight up for me, but not an unpleasant listen. (Jan)

Ten Years After - Cricklewood Green. Chrysalis (CD) (1970). Generally considered their best album, the first two tracks hold out promise this is going to be a heavy psych winner. But it eventually bogs down into the blues, and even country music. It's not until the last track that my ears perk up again. Seems Ten Years After had a lot of influence here in North America, as you can hear this sound in a multitude of obscure major label bands from the same time frame. A good album, but nothing more for me. (Jan)

Billy Squier - Emotions in Motion. 1982 Capitol (LP). Squier is another character who dominated the radio in my high school years. He had a unique sound that brought 80s production techniques to 50's rock n' roll revivalism. He was much better at it than his female counterpart Joan Jett. Not so bad on the whole, and a decent ride at the memory theme park, but everything here is wide brushstrokes lacking in any kind of nuance. Similar to the cover painting. And not just anyone can claim that Andy Warhol painted your portrait. (Jan)

x - One Aisle Over - Live @ UAS 2-28-09. 2009 private (CD). Got this for free from a local shop. Couldn't find it in Discogs so why not try it? Sounds like a more modern version of Fleetwood Mac. Naomi Hooley's voice is a reasonable facsimile of Stevie Nicks. What we used to call Adult Contemporary music I suppose (maybe they still do). You will hear bands like this occasionally playing at some upscale bar / hotel in the ritzy Colorado mountain towns such as Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge, or Telluride. UAS is the University of Alaska, so same kind of regional identity. Not really for me. Would be 2 stars on RYM. (Dec 2024).

Other albums heard but not reviewed: Jefferson Starship - Dragon Fly (Mar); Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja Vu (Apr); Supertramp - Crisis? What Crisis! (Apr); Neil Young - Live Rust (Jun); ELO - A New World Record (Jun); ELO (1971) (Jun); Roxy Music - Manifesto (Jun); Idle Cure (Jun).

* - Keeping for the collection; x - Not in RYM

Hawkwind ~ England

Doremi Fasol Latido (1972)

---2006

'Brainstorm' is such a classic riff, it's to space rock what Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man' is to heavy metal. I think Hawkwind has influenced as many bands as Genesis has. There are very few bands in the space rock field that don’t have at least some tieback to the mighty Hawks. One aspect of Hawkwind that I think is lost when summarizing, is the copious amount of acoustic guitar led tracks. Four bonus tracks in line with the more straight ahead rock side of the group.

---6/18/25

This was one of their albums I originally acquired in college, and helped define their sound to me. Hawkwind's third effort isn't that much different from everything I wrote below. Their stock-in-trade is driving space rock, and with Doremi they may have achieved their perfection of the formula. 'Brainstorm' is a great high energy opener with an excellent riff and many effects applied. 'Time We Left This World Today' is a superb change-of-pace psychedelic funk track. In retrospect it's hard to imagine a time when Hawkwind would actually be popular. They didn't have the romance or the coolness of Pink Floyd, for example. These guys were rough, raw, stinky, and scruffy. Yet they indeed were just that, popular. Overall, in my top 3 of Hawkwind albums I'd submit.

The CD adds their 1973 SP Urban Guerilla / Brainbox Pollution, a more straightforward punk approach than the album proper. Also includes the single version of 'Lord of Light', though not the B) side of  'Born to Go'. Final bonus is 'Ejection' which was unreleased prior. Very much in line with 'Urban Guerilla'.

Ownership: 2001 EMI Europe (CD). Extensive, and incomprehensible, liner notes with four bonus tracks. 

