There are several alternate editions of this album that include a wide number of different songs that were not present on the original Midnight Sun release. Normally, I ignore these later and alternate versions and go for the original only, but, having happened upon a recording that included the awesome songs, "The Chinese," and the use of English titles for "Kulan," "Jordbruksmaskinen," "Fillins Mignon," and "Vindarnas Madrass" ("Marbles," "Harvest Machine," "Fillet Mignon," and "Air Mattress," respectively) as well as a mess of additional songs that turn out to come from his 1974 release, Janne Schaffer's Andra, I balked! As alluded to above, the problem is that I like them all! But, I will try to do my best to sort through the difficulties.

1. "Halkans Affär (4:20) a song that feels grounded in some of the great blues-rock/rock 'n' roll chords, riffs, and hooks of the 1960s--Allman Brothers, Buffalo Springfield, early Thin Lizzy, even Paul Revere And The Raiders, etc.--but it's Janne and Bengt's guitar play that are the featured meal here. (As twin guitars is the key feature overall--often harmonizing with each other--I guess it would be appropriate to cite this as a link between The Allman Brothers and Thin Lizzy.) (9/10)

2. "No Registration (6:10) a Larry Coryell-like exercise turns down a few side streets, e.g. with some amped up Ray Manzarek "Riders in the Storm" electric piano, some funky-chunky electric jazz bass, and some great delicate and power-chord electric guitar play (from both guitarists). It's great listening--greatly entertaining and engaging--but, again, it's barely touching that which I consider to be Jazz-Rock Fusion. Still, I like it! Very much! (9.25/10) 3. "Kulan (Marbles)" (4:57) an acoustic start with an Indian feel due to the droning sound coming from Stefan Brolund's bowed double bass, at the end of the first minute the guitar, soft electric piano, and Danny Thompson-like double bass begin rendering something that is more akin to something by THE PENTANGLE or some American artist: there is a sound and feel like an American Western mental-spiritual, mind-wandering balm or desert dream--Janne's solo on the acoustic guitar sounding and feeling like one particular member of AMERICA's guitar sound and style (or perhaps it's how the guitar was miked and recorded). Björn J:Son Lindh's Ray Manzarek electric piano chords and riffs shimmering in the left channel. Beautiful tune! (9.25/10)

4. "Titus" (3:46) electric guitar, bass, drums, tabla (!), and two tracks given to Björn J:Son Lindh's gorgeous flute play make for a very beautiful and interesting folk-tinged Smooth Jazz tune. Janne and company keep hitting it out of the park! (9.25/10) . 5. "Jordbruksmaskinen (Harvest Machine)" (8:10) this song defintely opens with 75 seconds of space music that sounds exactly like something the American jazz-fusion artists who were venturing into experimentations with the new synthesizers and their vast array of artificial sounds in the early 1970s (Herbie Hancock and Lenny White, thanks to Dr. Pat Gleeson, as well as Larry Coryell, Lonnie Liston Smith, Joe Zawinul, and Jan Hammer.) But then, at 1:20, the electric guitars and bass interrupt with some jarring power chords that make me think more of some of the early pioneers of "Heavy Metal" music (like Led Zeppelin) and Jeff Beck. But then there is a launch into a jazzy rock guitar Eric Clapton/Jimi Hendrix/Randy California-like passage--which is then quickly interrupted by an odd little "interlude" before coming back with more of an aggressive Larry Coryell funk orientation so that guest Jan Bandel can solo on his vibraphone alongside Björn J:Son Lindh's electric piano while the guitarists play some awesome rhythm funk guitar. In the sixth minute there is another "interlude" slow down into sort-of-spacey music before the band restarts the funk- anchored blues-rock lead wah-wah guitar shredding. The musicianship and sound throughout this is awesome; it's just not my favorite style of rock or fusion. (13.625/15)

6. "Daniel Sover" (0:35) a beautiful little strings trio with Janne, Bengt and Stefan playing all acoustic instruments. (4.5/5)

7. "Did You Ever Love a Woman" (4:42) B.B. King?! It even sounds like B.B singing but that is, no doubt, Janne on electric guitar. Was this like a recording of Janne playing over the top of B.B.'s own recording--like an early Karaoke experience--or maybe Janne's whole band playing over/with B.B.? The horns are all attributed to Swedish musicians-- and the vocal is credited to "Blues singer" Slim Notini, so I guess this really is a re-do/cover! But, still I'm confused! (9/10)

