PSYCHEDELIC/SPACE ROCK

Pigs (Three Different Ones) is worth for the more present, percussive drums, yes I almost want to make space in my room that is to say; yes the bass sounds modern, aggressive, yes the voices ah yes there to the left behind me; well the grunts come out from everywhere, it was already the same; Well, you would think you heard them pronouncing the 'Never Surrender' of the great CHURCHILL; the vocoder voices go over my head; I feel more like I'm watching a musical fireworks show than prog rock here, but that's good too; these grunts, these voices come to attack you on your seat, while you are there in peace, let me listen to my music, 1984 I have already read it; yes which of the egg, the chicken; yes which is the extreme, the one we are talking about or the other? George is guiding us today. For the music... Roger sings well and strums well, the bass itself seems to speak about the current madness, good excellent all the same and the sheep start to bleat before their track Sheep gently, the joy of the concept album, no time to breathe; a creamy, melting rendering of the keyboard, and this bass so speaking in crescendo; 2 enjoyable minutes of a cottony intro before Roger's shouted voice on an 80's disco dub with Rick's jazzy-looking keyboard, at a rhythm that immediately makes you headbang, watch out for your neck, you're not 20 anymore ; the synth squirts, swirls, it sets fire, no need for RAMMSTEIN effects in the end, yes I haven't found anything better; ah the sound that swells and swells and the languorous keyboard that settles in; yes I must admit I didn't like this album, too linear, monolithic, too flat, yes I found that not much was happening... Yes; well sheep, the vocoder is like on the SCHULZE with Arthur BROWN who had started the song, a great, immense voice too; ah that's it we're already at the end with this rhythm guitar which sprinkles us with notes of icing sugar, ah yes the space is fuller there too, there's a difference; good concept we said, the bird comes back there with these famous sheep, maybe you who knows... Yes ORWELL was not wrong since it is still one of my bedside books; for the concept to go to the end we conclude with Pigs on the Wing (Part Two) for the outro, no for act 2 all in the acoustic beauty of this very particular, so avant- garde, so musical world that is PINK FLOYD. An acoustic that seems to be played by the speaker itself, where are we going?

I consider circumstances before rating the album. The remaining musicians had no intention to set the boundaries, cash money or release their ego. It is a floating journey, well matching the cover on the album. Close your eyes, think back and get lost in the guitar emotions carried by keyboards. Enjoy the focus on instrumental music, no need for words and imagine how these 3 lads jammed in the studio (unless you have the deluxe edition which features several 90's videos). This album would have been a lackluster had it been released before Wright's departure. But in the context of 2014, it is a fitting good-bye, if a non-essential PF album.

'Weavers' Weft' for the slap with the solemn melancholy sound, on an ambient, evil Sabbath; a caravan of brigands from beyond the grave protecting our crumbling planet; experimental title roaring like a resurrected Monster Magnet, a prog bloodthirsty Tool; note the Japanese finale with delicate introspective notes. 'Uruk' same vein: latent ambience and nervous solo twisting in every corner of our ears, weighted sound which becomes hypnotic, mantra of the new decade, Genesisian keyboard of the 80s before the feverish finale, put into a trance; crucible of fury and languor. 'The Story That Has Never Been Told' with the lit keyboard of a Duke encore; crystalline air from another space-time bringing the sabbatical break with the Gregorian choirs of the Beginning; overloop suite reinforcing the stoner psyche and inviting you to trance. 'Enter The Loop' as an outro and spinning tune, Olympian, ethereal, mixing our senses and leaving our soul empty with each musical wave.

