Conny C - A Malmqvist, Hans Åkerhjelm ‎- Kvinnan I Det Låsta Rummet: Filmmusiken. 1998 Sweden

This very obscure album from Sweden is absolutely loaded with mellotron. Atmospheric soundtrack music with plenty of guitar as well (the music is for a TV mini-series). Somewhere between Alain Goraguer's classic La Planete Sauvage and post rock (Tortoise, etc...) is where you'll the music of Kvinnan I Det Låsta Rummet. Excellent little oddity if you can find it.

Ownership: CD: 1998 Vibrafon. Standard jewel case release with an artistic multi-foldout booklet with recording details. Photos here are from us as we added them to Discogs (2022). We also made the original entry in 2016, complete with errors, but no one fixed them. Once again demonstrating how obscure this CD is.

9/7/11 (new entry); 9/17/22    

Acqua Fragile ~ Italy

Acqua Fragile (1973)

Given that Acqua Fragile sing in English, their sound is more typical of the UK progressive rock movement (elements of Genesis, Yes, and Gentle Giant are obvious). Despite that, I still find both Acqua Fragile albums appealing - and Lanzetti has a unique voice that served PFM well for many years afterward. So perhaps not a good representative of what we have come to know as classic Italian prog, but taken on its own accord, it holds up well, similar to Cherry Five in that way.

---6/16/26

In addition to the obvious progressive rock genre, Acqua Fragile also had a distinct Crosby, Stills & Nash sound on their folkier numbers. You particularly hear this on A3, B1, and B3. The opening track is probably the closest Acqua Fragile ever came to traditional Italian prog, while the remainder has a familiar UK prog vibe surrounding it, as noted in my initial review.

Ownership: 1973 Numero Uno (LP). Four sectioned poster cover. Acquired in 1989.

1989; 1999; 9/7/11 (review); 6/15/26

Also own: Mass Media Stars

9/7/11 (new entry)

Rain of Thought - A Realist's View Of Hope. 2000 USA-California

A really good example of modern instrumental progressive rock music. Complex, but subdued. Fantastic violin work throughout. Bass and drummer are putting on a clinic despite it not being an energetic release – almost a pure jazz approach to the rhythms. I would’ve preferred a more affected guitar tone, as the music seems so perfect for it, but still an excellent album. Features former Gnosis-mate Mike Ezzo (Newcross) on drums and percussion.

Ownership: CD: 2000 Ohsoddit

9/6/11 (new entry)

Las Orejas y La Lengua ~ Argentina

La Eminencia Inobjetable (1996 / 2002)

The label Viajero Inmovil described this album as a cross between Dun and Miriodor and it was this description that had me going like a moth to the light. And the label description is pretty much accurate! Great melodies abound amongst the complex rhythms. Excellent flute work throughout as well. For my tastes, one of the best albums in the Avant Progressive genre.

Ownership: 2002 Viejero Inmovil (CD). Acquired in 2004.

2004; 9/5/11 (review); 7/6/15

Error (2003) Viajero Inmovil. A similar tale to Krakatoa. Their debut possessed this wonderful Canterbury element. But all that warmness was removed here. Like all of these albums (good time for a reminder), I do like them. Just not enough. (2023)

9/5/11 (new entry)

Can - The Peel Sessions. 1973-1975 Germany (archival)

For me, the single best Can album, even though it's an archival live compilation. Encompassing the years from 1973 - 1975, we catch Can at their most inventive, entirely within an instrumental mindset. Only the near 19 minute opener features the familiar Damo ranting, and even then, the majority of the track features an overt instrumental jamming motif. Otherwise it's psychedelic guitar, organ, bass and drum jams - wild, woolly and unpredictable - exactly what you would want to hear from a Krautrock legend. Well, OK true, Karoli puts in a few words on Geheim, but it's easy to overlook. A phenomenal anthology of work. A must own CD.

CD: 1995 Strange Fruit

Worth noting that there are double LP reissues floating about on the "Strange Fruit" label, but it appears they are pirate editions. So be careful out there! Stick with the CD and never look back.