8. "Fillins Mignon (Fillet Mignon)" (3:17) opens just like a Led Zeppelin, Cream, or Joe Walsh song. The twin guitar play and interplay is awesome--especially in the beautiful second minute when one peals off to lead and the other lays back to provide rhythm support--and then they reverse their roles while switching their style and sound like Dr. Jekyll turning into Mr. Hyde (or Jan Akkerman turning into Joe Walsh). (8.75/10)

9. "Vindarnas Madrass (Air Mattress)" (3:34) a jazzy stop-and-go exercise in jerky syncopation being blended, alternatingly, with gentle folk and aggressive hard rock elements. Such creative vision! I just love the superb manifestations of such fresh and innovative ideas! Flutes, vibraphone, congas, funky bass, and, of course, a wide variety of guitar sounds and styles. Awesome! (9.125/10)

Bonus: "The Chinese" (3:18) (alternative on some issues to "Did You Ever Love a Woman") Definitely coming from the rock background and compositional perspective, this song feels like something from one of rock's early melodic geniuses. Great groove with some great riffs to hook the listener in--and the interesting skills flourishes and creative guitar sound production to keep him engaged. (9.25/10)

Total Time 39:31

I guess it's the finesse of the guitarist and the occasional jazziness of Stefan Brolund's electric bass that make people want to categorize this music under the Jazz-Rock Fusion umbrella, but, like a lot of Jeff Beck, this is less Jazz, more rock (and blues-rock), but, yes, there are occasional Larry Coryell-like flashes of brilliance, otherwise it's more like advancing rock 'n' roll--or rock 'n' roll infused with jazzy ideas and techniques.

I do, however, want to give high praise to the amazing sound production, amazing bass creativity of Stefan Brolund, awesome skill and diversity of "second fiddle" guitarist Bengt Karlsson (and Björn J:Son Lindh's flute play!), as well as the solid drumming of Ola Brunkert. Well done, Boys!

A-/five stars; an awesome collection of well-polished and highly-creative songs--a minor masterpiece!--just not sure this belongs in the Jazz-Rock Fusion category. Still, it is a wonderful album that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND for any lover of masterful, creative, eclectic prog-related song crafting and whole-band musicianship--and great sound!

Interestingly, Janne did contribute to a number of certifiable Jazz-Rock Fusion albums in the 1970s, most notably the brilliant Ablution one-off, two Pop Workshop albums, a couple Gabor Szabo, Rune Gustafsson, Putte Wickman, and Mads Vinding Group albums, as well as, later, a couple of prog rock band Isuldur's Bane's albums near the turn of the century, but he (and several of his band mates on this album) may be most famous for their contributions as the studio and live band to Sweden's international pop sensation, ABBA.

I really loved the album. I listened to it with a nice drink, and the music created a truly immersive atmosphere ? one that felt dreamlike and profound. I'm particularly fond of how the music reflects on the theme of time as an inner dimension, something deeply personal and emotional rather than linear. Each track unfolds organically in the "lapse of time" of the album, allowing space for introspection, and the interplay between the instruments and vocals feels thoughtful. You can notice echoes of classic progressive rock ? Genesis in particular ? mixed with an individuality that make this album stand as an interesting addition to the contemporary prog scene. Overall an engulfing meditative experience delivered through music.

This is a curious beast. Even though all the music we see and hear seems to have been recorded in a single day (June 21st, 1974), and even if the gig mostly seems continuous (apart from a few stops and starts), the program seems to have been cobbled together by Ahmet Zappa (who is credited as 'director') from a wide variety of takes, as the original recording circumstances were far from ideal. Nevertheless, the playing usually sounds perfectly smooth to me; I certainly didn't spot any mistakes, except perhaps in one of the greatest Zappa instrumentals of all time: 'Echidna's Arf (of You)', which is included ALMOST completely (but only on the blu-ray, not on CD) and which breaks off abruptly. (What a shame it couldn't have been included on the CDs as well, as total performance time is now considerably less than two hours.)