Slift releases an exceptional album, 4/5 but given the exaggerated ratings I give it a 5 for this essential character. (Originally on Progcensor)

The short "Intro" develops a theme in the form of an instrumental build up. The characteristic sounds are there, small mention of the drum sound, very dry and precise. The first long track "Les Yeux" is linked without pause and presents another of the group's specialties: the vocal line is systematically doubled with keyboards or other instruments. The title alternates passages sung in French (which is unusual enough to be underlined) and breaks, instrumental restarts, without any concern for futile technical demonstration. In the process, the acoustic guitar of "Interlude 1" blends perfectly with the previous track and offers a beautiful melody carried by singing straight out of a daydream. "Loin Du Bruit" arrives with a rhythmically complex dynamic and a little South American touch. The group manages to vary the atmospheres and orchestrations, while maintaining the same rhythmic pattern. Return of a small guitar arpeggio on "Interlude 2" which takes up the melodic motif of the previous piece and the singing line of "Interlude 1". Great feat. "Adventure" is the longest song on the record. At a slower tempo and in a psychedelic atmosphere, it can at times evoke Pink Floyd , the overall sound becoming thicker and thicker as the track progresses.

A jazz tempo, almost bebop, features "Interlude 3" which offers unexpected chord changes and makes me think of a soundtrack from a television series from the 70s. Then comes the single "Un Instant Ou Deux", a kind of psychedelic pop ("Far from here, under the clouds, where time belongs to me, I flee, before the storm, into the uncertain horizon?"), with "twang" guitars, keyboards and vintage sound effects. The album ends with a final Interlude (4) whose guitar plan resembles the beginning of "Stairway to heaven", then the "Outro" which takes up the theme of the "Intro" with an additional dose of orchestration.

A little anachronistic UFO, 'Progressions Imaginaires' is a coherent and mastered album that makes no concessions to modernity. It takes us back to a period of unbridled and relaxed creativity, far removed from the constraints of profitability of current music. So, let's embark in this time capsule and relax away from the noise of the contemporary world.

Review originally posted on www.progcritique.com.

Well up to the challenges of the world of change, HAWKWIND emerged all the better for it with its fourth album HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN GRILL which took its inspiration for the title from the 1875 Edvard Grieg score titled "In The Hall Of The Mountain King." The new lineup featured Simon House who was a classically trained violinist and keyboard player and had played with both High Tide and the Third Ear Band. The new lineup meant a new chapter and the band expanded its musical repertoire with gusto. The album showcased a considerable expansion not only compositionally but sonically and creatively with the use of new instrumentation and a focus on more diverse tracks that allowed hitherto suppressed elements that were insinuated but never really fully explored to find a new lease on life and became a major aspect of the the new HAWKWIND sound.

Starting off with the exceptionally strong track "The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)" the HAWKWIND stylistic approach became much more song oriented with extremely catchy melodies and a less bombastic backing of the guitar, bass and drums. The music exhibited a more balanced feel between the uptempo rock aspects and a symphonic keyboard backing that also found moments of jazzy saxophone squawking, flute runs and oboe. While the general HAWKWIND rhythm section had stayed pretty much in tact, the sophistication of the composition was allowed to step things up a few notches with lead vocalist Dave Brock offering a more diverse vocal style and lyrically speaking the band did not suffer one iota from the loss of Robert Calvert's departure. Taking things in a totally new direction began with the second track "Wind Of Change" which shifted the focus on an ambient instrumental space rock section before breaking back into the more rock oriented "D-Rider."

The beauty of the album is how it alternates between the heavier rockers and the softer pieces such as the piano-based "Web Weaver" which tames the guitars into the backing piece of unpredictable psychedelia while a piano roll provides the main melody and the band engages in some beautiful vocal harmonies followed by some bluesy guitar soloing and all accompanied by the same synth swirls that the band had become synonymous with. While the band engaged in a total remake of its sound, tracks like the heavy hitter "You'd Better Believe It" kept the past firmly placed in the present with an emphasis on the Lemmy fueled guitar riffs and bass and drum action however this time around it also featured Simon House's exquisite violin playing emphasized rather than the spacey synths of previous releases. The title track tames it all down again with a short orchestrated classical piano piece before unleashing the boogie rock guitar riff heavy "Lost Johnny" courtesy of Lemmy who would later cover in Motorhead.

