Voivod - Killing Technology. 1987 Canada-Quebec

My introduction to Voivod was the Rrroooaaarrr album real time in 1986. I thought it was terrible and couldn't understand the buzz the band was receiving back then. Subsequently I ignored the group, despite continuing rave reviews, until I walked into a local Dallas record store in late 1989 and their new album Nothingface had just been released. The store owner convinced me to buy it, saying it wasn't anything like what I'd heard from the band prior. Boy, was he right. I thought it was great (still do), and that's a story for another day. But what of the albums in between? Surprisingly, even to this day, I've never heard Dimension Hatross. I'll get to it (I think I've been saying that for 30 years now...). But it wasn't long after the event above, that a friend played me Killing Technology. I wasn't moved. I thought it to be noisy. For whatever reason, I've had a few opportunities to retry this album, but it just never captured my imagination. Now our local b&m has it on their wall from a recent metal buy, and shoot, I'm going to get it. It wasn't cheap of course, but I felt maybe if I owned/invested-in the LP and just focused on it intently, my opinion would soften.

And it was a solid premise that came through for me. It's still not my favorite type of thrash metal - and it is noisy. I think part of the issue I had was the date itself. 1987 is awfully late for this kind of post punky scratchy thrash with screamed vocals. I wanted some muscle in my music! Killing Technology is not heavy in my opinion. But it's definitely still thrash metal. Metallica was already on their 4th opus, and continuing to progress - at least technically. On close listen, Voivod is also technical, but it's lost in the barrage of sound. But I have to give Voivod credit - they just keep coming at you. This album is relentless in its riffing. There are no breathers here. They're going for broke for the entire 40 minutes. I hadn't really given this much thought before, but there are parallels here with the first Coroner album, another band that was a little late to the party, but improved exponentially in a short period of time. I could see this album growing in stature for me, now that I have my mind adjusted to the contents within. Gee, I really need to hear Dimension Hatross sometime...

Ownership: LP: 1987 Combat / Noise (USA). Single sleeve with lyric insert. Recent acquisition as noted above.

2021 Psychedelic / Garage Journal Vol. 3 - Complete

Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Golden Butter. 1972 Elektra (2xLP). Golden Butter is a compilation of his music up to this point of Butterfield's career, which was pretty much over by then anyway (and he died young in 1987). The first side is dedicated to their 1965 debut, while the second side is all about their pioneering 1966 East West album. Both albums are way ahead of their time, and could be considered the homewreckers of the festival folk scene that still permeated the American underground at that time. I doubt my dad even knew who Paul Butterfield was, but had he known, he would have hated him for that. I'll have to ask RT as well, given I have yet to find any of his albums in his collection. Butterfield mixed south Chicago blues with folk and, God forbid, rock 'n roll. We're talking electricity here. The tool of the devil. When I first heard the jam cycle known as East West (2005), I was in complete shock that something like this existed here in the States in 1966. I was 40 years of age when that happened. It's still somewhat unknown that Butterfield more or less created psychedelic rock, and that the genre's roots are in the Blues. BTW, I encourage everyone to hear Many Bright Things' 21 minute rendition of East West. It's jaw dropping. I had to hear it again last night after hearing the original. The other disc from Golden Butter briefly covers the years from 1967 to 1971, and two tracks from an obscure 1966 comp. I heard enough to certainly explore any Butterfield album that comes my way, but these tracks pale in comparison to his early work. I already have the LP of East West, so I'll let this one go.

The Neon Philharmonic. 1969 Warner Bros / Seven Arts (LP). From RT (Jun). Neon Philharmonic is an orchestrated soft rock, light psychedelic themed album. Geared more for mainstream "safe" nightclub audiences, and miles away from the underground. What they call "Baroque Pop" but even that's generous. It was OK at first, but as the album played on, I found myself going from bored to sleepy. Not for me. Incidentally one of the two leaders of the band is named Tupper Saussy. Now there's a name! I had always wanted a cool name like that. For those who actually know my real name, it's incredibly boring. Now that we live in a creepy information age that includes lots of voyeurs and spies, I'm completely grateful for my boring name. 

*Jimi Hendrix - Rainbow Bridge. 1971 Reprise (LP). From RT (Jun). One of the earliest of the posthumous Hendrix albums. Features a good set of tunes, and some excellent jamming from Hendrix. Pretty much what you would want from a Jimi album. Comes in a fine gatefold cover. Keeping this one. 

Traffic - Last Exit. 1969 United Artists (LP). Also with The Music Machine (May). Third album from Traffic, a mix of studio and live tracks. The first side is made up of five new tracks that are clearly still in their 60s phase. They're pretty decent but they do feel like leftovers. The second half is live, and shows Traffic stretching out in Soft Machine mode. It's quite good if not a little lethargic in places. I've been keeping titles such as this, but the collection space is too tight, and need to start thinning the herd. So off you go Last Exit. 

*The Music Machine - Turn On. 1966 Original Sound stereo version (LP). Thrift shop find (May). This is my first time to hear the album throughout. Way back in the late 80s, a local Dallas FM station (with a metal slant) would occasionally throw 'Talk, Talk' into the mix. It seemed to be a new discovery for those guys, and given that it was 22 years old by then (and long forgotten), it certainly would make sense. I was very much intrigued by its combination of garage, 60s punk, and psychedelia. All genres that I was some years away from truly appreciating. Now we're 55 years from its release, and it sounds as fresh as ever. The Music Machine were definitely on the cutting edge of what America and England were about to experience. The band leader and primary songwriter was rhythm guitarist Sean Bonniwell, whose recorded music career only lasted about three years. One of those guys you'd have to think was dropped to Earth by aliens to get things moving along. There are also some covers (de rigueur in its day), most of them well performed, and perfect for the band's sound like 'Taxman' and 'Hey Joe'. For me the highlights include 'Cherry, Cherry', with some fine (uncredited) flute, 'Talk, Talk', 'The People in Me', and especially 'Wrong'. You don't hear too many folks call out the latter, but it's downright sinister and predicts the oncoming heavy psych / acid rock movement. Great album.

More 45's from the RT collection (Apr)

Illinois Speed Press - Get in the Wind (vocal). 1969 Columbia promo (SP). Different than the versions on Discogs, as this has the same track on both sides. It's a kick ass heavy psych track though.  I've never heard the album, but in reading the reviews, this appears to be something of an outlier. Bummer. This is a keeper. Off to a good start.

Cartoone -  Mr. Poor Man / Knick Knack Man. 1969 Atlantic promo (SP). Pretty lightweight stuff here. A) is pretty much MOR pop music. The flip is better, though hardly essential. 

The American Revolution - Come On and Get It / Cold Wisconsin Nights. 1968 Flick Disc promo (SP). Flick Disc had The Boston Tea Party and The American Revolution. I sense a theme. Unfortunately this is lightweight sunshine/baroque pop.

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Psychedelic / Garage Journal Vol. 2 - Complete

45's from the RT collection (Apr)

The Nickel Revolution ‎- Oscar Crunch / What Do You Want To Be (Nothing). 1968 Philips promo (SP). First we have The American Revolution, and now we're rebelling against (or for) nickels. Let's just hope no one names their band Nickelback. Yea. This one almost didn't get past the sample, as the A) side is just stupid. B) side is nice melancholic psychedelia. It just needed a fuzz break, and I probably would have kept it. They just let the premise keep going throughout unfortunately. 

The Sweet Bippies ‎- Bubblegum Music / Love, Anyway You Want It. 1968 A&M promo (SP). I think we can presume the name of this band came from the Laugh-In gag. It was, after all, a huge hit in its day. And the band is completely transparent about who they are on 'Bubblegum Music'. The b) side is similar, but I'm digging the organ and echoed voices. Not enough here to keep though. 

