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Sensation’s Fix – Portable Madness (1974)
17 Oct
“Man if i didn’t know these guys were from Italy i’d swear they were from Germany.As hdfisch says there is a definite “krautrock attitude” with their style of play.The songs all blend together, and it’s an all instrumental affair.There are synths galore on this album and they sound so beautiful,in fact i thought that they must use mellotron,but it’s actually eminant(string organ).The guitar is very upfront the way i like it,as is the bass.By the way the bass player Richard Ursillo also played bass for CAMPO DI MARTE under the name Paul Richard(thankyou Tom Ozric). “Smooth And Round” sounds very cool with the bass lines and the spacey string organ.Guitar 2 minutes in starts to solo over top. “Fullglast” opens with some dark but tasteful guitar as bass throbs and drums pound.The guitar starts to light it up 1 1/2 minutes in.It stops a minute later as synths take over.Bass and drums continue. “Phase One And Phase Two” opens with aggressive guitar as bass and drums continue.Synths and string organ follow when the guitar stops.Nice bass before 2 minutes.Lots of bottom end 2 1/2 minutes in, then guitar returns followed by synths again.Great sound after 3 1/2 minutes as the synths and guitar lead the way. “Underwater” is led by synths throughout, although the guitar comes in soaring over top 2 minutes in.The guitar style changes before 3 1/2 minutes,the song ends with solo synths. “The Next Place Of Nobody” is quite spacey with lots of atmosphere. “Pasty Day Resistance” reminds me of TANGERINE DREAM.Bass and synths lead the way.Some nice drumming before 2 minutes followed by some excellent guitar that grinds away.Great tune. “Leave My Chemistry Alone” has this cool melody to start with then guitar comes in around a minute, but it’s brief as synths dominate the rest of the song. “Strange About The Hands” is a much spacier soundscape without any beat or rhythm until after minute in when bass and drums come in.It gets louder, and the synths get more intense 2 1/2 minutes in. Guitar arrives 3 minutes in. “Relative Jump Into Water” is very calm and spacey.Like waves of synths in an almost haunting soundscape. I wish they would remaster this record,the sound isn’t terrible but it is a little muddy.A must for krautrock fans. ” – Mellotron Storm – ProgArchives
- Keith Edwards / drums, percussion
- Franco Falsini / acoustic & electric guitars, synthesizers
- Richard Ursillo / bass, bass pedals
1. Smooth and round
2. Fullglast
3. Phase one and phase two
4. Underwater
5. The next place of nobody
6. Party day resistance
7. Leave my chemistry alone
8. Strange about the hands
9. Relative jump into water
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Birth Control – Count On Dracula! (1980)
16 Oct
“BIRTH CONTROL were formed at the end of sixties. In those early years they played hybrid jazz rock compositions, mainly instrumental. They recorded their first album for Metronome bringing to the fore an accent for humour and provoking thoughts (the name of the band and the album cover illustrate it as well). Their second album “Operation” shows a great improvement in sound, a kind of heavy rock based sound with subtle jazzy arrangements. This album had a great success for the Ohr label (specialised to promote the rise of the German underground rock scene). In 1972, “Believe InThe Pill” was also released for Ohr. After several replacements, the quintet recorded “Rebirth”, a progressive heavy rock album. In 1976, “Blackdoor Possibilities” was a commercial failure due to a more mainstream sound and the inclusion of more jazz elements. “Increase” recorded in 1977 marked a return to the hard rock source. BIRTH CONTROL come back to light in the 90s for many reunion albums as “Jungle Life” or “Two Worlds”.” – Philippe Blache
- Bruno Frenzel / guitars, backing vocals
- Wolfgang Horn / keyboards, backing vocals
- Bernd Noske / lead vocals, f/x, percussion
- Horst Stachelhaus / bass
- Manfred von Bohr / drums
1. Count on Dracula (6:16)
2. The rescue – sometimes in the future (6:37)
3. Sad fan (6:27)
4. Pick on me (6:25)
5. Caterpillar (5:07)
6. Limelight (3:52)
7. Witchhunters (4:05)
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Timothy Leary & Ash Ra Tempel – Seven Up (1973)
16 Oct
“This album features none other than Timothy Leary, the famous LSD guru! He was in exile in Switzerland, and in fact, ASH RA TEMPEL had to record this album in Switzerland because Leary would have been arrested if he ended up in Germany. Anyway, this album really was done under the influence of LSD. Leary would spike the cans of 7-Up that the band members would drink with LSD, and then let them play. The first half of the album featured a bunch of blues songs, but never let that deceive you! After only a couple minutes, all hell breaks loose with the most relentless electronic effects that jut won’t let up! Every time you think the band is starting to rock out or play the blues, it goes right back to LSD land just that fast! The second half of the album is more conventional ASH RA TEMPEL, keeping with the early ’70s Krautrock sound (reminding me of early TANGERINE DREAM). Grossly underrated stuff, as far as I’m concerned.” – ProgHead
