Progarchives.com has always (since 2002) relied on banners ads to cover web hosting fees and all.
Please consider supporting us by giving monthly PayPal donations and help keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.
/PAlogo_v2.gif "Progarchives.com Homepage") |
|
Post Reply 
|
Page <1 1112131415 21> |
| Author | ||
AtomicCrimsonRush 
Special Collaborator 
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
 Posted: January 20 2012 at 23:56 |
|
|
1974 - continued
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Renaissance were another of the 70s prog bands with a female
singer that captured the attention of many in the day and continue to gain fans
due to the complexity of the music and crystal clear angelic vocals. Curved Air
are also in the same league with Sonja Kristina, but the vocals of Annie Haslam
are more operatic. Annie has a 5 octave range that really is entrancing. Many
cite Annie as before her time heralding in what is now known as operatic Gothic
metal with bands such as Nightwish, After Forever and Epica. Annie has that
dark edge of Gothic but is certainly capable of incredible beauty with her
mesmirising skilful range. The other members of the band are Jon Camp on bass,
Michael Dunford on acoustic guitar, Terrence Sullivan on drums, and John Tout
on keyboards. The music is very mysterious and ethereal which is perfect or
Annie’s angelic reverberations. The album has three songs per side on vinyl and
all are excellent quality, with some compositions that are incomparable. The urgency and tempo of ‘Running Hard’ is augmented by
Annie’s voice and a classical piano intro skilfully played by Tout. ‘I think of You’ is a sombre ballad
with a beautiful melody that really touches the emotions, and has lovely
lyrical poetry. ‘Things I Don't Undertand’ is the Dunford/ McCarty composition
of some length and features wonderful uplifting vocals and dreamy melodies.
‘Cold Is Being’ is based on the melody of Albinoni´s
Addagio and it sounds majestic and has a haunting atmosphere. ‘Mother Russia’ ends the album with a Russian theme and some
gorgeous instrumentation. The symphony orchestra touches are superb; dramatic
and tense and then releasing into sheer beauty with the flute passages. Annie
is seriously enchanting on this and it certainly is another highlight. The band
would also return to this live and can be heard performing an incredible
version on the 1976 “Live at Carnegie Hall” album. There is not a bad song on the album and it features 3
masterpieces in ‘Running Hard’, ‘Black Flame’ and ‘Mother Russia’. Renaissance
would release many albums of masterpiece status and this is one of them. #223
A review by Mellotron Storm: I've never been a KANSAS
fan but out of all their albums this is my favourite. I find three of the last
four tracks here pure magic but the first four very average. So after listening
to it I'm always thinking "That was great!" when in fact only the
last half of it is what I'd call excellent. ‘Can I Tell You’ hits the ground
running, vocals come in quickly. The violin is all over this one. Guitar before
2 1/2 minutes then the organ joins the fray. ‘Bringing It Back’
features lots of piano with violin coming in around a minute. ‘Lonely Wind’
opens with violin and piano as reserved vocals arrive in this ballad-like tune.
‘Belexes’ is a rocker, I do like the vocals here. A little drum action 4
minutes in. ‘Journey From Mariabronn’ is led by piano and violin early. Vocals
1 1/2 minutes in. Guitar after 3 1/2 minutes as the drums pound. Violin
follows. Great tune. ‘The Pilgrimage’ builds
until the vocals kick in. My least favourite of the last four. ‘Apercu’ is led
by violin, then we get a calm before a minute as reserved vocals come in. Outstanding
sound when it gets fuller. An instrumental interlude after 5 minutes where the
guys stretch out. Nice aggressive sound with guitar after 9 minutes. It blends
into ‘Death Of Mother Nature Suite’. It settles right down quickly as reserved
vocals come in. It kicks back in as contrasts continue. I like the guitar 6
minutes in as he lights it up. 3.5 stars and a great start to their careers. A review by SoutSideoftheSky: Kansas’ debut album is also their most American
sounding album. The cover art work even features an American flag. Still, the
primary influences are clearly British. Influences from Yes, Genesis, Deep
Purple, ELP and Queen can easily be detected (the sound here is more towards
Deep Purple than Queen, in opposition to later albums). But, as I said, this
music also has some traditional American sounds in it, which makes Kansas a
unique band. This is not just an American band trying to sound like a British
Symphonic Prog band. Kansas has their very own sound and approach. This debut album is a bit more earthy and bluesy
than subsequent albums. Personally, I like this album a lot and I actually
think it is their best album apart from Point Of Know Return and Leftoverture.
The guitars are more blues oriented and the organ is the dominant keyboard
instrument rather than synthesisers (though there are some). This, together
with the omnipresent violin, gives a very organic and warm sound that almost
makes it appropriate to call this red-neck rock, or hill-billy prog maybe? For
me who comes from the country-side (though not the American country-side) this
somehow speaks to me. The songs are very good. Lonely Wind and Journey
From Mariabronn (that also featured on the excellent live album Two For The
Show) are excellent songs, and Belexes, Apercu and the Death Of Mother Nature
Suite are also very strong. This album is still a little bit rough around the
edges, it is not perfectly recorded and produced and it is certainly not as
polished as Leftoverture and Point Of Know Return. Still, this doesn't distract
too much from the album. A unique album by a unique band. One of Kansas best
albums. Highly recommended! #224
A review by SouthSideoftheSky: After Keith Emerson left to form ELP, the remaining members of The Nice formed Refugee together with keyboardist Patrick Moraz (who would later replace Rick Wakeman in Yes). This album is very keyboard dominated, it has drums and bass guitar, but no guitars. Moraz keyboards is in the center throughout (unlike his work on Yes' “Relayer” album where he was pushed in the background by Steve Howe's guitar making it sound more as if he provides sonic textures to the music rather than being a lead instrument of his own). The main weakness of this group lies in the vocals
(as it did for The Nice also). However, there are not a lot of vocals here,
large portions of the album are instrumental parts. Moraz' playing is very
impressive and the sound is quite unlike anything I ever heard before. This album is a much better showcase of Moraz'
playing than any other album he contributed to, including his work with
Mainhorse, Yes, The Moody Blues and also his solo album “Story Of I”. This is a unique album that requires several
listens to be fully appreciated. Essential for fans of Patrick Moraz and an
excellent addition to any prog music collection. A review by Ivan_Melgar_M: When a musician has to replace an icon of a genre
he has to fight with everything, fans, critics who will always compare him with
the previous one and sometimes even the band who had friendship with the
replaced artist and will take some time to accept the new one. If you add that
this new musician is not a very charismatic figure and has to replace idols and
almost frontmen like Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman and Mike Pinder, well, the
chances of success are remote. But the Swiss born keyboardist Patrick Moraz
with his impeccable technique was able to replace the three iconic keyboardists
and have artistic success. In the case of REFUGEE'S self titled album, he had
to use the shoes that Keith Emerson had left, and a huge pair, because for most
people THE NICE was Emerson and two more guys, but Patrick was able to replace
Keith, imprint a new and unique sound, more based in piano than in Moog and
with his less egocentric style, allowed Jackson and Davidson to prove they were
not just sidekicks, but very capable musicians able to be compared with
anybody. Now, the problem is finding favorite songs to comment, because all the
album is outstanding, but I will go with the opener and the first epic. Papillon opens the
album with an evident new sound, more Baroque and piano oriented than the usual
Emerson's aggressive approach, in the intro you can already find that Brian
Davidson has much more confidence, because the combined use of electronic keys
with piano by Patrick is less exclusive and allows him to show his excellent
timing and speed. I always found that Patrick Moraz is closer to Rick Wakeman
than to Emerson, but here he combines Emerson's skills in the organ with his
incredible speed in the piano only compared with Wakeman, while in the
background Lee Jackson does an outstanding job in the bass, wonderful piece
than can be also listened to in the DVD "Yes at QPS" where Patrick
makes an excerpt exclusively on the piano. Grand Canyon is a 16:42
minutes epic, much more elaborate than the first track but also more relaxed
than the breathtaking "Papillon". After an almost 4:00 minutes
beautiful intro, Moraz, Jackson and Davidson combine heir skills to recreate
the intro but going deeper and more dramatic, the bass is simply impeccable,
dark, mysterious and 100% pompous. After a sad piano section solo by Moraz,
Jackson adds his vocals, which sound somehow as the middle point between Greg
Lake and Pete Townshend, while the drums join an "in crescendo"
movement that leads to another keyboard, bass and drums instrumental break that
takes us to a spacey section which again changes radically in an aggressive
passage typical from THE NICE, that sounds as a controlled cacophony. The
changes go on until the end of a track, proving how versatile they are. All the other tracks have something in common, they
jump from pristine Symphonic to elaborate Fusion, passing by Psychedelic
sections and Hard Rock, just what Prog should be. The former THE NICE members,
seem more comfortable and free to play without the pressure of having Keith
with them and if I had to use just one word to describe the album, I would say
VERSATILE. It's very sad that Patrick left REFUGEE to join
Yes, because they had much more to offer but at least it lead to the amazing
"Relayer". No doubt about the rating, 5 stars material beyond any
doubt, I don't have the live album by them, but just asked a store for it,
being that I left too many years to pass without getting it. Highly recommended. #225 Where Have I Known You Before
A review by Warthur: Return to Forever sound
more confident here than on the transitional “Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy”, the
band having adjusted to the shift in their sound and becoming more accomplished
in their compositions. Al DiMeola joins on guitar this time around and his
guitar contributions whilst comparatively low key are quite individual and help
distinguish the band from being yet another Mahavishnu clone. Stanley Clarke's bass
sound is both more prominent and more distinctive this time around, and Chick
Corea himself has clearly been tinkering with the synthesisers, incorporating
them into the band's sound with a deft touch. With funk influences being even
more important than previously. ‘Earth Juice’ shows this side of the band
particularly well. Return To Forever once again find a distinctive fusion sound
to call their own, distinct from that of their first two albums but not as
generic as “Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy”. This establishes the groundwork for
the final phase of their career nicely. A review by Sean Trane: Behind this absolutely ugly "pick-up in a
disco" line used as a title, this is the first album with the classic
line-up, since previously unknown guitarist Bill Connors gets replaced (I
believe he left for a solo career, which to my knowledge never materialized)
for young previously unknown Al, DiMeola, who would go on to become one of the
greats of jazz guitars. Probably that you'll never be able to assemble such an
incredibly virtuoso line-up at every musician spot, with maybe only Lenny's
seat still improvable (Bruford or Cobham). So by the summer of 74, WHIKYB had
been recorded and it would be another hit with the then-important JF/F crowds,
the first one also forgetting the "bird theme" artwork. This album is
the first (to my knowledge, anyway) where Chick Corea invests into synthesizers
and his choice of synth sounds is sometimes debatable, but this issue will
gradually increase some more with the next albums and widen to other JR/F KB
players of the era, no doubt pushed by the new synths appearing on the market,
although he (Chick) still relies on Fender Rhodes, Yamaha organ and clavinet as
well.. Quickly glancing over the album's track list,
you'll see that the title track is part of a series of three short Corea-penned
piano-only interludes meant to separate more important works; What had been
plainly obvious on HOTSG is now even more reinforced, especially in the opening
Stanley Clarke- penned Vulcan Worlds: RTF is more of a jazz-funk group than a
jazz-rock group. Indeed Clarke's bass playing features a now-famous technique,
the slapping, invented/perfected by him and it would drive him to jazz
superstardom. The White-penned Shadow Of Lo, is another funky track (more in
the Herbie Hancock manner), but don't feature the excessive bass slaps, and
while still cruising at 100 MPH, the track modulates more. Lenny White's
drumming is close to what Cobham could've played on this very track. Beyond The
Seventh Galaxy is obviously a return to the previous outstanding album (no
synths used) and is IMHO the best track of the album. The flipside opens on the collectively-written
Earth Juice is more in the Mahavishnu Orchestra style and matches easily as
highlight the previous side's closing Beyond track. Most of you have been
waiting for the 14-mins+ Song to the Pharoah King, a slow starter with Corea's
synth (although here probably some of his better choices) slowly marching on
ahead, but returning to his Fender Rhodes for the torrid splendid middle
section and an incandescent finale. While I wouldn't call this album (WHIKYB)
essential, certainly not compared to the absolute masterpiece of 7th Galaxy or
the crowd-adored Romantic Warrior, but it is still quite an enjoyable RTF and
certainly deserves to be discovered soon. As a matter of fact, this writer not
being a fan of Romantic Warrior, this might just be the classic line-up's best
album. #226 The World Became The World
A review by Mellotron Storm: 4.5 stars. This of course
is the english version of "L'Isola Di Niente", which happens to be my
favourite PFM record. I don't know if it's just me but for some reason this
english version sounds better instrumentally, while I prefer the Italian vocals
of the original. So I guess it's a bit of a saw off isn't it. Both are
essential in my opinion. "The Mountain"
opens with about 2 minutes of choir before it kicks into the main melody. I
love when it does that! Nice bass before 3 minutes as vocals arrive. Howe-like
guitar follows. We get a calm before a full sound returns after 6 minutes. The
intro is reprised after 7 minutes with some nice lazy guitar coming in late. "Just Look Away"
opens with reserved vocals and a pastoral soundscape. Violin a minute in
followed by a vocal melody. Nice. The flute and mellotron 3 minutes in sound
great. "The World became The World" is classic PFM. When the full
sound arrives 1 1/2 minutes in it's so emotional, and there's that gorgeous
mellotron as well. "Four Holes In The Ground" builds into an
excellent melody with some incredible bass. Vocals and a calm 3 minutes in. Killer
bass as it kicks back in before 4 minutes. "Is My Face On
Straight" has this beautiful soundscape after a minute before it changes, it
still sounds amazing though. "Have Your Cake And Beat It” has a wild bass
intro before it kicks into gear before 2 minutes with some screaming sax. It
settles down 3 minutes in as the tempo continues to change. Great sound before
5 minutes. There are no weak tracks
here, this really is a treasure. A review by Finnforest: (Italian version)
After the highly acclaimed double home run of the
1972 releases, there came “L'isola Di Niente” a couple years later. PFM were,
like Yes, at full stride in this time period and this is a good ablum with two
great tracks and three average ones. The real gems here are the title track and
"La Luna Nuova." The other three songs have some fine moments but are
not of the same quality. The title track begins with dramatic choirs of beautiful voices for about 2 minutes until the band crashes in. A jangly guitar over steamroller bass, cymbal crashes, and vocal. Around 4 ½ minutes is a serene section of acoustic guitar and strings that will slowly evolve back to rock via creeping electric guitar notes. Some of the rock sections sound a bit like what Yes might be doing on “Topographic”, very adventurous and really throwing all the cards on the table. It's a feast! The ending is a lush electric solo over classical guitar. "Is my face on straight?" features
English vocals unfortunately and has its moments but seems dreadfully out of
place here. With quite an avant-garde jazz feel like something from
McDonald-Giles this is really pretty strange, but such is the spirit of the
album I suppose. The instrumentation is fantastic as usual, great bass, guitar,
and drumming that would make Bruford and Squire take notice! "La Luna Nuova" has a royal, renaissance, and folky feel and gives in to every impulse. There is some violin and flute along with the fabulous interplay of the group, again the drumming is exceptional. Some of this song would not sound out of place on Gryphon's “Red Queen” album though other parts rock harder. "Dolcissima Maria" begins with soft vocals and acoustic guitar, then some delicate lead guitar and strings, but very gentle, almost a lullaby. At about 3 minutes they kick it up a notch with drums and bass, and melodic keyboards. "Via Lumiere" starts with some Tony Levin styled lead bass. After this introduction it moves to a crazy fusion section that is loud and aggressive with edgy violin for push the envelope. One can hear bits and pieces of the “Jet Lag” sound coming into the picture already. For the last 3 minutes it changes back to the Italian symphonic sound with majestic mellotron and guitars but with little spark left of the earlier tracks, it seems they ran out of steam. Neither the fusion chunk nor the symphonic chunk have enough time or ideas to develop into anything truly memorable as they share the same 7 minutes. My rating for this album is 3 ½ stars. I suppose I
could round up and be more in line with consensus but as I re-crunch my system
I can't get it above 3 ½, and I guess I expect a bit more from PFM at this
stage. Furthermore, as much as I love Italian, comparing it to a period rival
like "Relayer" I believe it falls short of that work. Still this
album should be considered as highly recommended to Italian fans and
recommended for anyone else who thinks crisp symphonic with some leanings
toward fusion sounds tantalizing. The 2004 Japanese mini features some incredible
pumped sound for 1974. #227 Hall of the Mountain Grill
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Another Space Rock classic from the Masters of the
Universe, this album is one where each track merges into one another to provide an
overall sound experience unlike any other Hawkwind album. The cover alone has
become an icon of rock, voted as one of the all time best album covers in many
respected album lists. The Hawkwind spaceship has crashlanded on this cover, a
prophetic symbolism perhaps of albums to follow that at times miss the mark. It begins with the awesome 'Psychedelic Warlords'
that has that patented chug-a-chug rhythmic pattern that has become a statement
of space rock. Del Mik, Brock and Anderson have an amazing sense of timing as
they churn one track after another. 'Wind of Change' and 'D-Rider' are
interesting diversions in pace. The lyrics are characteristically simple with
driving bass and drums forming mechanised hypnotic rhythms. 'Hall of the Mountain Grill' is just plain weird
and progressive in its structure abandoning familiar rock trademarks. This
track sounds uncannily like the theme to "Picnic at Hanging Rock"
where the school girls climb the mountain to their fate mysteriously
disappearing off the planet. 'You'd Better Believe It' is definitley one of the
best with killer guitar riffing and a wall of sound with fuzz guitars and
charging drum salutes throughout. It is a 7 minute prog blitz. 'Lost Johnny' is
Lemmy at his best, both vocally and on bass. 'Paradox' finishes the album off
well, and then the bonus tracks are excellent especially 'It's So Easy'. This album is another one of the Hawkwind fan faves
and with good reason. It is bettered by previous releases but this was one of
the last times everything seemed to work perfectly for Hawkwind. #228
A review by Finnforest: Spanish prog epic you need to discover. The story of this little known progressive rock gem
is almost as interesting as the music itself: a true, sprawling four sides of
pure symphonic grandeur of the scope and ambition of "Tales from
Topographic Oceans" or "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway." The
Spanish band started out as the pop/rock group Los Canarios and had several
releases which did well, but were of little interest to prog fans. Then around
1973, leader Teddy Bautista split with his bandmates and retained the name,
shortening it to just Canarios. He surrounded himself with all new people and
decided to create an epic work for the ages. Today, "Ciclos" is
little known and rarely discussed, but I think this is likely the most significant
Spanish progressive rock title of its time. As Hugues points out, even the fact
that such a project could come to fruition given the political/social
oppression of Spain in this period makes it very existence incredible. The
high-minded plot themes deal with the circle of life and the history of
humanity. "Ciclos" contains only four songs, each
covering an entire side of this double album. The music is a free
reinterpretation of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and a serious
attempt to meld together classical music with symphonic progressive rock. I say
reinterpretation because this is not purely a rock band covering a piece of
classical music. Everything is subject is change here and the four pieces show
a wealth of creative writing and arrangements. The band brings in all various
styles to play with: symphonic prog, jazz rock, avant-garde, operatics, and
melodic pop/rock. The end result ends up being something not far from the
Italian prog of the same period: ambitious, bold, a bit naïve, and sometimes a
bit over the top. The "everything but the kitchen sink" approach is
on display here. It's a complex album and in my view a great success, but it
takes time to reveal itself to the listener. Like some other reviews I've read,
the album did not appeal to me at first. Had I written a quick review it would
not have been complimentary. But the more you play this one, the better it
gets, which is why I rarely write quick reviews. Sections of the album are
beautiful beyond belief, other sections rock hard, and other sections leave you
scratching you head at what you just heard. Not bad at all! "this album is much
more than just a cheesy rock adaptation. The band put a lot of effort to mix
elements from jazz, blues, opera, and even the modern avant-garde classical
into Vivaldi's original. Listeners are treated to harpsichords competing with
blues and jazz-infected electric guitars, moog synths that let loose a flurry
of notes from Vivaldi's original composition before jumping into funky
seventies fusion, classical guitars that gently play melodic interludes as the
drummer bangs away inspired by John Cage's compositions for percussion. These
guys simply loved to mix different genres of music together." -Steve Hegede As some have pointed out, it can be a bit garish and
cringeworthy at times-this is a fair criticism. The keyboard sound choices in
particular can be a little cheesy and may make the album too dated for some. In
a pure sound sense it does not hold up quite as well as the Yes and Genesis
titles mentioned above. But, for those who don't insist on refined restraint in
their prog adventure, "Ciclos" is a pure roller-coaster ride that may
leave you breathless with listening pleasure. It is certainly not the least bit
ashamed to wear its heart on its sleeve. Tightly performed and with reasonably
deep, punchy sound, the album lays out a convincing and jamming rock base over
which it displays incredible window dressings: I most love the oodles of unique
instruments, the little baroque elements, the occasional operatic vocals and
choirs, and the adventurous avant-garde excursions. The album can seem inspired
by Topographic Oceans although Yes were more seasoned, and Oceans final product
more "musically mature" than this one. My personal guess is that most
people who like classic era Yes, Genesis, or Banco will be very happy to have
acquired Canarios. I consider this title nearly essential to a deep prog-rock
collection. The vocals are in English which pains me, but will
no doubt make this title more accessible to some proggers who don't like
non-English vocals. Try to get the Japanese mini-lp sleeve CD which will give
you a beautiful gatefold presentation, great sound, and the reproduced inserts. #229
A review by Conor Fynes: Finally, a Zappa album I can appreciate and enjoy from start to
finish! In terms of my journey with this man's music, you might consider it
less than ideal. To start things off, I gave “Lumpy Gravy” a listen without any
warning what it might end up sounding like. After half an hour of silly noise,
I definitely wasn't any closer to liking this man or his music. Secondly was
the jazz piece “Hot Rats”, which I found a lot more to like, but still found it
hard to enjoy so much improvisation and soloing without as much solid
composition. While “Apostrophe” might not have the same influence on a genre or
resonance that “Hot Rats” seems to have on a lot of people, the fact is that
this is the first time that I am really enjoying Zappa's music. He has probably had better songwriting sessions in his life, but
this is a fine example of progressive rock that doesn't take it too seriously,
and I think that's one of the best things about Zappa. The album starts out
with lyrics about not eating yellow snow and an Eskimo named Nanook? Obviously
not a “Scenes From A Memory” in the caliber of the concept, but it's obvious
that this guy is having fun with making his music. I am not only giving my
praise on his disposition though. The music itself- while generally keeping in
line with blues-rock, still blows me away in sections. A rapidfire instrumental
section in 'St. Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast' really showed me where Dream
Theater got their inspiration from. The album works as a running piece of music; there is no
fade-out between tracks. All that you get is a half hour of unrelenting
quirkiness, (bad) humour, and good bluesy riffage. While this artist's more
recognized works had turned me off initially, all it took was a commercial-
leaning album to show me the groundwork of this man's talent, and finally get
me into the music of Mr. Zappa. A review by Sean Trane: Yet another classic Zappa album featuring his best
band (that's the Ponty-Dunbar-Duke-Underwood line- up) and one that boasts some
(a few) of his better known numbers, despite being one of his shortest albums
ever (not sure it even last the half hour). Actually I was never sure whether
this was a solo album or a group effort. But with the three Hot Rats (solo)
albums under the belt, and the forthcoming Bongo and Zoot albums, maybe this
one is also a solo. Starting on the delightful Yellow Snow and it's
hilarious but almost scatological follow up Nanook Rubs It and the absolutely
bonkers St Alfonzo all the way through its short denouement Father O'Blivion,
it's a four-movement suite that has forgotten to take up a name, but it takes
up most of side A, leaving the connected Cosmik Debris, a destructed blues
track, to close it up. The flipside opens on the short Excentrifugal Forz,
but powerful enough to shake us up before the Bruce/Gordon/Zappa-penned title
track, a semi-lengthy jam (most likely recorded live) where the bassist's style
is immediately recognizable and Gordon's drumming self-explanatory. With the
ultra well-known short ditty Uncle Remus and the much-longer almost-improvised
Stink Foot for another greasy laughs from the motherhood. This album might be a bit of n'importe-quoi, (but
then again which one of his oeuvre isn't, but this sounds like a fast-assembled
compilation of tracks past the first side's suite, the flipside amounting to an
unconstructed mess, but a funny one. Not any worse or better than his albums of
that era. #230 A Meditation Mass
A review by Mellotron Storm: "A Meditation
Mass" is really a 40 minute song that is divided into four parts that
blend together. Flute is the dominating instrument in this mellow, meditative
recording from 1972. This is very trippy with percussion "Part 1" is
the only part with vocals or vocal melodies. You can hear the wind blowing as
slowly played guitar comes in followed by percussion and flute. Flute gets a
little crazy 11 1/2 minutes in then we hear the soft vocals. Vibraphone is
played late in this part followed by piano. "Part 2" is the
shortest part with flute, piano and drums leading the way. This part picks up
in tempo as bass arrives after 1 1/2 minutes to a Jazzy soundscape. "Part
3" is more aggressive after 3 minutes as the guitar and drums add some
excitement to this section. This is Jazzy as well and for many it's the best
part of the album. Then this melody stops as drums and flute take turns before
we do get a melody before 9 minutes. "Part 4" opens with pecussion
then gentle guitar before flute comes in. This is laid back, calming music that
is very well done. It's trippin' Krautrock at it's best. A review by Warthur: An enjoyable
all-instrumental freakout, often drifting towards New Age spaces but just as
regularly breaking out in sudden flirtations with jazz fusion. Rolf Fichter
seems to be the musical prime mover here given the range of instruments used,
but Klaus Fichter also deserves props for some mesmerising drum work at points.
The album is interesting as a Krautrock counterpoint to the New Age-leaning
album-length works coming out of Virgin Records at the time (like Mike
Oldfield's early albums and Clearlight's debut). That said, I can't say it
really enraptures me to the extent that it does many others. Krautrock fans
will probably want to give this one a try at some point but I think there's
plenty of more central works to explore before you get to this one. #231 Klossa Knapitatet
A review by Warthur: “Klossa Knapitatet” catches Samla in a transitional
mode, moving away from the strongly Canterbury-influenced style of their first
two albums to an altogether stranger and less accessible mixture of influences.
The ghost of their prior Canterbury and Zappa-influenced style does
occasionally rear its head - in particular, there are some vocal experiments
reminiscent of the “Burnt Weeny Sandwich/Weasels Ripped My Flesh” era of the
original Mothers of Invention - but the folk influence is dialed up, a broader
pallette of jazz is on offer than Zappa-inspired fusion, and at points the
pounding of the rhythm section reaches Zeuhlish levels of intensity. The mixture is certainly unique and marks a drastic
evolution in the band's sound, so RIO fans in general will want to hear this
one sooner or later, but at the same time I find that the band struggle to keep
their new direction interesting over the course of the album. It's good, but
it's not the first Samla album I'd recommend to someone new to the group A review by Sean Trane: How could SMM better their work after the
astounding Maltid? Well they certainly tried very hard to duplicate the success
without making a carbon copy of their previous oeuvre or reproducing exactly
the recipe and almost succeeded in bringing us something as tasty as Maltid.
But Klossa Kuapitatet (KK for short) is still an excellent album, that was
recorded the following year with an unchanged line-up and it was granted
another weird freak artwork, again with no obvious relation with the music,
even with the track titles translated. Staying more or less in the same musical realm than
with Maltid, KK actually dare go a little further in jazz (or jazz-rock as in
the superb and lengthy Liten Dialektik), or in the burlesque (the yodelling of
Kaninhal) or even in the dissonant and absurd (Influences) or in the festive
folk and circus-like music (Mousemilkingmachine) and sometimes Crimsonoid
deviations (Influences again). The Zappa stature is probably less present here
than on Maltid though, and while the vocals remains strange, we can also say
they're less Focus-like as well. Elsewhere Holmer is giving us some accordion
(yuck!!) on the title track, while the closing Ramlosa Kvallar is a fitting
closing bit for such a crazy album that the name ended up being used for a
future acoustic folk side-project, but here it's definitely more like Crimson
playing Moonshine or Providence and after that returning to some brilliant
polka music.. With Maltid under their belt, SMM tried a bit too
hard to better or match their previous effort, and it is that very "forced
bit" that does make the difference, but probably the opposite way they had
intended. Still an excellent album, even if it lacks its predecessor's almost
flawless aura. #232
A review by SouthSideoftheSky: Thus spoke Lucifer's
Friend. As I said in my review of the band's third album,
the Metal purist's interest in Lucifer's Friend is (probably?) limited to the
band's two first albums; the Heavy Metal of the self-titled debut and the
equally heavy but at the same time very progressive “Where The Groupies Killed
The Blues”. But the present album, though no longer describable as Metal, is
nothing short of brilliant! The material here is every bit as strong as on
those earlier great albums but it is very different in nature. This great Prog
Rock album is filled to the brim with electric pianos, synthesizers, strings
and, particularly, brass arrangements in addition to the usual Rock
instruments! All the instruments are exceptionally well played and the vocals
are simply outstanding. The British lead vocalist John Lawton was later
recruited to join Uriah Heep, but the funny thing is that several of Lucifer's
Friend's albums, including the present one, are much better and far more
interesting than anything Uriah Heep ever did (with or without Lawton)! The fact that this band was based in Germany
(though John Lawton was British) could make you believe that this is Krautrock.
Nothing could be further from the truth. This has a British Symphonic Prog
sound to it. As implied, Banquet is quite different from
Lucifer's Friend's earlier albums. This is less heavy and more jazzy (though
not at all in a Jazz-Rock/Fusion way this is still very much a Rock album. The
electric guitars are more concerned with solos than riffs here. Lucifer's
Friend were never content to stay within one musical style, but always
preferred to move on to new territories with each subsequent album. This is one
great album, severely underrated and definitely an excellent addition. The only
song that might not be too interesting is the short ‘High-Flying Lady Goodbye’. Very highly recommended! #233 The Cosmic Jokers
A review by Mellotron Storm: THE COSMIC JOKERS feature
some amazing synth work from none other than Klause Schulse, as well as some
great guitar from ASH RA TEMPLE's Manual Gottsching. The album has two side
long suites beginning with "Galactic Joke" that is divided into three
parts a,b and c. Side two is called "Cosmic Joy" and is divided into
two parts a and b. "Galactic joke" (part a) features some great
atmospheric guitar melodies over the bass, drums and synths, as the sound
builds to a climax 3 minutes in. The guitar by the way sounds fantastic! (Part
b) features some experimental, ominous space sounds, as a wall of synths crash
in and out, then bass and drums come into this spooky soundscape. (Part c) is
slow paced and atmospheric. The full sound comes in later with drums, synths
and guitar leading the way. "Galactic Joke"
is more melodic and guitar driven than the spacey "Cosmic Joy", which
opens with spacey synths and low toned sounds that build. Yes folks we're in
another dimension as it couldn't get any spacier. (Part b) features a sound
that I thought was a train going over the railroad tracks, but in fact it's the
incredible drum work and synths creating this sound. Synths sound like the wind
later on, in this mind blowing head trip! The sound becomes quite heavy and
loud towards the end. This is really trippy, hypnotic music, and I especially
like "Galactic Joke" with the amazing guitar. Highly recommended
music that you need to experience. A review by Warthur: If we gave stars for
ethics, we'd have to give this one 0 out of 5 - but other contributors have
already outlined the dodgy history behind this recording. Regardless of whether
the artists involved knew that their private jam was going to be turned into an
album or not, the fact is that the debut Cosmic Jokers album delivers the
absolute cream of the crop from that legendary session, and presents a
Krautrock fan's dream lineup in the performance. Not quite fitting the sound of
any of the members' "day jobs", it's worth a listen to anyone who's a
fan of Ash Ra Tempel or other artists from the Cosmic Couriers stable. #234
A review by Finnforest: "the problem of the world today is that
there's not enough romance." (Mike's response to an interviewer who remarked
that “Hergest Ridge” has been criticized for its romanticism.) First, I agree with Mike's sentiments. Second,
forget about “Tubular Bells”. Mike's sophomore effort “Hergest Ridge” is as
good as his first album. Oldfield moved to the English countryside after “Tubular
Bells” and the music on “Hergest Ridge” describes the bucolic surroundings of
his new home. In his own words: "Lots of open countryside, smooth hills, a
general feeling of smoothness and well being and non-hysteria, just a much
nicer environment..if you want to get anything out of it, you've got to really
listen to it." I love the fact he is attempting to describe his
home to us through music. Places are very important to me. The home we grew up
in, our neighborhoods, our haunts during our formative years, and finally the
place we make our stand. I think it's an interesting and intimate topic for an
artist to cover. And it's obvious Oldfield is in love with his new countryside
home. The music he plays has a nostalgic and somewhat surreal feel to it,
almost Monet like to me. The first half of side two is most effective to me
in feeling the surroundings that Oldfield is residing in, it then moves into
the chaotic and loud "storm" segment. This goes on a tad too long for
me personally and after about 5 minutes it again shifts back to calmer waters. Mike again plays a variety of guitars and other
instruments and the moods vary from the serene to the dramatic but “Hergest
Ridge” is more personal and less rocking than some of his future work would be.
It is a beautiful work of art and recommended to fans of instrumental
progressive music. 3.5 stars. #235 Starless And Bible Black
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: “Starless and Bible Black” is one of the early
entries into the huge repertoire of King Crimson before the huge lineup changes
and sound transformation. It starts off with 'The great deceiver', with the
patented familiar Crimson sound, intricate time signatures and complex drum
patterns abound mixed with shades of light and dark instrumental genius. It is
incosistent though with some mediocre moments, such as 'Trio' and the title
track.The noodling and messing about of 'The Mincer' is experimental and 'We'll
let you Know' is challenging. The shining lights are naturally a complete
contrast with the incredible tracks 'Great Deceiver', 'Night Watch' and the
wonderful 'Fracture'. It is an important album for the band along with the
Crim’s first 3 albums or "Red" which are all quintessential King
Crimson classics. A review by Warthur: A strong followup to “Lark's
Tongues in Aspic” - though I don't think it's quite hits the fifth star,
following up an absolute masterpiece with another excellent album is still an
achievement to be proud of, and displays a level of consistency which previous
lineups of King Crimson had failed to attain. The album takes an interesting
approach of mixing studio tracks in with edited highlights from live
performances, most of which coming from the legendary Netherlands concert which
would be released in its entirety on “The Night Watch”. To be honest, I prefer
hearing the relevant songs in that context, especially the side two improvisations,
because the live album captures the concert atmosphere which inspired them very
well. But either way, it's a good King Crimson album which no fan of the
Larks'-to-Red sound will want to pass up. A review by Mellotron Storm: They certainly took a
different approach to this record, with four of the tracks being improvised or
having improvised sections, while half of the tracks were recorded live with
the audience edited out. There is a "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" flavour
to this album as well. Of their first six studio records I would rate this
behind only "In the Court Of the Crimson King" and "Larks'
Tongues in Aspic". Yes, I really like this one. "The Great
Deceiver" hits the ground running with violin and guitars, until it
completely stops and the lyrics are spoken. Nice solo from Fripp during the
last minute of the song. "Lament" opens with reserved vocals, as
mellotron and violin come in. The percussion is cool, reminding me of
"Larks' Tongues in Aspic". Bruford also gives us some outstanding
drumming and a good solo from Fripp 3 minutes in. "We'll Let You
Know" is an instrumental, that features different sounds peircing in and
out throughout the song. There is some funky bass and drumming later in the
song that create a melody. "The Night
Watch" has some faster paced vocals that remind me of GENESIS for some
reason, as well as mellotron and violin. Great tune! "Trio" is an
improv of bass, mellotron and violin. "The Mincer" features lots of
mellotron and some amazing guitar melodies. "Starless and Bible
Black" is another improv that works perfectly. This one is quite
atmospheric to open and has some screaming guitar, mellotron, percussion and
various experimental noises. "Fracture"
opens with guitar, as heavy drums come in. There is a real frenzy 6 minutes in
and at 8 minutes the sound is nice and heavy. This song builds beautifully to
an explosive climax. This is a must have for fans of progressive music. 4.5
stars. I'm bumping this up to 5 stars after getting the re-mixed and expanded
version late in 2011 because it sounds amazing. #236
A review by Mellotron Storm: AREA were a band who's
lyrics were often political. Certainly the title of this album, and the back
cover (which has a picture of two soldiers with guns scaling a wall) are
objects of their protests. I was surprised at how dissonant, experimental, avant-garde,
intense and dark this album is. It's like they're trying to convey through
musical experimentation how abhorant radiation and war is. "Cometa Rossa"
opens with synths as drums and then a full sound arrives. This is outstanding. A
calm descends when the vocals arrive before 1 1/2 minutes. Demetrio gets a
little theatrical here before it kicks back in after 3 minutes. Nice. Powerful
organ to end it. "ZYG(Crescita Zero)" opens with strange experimental
sounds. Spoken words come in before we start to get a beat and melody. Lots of
dissonance with the piano and guitar. Check out the guitar playing 2 1/2
minutes in. Quite unique and far fom pleasant. Haha. It's jazzy at this point
as bass and piano with light drums provide the backdrop to these raw guitar
sounds. Piano takes over for the guitar after 3 1/2 minutes. Some dissonant
horns follow. You can hear Demetrio in the background making strange vocal
sounds. Synths 5 minutes in. "Brujo" opens
with a multitude of sounds that are coming at us from all angles. It stops
before a minute as we get some sparse piano and a haunting background. Outbursts
of drums and other sounds come and go. It turns jazzy 3 minutes in with uptempo
drums and keys leading the way. This goes on and on. Amazing section! A calm arrives before 6 minutes with some
heavy breathing sounds followed by delirious vocals in a haunting soundscape. Brilliant!
"Mirage!" is the
longest track at 10 1/2 minutes. This has a dark, spooky, atmospheric
beginning. Outbursts of deranged vocals as bass clarinet comes in and other
weird sounds. This reminds me of "Heresie" by UNIVERS ZERO. Drums and
percussion join in. We get some sort of a melody 4 minutes in although the
eerie sounds continue. It all stops 6 minutes in as whispered vocals can be
heard and then strange vocal sounds. It's scary again. Dark as hell. Incredible!
Dissonant sounds before 8 minutes create confusion. It kicks back in after 9
minutes. Vocal melodies 9 1/2 minutes in. It's creepy to end it. What a trip! "Lobotomia"
opens with ear piercing sounds. It's like a warning or alarm. It lets up but
it's still like being showered in acid rain. Disturbing is an understatement.
This is an outlandish musical statement by a band that I'm sure caught people's
attention back in the day. Again I think the music is perfect for the subject
matter. A review by Warthur: Caution Radiation Area
sees the band taking on a more experimental approach, incorporating avant-garde
experiments into the album. However, these experimentations aren't especially
well-integrated into the band's music at this stage. The first three tracks are
fusion pieces of a style familiar to anyone who's listened to their first
album; the second side is where things really get odd. Mirage consists of
arrhythmic moanings and clankings reminiscent of the sort of pieces Art Zoyd
would later produce, interspersed with outbreaks of straight-ahead fusion along
the lines of the first side. Lobotomia, meanwhile, is simply irritating, a
series of squawks and wails produced by a synthesiser which is about as
discordant and ugly as Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music. Worth it for the first
side if you're already an Area fan, but be ready to skip the last track. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - February 03 2012 at 23:49 |
||
 |
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: January 21 2012 at 04:43 |
|
|
1974 - continued #237
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: “Remember the Future” is a sensational Nektar album,
hailed as one of the masterpieces along with “A Tab in the Ocean”. The band
were at their most creative on this early release with massive epics to revel
in and incredible virtuoso performaces throughout. The legions of Nektar fans
will swear that this is the album to get hold of along with “Tab” and of course
the band always gave reverence to these albums, playing tracks from them on the
live stage for decades. The subtle light textures counterbalanced with awesome
guitar riffs was like Pink Floyd meets Yes. There is never a dull moment and
the epic must stand as one of the all time greats alongside their other
masterpiece ‘A Tab in the Ocean’. The vocals are gentle and very well sung by
Roye Albrighton also fantastic on lead guitar, and mention must be made of the
amazing keyboard skills of Allan Freeman. The bass is performed well by Derek Moore,
and the ever reliable percussionist Ron Howden keeps things together. The
unseen fifth member of the band was Mick Brockett on the psychedelic lights,
mentioned on the album sleeve because he had such an integral role to play at
the time with the light show that became Nektar’s trademark on the live stage. The epic is cut into many parts but it really blends
together as a multi movment suite. Some parts are more memorable than others
such as the section at 11 ½ minutes with some terrific keyboard over a driving fuzz
guitar riff. The time sigs change many times but there is a main motif that
keeps returning with a 4/3/3 signature. It fades and a new part fades up with a
spacey atmosphere. The drum triplets come in with organ and a frenetic bassline.
This provides a background for some psychedelic phased wah-wah lead work from Albrighton.
The band really take off and at 15:20 and it becomes quite absorbing with
psychedelic swirls and a pulsing bassline. Part 2 of the epic on side 2 begins gently with clean guitar
and keys. The tempo is upbeat and then a harmony of voices comes in, “I can see
you, I can hear you.” The section known as ‘Questions and Answers’ begins with
the serene voices and dreamy melodies. Albrighton’s voice is more forceful on
this song. The song has changed completely here from the beginning. There is a
terrific section at 8 minutes where the tempo quickens on ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’
and the layered harmonies are uplifting. The guitar work her is exemplary
really adding strength to the melodies. The lyrics are fairly pedestrian; “Walking
down lonely roads, what do I see, won’t be long till we come again.” This piece
of the epic is edited into a single and features as a bonus track called ‘Lonely
Roads’. The melody to follow is memorable especially as it features on the “Live
Nektar” DVD. The lead break at 12:40 is one of the best on the album. At 13:50
a new song begins with a cool funkadelic rhythm known as ‘Let It Grow’ and it
is a catchy thing worthy of a single and indeed it was a single in edited form,
also a bonus track on the CD remaster. It is perhaps the best section on the
album. In conclusion, the album was a great magnum opus for
Nektar though not as full of masterful music as “A Tab in the Ocean”. The band
are still renowned for excellent music such as this album and the Nektar
trilogy “A Tab In The
Ocean", "Journey To The Center Of The Eye", and
"Recycled". All are essential Nektar albums and are hailed as prog
classics. #238 Secret Treaties
A review by SouthSideoftheSky: A secret cult treatise of astronomy As probably most people would agree, the early 70's
was a truly remarkable period in music history. Almost all my favourite bands
released their best albums between 1971 and 1975. We can conclude that those
were really amazing years for rock music in general and for progressive rock in
particular. Blue Öyster Cult is certainly not among my
favourite bands, and neither are they a Prog band. But the progressive climate
of those years influenced a lot of Rock music, even on the 'other' side of the
Atlantic. Blue Öyster Cult too released their best and probably most
progressive influenced album – “Secret Treaties” - in this golden period of the
first half of the 70's. Compared to the weak first two Blue Öyster Cult
albums, “Secret Treaties” represented a major step forward for the band. The
songs are much more memorable and melodious. Some people have called Blue Öyster Cult 'the
American Black Sabbath'. Personally, I think that any such comparison is
completely out of place and altogether misleading. The only reason this
comparison came up was probably that the two bands toured together at some
point. Musically, however, Blue Öyster Cult is a completely different beast.
Often close to straightforward Rock 'n' Roll, Glam Rock and even Proto-Punk
(Punk was not yet invented at this point), Blue Öyster Cult was miles away from
the doom laden, dark, and much more progressive British Heavy Metal of Black
Sabbath. “Secret Treaties” has mostly good songs but the
only song that stands out as great for me is ‘Astronomy. Astronomy’, a Rock
classic. The rest of the album is, as I said before, a mix between
straightforward Rock 'n' Roll, Glam Rock and Proto-Punk. A couple of Moog solos
do not make this into Prog by any means but it adds a nice touch. This album is the best by Blue Oyster Cult and
worth having. A review by Sean Trane: Third and most important album from BOC, at least
as far as progheads are concerned, because most of the general public will tell
you, the upcoming albums will sell a lot more albums. While ST is considered in
BOC's B&W trilogy (and before the double live inter- chapter album), this
album is sensibly different to its predecessor. First it's sooooo much better
in terms of material, but it's also an album where Lanier's KB are making a
difference, hence the proghead's approval. Unchanged line-up, label and
producer, the album is again with a B&W (along with some red) artwork
presenting an early supersonic military airplane. The songwriting is again
fairly democratic and producer Pearlman still "interferes" in four
tracks, but strangely enough, it is drummer Albert Bouchard that gets five
credits Starting on Bouchard's Career Of Evil and a solid
dose of Lanier's organ, the album might just be considered their proggier ones
of the 70's, the album is off to a blazing lift off, especially with the superb
follow-up Subhuman and then the blazing guitar-laden Dominance & Submision.
Only the slightly weaker semi-title track (ME 262 is the Messerschimidt reactor
airplane of the artwork), but there are no other tracks that can come close to
the album's title. The flipside's opener Cretins is thankfully short,
and despite ending well Harvester Of Eyes isn't that successful either, but the
album closes on two all-time BOC classics. Indeed Telepaths (some piano in
BOC?) and especially the album-lengthier Astronomy are both linked together and
the latter's superb piano intro and mid-tempo melody and superb mid- section.
It's a killer. The remastered reissue comes with a colourized
version of the artwork and a bunch of bonus tracks, but I have never heard
them. While I would certainly not call ST a prog classic, it's certainly their
most preferred with the public preferred, like Argus, Rising, Paranoid are in
their respective discography. #239 Eldorado
A review by Finnforest: Symphony for a daydreamer ELO is a post-Beatles group whose founding members
sought to pick up where the Beatles left off, and along with bands like the
Moodies continue the integration of classical music into their rock and roll.
They were somewhat successful making inroads into the progressive community but
they were commercially very successful, and in my view their real strength was
as a singles band. "Eldorado" was the first album where
Lynne was able to surpass simple overdubbing and use an actual orchestra which
was a huge deal for them. The songs are connected and concern a daydreamer's
trip to his dream world Eldorado. The tracks are essentially good pop songs
which are seriously dressed up by orchestration and sound effects, the results
being highly palatable and lush, dreamy and otherwordly. They are not all that
complex below the icing however, in fact I'm amazed Bev Bevan didn't fall
asleep during some of these sessions...his drum parts are less challenging than
Mick Fleetwood...I could play them as they plod along. Not that music needs to
be complex to be good, just noting this for those who love intense drumming. The orchestration never felt all that interesting
or unique to me, it's a fairly traditional use of strings. Swelling oohs and
ahhs to narrarate the journey to Eldorado, with the feel of a classic film
score. Nevertheless tracks like ‘Can’t get it out of my head’ and ‘Laredo
Tornado’ are ELO classics and wonderful art rock. As ELO gets tons of airplay,
readers already know if they like this band. If you do, there is no risk in
buying the lovely escapism that is “Eldorado”. A review by SouthSideoftheSky: “Eldorado” was the first explicitly conceptual album by Electric
Light Orchestra and also the first ELO album with high production values.
Sadly, it was also their last progressive album, turning after this one to a
more commercial approach that gained them much more success in the charts.
Indeed, the signs of what was to come were apparent already on their second and
third albums. On the present album, songs like ‘Can't Get It Out Of My Head’
and ‘Boy Blue’ gives a strong indication of the band's commercial future.
However, “Eldorado” as a whole is a pleasant listen and it is of some interest
to Prog and Art Rock fans. It is certainly well-crafted, arty and conceptual
Pop. Even though the sleeve features
a still from the film “The Wizard Of Oz”, the concept of the album has nothing
as such to do with the famous film. Rather, it is based on an original story by
Jeff Lynne. Recommended in addition to the
previous “On The Third Day” and the self-titled debut (aka “No Answer”). #240
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: “Faust IV” is iconic, unsettling, uniquely diverse Krautrock. That iconic cover covered in parallel lines, like a barcode, appears on
many prog websites and magazines. Krautrock is familiar territory for those
familiar with the likes of Neu! Grobschnitt, Amon Duul II and Can, but Faust
take it to a whole new level. The drone of the opening track doesn't prepare
you for the myriad of musical directions this album takes you. It is like a
journey and getting there is half the fun. Not every track is listenable, in fact much of it
is downright unsettling with bone jarring low drones and ethereal effects on
synthesizer, like a horror movie soundtrack. Then there are accessible gems
like the quiet contemplative 'Jennifer' and the punkified 'The Sad Skinhead'.
One of the most popular is 'Giggy Smile' which is unearthly music that sounds
like a bizarre mantra. The diversity is astounding and compelling, but it is
extremely challenging at times, as all good Krautrock seems to be. There are
hypnotic motifs, psych rock mantras and what is termed "musique concrete"
made up of repetition and minimalism that is essentially the musical
expressionism of Faust. The industrial techno rock of modern day owes much to
this sound. Occasionally one may be reminded of the improv of
Soft Machine meets early Kraftwerk. The music clip available of the 'Krautrock'
track is introduced by Sosna stating that people laughed at the genre once and
labelled it in the derogatory term it garnered, however he told the crowd that
now they embrace the term as it is undisputedly German and proudly unique. It is difficult to recommend, such is the high
strangeness of the material, in fact some of this would scare unwary music
listeners away from Krautrock, however this is the diversity of Kraut and Faust
were unashamedly dissimilar to any other band using asymmetrical time
signatures and peculiar instrumentation. Dark, compelling music that is
inaccessible at times, but important in changing musical directions and
defining Krautrock. #241
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: My obsession with Eloy began here and I believe it
is the best album from the band. An instant masterpiece to my ears, I must have
heard certain tracks from this over 20 times in the last month. This is
psychedelia drenched space rock at its best. The first track I heard from this
album is ‘Castle in the Air’ and it was enough to draw to me to the entire
discography of the band. Admittedly, not everything that Eloy puts their hand
to is gold, but on this album they had the Midas Touch and could do no wrong as
far as I am concerned. It is difficult to review an album that I adore so much
as this but this may be the most gushing praise ridden review I have written. I
get chills everytime I hear it. It is little wonder that prog aficionado Greg
Walker reveres this album as his absolute favourite. It begins with the stellar funkadelic psych of ‘Floating’. A massive crunching Hammond blazes away along a wandering bassline and punctuated percussive beat. Bornemann’s guitar chimes in and we are on our way. The vocals are loud and bombastic in the opening section and then it switches time sig to a very fast tempo before breaking into a pounding drum beat. There is a psychedelic tranquillity that takes over, with cymbal splashes and shimmering organ, until it returns to the main theme. A great opening number to kick things off. The epic of the album is the 14 and a half minute ‘The Light From Deep Darkness’ that opens with a serene guitar phrase and Frank Bornemann’s inimitable vocals. Suddenly a loud staccato blast of organ and guitar with dollops of drums and bass begins to resound. A time sig locks in dominated by power organ and then a wonderful keyboard solo by Manfred Wieczorke. The bass of Luitjen Jansen is effective pulsating out a rhythm and those drum accents of Fritz Randow are compelling. It sounds like vintage Uriah Heep and Deep Purple in places, only very distinct as only Eloy can be. At about 6 minutes Bornemann flys off into a guitar riff and then it calms considerably with tranquil measured playing and very soft vocals. It builds at about the 10 minute mark until it unleashes into some incredibly psychedelic wah-wah reverb on guitar. If this is not enough, a massive organ sound follows that simply blazes away until this epic is concluded suddenly. This is certainly Eloy at their best and puts many of their material in the 90s to shame. A must for psych prog addicts and prog aficionados. ‘Castle In The Air’ is my favourite Eloy track and
this is due to Bornemann;s incredible guitar riffs and the way it locks into
some hypnotic rhythms and allows a myriad of keyboard and guitar solos to
unleash a barrage of psychedelic space rock paradise. I remember I first heard
this on a prog compilation from Prog magazine and I had to grab the cover to
check out who were these fantastic musicians. I was delighted to discover it
was Eloy as I had heard so much about them but had not been as impressed with “Ocean”.
I am delighted to discover their heavier psych side and this track encompasses
everything that is great about them. Bornemann is brilliant on guitar and
vocals here but I love how the track switches time sigs and feel effortlessly.
Bornemann uses scat style mimicking the melodic guitar line and it works. The
track includes spoken narration, a trademark of many Eloy albums, and some
dynamic trade offs between organ and guitar. The bassline is astonishing on
this and in fact all musicianship is virtuoso so I can never tire of this. The riff
at 3:20 is wonderful and the percussion is a real drawcard, played masterfully
throughout, especially the drum soloing at about 5 minutes in. There is so much
passion injected into this composition it makes one rather perplexed as to the
type of material that the band churned out in the 90s that was so inferior to
this it is like it is from another planet. It is great how this song returns to
the main theme at about 6:20, reminding us that we are still on the same song
that has diverted considerably over its generous running time. An absolute
masterpiece song on every level. 'Plastic Girl' is a long song at 9
minutes in length so I hoped it would deliver and I was not disappointed. The shimmering
Hammond sound is present as is a building guitar phrase. Bornemann’s vocals are
thin and frail but I can take that as the music is so mesmirising. The organ is
loud and proud drowning out everything. There is a lead break that takes over
eventually and it soars beautifully creating an inferno of psychedelia. At 5
minutes the sig changes into a flowing rhythm and more dramatic organ washes. At
7 minutes we are back to the motif that began this masterful track, and it is a
pleasant reminder of the satisfying melodies. I am in awe at how amazing the
musicianship is on this album. It is simply a tirade of jaw dropping prog. ‘Madhouse’ is more of the heavier side of the band
especially with the aggressive guitar phrases and high energy cadence. The guitar
distortion is agreeable and Bornemann is at his best on vocals; “madhouse of
desolation, the day seems bewitching, madhouse, night time nearing, madhouse, lights
appearing, the day turning night into day, drifting slowly away with the music”.
The lead break is searing over a scratchy rhythmic passage. The heaviness is
well above average for the band who are more into a symphonic ambience on most
of their albums. Eloy know how to rock and they do it masterfully on this brilliant
track. After some more guitar work there is a drop out of the main theme and
the drums dominate with a fast paced percussion solo that is off the scale. The
twin guitar solo that follows is wonderful and once again this is a treasure to
my ears. So for me this album is prog perfection in the peak of the golden
years of prog. There are three excellent live tracks to supplement
the original album on the remastered version. The songs include the 5 minute ‘Future
City’, 8:11 ‘Castle in the Air’ and 3:31 ‘Flying High’. All are terrific live
examples of Eloy. There is a considerable amount of jamming and heavy guitar on
‘Future City’, the version of ‘Castle in the Air’ is dynamic and fuelled by
fast guitar riffs similar to the studio version and definitely played
brilliantly, and finally ‘Flying High’ includes grinding Hammond, psych guitars
and sporadic free form drumming. I like the way it rocks with a fast tempo and
although the live songs are raw it is great to hear more of Eloy at the peak of
their powers. Overall, this is one of the greatest albums of 1974
in a strong year for prog. Every track is compelling wonderful virtuoso
musicianship and there is never a dull moment. A definitive masterpiece, “Floating”
is one of the best albums I have discovered over recent years and my collection
would be impoverished without it. #242
A review by Warthur: Egg's reunion album, originally issued through
Virgin records and recently rereleased under licence by Esoteric Recordings, is
a bit of an odd bird. As detailed in the Esoteric version's liner notes, which
provide a decent history of the band's career, there was never any question of
Mont Campbell, Dave Stewart and Clive Brooks resurrecting Egg full time: this
album was simply an attempt to record some unreleased Egg songs for posterity
before the members returned to their various full-time projects, with a couple
of tasteful Mont Campbell-composed wind quartets to pad things out a little. Although the title is based on a similar pun to
that of their previous album (“The Civil Surface” instead of “The Civil Service”,
like “The Polite Force” instead of “The Police Force”), the sound is very
different - much more laid-back and relaxed, perhaps reflecting the tone of the
recording sessions. Dave Stewart brings along some influences from his day job
in Hatfield & the North - there's even a guest appearance from the
Northettes, Hatfield's backing singers - and indeed if you didn't know this was
an Egg album you might be tempted to guess that this is a collection of
long-lost Hatfield demo tapes. I say demo tapes because there are a few problems
with the production. In particular, whilst Clive Brooks' drum work is excellent
and a key component of the music, it is mixed far, far too loudly much of the
time; Dave Stewart has gone on the record as saying that this was an issue. The
problem was especially bad on the Virgin CD reissue, and in fact I didn't like
the album when I first encountered it precisely because of that. To my ears,
the Esoteric Recordings remaster goes a long way towards correcting the
problem, bringing out the true joys of the album for the first time. Many of
the songs focus on the interplay between Brooks' drums and Dave Stewart's
organ, with Mont Campbell's bass work and other contributions providing a
subtle touch. Ex-Uriel bandmate Steve Hillage guests on ‘Wring Out the Ground’
(Loosely Now), Lindsay Cooper and Tim Hodgkinson of Henry Cow lend a hand on
many tracks, and all in all there's an impression of various Canterbury scene
luminaries having a good time giving Egg a suitable send-off. Part of me
wonders what the songs would have sounded like if Egg had recorded them in
1972; would they really have had this dreamy, Hatfield-like air, or would they
have had a bit more of the dark intensity of the Polite Force? We'll never
know, although anyone lucky enough to have attended an Egg concert back during
the band's lifetime probably has some idea. While Canterbury fans will doubtless want to get
their hands on the album, it's neither the best the scene has to offer, nor a
complete waste of time (despite the issues with the mix) but is good, and
pleasant. #243 - live
A review by Warthur: A substantial improvement over Zappa's two prior
live album releases (Fillmore East and Just Another Band from L.A., both
recorded with the tepid Flo and Eddie lineup), “Roxy and Elsewhere” captures
the legendary mid-1970s version of the Mothers of Invention in fine form. The
comedic and theatrical elements to the live show are still present - as
witnessed by a skit in which Jeff Simmons tries to convince Napoleon Murphy
Brock to smoke his high school diploma - but unlike in earlier live releases
the top-notch musicianship isn't scaled back to make room for the comedy. Compositions such as ‘Don't You Ever Wash That
Thing’ feature exceptional solos from many of the band members, and overall the
quality of the music is extremely high. Zappa's wit is in full flow too - the
scatological and sexual preoccupations which sometimes derailed his lyrics are
kept tied down here (literally - as on ‘Penguin In Bondage’), and ‘Cheepnis’ is
probably the best pre-Mystery Science Theater 3000 tribute to the joy of
watching a really *bad* monster movie (and goes some way to explaining why so
many of the MST3K crew were Zappa fans, and why Zappa was an MST3K fan...). I can't give it full marks because the album does
bog down towards the end; the two ‘Elsewhere’ tracks, slowed-down and inferior
renditions of 60s-era material (‘Son of Orange County’ and ‘More Trouble Every
Day’) are just not as interesting as the rest of material, and ‘The Bebop Tango’
might have been an entertaining skit to watch live, but doesn't really
translate well to audio. Still, it must have been a relief back in the 1970s to
finally have a Frank Zappa live album of as high a standard as this, and the
first two-and-a-bit sides of the album are five-star performances if I've ever
heard them. #244 - live Barclay James Harvest Live
A review by SouthSideoftheSky: This live album is the perfect place to start
investigating this band. And for most Prog fans it will be a perfect place to
stop too - this is really the only Barclay James Harvest album you will ever
need! They did some good songs that are not present here, but here we have
basically the very best of Barclay James Harvest, performed live with more
energy and instrumental power than you will find on any of their studio albums.
‘Summer Soldier’ and ‘Medicine Man’ are particularly interesting since they are
radically different from their studio counterparts, and contain much more
instrumental work. Need I add that they are much improved? The rest of the set are more faithful to the studio
versions in structure but most songs feel livelier here and there is a sense of
urgency lacking in the studio albums. This is especially apparent on the older
tracks like ‘She Said’ and ‘Mockingbird’, which I felt were too
"sleepy" on the “Once Again” album. Barclay James Harvest is not an essential Prog
band, but if you want them in your collection, be sure to make it this one! #245 - live Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Welcome to one of the greatest live recordings in
rock history! As soon as you put this prog feast on, you are
instantly transported in to the bombastic, virtuoso world of ELP. Hoedown rips
through the speakers with a frenetic pace and time signatures are off the scale
throughout. ‘Jerusalem’ slows things down a bit to prepare for
an absolutely wonderful version of ‘Toccata’, with Hammond stabs and screeching
sounds that strike at the heart of mainstream pop. It is alienating but so
captivating. There is nothing mainstream here and the average pop
fan would have been frightened off by now. Then a blistering version of
bonafide classic ‘Tarkus’ clocking in at just under 17 minutes cruises along
effortlessly. This is so huge it requires a second CD to finish it. Also on CD2 we have one of the greatest ELP tracks.
‘Take A Pebble’ is superb as usual and Lake's vocals are excellent here, the
instrumental is decidedly different and blends in to ‘Still... You Turn Me On’
and ‘Lucky Man’ effectively. Emerson has a chance to shine and show his
virtuoso musicianship in ‘Piano Improvisations’, all 11 minutes of it feature
incredible piano playing and includes Friedrich Gulda's ‘Fugue’ and Joe
Sullivan's ‘Little Rock Getaway’. Awesome is the word that comes to mind. ‘Jeremy
Bender / The Sheriff (Medley)’ is next and it’s a nice interlude in between 2
masterfully executed classics. One CD left and it is full with a 35 minute epic,
the quintessential ELP track, ‘Karn Evil 9’. Every moment of it sizzles with
accomplished musicianship and Lake's vocals are incredible throughout. The live
performance is astonishing featuring the infamous knife in the keyboard act
with Emerson murdering his Hammond and smashing its battered corpse against the
stage. It was an amazing sight to see and the live sound captures it perfectly. The booklet is informative and features some good
photos. 3 CDs packed with the best of the progenitors of prog, ELP is
irresistible, and this live concert recording cannot be recommended more highly.
