French violinist records an album for MPS in the Netherlands with an international all-star cast. Here we find Didier deciding to reach backward toward a more classic acoustic-oriented jazz, sounding very much like the music Stéphane Grappelli and the great European jazz violinists of the 1950s and 60s. Didier even goes so far as to cover several jazz "classics"--as if he feels he has to prove himself to the Jazz community.

1. "Vieux Pape" (5:19) opening with a sound palette and style that sounds completely acoustic Sixties, this Didier composition is highly melodic and richly-full with the busy, virtuosic jazz musicianship of pianist Gordon Beck, bassist Niels-Henning Orsted-Pedersen, and drummer extraordinaire, Tony Williams while Didier puts in a performance that would make him worthy for competition with the great Jean-Luc Ponty. Beck's wonderful piano play is capped by a solo that finds me thinking of the late, great Chick Corea. Lovely! Then Niels-Henning Orsted-Pedersen takes a turn in the spotlight and he's also quite wonderful--projecting lovely melody despite moving along the fretboard of his stand- up double bass at breakneck speeds. (9.25/10)

2. "Autumn Leaves" (5:24) a fully-jazz expression of the jazz classic (which was originally composed by Frenchmen Joseph Kosma and lyricist Jacques Prévoert when titled "Les feiulles mortes"--meaning "dead leaves"). Great performances--especially if you like high quality jazz musicianship. Also, I never really realized how wonderfully this song's main melody lends itself to expression on the acoustic violin. A kind of revelation! Gordon Beck's pristine solo in the second minute is so clean, crisp and yet beautiful. And Niels-Henning Orsted-Pedersen's walking bass line so perfect for holding it all together. (9.3333/10)

3. "La Manufacture De Sucre Engloutie" (3:50) gorgeous piano chord play opens this song--a composition credited to both Gordon Beck and Didier. Listening to this song truly is like being in the presence of humans possessed with a direct line to otherworldly beauty. I can definitely see how anomolous music mathematician Allan Holdsworth forged such a deep and lasting bond with Mr. Beck. (9.75/10)

4. "New World" (5:04) composed by Didier's brother, Francis, the ensemble really has fun with this one--especially, methinks, Didier and Tony. A great listen of impressive musicianship. (9.25/10)

5. "The Last Blade Of Grass" (4:26) the first song to sound a little like J-R Fusion with electrified violin, electric guitars, this song is attributed to guest fusion guitarist Jean-Michel Kajdan. Jean-Michel's performance is particularly impressive for its fiery dexterity as well as emotional expressiveness. Matter of fact, the rest of the band seem rather sleepy when set beside J-M's play: as if they're all stunned, standing in jaw-on-the-floor shock, as they go through their motions perfunctorily while Jean-Michel plays. In fact, it takes a full 20-to-30 seconds after Jean-Michel pauses for the others to re-focus and put some passion back into their own play--including the next soloist himself (Didier)! In the end, everybody gets up to speed and the song finishes well, but those first two minutes were extraordinary! (9.3333/10)

6. "My Memories Of You" (5:40) interesting that this Francis Lockwood-penned song title and sound, chord progressions all sound like a song of a similar name that would find its way onto Vangelis Pappathanassiou's soundtrack for the 1982 sci-fi film Blade Runner. This duet between the Lockwood brothers finds the one using electrified violin, the other using a standard grand piano. (8.875/10)

7. "Giant Steps" (2:10) an interesting sprint through one of the giants of jazz history. (4.5/5)

8. "Pent-up House" (2:31) a Sonny Rollins song that Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli made their own on which guitarist John Etheridge quite capably takes the role of Django, while Didier, of course, takes that of Stéphane. Quite a respectful and faithful rendering. (9.125/10)

9. "Zbiggy" (6:55) a tribute to the recently-deceased Polish-born jazz violinist Zbigniew Seifert. Perishing of cancer at the age of 32, "Zbiggy" had been an early pioneer of electrified violin sounds and an active member of the "free jazz" movement though he contributed significantly to the J-R Fusion albums of Volker Kriegel, Jan "Ptaszyn" Wróbleweski, Jasper van 't Hof, Joachim Kühn, Hans Koller, Charlie Mariano, and Glenn Moore's Oregon. Didier's song here allows his collaborators (Tony Williams, John Etheridge, Gordon Beck, and Niels-Henning Orsted-Pedersen) to also pay tribute to their lost compatriot. Kind of a two-chord high-speed, dynamic vamp that allows for lots of soloing. (13.375/15)

Total Time: 41:19

It's all great acoustic jazz--maybe "rock" can be tagged onto the descriptive referents, but it's really just jazz. To me, this album is more of a retrospective tribute to Jazz history than a step forward in the evolution of Jazz-Rock Fusion. At the same time, after repeated listens I've come to appreciate the absolute genius of the performances of these jazz stalwarts. Beautiful!