So what's the music like and do you really need it? If I'm not mistaken, all the crucial bits can already be found - in similar versions - in THE ROXY PERFORMANCES, A TOKEN OF HIS EXTREME and YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE VOL. 2, all of which are seminal Zappa albums, in my opinion. If you're a Zappa newbie, I'd advise you to first explore ROXY AND ELSEWHERE or ROXY BY PROXY (both of which are devoted to much of the same material), and once you've fallen in love with those, you might start considering CHEAPER THAN CHEEP.

If, on the other hand, you're already a devoted admirer of the 1973-1974 band that had George Duke (keyboards and vocals), Napoleon Murphy Brock (tenor sax, flute and vocals), Tom Fowler (bass), Chester Thompson (drums) and Ruth Underwood (percussion) in it, you won't want to miss this - and in addition to the aforementioned you also get Jeff Simmons on guitar and vocals. (Not to mention FZ on lead guitar and vocals, of course.) Everyone involved seems to be enjoying the occasion, although I have to point out that in some of the songs (notably 'Cosmic Debris', 'Montana' and 'Penguin in Bondage'), Frank's singing seems a little 'detached': he doesn't seem to be savouring the lyrics as much as during THE ROXY PERFORMANCES.

The video quality may not be the best (typical 1970s TV-show material, I'd say) and for some reason Zappa has chosen a backdrop of kitchen foil, just like we got in ROXY: THE MOVIE, but the sound on the CDs is superb. You can clearly distinguish every single player, and I found it a delight to hear one of the greatest prog ensembles of all time making their way once again through such superb material as 'RDNZL', 'T'Mershi Duween' and 'Dupree's Paradise'. George Duke's improvised solos on synth and electric piano are magnificent, confirming that he's right up there in the Prog Pantheon with Tony Banks, Chick Corea and Patrick Moraz; Napoleon Murphy Brock never sounded better on sax and flute, and I enjoyed his singing too, even on 1960s Mothers tracks like 'Let's Make the Water Turn Black'. (I could have done without his version of 'How Could I Be Such a Fool', though.) All the other members of the band sound glorious to my ears, and what's more: Frank's lead guitar is very lively and well recorded, it has a special twang to it, and Frank plays with abandon - especially in the second half of the concert.

One final remark: where I live, CHEAPER THAN CHEEP did not exactly come cheap, you have to fork out a lot of money for it, which makes me feel a little cheated, especially since most or all of the material is freely up on YouTube and heaven knows what other channels anyway. Let's just say I'm happy to support to Zappa Family Trust, especially if they keep coming up with fascinating material like this.

— First review of this album —

Diverse Post Rock Blend

An unusual entry at ProgArchives that has evolved from Neo-Prog to Post Rock with elements of electronica and pop. It almost sounds more like Crossover or Post Rock to me than Neo-Prog, but I've never heard the earlier work from which I assume the band was considered. While my first reaction to them was the confusion that I've alluded to, I actually came to quite thoroughly enjoy this album. There is a lot happening and the net result is a diversity that is quite enjoyable. While a portion of the album exists in the Post Rock realms of rather relaxed rock that flows along building up and ramping down, there are exceptions and twists. The first I noticed was "Daft Nerd" which has this really great descending keyboard run that instantly recalled '80s synth-pop hits for me, stuff like Thompson Twins or Soft Cell. It's completely catchy and will have you boppin' along. The second half of the album takes a darker and more complex turn. The final three tracks in particular seem to be almost homage to Radiohead with somber tones and excellent use of synths, acoustic guitars, and indeed heartfelt vocals. This is a good album that deserves some attention from Post Rock, Crossover, and art rock fans in general.

