MIDNIGHT SUN / EX RAINBOW BAND

"Midnight Dream" is the third full-length studio album by Danish rock band Midnight Sun. The album was released through the Sonel label in 1974. It´s the successor to "Walking Circles" from 1972. The lineup is intact and it´s therefore the same sextet lineup who recorded "Midnight Dream", who also recorded "Walking Circles".

Stylistically the material on "Midnight Dream" is also more or less a continuation of the blues oriented rock sound of "Walking Circles". The winds and the use of piano sometimes gives the music a slight touch of jazz-rock, but it´s not a dominant part of the band´s sound on "Midnight Dream". Midnight Sun is a very well playing band and it´s arguably one of the greatest assets of the album, how well playing a unit they are.

The compositions are decent enough, but nothing out of the ordinary for the style. It´s pretty standard fare blues oriented rock with the occasional journey into jazz-rock territory with a soul/rock singer in front. "Midnight Dream" is a well produced release and quality wise it´s pretty much on par with "Walking Circles", which means it´s a good quality release, but that it doesn´t reach the heights of the debut album. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

"Walking Circles" is the second full-length studio album by Danish rock band Midnight Sun. The album was released through the Sonel label in 1972. It´s the successor to the eponymously titled debut full-length studio album "Midnight Sun" from 1971. There´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as lead vocalist Allan Mortensen has been replaced by Frank Lauridsen.

Stylistically the material on "Walking Circles" contineus the blues rock oriented rock style of the debut album, but with less excursions into jazz-rock territory and psychedelic rock. It´s generally a more regular rock album and you won´t find much out of the ordinary here. Soul/blues rock vocals (Lauridsen sounds very similar to Mortensen), a nice blues rock groove, great organic guitar playing by Peer Frost, and when the songs allow it, some nicely varied drumming by Carsten Smedegaard. When the music features winds it´s where the album shines the most. Harmonica is used too, giving the album an even more blues rocking touch.

"Walking Circles" is a well produced release, and the musical performances definitely lift the quality of the album too. It´s not until the third track "A La Turca" kicks in, that Midnight Sun play something a bit more out of the ordinary (jazzy even), and they leave their blues rock sound, that you get to hear what they are capable of. It´s still light jazzy material and it´s obvious that the band are most comfortable playing blues oriented rock.

The album is well produced, featuring an clear, organic, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well and upon conclusion it´s a good quality release from Midnight Sun. It doesn´t quite reach the heights of the debut album but a 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is still warranted.

Review Nº 685

Prog rock is a genre that emerged in the late of the 60's and that became very popular in the 70's. It was essentially a British phenomenon in those days. However, it was also a phenomenon that appeared, widespread and that grew up in many other European countries. Probably, the best example was Italy where a great amount of bands with great quality appeared, a phenomenon that still exists today. But, we can say that in almost all European countries appeared bands with great quality. So, the Scandinavian countries weren't an exception. Soon, many bands with great quality appeared in all those countries. However, the Danish prog rock scene has always been quite small and unknown, especially in comparison to their neighbours. Still, there are some names that deserves a special mention in the Danish prog rock scene in the 70's, such as, Ache, Alrune Rod, Blue Sun, Burnin' Red Ivahoe, Culpeper's Orchard, Day Of Phoenix, Dr. Dopo Jam, Fleur De Lis, Midnight Sun ex Rainbow Band, The Old Man & The Sea, Secret Oyster and Thors Hammer.

Thus, Midnight Sun was a Danish progressive rock band that was founded in 1969, but under the name Rainbow Band. The group was a kind of super group, as it included former members of the Danish bands Young Flowers, Maxwells and The Beefeaters. In 1970, the band released their self-titled debut studio album under the name of Rainbow Band. Shortly thereafter, the group had to change their name because a band from Canada had copyrighted the same name. So, Rainbow Band became Midnight Sun. Their self-titled debut album under this new name was released in 1971. The band released two more albums before breaking up in the mid 70's "Walking Circles" in 1972 and "Midnight Dream" in 1974.