A/five stars; while not what I would consider an expression or full-fledged Jazz-Rock Fusion, this is without a doubt a wonderful expression of music, musicianship, and jazz of the absolute highest quality and must, therefore, be extolled as a masterpiece of music--general Götterdämerung-ed music--no matter what genre or category you choose to assign it to. It's challenging for me to label this "essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music" when it's not progressive rock music--it's jazz--but, since it's here on PA and we're all in the business of exposing one another to great music in general (not just progressive rock) I cannot let this incredible album go unadvocated.

Soon after the release of their debut album in 1966, the Mothers of Invention followed that up with the brilliantly weird and often undecipherable 'Absolutely Free', an early staple of experimental rock that once again displayed the originality of the band and their effortless and satirical approach towards rock music, all while playing some of the most fascinating music to have come out of the late 1960s. Much like 'Freak Out!', the music on here is adventurously avant-garde and offers several completely unorthodox pieces of rock and pop music, with the MOI drawing in influences from all over the place (blues, psychedelia, garage rock, classical and fusion references grace the two sides of the original LP). Besides, this time we have an eight-piece band working itself around, plus a ton of guest musicians, with virtually every single member of this wicked art collective contributing to the bedazzling and disturbingly surreal passages of music and their corresponding sceneries, since the earliest music of Zappa and the Mothers is incredibly vivid and resembling what we could refer to as "a film for listening".

Herein, many of the shorter pieces actually make up for longer suites, led by a certain musical motif around which the rest of the compositions are developed, which in many regards works as the anticipation of the progressive rock style and what the bands associated with it would go on to experiment with later on. Not an easy album to dissect or digest, similarly to the debut, 'Absolutely Free' still has some really fine pieces like the great suites 'The Duke of Prunes' and 'Call Any Vegetables' on side one, with a strong display of Zappa's improvisational style of play, and the garage-prog collage of sounds found on side two ('Brown Shoes Don't Make It') with all of its quirky accompanying shorter tracks. The strengths of this album overshadow its downsides for sure, which is very likely why this release is well-respected and seen as a significant part of the classic MOI catalogue, and despite its obvious but cheerfully chaotic and patchy flaws, 'Absolutely Free' indicates a desire for rebellion as well as a vision of ominous quirkiness that we just cannot ignore.

The Lockwood brothers--20-year old violinist, Didier, and his older keyboard-playing brother, Francis--team up with monster bass player Bunny Brunel and recent Zeuhl artist Patrick Gauthier to produce an album that was inspired by Jean-Luc Ponty's work (especially his collaboration with Frank Zappa for King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa) and probably that of Michal Urbaniak, and perhaps even Italian fusion artists Arti E Mestieri, David Cross (King Crimson, Clearlight), and Darryl Way (Curved Air). Though this album's original vinyl release was listed under Didier and Francis' surname, "Lockwood," later reissues (as early as 1980) tend to list the band as "VOLKOR"--though I know not why.

1. "To-Morrow" (2:15) opens with some super funky bass from Bunny Brunel--deep water bass, I have to call it. With the establishment of the main motif dueling solos ensue between Didier's electrified violin and Patrick Gauthier's Moog. This felt like a complete song despite being only two minutes long! (9.375/10)

2. "Astral Trip" (5:30) a great foundation presents fecund ground for Didier and to fly--while drummer Kirt Rust and, to a slightly lesser extent, Bunny Brunel also seem to fly underneath. Francis gets the next solo on his electric piano in the fourth minute and then Bunny in the fifth (which merely magnifies the prowess of power drummer Rust's extraordinary skill). Cool song with some great things accomplished with tempo changes over just two chords rotating over and over! (9.25/10)

