Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography
PROG ARCHIVES intends to be the most complete and powerful progressive rock resource. You can find the progressive rock music discographies from 12,471 bands & artists, 75,088 albums (LP, CD and DVD), 2,049,207 ratings and reviews from 69,089 members who also participate in our active forum. You can also read the new visitors guide (forum page).

Latest Progressive Rock Music Reviews


Last 50 reviews
 The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack by NICE, THE album cover Studio Album, 1967
3.45 | 167 ratings

BUY
The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack
The Nice Symphonic Prog

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

4 stars This is the album with which Keith Emerson earned his stripes - even if the band's subsequent albums had all fallen apart, there's enough obvious potential here that he'd have always landed on his two feet whatever happened, and arguably once David O'List left the group after this album and they reconfigured to the power trio format the remaining Nice material is essentially a dry run for ELP, without the benefit of a Greg Lake-tier bassist or a Carl Palmer-tier drummer in terms of technical mastery.

Still, the Nice understood one thing very well indeed: if some of your band members lack polish in terms of technical intricacy, make up for it with volume. This is a proto-symphonic prog assault on the ears; whilst in the same year landmark albums from Procol Harum and the Moody Blues demonstrated how classical influences could soften and broaden the emotional palette of rock music by opening the door to gentler musical territory, this album proved without a doubt that classical music can rock, with Keith Emerson's dizzying ability to string together a wide range of classical motifs and his own compositional touches into a fresh new whole being the standout feature of the album.

It would take ELP to take the artistic vision glimpsed here to its full potential - but it took the Nice to enunciate it in the first place. It's not an immediate classic on the level of In the Court of the Crimson King, but it is a foundational album of the genre which is still a highly entertaining listen in its own right, and some may prefer its more raucous and rough around the edges style to the somewhat more mannered realms of ELP.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password
 Forget Yourself by CHURCH, THE album cover Studio Album, 2003
3.80 | 33 ratings

BUY
Forget Yourself
The Church Prog Related

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Eh, I dunno guys - isn't The Church beginning to sound a lot like the Flaming Lips or Mercury Rev at this point? Sure, sure, all three bands in their own way are peers in the neo-psychedelic scene and The Church marked out this territory well before the others did - but on Forget Yourself their sound seems to be increasingly shifting towards riding the bandwagon established by those other groups and their imitators. Whilst growing out of their early jangle pop style was doubtless the right move, and the material here is perfectly competent, I can't help but feel like I'd rather listen to Magician Among the Spirits or The Blurred Crusade again instead of this.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password
 Cambio della Guardia by CAMBIO  DELLA GUARDIA, IL album cover Studio Album, 2023
4.00 | 1 ratings

BUY
Cambio della Guardia
Il Cambio della Guardia Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by andrea
Prog Reviewer

— First review of this album —
4 stars Il Cambio della Guardia (the name means Changing of the Guards) took form in Fiano Romano, a town near Rome, in 2016 on the initiative of composer and lyricist Alessandro Papili with the aim of playing original compositions inspired by seventies prog bands such as Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Premiata Forneria Marconi or Le Orme. After a good live activity on the local scene and a painstaking work in the recording studio, in 2023 they self released a very interesting eponymous album with a line up featuring Samuel Marchionni (vocals), Alessandro Papili (keyboards, acoustic guitar), Marco Centini (electric and acoustic guitar), Davide Magalotti (bass) and Angelo Lo Porto (drums) plus the guest Chicco Martini (vocals). It's a concept album that, through the imaginary story of a Crusader knight, tells of the absurdity of wars fought in the name of God...

The beautiful instrumental opener "Prologo" sets the atmosphere alternating frenzied, aggressive parts with the keyboards in the forefront and calmer, reflective passages. It leads to the dreamy "C'č un'armata che mi aspetta" (There's an army waiting for me) that starts by a delicate acoustic guitar pattern. The music and lyrics depict the feelings and the expectations of a Crusader knight who embarks on a ship to join the Christian army in the Holy Land. The crew raise the sails heading south as the scirocco wind brings sand and songs from afar. Now the ship sails across the Mediterranean sea heading for the promised land and new adventures...

"Il crociato - Parte prima" (The crusader - Part One) takes us into the horrors of war. The music and words evoke borders marked by time and desperate women and children on the move who leave behind cities and villages reduced to rubble. Their pace is slow and they have the fear of the Crusader soldiers in their eyes since the fight is merciless. However, there's no way to stop the holy mission, there's a siege and the Crusaders break into a fortress through a breach in the wall. They kill all the infidels inside the castle and the dried blood forms a kind of red path. It's a cruel slaughter but the Christian soldiers trust God's forgiveness and celebrate their victory under the sign of the cross...

The epic "Il duello" (The duel) depicts the challenge and the mortal confrontation between the protagonist and a Muslim knight. It begins with the confidence of the Christian knight who is longing to kill his unfaithful adversary, a desecrator of altars who thrives on lies and hatred. However, as the fight goes on, his perspective changes. He can see no angels ready to help him and guide his sword nor virgins waiting to cradle the soul of his enemy in an exotic paradise. It is simply a man like him, the Christian knight now can see the fear and the cruel reality with all the atrocity of war. In the end the Christian knight wins and kills his rival but experiences a strong sense of mercy and pity. His faith wavers and he feels that something in him has changed...