It's a masterpiece of rock, a masterpiece of live music, a masterpiece of prog. #246 – live Caravan & The New Symphonia
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: The live Caravan is definitely a different beast than the studio Caravan. On the live stage the band tend to have fun with the audience and involve them in their tom foolery. The album really is quite humorous and the band are at the peak of their powers, with virtuoso musicianship and they play all of their best tracks up to this point. In this sense the album works as a type of best of Caravan, and in many cases the live versions here are better than the studio tracks. In any case this is a dynamic performance with energy and full on commitment. The band are the classic
lineup of Caravan, the incomparable prog hero Pye Hastings on vocals and
guitar, Richard Coughlan on drums, Jimmy Hastings on flute and alto saxophone,
John G. Perry on bass, Morris Pert on percussion, Geoff Richardson on electric
viola and David Sinclair, a wizard on keyboards. The band are well backed up by
the incredible New Symphonia orchestra. It was one of the first marriages of
Canterbury and symphony orchestra. It worked well on this concert as the songs
are really made for orchestra. It begins with the unusual
introduction by Alan Black who states matter of factly Caravan are about to
enter. It is amusing how he says, “I’m not gonna preach to the converted
because if you weren’t Caravan freaks you wouldn’t be here,” and then he
introduces the orchestra The New Symphonia and explains the band are going to
perform a featurette of songs from their new album “For Girls Who Grow Plump In
The Night.” What a time capsule of music are these live performances. As soon as the band hit
the stage they power into ‘Memory Lain, Hugh Headloss’ for 11 minutes and it is
an incredible piece of showmanship. Pye Hastings sounds so vibrant in these
early days. The band are tight, the riffs are great and the keyboard work of
Sinclair is exquisite. The violining of Richardson is incredible and the crowd
can be heard at the end of each section cheering wildly. Hastings introduces the next song about a dog who has a problem with his urges and so he goes to the doctor and is given “down boy pills”. ‘The Dog, the Dog, He's at It Again’ is the song that follows the intro, which became a favourite from the new album over the years. It has a great lead break and the melody is memorable and has fun lyrics; “my mother said that I should stay out of bed but I know that I like it in there, legs and thighs, hello’s and goodbyes and you’re there”. After this Hastings explains they had planned to do about 30 minutes of more “Plump” material but time is against them, what a tease, as that would have been priceless. It was made clear that the album was to be a live recording so this was all a concert designed for the recording and needed to fit on those pesky short vinyl records that could only have 25 minutes of material at best. Also from the “Plump” album
the band play ‘A Hunting We shall Go’, and the
whimsical ‘Hoedown’ with amazing violin soloing. It is a shame they didn’t play
‘C’thlu Thlu’ which is one of the darkest and best things they have done. The
band leave the stage for a moment and then the orchestra enters and begins to
strike up with a quiet melody. They add colour and drama to this as each
instrument chimes in, the brass, the violins, woodwind, all are virtuosos and
the sound is full and lush providing incredible music as a background to
Caravan’s Canterbury rock. ‘The Love in Your Eye’ clocks
about 13 minutes and flys by quite well, with organic musicality and strong
beats, very uplifting and pleasant. ‘Virgin on the Ridiculous’ is another
highlight with sweeping violins and Pye gently storytelling. The gorgeous harp
flourishes and emotional strings on this are superb. Pye introduces “the last
evening of the number”, (haha!) And he says it is “the usual Caravan number,
but this time orchestrated”. The quintessential Caravan song ‘For Richard’
never fails to get the crowd on their feet. They play a 14 minute version with
amazing lead guitar solos and lengthy musicality. ‘A Hunting We Shall Go’, a ‘new’ track, closes
the show on an encore with a 10 minute non stop barrage of virtuosity. The band
exit the stage to rapturous applause. This is perhaps the best live album for
the band and it really showcases all that is great about them; whimsical
humour, virtuoso musicianship, infectious melodies and with an orchestra thrown
in for good measure. It is an irresistible combination where everything worked
perfectly making this a landmark album for the band and a prime example of
Canterbury at its best. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - June 04 2012 at 00:48 |
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: January 27 2012 at 07:54 |
|
|
1975
#247
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Enduring, masterful, powerful, unforgettable. “Wish You Were Here” is one of the greatest prog
albums of 1975 which seems to be the pinnacle for the golden era of prog,
culminating in the artist’s best work. Pink Floyd had released their master
work “Dark Side Of The Moon” that stormed the prog world and remains one of the
finest albums in the history of rock. How do you follow up on this success? A
conceptual album with one of the most endearing songs of the Pink Floyd canon
and one of the most celebrated album covers of all time; “Wish You Were Here”. These albums have left an indelible thumbprint for
other artists to try and emulate. “Wish You Were Here” accomplished the
monumental task of following up “DSOTM” with an incredible lengthy introduction
preparing the listener for what is to come. The tranquility conveyed on ‘Shine
On’ is astounding and so aptly performed live with exquisite visual imagery.
The track opens with a patient, ambience created by sounds of a peaceful
stream, a rowing boat, and the distinct keyboard talents of Wright. The music
takes us downstream as we enter Syd Barret's jaded conscious thoughts, echoed
by the band members themselves. The track is an ode to the twisted genius of
Syd and moves through several sections as a multi movement suite orchestrated
to perfection. The echoing guitar represents a four octave motif that Floydians
have grown to adore. Its pure beauty is complimented when Gilmour chimes in
"Remember when you were young..." The fragmentation of the beat
midway through alludes to the fragmented status of the group since Barret's
departure. Indeed this is a beatific paean to the troubled artist who has now
travelled to "the great gig in the sky". ‘Welcome to the Machine’ begins with the mechanized
droning of a factory machine, and seems to be a more blatant stab at autocratic
society than anything on "Animals" or "The Wall" where
humans are forced to obey only to be grinded out as mincemeat; mindless
autonomyns. The theme is simple and runs through most Pink Floyd albums; absence
of a band member has led to success but at what price? The music business is
likened to a meat processor, similar to the one in "The Wall" movie. Students
are grinded out under the pressure of the education system. In ‘Welcome to the Machine’
the music industry processes and manufactures rock artists for their own means,
but when they have fulfilled their purpose, the naïve artists are chewed up and
spat out to make room for 'the next big thing'. The golden mechanized glove on
the cover echoes this thought. The man catches alight as he shakes hands now
that his deal with the devil has doomed him to extinction. Pink Floyd kept
attempting to rebel against the empty handshake of the music business, still
somehow retaining millions of record sales. This is an achievement in itself. ‘Have a Cigar’ continues this cynical examination
of the music business; full of clichés and innuendos, the lyrics stab at the
way the industry elevates artists to drain every cent out of them only to
destroy them at the first sign of individual innovation. The rotting carcass of
the music artist is left in a smoldering heap so that the new talent can rise
out of the ashes in its place. Pink Floyd likely felt like this after the success
of “DSOTM”; suddenly a band that was shunned is sought after by every label.
Thankfully Pink Floyd refused to sell out on this album and it still managed to
carve a place on the charts for a number of weeks. Part of the reason for its success is the single ‘Wish
You Were Here’ with one of the most played, most recognized acoustic intros
ever. The lyrics are as beautiful as the arrangement. Waters calls to the
positive side of his dark nature. There are 2 sides to human nature. The album closes with another segment of ‘Shine On’
bringing the album full circle. The journey is complete making way for
"Animals". “Wish You Were Here” is a wonderful album that
tends to grow on the listener. The album cemented Pink Floyd's reputation as
masters of the prog genre. No Pink Floyd or prog fan should be without it. It
is simply a masterpiece! #248 Godbluff
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Progressive rock seems to have peaked in the mid
70s for 1975 boasting some of the most endearing prog classics and “Godbluff”
is one of them. Van der Graaf Generator, the pioneers of prog at its most dark
and off kilter, made a massive comeback with this release and it is
surprisingly as good, if not better than their classic early releases. The
first thing one notices is the almost maddening patience the band has as it
introduces each of the 4 tracks. But there are always moments of brilliance;
with each track the pace ranges from slow to breakneck, and the time signatures
change throughout, not only with the instruments but with Hammill's incredible
vocal delivery. 'Undercover Man' is an instant classic and
celebrated as a concert favourite. It begins with a minimalist approach of a
single flute over almost whispered vocals. But it is not long until the
saxophone and Hammond kicks in, interwoven with strange percussion patterns. At
times the song seems standard but then moves into jazz fusion blended with
staccato riffs and killer bass impulses. 'Scorched Earth' is another of the great VDGG
tracks. The percussion is notably out of sync as are Hammill's vocals;
"Just one crazy moment while the dice are card, he looks into the future
and remembers what is past..." The conviction in Hammill's tone is as
definitive as ever, and he has not lost momentum as one of the leading prog
vocalist legends. There is a great instrumental break with saxophones shining,
and weird time signatures where a beat is missing then replaced and then
removed again. Then it all moves back to the original tune. Simply fantastic. 'Arrow' is another reason why these progenitors of
complex rock are infamous and highly revered as pioneers and visionaries.
Hammill's vocals are more tortured and raspy on this track and are a surprising
contrast to the smoothness on previous tracks. The track begins with a
percussion and saxophone improvisation that reminds one of the early King
Crimson years. The track relies highly on saxophone and Hammond but the understatement
of the bass is admirable and knits it all together perfectly. 'Sleepwalkers' is the sleeper on the album (no pun
intended) and is not so much about somnambulism but about zombies, almost a
precursor to the 'Thriller' film clip of Michael Jackson, or George Romero's
"Dawn of the Dead". It is an energetic track that even features a
bizarre Zombie Calypso, or a tango of sorts, certainly an ear opener and all
the more chilling for it's content. We even hear zombie screams, and there are
high pitched atmospheric keyboards throughout. An amazing track designed to
awaken the dead. The lyrics include a jaded sense of humour as Hammill muses on
"the dancing dead", but interjected within there are dark undertones
as we are asked to, "make reason of the sensory world, if I only had time,
but soon the dream is ended." the instrumental break is hypnotic and jazz
influenced, and it increases in momentum exploding into the chaotic climax. One
of the highlights of the album. Overall the 4 Godbluff tracks are classic VDGG and
a must for anyone interested in early dark prog and jazz inspired psycho
spiritual music. It is as weird as it sounds and it is as brilliant as stated.
Wonderful headphone music and an essential purchase without doubt. #249 Si On Avait Besoin D'Une Cinquième Saison
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Harmonium's pinnacle of infamy is found here on “Si
On Avait Besoin D'Une Cinqui'me Saison” which is a real work of art with some
masterful moments mixed with quirky humour. The beauty is located in such symphonic treasures
as 'Depuis L'Automne' with very strong mellotron tones and acoustic mixed with
flute and pulsing bass. The innovation of the music is stunning on such pieces,
though the opening track is a bit too weird in places, sounding silly with
Focus like excursions into vocal whimsy. The band are legendary in Quebec and
France but hail from Canada so they are a diverse group. The musicianship is
exemplary; Pierre Daigneault on flute, piccolo, Soprano saxophone, clarinet;
Serge Fiori on guitar, flute, zither harp, bass drum; Serge Locat on piano,
mellotron, synthesizer; Michel Normandeau on guitar, accordion; Louis Valois on
bass guitar, electric piano; and all add vocals along with Judy Richard who
features on 'Histoires Sans Paroles'. There is still no replacing the magic of the
musical breaks when the vocals are kept aside. The French lyrics are impenetrable
for those who cannot speak it, but the music is able to transport it's beauty
throughout. The band have a dominant focus on instrumentals or lengthy musical
breaks. 'En Pleine Face' begins side two with admirable
quality. The instrumental is laced with flute, beautiful acoustic and piano.
The strings sound ambient along with backward swells and spacey violin
mellotron sounds. Perhaps this is one of the group's finest compositions. 'Histoires Sans Paroles' is a huge 17 minute epic
that has sprawling instrumental breaks. The mellotron has a strong presence and
it is refreshing to hear the female vocals of Judy with her 'la da da's'
accompanied by gorgeous flute. The track is mostly instrumental as is the
majority of side two with intonations now and then to add to the beauty. The
symphonic splendour of multi layered musicianship is stunning; piano, acoustic,
mellotron, and effects. The squawks of seagulls, crashing waves and babbling
brooks has become a cliché in prog but Harmonium were one of the first. Many
bands in the modern prog scene use the seagulls and waves effect as it
definitely transports one to another place of isolation and beauty. The flute
is a joyful bright augmentation to the theme of the changing seasons. This is
an album to relax to and let your emotions be consumed by the art of Harmonium. #250
A review by Finnforest: A collection of the feelings that make life
glorious. Mike's finest moment? A case could be made for any
of Oldfield's first four proper albums to be called his greatest masterpiece (“Tubular
Bells”, “Hergest”, “Ommadawn”, “Incantations”.) Each one would have many
enthusiastic proponents. I would say it would be one of the latter two but I
can't decide which at the moment. What I do feel is that “Ommadawn” is a huge
step forward over his first two albums. “Tubular Bells” was promising but in
many places it was a bit of a mess. “Hergest” was more cohesive and an
improvement. And then came the heavenly “Ommadawn”, one of the highlights of
the 1970s progressive symphonic rock arsenal. The album took Mike nine months
to record and it truly sounds like the work of a lifetime. The ‘Ommadawn’ piece is well over 30 minutes in
length and runs a gamut of emotions and colors, from delectable acoustic
moments to folk flavored dancings to aggressive electric guitar rock. The
playing is always tasteful with every theme introduced quite simply and then
being given ample time to build and expand until reaching a dramatic
conclusion, at which point there will be a release and a retreat back to
another calming rebirth. It is broken into two parts with the first being
longer and probably the more complete of the two although after you've heard
the album many times, the "point" of the second part's eccentricities
begin to unfold. There are incredibly beautiful, calming female chanted vocals
that create such an otherworldly, celestial feeling. These type of vocals would
be used again quite successfully on “Incantations” and become a notable part of
the "Oldfield sound." At the beginning of part two there is a dark and
turgid swamp of what sounds very much like synths, but surprisingly the section
is created by Oldfield assembling an army of layered electric guitars writhing
over each other. He fooled me, I always thought it was keyboards until I read
about this album. There is also an amazing use of pipes and a Celtic flavor
that gives the album great depth. The album closes with a short folk piece
called ‘On Horseback’. I have read many reviewers over the years chastise this
little song and I couldn't disagree more. ‘On Horseback’ is a complete and
absolute delight that will knock you right back to the innocence of childhood.
It is shamelessly sentimental but more importantly absolutely effective at
concluding a challenging listening experience with an easygoing treat, think of
it as a homemade slice of desert after a perfect meal. It adds much to this
carefully crafted album and I think it was genius for Mike to place it there. If you are new to Mike Oldfield and wondering where
to start, look past the hype of “Tubular Bells” and grab this one. You have the
purest essence of the 70s Oldfield here with the exception of “Incantations”,
but this one is slightly more accessible and condensed down to perfection,
whereas “Incantations” is very long and requires more patience. An essential
title that will actually make itself a part of your life if you allow it to. If
you obtain this album as a young person I assure you it will eventually be a
member of your family in a few decades. It is that special. I believe 5-stars
ratings are to be withheld for only the MOST RARE of occasions and “Ommadawn”
is a case where I'm grudgingly forced to cough one up. #251
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Camel explores very unique territory with each
release. This is their third album and perhaps their most celebrated when it
comes to pure progressive content, though Camel's first 2 and fourth album are
better. The entire album is based on one concept; that of the snow goose story
and the music reinvents the genre. It is difficult to digest at first as no
songs are apparent, rather instrumental works that make up a whole. As soon as the flute chimes in and those keyboards
ring out on ‘Rhayader’, one is instantly transported into the beautiful
ambience of one of the best instrumental albums of the symphonic Canterbury
period. Each track is beautifully, masterfully executed by
the musical virtuosity of each member. It is best listened to as an entire
work, rather than individual pieces, similar to a symphony orchestra. It
features such a beauty it is calming and soothing on the senses. Latimer's
guitars are upbeat and his flute is cheerful and charming, perfectly balanced
by Ward's drumming and the keyboard talents of Barden's. These talents are
balanced by orchestral sections giving the work an overall epic majestic
quality. The juxtaposition of orchestra and rock instruments works perfectly.
At times there are subliminal vocals, no actual words, but more sounds that
compliment the tracks. ‘Rhayader Goes To Town’ is definitely a highlight,
featuring on many Camel compilations, and includes enormous keyboard motifs
that stab in stoccato riffs, and all is augmented by the blazing guitar solos
from Latimer. ‘Sanctuary’ is repetitive and focusses on Latimer's drifting
guitar solo, that really slows things down. ‘The Snow Goose’ is the band in
full flair that includes catchy ambient melodies. A very high pitched saxophone
can be heard in the tracks to follow and is a welcome change in pace to all the
strings. ‘Rhayader Alone’ is another highlight and is quite a melancholy piece
with marvellous soloing from Latimer and an acoustic bass tone from Ferguson. Of note too is the addition of bonus tracks on the
Decca remaster version. Over 24 extra minutes of Camel is irresistible. The
bonus additions are great single edit versions of ‘Flight of The Snow Goose’, ‘Rhayader’
and ‘Flight Of The Snow Goose’. There are also two excellent live 1974 versions
of ‘Rhayader Goes To Town’ and ‘The Snow Goose/ Freefall’. This last track
clocks in at 11 minutes and is one of the highlights as it blends seamlessly
from ‘Snow Goose’ to one of my favourite tracks in ‘Freefall’. Overall, “The Snow Goose” is an inspired work that
demands attention. It is not for everybody's tastes due to the content, and it
is a peaceful, tranquil instrumental album, however this is one of those albums
that tends to grow on the listener over time. #252 Scheherazade and Other Stories
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: "Scheherazade and Other Stories" is
Renaissance at the peak of their powers in the 70s golden era of prog. A male dominated universe of prog was infiltrated
by the likes of Annie Haslam's enchanting vocal prowess. What a voice she has
on this album, a voice of authority and tranquillity with a huge octave range
that has spellbinding power. 'Trip To The Fair' starts things
off with a lengthy piano interlude played with grand finesse by John Tout. An
orchestrated approach of classical proportions follows with some manic laughter
and ethereal vocal harmonies. It builds till at 3:40 there is a musical box
chime and Annie begins to tell the story with her inimitable voice. The story
concerns a fair where "nobody
was there" and the feeling of childhood innocence turning to
fear as the realisation is the fair is creepily devoid of people; "A creak as the dodgems came onto the
scene, Wheels began turning I started to scream, A carousel swung around, My
head spun and hit the ground..." The melody is pretty but the
lyrics give it a dark tinge of paranoia and sadness; "I close my eyes to disguise the fear
from inside, Trembling within my own mind I find no place to hide, Stars of
tomorrow shine through the grey mist that has gone, I wish that this trip to
the fair had never begun..." The instrumental break is
dominated by glockenspiel or childish toy piano sounds. There are passages that
sound like a carousel as the people appear in the fair and "Everyone seemed to be staring at me,
Clowns laughed in the penny arcade, What was this game my mind played?" Quite
a chilling opening track. Next is the short 3 minute 'The Vultures Fly High', a fairly
standard moderate uptempo tack. The lyrics are dark again but Annie is able to
lift it to a soaring level with her lovely vocals. This is more of a throwaway
track than a classic but it is sandwiched between two excellent tracks. Next is a superb track, the 7 minute 'Ocean Gypsy'. It begins very quietly
that builds to a chorus with evocative lyrics; "Gold and silver rings and stones, Dances slowly of the moon,
No-one else can know, She stands alone, Sleeping dreams will reach for her, She
cannot say the words they need, She knows she's alone, And she is free, Ocean
gypsy of the moon, The sun has made a thousand nights, For you to hold..." The
gentle piano and clarinet are complimented by strings and gentle vocals. A very
emotionally charged atmosphere is the result and it is a terrific Renaissance track. The epic that makes this an excellent album is the
25 minute treasure, 'Song Of
Scheherazade'. It is broken into 9 sections but moves along
seamlessly as an orchestrated suite. It takes some getting used to with the
hyper orchestration and classical singing. Annie holds back for most of this
but is still a gem. It is difficult to pinpoint any particular section but the
lyrics are as evocative as ever coming in on 'The Sultan'; "And so for many days with the dawn,
The sultan had his way, Wives were put to death, His name on their dying
breath, Then one day as the evening came, Sultan sends for him a wife, Choose
her well charms I wish to see, Bring her, send her in to me, Then came Scheherazade
to his side, And her beauty shone, Like a flower grown, Gentle as he'd ever
known, Scheherazade bewitched him, With songs of jewelled keys, Princes and of
heroes, And eastern fantasies..." The epic is based on the
folklore of the tyrant sultan, the young prince and princess as told by
Scheherazade, including the Festival preparations leading to the grand Finale.
Scheherazade was given a death sentence by the Sultan who had murdered
princesses, his wives each night duly to the fact his wife betrayed him. The
story of Scherezade is told by the princess to delay her death sentence who
relayed the story for 1000 nights; she was never executed as The Sultan decided
such a faithful princess should remain his wife. The music captures the heroism and has a decidedly
Arabic flavour to enhance the atmosphere. This epic may take some patience on
the listener’s behalf, with severe repetition and painstaking easygoing music,
but it still must be recognised as one of the best pieces of Renaissance. This
is a flawed album, difficult to get into, but in the right frame of mind this
can be a very pleasant listening experience. #253
A review by Mellotron Storm This is one of my
favourite Zappa records. Interestingly enough there is only one instrumental
"Sofa No.1", yet the instrumental work on this album is truly
incredible. Ruth Underwood on vibes is amazing, while Chester Thompson is his
usual brilliant self on drums, and Frank gets a lot of mileage out of his
guitar on this one. George Duke sings lead by himself on "Inca Roads"
and is part of the lead vocals on two other tracks, while his keyboard work is
stunning. "Inca Roads"
features high pitched vocals, but it's the guitar solo from Frank that lasts
close to 3 minutes that impresses me to no end. The vibes and Frank's hilarious
vocals are also highlights. "Can't Afford No Shoes" makes me laugh
just thinking about it. It's an uptempo, funny song, that's a good little
rocker with some great guitar to end it. "Sofa No.1" is a fantastic
sounding instrumental. The sound is so thick and solid. "Po-Jama People"
opens with some blues flavoured piano and guitar. Vocals arrive a minute in. The
vocal melodies are so funny. "Hoy,hoy,hoy". A scathing guitar solo
follows as piano joins in. The vocals are back before 6 minutes.
"Florentine Pogen" has some heavy sections to it, and in general it
has an an amazing sound to it. "Evelyn,A Modified
Dog" is just too funny for words. "San Ber'Dino" is as catchy as
hell, and I know I'm repeating myself but the sound is so full, it sounds great
as does the guitar again. "Andy" has some fast paced vocals that come
and go. Organ before 3 minutes. The drumming is outstanding, as is the scorching
guitar and fine piano melodies. "Sofa No.2" has
some different vocal styles on it that work well. The vibes and drums are
highlights as well. It would be difficult picking my top ten Zappa records, but
this one would be there. This would be a great place to start for someone new
to Zappa’s work. A review by Sean Trane: Mid-75, Frank's second incarnation of the mother's
Of Invention was now in full swing and One Size Fits all is probably one of the
more serious mothers album of that period, since it gives a bigger than usual
space to instrumental music and avoids the scatological humour of albums
surrounding it. A bizarre spacey artwork graces the album's cover with a
personal view of the zodiac system on the back cover. Opening on the excellent Inca Roads is a jazz-rock
piece that starts a bit brass-rock, before veering almost fusion and ending in
a ridiculous and silly fashion, which cheapens the whole 8-mins+ of previous
ingenuity. . . The short Can't Afford No Shoes is easily forgotten and segues
into the short-instrumental Sofa N°1 a rather promising foray into dramatic
sympho-jazzy prog. The 7-mins+ Po-Jama People is the classic track from OSFA
(IMHO, anyway) and it deserves to be, as the track is a showcase for one of
Frank's most brilliant guitar solo in studio, gliding over a funky jazz)-rock,
with Chester Thompson's superb drumming in full swing. The flipside opens with a fair and average
Florentine Pogen and the following and thankfully-short Modified Dog is best
forgotten. San Ber'dino starts like a typical Zappa humoristic bluesy piece,
but develops an-almost-interesting instrumental mid-section. Ditto for the quirky
Andy, a bizarre burst-ey piece that develops some interesting and unusual
moments, some rather impressive, but again the dumb over-powering vocals screw
it up. Unfortunately the second Sofa piece is much less a success than its
first instalments on the other side of the vinyl. This, as usual, goes in every possible musical
direction and is just too confusing to be considered as highly recommendable.
The musicianship is superb as usual, but one wishes that all of the tracks
would be of Inca Roads or Po-Jama People, but it is far from the case, even if
some tracks (Andy & Ber'dino) could be saved by editing the vocals. Despite
some obvious flaws, it would miss my personal Top 10 Zappa albums, but not by
much. #254
A review by Warthur: After the angry
politically-themed “Power and the Glory”, Gentle Giant changed tack yet again
to bring us the thoughtful and profound “Free Hand”, a meditation on whether
there really is such a thing as free will. From the catchy (but still complex) ‘Just
the Same’ to the complex vocal layers of ‘On Reflection’ (which interweaves its
vocal harmonies with some fine vibes from John Weathers) to the tender and
poignant ‘His Last Voyage’ - possibly the most beautiful track the band ever
recorded - this is a treasury of brilliant performances from a band who, in
their prime, were one of the most consistently excellent groups on the prog
scene #255
A review by Warthur: Continuing the spooky,
electronic approach of “Phaedra”, “Rubycon” is structured as a single
album-long piece - perhaps at the behest of publisher Virgin Records, who
enthused by the runaway success of Mike Oldfield's albums were encouraging
their artists to produce similar work. (The first album by Clearlight is an
album-long piece for this very reason.) The approach works well here, partly
because compared to the mighty composition which is ‘Zeit’ a single
album-length piece is a walk in the park, but also because the creativity shown
in “Phaedra” is still in evidence here. Whilst it doesn't show much in the way
of musical progression over its predecessor, it is still compelling enough to
demand attention. A review by Mellotron Storm "Part 1" opens
with haunting sounds off in the distance that get louder after 2 minutes. It
sounds like sea gulls 3 1/2 minutes in with mellotron to follow. We start to
get a beat or pulse 7 1/2 minutes in as spacey sounds continue. A more
aggressive sound arrives after 10 1/2 minutes that reminds me of PINK FLOYD. Percussion
sounds before 12 minutes. It starts to calm down after 14 1/2 minutes. "Part 2" is
darker and more haunting. Mellotron 3 minutes in sounds awesome! It sounds like
a thousand lost souls crying out. Ok maybe "awesome" was the wrong
word. It is such an eerie section. We get a beat before 5 minutes as spacey
sounds continue to sweep the soundscape. Organ before 11 minutes followed by
waves after 12 minutes. It's spacey again 13 1/2 minutes in to end it on a
brighter note. I really like the dark and haunting mood they bring out on this
album at times. A solid 4 stars. A review by Sean Trane: 4.5 stars really. This
album is another step in the metamorphosis of the somber electronic music caterpillar
into the symphonic butterfly that will unfold its wings with Ricochet and soar
high in the sky. What you had heard in Phaedra is now evolving with even more
superb ambiances (some references are made to 2001 Space Odyssey and Echoes of
Floyd in the quieter moments) but now is more evident that their wider success
comes from something else. About six minutes into the first number, comes
something unheard of since their second album Alpha Centauri: a rhythm track -
alhough there had been hints of that in the predecessor. Don't get your hopes up
too high (or do so whichever way you look at it) but this is an electronic rhythm
done by phasers and sequencers (hardly news for a teenager nowadays but back
then....) and this attention is constantly drawn by the subtle changes of this
rhythm. In the following albums however more and more acoustic instruments
(notably drums by Baumann) will make appearances in their Oeuvre but this will
also always be respectfull of their electronic art. With this album TD come in
the court of not only the artistical giants but also in the court of the
successful prog giants. I know of only one album even more breathtaking in this
musical direction, and that is A Rainbow In Curved Air (1969!!!) from another
master and genious Terry Riley. Both absolute masterpieces even if nowadays,
they do age gracefully but they still do not sound dated (to me anyway). #256 Voyage Of The Acolyte
A review by Finnforest: One Genesis album not credited to Genesis is the
first solo effort by Steve Hackett. The album was made after Gabriel had left
and the guys were taking some time to try different things before making
decisions about Genesis. Hackett took the chance to "be the Captain"
for a change and this album has all of the beauty and grandeur of the 70s
finest symphonic successes. A balance is achieved between delicate pastoral
moments and rocking ones, the arrangements and sound are quite good, and the
list of guest stars is impressive: Collins, Rutherford, John Acock, Sally
Oldfield, and Percy Jones. Hackett notes that it "was great to work with
Phil and Mike in a different way outside the confines of the band." "Ace of Wands" begins with an uptempo
riff and muscular bass that alternates a mellow section of acoustic guitars and
synths. Nice progressions lead to some fancy Hackett leads towards the end.
"Hands of the Priestess part 1" is pure prog heaven with acoustic and
lovely flute over mellotron. The melody is gorgeous and dreamy. Occasionally
light chimes and volume controlled electric leads make a welcome appearance. "A Tower Struck Down" jolts you from the
serenity of the previous song with a Crimsonesque harshness to the mood. Sound
effects come and go adding drama and unease. It then drifts back to the
loveliness of "Hands of the Priestess part 2" briefly before going
into "The Hermit." The music is very pretty with cello, acoustic
guitar and flute. The vocals are somewhat tentative and thin as Hackett was
obviously not too comfortable with his vocal prowess. "Star of Sirius" begins side 2 with
mellotron, acoustic with effect, and a guest vocal by Collins who does a nice
job. This track features a catchy pop-ish chorus that gets a bit sing-songey
but I find the overall cheese rating of the album to be more than manageable.
Let's face it, there's good cheese and bad cheese and this is some of the fine
stuff. Some say albums like this are what made Punk necessary and while there
is an element of truth to that philosophy, it can never take away the joy that
music like this gives to people. Punk and prog can co-exist just fine in the
eyes of we fans-it seems like the artists are the ones who have trouble getting
along. "The Lovers" is a short instrumental
introduction to the real highlight of the album, the magnificent "Shadow
of the Hierophant." This has to be one of symphonic prog's greatest
moments. I am captivated by the yearning beauty of the main melody that keeps
finding its way back, seemingly more passionate each time. And then there is
the angelic beauty of Oldfield's vocal which just makes my heart burst. The
louder parts trade off with soft passages of mellotron, acoustic guitar, and
flute. There are some pleasant electric leads peeled off now and again. Some
have complained the track is a bit sweet and this is true but what can I say?
Sometimes a particular piece of songwriting catches you in its spell and other
times definitely not. I find it completely charming and spellbinding. I would highly recommend this album to anyone who
loves melodic symphonic prog like Genesis, Novalis, Willowgrass, Rousseau, Yes
(think "To Be Over"), Oldfield, or Camel. It may not be a masterpiece
but it is an exceptional album. The gatefold mini-lp reissue features good
sound and the amazing artwork of Kim Poor whose album cover won an award. Her
website describes the cover as follows: "Through bone and fire the
sightless priestess foretells the future. Her eyes are denied the usual sight,
but she represents events foretold: precognition, premonition and the road of
the tarot are her stock in trade. The hands of this gifted seeress, and
feminine intuition, allow the drawbridge of consciousness to be lifted for her,
immediately becoming an open door. It is a Chinese watercolour in her
background which tells of past lives ... the tower about to be struck down ...
the balloons of colour that must be snatched and fully grasped in order to move
forward, representing the artist herself" [Kim Poor]. It also features two
bonus tracks, a live version of "Ace of Wands" and a 17 minute
extended version of "Shadow." All in all a high-quality release and
one deserving of its reputation as one of the highlights of the mid 1970s prog
scene. #257
A review by Mellotron Storm: I don't think i would be
out of line in saying that this band was one of the best to ever come out of
the U.S.A. All you have to do is read the other enthusiastic reviews to know
that you need to hear this band. Incredibly complex, yet melodic at the same
time. These guys wrote intelligent lyrics and they certainly had a sense of humour
(look at the song titles). "Boris And His 3
Verses,Including Flow Guides Aren't My Bag" opens with dual vocals, the
one vocalist sounds so much like Jon Anderson. The sound builds as drums, guitar
and synths come in. Check out the drumming after 2 minutes. A change 3 minutes
in as it turns dark. Man these guys can play! This is such a great instrumental
section. Nice heavy guitar with lots of synths after 5 1/2 minutes. This
passage ends before 7 1/2 minutes. It then becomes mostly acoustic with vocals
for a minute. It ends in an uplifting way with vocal melodies then vocals. "Texas
Armadillo" is a short instrumental with banjo! You have to hear the way
this thing builds to such a fast pace. Amazing! "Almost 4, 6 Yea"
opens with piano before being replaced by a darker, heavier section. The guitar
is outstanding. It then becomes very complex. Flute after 2 1/2 minutes. A calm
with acoustic guitar before 4 minutes. Vocal melodies a minute later before it
turns dark again. The guitar in the next passage reminds me of the guitar on
"Houses Of the Holy", this section ends 8 minutes in. Some nice
drumming follows to end it. "To-Ta In The
Moya" opens with a full sound that is quickly replaced by a laid back
passage, with vocals arriving 1 1/2 minutes in. A terrific sound follows. It
sounds like Howe on the guitar 4 minutes in. It's darker a minute later. The
song continues to change as a fun section comes in around 6 1/2 minutes. Vocals
return before 8 minutes to end it. "Three Tons Of
fresh Thyroid Glands" yummy. I like the way they use the flute in the
intro. A change 1 1/2 minutes in as guitar and drums take the lead. Nice. The
flute is back! There's that "Houses Of The Holy" sounding guitar
again. Vocals before 5 1/2 minutes. The tempo and vocals pick up speed 7 1/2
minutes in. It settles down after 9 minutes with flute and a darker sound. Well
I do prefer this to "Sacred Baboon", but if you can get your hands on
either of these don't even hesitate. #258
A review by Finnforest: Safe Italian prog choice for people not sure they
if they like Italian prog. Every so often someone is blown away by Locanda
Delle Fate, and asks what else they can get like Locanda. Well Maxophone (from
Milano Italy) doesn't sound exactly like Locanda but they are a good choice for
people who want safe, pleasant Italian prog that isn't *too* Italian, meaning
sans the more gregarious side that some of us hard-core Italian hounds look
for. It's pretty hard not to like Maxophone as they do everything well, good
playing, nice songs, smooth vocals. But they don't take the risks that some of
their peers do. It's hard for me to explain but while this album is most
certainly good it just somehow lacks the distinct flavor and character I look
for in my Italian albums. I think maybe they have more outside influences than
some of the more regional Italian bands. For many this probably makes them
better but for me not. In researching the band I found three sentences from
another reviewer that perfectly summarizes my view of Maxophone: "While Maxophone have constructed a very well
balanced album, one thing they fail to do is absolutely dazzle me in the way
that the best Italian bands can. There are no flat spots but the best moments
are interesting as opposed to astounding. Maxophone never quite soar as high as
they promise to at times." [those last 3 sentences credited to Conrad
Leviston and thanks for saying it better than I.] You will find everything you seek from the classic
period here: piano, flute, sax, organ, vibe, clarinet, acoustic and electric
guitar, bass, and good vocals. You will also find a wide range of styles and a
band capable of turning from rock to jazzy to classical segments quickly and
effortlessly. I think this band was likely influenced from Yes, Genesis, and
PFM primarily. This was their one and only album and it is considered by many
to be one of the greatest Italian prog albums. I'm at about 3.25 stars for
Maxophone. The mini-lp sleeve reissue is nice because of the great cover art. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - February 02 2012 at 23:11 |
||
|
||
|
Dean
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: January 27 2012 at 08:09 |
|
|
...not wanting to appear too picky, but isn't the meaning of the phrase "golden handshake" more or less the opposite of how you've used it? The cover handshake is more symbolic of an empty gesture I'd have thought.
|
||
|
What?
|
||
|
||
|
Snow Dog
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 23 2005 Location: Caerdydd Status: Offline Points: 32995 |
Posted: January 27 2012 at 08:23 |
|
|
I think you are correct, sir!
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: January 27 2012 at 09:09 |
|
|
1975 - continued
#259
A review by Warthur: Turning their hand to an
epic style of fusion which drifts heavily towards symphonic prog territory,
Maneige here produce a unique and captivating album in which a dizzying
interplay of keyboards (from no less than three keyboardists!) buoys up equally
virtuoso performances from the rest of the band. Veering towards the sort of
territory that would be explored by the ECM stable, as others have pointed out,
this is a fascinating and forward-thinking album which still sounds fresh and
new to this day, with plenty to offer fusion and symphonic prog fans alike. I
defy anyone not to be captivated from the first haunting flute and piano lines
on the opening track. A review by Sean Trane: Recently reissued on the Cd format by the great
ProgQuebec team, this album (and its predecessor) had been all too long ignored
and denied a second life by the Harvest label. Oddly enough with the bulk of
reserve material still waiting to be released back then, the CD reissue offers
no bonus track, but the album alone is much worthy by itself. The last
paragraphs are dedicated to the review being re-written after its reissue. Old review: How to describe this absolutely
masterful and orgasmic music? Except for this lone LP where one number is sung,
Maneige is an instrumental group that lets you know right from the start that
they will take full advantage of this and will not allow you one second of
inattention. The group mixes acoustic and electric instrument with such dexterity
that they make it look easy and sound simple. NOT SO!!! Although people will
classify this group in the fusion section, this is only partly correct as there
is some jazz & folk, but there is an uncommon percentage of classical music
but nothing stolen from the historical composers. This album and the debut as well as the recently
released live 74-75 are highly indescribable melange of all sort of academic
musics. If I must name one band to come close to Maneige, I will tell you a
cross between Univers Zero and Gentle Giant for the construction complexities
but Maneige is so much more melodic and harmonious to your ears, that GG is
rather distant cry from them. "Why have you not heard of this band
before?" you ask. My theory is that they got black listed because of their
Quebecois origins at the time when Quebec was overtly menacing of separation
from the rest of Canada because of the English compatriots refusing to
recognize Quebec as a distinct society. This made Quebec groups unable to play
freely in the rest of their country along with Harmonium (a little success),
Pollen (just one superb record and disband), Aquarelle (I am not even sure they
released something outside Quebec) and even the Franco-Ontarian band Cano, so
they had real problems of exposure. This lasts still today except for Harmonium
that does get international recognition. Is the best proof of this not that
only three albums of this great band are on CD? As they are still relatively
unknown, your hunt for the vinyls should not be that difficult or expensive,
but man, it is definitely worth it. New review: The 19-min+ title track suite (written
by wind player Bergeron) is grabbing by the throat from the first notes, and
never letting it go of its grip through its six movement, with its constantly
evolving composition and so many different acoustic instruments taking over the
previous one and even a rare sung section, whose lyrics were reprinted in a
weird fashion on a loose sheet alongside the inner sleeve. The first side
closes on a short symphonic (a quartet really) piece that is not as inspired as
the rest of the album. Indeed, La Grosse Torche sounds out of place on the Cd
(this was less evident on the vinyl). The flipside starts with Saxinette and Clarophone's
wild adventures and the opening minute could make you think of Genesis' The
Lamb on the second disc but this is quickly forgotten as the two instruments
share literally everything mixing blood, trading licks, making love to each
other. Bergeron's sax and Langlois' clarinet are not just the stars of the
show, they eclipse the sun for the duration of the track from shining so hard.
Vincent (Jerome's brother) Langlois' electric piano solo draws chills in your
back, until a weird animal meows like an elephant and the tracks veers into a
wild goose chase ending in a chaotic crowd and dying a slow death! Du très
grand art, monsieur!! The closing track Chromo is a much funkier track that
will indeed remind what was coming ahead in NV.NN, which would be a much
jazzier album. The amazing thing is that obviously at the autumn
of the group's first career (the Jerome Langlois years, if you wish), the group
had loads more music that was still waiting for a proper studio recording and
release. Most of these tracks can be found throughout the three live albums
that have been released since 98. And from these albums, it's easy to see that
Maneige's first line-up could have released a third album that would have
easily matched their debut and Les Porches. So as Chromo sort of announces the
new Maneige, Jerome Langlois will leave the group to concentrate on the
long-standing project that he had tried to get off the ground with his previous
group Lasting Weep. Le Spectacle de L'Albatros would then see the light of day
in early 76 with both Lasting Weep and Maneige playing alongside, but this is
another superb ProgQuebec chapter of the marvelous musical adventures of
Progresson. #260 The Rotters' Club
A review my Mellotron Storm: This band has quite the
pedigree with former members of EGG, CARAVAN, MATCHING MOLE and GONG coming
together to make "The Rotter's Club". And this is truly a band effort
as the four main guys Richard Sinclair, Phil Miller, Pip Pyle and Dave Stewart
all take part in creating the lyrics and compositions. It's cool to see Lindsay
Cooper from HENRY COW guesting on aboe and bassoon. Actually the guest list is
impressive with Jimmy Hastings adding flute and sax, Mont Campbell on French
horn, Tim Hodgkinson on clarinet and the Nothettes (Barbara Gaskill, Amanda
Parsons & Ann Rosenthal) on vocals. This is very much a jazz
infected record from beginning to end. The lyrics are very tongue and cheek,
and the singing of Mr.Sinclair is quite whimsical. In fact CARAVAN is who comes
to mind the most when listening to this album. "Share It" the first
song is one of my favourites on this record. It's a catchy tune that's quite
charming. A feel good track. Phil Miller's guitar
playing is the focus on "Lounging There Trying". Keys, bass and light
drums also help out. The tempo picks up 2 minutes in. "(Big) John Wayne
Socks Psychology On The Jaw" is a short tune with keys, aboe and drums.
“Chaos At The Greasy Spoon" is another very short piece with drums,horns
and lots of fuzz. "The Yes No
Interlude" is another song with some great guitar in it especially 2
minutes in. I like the tone of it in this one. Horns blast and drums pound. It
turns jazzy after 5 minutes. This is another standout track for me.
"Fitter Stoke Has A Bath" is laid back with vocals. Flute 1 1/2
minutes in. A change after 3 minutes as aboe, piano and vocal melodies take
over. Sounds like farfisa 4 1/2 minutes in with deep bass lines. It turns
experimental with some atmosphere 5 1/2 minutes in. "Didn't Matter
Anyway" is a breezy tune with vocals and flute. Yeah it's another
favourite. "Underdub" is jazzy with keys and deep bass.
"Mumps" is the epic at around 20 minutes in length, lots of time
changes are featured.Female vocals around 6 minutes on this one with distorted
keys a minute later. Great section. A couple of the shorter tracks are then
reprised. Next is "Halfway
Between Heaven And Earth" which is jazzy with some nice guitar before a
minute. Vocals follow. Sounds like he's singing underwater. "Oh,Len's
Nature!" is surprisingly heavy. Some nasty fuzz. "Lying And
Gracing" features some outstanding guitar and piano. Fuzzed out bass 2
minutes in. This is such a fun yet complex release. One of the better
Canterbury albums. A review by Warthur: The second Hatfield and
the North album is, along with the first, a true cornerstone of the Canterbury
sound, an essential album which should be up towards the top of any shopping
list for people beginning to explore the genre. With sounds ranging from
furious Soft Machine fusion (‘The Yes No Interlude’) to gentle and good-humoured
Caravan whimsy (‘Fitter Stoke Has a Bath’), the band infuse everything with
their distinctive musical personalities. It's often said that ‘Mumps’, the
side-long epic that closes the disc, is Hatfield's best track, and I'm inclined
to agree; it's a brilliant song showing every participant at their peak. (In
particular, it is far and away the Northettes' best performance as backing
singers.) But trying to pick the best Hatfield and the North album is trying to
pick your best finger; you might have a favourite, but you wouldn't want to go
without any of them. #261
A review by Mellotron Storm: I really think this is
KANSAS' best album. All their other albums are very inconsistant, this one is
the exception although I don't think much of the first track. I was also
surprised at how symphonic the title track is, and it's hard not to say that
it's their best composition. Still I can't get past their AOR sound. "Down
The Road" is not a good start. Sounds like a southern rock tune to me. "Song For
America" like I said earlier is very symphonic. Drums, violin, organ and
piano stand out early. Vocals 3 minutes in. When the vocals stop the synths
come in after 5 minutes. It settles with piano then picks back up with violin. Vocals
are back after 8 1/2 minutes. Great song. "Lamplight Symphony"
settles with reserved vocals quickly. I like the instrumental section after 4 minutes.
It settles with violin and piano after 5 1/2 minutes. Vocals are back after 7
minutes. Lots of organ here then guitar. "Lonely Street" opens with bass and vocals. It gets a lot louder before a minute. This is a blues flavoured tune. I like it. "The Devil Game" is an uptempo track. Some nice guitar 1 1/2 minutes in. "Incomudro-Hymn To The Atman" opens with some drama before settling quickly with violin. Reserved vocals follow. The tempo continues to change. There's a drum solo 7 minutes in. A good ending as it kicks back in after 10 1/2 minutes. A review by Sean Trane: 3.5 stars really!!! Second album and the first appearance of their
usual logo on a striking eagle, ready to pounce on unsuspecting listeners.
Behind that memorable artwork (maybe influencing Rush's Fly By night), the
group returns unchanged with a more determined symphonic approach, compared to
their debut album. SFA is a worthy successor to their first opus, but
it strikes that the band is keeping space for shorter tracks, in case they can
strike for a hit single, which SFA doesn't have any. But it has three longer or
four epics (or mini-epics) including the title track, the 8-mins+ Lamplight
symphony (corny title, but we are in the prairies) and the 12-mins
Incommudro/Altman thing, which happens to be among my fave things from the
band. All three of these tracks hold many Yes-like moments, but the pupils
manage to not sound like their main influence, or at least not appear
derivative. Plenty of instrumental passages over a generally high-energy rhythm
section, the group seems more confident on the louder passages, but it is on
the quieter ones that they truly convince. The three shorter tracks are of a lesser interest,
with only Lonely Streets garnering a bit of airplay I guess, because it was the
only track I knew when I first laid my ears onto the vinyl in 76. Both Down The
Road and the Devil Game sound a bit like fillers to me, but I bet mosts fans
would clearly disagree. Plenty of goodies available on this second more
symphonic effort, but personally I prefer the debut's freshness. #262
A review by Finnforest: One of "difficult" prog's must-hear
titles. Area are one of the seminal Italian progressive
rock bands of the 1970s incorporating jazz-fusion, avant-garde, and
occasionally even touches of funkiness or folk into their music. They also
employ the experimental Italian vocals of Demetrio Stratos and a hearty dose of
the wilder side of Italian rock. They were outspoken political leftists who
were a stalwart of the classic RPI scene, as important to Italian prog as PFM
or Banco but without the beautiful symphonic grandeur of many of their countrymen.
Instead Area pushed the boundaries in different directions, with aggression and
a rebellious experimental nature, but also with a sense of humor and joy. This 3rd album continued the adventure with the
classic lineup that included Stratos, Tofani, Tavolazzi, Fariselli, and
Capiozzo. “Crac!” is an absolute roller-coaster of energy and is challenging
progressive rock not for the faint of heart. Beloved by many avant and fusion
fans in addition to stock RPI nuts, the album explodes from the start and never
lets up. Hot, jamming drumming and monster bass anchor the show, while piano
and guitar leads shred their way through. Sharing the tracks are Stratos
bizarre vocals yelps, grunts, and other assorted madman noises. The playing is as technically formidable as a great
jazz group, but Area take things so much farther that many fusion bands. With
the various musical influences, the cultural and political narrative, and the
obvious Italian vibe they are a must-hear band for RPI aficionados who want the
whole picture of the 70s scene. They are not a band I play often as I find them
more cerebrally intoxicating than emotionally satisfying, so my comments are
brief. But there is no question Area's “Crac!” is excellent progressive rock. #263 Warrior on the Edge of Time
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: “We are the warriors at
the edge of time, We are Humanity's scythe to sweep this way and that, And cut
the Enemy down as weeds.” “Warrior on the Edge of
Time” is hailed as one of the Hawkwind masterpieces containing some of their
finest compositions and proggiest musicianship. ‘Assault and Battery’ is
quintessential Hawkwind with some terrific lyrics; “Lives of great men all remind us we may make
our lives sublime, And departing leave behind us footprints in the sands of
time, Of hewn stones the sacred circle where the wizened sages sat, Let us try
to remember all the times where they were at.” The extended section on ‘Assault & Battery/ The golden
void part II’ is mind blowing. The lyrics conjure a mystical transcendental
evocation; “The golden void speaks to
me denying my reality, I lose my body, lose my mind, I blow like wind, flow
like wine, Down a corridor of flame, will I fly so high again.” The spacey mellotron of Simon House is
incredible and he also plays some stirring violin. Dave Brock sounds amazing on
vocals, very forceful and hitting notes dead on, and his guitar work is exemplary.
Nik Turner is a revelation on Tenor and Soprano saxophone, and also flute, all
absolutely perfectly executed on this album. Lemmy’s pulsating bass guitar is a
pleasant addition. Simon King’s percussion is as good as ever, with a constant
hypnotic rhythm and power blasts at the end of each verse. Allan Powell also doubles
up on drums and it is always a delight to hear Mike Moorcock’s sci-fi narrative
prose, something to look forward to on classic albums such as this. The music is ultra-spacey
and mesmirising especially on motorik instrumental hooks like the Krautrock
influenced ‘Opa-loka’. The spacey effects are integral to the Hawkwind
atmospheres and this track is soaked in symphonic spacey textures. The waves
crashing on the beach and seagulls are a strong atmospheric embellishment. Folky
‘The Demented Man’ has a huge mellotron sound that roars majestically over an
acoustic chord structure. At this point one can become transfixed by the power
of the album’s atmospherics. ‘Magnu’ is a lengthy track
with a killer riff, similar to ‘Born To Go’ or ‘Masters of the Universe’. Brock’s
vocals are towering as he sings of mystical adventures; “Magnu, horse with golden mane, I want your help
yet once again, After this the multi
echoed voice of Nik Turner narrates that we are standing at the edge and it is
dark, we are the unkind, we are the soldiers of the edge of time and we are
tired of making love, where is desire, it’s cold, so cold, where is our joy,
where is our fire. The section reminds one of the amazing recitations on “Space
Ritual” which made it such an endearing unique experience. Turner is a delight when
he is in this weird mood. The next track ‘Spiral Galaxy 28948’ is a deliriously
spacey mellotron soaked rhythmic piece in 6/8. The wall of mellotron turbulence
and fuzzy bass, conjures images of interstellar travel and a beautiful flute
chimes in with precision and expertise, floating along the oceans of star
clusters. A Dalek like mechanised voice warns that “we are the wind
which will blow the ash away as if never existed, but first we must know the
enemies, we are the betrayed!” This estranged poetry leads to ‘Dying seas’ which has a throbbing bassline from Lemmy and some jagged
distorted guitar riffs from Brock. The vocals are multi tracked and alienating.
The electric violin is incredible slicing back and forth almost like a dark
Irish jig but creating very intense serrations, very much like Van der Graaf
Generator. The effervescent synth solo washes over with waves of icy glacial
augmentations, sparkling over galactic soundscapes. The next track is ‘Kings of speed’, a rocking Motorhead style track. The lyrics are very
cool; “We're gonna take a tasty trip on Frank and
Beasley's rocket ship, The biggest attraction, the brightest star, boys you're
going fast and far”. The fact that Lemmy was a speed addict, and about to be
incarcerated for it, makes this song even more potent; “We guarantee you the
sweetest ride, You'll go so far you'll think you've died, Step this way lads it
ain't no lie, Try your luck and reach the sky.” The bonus track is ‘Motorhead’ which of course is Lemmy’s baby
literally, and it is always a killer sounding like Motorhead for some reason.
It is a portentous song as this is Lemmy’s last Hawkwind album as he would be
fired for drug trafficking and begin his own angry response 3 piece band. The
lyrics are effective; “Can't get
enough and you know it's the righteous stuff, Goes up like prices at Christmas,
Motorhead.” The packaging of the album
is great too especially the artwork depicting an archetypal warrior awaiting
battle on the precipice of a jagged cliff. The bildungsroman narrative
ingrained in the mystical vision depicts a coming of age as the warrior awaits
his destiny in the corridors of flame of the Golden Void. The concept of the
album is typically unfathomable and open to interpretation, but it is an
integral component of Hawkwind’s enigmatic mystique. Every track on this album
is a sheer delight encompassing one of the most consistent Hawkwind albums of
the 70s. The album generates its own specific atmosphere that the band could
not capture on subsequent albums until the wonderful “The Chronicle of the
Black Sword”. The band were able to inject just the right amount of spaceyness
with swathes of mellotron and sonic effects, along with astonishing musicianship
with flute, sax and violin. Brock is excellent on vocals and he is joined by
one of the strongest lineups for the chameleonic band, that changed lineups
considerably over its long tenure. “Warrior on the edge of Time” is a
masterpiece because everything worked to create stratospheric soundscapes, and
the band were obviously operating on all cylinders at their creative peak. #264
A review by Mellotron Storm: 4.5 stars. SLOCHE's debut
is another album from Quebec like OPUS 5's that must be heard to be believed. A
5 piece band with 2 keyboardists, although one of them plays sax at times. The
vocals are fantastic as well and are in French. "C'Pas Fin Du Monde"
opens with spacey synths for the first 1 1/2 minutes then this intricate
sounding melody takes over with keys, bass, light drums and more. A collage of
sounds really. Vocals join in a minute later. Nice. This sounds amazing! A calm
5 1/2 minutes in then some bombastic drums and organ kick in before it settles
into a jazzy groove. Nice guitar after 7 1/2 minutes. "Le Kareme
D'Eros" is the longest track at almost 11 minutes. We get piano melodies
to open for over 3 1/2 minutes before vocals and a heavy and full sound takes
over. They're having fun! Great guitar after 5 minutes as it trades solos with
the organ. Incredible section! It settles with synths and piano before 7
minutes then the vocals come back. It turns spacey followed by a heavier sound
after 9 minutes. Check it out! Great section. "J'un Oeil"
builds to an incredible sound a minute in. Vocals join in too. Wonderful sound.
There is a GENTLE GIANT vibe and then it settles before 3 minutes, we're back
to the main melody with vocals a minute later. "Algebrique" opens with acoustic
guitar as synths join in. Drums come in as the tempo picks up. Vocals 2 minutes
in. An outburst of guitar and sound comes and goes 3 1/2 minutes in. Sax in
this one too. Love the drum patterns here. Great track. "Potage Aux Herbes
Douteuses" opens with a catchy beat, kind of funky actually. Cool sound
especially the drumming after 2 1/2 minutes. Vocals a minute later followed by
some outstanding floating organ sounds. Guitar and drums after 5 1/2 minutes
take over. Vocals are back. It calms right with acoustic guitar to end it. This
will appeal to more than just jazz fans out there, a hidden gem if there ever
was one. A review by SeanTrane: This stunning group from mid-Northern Quebec (the
Chicoutimi region if I am not mistaken and therefore more likely to hang around
Quebec than Montreal) is yet another one of relatively unknown groups that help
Quebec's progressive rock revolution in the 70's. Mainly an instrumental
jazz-rock group, but when actually using their vocal powers (both in scatting
and in actual singing), they actually reached peaks of beauty that makes you
regret this quintet did not sing more. To describe Sloche's sound accurately,
you would have to imagine a cross of Maneige's middle period with Opus-5's
Contre-Courant album, but if you are not familiar with Quebec's scene, this
will be tougher to describe, but this fusion of jazz rock, and classical
influence is relatively unique and grabs you by your soft side no matter how
thick your shell might be. These guys were incredibly tight-playing and were
obviously well collaborating with each other as the songwriting is fairly
well-shared (a track each except for drummer Chiasson giving space to bassist
Hebert a second track) and the sound is still quite up to date some 30 years
later. From the first spacey ringings of the 9-min Pas Fin
Du Monde to the last drop of Potage Aux Herbes Douteuses ("Shady"
Herbal Soup ;-), every single second is pure heaven with opening track setting
an incredible standard with its great scat-vocals (reminding a bit Wishbone Ash
during the Argus album) and its middle section almost stopping as if the End Of
The World had reached us without a proper warning, but it is a false alert and
the tracks picks up in a funkier manner. Closing up the first side is the
11-min Kareme D'Eros and its lengthy piano intro (there are two KB players in
the group), where the group shows us that they can be quite impressive in
singing (not just scatting) with its text and harmonies being incredibly close
to Ripaille's sole album, some Martin Circus or a much better Ange. If you can
imagine a cross-over of jazz-rock with Yes, you might just be able to have an
idea of how the track is closing. The second side starts on the superb (but much
shorter) title track, which is also sung, while the much funkier Algebrique
(Gentle Giant meeting Mahavishnu Orchestra-sounding and penned by guitarist
Bérard) is almost reaching discordance, but this track is almost too technical
for its own good. Closing track Potage Aux Herbes Douteuses renews with the
scatting harmonies as if to bring you back in full circle to the lead-off
track. Another strong pleaser, one wishes this second side of the vinyl to be
slightly longer to have developed some ideas a bit further. While Sloche only recorded two albums, these guys
excelled in their craft and were a typical example of what La Belle Province
had to offer in the second part of the 70's. As equally superb (but vastly
different at will also) as Maneige, Conventum or Opus-5, Sloche is one of those
groups that must be investigate by every proghead, dead or alive. Astounding
and outstanding ;-) #265
A review by Warthur: Phil Manzarena invited his old pals from Quiet Sun,
his pre-Roxy Music band, to at long last create the album they'd always wanted
to. For four guys who hadn't been in the same band for some three years, the
group manage to gel remarkably well, and the album avoids sounding like a
throwback thanks to the production assistance of Brian Eno. Manzarena's distinctive guitar sound is what sets
this one apart from many Canterbury albums, but the group as a whole all have a
contribution to make and craft a startlingly original album. One can only
wonder the impact this would have had on prog history had it come out in the
group's prime; the amazingly titled ‘Mummy Was An Asteroid, Daddy Was A Small
Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil’ ends with a furious burst of aggression and the
punkish vocals on the closing ‘Rongwrong’ makes the album at points sound like
an arty post-punk piece as well as a lovingly crafted prog gem. Although it was
surely a nostalgia exercise for all involved, somehow the album still managed
to be years ahead of its time. Amazing. A review by Sean Trane: 4.5 stars really!! This sole album is one one of those UFDisc that
make the proghead so happy in his ever-ending search for 70's gems. Phil
Manzanera reformed Quiet Sun as a way of letting off steam from the
Keyboard-dominated Roxy Music. Although the album has divided credits and all
Quiet Sun members shine, clearly the star here is Manzanera: his searing fuzzy
guitars soars above the rest of the album. Sol Caliente is a real classy track and augurs most
of the rest of the album, excellent Canterbury fusion but with a definite rock
edge. Bargain Classics has typical Canterbury keyboard with spacey guitars: a
must hear. The Mummy track is the highlight with a flying guitar solo followed
by a superb Jarrett KB solo that is leaning towards his more famous jazz
namesake. The only down remark is the last track (unfortunately also the
longest): it is the only sung track (and not really well either, IMHO) but also
is rather tedious and over-long. Too bad because this last track is the sole reason
for not getting that fifth star. To some extent, this is the most accomplished
album that Manzanera ever played on, and certainly the one where he shows most of
his abilities at guitar histrionics. His 801 venture is not quite up to par
with this gem. A real must for for everyone. #266
A review by Warthur: “Pamiec” is the result
of SBB finally getting access to the quality studio recording environments
their material deserved, and on top of that showcases an amazing growth in the
band's capabilities. The album showcases a sound which seamlessly fuses
symphonic prog with a cosmic variety of space rock. Imagine a combination of
Saucerful of Secrets-era Pink Floyd's command of blissful atmospheres with
Peter Gabriel-led Genesis' sense of drama and technical mastery, topped off
with the mystical, majestic air of the finest Yes tracks, and now imagine those
qualities being expressed in a wholly original sound that can only be SBB's
own: there, you have the glory of “Pamiec”. A review from Mellotron Storm: Very interesting release
from S.B.B. recorded in 1975. This Polish band offers up a stew of atmospheric
jazz and dashes of symphonic music with drums and an array of keyboards (grand
piano,fender piano,hammond organ and minimoog) leading the way. There are some
vocals in Polish but not a lot. "W Kolysce Dioni Twych (Ojcu)" opens
with sparse cymbals, keys and guitar sounds before organ comes floating into
this atmospheric intro. Vocals 2 minutes in and they are the focus as not much
else is going on. The song finally and thankfully kicks into gear before 3 1/2
minutes as drums and organ lead the way, although vocals continue. Nice beat 5
1/2 minutes in. The tempo picks up 7 minutes in. It settles with vocal melodies
before 8 1/2 minutes. "Z Ktorych Krwi Krew
Moja" opens much like the first track with lots of atmosphere as keys, cymbals
and guitar calmly play. Vocals after a minute. A fuller and better sound 1 1/2
minutes in. It settles back down quickly though. This contrast continues. Some
vocal melodies before 5 minutes as we get some impressive drumming. Great sound
5 1/2 minutes in. The guitar is lighting it up 6 minutes in. Some atmosphere a
minute later as it calms right down. Vocals after 7 1/2 minutes as themes are
repeated. "Pamiec W Kamieri
Wrasta" opens with spacey winds. Lots of atmosphere follows as floating
organ comes in then vocal melodies. A change after 5 minutes as the organ stops
and keys take over. We start to get more of a melody 6 minutes in as it gets
heavier and darker. It doesn't last long though as it calms right down. Vocals
come in and I have to say that this section sounds so much like RADIOHEAD,
you'd be surprised. Check it out after 8 minutes. Guitar 9 minutes in and a
fuller sound. More atmosphere takes over. A GENESIS flavour 10 1/2 minutes in. Back
to the atmosphere as drums and bass lead the way. Guitar 15 minutes in goes on
and on as the tempo picks up. Nice. It settles right down 19 minutes in to end
it. Amazing side long track! This record seems to get
better as it plays out. I admit I still find parts of this album difficult to
really enjoy, mostly some of the early vocal sections. Still worth 4 stars
though as the title track is pure genius. #267
A review by Warthur: Steve Hillage's first solo album is possibly his
strongest from a prog rock perspective. Recorded at a time when Gong were in
turmoil (Hillage would soldier on in the band until the end of the year,
quitting after the completion of “Shamal”), Hillage's backing band includes
several Gong refugees in the form of Moerlen, Malherbe, Blake, Gilli Smyth, and
of course Hillage's partner and close musical collaborator Miquette Giraudy.