The album perfectly ends with the strange short ambient meets flute track "Goat Willow" followed by the extremely addictive rocker "Paradox" with its perfect chord progressions, bass groove and contrapuntal synthesizer parts. The vocals are also of classic HAWKWIND mode and provides the most satisfying conclusion to what many consider one of HAWKWIND's highlights of its career. HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN GRILL has always been a love at first listen sorta album but after time it really sinks and showcases how the band stepped everything up in the absolutely perfect way by keeping the album well balanced, by offering totally new aspects to the band's sound without jettisoning everything that came before. In the time of great change HAWKWIND displayed on their fourth album a phenomenal step up in maturity in terms of songwriting, compositional arrangement and instrumental interplay. This is perhaps my favorite of all their albums but the entire early 70s stock is so beautiful it's hard to pick on any given day. Any way you slice it this is a HAWKWIND masterpiece.

It is again one of the few albums I have in both formats as my original vinyl has 'seen better days'. I would recommend the remastered version of the CD....I think they did a limited LP run too....pops and hisses aside of my original, the sound is much much better.

And click play: Yup it is in the right category. This is as psych/space rock as a very very psych/space rock thing. What reference point would you use if you didn't know the musicians? You may get to mentioning Gong, but by no means first and foremost. We can only imagine what DH thought was the best soundscape for his lyrics/voice/spoken to be enhanced or represented by but this does fit well. I would question his state of mind/drug/s of choice if anyone thought Fille de L'Ombre works . And this from a guy (me) who has a near full Acid Mothers Temple catalogue! Sometimes noise is just noise... Being a Meanderthal kind of person I am a big fan of the 21 min Cielo Drive with its wanderings and seeking of the most interesting paths to get to its destination. DH 's vocals are close to a French crossover pop/chanson guy of the day called Michel Polnareff which is a bit of a juxtaposition. It may be intentional or accidental. We will never know.

Anyhow I shall cease meandering. If I want Gong I reach for Gong, not this. But I will reach for this on its own merits.

Well over 4 stars but a 5 would be a tight fit by the PA criteria.

Sketches of Brunswick East I This one does a great job setting up not only the tone of the album in its entirety but also the melodies heard on each of the 3 self-titled songs. The melody is set up great, and I love how it develops over the course of the songs. I love the vast difference that this album has with its predecessor, especially seen in this song as it's very chill and collected. The delicate acoustic instruments on this one like the flute (and the cool effects they layer on it) as well as the piano. Overall this song is a great opening to the album!

Countdown Now I love pretty much everything about this song except for the vocals. Stu's strained vocals on this one just don't really work for me, I used to absolutely hate them, now I'm just not fond of them. When the song layers the vocals on top of each other at the end, that is pretty cool and works for the song. This song does make up for it for having some really cool time signature changes and the flow of the song harmonically works great. The vibraphone on this one is a great addition to the song and adds the acoustic vibe that they have going. Also the electric keyboard solo on this one is really good, I love how it pans between ears mimicking the dizzying nature of the solo itself moving quickly.

D-Day The counting down lyrics on this one and the bass line stand out for me the most on this track, as well as the return of some microtonal synths and guitars. They blend the instruments really well on this track and it sounds really good with just how much is going on rhythmically. The little synth solo sounds really great, and I love how cool some of the effects on these synths are to get these sounds. The ending playing Tezeta but slowed down is pretty cool, and another trend on this album of imitating a record skipping sound.