Scarecrew ~ Germany

Magical Mind (1975 / 2006)

Sounding like a lost recording by the Cosmic Jokers clan, Scarecrew offer up another glimpse into the creative mind process of some of Krautrock’s visionaries. With Steve Shroyder (Tangerine Dream) on keyboards, and John L (Ash Ra Tempel) providing his usual anguished cosmic prayer calls, this is certain to satisfy fans of Ash Ra Tempel’s Schwingungen. The enchanting female vocals instantly recall Gilles Zeitschiff’s Sternenmadchen album or some of the echoed phrases by the Galactic Supermarket. Scarecrew were a six piece group and features no less than five guest appearances. The recording, while not ready for the Cosmic Courier label, is certainly well preserved. By 1975, this scene was pretty much dead and buried. But as this reel demonstrates, it appears they just went back into the underground, where it seems so natural. 

CD: 2006 Ricochet Dream (USA). Limited edition of 300. Acquired in 2007.

8/16/11 (review / new entry)

Elektrum - Live at the Opera. 1998 Denmark-England

This is guitarist Claus Bohling's band - post Hurdy Gurdy and Secret Oyster. The music presented here is surprisingly a very modern space rock, as in what Ozric Tentacles might have done in the same era (late 90s), but played by a veteran of the 60s and early 70s. Also hear some Frank Marino, at his most hard rock and melodic. This is a fantastic release and one of the classic under the radar albums from the 90s.

Ownership: CD: 1998 private

8/2/11 (new entry)

Scherzoo – 01. 2011 France

Scherzoo is lead by Francois Thollot, whose Contact album was one of the finest albums from the last decade, as noted above. Thollot has been in a couple of bands since then, and I've been wondering what he would come up with on his next album. With Scherzoo he's back behind the drum kit, with a full band in front of him including guitar, bass, piano, and alto sax. Make no mistake though, this is Thollot's band, and these are his compositions.

The music definitely has a Zeuhl underpinning in the rhythms, though the lack of vocals (wordless or otherwise) drifts the music further from the source. The heavy guitar reminds one of Eider Stellaire, though again I'd say Scherzoo are more Avant Progressive than Zeuhl. In the end they come across like recent Nebelnest with a dash of the Dutch group Blast. If I was to nitpick, I'd say that on the first two tracks (roughly 15 minutes), the sax is a little unhinged for my liking. Too much squealing, squeaking, and honking for me. But fortunately the remaining 40 minutes demonstrates some restraint and he seems more a part of the ensemble, rather than an instrument that stands out and needs to tighten a screw. A very good album, and I'm most curious where Thollot goes from here. Count me in as a fanboy.

Ownership: CD: 2011 Soleil Zeuhl

7/28/11 (new entry)

Dasputnik - Cyclokosmia. 2011 Finland

And really, there isn't much to add here from my Parapsykosis review, other than Cyclokosmia is even better than the debut! I don't think I've ever heard a band catch a heavier groove, while maintaining control throughout. I keep expecting the sax player to go bonkers, and start screeching and howling to the point of nausea. But he never does, preferring to maintain an almost smooth jazz tone, while holding up the melody lines amongst the chaos behind him. Meanwhile the rhythm is changing every 30 seconds, while the riffing  (non metal) guitar keeps shredding these amazing complex charts. Like Ozric Tentacles on speed. This juxtaposition of styles is absolutely brilliant, and is perfect for my set of ears. When Dasputnik combines guitar and sax for the unison melody, I'm most reminded of those great German bands of the early 70's like Brainstorm.

The track '...Phantom Wakes' has to be heard to be believed. What a smoker!

Ownership: CD: 2011 Art Safari

7/27/11 (new entry)

Dasputnik - Parapsykosis. 2009 Finland

Dasputnik are an energetic and tight Ozric Tentacles styled space rock band, with furious guitar leads, synthesizers, a crack rhythm section and melodic sax. This latter element is a real differentiator from the pack. Up there with other great Finnish bands like Hidria Spacefolk and Taipuva Luotisuora. Also catching a vibe from the Hungarian Korai Orom in their more kinetic sequences. This album is awesome.

