Hecenia - La Couleur du Feu. 1994 France

Hecenia's sophomore album La Couleur du Feu is exactly the type of progressive rock that has fallen out of favor with the cognoscenti. The sound and textures scream early 1990s technology. Vintage analog was out, and new shiny and bright was in. And while there are few among us who favors the old instruments of yore more than moi, I have no qualms in stating that I love the early 90s progressive rock renaissance. And La Couleur du Feu is one of the finest albums from that era. There are stunning piano driven melodies here, along with harp, and a hyperactive rhythm section. The all instrumental album is always on the move, and never a dull moment arrives. If Trilogy of Here It Is fame had continued on into the early 90's, La Couleur du Feu would be a reasonable facsimile of what we could have expected. A stunning album really, and an exponential leap from their awkward debut.

Ownership: CD: 1994 Musea

1994; 7/21/19 (new entry)

Mogul Thrash. 1971 England

Mogul Thrash is most famous for being the point of entry for a one John Wetton, though in reality this was guitarist James Litherland's band fresh off his stint with Colosseum. Brian Auger is on hand for direction and some piano. Future Average White Band members provide the horns. Auger/Colosseum provides a good guidepost for the musical content as well, with the added attraction of the aforementioned horns, giving us that unique UK brass rock feel. 'Elegy' is a stunner, with another highlight in 'Going North, Going West'. A very good album that remains quite surprisingly under the radar.

CD: 1999 Disconforme (Andorra)

One would think an album with such a blue chip pedigree would be better served in the reissue market. Not the case. Finding the CD at an affordable price (and not scratched up) can be a challenge. It took me a few years to secure mine, though I'm not sure demand is soaring. Because of this, and the album's notoriety, pirates own this title with multiple bootlegs on LP and CD proliferating about. I keep expecting Esoteric to put this one back on the shelf, but perhaps the pirate market killed off that chance. The Disconforme CD is no great shakes, lacking even their usual liner notes, but at least it's legit and features 4 relevant bonus tracks. They altered the original track order as well*.

*Back of the CD states: "Due to the time limits of the original vinyl, the track list was selected by the shortest takes. Now the producer, after a deep checking of all the tapes, made a definitive selection of the best releases."

In addition to the above remarks, Disconforme also added their sole single 'Sleeping in the Kitchen' (1970), a very representative track that would have fit well on the album proper. The flip side is 'St. Peter' which is taken from the album direct.

Hy Maya - The Mysticism of Sound & Cosmic Language. 1972 USA (archival)

Here's an interesting archival release. Cleveland based Hy Maya were the forefathers to a one Pere Ubu. Though the comparisons stop there, except one can state each band were experimental in their own way. But Hy Maya is not something you hear often in America. This title came to me as a recommendation based on my observations and review of the Belgian band Kosmose. And really those guys who steered me here were absolutely correct to do so. The Mysticism of Sound & Cosmic Language is unhinged psychedelic creativity. And like Kosmose, it's a very difficult listen. Albums like this need to be put on in the background and just let 'er go. Maybe for a long car ride in the desert, or background to the daily chores. Forget songwriting and melodies. I cannot think of another band from the USA like this - maybe Moolah, though that certainly was more geared toward an album experience. These recordings, because of their archival nature, weren't meant to be released. It was a point in time. I suspect the USA had much more bands like this that remain undiscovered - we think all the way back to the great Beat of the Earth in 1966, yet another fair comparison. We tend to associate this kind of unabashed experimentalism with the Germans, and that's where one should put their listening compass when taking on this long 90 minute set. Whew! A good pickup for those inclined to these sort of sounds.

CD: 2017 Smog Veil

The CD is filled to the brim with historical information. Exactly the right way to do an archival release such as this. The sound is surprisingly good as well. There's also a 2LP set, that appears to have the same track listing.