The Peanut Butter Conspiracy ‎- I'm A Fool / It's So Hard. 1968 Columbia promo (SP). I've read some good things about this band, so I was pretty excited to hear this one. I like me some soft psych, but this seems more geared towards the Vegas set. I'm reading reviews that suggest this 45 is an outlier. OK, that's good.  

---end 45s

These all came from the RT collection (Feb-Apr)

The Great Society with Grace Slick - Conspicuous Only In Its Absence. 1968 Columbia (LP). For some reason I had it in my head that The Great Society were pre-Jefferson Airplane and that they were a folk rock act. Wrong on both accounts - well sort of. When sampling the record for condition, I heard something completely different than expected, and put it in the listening stack. Last night came that full listen. Recorded in 1966, these live shows are more akin to The Butterfield Blues Band than anything else. A variation of Indo-rock, and very psychedelic for its era. The facts that I had discombobulated were of course that Jefferson Airplane were indeed the folk rock band starting out. And - of course - Grace Slick then famously became their lead singer just as they were going psychedelic on Surrealistic Pillow. All of Side 1 is great as are the last two tracks of Side 2. Included in the premier selection would be the true originals of 'Somebody to Love' and 'White Rabbit'. The cover highlights what a dream babe Slick was back then. She didn't age well, however. Hard livin' woman. 

The City - Now That Everything's Been Said. 1968 Ode (LP). Carole King could be looked at as a younger female contemporary of Burt Bacharach. She learned her trade at the Brill Building, and has a very high number of top hits credited to her name. Unlike Bacharach's optimistic melodies juxtaposed against Hal David's oftentimes sad lyrics - King comes across as a woman scorned. Because she is a woman scorned. As with Janis Joplin, King isn't my kind of girl. I had high hopes for this album, thinking the group effort and a recent relocation to sunny California would have changed her outlook and music. Nope. It just sounds like it should have been King's debut instead. Boring.

*Morning Glory - Two Suns Worth. 1968 Fontana promo (LP). If only RT had been a psych collector, we'd be sitting on a collective goldmine. Even when I do find anything that is psych related (1 in a 100), it's usually from a "name" band such as The Byrds or Stones or Beatles, or even the Velvet Underground. Morning Glory is the first psych obscurity I've found on LP from him (45s are a different story). They are a completely new name to me as well, and I have a pretty good knowledge of psychedelic. Coming from the Bay Area, and fronted by a strong female vocalist, this will earn the Jefferson Airplane comparison. And it's true to an extent. But Morning Glory is much more psychedelic, with electric guitars way out in front. The songwriting is good as well. The production is weird - it's truly stereo, in that sometimes only one speaker will be working. In any case, I really enjoyed this one. 

The Animals - Animalization. 1966 MGM (LP). Here's the second one from RT's stacks. This is a year later than Animal Tracks, but is very similar in construct. In fact, this record didn't have any recognizable songs, or at least less recognizable. I didn't go for this title either. We'll see if he has anything later.

The Animals - Animals Tracks. 1965 MGM (LP). This is their 3rd album. And it's the US release which is completely different than the UK release of the same name. I recognize two tracks from this: 'We Gotta Get Out of This Place' and 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood'. Those aren't my favorite Animals songs to begin with, but they are by far the best songs here. The rest is boring British blues. So this one isn't for me, but I know there are some that will be.

The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man. 1965 CBS (UK) (LP).This is the first - of probably many more - of a background project I have going with RT's collection. It was messy enough, but he also had tons of loose albums stored all over the place. And empty covers. So I built out a spreadsheet to combine as I find them. I have a long way to go, with trash bags filled with vinyl, and covers stacked elsewhere. I asked him how it happened. "I couldn't be bothered to find the cover, so I didn't". We're not all wired the same, that's for sure. Fortunately most of the vinyl is in fine shape (Colorado is a cool dry place, if it was Texas they'd be ruined), but just need a cleaning. Anyway, that leads us to The Byrds debut, a very fine British original at that (cover and vinyl both in excellent shape). Most of the songs sound pretty much the same here, and you all know at least a couple of these. It becomes apparent that The Byrds were like a combo of same era Beatles with the early 60s Greenwich Village folk scene. This album, more than any other by The Byrds, explains why RT was a fan. Definitely not of interest for me, but glad to have heard it all the way through. (Mar)

The Road. 1969 Kama Sutra (LP). The Road were a psychedelic band based in Buffalo, New York. Out of the 12 tracks, only three are originals, which is usually a turn off for me. Not sure if the band lacked confidence to go forth with their own material or the label was just looking for a compilation of hits. In either case, once I heard the Zombies' opener 'She's Not There', I knew the band's arrangements were going to be unique enough to warrant a full listen. Organ and electric guitar are out front, and there's some horns as well. An enjoyable listen throughout. I would have rated it higher had the band performed more originals. (Feb)

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Classic Rock / AOR Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

Supertramp - Even In the Quietest Moments... 1977 A&M (LP). Thrift shop find (Apr). Supertramp have become quite collectable in recent years - even their most commoditized albums are going for a tenner. Other than their out-of-nowhere 1985 prog(gy) album Brother Where You Bound, I've never had any use for Supertramp. But I'm trying to keep an open mind, and listening throughout to albums that I've dismissed in the past. To quote a part of my review for Brother: "And here comes along Supertramp - one of those bands that contributed to the dire state of the radio in the first place." Yep. The opener 'Give a Little Bit' is exactly what I was talking about there. Most folks will point out the album's closer as the grand progressive rock moment. 'Fool's Overture' is 10 minutes, and about double the length it needs to be. It's of the slow symphonic type, nothing overly progressive in my book. 'Lover Boy' is probably my favorite track, and I would call that one "good". It's not a bad album overall, but it's fairly average really. Oh well.

America - Hearts. 1975 Warner Bros. From RT (Apr). America are a band that I've passed on many times - even in thrift stores. Odd in that they have at least four songs that I think are superb - some of the best songs to ever be played on radio. In college, my roommate bought the America's History album, which is of course their famous greatest hits collection. Even then I loved those four songs. So when I went to our local used record store back then, I bought Holiday, which had one of these gems. I don't remember liking anything else, and sold the record off not too long after. Not surprised to see America in folk collector RT's stack. Maybe to amend that, I'm more surprised this is the only one I've run into so far. Now this album doesn't have any of those great four songs (which I won't mention until we get to their albums - if we get there). But it does have the 5th favorite, and that would be 'Sister Golden Hair', which is pretty good. In hearing the album opener 'Daisy Jane' - also on History - it's better than I recall. The best track for me is 'Company' and was that fuzz bass on 'Woman Tonight'? The rest is boring folk rock. So that assessment I made about America way back in 1986 seems to still hold court. Bummer.

Lighthouse - Can You Feel It. 1973 Polydor (LP). From the same estate sale (Mar). Being an enthusiastic horn rock fan, Lighthouse of course is a band that I do enjoy. Especially the debut album which has some fine horn charts, great melodies, and excellent lead guitar. By 1973, while Chicago is still cranking out hits, Canada's Lighthouse is desperately clinging on for survival, trying hard to regain that magic. The first thing you notice, while looking at the cover, is the band could have used a good dental plan. Then on the back cover, the producer is making excuses as to why it doesn't really sound that good. Too much music I believe was the lame excuse. He's right about one thing - it doesn't sound right. It has no heft whatsoever. It's a shame that a large talented band like this couldn't have come up with something more innovative. They should have gone full-on prog or funk or hard rock or something. But jeez, hearing them try so hard for radio airplay that sound like they're from 1970, just doesn't work. I think one track did manage to do OK on Canadian radio, and it's probably the best one here ('Pretty Lady'). I hesitated to buy this for fear of being stuck with it. But it does have the large poster, so that will help. Of course the giant 4 panel poster replicates the album cover... which highlights their teeth. Some guys just never do get plugged in right.