3. "Elbow" (7:00) opening with some super-funky effected-bass establishing both the melody and pace before distorted Moog synthesizer starts to squawk its way into the groove. Drums and echo- and delay-treated-electric violin are next, the former playing a straight-time near-Disco beat while Didier provides melodies to counter Patrick's squawking synth. In the fifth minute Bunny and Kirt slow things down as Francis' Fender Rhodes stabilizes things with regular chords played in a Zeuhlish progression while Didier really goes to Jean-Luc Ponty town with his screaling violin. Cool shift--which allows Kirt to show more of his skills and creativity on the batterie. Patrick re-enters with that saw-squawk Moog for the final 30 seconds as the engineers give the song a slow fade. (13.75/15)

4. "What's The Matter" (2:15) multiple tracks given to Francis' distorted Fender Rhodes while Patrick puts on display another of the highly-unusual sounds that he's discovered on the Moog--this one sounding as if a calypso steel drum were filtered through a garbage disposal. An unique little novelty piece. (4.375/5)

5. "Volkor" (6:05) a Jazz-Rock Fusion piece that is structured and paletted like a Zeuhl song with a fairly constant/rigid Fender Rhodes four-chord progression and deep bass line towing the line while Kirt's drums race frenetically-along and Patrick's Moog and Didier's reverb-violin trade barb's up top. A shift in motif (but not sound palette) occurs at 5:30 but this just leads to a slow fade-out from the production crew. Cool song with great play from Bunny, Kirt, Patrick, and Didier. (9.125/10)

6. "Yellow Faces" (3:35) sonosphere-dominating underwater bass and spacious time-keeping rock drums provide the fertile medium for Didier to solo on his ever-increasingly-reverberated electric violin. It's cool, with a great sound palette, but ultimately a little monotonous in its one dimensionality: like another experimentation or étude. (8.75/10)

7. "Green" (3:50) another cute, quaint, and yet interesting little sound experiment (more in palette--due to another one of Patrick's sonic discoveries on his Moog) that ends up never changing, never developing into a full song, always feeling like another étude. (8.875/10)

8. "Naita" (4:20) the Lockwood brothers performing a spacious duet: Francis' dirty Fender Rhodes more supporting and reactive to his brother's wonderful soaring, plaintive work on the heavily-treated electric violin. In the fourth minute Francis picks up his involvement--almost sounding as if he's providing structure and pace for the rhythm section to join in--but it never happens. The song dies with Didier's last sad note as Francis' last echoed-chords filling the sonosphere. (8.75/10)

Total Time 34:50

Some amazing experimentations with sound and sound textures are occurring throughout this exciting, inventive album but there are two tendencies that render my overall impression one of words that are not all superlatives: 1) the clear Jean-Luc Ponty-ness of Didier's sound and stylistic approach to his violin play and 2) the fact that so many of the songs (three of them) feel incomplete--as if the brothers were so enamored of their sound creations that they figured a little blurb of these rather unique (and entertaining) sonic experiences was deserving of public preservation.

A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of innovative and experimental Jazz-Rock Fusion that never seems to reach its fullest potential.

The Lockwood brothers--20-year old violinist, Didier, and his older keyboard-playing brother, Francis--team up with monster bass player Bunny Brunel and recent Zeuhl artist Patrick Gauthier to produce an album that was inspired by Jean-Luc Ponty's work (especially his collaboration with Frank Zappa for King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa) and probably that of Michal Urbaniak, and perhaps even Italian fusion artists Arti E Mestieri, David Cross (King Crimson, Clearlight), and Darryl Way (Curved Air). Though this album's original vinyl release was listed under Didier and Francis' surname, "Lockwood," later reissues (as early as 1980) tend to list the band as "VOLKOR"--though I know not why.

1. "To-Morrow" (2:15) opens with some super funky bass from Bunny Brunel--deep water bass, I have to call it. With the establishment of the main motif dueling solos ensue between Didier's electrified violin and Patrick Gauthier's Moog. This felt like a complete song despite being only two minutes long! (9.375/10)

2. "Astral Trip" (5:30) a great foundation presents fecund ground for Didier and to fly--while drummer Kirt Rust and, to a slightly lesser extent, Bunny Brunel also seem to fly underneath. Francis gets the next solo on his electric piano in the fourth minute and then Bunny in the fifth (which merely magnifies the prowess of power drummer Rust's extraordinary skill). Cool song with some great things accomplished with tempo changes over just two chords rotating over and over! (9.25/10)