Megadeth - So Far, So Good... So What! 1988 USA

As noted on my scribbling about Peace Sells, Megadeth is a band I largely ignored during their classic 80s thrash years. As I began to research this title, it became apparent that the general consensus is So Far is the weak link between their two recognized lauded titles Peace Sells and Rust in Peace. This comes as a surprise to me, as I hear the album no better or worse than the others. The opening two tracks alone set the table quite nicely. 'Into the Lungs of Hell' is a fully developed instrumental -  an unusual opening move - which then segues into the brilliant 'Set the World Afire'. I found the riffs here to be inventive and exciting. 'Mary Jane' is another highlight which adds in a distinct psychedelic element, not surprising given the title. Not sure I can name too many tracks from the 80s thrash era that incorporated 60s psych into the mix. The one track that seems to escape criticism is the slower and heavier 'In My Darkest Hour' (dedicated to Metallica's Cliff Burton). But if there's one thing I've noticed about thrash albums, it's the slower tracks pack more punch because of the setting. The constant fast pace takes a toll on the ears after awhile.

So what seems to be the problem here among the fan base? One common criticism is the production. It sounds perfectly fine, crisp, and thick to me. But then again I'm listening to the 2004 remaster and not the original. I'm left to guess then that much of this was improved upon. Or not, and folks still don't like it. Then there's the cover of The Sex Pistols' 'Anarchy in the UK'. It seems everyone loses their mind here, as they want to dis the album, and this gives them the ammo they need to do so. It's a pretty straightforward cover, and yes I'd agree it's entirely unnecessary. The problem is it's an awful song by an awful group. Not to say The Sex Pistols don't have their place in history, but songwriting isn't what they built their legacy on. One 3 minute skip track doesn't ruin the whole barrel.

For me, coming to this album some 31 years later, with no preconceived notions nor any kind of peer pressure, I thought it excellent. Lucky me I guess.

CD: 2004 Capitol

Excellent reissue with Mustaine's notes, photos,and lyrics.

Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? 1986 USA

My history with Megadeth pretty much begins and ends with their debut. I bought the highly anticipated Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! upon release, and was very disappointed at the time. Not sure why that was the case, but if memory serves, it all seemed a bit lightweight for 1985. Recently I bought a pile of classic thrash metal CDs for pennies on the dollar, and many were from Megadeth. Except for Killing... so it might be awhile before that puzzle gets solved. I suspect my opinion will have changed greatly.

And so in 1985, I just quit on Megadeth right then and there. Ha! So here we are some 33 years later with their sophomore outing, and I have a bunch of Megadeth to catch up on apparently (which works out, as noted above)... I don't have a whole lot to say here, except this really is the thrash classic others claim. It's very catchy as well. Back in 1986 it seemed to me there was Metallica and then... everyone else.

CD: 2010 Capitol (Argentina)

This is the same release as the 2004 remaster with insights from Mustaine, lyrics, and photos. Excellent reissue.

Dschinn - s/t. 1972 Germany

Oooh. Dschinn (Genie), now here's an album I had no use for in my initial foray into Krautrock back in the mid to late 1980s. As I stated in my Dschinn Fizz (unrelated band) review, I bet my view on this original band with Dschinn in the name will have softened considerably. I've said it often in these pages, but it bears repeating, Krautrock means different things to different people. And Krautrock most assuredly did not mean hard rock to me!

With the super Dali cover art, a mysterious name like Dschinn, and an imprint on Bacillus from 1972, the results could only be stellar. I couldn't get away from this album fast enough. What is this? I cried. And the answer is - it's a hard rock album. Plain and simple. Not even any organ or other keyboards, like most bands from Germany at that time. Nope. Just guitar fronted in-yer-face hard rock with some bluesy overtones. Not a progressive rock moment to be found. Today I appreciate this kind of basic early 70s hard rock, more commonly found in England than Germany back then. It's a keeper now, but 30 years ago - no way.

LP: 1972 Bacillus

Scored a NM original recently for a fraction of going rates. With that cover and provenance, this one will stick around for quite some time.

Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media - Head Rock. 1970 Japan

If you're at all familiar with the Japanese jazz scene of 1970, then Head Rock will come as no surprise. Albums like this were seemingly extinct at one point, until recent times have spotlighted the scene. Not that dissimilar from the film library albums coming out of Italy, Head Rock mixes jazzy instrumentation with psychedelic rock guitar and rhythms. The melodies are relatively safe, and this is no mindblower on the same scale as some of the Japanese albums from this era (British Rock Live in Japan, Genshi Kyodotai, etc...). But for grooving headphone bobbing moments, it's a pleasant ride.

LP: 2018 Columbia / Takt Jazz

Brilliant reissue with a thick gatefold cover. Originals, naturally enough, will cost you a mortgage payment - or 3. Best to stick with the reissues here I would think. There are 2 each for CDs and LPs. And while never cheap, at least affordable.

Athem - The Extended Mind. 2010 USA

Athem's sole album The Extended Mind is an intriguing prog metal album from southern New Jersey. There's no question of their east coast heritage, and the music fits squarely in the Dream Theater and Symphony X school. The two lengthy tracks 'Enigmatic Reverie' and 'Lifting the Veil' have some pretty incredible segments that are jumpy and exciting. These guys clearly know how to play, and they have an imagination to take the music in radical directions, without resorting to genre hopping or hipster cutups. Some of the other tracks balance commercial styled metal with neo prog. The recording is over an hour long, and most of the tracks are quite lengthy. As such, this is the type of album that requires multiple listens to penetrate. We're still working on it.

CD: 2010 Dust on the Tracks

The CD is housed in a fine digi-pak.

Message ~ New Mexico

It'll Be Awhile (1981)

Albuquerque, New Mexico based Message were an excellent example of the progressive hard rock style that had a small niche audience in the late 1970s and early 80s. It's mainly hard rock at the core, but is slightly complex and has a few more ideas than the usual run of the mill bonehead albums of the era. The tracks are mostly compact (with only two going past six minutes), so no elaborate themes nor delusions of grandeur here. Think Side 2 of Rush's 2112 as an example. The Texas band False Prophet is another good reference (an archival CD that Shroom put out a few years ago). One can only hope that a full canister of recorded music awaits discovery. A superb album that is still quite unknown.

I went to New Mexico in 1992 with one purpose of finding this album, and none were to be found. Though I did discover Genre instead from the same label (there were many sealed copies back then, and I only bought one, having no idea what it was. Sigh).

Ownership: 1981 Black Gold (LP). Numbered edition.

No reissues exist as of 3/12/25.

1/25/11 (review); 7/19/19 (update / new entry)

Deja Vu ~ Germany

Cosmic Zack (1977)

Cosmic Zack is an obscure progressive / fusion release from Germany circa 1977. Typical of many private releases from late 70's Deutschland, Déjà Vu attempt a Novalis style of progressive rock. The primary instrument is electric guitar and is accompanied by electric piano, sax, flute, bass and drums. There are also vocals with a traditional heavy Teutonic accent (some in English, some in German). Fortunately, side two eschews the vocals for a more energetic instrumental approach. Musically, the band plays a safe, straightforward and somewhat jazzy (especially side 2) progressive music with some well done guitar / sax work. File along with Credemus, Poseidon, Eden and a host of other German bands from the late 70's / early 80's.

Former ownership: 1977 private (LP). Acquired in 2001.

Not reissued as of 3/12/25.

3/29/01 (review); 2008; 7/19/19 (update / new entry)

Astre ~ USA ~ Tulsa, Oklahoma

Foresight (1981)

Astre were a band from Tulsa, Oklahoma who released only this sole before disappearing. Multi-instrumentalist Bill Tankersley is the only one to have recorded beyond Foresight, putting out two true solo cassettes in 1984 (one under the name New Warmth). There's also a band named New Fire Ceremony credited to him, who released one industrial (?) album in 1993.

Foresight is an horrendously under-produced album. However, behind the mess, is a superb complex progressive rock album. One hopes for better tapes to emerge, and a fresh CD reissue to take the grime off of this gem. It's difficult to appreciate as it is, unfortunately.