The melancholic, reflective ballad "In fondo al mare" (At the bottom of the sea) evokes the pain and torments of the Christian knight. All he really wants now is to be buried at the bottom of the sea, with sand and salt weighing down on him and the sound of waves crashing on the rocks under the moonlight. Like a leaf carried by the wind that doesn't know where to go, now he seeks for the peace of the sea...

"Gerusalemme - Parte prima" (Jerusalem - Part One) starts by conjuring up the images of a battlefield scattered with corpses, broken spears, blood-stained shields, heads severed from the corpses. The landscape after the final battle is gloomy, the cost of freeing Jerusalem from the infidels rule is high and the taste of drinking from the Holy Grail is bitter. At night, when the emotive storm calms down, the music and lyrics focus on a camp nearby where the Christian knight can be seen embracing a beautiful Muslim woman. It's the beginning of a very difficult and complicate love story, thwarted by the moral sense. The absurdity of war reveals another dark side...

The long, complex "Gerusalemme - Parte seconda" (Jerusalem - Part Two) tries to emphasize in music and words the strong contrast between deeds and ideals. The cross on the helmet and shield of the Christian knight recall the purpose of his mission. A crusader like him does not fight for gold or out of thirst for power but for an ideal. He offered his faith and his life to God but now, while his bloody axe is red as the sunset, he can see nothing around him but men hanging to life without strength in their fingers who loosen their grip and fall down. "God, what have we done in thy name?" - Asks the knight. But there's no answer, he can't hear the voice of God...

"Il crociato - Parte seconda" (The crusader - Part Two) takes us back to the present but the view, after all the time that has passed since the Crusades, is in fact not very different. The music and lyrics depict a new kind of Crusader knight, without armour and horse. He wields a machine-gun and for him there are no mysteries. He comes from New York or maybe from Moscow and he was told that he's on the right side. He's ready to shoot a man fearing that he might be a terrorist. A voice seems to echo in the air telling him to press the trigger and kill, then to cross himself so God will save his soul...

The excellent instrumental "Oriente" (Orient) evokes a dark sense of beauty and with its Mediterranean flavours leads to the last track, "Il ritorno" (The return), where the rhythm rises to describe a wild horseback ride toward home, through forests and narrow paths. The knight is in hurry, behind him he steel feels the ghosts of the dead chasing him. He wants to know if what he left behind is still there. At last he throws away his helmet and breathes the air of home, then the sweet memory of a familiar face appears in the courtyard of his manor and a smile eases his pain...

On the whole, a very interesting debut album that deserves credit.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password
 05 by SCHERZOO album cover Studio Album, 2020
4.00 | 15 ratings

BUY
05
Scherzoo Zeuhl

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars SCHERZOO are a four piece band from France led by multi-instrumentalist Francois Thollot who is playing bass here, on the first two albums he was the drummer. It was on that third record that he did some of each before sticking with the bass after that. I really enjoy his "Contact" album from 2002. I like the set up here with two keyboards, drums and bass. Especially when both keyboardists play electric piano. One also adds organ and synths while the other adds mellotron. We get the same lineup as "04" their previous album.

"05" clocks in at over 54 minutes and eight tracks including that over 14 minute closer "Tsunami". That track is a definite highlight especially those almost 6 minutes to start where we get a lot of sparse moments but contrasted with some action. It's the sparse sections though that impress with the electric piano and especially the bass where it feels like it's in the spotlight for the first time on the album. Francois' bass should be more upfront on this record in my opinion. Now when this final track kicks into gear we get a Zeuhl rhythm and this is another highlight for me. Intense stuff until it settles back around 8 minutes in. Some nasty sounds before the bass, electric piano and drums impress. It all ends in an experimental manner.

Another highlight is the 8 1/2 minute "XZ102" starting out with intricate sounds, I like the bass and the drumming and keys impress before it all gets into this MAGMA-like groove 2 minutes in. The opener "Sunday Therapy" has a real ESKATON moment where I'm actually waiting for the vocals from that band to jump in. Both "Le Reveil" and "Plastic Lizard" have some off-kilter stuff going on, not exactly my thing but both are excellent tracks. I am such a fan of the electric piano and man does this album deliver in that department. We even get birds chirping to end "Bacchanales Bucoliques" and to start "Le Baron Perche".