Mose Jones - Get Right. 1973 MCA / Sounds of the South (LP). From an estate sale (Mar). Mose Jones were a southern rock band, though they did have some groove to them. Probably the oddest aspect of their sound is the copious use of mellotron, hardly a southern rock staple. The music is as eclectic as their instrumentation, and is a mix of gospel, rock, funk, r'n'b, and folk. Highlights for me were the haunting acid folk of 'Ode to Drugan' and the jamming 'Julia's Beautiful Friend'. Interesting album, but not one for me to keep. Looks like Sounds of the South was a Al Kooper directed imprint back in the day, though it's new to me. The main group to have been on the short-lived project was Lynryd Skynryd. Nice gatefold cover.

Queen - A Day at the Races. 1976 Elektra (LP). Thrift shop find (Mar). The more I hear Queen, the less I like them. I figured it would be the opposite. They're just not for me. I find myself liking Brian May's guitar work... and little else. I've had good luck finding their albums at thrift shops and garage sales, which is great because they're easy to flip. I haven't heard them all yet, but A Day at the Races is my least favorite of their 70s output that I've heard to date.

Janis Joplin - Pearl. 1971 Columbia (LP). Thrift shop find (Feb). I don't know if I've ever been able to sit through a Janis Joplin album all the way through, which would include Big Brother and the Holding Company of course. It's obvious she puts everything into her singing. But ugh, that voice. She's just not my kind of girl (in any way, shape, or form). Her singing is both annoying and irritating. My favorite track on the album is 'Buried Alive in the Blues', which is instrumental lol. If she had been able to conquer her demons, my best guess is she'd eventually found her way to Country music, and obtained more fame there for the long haul. You can hear that twang in her singing. Just needed some control. Alright, so now I've heard one of her albums throughout. An accomplishment in of itself. 

J. Geils Band - Love Stinks. 1980 EMI (LP). One more from the 1980 era RT stack (Jan). There's a fine line between opportunist and selling out. Whereas REO Speedwagon is a clear example of the latter, J. Geils is more the former. At least that's how I hear Love Stinks. The title track is the most known song here, and 'Just Can't Wait' was another hit. Jay Geils and crew were from Boston, going back to the 60s, and clawed their way to the top with a fine mix of early rock n' roll, funk, and R'n'B. They're meant to be a fun group and yet they do bring some edge with them too. Of course they were smart to latch onto the late 70s AOR sound. I can respect this album, though it does stray from my personal interest area. A well spent 37 minutes before heading to the sell bin.

REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity. 1980 Epic (LP) Ha. Early 60s folk collector RT would just buy about anything on occasion it appears (Jan). This album is more like the 38 Special album below, in that it was played so often, it's pretty much part of my DNA. Unlike 38 Special, this is pure dreck. One of the most obvious pandering to the great FM radio god there ever has been. Even Journey put some elbow grease into their pop slop. I really tried to be objective, but it's just dentist-office painful to sit through. A couple of decent guitar solos I suppose. I had to spray down the stereo after playing this.

Shoes - Present Tense. 1979 Elektra (LP). Also from RT (Jan). This is exactly the kind of power pop that has gained a following in the last few years. Borrowing from the happy late 60s but with a modern indie styled vocal and songcraft approach. I kind of remember these guys back then, but they didn't make a mark. This really isn't my thing, but it wasn't painful to get through at least. I'm a bit surprised this album isn't more expensive, as most LP's in this genre have gone way up.

Blind Faith. 1977 RSO (LP) From RT (Jan). Another one of those albums that is highly praised (and has been all my life) but leaves me scratching my head. Early supergroup (1969) of Cream, Traffic, and Family but it doesn't remind me of any of them. Maybe a more bluesy Traffic. Like the Beck / Bogert / Appice, this album lacks bite. This has the girl cover, but is a later reissue. Not for me.

The Who - Face Dances. 1981 Warner Bros. (LP) From RT (Jan) Face Dances is not a critic or fan favorite, and has generally been panned across the board. And while I'm certainly not going to fall on my sword for it, I don't find it any better or worse than most major artist albums from this era. This was the first studio album without Keith Moon, so you know how that goes with the die-hard fans ("It's not The Who without Keith Moon" grumble, grumble, grumble...). But the year 1981 had more to do with the output than the personnel methinks. 'You Better You Bet' was the big hit of the day and it's pretty good. 

38 Special - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. 1980 A&M (LP). From the RT collection (Jan). 38 Special were a band from Jacksonville, Florida, so they are often compared to The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. And certainly 38 Special have southern rock tendencies, but mostly they are a rocking AOR band, pretty far removed from the above groups. Once again, 38 Special were a band that enjoyed great radio airplay success while I was in high school. In hearing this album for the first time throughout, tracks like 'Hold on Loosely' and 'Fantasy Girl' were already etched into my DNA due to repeatedly listening to them for 40+ years. On the whole though, the album isn't so bad. It has a bit more muscle than others of its ilk, and the guitar work is a cut above. And since it's from 1980, the music definitely has a 70s sheen to it. 

Giant Step ~ Indonesia

Giant on the Move (1976)

Giant on the Move is one of a small handful of progressive rock releases coming out of 1970s Indonesia. Others include Guruh Gipsy and Abbhama. And Giant Step is also a vehicle for one of Indonesia's primary musical movers and shakers: Benny Soebardja. Soebardja's first recordings were with Shark Move, before moving to Giant Step, and then ultimately going solo with a band called Lizard as his backup. The beauty of progressive rock being created in no-market countries such as Indonesia, is that the band pretty much has complete creative freedom. Which is, of course, perfect for the style. There are nine cuts here totaling close to an hour, and most of them go in directions one would not predict. The high creativity of the ambitious amateur I would submit. In this way, Giant Step recalls some of the Italian classics of the early 70s. It's not intentional of course, just a consequence of the mindset of the era - one of great imagination and the possibilities were endless. You can expect all sorts of wild instrumentation throughout. If looking for the utmost in professionalism and commercial viability, Giant Step should be avoided.

Naturally enough Giant on the Move is not perfect either, and every Indonesian group seems to include a certain amount of romanticism - a product of their own native club culture. Also the recording itself is pretty rough - still very listenable, but more what we would expect from a cassette demo here in the States. All of which is entirely understandable given the time and place. An excellent historical document, and the kind of progressive rock that grows in stature with each listen. My type, that is to say.

Also of major note to original vinyl collectors - the real-time LP is only half of the full album. The original cassette had the full album as intended.

Ownership: 2021 Strawberry Rain (2xLP). 3 sided set. Gatefold. Photos and news clippings of the band in the center. This reissues the full album, as originally released on cassette (see above). On the downside, there are no accompanying liner notes. 

There also exists a legit CD on a local label called Rockpod (2016). Another under the radar release apparently.

4/23/21 (review)

Roberto Colombo ~ Italy

Sfogatevi Bestie (1976)

About six years ago I spoke of Colombo's second album Botte da Orbi. The debut is similar in its approach, that of densely written compositions, and that are clearly charted for the participants at hand. Of which there are twelve musicians on this outing. Once again, Frank Zappa must be front and center in this discussion, as are other Italian contemporaries such as Franco Battiato and Tullio de Piscopo. Since it's a debut effort, Sfogatevi Bestie is much more rough around the edges, and there's more room for letting their hair fly. The album is more jazz than chamber influenced, that is to say, though clearly it still belongs to progressive rock. Though not the classic Italian style that we're more familiar with. Side 2 also shows Battiato's influence with some free improvisation bits, without ever going too far to the point of annoyance. Sfogatevi Bestie definitely fits in that weird grouping of "unclassifiable" late 70s Italian albums - a record that has improved with age, to my ears anyway.

Ownership: 1976 Ultima Spiaggia (LP). Acquired in 1993.