Former ownership: 1981 Akustic (LP). Acquired in 1994.

No reissues exist as of 4/7/26.

1994; 6/15/10 (review); 7/19/19 (update / new entry)

Fruupp ~ Northern Ireland

Seven Secrets (1974)

Seven Secrets is the second album from Northern Ireland's favorite sons Fruupp. As you will often read, this album has something of a bad reputation and is to be avoided (even 1 star reviews, suggesting it's awful). But honestly I feel it's unwarranted. The first two tracks totaling near 16 minutes are great - very much in line with the 1973 progressive rock landscape. Certainly not as heavy as their debut Future Legends, but then again Fruupp never did go back to that type of sound, similar to Gravy Train and Jonesy in that way. I enjoy 'White Eyes' as well, a bit too orchestrated perhaps, but nonetheless a solid entry. Side 2 kicks off with 'Garden Lady' and yet another nine minute excellent progressive rock track is presented, following in the footsteps of 'Wise of Wisdom'. And then... it breaks down. But not terrible by any means, just more of an ordinary rock sound with folk and Baroque elements. To my ears, they were foreshadowing their next work The Prince of Heaven's Eyes, which in my mind is the weakest of the Fruupp quartet of albums. 'The Seventh Secret' is a throwaway closer, not that dissimilar from many a duff closing moment that talented artists felt compelled to do - for no known reason. As I have mentioned many times in the past, you will find albums that close poorly (and in this case the last 15 minutes), are more likely to receive a negative reaction than those that finish strong - no matter what the contents prior were (Tarkus anyone?). Last impressions I guess.

I see Seven Secrets as a solid effort, with close to 25 minutes of excellent material, and the other 20 as good to very good.

Ownership: 

1974 Dawn (LP). Textured cover. Acquired in 1990.

2004 Arcangelo (CD). Papersleeve. Part of the Disk Union box set. Acquired in 2004.

1990; 1997; 2004; 7/18/19 (review)

Modern Masquerades (1975)

There are a couple of ways at reviewing Modern Masquerades. The normal way would be to go down the path of saying it's the 4th album by the Northern Irish progressive rock band Fruupp, and they've run out of interesting ideas, Side 2 blows, etc...

Or... Or....

You could look at this as a pioneering album by about one or two years. The back cover of the album gives the game away, for all of you that actually own the LP or CD. 

Anyway.... Back in the 90's I called this style "High-Ball Rock". 20 years later, it turns out I was on the right track, but they (the ever present they) gave it another name. Yacht Rock. OK, I like that even better - same idea, but yea, Yacht Rock indeed. Checkmate on that. Sure, it's still progressive rock. Some Yacht Rock albums actually are. In fact, I'm now calling it Yacht Prog.

Me? I like it. It is in this scenario you discover that 'Sheba's Song' is brilliant. You can file this album right next to Kestrel's awesome one album, though it's not quite that good.

Ownership: 1975 Dawn (LP). Lyric insert. Acquired in 1990.

10//90; 1996; 10/22/07; 7/4/15 (review); 3/21/26

Also own: Future Legends; The Prince Of Heaven's Eyes

7/4/15 (new entry)

Leger de Main (& related) ~ USA ~ Erie, Pennsylvania

Mythologic - Standing in Stillness (2003)

I've waxed on about Erie, Pennsylvania's Leger de Main in the past. Their debut was a personal favorite of the mid 90s, and represents a soundtrack of a time and place for me. After that, I more or less lost track of the band. I loyally picked up albums involving the band, but didn't really give them much attention beyond an initial play or two, and then filed deep into the abyss of the ever growing collection. And here we are some 15+ years later revisiting the CD, and I had no memory whatsoever, though at least I had it properly categorized with my metal collection.