So, "Walking Circles" is the third studio album of Midnight Sun ex Rainbow Band and that was released in 1972. The line up on the album is Frank Lauridsen (vocals and harmonica), Peer Frost (guitars), Niels Bronstad (piano), Bent Hasselmann (winds), Bo Stief (bass guitar) and Carsten Smedegaard (drums).

"Walking Circles" is a good instrumental album with some good ideas. I didn't really like the album at a first listen. Still it grew up on me with time. It feels a lot like Chicago, though not as an exciting imo. Although I might never have been the biggest Chicago fan, the way Midnight Sun infuse some heavier prog and psych rock moments might gives that style just the kind of kick in the pants it needed. However, it's a bit unbalanced. The album could be jazzier, or funkier or more folk, or they could rock more. But, the album doesn't exactly fit in these categories. They touch in everything, but the music isn't equally distributed. It hasn't really bad songs, and overall, the instrumental breaks are often passable.

Musically, "Walking Circles" doesn't necessarily really offers any significantly different music in relation to the previous studio album of the band, "Midnight Sun", despite another change in the line up, the presence of another vocalist after Lars Bisgaard on "Rainbow Band" and Allan Mortensen on "Midnight Sun". In the liner notes, the group's music is aptly characterized. The compositions on Midnight Sun would be at home somewhere between Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears and The Soft Machine. But, I think they are best comparable to the music of the first incarnation of Colosseum. I have nothing to complain about it in this classification. Here we have a bluesy-jazzy rock with a sax component is made by Midnight Sun, dominated by the excellent piano playing by Niels Bronstad and also the virtuoso electric guitar performance of Frosts, who is between earthy sometimes and others that are banal rockers like "Can You Hear The Music Play?", "The Way Of Zen", "I've Got A New Mind", "Winds Gonna Blow" and "I'm Living A Dream" and a filigree of more complex jazz rock numbers like "Country Song", "A La Turca" and the title track, "Walking Circles" that here sway a bit more. There are jazzy skillfully orchestrated instrumental passages in all pieces, but the powerful vocals of the new singer Lauridsen usually provide for the bluesy musky rock (pop) elements that were so trendy at the time.

As happened with the previous album of the band, the cover of the Midnight Sun's second work is also adorned with a painting by Roger Dean, even a rather strange one. A human skeleton, with a spine elongated into a tail, sitting on an icebergand using it as a third leg, so to speak. I think this is one of the most original and strange covers made by him.

Conclusion: "Walking Circles" is a little less sophisticated, more simply knitted, earthier and significantly more poppy than "Midnight Sun". There are noisy strings as well as some occasional folky-bluesy harmonica interludes. In contrary to the claim in the cover text of the album that "Walking Circles" would represent a step forward for "Midnight Sun", from a merely progressive point of view, I really don't think so. "Walking Circles" isn't a well balanced album. It didn't impress me much. It's a summary of many and too much varied styles that go from psychedelic, jazz, folk and rock. But it doesn't fits very comfortably in none of those styles. The album has some good music moments and I think it can grow. There's nothing great here but nothing really bad, either. I really think that "Walking Circles" is a step backwards, a departure into more commercial realms. Still, as a whole, we really cannot say that we are in presence of a bad work.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

MIDNIGHT SUN formerly called RAINBOW BAND released this album in 1971, a re-recording of their debut with a different singer. This band was from Denmark and the music is very much Jazz/ Rock with some outstanding guitar and bass but the singer's voice for me is a required taste. Soulful is the word with his vocals making this sound often like a commercial record and indeed some of these songs are too poppy for lack of a better word. I think I was reaching for the "eject" button during that second track called "King Of The Sun". Well after many spins I have gotten kind of comfortable with his voice but there's too much on here that turns me off to give anything more than 3 stars.