A solid 4 star album that could have been better. Funny I really like this band but they are a step down for my tastes when compared to similar bands. Not much in the way of mellotron but at least there's some. The organ has a greater role than the synths I feel but again this is an electric piano album all the way.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password
 In the Land of Grey and Pink by CARAVAN album cover Studio Album, 1971
4.32 | 2010 ratings

BUY
In the Land of Grey and Pink
Caravan Canterbury Scene

Review by alainPP

3 stars 1. Golf Girl it's the year, rock emancipates itself between psychedelic rock and Canterbury rock yes I already wrote it, a soft, popular and linear sound; a sound that gives space throughout the tracks with fluid guitar orchestration and imposes the genre 2. Winter Wine shows the aforementioned archetypal sound; a soft air, not SOFT MACHINE although, a fluid flowing sound, at first glance this does not cause; and then and then there is the progressive drift which arrives and which sweeps away the doubt; delicate and sensual pop rock, far from hard riffs 3. Love to Love You (and Tonight Pigs Will Fly) for the even more pop title, a consensual tune, a folk tune with the flute solo. I never understood the enthusiasm that this album could arouse, perhaps one of the precursors of the sound, perhaps; good Pye is there to hold the solo which goes well and brings back a little to the rock sound with energy 4. In the Land of Gray and Pink with a beautiful intro which finally reassures me, yes progressive; the sound in the same vein, more nervous, of the choirs, of the keyboards which give a little relief, yes where the low hurts for me; so take advantage of it... but why wasn't there any before?

5. Nine Feet Underground for side B, yes we get up, we change the LP, the K7 and we settle down again; beautiful jazz rock intro with Jimmy on sax, a progressive drift in the vein of future CAMEL; the soulful, cool, swirling atmosphere, a pleasant struggle between the different instruments highlighting themselves one after the other; 8 drawers for this long title, a real medley where everything stacks up; dissecting it no, but talking about it in a more subjective way yes; it's with the languid flute, it's really Camelian, it's also on the marshmallow candy that I like to refer to on Robert WYATT, the kind of thing you sink into; the finale goes up a notch and launches prog drifts into all directions and thus shows that prog blood can hide in a musical tune without there being the prog stamp... Well at the time there was no didn't have the stamp yet!!! (3.5)

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password
 Terrapath by PLANTOID album cover Studio Album, 2024
4.06 | 7 ratings

BUY
Terrapath
Plantoid Eclectic Prog

Review by TheEliteExtremophile

4 stars Plantoid is a Brighton-based four-piece that expertly manipulates textures to create an enveloping auditory experience. Jazz and psychedelia commingle on Terrapath, along with progressive rock, indie rock, and bits of folk. The sci-fi album art matches the hazy, otherworldly feel of the music. The band manages to establish a sense of musical continuity without coming off as repetitious or uncreative.

Terrapath begins with the gentle, jazzy guitar of "Is That You". It builds slowly, and the vocals have an otherworldly quality to them. This track does a great job of establishing the mood for this sci-fi-inspired album. It ends on a bit of majestic, fuzzed-out psych that acts as a fitting capstone to this opening track. "Pressure", in contrast, kicks off with a tense, high-energy riff. The drums and lead guitar skitter and jump around each other, maintaining a constant sense of excitement. The ending is a bit jarring, and it almost feels as if this song ended a bit sooner than it should have.

The energy tones back down on "Modulator". Plantoid embraces jazz on all elements of this song: melody, instrumental tone, and modal choices. Ugly, dissonant chords arise near this song's end, and I really like the contrast between the start and end of this piece. The brief instrumental interlude "It's Not Real" features woozy percussion and a lush sound palette.

"Dog's Life" has a jumpy, mathy main riff that reminds me a lot of late '00s prog acts like RX Bandits, Ticktockman, and Children of Nova. Despite the anxiety of that main guitar line, things remain rather restrained. Things finally explode in the last minute, with extraterrestrial synth embellishments and twisting, distorted guitar lines.

As much as I like the mellow jazziness of this album, I really enjoyed the contrast at the end of "Dog's Life", while the short "Only When I'm Thinking" brings us back to the usual calmness of Terrapath. A bit more grit here and there would have been nice.

"Wander Wonder" starts off a bit slow, but around the two-minute mark, the arrangement becomes stripped-back as a groovy but tense guitar line takes the lead. The arrangement gradually becomes richer and fuller, and it takes some fun instrumental detours. "Insomniac (Don't Worry)" flows naturally out of the preceding cut and keeps the upbeat tempo. It's got a catchy, caffeinated pulse that evokes the delirium of sleepless nights.

The heaviest riff yet on Terrapath opens "G.Y. Drift". It's a strange, ugly phrase, but it eventually resolves into a Latin-flavored guitar solo. In sharp contrast to the preceding instrumental, the album closes with "Softly Speaking". This song features fittingly subdued piano and quiet vocals, ending the record on a calm note.