1993; 7//05; 4/18/21 (review)

Botte da Orbi (1977)

For those that constantly bellyache that most progressive rock is poorly composed, and is really a bunch of amateurs piecing disparate sections of music together, then may I suggest Roberto Colombo's sophomore release? This is a seriously dense work, and is clearly charted and most certainly required a music stand for the participants. Frank Zappa at his most complex must be in the conversation, though one can hear some of the Italian RIO / Jazz / Avant prog bands of the day, for example Picchio dal Pozzo, Orchestra Njervudarov, Agora, and Tullio De Piscopo - the latter even guests on the album. No jamming or grooves here, and the melodies are too brief, but powerful. Awesome production as well. Much of the avant prog genre is too high brow for me, but Botte da Orbi is thoroughly enjoyable, though lacking any notable peaks.

Former ownership: 1999 Mju:zik (CD). Small wallet like cover. Apparently this was sold with a magazine initially. Acquired in 2000. Downsized in 2026.

2000; 1//06; 9/25/15 (review); 5/1/26

9/25/15 (new entry)

Don Shinn - Departures. 1969 England

It was about a year ago that I reported on Shinn's other 1969 album Temples With Prophets. I purchased that one first as it had the reputation of a quality early progressive rock effort. But no one spoke of Departures. To quote that earlier review "...it becomes apparent that Shinn probably wasn't trying for a progressive rock album at all - it just worked out that way... It could be argued that he was simply following in the footsteps of other creative organists of his era, and ended up with an album that is just as much The Nice as it is something perhaps an early Krautrock band would come up with." And guess what? Departures fits this model perfectly. In fact some of the organ work recalls Mike Ratledge, minus the fuzz pedals. Here we have four long tracks. Three of the members are dedicated to drums and percussion, so it's heavily slanted that way, but remarkably there are very few solos. It's definitely Shinn's show. The three unreleased bonus tracks are excellent, one featuring female vocals, that almost puts it into bossa nova territory. Excellent album and just as good as Temples with Prophets.

Ownership: CD: 2020 Sunbeam. Recent online acquisition. Digipak. Excellent reissue with extensive liner notes, photos, memorabilia (it's the same booklet as Temples with Prophets, so not much gain here if you already have that), and three bonus tracks.

Second Direction - Four Corners + Steps Ahead. 1976; 1978 Germany

Coming from the jazz wing of the ever large Kraut Fusion movement, Second Direction provides the listener some of the genre's finest moments. In particular when band leader Fritz Münzer pulls out the flute (primarily on 'Storm Flute', 'Flying Carpet Ride', and the title track), the results can be divine. Second Direction have perfectly encapsulated the optimism of the era, with gorgeous melodies and sublime rhythms. Hearing this makes you want to take a ride through the countryside, and enjoy a picnic with a bottle of wine and a beautiful girl by your side. Overall I'd submit that Second Direction ties closest to the two Sunbirds' albums, though all remnants of Krautrock have been filtered out here.

The above was written a few years ago upon acquiring the CD. Now I own the 2 album archival set that includes an unreleased album called Steps Ahead (1978). It's definitely a fully realized album and well produced, but it never made it to vinyl originally. By this time, Fritz Münzer had entirely rebuilt his band. The two key changes are Toni Rabold on trumpet and Pit Löw on keyboards. The trumpet is a welcome addition, and I feel the electric piano has improved from the debut. Unfortunately Münzer put away the flute entirely for this session, and sticks to saxophone. Even worse, though, is that all the compositions, save maybe the album's best track 'Tony's Choice', have that predictable funky rhythm backbone, that was all the rage in the late 70s. The lack of sublime melodies that defined Four Corners really hampers Steps Ahead. Overall it's a fine album, and makes for great bonus tracks. On its own, however, Steps Ahead would have to be considered unnecessary.

Ownership: LP: 2018 Sonorama. Recent online acquisition. 2 LP set in a single sleeve. Like with the Fable, not the best way to package a double LP. There are unique liner notes on the back of the sleeve, which are different (and more thorough) than the Spinning Wheel CD (2000). The sound is very good, a little bit soft / no-noised, and you can hear (with headphones) that it's taken from vinyl. This replaces the aforementioned CD.

2/18/18

Abraxis ~ Belgium

Abraxis (1977)

---11/18/09 

Formed by members from the band Cos, this album is a cross between flute jazz, Canterbury inspired fusion, and 70s funk. Somewhere between Chris Hinze, Cos, Cortex, and Herbie Hancock is where you'll find the sound of Abraxis. Flute drives the melody and solo lines, but there's plenty of introspective piano sections as well. Which play nicely against some of the ferocious electric guitar. A nice discovery on the always surprising IBC label.

---4/11/21

Well, that does pretty much sum things up. I really appreciate the strong melodies here, along with the rougher instrumental edges. This is an album that grows in stature with each listen.

Ownership: 2019 Replica (LP). Not a particularly great reissue. They "do the needful" by producing the album (with good sound, likely from vinyl) and original cover. But it's lazy without any written input from the band, or any other extras. The entire liner notes are on the hype sticker.  Acquired in 2021.

Not reissued on CD as of 3/12/26.

11/18/09 (review); 4/11/21 (update / new entry)

Borne ~ Spain

Exprime La Naranja (1979)

Interesting that I've been absorbing tons of American jazz funk and fusion, when along comes this old chestnut from Spain. This isn't my first encounter with the album, as I was introduced to it when I first discovered (back in the early 90s) bands such as Iceberg, Ananga Ranga (Portugal), Secta Sonica, Musica Urbana, Companyia Electrica Dharma, and many others. It was too much at once, and many of them didn't make the first cut. Today, I hear this album with a different perspective. One that combines the aforementioned American fusion scene with that of Spanish culture. It's a winning combination, and Borne balances those two aspirations expertly. In particular, guitarist Victor Molero is enjoying the spotlight, and his rougher edged solos are much welcomed in an oftentimes all too sterile genre. It's not unfair to suggest Borne has tapped into the same well as Al Di Meola did on his classic first 3 albums. To American eyes, seeing the cover and a title that looks like something esoteric such as "Experimental Orange", it's a bit disappointing to learn that it simply means "squeeze the orange". OK. In any case, essential listening for all fusion fans who appreciate an edge, along with some indigenous melodies and sounds.

Ownership: 1979 Chapa Discos (LP). Gatefold. 

1994 (first listen); 4/11/21 (review / new entry)

Light Year - Hypernauts of the Absolute Elsewhere. 1975 USA-California (archival)

One of my great personal finds of the last decade was Light Year, whose aptly named album Reveal the Fantastic, brought about a new combination of sounds I'd never heard before. In my notes for that album I referred to Light Year's sound as a combination of Mahavishnu Orchestra and the Belgian group Cos. The ferocious fusion of the former meets the higher pitched singing and insouciant manner of the latter. And while researching the album, we learned that the San Francisco based Light Year was involved in Mingo Lewis' Flight Never Ending masterpiece.

And now 10 years after that release, comes yet another archival find. Being that it's (likely) from 1975, the heavy fusion standards of the day were still accepted. And sure enough, Hypernauts of the Absolute Elsewhere is clearly a follow-up to their debut. Excellent in every way, and their patented sound remains. Perhaps there's a bit more funk than prior, in particular 'The Legend of Myth', which points to the times. And there's no mind blowing 20+ minute epic here, though 'Firebird' has the same gravitas, at half the length and represents the album's best number. The first part of '3:30 Tomorrow' is a fairly dull drum solo, though it atones itself with some lightning fast guitar from Randy Sellgren to close off the album. In conclusion, if you loved Reveal the Fantastic, then you'll also want Hypernauts of the Absolute Elsewhere.