"Talkin" is jazzy with bass, drums and piano but then sax and vocals join in. Not my thing really but the electric piano impresses, especially after 1 1/2 minutes. Contrasts continue between the instrumental and vocal passages. "King Of The Sun" is about as lame as it gets in my opinion. Love the bass but I'm feeling sick.

"Nobody" is the first song that I like. Piano is featured early on and throughout to be honest. Vocals just before a minute. Gotta love that extended instrumental section. "Where You Going To Be" is a catchy and commercial sounding tune that almost rivals "King Of The Sun" for being the worst song on here. "B.M." is more like it with the drums, strummed guitar and killer bass. Vocals arrive late but are distant sounding.

"Sippin' Wine" is so not my thing. Then neither is this song. Commercial sounding drivel but I do like that sax solo. "Living On The Hill" is an incredible 15 minute piece of music that right from the start doesn't sound like the rest. What could have been? This is why I'm giving 3 stars. Bass, guitar and drums to start. Piano and sax join in then vocals before 1 1/2 minutes. I love when the flute arrive around 4 minutes and I wish there was more of it on this album. The highlight though is the guitar starting after 5 1/2 minutes and going non stop until around 13 minutes and man what a show he puts on. "Rainbow Song" ends it in a mellow way with atmosphere and flute. Strummed guitar and bass help out as well.

This did grow on me but it's just not my kind of music despite being impressed with the instrumental work. The Roger Dean cover art is a little misleading too.

Considered as a legend of Danish Rock, this band, hailing from Copenhagen, started as Rainbow Band in 1970 with Bent Hesselmann on saxophone/flute (from Psych/Pop group Maxwells), Peer Frost on guitar (formerly of Young Flowers, a 60's Psych Rock act), Carsten Smedegaard on drums, Niels Bronsted on piano, Bo Stief on bass and Lars Bisgaard on vocals (also ex-Maxwells).They recorded a self-titled debut on Sonet, but, when Bisgaard left and was replaced by newcomer Allan Mortensen, they decided to re-record the whole album with new vocals.To avoid legal issues with their name they changed it to Midnight Sun and the re-recorded version of their debut was released in 1971 simply as ''Midnight Sun'', featuring an beautiful painiting by Anne Marie Brauges on the front cover.

This is cool, energetic and pretty loose jazzy Psychedelic Rock, featuring the intense, melodramatic vocals of Allan Mortensen and a nice team, which could perform both in jazzy and psychedelic enviroments, adding often doses from Soul, Horn Rock and Folk.Lots of acoustic and electric piano textures with emphatic, heavy guitar runs and solos and a steady rhythm section, supported by the sax work of Hesselman.The tracks evolve from dramatic instrumental passages and strong lyrical moments to abstract solos and individual beams of technique, always having an evident jazzy flavor, but the pieces fronted by the saxes are rather too commercial and even outdated.Most of the material is good though, highlighted by the fine talents of Peer Frost on electric guitars and Niels Brondsted on piano, while Hesselman's work on flute regarding ''Sippin' wine'' is trully efficient.All these just before the 14-min. closing farewell of ''Rainbow song'', where Midnight Sun jump on the jamming wagon to deliver dense, mostly instrumental and slightly improvised Jazz Rock with endless, scratching guitar soloing, fiery Heavy/Psych leads, powerful grooves and impressive bass and drum work.Some sort of structure wouldn't hurt, but even so this piece unleashes strong amounts of energy.

In 1972 Mortensen was replaced by a third singer, Frank Lauritsen, and Stief left his place to Jens Elbol.The new-line-up recorded two more albums, ''Walking circles'' (1972) and ''Midnight dream'' (1974), both of them showed the band reducing the complex, abstract ideas for a more accesible sound with Pop leanings, before fading out in November 1974.

Sweet and intense Psych/Jazz Rock with fiery performances and a nice bunch of interesting solos, eventually hurt by a number of indifferent, more radio-friendly tunes.Recommended.