Plantoid's debut LP is a solid bit of hazy, murky psychedelic prog. Airy vocal arrangements, jazzy clean guitar lines, and splashes of heavy fuzzed-out rock give this record an intriguing retro-futuristic feel. I'm excited to see how this band evolves in the future and how the balance of heavy and light compositions will continue to develop.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2024/03/18/album-review-plantoid-terrapath/

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password
 Pataphisical Freak Out MU!! by ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE album cover Studio Album, 1999
3.69 | 45 ratings

BUY
Pataphisical Freak Out MU!!
Acid Mothers Temple Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

3 stars Japan perhaps more than any other nation in the world has truly excelled in delivering some of the most extreme musical expressions conceivable in virtually every possible way whether it be the strange experimental noise rock of The Gerogeigegege, the electronic experimental freakery of Merzbow, the post-punk antics of Melt Banana or the bizarre multi-genre potpourri of the avant-metal band Sigh. While standing out as one of Asia's most unique and dynamic regions for experimental and avant-garde music, the nation has also excelled at adopting Western styles and likewise taking things to even more extreme levels than any of the pioneers could've imagined. The wild zeuhl run amok of bands like Ruins and Koenji Hyakkei or the brutal avant-prog excesses of Bondage Fruit and P.O.N. have shocked and thrilled extremophiles for decades and that small sampling is really just a mere drop in the bucket of the vast pool of talent that this island nation has cranked out.

Yet another standout of demented debauchery has to be the lysergic lumpenproletariat of the Japanese underground, the Nagoya born ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE MELTING PARAISO U.F.O. which is mercifully often shortened to merely ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE or for the even less ambitious, simply AMT. Led by the restless visions of freak guitarist Makoto Kawabat also known as Speed Guru, this collective of numerous performers has been cranking out the farthest out trips in musical form since 1995 with well over 70 studio albums under its belt and an endless list of crossover acts ranging from bands such as Acid Mothers Temple & Space Paranoid to the Daevid Allen collaborations including Acid Mothers Gong. The collective has unleashed some of the least recognizable musical / noise hybrids that took its inspiration from progressive rock and Krautrock as well as the experimental modern classical composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and György Ligeti.

With more releases than any sane individual could possibly soak in, i have been loath to explore the massive canon of these sonic sorcerers bent on taking the craziest 70s Krautrock freakery and multiplying the detachment in just about every possible way. This was the album that introduced me to the mighty ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE and pretty much the only one i've yet encountered as their albums tend to be sprawling, completely improvisational and well over an hour's playing time and such is the case with this second release PATAPHYSICAL FREAK OUT MU!! which reared its ugly head in the psychedelic underground in 1999. With such blatant truth in advertising you pretty much know what to expect with this one. While facets of traditional musical styles add a touch of Earthly connection to the unhinged savagery that awaits you with this one, the album features a mere five tracks that will steal just over 68 minutes of your precious attention span and still leave you wondering what in the world you just encountered!

For the majority of the tracks minus the near 26-minute closer "Blue Velvet Blues," the tracks are what you could refer to as psychedelic medleys where one completely whacked out trip cedes to another. The perfect example is the opening "Cosmic Audrey / Acid Takion" which begins with spoken French dialogue from Audrey Ginestet reminding of the space whisperer moments of Gilli Smyth of classic Gong. Once the dialogue drifts off into the past the psychedelic noise rock rears its ugly head with an incessant sprawling display of frenetic drumming outdone only by the unorthodox guitar brutality of Kawabata. With enough energetic drive to melt down a nuclear reactor, Kawabata showcases some of the freakiest guitar antics that make most noise rock bands look like chump change. While the compelling opener gets you all hot and bothered and ready for more disorienting head trips, the pointless "White Summer of Love / Third Eye of the Whole World" simply nurtures an folky cyclical loop accompanied by a bunch of effects and what sounds like Yoko Ono during mating season.

The four parter "Golden Bat Blues Dead / Mr. Hardy Guidey Man / Magic Aûm LSD / Astrological Overdrive" sounds like it's trying to emulate a Jimi Hendrix style only what he would have delivered during his final moments before he overdosed. The tracks morphs into a hurdy-gurdy meditation and then becomes a vocal pop track gone wrong with dissonant jangly guitar chords and sounding like the chanting of the Jim Jones "Jonestown" koolaid cult just before they dropped over dead. "Right About Rainbow I / Your My Only Super Sunshine / Right About Rainbow II" delivers more of the spaced out psychedelic folk with lots of oscillating swirlies and then some guitar reverb from hell that soon dominates the soundscape. Repetitive folk strumming for minutes with pure unadulterated chaos looming above is the modus operendi with this one and then it just gets louder and more well? PATAPHYSICAL which by the way refers to the French absurdist concept of a philosophy or science dedicated to studying what lies beyond the realm of metaphysics, intended as a parody of the methods and theories of modern science and often expressed in nonsensical language. Hey! I think we found the perfect soundtrack for this very concept!