Rebirth is an instrumental message of hope, love, and renewal, divided into 10 parts. It began between 2003 and 2004 but reached its climax in April/May 2022 due to the war in Ukraine and the forced exit of Antony Kalugin (Karfagen / Solo / Sunchild / Hoggwash) and his family to Poland. This incredible work begins with the title track, REBIRTH. With its futuristic atmosphere, thanks to Mr. Kalugin's keyboards, it invites us to imagine lands of a near future (without wars), completed by the amazing guitar of Max Velychko. Next comes PLANETS, reminiscent of Mike Oldfield's style. The song takes us on a space journey, imagining whether we can live on other lands/planets. It's an experience filled with traveling harmonies between keyboards and guitars. DAYS OF JOY is a cheerful and unpretentious song, breaking the more introspective mood a bit, yet still remaining a beautiful composition. "Joy Is In The Air" ? this is the essence we long for in a rebirth. In WHITE CASTLE, we are greeted by an angelic, serene, and bucolic atmosphere. Its acoustic guitar introduction followed by keyboards brings to mind an image of a land free from wars. As the song "grows," the instrumentation shifts into an oriental melody (perhaps arriving at the TAJ MAHAL?). Changing the dynamic, SOLSTICE has a more festive feel, like a celebration of the good fruits of a harvest. A blessed land. Returning to Mr. Oldfield's influence, NIGHT VISIONS seems to describe the admiration and awe that the images of a sky full of stars brings to us, human beings, and once again evoking a sense of peace. Then comes SKY LINES, which transports us to medieval times with its minstrel-like guitar touch, taking us to a festival within a castle after a wonderful night. We reach BROKEN PROMISES, the eighth track of this fantastic work, with a sadder tone, suggesting frustration or disappointment over spoken words and, as the title suggests, broken promises. In NIGHTS OF WONDER, we find a mysterious and joyful mood, with some passages evoking a Christmas-like atmosphere (nothing more joyful than Christmas), suggesting a time without wars. A unique moment of peace. And finally (what a pity it ends!), we arrive at COMING HOME, marked by Mr. Velychko's incisive guitar, in a rhythm of victory and the triumph of reclaiming the beloved homeland?reborn, after the war, recharged, and beautiful!

REBIRTH is musical poetry expressing the desire for the madness of war to end and to return home, to the beloved homeland. Congratulations to Antony Kalugin and Max Velychko for this sensational instrumental masterpiece. And congratulations also to Igor Sokolskiy for the beautiful illustrations made especially for the CD.

Having met Massimo in Rome a few years ago, I was immediately taken by his resolute focus on his craft, a clear musical vision and the willpower to make it happen. He is definitely a doer and not just a thinker, as purpose and creativity that propel him constantly forward. His debut was met by critical acclaim and last year's live album garnered even more attention. But now comes crunch time, as "The Next Dream" is exactly what the title implies. Julius Caesar may have worn a crown of laurels, but Massimo does not rest on his, getting a wide variety of local and international collaborators to help him with his new endeavour. Moon Letters singer Michael Trew is here, as well as Laura Piazzai, Dominic Sanderson, Kate Nord and Germana Noage along with magical super-lung vocalist Claudio Milano, guitarists Jean-Luc Payssan (Minimum Vital), Peter Matuchniak and Nick Fletcher, saxophonist Rob Townsend and John Hackett whose bloodlines need no introduction, and drum maestro Mattias Olsson are helping Maria Chiara Rocchegiani, Lorenzo Cortoni, Amy Breathe and Marco Ragni (vocals), guitarists Roberto Falcinelli and Luigi Pistillo, Mirko Rovina (percussion), Marco Lo Muscio on church organ, violinist Lisa Green, and cellists Mauro Cipriani and Gianni Pieri to fill out the EXTENSIVE cast. Eleven tracks, some of which were previously released as singles, videos and teasers, are gathered together to solidify the scope of the album. Releasing new material first live and then studio, now that is cool!

"Come Heavy Sleep" arrives as a celestial aria (Rocchegiani) , setting the tone for the musical theater that we are about to witness, Massimo showing his neo-classical/symphonic background to perfection. Both John Hackett's flute and Rob Townsend on sax decorate the arrangement with a very British flair, an adaptation of the Renaissance composer John Dowland fine piece of the same name. What a colossal beginning !