3. "Elbow" (7:00) opening with some super-funky effected-bass establishing both the melody and pace before distorted Moog synthesizer starts to squawk its way into the groove. Drums and echo- and delay-treated-electric violin are next, the former playing a straight-time near-Disco beat while Didier provides melodies to counter Patrick's squawking synth. In the fifth minute Bunny and Kirt slow things down as Francis' Fender Rhodes stabilizes things with regular chords played in a Zeuhlish progression while Didier really goes to Jean-Luc Ponty town with his screaling violin. Cool shift--which allows Kirt to show more of his skills and creativity on the batterie. Patrick re-enters with that saw-squawk Moog for the final 30 seconds as the engineers give the song a slow fade. (13.75/15)

4. "What's The Matter" (2:15) multiple tracks given to Francis' distorted Fender Rhodes while Patrick puts on display another of the highly-unusual sounds that he's discovered on the Moog--this one sounding as if a calypso steel drum were filtered through a garbage disposal. An unique little novelty piece. (4.375/5)

5. "Volkor" (6:05) a Jazz-Rock Fusion piece that is structured and paletted like a Zeuhl song with a fairly constant/rigid Fender Rhodes four-chord progression and deep bass line towing the line while Kirt's drums race frenetically-along and Patrick's Moog and Didier's reverb-violin trade barb's up top. A shift in motif (but not sound palette) occurs at 5:30 but this just leads to a slow fade-out from the production crew. Cool song with great play from Bunny, Kirt, Patrick, and Didier. (9.125/10)

6. "Yellow Faces" (3:35) sonosphere-dominating underwater bass and spacious time-keeping rock drums provide the fertile medium for Didier to solo on his ever-increasingly-reverberated electric violin. It's cool, with a great sound palette, but ultimately a little monotonous in its one dimensionality: like another experimentation or étude. (8.75/10)

7. "Green" (3:50) another cute, quaint, and yet interesting little sound experiment (more in palette--due to another one of Patrick's sonic discoveries on his Moog) that ends up never changing, never developing into a full song, always feeling like another étude. (8.875/10)

8. "Naita" (4:20) the Lockwood brothers performing a spacious duet: Francis' dirty Fender Rhodes more supporting and reactive to his brother's wonderful soaring, plaintive work on the heavily-treated electric violin. In the fourth minute Francis picks up his involvement--almost sounding as if he's providing structure and pace for the rhythm section to join in--but it never happens. The song dies with Didier's last sad note as Francis' last echoed-chords filling the sonosphere. (8.75/10)

Total Time 34:50

Some amazing experimentations with sound and sound textures are occurring throughout this exciting, inventive album but there are two tendencies that render my overall impression one of words that are not all superlatives: 1) the clear Jean-Luc Ponty-ness of Didier's sound and stylistic approach to his violin play and 2) the fact that so many of the songs (three of them) feel incomplete--as if the brothers were so enamored of their sound creations that they figured a little blurb of these rather unique (and entertaining) sonic experiences was deserving of public preservation.

A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of innovative and experimental Jazz-Rock Fusion that never seems to reach its fullest potential.

Lars Fredrik Frøislie is the keyboardist for iconic bands like Wobbler, Tusmørke, White Willow, and projects like The Chronicles of Father Robin. Lars never stops?he's always creating something interesting. He owns an impressive collection of analog keyboards, including a Chamberlin Mellotron, which is almost impossible to find. Well, he's got one.

This is his second solo album in two years. The first, Fire Fortellinger, received very positive reviews. Frøislie, a lover of '70s prog?especially Italian prog?decided to sing in his native Norwegian, which gives the music a unique touch.

Once again, as with the previous album, Frøislie plays all the instruments, including vocals, and he does it remarkably well. He shares duties again with bassist Nikolai Hængsle and flutist Ketil Einarsen.

Gamle Mester is a bit stronger than Frøislie's previous album. The music is now more complex and slightly less folk-oriented. The keyboards take on a new dimension, and the compositions are inspired by mythology?the power of the gods over mere mortals.

The album feels warm and shares many similarities with Wobbler?except this time, Andreas Prestmo is missing. For fans of that band still waiting for something new, this record helps fill the void, but at the same time, it stands strong on its own. Personally, I think this album is changing certain parameters more than simply repeating what's already been done. I don't know how, but there's a lot of originality here, even though it clearly carries many influences. Lars Fredrik Frøislie, despite wearing his inspirations on his sleeve, manages to stand out and carve out a world entirely his own.