This Gong spin-off is rounded off with a few colleagues from the Canterburian
end of Virgin's prog stable of the time - Lindsay Cooper of Henry Cow and
Hatfield and the North's Dave Stewart - who, of course, had previously played
with Stewart in Uriel, Arzachel and Khan, and the previous year had invited
Steve to guest on Egg's one-off reunion album “The Civil Surface”. This
impressive ensemble attains a sound which naturally closely resembles Gong of
the “You” era, but with enough Canterbury, jazz and ambient touches to make it
a distinctive and different proposition. The lyrics are, as always when Steve pens them,
painfully sincere - whilst Hillage shared Daevid Allen's intent of using
musical lyrics to expound New Age ideas and philosophies, Allen would wrap them
in his distinctive sense of humour, whilst Steve seems extremely serious about
them. (Well, except for the songs about being a fish.) If you share these
beliefs, that's probably a bonus, but many listeners will probably find the
lyrics somewhat laughable. What saves this from being a weakness of the album
is the strength of the compositions and the unique bringing together of Gong's
music and more complex musical approaches of the sort that Cooper and Stewart
were exploring in their respective bands at the time. Furthermore, Hillage
himself proves to be something of a musical Nostradamus, sections of some songs
(such as ‘Aftaglid’) resembling the sort of ambient/dance music crossover which
he and Giraudy would explore under the moniker of System 7 a decade and a half
later. I can think of few albums which manage to exemplify their time and,
despite that, be so far ahead of their time simultaneously, so “Fish Rising”
earns the fifth star. A review by Sean Trane: During Hillage's GonG membership, he had already
signed a solo deal with Virgin (also GonG's label since Angel's Egg), Steve
wrote and rehearsed many of the tracks on the present album (originally thought
to be for the second Khan album) previous, during and outside the GonG crowd musical
adventures; and the album was recorded from August 74, between GonG tours and
recording sessions. So unsurprisingly this first solo effort is filled with
GonG members, but also old mate Dave Stewart (from the Khan and Uriel/Arzachel
days) and more surprisingly Henry Cow's Lindsey Cooper. Recorded in a few
sessions, the album was released with this strange fish artwork in spring-75,
just in time to worsen the Planet GonG's implosion and resulting in Steve's
unwilling presiding over the group's destiny on management pressures. In many
ways, this album is still way too close to a GonG that I find it difficult to
call it a full-fledged solo album, despite the obvious songwriting differences. Indeed, if Fish Rising has many Pot Head Pixies
influences, it would be cruel and inaccurate to overlook a much more
Canterburian feel, somewhat reminiscent of Hatfield And The North and
acknowledge the "pre-Gong-esque" origin of most of the tracks on it.
Actually only the closing Aftaglid dates from his GonG days. So while the
material might be relatively different from the GonG, it received an
unavoidable RGI treatment, despite some conscious effort not to. The opening
17-mins 4-movements Solar Magick Suite has a definite Hatfield twist, no doubt
due to Dave Stewart's keyboards, but Hillage's superb aerial guitar wailings
steals the show. After a forgettable short but filled with Gong-esque lunacy
Fish track, the album plunges in the more cosmic Meditation Of The Snake, which
might be a return to You. Flipping the fry-pan's content over, we discover
the other side of the Salmon fish, which has yet to be cooked for the next 9
minutes and in four movements, sounding like a Camembert-filled Teapot with an
Angel omelette to top it off. Closing the fishing party hostilities is the
15-mins Aftaglid pieces (this time in 8 stages), a superb cosmic piece of music
that reveals itself as my fave. The remastered version of this album comes with
two bonus tracks, the first of which is a remixed Pentagrammaspin track that
belonged to the original album, but couldn't find the space to nudge in; and
was rushed onto a Virgin sampler as a preview piece. In its definitive version,
this bonus sounds like an integral part of this delicious album. The second
track is definitely more expandable, as it is a work-in-progress of the
Aftaglid track, which if not as refined as the definitive version is certainly
more powerful. Despite the album's fair commercial success, Steve
and partner Miquette continued in the mother group and acted as its (unwilling)
leader, but he would leave at Christmas time 75 after the Shamal album's
release to record his first "real" solo (IMHO, of course) album
proper, where he would rid himself of many of the Gong mannerisms, even if this
writer thinks it was a mistake to do so. Definitely Hillage's best solo work. #268 Nightingales & Bombers
A review by SouthSideoftheSky: “Nightingales & Bombers” is another album in a long series
of very good albums released by Manfred Mann's Earth Band in the 70's. As had
become a trademark of the band by this time, the album begins with a cover song
heavily re-arranged in the bands own style. This time it is Bruce Springsteen's
‘Spirits In The Night’; a great version, rather 'progified'. Apart from
‘Spirits In The Night’ there is also a second cover this time in ‘Visionary
Mountains’, credited to Armatrading/Nestor. I don't know the original version
or who performed it, but it is a great song. This song is softer and slower
compared to the previous three tracks, offering a short respite from the rather
intense moments. ‘Visionary Mountains’ reminds me slightly of the softer tracks
off the excellent “The Roaring Silence” and is possibly my favourite track on
“Nightingales & Bombers”. Overall however, the material on this album is
more similar in style to that of “Solar Fire”, and these two albums are among
the band's most experimental (yet melodic) ones. This album includes some of the band's better and perhaps most
progressive material. Songs like ‘Time Is Right’ and ‘Fat Nelly’ are highly
melodic and there are many instrumental sections where the guitarist and Mann
himself can stretch out. There are admittedly a few passages throughout the
album where you get the feeling they don't quite know where they are going, but
these moments pass by very quickly. The last track was recorded live and should
perhaps best be regarded as a bonus track. Anyway, I think it is rather forgettable and it doesn't add much
to the album as a whole (despite the fact that it features the sampled
recording that gave the album its name - a recording from the Second World War,
made by an ornithologist intending to capture nightingales and accidentally
captured bomber planes too!). Nightingales & Bombers is one of Manfred
Mann's Earth Band's better albums. #269
A review by Warthur: On “Timewind” Klaus
Schulze had the opportunity to use sequencers for the first time, resulting in
a refreshed sound which is dazzlingly ahead of its time. Some of the sounds and
atmospheres on here are reminiscent, to my ears at least, of the more ambient moments
of Vangelis' “Blade Runner” soundtrack, and it's certainly the case that it
would take years before the bulk of the electronic music world caught up with
some of the ideas expressed here. The compositions are in general a bit busier
and have more going on than most of his previous albums, and so “Timewind”
could make a fine starting point for exploring Klaus' career. Apparently it was
his only album available in the US for some time - if that's the case, it's a
shame, but at least the US got one of his best. A review by Mellotron Storm: On "Timewind"
Klause starts to impliment multi layered synths, and as a result his music
becomes more ambient and spacey. I was reminded of CLUSTER's first two albums
actually which came out in the early seventies, although they achieved their
sound in a different way than Klause did. Again we have two side long tracks, what's
surprising though is the length of this album at 59 minutes, considering it was
on vinyl. "Bayreuth
Return" opens with spacey winds that continue to blow throughout. A
pulsating beat comes in around 2 minutes as other sounds are added. I like the
synth sounds 12 1/2 minutes in. It's very windy 21 minutes, more synths at 24
minutes. The sound becomes more intense 26 1/2 minutes in, until it ends on a
loud and disturbing note. "Wahnfried 1883"
unlike the first track has no beat or rhythm and reminds me of CLUSTER for that
reason. Sounds echo as a wind storm blows in. Synths seem to rise out of the
storm and build 3 minutes in, then take over. There is something sad about the
soundscape here, as spacey winds continue but are more in the background. The
sound gets intense late with higher winds as the song ends and our trip is
over. I still think I like "Picture Music" more than this one, but
this is essential for the electronic music fan. #270 Glory of the Inner Force
A review by Warthur: A compelling album which
sits mainly in the symphonic prog camp - but with enough jazz leanings to make
it palatable to fusion fans too. In fact, the results sound a bit like what
might happen if the Mahavishnu Orchestra decided to record a tribute album to
King Crimson, Yes or Emerson, Lake and Palmer, with the furious guitar heroics
of Jan Van Nimwegen being reminiscent of John McLaughlin, the lightning-fast
keyboard wizardry of Cleem Determejer recalling Keith Emerson, and Peter Vink
displaying a technically advanced, captivating, and original approach to the
bass that is as individual and distinctive as Chris Squire's. Glorious AND
forceful! A review by Sean Trane: This quartet takes its roots in the Q65 group and
released three albums in the middle of the 70's, all three in the typical
"Dutch school". It's clear that these guys heard Focus and Solution
or even Cargo, even if they were completely instrumental and generally
harder-rocking than the afore-mentioned. Nevertheless their symphonic jazz-rock
was at best enthralling (with exciting and virtuoso interplay) and at worst
very cheesy, especially in the more symphonic bits. Founding member bassist
Peter Vink (claiming his name's Emglish translation is Finch) and drummer
Klaase provide the strongest of support for guitarist virtuoso Joop van Nimwegen
and Paul Vink on keys. Upon the recording of their debut album in 75, Glory Of
Inner Force, Determeyer replaced Vink on keyboards. Graced with a superb
esoteric artwork and a title to go along with it, Finch's music was clearly
influenced by Mahavishnu Orchestra (even the title could fit a MO album), Focus
and Yes. Just three tracks on the debut album, starting very
strongly with the bombastic Register Magister, where all four members go on to
show the musical skills while remaining at the service of the music. The
following Paradoxical Moods, where a haunting mellotron gives much depth to
Joop's guitar antics and an awesome organ solo, courtesy of Determeyer. They
really thrive on fast, odd time signature jams as well as slow moody sections
and jump happily from one to the other without forcing it On the flipside, Pisces is another fine majestic
piece (no pun intended), but marred by the borrowing of a theme, reprised by
the bass midway through the track until the end of it.The album closes on the
brilliant Bridge To Alice, where the Yes influences seep out and impose itself
as the album's highlight, even though it's not helped by being placed last in
the track order. Indeed the formula of wall-to-wall solo plastering is exciting
at first, but by the end of the album's one must admit that the cup is filled
and one more solo would be the drop that overflowed the bucket. This is where
the beauty of the vinyl (choose your side first) or the shuffle button become
evident. The Cd reissue comes with two bonus tracks, the two
sides of a non-album single from the same year. Both Colossus I and II are
short tracks that are somewhat similar to the album's music, although it's
plainly audible it's not the same sessions. One wonders why such a risk and
expense were taken on (relatively) average instrumental tracks, as the ideas
are good, but you don't have to be Nostradamus to see that they were not
original enough to create an impact, especially for non-sung music. But both
tracks fit well enough on the album to enhance the album's content. If you must
have only one Finch album (it sold relatively well, back then), make sure it's
this one, as this one is as close to perfection as they ever got. #271 Banco (1975)
A review by Mellotron Storm: Like PFM did earlier,
BANCO decided to put out an English language version of select songs from their
previous albums. In this case from their first and third records plus a
previously unreleased track. I'll be the first to say that I prefer a band sing
in their own native language, especially if it's Italian, but I'll also admit I'm
not a big fan of compilations or greatest hits albums. And while my intention
in light of this was to offer up 3 stars for this record, I just found it
impossible to do so. Sure the charm and romance of the Italian language is
missing but this is just too incredible to give anything less than 4 stars. "Chorale" has
atmosphere galore to open. The dual keyboards of the Nocenzi brothers take over
the rest of the song to create an interesting soundscape to say the least.
"L'albero Del Pane" hits the ground running as vocals join in. A nice
variety of keyboards on this one as well. "Metamorphosis" is just an
amazing display of talent. Fantastic track! It's uptempo to start and and so impressive
instrumentally. It settles before 2 minutes with some great sounding piano
melodies. Drums go wild 4 minutes in and then piano is back leading the way as
synths join in. A full sound 8 1/2 minutes in which is just a great section! A
calm 11 minutes in. The sound is so majestic 13 minutes in as Fransesco comes
in vocally. "Outside" is
uptempo with vocals to open. I like the piano/guitar interlude 2 minutes in. Drums
and synths start to dominate and vocals return 4 1/2 minutes in. It settles
after 5 minutes. Beautiful. "Leave Me Alone" opens with acoustic
guitar and bass as fragile vocals join in. It's celebration time after 1 1/2
minutes then it settles again as contrasts continue. "Nothing's The
Same" has this catchy intro as vocals come in. It's almost spacey 2 1/2
minutes in as it settles. I really like the melancholic synths 3 minutes in and
later before 9 minutes. Some Howe-like guitar after 4 minutes when it kicks
back in. "Traccia II" opens with piano as synths join in. A fuller
sound 1 1/2 minutes in. My favourite three tracks on here are
"Metamorphosis", "Leave Me Alone" and "Nothing's The
Same". Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - February 02 2012 at 23:51 |
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: January 27 2012 at 09:16 |
|
Ah I see you are right. What phrase I am looking for there? The handshake that promises much but delivers little. like Have a cigar, we love you while you are a successful band but as soon as you are no longer popular we will stab you in the back. I like Devos album cover that depicted the music execs opinion of them - scalping them and the band actually used real music execs for the cover shoot I heard! 
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
Snow Dog
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 23 2005 Location: Caerdydd Status: Offline Points: 32995 |
Posted: January 27 2012 at 09:19 |
|
|
Empty handshake perhaps? Not sure
|
||
|
|
||
|
||
|
Dean
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: January 27 2012 at 09:29 |
|
Perhaps golden handcuffs - but that's not fitting with the cover imagery and that's a payment made, not one that's promised but never delivered - an empty gesture, an empty handshake and (again in the cover imagery) the empty "suit". That the robot handshake features a golden hand and a black hand is (I think) simply for graphic contrast, this is simply mirroring the main cover handshake between the two businessmen, one of whom gets "burned" by the deal - which is more in keeping with the anti-music biz cynicism of the lyric. This theme wasn't new to Floyd even then, Cymbaline and Free Four also touch on it.
|
||
|
What?
|
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: January 28 2012 at 08:29 |
|
|
1975 - continued #272
A review by Mellotron Storm: There's no question that
TRIANA are one of the greatest prog bands to come out of Spain. They became
pretty huge in their own country and I'm sure the use of the flamenco guitar
didn't hurt in that achievment. I really like how this band sounds, and I quite
enjoy the vocals as well. "Abre La Puetra" is my favourite track on
here. It opens with a beautiful guitar/piano/mellotron soundscape before the
sound gets fuller with drums and bass. The tempo picks up and what a great
sound 2 1/2 minutes in. Sounds like mellotron before 4 minutes then we get an
outburst of organ before 5 minutes followed by a calm a minute later. String
synths join in then it kicks back in before 8 1/2 minutes. Amazing! "Luminosa
Manana" opens with organ, drums and guitar that come and go. Vocals after
a minute as it settles in. Synths join in as well. "Recuerdo De Una
Noche" has some cool sounding atmosphere to start out but it kicks in
quickly with vocals. Great sound after 2 1/2 minutes. Organ joins in around 3
minutes. Vocals return later. "Se De Un Luger"
opens with some drama. It calms right down with reserved vocals. String synths
around a minute. The guitar after 2 1/2 minutes sounds incredible. In fact this
whole passage is gorgeous. The tempo continues to change. Excellent track.
"Dialogo" is led by bass, guitar and organ early. Vocals before a
minute. Big finish on this one. "En Al Lago" is
interesting with the organ playing while the birds chirp. A full sound kicks in
eventually. "Todos Es Del Color" opens with what sounds like birds, water
and guitar. Vocals before a minute in this short 2 minute closing track. I
would highly recommend this album or their next one if you want to check out
some of Spain's finest music. A review by Sean Trane: It had been years since I had heard bit and pieces
of Triana and had always wanted to investigate them since I knew of them. On a
recent trip to Barcelona, I got this album and a few more that will also be
reviewed. I thought I'd start with one of the best- known "prog"
albums from Spain: El Patio. If I say "prog", it is because many
consider this heavily Flamenco-induced rock is definitely progressive to my
ears, and will undoubtedly appeal to lovers of heavy melodramatics in their
rock music and most likely if you are a Genesis fan, this will please you at
least for a few songs. Whether you will be able to listen to the whole album in
one session is another matter, because if you are only lukewarm to Flamenco,
this can get tedious fairly fast. Such is not my case, but past the last four
weeks of listening to it, I must say that it will now take a back seat and will
probably not spin regularly in the following years on my deck, since I have now
absorbed it, but feel that I have sucked all of the juices out. Beyond the impressive artwork sleeve partly
responsible for our mood of the moment we choose to play this album, all of the
tracks are heavily dramatized and do sound a bit similar (after a month
rotation, I still can't tell exactly on which track I am listening in less than
twenty seconds without looking at the counter) and of equal quality - there is
not a weaker track on this album. The only slight remark I might have is that
around the end of the first track there is a bass-drum break that could've been
done without but this last less than a minute, so it is not intrusive. I still
have a problem (if you can call THAT a problem) to pick my favourite. As I said
earlier, this album is bound to please most progheads, but will the charm
operate until the end of the album, since the formula is the same for all seven
tracks. I wonder what this album would've sounded like had
it been recorded some years earlier with Mellotrons instead of the ARP Strings
synthesisers, but please be assured that the latter one is gorgeously used
here, and draws goose bumps almost at every use, but this is hardly the only
time you will feel them, since there are many delicious moments. Actually, I
would advise you to wear warm clothes for listening to El Patio so you do not
suffer from colds after experiencing so many spine chills in a row. #273
A review by Finnforest: Impressive sophomore effort. Atoll's classic album "L' Araignee-Mal"
was one of France's best 70s entries, the sound somewhere in the midst of Ange,
Pentacle, Arachnoid at times, but also mixing in a good deal of jazz-fusion
jamming and a bit of Yes/Genesis influence in places. The results were pretty
spectacular. This album is overwhelmingly energetic and rocking with only a few
mellow sections. It will please those who want to hear some of the theatrical
Ange thing but with more muscle, more bite. "Le Photographe Exorciste" begins with a
breezy happy synth but soon the song turns from dream to absolute nightmare
with a section that is positively scary, a complete hellish freakout in the
theatrical flare that will no doubt bring some Ange comparisons to people's
minds. This band does sound like Ange on occasion but they are more fiery
overall on this album. The scary part passes and the mood is more contemplative
again with synths and a middle gear pace. Percussion is very accomplished as is
the bass playing. Some feisty guitar work at the end with percussion noises
that sound like the middle section of Ritual. "Cazotte No. 1" is an amazing fusion
send-up that positively jams, very aggressive and driving. "Le
Voleur" calms way down with an opening of delicate violin preceding some
dreamy vocals, keys, and bass. This one sounds a bit like their mellower
countrymen Pentacle in the beginning but it eventually will get more
aggressive. Wild guitar runs and intermittent violin bursts will get
increasingly raucous as the song progresses. Next is the epic 4-part title
track. Part 1 begins with violin, odd percussions and muffled spoken vocals in
the background creating a disconcerting mood. The drums begin to get restless
and the violin starts twitching with increasing tension. At 2 ½ minutes the
tension breaks and the bass kicks in pushing the drumming to some real
acrobatics. After building awhile things break again and we get a smoother
section where the lead guitar and vocal join in. Part 1 ends on an up note with
upbeat guitar leading straight into part 2's opening keyboards. This section
will feature ever building keys, drumming, and gut wrenching vocals. Part 3 is
a spacey and jamming vintage keys fest, a showcase that would make Wakeman
smile. Part 4's finale starts off quite laid back (for Atoll) with dreamy leads
over some lovely keys. The band kicks in eventually and by halfway the sound is
pretty much full steam again. The climax is a blaze of furious solo tradeoffs
of guitar, keys, and violin just wailing a bit and passing the baton to next
guy. This is a solid 4-star album for me that I can
recommend to anyone looking for an adventurous ride. The remastered mini-lp
sleeve sounds pretty decent to me although I notice others think the production
is not so hot. There is a live bonus track that is a heavy jazzy jam and this
has noticeably lower sound quality but still listenable. The booklet has a very
thorough band history and unfortunately, lots of the spiders that are the theme
here apparently. True I'm not a spider fan but Atoll still has a great album
here. It seems pretty unanimous that this is their finest hour so Atoll newbies
may wish to begin with this one. #274 Minstrel In The Gallery
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: “Minstrel in the Gallery” is another one of the
classic Jethro Tull albums that will divide reviewers as it is quite a
bombastic little treasure, and not everyone is into Anderson's egotistic
flights into fantasy. It is one of the first albums to enchant with it's humour and unique presence.
On the title track there are inspirational guitars by the great Martin Barre. ‘Cold Wind to Valhalla’ brings the flute into play
but this instrument is surprisingly left off most of the other tracks although
it is Anderson's signature instrument. The bassline is wonderful on this too by
Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond. ‘Black Satin Dancer’ is piano driven, with an
excellent lead guitar solo. The flute makes another appearance and there is a
full blown orchestra to enjoy. ‘Requiem’ is a trademark acoustic arrangement,
Anderson loved to put at least one acoustic treasure on an album. Anderson's
vocals are gentle and it is a peaceful atmosphere generated here. ‘One White
Duck/0^10 = Nothing At All’ is a real curio that merges from light release prog
to tense rock with soaring guitars. “Baker St. Muse” is the epic of the album beginning
with an 'outtake' and then Anderson launches into it headlong as the orchestra
draws out a sweet melody. Barre once again has a chance to shine on guitar and
he is given full reign as he literally explodes with an unrelenting force. The bonus tracks are as good as bonus tracks can
be, pleasant to hear but forgettable. Thus an excellent album draws to a
conclusion and it is definitely one of Tull's best though not to the standard
of “TAAB”, “Benefit” or “Aqualung”. 4 shining stars. #275 Chocolate Kings
A review by Conor Fynes: In the early 70's, Premiata Forneria Marconi quickly made an
indelible mark on the Italian prog rock scene with a handful of albums that
have since been labelled as classics. “Per Un Amico” and “Storia Di Un Minuto”
are huge landmarks for the Italian scene, and they even released some material
for their English-speaking audience that wasn't too shabby either. “Chocolate
Kings” is another English-language album for PFM, but it holds the greater distinction
of being the final album in a string of classics; the band's golden material
would get fairly intermittent from here on. While the signs of the band's
downward slide are evident here, “Chocolate Kings” is still a great album from
PFM, and right to sit next to the band's golden throne, albeit not on it. For one reason or another, PFM's work would be less and less
acclaimed after “Choclate Kings”; their work after this generally ranges from
receiving a lukewarm response, to be outright panned by its audiences, with few
notable exceptions. Indeed, Premiata can be heard somewhat losing their
individual grasp of symphonic prog here, but even so, “Chocolate Kings” has
alot to offer. When you look past the intriguing (read: ridiculous) album
title, there is a very classic sound here, full of dramatic build ups,
atmosphere, and even melodies that hold fairly steady in a listener's mind.
There is much more energy than on earlier work, and I might even say that at
this point, the band was going for a more technical, conventionally proggy
direction. The decision to go for English language lyrics is not something that
has ever worked particularly well for the band, but does not necessarily weaken
the album. Premiata Forneria Marconi have had quite a few different sounds
even within their classic material, and the addition of vocalist Bernardo
Lanzetti gives a new incarnation to the sound of this band. Lanzetti's
performance is very memorable here, if only for the fact that he is a dead
ringer for Genesis' Peter Gabriel. Even with the band's history as one of the
heavyweights for prog and despite the strength of the music, I cannot help but
feel that PFM were trying a little too hard to nail down the British sound of
Genesis, rather than sticking to their own ideas. Even the pompous instrumental
displays here are reminiscent of Genesis. Although bands who try to emulate
Genesis or Yes are fairly common by today's standards, hearing one of the
classic bands who so many now look up to copycatting a particular sound is a
little jarring, to say the least. Suffice to say, this is a great deal of the
reason why I cannot consider “Chocolate Kings” to be on the same playing field
as some of their earlier stuff. The quality is here, but the identity is not. #276
A review by Mellotron Storm: I feel like one of the few
out there who loved "Seven" the previous album. We get the same
lineup on "Bundles" except for one major addition, the great Allan
Holdsworth on guitar. "Bundles" isn't as structured as
"Seven" in fact there's a lot of jamming going on which I like, especially
when Holdsworth is involved. By the way everyone in this lineup except for
Ratledge played with NUCLEUS. In fact the main theme for the opening track is
taken from NUCLEUS' "Song For The Bearded Lady" which was a Jenkins
composition. "Hazard Profile Part
1" opens with church bells before the drums of Marshall come in then a
full band sound before a minute. Love the repetitive guitar melodies from
Holdsworth. It settles a little before 3 minutes as the guitar solos and bass
throbs. Marshall is great here. This is the Allan Holdsworth show though. Organ
is back 7 1/2 minutes in. "Part 2" opens with laid back piano
melodies. Acoustic guitar helps out part way through. "Part 3" builds
to a full sound with guitar out in front. This continues in "Part 4".
"Part 5" is where the drums take the lead. I like the way the
keyboards come and go. Incredible sound here. "Gone Sailing"
is a minutes worth of acoustic guitar. "Bundles" reminds me of CAMEL
early, I think it's the guitar. A change a minute in where I'm reminded of
MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA. The bass, guitar and drums are excellent here. It's like
they're all ready to explode but they don't. Organ before 3 minutes. It blends
into "Land Of The Big Snake". Check out the guitar and drumming on
this one. The bass and piano really add to the sound as well. It settles 3
minutes in. "The Man Who Waved At
Trains" features intricate drumming and keyboards. Very laid back. Sax and
aboe join in. Such a pleasant and relaxing sound. It blends into
"Peff" but picks up speed. Same sound though. It blends into
"Four Gongs Two Drums" where the intensity is raised once again. A
change late as we get a Marshall drum solo. "The Floating World"
features guest Ray Warleigh on flutes. They picked the title well because this
is floating music with a TANGERINE DREAM vibe even, except for the flute
melodies. I can't say enough about this album or this band. A review by Sean Trane: (eighth in a series of eleven) 4.5 stars really!!! Wow after an almost two year
gap the Machine is back and what a slap this album was. The fact that they had
changed labels (now on the superb Harvest) and a new musical direction (their
previous one had come to a dead-end) makes this album a must for anyone into
fusion music.The great return of the guitar (and what a Guitar) as it had been
absent since the very first (prototype) album with Daevid Allen. By now, the
music on this album does not have much in common with Third either as everyone
of those albums moved a little further in this implacable musical direction.
Holdsworth (yet another ex-Nucleus man) really brings two dimensions absent in
previous album: energy and a different writing possibility (due to the
particularity of the guitar). However it is now clear that the man behind the
driving wheel is Karl Jenkins (both on KB and reeds) as he pens to himself the
side-long suite on the first side. Side 2 is more eclectic both in terms of
writers but also musical contents. We are once again "blessed" with a
Marshall drum solo. If most purists are dismissing the Soft Machine
album after Third, this one and Softs should be played to them to understand
that the psychedelic caterpillar has now become the flamboyant fusion
butterfly. #277
A review by Warthur: Intriguing avant-leaning
fusion album with the occasional spooky, dissonant section adding spice to the
compositions, which otherwise lean more towards jazz than rock. I don't hear
the Canterbury influence most others hear, but then again I don't detect the
Zappa, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever or Weather Report influences of
most other fusion bands of the era; Maneige's debut therefore establishes them
as one of the true originals, coming up with their own unique fusion sound.
This sound is delivered mainly by the prominence of flute and piano in the
music - the flute, in particular, not having had much attention in fusion up to
this point. An exceptionally strong debut for a cornerstone of the Quebequois
prog scene. A review by Sean Trane: The great ProgQuebec label has finally come through
in acquiring the rights from the Harvest/EMI label to re-issue for the first
time ever in the CD format Maneige's first two astounding albums. Although the
great new label had already released two albums' worth of early live
recordings, fact was that the public really wanted to see these albums proper
get their due paid respect. Not only does the album restore the original window
artwork, but it also some awesome artwork to depict pictorially some of the
tracks featured here, most notably the Amerindian and the raft for Le Rafiot,
and another I gather for the bonus track Tetdet (etc..) with the mushroom/horn
artwork in an effort to marry both. So I will keep my own first review, but
will write underneath the re-actualised review. Early review: Maneige 's debut is an incredible one
and the fact that they were not in studio for recording before this album makes
it even more awesome. Before recording it , they had played together for some
time before and recently have released a live recording of previous stuff
called Live 74-75 with the cover depicting the studio tape case. Three very
impressive numbers (and one of 29 min) but full of improv sometimes
directionless but impeccably played but slightly longish soloing. Just four mostly instrumental tracks (there is some
singing into one track and it sounds good also), of which Jean-Jacques is
really the highlight but all of them shine hard and brilliant, solid and fluid.
The style is very much, as its successor Les Porches, a sort of fusion but it
really holds a great content of classical music, but nothing stolen from the
historical composers. If it were not for the sheer power of this music, I could
be talking of chamber prog, but this would be hard to see this played in a
salon of the haute-bourgeoisie as the intensity of the music would blow away
the glass windows even with triple glass. The only slight remark, I can say is
that some solos tend to drag on a tad too long in here, something that will
disappear with the next album. Updated review: Although the lengthy Le Rafiot (the
raft) takes up the whole first side, I wouldn't call this epic flawless as
there are some repetitive moments, but overall it builds impressively from an
improvised free-jazz intro into the Rafiot piano motif that will pursue Jérome Langlois'
career for so long. The resulting almost classical music Chamber Rock is not
only incredibly impressive, but quite entertaining as well even if there are
some dissonant improvs and incredible contrast and dynamic movements (the
screaming sax, just before the sweetest of flutes) which makes it easy to
understand why they repeatedly blew Ekseption off stage at the time. Clearly
throughout this disc, Gentle Giant, classic Tull, early Soft Machine and Zappa
are at the heart of Maneige's inspirations. The flipside is made of three shorter tracks, of
which Une Année Sans Fin (Never-ending Year) starts off from dissonant onto
such a sweet flute/vibe duo underlined by the three man rhythm section (Leonard
on bass and Schetagne/Vincent Langlois on percussions). Excellent stuff. The
shorter Jean Jacques is again picking up on a piano theme, but soon evolving to
a sweeping piano-led full out classical-fusion-jazz. Another beauty!! Galerie
III features Jérome's brother Vincent on piano, but to allow his brother more
freedom. The track ends pretty much the same way the album had opened with Le
Rafiot. According to Langlois, the group hazd some difficulties with studio
works as they had to dissect their music in individual parts, so they could get
a studio to record the separate musicians. They had been playing so much
together these pieces Coming with this reissue are two bonus tracks, both
with Paul Picard (he had a full-time job in the Hamilton philharmonic orch) on
percussion (and Vincent not present), the second of which presenting a fairly
different version of Jean Jacques (and not worse than the album version), but
more interesting is the Langlois piece Tetdetdetet, which is an absolutely
perfect addition to the album and will be yet another highlight of the album.
Actually the addition of these two bonus tracks will push this debut further
out up the rating scale to rise up to Les Porches. AWESOME!!! Stephen and Sean
and the rest of the team, un énorme merci, pour ces instants de bonheur!!!! #278
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Dzyan's "Electric Silence" is an
enigmatic album with colourful iconic album cover and colourful enigmatic
music. There are huge influences of Indian mystical music and massive slabs of
jazz throughout the album. If one has no interest in the Eastern Indian nuances
and over indulgence in Sitar, they may be in awe of the last two tracks that
are simply incredible musicianship on display and Krautrock at its best. 'For Earthly Thinking' is a 9 minute dramatic
musical montage of jazz meets space rock. The dissonance of odd time sigs and
jazz frenzy at the intro is improvised expertly. The percussion of Giger is an
amazing accomplishment and the jangly guitar of Marron is terrific. As the song
progresses we get conga drums squealing sax, and Karwatky's synth effects and
pulsing improv bass work. The percussion solo is frenetic jazz metrics that fly
off the handle; Giger is a master drummer. 'Electric Silence' is another of the gems on the
album that resonates well with the listener. Simply brilliant musicality and
structure throughout. The guitar harmonics ring out beautifully. The drums are
sporadic and the bass changes time sigs with the drums constantly. It is
beautiful chaos. This is an album that is important to Krautrock but
is a one off for Dzyan. It definitely is worth checking out even if it is just
for one or two treasures. A review by Sean Trane: Dzyan's third and last album, still as a trio and
recorded in the Dierks studios and released on the legendary Bacillus label.
Graced with a grotesque cartoon-like artwork, the album remains very much in
the line of the previous two albums, even if they return to shorter track format
resembling their debut album. Opening with the reflective 9-mins Back Where We
Came From, Electric Silence starts very strongly with Giger's marimbas and
gongs, preceding Marron's slow increasingly-present guitar wails before Giger
takes it over again. By the half of the track, the group is now in full flight
with Karwatky's bass giving a Nucleus base on which both Giger and Marron can
expand and improvise. Indian music is the main influence of A Day In My Life,
just as on the previous album Kabisrain. Closing up the first side is The Road
Not Taken (a reference to Time Machine artwork cover?), which is downright
dissonant and comes close to atonal music if it was not for Marron's guitar
wailing like an Indian sitar. The flipside starts with an Indian-laced Khali
(who'd have thought with such a name, right? ;-), where mellotrons are in the
background. The same mellotrons pave the 9-min Earthly Thinking's intro over
dissonant wooden block percussions first and steel drums second, then ensues a
wide improvisation with only Karwatky staying wise and providing a base, then a
drum solo ending in total sonic chaos with both Marron and Karwatky also going
nuts. Closing with the album's title track (my fave) where the Mahavishnu
Orchestra impressions return, reminiscing of the previous' album title track.
Compared with their previous works his album does have a more ethnic feel
(mostly Indian), but aesthetically- speaking it is just as Dzyann-esque as
their previous two. Just as excellent as their first two albums,
Electric Silence closes Dzyan's recording career with an impeccable album and
rounding up a very even discography where all three albums are equal in
quality. It would be hard for me to choose just one album, meaning that you'd
have to discard two choices as good as the one you've taken. So if anything,
I'd suggest you start chronologically #279
A review by Finnforest: Hard-hitting, Yes-inspired origins of Goblin The Cherry Five self-titled debut is an interesting
album not quite like many of the other Italian progressive bands of the era.
Rather than the elegant grandiosity of some the competition Cherry Five is a
lean, mean machine with a sound that is breathlessly energetic, rocking, and
tight. Curiously, at the time it arrived in the mid-70s the sound was a
strangely retro one. Retro in that it sounds amazingly like the first two Yes
albums, so much so that if Jon Anderson were singing for this band rather than Tony
Tartarini you would think you were hearing extra material from the early Yes
sessions of the debut and "Time and a Word." From the driving beginnings of "Country Grave
Yard" you will think of Peter Banks era Yes and if you like the
pre-Fragile era, you are in for a real treat. These guys are very tight players
with nice vocal harmonies. There really is not a weak spot in that sense, the
rhythm section is a blast to listen to and the lead playing is exuberant! There
is plenty of mellotron and other vintage keyboards to compliment the excellent
lead guitar work of Massimo Morante. Unfortunately the vocals are in English
rather than Italian but aside from that they are acceptable. Carlo Bordini will
blow your mind on the kit with his impressive fills all over the place,
sounding a bit like a crazed Bruford in places. The performances are top notch
even if the style is derivative, and the sound on the CD reissue is nice and
punchy with good bass that will slam your head against the wall. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - February 03 2012 at 04:34 |
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: January 29 2012 at 05:57 |
|
|
1975 - continued #280 Cantofabule (Cantafabule)
A review by Mellotron Storm: How can you not like this
band? They are so charming and unique in my opinion. I always think of SBB from
Poland when I think of PHOENIX because neither had the freedom to do what they
wanted to because of their communist governments. This Romanian band started
out in the sixties as a Rock & Roll band but because of government
interference they were forced to integrate traditional folk music into their
sound, and ironically it was for the better. While they are listed under Folk
you’re going to hear more Rock from this amazing band. Like SBB these guys can
flat out play. Great vocals and bass playing especially, but the drumming, keyboards
and guitar are exceptional too. "Invocatie"
opens with these experimental sounds and noises. It doesn't really kick in
until before 2 minutes with vocals. This is dark and fairly heavy. Yes I'm
impressed. It changes briefly after 4 minutes as it picks up with celeste. It
then settles with spoken words. It kicks back in at 7 minutes. I like how it
ends. Good tune! "Norocul
Inorogului" is the most traditional sounding and my least favourite.
"Scara Scarabeului" has a 60's flavour to it. Strummed guitar, bass
and vocals stand out. "Delfinul, Dulce Dulful Nostru" is a return to
form with a darker sound with bass to open. Guitar, drums then vocals join in. It
settles some 4 1/2 minutes in with tasteful guitar. It’s heavier 5 minutes in. Nice.
Great sound here as it blends into "Ucideria Balaurului". It picks up
speed with some great guitar and bass as drums pound. Organ before 3 minutes. "Stima Casei"
features percussion, bass, guitar and flute as vocals join in. Intricate sounds
here. "Pasarea Calandrinon" opens with piano. It kicks in before a
minute, vocals follow. The guitar 2 1/2 minutes in sounds great. Piano and
violin end it. Excellent song. "Filip Si Cerbul" has some killer
guitar and the drums, bass and vocals are outstanding as well. I like it! "Vasiliscul Si
Aspida" opens with flute and percussion as vocals join in. The flute is
replaced by some ripping guitar and drums. Vocal melodies join in then vocals
as the drums pound. Great sound. "Sirena" opens with raw guitar then
it settles with vocals, synths and drums to a laid back mood with acoustic
guitar. Contrasts continue. "Pasarea Roc...K And Roll" has this
experimental intro then drums and guitar take over before 1 1/2 minutes. Vocals
follow and I like the guitar solo 3 1/2 minutes in. "Cintic-Lu A
Cucuveaua-Lliei" opens with music box-like sounds before guitar and bass
take over. Drums join in the vocals. Amazing sound! Love this track. It's melancholic
yet uplifting. "Zoomahia" opens with spacey synths which is very
FLOYD-like. It changes after 1 1/2 minutes as drums lead the way. Vocals are
distant a minute later. The guitar starts to light it up. It's spacey again
late. "Phoenix" is laid back with a dreamy sound and nice bass lines.
Vocals join in. It kicks in before 3 minutes to end it. Nice. This is a double
album which I'm usually hard on, but this is a solid 4 stars in my opinion. A review by Ivan_Melgar_M: A few months ago my good friend Szolt Enyedi,
keyboardist of the Transylvanian band YESTERDAYS, sent me a full collection of
his favorite Romanian artists, among this collection I found Cantofabule (A
play of words between Song and fable) by the relatively unknown Romanian band
PHOENIX........What a finding! It's no secret I have developed certain fascination
for the Eastern Europe Prog scenario, specially for those albums that contain
strong ethnic references, Cantofabule is not the exception, the album is based
in a Dimitri Bolintineanu book called Istoria Ieroglifa, a compilation and
history of fantastic creatures, The album starts with Invocatie and it's weird
keyboard intro, somehow reminiscent of a Keith Emerson nightmare, but after a
couple of minutes, the change is simply radical, while the bass keeps making a
strange sound, guitar, keyboards and vocals join to create a haunting but
vibrant track, constantly the song enters into in crescendo passages which create
a sense of suspense, but with great skills they manage to keep the song under
control. As if this wasn't enough the second part of the
song starts Medieval but suddenly returns to the strength of the first half,
but now the time and mood changes are simply breathtaking, from a strong and
fast narration, to a gentle acoustic passage enhanced by an excellent choral
work, fantastic opener, 10:16 minutes of pure Prog Norocul Inorogului is a Medieval track in
Troubadouresque style, the dissonant voices complement each other with great
skills, it's really sad I can't understand a word. In the meanwhile a soft
harpsichord sound and sweet flute enhance the medieval experience, not a
masterpiece as the previous track, but the way they create the atmosphere is
just perfect. Scara Scarabeului begins absolutely different to
all the previous, with a vocal introduction that takes us back to the late 60's
with the spirit of the Psychedelic perfectly recreated, only two minutes but
they prove how versatile a band can be. Definul, Dulce Dulful Nostru is much more dramatic,
the soft keyboard interplays with the bass and percussion to create a dark,
almost haunting atmosphere that leads to an interesting vocal passage
reminiscent of TRIUMVIRAT in a few moments, but too original and strange to be
consider a strong influence. The Moog performance is really interesting,
because Gunter Reininger avoids falling into the excesses which are so common
when using this instrument, but the best part is the closing section where the
band attacks the listener with everything they have, the album keeps getting
better. Now the band turns towards Baroque with the
Uciderea Balaurului, but almost instantly PHOENIX starts to Rock in the style
of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, its evident they have a strong attachment to the late
60's but always keeping the ethnic references present, the Psyche keyboard work
is breathtaking, another fantastic song. Stima Casei presents us another medieval recreation
where the almost Gregorian (Despite the music) vocals are enhanced by flute and
acoustic guitar plus an interesting and very elaborate percussion. Pasarea Calandrinon begins with a strong and very
dramatic piano solo that doesn't prepare us for the elaborate Rock track that
comes next, with a certain FOCUS reminiscence but again too subtle to be
noticed if you are not worried about making a detailed review, the guitar solo
by Mircea Baniciu is typical of the late 60's, giving an interesting mood to
the track. The unexpected finale is too complex and surprising to be described. Now it's a turn for some sort of Symphonic Hard
Rock with Filip Si Cerbul, another track that reminds me a lot of GRAND FUNK
with some keyboard fugues and excellent vocal work, strong and full of energy. Vasiliscul Si Aspida is another Medieval track with
that folk flavor of Romania, even though it gets much more complex and
elaborate after a couple minutes, the mysterious mood created by the interplay
between guitar, keyboards and vocals makes them stay in unknown territory.
Radical changes and distorted vocals plus frantic guitar and Psychedelic organ
sections complete the track. Sirena is probably the hardest and less Prog
oriented track, but still they manage to keep the interest of the listener with
the excellent keyboards and works as a preparation for Pasarea Roc..k And Roll,
another Hard song, but in this case with weird effects and strong vocals. Canticlu A Cucuveaualiei is one of the best songs
of the album, this track has about everything, a strange keyboard intro with
oriental flavor, good vocal work as usual and a hard Rock sound full of radical
changes,. excellent material. Zoomahia explores uncharted territory for PHOENIX,
now they get very close to Space rock with a very strong PINK FLOYD influence,
mainly from Dark Side of the Moon, the changes are perfectly linked one to the
other by the competent work of Ovidiu Lipanin on percussion, a bit strange with
lots of jamming and dissonant vocals, a very advanced song for a Folk band from
Romania in 1975. The album ends with Phoenix, a soft and melodic
track that fulfills its duty of relaxing the listener after the incredibly
bizarre Zoomahia and even when calmed and melodic, so well elaborate that
places the cherry on the top of this cake named Cantofabule. It's interesting how you can listen to Progressive
Rock for decades and still be surprised by bands of the early mid 70's you
never imagined were doing such an outstanding work. Just a warning, even when the band is considered in
Prog Folk, don't expect to stay inside the boundaries of one genre, because
this guys explore a lot of different sounds and influences, which makes the
album richer. No less than 4 stars for a very solid album. #281
A review by SouthSideoftheSky: Do you believe in Ghosts? Ghosts follows in the footsteps of “Hero And Heroine”,
building on that album as a blueprint. As on “Hero And Heroine” we find here
the same well balanced mix of folky elements, progressive elements and more
straightforward rock elements. However, on closer inspection you can detect a
tendency towards emphasising the straight-ahead rock elements and toning down
the progressive elements. Indeed, only the two multipart suits, the title-track
and ‘The Life Auction’, are truly progressive. And while there were a couple of
more straightforward rock songs on “Hero And Heroine” as well, they were so
well integrated into that album as a whole. This is not as well achieved on “Ghosts”.
The two longer tracks just mentioned are also the only ones that are really up
to par with the “Hero And Heroine” material. Just like “Hero And Heroine”, “Ghosts” begins with
a multipart song of around eight minutes in length and continues with a number
of shorter songs. The songs do not flow into each other as they did on “Hero
And Heroine” which was one of the things that made that album so great. Also, despite the colours of the cover art for the
two albums, “Ghosts” is a bit less dark compared to “Hero And
Heroine”. The material is melodic and sometimes even light-hearted here. The
lyrics and vocals are still romantic and haunting, though. The beautiful ‘Grace
Darling’ is especially moving. There is an interesting story behind that song too,
about a woman living in a lighthouse and saved a number of people from drowning
after a shipwreck. While “Hero And Heroine” is a masterpiece, “Ghosts”
is only very good but still an excellent companion to that album. A review by Warthur: Another strong Strawbs
album with some absolutely groundbreaking tracks from the band, including the
haunting title epic which sees some of the most frightening and dark musical
output the band would ever produce, with Dave Cousins' vocal performance being
one of the most evocative of his career. Lemon Pie, which follows it up, rather
wrecks the momentum it establishes and seems a bit overlong to me, so I can't
give this one a perfect score, but the rest of the album meets the high
standards of Hero and Heroine or Grave New World. And even Lemon Pie isn't
quite as irritating as Part of the Union from Bursting At the Seams, so I'd say
that this album should be amongst the first Strawbs releases you sample. #282
A review by Mellotron Storm: George Martin, THE
BEATLES famed producer, adds some orchestral arrangements that he is famous for
to this record, as well as producing it. This record would peak at number 4 on
the Billboard charts, and would stay there for 25 weeks, becoming a platinum
selling album for Mr.Beck. This album was a bit of a departure for Jeff, turning
to a more Jazz/Fusion sound, and dropping the Rockabilly and Blues sound he was
previously known for. Although the song "Cause We've Ended as Lovers"
does have some blues moments, and is one of my favourites off this record. This
song has a pastoral beginning, with lazy guitar melodies. Some great solos
later in the song. The first song "You
Know What I Mean" is another favourite of mine, with some great guitar
leads and a funky melody. "She's a Woman" is a Paul McCartney tune
where Jeff makes his guitar almost talk, and then later he does make it talk! Very
intricate guitar melodies on this one. "Constipated Duck" reminds me
of the "Superstitious" song by Stevie Wonder, that Beck played on. Again,
intricate and complex guitar by Beck. "Air Blower"
has some great drumming on it. This is an uptempo and catchy song. Nice
keyboard melody as the song slows down. "Scatterbrain" is really
jazzy, with guitar, drums and keys. "Thelonius" is a Stevie Wonder
tune that is quite funky. "Freeway Jam" is another favourite of mine
as the guitar is amazing. Some scorching solos on this one. "Diamond Dust"
sounds different from the rest. Almost a s pacey feel to it at times with
violin and orchestration too. The keys are good and there some real jazzy
moments in this one too. If you’re into guitar music you need to hear this one!
Jeff has this unique way of creating different tones with his guitar. Excellent
release! #283
A review by Warthur: Eno's solo masterwork is
an ambient rock wonder, abandoning the glam trappings of earlier solo albums
entirely in favour of brittle, jagged soundscapes which would eventually come
to exert a powerful influence on the artier end of the New Wave. Nowhere is the
New Wave connection more apparent than the song ‘St Elmo's Fire’, which
features an electrifying solo from Robert Fripp. Brand X show up to provide
much of the instrumental backing (Phil Collins having enjoyed working with Eno
on ‘Taking Tiger Mountain’ so much he thought he'd bring some friends along
next time), and Eno himself is at his enigmatic, ambient best. A review by Mellotron Storm: This album does really
stand head and shoulders above Eno’s other "song" based albums before
he started making soundscape music. And really unlike the first two albums this
has an abstract and melancholic feel to it even though the songs are all fairly
short and accessible. Fripp really
shines at times and Percy Jones is prominent throughout. Phil Collins is
well... Phil Collins, very professional, one of the best. "Sky Saw" sounds
so good, especially the mind bending guitar riff that comes and goes. Bass and
drums are always out front as well. Vocals after 1 1/2 minutes. Some viola from
John Cale 3 minutes in. "Over Fire Island" opens with bass and
percussion as keyboards join in. Minimilistic is the word. I like it!
"St.Elmo's Fire" has vocals and intricate sounds and is uptempo. Check
out the guitar 1 1/2 minutes in. "In Dark Trees"
has a rhythm that reminds me of CAN. "The Big Ship" builds to another
great sounding soundscape. Quite moving. "I'll Come Running" is led
by piano and drums as vocals join in singing "I'll come running to tie
your shoes" over and over. Guitar is incredible before 2 minutes.
"Another Green World" is a short soundscape tune. "Sombre
Reptiles" has this beat with synths. Cool sounding track. "Little
Fishes" is slow moving and a little spacey. "Golden Hours" has a
catchy rhythm as the vocals join in. "Becalmed" opens with spacey
winds and piano. An emotional atmosphere arrives before 1 1/2 minutes.
"Zawinul/Lava" has these sparse piano lines and other sounds. Very
minimilistic. "Everything Merges
With The Night" opens with piano, strummed guitar and bass as vocals join
in. Reminds me of early FLOYD. "Spirits Drifting" is a spacey and
dreamy track. I absolutely love this album. Interesting that he sort of back
peddled in my opinion with his next one "Before And After Science". I
can find no fault with this one at all. It suits my tastes perfectly. #284
A review by Finnforest: An absolute classic 70s gem! Consider this. These days it is nothing for a band to
spend months and in some cases years to get out an album. Must be nice.
Pentacle recorded this amazing work in 8 days! Reading about the pressure they
were under makes their album all the more impressive. The album was produced by
Christian Decamps of Ange fame. But it is much smoother than Ange, none of
Decamps vocal theatrics. Very low key vocals, tons of mellotron and soaring
lead guitar. Pentacle surpassed all of my expectations with “La
Clef Des Songes”. The pleasure center of the prog-fan brain will be rocked!
Check out the very high ratings this album has garnered. This is a well-rounded album with all musicians
contributing much. Being a guitar man myself I am pleased with two aspects.
First, the guitar itself is great from its sweet acoustic backgrounds to
heavily saturated solos. But just as importantly the keyboards assume the role
of creating the canvas of atmosphere for the guitars to paint over rather than
challenging the guitar for the forefront. I'm not saying the keys are boring,
far from it. I love some of the sounds he creates but he's playing to
compliment the overall piece rather than to get noticed. Drum/bass play is
decent and the vocals are pleasant rather than annoyingly overdramatic as is
unfortunately so common. This band understood subtlety and how to leave space
open, to give sound the room it needs. Some mention that Pentacle may recall early Crimson
but I want to point out that they are not harsh or abrasive. They are a smooth,
spacey, melodic band that is almost instantly accessible and I suspect would
also appeal to fans of Pink Floyd. This is not a grower but rather an album you
will love by the 3rd spin. To give a bit more info I'll quote a few lines from
the liner notes: "The disc belongs to the canon of delicate and refined
progressive rock, showcasing a music which mixes energy, virtuosity and melodic
beauty. The elegance of the themes reminds one of the kind of chamber rock
elaborated by English groups like Cressida, Gracious, and Czar with an emphasis
on the development of a sophisticated and lyrical symphonism" [by Francis
Grosse]. The sound is not perfect but it is certainly good
enough...remember, these guys didn't have a Pink Floyd budget, they had day
jobs. The Musea folks have outdone themselves on the CD.
Super Bit Mapping, gorgeous artwork, many photos, and a long and thorough band
history. Plus 3 rare live bonus tracks from the glorious 70s giving you another
22 minutes of music. If only all labels took this kind of care. An essential recording for fans of 70s space rock
or symph, fans of Floyd, and lovers of the French scene. 9/10 #285 Fish Out Of Water
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Squire's solo album that has really impacted his
career, is "Fish out of Water" and, although Squire obviously was out
of his depth on his own finally, and released to produce a solo album, along
with fellow band members Anderson, Wakeman, Howe, Moraz and also Bruford, the
result is a very refreshing approach to music. ‘Hold Out Your Hand’ begins proceedings and the very accomplished percussion of Bill Bruford is noteable immediately. Squire’s vocals are extraordinary, very high in the register as much as Anderson. Patrick Moraz is always a wizard on keyboards, Andrew Pryce Jackman handles acoustic, organ, and orchestrations. The harmonies are strong and excellent always. The time sigs change constantly and this could easily fit onto a Yes album. It seems that Squire is one of the main components of the Yes sound as is obvious here. ‘You By My Side’ continues the Yes sound seamlessly from the opener, and features mesmirising beauty with Jimmy Hastings’ flute. The orchestra is a symphonic embellishment that works so well with this style of music. Mel Collins on saxophone and Hastings on flute opens the wondrous ‘Silently Falling’, a longer song at 11 ½ minutes. The warbling flute is joined by the high falsetto vocals. A crash of sound ushers in the rhythmic figure with a bass pulsation and soaring harmonious musicianship. The flute chimes back in with Barry Rose on pipe organ. There is a freak out of Moraz’s manic keyboards, a hypnotic groove with piano and bass, and Bruford is awesome with percussion accents and jazz explosions. This instrumental section is absolutely mind bending and it stops suddenly as divine horns come in, and Squire’s vocals return, so pleasant to the ear. This is spell binding music weaving a spell on the listener.
‘Safe (Canon Song)’ is a
15 minute epic with very strong bass, high falsetto vocals and orchestrated
synths. The melody is bright and chirpy, very much like Yes in every respect,
even the vocals sound a lot like Anderson. Squire certainly does not shy away
from the Yes epic structure and even throws in some very nice flute and horn
sounds. The interlude with thumping bass and whimsical flute and sax is one of
the highlights of the album. This one really takes off into some bombastic
territory and then is brought back with angular bassline and glorious violin
sounds. The orchestral arrangement is stunning and lifts the music to the
stratosphere. This continues for a long time and builds to a magnificent
crescendo to finish with enchanting piano. Magnificent song. The solo album for Squire
is an incredible achievement, surpassing all expectations, even rivalling other
Yes members’ solo efforts as being the best of the bunch. It is even referred to as the "lost" Yes album. Every track on “Fish out of Water” is offering
something extraordinary and as brilliant as Yes, and Squire showed he could
produce something very special even though he may have felt like a fish out of
water. #286
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Kraut legends Neu! consisting of Klaus Dinger on voice, percussion, guitar,
piano, organ, and Michael Rother guitar, piano, synth orchestra, electronics,
voice, made an indelible impression with their debut with some stark haunting
compositions that are definitive to the Krautrock scene. This is their third
album which is at times a very accessible project and at other times lunges
deep into the avant territory of the first album. It begins with a surprisingly
upbeat motorik electro pop sound on ‘Isi’. The commercial sound is striking
when compared to the dark drones and experimentation of the debut. It has a great melody and is reminiscent of
early Kraftwerk. ‘Seeland’ is a darker
sound with cold stark tones and an ominous guitar and spacey synth lines. The
guitars are beautiful drawing in the listener with spacey textures over the
hypnotic melody rhythm. The synth pads are laced with ribbons of sizzling
electronics. The rain fall, thunder rolls across the heavens and leads to ‘Leb'
wohl’. This one is haunting and has a
slow dreamy feel that entrances. The sleepy piano lines are accompanied by
echoed vocals, sung as though half asleep, the beach sounds are part of the
ambience. But if this one puts the listener to blissful sleep the next track is
a rude awakening. The album may be seen as an album with a multiple
progressive disorder; one half is mesmirising ambience, with the other half,
side two of the vinyl, a proto punk bolt of energy. Side one is Rother’s ambient influenced instrumental dreamscape, side
two is Dinger’s aggressive punked up distortion nightmare. Dinger’s excursion into anger as an energy is helped with two
supplementary drummers; brother Thomas, and Hans Lampe. This would be the
backbone of the next project for Dinger with these members jumping on board,
for the esoterica of La Düsseldorf. ‘Hero’ is the first taste of punk and
really sounds extraordinarily like Johnny Rotten’s vocals and the angst driven
guitar sonics of the Sex Pistols. Dinger sounds better though and the time sig
is a simple 4 on the floor with double percussion. I like the keyboard chimes
on this and it is so jarring after all the sleepy music that it has to be one
of the shining moments of the album. There are tape noises that are put through effects machines to
add a sense of weirdness to it all similar to the first 2 Neu! albums. It is
followed by motorik hypno trance rhythms on ‘E-musik’ sounding rather like
‘Autobahn’ or other early Kraftwerk in places. The electro sounds augment this
feel that is no holds barred Krautrock. The very sweet synthesizer swooshes are
similar to early Gary Numan, who must have been influenced here, especially on
songs such as ‘Complex’ and the synth punk of Tubeway Army’s ‘Listen to the
Sirens’ and ‘Zero Bars’. The beat on ‘E-musik’ is electronica at its most
entrancing, and this is an influential track for all these reasons. The one
note or chord of E works well allowing jamming instruments to fade in and out.
It ends with a haunting wind howling and a deep slowed down bassvoice. Simply
stunning Neu! at their best. The final track is ‘After Eight’ and we return to the proto punk, and listening to this may cause one to wonder did Neu! invent the punk sound that almost single handedly destroyed prog? Ironic, if so, but Neu! were pioneers and took incredible risks and are all the more infamous for this. This last track is reminiscent of Hawkwind’s punk sound more than Sex Pistols or perhaps closer to Iggy and The Stooges. This album is perhaps one of the better albums in terms of accessible music and an entertaining sound throughout. I am no fan of punk but on this album Neu! make it easy to digest due to the inventive structures. Rother and Dinger would reunite after a ten year hiatus to try their hand at another Neu! project but the album is nowhere near the legendary status of their first three classic 70s master works. #287
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Kaipa create a beautiful melancholy sound and were
blessed with incredibly talented musicians on their debut self titled album.
Ingemar Bergman on percussion, and Tomas Eriksson on bass, provide an excellent
rhythm. Lead vocalist Hans Lundin is an instrumental genius on Hammond organ,
Fender Rhodes electric piano, Grand piano, Yamaha SY1 Synthesizer, Harpsichord,
Logan String-machine, and Glockenspiel. To cap this off is the main drawcard
for many who come to this album and for good reason. The incomparable Roine
Stolt is here on Electric and acoustic guitars. This is years ahead of his
famous input with The Flower Kings, and Transatlantic. He became a prog legend
in these bands and it is fascinating to hear his early work with Kaipa at the
tender age of 19. He also painted the album cover illustration depicting an
astral traveller floating over a dreamy landscape. The album is very relaxing and refreshing, nothing
abrasive or heavy unless you can call those Hammond passages heavy such as on
‘Saker har två sidor (Things have two sides)’. The vocals are in Swedish and
sound quite lovely overall. A great deal of the album is instrumental, sounding
like ELP or Camel, Renaissance. Focus and Yes. ‘Ankaret (The Anchor)’ has a majestic opening and
Stolt’s guitars are heavenly. The music is very peaceful and even slightly
medieval. The presence of the Hammond is strong and one cannot help but be
reminded of Emerson’s style. There are many time changes but the mood is always
uplifting and enchanting. At times the tempo quickens to allow Stolt to take
off on lead, but the cadence soon softens with mellow synths and basslines. This album sounds neo-classical at times, with
familiar melodies and sweeping majesty. Overall the music tends to wash over
the listener and it is an enjoyable journey, a chill out album to relax with,
one of Sweden’s finest symphonic albums without a doubt. A review by Warthur: A beautiful album of
relaxing melodic prog, Kaipa's debut album shows (to my ears) the influences of
Renaissance, early Yes, and a little bit of Camel, all brought together in a
compelling blend which engages my interest in a way which the group's reunion
albums (which I thought pandered rather to the retro-prog movement) failed to.
It's particularly impressive to note that Roine Stolt was only 19 when this
album was made, though the primary songwriter this time around is keyboardist
and singer Hans Lundin. Lundin and Stolt's
performances elevate this album from enjoyable second-tier prog to a genuine
landmark of the Swedish prog scene. The seeds sown here can be heard sprouting
in Anglagard, Sinkadus, and early Flower Kings, so you could say without too
much hyperbole that the groundwork for the 1990s prog revival started here. A review by Mellotron Storm: I must admit I've been
fascinated with this album of late. The fact Roine Stolt is an original member
and still a teenager when this was released (1975) is remarkable. I'm also very
intrigued with their sound. Only because later on in 2002 when the band
reformed their music sounded a lot like a cross between THE FLOWER KINGS and
YES while this debut album has GENESIS written all over it. Anyone who knows me
will appreciate that while I like YES a lot, it's GENESIS and that more
melancholic vibe that I'm drawn to over the "Light" that comes from
THE FLOWER KINGS and YES. Well I loved this album from the first time I heard
it as these young Swedes offer up a Symphonic delight with a variety of
keyboards, chunky bass lines and great guitar leads. The vocals are in Swedish
which is also a big plus. I'm going to use the English song titles where I can.
Check out the keyboard
intro on "Music Is Light". These guys used something called a
"Logan Stringmachine" to great effect, sounding like a combination of
strings and mellotron. Guitar follows sounding a lot like Hackett. Amazing
sound here. Vocals after 1 1/2 minutes in a spacey atmosphere. Banks-like
synths before 4 minutes. Nice. Then the vocals return with floating organ. Huge
bass lines 5 1/2 minutes in. Great track! "Things Have Two
Sides" opens with piano as the vocals join in. It's building. I like the
vocal melodies too. The organ/bass/drum section is killer then the guitar joins
in making it even better. Vocals are back late. "The Anchor" has a
light keyboard led intro. The bass becomes prominent then the guitar and synths
join in. Guitar comes to the fore after 2 minutes. Vocals 3 minutes in until
they stop after 5 minutes and the guitar leads. It's GENESIS-like 6 1/2 minutes
in then we get a calm with bass. It does kick back in before it becomes
GENESIS-like again 8 minutes in as it settles. Incredible tune! "Skogspromenad"
opens with organ followed by bass and the stringmachine as drums joins in.
"Alcting Har Sin Borjan" has a beat with fat bass lines to start. The
guitar joins in and it sounds amazing. "See The Dawn" opens with
those strings before light keys and a beat take over. A spacey calm before 3
minutes then it kicks in with the guitar leading.Vocals follow and they sound
excellent.Nice bass too. "Forlorad I Istanbul" is uptempo with these
fast paced intricate sounds. "Oceans Give Birth To Life" is fairly light but with prominent bass as synth sounds join in. The tempo picks up and we get a great sound 2 minutes in. Vocals after 3 1/2 minutes. Water sounds 5 1/2 minutes in with vocal melodies. Strange vocal expressions a minute later then it picks up with the organ leading. It settles back before 8 1/2 minutes. This is probably closer to 4.5 stars and a must for GENESIS fans out there. #288
A review by Finnforest: Don't like the classic Italian genre? No problem. Il Volo's second album "Essere o Non
Essere" is not really typical of other albums in the Italian section.