In effect Standing in Stillness is Leger de Main with an additional metal guitarist. The Rodler family (Melissa Blair now married in) are joined by a one Steve Matusik, who was with a local Erie metal band called Andeavor. But the music is clearly a Rodler product, and their style of instrumental progressive rock is all over this. Now with the metal guitar sound, we move from a Yes influence to that of Fates Warning perhaps. Works for me! Melissa's vocals are the same as ever, strangely even more subdued than on Leger de Main's works. Each track is chock full of ideas and flow nicely. This is a prog rock album with metal elements, not the other way around. Well worth investigating for prog metal fans, and especially those who enjoyed the Leger de Main albums and can stomach metal guitars in addition.

Ownership: 2003 Progressive Music Management (CD). Lyric booklet. Acquired in 2005.

7//05; 6/20/19 (review)

The Concept of Our Reality (1995)

Leger de Main were a trio from Erie, Pennsylvania made up of the Rodler brothers (Brett on drums, and Chris on everything else), along with Melissa Blair on vocals. It's quite astounding then, with such a small lineup, what a racket these three were able to create. I first bought this CD toward the end of 1995, not too long after its release, and it quickly rose to one of my favorites of the year. I played it often - seemingly having a permanent place in my Mitsubishi Eclipse as I drove through various parts of Denver with this blasting away in the background (as an aside - still the best car stereo I ever had, including today). After fully immersing myself with the music over a two to three month period, I finally filed the CD. Where it stayed until tonight, when it finally was chosen for a random listen some 22 years later (if there was ever an argument for not trying to collect too much, this would be it.). On this note, I was just about to meet the future Mrs. Genius Hans, and the days of cranking tunes everywhere I went were coming to an end - not that I knew it at the time... Sigh... In any case... back to Leger de Main.

So what made this album special, when many others made a similar attempt? It's the blend, the secret recipe that has patrons lining out the door, while someone else's similar restaurant remains empty. Leger de Main's primary ingredient is that of 1980-81 Rush, and Blair's shrill voice more often than not recall Geddy Lee's when in a similar mode. Though presumably hers are more grounded in estrogen. Now with that in mind, immerse the music of "Moving... Waves" right smack in the middle of 'Gates of Delirium'. And then have that played by Yezda Urfa. Yea, exactly. It won't take long to know if this is an album for you, because the opener 'To Live the Truth' is an overview of the entire album. It's the rhythm section that really makes it work, with Chris' woody bass and Brett's hyperactive drums propelling the proceedings along at a rapid rate. And then Chris will overlay all sorts of guitar and keyboards on top in an exciting fashion. Leger de Main are kinetic, jumpy, and on fire here! I would imagine some folks will struggle with Blair's voice, but I think she fits perfectly considering the manic nature of the recording.

The Concept of Our Reality is yet another great example of the fantastic music that we were lucky to hear in the 1990s, an album that received attention back then among the faithful, but has now been long forgotten. Will this era be recaptured just as the 70s were? I submit yes, but it will take much longer (probably past my lifetime), as the original audience was just a tiny fraction of the 70s heyday. For the three people who read my reviews, I highly encourage you to pick this CD up (or the 2xCD comp A Lasting Impression that includes both their albums).

Ownership: 1995 Progressive Music Management (CD). Acquired in 1995.

1995; 1996; 10/15/17 (review)

Once owned: Second First Impression.

10/15/17 (new entry)

Richard Sussman / Andy LaVerne / Bob Moses ~ USA ~ New York

Tributaries (1979) 

On the surface Tributaries is your garden variety instrumental jazz fusion album on Inner City. In some ways it is, but it's the instrumentation that makes this one interesting. Sussman and Laverne both play keyboards here, and the instrument of choice is decidedly the piano. But it's the other toys that create the separation here: Mini-Moog, ARP Omni, and Fender Rhodes. So for analog synth fans, Tributaries suddenly becomes more than just an idle curiosity item. The songwriting is uniformly good, and there's plenty of great melodies. The piano playing is quite accomplished as well. This leaves the 3rd member of the trio Bob Moses, who provides the drumming. His style is scattered and energetic, giving the album a bit more urgency than usual. Overall a fine fusion album, and one that is still unknown.

Ownership: 1979 Inner City (LP)

No reissues exist as of 3/12/25.