Tezeta The varied vocals on this one really make this chorus especially sound very chant-like. I also enjoy how it uses Joey, Stu, Han-Tyumi, and other people to tell the story, not just one person in typical Gizz fashion. This one is certainly one of the more catchy songs on this album and it can be a little hard to follow on the verse, but it works so well seeing how playful it feels. The chord progression moving from i-iiø compliments the vocals a lot as well, and once it finally resolves to the V it sounds great. The second verse switching up to 6/8 illustrates the amount of creativity these guys have, really wanting to play with the time signatures in these songs to assist the storytelling. Also when they bring it back to 12/8 it sounds super resolved. I'm not sure of what synth they use at the end of the solo but it sounds great. Also this song supposedly gives us more lore so points for that as well!

Cranes, Planes, Migraines Probably my favourite of the instrumental interludes on this album. The 7/8 feel on this one especially stands out, and when it bounces between 4/4 it creates a really fun song to count out in your head. The bass line is great on this one, which seems to be a trend on this album. They definitely focused on a lot more of the instrumental stuff going on, not that they don't on other albums, just that this one seemed to get a lot of love. Also the harmonised flutes sound awesome.

The Spider and Me Certainly the silliest song on this list and the most absurd lyrics wise. I mean it's literally about being in love with a spider so uh, yeah. Pretty strange. Doesn't deter me from this one, honestly it's really fun to sing this one, and the lyrics have some really pretty moments like the "Laze in the afternoon sun, gazing at each other's beauty". The mallet percussion really aids the rest of the song on this one. Also the wah pedal sounds really good, especially with the various strumming patterns throughout. I like to think that they accidentally made the section that sounds very 'bow-chicka-wow-wow' in mood and just decided to roll with it, but who knows. Definitely one of my favourite songs on this album.

Sketches of Brunswick East II Another really good interlude, and listening all the way through, it's nice to get an album with more instrumental moments. The old timey intro is a fun change of pace for the songs, and transitions pretty well with another record switch kind of moment. It helps that this song is also in a different key, aiding with some of the change that's needed between the 3 songs. The flute melody sounds great once again, bringing back the familiar theme. The chordal electric keyboard solo is such a cool addition especially with how it moves out of key. I'm pretty sure the tonal centre is like an F phrygian, and the piano moves between Bb, B♮, Eb, Db, to resolve to Fmaj7/C, which can certainly be given credit to Alex from Mild High Club and his input. Along with those keyboard additions, the electric flourishes in the background are a really great detail on this track especially. All the instruments on this track blend really well, and create a great atmosphere.

Dusk to Dawn on Lygon Street I enjoy the beginning and the end of this song a lot, they set up an entirely different riff and it's a lot of fun. Also the intro/outro are really interesting chordally. The bass line is really front and centre in portions of this song which is really cool to listen to, especially with how melodic it is. The lyrics are so cute, and have some of the prettiest imagery on the album. The extra vocals that Cookie does are a great addition, and add to the silly nature of the song. When the bass does the minor modulation with the added sound effects, it really puts you in the location that they set up, and actually feels like the sun is setting and rising. Honestly this song is probably my favourite that Cookie has made.

The Book This is my favourite song that King Gizz has ever made. Easily it takes first place and I would honestly rate this song 11/10 just for how good it is. The microtones in this one and the riff that plays at the beginning with the synth sounds amazing, it adds to the eeriness of the story, and hearing it return throughout the song is so effective. I love how the story reflects the fact that every city has its problems and dangers. In this case the theme about religious insanity is so cool and really creepy. Hearing this song for the first time gave me chills for how well it worked for me. Especially when the instrumentation thins out and he says 'God, gave me a knife' is SO good. The sirens in the background as well, still reflecting the street sounds we hear in the album but a lot more ominous. Stu's vocals on this song are some of his best in my opinion, mainly because his voice is gravely enough and in the style that he does his metal songs in, but also because it fits the character he's singing as. Also the vocals in the background of this one work really well especially in the 'So I set up my sign, and told the passers by' section. The instrumentation is perfect on this one, utilising the microtonal synths alongside the bass, wah pedal, and excess synths with the latin style drumming. Every instrument gets its own highlight on occasion, especially the Latin percussion. The solos on this one work incredibly well, the back and forth between the toms and the keyboard is just so perfect. Chordally the song mostly just moves from E- to E diminished and it works so well, especially with the microtones thrown in. Also the chromatic bass when heading back into the chorus is amazing, and a fun switch up in the progression. The form of the song and especially with how it breaks down after the solo's and strips down to just drums and melody works really well to set up going back into the final chorus. Genuinely my favourite bits of composition from them ever, merging simple and complex ideas when needed and it flows so well. I will never forget the first time I heard this song and immediately adding it to my playlist.