A great record to keep in mind in this extraordinary 2025.

— First review of this album —

A Wonderful Nightcap

Claudio Fucci was born circa 1952 in the town of Carosino near Taranto, later living in Milan. He started writings songs in the late 1960s, and by the '70s he was collaborating with the likes of Come Le Foglie and Banco. After the release of his own 1974 self-titled work produced by Eugenio Finardi, he would work with keyboardist Dario Piana again on the Le Mani project. But aside from a soundtrack project, it would be over 30 years before Fucci followed up his 1974 debut. The resulting Synkretiko is a country mile from anything resembling 21st century progressive rock, but it is a surprisingly warm and engaging return for Fucci nonetheless. This is not a progressive rock album even to the extent of his earlier work, but it is a good pop/rock album with a heavy dose of that wonderful Italian touch. It's very well decorated with two dozen great musicians including his old buddies, Eugenio Finardi and Dario Piana.

Synkretiko is an album for people who already know they like stuff like Battisti, Stephano Testa, Mario Barbaja, Gigi Pascal, or Gianni D'errico. The songs run the typical pop song template and length, but they are catchy, fun, and colorful. "Graffiti Italiani" is a festive opener with a bouncy folk feel adorned with fiddle. "Il Silenzio E Il Tuono" is another with a folky-country rock vibe that sounds great with Fucci's gregarious voice. "Sebastiano" is more bluesy with raucous electric guitar and organ that reminded me of Faces "Stay with Me." "Come Un Poeta" veers into a light and melodic jazz groove. And "Via C. Baroni" is a grand, romantic-sounding ballad. As you can see, the album's style is free and engaging, but the quality is very high. These songs will stick in your ears for days after. For such a late entry in the game, Fucci succeeds here. If this is to be his nightcap, it is sweet on the lips indeed. La musica della vita!

Gone are both founder Yochok'o Seffer and recent acquisition Didier Lockwood, here come percussionist Michel Séguin, wind player François Debricon, trombonist Hamid Belhocine, and a young Manu Katché on drums (the first recorded presentation of the future superstar).

1. "Merci Jacky" (7:20) opens with a Smooth Jazz-like feeling before Jaco Pastorius-like bass joins the percussion and steady one-chord electric piano motif. Key change at 0:50 continues the one-chord foundation approach while Gérard Prévost and Michel Séguin continue to impress (especially the former). 2:00 the reins are handed over to "Faton" for a solo that could come from lighter J-R Fusion players like Donald Fagen, Michael Omartian, or Greg Phillinganese. chord progression sequence in the fourth minute leads into a much more developed motif (though it feels the same because the drum and percussion lines are much unchanged) but trombone and saxophone now join in while the keyboard/synth and bass lines are now more sophisticated, melodic, and, frankly, interesting. Fuzz synth mirrors bass play for a score of seconds before circus-like sounds and chord progression take us into the dismantling finish. Nice, fun and light. Good opener. (13.25/15)

2. "Typhareth (Beauté)" (12:44) I love the presence, prominence of trombone coming from unconventional trombonist Hamid Belhocine. The flanged bass (with its great solo in the eleventh minute) is cool, too--especially due to the loving support that Faton's hypnotic keyboards play below him. This is a very easy-going, gentle and melodic tune which lulls the mind into perhaps failing to notice all of the lovely subtleties going on in the soil and underbrush. Truly a lovely song. (23.75/25)

3. "Troupeau De Bisons Sous Un Crane" (3:32) Hand claps and congas! A light, fun, and upbeat tune that seems to reflect a carefree, fearless Cajun-like attitude. Nice! A little Weather Report feel to this--and so nice to hear a lower- register saxophone for a change! (8.875/10)

4. "Binah / Comprehension Feminine" (5:04) dreamy ethereal combination of piano, flute, and EBERHARD WEBER-like flanged electric bass start this one out as cymbals and metal percussives add to the effect while flutes, percussives, change, trombone enters. At 3:00 there feels like a shift in temperament: as if the sun has come out and there's a reassurance that everything will be okay. But then it goes back to the more dreamy, less settling motif for the final minute. Nice! Interesting! Creative. (8.875/10)