While I love the Italian symph genre I know that some of you bristle at the
vocals and occasionally dated sounds. “Essere” is not like that at all. This is a mostly
instrumental album first of all, a bit jazzy and plenty rocking. The sound is
great on the Japanese CD and the production quite good too. The music should
appeal very much to fans of good rock music with lots of lush instrumentation,
bright guitars, full bass, and very expressive drumming. While the playing is
indeed top notch the band presents a very unified sound and avoid simply
trading long-winded solos. The album reminds me a little of PFM's
"Stati" release in that you have gorgeous yet powerful instrumental
music that would work perfectly as a soundtrack to the kind of video PFM used.
For some reason "Essere" constantly puts images of flight in my mind. I read that this album sold poorly back in the day
and the band split. That's a shame because it would have been fascinating to
hear what direction they took after this one. And it proves again that sales
and quality music often have very little to do with each other. So always hunt
for these little gems regardless of what the hot sellers are. Both Volo albums are easy to enjoy and I would
recommend anyone check them out, fan of Italian prog or not. #289 In Praise Of Learning
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Here it is in all its Rock in Opposition glory - tread careful dear
listeners and question what is music? ‘War’ begins the journey with some
absolutely insane time sigs and free form jazz sax over the strong off beat.
The tuneless female vocals of Dagmar Krause are perhaps the most challenging
aspect and really will take some getting used to for certain listeners. It is
unlike anything you will hear but is kind of similar to the experimental side
of Bjork. Krause’s emotions are
charged sounding like someone spat in her socks. But this is the best song on the
album. It is a short song so we soon roll onto the epic 15 minute sonic noise
of ‘Living In The Heart of the Beast’ and nothing
prepares the listener for this excursion into avant hyper weirdness. More odd
metrical sigs are augmented by distorted fuzzed guitar and then it stops and
Chris Cutler’s piano in solitude is heard. Dagmar Krause is the vocalist and
she is the queen of dissonance. She even has multi tracks on her vocals at one
point. The sound is a beserk Magma sound, and then very atonal anti-jazz
woodwind dominates with Lindsay Cooper’s beserk bassoon and Geoff Leigh’s triumphant
trumpets. The xylophone of Fred Frith is peculiar but is a trademark Henry Cow
effect. Several instruments join together and play their own tune and then are
suddenly amalgamated with 4 strong blasts. The percussion of Cutler is
incredible with off sync explosions and weird cymbals tishes. Peter Blegvad’s
clarinet is changing melodies constantly, John Greaves’ bass keeps an odd
rhythm that interplays with the trumpets of Cutler and then a violin takes over
played beautifully by Frith. The strange competing of musicians and ferocity of
time sig changes is frightening. It is certainly one of the most astonishing
pieces of avant-garde music bringing to mind the madness of Frank Zappa meets
The Residents at it’s most experimental.
Henry Cow’s lyrical content is focused on Marxist ideologies
and revolutionary idealism. The previous song is actually a call to arms
against Marxist capitalism and is intended to spur on the communist party to
power. The band were revolutionaries themselves with their peculiar approach to
music. This album was part of a long term collaboration with Slapp Happy and is
as far removed from the Canterbury influences in their first albums as one
could get. It embraces the ‘steaming cess pool of human conformity’ as far as
Marxism is concerned, and attempts to recreate music structures and forms. In
this case it is a very complex and difficult album to enjoy by many listeners. The
left wing politics and communism is a strong point of the lyrics and will turn
some off. The high emphasis on creativity and recreating new musical
ideas is a compelling component of the sound. This is continued with ‘Beginning: The Long March’ with a ferocious
oboe and sonic rhythm in the intro. A crash down of percussion and piano and
other angry instruments heralds the new soundscape which is a disjointed
fractured musical outburst of cacophonic dissonance. This continues with
sporadic musicality and odd bursts of musical instruments with out any time
sig, without any melody or any semblance of harmony. It drones and groans as a
serrated violin trys to take over, but low piano crashes in. A metronome
knocking is heard and broken guitar splashes. The sax and horn blasts sound
like cars speeding on a motorway. Now we are really into unchartered waters as
the sound gains in intensity, no sig or melody still but an unnerving disturbia
of disharmonious drone. The discordance of this is
now put into striking contrast with the next song, where vocals return on ‘Beautiful
as the Moon - Terrible as an Army With Banners’. The sig is splintered still
but this has more resonance with a listener who may have been turned away by
some of the previous RIO. The bass and drums are in sync yet the metric is
decidedly acrimonious, especially with the rather pleasant vocals for a change.
It is easy to listen to after a while as the ears are attuned to the oddness of
it all. The sig actually begins at last and gains speed with guitar flourishes.
The piano begins an out of melody improvisation as the percussion and bass
pound. Then another piano tinkers along and all the other instruments fade out.
The off tune twin piano solo becomes quite unsettling sounding as though it is
falling down a flight of stairs, and then a loud blast of vocals and guitars
come in like a train wreck and ends it. Are we having fun yet? ‘Morning Star’ based on
the UK’s Communist paper, is a saxophone with percussion hybrid and the non-cohesiveness
of the sound is jarring. More very weird sounds on instruments continue but the
percussion is extreme improvised jazz on ‘Lovers of Gold’. The members sound as
though they are all playing their own tune but it somehow fits in a discordant
way. Perhaps reminiscent of King Crimson’s ‘Providence’ or their other improv
jam sessions. Krause sings again as the drones become ominous. She has a
melodic voice but the music is disjointed. At this point one may be ready for
anything with a beat or signature, it is very discomforting. This album is not for the faint hearted as at times the unmusicality is too much for the ears to bear. It is refreshing to hear after listening to the mediocrity poured out on the radio. The band could be viewed as revolutionary pioneers and would definitely have made many artists and listeners sit up and take notice. I am not sure how many times one could sit through this but it will cause one to ponder on what makes music ‘music’. In fact it can be argued that the album is a protest against conformity of musical structures or virtuosity. Is Henry Cow a genius band of artists or just a bunch of improvising rejects kicked out of the conservatorium? There is no disputing the artists are incredibly talented and deserve attention. In any case this is as original and as unconventional as it gets, perhaps even unsurpassed in terms of the influence on the avant-prog scene. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - February 03 2012 at 04:42 |
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: January 29 2012 at 06:40 |
|
|
1975 - continued
#290
A review by Mellotron Storm: This was just a pleasure
to listen to. I had heard and reviewed "Arriving Twice" which was a
collection of songs recorded prior (1973- 1975) to this their debut album. It
consisted mostly of songs that are on this album. To my ears they have really
gelled and seem more confident as a band on this their debut record when
compared to the earlier songs on "Arriving Twice". Dave Stewart
produced it, and we have the pleasure of having Amanda Parsons from HATFIELD
AND THE NORTH singing on two tracks. She would go on to sing on NATIONAL
HEALTH's debut. The late Alan Gowen who would later hook up with Dave Stewart
in the band NATIONAL HEALTH is truly the star here. He incorporates mellotron, piano,
synths and clavinet to these wonderful songs. GILGAMESH offer up a smorgasbord
of tasty, intricate sounds to satisfy the listener. One look at the long song
titles and one knows that this has to be Canterbury music. "One End More/Phil's
Little Dance-For Phil Miller's trousers/World's Of Zin" has some mellotron
in the intro followed by those intricate sounds meshed together that are just a
delight. Great interplay! The guitar 3
minutes in is a highlight. There is a change 4 1/2 minutes in as we get to
"World Of Zin" and it's so soothing and relaxing for 6 minutes! The
guitar leads the way tastefully as Phil Lee does such a tremendous job holding
back, yet in the end letting go with some soaring melodies. The drumming is
intricate, and we get some female vocal melodies from Amanda. The piano is sprinkled
in. Amazing! "Lady And
Friend" is mellow with keys and bass for 3 minutes except for one
startling outburst. It ends with a louder sound with drums joining in.
"Notwithstanding" is jazzy with some excellent piano, drums, bass and
guitar interplay. I just have to shake my head at how tight these guys are. Mellotron
comes in early and can't be missed. "Arriving Twice" is a short 1 1/2
minute tune that is light and beautiful. "Island Of Rhodes/Paper Boat-For
Doris/As If Your Eyes Were Open" is lighter to begin with but there is so
much going on. The second part is similar but louder. Keys, bass and drums lead
the way. The final section is where Phil breaks out some aggressive guitar
melodies. Nice. "For Absent
Friends" is a short acoustic guitar piece. "We Are All/Someone Else's
food/Jamo And Other Boating Disasters-From The Holiday Of The Same Name"
features some angular guitar melodies in the first part. Liquid sounding keys
and light drums as bass throbs. The guitar starts to get more upfront and
passionate, as do the other instruments. The next section is almost funky
before the final part 5 1/2 minutes in where Amanda is back singing those
lovely melodies. "Just C" is a
short piano piece. The album cover had an actual game on it like "Snakes
and Ladders" with numbered spaces, and comments on some of them telling
you to go forward or backwards and why. Statements like "Payment after gig
in cash! Go forward 2 spaces". Or "Drummer late for gig. Go back 1
space". "Mobbed by groupies.
Go forward 4 spaces". "Guitar player drinks 10 Carlsbergs. Disqualified
from game". I could see people playing this back in the day. As for the
music, I'm a big fan if you couldn't tell already. 4 solid stars. #291
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Triumvirat create some of the best Symphonic Prog
of the 70s. "Spartacus" is a wonderful full on
excessive symphonic prog album from masters of German 70s prog, Triumvirat. It
begins with a terrific instrumental section and then the voice of Helmut Köllen
comes in on the second track sounding clear and distinct, enhancing the music. ‘The
School Of Instant Pain’ is absolutely brilliant, even featuring a massive drum
solo and the everpresent Hammond stabs very similar to Emerson. It is broken in
to a variety of sections: a) Proclamation, b) The gladiator's song, c) Roman
entertainment, d) The battle. Next on ‘The Walls Of Doom’ there is a jaunty
little instrumental on keyboard motif, with breaks in the music including wild
drums and some very nice basslines. This is an excellent piece of music with
some odd time signature changes and very original approach to the medium, not
really an ELP clone as they have been accused. There is enough originality on
offer to satiate any prog palate. The next track ‘The Deadly Dream of Freedom’ is
balladic and sweetly sung, not my favourite style but it has a lovely melody
though more radio friendly than their usual material, not that this is a
problem as it kind of breaks up the hyper prog swashbuckling. Then it's on to a mental instrumental ‘The Hazy
Shades of Dawn’, and its back to prog excess and it is fantastic. This tune is
memorable, majestic, grand, Emerson like in places, but has so many twists and
turns it is astounding. The tune is a march really with some missing beats in
the phrases. I like the descending parts that build with each instrument. The
drums of Hans Bathelt are simply virtuoso on this. I am reminded of ELP's
Trilogy with this. The foreboding menace of Hammond organ and drums
rising to a crescendo are a true feature of the showstopper, ‘The Burning Sword
of Capua’. This is a tremendous instrumental with Jürgen Fritz allowed to blaze
away with fire and dynamism on keyboards. It is short but it is brilliant. The sweet vocals of Helmut that are gentle and
flowing return on ‘The Sweetest Sound Of Liberty’. Once again a real breakaway
from the more proggy instrumentals preceding it, but a pleasant enough song,
reminding me of the way Lake's ballads on ELP albums were always present. A spacey effect begins the next track, ‘The March
To The Eternal City’, which is the first lengthy track at 8:46, on the EMI
release, and it is broken into 3 sections: ‘Dusty Road’, is a quaint song with
some intriguing lyrics about Spartacus, who "has come to kill". It
gains tempo with a herald of drums and clean synth flourishes on Italian
Improvisation section. There are some excellent keyboard swells on this, and it
is a rather lengthy instrumental but never lost my interest. The song ends with
the third section, ‘First Success’, which is kind of a return to the intro
melody. ‘Spartacus’ is a good way to end the album, in 3
sections again, ‘The Superior Force of Rome’, with softer vocals and then it
breaks out into a frenzy of Hammond, sounding as fast as ‘Tarkus’. Perhaps too
fast as it is rather amusing how zany this is. It even has an off kilter
chorus, "no one comes near", and then the keyboard freak out
continues, with some frenetic honky tonk piano and those ‘Karn Evil 9’ siren
sounds. ‘A Broken Dream’ is the second section which is basically very fast
piano, a real tour de force of speed triggerfinger playing. ‘The Finale’ sounds
like a finale funnily enough, majestic and bombastic but delightfully so. The original album ended there but it is nice on
the reissue to get 2 bonus tracks consisting of ‘The Capital Of Power (live)’,
and ‘Showstopper (previously unreleased)’. The live track is an intriguing
version of ‘The Capital Of Power’, opening their show, and it is excellent
quality wanting me to hear more of this concert. The instrumental is one of
their best and is highlights the talents of bassist Helmut in particular. The
unreleased track ‘Showstopper’, is a curious oddity, a rather fast paced song
focusing on the keyboard finesse of Fritz. Helmut's vocals are psychedelic,
sounding very good but incomparable to the rest of the album, very different.
The instrumental section sounds similar to other parts of the
"Spartacus" album. But this is no throwaway and may cause one to
wonder why it was never released. Overall, I haven't heard a bad album from
Triumvirat and this is certainly one of their best, excellent quality prog,
along with the incredible “Illusions On A Double Dimple”. #292
A review by Finnforest: Keyboard rich Italian with female vocals. Apoteosi is yet another of the Italian bands that
made one great album and vanished. The group core was the three Ida siblings
whose father apparently got them a record deal and produced them. Massimo Ida,
the keyboard player, was just 14 years old when this album was recorded. If you
plan to add some Italian prog to your collection this should be a prime
candidate. The music is a wonderful blend of melodic symphonic Italian prog
with some jazzed up rhythm. Primarily a keyboard album it is filled with
marvelous piano and moog but also a decent amount of electric leads. The
drummer is tight and impressive with great moments throughout. One thing that
makes Apoteosi unique is that we have the angelic voice of Silvana Ida on
several tracks rather than the typical deep operatic male vocals one is used to
on Italian albums. Her singing is a bit meek and too low in the mix but it is very
pleasant. The sound is a bit of a problem on “Apoteosi”, there was obviously
little budget and things sound a bit thin. But the music is solid, a little
mysterious, and full of heart from people who were likely aware this album
would be their only one. They made the most of it in my opinion. Sure you can
detect the youth and inexperience in places but you'd be amazed how well they
actually do. "Embrion" is a short and shimmering
keyboard introduction for the first half with the band charging in full force
for the remainder. I read that the music was a fragmented mess of everyone's
ideas and that there was no time to really hash things out so they just used
the chaos to their advantage and explored all of them. At times it sounds that
way but that's also part of the charm. "Prima Realta" at nearly 15 minutes is
the centerpiece and is wonderful stuff. With lovely piano, acoustic guitar and
flute, crisp drums and bass, and heavenly vocals from Ms. Ida this track is
vintage Italian as beautiful as PFM. At about 6 minutes we get our first taste
of the spacey keyboard effects that admittedly sound a bit dated but are
pleasing nonetheless. And to top it all off, a stunning and energetic ending. Next is "Il Grande Dishumano" which is
more energetic finesse and along with "Prima" is another superb
track. We get some fuzzed-out psych guitar and a tight rhythm that would make
Bruford proud. Next up is "Dimensione" which starts as a short vocal
piece to piano and distance delicate electric leads. Drums come in around 2 minutes
and things pick up. The title track is the closer and it is a fiery
instrumental rocker which by the end makes you wish that Apoteosi had been
given a chance to take their time and do a second album. I bet it could have
been amazing. Definitely don't judge this book by its rather bland album cover! This album is highly recommended for lovers of
quality 70s symphonic prog. While I acknowledge there are a few flaws with the
sound that along should not stop RPI fans from getting to this title eventually.
The young people involved wear their hearts on their sleeves and that always
helps win me over. Their love for this music they came up with is obvious. I
want to close by quoting fellow reviewer Andrea Cortese who summed up what
makes this really special: He writes "....this is a hymn to their
homeland, a hymn of hope for the awakening from the numbness of that wonderful
piece of our beloved country. All this passion and emotional involvement are
the propulsive force of this great opus...." #293
A review by Finnforest: SBB has had a long, acclaimed career and they are
one of the most important progressive groups from Poland. It is clear from the
liner notes that they are Mahavishnu devotees, and they also state that they
are already beyond this album at the time of its release, that their
"spirit is already with their next album." They seem to stake out a
sound here somewhere between fusion and space-rock. While the playing is good
and some of the ideas nice I feel the album is not very consistent. "Na Pierwszy Ogien" starts with some wild
synth sounds before that band drops, a steady rhythm with trebly nervous leads
on top. The guitar sound is a bit thin and the bass a little muddy. The drum
fills are a real treat. The final minute is strange, the band stops and the
song finishes with delightful solo piano, more impressive to me actually than
what we heard before it. "Blysk" blasts off at a fast pace but is
otherwise quite similar to the first track with highly treated guitar and
synths exploring the landscape. I remain pretty underwhelmed I must say. Again
the heavy stuff dies and the last minute of so features a short piano excursion.
"Nowy Horyzont" gets significantly
better. A really jamming opening section leads into a very quiet spacey
acoustic guitar and keys interlude. Nice. After this it moves to a good
instrumental section with a fusion of fiery guitar and key workouts, again the
drumming is very tasty. The bassist knows what he's doing too but unfortunately
it doesn't always come through in the mix. OK, sensing a pattern here as the
closing changes to another piano solo. "Ballada o Pieciu Glodnych" is a spoken
word piece that is a complete momentum killer musically, but perhaps if you
understand the language it has value from that aspect. "Wolnoscz
Nami" is the side long 20 minute cut. A dramatic drum roll intro ushers an
acoustic guitar trying not to drown in some harsh synth blasts, then get very
wild, very free form, with synth, piano, guitar, percussion all dabbling away.
Wordless vocals come in and the mood is rather uneasy for a bit. The bass and
drums come back after the six minute mark and we get a rare section of "normal"
sounding symph prog, a bit Yes-ish but only a bit. After a section of near
silence, the experimental sections starts around the 12 minute mark and you get
some very Floyd-like psych madness before the drums come ripping back in at a
fast pace paving the way for some aggressive guitar and synth licks. Out of
nowhere drops a strange and heavy riff which slowly winds down to nothing for
the 3 minute closing, which is..can you guess? A piano solo. It's a rather nice
one that provides one of the more emotional moments of the album, a sad,
longing mini tune. I can see why the band themselves say right in the
liner notes that they've already moved on in spirit from this album, this seems
like a warm-up in every sense of the phrase. #294 Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Masters of their craft. After the blistering start to Mahavishnu Orchestra
with the definitive jazz fusion of "The Inner Mounting Flame" and
"Birds of Fire", it was the next step to add in some funk and
alternative styles to the jazziness of the music. The band do that on this
album yet retain the jamming improv style and manic time sig changes. John
McLaughlin, guitarist extraordinaire, is the only sole survivor of the original
lineup but he is joined by the stalwart company of Jean-Luc Ponty's electric
violin, the percussion of Michael Walden, Ralph Armstrong's bass, and Gayle
Moran's keyboards. 'Eternity's Breath' is a standout for the band
especially 'Part 2' with Luc-Ponty's exquisite violin serrations. It also has a
heavier guitar than the usual Mahavishnu and from the outset the music
signifies a completely different approach. The electric guitars on Part 1 are
heavier and the effervescent violin is an amazing embellishment. 'Lila's Dance' is a brilliant piece of music in a
number of odd meters from 7/4 to 14/8 and even 5/4 at times. It is an amazing
rhythm with searing fret melting lead work and astonishing percussion and
violin. Simply stunning. 'Can't Stand Your Funk' is a jazz odyssey in
funkadelic guitar rhythms and the odd trumpet blast and very ominous keyboards.
The bassline is as funky as it gets embellished by nasty brass. 'Pastoral' begins with birds whistling and the
electric violin generates a peaceful atmosphere. 'Faith' is a heavier
percussion explosion with ascending violins and an angular guitar riff. 'Cosmic
Strut' is another funky jazz piece with odd time sigs throughout that change
often. The intro is in 9/8, there is a medial section with a guitar soloing in
a 7/4 metrical progression, soon after the music is in 13/8, and at times 27/8.
There is no doubting the virtuosity of the band with tracks like this. 'If I Could See' is a short piece with the soprano
vocals of Gayle Moran and this is followed by 'Be Happy', a frenetic jazz
blitzkrieg. McLaughlin cuts loose on lead gutar on a rhythmic percussive
figure.he dynamic jamming and tempo is jaw dropping on this track. Jean
Luc-Ponty joins on violin slicing back and forth with speed bow work. The duo
trade off solos as in a duel. These two are masters of the craft. 'Earth Ship' has a very soft, gentle musicality with
flute and bass over percussion brushes. The guitar is distant and the vocals
are sleepy. 'Pegasus' follows as a short transition. 'Opus 1' and 'On The Way
Home To Earth' begins with a spacey ambience of Tangerine Dream textures and
synth sustain. It moves into a jam session of the fuzz guitar and extraordinary
percussion by the lead break is McLaughlin at his best. This album is a magnificent musical work of
virtuosity at its highest level. It proves that the second incarnation of
Mahavishnu Orchestra is as good as the original lineup and of course this is
always going to be hailed as a masterpiece by many listeners. The music will
keep many spellbound with its immeasurable creativity and powerful spirit. #295
A review by Warthur: Marking the point where the Italian prog scene
collided with the Italian filmmaking market, “Profondo Rosso” is the first
Goblin album and one of their better soundtrack works. The moods and musical
styles adopted on the album are quite diverse, as befitting its origins as a
movie soundtrack, with influences ranging from “Tubular Bells” (as on the
opening of the title track, or the guitar section in ‘Mad Puppet’) to funkier
material at points reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield's work on “Superfly”. Some
where between these extremes the distinctive and original Goblin sound emerges,
applying symphonic prog musicianship and compositional approaches to a more
cinematic set of influences than those that informed the pastoral prog or
fusion-leaning bands of the RPI scene. Note that “Profondo Rosso” has been reissued in
various formats, including a greatly expanded release which includes more
incidental music and multiple different takes of the same tracks. If you are a
major fan of the Goblin sound and want to hear every little track they made
during these sessions, you might want to go for it, but I personally find these
editions rather repetitive and tedious to listen to all the way through. My
appreciation for this album shot up when I simply programmed the CD to play only
the original album tracks in the order they originally appeared on; on the
whole, I'd say Goblin did a fine job in condensing the soundtrack for an LP
release. #296 Giro Di Valzer Per Domani
A review by Finnforest: A showcase for one of the greatest drummers alive. "Giro" is a very solid album that should
please anyone remotely interested in the genre. While I don't own
"Tilt" and thus can't compare the two, from what I remember this
album is every bit as formidable, perhaps less acclaimed simply because it
followed an album much beloved. The album may actually be a bit richer in terms
of production and band interplay. The highlight here as noted by many is the
simply jaw-dropping percussion performance by the legendary Furio Chirico and I
can only add that anyone who is a drummer or appreciates spectacular percussion
needs to hear Furio in action. I am also a fan of Beppe Crovella since hearing
his work on the later Tower album "Tales from a Book of
Yestermorrow." The tracks are intricate and flawlessly executed
jams with great guitar work and enough sax and violin to really add great
color. Jazz-rock.net also plays up Chirico's importance in the band:
"Personally I would compare him with Billy Cobham, although an octopus
also comes into mind. This virtuoso is able to fill the space with such an
incredible sound, layer upon layer of polyphonic rhythms, it's quite
spectacular. Behind him, an ensemble of bass/guitar/keys/violin/sax/voice are
creating track after track of pure enjoyment" [jazz-rock.net]. For me personally the music is at times too busy
and this is why I give a higher rating to something like Esagono, who may not
have quite the chops of this band but arguably provide more emotionally
satisfying music. "Giro" can be a simply exhausting listen that
rarely gives the listener a chance for a breather; of course I realize this is
a plus for many of you. For jazz fans really into intense, technically savvy
jamming I can see why others would give this 4 or even 5 stars. #297
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: “Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the
Fandango?” Queen's “A Night at the Opera” is a definitive
album of 1975, a year when prog was absolutely flourishing with many bands
producing their best material. Queen produced this album at the height of prog
and yet did not include a single prog element except one penultimate song that
we have all become accustomed to. Of course I speak of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Perhaps
this is a good opportunity to gush over this song. I believe it is quite simply
the greatest rock song in history. It features a rock opera within its complex
structure. We can all recite its Wagnerian lyrics with multi layered vocal
harmonies; “Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning me, (Galileo)
Galileo (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo Figaro, Magnifico!... Bismillah! No, we will
not let you go (Let him go!)” It is safe to say that the song became ingrained
into pop culture as a result of this section alone. The structure is really
three sections encompassing three distinct genres of rock. The piano driven rock ballad begins the track after
an intro of harmonies. The ballad speaks of a man who has killed a man, shot
him in the head and now he is facing death row. As he is waiting in his cold
cell for the bell to chime reflecting on his past life and it doesn't have much
time (Iron Maiden, anyone?), about to walk down the corridor of no return to
the electric chair, he hears angelic choral voices calling him; a battle between
good and evil ensues in the murderer's mind. The opera section is the most celebrated, most
discussed section in Queen history. Using operatic terminology and harmonies
the song defies anything done before or since. As the song builds to a
crescendo the paroxysm of lightning explodes onto a power riff that is pure
metal. The doors are blown apart with dynamite. Section three is metal complete with the killer
riff, lead break and screaming vocals. The murderer has escaped, a violent
struggle and he is free. Mercury is stunning in this section as he screams to
the world; “So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye, So you think you
can love me and leave me to die, Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby, Just
gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here-ah!” It is a short section
really and yet has managed to be the head banging national anthem. “Wayne's
World” captured it perfectly as the boys banged heads furiously in their car
during this section. It all ends with a bookend, more piano, same melody as
beginning; “nothing really matters” and like all good operas finishes on a
resounding gong. That's how you create a masterpiece. That's about it, isn't it? Oh, that's right there
are other songs. They pretty much disappear in light of this track but they are
worth a small mention. The problem is the ‘Rhapsody’ track is so massive that
if you are expecting more like this you are in for a shock as nothing comes
close. There are good tracks such as the single, 'You're My Best Friend' with a
radio friendly catchy melody that I like a lot. 'I'm in Love With My Car' is
fun with quirky lyrics and even quirkier structure. 'Prophet's Song' is very
strange with great hooks and an a capella section repeating Mercury's
vocalisations over and over, no music just masses of multi layered vocals.
Weird and memorable but annoying on subsequent listens. And the live set and
album closer, the bombastic patriotically British 'God Save the Queen'. Of
course this is infamous for the track where Mercury appears on stage at the end
in flowing royal robes and royal crown. He dips his crown to the loving crowd
and retains his enthroned position as Queen of rock. Looks good in concert but
sounds rather bombastic on CD. Of course pomp rock was Queen's Curriculum Vitae
but there is a lot of very ordinary music on the album. 'Lazing on a Sunday
Afternoon' is short but unsatisfying. 'Sweet Lady' is kitschy and corny. 'Seaside
thingy' is eccentric mumbo jumbo. 'Love of My Life' is a crowd pleaser where
Mercury gets crowds to sing along and that may be great to hold lighters up in
the air and sway, but on album it is mediocre at best. So all this considered,
here is an album that does not live up to the hype. Yes, it features Queen's
and rock history's greatest song, and a killer single, but is that enough to
gain masterpiece status? You be the judge! I think 'A Night At The Opera' is a
worthwhile album for the shining lights amidst some dire moments. A review by SouthSideoftheSky: A night at the Prog opera As a long time Queen fan, I cannot quite decide if
Queen II or A Night At The Opera is the best Queen album, but
they are clearly both masterpiece albums for me. Queen is one of my favourite
bands of all time and it is fair to say that if it wasn't for Queen I would
probably not have become aware of progressive rock. Queen converted me from
90's alternative rock to classic 70's rock and I have never looked back since. With a great self-titled debut album, a masterpiece
second album and a third, very good but not perfect album under their belts,
this fourth album was a very important one for the band. A Night At the Opera
was to become the band's breakthrough to a wider audience much due to the
amazing mega hit Bohemian Rhapsody, possibly the most progressive song to ever
become a number one hit. Like Queen II, A Night At The Opera flows extremely
well; many of the songs flow into each other making the whole greater than the
sum of its parts. The sum of its parts would already add up to a considerable
sum in its own right, but it is the album considered as a whole that really
makes it into a masterpiece. All of the band's trademarks are here in full
bloom. The hard rock, proto-metal of the early albums is still present, the
commercial side of Killer Queen is also present as well as the progressive and
experimental side of the band. The four band members are all excellent musicians
and Brian, Freddie and Roger all have very distinctive singing voices that compliment
each other perfectly. As usual the three of them does backing vocals and also
lead vocals on some songs. Roger sings his I'm In Love With My Car and Brian
sings his '39 and Good Company, for example. John, the bass player is 'the
quiet one' as far as his personality goes, but he never misses a beat. Brian's guitar sound and technique is also
instantly recognizable and unique. As usual on 70's Queen albums there are no
synthesisers. But Brian's unique ability to make his guitars sound like any
other instrument makes up for it. He even makes them sound like trumpets on
some parts! Together with Steve Howe and Steve Hackett, Brian May is one of my
favourite guitar players of all time. In addition to the more traditional
instrumental attack of guitar, bass, piano, drums and vocals, we also find
electric piano, banjo and harmonica as well as some less common instruments
like a Japanese koto! There are also many vocal and instrumental effects, and
various bells and gongs, etc. The styles of music vary from acoustic Folk ballads
to hard rock to almost experimental music, but all the time staying true to the
distinctive Queen sound. The moods similarly vary from very serious and
reflective to almost comedy to more aggressive. It is remarkable how well it
all holds together given all the diversity. The Prophet's Song is a truly
progressive song with an amazing a cappella section and driving hard rock. A Night At The Opera is a masterpiece of
progressive rock and a true must-have album for all Prog fans. A review by Conor Fynes: Music aside, 'A Night At The Opera' was a massive
undertaking. At the time, the album was the most expensive in terms of
production, and each moment of the album was created under the meticulous eyes
of the band, who could take as much as a day to even produce 30 seconds of
material. It's safe to say that Queen were out to make a real masterpiece here,
and while there is some material on the album that doesn't hit me in a big way,
the majority of it makes it up to be true to it's intent. 'A Night At The
Opera' is indeed; a splendid work, and arguably the best in Queen's repetoire. As I've said, many of the songs on the album are
great, with but a few small exceptions. The only real stinker here being the epilogue
track 'God Save The Queen' (which I usually skip through anyway,) the less
potent songs are still decent rockers that aren't out of place on this album. There's a very prevalent classical influence on the
album. From the operatic harmonies of Freddie Mercury in the bombastic climax
of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to the erudite piano introduction to 'Death Of Two
Legs,' it really sounds like Queen is making a brand of classical music for the
new generation of music. That's certainly not the only style shown on the album
however. The most personal and moving track '39' delves straight into the realm
of skiffle-folk. On another note, the most progressive song on the album, 'The
Prophet Song' takes a much heavier approach, and has even been called by some
as being the first 'power metal' song ever done (although I tend to disagree
personally.) The best known song here is easily 'Bohemian
Rhapsody' which is the climax of the album. I can't say this for many songs
I've listened to, but the performance on 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is well near
perfect. With the great load of effort and talent that was
put into this album, it's not hard to say that this is a masterpiece. It's not
one of my favourite albums, but the world would not be the same without this
gem of music. This is one to cherish. #298
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Australian symphonic prog
is a rarity and it is with gratitude that a fellow Australian is able to
immerse himslef in the beauty of “Four Moments” by Sebastian Hardie. It is astounding
how achingly beautiful and uplifting this music is. There is some incredible
musicianship on this and it is not without its virtuoso moments especially some
of the guitar lead work and organ phrases. The band consist of Mario Millo on vocals,
guitar, mandoline, Toivo Pilt on keyboards, mellotron, Alex Plavsic on drums, and
Peter Plavsic is bassist. ‘Four Moments: 1 Glories
Shall Be Released’ begins this exporation of symphonic beauty. The orchestral
keyboards are complimented by a melodic guitar and the percussion and bass
rhythm prowess. Ater a long intro of melodic powerful keyboards, Mario Millo’s
vocals come in; “now you feel the heat of the sun upon your face, and as you
reach out you really can embrace everything is real.” ‘Dawn of Our Sun’ is a gorgeous piece of music with haunting flute
sounds on keyboards, and a very effective phased psychedelic guitar picking
rhythm, with cymbal splashes that add a sense of majesty to the sound. Vocals
by Millo add to the sense of mystery; “time moves on, our sun will be gone,
leaving our sky, and night time will come, deep in our minds, memories live on,
lost in a haze, soon we will be gone.” The melancholica of the lyrics are
augmented by soaring lead guitar and uplifting mellotron. ‘Rosanna’ is a showpiece
of exquisite music with violining guitar, and infectious melodic elegance. It
is the biggest track for the band and is a popular live favourite. On the last
track we have perhaps the best of Sebastian Hardie. ‘Openings’ is a 13 minute
mesmirising journey into beautiful soundscapes. Camel influences abound,
especially with the Andy Latimer guitar style. The melody is nice, and it is
very relaxing music with tranquil synths and orchestration. The organ is
excellent especially when it launches into a solo and shimmers with
effervescence alongside pipe organ and piano. The feel of the piece is on the
same steady time sig but it builds in intensity and is replete with passages of
exquisite crystalline keyboards. The dreamy musicality is superb, and the
violin style of guitar over the spacey textures of mellotron is exemplary. I
love how the heavy riff locks in toward the end and it changes into a different
rock style using the same melody but quicker tempo. This is an excellent album with swathes of
mellotron and guitar lead work, a must have for lovers of Camel, Yes, Eloy, The
Moody Blues and symphonic prog. #299
A review by Finnforest: Novalis' second and self-titled effort is seen as
their best by many and is rated accordingly. While this one is more animated
and rocking to be sure symphonic prog bliss to me is as much about mood as
anything, and for this reason I tend to prefer their next album
"Sommerabend" to this one. The composition on “Sommerabend” blows
this away. As great German prog goes I would also prefer the first Rousseau
album to this one for the greater variety in sound and use of the flute,
whereas this album relies almost exclusively on the keyboard element to wow
you. "Sonnengeflecht" starts poorly in my
opinion with some uninteresting and cheesy synth runs but does recover in the
middle with some quiet guitar licks and brief piano before they are again
squashed by the loud circus-clown synths and a return to the beginning part.
The song feels like an introduction to the much more respectable second song
but it should have been shortened to just the middle section. "Wer Schmetterlinge Lachen Hort" is
really just an extraordinary symphonic masterpiece with about everything the
romantic prog fan could want: sensitive vocals, acoustic guitars, fluid
electric leads, delicate female vocals, crisp drum work and of course masterful
keys. The mood and pace are generally quite upbeat. This is the kind of track
that takes you straight to symphonic heaven. Every itch is scratched, one of
Novalis' finest tracks if you forgive the obnoxious gong at the end, which I
do. Unfortunately it is the peak of this album and is not sustained throughout.
"Dronsz" is a cool, trippy assortment of
experimental synth sounds set against a simple bass and drum beat.
"Impressionen" has a long intro with a single cymbal and regimented
bass line over synth before opening up into a bit to full grandeur. Mostly
keyboards at work here but there are a few spicy guitar runs as well. "Es
farbte sich die Wiese grun" is an effective harder symphonic gem with lots
of excellent lead guitar runs. The pace is slow-medium with plenty of moody
synth background and a few vocals but the rocking leads provide the money shot
here. There is a bonus track on the Japanese reissue of
"Impressionen" which was recorded live in Hagen in 1975. The sound
quality obviously is not perfect but fans of Novalis will likely be thrilled at
the chance to hear the group live in 1975. The Japanese mini reissue is a gorgeous
high-quality glossy gatefold of the wonderful cover art. It comes with a nice
booklet of photos, bios, lyric sheet, and of course the live bonus track
mentioned. The booklet notes that guitarist Carlo Karges passed away in 2001.
1970s Symphonic fans must sample Novalis and I would advise this: If you prefer
upbeat and extravagant synth-dominated music start with this one. If you prefer
moodier, spacier stuff start with “Sommerabend” but you should probably hear
both as they are quite different in my opinion and represent the peak of
Novalis. #300
A review by Warthur: Another strong album
from the classic Return to Forever lineup, “No Mystery” is enhanced by the
growing guitar skills of Al DiMeola, whose shredding on several tracks makes
key contributions to guitar technique which would soon be adopted in a variety
of genres. The strongest composition on the album is probably the closing ‘Celebration
Suite’, but the greater emphasis on songs composed by the whole band opens the
door to a greater sonic diversity than heard on the previous album, with funk
and the smoother side of jazz both making their presence felt. The album is, by
and large, a satisfying work which gives the impression of a band continuing to
develop towards its peak. A review by Sean Trane: Another one of RTF classic line-up ventures that
got a bit lost, this album is rarely seen on sale and certainly not the most
representative of their discography. Sporting a psych-disco artwork, No Mystery
is probably RTF's funkiest effort, but let that not deter you; it's still a
worthy RTF album that you're bound to like if you dug their other works. With
an unchanged line-up over WHIMYB, NM features vocals, something which hadn't
happened over the previous two albums. Yes, the funk thing is almost overpowering although
you're not yet on Hancock's Headhunter album either, but this is sometimes
close. The opening Dayride and later on Jungle Waterfall are full and complex
funk stuff (ie. Sofistifunk) where the jazz elements are almost eradicated
(White and Clarke are the main songwriters on this side), this being enhanced
by Corea's disputable synth sounds. The race towards new technology was
something that seemed primordial to all these jazz rock pioneers (Zawinul,
Hancock and later McLaughlin with those ugly Synclavier guitar effects), often
causing them to overuse and abuse these novelties and their music can seem
quite dated nowadays, precisely because of these "novelties". One of
the rare tracks that escape the Funkmania is the lengthier and ADM-penned
Flight of The Newborn that returns to a more conservative fusion and the
collectively penned Heavy Metal movement that features Corea's classical roots. The flipside (all tracks written by Corea) starts
with the title track makes a return to more standard jazz (a hint of LAAF, with
Clarke's bowed bass) but again veering a bit more classical to the end.
Actually, the whole side takes on a very different feel with plenty of Corea's
Spanish-influenced classical musical, reinforced with ADM's guitar, the whole
culminating with the first part of Celebration Suite, but the second part is
not far behind: full 14-mins dramatic Hispanic histrionics and hysterics a gogo:
great stuff worthy of their HOTSG album Saved by its second side, NM is a very
schizophrenic album, with its fusion and funk facets: most likely
Afro-Americans will prefer the opening side, while the euro-American will
prefer the flipside. In either case, NM is again a very good (if not excellent)
album, but I would not recommend it as an introduction to RTF's works. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - February 03 2012 at 04:51 |
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: January 29 2012 at 20:05 |
|
|
1975 - continued
#301
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: “Recycled” may be the most
progressive album for Nektar, who were one of the most creative musical forces
of the 70s. This album is a dynamic followup to the quintessential “Remember the
Future” and “A Tab in the Ocean”. ‘Recycle’
is a progressive catchy melody with many time changes and brilliant
musicianship to kick this classic album off. It ends with a narrative talking
about sustainable living and recycling, before it was in vogue to do so. ‘Cybernetic
Consumption’ blends into ‘Recycle Countdown’ instrumental merging into ‘Automation
Horrorscope’ with a strong melody and vocals of Roye Albrighton also excellent
on guitars. He is joined by Allan "Taff" Freeman on keyboards, Derek
"Mo" Moore on bass, and Ron Howden on drums. The music is a suite
similar to the music on previous releases. ‘Recycling’ is part of the suite and
then ‘Flight to Reality’ and ‘Unendless Imaginations’ finishes side one of the
orignal vinyl. The music is organic flowing perfectly from one section to the
next. The guitar work ranges from lead soloing to slide guitar sweeps. There are
harmonies in the vocals that lift up the atmospheres; speaking of the planet in
turmoil "forcing natures slow decay" and the
answer is “recycled energy becomes the only forms of life", but there is “not
much time before we go down, down, down, down, down." It rises to a crescendo and a spacey synth
and effects ending with a gong splash and a sprinkling of crystal chimes. Larry
Fast was a pioneer of Moog synthesizer and his work here is analogue at its
best. The English Chorale conducted by Robert Howes
is also a strong augmentation to the powerful soundscape. Side two starts with ‘Sao
Paulo Sunrise’ where side one left off with high pitched chimes and an
aeroplane drone. At last a song begins as a rhythm strikes up with psych guitar
and vocal harmonies. The time sig changes dramatically leading to ‘Costa del
Sol’ with rhythmic Latin flavours and some powerful arrangements of keys and
sparkling effects taking the music into ‘Marvellous Moses’. The melody is
infectious and Albrighton’s guitar soars wth fast lead work. The vocals are
always a drawcard of the sound; “I’ve never met a man like Moses with so much
time”. The rhythm is a straight 4/4 for a time with pop nuances but it soon
changes into an odd meter, with grandiose Moog synth chords and an instrumental
break dominated by keys. The synth swooshes lend a spacey texture and a new sig
locks in. ‘It's All Over’ ends the album on a high note as it is
certainly one of the highlights. The track is heard many times in a live
performance. It begins with a beautiful 12 string acoustic, and then balladeering
vocals begin; with phrases such as “your world is so upside down, take the high
road and you’ll take the low road, I’m torn apart from your many changes, it’s
all over now.” The keys are layered and follow the simple melody with well
executed bassline and percussion. It ends with dramatic piano and guitar
picking; a melancholy atmosphere. Overall Nektar’s “Recycled”
is yet another blockbuster album for the band. It has a timely concept and a
message to grasp I one wants to; Part One critiques the power of destruction at the hand of greedy man
as he destroys the environment that he is meant to cherish and protect; Part
Two tells of a better future, a sustainable lifestyle and it is an optimistic
line of thinking as though it were already happening, which it isn’t. Therefore
the album conceptually may be a warning to protect the planet before there is no
planet to protect. It meant a lot to Nektar, and the 70s generation, and it is
perhaps a message that resonates more these days with the issues of global
warning and campaigns to keep the planet green. It was to be the last definitive prog album for Nektar
before they became distanced from the adventurous music only to embrace a more
commercial sound. #302 Time Honoured Ghosts
A review by SouthSideoftheSky: This is a very typical Barclay James Harvest album, perhaps
even the most typical one. It has all the band's trademarks and no real
surprises. As often, there is a song about Jesus (Sweet Jesus), there is a song
about prostitutes (One Night), as well as a song that builds on another band's
work (Titles - this one builds on the work of The Beatles as Poor Man's Moody
Blues would later build on the work of The Moody Blues. The entire lyrical
content of this song is made up by Beatles' song titles). Not very inspiring at
all in my opinion! If there is anything at all to put this album apart from the
others in the vast discography of this band it has to be that this one is even
more laid-back than the rest! The two albums that surrounded it (Everyone Is
Everybody Else and Octoberon), for example, are both distinctively better. As always, the best and most progressive song is written by
Woolly Wolstenholme. This time it is Beyond The Grave which is a very typical
Wolstenholme composition but also one of his better ones. But hardly something
to blow the Prog fan away. In My Life, Jonathan, Song For You, Hymn For The
Children and Moongirl are all decent songs, but certainly nothing remarkable.
The aforementioned trio of Sweet Jesus, Titles and One Night are quite
uninspired, lacking in inspiration both lyrically and musically. The word 'typical' is a very good description of this album.
However, being typical is not necessarily a bad thing if you like this band. #303 Nadir's Big Chance
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Peter Hammill's 'Nadir's Big Chance' is a
blitzkrieg attack from end to end on love, loss and alienation. The music is compelling and it is lyrically poetic
with a tour de force performance from Hammill. It is one of Hammill's heaviest
trips and delivers on every level. 'Nadir' begins with the raucous title track
with such moving lyrics as "if the guitars don't get you the drums will..."
Hammill screams the lyrics, similar to 'Arrow' on “Godbluff”. It is a Sex Pistols
meets Van der Graaf Generator excursion into high strangeness. There is a
blistering keyboard solo that goes off the scale before we get those drums at
the end that segue into 'The Institute of Mental Health, Burning'. Hammill is more laid back on this with his patented
crooning vocals about an Institute that's “burning... burning... burning...
burning”. It feels tongue in cheek except Hammill is so full of conviction in
his delivery, as he is on all his performances. 'Open Your Eyes' features
scintillating sax and some stabs of organ that work well together. There is a
sense of ominous tension throughout. The instrumental section features
shimmering organ and the staccato sax stabs are relentless, similar to early
VDGG. Another highlight worth mentioning is 'Shingle'.
The quiet minimalist acoustic approach work well to create tension and
melancholia. The suicide friendly lyrics are more existential than others on
the album. "All the elements rage to explain that I should really be on my
way, there is something that ensures that I must stay..." Hammill says he
can't get you out of my mind and we believe him. The sax chimes in creating a
brooding sorrowful sombre tone. The melody is subtle but effective and it is
quite a low note that Hammill reaches. The instrumental features an odd time
sig guitar with haunting sax echoing over. The ambience is uncanny and it is
chilling to hear Hammill sing "I raise my eyes but my head stays
bowed" as he seems deep in regret, the sense of alienation and loss is strong. Another highlight is 'Airport' with Hammill in
painful suicidal contemplation, "I stand on the tallest building and stare
down at the grey runway... and the tail smoke of the Boeing jet that's taken
you so far away". He farewells his love as she flies off and cries out
that she may return. Emotional and poignant, but never indignant, Hammill
manages to masterfully capture the simple feeling of losing a loved one. The
sax once again is well executed, but Hammill's guitar crunches to provide a
heavier atmosphere. The time sig changes midway through reminding one of the
great VDGG days. He stands on the observation tower crying watching the plane
soar up in to the grey sky; "All I can now do is walk away alone without
you." Worthy of note is also 'Birthday Special', another
loud menacing track with Hammill's searing conviction. Great bass lines in this
track and a crunching guitar with chomps of sax and drums, subtle it aint!; "I've
got something to say and it aint the usual sorta sob story that you hear every
day". The scratchy vocals return on this and it has a strong rhythm,
rocking along easily with some strange chord changes. "Birthday Girl!
There's ice in the cauldron, look out now!" Complete with "Parrots in
the pantry and Lizards in the loo" this is something special "like
Hansel and Gretel never had". Strange song, strange lyrics and strange
music merge together to create a freak out boisterous track that will scare the
neighbours. No wonder Johnny Rotten endorsed this album as an
inspiration. Overall this is one Hammill album that stands out among the rest.
Recommended to all VDGG and Hammill addicts #304
A review by Mellotron Storm: I guess you could call
this a transitional album as they start to get away from the harder edge that
was on "Inside" and "Floating" to a more spacey soundscape
that would define them, beginning with the next album "Dawn". This
would be their first concept album as well, a story about a guy named Jamie who
time travells back in time (fortunately he brought his bag of weed) and meets a
girl (gets her high), gets thrown in jail, meets a wizard, then comes back home
(for more weed). Each song is about a different adventure he experiences. "Introduction"
opens with what sounds like church organ and heavy drums as vocal melodies come
in. "Journey Into 1358" opens with reserved vocals and floating
organ. Guitar and piano come in gently. It picks up a minute in as lots of
organ and drums are featured in this uptempo section. "Love Over Six
Centuries" is lyrically where Jamie meets Jeanne and gets her stoned. The
music features male and female vocals going back and forth as they converse. This
is laid back although it kicks in before 3 minutes with some great organ. Love
the guitar after 8 minutes too. "Mutiny"
features fragile vocals, piano and background synths early. It's building
though after a minute. Organ and drums come in. The guitar 2 1/2 minutes only
adds to the fantastic sound here. Nice synth work 4 minutes in. The organ, vocals
and guitar are all outstanding 5 minutes in to the end.
"Imprisonment" opens with the samples of a prison door opening and
closing. Spoken words follow. Synths before 1 1/2 minutes then acoustic guitar.
"Daylight" is a
catchy tune. I like the guitar. Nice organ before 2 minutes. "Thoughts Of
Home" is a short one minute track with reserved vocals. It's like an intro
to "The Zany Magician" which kicks into gear right away with riffs as
vocals yell and laugh in the background. "Back Into The Present" has
a spacey intro before drums come pounding in. This is uptempo with vocals and
some good guitar. "The Bells Of Notre
Dame" features floating organ sounds early. Vocals before 2 minutes.Guitar
after 4 minutes plays lazily but then starts to soar beautifully. Still worth 4
stars in my opinion, but not as good as the two before it and the ones to
follow. A review by Warthur: A heavy, bass-driven
sympho-space rock treat, The Power and the Passion is Eloy's first concept
album and tells the tale of a mad scientist's son who is projected back in time
to the medieval era and falls in love there. Aside from the occasional misstep
like The Zany Magician, this is a solid album with Luitjen Janssen's amazing
bass lines powering the compositions much as Lemmy's bass did with Hawkwind.
The weak point in the chain is Frank Bornemann's sloppy vocals, but aside from
that this is a mid-70s space rock treat which did a bang-up job of establishing
Eloy as Germany's answer to Hawkwind. #305
A review by Warthur: Opening with ‘Bêle, Bêle petite chèvre’, a harder and more aggressive track than anything on “Au-dela du Delire” (if you don't count the sinister little marimba and vibraphone breaks), “Emile Jacotey” sees Ange in a typically passionate mood. That said, whilst the anger conveyed in the title track seems genuine (to my non-French speaking ears), the overwrought vocal delivery in the next two songs seems occasionally forced and self-conscious - always a risk when artists opt for a theatrical vocal style, but it's particularly distracting this time around, possibly because the musical backing is a bit simpler and less interesting than that in the album's predecessors. Things pick up with ‘Jour Apres Jour’, which has
more subdued vocals over a warm synth-laden track which reminded me, bizarrely,
of Air's more gentle moments. In fact, the synthwork in ‘Ode a Emile’ also
reminded me of Air; perhaps if I listened to more French music I could trace
the family tree of influences that led from 70s symphonic French prog to
90s/2000s electronica, just as you can sort of trace a path that leads from
Gong's spaced-out Canterbury to today's trance music. The four-part epic kicked off by ‘Ego et Deus’ is,
to be frank, nothing to write home about. It seems as though Ange are just
going through the motions on the proggier parts of the album, whilst the more
chanson-influenced tracks are where their heart really is; it's a shame they
couldn't find a way to make the approaches work together in harmony this time
around. A review by Sean Trane: After my fave Cimetière and the much-acclaimed Délire, Ange went forward another step and fell into the Over-Ambitious ravine and took a dive in the sea of Failed Concepts. Based on an old booger sprawling his souvenirs over the album, the storyline simply fails to raise one hair of interest in my voluminous mop over my head. The main character keeps appearing unannounced throughout the album and usually interrupting the flow of music. Not that the music is that great compared to previous albums anyway, but EJ also features Délire's main flaw: ever-present vocals, although they're not quite as invasive. Actually it's hard to believe it is Christian Descamps that's singing (well almost anyway), because the singing is more subdued and recorded quite differently, mixed lower and the shorter tracks (or at least the absence of longer ones) make this album very different from Délire. Despite a weak concept and a different manner to
deliver them, Christian's lyrics remain strong enough to warrant a careful
listen for odd jokes, joyous banter and ribaldry. Throughout the album there
isn't much space given for instrumental forays, if you'll except the album-long
Les Noces, where the band plays around first a furious keyboard theme then a
marital jig that tends to overstay its welcome despite mellotrons washes. The
track I like best on this album is the proggiest (imho) Ego Et Deus, but I find
that even this track would have a herd time finding a spot on Délire or Cimetière.
Aurelia also has its charms as well. t's not that this album is that weak, but
it pales in comparison with what came before and some of what would come after
it (Mandrins and Guet Apens). #306
A review by Mellotron Storm: For me this was a big
improvment over the prevoius album "Soon Over Babaluma". And I highly
recommend CAN fans get this one if they don't already own it, if only to hear
the amazing "Vernal Equinox". "Full Moon On The Highway"
really has a 60's vibe in my opinion. The guitar is abrasive and that beat is
relentless. "Half Past One" is slower paced with almost spoken
vocals. Organ a minute in. The krautrock spirit is alive and well in this one. Some
intricate guitar as well. "Hunters And
Collectors" is probably the most controvrsial tune on here, but also the
one that will stick in your head for days. It's interesting to say the least. Vocals
are the focus, and for the first time I don't regret Damo is gone. "Vernal
Equinox" is one of CAN's best songs ever. It's aggressive as drums and
guitar dominate. Scorching guitar 1 1/2 minutes in. We get a spacey vibe though
3 1/2 minutes in. Guitar is back after 5 minutes ripping it up. "Red Hot
Indians" begins with percussion as sax then vocals join in. More sax 3 1/2
minutes in. Percussion and guitar lead the rest of the way.
"Unfinished" has a post-rock flavour to it. Lots of experimental
sounds before it settles down 2 minutes in. It gets spacey and louder 5 1/2
minutes in. Guitar and piano rise out of the spacey atmosphere briefly 11
minutes in. This is a trip! CAN's last great album in my opinion and a well
deserved 4 stars. A review by Sean Trane: As the preceding ones
were all on Spoon record, this one boasts a major change as well as being
released on Virgin: the sound. This probably explains that as Virgin insisted
on better sound engineering and what a difference it makes. Much clearer and
more dynamic, the music gained everything from it. Too bad most fans tend to
disregard this - solely because of the label change because the music and the
studios are the same. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS ANOTHER CLASSIC AND A SECOND
PEAK AFTER TAGO AND EGE. However the following albums will not be quite this
good and the sound will be more commercial (I don't know if the sales will be,
though) and Holger Czukay will gradually be less involved with the band but
will still produce the albums. #307 - live
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Jazz Fusion, Zeuhl, Psych Prog and ambient darkness
- how else do you describe this? I was stunned at how chilling this music is - a
cross between celtic chanting druids and gregorian monks in a dark cathedral
mixed with jazz rhythms. Actually that does not describe it at all. It is
simply indescribable music and definitely not for all tastes, including mine. I
found it hard to grasp and a little disturbing on first listen. Then it kind of
grows on you like fungus. You tend to blend in with the music and surrealistic
approach like osmosis but it is never pleasant as far as I am concerned. It is
just too bizarre to comprehend. Each track is unique and impossible to remember.
None of the tracks are designed as real songs. ‘Kohntark’ is the magnum opus
like epic, so large it is in two parts. The ominous menace of the music is
immediately apparent and ferociously original. The unfriendly atmosphere is
captured in this live document, not unlike attending a funeral at times. It
lurches forward and an unsettling cadence sets in with repetitive chanting and
off kilter, out of sync guitar. At times the music is really like having your
head drilled with nails and it goes on and on relentlessly. The drums lock in after about 8 minutes and it
breaks in to a kind of African metrical pattern. The female choral vocals are
loud and dominant by Stella Vander, as nutty as anything from Gong. There is a
violin by Lockwood that is unbearable at times as it screams across the
soundscape Magma create, especially 13 minutes in. It has the capacity to chill
the marrow of your bones. The vocalisation is entirely fictionalised garb from
an alien world, comparable to albums with the same trademark vocal style such
as 'MDK'. The minor chords are heavily utilised in order to disturb the ear
with admirable effect. ‘Hhai’ is another highlight that has an excellent
hypnotic effect, almost mesmirising and you hardly notice the 9 minutes have
passed before the next track begins. ‘Kobah’ is definitely my favourite track
on the album as it features beautiful psychedelic chanting and is a reasonable
length that does not meander for decades but tells its ambiguous story and gets
out. ‘Lihns’ is very strange again with a heavy melody but not a highlight by
any means. ‘Mekanik Zain’ features a rather quirky 7/8 rhythm. The ethereal
bass and violin are masterfully executed. In fact the entire album is bass
heavy. In conclusion, my first taste of Magma has been
rather an intriguing, if difficult to digest journey, albeit a darker journey
than I expected. I feel that the overall approach to the music is akin to
listening to bands such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sunn O))) or Sigur Ros,
in the sense that it takes a few listens to really appreciate the music, and
even after many listens you are still unsure of how much you like the band or
if indeed you like them at all. I feel that Magma are great in small doses but
can be rather draining in large doses. I understand the cult following for such
a band, and I admittedly appreciate the originality and influence and
importance of Magma. #308 – live
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: "On Your Feet Or On Your Knees" is another of the all time greatest live albums that were churned out in the mid-70s. "Kiss Alive!", "Frampton Comes Alive" and UFO's "Strangers In The Night" were all powerhouse albums showing an awesome live sound, and presenting the respective songs as far superior to the studio releases with lead guitar brilliance from respectively Ace Frehley, Peter Frampton and Michael Schenker. BOC have a much more raw sound and the extended lead guitar solos are stunning; Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is really given a chance to ignite the atmosphere with electrical charges of guitar energy, surely he is his element on the live stage where he can be allowed to run riot on his Gibson SG lead guitar. Eric Bloom is wonderful on lead vocals, stun guitar, and synthesizer, Allen Lanier keep things cranking on keyboards, and the rhythm section of the Bouchard brothers on bass and drums gives it the drive and power it needs. The band are simply dynamic throughout the concert, and the added sections of lead guitar licks and extended codas, as well as Bloom's banter and the roar of the crowds make this an irresistible slice of proto prog, early metal history. 'The Subhuman' is a great rocking opener to set things in motion. The band sound fresh and enthusiastic, hammering out the classic from "Secret Treaties". This is followed up swiftly with 'Harvester Of Eyes' where the guitars are heavy slabs of lead generating a brilliant sound, with Bloom screaming like a banshee "right in front, to the back of your skull." This is akin to Sabbath or Purple at their best. 'Hot Rails To Hell' from "Tyranny and Mutation" is next with a spine crushing solo, and played at a blistering pace. Next is 'The Red And The Black' that had to be here, and the riffs are furious with scorching lead breaks from Dharma. The astonishing musicianship sets the bar very high but it prepares us for the blockbuster to follow. 'Seven Screaming Diz-Busters' is an 8:49 tour de force of blitzkrieg lead guitar and crunching riffs. Eric Bloom intros it by saying he likes his whip and he will cherish it forever, presumably thrown to him from someone in the crowd. This live version was my first taste of BOC 28 years ago when I heard it on the metal show. This is the version I will always cherish, too awesome for words, with the greatest riffs that lock into your skull, and then there is the towering lead solo. Dharma's guitar screams in pain and the solo is full of fret melting ferocity with vicious string bends. The interlude is Bloom telling the crowd all about how the band apparently were visited by a mysterious man who promised them they would be famous and rock legends as long as they signed a secret deal, in blood! Apparently they did and now the mystery man wants to reclaim the payment, and he is coming back for them. This is as sinister as the band gets as far as atmosphere, and it features some frenetic lead work from Dharma, and shimmering organ phrases from Lanier. The drums are attacked by Albert throughout and the bass is pulsating continually by Joe, the Bouchard brothers. The best BOC for me personally without a doubt as I love the extended lead soloing and overall atmospherics. 'Buck's Boogie' is an amazing instrumental guitar workout, and the Hammond drives it home beautifully. The lead guitar break is blues and rock revved to the max and this is a fast paced jam session to unleash what the band do best. The classic '(Then Came The) Last Days Of May' which is very popular has a nice blues melody and some beautiful lead guitar passages. 'Cities On Flame' is the live staple heard many times, a riff heavy gem from the early album, and is played with passion here. The power riffs are a delight and Bloom really belts this out with a lot of volume. 'Me 262' is an 8 minute riffer that is even better than the version on "Secret Treaties"; it really rocks hard. It is followed by 'Before The Kiss (A Redcap)' that is a nice moderate track before they unleash a blues deluge of guitar energy on the 9 minute 'Maserati GT (I Ain't Got You)'. This features Dharma on extended lead solo and it is absolutely delightful to hear him break out into huge guitar improvisations as the band lock into a bluesy groove, similar to Ten Years After's Alvin Lee in some respects. The band are reintroduced for an encore and they launch into 'Born To Be Wild', the Steppenwolf classic. This is way better and heavier than the original and it is great to hear BOC play a cover. Of course the song has grinding organ like the original, but I love Bloom's heavy vocal treatment. There is freakout of organ and guitar in the extended solo. Dharma has a killer time of it blazing out awesome chord progressions and searing variations on the riffs. They turn a relatively simple rocker into a complex sonic guitar workout. In my opinion, having heard 5 studio albums, and some others live, this is as good as it gets for BOC. It is a live triumph capturing the early 70s vibe, and some of the best lead guitar you are likely to hear. Every song is a tour de force that slaughters the originals for sheer unadulterated in your face rock. This is the way to experience BOC, and it is proto metal as well as having moments of invigorating prog musicianship. It comes highly recommended as a 70s live treasure; a veritable masterpiece for Blue Oyster Cult. #309 – live
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: “USA” is an archive live document of the early King
Crimson live set and as such has become quite legendary. Far superior to the
quality of “Earthbound”, the only other live document of the Crims, it still lacks
the quality of subsequent releases. The first time I heard most of this was on
the box set compilation “21st Century Guide: Volume One (1969-1974)” and I
liked what I heard so sought this out. The lineup is one of the best for the
ever changing band; Bill Bruford on percussion, David Cross on violin,
keyboards, Robert Fripp on guitar, mellotron, John Wetton on bass, vocals and
Eddie Jobson plays violin on ‘Larks' Tongues in Aspic’. There are a huge plethora of live albums thanks to
the band releasing a back log of live CDs. However “USA” is certainly chock
full of great classics beginning with ‘Larks' Tongues in Aspic part II’ which
has become as mandatory as a certain song that ends this album. ‘Lament’
follows as a transition to the next classic, ‘Exiles’. ‘Asbury Park’ is a
rather pedestrian version, not too different than others I have heard. ‘Easy
money’ is always welcome and we end with a staggering manic version of
quintessential Crimson with ‘21st century schizoid man’. The version is as good
as I have heard at 7:32 in length. Overall this live album is a taster of the great
live sound. There is precious little improvisation which is a key feature of
the band in the live arena. The extra tracks for Cd are lengthy, ‘Fracture’ and
‘Starless’, and certainly worth a listen. Overall I recommend this album but
there are greater live albums such as “The Great Deceiver” and the incredible “Epitath
volumes 1 to 4”. A review by Sean Trane: 3.5 stars really!!!! but with the added bonus
tracks, upped to 4... Undefined State of Amnesia For over twenty years, this was the only live
testimony of the second KC era (and it was a posthumous release), and although
much better than Earthbound, the sound was hardly great on this album too.