- Timothy Leary / voice
- Manuel Göttsching / guitar, electronics
- Hartmut Enke / bass, guitar, electronics
- Michael Duwe / voice, flute
- Portia Nkomo / voice dubbed during the mix
- Steve Schroeder / organ, electronics
- Dietmar Burmeister / drums
- Tommy Engel / drums dubbed during the mix
- Klaus D. Mueller / tambourine
- Dieter Dierks / synthesizer dubbed during the mix
- Brian Barritt, Liz Elliot, Bettina Hohls / voices
1. Space (15:55)
- a. Downtown
- b. Power Drive
- c. Right Hand Lover
- d. Velvet Genes
2. Time (21:37) (Live from the Bern Festival)
- a. Timeship
- b. Neuron
- c. She
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Strawbs – Ghosts (1975)
9 Oct
“Probably the most under-rated Strawbs album, “Ghosts” was certainly not nearly as successful as it should have been commercially.The numerous line up changes which seemed to be a feature of just about every album appeared to give the band fresh impetus each time, thus “Ghosts” had a great diversity of music, from almost fragile beauty, to very powerful pomposity.The opening (title) track is similar in structure to “Autumn” which opened the previous album, “Hero and Heroine”. It is however much darker, and heavier reflecting the “nightmare” lyrics. The three parts flow together seamlessly, with a menacing nightmare sequence before cumulating in the melodic awakening.”The life auction” has some excellent guitar riffs, the track building quickly from the “Visions of Southall from the train” prelude, an odd multi tracked Betjamin like recital of poetry describing a less than scenic portrait of this area of West London. As the short narrative ends, Dave Cousins bursts in, his full voice almost a-cappella, the awesome power of the band only arriving for the instrumental verses. The song is bombastic, acidic, and certainly one of the most powerful pieces the band has ever done. Think along the lines of the “New world” track performed at double the speed. For the middle section, the track enters a mellower phase, with cascading keyboards and soft guitar, before returning for a magnificent climactic ending. Surely one of the Strawbs most under appreciated tracks in their entire catalogue.With these two tracks (“Ghosts” and “The life Auction”), alone running to over 15 minutes, the band were moving further and further from their folk roots, in to superb melodic prog.
The final two tracks are somewhat softer, “You and I” is a lovely soft atmospheric piece reflecting on younger days. It builds subtly to a beautifully harmonic middle section. “Grace Darling” you either love or you hate, there really is no middle ground here. With its choir backing and swirling keyboards I love it, even if the lyrics are a bit on the soppy side!A great album which probably demands more attention than any other Strawbs release. I say this because it is not as immediately accessible as much of the Strawbs output; that in many ways is what makes it so appealing. ” – Easy Livin – ProgArchives
- Dave Cousins / vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, recorder
- Dave Lambert / vocals, electric & acoustic guitar
- John Hawken / piano, electric piano, Harpsichord, Mellotron, Moog synth, Hammond organ, pipe organ
- Chas Cronk / bass, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Rod Coombes / drums, congas, percussion, backing vocals
With:
- Claire Deniz / cello
1. Ghosts: Sweet Dreams; Night Light; Guardian Angel (8:33)
2. Lemon Pie (4:01)
3. Starshine / Angel Wine (5:15)
4. Where Do You Go (When You Need A Hole To Crawl In) (3:02)
5. The Life Auction: Impressions Of Southall From The Train; The Auction (6:53)
6. Don’t Try To Change Me (4:28)
7. Remembering (1:00)
8. You And I (When We Were Young) (4:00)
9. Grace Darling (3:55)
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Frame – Frame Of Mind (1972)
9 Oct
“FRAME was a German band formed in the early 1970′s by Andy KIRNBERGER [guitars, vocals, piano], Cherry HOCHDöRFER [keyboards], Peter LOTZ [bass, vocals, percussion], Dieter BECKER [vocals, percussion] and Wolfgang CLAUS [drums, percussion]. In 1972, they released their debut album, ‘Frame of Mind’, produced by the infamous krautrock producer Dieter Dierks.
The band was short-lived– ‘Frame of Mind’ was to be their only album, and the 5-piece dissolved soon afterward. However, unlike many other bands of the period, a few of the members continued playing music; both Hochdörfer and Claus appear on fellow Marburg band PELL MELL’s 1978 effort ‘Only a Star’.