Highlights: 1. Hzz (10:31); 2. Electromagnetolithic Experience (7:13); 6. Space in India (11:22)

Ownership: CD: 2009 Art Safari

7/27/11 (new entry)

Poobah - Let Me In. 1972 USA-Ohio

Poobah are perhaps the best example of the hard working, musically competent – but unsigned – 1970s Midwest rock group. Hailing from Youngstown, OH, Poobah possessed a rare talent in guitarist Jim Gustafson, who could jam with the best of them. They managed 3 self-released albums spanning from 1972 through to 1979 (though they recorded even more in the interim periods). Let Me In is a raw, but very powerful, hard rock album and can easily be seen as the blueprint for which most Midwest rock albums sound like. The sketch of a drunk puking across the bathroom is the perfect metaphor for the “life of an Ohioan rock n roller”.

Favorite track: 'Bowleen'
Favorite bonus track from the Ripple CD: 'Make a Man Outta You'

Personal collection
CD: 2010 Ripple

The CD is a good one with 12 bonus tracks, lyrics, and previously unseen photos from the high quality Ripple label. And what a cover, eh?

Ravjunk - Uppsala Stadshotell Brinner. 1977 Sweden

Rävjunk were one of the pioneers of Sweden's nascent punk scene, though their sole album only featured scant evidence of this style. After the first 3 short vocal oriented punk influenced tracks, most (excepting one out of place swampy blues number) of the remainder is long form guitar based jamming, along the lines of early Guru Guru, Can, or an instrumental Stooges. The Krautrock influence becomes even more pronounced on the bonus material that closes out Disc 1 (20 minute track) and all of Disc 2. The liner notes confirm this is no accident, and describe how the band was torn between becoming the Swedish Sex Pistols or a terminally non-commercial instrumental underground act. The former was the direction they took afterwards, but the latter appears to have won out as the band was pretty much done by 1980.

If you are a fan of their psychedelic side (like me), then the CD is a must own. The original album could have easily been a triple LP, based on the strength of the material here.

Ownership: CD: 2007 Transubstans. Essential reissue.  Double CD digi-pak with extensive liner notes and photos. Tons of bonus material (90 minutes!). This replaced a bootleg CD I had prior.

Hills. 2009 Sweden

Hills are probably the closest recent band I've heard to conjuring up the spirit of the original Krautrock movement. Mistakes and all. Hills restrain themselves from the endless jam that befell bands like Acid Mothers Temple and, as noted recently, Sulatron's latest signing from Detroit: THTX. Plus Hills reintroduces the flute as an all important ingredient, starting right away on 'Death 1', adding a much needed soft lead instrument to the typical harsh textures that the genre calls for. 'Istiklal Street' reminded me of the Cosmic Jokers, though a slight 2 minute trimming throughout the piece would have helped. 'You Talk The Talk!' is a dead ringer of Kraftwerk's debut (for you kids just startin' out, that would NOT be like the Kraftwerk you are familiar with): The echoed flute, shimmering guitars and pounding metronomic drums are to die for. ' Rainship [Solregn]' is like a psychedelic Neu!. The familiar driving beat but with obvious space rock / psychedelic textures. Bonus track 'Schlaraffenland' made me glad I bought the CD just for this. Similar to tracks 3 and 4, but even more in the vein of Ash Ra Tempel's 'Freak N Roll' from Join Inn. A hypnotic space rock jam. 'Messias' is another bonus coming from a previously released cassette.

Hills have enormous potential. I highly recommend this album as it is. However, I'd like to see them tighten the ship a bit, focus on a little melody and add in some more compositional structure, as they could really put out a monster album here. They have the RIGHT sound.

Ownership: LP: 2009 Intergalactic Tactics

CD: 2010 Sulatron

7/15/11 (new entry)

Hiromasa Suzuki - Rock Joint Biwa (Kumikyoku Fulukotofumi). 1972 Japan

I maintain that Japan is hiding the most buried treasure when talking underground rock from the 1970s. I'm still hearing about dozens of albums that almost no one has any data on. Whether or not they are truly what is purported remains to be seen and heard. I recall a similar experience when going on a deep sea expedition (in the early 1990s) through the Yugoslavian 70s scene, only to find a true few that really matched what was advertised.