A Journey to (S)hell Not a super amazing song, and it's especially overshadowed by the much better songs on this one. Also in terms of transition songs, this one is definitely the weakest one to me. It's got a really good bass line, some different synths (some work better than others, but they get a bit pitchy on this one). The funny little sound effects on this one are good, as well as the ending that teases You Can Be Your Silhouette using the distorted record skip style cuts.

Rolling Stoned Now in contrast, this one is probably the best transition song on the album. The melody is fantastic on this one, really catchy and really fun to count with the added time signature stuff. The instruments on this one are really well balanced and offer a lot in the way of rhythmic and harmonic interest. The use of the synths is much better on this one, featuring more interesting solos and just a really great vibe all in all. The acoustic piano on this one adds just an extra bit of instrument diversity, plus the kind of lo-fi jazz vibe works really well, and everything blends incredibly nice. The ending as well is great with how it cuts off before starting another A section.

You Can Be Your Silhouette This song especially is incredibly reminiscent of Paper Mâché Dream Balloon it is. It really pulls back the mood to an even more calming tone and melody throughout, even with the various riffs. The use of harmonica amplifies this, it's just very well formed overall. The boss drums really stand out and make this one unique, plus the really great chord progression in the first section. The transitions to the phrygian section near the end works great seeing as how different the riffs are, they just make it work so well. I like the super ambiguous ending, but I think I would've preferred a return to the A section, that's just me though.

Sketches of Brunswick East III This one is just another wraparound to the beginning theme, and sort of acts as the sun setting on the town as the album finishes. The theme feels finalised and complete, repeating the same progression and melody that we've heard, except maybe a little more calming. I enjoy how it's shorter and doesn't dwell super long, but once again this final instrumental doesn't really top any of the other ones on the album either. However it serves its purpose as the final song on the album.

Issues: The album has so many instrumentals that some get overshadowed compared to others, and some of the synth choices I consider to be a bit questionable. Really minimal complaints honestly.

Strengths: It's well formatted, interesting, unique, and brings a lot to the table seeing as how they worked with an outside person to help make this album. It has some really great melodies and lines, and keeps its ideas fresh and consistent. A really amazing entry in their catalogue.

This album after sitting on it for a while grew on me so much. I hold King Gizzards calm and collected albums in high regard, mainly with the level of balance and interest that they produce. This one's probably around the 4.7 stars for me, with it being one my favourite albums they've ever released.

Despite the most unlikely of settings, the tiny Namtsy produced one of the strangest space rock / shamanic tribe freakery of the modern era in the form of CHOLBON which got its start in 1986 and named after the morning star / planet Venus in the Yakut language. While completely isolated for the early years of its existence, the band was discovered by the Moscow based experimental art punk band Zvuki Mu in the late 1980s who was touring in the Sakhan region and invited the band to play outside the isolated regions of Siberia therefore CHOLBON gained a much wider appreciation throughout the former Soviet Union for exhibiting a very strange hybrid of music sounds that mixed the world of progressive space rock with traditional shamanic Sakha music.