The two part "Creatures of the Night" suite offers the listener a wider and deeper canvas of emotional attraction. Lead vocalist Germana Noage really lays into her expertise with an overwhelming demonstration of control and tone, proclaiming all the lavish rudiments essential to be irrefutable. Decorate that with some tasty Cozzetto fretwork and you've got one hell of a track to linger on. Two colossal tracks form the stuffing of the 4-song suite ,"Get in Line" is an absolute stunner, and it features one of my current pet musicians, namely Warr guitar master Mark Cook, who can do no wrong in my book. I won't dilly dally here, this is perhaps the finest track Massimo has ever composed, as it supplies a complete package of bliss, the vocal duet of Marco Ragni and the already applauded Germana is off the charts dazzling, the orchestrations sensually a propos, an arching bass swirl and the twirling lead guitar finale are both heart stopping. Massimo carved a melody to match, and the end result is celestial. "The Chinese Witch" shows Massimo stretching the progressive level to loftier heights, a tour de force of creativity, concentrating particularly on the vocal harmonics side of arranging, that never wavers along its 7 minute + flight time. Opulent piano settles the foundation on which the female voices (Nord and Rocchegiani) get to build up the melodic tension, telling a story that incorporates a Chinese folk song. It flows majestically along, increasing symphonics elevating the pomp, a vocal operatic masterpiece of the highest order. A perfect and marvelous follow-up to the previous revelry. "I Dreamed of Flying" suggests a gentler approach to eventually finishing off the night. This is a uniquely precious piece, initially a duet with piano and voices (Trew and Breathe) , augmented with some orchestrations. a tune of delicate fragility that cracks open like an eggshell, bursting with excited resonance. An acoustic version will finish off the album later on. The spookier second part of "Creatures of the Night" is a huge highpoint, as the twin guitarists get to let their strings do the singing within a distinctly urban temperament that is quite perceptible, just like when the sun sets and the night crawlers emerge out of their lairs, you just know that there is going to be adventure of some kind to behold. Its raunchier material comes as a most welcome heightening of all the amassed tension. Imaginaerium's Laura Piazzai (another current flavor of mine) belts out her notes like a rocking opera diva, full of power and passion, taking no prisoners. Supremely gifted Nick Fletcher showcases his guitar skills, adding fuel to the vocal fire, bass rumble (Allen), and violin(Green) screech not withstanding.

Just like at the Scala in Milan, the intermission brings down the crimson velvet curtain, time to redecorate the stage and let the audience refresh themselves before tackling the next section.

Just like Massimo to keep the pedal on the accelerator (he drove me around Rome a few years ago, and I was well strapped in because he drives, well, ?like a Roman =pazzo). On the utterly lyrical "Alone", the American duo of Cook and Matuchniak nevertheless match the theme with instrumental prowess of the highest quality. Solitude in an ocean of humanity can be quite the hard pill to swallow.

Michael Trew takes the microphone eagerly on "The First Time We Met", a genuine recollection of those wonderful first impressions that can never be forgotten, the voice smooth as silk, as if hushed in hallowed respect. Perhaps the most accessible song on the set list but, it's just perfecto! Lest we forget, Italy has an ingredient found in all of their cuisine that consolidates its reputation : amore. The romantic in me is fulfilled. A superb song with scintillating piano work, in particular . Grazie maestro!

The longest piece here is the title track, "The Next Dream" and it features Dominic Sanderson, prog's new wunderkind by all accounts, on both intense and despondent lead vocals, sharing the duties with Kate Nord, who can also belt out with the best of them, in a gigantic section of music that travels through various sonic regions, from the romantic and adventurous to the tumult of big city angst and bombast. Cook shows up again with his stringed monster, supported by the legendary Mattias Olsson on the drum kit, they both steal the show instrumentally, with a delirious performance, and a torrent of blistering notes and fills.

Showing the impressive ability to concentrate on of prog's most well documented weaknesses, the vocals on this album are perhaps some of the finest anywhere in 2025. Expertly composed, arranged, produced and delivered by Massimo Pieretti, it is fair now to boldly state, that you have arrived , amico mio! Capolavoro!

5 subsequent visions

Recorded in Stockholm 5-11 August of 1974 at Marcus Music AB and produced there by Måns Groundstroem but not released by Love Records until December.