An enigmatic Danish group with a penchant for blending jazzy breaks, psychedelic flourishes and Canterbury- style melodies, Midnight Sun issued a quartet of studio albums during the early-seventies without ever really breaking out of their homeland. Both their underwhelming debut and their final two albums showcased a group still unsure of their overall sound, yet on this second effort from 1971 everything somehow came together rather beautifully, making for one of the key Danish progressive albums of the era. Featuring an elegantly bucolic Roger Dean sleeve, 'Midnight Sun' sounds a little like Caravan jamming it up with both British jazz- rockers If and fellow Danes Ache, showcasing an undeniably talented five-piece who seem comfortable performing within the idioms of both progressive rock and fusion, the whole laced with a jaunty, psychedelic feel. Opening track 'Talking' starts proceedings in engaging style, with catchy guitar riffs underpinning Alan Mortensen's wavering vocals, whilst rockier elements sneak to the fore in both the meaty 'Nobody' and the complex 'Where You Going To be'. However, the album's highlight has to be the roaring fourteen-minute epic 'Living On The Hill'. A searing blend of scorching psych-rock and delicately-hued jazz currents, 'Living On The Hill' features a set of blistering performances from all involved as the churning tides of delicate keyboard textures and rippling guitar squalls constantly chop and change until the grand and fiery finale. Its a highly- satisfying denouement to a true hidden gem of an album, though listeners should be warned not to expect the same from Midnight Sun's other three albums, none of which reach the impressive heights reached here. Just why is a good question with no simple answer. However, despite failing to find both true success or consistency, Midnight Sun did manage to deliver at least one excellent album in the shape of this colourful mixture of cleverly-assembled musical ingredients. Jazzy, complex and adventurous, this a fine album indeed. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

Of course that

4(-) is the rating. Now why: Well, it's almost like typical "heeeevy" band from late60/early70 era, however, there's something more added. First - it's interesting, not boring, so it should be counted too. Also, it does not follow one pattern, over and over one structure of sound, it builds different visions and uses them cleverly through this album. Sound is not so clear, as Pink Floyd's records for example are, but it's Heavy Prog (it is, believe me, or after all, you don't have to, I'm not the one with big music knowledge, I'm just layin' my cards (feelings) on the table (review). Sax adds jazz feeling, but I just don't hear it here so much to be "normal" jazz prog. Something in between I suppose. Vocals are quite tiring, not so pleasant and also not so strong. Nothing big, they're not here all the time, but still, it could be done better.

Basically, it's average (3) album with something more, this unspecified flavour that makes it interesting and unique. Nothing extremely unique, as you can hear more and more albums in this genre, but unique enough to get itself to 4-star league.

Howg

"Rainbow Band" is the eponymously titled debut full-length studio album by Danish rock/jazz-fusion/psychedelic rock act Rainbow Band. The album was released through the Sonet label in January 1970. Rainbow band was formed in the spring of 1970 by Lars Bisgaard (vocals) and Bent Hesseklmann (Reeds), who came from The Maxwells. They were joined by Per Frost Hohansson (guitars) who came from Young Flowers, Carsten Smedegaard (Drums) who came from The Beefeaters, and Niels Brønsted (Piano) and Bo Stief (Bass) who were both involved in the jazz scene around the Montmartre Jazzclub in Copenhagen.

After the release of this album Lars Bisgaard would leave the band to be replaced by new vocalist Allan Mortensen (who came from Tears). This was not the only major change to occur to the band in 1971 as they had to change their name from Rainbow Band to Midnight Sun to get a worldwide deal with MCA Records. Midnight Sun re-recorded the Rainbow Band album and replaced Lars Bisgaard´s vocal parts with Allen Mortensen´s ditto. That´s why there are two versions of this album around. One released under the Rainbow Band monicker and one released under the Midnight Sun monicker. As described above they are not identical releases though, as the Midnight sun version is completely re-recorded and features a different lead vocalist.