6/20/19 (review / new entry)

Sabbtail ~ Sweden

Otherworlds (1998)

Sabbtail were an obscure band from Sweden who released two albums under the cover of darkness, and disappeared without fanfare.

If looking at the ratings only on various sites, one would think Otherworlds was yet another boring Swedish power metal album that is best forgotten. Oh, not so fast there partner. It is ostensibly a European power metal album, but that would be its only common - and dull - feature. In a parallel universe, one could imagine Rainbow performing this if they'd adopted metal instead of hard rock. And in actuality some of this album is indeed hard rock, but distorted heavily. So yes, some of the riffs recall Ritchie Blackmore circa 1980, and others conjure up Yngwie Malmsteen.

But the kicker to the whole thing is the presence of... the Hammond Organ! Say what? Now Hammond's are not entirely unique in metal, but generally they are relegated to background status, and often times you can't hear it anyway. That's not the case here, and in fact, the organ is featured often, with some wicked soloing. So now pack your Rainbow staff with Jon Lord as well.

Even stranger is the production, which is a complete mess. Everything is in the red zone and distorted. The bass is mixed WAY up front. The winners in this decidedly odd way of producing are both the fuzzy bass and the Hammond. It takes a couple of listens to orient, but once it does, one hears something satisfying and completely different to the norm. It's all very familiar, and yet not like anything else either. For that alone, this comes recommended. Flawed as it may be.

Ownership: 1998 Canyon (CD)

6/20/19 (acquired / review)

Massacre - s/t. 1989 Chile

Massacre's debut album is something very strange - for the era and the location (1989 Chile). If you don't get past the first song then you'd think that you'd stumbled onto some chugging metal album with Spanish vocals. 'Temblor del Cielo' follows with mellotron. OK then. A strange mix of thrash, heavy metal, screaming vocals, spacey keyboards (synthesizers, organ, mellotron), fusion, prog, and whatever else popped into their nutty heads. It's definitely progressive metal, but not in the way the term has come to mean. You couldn't be further away from Dream Theater than this. And of course they close with a metal cover of Los Jaivas' 'Todos Juntos'. Wow. Overall a gritty, odd, not always satisfying, but undeniably fascinating album. One of a kind, that's for sure.

LP: 1989 Oso
CD: 1998 Toxic

The original LP came out on Oso Records in 1989. I had it once, but sold it off (it was already rare in the 90s) when the CD came out. Now that CD is rare too... Easy to see why. Not a typical album.

CD sold: June 2019. Received too good an offer to pass up.

Eberhard Weber - Yellow Fields. 1976 Germany

The talent that Eberhard Weber brings forth on Yellow Fields is drool worthy. Rainier Brüninghaus (Eiliff) on keyboards and the venerable Charlie Mariano, fresh off a stint with Embryo, on saxophone and Middle Eastern reeds, is an irresistible combination. But in the end they are here to support, not dominate, Weber's vision. Music like this is often referred to as "ECM Jazz", and it's easy to see why it has its own category. It's jazz music for the comfortable and sophisticated middle aged set, never radical but also not banal either. As someone who has just sailed past middle age, and yet never experienced what that feeling and way of being is supposed be like, music like this inspires a compulsive hand clap, while my mind wanders about what else I'm going to listen to later in the session. As I often say in business meetings, I might be the oldest person in the room - but I'm not the most mature.

For mature audiences only.

LP: 1976 ECM (USA)

Tom Nehls - I Always Catch the Third Second of a Yellow Light. 1973-1975 USA-Minnesota

Tom Nehls. So much to say here, and yet it's not easy to do so. As Nehls himself asserts 'Words Can't Explain'.

Nehls was in high school in Minneapolis - yes high school - when I Always Catch the Third Second of a Yellow Light was recorded and released. Even the title is incredibly clever and something most Americans who drive can relate to. The album does not have an obvious comparison, though it's clear that Nehls had the uninhibited imagination that comes with a certain kind of genius. Fortunately no producer or record executive got in the way to ensure that Nehls was focused on making a hit record. Apparently Nehls was quite obsessed with the creative works of the late 60s like Sgt Peppers or the Mothers of Invention. This comes across over and over. But only in the approach, not the sound.