The closing "Blue Velvet Blues" is a typical ACID MOTHERS 20-minute sprawler that journeys into the world of long drawn out cyclical riffing that glacially ratchets up the tension and then drifts between caustic guitar fuzz feedback laden passages and softer Spaghetti Western / surf rock toned guitar styles with the local space whisperer Cotton Casino delivering nonsensical utterances from the unknown. Did i say the track goes on and on and on? Well it does. It seems like it's on perpetual loop mode. Well one thing is for sure and that is that this is definitely some of the most extreme expressions of psychedelic rock ever created. ACID MOTHERS goes for the lysergia jugular in just about every way possible but for all its attempts to be the weirdest, loudest, most detached from reality and the closest musical interpretation of a very bad LSD trip, the music is mostly monotonous and rather dull. PATAPHYSICAL FREAK OUT MU!! is one of those experiences that really takes you somewhere new upon first exposure but the problem is that it's not somewhere where you really want to return as is the case with the bulk of ATM's vast canon of quantity over quality. It's a fun spin every now and again because of the fact there's nothing really to grasp onto and once you've completely forgotten about it in a few years it's a welcome experience to explore once again. A decent heavy dosage of LSD soaked psych noise rock. Not sure what to call this but ultimately it's only something you can occasionally revisit lest you loose your total connection to reality.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password
 Sweetwater by SWEETWATER album cover Studio Album, 1968
3.59 | 24 ratings

BUY
Sweetwater
Sweetwater Proto-Prog

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

4 stars Best known as the very first band to play at Woodstock following Richie Havens and Swami Satchidananda, the Los Angeles based SWEETWATER was unusual for a so-called psychedelic folk rock band in that it featured eight members and featured instrumentation such as cello and a conga / bongo section before Santana popularized Latin percussion in rock music. Sounding most like Jefferson Airplane, SWEETWATER followed in that band's footsteps by integrating jazz and psychedelic rock into its folky style. The band existed from 1968 - 1971 and released three albums.

The members were multi-ethnic and despite never really finding a major breakthrough with its three albums before lead singer Nansi Nevins was killed in a car accident even though they toured with virtually every major band of the era including Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, Cream, the Grateful Dead, Big Brother & The Holding Co. w/ Janis Joplin, C S N & Y, the Who, Frank Zappa, Jefferson Airplane, Chicago, Chuck Berry, Spirit, the Allman Bros., E.L.P., Joe Cocker, War, Linda Rondstadt, Santana, Joan Baez, Beach Boys, Steve Miller, Chambers Bros., and many others.

Add to that SWEETWATER had a major television presence and was featured on Red Skelton, Steve Allen, Playboy After Dark, Hollywood Palace, American Bandstand amongst others and of course got international exposure throughout the decades as a performer at Woodstock. This self-titled debut was released in 1968 and featured their best known track, the opening "Motherless Child" which is a traditional black spiritual song that dates back to the end of the slavery era and was the track they opened with at Woodstock.

SWEETWATER's debut is a warm collection of psychedelic pop songs that features a more sophisticated style than is usual for much of the so-called sunshine pop of the 1960s. The cello and and flute give the album a chamber folk flavor while the dead ringer for Grace Slick vocals make the album sound like Jefferson Airplane had they gone a completely different musical direction. The band was also unusual in that it completely avoided electric guitar with most of the electric string parts being played on the bass however acoustic guitars were deemed ok.

In many ways SWEETWATER sounded very much like a 60s psychedelic folk rock band but the band was just a bit more complex than the average pop band with compositions that took on darker tones and off-kilter breaks that deviated from the main melodic flow. Tracks such as "My Crystal Spider" showcase how the band would interrupt the pop melody flow in order to add little breaks of progressive deviations. Tracks like "Rondeau" showcased the band's connection to medieval folk styles which were brought to life by the warm flute lines. The tracks are well crafted with catchy pop hooks but offer a much larger band experience than the average guitar / bass / drum / keyboard limitations of most 60s folk rock bands.

SWEETWATER's debut is not to be missed by lovers of warm melodic chamber pop / folk from the 1960s. It contains all the best aspects of the 1960s without falling into the trap of sounding cliche and despite Nansi Nevins' similarity in style to Grace Slick, the music is quite different than Jefferson Airplane and i actually prefer the sound of SWEETWATER to the majority of Airplane's output. This album is chock full of beautiful melodies and the excess instrumentation gives it an orchestral feel that really allows a tapestry of woven melodic counterpoints to come to life. The tracks are diverse with a huge range of influences with more upbeat rockers as well as tender ballads.

I'm really shocked that SWEETWATER wasn't met with a larger success story given they had all the right opportunities and exposure. I guess the world wasn't quite ready for this brash and over-the-top sound and the band never really got rediscovered. Although Nansi Nevins died from a drunk driver crashing into her on December 1969, the band had enough material with her to release two more albums but called it quits in 1971. The surviving members reunited for Woodstock '94 but the band still remains a relative obscurity considering the significant exposure they received which is too bad because i really love this debut.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password
 Andromeda by ANDROMEDA album cover Studio Album, 1969
3.84 | 68 ratings

BUY
Andromeda
Andromeda Proto-Prog

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

4 stars One of the original power trios that ushered in the hard rock 70s, ANDROMEDA was formed in 1967 by the legendary guitarist John Du Cann best known for his stint with Atomic Rooster. After two years of releasing singles in the psychedelic freakbeat band The Attack, Du Cann shifted gears and wanted to form a band that was both heavier and jumping on the progressive bandwagon. After recruiting his buddy and bassist Mick Hawksworth, later of Fuzzy Duck and Alvin Lee plus drummer Jack McCulloch who would soon be replaced by Ian McLane, ANDROMEDA was born and haunted the London circuit with a new heavier blend of psychedelia and more aggressive rock.