5. "Les Temps Changent" (8:44) keyboard, congas, and café chatter open this for about 30 seconds before bass, drums and horn section enter to move the song forward--but slowly, with lots of stutter steps and shifting, twisting dance moves--before finally letting Faton lead us into the pedestrian lanes of the cobblestone shopping area of la vieille ville. As we walk the troupe gets more stylish, more swaggy and cocky with its self-assured, attention-getting footwork and audaciousness. I love it: These were the Seventies! This is a perfect representation of the Black-positive attitudes that styles, clothing, and music were expressing at the time--and François Debricon's expressive tenor saxophone solo in the seventh minute is the perfect cherry on top! This is followed by an ensemble finale which feels as if it were choreographed by Mandy Moore for a street scene in La La Land. (18/20)

Total Time: 37:24

Like reviewer/friend John Davies, I find much more hiding in this music than what might appear at first listen: besides eminently-impressive musicianship from all involved, there are plenty of compositional and improvisational intricacies that might be masked by the easy-on-the-ears melodic sensibilities that François offers the listener.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Third-moving-into-Fourth Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion. Very engaging and upbeat while being deceptively intricate and sophisticated.

Yes -Tor -Mato

Tormato is the album with which Yes closed out the extraordinary decade that saw them reach the peak of progressive music and become the legendary group they are today. Tormato is an album I have a special affection for, as it was my entrance into this great band. Although many consider it mediocre, I've always found it extraordinary?not quite on the level of Close to the Edge or Fragile, but far better than what the band would go on to produce in the mid-eighties.

Tormato came after a glorious period for the band. They had just recorded an incredible album Going For The One and completed an extremely successful tour. By then, Yes was already considered one of the best bands in the world, almost on the same level as giants like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. That's why, when they entered the studio to record Tormato, Yes had carte blanche to do whatever they wanted.

It's important to place ourselves in the historical context of 1978. The musical landscape had changed drastically. It wasn't just disco anymore?punk and new wave were now dominating the market and leaving a strong impression. Yes wasn't punk or new wave, but people still liked them. The Police were the band of the moment?everyone liked them, and many wanted to be like them.

After Going for the One, which featured the return of the band's prodigal son Rick Wakeman, things seemed to remain stable?at least on the surface. The problem was that the band had no new music composed. Everything they had was discarded, as the members couldn't agree on the sound they wanted for this new record, which already had a working title: Yes Tor, named after some hills near Dartmoor, Devon, close to where Steve Howe lived.

The cards were on the table, and the players were ready. Wakeman arrived at the studio with a range of new polyphonic keyboards, which significantly reduced the amount of gear he needed. The Polymoog and the Birotron would come to define the album's sonic character. Meanwhile, Chris Squire had discovered the Mu-Tron pedal, which gave his bass a distinctive, more modern effect?closer in line with the evolving sounds of the time. Steve Howe opted for single-coil guitars to create a sound that was softer yet more piercing.

Production duties were handed back to Eddie Offord, who hadn't worked with Yes since Relayer in 1974. This album wasn't just another record?it felt more like a reunion of old friends, eager to show off their new toys but lacking a clear direction. As the days passed and ideas floated in and out, the sessions turned increasingly frustrating. Chris wanted to sound like The Police, Alan White was pushing for a heavier rock vibe, Steve aimed for something more experimental, Rick wanted to explore his new keyboards, and Jon Anderson?curiously?didn't even want to sound like himself. He was trying for a deeper tone, searching for something different.

After those endless sessions, very little could be salvaged. The material was taken to Eddie Offord, who ended up abandoning the project because he found it dull and uninspired. Eventually, the band had to take over the production themselves. Slowly, out of that chaos, Tormato began to take shape. But why Tormato, if the album was supposed to be called Yes Tor?

Although the original plan was to have Roger Dean design the cover, he never really connected with the band's vision this time. Instead, as with Going for the One, Yes contacted Hipgnosis again. The final concept came from a photo featuring a smashed tomato, which immediately struck a chord with the band. It symbolized their frustration, mockery, and protest toward the whole recording process. For years, it was believed that the band members themselves had thrown tomatoes at the photo in anger. In truth, it was Aubrey Powell from Hipgnosis who hurled tomatoes at his own creation, frustrated after it was rejected by other bands. Yes empathized with that gesture, and Yes Tor becoming on Tormato.