Stylistically, FRAME is a fair representation of the wild jamming of Krautrock but the influence is based on heavy psychedelic bands as IRON BUTTERFLY, VANILLA FUDGE and DEEP PURPLE. A slant towards a heavier sound is tempered by a healthy dose of keyboards: the organ, piano, mellotron and spinet all credited to various band members. A pleasant alternative from Deutschland for fans of the heavy progressive/psychedelic sound.” – The Whistler
Andy Kirnberger / guitars, vocals, piano
Cherry Hochdorfer / organ, piano, mellotron, spinet
Peter Lotz / bass, vocals, percussion
Dieter Becker / vocals, percussion
Wolfgang Claus / drums, percussion
1. Frame of Mind (4:08)
2. Crusical Scene (3:56)
3. All I Really Want Explain (11:15)
4. If (5:07)
5. Winter (5:35)
6. Penny for an Old guy (3:10)
7. Childrens Freedom (2:31)
8. Truebsal (0:18)
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Sensations’ Fix – Flyng Tapes (1978)
8 Oct
“Sensations’ Fix never quite reached the same level of acclaim enjoyed by fellow Italian Prog rockers PFM, Banco, or Le Orme (to name only a few), but their relative obscurity within the greater Prog pantheon might simply be a matter of underexposure: Italy was a hothouse of musical creativity in the 1970s, and during their all-too brief heyday the Fix released something less than a handful of recordings, few of them outside their native country and none following the standard classical/symphonic template then in vogue.
Clearly here’s a band in desperate need of a belated reappraisal, and this 1978 “best of” compilation is, without question, the best place to start. For newcomers the album provides a perfect introduction to the distinctive Fix sound, with a fairly representative selection of tracks drawn from each of their five previous albums, all released between 1974 and 1977. And for already confirmed fans it offers the added bonus of being entirely remixed, dramatically eliminating the low-tech, kitchen sink sound of the original home-produced LPs.” – Neu!mann – ProgArchives
- Keith Edwards / drums
- Franco Falsini / vocals, guitars
- Stephen Head / keyboards, synths
- Richard Ursillo / bass
1. Fragments of light (3:30)
2. Music is painting in the air (3:27)
3. Leave my chemistry alone (4:02)
4. Strange about the hands (3:00)
5. Cold nose story (4:22)
6. Boat of madness (5:36)
7. Fleetwood trip L-track (2:15)
8. Warped notions of a practical joke (4:18)
9. Faux batard (3:15
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Flax – One (1976)
2 Oct
“Reissue of 1976 killer heavy progressive rock album from Norway that was originally on Vertigo. Loaded with mellotrons and superb guitar work this release is similar in places to bands like Weed, Gracious and Czar, the overall effect being epic and heavy yet retaining a melodic edge. A great album.”
Hermod Falch – lead vocals (1-2)
John Hesla – guitars, flute
Lars Hesla – keyboards
Arve Sakariassen – bass
Bruce Rasmussen – drums
1. Demon In Your Heart 4:02
2. The Way Here 3:47
3. Have You Seen My Friend 3:24
4. Hell On Earth 3:12
5. Wanna Rock You 2:22
6. Pain In The Arse 3:04
7. Clever Man 2:54
8. Crusaders 3:55
9. Leaving Home 2:53
10. Mirrors 4:18
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Procession – Frontiera (1972)
2 Oct
“A lesser known act among the Italian prog bands of the 70′s and formed in early 1972 in Turin,PROCESSION were an idea of singer Gianfranco Gaza.In April 1972 the band started to perform in local base,but the next month, with the help of artistic director Tuccimei Pino,they found themselves unsigned but performing before 50000 people (!) at the biggest rock event of Italy,the Villa Pamphili Festival.In October PROCESSION move to Rome and record their debut ”Procession” within a week,distributed by the smaller label of RCA,Help.This is a great find for lovers of guitar-driven hard prog,as the band features two talented guitarists (Roby Munciguerra,Marcelo Capra),though it contains a few suprises as well.Plenty of hard guitar breaks,some nice soloing but also a few dual guitar attacks makes ”Frontiera” a classic rock release presented under a progressive scope.When Munciguerra and Capra put the electric stuff down,then they handle their majestic acoustic instruments (among them some mandolin parts) to color the album with Mediterranean soundscapes and a more traditional/Italian musicianship.Surprisingly in ”Incontro” there are also some nice and delicate flutes,while the following ”Anche io sono un uomo” contains a fair amount of melodic mellotron,getting close to the more typical sound of Italian prog!I won’t forget about Gaza,who has a sharp and rockin’ voice,making overall an impressive performance,often doubled by Munciguerra in a few choir-like harmonies.Despite the almost fuzzy guitars and its pure power,”Frontiera” has a good balance between raw passages and melodic lines and the acoustic parts add a touch of originality on this album.Recommended mostly for fans of dynamic heavy prog with an undenieable Mediterranean approach. ” – psarros – ProgArchives