1986 (first acquired); 2004; 2006 (review); 6/18/25 (update)

Warrior on the Edge of Time (1975)

As I will probably state in every review about Hawkwind, they really aren't a band I crave listening time with. For the most part they tend to create a wall of sound and improvise from there. Warrior on the Edge of Time is probably their most well-crafted album, though again there isn't much here that is memorable. But it is oddly engaging while listening. The opening 'Assault and Battery' / 'The Golden Void' are often pointed out by fans as some of their finest compositions ever. 'Opa-Loka' could be lifted off a Krautrock album with its motorik beat. And 'Magnu' is classic In Search of Space styled Hawkwind. The addition of trippy narration works well on an album such as this. Finale 'Kings of Speed' sounds like an emasculated 'Ace of Spades', a formula bassist Lemmy would later perfect and capitalize on. Speaking of Lemmy, this was the album they booted him off from, tired of his druggy unpredictable ways. Not one to be slowed down, he launched his next band Bastard. He was later convinced that name wasn't going to make it anywhere, and renamed it to Motorhead, his last song contribution to Hawkwind. Which also found its way onto this CD too. Warrior on the Edge of Time is an excellent album, about as good at it gets for the psychedelic warlords. Speaking of which, can you believe leader Dave Brock is now 81 - and he's still playing live?

Ownership: 2013 Atomhenge (CD). Digipak with copious historical liner notes and photos. Includes the one bonus track as noted above. 

6/25/13 (acquired); 11/16/22 (review)

Space Ritual (1973)

Hawkwind is a band that I was first turned onto in late college, by a mutual Philosophy student / friend (I minored in Philosophy and History, much to the chagrin of my Engineering professors who thought it a waste of time - best thing I ever did in college!). I have to say that while I've always enjoyed Hawkwind, they were never a favorite, or anything I feel a huge urge to listen to. The first album I bought, and remains my favorite by them, would be In Search of Space. Believe it or not, I have never owned Space Ritual until now. I would often see it in the used bins in Lubbock during this time, always in terrible shape and not cheap either. My buddy back then played it for me, but it didn't move the needle enough for me to pursue. Now we move forward some 35 years later. I dedicated one evening listening session to it, and my initial impression of Hawkwind, and this album, holds tight. Basically they produce a wall of sound with guitar chords, saxophone noises, synthesizer swooshes, and mumbling vocals. The only guy it seems that is working hard is Lemmy, using his bass to drive the music forward. Their songwriting is almost non-existent. The two tracks that stand out, seem to be the same two tracks that always stand out: 'Master of the Universe' and 'Brainstorm'. '7 by 7' should also receive mention, and their best "song" 'Silver Machine' isn't to be found here. Gong would take this formula to much more interesting heights soon after. And in the late 80s, Ozric Tentacles took the sound to its logical conclusion, with many followers tagging along. Hawkwind are to be commended for being pioneers, but they aren't really my kind of space rock. Of course I'm keeping this, if for nothing else than to consider the incredible six panel poster cover. A lot folks sing the praises of this reissue for sound quality. I'll take them at their word.

Ownership: 2016 Parlophone UK (LP)

3/18/21 (acquired / review)

Hawkwind (1970)

It all starts here for Dave Brock and company. There are traces of their blues rock past along with a clear fixation for late 1960s Pink Floyd. Hawkwind will never be accused of being great songwriters, and that's true here as well. And they're also pretty sloppy, which is part of the allure honestly. A legendary band that earns that status, but in the oddest manner. The CD includes four relevant bonus tracks

Ownership: 2010 Liberty Japan (CD). Papersleeve with four bonus tracks.

1992 (first acquired); 2/1/21 (review)

Other albums I own and need to review: In Search of Space; Hall of the Mountain Grill

2/1/21 (new entry)

Mike Oldfield ~ England

QE2 (1980)

All these years later, and I still hadn't heard QE2 from Mike Oldfield. By the time I was out of college, I'd heard the rest save Platinum. That latter album ties closest to QE2. Even though I really enjoy Oldfield's next two works Five Miles Out and Crises, both also a mix of long and short form tracks, I don't hear the same kind of inspired writing on QE2, similar to my reaction to Platinum. OK, I've now heard it and I've completed my Oldfield run. Though I do need to revisit Incantations, which has been sitting in the listening box for about three years now. (Jun).