The music on Side one opens with "Future Times / Rejoice", composed entirely by Anderson, whose lyrics here are unusually direct. The track features Chris Squire using the Mu-Tron pedal, adding that now-iconic touch to his bass tone.

"Don't Kill the Whale" originated from a bass line and acoustic guitar part created by Squire, which Anderson developed further using a poem he had written. The lyrics were inspired by a TV program about saving tigers, which led him to write about whale conservation. Their friend Terry Doran also played a role in sparking the theme. Wakeman added a Polymoog sound resembling whale calls, which shaped the track's unique identity. The song was an instant hit and it was the first major hit for the band since Roundabout.

"Madrigal" is a short, delicate piece driven by Wakeman's harpsichord, written at Anderson's suggestion to explore the madrigal form of English evening song.

"Release, Release", originally titled The Anti-Campaign, was co-developed by Anderson and White and reflected the social and political unrest of the time. The song features automatic double tracking on drums and a live crowd sample?allegedly from a football match?to energize the instrumental break. It caught the attention of Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun, who even suggested the whole album follow its more straightforward rock sound. Anderson later admitted the song was difficult to perform live due to the vocal range it demanded.

On the other side starts with "Arriving UFO", a sci-fi-inspired track based on a theme Anderson developed after watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Wakeman composed the instrumental midsection.

"Circus of Heaven" tells a whimsical story aimed at children, complete with unicorns, elves, and a circus arriving in a quiet Midwestern town. The story was inspired by Ray Bradbury and was something Anderson shared with his son Damion, who voices the child at the end. Musically, the song is notable for Squire's reggae-style bass line.

"Onward" is a lush ballad written entirely by Squire, featuring orchestral arrangements by Andrew Pryce Jackman. Squire considered it one of his best compositions, and it was later revived on stage in 1996 with a new acoustic intro by Steve Howe called "Unity".

Finally, "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" closes the album on a high note, built around Squire's bass with a distinctive Mu-Tron Envelope Shaper effect, giving it a driving, pulsating energy.

As a side note, some original cassette and 8-track editions included a hidden track called "Richard", written by Anderson. Though it was omitted from later reissues.

In the end, Tormato it is a fascinating record in the Yes story. It's an album born from frustration, and experimentation, but it still carries moments of brilliance musical extremes hated by many and loved for others. While it may not reach the heights of their masterpieces, it reflects a band trying to adapt, to evolve, and to remain true to themselves in a rapidly changing musical world. For some, it's a misstep. For others? like me?it's a misunderstood gem, full of character, tension, and charm. And above all, it marked the last time this classic lineup would record together until much later, making Tormato both an ending and a turning point in the history of Yes. I still believe that this record needs more love from the fans.

The fifth album from Sky is in similar "easy listening classical ditties for rock group" territory to their previous album, Forthcoming. The major difference appears to be that whilst Forthcoming was fairly placid, this is positively jaunty - why, on Telex From Peru there's threats to actually creep back towards rock, to the extent that Sky ever rocked, though there's still gentler moments like Then and Now. As with the previous album, it's a collection of entirely acceptable background music, but isn't much more than that. Individual listeners will have to decide whether the crisp production and pleasing musicianship saves it from being muzak or pushes it into that category.

Steely Dan a great American band, truly talented individuals, Becker and Fagan are geniuses with that unique immediately identifiable sound. I must admit in my formative years they absolutely blew me away, so I'm not sure how this album avoided my clutches. Was it worth the wait, I think it was, although I'm still a fan, that thrill of the new all those years ago has receded, become comfortingly familiar to the extent that it's hard to to disconnect oneself and give an objective view. What I will say that certain Steely Dan songs have a strong emotional pull on me, Do It Again, Rikki, Haitian Divorce, Dr Wu and on this album Razor Boy, ( I love that vibraphone/marimba and the pedal steel ) falls into this category not to mean it's best, I just get that similar kick from it, others like Bodhisattva, Boston Rag and My Old School are perhaps to well known to me from compilations. What I will say is while I may feel a little short changed on an immediately classic number this is still an intoxicationg listen, every track is a winner and a grower, listen closely and be overwhelmed by the musicianship, unadulterated class, the fresh sounds to me like Your Gold Teeth, with it's stabbing piano and funky rhythm overlayed with loose jazz guitar runs and King of the World are my big hitters.

Donald and Walt and their session musicians do a swell job at jazz fusion and this is just the second step of their discography.

5.0