This is a real grassroots effort. Basically Nehls and his high school friends went about making a rock album. And Nehls was fortunate to befriend a one Paul Stark who had just opened a professional studio. And Stark was anxious to test various ideas and sounds, and he found his counterpart with Nehls. So they had the opportunity to record - over a lengthy period of time - an album of intense creativity.

Ostensibly you will find Nehls filed in the "real people" category. Oh it's real alright, but not in the way the term has come to mean, that of semi deranged, incompetent artistry. The liner notes on the Now Again release address this as well. Rather this is real in that the imagination has no bounds. You won't hear another album like this - ever.

Going over a track by track would be difficult. This is one of those albums where one has to state: "You have to hear it". It should be noted the music is not radical or avant garde in the slightest, but rather something familiar but twisted. The songwriting is almost at the Burt Bacharach level, a writer that subconsciously must have entered Nehls' mind while composing this album. But it's also very psychedelic, in its purest state: Studio manipulation and other effects to throw one off balance.

You'll know if this album is for you by the end of Side 1. 'No People in the Forest' is a psychedelic folk wonder. The beautiful short instrumental 'Words Can't Explain' leads into the stunning 'Clean Air'. When the female angelic vocals come in over the bells, if you aren't getting goosebumps up and down, then we're not aligned on what great music sounds like. And who provides those melt-in-your-tracks vocals? Dorothy Benham. Who?  Look her up. I recommend Google Images. Did you just miss a breath or two? She was Miss Minnesota in 1976, and Miss America in 1977! That's quite some accomplishment. Nehls wanted her on more of the album, but the timing of the sporadic recordings and school activities didn't allow for her to be there for more than one track (don't forget about that -  these were all kids in high school! And good kids too, involved with the school, that sort of thing). Oh what a pity.

'The Underwater Symphony' closes the side in very experimental fashion. Very trippy, but again extremely listenable. Side 2 continues this path, but becomes even more rock focused - and then you hit the album's peak at the end - the lengthy 'Your Death' is a tripped out psych rocker, and packs one heck of a wallop for an album such as this.

So let's talk about the new 2xCD/LP reissue set on Now Again (2019). The liner notes are excellent, one more of an opinion piece from a well known collector, the other a deep dive with Tommy Nehls himself, who has remained a professional musician all his life (living in Florida these days). When reading the first part, I kept seeing words like Texas and private press. Paul Major and the whole 80s / 90s collecting scene. I must know this guy! Well, sure enough, they were penned by Rich Haupt, he of Rockadelic fame. I spent a lot of time with Rich in the late 80s and early 90s. He was incredibly generous with his time, and I visited his house on many occasions. I wasn't in his inner circle, primarily because I was too poor for that crowd lol. But that didn't matter to Rich. He was the king of finding rare obscurities. The stories I could tell... Anyway I learned a ton from him back then. By the mid 90s I had moved away to Colorado and Rockadelic became more professional.

Tom Nehls is the perfect album to see his well-written notes. I don't recall this album from back then, so guessing it was a later 90s discovery. I don't remember when I first ran into his name, but most likely an ebay auction that netted a fortune. I made notes of all albums like that in the hope that one day I'd get to hear them. When the CDRWL really started in earnest back in 2009, Nehls was an early score (no, not the LP, but rather a cd-r). As I was about to enter it into the wish list, I discovered it had been reissued by Nehls himself! So I contacted Tommy Nehls and we had a nice dialog. And I purchased the "CD", but unfortunately it too was a CD-R, but professionally done. Later a friend confirmed that he pressed it as a manufactured CD. I never bought it again. Fortunately because...

No, I'm not done here. As alluded to above, there is now a double CD set with full liner notes, a few photos, and...........