1. "Aurora Borealis" (12:56) a very unusual sound and stylistic palette for a song dedicated to an atmospheric phenomenon. (I just would have never conjured up a borderline-funk-jazz-rock tune to do the deed.) Jukka is climbing further into the jazz-rock lexicon for his musical expression with even greater commitment to jazzy horns and the latest funky-jazz technologies in electronic keyboards. The second movement of the suite is quite cool, starting out in the second minute of the tune, it tests out the infusion of new synth sounds and low-end horn arrangements within his piano-and-bass jazz-rock mainline. Then there is a brief return to the first movement followed by another go round the second motif that lasts until the end of the fourth minute before the music seems to devolve and fall apart, but, no! This is just a clever "bridge" into the third movement, which starts at about the 4:50 mark: it is two-chord vamp in which even more new funky techniques and new synth sounds (one that is a bit familiar to all lovers of Kool And The Gang's "Summer Madness"). This movement is even a step higher in terms of listener enjoyment, thanks to the great synth play of Esa Kotilainen and amazing space-sax play of Jan Kling on tenor sax and the perfect support from Jukka's piano, Heikki Virtanen's awesome bass play, and Esko Rosnell's very cool drumming and percussion work. Even when this motif switches into a funkier variation with Heikki's ramped up bass play and Jukka's excellent rock guitar with Esa Kotilianen's clavinet joining Jukka's piano it remains at such a high level of musicianship and engageability. I love songs like this in which it just keeps getting better and better the further you go. Though I don't like the title (it doesn't feel fitting to me) I love this song--especially those last two movements! (23.5/25)

2. "Starfish" (6:17) a very full rendering of this audience-pleasing composition with a full-scale horn section arrangement, jazz rhythm guitar, and multiple variations on a very catchy melody establishing a very sophisticated multi-layered orchestra-like composition that reminds me quite often of the perspective that composers like Bill Conti (Rocky OST) and Burt Bacharach. (10/10)

3. "The Sea" (8:22) another amazingly rich, mature, multi-layered orchestra-sounding song that sound like an all-time favorite Adult Contemporary hit from a French romantic film soundtrack. That two-chord piano riff! (As if stolen from Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Hart, and Bobby Weinstein's song "Hurt's So Bad" which became such a big hit for Little Anthony And The Imperials in 1965 and Linda Ronstadt in 1980.) If I didn't know better, I'd say that young Jukka is destined for greatness as a composer for orchestral music--or even as a orchestra conductor. Absolute beauty and awesomeness! (19.5/20) 4. "The Hook" (8:36) now we get a big-band sounding R&B motif--with accordion and all the horns (including the low end pulsing bass ones)--and some great guitar work, acoustically, rhythmically (both acoustically and electrically--with wah-wah), and in the lead tracks. Is Jukka trying to go for the Billy Cobham/Herbie Hancock kind of iconic bass- anchored stuff of Spectrum and Head Hunters with a little Also Sprach Zarathustra thrown in there for good measure? This is definitely a pretty radical shift from the previous three songs, though Jukka continues the masterful display of thinking of songs as lush tapestries of multiple threads of sophisticated and melodic particles and waves all woven together into an awesome work of art. (18.25/20)

5. "Together" (3:15) a return to simple, gentility, though with the time and key shifts to denote masterful songwriting skill: a duet with hissself between his piano and his Roy Buchanan-sensitive skillful guitar play. Nice finish to a great album. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 39:26

As stated above: I think this might be the breakout album that proves Jukka's extraordinary talent for sophisticated orchestral-level arrangements.

94.12 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a full masterpiece of amazingly layered compositions rendered beautifully by Måns Groundstroem for the world to cherish and uphold for all time! One of my favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion albums I've heard from the Scandinavian worlds--maybe even one of my favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion albums of all-time! Certainly one of the most unique and creative!

Another shot at this new Jazz-Rock Fusion thing from this supergroup of Danes, the material for the album was recorded July 4-7, 1974, and mixed September 16-19, 1974, all at Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen, but then released from Holland on Cramps Records.