The band was enthusiastically supported by none other than DJ John Peel who was trying to woo them onto his Dandelion Records label however Cann was swayed by the self-producing aspects that RCA promised and the band released its first and only self-titled album in 1969 however RCA didn't really know what they got themselves into and didn't have the expertise to market a heavier band as the hard rock proto-metal sound hadn't become a commercial enterprise at this stage. The lack of promotion and label support ultimately caused Du Cann to accept an offer to join Atomic Rooster leaving ANDROMEDA a thing of the past.

A truly powerful and for the most part heavy album for 1969, ANDROMEDA prognosticated one of the major developments of the psychedelic rock scene in the late 60s and that was the increased heaviness of the rock paradigm. More hard rock than prog, the latter is showcased in the excellent three suite "Return To Sanity" which showcased Du Cann's more sophisticated songwriting aspects which would win him a slot in Atomic Rooster. The album begins with the heavy rocker "Too Old" which showcased what these days sounds like typical 70s hard rock but this was 1969 before these types of bands existed. ANDROMEDA somewhat served as one of those bridges between the heavy psych of bands like Cream and Blue Cheer and the whole slew of proggy hard rockers such as Captain Beyond, Stray, Groundhogs, T2 and beyond.

The album features plenty between blistering hard rockers with heavy fuzz laden riffing, beefed up bass grooves and a drumming technical prowess that was above the 60s norm. The opening "Too Old" introduces the brave new world of souped up heavy psych but the band also delivered a softer side as heard on the "And Now The Sun Shines" but these tracks are overshadowed by the power surge that amplifies the heavier moments that sound like Jimi Hendrix on methamphetamines. Another highlight is the closing three-part "When To Stop" which pulls out all the bluesy hard rock touches prog style. The album is actually pretty diverse in its approach even though it pretty much sticks to the blues rock paradigm and the exclusive instrumentation of the guitar, bass and drum.

While a flash in the pan as far as bands go, ANDROMEDA nevertheless has been recognized as one of those albums that provided the perfect transition between the heavy psych 60s and the hard rock 70s. Of course Atomic Rooster would take Du Cann even further into prog territory with the inclusion of a prominent keyboardist but ANDROMEDA was well underway into a complete metamorphosis into a prog butterfly. The original vinyl album LP fetches an insane price these days but luckily the album has been reissued many times including a newer remastered version with an extra disc of demos, bonus tracks and all kinds of goodies. All in all, ANDROMEDA delivered a hard rockin' album that was the perfect way to say goodbye to the psychedelic 60s.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password
 Appaloosa by APPALOOSA album cover Studio Album, 1969
3.16 | 11 ratings

BUY
Appaloosa
Appaloosa Proto-Prog

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

3 stars Folk baroque was all the rage in the 1960s and although the British Invasion and following psychedelic rock scene rained on the folkies' parade a bit, the whole folk scene remained quite popular all throughout the 60s and beyond. In addition to the bigger known names such as Joan Baez, Van Morrison and Bert Jansch, there were countless smaller acts that haunted the coffeehouse circuit. APPALOOSA was one such band that originated in Boston and was the creation of singer / guitarist John Parker Compton and violinist Robin Batteau. Compton honed his fragile vocal style in the Cambridge church choir for many years whereas Batteau had already been a coffeehouse hit.

Together they assembled the team that included cellist Eugene Rosov and bassist David Reiser and formed APPALOOSA in 1968 and developed their own style of chamber folk baroque that eventually won over Columbia Records producer Al Kooper who had played with Blood, Sweat & Tears prior to his gig as producer. Once in the studio, Kooper employed a few members of his former band along with a collection of session musicians which led to the band's sole self-titled release which came out in the summer of1969 on the Columbia label but despite the big label backing and generous studio production, the album failed to make a dent in the charts.

A collection of ten well crafted tracks that feature lush folk textures narrated by Compton's James Taylor-like vocal style, APPALOOSA's sole release featured a number of dreamy folk tracks with intricate string arrangements as well as well as a few upbeat moments such as the rockin' "Georgia Street." A slickly produced album, APPALOOSA sounded more 70s than 60s with its larger than life backing however the tracks remained soft and intimate and never lost their coffeehouse immediacy despite it all. The lush arrangements that featured a touch of jazz as well as medieval characteristics that spiced up the baroque folk performances. The occasional oboe and percussive drive added even more elements to the basically folky vibe.

The band son fell apart after Reiser and Rosov jumped shipped leaving Compton and Batteau to continue on as a duo. Batteaux would continue on with his own soft rock band of his name as well as Buskin & Batteau and the yacht rock Pierce Arrow. Compton would leave the folk scene altogether and by the time the 1980s hit had become a very successful writer of commercial jingles. APPALOOSA delivered a very subdued mellow style of baroque folk that would appeal to fans of Nick Drake, early Van Morrison, Nico and Bert Jansch but honestly is fairly typical of the mellow folk craze of the 60s without really excelling in any particular way. It's a pleasant listening experience but doesn't stand out as the best the era had to offer either.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password
Reviews list is cached

Latest Prog News, Shows and Tours


Prog News & Press Releases (10) | More ...
Prog Gigs, Tours and Festivals (10) | More ...