A full album of newly found archival material! Are you kidding me? Whereas I Always Catch the Third Second of a Yellow Light was recorded in 1972 and 1973, these recordings come from 1974 and 1975. It's unmistakably Tom Nehls with different influences, including some that were more popular in the mid 70s. But with his own unique vision. It's almost as good as the album proper. Perhaps it's just as good, but I'm just getting my mind around it for the first time. Oddly the liner notes don't address these recordings. All we know is that Nehls stayed in Minneapolis and went to the University of Minnesota before transferring to a university in Wisconsin in 1975. So we're left to guess that he continued on with Stark until he left the state.

If you made it this far, I presume the album is already in your shopping cart. If not, you didn't get this far.

Ownership: CD: 2019 Now Again. Details are above.

Former ownership: cdr: 2006 TLN.

Originals are a small fortune. Apparently they pressed 1000 (which is a lot), but only sold ~100 to friends and family. The other 900 LPs stayed with Nehls' sister until - tell me if this doesn't sound familiar - her basement flooded. Sigh.

2009 (first listen); 6/9/19 (review / new entry)

James Brown - Sho is Funky Down Here. 1971 USA-Ohio

Sho is Funky Down Here is the brother album to The Grodeck Whipperjenny, an album I've been talking about for over a decade. Given the new reissues on Now Again, it gives us a chance to revisit these classics in the proper manner. And in my case, I never did hear this album until now. And you can't talk about one without the other, because essentially these albums are lead by arranger and keyboardist David Matthews. Brown for his part mumbles a few words on two tracks, gets in a couple of organ chords, and models for the cover. Hey why not? Matthews didn't mind... talk about a marquee name behind you! Besides Brown was his employer at the time.

The music of both albums are similar, that of a hard instrumental psychedelic funk. Whereas The Grodeck Whipperjenny had elements of a European early progressive rock act, Sho is Funky Down Here is more purest in its stance. This one has a groove that won't quit. And if you like your funk with fuzzy guitars, then it's hard to imagine you not loving this one. At 31 minutes, though, it leaves you wanting more.

Ownership: CD: 2019 Now Again

Similar to The Grodeck Whipperjenny with excellent liner notes, photos, and a nice digipak. Still think they should have reissued the 2 albums together, but OK, they mined the source for more revenue. My business mind approves. My consumer mind doesn't.

6/9/19 (new entry)

Xaal - On the Way (En Chemin). 1992 France

Xaal were a band from France who managed 3 albums until the mid 90s before calling it a day. On the Way (En Chemin) was their second album, though most of us thought it was their debut. I purchased this CD immediately upon release, and that's how it was sold at the time. It was many years later that we learned of their very obscure cassette release, which is now accepted as their debut.

Xaal play a decided form of Zeuhl mixed with fusion. Not sure why some reviewers are skirting the Z word altogether. One listen to the title track, and you'll recognize that bass and drums work as obvious Jannick Top / Christian Vander, not John Wetton / Bill Bruford. And the whole album is this way. Xaal (a Zeuhl moniker if I ever heard one), were the leading light for the genre at the time, a movement that was on life support by 1992 (Magma for their part were on hold and Vander was still leading Offering). And as the contemporary leader, they did not let their fan base down. Xaal were a guitar based trio, with a strong sense of melody and groove, the latter to be expected. So in addition to the obvious Zeuhl trance like rhythms, one will hear other progressive rock/fusion bands of the era such as Tiemko and WLUD. All instrumental, and satisfying from beginning to end. A must for Zeuhl fans.

Personal collection
CD: 1992 Progressive International (UK)

The name of this album is in full: On the Way (En Chemin). The Progressive International release is the original. It was later that it was reissued by MSI in France (Discogs claims 1992 as well, but there's no supporting data for this release). Also to note, the album was recorded in 1991, but released a year later.

Surprisingly an album that one can still find for a reasonable price. These are just the type of CDs that have become collectible. I suspect it's only a matter of time. It was never pressed on vinyl or reissued beyond the French release. If this album sounds good, and you collect physical assets, then I wouldn't wait too much longer.