Finally for the 30th anniversary (and along with the Japanese mini-Lp), this
album got its first official Cd release (some 25 years after its release) and I
could not resist because it is the only Crimson album to have received bonus
tracks and this alone made a solid better value. Although there was a nowhere-else available track,
the Asbury Park improv, I had not kept the vinyl since I was not pleased with
the muddy sound. Then came out The Nightwatch double-set, which had a very good
sound and I had almost forgotten this album, when I had a great opportunity and
did not hesitate much since it was re-mastered. However, even remastered (and
well improved over the vinyl), the sound is still not excellent (there is only
so much you can do to average recordings), but at least, I got them three bonus
tracks. Knowing that the sound is still not up to par with
The Nightwatch, this is really a toss-up as to which you should own first, but
this one has Asbury Park, Starless (with Cross on violin) but the other has the
eponymous, Talking Drum and three other improvs. Since I could not make-out a
clear winner I now have both. This one has got Starless as a finale now and
this is certainly a great asset. With this remastered edition, this album has now
gained a full place next to their historical studio albums and it now proudly
sits next to Red and before The Nightwatch. A review by Warthur: Purists might sniff at the overdubs provided by
Eddie Jobson - who was never even in any of the King Crimson lineups of the
1970s - to some tracks on this live album, but it's still an exciting document
of the Larks'-to-Red-era version of the band. More or less all the tracks come
from Larks' Tongues In Aspic or Starless and Bible Black, with an early version
of Starless at the end if you have the expanded remaster. Of the major live
releases of this iteration of the band, it obviously isn't as expansive as The
Great Deceiver; nor does the show here seem to be quite as energetic or
interesting as the one captured on The Night Watch, which features more
improvisations than this one and has a more frenzied rendition of 21st Century
Schizoid Man (this time around the band just do a fairly close cover of the original
rather than zooming off on their own unique tangent as in Night Watch). Still, if you already have those two and like them,
it comes heartily recommended - there's a teensy bit of overlap between this
set and the shows collected on The Great Deceiver, but not so much as to render
the album irrelevant. And when it came out in the mid-1970s it must have been a
godsend for Crimson fans to finally have a decent-quality live album as opposed
to the miserable Earthbound. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - August 20 2012 at 02:22 |
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: January 30 2012 at 19:07 |
|
|
1976 #310
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Camel explore very unique territory with each
release. This is their fourth album and definitely one of their best featuring
some of their most eclectic symphonic prog tracks such as ‘Song Within a Song’
and ‘Lunar Sea’. The album features in the top 40 best prog albums in the Mojo
magazine prog special. Each track is beautifully, masterfully executed
with incredible musical virtuoso playing from each member. Latimer's guitars
are perfectly balanced by Ward's drumming and the keyboard talents of Barden's.
The keyboardist also trys his vocal talents on ‘Spirit of The Water’ which is
phased out psychedelic beauty. The instrumental sections of each track are the
highlights, not taking anything away from the vocal talents of the band who all
take turns on this release. ‘Song Within a Song’ is what it purports to be, a
song hidden within another song and it does feature many metrical time changes
as is akin to the music of Camel. ‘Air Born’ is a beautiful sonata style piece
that virtually ebbs and flows on the air. This is a similar style to “The Snow
Goose”, the previous album that was purely instrumental. The best track on the album is ‘Lunar Sea’, a 9
minute extravaganza, that works as a multi movement suite, in the great
classical tradition, but this is symphonic rock. It has become a staple of the
Camel live concert and features as a bonus live track, equally as well
executed. In fact the bonus features on the Decca remastered CD are a definite
drawcard. There are 5 in total - the single version of ‘Another Night’, a demo
of ‘Spirit Of The Water’, and live 1976 versions of ‘Song Within A Song’, ‘Lunar
Sea’ and ‘Preparation / Dunkirk’. The bonus material clocks in at over 30
minutes! This caps off a great CD release. The best of Camel is right here,
make no mistake. A review by Finnforest: Camel's finest hour? Personally, Camel's first album is my favorite of
their classic period which I consider the first four releases with bassist Doug
Ferguson. The debut album has so much enthusiasm and fun jamming. But I have to
admit that "Moonmadness" is probably their masterpiece, the most
well-rounded, full-sounding, and consistent album of those years. They entered
the studio in January 1976 and the album was on the street just two months
later which is a testament to how efficient they must have been at that moment.
Moonmadness seems the most mature of these albums and corrects the shortcomings
of the fan favorite "Snow Goose" by eliminating the more docile
spaces between the great moments in an album that was already low-key enough.
Liner notes indicate that new producer Rhett Davies sought to give Camel a more
spacious sound on this album and it's a difference you can really notice when
you listen. Lush, melodic, and with improved writing, Camel's fourth turned out
to be an album that would live up to the fantastic cover art and grand
intentions. The stage is set instantly with properly noble
introduction titled "Aristillus" which likely gave fans in 1976
plenty to be excited about as they began to explore the lunar concepts. But it
is on "Song Within a Song" that you realize this is going to be
special. Few bands do the pastoral this fine: lush keyboards, beautiful flutes,
restrained guitar and drums, mellow vocals. This is one of those very difficult
albums for me to describe because the adjectives just begin to repeat.
Beautiful, gorgeous, et al. "Chord Change" sees an uptick in the
energy level with Latimer and Ferguson playing off each other very nicely. It
chills out a bit as Latimer lets flow one of his most fantastic solos ever with
Bardens using restrained organ behind him. After Bardens takes his own solo the
pace picks back up until the end. A brief respite with the great piano and
rippling voice on "Spirit of the Water." The roll they were on just
kept rolling with "Another Night" which was chosen as the single
being an upbeat rocker with suitable vocals. "Air Born" may be the single most
beautiful melancholic prog track ever written with the flute and synth
perfectly setting up Latimer who executes both acoustically and electrically.
The vocals here are sufficiently dreamy to fit well with the mood. The closer
is the instrumental "Lunar Sea" that puts this album over the top.
The soaring atmospheres created by Bardens and Latimer absolutely bath the
listener in the smooth rocking lunar vibe that the album is selling, wide-open,
propulsive by Camel standards, and fun! The hero on this piece is Andy Ward who's
understated but tight percussion holds everything in perfect orbit. How fitting that this review is being posted
tonight, about an hour before I will be stepping outside to view a full lunar
eclipse on a clear, freezing cold night. No, I didn't plan that, this album
just happened to be on the top of the pile tonight. An essential title for a
wide range of progressive rock fans who adore melody and accessibility. There
is nothing abrasive here, this is plain and simple musical comfort food. A review by SouthSideoftheSky: Another night By many considered the band's best album,
Moonmadness is indeed a fantastic album. It is, however, not my personal Camel
favourite - that award has to go to Mirage. Compared to that album, the present
one has less energy and it mostly lacks the harder edge and intensity of
Mirage; Moonmadness is a little bit slower in tempo and mellower in its mood.
But there is no doubt that Latimer and Bardens came up with some fantastic
songs for this album some of which are classics of the genre. Spirit Of The
Water is a truly beautiful and moving song. The keyboards, guitars, drums and bass are simply
great and the occasional flutes add to the overal sound. There is not a weak
moment on this album, but it doesn't blow me away quite like how Mirage does.
But Moonmadness is a near-masterpiece, for sure. A classic and an excellent addition to any Prog
collection A review by Warthur: The final album of the
original Camel lineup sees vocals making a return, but the band's newly
acquired expertise in playing mellow, melodic, calming prog is still in effect,
creating an intriguing blend between the song-based approach of Mirage and the
tranquil nature of The Snow Goose. Standout songs include the dramatic Another
Night and the majestic Song Within a Song. All the band members take a turn
providing vocals (though in Andy Ward's case this involves making nonsense
noises for the background of the opening track), but the album is particularly
notable for the development of Andy Latimer's singing style. At points, his
vocals kind of remind me of Richard Sinclair, making the imminent entry of
Sinclair into the Camel lineup make a strange sort of sense. #311
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: The genie had escaped
from the bottle and Genesis were free again. Perhaps the overly creative Peter Gabriel was
actually stifling the creativity of Genesis by overpowering them with his own
creative juices. After Peter Gabriel left, many feel that the magic was
extracted from the band, in a sense the cork had been popped and the genie had
escaped from the bottle. Gabriel went on to do other great things and left the
band dangling by a thread with the reluctant Phil Collins to take up where
Gabriel left off. "We came close to calling it a day when Pete left,"
Rutherford mentioned in an interview, "It wasn't that we lost our nerve.
We were always confident we could write the music, because Tony and I had done
most of 'The Lamb.' It was just a question of whether the public would accept
us." There was a lot of misconception that the band could not continue
sans Gabriel. After the enormously popular "The Lamb Lies Down In
Broadway" the band had to come up with something extraordinary as there
was such an expectation with this new lineup. Could Genesis pull it off without
the enigmatic Gabriel? The answer is a bonafide yes. This is perhaps one of the
best Post Gabriel Genesis albums of all time. The musicianship is absolutely
brilliant when you have the likes of Hackett, guitar extraordinaire with, Banks,
masterful on keyboards and mellotron, Rutherford, bass rhythm professional, and
of course, percussionist Collins on lead vocals. It begins with the progalicious off kilter rhythms
of ‘Dance on a Volcano’ with
Banks, Rutherford, Hackett and Collins in full flight, a force to be reckoned
with. The intricate time signatures are astonishing, a mixture of jazz fusion
and complex melodies. The drums are off beat, not quite in time with the
signature, but the odd metrical pattern is consistently off the beat and it
works so well. The lyrics are quite amusing nonsense, and the time sig is
chaotic in a passage of proggy delight, "On your left and on your right, Crosses are green and crosses are
blue, Your friends didn't make it through. Out of the night and out of the
dark, Into the fire and into the fight, Well that's the way the heroes go, Ho!
Ho! Ho!" There is a chilling self prophecy towards the end
with the estranged vocals "Let
the dance begin", and we all know the "We Can't Dance"
album and how that shaped their music for the worst, becoming commercial and
radio friendly. In any case this opening track is brilliant Genesis and a
killer to present the new lineup. Hackett's guitar riffs are infectious and
unforgettable on this track. This is the best track on the album, a tour de
force of proggy rhythms and virtuoso musicianship. ‘Entangled’ has an
excellent Hackett 12 string intro and the soft vocals of Collins accompanying.
The track is essentially a folk ballad, the type that would grace every Genesis
album from here on with Collins at the helm. The lyrics are all about a patient
who dreams disturbing things, there is no slipperman or fox here, just a simple
melodic balladic form, "Madrigal
music is playing, Voices can faintly be heard, "Please leave this patient
undisturbed." Sentenced to drift far away now, Nothing is quite what it
seems, Sometimes entangled in your own dreams." . The
harmonies are quite nice, and even pastoral at times, especially some of those
swells on the keyboards that add an ethereal quality. The end synth break is a
highlight, showcasing Banks inimitable flair. ‘Squonk’ has a solid
steady rhythm with very familiar lyrical style, the nursery rhyme or is that
cryme style, "All the King's
horses and all the King's men, Could never put a smile on that face." The
lyrics are very fairy tale in style, "He's a sly one, he's a shy one,
Wouldn't you be too. Scared to be left all on his own. Hasn't a, hasn't a
friend to play with, the Ugly Duckling, The pressure on, the bubble will burst
before our eyes." The story is all about the furry little
squonk and it makes references to all sort of chidren's literature such as
'Snow White'; "Mirror mirror
on the wall, His heart was broken long before he ever came to
you..." So Genesis were still maintaining the thematic content
of past albums that was centred on fairy tales and nonsense rhymes which is
nice to see. The lyrics that refers to the 'Trick of the tail' is here
too, "Now listen here,
listen to me, don't you run away now, I am a friend, I'd really like to play
with you. Making noises my little furry friend would make, I'll trick him, then
I'll kick him into my sack. You better watch out... You better watch
out." A great song that is quite popular among Genesis freaks. ‘Mad Man Moon’ begins with a
dreamy flute sound and very soft piano. Collins gently sings in a melancholy
way while the mellotron plays underneath, "Was it summer when the river ran dry, Or was it just another dam.
When the evil of a snowflake in June, Could still be a source of relief. O how
I love you, I once cried long ago, But I was the one who decided to go. To
search beyond the final crest, Though I'd heard it said just birds could dwell
so high."This is a very pastoral song which changes feel at 2:45
with a piano interlude, played to perfection by Banks. This is a quiet sleeper
track. ‘Robbery, Assault and
Battery’ has some of the more character driven lyrics we have become used
to from Gabriel, but this time Collins plays the very English characters, "Slipping between them he ought to have
seen then, The eyes and their owner so near. With torch shining bright he
strode on in the night, Till he came to the room with the safe." Collins
uses a tough cockney accent on the next sections, "Hello son, I hope you're having fun." "You've got it
wrong Sir, I'm only the cleaner." With that he fired, the other saying as
he died, "You've done me wrong," it's the same old song
forever." The chorus is memorable, melodic and easy to sing
along to in a live performance,"Robbery,
assault and battery, The felon and his felony..." There are
some compelling time sig changes and Banks is allowed to shine with his
scintillating keyboard lead breaks. The section at 3:20 is great sounding like
the type of style on "Foxtrot". The cathedral grinding pipe organ
sound at 4:30 is majestic and powerful. The last three tracks are featured many times in
live performances as a trilogy and indeed on compilations. I had heard them
many times but on this album they made a perfect ending to the album. ‘Ripples’ begins immediately with
trademark 12 string Hackett brilliance. The melody is very strong and
memorable, one of the best of Collins quieter moments with the band. There is
an uplifting chorus that soars, "Sail
away, away, Ripples never come back. They've gone to the other side. Look into
the pool, Ripples never come back, Dive to the bottom and go to the top, To see
where they have gone. Oh, they've gone to the other side..." I
like the instrumental break with violin style guitar and very well executed
piano flourishes and an extended passage of synth. A fan favourite and
performed live it is a gem. ‘A Trick of the Tail’ is a bit of a
transition between two treasures. The lyrics are a real feature telling the
bizarre tale of a beast. "And
wept as they led him away to a cage, Beast that can talk, read the sign. The
creatures they pushed and they prodded his frame, And questioned his story
again. But soon they grew bored of their prey, Beast that can talk? More like a
freak or publicity stunt..." The melody is whimsical matching
the Beowulf style lyrics. I always liked this as it is so different than
anything else on the album, and a lot of fun, not taking itself seriously. I
can understand why many feel this to be a low point on the album but it
resonates with me, especially the infectious chorus, "They've got no horns and they've got
no tail, They don't even know of our existence. Am I wrong to believe in a city
of gold, That lies in the deep distance, he cried and wept." The
quest for the beast is humorous but it is intriguing, and streets ahead of any
of those love ballads that were soon to permeate the Genesis catalogue in the
dreadful 80s. ‘Los Endos’ is a true
classic that has ended many Genesis concerts, full of incredible
instrumentation and shades of light and dark textures. The drums, the tom toms
are frenetic and driving, the guitar is riffing eloquent, and the bass is a key
rhythm powerhouse. It settles into the familiar 6 chord keyboard pads that all
Genesis fans know. Banks is absolutely stunning on this instrumental. At 4
minutes in there is a choral section and gradually building keyboard motif,
until there is a type of reprise of album tracks, you can determine the various
melodies. Collins even subliminally has a few lines of singing, "There's an angel standing in the sun,
Free to get back home." . Then it fades into the distance.
This was the perfect way to end an excellent album, with the band demonstrating
their uncompromising musical genius. Overall, "A Trick of the Tail" is a
wonderful beginning to the new lineup sans Gabriel, proving the band can do
incredible things even without their frontman, flutist. The songs will grow on
you after a while and some have become part of Genesis folklore now, especially
the last three tracks and the opening track. This progressive excellence was
not to last unfortunately. There were three more solid albums with prog
elements until 1981 when the band sold out to mainstream commercial radio
snapping their prog apron strings once and for all and effectively destroying
the trademark sound to become marketable to a mainstream target audience;
adoring females. The music on this album is well accomplished and many
guitarists love to emulate the work of Hackett on this and keyboardists can
revel in the talents of Banks. This is a very pleasurable album with much to
recommend it; one of the best from 1976. #312 Still Life
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: This album is truly a wonderful foray into the dark
netherwold of Van der Graaf Generator. Ear splitting vocals and ambient
keyboards are the order of the day and Hammill is a master of the insightful
existential lyric. This is him at his existential best. Listen to the
caterwauling of ‘La Rossa’ and ‘Still Life’ to hear his heartbeat and feel the
tension and angst of a life dedicated to music. ‘My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)’ is an 8 minute
journey into the darker consciousness of the man. This is not an easy album to
digest, in fact no VDGG should be, but of the big 5 classics this is the most
difficult and takes several listens to appreciate. This album is a diverse
detour for the band. It does not rely heavily on heavy guitar or keys and is a
lot more melancholy than any VDGG. Hammill is turned way up in the mix and the
instrumentals accompany his instrument/voice on each track. It is gentle and
quiet but very brooding and moody. Stunning vocals throughout and Jaxon, Banton
and Evans are quintessential to the evolution of the group. Perhaps this is the
best line up, no arguments there I suspect. But it is surprisingly restrained
and may turn some off as there is not a shred of heavy rock unlike previous
albums. The bonus track though rocks out and is a freak out
of sound - incredible. ‘Gog’! What is this? Where does it come from as no album
features this in studio format. It is a wonderful raw vibrant performance from
the band. 'Still Life' must be commended for sheer ingenuity
and audacity. A jaded album for sure, slightly twisted in places, too quiet for
comfort, uneasy listening, but a very good release from VDGG. A review by Sean Trane: As there were remaining tracks from the previous
writing/recording sessions, Still Life arrived fairly quickly on the market,
and what a splendid album it was! Godbluff's twin album is actually superior
(and ultimately more rewarding) to it and it shows with the stunning artwork
sleeve. Opening Pilgrims (and its slowly solemn descending
crescendo) is a sure winning salvo only topped by the lengthy La Rossa (their
Italian affinities showing), while the very personal My Room (Hugh Banton on
bass and Jackson's superb ambient sax, with Evans' restrained drumming) is a
real contender for the best Graaf track >> not far from House With No
Door. The title track is another spine-chiller, with Hammill's doomy and
desperate vocals crying out in the middle of the night, before the quartet is
picking up momentum and Hammill's mood changing to anger. Then comes the
lengthy and awesome Childlike Faith In Childhood's End (inspiration taken from
a book that was particularly well appreciated from all band members) closing
off the album in a grandiose way. While two of the five songs were written (and
recorded) during the Godbluff sessions, the remaining three tracks are
certainly of the same calibre if not even better, but certainly the proof that
Graaf still had major things to say in the realm of prog rock. As I said
before, I prefer Still Life to Godbluff for it has no weak track, but
sincerely, choosing between the two is something I would rather not do. A review by Warthur: Hugh Banton provides one
of his finest organ performances on this Van der Graaf Generator album, which
picks up where Godbluff left off to continue its weird and wonderful
explorations of bizarre conceptual spaces. Kicking off with Pilgrims, a
strident and purposeful counterpoint to The Least We Can Do's more nervous and uncertain
Refugees, the album takes us through explorations of immortality, classic
Arthur C. Clarke novels, wild love and lonely meditation in a murky musical
haze dominated by Banton's organ and David Jackson's ever-present sax. Standout
track has to be the title piece, which combines one of Peter Hammill's most
fervent vocal performances with some of his most philosophically intriguing
lyrics. At the same time, though, tracks such as La Rossa and My Room drag on a
little too long for my liking, suggesting that the band could have pushed this
up to a five-star piece had they spent a little bit longer cooking up new
material for it. #313
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Kansas's "Leftoverture" is literally a
magnum opus of songs linked to a thematic concept. 'Point of Know Return' and 'Leftoverture' are both
real progressive conceptual works and as good as Kansas gets. On
"Leftoverture" the band consist of Kerry Livgren on guitar,
keyboards, Robby Steinhardt on lead vocals, violin, viola, Steve Walsh on lead
vocals, keyboards, vibes, Dave Hope on bass, Phil Ehart on drums, and Rich
Williams on acoustic and electric guitars. This lineup is one of the most
celebrated in Kansas' long tenure. The music on the album is virtuoso and
features some of the best known Kansas compositions with incredibly inventive
structures and adventurous time sigs, wrapped up in a concept. The album cover is striking and one that I treasure
in my vinyl collection. The image of an old sage with a scroll pondering over
his work is perhaps as striking as Gryphons "Red Queen to Bishop
Three" cover. The medieval concept of a Nostradamus like figure or
Leaonardo Da Vinci is a perfect conceptual image for Kansas to indulge in. 'Carry on Wayward Son' begins proceeding with a
bonafide classic and featured on many rock compilations as well as every Kansas
compilation and live show. It is the quintessential Kansas with killer riffs
and fantastic melodies building to an unforgettable chorus. The music is
wonderful, especially the half time feel with heavy guitars. The band harmonise
well and and this is the best Kansas song without a doubt, making them milions
deservedly. 'The Wall' has a nice steady beat and sounds very
AOR. Kansas will return to a stronger AOR sound in years to follow. 'What's on
my mind' has a good guitar intro and then soft rock verses building to heavier
guitar on chorus. Not prog but a nice melody. 'Miracles out of nowhere' has a chiming vibraphone
intro and very nice Hammond layered with an odd time sig and then acoustic and
gentle vocals. Love the feel of this and much more proggy than last 2 songs.
The half time section is medieval and has an odd 7/8 meter with very
progressive keyboard instrumentation. The sig changes again to an unusual
meter, as violins begin and a wall of sound opens up. A new time shift as the
tempo quickens and a scorching lead break is heard makes this one of the
definitive higlights. An underrated classic for Kansas. Side two of the vinyl is definitely the proggiest
Kansas with a huge suite of songs to create an opus and indeed the first part
is titled 'Opus insert'. The lyrics are performed strongly by Steinhardt;
"There's a reason for all that rhymes, it's the fact and the way of the
times, It's moving emotion, it's high and it's low, no matter where you go,
There is something for all who look, there's a story in every book, All of the
pages, between all the lines, so much that you can find, But there's too many
empty lives my friend". The music changes meter throughout and has some
majestic keys and a very bombastic style. It is followed by 'Questions of my
childhood'. This is a shorter song with similar time shifts and
inspring lyrics; "When the sun is in the mid sky, he wears a golden crown,
And he soaks the world with sunshine as he makes another round, It's been a
faster year than yesterday, all the things that I had planned, And when I think
I might be gaining, I'm in the sunshine once again." The sound is
uplifting with washes of melodic keys, and a strong beat that gets faster
during the keyboard solo that fades. 'Cheyenne anthem' is a ballad about the sadness of
the cruel treatment against the Cheyenne Indians, and features beautiful
instrumentation, keys, violins, medieval guitar, and loud percussion. It builds
in speed in the middle as a frenetic keyboard solo comes in and vibraphone. The
Gentle Giant sigs are odd and the thumping rhythm in the medial section is
almost like a circus polka theme, but it is a cynical melody in contrast to the
content. It has powerful lyrics about the death of the Cheyenne people robbed
of their land and finishes with; "Soon these days shall pass away, For our
freedom we must pay, All our words and deeds are carried on the wind, In the
ground our bodies lay, here we lay". The poignant content is matched by
sombre melodies and a melancholy children's choir. It finishes with one last
majestic soundscape. 'Magnum opus' is the longest track at 8 ½ minutes.
It begins with pounding drums of war, and then Livgren's howling keyboards and
a steady rhythm. The track takes off into a lengthy instrumental section with
inventive sigs, musicians taking turns to shine on guitar, keyboards and all
brought together by the rhythm machine of bass and drums sounding like Focus or
ELP. There is an ominous melody and it all sounds so massive with a wall of
sound that keeps up a compelling melody with vibes, marimba and violins. It
slows into the main theme towards the end, swathes of keys, soaring guitars and
a finale that ends suddenly on a high note. Incredible masterpiece of prog and
typifies Kansas at their very best. In conclusion this is definitely one of the best
Kansas albums and features their most beloved tracks. The exceptional single
'Carry on Wayward Son', the quasi-mystical 'Miracles out of nowhere' and all of
side two make this an essential album and one of the best in 1976. #314 Romantic Warrior
A review from SouthSideoftheSky: I'm not at all an expert on Jazz-Rock/Fusion and I
haven't (yet) heard very much that I like from this genre. But I immediately
liked Romantic Warrior. The keyboards, the guitars, the drums and the basses
are all played with enormous skill and urgency. The music is very complex yet
somehow melodic and accessible. There is feeling in the playing and it is not
just technical for the sake of it. The problem I usually have with Jazz-Rock/Fusion
music is that it leans too close to Jazz and contains too little Rock
influences. Romantic Warrior is true Fusion in the sense that it is not just
regular Jazz played with rock instruments. Still, there are many passages here
that are close to Jazz. But there is just enough Rock to keep it interesting
throughout for me. The best tracks are the first and the last one. ‘The
Medieval Overture’ sounds a bit like an alarm bell at the beginning and I have
indeed been using it as such for a couple of weeks now! So I wake up every
morning to the sound of Romantic Warrior. There is no hurry to push the snooze
button! “Romantic Warrior” is a great album title and it
has a great cover art too, and the music! Probably the best Jazz-Rock/Fusion
album of all time and also one of the best all instrumental albums of any
category. A great introduction for the Prog fan to Jazz-Rock/Fusion, I think. Recommended! A review by Ivan_Melgar_M: Not being an expert in Jazz, I always have a hard
time trying to review albums from Jazz Fusion bands, but when you have the
chance to listen to genius of the size of Chick Korea, Al DiMeola, Stanley
Clarke and Lenny White, it's worth the effort, so I took "Romantic
Warrior" from the shelf where I keep the albums I hardly ever listen to and
decided to give it a try. After so many years without listening to this excellent album, I had
almost forgotten how it sounded so it was almost a discovery and a very
pleasant one, they are far better than I remembered. "Medieval Overture" is simply perfect,
even when it flows coherently from start to end (something not so common in
Jazz where free performance is usual), the radical changes from Jazz to some
sort of Spacey King Crimson sound are simply impressive. If I had some doubts
about their Prog attributes, all were dissipated by this track, Chick Corea is
without doubt a master of any genre and he is the one that IMO adds the Prog
elements with his display with the keyboards. The song ends with the interplay
of all the bands that reminds me of Medieval battles, a great opener. "Sorceress" starts with a very short
oneiric keyboard intro soon followed by bass and drums in perfect
synchronicity, even though it's evidently a Jazz song, the dreamy atmosphere
reminds me during all the track, except in the sections where Al DiMeola goes
nuts with his extraordinaire solos remembering that the rock element is also
present. "The Romantic Warrior" starts again with
a dreamy keyboard intro and DiMeola helps to achieve the atmosphere with his
acoustic guitar, but suddenly Stanley Clarke takes the lead guiding the rest of
the band with his bass well backed up by Lenny White on the drums.The song
remains almost inalterable for several minutes allowing all the musicians to
show their skills in their respective instruments but always directed by Clarke
who keeps the precise timing. Around the middle of the track, DiMeola adds a
Flamenco touch, it's hard to say which musician is better because they
alternate carefully showing us how skilled they are but without loosing
coherence, maybe too slow and predictable for my taste but still the
performances are brilliant. "Majestic Dance" reminds me of Jean Luc
Ponty's masterpiece "Aurora", even when in this case the keyboards
provide a Medieval touch, after the first minute you can expect anything, they
go from Medieval Clavichord sections to a full jazzy explosion; the collision
of sounds and styles is simply breathtaking. Then they take their Rocker
costumes and hit us with everything they have, my favorite song from the album. "The Magician" is another high point,
probably the closest they get to Prog, the ethereal moods and atmospheres
created by Corea remind me clearly of Wakeman but of course less pompous, again
the radical changes keep surprising the listener, and the final section is
captivating. The mini epic "Duel of the Jester and the
Tyrant" is supposed to be the central point and culmination of the whole
concept of the album and fulfills its mission, soft dreamy passages interrupted
by sudden explosions of power and energy and an extremely beautiful subjacent
melody, a highlight and the perfect closer, 11 minutes of all that "RETURN
TO FOREVER" can provide. As everybody here knows Fusion is not my favorite
sub-genre, but this is an album that doesn't deserve to be forgotten for so
much time, left in a box while less impressive albums are almost always in my
Cd player, so I will keep it closer than ever before and play it from time to
time. The rating is not hard for me, not 5 stars material (I leave that for
some Ponty albums and Visions of Emerald Beyond by Mahavishnu) because I could
manage to live without listening to it for years and I'm sure many Progheads
can without any trouble, so essential it is not (At least not for everybody),
but rating with less than 4 stars would be disrespectful. So that's my rating,
a great addition for any Progressive Rock collection. #315
A review by Sean Trane: With this second album, Cos still has half of
Belgium laughing because of the artwork depicting Flemish grandmas. Although
Loos was gone by this time, he is replaced by Marc Hollander (future Aksak
Maboul) and Lonneux (ex-Recreation) takes the drum stool, but Dartsch still
participates to the album. Then feeling is even more Canterbury-esque and the
progression from the debut album is awesome. Marc Moulin (from the then-defunct
Placebo) is the producer of the album and also contributes some killer Fender
Rhodes on two tracks. Opening electronic pulses will startle you if you
were familiar with other Cos works, but this is a very brief moment, but
another surprise awaits you on the following title track with its African
percussions. Further Still (Nog Verder ) is a splendid slow Fender Rhodes-based
track soon picking pace to end-up like a Weather Report-like funk. Boehme just
funks along with sometimes-weird KB sounds startling you. The first side closes
with the lengthy Flamboya, with Pascale Son making sweet love to Moulin's moog
and Hollander's Rhodes, and soon the fuzzy keys send you flying across the
channel to the Kent County. Clearly the first side's highlight, this track
holds some of the best Wyatt-like scatting I have heard outside himself. Son's opening Arabic influenced-vocals are a
startling wake-up-and-pay-attention call especially when Schell pulls in one of
those mystical Santana-like guitar solo just after it. The lenghty Idiot Leon
is the cornerstone of the album with its fuzzy organ (David Sinclair-like) and
weird quacking noises and a blistering Schell solo and wind instruments
interventions. Closer Ixelles is a slow ode to the city where I was born some 13
years sooner and is probably my fave from the vinyl, but I can only be partial. The four bonus tracks are excellent and great
interest, especially a very different (and better) Nog Verder than the album
version with its obvious Stella Vander-like vocals and Zeuhl-esque keyboards. A
real touch of class!! But the other three were tracks that did not make the cut
when the album was released. I can imagine how some choices can be painful. The only regret I have is that Son's lyrics
(actually Schell's) are not printed on the Musea first issue. As this album got
re-released from Musea in early 2006, one can hope that this will be amended.
Nevermind the details, we are again looking at a splendid album that typifies
the 70's Belgian scene much better than the mediocre Machiavel. Owning this
album is one of the requisite to being a happy proghead and only the ones who
do not know this cannot understand. A review by Mellotron Storm: Thank God for liner
notes. I couldn't figure out what certain instruments were that they were
playing,especially when the list of instruments didn't show anything that
sounded like a fuzz organ for example. Well there is a detailed story about
this recording session thankfully that reveals that newcomer Marc Hollander's
farfisa organ's sounds were treated by fuzz and wah-wah devices and ended up in
a Dynacord echo chamber that could reproduce them at a normal, slow or
accellerated speed. Alain used the same effects on his Rickerbacker bass. Band
leader Daniel Schell modified the sounds of his guitars through an EMS
synthesiser which allowed him to double the melody. He also used several other
effects like saturation, a wah-wah filter etc. Both Marc and Daniel were fans
of MAGMA, ZAO and HENRY COW which really comes through on this recording as the
Zeuhl/Jazz flavour is quite strong. Female singer Pascale
Son is incredible. She has a child-like sound to her vocals that remind me of a
cross between the innocence of THINKING PLAGUE's singer and fragility of the
PAATOS' singer. The word "Boma" in the album's title can mean
grandmother in a Belgium dialect or refer to an African town along the river
Congo. That is why the front cover has the hippos in the river Congo, and on
the back we have a picture of the band and girlfriends with others, along with
the grandmother, front and center. Very humorous. You can tell these guys like
to have fun from the other pictures in the liner notes. Things get started with
"Perhaps Next Record" which is funny given that this short song
sounds like it came off of a Krautrock record and sounds nothing like they
usually do. Electronics, sitar?, perhaps the next record will sound like this. Funny.
"Viva Boma" has lots of drums and percussion. The vocal melodies are
fantastic as the piano comes in. Cool song. "Nog Verder" is a slow
moving, mellow song with reserved vocals, light drums and keys. The tempo picks
up after 2 minutes as the organ comes in. Zeuhl-like vocal melodies 3 1/2
minutes in as it turns jazzy. "Boehme" is a
tribute to a hermetist philosopher appreciated by Daniel. It is supported by a
complex harmonic progression dedicated to his harmony teacher. This one is
heavier with organ, drums and keys. Vocals before 2 minutes. Fuzz organ before
3 minutes to end song. "Flamboya" features delicate vocals and a
heavy, slow paced organ? 2 minutes in. Nice. Guitar, bass and cool vocal
melodies. A nice lazy guitar or organ solo late. It's processed so it's hard to
tell. "In Lulu" has
such an amazing sound to it. The guitar is wonderful. "L'Idiot Leon"
is probably my favourite track. There are some great sounding passages
throughout this song. The tempo and moods change throughout. There is a
harmonization that includes the aboe, flute and bass clarinet.
"Ixelles" features a low sounding cello throughout as long
instrumental passages alternate with Pascale's beautiful vocal sections. A must have. #316 In the Region Of The Summer Stars
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Majestic orchestrations and sweeping crescendos become
an emotional soundtrack. My first listen to The Enid began with this album
and I was quite surprised at the musicianship and the structure of the songs.
There is a full on orchestral feel to these tracks and essentially you may be
mistaken for an actual movie soundtrack such is the orchestration and mood
swings of the music. 'Fool' begins with a staccato hammering piano chord
and then some gentle piano follows, though it has a threatening edge, an
ominous looming shape, as if something is creeping up from behind. This is soon
joined by the effects of water and a perhaps a porpoise. The trumpets resound
adding a majesty and there is a low droning. Welcome to the world of The Enid.
It is unlike any symphonic I have heard in a long time and this may take some
getting used to. The instrumentation is designed to evoke specific moods. When 'The Tower of Babel' chimes in there is a
foreign sound, perhaps Eastern and even a galloping guitar motif, reminding me
of someone galloping on horseback through a steaming desert. The Egyptian style
music helps to enhance this imaginary scene. There is a lot of musicianship
here and this band is obviously virtuoso when it comes to structure and control
of instruments that fade in and out at appropriate times. When it is inspired
like this track, it is complex and magical. I would rate this as a highlight of
the album. The inventive music continues on 'The Reaper' that
begins with a church pipe organ and a violin style pad. A melodic clean guitar
picks a nice tune. It is very much like the music found in a melancholy moment
in a romance movie. The chiming bell is an ethereal sound, tolling in death, as
a crazed bass drum echoes thunderously and a crescendo of strings rises up. An
intriguing track with many mood swings and emotional resonances. The overall
feel of mystery and intrigue is essential to the music. 'The Loved Ones' begins with minimalist gentle
piano and soft strings. Romantic, sweeping and emotive piano and strings follow
and draw in a listener if they are prepared to immerse themselves. It is like
the style of composer Rachmaninov. 'The Demon King' begins with a flight of eerie
piano and a chilling heavy motif. The guitars are great on this and the heavier
treatment is welcome after the lulling previous song. This has some shimmering
Hammond and wah wah guitar to create the sense of impending dread. Perhaps
reminded me more of Therion in a sense though there is no metal. There are some
cheeky melodies adding a humorous edge but this is darker than previous
material on the album. A definitive highlight. 'Pre-Dawn' and 'Sunrise' begins with a lone
pastoral trumpet presenting the theme of dawn approaching is heard. This is
joined by gentle music that is sleepy and dreamlike. The flute shrills and runs
are well executed, as are the sweeping violins. 'The Last Day' features an estranged Bolero rhythm
similar to Ravel in a sense. The tune is recognisable to those familiar with
classical music. It begins slowly and softly building to the crescendo of
trumpets and drums that crash fortissimo. It segues into 'The Flood' where
there are musical shapes of allegro and adagio, light and shade throughout, and
it builds to a rousing finale where a synthesizer and guitar are accompanied by
flute, trickling harp and waves crashing on a beach. The balletic Bolero style
of these pieces are music of mounting intensity, an orchestrated crescendo, a
wonderful piece of music. 'Under the Summer Stars' begins with a zither
twanging and a flute, joined by an off beat drum rhythm and swells of guitar. A
very different piece to previous tracks. The guitar dominates with violining
and picking expertise. The flute is a mystical sound, the mellotron is strong
and the melody is infectious when it locks in. It is a bit like Pink Floyd and
has a spacey guitar to give it the serrated edge of dark prog. Another
highlight that draws this album to a close. 'Adieu' blends seamlessly from the previous track
and is a farewell piece. The piano is played with nimble fingered dexterous
flourishes. A synthesiser echoes the tune and a harp brings a majestic touch.
And so it ends on a quiet lulling note, like the denouement of a movie. Final words are to steer clear if you are not a
classical music fan as this is genuine classical music with very little rock.
The Enid had not introduced singing at this early stage but it was the
beginning of great things to come. It is a nice piece of music on the whole but
I can see how this will not appeal to everyone, but The Enid deserve commendation
for musicianship and innovation on this album. #317
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Genesis find themselves in unquiet slumbers, for
the sleepers in that quiet earth. "Wind and Wuthering" ended 1976 on a high note for
prog and indeed for Genesis who had already found success with their masterful “A
Trick of the Tail”. Just in time for Christmas, their latest album features
some of their best material sans Gabriel. Each member of the band is in fine
form and 'Wind and Wuthering' is firmly entrenched as one of the favourites for
the band members themselves. Tony Banks stated that it is among his two
favourite Genesis albums, and Steve Hackett is also "very fond" of it
and rightfully so as it features some of his most accomplished guitar work.
Every song soars along on symphonic layers of keyboards and Phil Collins is
excellent on vocals and drums. Mike Rutherford's bass is a wonderful
embellishment and the rhythms are complex and outstanding. Here are the tracks,
each one tells a story, and each have a soft spot in the hearts of Genesis fans
wordwide. 'Eleventh Earl Of Mar' kicks off proceedings with a
title that is dedicated to a metaphoric description of an old Scottish
uprising. The song focuses on the true tale of John Erskine 22nd or 11th Earl
of Mar, who is one of the most incompetent characters of the 15 Jacobite
Rising. It is dominated by Tony Banks keyboard wizardry as is most of the
album. The music is incredible and as good as the band gets, every member is in
full flight but in particular Banks is having a field day overshadowing even
Hackett who is usually in the limelight. Hackett is terrific on this album but
it is really the last time he would record with the full band unfortunately,
embarking on a solo career that was very successful and continues to be so. The
lyrics are typical of Genesis, double entendres, quaint pop culture references,
and quirky British humour abound; “The sun had been up for a couple of hours,
Covered the ground with a layer of gold. Spirits were high and the raining had
stopped, The larder was low, But boy that wasn't all. Eleventh Earl of Mar,
Couldn't get them very far. Daddy! Oh Daddy, You Promised.” Collins is in fine
voice, confident and dominating, though he overuses the cymbal splashes on this
track. The mellotron is an everpresent force and Rutherford shines on bass. The
track features an abundance of synth riffs that remind one of the glorious 80s
synth explosion. The melody is deconstructed with time breaks, signature shifts
and solo performances. The middle section is tremendous with sweet melodic
tones and Collins’ gentle approach. This is certainly one of the highlights of
the album and very much like 'The Battle of Epping Forest' in many ways, in
both theme and structure. 'One for the Vine' continues the excellent soundscapes
with one of the greatest Genesis tracks with a mellotron drone and blasts of
wild percussion competing with Hackett's sweeping riffs. The opening riff is
sensational and well recognised by Genesis fans. The lyrics are inspired and as
good as anything I have heard in the earlier releases; “Fifty thousand men were
sent to do the will of one. His claim was phrased quite simply, though he never
voiced it loud, I am he, the chosen one.” The protagonist is called to serve as
the chosen one, and immediately the majestic music echoes the sentiments of the
one who will lead. It is regal and uplifting with some dark tones representing
the conflict he feels within as he is forced to make the difficult choice. “In
his name they could slaughter, for his name they could die. Though many there
were believed in him, still more were sure he lied, But they'll fight the
battle on.” The leader knows that many will die under his leadership but
nevertheless must lead in order to instigate freedom. This may also represent
the holy wars as told in The Bible, following the same themes as in other
Genesis albums especially “From Genesis to Revelation”. It switches time sigs
dramatically after the serenity of the symphonic musicianship. The tempo
quickens and a wonderful synthesizer kicks into gear. A layered wall of sound
pulsates along a dynamic percussive beat. Collins returns on vocals as the new
time shift locks in. It is a complex track with many diversions. It is perhaps
the best track on the album with a lot of progressive touches and an innovative
structure, telling a potent story of maturity. The main protagonist is
experiencing the changes of adolescence to adulthood as a reluctant leader
forced into going in directions without choice that lead him to an eventual demise.
Religious overtones abound, and there are multiple interpretations. The
protagonist is on the verge of crossing the line between divine inspiration and
delusion. He has many people around him who believe in him to the point that
leads him to an ultimate decision to take up leadership with both reigns firmly
in hand. It takes quite a deal of soul searching before he finally decides to
fulfil his purpose instead of doing things his own way. As he takes on the
responsibility to leading he crosses into adulthood. “This is he, God's chosen
one, Who's come to save us from, All our oppressors. We shall be kings on this
world.” 'Your Own Special Way' is certainly a poppier
approach but has some very nice melodies and a catchy hook in the chorus.
Collins is harmonised a few times on layered vocals and I particularly like the
uplifting tones. The keys are terrific, but I wonder where Hackett is hiding on
this. 'Wot Gorilla' is an instrumental that may feel like
filler material but it is very well executed with some delightful atmospherics
including a strange gliterring chime lending an ethereal feel. "Wot
Gorilla?" may be a reference to touring drummer Chester Thompson, who had
been mentioned in ‘Florentine Pogen’, which is a track on Frank Zappa's “One
Size Fits All” album in 1975. 'All In A Mouse's Night’ is an intriguing piece
where a mouse speaks to a loving couple, Cinderella style. The lyrics are
charming with a few dark nuances thrown in. The loving couple begins with
talking to each other and the mouse chips in, which may or may not be
imaginary; “I can't see you but I know you're there. Got to get beside you cos
it's really cold out here. Come up close to me you'll soon be warm. Hold me
tightly like we're sheltering from a storm.” The mouse then has some amusing
dialogue to itself and we may surmise that it is on the head of the lovers who
are experiencing detachment from reality; “Think I might go out for a stroll,
Into the night, and out of this hole. Maybe find me a meal. Walking along this
new shag pile, Presents a problem all the while. Nearly the door.” The song
continues with its quirky jaunty rhythms telling the tale of the mouse's
adventures; “Suddenly he bumps into wood, the door is closed. A voice from the
bed, he'll be exposed. Which way to run, must make for the hole, The light's
been turned on, he's blind as a mole in coal.” Perhaps the mouse is a
metaphorical representation of sexual suppression that the lovers are feeling.
In fact a cat comes into the story and chases the mouse to its final fate; “But
now the cat comes in for the kill, His paw is raised, soon blood will spill,
yes it will.” The cat has a cynical line of dialogue that further cements the
sexual tension in the lives of the lovers. They are experiencing conflict that
is represented by the cat and the mouse scenario; “Hard luck mouse, this is the
end of your road.” In any case it is a fun song harkening back to the classic
Genesis material on “Foxtrot” or “Selling England By The Pound”. Other interpretations are that the mouse represents
mental health and the protagonist loses it completely when the cat is devoured
by the ten foot mouse. Also this could be a dig at the Looney Tunes cartoon
where Sylvester is taunted by a 'ten foot mouthsh' and it is actually a baby
kangaroo but Junior thinks it's a real mouse and forces his father to fight it
to no avail. A darker interpretation is that the loving couple discovered a
mouse costume stored in an old casket in the basement. The male donned the
costume in order to scare his female lover but it backfires as she has become a
cat in costume also and “it only took one blow”, she finishes in the superior
position of the relationship. Or did she kill her lover accidentally thinking
he was a lunatic trying to kill her. Or did the man in mouse costume see a cat
on his way upstairs and whack the cat dead. The song is nevertheless about the
chase, submission and sexual tension, disguised in a cute tale, and is one of
the great tracks on the album. 'Blood on the Rooftops' begins with a medieval
style acoustic flourish, a piece de resistance for Hackett.The lyrics are very
strong; “Let's skip the news boy (I'll make some tea), The Arabs and the Jews
boy (too much for me), They get me confused boy (puts me off to sleep), And the
thing I hate - Oh Lord! Is staying up late, to watch some debate, on some
nation's fate.” The television is becoming a hypnotic device desensitizing the
protagonist who is becoming lost in the fantasy of it all. A dramatis personae
of his alter ego is the fantasy of escapist TV, and he indulges because his
life is so empty. “Hypnotised by Batman, Tarzan, still surprised! You've won
the West in time to be our guest, Name your prize! Drop of wine, a glass of
beer dear what's the time? The grime on the Tyne is mine all mine all mine,
Five past nine.” The lyrics are reminiscent of the Gabriel era and indeed
Collins sounds similar in this vocal style. The references to pop culture are
as strong as Genesis gets and are as blatant, but there are darker meaning
beyond the surface particularly in the chorus that speaks of violence and
despair, war and destruction, blood and decay; “Blood on the rooftops, Venice
in the Spring, Streets of San Francisco - a word from Peking, The trouble was
started by a young Errol Flynn, Better in my day Oh Lord! For when we got
bored, we'd have a world war, happy but poor.” The viewer watches TV shows like
“Batman”, “Tarzan”, How the West Was Won”, “The Streets of San Francisco”,
Errol Flynn swashbuckler movies and Quiz Shows, merged with the horror of the
news, but all in one night’s viewing, and it all plays out like entertainment.
Instead of having any shock effect on the viewer who accepts it and is desensitised.
There are touches of references to “Nursery Cryme” in the lyrics; “When old
Mother Goose stops they're out for 23, Then the rain at Lords stopped play.”
The reference reminds one of the nursery rhyme lyrics and front cover of the
classic album, and the words are referring to a cricket match where the batter
manages 23 runs before being stumped. The album concludes with two masterful instrumental
compositions that run together seamlessly and these are capped off with ‘Afterglow’,
a fond song for the band. The instrumentals, 'Unquiet Slumbers For The
Sleepers' and 'In That Quiet Earth', are decent enough to be taken in one
sitting as one piece and certainly are a showcase for Banks' killer keyboard
finesse. They are pleasant ear ticklers with enough keyboard to satiate any
mellotron addict. The titles of these instrumentals are taken
directly from Emily Bronte's “Wuthering Heights” novel; "I lingered round
them, under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath, and
hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondered
how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers, for the sleepers in that quiet
earth". To conclude this may be the last great Genesis
studio album and it capped off an excellent year for the band that had also
presented “A Trick of the Tail” equally as good. It would be the last time
Hackett would produce Genesis studio material but it was not the end for the
band despite the massive upheaval of personnel. #318
A review by Finnforest: Pastoral prog legend Definitely a top contender for someone's future
poll of the "most beautiful albums of prog." This album is a legend
of "pastoral" prog titles. I don't know one person who has heard this
album and not liked it, it is just universally delightful regardless of what
genre you call your favorite. You've all seen Heaven depicted in the movies or
in books. You can imagine the setting: the camera pans across a gorgeous meadow
on a perfect sunny day, wildflowers of every color blowing in a warm breeze,
songbirds about, and a huge oak tree with a massive trunk in one corner of the
screen. There is a white glow or haze to the film indicating the supernatural.
And there is no doubt some beautiful music in the soundtrack. Well, this album
could be that music. Just a silly way of trying to communicate the
"vibe" of this album instead of just telling you each track is going
to sooth your psyche with gorgeous melody made of soft acoustic guitars,
flutes, trons, bass, and vocals. The arrangements are impeccable. It is a uniformly
mellow album without any rock and roll but that's OK. This album is not in your
collection to rock you-it will become one of your prized "chill"
spins. The flip side however is that it does lack excitement factor and over
time has proven an album that fails to engage me very much on an emotional
level. I have other "pretty" albums that move me much more than
Celeste. For that reason I've had to back off my original 4-star rating to 3.
It's a good album but not one for my 4 star shelf. While I've seen some reviews
say the music came too late in the Italian heyday to matter (1976), the fact is
that this album was written right in the peak year of '73 and recorded in '74.
So don't let that charge stop you from checking out this widely acclaimed
favorite. A review by Sean Trane: 4.5 stars really!!!! Of all the Italian symphonic prog groups, Celeste
is maybe the one that relies most on ambiances, the most delicate and certainly
ranks in my top five along with QVL and PDP (even if the last ones are
definitely more jazzy) and is all too often overlooked by many. This multi
instrumentalists quartet recorded two album in the mid-70's with their debut
being the better-known. The very white (and bland) cover (even if the inside
gatefold illustration is more evocative) contrast heavily with the superb calm
classically influenced music on the disc. The mood is very much romantic,
pastoral and mellotron-ladden. I find that Celeste does not sound like your
typical Italian prog group, but in many ways, Principe Di Un Giorno is probably
the album that comes closest to Harmonium's Si On Avait Besoin D'une Cinquième
Saison. Indeed, this album came out roughly a year after
Harmonium, and most likely was heard by the Italian group, but if the influence
is obvious, there is nothing shocking and one can't call this a carbon copy or
derivative. And in some ways, Celeste's debut album betters the ambiances, and
adds a little more to Harmonium soundscapes. Whether this is a more Latin feel
or more classical music leanings is rather hard to determine, but this album is
just as enjoyable as Harmonium's and there is a bit of Gensis in it in the form
of Seven Stones. For me to give you a preferred track is very hard, because
Celeste is more even in their songwriting (and taking less chances as well),
but they also do not reach the absolute peaks that their Quebec counterparts
do. But in Celeste's defense, they do not have tracks that can almost ruin the
album (such as Dixie on Fifth season). Flutes, sax, spinet, xylophone, chimes,
violin are among the instruments sprinkled throughout this delicious slice of
wax. An absolute gorgeous piece of music that would
deserve top ratings if it had come before a certain Quebecois album, but
nevertheless is highly recommended. #319
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: 32 years later and this album still has the power
to captivate thanks to an almost obsessive conceptual framework on the theme of
discovery and enlightenment. Hard prog rockers Rush released in 1976 perhaps
their most famous album, “2112”. A strong narrative text is evident in the title
track that rocks with moments of high complexity merged with the simplistic
standard song format. “2112” begins with narration and a brilliant instrumental
workout in 'Overture'. Rush were a musical virtuoso band, primarily due to the
guitar riffing of Alex Lifeson, but also featured incredible vocal gymnastics
with a high falsetto range in the form of Geddy Lee. When he powers into 'The
Temples of the Syrinx' he nails it to the wall; such is the incredible high
vocal range Lee is unable to repeat this in later years live, as is evident on
the brilliant “Different Stages” triple CD. The track merges seamlessly with the rest of this
epic as the quieter 'Discovery' begins. The concept concerns the weird tale of
a boy who consults an oracle to find the answers and has a dream that holds the
key (a theme that would occur over and over in concept albums - the tales of
discovery by consulting a supernatural force - even Kiss did it on “The Elder”).
I don't pretend to understand all the conceptual content, however, I prefer to
sit back and let all the musical arrangements wash over, and Rush were masters
of the epic performance. The other tracks on side 2 include 'A Passage to
Bangkok' a straight rocker, and the raucous 'Something for Nothing'. This was a
brave album for Rush after presenting their own brand of heavy prog such as “Caress
of Steel” and “Fly By Night”, but it works because the tracks are memorable and
superbly executed. The Drums of Neil Peart are a definite highlight and keep
the relentless rhythms flowing in perfect sync. This album is highly
influential to the likes of Dream Theater's “6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence”,
that feature a series of songs wrapped in the cocoon of one long album side
track, and each song section has the power to stand alone. Overall this is an excellent album, but the piece
de resistance would come on the incredible followup album, “Farewell to Kings”. A review by SouthSideoftheSky: A passage to Prog Having started out as a highly derivative Blues
Rock/Hard Rock band strongly influenced by Led Zeppelin, Rush had gradually
incorporated progressive elements and structures into their music over the
course of two further albums (Fly By Night and Caress Of Steel). But it was
with the present, their fourth album, that Rush took the major step toward
progressive Rock. For the first time in their career, the whole first side of
the vinyl album was occupied by an epic, multi-part composition and it was also
the first album to feature keyboards (although, very sparsely) in addition to
guitar, vocals and drums. In my opinion, the 20 minute plus title track still
stands today as one of the band's finest compositions. Especially, the two
first parts of it: Overture and The Temples Of Syrinx. The band is simply on
fire here, with Neil Peart's drumming being some of the best I've ever heard
and Geddy Lee's vocals being more intense than ever before (or after) and Alex
Lifeson's guitars more to the point. The six-part song tells a story of an
authoritarian society where music is banned. The second side of the album is less powerful in
comparison and has more to do with earlier albums. Still, we have here five
fine Rock tunes with A Passage To Bangkok standing out as the best of the lot.
Tears features the famous Mellotron. Overall, a great album and the first great Rush
album A review by Warthur: By the time Rush came to record 2112, Caress of
Steel had been a commercial and critical flop and the band fully expected it to
be their last album. Kicking off with a side-long prog metal epic despite their
advice of their label, the band suddenly and unexpectedly turned out to be
quite good at this prog thing after all. The title track from this one blows
away the false starts of Fly By Night and Caress of Steel with stellar performances
from all concerned, tighter compositional structures in which there's always
something interesting happening, and a plot which is unashamed of its nerdiness
and which is still exciting to hear after a dozen listens. (Oh, come on, tell
me you don't get a shiver down your spine when you hear the distorted voice
declaring the Elder Race's conquest of the solar system at the end of the
song.) So what if the plot might be a thinly-veiled Objectivist allegory (or,
more likely, a swipe at the music press for not accepting Rush's musical
vision) when it's so good to listen to? The second side of the album provides a tight set
of shorter songs which proves that the band had also got the knack of producing
these as well. As goofy as the thinly-veiled weed worship of A Passage to
Bangkok is, it's still one of the catchiest songs they've ever done, with its
thunderous guitar solo by Lifeson being a particular highlight of the album,
Lessons is enjoyably upbeat and manages a nice blend of acoustic and electric
guitar lines, and Something for Nothing is a great barnstormer to close the
album. The album isn't quite perfect - The Twilight Zone
lacks the boundless energy the rest of the songs have, and doesn't quite hit
the spooky atmosphere it aims for (though it comes close), and Tears is a
lacklustre, melancholic ballad which even the generously applied heaps of
Mellotron can't save from being bland middle-of-the-road slop. But even with
these roadbumps on the second side, the album is still an enduring classic and
the first sign that Rush might be able to stick it out for the long term.
Finally mastering the progressive metal style they'd been tinkering with for
two albums, the band took their place at the spearhead of the nascent subgenre,
and with 2112 they more than earned it. #320
A review by Mellotron Storm: Not as good as their
amazing debut in my opinion. I think the biggest disappointment for me is the
lack of vocals that really added a special flavour to the debut. All things
said though the playing here is flawless. "Stadacone" opens with a
light and bouncy rhythm before it changes a minute in when the guitar arrives. An
excellent soundscape 3 minutes in as bass, keys and drums lead the way. Synths
come and go. Some rare vocals after 7 minutes with organ then it kicks back in.
The song continues to change and I like the organ 9 minutes in. "Le
Cosmophile" opens with synths and organ as heavy drums come and go. A change
after 1 1/2 minutes as the tempo picks up. It gets a little funky here. Some
excellent vocals after 3 minutes. Sax before 4 minutes and organ follows.
"Il Fault Sauver Barbara" opens with a catchy rhythm before synths
come in. It's back again (the rhythm) until it settles before 2 1/2 minutes
then some powerful organ kicks in briefly. Settles again then kicks back in. Well
you get the picture. I do like the atmosphere when it settles each time. "Ad Hoc" is
different with the guitar sounding processed at first then becoming normal and
leading the way before a minute. Nice bass lines here with atmospheric synths,
but it's the guitar that is the focus. "La Balqune De Varenkurtel Au
Zythogala" is a pleasant sounding song with synths, keys, drums and bass
standing out. "Isacaaron (Ou Le
Demon Des Choses Sexuelles)" begins with drums before keys, sax and organ
come in. A calm before 1 1/2 minutes then it starts to build. Piano and drums 3
1/2 minutes in lead the way. The sound changes 7 minutes in and I like it. Then
we get lots of changes the rest of the way. The debut was more fun, humorous
and free although we get glimpses of these here too. Great album! A review by Sean Trane: 4.5 stars really!!! With a slightly changed line-up
(drummer being replaced and an extra percussionist also), Sloche made an
incredible confirmation with their second album, the stunning Amerindian-laced
artwork covered Stadaconé. Still headed by the double keyboard attack and
having plenty of back-up by their guitarist and the rest of the band, Stadaconé
is relatively close to their debut although more towards Mahavishnu and GG,
than the debut. One of the odd thing about this album is that it is dedicated
to Pierre Boucard who helped write the two epics and that the album was
recorded in two distinct sessions produced by Ouellet for one and Desbien (who
had done such a great job on their debut). Opening 10-min+ title track is already warning us
that this album will be slightly more disjointed, but nothing to be alarmed:
the spirit of J'un Oeuil is still there. The music is definitely funkier,
sometimes even reaching the level of Hancock's sextant or Headhunter (well,
maybe not Headhunter ;-). Second is the only sung track (another slight change
from the debut) of the album Cosmophile which brings us right back into their
debut album, while one of the KB players plays a rare sax solo, too bad the
song ends in a fade-out. Sauver Barbara is an organ-drenched syncopated funky
jazz-rock that can help raise your mother-in-law from the dead (provided she is
not too deeply buried of course, her name is Barbara and you cannot find her
stash of dough ;-) while the second side opens on the Ad Hoc highlight and
takes you towards a heavenly trip. Yet another short track (outside the two
monster epics book-ending the album all other tracks are below the 5 min 30
mark) La Baloune is full of great ambiances with Murray again on woodwinds.
Isacaaron is the splendid closing GG-esque track that is giving its all-out
effort for the album's personality compared to its debut. Most classical proghead fans will prefer their
debut album, while the fusionhead will enjoy this album, but no matter what
both albums are immensely successful and it is a complete shame Sloche will
never be able to record a third album. Personally I prefer the debut to this
album, mostly on the strength of much more present vocals, which despite their
mostly instrumental nature was one of their strength. #321
A review by Mellotron Storm: I had read somewhere
that Phil Collins was a fan of early MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA so it may have been a
dream of his to do a jazz/fusion album. The timing had to be right considering
he was already in a full time band with GENESIS. Obviously it all worked out as
BRAND X came to fruition and they recorded this, their debut album just before
Phil went into the studio with GENESIS to record "Trick Of The Tail".
"Nuclear Burn"
opens with Phil and his intricate drum patterns as keys and bass support. The
guitar comes ripping in at 1 1/2 minutes. Great sound 2 minutes in, love the
synths. The tempo starts to pick up. Collins is simply outstanding here. Check
out the bass and drumming with background synths before 4 minutes. Incredible!
The guitar is back as we get a big finish. "Euthanasia
Waltz" opens with acoustic guitar and drums as liquid keys and bass arrive
a minute in. Guitar is back 2 1/2 minutes in and what follows is fairly laid
back but intricate. "Born Ugly" is more uptempo and kind of funky. Lots
of piano too. The calm 4 minutes in is cool as some nice guitar comes out of
that. That is my favourite part of the song. Drums and keys after 6 minutes are
impressive. Guitar is back before 8 minutes to end it. "Smacks Of Euphoric
Hysteria" is led again by Collins as liquid keys come in. Synths before 2
minutes then the guitar lights it up. "Unorthodox Behaviour" is
restrained for the most part as it opens with Phil sounding like a clock
ticking on the drums. Bass and guitar play lightly and keys arrive before 2
minutes. Vibes before 4 1/2 minutes. It starts to come to life 6 minutes in. It
ends as it began. "Running On
Three" is uptempo with some fabulous drumming and bass work. The guitar
before 3 minutes really sets this song on fire. Bass 4 minutes in to end it.