Ownership: CD: 2020 New Music-Green Tree. Was sent along with Time of Commotion (thank you!). Comes in a single digi-pak with poster booklet insert. It's about as informative as Time of Commotion's liner notes, and is more esoteric than useful. Minor gripe, as it's just great to have music like this still coming at us. 

Time of Commotion - Live From The 70's ‎- Es Ist Nie Zu Spät. 1972 Germany (archival)

At times it seems the 70s were endless when it comes to unreleased music. Not only did we receive more officially released great music than any other decade, but the same holds true for those that didn't get around to it - or didn't have the opportunity. Time of Commotion is yet one more of these bands. The liner notes seem to indicate that Time of Commotion were poised for the big time. If Live From The 70's ‎- Es Ist Nie Zu Spät is the representative of their overall sound, then I'd suggest different: Time of Commotion sounds like countless Krautrock bands of the early 70s, none any more professional than the other. But still great throughout. There are 8 long tracks here, totaling close to 65 minutes. It's live and the sound has been pushed to the maximum - but for music such as this, the light distortion still works. Time of Commotion seems more like a compendium of Krautrock than a participant. The usual UK and US suspects can be held as influences, such as Uriah Heep ('Requiem'), Iron Butterfly ('Spectrum'), Pink Floyd ('Space Orbit'), Deep Purple ('The Boogie'), and even Genesis ('Fairy Tales and Other Stories'). 'Elegy' has some wonderful melodic interludes that are a bit unexpected in this setting. Organ is - as usual - the dominant instrument with plenty of guitar accompaniment. If the 1971/1972 German hard prog scene of the Bacillus, Philips, Polydor, Pilz, and Brain labels get you fired up, then Time of Commotion comes as an easy recommendation.

Ownership: CD: 2018 New Music-Green Tree. A recent gift from a great friend of the UMR. Comes in a sturdy quad-fold digi-pak. The liner notes are more generic high level, than detailed with recording notes and dates. The 1972 date is listed on the back of the digi-pak and on the disc face. Plenty of photos though.

Fable - Get the "L" Outta Here. 1975 Canada-Ontario (archival)

Canada had a similar rich tradition of grassroots hard rock just as we did here in the States. Throughout the country, bands were sprouting like weeds and toiling in the local clubs, hoping to get noticed for the big time. Fable were but one of those outfits, a group who didn't manage to get anything out real time. The review for this one will be easy. Fable plays a type of psychedelic hard rock, where the ghost of Jimi Hendrix looms large. It's a favorite style of mine, and for the 3 sides of this album, every track is a winner. No slow ballads to endure, no lame tries for radio hits, no proggy epics, just kickin' out the jams brothers and sisters. Their peers are two of Canada's greatest treasures: Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush and Walter Rossi and Charlee. You dig those bands, then you'll want this. Easy recommendation.

Ownership: LP: 2005 RecordPlex. 2 LPs in a single sleeve (copy #103/500). 3 sides of music with one side blank. Recent online acquisition. From a documentary standpoint, not the best archival release I've ever seen, that for sure. There's an insert, but it lacks detail. And I've never been a big fan of stuffing 2 LPs into a single sleeve. That reeks of the cheapo 80s. Reminds me of Metallica's In Justice For All, the only LP by them I actually replaced with a CD (to no regrets). But what matters most is the music and the sound quality, and for this, it's well worth it. This is one of those albums where the LP proved easier to get than the CD. As long as this website stays up, you can read more about Fable.

2021 Funk / Soul Journal Vol. 2 - Complete

The below are all from a large estate sale find (Mar):

*Afrique - Soul Makossa. 1973 Mainstream (LP). As soon as I saw the title, I snapped it up as quickly as possible. Of course I was thinking of The Lafayette Afro Rock Band. But they covered the same song Afrique is here - from a one Manu Dibango, who also has an album with that name. I'm a sucker for wah wah guitar, and in particular when used in rhythm, and there's plenty of that going around here. About half the album has killer grooves and some mean soloing. And the other half is mostly sugar free and reminds me of the dancehall RnB numbers from a decade past. 13 member band with five of the team on drums and percussion, so it's groovy for sure. Plenty good on the whole, and worth holding onto. 

Curtis Mayfield - Curtis / Live! 1971 Buddha (Germany) (LP). This double album demonstrates that Mayfield could reinsert himself 50 years forward, and possess the most topical album of the moment. Seriously, the lyrical themes presented here are the headlines of today. For music fans, what you get is Mayfield in an intimate club setting. Stripped down to its core, it becomes clear this is Mayfield's show from beginning to end. There's a little bit of instrumental virtuosity allowed, but not enough to fully engage at that level. While I can appreciate this album objectively, it's yet another work that doesn't inspire me for multiple listens. I can let this one go. Comes in a nice gatefold cover with lyrics and photos inside the fold out.

Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man. 1971 Tamla Motown (Germany) (LP). I first sampled That's the Way Love Is (1969) and it pretty much sounded as I expected - pure soul. It went straight to the record show box, no need for a deep dive. But Trouble Man caught my ear, and a few weeks later, I'm digging in. Well it certainly starts off with a fine groove, and there are plenty of fine songwriting elements here. Even though it's fully a Marvin Gaye effort, he rarely sings. It's truly a soundtrack, and as such, most of the music is orchestrated incidental music to go with the film. Not bad on the whole, but not enough funk cuts for me to keep.

*Earth, Wind & Fire - Head to the Sky. 1973 CBS (Netherlands) (LP). Last of the EWF's from the soul-jazz collection. Side 1 is consistent with what was to follow - that of melodic funk and sweet soul. I like this better than Spirit for this style. But the money side is the flip. Here Earth, Wind & Fire show their considerable instrumental chops in addition to the funk. 13 minute 'Zanzibar' being an obvious highlight. This is what I've been looking for from the band. Nice gatefold cover as well.

*The J.B.'s - Doing it to Death. 1973 Polydor (Germany) (LP). Now this is the definition of raw funk. Lay down the beat, and let it ride. Tight as a drum. Except of course for James Brown himself who rants and raves wildly - and jams aimlessly on the organ. But the rest of the band dare not step out of line - or face a big fat fine (sing that last sentence as Brown would). I can never get out of my mind Eddie Murphy's 1980s comedy skit about James Brown's lyrics. Yet another individual worth reading about in Wikipedia while listening. I learned quite a bit about the man. An anomaly from the soul-jazz collection. Nothing sweet about this album. Keeper.

*Quincy Jones - Smackwater Jack. 1976 A&M (Germany) (LP). At the point of this release (1971), Quincy Jones was still a much sought after soundtrack composer. This is one of his transition albums moving towards more solo works. Having said that, Smackwater Jack features one of Jones' more memorable themes in 'Ironside' with the really cool Moog synthesizer and some fine flute. The other soundtrack piece is from 'The Anderson Tapes' (great movie BTW, starring Sean Connery in his prime), which is also great featuring electronics, which was pioneering in its day. The album has a nice sweet groove overall, including 'Cast Your Fate to the Wind', 'What's Going On?', and 'Hikky-Burr'. The final track is interesting as it seems to be a dissertation on blues guitar, including one fiery psychedelic rave-up (from Eric Gale), something you wouldn't think would come from a Quincy Jones composition. There's a cast of thousands performing here, and you know many of them. Nice album overall, with the fine gatefold cover being icing on the cake.

*Osibisa - Super Fly T.N.T. 1973 Buddha (LP). Perhaps this will be the album to keep Mayfield's Superfly company. One of the kingpins of the blaxploitation genre, I've never seen the flick myself, but I can pretty much guess how it goes. Osibisa is a band I remember from my early collecting days - who could miss those flying elephant Roger Dean covers? But I never pursued as funk wasn't my thing back in the 80s. Now I never see them - of course. Well in the wilds I should say - they're hardly rare or expensive. In any case, this soundtrack is mostly great, exactly what you would want from a film such as this. Plenty of flute, wah wah, organ, and brass. And it's very much like a fully realized album, not incidental music like Shaft for example. Neat gatefold cover. I look forward to finding those early Osibisa albums again. This collection didn't have any more, unless my competition pulled them down first.