Similar to T. Yokota's Primitive Community album, we are at the meeting place of rock and jazz. Except the all-instrumental Furukotofumi has a completely different sound than Yokota's bunch. Definitely not a mystical experience as Primitive Community is, yet there are some fascinating Japanese indigenous moments to behold - primarily used as interludes between songs. I'd say the scales are more tipped towards the jazz side here, but make no mistake, this clearly is psychedelic rock influenced throughout. Some fantastic electric guitar work, including at least one blazing acid solo (and mixed with a biwa no less) amongst other excellent amped up shredders. A definite early fusion vibe permeates as well, no doubt informed by the UK groups like Nucleus or Soft Machine. Rhodes, piano, violin and organ also get their turn in the solo spotlight. Even a little Bacharach-ian lounger, with some wonderful horn and string charts, soap opera organ and a nice toned down guitar rip. The highlight is the pounding drum, biwa and psychedelic wah wah guitar piece followed by the groovy horn charts, sax solo - and get this - all phased out ala Dieter Dirks in the Kosmische Kourier studio. There's a lot here to digest.

The below is my friend The AC's research. Fascinating stuff.

"Shiro Miyake (biwa)
Akira Ishikawa (wadaiko)
Hirasama Suzuki Trio
Kiyoshi Sugimoto (guitar)
Suzuki Takehisa (trumpet)
Takeru Muraoka (tenor sax)
Tadataka Nakazawa - (trumpet)
Tamaki Quartet

As you can see from the back cover, this "Fulukotofumi" name came from a mis-romanization on the LP itself. There is no "l" sound in Japanese, it's always a hard/trilled "r". They sound the same to the Japanese ear, so they often make that mistake when translating things. Whoever got the LP and submitted it to Pokora obviously could only read that bit of text on the jacket, so Pokora printed it like that in one of his books and the incorrect name spread around. The actual name as I printed it above means "Suite: Furukotofumi". The Furukotofumi is also known as the Kojiki, or the "record of ancient matters". It's the oldest known book in Japan (from around 600 or 700 AD) and is full of creation myths, poems and songs, etc. This album has the concept of fusing the spirit of Japanese mythology (primarily through the use of biwa as lead instrument) with jazz and "new rock" (as they liked to call it in Japan back then), so that's why the Kojiki is used as source material. It was released as one of those Victor 4-channel discs that were popular in Japan for a brief period, and was actually supposed to be the first of a series of these concept albums. Unfortunately, only one more was released. It came out in 1973 and is called "Rock Joint Sitar - Kumikyoku Silk Road". As you might guess, this one has the concept of fusing new music with ancient Indian and central Asian sounds, with sitar replacing the biwa. It features many of the same musicians as the first LP."

Wow.

CD: 2011 Sony

A super rare album, that my buddy Heavyrock turned up in 2010. We made quite a splash about it in the CDRWL (which is now in the verbiage above), and not long after, here comes a CD reissue. From Sony no less!

Thunderpussy - Documents of Captivity. 1973 USA-Illinois

So here we are again, in the great American Midwest, this time from the southern Illinois town of Carbondale. 1973 is a bit early in the game for the classic regional sound, but some of the earmarks of the scene are already in place.

With 3 part thematic tracks (or poems as the liner notes state), and titles all beginning with 'Document of...' (e.g. 'Enigma', 'Validation', 'Extrinsic Value', etc...) and each featuring a creative instrumental mid-section, one has to wonder how such a heady band ended up with the Thunderpussy moniker. I could see a band having this name as a blues rock cover band playing for drunks and dopeheads - but I would think a name change may have been appropriate by the time they laid down the recordings. In essence Thunderpussy are a guitar trio, with many acoustic sections including flute, and sometimes utilize harmony similar to maybe CSN. As the album wears on, it becomes heavier and more ambitious, to the point where it could be considered the great grandfather of epic progressive metal. I wonder if fellow Midwesterners Manilla Road (and Mark Shelton was a knowledgeable music fan) might have stumbled onto one of these LPs in the 1970s. Or perhaps other groups were performing in the area that were similar to Thunderpussy back in the day, but there's no aural documents remaining. This album is distinctly American, underground, creative and flat out freakin' cool.