Latest 3 Progressive Rock Videos


All videos
MOST POPULAR ALBUM (last 24h)
BUY PA T-SHIRTS & MORE
Arjen Lucassen (AYREON's mastermind) wearing the classic long sleeves PA t-shirt
Arjen Lucassen (AYREON's mastermind) wearing the classic long sleeves PA t-shirt.
To buy Progarchives.com custom items: t-shirts, beer steins, coffee mugs, mouse pads, bumper stickers, go to http://www.zazzle.com/progarchives, select the ones you like and checkout (PayPal support). All orders are handled by Zazzle from invoicing, printing to shipping.

Thanks in advance for supporting us and for spreading the purple prog !
FORUM NEW TOPICS

Prog Lounge

Prog Polls

Prog Interviews

TOP PROG ALBUMS
  1. Close to the Edge
    Yes
  2. Selling England by the Pound
    Genesis
  3. In the Court of the Crimson King
    King Crimson
  4. Wish You Were Here
    Pink Floyd
  5. Thick as a Brick
    Jethro Tull
  6. The Dark Side of the Moon
    Pink Floyd
  7. Foxtrot
    Genesis
  8. Red
    King Crimson
  9. Animals
    Pink Floyd
  10. Fragile
    Yes
  11. Godbluff
    Van Der Graaf Generator
  12. Pawn Hearts
    Van Der Graaf Generator
  13. Nursery Cryme
    Genesis
  14. Larks' Tongues in Aspic
    King Crimson
  15. Mirage
    Camel
  16. Moonmadness
    Camel
  17. Per Un Amico
    Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM)
  18. Moving Pictures
    Rush
  19. Relayer
    Yes
  20. Hemispheres
    Rush
  21. Darwin!
    Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso
  22. Aqualung
    Jethro Tull
  23. Io Sono Nato Libero
    Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso
  24. Hot Rats
    Frank Zappa
  25. In a Glass House
    Gentle Giant
  26. Kind of Blue
    Miles Davis
  27. Hybris
    Änglagård
  28. Si on avait besoin d'une cinquičme saison
    Harmonium
  29. A Farewell to Kings
    Rush
  30. Storia Di Un Minuto
    Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM)
  31. From Silence to Somewhere
    Wobbler
  32. Crime of the Century
    Supertramp
  33. The Yes Album
    Yes
  34. H To He, Who Am The Only One
    Van Der Graaf Generator
  35. Birds of Fire
    Mahavishnu Orchestra
  36. In the Land of Grey and Pink
    Caravan
  37. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
    Genesis
  38. Metropolis Part 2 - Scenes from a Memory
    Dream Theater
  39. Octopus
    Gentle Giant
  40. Zarathustra
    Museo Rosenbach
  41. Scheherazade and Other Stories
    Renaissance
  42. The Raven That Refused to Sing (and Other Stories)
    Steven Wilson
  43. The Power and the Glory
    Gentle Giant
  44. Images and Words
    Dream Theater
  45. The Snow Goose
    Camel
  46. Meddle
    Pink Floyd
  47. The Grand Wazoo
    Frank Zappa
  48. The Mothers of Invention: One Size Fits All
    Frank Zappa
  49. Still Life
    Van Der Graaf Generator
  50. The Silent Corner And The Empty Stage
    Peter Hammill
  51. Still Life
    Opeth
  52. Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso
    Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso
  53. Free Hand
    Gentle Giant
  54. Hand. Cannot. Erase.
    Steven Wilson
  55. Ommadawn
    Mike Oldfield
  56. Dwellers of the Deep
    Wobbler
  57. Fear of a Blank Planet
    Porcupine Tree
  58. A Trick of the Tail
    Genesis
  59. Obscura
    Gorguts
  60. Blackwater Park
    Opeth
  61. The Inner Mounting Flame
    Mahavishnu Orchestra
  62. Ghost Reveries
    Opeth
  63. Mekanīk Destruktīw Kommandöh
    Magma
  64. Misplaced Childhood
    Marillion
  65. Acquiring the Taste
    Gentle Giant
  66. Romantic Warrior
    Return To Forever
  67. Permanent Waves
    Rush
  68. Space Shanty
    Khan
  69. Rock Bottom
    Robert Wyatt
  70. Depois do Fim
    Bacamarte
  71. In Absentia
    Porcupine Tree
  72. In A Silent Way
    Miles Davis
  73. A Drop of Light
    All Traps On Earth
  74. Script for a Jester's Tear
    Marillion
  75. Hatfield and the North
    Hatfield And The North
  76. Second Life Syndrome
    Riverside
  77. 4 visions
    Eskaton
  78. Radio Gnome Invisible Vol. 3 - You
    Gong
  79. Symbolic
    Death
  80. Viljans Öga
    Änglagård
  81. On Land And In The Sea
    Cardiacs
  82. Voyage of the Acolyte
    Steve Hackett
  83. Felona E Sorona
    Le Orme
  84. Of Queues and Cures
    National Health
  85. Arbeit Macht Frei
    Area
  86. Ashes Are Burning
    Renaissance
  87. Elegant Gypsy
    Al Di Meola
  88. Hamburger Concerto
    Focus
  89. The Road of Bones
    IQ
  90. Bitches Brew
    Miles Davis
  91. If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You
    Caravan
  92. Spectrum
    Billy Cobham
  93. Emerson Lake & Palmer
    Emerson Lake & Palmer
  94. Operation: Mindcrime
    Queensr˙che
  95. Crimson
    Edge Of Sanity
  96. Remedy Lane
    Pain Of Salvation
  97. Häxan
    Art Zoyd
  98. Maxophone
    Maxophone
  99. Ys
    Il Balletto Di Bronzo
  100. Anabelas
    Bubu