1. "Oysterjungle" (2:57) a very cool song that moves from jazz-rock to cool space funk to space prog and then back into fusion with the addition of orchestral elements. This reminds me a lot of the sound and mood of Klaus Doldinger music at this same time: the sound engineering is really excellent! (10/10)

2. "Mind Movie" (9:14) bluesy guitar over Bach-like electric piano and clavinet arpeggios and weird Moog and/or organ sounds. Definitely cinematic while also presenting a kind of Jimi Hendrix/Eric Clapton/George Harrison-like bluesy wah-wah electric guitar thing from Claus Bøhling as the lead (though it is cleverly mixed within the sonosphere). Cool music and great guitar play from Claus. Though Claus's guitar solo ends up being no more than a modernized rendition of George Harrison's "My Guitar Gently Weeps," this is still a song that could/should stand up beside anything in the pantheon of iconic blues-rock guitar songs. (18.875/20)

3. "Pijamamafia" (6:07) after a surprisingly long and meandering intro (two minutes), a song with whole-band form finally does emerge from the mass of molten Earth elements: one that gives us an interesting take of both funk and jazz. To me this sounds like a populated forest of small animals running crazily willy-nilly among the undergrowth as a few small predators (think foxes if you like) run amuck this way and that with the crazed sense of urgency governed by their hungry little bellies. (8.75/10)

4. "Black Mist" (3:40) another sophisticated and highly creative rock-leaning motif that supports some nice sax and guitar soloing but really presents a very team-focused expression of macho control. (9/10)

5. "Painforest" (5:40) another intricately constructed song that has serious cinematic potential--not unlike the music of German Kosmische Musikians POPOL VUH. Nice--I like the intricacies and subtleties--but, in the end, it's really nothing much to write home about. (8.875/10)

6. "Paella" (8:23) another foray across the border into the realm of the Krautrockers--even venturing to the mesmerizing walls of the Berlin School of Electronic Music--then veering off into the territory of early Vangelis. Interesting! (17.5/20)

Total Time 36:01

The music on this one, despite sounding incredible (great job Cramps Records and Rosenberg Studios!), turns out to move from solid, melodic Jazz-Rock Fusion into cinematic Krautrock.

A-/five stars; an excellent collection of well-constructed, performed, and engineered songs straddling a fence between Jazz-Rock Fusion and Kosmische Musik. (Taking in the songs of bonus material that was left off the original vinyl release one might be more inclined to place this album in the Krautrock bin.)

Recorded in March of 1973 (5th through 10th) and then released in June by MPS (advertised as "Most Perfect Sound" but actually an acronym for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald" [due to its location in Villingen], Germany's premier producer of jazz music--comparable to the USA's Blue Note label). Despite band leader and chief composer Volker Kriegel's name atop the marquee, the album turns out to be a collaborative effort between an international lineup of superstars, with representatives from the UK, Poland, and Germany.

1. "Lift!" (6:54) a mellow song to open the album leaves me curious about Volker's intentions here in 1973. There are some elements of this countrified song that feel inspired by some of the other softer Jazz-Rock Fusion masterpieces already floating around in the Jazz-Rock Fusion world--most specifically those of Chris Hinze and Michal Urbaniak. Nice melody expressed by Zbigniew Seifert at the end of the second minute before giving way to Volker's acoustic guitar solo. There is also a spirit of American jam band in this song--like something from the Grateful Dead or the Allman Brothers, even the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, but mostly Michal Urbaniak (minus Ula's vocalese). The band speeds up the tempo for the closing as the song is faded out as if through a building's air ventilation pipe system. (13.25/15)

2. "Three Or Two In One" (6:07) bearing some melodic similarities to some of the smoother songs of the early J-R F masterpieces: like Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Michal Urbaniak, Caravan, and Hatfield and The North, the stripped down and laid back conga foundation and Eberhard Weber bass play give this a quite accessible feel despite its harmonic and chordal intricacies and jazzy electric guitar and electric piano performances. John Taylor's electric piano performance is akin to something Herbie or Chick might accomplish at this stage of their development (and sound palette explorations) and Zbigniew and Stan Seifert's play also definitely put them into the jazz department despite the easy listening friendliness of this music. (8.875/10)

3. "Forty Colours" (3:26) the first of three compositions attributed to Eberhard Weber (who plays a beautiful bowed cello as well as the electric bass on this), it opens with Volker's acoustic guitar and Zbigniew Siefert performing a plaintive melody together over John Taylor's soothing electric piano and John Marshall's delicate cymbal work. Volker is quite impressive with his speed runs on the acoustic as I hear a lot of similarities to songs by Michal Urbaniak and Jean-Luc Ponty. (9/10)