The band of which has gone through many lineup changes over the decades started out with brothers Namoly Ilyin (bass guitar) and Grigory Ilyin (guitar, vocals) and emerged as a collective with a rotating cast of participants. The band's debut album Уhуктуу came out in 1989 and featured the bizarre mix of Pink Floyd inspired progressive rock along with the traditional local flavors that encompassed the traditional musical folk styles of the Sakha culture. The band used both rock / jazz instruments which included electric guitars, synthesizers and the saxophone as well as the traditional instrumentation that accompanied Sakha ceremonial music and shamanic excursions into the world beyond.

To say this album is bizarrely weird is an understatement for sure. While in many ways it seems aimless and really drifts through various styles of progressive space rock and shamanic indigenous chanting sessions, it would be more accurate to simply call it alienating as all lyrics are in the Yakut language and the musical motifs on board are just as distant since they gestated in isolation away from pretty much every other musical style in the world however it is interesting that Pink Floyd's music percolated into every tiny village across the globe thus triumphantly showcasing the ultimate success for a rock band! The album and band's music in general has been described as what would happen if Pink Floyd was dropped down into a Siberian indigenous culture to participate in a shamanic journey where all members participated in the musical creativity.

The album features five musicians: Yuri Vasiliev (Dyuur Bakhlai) - Jew's harp, vocals, Grigoriy Iliyn - guitar, vocals, Namoliy Iliyn - bass Aleksandr Ilyin (Aleksandr Mondo) - keyboards, sax and Aleksandr Ivanov - drums and appears to feature only two tracks titled "Уhуктуу ("Пробуждение")" and "Улыбка детства моего" which add up to about 44 minutes. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to how the band delivers the shamanic ceremonial type traditional sounds and the totally Western space rock. At times they fuse together in a bizarre cross-culture mishmash but more often drift from one style to the other. Overall this is a fascinating album from a group that emerged from seemingly the middle of nowhere. While the tripped out value is quite high on this one, the entertainment value isn't the kind of rewarding musical expressions that beckons return visits, at least very often but when the right mood hits then you really couldn't ask for a more "out there" type of musical expression than CHOLBON's 1989 debut. Definitely one for the lovers of totally outsider weirdo music.

3.5 rounded down

For a band with a constantly recycled line up...the two mainstays were Mickey Jones (guitar/vox) and Terry Williams (drums) who went on to fame and fortune in Dire Straits (what a come down Tel!)...they managed to produce consistent albums and this one is most Man fans favourite. Their freewheeling jam aesthetic...and no, they were not the UK/Wales Grateful Dead, they were better than that.... is best found in the 4 long tracks that make up this album.

The keyboard riff that sets off, if not at a gallop then at least a damned good canter, C'mon is simple but instantly memorable with that warm now vintage sound that we associate with the best prog and related stuff from this era and the guitars add fills and complimentary rhythm as the song moves on. If prog is ever allowed to be 'a toe tapper'...I guess the jury are still out and stroking their beards on that one....then this is exhibit one m'lud. I sometimes struggle with the nasal vocals of Jones but he never goes in for hand wringing (well you can't if you are playing the guitar at the same time but run with it...) and strained emotions. The song then slides into a trippy slower section and the band use cleverly stacked vocals to create a choir type sound which pushes us back to the 'alleged' toe tapping riff/solos/rpt and end. Keep on Crinting is just a feel good well constructed instrumental with a slight flavour of country/rock (Bronco anyone?). Bananas is their celebration of all substances illegal, well, one in particular, and they do sound like a band fueled by it if we are honest. Then...Life on the Road eh! Who would have thought a 4/4 shuffle would fit perfectly on a 'prog' album, but it does you know! Will Youatt sings this one and his slight slur works well and this is real good time stoned vibe stuff...and exhibit 2 in the 'toe tapper' trial. You know, I'm going to flip it back over and play the album again. That says plenty. After that I might go and talk to some trees....

And if you ever come across Clive Johns You Always Know Where You Stand With A Buzzard album (1975) give it a try.

A fine album that blends influences into a coherent whole and better than the early average rating it has (currently 3.18) but I can't quite give it a 4...it is more a 3.5 ish.