"Touch Wood" opens with intricate guitar as piano comes in. It starts
to liven up before 3 minutes with a melody. If you think Collins is just an
above average drummer then you need to hear this album. He really steals the
show here with an incredible performance. Great album all around. A review by Sean Trane: 4.5 stars really!!! While Genesis was in a delicate phase, looking for
a new frontman and its guitarist was releasing his first solo album (Acolyte),
Phil was patiently waiting in the wings and became involved in this project,
composed of absolute then-unknown, if it wasn't for maybe Goodsall, whom had a
stint with Atomic Rooster. Phil Collins' participation in Brand X will actually
play a role in Genesis, since his dabblings into JR/F will guide his choice
into hiring both Chester Thompson (Zappa, Weather report) and a tad latter
Daryl Struemer (Jean Luc Ponty's group). Obviously when listening to Phil drum
works on BX and comparing it with Genesis material, it's quite clear that Phil
listened and impregnated himself of Billy Cobham's Spectrum album. Out of the mists of a post-modern world in Nuclear
Burn, rises a guitar that has obviously been influenced by Carlos McLaughlin
and the rest of the formation slowly rises from the ashes to become an instant
success. Outstanding stuff. The first few seconds of Euthanasia Waltz are again
reminiscent of Caravanserai, but Goodsall's acoustic strumming saves it and
allow Lumley's Rhodes and Jones' ultra bass to shine. The following track's
name the ultra-funky Born Ugly cannot possibly be talking about itself because
it is one of the best electric piano-led funk-fusion pieces, courtesy of
Lumley's Rhodes, but Goodsall's guitar does more than its share. It could've
been an RTF track on their No Mystery album, Lumley's piano style certainly
aiming at Corea's, while Jones's usual Jaco-esque game is replaced by a Stanley
Clarke slapping play. Out of the deep vinyl groove, comes Euphoric
Hysteria, which hesitates between Mahavishnu and Santana, before deciding
neither with Lumley's disputable synth sound. The title track is slowly
emerging a clock-like rhythm and a rounded bass and the two spend their time
twisting about your eardrums and diddle with your sanity, slowly deconstructing
its propos. Not exactly a winner, but it shows another facet of the group for
albums to come. Running Of Three returns to the influence of Carlos McL and if
it wasn't needlessly "flamboyant", you could imagine yourself on my
jazz-rock reference Caravanserai. The short and soft Touch Wood is a calm
ending to a fiery album: a fitting outro. A classic fusion album of the times but the real
interest is that, as opposed to contemporary groups such as Return To Forever,
Spirogyra, Weather Report or even JL Ponty, this had a definitely English twist
to it and it was a welcome change (just like the post-Allen Gong jazz-rock
albums are) but this is not really Canterbury-style either although some people
have done that amalgam. IMHO, however, the better times for this sort of music
had already passed along with the 1st generation groups such as Mahavishnu,
Miles Davis, Nucleus, Soft Machine, Mwandishi, etc.... But this one is
definitely a gem. #322 
A review by Warthur: Passing from symphonic-influenced
prog folk into folk-influenced symphonic prog, Harmonium's epic concept album “L'Heptade”
is a gorgeous little album from the tail-end of the golden age of prog. Always
sentimental, the music at some point threatens to cross the line into sheer
schmaltz, but is saved from this by the band's exceptional command of mood. The album stands out for
having some of the most delicately beautiful vocal performances in symphonic
prog, lead singer Serge Fiori being backed up by a range of singers (of whom
Estelle Ste-Croix stands out as offering a particularly astonishing
performance). Not quite as revolutionary as their previous album, but still a
great piece which can't fail to win the hearts of anyone who likes a little
folk in their prog. A review by Sean Trane: Somewhat very different of the previous two in the
sound but another full blown epic sometimes longish but unlike previously very
sombre and depressing but with the same sense of harmonies and melodies. This
however does not affect the musicianship and the artistic value of this great
oeuvre. Just do not expect a Sixth Season, this is far away from that album but
in some way the subject is still the same: alienation. No wonder after this one
they called it quits. Neil Chotem's orchestrations on the first disc are
certainly beautiful but rather uneventful and therefore rather languish and
does not survive well intense repeated listening. Most of the better stuff is
on the first disc and Comme Un Fou and L'Exil are superb. The second disc bears
the same problem as Lamb On Broadway: the inspiration was waning by Side 3 and
you get the feeling that there are fillers. This ambitious project was simply seen as the
crowning achievement for Harmonium and Normandeau who was the second writer in
the group left as the album was nearing completion not able to agree on the
direction of the music. Be careful when you buy this one and the live album to
follow for there are some really poor bootleg copies, Serge Fiori is actually
working on the remastering of these two albums. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - February 04 2012 at 00:08 |
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: February 05 2012 at 06:03 |
|
|
1976 - continued #323 Picchio Dal Pozzo
A review by Finnforest: Italian Canterbury? Picchio dal Pozzo is a very interesting and popular title among jazz fans with a penchant for the avant garde, psych, and Italian flavors. The band from Genova were looking to make sophisticated music with some humor and succeeded amazingly well, drawing comparisons to Robert Wyatt, Hatfield, and Soft Machine but with injections of very strange psychedelic flavors and Italian influence. You can hear the same sort of experimental tendencies that brought forward diverse and crazy works from Pierrot Lunaire, Area, Opus Avantra, and Stormy Six but in the jazz field. The traditional meets the bizarre as these talented players and special guests like Ciro Perrino and Leonardo Lagorio of Celeste deliver an album that should satisfy the most adventurous music fan. Progweed and Gnosis reviewer Greg Northrup calls the band "a refreshing treat to those somewhat burned out on the classic Italian progressive sound, but still willing to mine the depths of the country's scene in search of one last undiscovered gem. Picchio dal Pozzo come from a completely different wing of influences than the typical vaguely orchestral, pastoral, flowery melodicism of many of the country's bands, looking towards jazz, RIO, Frank Zappa, Gong, and especially, Robert Wyatt and the Soft Machine as major influences. Funnily enough, the result is just as beautiful, as angular melodies coexist with fuzzed out guitar, churning horns and soothing, seemingly free form song structures. The tempo is always slow, as sax, piano and otherworldly vocals just float above the mix, creating an exquisite, emotional atmosphere, with just a dash of dissonance, angularity and off-beat sensibility to keep things interesting." [G. Northrup] Beginning with the intricate, layered guitar picking of "Merta" followed by percussion and strange wordless vocals, it is apparent that this is not your father's jazz album. Soon the keyboards are filling in the space with a phased effect. A rather stock jazz beat begins "Cocomelastico" but the horns play notes in an odd leap-frog manner, like in two parallel scales. There's probably a formal term for it that I'm not aware of but it is pretty cool. More odd, absurdist vocals are sprinkled in on top of the relaxing rhythm. "Seppia" is a 10 minute juggernaut that grabs everyone who hears it. No drums early on, just a melding of keys and horns in a gorgeous tapestry. The drums finally come in with a repetitive guitar riff, rather terse sound, while all around it the lunatics are running the asylum with strange howls, moans, and general singing from the straightjacket choir. Somehow it works, assuming you love strange music. Suddenly everything cuts to what sounds like clarinet and xylophone playing some odd quiet melodies alone. Then a guitar loop ushers in these strange spoken children's voices and for a moment I swear I'm listening to Pierrot Lunaire's "Gudrun." The piece ends with simple light and breezy melody followed by the guitar/flute interlude "Bofonchia." Side two begins with "Napier." It opens with a brilliant dissonance of flute followed by strange sax and keyboard murkiness. Enter some piano and more upbeat percussions and things are getting very busy, but the arrangements are well done so the piece remains tasteful. There are a few average vocals but it is mostly heavenly instrumental space jazz. It gets quieter near the end with delicate cymbals and the lightness of e-piano. Nice track. "La Floricoltura" tones down the weirdness (a little bit) and alternates nice instrumental workouts with enthusiastic vocal harmonies. By the end it again slides into madness with a trainwreck of playing. "La Bolla" is more laid back, with gentle horns over rolling piano notes, percussion, and acoustic guitar. A few electric leads pop into the background. As the guitar licks heat up there are some gentle "la la la" vocals laid on top. Finally, we get to "Off' which drops the weirdness again in favor of pastoral piano landscapes with delightful flute on top. Mellow wordless vocals, guitar, and bass come in and all is peaceful with no drumming all the way through. PdP is a great album and recommended title for Italian, Canterbury, and psych-space-jazz fans. The Vinyl Magic CD-067 reissue sounds pretty good but has only a two-page booklet with credits and a brief bio. 324 Tales of Mystery and Imagination - Edgar Allan Poe
A review by Ivan_Melgar_M: "Tales of Mystery and Imagination - Edgar Alan Poe" was not the first Alan Parsons Project album I had the chance to listen to but surely the one that gave me more gratification. For many years I owned Pyramid, which with the passing of time was becoming more simple and less progressive, and I also listened to others like the weak "Eye in the Sky" or "EVE" so my interest in the band was decreasing at an exponential degree. In 1991 I had to make a visit to United States and bought this CD only because there was a special sale, if you bought "Tubular Bells" for $9.99 for an extra cent they offered "Tales of Mystery and Imagination". From the first listen I found this release was something different to what I had ever heard, a very dark and mysterious album with excellent 100% progressive tracks. Something much more serious than anything Alan Parsons Project did later. Alan Parsons is a capable engineer, great musician and a talented composer but it would be unfair to forget that Andrew Powell an incredible conducter is responsible for the perfect orchestral arrangements that play such an important part in almost every APP album. The first track "A Dream Within a Dream" starts with a narration by Orson Welles of an Edgar Allan Poe passage that sets the mood not only for this song but also for all the album; as always his perfect English and educated voice gives extra credibility to whatever he reads. The song, as the track says is oneiric, beginning with a synthesizer solo that builds in crescendo until drums and bass join it in an explosion of power that again starts to fade in order to end the song; a beautiful and haunting opening. "The Raven" is enhanced by the orchestra and the English Chorale brilliantly conducted by Andrew Powel, the vocals are soft and almost hidden behind the instruments and choir. This track has the particularity that Alan Parsons sings some sections using an EMI vocoder, with the company of the correct Leonard Whiting. Without losing the dark atmosphere, "The Tell-Tale Heart" starts faster than all the previous, the breathtaking vocals by the legendary Arthur Brown create the perfect sense of guilt and anguish for the story of a man who is tormented by his obsession with the beat of the heart from a person he killed, correctly complemented by the instruments and music, it's a perfect song for a perfect story. The next track is "The Cask of Amontillado" giving us an example of the style Alan Parsons Project developed with the passing of years, soft vocals by John Miles and Terry Sylvester followed by impressive orchestral sections full of brass instruments and professional choirs. Sadly in later albums he mixed this apotheosis with weaker and pop oriented tunes. "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" is a very strange song, starting dark and obscure and getting confusing as the minutes pass because they mix to many different chords and tunes creating some kind of pleasant chaos. Excellent track that mixes different styles and sounds in a very inventive way, and that's what progressive rock means, challenge the listener even when it's confusing. "La piece de resistance" is "The Fall of the House of the Usher" a 20 minutes instrumental epic divided in five parts: I.- "Prelude": Seven minutes introduction for orchestra and bass that situates the listener in the middle of the scene, the darkness and mystery create an atmosphere of suspense perfect for the doomed house. II.- "Arrival": A haunting track that starts with a frightening baroque organ, immediately followed by a fast keyboard and band, the setting is ready for a Christopher Lee or Boris Karloff movie, simply spectacular. III.- "Intermezzo": A collection of more haunting sounds which take the suspense to its higher point. IV.- "Pavane": is a softer tune mainly played with harp, works as a relief for the supposedly strong ending of the epic. V.- "Fall": The orchestra creates a musical cacophony that is the resemblance of the fall of an old house, not a strong end as anybody should expect for an excellent epic, technically it’s very accurate but musically could have been developed much more. The album is closed with "To One for the Paradise" sung by Terry Sylvester, Erick Woolfson and Alan Parsons who create complex vocal sections with the background by The Westminster City School Boys Choir and Jane Powell, mostly for guitars; a semi acoustic song that softens the dark atmosphere of the whole album, extremely beautiful. It's important to mention Erick Woolfson, assistant producer and impeccable keyboardist, often known as Alan Parsons right hand, without him the album wouldn't have been the same. Absolutely essential release. If you only have this album by Alan Parsons Project, don't worry as it's by far the best and most imaginative, but if you can get I Robot and Pyramid, go for them, as they are also very good albums. Without hesitation I will rate it with 5 stars; it doesn't deserve any less. 325
A review by Mellotron Storm: "Dawn" is an appropriate title to this album, as this was also the start of a new era for ELOY. After their last record "The Power And The Passion" the band broke up, so Frank Bornemann had to hire all new band members. ELOY has so many wonderful album covers, but this is my favourite. The overall feel of this record to me is very spacey and melodic. "Between the Times" is a great song with an amazing beat that flows into "The Sun-Song" a spacey and atmospheric tune. Another highlight is "The Dance In Doubt And Fear" opening with a cool rhythm of drums and guitar that are joined by synths. This song has a great melody and there is the added waves of mellotron that help make this a relaxing and dreamy tune. "Lost!? (introduction)" has the same melody although it does change a little. Some terrific drum work on this one, and more mellotron. "Lost?? (the decision)" opens with organ and synths, and the spacey, floating synths dominate this song. As many have mentioned, Frank's vocals aren't for everyone. They have grown on me, from being a distraction to being ok. The next tune "The Midnight-Flight/The Victory of Mental Force" is uptempo for the most part, in contrast to the following song "Gliding Into Light and Knowledge" a slower spacey piece. Both are really good songs, although the final tune "Le Reveil du Soleil/The Dawn" may be the best on this record. A great melody that finally has some guitar more upfront, and again some fantastic drumming and more wonderful spacey synths. This is an easy record to recommend, especially to those who like psychedelic music. A review by Warthur: As well as being an excellent refinement and consolidation of the sympho-space rock style debuted on The Power and the Passion, Eloy's Dawn also features the band taking that bold step that so many others had before - to wit, incorporating an orchestra into their sound. Whilst many other bands who attempted this in the past mishandled it, the orchestra either stealing the spotlight or not really contributing anything, Eloy is one of the few groups who hit the balance perfectly, the orchestral flourishes adding texture and a certain sense of the majestic to the music without displacing Eloy, who remain at the centre of proceedings. At this point, Eloy were growing more and more with each album, and Dawn in a fine stopover on the way to the Ocean. #326
A review by Warthur: Finch's second album, Beyond Expression, is a wonderful counterpart to Glory of the Inner Force, and continues that album's approach of producing symphonic prog from heavy, Mahavishnu Orchestra influenced instrumental performances. Once again, the band produce a highly technically accomplished album with a level of complexity a cut above what many competitors in the symphonic field were producing at the time. Once again, the sound can best be described as being reminiscent of what might happen if John McLaughlin barged his way into the Emerson, Lake and Palmer lineup and became their lead songwriter. In short, it's another four-star winner from Finch, and if you liked their first album you should definitely consider checking this one out. A review by Sean Trane: 3.5 stars really!!! Finch's second album certainly picked up where its predecessor had left things at, but it might just be that they overeached themselves too. Indeed the group attacked their second album with the idea to go one further than previously, so they only did three tracks for Beyond Expression. Musically the album is tad rockier and a tad less jazzy, so you'll see more Yes-excess rather than Mahavishnu with an unchanged line-up and a cosmic "inner tripes" artwork, the group amounts the typical prog excesses they had just managed to avoid in their previous album. Don't get me wrong, unless you're playing these two albums back to back, this shouldn't be noticeable. So, just three tracks (that's one better than the previous four) and the 20-minutes Passion Condensed (I'd hate to see the size of their passion extended ;o)p))))), the group is definitely keeping Yes in their vision, but in a pompous/bombastic way, ELP is almost in their line of fire, without sounding at all like them. Pure prog galore and yummy yumyum for the fans of such excesses. The flipside is again more of the same, and Scars On The Ego (interesting title) it's now clear that Focus and Mahavishnu are not the focus of attention (unintended pun, but unavoidable too) of the quartet. This track starts slowly and tends to remain mid-tempo, even if Joop's guitar raises the sonic level to 11 in its second half. Van Nimwegen's influences are clearly Jan Akkerman, John McLaughlin and Steve Howe, his style is harder and sometimes this album has got me thinking of Colosseum II's debut album (without vocals), so I guess saying Gary Moore is also a possibility. The closing Beyond The Bizarre is the album highlight with plenty of drama and tempo changes While the album sold still at respectable levels, its clear that BE was simply too close to GOIF, yet not as good either, but this is only noticeable if you compare the two actively. Still definitely worth throwing an ear on it, but remind yourself to pick it back up: it's messy for others and who knows?.. you might still need it again sometime soon. . 327 Parallel World
A review by Mellotron Storm: There are two albums from this band that are absolutely must haves for anyone who is into Krautrock or Psychedelic/Spacerock music. There's this one called "Parallel World", and the other is the only album they put out under their original incarnation called FAR OUT. I prefer the latter for it's killer guitar, while this one is more trippy with plenty of electronics and influence from producer Klause Schulze. "Metempsychosis" opens with the sound of the wind blowing as drums come in and a catchy beat with them. Spacey sounds arrive before 3 minutes. "Entering" is a 16 minute track dominated by spacey sounds. We get some mellotron in this one, and the first 5 minutes are mellow and drifting. Some vocal sounds before we finally get a beat 6 minutes in led by drums and bass. The dreamy sounds continue though, and we get some synths shooting around 10 minutes in. The drumming sounds great after 11 minutes. The song explodes 14 minutes in as cosmic debris is falling everywhere. "Kokoro" is a slow moving song with Japanese vocals, mellotron and spacey sounds. The guitar 3 1/2 minutes in is a highlight as it simply soars as a full sound arrives. Nice. The melancholic melody is back 5 minutes in before the guitar and a powerful soundscape closes out the song in an amazing way. The final track "Parallel World" clocks in at over 30 minutes. This song is a trip filled with spacey sounds, some spoken words, bass, synths, mellotron and drums leading the way. Maybe you have to be into Krautrock and Psychedelic music to appreciate how incredible this song is. It's a ride, just like the picture on the front cover of the album. Easily 4 stars, and I'm sure to many this is a 5 star record. A review by Warthur: This bold and innovative album substantially improves on Far East Family Band's earlier style, presenting a space rock melange unlike nothing previously heard. With parts that sound like Tangerine Dream, other sections which call early Pink Floyd to mind, still more which resemble You-era Gong, and some which sound decades ahead of their time, the band produce an exceptional album which features some fantastic guitar work on the part of Fumio Miya[&*!#]a and Hirohito Fukushima, as well as the talents of no less than two dedicated keyboardists (Masanori Takahashi and Akira Ito), backed up by Fumio here and there when the synths need a little extra power. An excellent achievement. 328
A review by Finnforest: As I was reading up on Goblin preparing to write this review, it is ironic that the first thing I find is this comment from the italianprog.com site: "Goblin represent a rare case of a band that's much more popular among foreign collectors than in Italy, where their name has always been strictly associated to the Dario Argento horror films' soundtracks they've played on, rather than as a real prog band." While that last part is a rather harsh statement it hits home with me because Roller doesn't scratch my Italian itch. This may be a good album in some respects but it sounds rather nondescript and like it could have originated from anywhere. My biggest complaint is that for all of the jamming that is here, from the aimless moments to the spirited ones, the album simply fails to leave any lasting imprint on me emotionally. That in essence is my biggest problem with Roller. It sounds good on paper, it just doesn't inspire me, it never leaves me longing for the next spin. Things start on a high note. The music of "Roller" is pretty good stuff that should please most instrumental prog fans. Impeccably played, vivacious, nicely constructed. The first thing that jumped out at me is the nice big fat bass on the title cut, it just slides and hits that groove that I love being a big fan of actively played bass. The meat of the song features a nice tri-mingle of the lead bass, keys, and electric lead in a pleasant melody. There are lots of water sound effects in the aptly titled "Aquaman" which starts quietly with acoustic guitar and synth. There are lots of nice keyboards on this album, synths, organ, and piano. Halfway through Morante lets rip with a wailing electric guitar solo with keyboard-strings behind. Percussion is played with great care in the background as the acoustic and water sounds return. "Snip-Snap" is a funky little romp but really pretty silly. "Il Risveglio del Serpente" starts with panned cymbal and effects, then lovely piano comes in with acoustic guitar and the track sticks mostly with the solo piano. "Goblin" is another high energy workout like "Roller" and is the other highlight of the album. Great lead guitar fireworks with fat, funky bass and tight drumming. Good synth parts develop in the quieter moments and are allowed some space from the guitars. The ending gets more intense again with even a little drum solo just before the final close. "Dr. Frankenstein" has a diabolical beginning with eerie sounding guitar leads over spooky synths, followed by the snappy bass and drums. The track goes to highlight the good rhythm playing with some wild keyboard work to the foreground but like four of the six tracks it is nothing special. "Roller" does not fully satisfy either as an Italian prog album or as instrumental rock album. It sounds pretty flat compared to the robust regional flairs of its competition from the time, which is why I can relate to the comment from italianprog.com that I led with. From instrumental rock I want more building, emotional playing, whereas in my opinion, Goblin seems to be a collection of parts pasted together that result in a curiosity rather than any well thought-out epics. I think I even prefer the Cherry Five to this album for its undeniable fire-in-the-belly. I am not saying Roller is bad by any means, there are some pretty nice moments in the title track and in Goblin, as well as nice piano in Serpent which garner 3 stars for sure. I'm just saying it doesn't float my boat beyond that point for reasons noted so decide for yourself-lots of folks think this is the cat's meow! The booklet contains a brief history of the band but not much else. Sound is pretty good on the CD MDF 307 reissue. 329
A review by Mellotron Storm: This is GONG? I'm sure a lot of people have said that about this album over the last 30 years. Pierre Moerlen is the leader at this point as many of the originals have gone, including former leader Daevid Allen as well as Steve Hillage. Pierre has brought in Allan Holdsworth on guitar, and Francois Moze (ex- MAGMA) on bass and piano. Moerlen and Holdsworth compose all the songs except for the final track which was created by Moze. This would be the first all-instrumental album by GONG as well as their first jazz/fusion release. The psychedelic music is gone. "Expresso" is jazzy right from the get go. Some tasteful guitar after a minute with light drums, vibes and bass. Great sound with the guitar leading the way for some time. Sax takes over for guitar after 3 minutes. Nice drum work 4 minutes in. Very good tune. "Night Illusion" opens with some heavy guitar from Holdsworth as drums pound it out. A calm comes in quickly with vibes, bass and light drums as guitar is tastefully played. This contrast continues. Another excellent song. "Percolations:Part 1&2" opens with sparse piano, vibes and a spacey mood. Gongs are hit occasionally. The tempo picks up with drums after 2 minutes, but it's brief. As the title suggests the song just sort of percolates slowly. Drums are back after 4 minutes as vibes go wild. The drums gradually take right over until we have a full blown drum solo. It isn't the type of drum solo that makes me roll my eyes either, this is amazing folks! "Shadows Of" has Holdsworth back in the spotlight, although Moerlen is active on the drums. Flute, bass and vibes are all outstanding on this track. Guitar comes in as the tempo picks up 3 minutes in. Man this guy can play the guitar! He just lights it up until 5 minutes in when we get a full band sound. A calm follows then flute, light drums and percussion take over. Some bass joins in and then guitar to end it. Fantastic track! "Esnuria" opens with a catchy beat before some heavy guitar starts to lead the way. Vibes and sax come in. Just a collage of terrific sounds at this point. "Mireilie" is pastoral without much going on really. Liquid sounding keys from Moze with intricate acoustic guitar make this a truly beautiful way to end the album. A must for fans of jazz/fusion. A review by Sean Trane: 3.5 stars really!!!! Before starting the review, this album was apparently released in the US under the name of Expresso, which will explain why the following album will bear the name Expresso II. After the still very GonG-ian Shamal, where the spirit of Daevid was not completely erased yet, as can be seen by constant traits of humour in the instrumental music, Gazeuse is a rather different object, retaining a certain form of rock in their jazz-rock, that they are very much comparable of Canterbury bands like Hatfield, Gilgamesh or National Health. Even though Hillage is gone and replaced by Alan Holdsworth (ex-Nucleus and Soft Machine), the group is now in majority French in its personnel, Howlett being replaced by ex-Magma Francis Moze (also playing keyboards). Gong is now a full-blown jazz-rock outfit, a very percussive one at that with no less than four members playing percussion instruments as disparate as marimbas, congas, drums, glockenspiels, maracas and temple blocks (even leaving a lengthy percussion passage at the end of Night Illusion; thus leaving only Holdsworth (guitars & violin), Malherbe (winds) and Moze (pianos) front the septet with solo instruments. With a stupendous and colourful (dare I even say joyous) artwork, it is a little amazing to notice that the album is so serious: Shamal and Gazeuse should've traded artworks to fit better the musical content. Moze's Kobaian-speaking bass adds a little je-ne-sais-quoi to the music that makes this album quite enjoyable. Holdsworth's heavy guitars often take the group to a Canterburian trail (the future National Health and UK guitarist is clearly blossoming in Gazeuse), and his composition Shadow Of is one of the album's highlights. While Gazeuse has no links whatsoever to the Daevid-ian Gong, it is certainly no less an album, just as worthy but differently, and likely to appeal to a different kind of proghead. 330
A review by Finnforest: Really good Canadian prog....... Pollen were one of those bands that few people ever heard of outside of prog circles, and yet they were very talented. The band were together for several years in the 70s touring with better-known acts and no doubt upstaging them on occasion. Hailing from Quebec, they released only one album in their glory days but man is it something. Despite a somewhat corny album cover, the music contained on their album is sophisticated, beautiful symphonic prog that will delight fans of Ange, Yes, Harmonium, and Genesis. While the vocals are in French and therefore not understandable to me, I read that they cover such diverse topics as urbanization, Catholicism, life from other planets, and our own existences after death. But topics aside, the real story is the well played, lush, prog rock that shines with analog keyboards, great guitar work, and varied percussion. Flutes and vibes also add nice touches to the good melodies. Arrangements are complex and interesting and the mood of the music is fairly upbeat. Their band logo is adorned with the leaf of the marijuana plant perhaps giving the listener the band's "secret handshake" on maximizing the Pollen listening experience in their view. Geefed up or not this is a good one, folks. "Vieux corps de vie d'ange" begins with a Gentle Giant sounding section but thankfully they quickly make their own sound evident. Pollen may have bits and pieces that sound like their heroes but they certainly don't dwell on them. This song wastes little time with foreplay, you are instantly knocked out by fantastic keyboard riffs, great drumming and guitar, and Rivest's emotional vocals. "L'etoile" begins with acoustic guitar picking and volume controlled electric leads and keyboards. The keys get more intense as the drums enter and the whole track is quite satisfying. "L'indien" is quieter starting with acoustic and softer vocal and sounding like Harmonium. A lovely, folksy tune. In the second half there are some keyboards adding a little background and some vocal harmony at the end. "Tout'l temps" is an upbeat rocker with a distinctive repeating keyboard run that seems a bit cheesy but the track will appeal to vintage keyboard fans. "Vivre la mort" sounds like Ange to me with a very showy and extroverted theatrical approach, the band having fun with an upbeat "bouncy" song. Halfway through the drums stop and the tone shifts to a spacey keyboard/guitar solo section that is marvelous. A minute later the drums return and the song builds into a propulsive ending with keys and guitars trading licks. Good stuff. "La femme ailee" begins with beautiful classical guitar soon joined by keyboards that remind me of Pentacle. It's a wistful, eyes to the night sky feeling. Around 3 minutes there is a pause and we hear some wind blowing. The group fades back in again with acoustic and vocal first and then the whole band sweeps back in, in a very majestic almost Styx-like symph-rock sound circa Grand Illusion. Then that section stops and we get a solo organ section before the band returns with a rhythmic riffing part. The final two minutes are simply an exercise in brilliant symphonic climax that will please any fan of the genre, with exciting passages and very thoughtful, crisp playing. I am giving this great re-issue 4.25 stars and recommending it to all prog fans. The booklet contains nice pictures and history along with lyrics in French. You won't be disappointed if you are a fan of the groups I mention above. It's a real shame they didn't remain together for more albums but this release is "the only recorded material available of our incredible adventure" per vocalist Tom Rivest. 331
A review by Sean Trane: Fourth Studio album, Maledetti is an improvement over the absolutely obtuse CRA album and its improvised atonal music, yet it takes as much from that album and "Crac!" whose bright jazz rock was illuminating the peninsula. So using the median between the two conduct line Maledetti is a concept album about "what if" and was packed in an impressive medical gatefold. Besides the wacky opening short Evarorazione, an eccentric Stratos vocal affair, the album starts well enough on the ultra-funky and mega-technical Diforisma Urbano, sounding a bit like Jeff Beck's Wired album, Stratos intervening as if his voice was just another synth (some of the most effective scat I've heard, since you might actually miss them) in this red-hot fusion of molten rocks. Gerontacrazia is one of the weirder tracks on this album at least in its first half, hovering between the dissonant and absolutely mad, then suddenly veering again fusion, (Beck and Hammer seems to be again the influence), but Stratos' vocals ensure that you couldn't mistake them for another band. Scum is very close to free-jazz, often teetering with the dissonant demented line >> this track is probably the closest to their Radiation album, along with the closing and aptly named Caos (second part), which retuirns to Area's maddening free-improv side.Beside a useless but thankfully short Massacro Di Brandeburgo, Giro Rondo reaches another red hot fusion, but it took its time to get there via some excellent and cradual progressions and implacable chord succession. There is an unwelcomed bonus track in the form of a live interview which turns chaotic, as Stratos pushes his provications. A review by Mellotron Storm: After the accessible "Crac!" album, AREA head back into the avant-garde territory of "Caution Radiation Area" with this release. This is not for the faint of heart, but more for those who are adventurous and are looking for a challenge. The subject matter is as usual political and social in nature, but since the lyrics are in Italian I'll just talk about the music. "Evaporazione" is a short intro track where we can hear someone whistling and talking. No music. "Diforisma Urbano" is just a joy to listen to with all those intricate sounds coming and going. Very jazzy. It's hard to even highlight one instrument because they all sound amazing. Then vocals and piano arrive 3 1/2 minutes in. Back again the instrumental work that continues to be incredible. "Gerontocrazia" opens with vocals and percussion.The sax makes some noise, but there really isn't much going on. Then the tempo picks up 3 minutes in as we get some cello then a middle-eastern flavour. This sounds much better. The bass before 4 1/2 minutes is chunky as the soundscape changes to a jazzy motif. Great sound. Vocals return before 6 1/2 minutes as it ends with that middle-eastern vibe. "Scum" is my favourite, it opens with piano as drums join in. Nice bass lines follow. The piano work is fantastic, a little dissonant you might say. The drumming is outstanding. Love this track! Organ 4 1/2 minutes in. A calm before 5 minutes as spoken words come in to the end. "Il Mascacro..." features a string quartet. A short classical piece that is very impressive. "Giro,Giro,Tondo" opens with some strange vocal sounds from Demetrio for 1 1/2 minutes. Then a jazzy, uptempo section takes over. Vocals come in a minute later. The tempo picks up 3 1/2 minutes in. Just a terrific sound as piano, bass and drums astound. It ends in an almost spacey manner. "Caos(Parte Seconde)" is the 9 minute closer. It begins with very bizzare vocal sounds. This is actually very entertaining and funny. Sax is in the background. This is weird even for Demetrio. Avant-garde instrumental sounds follow. Yes, this is experimental folks. Vocal melodies 4 1/2 minutes in. Demetrio sounds likes he's lost it 6 minutes in. Haha. A dissonant horn melody ends it. Very much recommended to avant jazz fans. 332 Los Delirios Del Mariscal
A review by Sean Trane: I hesitate to give it another half star (this would only be honorary anyway) but what a difference compared with their debut. Delerios is definitely more successful, more progressive more grandiose than Crucis. Only four tracks and two aside and every succeding number more impressive than its preceding tracks, this finishes in a really interesting finale giving you the envy to get up and turn over the disc and start again with side 1 - (unfortunately playing the Cd on the label side is always a little deceiving). The first two tracks are really good and sometimes reminds me of Focus and Finch but to me Purple and Rooster are still very present from their debut album. Track three, Pollo Frito (fried chicken) starts like a track from one of my fave albums of all time Caravanserai (Santana's masterpiece) and one can hear this influence throughout this track and Abismo. Then comes probably my favourite Argentinian number (along with Bubu's Cortejo por Un Dia Amarillo), Abismo Terrenal (Earth Abysm) which leaves me rather speechless but not enough as to not review the album. With Crucis, I now close my first delving in South American 70's and early 80's prog (Mia, Bacamarte, Espiritu, Bubu) but I would say that the better group I found is definitely the Chilean group Los Jaivas: they are not always all that prog - they are first and above all a folk group - but when they decided to be lyrical, grandiose, majestic, progressive, they are simply awesome. They also epitomize best South American spirit with that Andean Indian folk-laced- progressive music. A review by Mellotron Storm: You have to love the way these guys play, and on this their second album they give us longer songs with much more instrumental music. I thought the drummer was amazing on their debut, but he really does top that performance on this recording. Lots of long guitar solos as well on this one. More keys but less organ. Jazzier too. "No Me Separen De Mi" is the only track with vocals. Keys then drums lead off as synths then mellow vocals follow (reminding me of an Italian band that slips my mind). Some solid drumming 3 minutes in and a fuller sound comes and goes. "Los Delirios Del Mariscal" opens with barely audible percussion as synths follow. This is such a beautiful piece of music. It builds slowly as drums come in followed by bass, then guitar arrives before 3 minutes. The drums sound incredible. Check out the guitar 6 minutes in. This has to be my favourite song on the album. "Pollo Frito" opens with a nice drum solo as other instruments join in quickly. The tempo and mood changes often. Some good guitar after 2 minutes. Jazzy 3 1/2 minutes in before guitar comes ripping back in.Keys lead the way before guitar dominates again. Back and forth they go. "Abismo Terrenal" opens with light drums before some excellent guitar joins in. The sound becomes fuller. Great melodic sound at this point. Turns jazzy after 2 minutes. Some fast paced guitar 4 1/2 minutes in is so fluid. The guitar really steals the show 6 minutes in for over 3 minutes, then we get a bass solo. Nice. That solo continues (1 1/2 minutes) until almost 10 1/2 minutes in when it's the drummers turn to show his chops. And that he does for a minute then the main melody returns. As I said in my review of their debut, I do prefer it to this one. The more I listen to them both the more that becomes clear to me. Both are excellent though and great examples of some of the best prog that Argentina has to offer. 333 Come in un'ultima cena
A review by Finnforest: No letdown here Banco's first three albums are heralded by prog fans for good reason, they contain some of the finest progressive music out there. This title gets far less attention which is a shame as the usual letdown in quality some bands have after their acclaimed period is not present here. This is a solid RPI title by any definition. This album is in some ways their most accomplished to date, featuring incredible arrangements and wonderful composition. Yes the long epics have been replaced by shorter pieces but they are very engaging. Blending classical and jazz influenced jamming into their usual complex dramatic stew, at first the album can be a bit overwhelming and less accessible. It may not grab you as immediately as the earlier albums, but give it time and it will. Those passionate vocals, the dual keys which merge organ and fantastic piano, and the dynamic guitar playing. It's all there in great abundance. The songs range from the jamming "Il Ragno" to the gorgeous "Il Cose Buono," which features stunningly beautiful flute and classical guitar playing. They even retain some of the mischievous avant sound in "Slogan" though admittedly it is less wild than "Darwin." "La Notte e Piena" treats us to the sweet violin of Angelo Branduardi against light piano and flute, very delicate and emotional. The closing track returns to some of the album's earlier themes tying it up with cohesion. But I was astounded at how well-rounded and satisfying this album was so late in the classic RPI era, when many bands had packed it in already or were releasing lesser works. I only wish I had the Japan mini of this title, as the Virgin issue leaves something to be desired in both sound and packaging. 4 ½ stars. Great album. 334 El Jardín de los Presentes
A review by Mellotron Storm: 4.5 stars. INVISIBLE are from Argentina and they released 3 albums in the seventies before calling it quits. Luis Spinetta was the leader and an incredible talent. He played lead guitar and sang on the first two albums, but on this the final record they brought in this virtuoso to play lead guitar while Luis sang while still adding some guitar. Their first album blew me away and I gave it 4.5 stars, the second was more laid back and just didn't grab me like the debut so I gave it 3 stars. I really put off listening to this one assuming it would be like the last one but how wrong I was. Sure this is laid back for the most part but it's beyond beautiful, just a gorgeous record that deserves 4.5 stars as well. What a talented band! I was reminded of the the Italian greats at times with the amazing vocals and incredible instrumental work. "El Anillo Del Captain Beto" sounds so incredibly good and the Spanish vocals are so moving. The drums beat lightly while the bass throbs and the guitar gently plays. A gorgeous track. "Los Libros De La Buena Memoria" opens with sounds that echo as reserved vocals come in. Some accordion before 3 minutes. A mellow tune. "Alarma Entre Los Angeles" is an instrumental with drums and guitar leading the way early. This one's more dynamic but then it settles in tastefully. Some intricate guitar here as it solos throughout beautifully. "Que Ves El Cielo" is a good track that's laid back with vocals. "Ruido De Magia" is another gorgeous sounding tune with vocals. Tasteful guitar as the bass throbs. The tempo picks up briefly then it turns dreamy. So moving 4 minutes in. "Doscientos Anos" is pastoral with the focus on the vocals. I like the vocal melodies before 3 1/2 minutes. "Nino Condenado" has a good intro, I like the bass and drums. Vocals before 2 minutes. It kicks in after 2 1/2 minutes. Nice. This is the most powerful passage on the album and it returns around 5 1/2 minutes in. What a song! Check out the guitar late. "Las Golondrinas De Plaza De Mayo" has this nice laid back rhythm with vocals. An uplifting track. A must in my opinion for fans of beautiful, melodic music. 335 The Third Reich 'N Roll
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: The Residents - The Third Reich 'N Roll is a strange beast with some insane sections in true Residents style. ‘Swastikas on Parade’ (recorded 1974) fills side one and it is deconstructions of 60s classics the way you have never heard them and may never want to again. It begins with ‘Let's Twist Again’ German style, and segues into a chaotic version of ‘Land of a Thousand Dances’ and Hanky Panky’. Immediately we are deluged with ‘A Horse with No Name’ played simultaneously as ‘Double Shot Of My Baby's Love’. ‘The Letter’ features manic vocals that are hilarious and just a little disconcerting. The perplexing choice of ‘Psychotic Reaction’ while machine gun blasts are heard is a mystery and ‘Little Girl’ has a great dark riff to wrap your ears around. ‘Papa's Got a Brand New Bag’ is a strange one with a German female soprano. ‘Talk Talk (The Music Machine)’ has spacey effects and a low guitar fuzz, with echoed guttural voices and weird keyboard and brass. ‘Telstar/Wipe Out’ has great pounding drums and blowfly synth, and I recognised the ‘Telstar’ tune from the Tornadoes and it was a great piece of nostalgia. ‘Hitler Was A Vegetarian’ (recorded 1975) is side two with more merged non stop 60s nostalgia. ‘Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)’, ‘96 Tears’, and ‘It's My Party’ are destroyed in no time. ‘Light My Fire’ is a very dark version, followed by ‘Ballad of the Green Berets’, ‘Yummy Yummy Yummy’ and ‘Rock Around the Clock/Pushing Too Hard’ which is acid rock at its most demented. ‘Good Lovin'’, ‘Gloria’ and ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ are hardly recognizable but I instantly heard the infamous riff of ‘Sunshine of Your Love’. ‘Hey Jude/Sympathy for the Devil’ make a dark theme with one of the more disturbing melodies given the Residents treatment. I have been compelled to listen to The Residents from the 70s so returning to it years later is a wonderful experience, but this one may turn many off as it is challenging and too weird in places. Definitely worth a listen but I prefer “The Commercial Album” which are original tunes with the ferocious Residents sound. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - February 05 2012 at 06:09 |
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: February 05 2012 at 07:11 |
|
|
1976 - continued
336
A review by Mellotron Storm: I guess you could call
this a transitional album as they would start to make more accessible music
from here on out. There would be a lot more of that found on the next one
"Heavy Weather". Jaco was introduced on this album although he's only
on two tracks, one of which he composed. Alphonso Johnson is still the bass
player at this point although he would leave after this one to join Billy
Cobham and his new musical adventure with George Duke. Chester Thompson of
Zappa fame drums on the last five tracks, although he helps out on the title
track too. I have to say that there are points on this album that I'm almost
dizzy listening to the collage of sounds, it's pure bliss. The fact that there
is some world class percussion on every song helps too. This though is mostly
about Shorter and Zawinul who composed 5 of the 7 tracks. "Black Market"
opens with the sounds of a market as it builds to a pleasant melody. So much
going on after 1 1/2 minutes. Amazing! Love the percussion. The sax and bass
are more prominent after 2 1/2 minutes. As the song draws to a close it settles
down more and more. "Cannon Ball" is dedicated to Zawinul's friend
and alto sax player Julian "Cannonball" Adderley who had just passed
away months before this recording. This is where we hear Jaco for the first
time on this album. This is very relaxing and enjoyable although the keys are
jarring at times early on. Sax after 2 1/2 minutes as the sound gets fuller. Nice
drumming after 3 minutes and then it settles to a calm after 4 minutes. "Gibralter"
opens with the sounds of water and a ship. Sax takes over beautifully. An
explosion of sound before 1 1/2 minutes. The drumming sounds incredible, so
crisp as the bass throbs. The sax is back before 4 minutes. Zawinul is really
fantastic on this song as well as he comes and goes. Check it out 6 minutes in,
so much going on! Shorter is letting it rip after 7 minutes. What a song! "Elegant
People" features percussion that is simply a pleasure to listen to. The
sax and keys after 1 1/2 minutes amaze. "Three Clowns" with the
synths and atmosphere brings to mind the previous album "Mysterious
Traveller". Then a slow sax melody comes in with piano before 2 minutes.
"Barbary Coast" is Jaco's composition. It opens with the sound of a
train going by. Then it's Jaco's prominent bass lines that steal the show. This
one is funky and you gotta love it. Sax and keys are also featured. "Herandnu" is
my favourite track on here and is a Johnson composition. He sure left the band
on a high! This sounds so good! Drums, sax, keys and bass create a fantastic
sound early. A change before 1 1/2 minutes with what sounds like fuzz bass then
the tempo picks up. These guys blow me away on this song. A must have in my
opinion for you jazz fans out there. It's not just the playing it's those
arrangements as well that are so impressive. 337 Olias Of Sunhillow
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: A progressive exploration of the innerverse or
universe or mindverse... Anderson's visionary breakaway from Yes. "Olias of Sunhillow" is the visionary
brainchild of Jon Anderson after a hiatus away from Yes. It is as progressive
as anything from the early Yes years, but of course does not measure up to the
classic band albums. Having said that, this is certainly an impressive solo
effort, streets ahead of those difficult years of Yes' "Union" to
"Talk". Anderson pours out his heart and soul with every track but as
accomplished and virtuosic the music is, the lyrical content is full blown New
Age and this may turn some listeners away. The transcendentalism, Shamanism and
New Age themes explored on Yes albums are given the full treatment here and it
comes across as heavy handed and impenetrable. Anderson's voice may not be for
everyone but I like the way he croons on high falsetto and at least on this
album his voice is not strained. The tension and release of dark and light
shades in the texture of the music makes for some compelling listening. There is a conceptual framework on which each song
hangs, the story though is as opaque or hard to understand as the lyrics
themselves, true to any Yes album of the 70s. I just like the way Anderson
keeps it progressive and doesn't sell out like so many other solo artists from
prog bands. The concept concerns an organic interplanetary craft known as the
Moorglade which is an exploration of the innerverse or universe or mindverse,
whatever you want to call it, of the spheres of mystical revelation. The lyrics
search for meaning of existence and the listener searches for meaning of the
lyrics. It is all very dense and cluttered with symbolism and it will confound,
perhaps even infuriate. The music is the most important thing and it ranges
from incredibly simple and fluent, to intricate and fractured. There are true
moments of beauty, very Yes like or Wakemanesque keyboards. After the opening tracks the style settles into an
odd ambience that can be dreamy or somnambulistically dull depending on your
mood. The extreme slow pace of 'Song Of Search', an instrumental that works as
a transition point, is followed by the quirky synth-soaked 'To The Runner'. The
transmogrification of styles is astounding but it works as points of interest
as the story unfolds. A lot of the music is repetitive, mesmirising and
transient, and yet these moments are counterbalanced by sporadic transfusions
of polyrhythmic keyboards and percussion. Overall, it is an album that will surprise many
listeners familiar to Yes, moreover as a solo album the Yes men were not known
for this type of musicianship, but Anderson has created something very special.
Not everyone will be into the New Aginess or high pitched music, but it still
delivers as a progressive excursion into unchartered musicscapes. It is known
as a cult album among proggers and for good reason; an excellent slice of prog
nevertheless and an astonishing concept album. 338
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: I was totally disappointed with “Phaedra”, so got
this with trepidation. I was actually delighted with this album. It is streets
ahead of “Phaedra” for sheer enjoyable quality. Tangerine Dream's techno ambience and their
influence on experimental music is definitive and of course they were one of
the first to produce music like this. Tangerine Dream are certainly progenitors
of electronic music and glacial landscape music like no other band. Whereas I was
unmoved by most of “Phaedra”, “Stratosfear” is an encapsulating delight. The
title track has a very nice rhythm and jaunty metrical patterns throughout that
are compelling to the ear. All the tracks have a strange ambience and blend
into one journey. ‘3 AM at the Border of the Marsh From Okefenokee’,
try remembering that title, is an intriguing piece that moves in a variety of
directions and never really settles on one time signature. It features bizarre
animal soundwaves that transport us to a deserted neverwhere, perhaps in the
middle of some ancient forest or alien desert. ‘Invisible Limits’ is very long but has awesome
effects and wonderful guitar licks and keyboard motifs. It is quite ethereal
and not one to play at midnight. The music is still difficult to absorb at
times, but this is a nice change in TD's style and is a lot more accessible
then other albums that were very much in the experimental phase. A relaxing journey onto some cosmic glacial planet. A review by Warthur: Recorded shortly after
Edgar Froese produced his solo album Macula Transfer, Stratosfear sees
Tangerine Dream take that album's intriguing mix of synthesised cool and warm
kraut- psych guitar and applied it to a full band setting, with percussion and
flute joining the mix and showing more prominence than they had on a Tangerine
Dream album for some time - particularly on closing track Invisible Limits. The
preceding, more synth-dominated tracks have a cold, stark, spooky quality to
them in keeping with what's expected from this eerie era of Tangerine Dream. As
the last album from this particular lineup, it's a more than excellent swan
song. 339 Aguirre, The Wrath of God
A review by Mellotron Storm: This would be the first
of many soundtracks that Florian would do for Werner Herzog. The movie itself
is apparently very good by the way. Andy Thompson from "Planet
Mellotron" insists that there is no mellotron on this album, what sounds
like mellotron is actually choir organ, something that AMON DUUL II also used. I
have a different track listing than the list on many albums. Florian really
contrasts well the light and dark aspects of music here, as well as taking us
on some experimental adventures. "Aguirre I"
features these heavenly trancendental soundscapes that seem to take us into the
presence of God. Beautiful. "Flote" is a short one minute track of
pan pipe playing from guest Robert Eliscu. "Morgengruss II" is the
only track that Florian didn't compose as Daniel Ficheischer did this one. We
get the sounds of the spinett from Florian and the guitar from Daniel creating
wonder. Lots of light and beauty on this one. "Aguirre II"
opens with thoses choir-like sounds that come in waves. This continues until
the guitar takes over before 3 minutes. Great sound 5 minutes in. "Agnus
Dei" sounds amazing when it kicks in around 30 seconds. I like the guitar
2 minutes in as well. Excellent track. "Vergegenwaertigung" is the
almost 17 minute experimental closing track. This is where it gets dark with no
real melody, just sounds. This is minimilistic to say the least as sounds seem
to float in and out of the darkness. I really like this album a lot. You don't
ususally find the stark contrasts of musical styles that are found on this
recording, especially from POPOL VUH. A review by Warthur: A solid soundtrack album
from Popol Vuh, though I do think that as an album it doesn't hang together as
well as those they composed as an album. With a mixture of music from the film
and off-cuts from around the same era, it's perfectly pleasant, and the title
track is fantastic with its combination of transcendent Mellotron chords and
distorted piping. But at the same time, I think the music here works better in
its original context in the film than as something to listen to separately from
Werner Herzog's gorgeous rainforest imagery. Still, it's a good purchase for
any Popol Vuh fan. 340 Fantasy of Horses
A review by Sean Trane: Wow!! I never start my review with wow. But
apparently this group remains to be discovered by a lot of people, and that
includes me. Talk about unearthing a gem here. Out of nowhere comes from the
underworld this strange band that knows what drama is. As a matter of fact,
some of their music can even be called operatic having not only a string
section but also a moody wind section as well: jazzy feel on those very Spanish
Conquistador dramatic themes. Yes, the music is often grandiose (sometimes
bordering on the cheesy) and being somehow what Days Of Future Past should've
been. Does this sound intriguing? Ya betcha!! These guys are drawing musical
circles around you and they are twiddling with your unstabled brains with their
incredible musical meanders and those orgasmic Mellotrons washes. For their
second album, leader Browning opted for another horn section, and inside the
quartet baritone singer Hoban stepped in to take the keyboards. I am generally not an opera fan (and certainly do
not like the "high culture" snobbery always present at those events),
but here I will not only make an exception, we are in for a real rock opera,
much more than the great Townsend threw at us into his trips and anguishes (go
back to sleep, Rick!!). This music is really classical music fused with rock
and might just be on the best example of fusion ever (even if I repeat the word
cheesy). But the rock parts are hovering between early Crimson with a great
(and much more than that) rhythm section, jazzy Spanish horn section drawing of
Rodriguez-type of Aranjuez Concerto. Just flabbergasting if you let yourself
taken by the waves of the music. The four tracks (two short and two epics) are
gut-wrenching, fascinating, orgasmic, grandiose hair-raising (hear the Farewell
of Dancer, the first epic) and yet flow so easily together to form one gigantic
track. So much that the heavily rhythmic jazz rock of City Night Life simply
does not shock, but actually perfectly and lovingly out-of-place, just like it
was meant to be. Too bad for an excellent drum solo that lasted a minute too
long, though. The title track starts on a slow operatic style but the crescendo
is breathtakingly implacably progressive. Stupendous flutes with the whole
orchestra pushing the oboe and other winds (the trombone gets some superb
underlines), the whole thing resonates a bit like those unique and crazy Finns
of Haikara (their first album really) due to the same Crimson influences but
also Magma's works on choral works and interplay with rock. Stupendous,
incredibly flawlessly played and written, this is nearing perfection although
on the duration, not throughout the whole album, but close enough to be a
masterpiece. Just some 35 minutes-long, this album is easily the
best thing to have come from down under, crushing any other pretenders by far,
even (especially ;-) Sebastian Hardie. A second reissue saw the light of day in
06 (along with the never re-issued debut The Armada) with a 13-min+ bonus
Browning-penned instrumental track Eagle Odyssey, which is not of the same era,
recorded purposely for this album's bonus and entirely symphonic (no group or
rock instruments). However it fits the album so well, that you don't even
notice any difference and most listeners discovering the album now, will most
likely integrate it in the album's oeuvre as if it had been there from the
start. Sibelius and Strauss come to mind, when listening to this piece. I'm not exactly sure how I should take the fact
that this group was never being exposed (not even sure there are that many
collectors who know of the group) and that they are finally getting exposition
some 30 years later. This was obviously not a cheap record to make back then,
so it is hard to understand how this group was never promoted properly. I just
can't believe there are still some incredible albums that are finally getting a
bit of attention some 30 years later (but this is also what keeps this old
geezer up to his progressive obsessions ;-). Because music like this is only
waiting for progheads to love it. One of my shocks this year!!! A review by Finnforest: Sebastian who? If the term Aussie Prog makes you think of
Sebastian Hardie first then you haven't heard Rainbow Theatre. But please do
not make the mistake of judging this album too soon with a low rating as I
might have in my past. "Fantasy of Horses" is the definition of a
grower, an album that could seem unfocused (frenetic as another writer put it)
at first but whose epic beauty comes after many plays have permeated the
"instant gratification layer" of your brain, that unfortunate flaw
most of us have whether we admit it or not. We often want to be blown away by
music right away and if the first 5 plays don't accomplish that there is
disappointment. Good music doesn't always work that way. One's first 5 spins of
this album could certainly seem bewildering, perplexing, or confusing-feelings
that will slowly thereafter morph into a wide proggy grin. Each new play of
"Fantasy of Horses" is a revelation and that staying power is what
makes an album worthy of a high rating. Without a doubt this was one of the
most interesting and exciting discoveries to hit my mailbox in the past year. Overview: The Rainbow Theater
were a large collective of Melbourne musicians assembled in 1973 by composer
and multi-instrumentalist Julian Browning. While they are described as a
"classically influenced jazz rock" by the time of this recording they
list influences like Stravinsky, Wagner, King Crimson, and Mahavishnu
Orchestra. The "Fantasy of Horses" album delivers what sounds like
one long, calculated track with the ambition of "Atom Heart Mother,"
"Lizard," or "The Gates of Delirium." But Rainbow has their
own sound, blending symphonic progressive with burning jazz rock, delicate
melody, orchestral grandeur, and operatic singing. Their first album
"Armada" was issued in 1975 and was followed by local gigs which
created a small but enthusiastic following. It was hardly enough to sustain
such a large group of band members and several began to leave. Undaunted,
Browning would bring in a new brass section, woodwinds, strings, and engineer
Gil Matthews to develop and expand the vision-the results of which were the
band's most memorable achievement. Naturally after the recording of the music
the label balked at the costs of pressing the album and Browning himself had to
put up the cash. The album would be pirated by enthusiasts for decades before
the release of the splendid remastered CD- more on that later. The new album
was an amazingly successful one, yet the shifting musical interest of the times
along with the huge costs associated with touring such a huge group of
musicians left the project unsustainable and the band broke up in early 1977.
After the split Browning studied composition and conducting and indeed did
perform his works over the years. The themes for the album really did originate from
horses. Browning had been reading about the plight of "wild brumbies"
running free in the high plains of South Wales. The inspiration of such natural
beauty at odds with the dangers these animals faced by encroaching human
interest made ample fare for the lyrics and moods of the new album, and the
emotions became metaphorical for the artist's project if not for mankind
itself. Browning would recall; "alright, you've done something
different with the first album so now it's time to come up with a unique
approach, to find a new realm in which to create this piece. I was looking for
a different inspiration. I still think there's nothing else that I've heard
since that's quite like that album" [J. Browning]. My own feeling is that an album like this is exactly
the kind of thing more progressive music fans should be listening to, precisely
because of Browning's adventurous spirit. With the homogenous, commercial
mainstream "prog" albums that come out over the course of the year we
need to sometimes step back and find these kinds of albums that seemed to
transcend the commercial bubble in search of something more meaningful. This is
one of those releases that prove again that commercial success is not a
requisite for artistic triumph. The music of "Fantasy" is grounded by a
superb rhythm section playing with a fusion slant that is frequently diluted by
a cloak of mellotron or organ. Browning handles both keyboards and the
occasional excellent flourish of guitar work. The basic foundation is then
blasted into the stratosphere by the orchestral loveliness of 14 musicians
working together. Brass, strings, and woodwinds provide the beauty and the
constant drama needed to engage the listener and engage you they will! The two long tracks "Dancer" and
"Fantasy of Horses" are simply mind-bending musical adventure that
rarely let up as they weave through multiple sections. In the middle of both
pieces will come the occasional calm interlude that allows one to catch his/her
breath. In these moments may come gentle piano melody or woodwind solo. Another
fascinating aspect is the male operatic vocals of Keith Hoban which are both
formal and dramatic, beautifully woven into the music. While a primarily
instrumental album these vocal sections add so much grandeur and another distinct
avenue for the ideas being expressed. The ending section of "Dancer"
(the story of a young girl's desire to be a ballerina) must be one of prog's
most beautiful moments: cascading soft trumpet and flute calling back and forth
as the bass and mellotron drifts downwards, hit bottom and go back up to
descend again, drum bursts all around but always delicate, the sensation is one
of falling, floating down. Like "Dancer," the 7-part title track
finale is remarkable in its ability to convey the storytelling instrumentally
even if you set aside the vocals. Each part sounds carefully honed to impart
the narrative and I was both moved and fascinated by the balance of emotion and
technique, it was such an important reminder to me that the best music needn't bash
one over the head with volume and note-mongering to connect with the listener.
I only wish I could have seen this "prog opera" in a small playhouse
in Melbourne back in the day. Browning mentioned the possibility of new
material from the group in an interview. I only hope he will assemble the group
for a one-off performance of this album for a DVD release, keeping the rock
element firmly in tact, so that fans can witness this title as it was meant to
be. Press: "The fact is
that this album is one of the best achieved and better constructed Progressive
Operas ever released, especially when it comes to the 2 longer tracks in the
album. The acoustic piano, sometimes close to the works of classical composers
such as Stravinsky and Wagner, is perfectly combined with a thoughtful wind and
metal section, with a rare sense of beauty and perfect interplay. The string
arrangements are thrown in the mix to form an even tighter body of work. The
multi- movement "Dancer" then introduces and adds the classical and
symphonic virtues to that jazzy feel, enthralling the listener in a maze of
combined styles in a not only refreshing but also surprising effect. This
approach is then further explored to perfection in the 16+ minute opus
"Fantasy of Horses," which just lets the listener in a pavlovian
state.yearning for more. Also the duality between the ethereal Oboe, eerie
Piano, and church Organ and the arousing "full band" parts is
exquisitely done. The purest mindblowing 70's sympho prog is entwined with
Magma inventive operatic intrusions and careful detailing, occasional Wutemberg
pseudo-medieval bridges, Ezra Winston symphonic sensibility, Elizabethan
pinches, Jazz Rock attacks, early King Crimson melodic approaches (remember
Epitaph and Talk to the Wind) and jazzier sections (reminding Larks tongue. for
instance) and a very personal sense of musical perfection" [Nuno/Alex Gitlin's
Music Site]. "There are few albums that we
can truly point to as being wholly original, but Rainbow Theatre's second album
would have to qualify. An operating 8 piece rock unit (keyboards, guitar, bass,
drums, trumpet, sax, trombone and flute) accompanied by a string sextet,
"Fantasy of Horses" makes full use of the large palette of
instrumentation available, not to mention that Keith Hoban's vocals are sung in
operatic style. Overall it's a spirited affair, not an academic high-brow run
through, so rockers have much to sink their teeth into. In fact, the drumming
is astounding, and propels the album to great heights of intensity. The four
tracks presented here, including two lengthy multi-part affairs, chock full of
mellotron and high invention, are a progressive rock lovers dream. At least for
those who keep an open mind" [Gnosis2000's Tom Hayes]. Conclusion: A sure thing for
any adventurous progger, "Fantasy" is an album that has proudly
elbowed its way onto "the special shelf" as an essential title. The
2006 Aztec Records reissue is a high quality tri-fold digipak design with a
good Bio in the booklet. Also of great interest is a bonus track that actually
matters! The 13-minute "Eagle Odyssey" is not some crusty old demo
but a recently recorded classical piece that fits very well with the content of
the original album. The mood and ambience of the track enhances and adds value
to the rather short original album making for a fuller listening experience.
Furthermore the CD is remastered by engineer Gil Matthews from the original
master tapes, finally providing this classic with the respectable sound is
deserves. "Fantasy of Horses" would certainly make my list of the
best prog releases of 1976 and would have to be considered a favorite for
greatest Australian prog album. A final point of interest to me was the choices
Browning was making between composing the string arrangements and being the
Mellotron player in the band. How would one decide which choice was most
appropriate in a given section? He touches on the differences in this quote as
well as commenting on the Mellotron versus modern keyboards: "Having
written for string sections in orchestras many times I know they have much more
expansive, diverse and epic qualities than the Mellotron was supposed to
emulate. However, I believe the Mellotron has a warm, romantic and ethereal
quality which makes it quite unique and stand in its own right. The closest
orchestral string writing I can think of is Maurice Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe
where Ravel mutes the strings and they trill together with bowing close to the
fingerboard. Sounds like a Mellotron! The Mellotron's unique quivering sound is
partly produced by the slight unevenness as the tapes move. If a modern
electronic keyboard can imitate this, fine, if not... Long live the
Mellotron!" [Browning to Arlequins' Alberto Nucci & Jessica
Attene]. I believe those last four words are fitting ones
for which to end the review. Thanks to Hugues for championing this title in his
review that caught my eye.
341
A review by Sean Trane: 3.5 stars really!!! Under this Mafiosi title comes one of the better
jazz rock fusion albums from Spain (at least among the few I know), the second
one from this mid to late-70's Catalan band. Gone is their frontman sax and
singer Angel Riba and they are down to your standard prog quartet, but this
hardly seem to stop them, quite the opposite, becoming entirely instrumental. For the most part this album seems to be lost
between Maha's Inner Mounting Flame and Santana's Caravanserai with some KB
coming more from Weather Report and RTF or even Jan Hammer, but this is more
due to the instruments chosen than the actual playing, although some guitars
are a cross of De Lucia and Di Miola on one side and McLaughlin on the other. I
think this sets you with a good idea of the sound of the album, if you want
more get the album, you.....proghead! ;-) The first side is really awesome in musical
execution with some particularly astounding moments where you'd swear Nova (as
well as its prelude) should be on Inner Mounting Flame or on Cobham's Spectrum,
simply because the playing and writing are of the same quality. Acustica, as
its names suggest, is much calmer and tamer (but valid only for the guitar
since there are synths halfway through) although the incredibly high quality is
maintained and the subtle flamenco and Catalan influences appear towards the
very end. The remark that a reviewer has made about the sound quality is
unfortunately correct, although the first side of the record is relatively
spared. Kitflus brings us back to the Mahavishnu world and
the second track and only congas are missing to take us into the Sahara
Caravans of Santana. Flamenca Electrica is an aptly named track but is only
taking the usual formula and adding some Andalusian feeling to it.
Unfortunately, this is where the bad vinyl transfer to Cd gets irritating about
the synth layers (and it gets worse in the following tracks). I assume this
last comment because I cannot possibly conceived this was recorded so on the master
tape and therefore think that they worked from vinyl. The last track is... you
guessed it in 11/8 (which does not mean it was recorded on August 11, you
wisearses). Since this record only exists in CD form under this
version, I knock off almost one star because of the inexcusable sound problems,
which unfortunately does ruin the enjoyment of an otherwise superb record.
Sounds a bit severe? Check it out for yourselves if you do not believe me!!! As
soon as I find the vinyl or a re-issue, I will jump on it. 342
A review by Mellotron Storm: Both the instrumental
work and vocal arrangements bring GENTLE GIANT to mind in a huge way. The big
difference of course is the French female vocals (there are male vocals too).
As impressive as this band plays and sings they do not reach GG's level in
either case in my opinion. Good album, but for me it's not worth 4 stars. Funny
but right from the first listen I could not get into this. Well it has grown on
me but it has stopped. "La Musique
Tourne" sounds great instrumentally, you'd swear it was a GENTLE GIANT tune.
Not a big fan when she starts to sing as it calms down though. The contrasts
continue. "Eclaircie" opens with some good guitar and bass as piano
and drums join in followed by keys. Male and female vocals before 1 1/2 minutes
sounding like GG. It settles a minute later. Synths 3 1/2 minutes in.