4. "A Piece With A Chord From A Yorkshire Terrier" (6:05) a cookin' if slightly mellow instrumental palette definitely qualifies as ramped up post bop with Eberhard's jazz virtuosic double bass play, John Marshall's solid drumming and John Taylor's space-filling electric piano work. Volker is really bringing it with those speedy blues runs in the first half with Stan Sulzman's sax and Zbigniew's violin providing main melody check ins every so often, and then Eberhard's amazing bass solo in the second half. What a great Jazz-Rock Fusion piece! (9/10)

5. "Electric Blue" (8:55) Eberhard's second song contribution makes me wonder, Which came first: this album and song or Italian band AREA's Arbeit Macht Frei? (The latter didn't come out until September--which means the Volker & Company's influences had to come from another funky source--perhaps Michal Urbaniak.) The best, funkiest, hardest rocking, most Power Jazz-Rock Fusion song on the album. Everybody is giving their absolute all to this one--especially Eberhard, John, and Stan. Great jazz musicianship! (19/20)

6. "The Lame Donkey" (2:40) the final composition credited to Volker's bassist, this is pretty much a little comfort piece involving bass guitar, gentle piano chords, and acoustic guitar playing beneath a repeating melody coming from what sounds like a synthesizer (which is uncredited but probably coming from John Taylor's right hand). (It turns out it's Eberhard playing an ocarina through some kind of reverb effect.) Volker's acoustic guitar lead work is rather sublime: so smooth and fluid. (9.125/10)

7. "Between The Seasons" (4:38) back to the gentle side of song construction with a palette of instrumental sounds that could easily spawn a BOB JAMES or Smooth Jazz album. Nice, enjoyable, if surprisingly easy and rather simplistic. (8.875/10)

8. "Blue Titmouse" (3:55) exploiting a couple of very 1960s pop rhythm tracks (think The Mamas & The Papas and The Carpenters), here everybody gets to lay it out like an instrumental practice for a Motown or soft R&B hit, especially Stan, Zbigniew, Eberhard, and Volker. Volker's Motown-like rhythm guitar is impressive for fitting this type of song in a "Shaft" and Junior Walker & The All-Stars kind of way. Eberhard can play some great Soul/R&B bass, Volker some cool, melodic and unobtrusive lead guitar. If John Marshall's drums were recorded better I might also enjoy his input. (8.875/10)

Total Time: 42:40

It turns out that this collection of songs is far more collaborative than some of Volker's more dynamic guitar-centric albums (thus the addition of the "and Friends" in the title--as noted on the album's own liner notes) which makes for some interesting, more spread out and "full" music palettes and outcomes.

A-/five stars; an excellent if slightly mellow minor masterpiece of gorgeous Jazz-Rock Fusion collaborative work. I love the way the spotlight is shared and how the quality and accessibility of the overall song is the top priority of each song outcome.

"Cognitive" is the debut full-length studio album by multi-national progressive rock/metal act Soen. The album was released through Spinefarm Records in February 2012. Soen was formed in 2004 by drummer Martin Lopez (Opeth) and guitarist Kim Platbarzdi, but it wasn´t until 2010 when lead vocalist Joel Ekelöf (Willowtree) joined, that the band became active. The quartet lineup is completed by the omnipresent bassist Steve Digiorgio (Death, Testament, Iced Earth, Sadus..etc.).

Stylistically the material on "Cognitive" is in a melodic, melancholic, and rhythmically heavy and syncopated progressive rock/metal style. Tool/A Perfect Circle are the most obvious influences and sometimes also a bit too obvious. Soen are a less experimental act though and most tracks are vers/chorus structured and relatively easy to follow. The big soaring choruses are one of the greatest assets of "Cognitive" along with the emotional singing and strong voice of Ekelöf. With the instrumentalists involved it´s no surprise that the instrumental part of the music is well performed too. It takes a few listen to remember the tracks and not all of them stick, but I have to mention closing track "Savia" because of the absolutely stunning melody lines. They are incredibly well constructed and performed.

"Cognitive" features a professional, detailed, and well sounding production job and upon conclusion it´s a promising first release by Soen. I think they wear their influences a bit too much on their sleeves on this album, and it does slightly drag my rating down, but in all other departments "Cognitive" is a high quality release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).