CD: 1996 The Wild Places
LP: 1987 Breeder bootleg (Austria)

The CD is awesome with 4 live bonus tracks and historical liner notes.

RateYourMusic List: Post psychedelic, proto progressive with female vocals

One of the things I like about Rate Your Music, is the ability to put together lists, and add short comments. It's a good way to group various thoughts and ideas. I have a few of these in mind going forward.

Here's my first list. Let me know what you think?

Aquaserge ~ France

Ce Très Cher Serge, Spécial Origines (2010)

Aquaserge reminds me of a time when the French reigned supreme in the creativity department. Think back to the early 1980s, when France was bursting at the seams with interesting bands like Dun, Catastrophe, Eskaton, Asia Minor, Abus Dangereux, Rahmann, Nuance, Art Zoyd, Synopsis, and many more. Aquaserge combines Canterbury, space rock, and general wackiness to create a fun filled progressive extravaganza. To me, these qualities all add up to primo Gong, though Aquaserge are more complex, more jamming, and less silly overall. Makoto Kawabata of Acid Mothers Temple provides some splendid acid guitar, and it's in this kind of setting that he shines most brightly.

Ownership: 2010 Manimal (CD). Acquired in 2011.

7/4/11 (new entry)

Werwolf - Creation. 1984 Germany

Werwolf are somewhat typical of the early 1980's German symphonic rock scene. Not particularly complex, with emphasis on melody and atmosphere, and some fine guitar work. There's a Christian undertone to the lyrics and they're predictably sung by an airy sounding female. Their music fits squarely with others of its ilk like Eden, Credemus, Rousseau, Rebekka, Amenophis, even Epidaurus. Very pleasant.

CD: 2004 Black Rills (Switzerland)
CD: 1992 Laser's Edge (USA)

A very obscure album in original form, I learned of this album like most folks via The Laser's Edge reissue, which I bought immediately upon release (1992). Black Rills later reissued it (since it was long OOP) with 3 bonus tracks. The bonus tracks are also found on Garden of Delights' Psychedelic Gems 3 compilation, which I own as well.  Ultimately I kept just the Black Rills version, which is similar in sound to The Laser's Edge release, with a little enhancement.

Fred. 1971-1973 USA-Pennsylvania (archival)

For an archival release, this one has an amazing sound, with a sophistication you rarely hear from this period - in the USA that is. The songwriting is first class, as is the harmony work. In fact, some of this reminds me of the absolute best of Crosby, Stills and Nash. These guys were clearly schooled in music academia. They were from Bucknell University in central Pennsylvania, and perhaps not surprisingly, violin is a major part of their repertoire. The violin is definitely from the Appalachian school of folk music, and not a classical riff in sight. When present, it reminds me of those PBS specials on the history of 1800's America. Some vicious fuzz guitar leads are really awe-inspiring in this setting. Interestingly enough, the band has two more archival releases, and they're both in the Mahavishnu Orchestra jazz rock arena. So these guys definitely had chops to go with their songwriting skills. There is no other album like this that I know of anyway. It's post-psych, pre-progressive with a touch of Appalachia rural. I could see this one continuing to grow as the sound is a bit unfamiliar still.

CD: 2001 World in Sound (Germany)

Brainstorm - Second Smile. 1973 Germany

Having already demonstrated a brilliance on their debut album Smile Awhile, Brainstorm returned with a superb sophomore effort, only slightly off the pace of their debut. The Canterbury influences are still very much intact, with melodic flute, sax, acoustic guitar and wordless voice offset by jamming fuzz guitar and keyboards. A playful album, but with heavy chops to offset any potential thought that this is somehow "lightweight". The only misstep is the closer 'Marilyn Monroe' (8:40), which mixes in some 50's rock n' roll with a dopey narration bit. Just long enough to keep this from a Hall of Fame rating.

Ownership: LP: 1973 Spiegelei. Single sleeve that I first purchased in 1988 at a store in the DFW area known as Forever Young. I picked up this upgrade online in 2016.

CD: 2000 Garden of Delights. Jewel case with full historical liners and one short bonus track. Fantastic reissue as always from GoD.

1988; 2000; 7/1/11 (new entry); 3/11/16 (LP upgrade)