- Gianfranco Gaza / vocals, mouth harp
- Roby Munciguerra / guitar
- Marcello Capra / guitar
- Angelo Girardi / bass, mandolin
- Giancarlo Capello / drums, percussion
1. Ancora una notte
2. Uomini e illusioni
3. Citta grande
4. Incontra
5. Anche io sono un uomo
6. Un mondo di liberta
7. Solo
8. Un’ombra che vaga
9. Solo 2
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Area – Are(A)zione (1975)
2 Oct
“The Italian founding band Area in 1975 produced Are(A)zione, one of the more important live albums from Italy. That this band is a Communist band is clear. But if you don’t have problems with the political influence and inclinations in musical field Area is a fundamental band. So this live is a great document. The music is a collection of great songs..” – Ely78-ProgArchives
“The fourth work released in 1975 is a live album “Are(A)zione”. Vocal of sexy, overwhelming Demetrio Stratos and a dynamic performance are terrific. The performance it keeps powerful and with the speed, too makes one of the all-time best live bands AREA actually feel it. Pay attention to the organ of Demetrio Stratos. Patrizio Fariselli munches an apple by opening about La mela di Odessa” – braindamage-ProgArchives
- Giulio Capiozzo / drums and percussion
- Patrizio Fariselli / electric & acoustic pianos, bass clarinet, percussion, synths
- Demetrio Stratos / vocals, organ, percussion
- Ares Tavolazzi / electric & acoustic basses, trombone, pocket trumpet
- Paolo Tofani / electric guitar, synths
1. Luglio, agosto, settembre (5:41)
2. La mela di Odessa (11:05)
3. Cometa rossa (6:00)
4. Are(A)zione (15:00)
5. L’Internazionale (4:00)
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Warhorse – Warhorse (1970)
1 Oct
“The group was formed around Nicky Simper unfairly dismissed from Deep Purple, and he got some help from record executives. And unfortunately this dismissal will hover over the group’s short recording career. Holt, who will go on as the singer on Wakeman 80′s albums, provides solid vocals is the main asset for the band although Wilson’s sometimes double KB attack (piano-organ) on Solitude is clearly a plus also.An excellent Hammond-driven hard rock sometimes reminiscent of Vanilla Fudge, but never far away from Purple either, their dynamic but derivative songwriting is both a strength and a weakness in that they will never really manage their own sound. See the second track No Chance and Ritual (a rip-off of Wring That Neck but as if done by the Mk II line-up of Purple) for the all-too-obvious Purple influences. They will obviously try out for commercial success with St Louis cover (actually it sold fairly well as a single) , but the highlight of the album is the closing Woman of The Devil with the Hammond wailing in the pure Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) style, before Holt taking over a funky bass then a Lord-Blackmore exchange again reminiscent of you-know-who!Representative of the average hard rock developed at the time, this first album is definitely not essential but should be in most 70′s prog fan’s shelves!” – Sean Trane – ProgArchives
- Ashley Holt / vocals
- Ged Peck / guitar
- Mac Poole / drums
- Nick Simper / bass
- J. Frank Wilson / keyboards
- Frank Wilson / organ, piano
1. Vulture Blood (6:13)
2. No Chance (6:22)
3. Burning (6:17)
4. St. Louis (3:50)
5. Ritual (4:54)
6. Solitude (8:48)
7. Woman of the Devil (7:16)
8. Ritual [live/*] (5:06)
9. Miss Jane [*/demo version] (3:37)
10. Solitude [live/*] (4:52)
11. Woman of the Devil [live/*] (6:45)
12. Burning [live/*] (6:09)
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The Cosmic Jokers – The Cosmic Jokers (1974)
12 Sep
“In the spring of 73, Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser, one of the leading promoters of Krautrock, brought musicians from Ash Ra Tempel and Wallenstein together for a couple of impromptu jams. He recorded and released those sessions without ever consulting or paying any of the musicians involved. Needless to say, they were very displeased. It’s a well known anecdote that Göttsching first heard the album in a record shop and had to ask what was playing. Also Schulze overtly disowns the albums stating that these sessions were never intended for release.