Donny Hathaway - Extension of a Man. 1973 ATCO Quadra Disc (LP). This would be Hathaway's last studio solo album. He was a very troubled man, and suffered from mental illness which lead to his early death at age 33 of a suicide. This album is considered one of his best, as it balances his soul and funk sides evenly. To my ears, this is similar to the Mayfield album below. Definitely geared to the soul crowd, and the funk is pretty lightweight. Lots of strings and crooning. Fair enough, that's what the genre calls for. But it isn't for me.

*Ohio Players - Pleasure. 1972 Bellaphon (Germany) (LP). This is my last try for the Ohio Players. Oh yea - boom, this is what I'm looking for. Well, Side 1 is anyway. The title track is a mix of soul-funk and horn rock, the latter played to perfection. 'Pride and Vanity' is similar, and 'Walt's First Trip' is a killer instrumental. Fantastic start! If only the flip held serve. 'Varee is Love' is pure soul and 'Paint Me' is the kind of funk that the band would pursue later on. 'Funky Worm' is a hip-hop samplers classic, but I think it's just silly honestly. But not all is a loss. 'Walked Away From You' recalls the first side and 'Our Love Has Died' is a very interesting psychedelic soul piece. It's not really a combo of each style but rather each are featured within the song separately. Definitely shows the band could be serious if they wanted to be. For certain keeper here, and will push me to continue looking for their remaining albums during this era (pre 1976).

The O'Jays - Survival. 1975 Philadelphia International (LP). Put The O'Jays in the same category as Earth Wind & Fire, that is to say groups I'm actively seeking in the wilds. And yet another band that when I do find a copy, it's whipped. But this collection was pristine as already mentioned. Survival, which is a little later than the classics the O'Jays are known for, is very much indicative of this particular collection. A mix of smooth soul and biting funk. 'Rich Get Richer' is your hardcore liberal mantra, wrapped around a pretty great tune. 'What am I Waiting For' is another winner. Like the Mayfield album I just spoke of, I find this a pleasant listen, but in the end not something I need to keep. 

Ohio Players - Skin Tight. 1974 Mercury (France) (LP). In that same Catholic charity sale last year that yielded Fatback Band's Raisin' Hell, it also produced a couple of Ohio Players albums, including their heralded Fire. They didn't do much for me, but I figured I'd go earlier in the catalog to see if I can find any better. Hmmm... a little bit I guess. The Ohio Players have a penchant to lay down a mean groove, but then they don't really do much with it. On Skin Tight, there are 3 heavy funk tracks, and 3 smooth soul songs. Not really my thing, but it's good for sure. I have one more, even earlier, album to still digest. Interesting "sexist" gatefold cover that would get you cancelled today. The 1970s are starting to seem like the 1800s. A faded, distant past.

*Deodato - First Cuckoo. 1975 MCA (LP) Yea, like with Mendes, I'm finding it hard to lay off Deodato's albums. Interestingly enough, I picked up Prelude from the same neighbor as Superfly. There's some synchronicity for you. First Cuckoo is the "4th" Deodato album, if one starts with the aforementioned Prelude (sort of like B.C. and A.D...). 'Funk Yourself' (hoho) is fairly typical of the era. Fine jazz funk if hardly revelatory. 'Black Dog' is an embarrassment. Who the heck thought it was a great idea to cover Led Zeppelin? As a jazz funk instrumental? It's terrible (first cuckoo indeed). And they have Jimmy Page as Gene Paige. To the best of my knowledge, he never went by that name. How coked up were these guys anyway? At this point, I figured I went too far with Deodato. But have no fear, it gets much better from here. Ah there we go, Deodato's original 'Crabwalk' is what I'm looking for. Some slow headbobbing grooves. Very nice. This is followed by a unique composition from Deodato's peer Marcos Valle called 'Adam's Hotel' (they worked together in early 60's Brazil). Beautiful track. Side 2 opens with a percussion number followed by one more Deodato composition entitled 'Watusi Strut', which recalls naturally enough, 'Super Strut'. This is the only place (unfortunately) where guitarist John Tropea lets loose. Still it's one more great track in his repertoire. 'Speak Low' is another nice late night groover recalling 'Crabwalk'. The album closes on a serious classical note with Frederick Delius' 'First Cuckoo', which is way out of place. Seems Deodato is screaming for respect here. Give it up man. Fascinating cover - note the naked woman with the baby carriage... One more keeper, but lesser than the other two I have.

Curtis Mayfield - Got to Find a Way. 1974 Curtom (L). The only Mayfield solo album I have heard (and own) is Superfly, which some of you may recall I pulled out of a very conservative Christian neighbor's house in Texas ("Jim was going through a phase..." lol). Remember when I said this collection veered more toward soul funk than jazz funk? This album underscores that perfectly. It has Mayfield's signature sound, with wah wah guitars and strings, and he sings in his higher pitched plea that we all "gotta-find-a-way" and "ain't no love lost neither". There's not much deviation here, and it all kind of blurs together after a while. It's a good sound, but not anything that I need to hold onto. There's an earlier Mayfield album I picked up as well, so we'll see then if it sticks around to keep Superfly company.

Earth Wind & Fire - Spirit. 1976 Columbia (LP). This is the album released after That's the Way of the World. OK, this isn't for me either. Way too much gospely whining for my tastes. The familiar 'Getaway' is probably the best composition, and I also enjoyed 'Imagination'. Personally speaking (of course...), the best track here is the instrumental 'Biyo'. And that's about it. 

Earth Wind & Fire - Powerlight. 1983 Columbia (LP). This was probably the most marginal LP I bought (perfect place to start then), but as stated on the That's the Way of the World blurb, I'm anxious to hear all of the EWF's. But where to stop? Instincts told me this would be way too late. I don't recall liking any contemporary Earth Wind & Fire while still in high school, just their 70s stuff. And my instincts proved to be correct, though this was hardly a painful listen. Enjoyable in fact, but not enough room in the collection for it. It definitely falls to the disco side, and there's plenty of soul crooning as well. But the horn charts are killer, the synth playing is fantastic, and there's some excellent electric guitar soloing as well. For 1983 soul/disco, it's pretty darn good. But not really something I'll pull down for a listen.

* - Keeping for the collection

Double Fantasy ~ Germany

Universal Ave (1986)

A few years ago I made the decision to pick up anything I see on Klaus Schulze's Innovative Communications label, as long as it is at a reasonable price. I was challenged this week, as lo and behold, one of our local b&m's had this one in their regular bins. In the 1980s and early 90s, these IC albums were surprisingly common here in the States (at import retail prices mind you, despite the domestic pressing). But why did I not buy them back then? Well that's what I meant by "challenged". The back cover seems to imply this will be a new wave album, verse the progressive electronic one would expect. Let's see... you have two guys with short cropped and colored poofy hair. Wearing lipstick. One with sunglasses. Honestly, they look like Tears For Fears or any number of bands like that. Well, I've come to like that style too, so I have nothing to lose, and the resell value fits my model. Let's buy it.

Double Fantasy is made up of Charly McLion and Dreamstar. OK, who the heck is that? Dreamstar is a not-well-hidden nom de plume of a one Robert Schroeder, he of what seems like 100+ electronic albums. I've not heard a one of them. Charly McLion is the stage name for Charly Büchel. Now who is that? Well, this one's interesting. He was the Charles in Charles and Morgan, an album I covered back in the CDRWL days. Bloody awful at that. OK, throw all of the above in the blender, pour, and then hold your nose while tasting. Universal Ave is....

Awesome. Que? Schroeder is clearly a protégé of Klaus Schulze, and his electronics here are very much of his school of thought in the mid 80s. McLion goes about adding some very Manuel Gottsching-esque electric guitar on top. In effect what we hear is a slightly updated Ashra from their power trio years. Take away Grosskopf's real drums, and replace them with synthesizers, and that's pretty much what you have here. As you all know (or might know), I'm a huge fan of Correlations and Belle Alliance. And Universal Ave. fits that profile perfectly. All six tracks here satisfy greatly, but special mention goes to the side 1 closer 'Endless Running', which really captured my imagination. If I can keep finding albums like this on the cheap, I'm buying.

Ownership: 

1986 Innovative Communication USA (LP). Acquired in 2021. 

1990 Innovative Communication / DA Music (MC). Has a 12 minute bonus cut not on the above. Acquired in 2026.

3/28/21 (review / new entry)

Epitaph - Return to Reality. 1979 Germany

Epitaph faces the same problems of many progressive bands from the early 70s - they change. Their 1971 debut is a superb slice of Krautrock followed by a couple of fine hard prog albums. They disappear for about 5 years, and reemerge with a fetching cover and some lengthy tracks. A new prog album obviously? Ehh... No.

When I first started deep diving into the bins in the mid 80s, this album showed up. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Some 35+ years later, and here we are again with the LP in hand. I already know it's not a prog album. Let's hear it with a different perspective, which is what I should have done back then too. Youth.

OK, yes, I like this album. Very strong hard rock entry, and the extended tracks allow Epitaph some room to maneuver with more ideas. They're a 5 piece with excellent keyboard work and dual guitars. It's not a strikingly great album, but very professional. And much better than some of the pandering hard rock bands in the US and UK during the time. This isn't a commercial album at all, even if it has some friendly hooks. The best way to approach albums like this is to strip away their legacy and the Brain label, and pretend you just found a private pressing from Nebraska by a band called Epitaph. Believe me, it makes a difference. One's mind drifts to a different landscape, and the music fits that narrative. SFF this is not. Quality hard rock is the game here. Keeper.

Ownership: LP: 1979 Brain. Single sleeve. Orange label. Recent acquisition from an antique mall. I generally avoid antique malls, as the records are almost always multi-X higher priced than retail and usually in crap condition. And that's mostly the case at this antique mall as well. But this particular dealer has quality merchandise at competitive prices (i.e. a bit lower than local b&m's). I picked up a couple of other commodity items as well. I'll be back to this table again. Oh - a word about the cover. It's what we today call "cheesecake". And she's a pretty model. Just don't look too close under the arms...

Horsefeathers - Symphony for a Million Mice. USA-California (semi-archival)

This discovery from San Diego came about while I was researching a 45 that the band had released in 1975. In doing so, I had found far more music on YouTube, which all comes from this release. Once again, we have a band here in the US that toiled in the clubs and venues of the day, but are nothing but a distant memory for a faint few. For the most part this is progressive rock with a capital P, and follows the familiar path of Genesis, Yes, and Gentle Giant. The latter seemingly the primary influence here. They self-describe that they bring a large dose of humor as well. And for modern ears, that leads us to think of Canterbury, though the music lacks the jazzy insouciant melodies the genre calls for. 

The choice cuts are the longer ones naturally enough, and the two openers and closers provide plenty of great music, with complex compositions and rich instrumentation, in particular the synthesizer work. The strong beginning and ending approach is a winning formula as it grabs your attention up front and leaves you with a positive impression afterward. The 5 shorter middle tracks are hit and miss with 'Holes in Shangr-La' (sic), 'Odds (or Even Odder)', and 'Another Winter' coming in strong. 'Big Top Rock' and 'Midnight Grin' are rather silly, and are best avoided unless you're in the mood for cartoons.

Overall a fantastic new entry for the long buried American 1970s progressive rock library.

Ownership: CD-R: 2020 private. digi-file cover. You won't find this one in Discogs, ebay, or Amazon. Or RYM for that matter. You can buy it direct from the band, and you'll get a signed copy. They advertise it as a CD, but I had a feeling it would be a cd-r and my instincts proved correct. Even if I had asked them, they probably wouldn't have known the difference (per many experiences prior). It's not that expensive in any case. The other issue here is the date. You'll note I call it "semi-archival". The base music comes from demos from the 1970s (none are dated specifically, though we know the 45 of 'Midnight Grin' and 'Holes in Shangr-La' is from 1975). At some point in the near past (likely the 2010's), the group added instrumentation and vocals. It's hard to know what they've done, if much. It certainly sounds like it's from the 70s, and it's an excellent production overall. So one has to date it 2020, even though it's really a 70s release. You can order the CD-R, hear all the music, and read about the band here.

After the Fire - Signs of Change. 1978 England

I never believed them. Never believed who? The catalog dealers 25-30 years ago. They were the first to proclaim that After the Fire's debut album was progressive rock. In those days, sellers seemed desperate to make everything either psychedelic or progressive, when oftentimes they were neither. Not even close. So the group who put out 'Der Kommissar' were really a prog outfit? The track that pretty much defines the early 80s MTV sound? Oh stop.

They were a prog band. It's true. In fact, after hearing Signs of Change, I have no idea how they got from here to there. There seems to be no path forward - no "signs of change". On this debut, the only music that After the Fire was predicting was the rise of neo prog. Signs of Change is very much patterned after Hackett-era Genesis. It's not at that level, but the attempt is similar to some of the Continental European bands operating in this space during the same time, such as Saga (Netherlands), Neuschwanstein, and Ivory. Long tracks, complex compositions, full bodied instrumentation. Organ is the dominant instrument. What says the 80s like the Hammond organ, eh? About the only track that even hints After the Fire might be forward looking is 'Back to the Light'. If you stretch your ears behind your head, maybe. Easy recommendation for traditional progressive rock fans. And that's about it.

Ownership: CD: 2011 Angel Air. Recent online acquisition. Jewel case with detailed liner notes covering the history of the band up to this album. Also features 4 lengthy - and very good - bonus tracks. 3 are unique. Overall a superb presentation.

2021 Fusion / Jazz Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

The following came from another estate sale just a couple of weeks after the below, detailed primarily in the Funk / Soul journals (Mar):

Eddie Harris - Is It In. 1974 Atlantic (LP). I've run into this album a few times now between thrift shops and garage sales, but always took a pass. I thought it might be one of those silly funk albums ("Is it in?" hoho), and the resell value is pretty much nil. Ah what the heck - maybe it's a great jazz funk album after all. Ummm... no. But it's not what I thought either. In fact, it's kind of a weird album. Those opening electric sax notes from Harris reminded me of Tim Belbe's work with Xhol Caravan - maybe this is something? Unfortunately 'Funkaroma' lives up to its goofy name. In this album you'll hear jazz funk, straight jazz, experimental bits, and everything in between. And that can usually make for a great album in my world. But nothing really clicks here. There were no "let me hear that again" tracks. I've heard enough to keep exploring Harris, but I'm not holding onto this. 

---end of sale

The following all came from a great score of jazz funk LPs at an estate sale (Mar).

*Billy Cobham - Crosswinds. 1974 Atlantic (LP). Crosswinds is a strong jazz rock/fusion effort, at times recalling his work with Mahavishnu Orchestra. John Abercrombie is a force here, doing his best to rival McLaughlin. Fine horns from the Brecker Brothers and Garnett Brown on trombone. Mixes in some mellow moments to give the listener a breather. A tad generic for the style, but still on the plus side of the genre.

*Harold Alexander - Raw Root. 1974 Atlantic (LP). Of all the albums in the batch, this is the one that I was most curious about. An intriguing cover with the promise of a deep groove flute driven music. I have to admit I wasn't sold after Side 1. It starts off auspiciously enough with a funky bass on 'Down Home', and there's some fine moments on 'De Black Magician' and its postlude 'Lady Euphoria'. But the money side is the flip. 'Street Life' is freakout flute city and some fine guitar from Junior Hanson (yes, the same dude who released two Hendrix-y albums in the 70s on Manticore). This style continues throughout the side, pushing this one into ownership category.

*Deodato 2. 1973 CTI (LP). Last year I picked up the promo 45 of 'Super Strut' at an estate sale, and was subsequently blown away. This has an even longer version of the cut. For all the rarities we constantly dig up, sometimes the best underground sounds can be found on a platinum seller. Guitarist John Tropea is absolutely on fire here. It's like the first Chicago Transit Authority and Isaac Hayes' Shaft, in that these mainstream albums have more freakouts per minute than is expected. I've enjoyed the more even popular Prelude for some years now, but Deodato 2 is actually better in my estimation. It's a misnomer by the way. Eumir Deodato's album output goes back to the mid 60s Bossa Nova scene while still living in Brazil. But most folks only know him for his association with a one Creed Taylor. My only wish is that Deodato would compose his own songs. 'Super Strut' is one. The other is the fantastic 'Skyscrapers' which also features Tropea going wild. Then we get the cover tunes. My problem with Deodato's covers is they are too familiar. He would be better served rearranging more obscure cuts. But no one can claim Deodato for not coming up with inventive arrangements. 'Nights in White Satin' also has a killer guitar mid-section that you would never have a chance to hear from the Moodies. Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' - which I always associate with United Airlines - is also much juiced up. The other track is a classical cover of a Ravel composition - is very stately - and somewhat out of place. Speaking of large ensembles, a cast of thousands played on this album. Comes in a nice gatefold. If you never thought to buy this - do so - it costs less than a hamburger, and I promise it will last longer.

---end estate sale (Mar)

*Joe Henderson - Black is the Color. 1972 Milestone (LP). With the Lateef's (Jan). The opener 'Terra Firma' gets things going in a positive way with a deep funk track, and a killer groove. Very Miles Davis like, substituting the trumpet for Henderson's sax. Special mention goes to David Horowitz's synthesizer, which interestingly recalls the Love Cry Want album. 'Vis-a-Vis' is the requisite hard bop number. Side B opens with an intense hypnotic groove. But alas 'Foregone Conclusion' is only five minutes long, and should have gone on for another 15. The title track provides the noirish soft piece. The closer deviates from the formula, as 'Current Events' is an experimental composition. Fine in theory, but it's pretty noisy to be honest.

Yusef Lateef - 10 Years Hence. 1975 Atlantic (LP). With the other Lateef (Jan). More Lateef, which I'm looking forward to. This title is a bit too standards/trad for me. More in sound than actual tuneage. Most of these are originals, with some stretched out pieces from his late 1950s past. The opener is the most interesting for me, with its trance like flute passages. A fine jazz album, but I can't keep them all. 

Yusef Lateef - Blues for the Orient. 1974 Fantasy (2xLP). Thrift shop find (Jan). This double LP set is a compilation and remaster of 2 albums: Eastern Sounds (1961) and The Sounds of Yusef from the Yusef Lateef Quintet (1957). It's an odd pairing as they don't really have a similar sound. As you may recall, Lateef is new to me, having found his 1969 Detroit album in RT's collection. Eastern Sounds has a cool mellow vibe. The Sounds of Yusef is very early in Lateef's career as a band leader. It is - as you might imagine - more trad jazz. There's some interesting avant garde ideas here, but for the most part the music moves away from where my interest in jazz lies. Of course it's very good for what it is, so don't pass up a chance to hear it if standard 50s jazz pushes your buttons. 

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Funk / Soul Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

45's from the RT collection (Mar):

Brenton Wood - A Change is Gonna Come / Where Were You. 1969 Double Shot (SP). A couple of years ago I picked an earlier Brenton Wood 45 out of a large sale. I kept that one. This one is too commercially oriented for my tastes. A) side is pure soul while the b) side is towards r'n'b. 

Mother Earth - Mother Earth / I Did My Part. 1968 Mercury promo (SP). Another band that I'm entirely unfamiliar with, but probably have run across their albums at some point. This is from their debut album. The b) side is my idea of what commercial soul funk sounds like, though still pretty far from my personal interest area. The namesake track is hardcore blues, too much so for my liking. 

Lenny Welch ‎- You Can't Run Away / Halfway To Your Arms. 1968 Mercury promo (SP). Kind of a lounge pop thing similar to Tom Jones and Paul Anka. I wonder if Welch had a hairy chest too? He's African-American, so he naturally gets lumped in with the soul crowd, but that's not really what this is. I actually kind of like music such as this, brings back memories of my early childhood. But not enough to keep mind you.

---end RT

The Fatback Band - Night Fever. 1976 Spring/Polydor (LP). Same sale as below (Mar). Some of you may recall my post last year on Raising Hell, an album I picked up from a Catholic charity (lol). From that I wrote: "I've said it before, and will continue to say it, I don't intrinsically have an issue with disco music... Most disco tends to be soul music with a steady 4/4 beat and soaring strings. Not for me. But some disco comes out of funk, specifically hard rocking funk, with excellent tight horn charts and electric guitars. Now we're talking." I then proceeded to discuss why I enjoyed that particular album. You can read more about it there. Night Fever more or less abandoned all other styles to focus strictly on the dance floor. They still bring a large talented band, but much of it is lost in repetitiveness and 4/4 beats. The song titles give the game away. Along with the title track you have 'A Little Funky Dance', 'Disco Crazy', 'The Booty', and 'No More Room for Dancing'. It gets old after awhile. The one exception would be 'The Joint' which recalls Raising Hell's hard funk. Worth a couple of bucks to hear anyway, and it's not bad all things considered. And how about that white panties cover? The late 70s....

The Brothers Johnson - Look Out For #1. 1976 A&M (LP). From an estate sale (Mar). When I first started listening to FM radio in earnest in 1977, their version of 'Strawberry Letter 23' was a secret favorite. Even today when I hear it at a store or in a restaurant, it puts a smile on my face. Look Out For #1 is the album prior and is the brother's debut, which I figured would be even better. As they might say in the Minnesota Nice vernacular "Yea No". This is way too commercially oriented for my tastes, and belongs more to soul than hard or jazz funk. There are two instrumentals on Side 1 that are pretty good, but nothing really stood out even there. One of those albums where I find myself saying it's good for what it is. I say that a lot about Country albums too. I still want to find the album with 'Strawberry Letter 23' though. I'm sure I will (and I did later that year - Shuggie Otis).

*Grant Smith and The Power - Thinkin' About You / You Got What I Want. 1968 MGM promo (SP). From the RT collection (Feb). Soul music of course, of which I do enjoy some. I like the horns, organ, and funky rhythms. But this is mostly vocal gospel inspired pop on top of that. Might have been something I would have held onto - but not at its going rate (well after trying to sell it to no buyers, I decided to keep - but I'll eventually part with it).

*Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby (short and long versions). 1975 Oasis (SP). Interesting on how I acquired this one. I found a pretty rare 45 in a buy 1-for-a-dollar-and-get-9 free bin at Independent (Feb). So I just grabbed nine 45s that had good looking plain white sleeves to cover some of the RT 45s that didn't have any cover for. You can't even buy plain sleeves for 10 cents each, so what a deal. And this was one of them. Oh cool - I remember this of course from my youth. For a good church girl, this track sure does ooze sex - more so than just about anything as mainstream as this. Honestly this song has only gotten better with age. What a performance!

Earth, Wind & Fire - That's the Way of the World. 1975 Columbia (LP). Thrift shop find (Jan). The big hits here are 'Shining Star' and the title track, but I found all the tracks satisfying on some level. They're great songwriters and the instrumentation is full bodied. I did want a bit more from this one, as it's fairly superficial on the whole.

* - Keeping for the collection