The music on the "Rainbow Band" album features influenceds from both blues rock, jazz-rock/Fusion and a bit of psychedelic music. The material is pretty eclectic which is further enhanced by the dominant use of piano and various reed instruments. The songs with most reeds playing from Bent Hasselmann remind me a bit of the early albums from the English band Audience, while other songs like "King of the Sun" starts out more sixties blues rocking and then while the guitar plays solo the song almost shifts to fusion territory. There is a strong soul influence here too, which is mostly due to Lars Bisgaard´s soul/hard rock vocals. Lars Bisgaard has a very similar voice to his successor Allan Mortensen.

The musicianship is excellent and while the production is a bit darker than on the Midnight Sun version of the album it´s still a great, powerful, and organic sound production, which is a perfect suit for the material. While the Midnight Sun version of the album is the most known version, it´s worth seeking out this first version of the album, if you enjoy the Midnight Sun version, as it´s different enough to warrant such a listen and it´s also a high quality release in its own regard. A 3 star (60%) rating is deserved.

"Midnight Sun" is the debut full-length studio album by Danish rock/jazz-fusion/psychedelic rock act Midnight Sun. The album was released through the Sonet label in 1971. It´s actually a re-recording of the band´s debut album, which was recorded under the Rainbow Band monicker and released in January 1970, but as the band were forced to change their name to Midnight Sun and also replaced their lead vocalist Lars Bisgaard with Allen Mortensen, they felt that re-recording their debut album was the right thing to do.

A few songtitles have been changed but otherwise it´s the same tracklist featured on this re-recorded version of the Rainbow Band/Midnight Sun debut album. Stylistically Midnight Sun play a hybrid blues rock, jazz-fusion, and psychedelic rock style. Mortensen has a soul/blues rock vocal delivery, which sounds a lot like his predecessor. The material is pretty eclectic which is further enhanced by the dominant use of piano and various reed instruments. The songs with most reeds playing from Bent Hasselmann remind me a bit of the early albums from the English band Audience, while other songs like "King of the Sun" starts out more sixties blues rocking and then while the guitar plays solo the song almost shifts to fusion territory.

The album is well produced, featuring a clear, organic, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well. While I think I prefer the original version of the album, this re-recorded version is well worth investigating too. Fans of artists like Blood, Sweat & Tears and Traffic should find a lot to appreciate here. A 3 star (60%) rating is deserved.

Great, eclectic fusion from Danish band Midnight Sun. The style is influenced by a mix of jazz, blues, and psychedelic music all laid over good ol' rock. Very different from Colosseum's great blend of jazz and blues, but just as good in my opinion.

Talkin' and King of the Sun are good unique songs, and a solid way to start out the album. Where're You Gonna Be and Sippin' Wine are more bluesy while the others let the jazzier side of the band take over. One of the great things about this band is that like Colosseum, they excel at both elements. Also noteworthy is the nearly 15 minute Living on the Hill. Easily the best song here. The songwriting is consistently above-par and each member showcases their talents throughout. This one likely will remain one of my all time favorite fusion songs.

As good as the songwriting is, the musicianship is just as good. First and foremost is Frost's guitar playing. His great psych-blues guitar soloing appears all over the album, and I can't get enough of it. Stief's bass is consistently good, and ranks with some of the much better bassists I've heard. Also worth mentioning is Hasselmann's use of the flute and sax, his aptitude with wind instruments adds a great and necessary component of Midnight Sun's sound.

The only negative point to the album is that the songwriting quality isn't always as consistently good as the musicianship. For example, I'm not a fan of the song Nobody in general. Some of the songs also tend to be ok, but doesn't live up to the promise of the others.

Even so, this album's definitely worth checking out for a number of reasons. Its a great example of a unique style of fusion. It'll also certainly appeal to fans of blues and especially great guitar/bass playing. There's a little something for everyone here.