* Weighted Ratings (aka WR), used for ordering, is cached and re-calculated every 15 minutes.

More PA TOP LISTS
100 MOST PROLIFIC REVIEWERS

Collaborators Only

ratings only excluded in count
  1. Mellotron Storm (4892)
  2. Warthur (3382)
  3. Sean Trane (3161)
  4. ZowieZiggy (2931)
  5. apps79 (2629)
  6. siLLy puPPy (2537)
  7. UMUR (2276)
  8. kev rowland (2235)
  9. b_olariu (2053)
  10. BrufordFreak (2014)
  11. Easy Livin (1932)
  12. Gatot (1811)
  13. Windhawk (1699)
  14. Conor Fynes (1613)
  15. SouthSideoftheSky (1597)
  16. Matti (1516)
  17. Tarcisio Moura (1455)
  18. Evolver (1425)
  19. TCat (1407)
  20. kenethlevine (1375)
  21. AtomicCrimsonRush (1365)
  22. Bonnek (1333)
  23. snobb (1233)
  24. erik neuteboom (1201)
  25. Finnforest (1146)
  26. tszirmay (1137)
  27. Rivertree (1068)
  28. octopus-4 (1036)
  29. ClemofNazareth (1011)
  30. memowakeman (959)
  31. Cesar Inca (928)
  32. loserboy (897)
  33. Rune2000 (879)
  34. Marty McFly (840)
  35. Guillermo (794)
  36. DamoXt7942 (775)
  37. Neu!mann (759)
  38. VianaProghead (757)
  39. Chris S (753)
  40. Eetu Pellonpaa (725)
  41. Aussie-Byrd-Brother (719)
  42. greenback (685)
  43. progrules (666)
  44. Seyo (660)
  45. admireArt (648)
  46. friso (624)
  47. Epignosis (624)
  48. Prog-jester (624)
  49. lor68 (601)
  50. andrea (596)
  51. Prog Leviathan (582)
  52. Ivan_Melgar_M (560)
  53. philippe (540)
  54. hdfisch (492)
  55. stefro (486)
  56. Chicapah (486)
  57. The Crow (479)
  58. Menswear (476)
  59. Dobermensch (464)
  60. zravkapt (460)
  61. colorofmoney91 (459)
  62. J-Man (449)
  63. ProgShine (445)
  64. russellk (440)
  65. Atavachron (429)
  66. Sinusoid (403)
  67. Queen By-Tor (396)
  68. Progfan97402 (376)
  69. tarkus1980 (369)
  70. fuxi (367)
  71. Zitro (365)
  72. Greger (365)
  73. Nightfly (365)
  74. Modrigue (360)
  75. rdtprog (355)
  76. Cygnus X-2 (353)
  77. lazland (352)
  78. Andrea Cortese (348)
  79. Negoba (336)
  80. EatThatPhonebook (326)
  81. richardh (323)
  82. Guldbamsen (322)
  83. FragileKings (321)
  84. Tom Ozric (306)
  85. patrickq (302)
  86. Flucktrot (300)
  87. Kazuhiro (299)
  88. GruvanDahlman (290)
  89. progaardvark (290)
  90. DangHeck (289)
  91. Proghead (288)
  92. OpethGuitarist (287)
  93. Second Life Syndrome (281)
  94. daveconn (266)
  95. Trotsky (264)
  96. Muzikman (263)
  97. Slartibartfast (261)
  98. clarke2001 (254)
  99. aapatsos (254)
  100. Dapper~Blueberries (240)

List of all PA collaborators

NEW RELEASES

Ancient Roots, Modern Branches Vol. 2 by Tausig, Jay album rcover
Ancient Roots, Modern Branches Vol. 2

Jay Tausig

Wise Man in Your Heart by Tausig, Jay album rcover
Wise Man in Your Heart

Jay Tausig

Widok z gķry najwyższej. Live 1980 by Exodus album rcover
Widok z gķry najwyższej. Live 1980

Exodus

What's Cookin'? by Space Kitchen album rcover
What's Cookin'?

Space Kitchen

Progressions Imaginaires by Perilymph album rcover
Progressions Imaginaires

Perilymph

INTERACTIVE

RSS feeds

+ more syndication options

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.