The artists’ objections are entirely justified, but for the fans of cosmic rock this project is a gift from heaven, or rather, from deep space. The quality of the albums is very high and it’s a delight hearing those musicians run wild with ideas without worrying for a second about the commercial potential of the material. Total freedom, resulting in one of the strongest ‘out-there’ recordings of the 70s.The self-titled Cosmic Jokers album was the first album released and is generally regarded as the best. Which is only logical as Kaiser sure wanted to select the strongest cuts for the first release, the two ensuing albums are not far behind though. The 4th and 5th albums are no real Cosmic Joker album but compilations from various artist of Kaiser’s record labels.The album consists of two lengthy jams split into 5 tracks. The Cosmic Joke jam is a masterpiece of space-rock, a unique acid trip that has enough groove and melody to make it an engaging listen. The second track is a lot weirder, darker and more abstract, but even without clear melodic or rhythmic patterns, it’s still a feast of guitar effect, phasing and reverb.Despite its questionable origins, this is an essential album in the cosmic division of Krautrock. Obviously recommended for fans of Ash Ra Tempel and early Schulze, Cluster, Ummagumma-era Floyd and Tangerine Dream’s so-called ‘Pink’ years. ” – Bonnek – ProgArchives
- Dieter Dierks / bass
- Jürgen Dollase / keyboards, vocals
- Manuel Göttsching / electric guitar
- Harlad Großkopf / drums
- Klaus Schulze / synthesizers
1. Galactic joke (22:38)
2. Cosmic joy (19:24)
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Pink Floyd – Obscured By Clouds (1972)
10 Sep
“An unsung hero of the Pink Floyd discography this album stands alone better than they had done before it. You do not have to watch the film to appreciate this fine album, or even think of it as a soundtrack because the songwriting, musicianship and lyrics are perfect from start too finish.The heavier songs The Gold It’s In The… and When You’re In are not typical floyd but Gilmour’s guitars on the tracks are perfect and rare gems for anybody who is a fan of his guitar work. The album really is a prelude to the Darkside of The Moon you really can hear throughout these guys finally clicking together as we had briefly glimpsed on Meddle we see them in full flow on this album.This album is also one of the finest performances Richard Wright ever gave, his vocals on Burning Bridges and Stay and his amazing keyboards on Mudmen and mystical use of the VCS3 synthesiser on the title track add so much atmosphere to the album and showing how much Rick Wright is a defining part of Floyd and was really beginning to re-establish himself in the band.Overall this album features every aspect of Floyds music we had seen on the first albums and every aspect we would see in the next few albums, hard rock songs, ballads, a country/folk influenced Roger Waters song (similar to San Tropez from Meddle) in Free Four and the highlight of the album, a classic prog song in Childhoods End, which really is a forgotten classic of not just Pink Floyd but all progressive music. ” – Topographicbroadways – ProgArchives
- David Gilmour / guitars, vocals
- Nick Mason / drums
- Roger Waters / bass, vocals
- Richard Wright / keyboards
1. Obscured by Clouds (Instrumental) (3:05)
2. When You’re In (2:31)
3. Burning Bridges (3:30)
4. Gold It’s in the… (3:08)
5. Wot’s… Uh the Deal (5:09)
6. Mudmen (Instrumental) (4:18)
7. Childhood’s End (4:33)
8. Free Four (4:16)
9. Stay (4:07)
10. Absolutely Curtains (Instrumental) (5:51)
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Quintessence – Quintessence (1970)
10 Sep
“A superior follow-up to their debut ‘In Blissful Company’, this self-titled effort sees Notting Hill’s Quintessence expand upon their exotic raga-rock sound with layers of guitars, drums, sitars and a slighly more progressive lilt. Some may find the quasi-religious mumblings a tad unbearable, and some of band-leader Raja Ram’s rather indulgent noodlings do sometimes hinder the otherwise fluid acid rock, but it’s all part-and-parcel of this quirky group’s appeal. Imagine Hawkwind on valium and with acoustic guitars and tabla’s instead of electric instruments and you get the picture, except Quintessence sport a slightly more refined musical style. Both of the group’s first two albums are well worth checking out, especially for fans of Jade Warrior, Clark Hutchinson’s ‘A=Mh2′ and ethnic krautrockers Yatha Sidhra, and despite the fairly laughable hippie-dippie lyrics, the sounds of offer here are genuinely progressive in their execution and the instrumentation richly-textured in it’s attempt to re-produce the exotic sounds of India and beyond.” – Stefro – ProgArchives
- Shambhu Babaji / bass, acoustic guitar
- Dave Codling / rhythm guitar
- Shiva Shankar Jones / lead vocals, keyboards, hand drums
- Jake Milton / drums, percussion
- Alan Mostert / acoustic & elelectric guitars, bass
- Raja Ram / flute, percussion, bells
1. Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Gauranga
2. Sea of immortality
3. High on Mt. Kailash
4. Burning bush
5. Shiva’s chant
6. Prisms
7. Twilight zones
8. Maha mantra
9. Only love