"Entre Chien Et Loup" opens with classical guitar followed by flute
then those GG-like dual vocals. I like how intricate this is instrumentally. Vibes
in this one too. "Apostrophe"
is laid back and a bit folksy with that acoustic guitar and flute. It picks up
a minute in with synths. Nice electric guitar before 3 minutes. Piano 4 1/2
minutes in. Excellent track. "Newton Avait Raison" opens with some
synths, guitar and drums. The focus becomes on the vocals though eventually, although
synths are prominent. Not a fan of this one. "L'Age Dort"
is darker with some cello. Male vocals after a minute then flute comes in. Female
vocals before 2 minutes. Themes are repeated. "Tandem" opens with
piano as dual vocals come in. The tempo picks up before a minute. Organ before
3 minutes with guitar to follow as piano continues. It turns spacey late. A review by Sean Trane: Of course, there are a
lot of Gentle Giant influences here and they are not trying to hide them. My
colleague reviewers say that this is a clone, and yes, it is probably one, and
a damn good one at that (even the 70's had their fair share of them). But most
clone bands actually don't reach the height and perfection of their model. This
album would rank as a GG album along with Interview in quality and for the tone
of Octopus. The multi-vocals, harmonies and complex playing are the pinnacle of
what came out from Quebec in those years (from 74 to 79, there was an
incredibly vital prog scene in that province where the rest of Canada seemed
more inclined on hard rock) but as much as this is beautiful, this also lacks
personality and a little soul. Very much worth a spin, though. 343 For You the Old Women
A review by Mellotron Storm: This album has to be a
four star rating. I mean the musicianship is jaw dropping, especially on the
first track. The complex arrangements and playing are very impressive. Yet why
can't I get into this one? The vocals don't do anything for me but they are not
bad at all. The lyrics are of a religious theme, yet they are sort of veiled. Bottom
line is that this should be worth 4 stars but I'm giving it 3.5 stars. "For You The Old
Women" is GENTLE GIANT-like in it's complexity. A whirlwind of sounds
really, that start and stop at will. Some trumpet in this one. I get a chance
to breathe as a calm arrives 3 minutes in. This is pastoral with Hackett-like
guitar and flute. Reserved vocals 4 1/2 minutes in. A fuller sound arrives 6
minutes in with passionate vocals and tasteful guitar. "Conversation With
Personality Giver" features a lot of synths, and it hits the ground
running. I like the guitar before it settles down 1 1/2 minutes in with piano. It
kicks back in around 2 minutes with some good intricate guitar. Vocals 3
minutes in. "Light Of The
Candle" is heavier with vocals.Lots of organ in this one. It settles down
some 3 minutes in. "Number
Six" is an instrumental that opens with some solemn flute as trumpet comes
in. Full sound a minute in. Nice drumming. I like the organ after 2 1/2
minutes. Trumpet is back 4 minutes in. Good song. "For Four" is the
almost 15 minute closing track. I really like the first 3 minutes as piano, flute,
organ and bass really impress. More deep bass after 3 1/2 minutes. Check out
the drum and sinister organ section after 5 minutes. A calm 7 minutes in
continues for 5 minutes. More impressive drumming arrives with the full sound. I
like the piano when it settles down 13 1/2 minutes in, but not the lyrics that
he starts to sing. Something is missing here for me, I've never warmed up to
it. I think most will love this record though. 344
A review by Finnforest: Gong dries out but still excels Gong is a band I always associate with flying
teapots, psychedelics, and general craziness to the th(c)ird degree. With the interim
Shamal line-up lacking the members primarily responsible for the madness, this
album is a complete departure from such antics. The sound is a drier
jazz-fusion one that makes the album cover wonderfully appropriate. Yet it is
not without life or joy, in fact, this is some pretty spicy and inspired stuff
that I will turn to often. The fine production by Floyd's Nick Mason gives
Shamal a sheen that makes it acceptable even to today's picky ears. Shamal consists of 5-9 minute tracks of sometimes
scorching fusion, the product of amazingly proficient playing combined with
discipline and spirit. I'm mystified by those who find the record lifeless or
without direction, I think it works very well--both in terms of overall feel
and individual composition. Atop the base fusion sound are wonderful dressings
of flute and saxophone, violin, and exotic percussions. These sounds send the
songs off to occasional Eastern motifs or Mike Oldfield styled meditations. Highlights are everywhere, from the delightfully
sentimental and plain-hearted vocal that begins "Wingful of Eyes" to
the gorgeous flute works of "Bambooji." The 9-minute closing title
track reminds me a bit of Nucleus with the horn work woven into the fantastic
bass/drums of Howlett and Moerlen--some of these drum fills will drop your jaw.
Guest female vocals in a rhythmic, laid back style provide yet another texture
to interest those who are not necessarily just jazz aficionados, giving the
work a more rounded appeal that many jazz-rock albums possess. Internal conflicts or not, Shamal is an album that
feels remarkably satisfying to me as a casual jazz-rock fan. It provides
exciting playing and enough variations to please a wide swath of progressive
rock fans. I can't imagine Gong fans being disappointed here unless they insist
of the humor/weirdness aspect of the earlier recordings. A bit below 4 stars
but rounded up with enthusiasm. A review by Sean Trane: With Daevid kindly invited to step out, or his
gracious bow-out over with, Gong suddenly realized that they were indeed Gong,
but apparently the madness was missing, especially so that Steve Hillage, his
wife and Tim Blake, the You trio, were also gone. So what's left on Gong???
Outside Didier Bloomdido Malherbe, and to a lesser extent Pierre Moerlen and
Mike Howlett, we've got a brand new group compared to RGI's second tome. And
musically it shows mega tons, as the unit is developing a sold jazz-rock with
moods ranging from atmospheric to mad to reflective, ethnic, furious etc. On
keyboards appear Patrick Lemoine from Ribeiro's Alpes, while Bauer's many tuned
percussions give another twist to the new line-up. Fantastic desert photo
gracing the gatefold. Out of the six tracks, three are sung, somewhat as
capable as Howlett was able to, but obviously vocals and conceptual lyrics are
no concern of the new band. Their jazz-rock is highly haunting, with a tad of
orientalism thrown in, and Gong can be seen as a full blown Canterbury-an
group, sounding like Hatfield, National Health and a few more including
Hillage, even if THE big semi-absent here. Opening on Wingful Of Eyes, where
the Hillages make a quick come back, Shamal makes an awesome reassurance to
fans that if Daevid is gone, Gong remains a first class group although in a
very different field of excellence. While WOE and its follow-up Chandra are
both sung funky jazz-rock, they are not necessarily representative of the rest
of the album. A Bambooji shows us, where Extreme Oriental influence of
Bloomdido lead us in a very complex tune, where Hillage finds his way through
for a short but powerful solo. The flipside returns to a solid jazz-rock where
Howlett's bass plays up Moerlen's awesome drums and Bauer's tuned percussion
instruments in a 100 MPH groove, while Malherbe soars with his sax, but gets a
discreet help from guest (appearing on 4 of 6 tracks) violinist Pinchevski, but
soon digress in an insanely complex prog tirade with crazy time sigs, and then
grotesque carnival music, before reverting to the insane time sigs. Cat In
Clarck's Shoes is a real tour-de-force, but one of many highlights of Shamal.
Mandrake shows a slower pace and a more reflective where Didier's flute and
Mireille's xylo glide on their cloud over a smooth lava rhythm section. The
closing title track is yet another superb track, although the sax and violin
solos (interrupted by chorus lines) are a tiny bit predictable. Difficult to rate such an album in comparison to
Gong's previous oeuvres, but Shamal is easily Gong's best album under the
Moerlen- era (named as such because he will be the only constant member in the
next few albums, before renaming the group to his name in order to accommodate
older members' access to the name), with every new album coming after, although
remaining solidly virtuoso and excellently executed, but also every time a bit
less inspired. But this one is a must for the Moerlen-era. 345 The Strands of the Future
A review by Finnforest: Classic mellow, melodic space symphonic Space rock is one of those terms we throw around
that can mean different things to different people. Some of the bands that fall
under this wide definition can sound pretty different so I'll try to describe
this album for you. Gorgeous, dreamy, near perfect for the narcotic space
crowd. Think about one of the classic spacey tracks everyone knows "Shine
On You Crazy Diamond." Take the pace, mood, and beautiful floating
atmosphere of that song but remove the Floydian vocals. Then add some flute ala
Camel and a healthy dose of French-ness courtesy of Carpe Diem, with just a bit
of Genesis regal presence in the guitar parts. Crunch these together and you
might develop a picture of what Strands sound like. Few vocals, some pleasant
lead guitar, but mostly a deep sea of calming keyboards/spacey electronics that
is consistently on the laid back side. The band may be called "the French Pink
Floyd" by some but truth be told they never got close to that level of
success of course. They were having their own problems with distribution and
promotion but did achieve good success in France and good reviews for this
album. The highlight of the album is the 22 minute title track which arrives on
a cloud of mellotron. Boatloads of electronic wizardry ensue. Soon the band
rises and lays down a fairly dramatic riff while the keys soar into heaven.
That's the first 4 minutes. The next section will introduce some acoustic
guitar and very chilled vocals. There will be a pause in the music for strange
pysch effects and voices to freak out the tripping set. Some of the most
beautiful passages occur in the second part of the song when the keys and
guitar blend together melodies that range from sunny to ominous cloudy. They
even manage to funk it up just a tad around 15 minutes in before the epic ends.
"Flight" is a short and delicious piece
of flute and acoustic guitar. The remaining two tracks will cover similar
ground giving the space fan a consistently high quality 44 minutes. From the
liner notes:"a sound which is characterized by its great
sophistication, complexity, technical and melodic perfection and great strength
and symphonic beauty. With this album Pulsar acquired a reputation as one of
the major French rock groups." One potential problem with the album is the
somewhat dicey sound quality, but you'll need to check it out anyway if you are
a fan of this sort of music. Not quite in essential territory but a good piece
of 1970s France all the same. The Musea issue features the typical nice band
bio with color photos of the band members and a nice display of what I assume
was the inner gatefold art-a very bizarre scene. 346 Octoberon
A review by SouthSideoftheSky: Barclay James Harvest made something of a habit out
of putting at least one real stinker on each album. This time it is Believe in
Me, but Polk Street Rag is closely behind it. The rest, however, is pretty good
this time around! The first three tracks might not seem very impressive on a
first listen, but (like some older Barclay James Harvest songs) they have a
tendency to grow on you. Rock 'n' Roll Star is similar in style to Child Of The
Universe, and even if not quite as good as that song, it is still a decent
song. Suicide? too is a good song. The lyrics stand out this time as being the best
I've heard from Barclay James Harvest - no songs here with 'Jesus' in the
lyrics (like Sweet Jesus from the previous album and Hymn from the follow up);
also no songs with references to other bands (like Titles from the previous
album and Poor Man's Moody Blues from the follow up). But, of course, they just
couldn't avoid writing another song about prostitutes, but you can't have
everything can you? From the lyrical point of view, May Day stands out
as the best of all Barclay James Harvest songs in my opinion. I usually don't
put a lot of focus on the lyrics in my reviews, but some of Barclay James
Harvest's lyrics (on other albums) really put me off, they don't so much on
this album. Musically, Octoberon is more interesting than Time
Honoured Ghosts or Gone To Earth. For example, they use an orchestra on one
track, a choir on another. Certainly, one of the best from the Polydor years
and one of my favourite from Barclay James Harvest overall. A review by Mellotron Storm: This was my first taste
of BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, and while it has always been an enjoyable listen it's
just too light and commercial sounding for my tastes. I'm not sure what they
were thinking with the album cover either. There is some mellotron on 3 tracks
but like the music it's not in my face enough. "The World Goes On"
opens with strummed guitar and reserved vocals as these orchestral sounds come
in. Drums and a fuller sound before 2 minutes and these contrasts continue. "May Day" has
a guitar melody throughout that I like. It settles when the vocals arrive but
the tempo will continue to shift back and forth occasionally. Good song
although I don't like the multi-vocals late. "RA" begins and ends
with orchestral-like sounds. Drums come in and build before it calms right down
with organ, soft vocals and light drums. Some brief guitar after 3 1/2 minutes.
"Rock N Roll Star" is mid-paced and catchy with vocals, drums and
organ standing out. A tasteful guitar solo after 3 1/2 minutes. "Polk Street Rag" features some surprisingly raw guitar throughout. This one's also catchy. "Believe In Me" is another light tune and this one has backing vocals. Too poppy. "Suicide?" is led eventually by strummed guitar and laid back vocals. This is ballad-like until it gets fuller with orchestral sounds. Samples end it. I have to say that this isn't a bad album. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - February 05 2012 at 07:17 |
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: February 06 2012 at 02:32 |
|
|
1976 - continued 347
A review by Warthur: Interview might have a somewhat self-referential concept - the trials and tribulations of the music industry, how very (not) original! - but it's another strong album from Gentle Giant, though I wouldn't put it on the level of its predecessor - there's no tracks on here as moving as His Last Voyage, for example. Still, it's an interesting showcase for the heavier side of the band and on Design they experiment with a few world music sounds, suggesting an intriguing new experimental direction which, in the end, they didn't take. It's a shame really - had they stuck to their guns and not lost their nerve, continuing in the direction outlined on this album, they might have weathered the changes in fashion admirably, but as it is their subsequent studio albums are much more widely-acclaimed than Interview and all that preceded it. A review by Sean Trane: One of the few reasons why GG never really achieved the success that other UK bands did (outside questionable management decision especially regarding the touring) is that they have a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot by irritating/provoking the industry. We had seen this with their relatively tasteless acquisition of their second album on top of having difficult albums on the market. Their eighth album is actually their third concept album after Three Friends and TP&TG, but this one is yet another attack on the music industry by depicting fake interviews by having to answer stupid/horrendously daft questions. This was not really a smart thing to do after the good sales of Free Hand and the absurdly cancelled British tour. To even irate further the press and industry, the "conceptual attack " is not even mean, funny or especially sarcastic but simply slightly sardonic and caustic with the interview bits barely audible, probably irritating the press even more and they chose not to even talk about it! A lot of GG purists consider this album as the first non-classic album, but this is completely unjust, as almost every endearing qualities of the previous albums is here except maybe a real lack of power in the music, as if Green could not have found his usual guitar amp during the recording sessions and used a practice amp with two blown bulbs. The Title track is a perfect example of this, however delightful the songwriting is, something is lacking. One of the surprises is Give It Back that develops into a superb "white" reggae (around that time 10CC had also done the delightful Dreadlock Holiday) that may anger purists but I assure you that it is worthy of a Classic GG album their great percussive sound being perfectly suited for such music genre. Another Show and Empty City being the other faves of mine in this album, the overall feel of the album is leaning a bit towards pop (but GG always had this tendency as Caravan did also), but if I talked of 10CC before it is no coincidence as one could say that a majority of the tracks here, would sound close to a classic album of theirs although they would be on speed when they recorded it. Although still loaded with crazy rhythms and contrapuntal shifts, there is however a subtle shift in direction towards more straightforward songwriting but not anymore than say Three Friends, but believe me this album is still very worthy of them. I happen to like it better than Free Hand. However the following album is an all-together different story, quite mediocre (by GG standards) with just one track that would fit on this album. 348 Symphonic Pictures
A review by Mellotron Storm: This album is very influential to say the least. If you've heard ANGLAGARD's music then listen to this record and I'm sure you will agree that SFF had to be a big influence on their sound. You have two of the band members playing mellotron, moog and clavinet. Frohling plays a self-built double neck Les Paul guitar/Rickenbaker bass combination. Frank Zappa was so enthusiastic about this bands sound that he was willing to produce their first album, but had to drop out to record his own album that was to be recorded at the same time this was to be done. The band ended up with the very capable Dieter Dierks producing their debut album. If you like symphonic music with lots of mellotron you'll love this album. "Too" has over a minute intro of which all I can hear is the mighty mellotron. Just an amazing symphonic passage follows. The best part of the song though starts before 4 minutes. It reminds me of GENESIS and includes guitar and mellotron to incredible results. Great track! "Solution" features mellotron, acoustic guitar and xylophone. A very pleasant song. "Dialog" opens with some intricate drumming as different sounds come and go including mellotron. A melody arrives before 2 1/2 minutes, guitar and loads of mellotron follow. This is amazingly good. The intricate and complex melodies with mellotron again remind me of ANGLAGARD. "Sundrops" features more intricate sounds and check out the melody 2 minutes in. "Pictures" is a side long suite that is the most obvious reminder of what ANGLAGARD would eventually record. Haunting sounds a minute in as the song starts to build to a melody of drums and mellotron. Oh my! Pulsating keys follow. Piano 11 minutes in as the song has settled right down. Waves of mellotron arrive with some piano then coming in. It's building to a full sound 14 minutes in. Amazing! The mellotron here really brings to mind the great ANEKDOTEN. "Symphonic Pictures" has to be one of the best releases of 1976, and it's really a must have for prog lovers everywhere. I am so impressed with this record. 349
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: "Udu Wudu" follows on from a slew of excellent Magma albums and has some more accessible tracks and one outstanding track. There is still the quasi-human Kobaian language that Magma addicts have all come to know and love. However, gone is the uniqueness of the sound and side one is rather mediocre in comparison to the wild inventiveness of previous Magma albums. There are still some excellent passages of jazzy Zeuhl such as 'Troller Tanz' with it's whimsical melody, and Vander's high pitched screeching and the choral voices typical to Magma. 'Zombies' is also a standout track with stunning dissonant jazz overtones and chaotic percussion. Side two features the best track, a side long 18 minute epic, 'De Futura'. The use of high pitched synthesizer on this creates a new Magma sound. There is a uniquely futuristic atmosphere with the added synth tones and it is a welcome change to the album. Vander is a man possessed on percussion and trumpets, sax, flute, and bass compete and battle it out for much of the epic. At one point the instruments drop out and Jannik Top's fuzzy bass solo takes over. It is one of the high points of the album and played aggressively perfectly augmenting the dark atmospheres. The hypnotic groove works well with the percussion and outer limits spacey effects. In conclusion, the one epic track elevates this to a worthwhile listen, but it is not to the level of previous Magma, and less consistent in terms of innovation and musical excellence. Unless you are a bonafide Magma fan, it would be best to begin with one of the other earlier albums as this is not to the usual consistent high quality standard. A review by Warthur: Heralding a change in Magma's sound - brought about, in part, by bassist Jannick Top's greater involvement in songwriting (the album includes his bass-driven epic De Futura). Üdü Ẁüdü sees Magma moving away from the "Klingon opera" of Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh and Kohntarkosz. At points there are hints of the band's early fusion direction, but what is more prominent is a shift towards a sound not unreminiscent of the chamber prog of fellow continental eccentrics Univers Zero. Expanding the definition of what Zeuhl could sound like, this album is a fine refinement and reinvention of the Magma myth. Congratulations, Vander and Top - now, Üdü that Ẁüdü that you do so well! 350 World Record
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: “World Record” is another of the Van der Graaf Generator albums in the Godbluff era and not to the standard of that classic. Perhaps it is being unfair to expect exceptional quality on an album during VDGG's difficult years, but they are capable of brilliance and 'World Record' simply never measures up, the bar is lowered considerably. Certainly 'Wondering' is the set piece that makes this a worthy purchase, a single that is more accessible than the average VDGG track. Hammill's vocal style is as full of conviction as ever with existentialist lyrical power, but the music is sub standard. It begins with the flute driven 'When She Comes' with some inspirational lyrics and a great saxophone motif. The time sig is quirky and fun, but it did not hold my interest as I am so used to with other VDGG tracks. 'Masks' features oboe that is well played and some organ chord stabs are effective. It is a slow track until the guitar riff changes and the melody is reminiscent of other VDGG I have heard. There is nothing new here but this is still a better track than others on this album. 'A Place to Survive' begins with a rhythmic drum beat and a very interesting melody from organ and sax. This is another one of the better tracks with some rasping Hammill vocals and a great instrumental break with scorching blasts of sax and grinding organ. The epic 'Meurglys III' is indulgent and disappointing, and nowhere near the standard of VDGG epics such as 'Plague of Lighthouse Keepers' which is now my favourite, don't miss this one. 'Meurglys III' goes on and on and on and loses its power midway through. Like the back end of a hospital gown, something is missing, and it feels more repetitive filler than a great multi-movement suite. There are moments but as a whole it doesn't hang together. In particular the instrumental section at the end is great VDGG but it is too little too late. The album is satisfactory as far as that goes but there is little on offer here that can be recommended over classic albums such as 'Pawn Hearts', 'H to He...', 'The least we can do...' and 'Godbluff'. However, here it is, take it or leave it, and if you are a completist you will no doubt need to get this, but it is not a good starting point by any means. I can recommend just about any other VDGG over this. It is a shame that the band were lowered down to this level after such a promising start. They are better than good but I am sorry, although I am addicted to these progenitors of prog, I just could not get into 'World Record'. A review by Warthur: A transitional album for Van der Graaf Generator, this one, with Hammill's electric guitar playing more of a presence than on any previous album (the album's longest track, Meurglys III, is even named after his guitar!) and his personal issues seep through into the lyrics to an occasionally uncomfortable extent. Recorded extremely soon after Still Life - to the point where the band don't really seem to have had time to nail down the tracks to the extent they usually would - the album was of course completed in the midst of the events that Hammill would later explore overtly on his solo album Over, and the lyrics to songs like Masks suggest a certain amount of personal turmoil. This would be the last VdGG album until Present to feature the classic lineup, Banton and Jackson leaving after its completion, and I have to say that it's probably a good thing the band got that shakeup when it did - although it's still an album I have a lot of time for, I have to confess that those who are not as much of a VdGG fan as I am may find it significantly less than essential. Aside from the transitional nature of the album, the production has sounded rather off on all the versions I've heard (Guy Evans' drum sound is particularly thin), and there's a sense of fatigue about the music which suggests that the punishing recording and touring schedule that VdGG had adopted from Godbluff onwards had taken its toll. Still, though the reconvened VdGG didn't burn all that long, you can't say it didn't burn brightly. 351 The Roaring Silence
A review by SouthSideoftheSky: The Roaring Earth (Band) I really like this album! I think it is the best and most progressive one from Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The Roaring Silence is a very consistent album, all the songs fits very well together to constitute a unified whole; the songs are all very well written (Blinded By the Light is a cover of a Bruce Springsteen song, but - as always with the Earth Band - it is very different from the original). The vocals of Chris Thompson are very good and in some moments remind me of Bono from U2. The keyboards are great and very distinctively Mann, the guitar work is very good and the drums and bass are also good; nothing to complain about here! The album is also very well recorded and produced and it has a great sound. Overall, the guitar and keyboard solos are all valid and relevant and never meandering and directionless as on some earlier Earth Band albums; they are focused and fit well into the context of the songs. The solos have never been so well integrated within the songs an Earth Band album before. Still, the instrumental parts of this album play a very large role as opposed to on some later albums. The keyboards are varied with electric piano, grand piano and synthesizers playing large roles in the sound. The electric pianos have the same sound as on Supertramp's albums. Blinded By The Light needs no introduction, I think. The second song, Singing The Dolphin Through, is the one I like the least on the album. It features good guitar work and good vocals, but it is a bit too long. It could easily have been shortened by a couple of minutes. It ends with a rather wild sax solo. However, it doesn't distract too much from my overall enjoyment of this album. Is this song a cover song by the way? I don't know. It is credited to someone named Heron. Questions is the first really great song of the album. It features grand piano and very melodious guitar solos. Being a bit of a (semi-) ballad, this song is a bit untypical of the Earth Band, I would say. The great Road To Babylon is as symphonic as Manfred Mann's Earth Band ever got - it features a female choir to great effect! Starbird also has great vocal harmonies that remind me of Gentle Giant, but more down to earth. This Side Of Paradise features keyboards that has the typical Neo Prog sound. Some parts of Waiter, There Is A Yawn In My Ear remind me of Refugee (a short-lived band with Patrick Moraz and some former members of The Nice). Yet other parts of this song are more in the Jazz-Rock vein. You could say that this last song of the album is the Los Endos of The Roaring Silence (Los Endos is the instrumental that closes Genesis' brilliant album A Trick Of The Tale). Apparantly, however, Waiter, There Is A Yawn In My Ear was not the last track on the original release. But I think the album runs better with this song as its closer. Highly recommended! 352
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Jeff Beck is certainly an accomplished guitarist
and is famous for his jazz rock style and incredible dexterity on the guitar
making him one of the most popular axe men of all time. On "Wired"
Beck works alongside the likes of The Beatles legendary George Martin producing
the album to an excellent standard. He is joined by bassist Wilbur Bascomb. Max
Middleton is wonderful on clavinet, Rhodes piano, and keyboards. There are
multiple drumming prowess by Jan Hammer, Richard Bailey, Ed Greene and Narada
Michael Walden. The album features some of Beck's most beloved tracks played
live on many occasions. Beck is a very prolific artist having played in
many bands and with some of the legends of rock over the year. He has played
alongside the likes of Led Zeppelin guitar hero Jimmy Page in The Yardbirds; in
fact Beck appeared in cult movie classic "Blow Up" in the scene where
The Yardbirds played live in a sleazy pub and Beck systematically destroyed his
axe. Beck also played with members of Vanilla Fudge and Cactus, Tim Bogert, and
Carmine Appice, and even with drummer extraordinaire Cozy Powell in The Jeff
Beck Group II. Beck has occasionally appeared on various artist's albums as a
guest guitarist such as on Stevie Wonder's "Talking Book", Mick
Jagger's "The Boss", and Stanley Clarke's "Journey To Love".
On his solo albums Beck uses all his experience and skill to produce
unforgettable compositions that focus on nimble fingered guitar skills and
atmospheric blues meets jazz. One such song that has become a definitive Beck
classic is 'Led Boots' with bass augmented by low Moog synthesizer. Beck is
magnificent on guitar and blazes with some searing riffs. 'Come Dancing' is
more funky and has a free form blues guitar solo passage. 'Goodbye Pork Pie
Hat' is a cover version of jazz virtuoso Charlie Mingus and has slow phrases
and incredible string bends, helped by tremelo arm trademark work and soulful
guitar licks on the Gibson Les Paul. 'Head For Backstage Pass' with a loud drum
and Bascomb's bass solo figure gives Beck a chance to let rip with improv
playing and technical fret work. The Fender Rhodes piano played by Max
Middleton has a great sound. Side two begins with 'Blue Wind' that features
powerful percussion by Hammer, and is a true fan favourite of Beck's lengthy
repertoire. The synth and guitar trade off beautifully competing for the
spotlight and it rocks hard with an electrifying atmosphere. 'Sophie' is a
melodic piece with rhythmic tempo, tremelo bar guitar notes and sweet clavinet
embellishments. 'Play With Me' is a sensational track with Hammer and Beck
amusingly enjoying the rhythmic time sigs playing along with each other
sporadically. The MiniMoog sound is always a welcome addition to the music.
'Love Is Green' is a melancholy gentle piece that ebbs and flows with acoustic
and piano beauty. Both "Blow By Blow" and "Wired"
are essential Beck albums and both deserve recognition among jazz fusion and
guitar instrumental artists. Beck's style may be considered close to that of
Steve Hackett or Andy Latimer in the fact that he focuses on a melodic style
and rather than fret melting speedy arpeggios, Beck aims for the emotions and
touches the soul with his excellent guitar work. 353
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: A relaxing journey into the cosmic universe. I always loved this album and it was the only vinyl Jean Michel Jarre album I purchased in my teen years. I think I was drawn to it primariily when the Part 2 music was used so well for Australian film “Gallipolli”. The laser bolt effects and powerful melody is unforgettable, I played this part over and over along with Part 4. I also remember that Part 4 music was used for various sports themes on TV, especially boating shows or sailing footage. It works very well as a background to these images. It takes a while to really take off and I find myself a little disconcerted with the opening section but once we get to part 2 it is an incredible soundscape. The spacey textures generated by Moog synthesizer, mellophonium, and Mellotron are phenomenal. I had never heard anything like it. The final part is way darker than I was used to and it haunted me all those years ago. I was also drawn in by the compelling cover image of a world half eaten away revealing the rotting skull beneath. This music had an indelible impact on me as I was into Gary Numan and Kraftwerk at the time among other electronic artists. It is a pleasure to revisit this music and it is ultimately a relaxing pleasant voyage into spacey consciousness. It is undoubtedly a masterpiece that put the name of Jean Michel Jarre into the public sphere and nothing else he did came close to this perfection, though “Equinoxe” is also one of his best albums. A review by Sean Trane: This is not Jean-Michel Jarre's first album but actually the third but the first in this kind of Electronics Music. Groundbreaking (much like Oldfield, Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Brian Eno) at the time of release with the following Equinoxe (also great) JMJ seemed a little late on the ball but nevertheless broke it big especially with Oxygene 4 hitting the radios worldwide! No doubt his success was helped with the stunning sleeve artwork and the first traces of ecology (one of the lasting heritage of hippydom). Although the music has not aged that well (well there is definitely more), JMJ's legacy to art will be remembered mostly for his one-of-a-kind concerts, as he conceptualizes "l'Art ephemere". If his music may not last centuries, but he will be remembered and this album is historically important. BTW, JMJ is the son of French jazz writer Jarre. 354
A review by SouthSideoftheSky: A Hurdy Gurdy Man in space? This second solo album by Steve Hillage is quite different from his first. In my opinion, this is by far the better one of these two. While Fish Rising lacked direction, L is a much more focused effort. The songs are much stronger and it also features very interesting and varied instrumentation. After having seen the Blackmore's Night DVD Paris Moon, I now know what a hurdy gurdy looks like. The hurdy gurdy is a very old instrument associated with the renaissance period (I think). It is hardly an instrument associated with the Space Rock with which we associate Steve Hillage. Yet, we will hear the hurdy gurdy here on the introduction to the Donovan cover Hurdy Gurdy Man. Yes, Hillage covers Donovan here! I have never heard the original version of this song but I strongly suspect that this one is very different from the original, especially with the nine minute coda Hurdy Gurdy Glissando added. Much like Manfred Mann's Earth Band made covers of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen songs that were radically different and much more elaborated compared to their original versions. The ethnic and Folk influences continues on the Indian influenced Om Nama Shivaya. Is this Indo- Prog/Raga Rock? There are several exotic instruments also featured on this album, some of which I have no idea what they look like and some, like the tabla - an Indian instrument - that I have seen in real life. These ethnic instruments create a warm and organic sound, absent on the rather cold Fish Rising. Put side by side with electric guitars and spacy synthesisers, this makes for an overall rich and varied sound. This is indeed what Folk music might sound like when made up in space! (It's just a matter of time before that happens). Lunar Music(k) Suite is the track that remind the most of the style of Fish Rising and it is also the least good song here in my opinion. And it is certainly not as good as the Solar Music Suite, the unique great track on Fish Rising. The opening of the track really catches my interest, but it very soon drifts away and doesn't quite hold up for eleven minutes. The album closes with another cover song, this time a George Harrison composition. The drum sound on this song is absolutely awful! It sounds like they're banging on garbage cans with baseball bats or something similar. Apart from that it is a really fun version with a short but effective keyboard solo that sounds like a plastic trumpet. The fact that this album has two covers and a couple of grey areas where there is very little of interest going on, preclude this album from being great. Nonetheless it is quite enjoyable and not ordinary. Probably Steve Hillage's best solo album. 355
A review by Mellotron Storm: This would be the first album that Klause used the big moog, it would also be his first multi-track recording. So yeah the sound is improved but I wouldn't say this is better than "Timewind" or "Picture Music". WALLENSTEIN's drummer Harald Grosskopf wrote Klause a note after hearing his "Picture Music" album, saying he would really like to drum on one of his future albums. Klause didn't respond right away, but when he felt he could work with a drummer he asked him and Harald obliged. They actually recorded this album in one night! "Floating" opens with some spoken words. Rumours are that it's the Lord's Prayer in Latin. Spacey sounds build to a very spacey soundscape 4 minutes in. Pulsating sounds join in after 5 minutes and build. The spacey soundscape dies after 8 1/2 minutes but the pulsating sounds continue and get louder as they're joined by drums. The sound gets fuller as it changes and evolves the rest of the way. Cool track. "Mindphaser" opens with the sounds of waves gently splashing over and over. Synths join in before 2 minutes as thunder can be heard. It sounds like high pitched female vocal melodies after 3 minutes. The thunder continues to crash until it stops along with the waves. Those high pitched sounds continue until a complete change 12 minutes in. Farfisa organ and drums take over. Nice. Synths eventually join in. Check out the drumming! The spacey sounds become more prominant. Pulsating organ 18 minutes in. The waves from earlier are back to end it. A solid 4 star album again from Klause. 356
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Rainbow rising over 70s metal. One of the great Rainbow albums with fantastic musicianship throughout. Dio is in wonderful form along with the incredible drumming of Cozy Powell and the definitive fret melting lead work of Blackmore. He is fantastic on songs such as 'Tarot Woman' and 'Stargazer'. He uses a slide on the mid tempo 'Run With the Wolf' to great effect. There are so many highlights including the brilliant 'Starstruck' with great classic lyrics such as "it used to be a game now I can't repeat my name at all, She seems to believe that I never can refuse her call, She wants a souvenir, To everyone it's clear, She's hooked, one look, She wants a photograph, And everybody laughs, But not me, 'cause I see, She's creeping like a hungry cat, Seen it before and I know it can mean that, the ladie's starstruck..." This is a wonderful song that always stayed with me from a young man to present day. 'Stargazer' is a symphonic classic including a terrific drum intro and killer riff, awesome lead break and a melody that lingers in the brain; "We built a tower of stone, With our flesh and bone, Just to see him fly, Don't know why, Now where do we go". Another treasure is the rocking fast paced 'A Light in the Black', "I'm coming home...", with amazing synth solo, and there is so much more on this album. This is one to buy if you see it, especially on vinyl with that iconic album cover. A review by Sean Trane: 4.5 stars really!!!! It did not take long for Blackmore to start building his dream group by keeping the awesome-voiced Dio and by firing the rest of the old Elf group (which certainly deserved a better treatment from Blackmood), and bringing in one of the best hard rock drummer in the business, the mercenary Cozy Powell. Powell's sound and powerful, inventive and dramatic playing will be the main ingredient that was to build Rainbow's legend. With those three "beasts" in the band, it was difficult for the other two to find their spaces, with Bain just being apt and Tony Carey as a supporting KB to the group (his soloing in concert was simply very poor, and he would get fired soon, albeit Tony learned from his mistakes as he is still around nowadays), but this album is one of the best in its category and graced with one of the most phantasmagoric artworks ever. This second album is one of the most emblematic of 70's hard rock/heavy Metal from the 7O's and certainly one of my faves, even if it was quite short. From the start of the synth intro of the outstanding Tarot Woman to the enthralling Run With The Wolf and implacable Starstruck, the first side is simply flawless until the last track, which appears to be a throwaway track: the awful but thankfully short Do You Close Your Eyes. This is rather un-understandably the most often played track live, often used as an encore where Blackmore destroyed his guitar. Anyway, the trio of opening track is one of the best trilogies of the genre and all three could've made major airplay (with Tarot Woman without the intro). The second side is made of two long tracks, the first of which Stargazer is Rainbow's major achievement and the apex in dramatic singing. Dio's voice rises and soars (like he was capable until his stint with Sabbath later on) while Blackmore’s descending riff and Powell's power drumming are over-powering. There is a slight Arabic feeling pervading throughout the track and this adds to the grandeur of it. The second track pales a bit in comparison, but A Light In The Black does conclude capably a very excellent album even it is a bit repetitive especially given its length. Had Kill The King been added to the album track list (and thus shortening ALITB), this album would've been a perfect affair. Surely one of the most endearing albums of the 70's, I don't know any proghead that does not like this opus, and I must say that Rainbow's apex came unfortunately too soon, as I wish they'd duplicated the formula on this album. A review by SouthSideoftheSky: Consider that illusive rainbow (almost) caught! Rising is clearly more adventurous and progressive compared to Rainbow's promising, but slightly immature, debut album. We have here a new line up of the band featuring in addition to masters Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio also one of the best drummers of all time in Cozy Powell. I would say that Rainbow Rising is the definitive achievement of these three amazing musical talents. (Yes, I think this is better than any Deep Purple album!) The remaining two band members Jimmy Bain (on bass) and Tony Carrey (on keyboards) also do an excellent job here. The keyboards, which are dominated by swirling synthesizers rather than the Hammond organ we are used to in Blackmore's previous band, gives this album a very fresh and timeless sound and the keys sound particularly good on Tarot Woman and Light In The Black. The former starts with a very captivating synthesizer, slowly building up the melody until, the drums, guitars and bass kicks into the main riff of the song. Truly amazing opening! Light In Black features one of those very rare moments of total musical bliss. At 3:41 into the track an excellent, melodic, very structured guitar part, then some more improvised, wild soloing; then at 5:42 the excellent part is repeated, this time doubled on Moog synthesizer. all accompanied by Cozy's thunderous drumming. This part is pure musical ecstasy for me (up there with Rick Wakeman's Moog solo at the end of Starship Trooper from the Yessongs live album!). I always play this part of song at least twice every time I listen to the album. The symphonic Stargazer is also a fantastic song and an instant Rainbow classic. The remaining songs, however, even if very good too, are fairly straightforward Hard Rock songs that would not be out of place on the two Deep Purple albums made just prior to Ritchie leaving to form Rainbow. On the down side, Rising is a bit less varied and diverse than the band's debut album. There are no real ballads to speak of this time like the beautiful Catch The Rainbow or the wonderful, folky Temple Of The King both from the debut. I cannot help thinking that they could have made a masterpiece album had they taken the best tracks from the debut and put them together with the best tracks from the present album to make a single cohesive and varied album (preferably, with the drum and keyboard sound of Rising); keeping the fantastic (and very progressive) Tarot Woman, Stargazer and Light In The Black and replacing the remaining three tracks with Catch The Rainbow, Temple Of The King, Man On the Silver Mountain and Sixteenth Century Greensleeves from the debut. This "fantasy" album, had it been a reality, would most probably have gotten the full five star rating from me and be one of my most highly regarded albums of all time! However, as it now stands, Rising is a timeless, strongly Prog Related Hard Rock classic and an excellent addition to any Prog music collection, fully deserving four solid stars. Very highly recommended! 357 - live
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Rush's first live album is a definitive record of all that is great about the power trio. It features stunning performances of ‘Bastille Day’, ‘Anthem’, ‘Fly By Night / In The Mood’ and ‘Something For Nothing’, among others. The band perform some of their earlier material and for this reason it is worth getting hold of this album in particular to hear the best versions of tracks from the debut album. It also boasts a full blown prog fest epic in the form of ‘2112’, running for almost 16 minutes. A version of ‘Working Man’ merged with ‘Finding My Way’ is a gem and also the unbeatable ‘Bytor and the Snow Dog’, featuring killer guitar solo. The concert is not long, at least what has been recorded here and on DVD, but it is still a shining treasure of the classic live Rush, with each member at their best, Geddy's vocals reach those high octave notes with ease, Peart is full of energy, and Lifeson's guitar work is sensational. There are many other live Rush albums, the best being the 3 CD "Different Stages" but this is still a terrific taste of the prog legends in full flight. A review by Sean Trane: If you listen well, you can hear me yelling my guts out and going nuts at this concert, as I was thirteen and this was one of my first concerts. I had seen them before in my high school, but this concert, every young Torontonian fan knew would be a cornerstone as they were coming back home after much success in the States. If I remember well, we knew that this concert would be recorded as a live album and we all gave our best! As for the track selection, it is a fitting recap of their first four albums, pulling the best tracks from each one. It is no wonder the chose not to play their two Caress Of Steel epics - although I seem to remember they did one of them (this is almost 30 years later) that night, but they probably chose not to select it for space reasons. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - February 06 2012 at 07:43 |
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: February 15 2012 at 03:02 |
|
|
1977
358
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Pigs Might Fly, Impossible and Preposterous, but
Pink Floyd Makes It A Reality "Animal Farm" by George Orwell states,
"all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”. Pink Floyd
were inspired by the thematic content of the novel, an anthropomorphic socio
political saga of looking at the world differently; perhaps politically it only
applies to the politics of the day, however this biting satire could apply to
the politics of today. In Water's conceptualisation in this world you are
either a pig, a sheep or a dog. Dogs are the corporate predators that have a no
compromise attitude, are devilishly cunning and run in packs with survival at
the top of their highest priority. 'Dogs' is the best track on
this album taking up almost the entire side one of the vinyl at about 17
minutes, it has some of the most searing guitar that David Gilmour has played
in his career. The lead solos are highly emotive ranging from soft, gentle and
mellow to frenetic and aggressive. The lyrics are poetic and absolutely
encapsulating, "I gotta admit that I'm a little bit confused. Sometimes it
seems to me as if I'm just being used. Gotta stay awake, gotta try and shake
off this creeping malaise. If I don't stand my own ground, how can I find my
way out of this maze?". It is a mesmirising song, with melancholy vocals
and exciting synthesiser from Wright, some of his best material is captured on
this album, which could be viewed as almost a paean to his genius; RIP Richard. The album is bookended by 'Pigs On The
Wing' which has a memorable Waters vocal and soft acoustics. The pigs
on this concept album are of course the tyrannical moralists who are motivated
by power, that corrupts absolutely as usual, and they have the ability to go to
the top of the hierarchical ladder despite who they tread on to get there, but
it's lonely at the top. They are focused to impose their estranged worldview on
the other animals. The story is one of corruption with all its negativity, and
deception, that will ultimately drag the antagonist to their doom. The tracks
are best heard as part of the whole rather than as separate entities, they work
well as bookends, and I count them as part of the lengthy tracks that require
these short pieces to make sense. Moving on to other pigs, there are three different
ones that are visualised in the surreal 11:30 track that has some very nice
melodies, and mordant lyrics; "Hey you, Whitehouse, Ha ha, charade you
are. You house proud town mouse, Ha ha, charade you are, You're trying to keep
our feelings off the street. You're nearly a real treat, All tight lips and
cold feet, And do you feel abused?" Of course this was Waters’ attack on
Mary Whitehouse, self confessed moralist of the British public who had
committed some onslaught on Pink Floyd for their stage antics and lyrical
nature. Waters' literally spat at a fan on the “DSOTM” tour which made
headlines and of course led to the inspiration of "The Wall" stage
show where a giant wall between the band and the audience was erected.
Interestingly enough, much of the music on "Animals" was already
written and performed on the “DSOTM” tour; 'Dogs' was known
as 'You Gotta Be Crazy' and 'Sheep' was
actually titled 'Raving and Drooling'. I am kind of glad they
changed those titles. So who are the three different pigs on ‘Pigs
(three different ones)?’ It is no secret among Floydians that pig 1
was the business pig, the lying, cheating, thieving fat suit that deceives
their way to the top of the business rung; pig 2 is the politician, Thatcher at
the time, who had already, along with Whitehouse, copped a heap from UK TV on
"The Goodies"; and pig 3 was Mary Whitehouse, as has been mentioned,
who was scared witless that the British public were being perverted. The concept was further enhanced with the
iconography of the album, the enigmatic pig flying above the smoke stacks of
Battersea Power Station became an image of the band never to be forgotten. Pink
Floyd literally got a pig to fly when the ropes gave way and the pig sailed in
to the heavens; perhaps a fitting tribute to the band bucking against the pigs
of the music industry that were jumping on the punk band wagon. The fatalistic concept always works for Pink Floyd
as it echoes the bleak psychedelic music, but there is a real sense on
"Animals" of a ray of hope, the way Gilmour plays with those
uplifting chords and melodic notes, Wright's soaring keyboard swoops, Waters'
pulsating bass, and Mason's exceptional percussion embellishments; you could
not get better than the virtuoso genius of this lineup. However, I always felt
that "Animals" was one of the darkest Pink Floyd adventures primarily
due to 'Sheep'. There is a section on this track that disturbs me
everytime and it is the part where a very doomy synth is heard and a voice over
narration. It is almost subliminal but if you listen closely you can hear a
parody of The Lord's Prayer with a nasty twist; "With bright knives He
releaseth my soul. He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places. He converteth
me to lamb cutlets, For lo, He hath great power, and great hunger..." The
sheep are the passive followers, docile and innocent, the common man, headed
for the slaughterhouse to be chopped into little pieces (reminiscent of 'One
of These Days'), exploited by the dogs and pigs. The exploitation continues
until the sheep rebel and rise up against the oppressors only to be exploited
again, a vicious cycle. In a sense, Pink Floyd themselves. The sheep in the
novel gain a consciousness when they see the corruption of the rich
corporations, and they rebel, as Pink Floyd rebelled against the trash music of
the late 70s by producing stunning music like this. Of course the irony is the
communists could never do such a thing or they would be slaughtered too, and
Pink Floyd are well aware of these ironies, even making fun of themselves,
after the incredible success of "DSOTM" and "WYWH". They
had to face these corporations who wanted a piece of them too. The band had
already touched on this theme on "WYWH" especially, 'Have A
Cigar' The 'communist' record companies wanted the band to conform to
the music of the day; they refused and the result was "Animals". To conclude, every part of this album is equally
important to the rest. The music is lengthy, complex and houses a framework of
some of Waters’ most scathing attacks on the music business and politics. When
I first heard this on vinyl as a teen I just did not get it. I was confused by
the high concept, the visuals puzzled me, and it is nothing like
"DSOTM" at all, or "WYWH", except it was sandwiched in
between "WYWH” and “The Wall" as a transition to both, and I think a
lot of us were expecting something akin to the previous masterpieces, which it
is not. However, I listen to this today and it jolts me every time. The concept
is Orwellian, the music is psych and symphonic prog, the vocals are exquisite,
and this album paved the way for the grand concept masterpiece of "The
Wall". A review by Ivan_Melgar_M: Pink Floyd was always a solid band that maintained
their classical sound and style even in the hardest moments when they lost key
members like Syd Barret and Roger Waters or when all the rest of the progressive
bands considered they had to start a radical change in order to survive. "Animals" is proof of this regularity,
released in 1977 when the first peak of Prog Rock was in the past and bands as
Genesis and Yes were starting to mix some radio friendly tracks with their
usual music and beginning to flirt with pop, but Pink Floyd released a
semi-conceptual album much more complex than the two previous masterpieces,
like trying to show the path to the rest of the prog' bands. Even the length of the tracks (three 10 minutes +
songs) was unexpected for the end of the 70's when all the bands were trying to
make shorter tracks that could fit the radio requirements. Based on Orwell's Animal Farm, even when it’s not
an adaptation, "Animals" is a very obscure album in a year when all
the bands tried to be simpler and lighter. This great release would never be a
financial success as "Dark Side of the Moon" or considered an Icon as
"Wish You Were Here", but IMHO it has the same quality of the ones
mentioned and the last real masterpiece by Pink Floyd. Some months ago I was talking about
"Animals" with a friend and he told me that this release showed a
more developed Pink Floyd, a phrase with which didn't agree in that moment.
It's clear “Animals” has many more clear references to British Psychedelia than
any album after “Atom Heart Mother” and in many parts reminiscent of “Wish You
Were Here”, even when the band manages to create something original and
extremely creative. But after some days and a couple more listens I started
to agree more with my friend that "Animals" has some of the typical
aggressiveness of Punk Rock; they needed to change in order to survive but they
did it with respect for their history and fans. "Pigs on the Wing" is a beautiful semi
acoustic track by Roger Waters, but the soft music has a great contrast with
the pain expressed in the lyrics, it's clear that Roger was taking the band on
starting to express with more freedom of his political point of view. "Dogs" is the central track of the album,
a 17 minutes epic that resumes Pink Floyd’s career, great guitar solos by David
Gilmour, incredible vocals by him and Roger and of course intelligent lyrics.
The constant changes are soft, not as radical as other progressive bands
before, but they manage to include something of each musical moment in the
history of Pink Floyd. One of the best tracks ever released by the band. "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" is a hard
track more in a Rock vein; the lyrics are absolutely aggressive and political.
I can hear clear psychedelic references in the song. If you think the lyrics of the previous tracks are
controversial, then the ones in "Sheep" could be considered almost
offensive and anti religious, the masses are described as weak followers always
afraid of everything and spend their lives eating and surviving in order to
have a chance to grow old. Roger's bass is outstanding and Rick is also
brilliant with the keys. The guitar section near the end is simply amazing. "Pigs on the Wing Part Two" sounds almost
exactly as part one, but the lyrics express a bit more optimism or at least are
less depressing than the first one. "Animals" is probably the last album
released by Pink Floyd that can achieve the status of masterpiece, even when
the decline in this band was less evident than in most of the other members of
the big 5 group. I can't give less than 5 stars to this wonderful
album. A review by SouthSideoftheSky: Animals is in my opinion the first true Prog rock album Pink
Floyd ever did. Meddle only had one really progressive song and Dark Side Of
The Moon and Wish You Were Here were still quite Psychedelic albums, rarely
breaking away from traditional song structures. And also subsequent albums like
The Wall had a more New Wave-ish sound to my ears. David Gilmour is great on this album, as is Richard Wright. This
is really a band effort despite the fact that Waters wrote almost all the
material. A favourite moment is the guitar solos towards the end of Dogs with
the keyboards and acoustic guitars backing up. It sounds great! Much ink has been spilt on this album so I will not say very
much. Great concept, great music - in my opinion the best Pink Floyd album (at
least until the excellent Division Bell) Excellent addition to your Prog collection. A review by Conor Fynes: This could be said to be my favourite Pink Floyd album. The
Orwellian concept behind it is very interesting, and a great starting-off point
to write a masterpiece. The guitars in 'Animals' really shine through, more so
than on any other Pink Floyd record. The album consists of three epics, and an
acoustic piece split into two parts. The structure of the album really adds to
it's togetherness. After a pleasant acoustic section, the longest epic 'Dogs'
sets in, which is generally a depressing piece, but very well done. Theres some
very nice soloing from David Gilmour in this piece, and the lyrics (which tell
of the plight of the dog, who is always trying to go through life aggressively
and claw his way to the top) are some of the most poignant Pink Floyd's ever
done. The album's concept revolves around three animals (Dogs, Pigs
and Sheep) which are used as character stocks to describe different types of
people in the world. There are the Dogs, aggressive and paranoid. There are
also the Pigs, who are manipulative and intelligent, and finally the Sheep, who
are the 'followers' and docile ones. While it borrows a lot from Orwell's
'Animal Farm,' the concept is expanded to a great musical depth, and sparks an
originality of it's own. Next, after 'Dogs' is 'Pigs (Three Different Ones)' which is
actually the only song on the album which was written specificially for the
album. The other tracks were made out of existing material that hadn't been
used yet. Of the three epics, 'Pigs' stands as being my least enjoyed. I'm not
quite sure, but I think it might be the vocal delivery by Roger Waters, which
I'm not really a fan of. Next is 'Sheep,' which is my favourite piece on the album. The
production of the song is very cool (having the sustained vocal notes changing
into electronic noise etc) despite a rather weak middle part, the end more than
makes up for it in it's sheer intensity. There is a great Stratocaster sound in
the end, as the album reaches it's pinnacle climax. As the album ends, the listener is treated to a recap of the
acoustic 'Pigs On The Wing' which is more or less identical to the first part.
This is a really fantastic album, and my most listened-to release of Pink
Floyd. Total brilliance! 359
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: "All that musicality, all the intricacies, all
the power from just three guys": Thin Lizzy's Scott Gorham. “A Farewell to Kings” is the first album I
purchased of Rush and I knew instantly I would be building up a collection of
Rush albums as they are masters of heavy prog, like nothing I have ever heard.
The three piece trio of power sizzle on this album from the opening track to
the awesome last track. Only 6 tracks but each one is an instant classic. The album begins with the title track that heralds
the instantly recognizable Rush sound. Alex Lifeson's jangly, jagged guitar
riffs and Geddy Lee's high soprano and pounding bass, complimented by Neil
Peart's erratic drums. This is Rush at their best. 'Xanadu' is the longest track clocking in at some
11 minutes and is a representation of a quieter contemplative Rush that has
moments of blazing fury, and ripping lead guitar. The lyrics are based on
Coleridge's classic (in the same way that Iron Maiden's 'Rime of the Ancient
Mariner' is based on a Coleridge poem). It is pomp-rock with an edge of humour
interlaced within it's structure. The percussion is way off the scale for inventive
genius utilising such favourites as the vibraslap, temple blocks and bell trees
amongst others. It's pure prog bliss. 'Closer to the Heart' is the most accessible and as
such was the single off the album that has been played ad infinitum live in concert,
captured beautifully on the live masterpiece 'Different Stages'. 'Cinderella
Man' is the more forgettable track on the album but has some nice moments. 'Madrigal'
is a short 2 ½ minute blast that prepares us for the epic to follow. 'Cygnus X-1' is one of the reasons I bought this
because I had read it was one of the best Rush tracks. I was not disappointed.
It begins with a voice narration that transports us into a space fantasy as we
are about to embark on an exhilarating but terrifying journey into the abyss: a
black hole - the Cygnus X-1. It's a hard rock excursion into the unknown and
ranks as one of the best of Rush's stratospheric moments, as we travel through
the void we are treated to memorable guitar riffs, and scintillating
existentialist sci-fi drama. In conclusion, this album is a heavy prog
masterpiece. It is a mighty model of bombastic rock power and highly listenable
inventiveness. A review by SouthSideoftheSky: You say goodbye, I say hello! As I pointed out in my review of the previous 2112
album, Rush started out as a highly derivative and generic Blues Rock/Hard Rock
band heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin but gradually incorporated progressive
elements and structures into their music. 1976's 2112 album was the start of
their classic period that peaked with 1978's Hemispheres and continued until
Moving Pictures in 1981. But while the side-long, multi-part title-track of
2112 was the first truly progressive piece by Rush, the rest of that album was
still a little bit backward-looking. A Farewell To Kings was the first full
album of progressive rock by Rush and what a great album it is. For me
personally, A Farewell To Kings is rivalled only by Hemispheres. Synthesisers were taking a larger role in the sound
of the band and here they blend wonderfully with the electric guitars, bass,
drums and vocals and especially with the acoustic guitars. I
love the unusually strong acoustic dimension of this album, a side of the band
that would not be very prominent on future albums. There is a very nice balance
between ballads and rockers and there are no weak points whatsoever. While only
Closer To The Heart remains a mainstay in the band's set list to the present
day, every track here is a true Rush classic. Xanadu is one of my all-time
favourite songs and Cygnus X-1 is the first part of Hemispheres. The next step in the band's evolution would be to
add an almost Jazz-Rock/Fusion dimension to their sound with tracks like La
Villa Strangiato from the next album. A Farewell To Kings, while highly
progressive, is still rooted in Rock 'N' Roll somehow. They would reach perfection with their next album,
but they are very close to their peak already here and this one is also
absolutely essential A review by Warthur: Having saved their careers with 2112, and noting
the appreciative reaction to that album's ambitious prog epic on side 1, Rush
increased the prog rock influence on their formula on this album. In terms of
lyrics and themes, this is almost like Caress of Steel Take Two - it's still
rooted in sci-fi and fantasy with objectivist ideology poking its head up here
and there (though not so obnoxiously that you can't look past it if you're not
a Rand fan). The big difference is in the compositions; not only
had Rush clearly advanced as musicians by this point (Geddy Lee's bass work in
Madrigal and Cygnus X-1, in particular, is pretty damn amazing), but their
songwriting had also matured. On preceding albums, songs were either
comparatively short or of absolutely epic length, with comparatively few
in-between; this time around, they show much more willingness to compose songs
of moderate length, and only stretch out to the ten minute and beyond mark if
they really have enough ideas to fill that much time. With an infectious amount of energy and enthusiasm
for the songs here - Rush know that they are playing unabashedly geeky material
here, and they are absolutely cool with that - Rush deliver a performance which
takes their music to the next level. With strident declarations of intent,
acoustic romanticism, and foreboding black hole rhythms all in the mix, this is
also one of the most varied Rush albums of their early career. The first Rush
disc which is a flat-out great album from beginning to end, Farewell to Kings
is a must for anyone interested in fusions of metal and progressive rock. 360
A review by SouthSideoftheSky: Elegant indeed! While I'm normally not a big fan of
Jazz-Rock/Fusion, I tend to love Al Di Meola's music. Together with Return To
Forever's Romantic Warrior and Di Meola's own Casino, Elegant Gypsy is my
favourite album in the Jazz-Rock/Fusion category. These three albums are
similar in several ways. The most obvious similarity is, of course, the amazing
guitar work of Di Meola himself. Another similarity is that the keyboards,
drums and basses are all played with enormous skill and feeling, and they are
all completely instrumental albums. Many people will inevitably think that this music
is too technical and is only a way for the musicians to show off. That might be
true of many albums in the Jazz-Rock/Fusion genre and perhaps some of Di
Meola's other albums, but I don't think it applies to Elegant Gypsy or the
other albums I mentioned above. The music is often highly complex yet somehow
very melodic and accessible. A difference between Return To Forever and Di
Meola's solo works is that there are more acoustic guitars in his solo work.
Mediterranean Sundance is a Flamenco inspired piece with simply awe-inspiring
acoustic guitar playing. As I said, I'm not at all an expert on
Jazz-Rock/Fusion, but I immediately liked this music. The problem I usually
have with Jazz-Rock/Fusion is that it leans too close to Jazz and contains too
little Rock influences and that the emphasis is on technical skills rather than
melody and feeling. Elegant Gypsy is not just Jazz played with Rock instruments,
it is rather a genuine fusion of Jazz, (Prog) Rock, Flamenco
and Latin influences. In fact, this album leans more towards Latin music than
Jazz, I would say. Elegant Gypsy is an excellent addition to any Prog
collection and a great place to start investigating the Jazz-Rock/Fusion genre. A review by Mellotron Storm: Man, this guy is so fast
and yet so smooth! "Flight Over Rio" is my favourite from this
record, especially the 90 second intro where Jan Hammer's synth work is
incredible. There is some scorching guitar 3 minutes in, and check out DiMeola
and Hammer trading solos! The song ends as it began. Nice. "Midnight
Tango" is a change of pace, as it is a jazzy tune with some great
percussion towards the end. "Mediterranean
Sundance" has a Spanish flavour to Al's guitar playing that is fast and
intricate. Some great leads! "Race with devil on Spanish highway"
features some light speed guitar playing from DiMeola that is contrasted with
his almost soaring melodies. Great tune! "Lady of Rome Sister of Brazil"
is a short acoustic song. "Elegant Gypsy
Suite" features some cool percussion and great bass playing, while the
guitar melodies 5 minutes in shine. Easily 4 stars. Again, I'm so impressed at
how smooth DiMeola's playing is when he's playing so fast. It's like he has the
ability to slow it all down in his mind, it seems so effortless on his part. Amazing!
And he has surrounded himself with some very talented musicians. Highly
recommended. A review by dreadpirateroberts: Another fantastic fusion album with a strong
Latin feel. 361
A review by Mellotron Storm: Some thoughts in the
liner notes from Klause : "...I wanted to do something completely
different with "Mirage" and exclusively work with sound layers. This
is somewhat the same as what I had done with "Irrlicht" back in 1972.