Source: 1980 Virgin UK (LP)

6/15/25 (review)

Ommadawn (1975)

Another one of those records I've had since the beginning of time (my time of course...). This is one of those albums I keep expecting to go to the next level but it never quite does. Here Oldfield is playing on familiar English and Celtic countryside themes similar to Hergest Ridge, with one track taking up both sides, but lacks the wild climax that album possesses. A very fine LP nonetheless.

Ownership: Virgin UK (LP). Red and green labels, likely from the early 80s.

1985 (acquired); 2/3/23 (review)

Five Miles Out (1982)

Last year I wrote the following about my rediscovery of Crises (edited for relevancy): 

I was on a Mike Oldfield kick in college, and this one was his newest album at the time... Back then I was looking for more and more underground prog rock, and Crises to me at that time was only half an album. Eventually I moved it out. In reacquiring the LP, I could almost argue the same thing - except the half I like best today are the 6 tracks that make up Side 1. In fact, in absorbing the album with 3 straight listens, I could be persuaded to add Crises to my X-Wave collection versus progressive rock. Of course Oldfield is considered prog rock royalty and he brought on many guests for this album, most from that world... Overall, this resulted in a +3 listen. It won't be long before I find Five Miles Out I'm sure...

---

And that day has arrived. Every single thing I said above applies here. From the +3 listen(s) - to the shorter tracks being more preferable than the side-longer - to the special guests - to the argument that this could be an X-Wave album versus prog. If you like one you will like the other. Glad to have it back.

Ownership: 1982 Epic (LP). Gatefold. 

1984 (first acquired); 3/22/23 (reacquired / review)

Crises (1983)

I was on a Mike Oldfield kick in college, and this one was his newest album at the time, though Discovery may have just hit the shelves, can't remember. Back then I was looking for more and more underground prog rock, and Crises to me at that time was only half an album. Eventually I moved it out. In reacquiring the LP, I could almost argue the same thing - except the half I like best today are the six tracks (see below for details on this) that make up Side 1. In fact, in absorbing the album with three straight listens, I could be persuaded to add Crises to my X-Wave collection versus progressive rock. Of course Oldfield is considered prog rock royalty and he brought on many guests for this album, most from that world. I think the best track here is the ultra catchy 'Foreign Affair' followed closely by 'In High Places'. Concerning the latter, this is the type of setup that best highlights Jon Anderson's voice. And yes, the side longer does possess a strong progressive rock component. Overall, this resulted in my second +3 listen of the year (see Faithful Breath). It won't be long before I find Five Miles Out I'm sure (and I did).

I own the Canadian press and this is significant. Why? This is the only pressing to have the track 'Mistake' on it. I originally asked the Discogs community about this, and it has now been confirmed. Also interesting to note that Crises was never released in the US on vinyl.

Ownership: 1983 Virgin Canada (LP)

1984 (first acquired); 8/24/22 (reacquired / review)

Hergest Ridge (1974)

I was in college when the Compact Disc first hit the common marketplace. But of course, like personal computers back then, they were prohibitively expensive for us student paupers. One could only look at the "long boxes" and dream of a scratch free / tick free experience. Oh the irony of today when everyone wants those sounds. Just like many want their beer to be hazy, after centuries of learning how to better purify the beverage. We're a world gone mad.

Really without any other choice, I stayed with the vinyl album because it's all I could afford (even then I disliked cassettes - another medium back in vogue. Going crazy I tell ya...). So in 1984, all of 19 and really dirt poor, I dutifully purchased my dogeared used and scratched USA Virgin press of Hergest Ridge for a $1 at a local store. So yea, not only used records, but not necessarily great copies either. Hey the nicer ones were $4! I couldn't afford that. And so I'd take the vinyl home, plop it on my roommate's crappy stereo with a crappy stylus and played it endlessly. Happier than a clam.

Two years later I scored a summer internship at a major defense contractor. I was making gobs of cash (relatively speaking of course) for the first time in my life. So I did what any other 21 year old newly minted "hundredaire" would do: I bought me a nice stereo! With a CD player - wow I'm rich! And the first two CDs I purchased were Pink Floyd's Meddle and Tangerine Dream's Green Desert. Stories for another day (and since told). But damn, new CD's were expensive back then. But then there was the burgeoning used CD market (not cheap either but better)...

I bring this story to the Hergest Ridge review because this was the first used CD I ever bought to replace a beat LP, starting a trend that continued for years. And to no regret whatsoever. As mentioned above, it wasn't like we had 180 gram pristine vinyl copies like today. Oh hell no - we just had scratched up old used copies of commodities that probably found themselves in a trash can years later. And back then even the new albums were cheap 80s represses - again of the commodity variety. Any expensive import I would have kept on LP. And to my ears, did this CD ever sound SO MUCH better than my old vinyl!

As for the music, Hergest Ridge remains my favorite Oldfield effort (though Amarok - the album from out of nowhere - gives it a run). He managed to capture the English countryside sound similar to Anthony Phillips - but on a large scale with many marquee name participants. And Side 2 gets really intense about halfway through - Oldfield's inner anger comes out with pounding / continual synthesizers and raucous guitar rave-ups. If you think of Oldfield as some tranquil music for middle aged New Age fans, play this side of music and you'll have a different viewpoint. Excellent on the whole.

Ownership: 

1984 Virgin UK (CD). Yes, it's the exact same CD as above. No bar codes. Cheap booklet that goes on to explain what a Compact Disc even is - in English, French, and German. 

1979 Virgin International (LP)

1984 (LP acquired); 1986 (CD acquired); 11/1/14; 9/14/19 (review)

Other albums I own and need to review: Tubular Bells; Incantations; Amarok

9/14/19 (new entry)

Mofoya ~ USA ~ Hawaii

Send a Message (1979)

Mofoya's sole album is an amalgam of styles covering everything from ferocious jazz rock to sweet soul and disco. To be clear, it is primarily a fusion album, but the other styles mentioned add spice to the dish. Flute and guitar are your primary instruments. Tracks like A4 and B3 are beautiful instrumental acoustic guitar and flute pieces, offering up the sounds of the island vacation you expect from Hawaii. Only to be destroyed by the Mahavishnu Orchestra style of A1, B4, and especially B2. B1 and B5 have some boogie down disco fusion, whereas A2 is sweet soul with fine female vocals. There's also references to the psych funk sound throughout.

I see Send a Message often labeled as a progressive rock album, but I don't hear it myself. It sends the wrong message so to speak. This is distinctly an American type of music that we often hear from the late 70s. Groups taking more simple styles to a higher art. Anyone who enjoys the CTI sounds of the 70s will enjoy this. Maybe even more so given some of the violent guitar on display.

On the back cover, the band name is stylized as MoFoYa.

No reissues exist as of 6/17/25.

Ownership: 1979 Kona Gold (LP)

6/16/25 (acquired / review)

Andromeda ~ Germany

Andromeda (1979)

Similar to Zarathustra, the German moniker of Andromeda is more known from an early 70s album. And just like with Zarathustra, I prefer the later, different band. This Andromeda plays a mixture of familiar progressive rock styles, most notably Jethro Tull due to the use of flute and overall song style. Also Genesis and Yes will get a reference. I was most reminded of mid to late 70s Mythos overall with a nod to Novalis, especially considering the half-German vocals. A very good album, one that carries perhaps too many lyrical passages to be a classic, but the instrumental sections carry the day. Strong guitar work as well.

Technically the band is known as Androméda. They have two other releases that I've not heard.

No reissues exist for any of their albums as of 3/12/26.

Ownership: 1979 private (LP). Acquired in 2025.

6/16/25 (review)

6/17/25 (new entry)

2025 Hard Rock Journal Vol. 1

Rory Gallagher - Blueprint. 1973 Polydor (LP). After being pleasantly surprised by Gallagher's Against the Grain (see below), Blueprint is more of what I would expect from a blues rock guitarist. I didn't derive too much out of this title unfortunately. (Jun)

Morly Grey - The Only Truth. 2000 Akarma (LP) (1972). Collection revisit (May). When I first started collecting heavily in the late 80s, I began to receive catalogs with big-time rarities. Among the top tier of those was Morly Grey, an album going for more than three times my monthly apartment rent back then. Without knowing the future, I just presumed I would never get to hear an album like that. It was exactly at that time the bootleggers started to run wild, and albums like this were available to us paupers too. After a couple of bad experiences I avoided those boots like the plague, and The Only Truth remained an album I missed in my original deep diving experience. Many years later, the always checkered Akarma showed up with a supposed legal LP reissue. Complete with the poster! Oh why not I said - especially since I had access to obtain it at a wholesale price. That's Part 1 of this review - the collector background. For Part 2 I'll cover on the music. If one was to just hear this album as "all things being equal" then I think it would be easy to walk away unimpressed. But if you can immerse yourself in the regional culture of northeastern Ohio in the early 70s, then an album like Morly Grey opens up. And that painting and font / lettering could be the cover art for the entire early 70s American private press movement. Even with that immersion, Morly Grey isn't near as adventurous, as heavy, or as psychy as many of their counterparts of the day. The 17 minute title track looks impressive on paper, but when you realize much of it is a space rock version of 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home', then it loses its punch. Many of my peers love this record but I'm not feeling it. Never have. For Part 3 of this evaluation, I now need to consider the ownership. Were it an original copy, I would treasure it to the end. Because it would come with a story of how I obtained it. If that happens at some point in my future, that would still hold true. Perhaps I'll obtain the later issued Sundazed CD or LP on the cheap via my various digging and trades. But this version? Akarma was always good at packaging, I'll give them that. But do I have any nostalgia at all for this particular LP? Nope - wholesale online mail order buy. Probably bought it in between some corporate meetings. No magical listens either. Long way of saying that this LP is out the door. But there's still room for The Only Truth in the collection if opportunity affords itself. Not essential though.

Eternity. 1981 (online). One of those sought after private hard rock albums from the abyss that was the late 70s and early 80s. Reissued on LP in 2014 by Got Kinda Lost, a Guerssen sublabel, the album was released to a larger niche audience. Looking at the cover, I know if I found an original in the wilds my hands would be sweating. It's got the look. You'd think it might be a Christian metal album actually, though it's neither Christian nor metal. As for the music, it's surprisingly straightforward for the time. Many of these type of underground bands from this era would mix in some proggy ideas or let loose in the instrumental department. No such luck with Eternity. The hype sticker suggests it has a sound more from the early 70s. Naw, too dormant for that. The guitar solos are very good, the other guys are rather static including the vocals. It's tough to figure out the audience for such a record, even in its day. Far different than fellow southern Californian residents Alkana. Good hard rock for certain, leave it at that I guess. Sealed copies of the reissue are still available online for a good price if interested. (Apr)

Steve Vai - The Ultra Zone. 1999 Epic (CD). It's hard to walk away from CDs like this when they're mint and only 69 cents, even though that's about all it's worth. I like Steve Vai though I've yet to hear anything I wanted to keep, including his work with David Lee Roth. This is a typical eclectic brew of hard rock styles with Vai's adept soloing. Something like this would have been head turning in 1979, but 20 years later, there were many of these type of albums, including from Vai himself. Fans will love it, but I remain impressed yet bored. (Apr)

*Rory Gallagher - Against the Grain. 1975 Chrysalis (LP). I'm way late to the party when it comes to Rory Gallagher. One of those artists I've heard of almost since the beginning of my time listening to FM radio, and yet have never taken the time to hear one of his albums. My loss. I never find them either, despite Against the Grain not being an expensive record (and many others appear affordable as well). The easy description is Gallagher plays blues rock. But this is far more interesting than your standard 12 bar blues. And what a guitar tone he achieves. One can hear Foghat, Groundhogs, or Frank Marino here, though probably one or all were more influenced by Gallagher than the other way around.  I preferred Side 1 to the flip. 'Cross Me Off Your List' is a particular highlight. I need to hear more of his albums before formulating an opinion and creating a page. I'm sure at some point I will find them out in the wilds. (Apr)

AC/DC - The Razors Edge. 1990 ATCO (MC). A reasonable person might ask why I continue to listen and review AC/DC albums when I don't like any of them. A good question that I don't have a great answer to other than to say I'd like to document all of them and try to be as objective as possible. I have to admit the opening is quite intriguing, as Angus Young has quite the unique riff going. But once Brian Johnson begins singing with his sandpaper voice, it's back to the usual boogie hard rock complete with gang chorus'. RYM has this as their highest rated album after Back in Black including For Those About to Rock, which surprised me. I once found a sealed reissue LP of this album but there was no way I was going to break it figuring I wouldn't keep anyway. Easy guess. I can't imagine building a group page for AC/DC since I doubt I'll keep any of them. If I do, then I can consolidate all these journal entries. Otherwise it just looks like I'm bitter towards them. But I'm not, they're just outside of my enjoyment zone. (Mar)

Terry Reid. 1992 BGO (CD) (1969). Very much of its era English blues rock. Many compare to Led Zeppelin in their similar early blues rock phase, though I'm not hearing it myself, even though Reid was very much part of that circle. Some good fuzzy guitar offsets the mostly vocal tracks. The highlight for me is Pete Solley's (not Pete Shelley as is often cited) organ performance. 'Marking Time' is my favorite track by some measure, and the rest is decent, but rather mundane to my ears. Typically great BGO reissue with a full history. Also contains four bonus tracks from 1967 and 1968. On these Reid is performing a more Beatles styled Baroque psych pop, much different than the album proper. (Feb)

George Hatcher Band - Coming Home. 1982 The Goods (LP) (1980). This ended up being much more interesting than I thought it would be. I found a sealed copy a full year ago while Mrs. UMR and I were antiquing down south in Florence (Colorado). Put it in the sealed records box to eventually check out. I found the album on YouTube with little expectation. The publishing address is Charlotte, North Carolina, so I presumed country rock to be honest, especially considering his look on the cover. Nope - not that. Singer George Hatcher was born and raised in North Carolina, but relocated to England in the mid 70s and began to work with Curved Air members. So clearly he associated with next level musicians. He started his own group in England playing American styled southern rock. Eventually he moved back to Charlotte and built a new band under his name. The reviews out there are accurate when they say that Hatcher bears a strong resemblance to Bob Seger. And some of the music also recalls the Silver Bullet Band. But it's much more creative than that might imply. There's also some really strong synthesizer, clavinet, and dual guitar work here. The opening three tracks are best before beginning to devolve into typical boogie rock. But even on those songs there's usually a cool guitar break. B3 and the second half of B1 are also really good. After A3 I was thinking this was going to be a keeper, but overall just not enough meat on this bone to keep me full through the winter. Will take the profit instead. (Feb) 

Power - Electric Glitter Boogie. 2017 In The Red (LP) (2015). Got this sealed from a store in Denver for really cheap (Feb). Let's go to Bandcamp and see if this is something I want to keep. Power are an Australian band celebrating the hard charging boogie rock of their 70s ancestors, like early AC/DC and Rose Tattoo. With a dash of late 70s punk thrown in, especially considering the songwriting and vocal style. But the guitarist gets a lot of limelight, putting us back in the early 70s. I wish they were copping Buffalo instead, but this isn't bad at all. No need to keep though.

Cherry St. - Monroe. 1996 Perris (CD). Cherry St. were yet another 80s glam band out of Los Angeles. Way late to the party (so to speak), they had to borrow old cans of hairspray just to get a back row seat. By the time of Monroe, they went au natural and look like every other tattooed hard rock band trying to make a go of it. The music is straight up boogie hard rock like AC/DC and Krokus, and the lyrics are loaded with foul language. No bueno by any measure. Appears the band never got plugged in correctly, and are now a mere footnote in history. This version features three bonus tracks where they at least up the metal ante. Needed way more than that though to gain anyone's attention. (Jan)

Other hard rock albums heard but not reviewed: Edgar Winter - Roadwork (Mar); Trapeze - Hot Wire (Apr).

* - Keeping for the collection