10. St. Pancras
11. Infinitus
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Calliope – La Terra Dei Grandi Occhi (1992)
10 Sep
“The sound from this italian five piece band delights me from the very first moment: dazzling runs on the Minimoog synthesizer, floods of Hammond organ, majestic Mellotron waves and warm vocals. The tracks “Non ci credo piu”, “Lunario” and “Passi dentro il tempo” are fluent tracks featuring powerful play on the guitar and keyboards. More mellow are the songs “Avalon” and “L’anima del cielo” delivering dreamy guitar and compelling organ and Mellotron waves, dynamic drums and emotional vocals. My highlight is the long composition “Pensieri affascinatti”: Banks-like organ work, a break with fiery electric guitar and a lush grand finale, layered with vintage keyboards. A pleasant final song is “Mellotronmania”, the name of the title speaks for itselfs, MELLOTRON SOUNDS!! Another strong effort from an Italian band, FORZA ITALIA! ” – Erik Neuteboom – ProgArchives
- Massimo Berruti / lead vocals
- Gianni Catalano / drums
- Rinaldo Doro / keyboards
- Mario Guadagnin / guitar (acoustic 6 & 12 string, electric, vocals
- Enzo Martin / bass
1. La Terra dei Grandi Occhi (8:35)
2. Non si Credo più (5:03)
3. Lunario (3:54)
4. Pensieri Affascinanti (8:54)
5. Passi Dentro il Tempo (4:24)
6. Avalon (4:18)
7. L’Anima del Cielo (6:49)
8. Mellotronmania (1:32)
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Black Widow – Return To The Sabbat (1969)
8 Sep
“Black Widow may be 70s rock legend most undervalued but don’t forget that they remain true pionners in term of obscure, evil influences in popular & rock music. Musically it’s certainly not Heavy metal…their sound is more a kind of late 60s powerful rock with an obvious progressive and medieval flavor. We can hear a lot of organ, flute, sax…put together to create a very dark music which was quiet unusual at this time. The tiltle track is a funny incantatory hymn to the sabbat…I consider this album as their best. It’s by far better than their more conventional “IV”. Prog and 70s rock lovers can’t be disappointed!” – philippe-ProgArchives
- Jim Gannon / lead guitar, vibes, spanish guitar
- Zoot Taylor / organ, piano
- Kip Trevor / lead vocals
- Kay Garret / lead vocals
- Clive Jones / flute, saxophone, clarinet
- Bob Bond / bass guitar
- Clive Box / drums & percussion
1. In ancient days (9:28)
2. Way to power (4:08)
3. Come to the sabbat (4:11)
4. Conjuration (5:53)
5. Seduction (4:41)
6. Attack of the demon (3:57)
7. Sacrifice (10:48)
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Quatermass – Quatermass (1970)
4 Sep
“Quatermass is one of the myth of the seventies subterrean scene, even because at the time they sold very little and so they couldn’t bring out another albums after their self-titled debut. It was a pity, because they certainly had talent and not receiving a prize for their efforts must have been degreeding. Later, this created quite a hype among prog fans, who eventually recovered it from the mould and gave it the attention it deserved. Many have then hailed this record as a masterpiece, sometimes claiming the band’s outstanting superiority on Emerson Lake & Palmer, who gained an extremely wider success in the same era with an analog line up (bass and vocals- keyboards- drums) and playing ideas. I’d just say that Quatermass is surely a good album, but I would not exactly agree with its milestone fame. There are certainly good ideas and undeniable technical skills, especially for the keyboard player- Peter Robinson- and the drummer- Mick Underwood. There are good songs such as Post war Saturnday Post- which seems a traditional blues number, but it’s torn apart by Robinson’s weird and alienaiting solos, from the majestic introduction to the robotic, synthetized sounds in the ending. Gustafson seems overall quite attached to blues canons in singing- just check out Up on the ground and Gemini, he fills the verses with high pitched, rough shoutings- but the compositions are made precious by the band’s jams, and again- Robinson and Underwood are the protagonists in this domain. The record even contains a couple of short numbers: the catchy and nice Black Sheep of the family and the relaxing, string-wrapped Good Lord knows, and even Entropy, which opens and closes the album in an unearthly atmosphere. Sadly enough the instrumental jam of Laughin’ Tackle seems quite too untidy and messy to endure the challange of time, revolving on itself without finding any clear idea to work on. A good debut, but the group was still trying to find its own style, and it’s sad they were not given the possibilities to do it, because they would probably had come out with some more surprising and homogeneous records. However they proved their worth working as session men for many other artists, and their talent became widely recognized. Quatermass remains a very good record to listen to, particularly if you can appreciate a good and original keyboard style. ” – Charterhouser – ProgArchives
- John Gustafson / bass, vocals
- Peter Robinson / keyboards
- Mick Underwood / drums
1. Entropy (1:10)
2. Black sheep in the family (3:36)
3. Post war Saturday echo (9:42)
4. Good Lord knows (2:54)
5. Up on the ground (7:08)
6. Gemini (5:54)
7. Make up your mind (8:44)
8. Laughing tackle (10:35)
9. Entropy (0:40)
10. One blind mice (3:15)
11. Punting (7:09)
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Fabrizio De Andre – In Concerto with PFM Vol 1 – 2 (1979/1980)
3 Sep
“One of the best-kept secrets among cognoscenti of classic Italian Prog is the existence of these 1979/1980 live recordings by singer-songwriter Fabrizio De André, arranged and performed by the legendary PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI, and to these ears maybe the unrecognized pinnacle of the entire PFM catalogue. The band was performing back-up duties for the popular acoustic folk guitarist, but make no mistake: this is a PFM album in all but name, and the fact that it was never released outside Italy is a tragedy worthy of a Giuseppe Verdi libretto.Be careful, however: the music has little relation to the more Anglo-influenced early Prog masterpieces of “Per Un Amico” or “L’Isole di Niente”. PFM was at the time in the process of rediscovering its long-dormant Italian roots (after releasing the underrated, transitional “Passpartù” album), and this collaboration offered the group an ideal vehicle for their cultural rehabilitation. De André made his reputation writing songs falling (mostly) on the sunnier side of Mediterranean pop, and even after being revamped for a band once favorably compared to the first King Crimson his music remained so typically Italian you could sprinkle on a little olive oil and serve it with red wine.PFM also boasted a new (and improved?) line-up to mark their homecoming, minus vocalist Bernardo Lanzetti but joined for the first time by Lucio “Violino” Fabbri, and with Flavio Premoli sharing keyboard duties with Roberto Columbo (an accomplished Progger himself: I recall owning one of his solo albums once upon a time). Everyone plays with an energy and enthusiasm rarely heard on even the best of the group’s studio albums, from Premoli’s nimble solo spot on the concert opener “Bocca di Rosa” to an absolutely ferocious and emotional electric guitar solo by Franco Mussida on “Amico Fragile”, the most obviously Progressive song here and clearly the high point of the entire album.Elsewhere the mood is set by De André’s rolling acoustic guitar and romantic baritone croon. Never mind the language barrier: his voice is music enough on its own, whether in the more intimate setting of “Guigno ’73″ (featuring a beautiful fretless electric bass intro by Patrick Djivas) or kicking out the jams in the Italian hoedown “Zirichiltaggia”, and the equally infectious “Il Pescatore”. The latter has to be one of the most cheerful sing-a-longs ever written about (I was surprised to finally learn) a fugitive killer: see Andrea’s previous review for more narrative details.Purists may complain about the lack of mellotrons. But this is an indispensable album for Italian music enthusiasts in general and PFM fans in particular, and despite my conservative rating it will always be for me a 5-star sentimental favorite. Why? Because it marked the end of a fruitful decade for an influential band before they fell (for a long time) into relative obscurity and creative torpor. And because I stupidly sold my original LP after jumping on the post-Punk bandwagon in the early 1980s, only to rediscover it (maybe the same copy) almost 15 years later and 2500 miles down the road.A second volume (from the same shows) followed in 1980. ” -Neu!mann – ProgArchives
- Fabrizio De Andrè / vocals, acoustic guitar
- Franz Di Cioccio / drums, percussions
- Patrick Djivas / bass
- Franco Mussida / electric guitar, acoustic guitars, vocals
- Flavio Premoli / keyboards, vocals
- Roberto Colombo / keyboards, percussions, vocals
- Lucio “Violino” Fabbri / fiddle, percussions
- Vol 1
1. Bocca di Rosa (4:40)
2. Andrea (5:30)
3. Giugno ’73 (4:32)
4. Un giudice (3:37)
5. La guerra di Piero (3:26)
6. Il pescatore (4:16)
7. Zirichiltaggia (2:36)
8. La canzone di Marinella (4:04)
9. Volta la carta (4:03)
10. Amico fragile (9:26)
-Vol 2
1. Avventura a Durango (5:32)
2. Presentazione (3:34)
3. Sally (5:07)
4. Verranno a chiederti del nostro amore (5:09)
5. Rimini (5:07)
6. Via del Campo (2:46)
7. Maria nella bottega del falegname (4:08)
8. Il Testamento di Tito (7:00)
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Camel – Moonmadness (1976)
3 Sep
“With this, Camel did the impossible. They produced a follow up album to the Snow Goose which kept to very nearly the same standard and didn’t follow the same pattern. It’s full of dreamy keyboards, superb guitar and flute work and the whole is backed by one of the classiest rhythm sections in history. Even the vocals, often a Camel weak point, work brilliantly. All the tracks are out of the very top drawer; not a filler or duff track in sight. It’s hard to single any one out, but perhaps Another Day and Lunar Sea are the ones I will remember till the day I die. This is one for the desert island and no mistake. ” – Tony Fisher – ProgArchives
- Doug Ferguson / bass, lead vocal on 2
- Andy Ward / drums, percussion, voice on 1
- Peter Bardens / keyboards, vocal on 4
- Andy Latimer / guitars, flute, recorder and vocal on 2, 5 and 6
1. Aristillus (1:59)
2. Song Within a Song (7:18)
3. Chord Change (6:48)
4. Spirit of the Water (2:09)
5. Another Night (7:00)
6. Air Born (5:04)
7. Lunar Sea (9:14)
8. Another Night (single version) (3:22)
9. Spirit Of The Water (demo) (2:13)
10. Lunar Sea (live)
11. Song Within A Song (live)
12. Excerpts From The Snow Goose (live)
13. Air Born (live)
14. Chord Change (live)
15. The White Rider (live)
16. Preparation / Dunkirk (live)
17. Another Night (live)
18. Lady Fantasy (live)
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Caravan – Caravan (1968)
30 Aug
“CARAVAN were the other half of the WILDE FLOWERS – the SOFT MACHINE being the other – that originated in Canterbury, Kent. The band itself was originally formed in early 1968 by guitarist/vocalist Pye HASTINGS, keyboardist Dave SINCLAIR, bassist/vocalist Richard SINCLAIR (later of HATFIELD & THE NORTH, NATIONAL HEALTH, etc.), and drummer Richard COUGHAN. All four members of CARAVAN were, at one time or another, in that band. They were a leading exponent of what became known as The Canterbury sound.” – ProgArchives
- Richard Coughlan / drums
- Pye Hastings / vocals, guitars, bass
- David Sinclair / keyboards, vocals
- Richard Sinclair / vocals, bass, acoustic guitar
+ Jimmy Hastings / flute
Mono album
1. Place of my own (4:01)
2. Ride (3:42)
3. Policeman (2:44)
4. Love song with flute (4:10)
5. Cecil runs (4:07)
6. Magic man (4:03)
7. Grandma’s lawn (3:25)
8. Where but for Caravan would I be (9:01)
Stereo album
9. Place of my own (4:01)
10. Ride (3:42)
11. Policeman (2:44)
12. Love song with flute (4:10)
13. Cecil runs (4:07)
14. Magic man (4:03)
15. Grandma’s lawn (3:25)
16. Where but for Caravan would I be (9:01)
Bonus track
17. Hello Hello (single version) (3:12)
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Novalis – Sommerabend (1976)
30 Aug
” Is this really a masterpiece? Yes, yes, I’m afraid it is. Novalis’ sound on Sommerabend reminds the listener of a lighter, happier, friendlier Pink Floyd. It’s very atmospheric and has an almost dreamlike feeling. In fact, the name “Sommerabend” (“Summer Evening”) is very fitting. The album’s sound does indeed evoke visions of a dreamy summer evening. Picture it: it’s warm, it’s beginning to get dark, and you’re laying outside, taking in the fleeting smells and sounds that surround you. That is what the album is about, and that is what it gives.
I give all three tracks on this album five stars. While the music is not particularly complex nor technically innovative, it doesn’t have to be. That simply isn’t the point of the album. The band successfully manages to induce the very visions and emotions it intended to, without ever getting boring or clichéd. If you like emotionally moving music and don’t need endless fidgety guitar loop-de-loops to keep you interested then I would definitely recommend this album. Instant masterpiece.” – Morrel-ProgArchives
- Hartwig Biereichel / drums
- Detlef Job / guitars, vocals
- Lutz Rahn / keyboards
- Heino Schünzel / bass, vocals
1. Aufbruch (9:37)
2. Wunderschätze (Originaltext von Novalis um 1798) (10:37)
3. Sommerabend (18:17)
a) Wetterleuchten (3:50)
b) Am Strand (4:20)
c) Der Traum (3:50)
d) Ein neuer Tag (4:25)
e) Ins Licht (1:52)
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Murple – Io Sono Murple (1974)
27 Aug
“Another one-shot band from the huge Italian 70s progrock scenario!I’m glad I’ve found this excellent and mythic album in the good 2002 Akarma release.I think Murple deserves now (and deserved then) more attention by any good progrock lover. I don’t know why the german label Basf didn’t take care of them! It’s hard and sad to imagine!The four band members are: Pino Santamaria (electric and acoustic guitars, lead vocals, choirs), Mario Garbarino (bass guitar, triangle and bongos), Duilio Sorrenti (drums, gong, tumbadoras and tympani), Pier Carlo Zanco (lead vocals, choirs, organ, pianos, eminent, synth, bowed contrabass).Their unique and marvellous record is a great conceptual-based work about the story of the penguin “Murple” who decides to go away from his own land, “Antarctica”, and to explore the rest of world.A long prog-suite, almost entirely instrumental: excellent keyboards, synths (special mention to “Nessuna Scelta” i.e. “No Choice”, excerpt from the first part) and classic pianos (special mention to the introduction of the second part titled “Preludio e Scherzo” i.e. “Prelude and Joke”), awesome electric guitars parts and elaborate solos, powerful drums and strong bass parts. Nice the dreamy vocals provided by Pier Carlo Zanco. Fantasy-like and delicate atmospheres for a joyful progrock adventure! This is “prog-delicacy” at the purest state! Go out and buy this wonderful gem now! P.S. very nice cover !!! ” – Andrea Cortese – ProgArchives
- Mario Garbarino / bass, bongos, triangle
- Pino Santamarià / lead vocals, guitars, chorus
- Duilio Sorrenti / drums, timbales, gong, tympani
- Pier Carlo Zanco / lead vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, bowed contrabass, chorus
1. Antartide
2. Metamorfosi
3. Pathos
4. Senza un perché
5. Nessuna scelta
6. Murple rock
7. Preludio e scherzo
8. Tra I filí
9. Variazioni in 6/8
10. Fratello
11. Un mondo cosí
12. Antarplastic
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