With both records I had the idea to create a more abstract music in order to
show in which direction my music could move in the future. The basic idea was
to create an electronic winter landscape. Now here I must also add that at that
time my brother was dying, and I was in a very sombre mood which I think is
reflected on "Mirage". The record also reflects themes such as Ice
Age, Winter, stagnation, and death. But that didn't really become clear to me
until later because I had never made a record with a concept in mind
beforehand. I would usually just start with a track and then let it develop out
of itself. It's like writing a diary, you always write how you felt at that
particular time. Looking back today I can absolutely tell you that every one of
my albums mirrors how I felt then, and what I had in mind": Klause Schulze
November 2004. "Velvet
Voyage" has some of the greatest moments in Klause's discography. This is
dark, cold and spacey. It gets quite
eerie and tense 4 1/2 minutes in. The intensity and fear breaks after 6 1/2
minutes. This is an amazing soundscape. Unbelieveable. The haunting mood
continues though and that hopeless feeling starts to return after 10 minutes. The
cold sounds are just sweeping across the icy soundscape. It sounds so lonely
here. After 13 minutes we get what sounds like light keys playing repetively
while the solar winds continue to gust. Another sound joins in that could be
farfisa organ. The last 2 minutes are very heavenly as it seems to fade into
nothingness. "Crystal Lake"
opens with a cool synth melody, more synths arrive 3 minutes in. It gets even
fuller 9 minutes in. The original synth melody stops 14 1/2 minutes in as waves
of sound take over. It becomes haunting 16 minutes in and continues that way
until the sound becomes intense as other synths join in around 24 minutes. It
builds to a chaotic sound 28 minutes in until it ends. This is one of my faves
from Schulze, especially those dark, haunting soundscapes that appear on both
tracks. Brilliant. A review by Warthur: After test driving his
cool, sleek, proto-cyberpunk sound on Moondawn and the Body Love albums, Klaus
Schulze presented an absolutely perfect album in this style with the magnificent
Mirage. Relying almost completely on analogue synths, Klaus creates a
futuristic atmosphere in which the creepy undertones of Cyborg are substituted
for a more relaxing and calming mood. Raising the bar for electronic music yet
again, with this album Klaus opened up a lead between himself and Tangerine
Dream, who had previously been neck-and-neck with him when it came to
pioneering this particular strand of electronic music - it's simply better than
Tangerine Dream's material from around this point of time by a fair way. A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: The music of Klaus Schulze slowly grew on me with an avid interest in Kraut and electronica. I was introduced to his inimitable style with "Mirage" and what an introduction, laced with a tapestry of analogue synth; a dance of Farfisa, Moog and Mellotron. There are a sequenced suite of movements in the piece; '1984 / Aeronef/ Eclipse / Evasion / Lucid Interspace / Destinati'. The icy cold glacial soundscapes are hypnotising and calming to the senses. The celestial beauty of solar winds blowing over icy planets is an image that is conjured by this mesmirising ambience. Far more intriguing and compelling than Tangerine Dream, the music howls through the mind and creates dense atmospheres of haunting dreamy cognizance. As the opener 'Velvet Voyage' builds in intensity I felt drawn into the music like a starship caught in the gravitational pull of a black hole. The lush synthetic beauty is intoxicating and I felt some strong emotions; the serenity and peace of daydreams encapsulates, and I can only shake my head in awe and wipe away a tear as the music envelops my world. The howling at the end fades into oblivion and we are left in the stillness of silence. After such a powerful opening I was looking forward to a different feel on side two. The masterful ambience continues with 'Crystal Lake' on the flipside of the vinyl. This one is also lengthy taking up the full vinyl side and is presented in a suite of stages; 'Xylotones/Chromewaves/Willow Dreams/Liquid Mirrors/Springdance & A Biento'. At the opening crystalline snowflakes fall from out of a solar star streaked sky. The music locks into a rhythm of chimes and tubular bells. Finally a synth bass sound drops into the frame and the rhythm changes into a new hypnotic melody. I like the way it changes key so patiently several times. At 14:22 the droplets of synth fade out and we are left with bass heavy synths and spacey ambience. The album is dripping with analogue sounds, a ballet of electronic soundwaves. The layers of abstract keyboard waves are an effective sound to conjure images of wintery icecaps looming amidst sleet sheets raining down on glacial mountains. At this point in the album I am transfixed by the splendour of layers of synth, and dark atmospheres. Vangelis, Tangerine Dream and Jean Michel Jarre spring to mind but Schulze has a density to the soundscape that is superior to my ears. He does not go for swathes of synth variation but focuses on a theme and melody and then operates around this as a framework to build a thick intensity. At 20 minutes in there is an organic liquid sound of lush Moog flourishes. Towards the end a bell chiming sound vibrates over the mellotron dance and captivates in its crystalline passages. This 70s album is surely the pinnacle of the genius of Klaus Schulze. 362
A review by Warthur: Another confident space
rock symphony from Eloy, continuing the direction taken in The Power and the
Passion and Dawn. This time around the sci-fi Atlantean concept (predating
Pallas' The Sentinel to the tune of around half a decade or so!) is the perfect
springboard for the band's extended electric workouts. With Detlev Schmidtchen's
keyboards at centre stage, the band attain a pulsing, driving sound which
captivates right up to the apocalyptic destruction of Atlantis. Although the
album does bog down a bit in places - in particular, the spoken word narration
just doesn't work - it's still another great entry in the Eloy discography. A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: "Ocean" is the most revered and famous album from Eloy and close to the best the band has produced, but for me the best album is "Floating" which is also a masterpiece of prog. "Ocean" is certainly an adventurous album with an over emphasis on Frank Bornemann's strained vocals and an over indulgence of the incoherent concept and narrations which is not necessarily a good thing, but it works for the most part. The band are at their best when they take off into full blown keyboard and guitar solos and there are plenty on offer here. This album relies heavily on atmospherics and symphonic soundscapes and is wonderful headphone music. There are only 4 songs but they all feature incredible musicianship and a heavy concept that has something to do with the lost city of Atlantis and Poseidon's power with the divine Logos. The story focuses on the rise and fall of the great mythical city of Atlantis, depicting its creation and its destruction. It throws in the dawn of civilisation, and how it became corrupted by greed, power and lust and finally after the gods had taken all they could take, they proceed to destroy the city to rubble on June 5th 8498 at 13 pm. "Atlantis was the island's name, greatest treasury of all times, human eyes didn't ever see the same, silver and gold, fertile hills, woodlands and plains, it was situated in front of the strait they call "The Columns of Herakles", Kleito was the daughter's name, a princely virgin of clearness and love, so Poseidon fell in love with her and built a shrine on the mountains above surrounded by a golden wall and inside he placed his holy law." The first track is the wonderful 'Poseidon's Creation' that takes off immediately with the narrations and symphonic sounds. After a gentle intro the Hammond blasts in and a rhythm builds in to the main riff. Bornemann's guitar soloing is stellar and it is layered over with another solo blending together perfectly. The bassline is fabulous from Klaus-Peter Matziol and the keyboard skills of Detlev Schmidtchen are superb. The track really gets going at about 8 minutes when the band go into full flight in an instrumental of musical genius. This is an excellent uplifting start to this album. "The act of uppermost magic has begun, Impulses working on and on, Movement here and there, Vibrations Move The Atmosphere! Transcendental forces penetrate The planet we call Earth, and all spheres of the universe All the elements burst!" 'Incarnation of the Logos' drifts in with effortless keyboarding from Schmidtchen and compelling musical textures helped by Matziol's bass and Jürgen Rosenthal's percussion. There are loads of spoken dialogue scattered on here but Bornemann sounds pleasant on vocals. The mellotron soaked background music builds eventually into some dynamic metrics, especially the bassline. At about 3:50 the rhythmic pulse quickens and it becomes majestic and I particularly like the melody line. This one grew on me over time and became another of my favourites. The next vocal section is a mediocre point of the album but the synth laden melody saves it. "From the upper sea of the setting sun, you submit all mankind to toe the line, To toe your line, You commit your frightful arms against the palaces and treasures of our mind, Our innocent mind, That's why you should remember, The duty that's required by your life, Or is it true that you did surrender, Your only possibility to survive?" My favourite track is 'Decay of Logos; with terrific singing and a powerful structure of melodic themes and soloing. The main melody is well executed and again grows on me with every listen. Indeed side 2 of the album is even better than the first side which is excellent in its own right. "A mind power made the rocks sink, And by this power the mass of stones will surface again, Legends kept the secret of their wisdom, And soon it will all be revealed, soon it all will be revealed, 1983, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88." 'Atlantis' Agony At June 5th - 8498, 13 p.m. Gregorian Earthtime' begins with a lengthy passage of 'tron and voice over and then a tolling bell that builds into a stormy spacescape. The band are at their most inventive here, and do not hold back on the atmospherics and effects. The synth dominates in the opening passage, until about 8 minutes when drums and Bornemann's vocals chime in. He sounds great here and the rhythm is steady with some inventive drumming patterns and pulsing bass. There is a divine twin keyboard solo that takes things to another level. The section at 13 minutes is fantastic music, with a spacey nuance and swathes of mellotron. Overall this album is a magnificent slice of space rock featuring an awesome display of musicianship. I can see how the overbearing narrations and concept may not appeal to all, but for 1977 this one stands out well above the rest. It is definitely well worth checking out as an example of one of the best and proggiest from the amazing extensive discography of Eloy. 363 Songs From The Wood
A review by Ivan_Melgar_M: Always found "Jethro Tull" a difficult
band to catalogue, are they progressive Rock, folk/prog, Celtic/prog
Fusion/blues/prog? Not even Ian Anderson dares to answer this question and he
often makes jokes about this categorization. But in the case of "Songs
from the Wood", the answer is easier, they have clear folk, pastoral and
progressive influences due to the fact that Ian had moved to the countryside
shortly before. The years had passed and Tull's style had evolved
from being a complex blues band to one of the most influential progressive
bands (even if Ian doesn't admit this), "Thick as a Brick" became a
prog' icon and one of the most respected conceptual works, but with "Songs
from the Wood" they landed in a less complex and ambitious ground,
returning to shorter tracks as in their early years but with a different
feeling. "Songs From the Wood" is an extremely
beautiful album and one of the best balanced records ever released, there's not
a track that can be considered the most representative of this album, but every
single song is very good and almost in the same level, there's not a single
filler. The title track starts with an amazingly low toned
chorus that introduces the listener to a pastoral atmosphere, a great
introduction for Ian's characteristic voice, the constant of this song are the
contrast and changes in timing, with an outstanding guitar work by Martin Barre
and a strong bass by John Glascock this song is absolutely brilliant. "Jack in the Green" gives Ian the chance
to prove he's not only a charismatic frontman but also a complete multi
instrumentalist, he dares to play all the instruments as Mike Oldfield and
Vangelis did before him but with the extra merit that he's also a great
vocalist. "Cup of Wonder" is a very rhythmic and
happy tune, starts with the classic flute by Ian and is properly supported by
all the band, especially by a precise piano played by John Evans or David
Palmer, not sure about that because both are credited in the album. "Hunting Girl" is a track where no Tull
member takes the lead, everyone is absolutely accurate, it's beauty must be
credited to a solid band work, each instrument fits perfectly and everything is
exactly in it's place. A harder song but good for all tastes "Ring Out Solstice Bells" is a very
elegant song where the sacred Christian world blends with the Celtic spirit,
based in early English British folk melodies, and works perfectly in the
"Jethro Tull Christmas Album" released a year ago. "Velvet Green" starts absolutely Medieval
reminding me of other Celtic bands as Steeleye Span, even when Ian's voice is
so unique. The complex vocal work is the higher point of this wonderful track
along with the Renaissance sounding keyboards. There's something in "The Whistler" that
always makes me believe that nothing can be wrong and that the world is
alright, a catchy tune also influenced by Celtic music, the flute work is
simply delightful especially because it is ultra high and makes a nice contrast
with Ian's low toned voice. "The Whistler" proves that great songs
don't always need more than 3:30 minutes to be unforgettable. "Pibroch (Cap In Hand)" must be credited
to Martin Barre's heavy guitar sections, and probably is the most challenging
track of the album, not only because of it's length but also because it breaks
the basic atmosphere of the record. Not my favorite track but surely is a
complex and ultra progressive song that flirts with hard rock. "Fire At Midnight" is the closer of the
album, a short song that returns the listener to the countryside that Ian
Anderson loves so much, mostly a good vocal work with acoustic guitar and
almost sure with lute to complete the scene. Not a 5 stars Jethro Tull album, I believe this
honor is only reserved for "Thick as a Brick", but well deserves 4
stars for the solid band work and the amazing personality of Ian Anderson
playing the style where he seems more comfortable. I strongly suggest
"Songs from the Wood" to every Tull fan. A review by SouthSideoftheSky: Join the chorus if you can, it'll make of you an
honest man Songs From The Wood was an improvement over the
previous Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll, Too Young To Die, but it is not as good as
the two albums that came after it, Heavy Horses and Stormwatch, in my opinion.
As much as I love Jethro Tull and this album, I cannot help but to feel that
this album is a bit overrated in relation to several other Jethro Tull albums.
I have always found Songs From The Wood to be a bit too cheerful and
"whimsical". Indeed, it reminds me of Gentle Giant (which is not a
bad thing, though) sometimes, especially on the title track with its complex a
cappella vocals. I also think that the material here - though very
strong for the most part - is certainly not among Ian's very best. The longest
track Pibroch (Cap In Hand) with its over eight minutes tend to drag slightly
and you get a bit tired of it before it is over. I also think that Ring Out,
Solstice Bells is slightly out of place here since it is something of a
Christmas song, or is it? The rest of the album is very good, as I said, but I
have always preferred Heavy Horses and Stormwatch over Songs From The Wood.
While those later albums bring me to exciting places, Songs From The Wood tends
to bring me to the same forest where the hare lost his spectacles. And that is
not my favourite place to be! The sound on most songs here are less Hard Rock than
those later albums I mentioned, but also compared with earlier efforts like
Minstrel In The Gallery or Thick As A Brick. A very good but somewhat overrated album, still an
excellent addition to any Jethro Tull collection with several essential songs 364
A review by Ivan_Melgar_M: When I started to listen to progressive rock in a
serious way back in 1976, I used to feel I was born too late, as I never had
the chance to see Gabriel singing Supper's Ready, the classic Yes Lineup with
Bruford and Wakeman together or King Crimson with Greg Lake. All the records I
bought were five or six years old, it was a bit sad to be a young kid living in
the past. But in 1978 things were different for the first
time, I had the chance to go to USA and heard the song Point of Know Return in
the radio which impressed me instantly, the mixture of folk violin with hard
rock passages and a progressive spirit was wonderful. But the best thing of all
was that, according to the radio, the album was recently released at last providing
great music from my present, an album that I could proudly show to my prog'
friends (who were older than me) saying "hey this is music from my
time". I went inmediately to the store and didn't have to
ask about it because there was a poster with the fabulous art cover in the
front door, so I bought it without listening to any other track, hoping that
the rest of the songs were at least barely similar to the one I heard on the
radio, the only doubt I had was that obviously Kansas was a USA prog band, a
rare species I never knew before that day. At the first listen I became a Kansas fan, never
cared when I read reviews accusing them of being Pompous Pop, AOR or American
Copycats of British music, I was sure (and still am) that they have an
absolutely unique sound, that blends many styles and genres as only a few
genius’s can. Even after listening to the previous and more
progressive Kansas albums, I believe Point of Know Return is one of their
peaks, people say Dust in the Wind is a poppy ballad which is partially truth
(the lyrics are too obscure and pesimistic to be considered commercial), but
not many bands were able to create such a beautiful melody which only started
to sound weak after it was overplayed in radio, but that's a different problem. I always believed Point of Know Return is almost a
concept album about depression because the band expresses their feelings about
the futile aspect of life, songs like Closet Chronicles or Portrait (He Knew)
are written in past tense to enhance the nostalgic feeling and the sense of
emptiness left by death, Dust in the Wind is probably the most pesimistic track
of the album, life has no meaning, we're only dust in the wind and Hopelesly
Human, well, the title says it all. The music is outstanding and the album has a
perfect balance, breathtaking tracks as Point of Know Return or Lightnings Hand
or almost metal songs as Sparks in the Tempest are followed by sad and softer
ones as the previously mentioned Dust in the Wind or Hopelessly Human, a very
powerful ballad with the complexity of symphonic prog. The work of the Kansas members is outstanding, Phil
Ehard is probably the most underrated drummer with an impeccable and complete
style who is complimented in the rhythm section by Dave Hope, Steve Walsh is a
competent keyboardist and in 1977 his voice was really good, Rich William's
guitar solos are simply incredible. But the power of the band rests in the other two
members Kerry Livegren, who was one of the best composers of Progressive Rock
History, and Robbie Steindhardt who can make the listener almost cry with the
sadness and nostalgia that his wonderful violin creates. If any instrument
represents Kansas it's the violin without doubt. I know that earlier albums are more progressive or
technically more complex, but Point of Know Return along with Leftoverture will
remain as my favorites because the band never could express their feelings and
share them with the listener better than in the late 70's. Five stars for a real masterpiece of North American
Progressive Rock. A review by SouthSideoftheSky: This album is an all time favourite of mine. I love
everything about it! The guitars, the keyboards, the violin, the drums, the
bass guitar, the vocals, the lyrics, the production, the art work, I could go
on and on and on. But the most important factor is the great songs. The great,
great songs! Kerry Livgren is one of the best songwriters of all time and some
of his very best songs are on this album. Kansas is clearly a band in the tradition of
British Symphonic Prog, strongly inspired by the likes of Yes, Genesis and
Queen. But Kansas is not a clone, this music is not derivative. Kansas is a
truly unique band. The omnipresent violin, the double vocalists whose voices
blend perfectly together and the very hard rocking guitars are just some things
that makes Kansas unique. The guitar work on Lightning's Hand is amazing
(reminding me strongly of Brian May, but not cloning him). Dust In The Wind is
simply one of the most beautiful songs of all time! A true classic! There is only praise for Point Of Know Return. I
could do no other, this album is perfect! 365 Enigmatic Ocean
A review by Warthur: A high-class late 1970s
fusion album from Jean-Luc Ponty, with unexpectedly catchy tunes showing a very
mild (but quite noticeable) disco and funk influence. Whilst the idea of disco
fusion might sound disastrous, Ponty and his backing musicians show superb
judgement in precisely how much disco they allow to creep in, hitting a perfect
balance where they use enough to keep things vibrant, energetic, upbeat and
catchy, without going too far into schmaltzy kitsch territory. Ponty also makes
sure to get the best use out of the talent available to him, the electric
guitar contributions of Allan Holdsworth being particularly high quality. A review by Mellotron Storm: Jean-Luc Ponty has quite
the pedigree, having played on "Hot Rats" by ZAPPA and "Visions
of the Emerald Beyond" by MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA. This record is not out of
place among those great albums. After the less than a minute opener
"Overture", we have the uptempo "The Trans-Love Express"
with the focus on the violin (surprise!) as well as some good bass and a guitar
solo from Daryl Stuermer. "Mirage" has
such a good beat to it, the drums are great throughout this song. The guitar
melody is pretty cool too. "Enigmatic Ocean" is a four part song that
begins with synths, followed by violin that just seems to build. "PartII"
features aggressive violin in an uptempo passage that is replaced by guitar
followed by a synth run. A chance for the guys to each show their stuff. "Part
III" has more guitar and violin, while "Part IV" sounds awesome
with the violin melodies and more amazing drumming. "Nostalgic
Lady" opens with piano and violin, but the drums and violin carry the
song. Another good one! "The Struggle of the Turtle to the Sea" opens
with "Part I", a slower paced song (it's turtles!) featuring drums, violin
and synths. "Part II" opens with piano and "Part III" is a
jazzy tune, and check out the guitar solo from Allan Holdsworth! There are so
many solos on this record and the drumming really surprised me, all the guys
play amazing! 366
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: The excellent standard of Yes is finally dimished. "Going For the One" stands alone as the
first album to turn aside from the classic Yes style and of course there were
so many band lineups to follow with the disgruntled Wakeman off on his solo
lonesome making a mark. He had been disillusioned with the bizarre infamous
"Topographic" album. Yes eventually released him to be replaced by
the less extraordinary but accomplished keyboardist Patrick Moraz for
"Relayer", and then Wakeman returned after his solo hiatus. It is
nice to hear Wakeman on this album though and he is as good as ever, though not
as inventive due to the structural changes in Yes' direction. There was only one classic epic this time around,
and it was a good song but not up to the standard of anything on "The Yes
Album", "Close to the Edge", "Fragile" or
"Relayer". Jon Anderson is in fine voice on each song, but the lyrics
are less surreal and therefore not as endearing. They were losing that magic
that had been created by the strange imagery of previous albums. Even the album
cover was at a low standard; instead of surreal dream imagery of genius artist
Roger Dean, it is replaced by a naked man gazing at skyscrapers. Perhaps the
cover typified the new direction for Yes; throwing off the garments of prog and
facing extraordinary towering challenges. Anderson has a stint on guitar and harp on the
bonus tracks which are more of a curiosity than anything to celebrate. Alan
White has proven himself time and again as a professional drummer extraodinaire
and Yes is his career high point. Squire is fabulous as always on bass, and the
final piece of the band is Steve Howe, a marvel on guitars. It should have been
a masterpeice with this talent on hand but it is at best worthy of recognition
with perhaps 3 outstanding tracks. The most memorable and best loved tracks are
undoubtedly ‘Going For The One’, which has an infectious hook, and very
acccessible style, made for radio and live performances. ‘Turn Of The Century’
is certainly a beautiful song with Anderson making his presence known on
accustomed high falsetto. ‘Wonderous Stories’ is definitive Yes due to the
inventiveness of the melodies and an unforgettable chorus phrase. It has been a
live staple over the years for this reason. ‘Parallells’ has its moments though
never resonated with me as much, and ‘Awaken’ is a 15 minute epic that does its
job to appease the prog afficionados who love to revel in lengthy multi part
prog epics, though it never reaches that point of ultimate satisfaction in the
same way that perhaps ‘Close to the Edge’ or ‘The Gates of Delirium’ does. All in all this is not the best or worst that Yes
would produce but sits somewhere in the middle for me. After a swag of
excellent, or even brilliant albums, Yes had finally settled into a rather
pedestrian style that had mixed reactions at the time and continues to do so.
Subsequent albums would continue to be as ignored or forgettable, except from
Yes addicts who would put up with anything that Yes would churn out including
the abysmal "Union" and "Big Generator". Not everything
that Yes released was gold and this album proves it. A decent album
overshadowed by slow moments and mediocrity. A review by Conor Fynes: Although Yes' 'Going For The One' is seen as a return to simpler
songs after their three most ambitious and complex works, I will say that this
was one of the biggest growers that the band has thrown at me. Even their most
immense 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' was a matter of love at first listen
for me, so it is fairly surprising and ironic that the album that sees them
going back to less bombastic ways of making music. Even with the change of
album art creators from Roger Dean to the art collective Hipgnosis signals that
this is a change of pace for Yes. But what does this all mean? On my first listen of 'Going For The One', I found myself fairly
put off by the title track, and it made me nervous to even explore the rest of
the album. 'Turn Of The Century' was a very beautiful track, but 'Parallels'
went back to the same issue I had with the first song; being that there was too
much going on at the same time. Although the track lengths on 'Going For The
One' were generally shortened from the epics Yes were used to making by this
point, it seems like they became even more intent on overloading the listener
with different ideas. 'Going For The One' was a track I figured would be catchy
and fun to listen to, seeing as I only knew it as one of their better-known
tracks with a contagious chorus hook. Listening to the near-country twang at
the beginning had me instantly wondering what had happened to the band that had
been tearing down the house with 'Close To The Edge' and 'Fragile' only a few
years before. There was a wave of sounds here that reminded me of the chaotic
'battle sequence' on 'The Gates Of Delirium' from 'Relayer', except this time around,
it was transposed onto what may have been a pop song, if you had replaced the
verse section with something more coherent. I was not expecting something like
this, but the title track did grow on me after a few listens, and I do consider
it a great track, and even appreciate the strange melodies and chaotic nature
of the piece. All the same, it is not as classic of a listen as something from
the earlier albums, but there is better stuff on the album to come. 'Turn Of The Century' is the track that I most easily identified
with early on. The acoustic, 'beautiful' side of Yes is always one that wows
me, and with 'Turn Of The Century', I was quietly reminded why they are my
favourite band. Jon Anderson's vocals are soaring and nearly angelic, and the soft
flourishes Steve Howe makes with his guitar are incredible, albeit a trick I
had already heard from the man a few times before. 'Parallels' is a less
successful track, and maybe the weakest thing that 'Going For The One' has
going for it. It is as chaotic as the title track, and while Steve Howe makes
some excellent ideas with the guitar here, the obnoxious organ idea that the
song revolves around gets a little tired. 'Wondrous Stories' is another mellow tune by the Yes boys, but
not quite as stunning as 'Turn Of The Century'. Lastly is the immense 'Awaken',
which Jon Anderson has considered to be the greatest thing that the band ever
did. An epic that indicates that Yes were not going to lay the 'song suite'
thing to rest just yet, 'Awaken' is not as exciting of an epic for me as, say,
'Close To The Edge', and the melodies here are not so sudden to jump out and
pull me in. Where 'Awaken' does really succeed however is in the fact that it
is beautifully arranged, and although possibly the most subtle of the Yes
epics, there are some very complex moments to it that show Yes as modern
classical composers; particularly the first section where vocals are involved.
The keyboards of Rick Wakeman are used a lot here on 'Awaken', although as far
as the album is concerned, I would say that the man who stands out the most is
Jon Anderson. Even in the less melodic parts of 'Going For The One', his
incredible voice makes the music soar like a bird. 'Going For The One' is not quite a masterpiece, but it could
just as well be thrown in with the other classic Yes albums. The third and
fourth tracks don't do as much for me as I would have liked them to, but on the
other hand, there are three tracks that blow me away, and only continue to grow
on me as I listen to the album more. An excellent album for prog rock, and an
essential for Yes fans. 367 Univers Zero (1313)
A review by Sean Trane: What a slap in the face Univers Zero gives you in
terms of an introduction to their music. I cannot think of one group that dared
so much at once in their debut album as UZ did at the time, bar some other RIO
outfits. Mostly an acoustic band (bar the bass and some of Trigaux's guitars),
the music coming out here is a cross of Zappa (Uncle Meat), meeting Henry Cow,
Bela Bartok or Charles Ives, yet it has a distinct rock flavour, but maybe not
in a widely-accepted manner. Thev music is anything but light hearted, rather
sombre and oppressive always flirting with dissonances, but never going over
the top with them (as was frequently the case with Henry Cow). If I can be so
naïve as to remind you that UZ is one of the six signataires of the Rock In
Opposition chart, you might just understand that UZ is as much about their
music as they are about aesthetics of their music. For this debut album, UZ is
a septet and the huge majority of instruments used are of the classical
persuasion. It is of course never easy to describe such
difficult music, with either words or images, but the acoustic world that UZ is
presenting us is a dark, nightly, rather solemn and sinister underworld made of
ambiances and angst of finding sheer horror round the street corner in London's
smog late XIXth century. The 14-min+ Ronde is a wild opener, with the violin
taking first role, while the much shorter Carabosse (after the fairy-witch) is
more in the space of Berckmans' bassoon while Daniel Denis' amazing and
inventive drumming and percussions rules the backtracks. If the first side of the vinyl was mostly Daniel
Denis' works, the second side will be Roger Trigaux's oeuvre. Not that good old
Roger's "songwriting" is any lighter than Daniel's, far from it, but
his music is clearly more rhythmic and repetitive. As on the previous side, the
music hovers between Stravinsky and Balkanic oriented
"folk-classical" music with some strong Magma influences (Denis did
play for the group and remains nowadays a friend of the Vander tribe) and
represents one of the best example of chamber rock. In some ways their music
can be likened to early Gryphon (the acoustic and instrumental nature of the
music), but UZ is nothing medieval. Please note that UZ's music is not easily
accessible to the average Joe and therefore cannot be easily recommended to
everyone. But in their genre, this group represents peak of what can be done in
that kind of music. And this is only their first album of a lenghty career.
Certainly a more influential band than a popular one, UZ is one of the guardians
of the progressive music's integrity. A review by Warthur: Univers Zero might not
have invented chamber rock - Henry Cow's work from In Praise of Learning
onwards often approached it, and of course Art Zoyd's chamber rock debut
preceded Univers Zero's by some way. But it was Univers Zero who took the idea
and really ran with it, dropping the improvisational impulses underling Henry
Cow and the dissonance of Art Zoyd and replacing them with tightly composed,
technically complex and brilliantly performed pieces. Dramatic, frightening,
and innovative, their debut album is a tour de force, the opening Ronde being a
particularly powerful demonstration of the potentials of this new style of
theirs. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - June 04 2012 at 02:18 |
||
|
||
|
AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14256 |
Posted: February 15 2012 at 05:34 |
|
|
1977 - continued
368 Svitanie
A review by Sean Trane: Now known as M Efekt, this group is almost entirely
rebuilt from scratch from its previous incarnation of 73 (even if the album was
released in 75) around Hladic and Cech, welcoming ex Collegium Musicum Fedor
Freso on bass and Synkopy61 Oldrich Vesely keyboardist. The quartet now formed
some sort of CzechMoravianSlovakian supergroup, modifying their sound to a very
Yes-like soundscape. Generally known as their better works among progheads,
this writer can't help but preferring their more fusion-esque album like their
73 album. While I have yet to see this album in Cd format with its original red
& orange artwork instead of this bland b&w photo, this album IS indeed
one of ME's best, because while being sort of derivative, ME manages to sound
like their own group with its own sound. With a very pleasant start with the 10-min Vysoka
track, the group manages to foray through a large panel of moods and ambiances
without sounding like "going through the motions", and it shows in
the group's enthralling music. The shorter (relatively) Pada Rodenska is an
absolutely fantastic Moravian folk song interrupted by some bold and daring
Daffy/Donald Duck-like synth noises, but the track is probably the most
memorable. Closing the album's first side is the Popoludni track is a bit
jazzier than the rest of the album but closing weird synths The sidelong title-track "epic" is a slow
starter, with some multi-voiced lines, sending us towards Yes and early Soft
Machine, finally lifting off around the 9-min mark, when the group takes Yes
and Genesis-like unison march and adapt it to Slavic charms. The track gets
lost a bit in a lengthy slower passage before returning to the early opening
passages of the track. Considering the 19-min+ of the track, it seems this
track could've been held to some 12 mins without losing a note, the useless
expansion stopping this track from being of epic proportions. I find that ME's
vocal delivery on this album is very much Italian-like, but timbre-wise, it
sounds like a cross of Jon Anderson and Ian Gillan, if you can picture that. The Cd re-issue comes with one bonus
track, the harder-edged almost 7-min Golem, which would fit the album superbly
if it had been better sung, but overall it is a very worthy addition. Almost
quite as good as their 73 album, but quite different as well, you can easily
jump on this album, if you are into a symphonic mood. 369 Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più
A review by Ivan_Melgar_M: Questa e piu bella musica When I got my first LOCANDA DELLE FATE (Inn of the
Fairies) release which was precisely "Forse le Lucciole non si Amano
Più" (Maybe the Fireflies don't love any more) and due to the reviews I
read, I was expecting a typical Italian band with a strong GENESIS influence. Because I'm a huge fan of the Charterhouse School
guys, I searched for the classical sound, but to be honest I found
absolutely no connection between LOCANDA DELLE FATE and GENESIS, so I
re-read all the reviews and saw how YES or GENTLE GIANT were also mentioned,
again couldn't find a single similarity or influence with any of the usual
suspects, not even with the Italian Symphonic bands (Except for the language of
course), but instead of disappointing me, this uniqueness made me respect them
more, the music is so beautiful and original, that these guys have to be the
real deal. In first place, and despite the band counts with
two keyboardists with two Hammond organs, the emphasis is placed in our old
friend the piano, yes it's true that they have spectacular synth sections, but
the piano is the instrument which carries the weight of the music, unlike any
British pioneer and very few Italian Symphonic bands who enjoy the pomp and
spectacularity of the Moog or the haunting beauty of the Mellotron instead of the
acoustic sound of the Grand Piano. Then I read that the vocals are similar to the ones
by Francesco di Giacomo.....Sorry, but Leonardo Sasso has a totally different
range, even when it’s obvious that the man has studied music, his voice is
lower and raspier than BANCO'S virtuoso vocalist, but at the same time stronger
and much more emphatic; ideal to play dramatic material. But let’s go to the music (please take care with
the translations, most of them are literal because my Italian is rusty),
"A Volta di un Instante di Quiete" (After an instant of silence) is a
strong and brilliant opener, with strong Classical connections based in an
impeccable piano performance and the pomp of Progressive Rock provided by the
rest of the band. The flute works as a reliever between the initial and final
vibrant passages, a magnificent opener that prepares the listener for great
things. The title song begins with an amazingly beautiful
piano introduction that immediately links to a vocal passage where Leonardo
Sasso makes a demonstration of energy and sensibility with his unusual range,
but when everything seems soft, the drums and guitar announce a change. Without
modifying the initial atmosphere, the instruments are added in a dance of
sounds and moods, it's impressive how they add an almost Medieval flute to a
Prog power ballad, absolutely heartbreaking. Around the middle the band radically morphs into a
frenetic passage where the keys add a strange Rock section at insane speed,
just to return to the initial sound. Special mention to Sasso, who provides all
the power he's capable of working, the backing vocals create complex
structures. Elaborate song with a beautiful melody. If in the previous songs we could find beautiful
melodies, "Profumo Di Colla Bianca" (Perfume of White Glue) is not
the exception, the piano and vocals work as if both were a complex new
instrument, one linked to the other as siamese twins, but because we are
talking about a Prog band we can find elaborate guitar performances and sober
drumming. But despite all these excellent characteristics,
what impresses me more of LOCANDA DELLE FATE is their sense of fluidity, the
music flows gently from start to end in the only logical way it can, any change
could make them lose logic and coherence, but these contradictions never
happen, everything is carefully crafted. "Cercando Un Nuovo Confine" (Searching
for a new Border) is the first time when I find some remote GENESIS influence
in LOCANDA DELLE FATE, even when the song is so typically Italian in
atmosphere, melody, instrumentation and vocals. Ezzio Vevy adds a Hackett touch
in his guitar and a bit of Peter Gabriel in the flute, but not enough to
consider it even a moderate influence, just a distant remembrance. "Sogno di Estunno" (Dream of Summer
Autumn) begins with a pastoral intro based in flute and keyboards but soon
morphs into a strong vocal track with Leonardo Sasso providing a breathtaking
performance. But the changes have to exist in this band, and as usual they jump
to a Classical oriented passage with a brilliant piano and flute interplay. This
time I find some ELP resemblance, but as usual it's only distant, because the
sweetness of the music is hard to compare with any other band. "Non Chiudere A Chiave Le Stelte" (Don't
Lock the Stars) is a short and romantic acoustic interlude that links
"Sogno di Estunno" with the powerful "Vendesi Saggezza" in
which Leonardo Sasso gives one of his most memorable performances, adding not
only his usual strength but also a sentimental touch unlike in any previous track.
Even when the band moves from soft and melancholic mood to elaborate and
complex musical passages, the voice remains as a constant. The final section is
absolutely breathtaking and frantic adding a new sound to the song The album ends with "New York" a strange
song with a different vocalist that this time clearly reminds of GENESIS, even
when less intricate and more fluid; a good and unusual closer. While writing this review I noticed a couple of
things: LOCANDA DELLE FATE is a classical Italian band, with less complex
arrangements than most bands of the region but obsessed with creating
incredibly beautiful melodies and even when there's influence from some early
Symphonic classics, this is more the logical consequence of two bands playing
the same sub-genre, rather than one trying to sound like the other, because
their music is absolutely unique, even for Italy. The rating is clear for me, if we are talking about
a unique album with no weak moments and outstanding music, I can't give them
less than 5 stars. An Essential masterpiece of Progressive Rock that
deserves more recognition.than it gets. A review by dreadpirateroberts: In three words, 'a beautiful album.' Not
necessarily daring, nor wild, but truly accomplished. Locanda Delle Fate's Forse Le Lucciole... is
a cohesive and thoughtful collection of songs that displays fine musicianship
all around, and the usual wonderful melodrama expected from classic RPI. One of
the more soothing albums out there, it's not going to be your cup of tea if you
like a lot of grit or aggression in your prog. Opening strong, with the two best tracks, 'A
volte...' and 'Forse...' we have a promising two-punch. The stirring piano and
tight kit work throughout 'A volte' make up one of my favourite moments in
progressive rock, and it's the perfect instrumental introduction to the band.
Melodic and richly textured, it's a treat for keyboard lovers - as is the rest
of the album. 'Forse...' starts in ballad mode and we get our first taste of
Leonardo Sasso's warm voice. It isn't until halfway through the song that he
allows some fire to enter his performance, and it is all the better for it. Generally, the harder moments are reserved for
guitar and drums, and are scattered throughout each song, but are produced so
cleanly that they lose some edge. Whereas flute is mostly employed for quieter
moments, the wall of keyboards are used to add effective texture or to take the
lead. While never becoming frenzied, there's always something interesting going
on from the synths, moog and the piano especially. As has already been stated by many, this album loses
some steam in its second half, despite some memorable guitar toward the end in
'Vendesi saggezza' and the great 'Sogno di Estunno' (my pick of the second
half) with its energy, concision and excellent transitions. Perhaps the chief issue for many with the record,
is that it can be a little treacly overall - basically the whole collection of
songs have so many moments of beauty that it can overwhelm you. Only 4 stars if you like gentler progressive music,
otherwise a 3. (As a side note, bonus track 'New York' doesn't
really fit the feel of the rest of the album.) 370 Ze Słowem Biegnę Do Ciebie
A review by Mellotron Storm: These two side long
compositions were written in view of there being a whole orchestra. Both tracks
were quite complex and it would be a difficult assignment to say the least for
a rock band to try to play them. Well, a funny thing happened as they went into
the studio to record this album. The man who was financing the endeavour pulled
out at the last minute leaving the band to either give up on these two tracks
or try to play them on their own the best they could. They obviously chose the
latter. In the liner notes the
band talks about this time period in their history: "... we were
developing our instrumentation and sound, after buying new equipment in Vienna
and signing a deal with American distributer Norlin". It should be noted
that they were the only Eastern European band to buy their equipment from the
"For Music" company in Vienna. Other notables who bought their
instruments from there were Rick Wakeman and Tony Banks. "Ze Slowem Biegne
Do Ciebie" opens with some experimental sounds before we get this beat
that starts to build. Those unusual sounds continue though. Great sound here. The
guitar starts to make some noise as it gets pretty intense. It kicks in before
3 minutes as the guitar solos over top. A wall of sound before it calms right
down after 4 1/2 minutes. Reserved vocals arrive 6 minutes in and we get this
uplifting full sound before 7 minutes. This sounds so good. Pounding drums
after 11 minutes as vocals continue. Prominent bass and drums before 15 minutes
as synths make some noise. A pastoral calm after 17 minutes and reserved vocals
return before 18 minutes. Simply a fantastic composition. "Przed
Premiera" opens with different sounds building as the piano tinkles away. Drums
come pounding in. This drummer is just amazing! He puts on a show here but it's
not a solo. I like the rhythm 3 1/2 minutes in. It settles right down before 7
minutes with some good guitar to follow. The bass is excellent as well. It
becomes kind of spacey or dreamy after 11 minutes. The drums start to muscle in
until they're quite powerful 12 1/2 minutes in. The drummer is blowing me away
again after 14 1/2 minutes. Just an incredible soundscape here to the end. I
still can't get over how talented these three guys are. No doubt one of the
best trios to ever play music. This album and the debut are must haves in my
opinion. 371
A review by Sean Trane: Second opus from this now-quintet, with the
addition of percussionist Morris Pert, Moroccan Roll is born on an almost
Canterburian pun, with an exotic Saharian artwork that has been retouched by
high technology. The group is joined by Morris Pert, a percussionist that will
beef up the sound of the group, but Pert will also become an important
"songwriter" for the group. One of the originalitys of this album is that it is
Brand X's only album with vocals (and even then mostly choirs) on the opening
and closing tracks, but unfortunately it wasn't that good an idea. It doesn't
help giving World Music credibility to the opening Sun In The Night, despite
Goodsall's dabblings on a sitar. The Collins-penned double-shot
"Lend" tracks (the lengthy titles might come from some Public
Schoolboys friends of his that haven't fully grown up), but unlike what we'd
expect, both tracks remains slow with the occasional Goodsall's McL-ian guitar
bursts. A manic drum burst opens fire on the Hate zone, a full-funk piece where
the group's five cylinders give it their best shot. On the flipside, Collapsar (not to be confused with
National Health's Collapso) is a short synth filler penned by Lumley and it
doesn't even serve as an intro for his following Disco Suicide, an electric
piano-led funky track, but certainly not my fave BX track, the synth sounds
being cringe-y and the cheesy choirs and tubular bells are not helping either.
Orbits is a bit like Percy Jones' answer to Collapsar and just as useless,
since it's no intro to his Malaga Virgen , an up-tempo track at the start where
Jones tries to outdo Pastorius in the middle section, but is not helping his
own composition in doing so. But Virgen's second half returns to the opening
theme, before going bass-happy a second time. This writer doesn't understand
all the hoopla on this track and much prefers the following monster-jam
Macrocosm, the one BX track to rival with Nuclear Burn, with an overheating
Goodsall guitar and an incredible end, as if the 5 cylinders of this group had
problem stopping and misfired back on the track. MR was for decades my fave BX, but once the
millennium arrived, UB took over and has stayed ahead, because the MR one is
too uneven, especially on the fillers. But don't get me wrong, MR is still the
second best BX album and should please most fusionheads. 372 The Geese and the Ghost
A review by Ivan_Melgar_M: "ANTHONY PHILLIPS" is remembered mostly
for his short career in GENESIS, sadly due to the fact that he was replaced by
a genius like STEVE HACKETT people tend to overlook his contribution with the
"Charterhouse School" band, but what is worst, few pay attention to
his solid career as a soloist, maybe not as successful as STEVE'S, but also on
a superlative level, and quite prolific. Ant's debut "The Geese and the Ghost"
still has strong connection with early GENESIS (remember he was a clue member
on Trespass), combining the delicacy of his peculiar guitar with the mystery of
songs like "Dusk" or "White Mountain", something that is
enhanced with the participation of PHIL COLLINS and MIKE RUTHERFORD. But Ant doesn't restrain himself to one instrument,
he proves the world his abilities as multi- instrumentalist, playing acoustic,
classic & electric guitars, basses, dulcimer guitar, bouzouki, piano,
organ, synthesizers, Mellotron, harmonium, etc, and even sings in "Collections",
but lets stop talking about the artist and lets go to the album. "The Geese and the Ghost" starts with the
short orchestral introduction called "Wind Tales" a track that
fulfils it's purpose of placing the listener in a mood, because in 1 minute you
can hardly do more. "Which Way the Wind Blows" has too main
characteristics, the first one is the surprising selection of Phil Collins in
the vocals (I always thought that because of the close friendship, the chosen
vocalist would had been Peter Gabriel), but Phil is really outstanding, very
few times have I heard him singing with such a feeling and variations, he gives
one of his best performances. The second highlight is the amazing work done by
Ant in the guitar, as a skilled craftsman works with the clay, "Phillips"
creates a wonderful sound crafted with amazing skills, a very beautiful song. What has always surprised me is the inclusion of
the pompous and bright "Henry Portrait of Tudor Times" in a pastoral
album as "The Geese and the Ghost", but my question is answered in a
few seconds, despite the strong and vibrant moments, the main quality of the
song is in the delicate guitars. Of course there are strong sections like in
"Part IV. Henry Goes to War" in which the similarities between his
style and Steve Hackett's can be appreciated (Hey even John Hackett plays in
the album), the final section of his fourth par sounds incredibly similar to
Trespass. But this multi part epic presents us different styles, moods and
atmospheres, all linked together with dexterity, the highlight of the album. "God if I Saw Her Now" brings PHIL
COLLINS back to the microphone, the soft and sweet ballad but this time making
team with the beautiful voice of "Viv McAuliffe", maybe too romantic
and soft for my taste, but Anthony's work on the guitar and John Hackett on the
flute are just amazing. "Chinese Mushroom Cloud" blends the
strength of the introduction wit the delicate work so typical of ANTHONY
PHILLIPS, the melody is well elaborate but contagious, again
"Trespass" comes to my ears, but less aggressive and mysterious, with
an outstanding orchestration and arrangements, again a very interesting song. "The Geese and the Ghost" is a two part
epic, read somewhere that it's inspired in Paul Gallico's "The Snow
Goose", but I couldn't verify. In the first part of the song PHILLIPS has
a pastoral approach so common in early GENESIS, but unlike the famous band in
which the lyrics have a special place, Ant places all the emphasis in the
music, please pay special attention to the organ. The second part is much more vibrant and powerful,
absolutely reminiscent of "Trespass" with perfect arrangements and
orchestration, unlike along most of the album we find some radical changes and
a more elaborate structure, a good change after the soft first part. The
closing section is absolutely breathtaking. “Collections” is probably the weakest song of the
album from a structural perspective, this doesn't mean it's a bad song, because
the melody is absolutely beautiful and the piano performance is magnificent,
but probably the biggest attraction of this song is to listen to Ant singing,
and he does a pretty decent job. "Sleepfall: The Geese Flies West" is
another carefully orchestrated song in which Anthony demonstrates his weakness
for the beautiful melodies, maybe a bit too soft, but never lost my interest. "Master of Time” (Demo) is an excellent bonus
track, but as usual I will only write about the album in it's original format. I just wish ANTHONY PHILLIPS sometime receives the
credit he deserves, as a great songwriter and better guitarist, maybe it won't
happen, but at least I will recognize his quality. I won't say "The Geese
and the Ghost" is a perfect masterpiece, it has a few weaker moments, but
I dare anybody to deny that it's a great addition for any Prog Rock collection,
so 4 stars is my rating. A review by Finnforest: As good as the lovely artwork anticipates... “Trespass” is my favorite Genesis album in large
part due to the spirit Ant Phillips brought to the band. It was as much about
the friendships of these young men and their coming of age as it was about his
musical accomplishment, which was of course formidable. As great as Genesis
was, they lost something when Ant stepped away for health reasons. I can
sympathize completely as I've always been uncomfortable playing even the small
gigs we used to get, I can't imagine the pressure of a touring group; it takes
a special kind of constitution. Many feel the resulting replacement by Steve
Hackett made Genesis better but I've never bought that; it made them different
but I'm not sure it made them better. I would have loved to hear what “Nursery
Cryme” would have sounded like with Phillips. In any case, the material on “Geese” began around
and shortly after the time Ant left Genesis in 1970. The years in between were
spent writing, recording, taking classes, and getting in as much time with
partner Mike Rutherford as he could...obviously Mike was a busy guy. Then,
after finishing this project over years of painstaking work, the record company
decided it was not commercial enough and refused to release it. Another year
passed without a suitor and Ant was already moving on to other things when
American label Passport agreed to release it, and so the project became reality
in the spring of 1977. “The Geese and the Ghost” is not however
Trespass-part 2 as it lacks the great voice of Peter Gabriel and the rock power
of Genesis. Then again it isn't trying to compete, this is not a rock album by
any stretch. The album is built around two 15-minute suites with a few shorter
tracks and interludes surrounding them. As mentioned, the music is the near
literal translation of the fantastic artwork featuring stories and imagery of
castles, maidens, and period countrysides. There are few examples of bucolic
themed acoustic bliss that quite match what Phillips has done here, but the
famous "Principe di un Giorno" album by the Italian band Celeste may
come the closest in some ways. Perhaps the English artist Willowglass' first
album is another although that one does rock a bit more as I recall. Here soft,
incredibly sharp and clean acoustic guitars are layered and adorned with other
stringed instruments along with all manner of lush adornments: flutes,
recorders, bells, glocks, oboe, cellos, and of course keyboards. Often the
mellotrons will be rising and floating in the background with strummed acoustic
guitar in one track and lead acoustic in another, occasionally there will be
some piano or organ. All of the tracks concentrate on pleasing melody
and mostly a soothing experience, even if some of the themes deal with pain.
Phil Collins contributes some vocals as does the late Viv McCauliffe who has
the voice of an angel. But I most appreciate Ant's modest vocals on the closing
track "Collections" as it brings his essence to the work more than
Collins voice which one associates with Genesis hits. This is a gorgeous
pastoral near-masterpiece that will thrill anyone who loves that kind of mellow
prog with acoustic guitars and mellotron. It's an album I appreciate much more
than "Voyage of the Acolyte" and much more than post-Gabriel Genesis,
with the exception perhaps of “Wind and Wuthering”. 373 Even in the Quietest Moments....
A review by Sean Trane: Despite Greater Moments After the deceiving Crisis album, the quintet
regrouped in America and recorded this album in LA and most of you know the
legend of the piano artwork gracing its cover. They needed to confirm the
Century success and this album would break them big time in the US and while
not as successful as Crime, it sent Supertramp in the major leagues.This album
is another fine moment for bassist Dougie Thompson and confirms he is one of
Supertramp's strengths. Aside the mega-selling but completely
unrepresentative single that opens the album, the rest of the tracks are not
quite as poppish and certainly have none of those whiny melodies that the
otherwise outstanding songwriter Roger Hodgson gives to an album, here with
Give A Little Bit. Definitely not my fave and my dislike is enhanced by the
over-exposure of this track. Often overlooked by fans, but so cynically
Trampish, Loverboy is an excellent Davies track, where there are few excellent
sound dynamics, even if the reprise at the end is maybe overstaying its
welcome. But this opening side's apex is the absolutely marvellous title track
with its guitar arpeggio and clarinet leading Hodgson's plaintive vocals into a
slow but inexorable crescendo midway through with Davies and Helliwell
underlining Roger's slow wailings. A poignant tune. Closing up the A-side is a
moving Downstream, where Davies remains on the piano and handles it solo. This is
where one can see where Hodgson had it easier as he could compose both on piano
and guitar. The flipside opens on the charming Babaji, a tune
that seems to hint at a guru, but aside from Thompson's almost hypnotizing bass
riff, it is a genteel and inoffensive track that epitomizes the group's typical
song. The great Davies-penned From Now On is a fine moody piece, but as with
Loverboy, unnecessarily long, especially with that never-ending sing-along
finale. But of course you guys are waiting for that epic Fools Overture,
depicting the hard times of the UK during the WW2. An awesome spine-chilling,
goose bumps-growing song, where the band paid a full symphonic orchestra in the
studio, only to send them home after their warm-up; all they needed was just
these few minutes of tuning, to end the track and the album in a frighteningly
beautiful manner. Definitely worth owning for the title track and the
finale but there is much more than those two numbers. From the first
exhilarating arpeggios of guitar of Quietest Moments until the very last
symphonic orchestra musician warm up tuning in of Fool's Overture so much has
happened on here and so many different moods explored that this leaves the
listener speechless. Only Give A Little (with this plaintive vocals) irks me as
this has no place in here. But then again this is the song that broke them
internationally, so who am I to say that? 374 National Health
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Indisputable Canterbury of a creditable standard. National Health is a genuine surprise beginning
their infamous career in 1977 when prog was beginning to wane. Their unabashed
Canterbury style has made them legends in the genre and nothing can be compared
to their inimitable style. A very whimsical approach is notable as are the
peerless high 5 octave vocal intonations of Amanda Parsons. Their debut album is a real delight, with some
excellent musical interludes and highly memorable melodic flourishes. It begins
with the fabulous 14 minute ‘Tenemos Roads’. The time sigs are odd, the musical
expertise is astonishing and the lovely beauty of Amanda's angelic vocals is
perfection. Dave Stewart's keyboard wizardry is a key to the overall uplifting
sound. There is a distinct melody that stays with you on this one and it
grooves along nicely with enough variation to keep the interest. ‘Borogoves (part one)’ is a wondrous journey of
musical prowess and those trademark lalala's of that meet the music seamlessly.
The track builds along with shifting metrical patterns and some delightful
guitar work. The percussion of Pip Pyle is jazzy and off kilter but in perfect
time with the structures. The chiming bells at the end generate a magical
atmosphere. In fact Pip Pyle has a field day on this album playing all
percussion including cowbell, gong, tambourine, glockenspiel, finger cymbals,
shaker, bells and Pixiephone. ‘Elephants’ is an ear opener, with very weird music
in places especially the intro, shattered spacey tones and drones, and it
builds with estranged fractured beats and time sigs, almost improvised jazz. It
reminded me of experimental King Crimson or Soft Machine in places. It builds
to a chiming rhythm that finally breaks into a guitar break over the repeated
motif. The effect is unsettling but wonderfully experimental. This track exudes
a darker soundscape due to the competing musicianship. It powers along for
quite some time until a piano motif takes over. The sporadic drumming keeps an
atonal rhythm and then we are treated to a keyboard passage of immeasurable
quality. This instrumental is simply incontrovertible wonderful Canterbury
prog. The rest of the album is Canterbury at its best.
The debut for National Health is masterful musicianship with just the right amount
of vocals sung beautifully to enhance the soundscapes generated. This one comes
highly recommended and is deserving of its immutable reputation. A review by Warthur: The only National Health album (excluding the
tracks collected on Missing Pieces) to feature both Dave Stewart and Alan
Gowen, the highlight of this piece is definitely the riotous interplay between
their keyboards, as showcased on the tremendous Tenemos Roads. Arguably the
most important Canterbury group of the punk era, National Health's lineup is as
perfect an all-star Canterbury team as you could want to imagine, with every
member having played in Canterbury groups ranging from the absolutely central
to the maddeningly obscure. A natural development from Hatfield and the North's
albums (the lead vocals are even handled by former Northette Amanda Parsons),
National Health also contains hints of Egg (in its driving rhythms and Dave
Stewart's keyboard work) and the heavier side of Matching Mole (particularly
Phil Miller's compositions from that band). Anyone who enjoys the fusion end of
the Canterbury scene will absolutely love National Health, anyone who's at all
interested in Canterbury should make a point of getting their albums since they
represent the scene's last great flowering in the 1970s, and progressive rock
and fusion fans in general will find a lot to love here. 375
A review by Sean Trane: After the superb Coses Nostres, how can one follow
up and still appear as on top of their game? Iceberg found the easy (but not so
obvious) answer, to make another superb album, and believe me they did. The
album actually veers a bit more jazzy in the fusion sense sometimes approaching
the over-demonstrative Return To Forever or even a bit of Weather Report and
still the better Santana (Caravanserai) and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Some moments
are so powerful that I cannot help but thinking of Journey's superb jazz-rock
debut album with the incredible Ainsley Dunbar on drums. Right from the opening title track, you know this
album will strike all the rights chords if you like the above-mentioned bands,
and the Spanish feel is present but nothing obtrusive (hardly any flamenco
hints, but more of Rodrigo (Aranjuez) feel. Again Sunyer and Mas take the stage
by storm, but the rhythm section is really on top of its game. The only small
gripe I might have is that the synths sounds are a bit more "modern",
but at least on this album they have been correctly reproduced during the CD
transcript. To separate one track and raise it above the rest is simply
impossible to this reviewer, because the album is incredibly even, with maybe
Magic a bit under par. However, if I must name just one track, listen to the
closer Alegries Del Mediterraneo. A smoking album, just as excellent as the previous
Coses Nostres but better rated because of no avoidable sound flaws. Among my
top 40 jazz-rock albums, no problems even if I have only known it for the last
few months. 376
A review by Sean Trane: This third album is a concept album, based on the
Peruvian 1970 earthquake that killed some 80,000 lives and had its epicenter
near Huascaran. How futile the coincidence that I review this album three weeks
after the next biggest earthquake took place in Chincha. It is indeed with much
emotions that I have listened to this album in the last month, thinking of Progarchives
fine collaborators Ivàn, Cesar, Chus and whomever else I might forget, let
alone all of the victims that suffered from this most recent event. So in their
honor and with much humility, I'd like to dedicate this review to our Peruvian
friends who are probably facing a few hardships, but are alive and well (as are
their families), which before the Ming vase (Eeeehmmmm!!!. ;o))) and their Cd
collection is the most important! The group undergoes a big line-up change as
original bassist Jaro replaced Lucenic, while the drum stool revolves for the
last time in a while with Karol Olah sitting on a big wad of glue
(Eeeehmmm!!!.. ;o))) to retain it. Griglak also plunges into keyboards on this
album, but it doesn't tip the scale against his guitar, since it is one of his
strongest works. Karol's brother Peter will belt out a few vocal lines and they
added a cello guest musician (the violinist of their previous album was
virtually unnoticeable). With their poorest artwork of their discography (but
giving a good idea of their western equipment), Huascaran would've deserved a
more evocative artwork because of the thematic subject, at the risk of being a
bit graphic. While the lead-off first part of the title track is
rather a slow evolver, the track picks up intensity by the tenth minute and a
few dozens of a second later, a short drum solo roll describes the earthquake
and the 40-minutes landslide/avalanche that resulted in the high victim toll.
The next track is a solemn homage to the 80,000 victims, and this track cannot
leave me without chills down my back and send goose-bumps over the rest of my
body. This music is simply awesome and somehow a fantastic gift from people
suffering a different kind of hardship, caught behind an iron curtain.
Griglak's guitar lines in this track are soaring above Pachacamac and the Inca
roots of the country. The flipside is a good musical evocation of the
international help teams and solidarity amongst men in adversity, the shorter
track of the album, but hardly lesser because of it. The second part of the
title track brings us back to the dramatic end of the opening movement, but it
seems that the idea was to improvise a bit on the ideas developed previously.
The track is a slow decrease of intensity and ends on birdsongs and slow bass
drum hearbeat. I must actually give Fermáta a big hand to have avoided the trap
of sounding "ethnic" (as using Latino rhythms or using Andean folk),
as I think that it was an easy way out and might have cheapened the progressive
tour de force they pulled with this album. The Cd reissue comes with three absolutely
fantastic bonus tracks, which adds even more value per money. 15 is a hard
driving funk/fusion track that resembles a bit the then-recent Weather Report
releases with Latino rhythms. Valparaiso (named after the Chilean seaport) is more
of a Mahavishnu Orchestra and it shines like a thousand sun and is hotter than
lava flowing from its crater. The short Pertpetuum would obviously be a
leftover from their debut album, but strangely enough features some heavy brass
arrangements, which hints it wouldn't be the case after all. A splendid album and Fermáta's best album (even
with the bonuses) and some of the most stunning symphonic/progressive jazz-rock
ever. This could easily rate with the best of UK or US jazz-rock fusion and
it's a shame that Fermáta was one more victim of the Cold War, because it
deserved much more. Run for this one!! 377
A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: Island's "Pictures" is a vicious jazz
attack and quite unsettling at times but never less than creative. The band are
an inventive jazz RIO and may be described as Gentle Giant meets Van der Graaf
Generator. It is strange and compelling and slightly sinister. The instrumental
'Zero' is one of the most virtuoso in terms of musicianship and
experimentation. Scherer is a wizard on keyboards and the drumming of Meier is
phenomenal competing with one another yet oddly amalgamating together. The time
sig changes are wondrous, really making the music more dynamic than it already
is. It is bold and daring and challenging. Fisch is an incredible sax player and shines on the
lengthy 'Pictures' with Jager's vocals and massive dollops of avant jazz hyper
strangeness. It is almost Zappa meets Hatfield and the North, a weird
combination of psychotic jazz and Canterbury. The sigs are all over the place
and chaos reigns supreme. 'Herold And King' is a disturbing track with drones
and jolts of sax and silence, and it does sound as though the musicians are
just tuning up but they are actually playing dissonant jazz. The piano on this
is spine tingling and really is not one I would play at night. 'Here and Now' is a dark piece with VDGG sax
squeals and Tull like flute. It is rather scary but the vocals are warm and
inviting. The music is incredible and off the scale as far as time sigs, the
meter changes and the percussion is always maintaining an odd pattern. It ends
the album on a highlight. But there is a bonus on the Cd and it is a huge jam
session called 'Empty Bottles'. It is really a manic jazz feast, with dissonant
sax, drums and other instruments blasting up a storm. A word about the cover. It is an HR Giger artwork 2
years before he became famous for "Alien" and yet it looks very much
like the Alien in Ridley Scott's classic. It certainly drew me to the album.
Giger of course provided the artwork for many albums such as ELP's
"BSS" and Debbie Harry's solo album "Koo Koo", even being
involved with the clip to her 'Backfired' and appearing in 'Now I Know You
Know'. Overall Islands' "Pictures" is a bold
inventive album that is really going to challenge listeners and for those of us
who want to hear odd time meters, jazz weirdness and Canterbury all in one
package, look no further! A review by Sean Trane: 4.5 stars really!!!! One of the best things to come out of Switzerland
(musically speaking, no offence to Chocolates and Cheeses), along with the
fantastic CIRCUS, with which it shares a few points: they both are Alemanic,
have no electric guitar, where winds instruments play a vital role and they
were recorded around 76/77. The group's line-up is basically a
keyboard-sax-percussion fronted by a singer that sometimes sounds like
Blasquiz. Recorded in Northern Italy over the summer of 77, the album is
noteworthy in prog circles for sporting a HR Giger artwork (of ELP's BSS fame),
and Laser's Edge made a superb reissue in the late 90's. In fact, it's still
probably their catalogue's highlight, along with Secret Oyster's first two
albums. I was intrigued by some reviews, not only on Progarchives
but also Guts Of Darkness site, which were quite dithyrambic about the music on
this sole album. From reading them again, before writing this review after four
weeks of spinning in my deck, I can tell you that most of the reviews are
fairly accurate (the ratings, however, are ...... somewhat over-rated) but
there is one very obvious influence that has not been mentioned before or
elsewhere. Before mentioning the group, I would like to say
that there are much ZHEUL leanings on this record. Zheul, you said? You mean
MAGMA? Well certainly as far as the bass is concerned, but the overall style of
the music on this album, this all yells out Zheul. Right from the semi-cosmic
& atmospheric Introduction and leading into the 6-mins Zero track, the
moods are definitely oscillating between ELP and Magma's type of JR/F. However
with the title track, we're close to Gentle Giant, and Jager's vocals sounds a
bit like Circus's Roland Frei at first, but Blasquiz-like chants return quickly
to the fore. On the flipside, Herold is more disjointed, dissonant and
challenging. The following and closing Here And Now is very much in the same
vein as Herold, and even more challenging and there are few comparison possible
to describe Island's rather unique and almost Gothic musical realm, sometimes
not far from RIO's dogma. I often found the singing perfectible, the KB a tad
too Emersonic for my taste, but the Magma, VDGG and GG influences just finely
crafted and nothing too hard to comprehend and like, and while this is
not-overly complex music, it is an acquired taste, unless you're a dedicated
proghead. While their original album was interesting enough but am I ever glad
that they added that Empty Bottles bonus track "of unknown origin"
and of "non-studio quality ", which is more in the line of the
album's A-side, still quite correct soundwise and it might arguably just be the
apex of the CD reissue. Twenty-six minutes of sheer insane Zeuhl, impeccably
played shows the best side of this group. Definitely worth your time and money, and despite
not reaching their countrymen Circus' apex of Movin' On, you might first want
to break open your Swiss piggybank to fork out the dough for an original vinyl.
I still don't get what this album is doing in any other genre than Zeuhl on
PA's database. 378
A review by Finnforest: The Dan pinnacle, part 2: The favorite "This is the day of the
expanding man." And that brings us to Aja. More than anything that
preceded it Aja represents the culmination of where the boys wanted to be. On
the perch, high above the other music of the day and finally on the receiving
end of the near-universal acclaim they deserved. They had delivered their
masterpiece and a piece of work they would never top again. The level of
sophistication and elegance in the arrangements was staggering, the perfectionism
of the sound pushed to positively fascist degrees. There is absolutely no trace
left of the musical five o'clock shadow that filled their earlier albums. Aja
moved further towards fusion and introduced more progressive elements with
longer pieces and more elaborate jamming and yet it retains the pop
sensibilities that gave the band such a large audience. As mentioned in my
Royal Scam review this is where the music turned much dryer for better or
worse, the dry sheen would carry into Gaucho making the two albums twins in
style. The album took a year to record with Gary Katz at
the helm. The process was sometimes gruelling as they would do take after take
with various musicians looking for the one that was just right. Five of the
seven tracks are radio favorites which gives the album a bit of a
"Rumours" overkill factor for some, yet the songs hold up very well
today. Both Fagen and Becker love "Josie", Fagen saying it reminds
him of the great R and B he so loves, "stuff like Charlie
Parker." All of these classic songs are beneficiaries of nuance
and precision yes, but with the mission of also being something you want to
hear. That's what they emphasized in the documentary I
just watched. Yes, they were shooting for perfection, but they wanted to take
it beyond that by loosening it up and making it an album that would be
enjoyable to hear. Last, they noted that on their previous albums they were New
York transplants in LA, writing songs about New York characters to help them
deal with being homesick. They acknowledged feeling a bit like characters in a
Woody Allen movie where LA made them neurotic and disoriented. Then by the time
they were ready to head back to New York in the late '70s, they were writing
songs about California and maintain that Aja captures that California vibe. You
be the judge. Lyrically the album is another ode to characters of
all sort, women and nostalgic fountain drinks. They claim Deacon Blues is the
closest to autobiographical as they would ever get. Familiar characters are
discussed, some aspiring losers and fading hipsters they would acknowledge
freely. But as Becker said, referring to his character's philosophies in these
songs: "whose to say they're wrong?" Indeed. Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - February 15 2012 at 05:40 |
||
|
||
|
Slartibartfast
Collaborator 
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Status: Offline Points: 29625 |
Posted: February 15 2012 at 06:48 |
|
|
'77 was a damn fine year.
 Also marks the year where I was starting to seriously becoming a prog addict although it was the summer of '78 that finally did me in, but there were a lot of fine new albums about, eh?
|
||
|
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
|
||
|
||
|
Post Reply
|
Page <1 1112131415 21> |
| Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |
1000 Prog Albums Over 46 Years: 1966-2011
Topic Options
Dean wrote:
