1000 Prog Albums Over 46 Years: 1966-2011

209

Intorno Alla Mia Cattiva Educazione
Alusa Fallax

because I had PFM twice! 

Edit: also SouthSideoftheSky and Warthur reviews are added. What a team!

Hows everyone going?

I must admit I didn't think of that - wish I did have a hat to have with my cup of Pink Floyd..

 

Hey i got an "Animals" PINK FLOYD mug for Christmas. Your looking very proggy Scott.

#85

1001° Centigrades
Magma

 

#209

Intorno Alla Mia Cattiva Educazione
Alusa Fallax

A review by Finnforest:

 

In a word, fabulous.

Definitely one of the best classic Italian albums I've heard so far. This one has it all: great beauty, emotional performances, thoughtful arrangements, and great playing. It just has that indefinable spirit and extra oomph that capture my heart.

This is a great album that is not well known but should be as I believe it to be in the first tier of Italian bands. It's a marvelous conceptual piece about a young person raised in a restrictive environment who eventually has to rebel against it all. Formed in the late 60s, Alusa Fallax had the typical Italian experience of releasing some singles, playing live mostly in the Italian festivals, recording their opus, and then eventually breaking up. It took Alusa longer than some to split but a second album was never released although they did work on material for a second album. The guys were accomplished and educated and eventually moved on to other things in the late 70s.

Conceived as a stage show concert, all of the songs are connected so you have two unique suites of music (really one on CD) that flow ridiculously well. This is not one of those albums you memorize quickly and thus it retains its excitement and its newness with each listen. It has a distinct avant-garde feel to it, more so than some of its peers. They do mix clever musical surprises but it never gets outright silly or juvenile, and while things do seem chaotic I have the feeling that the albums excursions were not only planned but agonized over. Nothing sounds like filler here and that's one of my benchmarks of a great album. Classical elements are mixed with rock and jazzy passages, acoustic instruments are mixed with electric seamlessly, vocals sections balance well with the instrumental ones. The playing is very capable but not flaunted for ego. The keyboards are prevalent and perfect here, the vocals are warm and passionate, and the quality guitars/bass/drums are accented by touches of flute, sax, and hand percussion. I love how the keyboards are layered on the first track, you have some in the foreground with these soft misty ones slowly rising and falling in the background.

Compared to some of the English heavy hitters and the top Italian acts like PFM, Orme, and Banco, this album may be less sophisticated in some ways and have lower sound quality due to the lower budgets. But what it lacks in those areas it makes up for in my view by being far more charming, sentimental, and intimate. In that way I would compare it to the splendid “Apoteosi” album. While not perfect, I find the sound to be adequate and definitely good enough not to detract from my enjoyment.

Keyboardist Massimo Parretti gives a nice interview in the CD booklet where he lists some of the bands influences as side B of “Abbey Road”, “Jesus Christ Superstar”, Debussy, Ravel, Stravinski, Varese, Santana, Chicago, ELP, Floyd, Tull, Genesis, The Who, Joe Cocker, Crimson, and APP. He also lets fly with a colorful and scathing review of the music industry from the mid 80s on and what he sees as the dismal quality of what was fed to the public.

Quite recommended to any lovers of adventurous classic symphonic music and absolutely essential to anyone putting together an Italian genre collection. “The Vinyl Magic” mini-lp sleeve CD reissue is a beauty with good sound and a nice booklet including the lyrics, some artwork, and the Parretti interview which is printed in Italian and English. Get the remastered version and play it loud many times. You will fall in love!

 

#210

Phaedra
Tangerine Dream

Tangerine Dream’s spacey textures are a major influence on ambience and experimental music, in a similar sense to Soft Machine's approach to jazz. They are certainly progenitors of electronic music and glacial landscape music like no other band. There is no structure to the music, and it drones with cold stark rhythmless, almost improvised sessions. At times a synth pad is heard on one note and there are no changes or beats. The idea is to immerse the listener in a soundscape of spacey atmospherics.

Tracks of note include the excellent sounds of ‘Sequent C’ and ‘Movements of a Visionary’, especially the intro section, that deserves its place as one of the best ambient pieces. The music is difficult to absorb, and challenging, but “Phaedra” is a masterful space journey.

 

A review by Warthur:

Tangerine Dream underwent an incredible transformation on their move to Virgin Records, producing this classic album which heralds a new synthesiser-dominated style for them. Cold, ethereal, and ghostly throughout, “Phaedra” is one of the spookiest electronic albums out there, with wailing mellotrons, mysterious flute, and heavy use of sequencers creating a thick miasma from which sonic shapes emerge and fade away. The album shows some influence from ex-member Klaus Schulze's “Cyborg”, which was recorded some months before, but whilst Schulze preceded Tangerine Dream into these electronic realms, Tangerine Dream forge ahead into unexplored territory as soon as they enter. Another five star classic, their best since Zeit.

 

A review by Sean Trane:

Add another halfstar. If you were to draw a straight line in between the Zeit-Atem period albums and the Ricochet-Stratosfear albums this one would stand a third of the way and Rubycon would stand at the second third of the way. The major difference between Atem and Phaedra (other than their fight with the great Ohr label and their signing to Virgin Records) is that the sounds produced here are more structured , more symphonic (or less nightmarish if you please) and that there are times at which theire is a semblence of a rhythm track.

This is an absolute major album both historically and artistically. For anybody who has doubt about this being prog (Í'm speaking here of the younger generation who did not live this 70's discovering album by album these groundbreaking soundscapes and hailing Froese & Co. as musical adventurers - Indiana Jones at Sonic Temple of Heaven), imagine that all these sounds of birds and waves that you hear, were made with almost prototype synths and all of those albums were revolutionary - therefore progressive by essence.

 

#211

Queen II
Queen

When the white queen and the black queen collide, the result is Queen's proggiest album.

“Queen II” is a very strong rock album with shades of light and dark and some of Queen's best material. After the 'Procession' heralds the entry of Queen the heavy riffing 'Father to Son' blazes away. It features the trademark harmonies, Mercury's provocative crooning and May’s scorching guitar solos. The track segues seamlessly to 'White Queen (As It Began)' which is a proggy track that has many sections beginning with a quiet minimalism, Mercury and acoustic guitar. At the sound of a gong a gentle melodic guitar picking figure carries Mercury's voice along and harmonies swell in at the chorus, lifting the mood. The lyrics are about the sadness of the lonely Queen: “needing, unheard, pleading, one word, so sad my eyes, she cannot see, how did thee fare, what have thee seen, the mother of the willow green, I call her name, and 'neath her window have I stayed, I loved the footsteps that she made, and when she came, white queen how my heart did ache, and dry my lips no word would make.” An eastern sitar changes the atmosphere, feeling very psychedelic and mystical at this stage. A great track found only on this album.

Other highlights of the album include 'Loser in the End' with a backbeat feel and very cool guitar licks. The sound is vintage Queen, nothing like their 80s hit singles and quite surprising.

'Ogre Battle' has a wind effect that swells up with backmasked guitar riffing and is as prog as the band were going to get. The riff is fast and angular, the lyrics are a fable of medieval storytelling in prog style: “The ogre men are still inside, The two way mirror mountain, You gotta keep down, Right out of sight, You can't see in but they can see out, Keep a look out, The ogre men are coming out from the two way mirror mountain, They're running up behind, And they're coming all about, Can't go east 'cause you gotta go south.” I love the way Mercury delivers these lines. And the ending is terrific with battle effects.

The next track, 'Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke' continues from this track that has set the scene, Mercury continues to tell the epic tale and this merges without interruption into the balladic 'Nevermore'. The best and proggiest track on the album is the gate crashing 'March of the Black Queen', one of the longest Queen tracks at 6 minutes, it begins with heartfelt harmonies. A killer chorus heralds the entrance of the Black Queen, with a very catchy melody. The multi layered harmonies and song structure are hyper complex. The piano and guitar trade off intricate time signatures and it builds to a crescendo until Mercury is given space to quietly sing “remember to deliver with the speed of light... everything you do there's a will and a why... a little bit of love and joy.” The time sig shifts tempo and a faster pace locks in as the next verse is pounded out. The lead break is overshadowed by lyrics of strong conviction, bombastic and pomp rock at its highest level but Queen did it like no other. Mercury sings triumphantly “Now it's time to be gone forever”. The track segues instantly into 'Funny How Love Is' which sounds psychedelic.

'Seven Seas of Rhye' is another very famous track, perhaps the most well known from this album. It is a quirky very well structured piece that moves in many directions. Mercury sings the lyrics with a self importance that is quintessential Queen; “fear me you lords and lady preachers, I descend upon your earth from the skies, I command your very souls you unbelievers, bring before me what is mine, the seven seas of rhye, can you hear me you peers and privvy counsellors, I stand before you naked to the eyes, I will destroy any man who dares abuse my trust, I swear that you'll be mine the seven seas of rhye.” The lead break in this track is simply astonishing. The lyrics are perhaps a precursor to 'Flash' that the band would become involved with in the 80s; “storm the master-marathon I'll fly through, by flash and thunder-fire I'll survive, then I'll defy the laws of nature and come out alive.” You have to hand it to Queen to finish their album on such a bombastic note but it is a great way to finish.

So there you have it, 1974 was a strong prog year and this is a powerful Queen album, along with “Sheer Heart Attack” out the same year, defiantly putting their 80s material to shame. When they were prog they were hot. 

#212

Red Queen to Gryphon Three
Gryphon

Gryphon’s one and only triumph “Red Queen to Gryphon Three” is a chess game that has four lengthy instrumentals beginning with ‘Opening Move’ and ending with ‘Checkmate’. The idea itself is worthwhile noting for its innovation and the album cover depicts the old sage in a medieval setting, poring over his next move on the chessboard, while a joust takes place below in the castle grounds. The music echoes this feeling from the outset with ‘Opening Move’, with long meandering passages of medieval music and courtly majestic excursions. One may be reminded of Gentle Giant at times with the intricate time sigs and Rick Wakeman with its unusual instrumental pageantry. The Renaissance period is captured on this album with strong English folk nuances and an emphasis on woodwind solos.

‘Second Spasm’ features the pied piper sounds of woodwind specialist Richard Harvey, also a marvel on keyboards and Krumhörn. Brian Gulland accompanies on bassoon and Krumhörns and is joined by the incomparable Graeme Taylor on guitars. This track features medieval noodling throughout, that may turn off some listeners, especially the Krumhörn solos and it sounds very whimsical and court jesterish, like the soundtrack to an old comedy in the Renaissance period. The music is certainly upbeat and positive, conjuring images of castles, knights in armour rescuing damsels and kings and queens making a procession to their royal palaces. The marching procession on percussion by David Oberlé is noteworthy also. Other musicians include Philip Nestor on bass, Ernest Hart on organ and Peter Redding plays acoustic bass. 

‘Lament’ opens side 2 of the vinyl and it begins softly with Harvey’s woodwind and Taylor’s gentle acoustic. It fades slowly as the next movement fades up, a more solemn atmosphere with Gulland’s low bassoon tones and guitar. The mood change is appropriate after all the whimsy on side 1 and this melody reflects the sound of an impending calamity. Soon some manic hi hat work ushers in a brand new day, and the music is bright and in quick cadence. The keyboard solo that follows is mesmerising along with the odd meter and pulsing bassline.    

It ends with ‘Checkmate’, a rousing, rollicking piece that may remind one of medieval dancing around the maypole. The strange music locks into a time sig that is all over the place, and then is released with a drum heralding in the march and a recorder solo trills beautifully along. The woodwind solos are virtuoso and this is perhaps a much more progressive track in terms of sigs and building up of intensity. The keyboard solo towards the end is stellar along with the recorder solos and dramatic percussion. It ends with a finale and excellent pageantry.

The chamber music of the album is a compelling focus of Gryphon and at only 4 tracks the album never outstays its welcome. It is certainly worthy of recognition, though may be difficult for some listeners with all the medieval flavours. One thing is for certain there is nothing else like it and Gryphon are recognised primarily for this work alone. It is little wonder that Richard Harvey went on to produce some successful movie soundtracks in his later years.

 

A review by Finnorest:

Complex and beautiful, an amazing work.

Someone mentioned that this band was nicknamed "Gentle Jethro" because of their supposed mimicry of Tull and Giant. I'll get controversial right off the bat and admit that I'll take this album over any album by Tull or Giant for a number of reasons. I love the fact that I can have this classy, complex, and incredibly performed music free from what I consider the occasionally obnoxious vocals of those two legendary bands. But “Red Queen” is so much more than just a good instrumental album. It is one of the most musically articulate and painstakingly arranged feasts ever assembled. It merges progressive folk and symphonic rock with both renaissance longings but also crisp modern chops and attitude. With long well-planned compositions and virtuoso performances taking the place of vocal distractions “Red Queen” is the perfect album for allowing yourself to be carried away to. Never listen to this album while distracted by other people or tasks. This is music that requires your full attention and should really be heard on headphones with eyes closed and mind engaged in listening mode. There is simply too much happening and changing too quickly to do a proper track by track description of the songs. Suffice to say that each song builds and winds back and forth through moments of symphonic and folk prog grandeur, lush keyboard and piano passages, elegant guitars and percussion, and of course we cannot forget the krumhorns and bassoon! The production is just outstanding and the sound quality of the Japanese remaster is breathtaking. The wonderful album cover art only adds to the completeness of what many consider a masterpiece of 1970s prog.

In his outstanding review at ProgressiveWorld, Tom Karr notes "This is intelligent art rock, with the group producing a work that is absent most of the clichés of the genre. Their affinity for the electric sound they had only recently added is nothing short of amazing, and their sound is exciting and blends their previous acoustic focus well with their new synthesizers and electric guitars.it is the best example of this odd, eclectic style of mid 70s British folk/prog.. Bands like The Strawbs and Steeleye Span produced some interesting blends of early English music and rock, but no one came anywhere close to the mastery of Gryphon, and Gryphon made their premiere musical statement with this release." [Tom Karr]

An essential prog classic that should easily be on one’s "desert island" album list. Recommended to anyone who loves complex music that is lively in nature and presented with great flair and superb artistry. I suggest that even Rio/Avant fans of things like Miasma or Gatto Marte try this out for size; it has the unique instruments, complexity, and sense of adventure that would appeal to those fans.

 

 #213

In Camera
Peter Hammill

Peter Hammill’s “In Camera” is sandwiched between two classic albums, “The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage” and “Nadir’s Big Chance” and as a result often gets overlooked by many reviewers. It still captures the dark intriguing world of the Van der Graaf Generator years but retains a spirit of its own. Hammill is excellent on vocals and piano as always, but he has a more restrained style for many of the songs, at least not as complex as his previous material. Guy Evans is still present on drums, but Jaxon and Banton are absent thus removing the similarity to VDGG material. The real difference here is the synthesizer work of David Hentschel generating a decidedly different sound for Hammill, especially on tracks such as ‘Ferret and the Featherbird’. Hammill is still able to blaze away with angry rockers such as on ‘(No More) the Sub-mariner’ or ‘Tapeworm’ and croon soft with acoustics on melancholy ballads such as ‘Again’. The guitar quartet on ‘The Comet, the Course, the Tail’ is unique also to Hammill’s solo career.

The songs are not as immediately arresting as previous albums and not as memorable. However there are still some great compositions as Hammill returns to themes of contemplative existentialism on ‘Faint-Heart and the Sermon’. Highlights of this song lyrically speaking include the poetic thought provoking; “My lungs suck useless air, like paraplegic dancers in formation team, my understanding sees high bound in its movements, contemplating answers that could break my bonds, to be half wrong would be in me improvement but my comprehensive faculties are impaired, and it seems absurd but now all I’ve learned are empty words are worthless…” The regal symphonic keyboard strings and odd time sigs on this are similar to the masterpiece album previous.

Hammill is at his best when let loose on manic apocalyptical epics such as the magnum opus of the album, ‘Gog Magog (In Bromine Chambers)’. This last piece clocks over 17 minutes and features grand guignol cathedral organ and gothic mayhem.  Many critics mention the ending of the track which is wildly experimental and not for the faint hearted. Hammill actually explains this in the liner notes: “I stuck Paul and Judge in the bathroom and fed them prepared and not-so-prepared tracks. Two passes of tape, I think...and then a lot of work. It didn't seem that odd to me to stick concrete stuff like this together with, say, Ferret. The rules are the same: tension and release. Use of accident, captured on tape. The sproing (for want of a better term) sound which occurs at the end (and is the release of tension) was, for instance, a once and once only effect of hitting on the button of the bass compressor. As if you needed to know that. Such accidents are strewn all over these recordings and contribute, I think, both to their charm and to their other-worldly menace.”

The last half of the song is musique concrete with harrowing blasts of frenetic dissonance, thunder claps of percussion. The track is certainly as weird as Hammill gets and is mainly avant-garde experimentation for the sake of it and perhaps could have done with some trimming. However it is a departure from the rest of the material on the album and stands out as a conversation piece in the same vein as The Beatles ‘Revolution 9’. Hammill manipulates various snippets of audio tape to create a sound collage of dark and disturbing nightmares. It is a fascinating montage of effects and creates a hellish disturbia similar to the work of Scott Walker or vintage Can. It is perhaps as dark as the artist gets and it lasts for over 7 minutes. It is hard to consume after an initial listen but it ends the album off nicely that was rather subdued to this point. Hammill once again demonstrates his power as an artist who refuses to be pigeon holed into any one genre style and whose creative vision is unsurpassed.

#214

Harakka Bialoipokku (aka B The Magpie)
Pekka Pohjola

A review by Finnforest:

A sweet musical story about a bird (and life)

Here is an album so thoroughly enchanting that it belongs in an "overlooked and obscure gems" feature if not there already. With his second album the late Pekka Pohjola has proven himself to be a few levels higher than I had previously given him credit for. Recorded in Stockholm in the autumn of 1974, this is the story of a little bird named Bialoipokku-a concept album about his adventures told completely without words or vocals of any kind, again proving that instrumental music can be all encompassing. Our little Magpie is born into a peaceful forest only to find out life is not easy street. "On that morning, or maybe a little bit earlier, as the sun was just opening his big eyes, a miracle happened in the small wood. A tiny magpie broke the shell of his small, strange, greenish egg. The miracle was Bialoipokku." [liner notes story excerpt]

The music of "Harakka Bialoipokku" is categorized as jazz yet this is not the difficult or abstract jazz practiced by some of her artists. This is an instantly accessible and melodic musical story that can be enjoyed by any music lover, whether or not they consider themselves a jazz fan. The sounds on the album are almost exclusively the creation of Pohjola's piano and bass, along with fantastic saxophone and percussion. There is almost no electric guitar and I tell you with a straight face, you will barely notice the absence. The musical story is absolutely rich, full bodied, and varied. The composition is always interesting and melodic, dramatic and then subtle, full of conflict and great beauty. Gnosis' Sjef Oellers sums it up like this: "The second album continues on the ideas presented on the debut album, but in a slightly more mature way. The fusion/jazz rock element is maybe even stronger on Harakka Bialoipokku than on his first album, but there are still symphonic/classical references and Zappa-like arrangements for brass. Piano and saxophone play a very prominent role on this album. Some of the tracks recall a more sparse and melodic Samla Mammas Manna."

Personally I love the many piano and e-piano passages that are gentle and whimsical, along with the piccolo, used to help you visualize the mood and exploits of this little bird. When the clouds get dark and he faces adversities the musical mood gets harder-edged with sometimes abrasive sax cuts. But the songs never get unnecessarily cluttered and that is Pohjola's real gift here: really nicely layered arrangements that seem to spotlight individual performances perfectly while still maintaining a band sound.

I found the bright edge of this music, with the bass/piano lead reminded me occasionally of parts of Cat Stevens' "Foreigner" album which has those same punchy accents. The contrast between the heavy, somber, almost Floydian brooding that begins "Huono Saa" and the light-hearting marching that ends it is masterful. And my personal favorite "Ja Nakee Unta" which to me is a perfect musical interpretation of flight. You will also find a few great jams here with Pekka's driving base flourishes challenged by heated sax wailings and tight drumming-he is playing the bass guitar as a lead instrument on much of this album. By the time you get to Coste Apetrea's delicious electric guitar solo in "Sekoilu Seestyy" you will lament the fact that he was not used more often. On the other hand there are plenty of guitar albums out there and the light, nimble focus here was surely part of the grand design. My single complaint with this album is the rather unremarkable ending, which sticks out like a sore thumb after all of the perfect little victories preceding it. "And a strange peace came over the little magpie, the only memory of his dream were the blisters on his yellow toes. "It's the end..for some time," he said."

Ultimately this album is a celebration of life and the joy of being alive, all expressed without one word of silly spiritual gobblygook-proof again that language/lyrics are not a necessary component of great music. Be sure to get the more recent Japanese cd edition which features splendid remastered sound, and a lovely recreation of the outstanding cover art in mini-lp sleeve.

 

#215

Köhntarkösz
Magma

A review by Warthur:

Occupying a compromise position between Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh and Wurdah Itah - it takes the full instrumentation of MDK and combines it with the stripped-down vocal performance of Wurdah Itah - Kohntarkosz does not quite have the apocalyptic majesty of the former or the stark ritualism of the latter. But it is still a strong Magma album with a great epic track that builds up to a ferocious climax, as well as a couple of shorter pieces - a peaceful John Coltrane tribute and Jannick Top's urgent and electrifying Ork Alarm.

On the whole, if you're already hooked on Zeuhl you will doubtless want this album, and enough fusion returns to the formula that it might make an interesting entry point for those who are particularly keen on the wildest forms jazz-rock might take.

A review by Ivan_Melgar_M:

I began to listen MAGMA a few months ago, and to be honest I never cared for Zeuhl before this, but there's something in the pompous, arrogant and self indulgent music of the French band that makes me come again to their albums over and over and what is worst (for my pocket) to buy all their albums, like an addiction I can't explain.

Lets start saying something that falls by it own weight...."Köhntarkösz" is a weird album not for everybody, any listener who wants to get into this album, or better said allow the music to get into him/her, needs to like pompous and strong music, with few but complex vocal sections in Kobaian (A language invented by Christian Vander to sing in the MAGMA ALBUMS) and of course the mysterious chorus that seems like a combination between the sacred and the pagan, but if you achieve this, the experience is rewarding.

One first recommendation is to buy the Seventh Records CD version and not any other, because you get "Köhntarkösz" parts I and II as a 30 minutes super epic, only separate originally due to the limitations of the Vinyl format. "Köhntarkösz" opens the album with the unusual (even for MAGMA), Psyche Space intro that reminds me of PINK FLOYD, but the real deal comes after a few minutes, when the organ starts adding an incredibly portentous section as a theme for an epic movie in the vein of Ben Hur, and the dark male chorus blending with the haunting female ones create a terrifying atmosphere that keeps the listener awaiting in expectation for a sonic blast that never happens. As a fact, the track keeps getting even more complex with unexpected piano interruptions that instead of bringing calm, contribute to the magical chaos so characteristic of MAGMA. Even when there are no dramatic changes, the collision of styles happen so gradually that they sound natural and not forced; simply brilliant.

If "Köhntarkösz" Part I was strong and haunting, part II is a radical change, the chorus are relaxing and softer, some Jazz passages appear out of nowhere, still the haunting atmosphere is kept by the keys and soft drumming, this time it’s less claustrophobic. But my changed part is yet to come, around the 5th minute (or 20th if we take "Köhntarkösz" as a whole track), the music gets faster and explosive with a desperate and repetitive chorus that goes in crescendo both in volume and speed until it breaks into an absolutely dissonant Jazzy section that no Avant band could envy................But even when Jazz or Avant are not my cup of tea, I love this, don't ask me why but it’s fabulous like getting trapped in a close space but enjoying that fear.

This chaotic section keeps increasing and then in an undetermined moment and for no reason, starts to fade, simply beautiful, elaborate and perfectly structured, 30 minutes of pure Progressive Rock in it's more complex facet. If this 30 minutes weren't enough "Ork Alarm" hits us with a semi Gregorian Choir in the vein of 666 by APHRODITE'S CHILD, the unusual violin passages are absolutely frightening and after them, everything starts again; absolutely brilliant.

"Köhntarkösz Version 2" again starts with a spacey intro and after that you can expect almost anything, the confusing and frenetic lyrics by Vander are almost hypnotic, but I won't make a detailed review of this track because it's not in the original album, but most important because It's hard to describe all that happens here in simple and limited words.

As it may be obvious for everybody "Coltrane Sündïa" (Coltrane Rest in Peace) is a tribute to John Coltrane, a gorgeous and exquisite piano performance, that seems a bit odd on this album, because it is a collision with the almost paranoic and clearly mystic "Köhntarkösz" atmosphere, but serves as a relaxer after all those weird songs.

Maybe if the album had more variations, I would go with 5 stars, but it's a bit too repetitive even when unpredictable (If you listen to the album, this phrase won't sound contradictory), so I will go with 4 very solid stars, which I consider an extremely high rating.

#216

Pampered Menial
Pavlov's Dog

“Pampered Menial” by Pavlov's Dog features the unusual vocal technique of David Surkamp and highly innovative structures. Surkamp's vocals have a distinctive high soprano that vibrates at the top register, beyond tenor, and unlike even the high soprano technique of Rush's Geddy Lee.

'Julia' is operatic in style and a beautifully executed single that works well as a ballad; "I can't live without your love". The pathos and potency of the lyrics is Surkamp's forte, and he continues in form with the astounding 'Late November'. 'Subway Sue' is also excellent and features brilliant keyboards from David Hamilton and Scorfina's guitar rings throughout. Another track of note is 'Of Once and Future Kings' with its time signature changes and incredible blend of instruments.

It is impossible to emulate the sound of this band and for that reason alone they are worthy additions to any prog collection. This is a very unique album from a very unique band; their sophomore album.

A review by Sean Trane:

One of those very cherished debut album and certainly a real pearl in the Archives, Pavlov's debut is one of those records that almost everyone should have, be they progheads or not. Out of the blue, the US Midwest actually pulled two real surprises as in the heartland of Country Rock, and Country-western, came Kansas and this completely unexpected Pavlov's Dog. Needless to say that Surkamp's incredible voice is the main asset, but it is hardly the only one. This is an album laced with loads of keyboards of every kind, but although the main feature, they never suffocate the music even if the mellotrons are mixed-in very LOUD. Don't look for long epics on this slice of vinyl, as the longest track is just above the 5 min track (actually the record is fairly short, clocking in at less than 34 mins), but Surkamp's histrionics on vocals coupled with lush mellotron waves, underlined by a cool violin and Hamilton's organs, synths and pianos, provide all the necessary drama a proghead is searching for.

This is maybe one of the most accomplished songwriting efforts as there is so much happening on the different songs that you could not fit one more note without overflowing the bucket - well they are 7 in P'sD - and destroy the fragile beauty of this album. Most of you have heard Julia, but as you go down the rest of the album, there should at least be two more tracks every proghead above 35, will have heard: Surkamp's voice almost resembling Grace Slick in the Jefferson Starship (and believe me this is one hell of a compliment) in Late November, and the violin/mellotron/guitar short duel in Song Dance should ring a bell, too. But all is not perfect on the album as I find that the pure RnR number Natchez Trace has a strange but not entirely convincing mellotron overdose (except in the middle break). One of the other slight remarks I have, is that the quick succession of those relatively short tracks is rather diluting the contents a bit, as I would've rather they exploit some tracks/ideas to the fullest, something they only seem to achieve on Preludin/Of Once And Future Kings duo (7 min combined), but by that time, the record is almost over! Frustrating is it not?

The following album At The Sound Of The Bell is usually also very appreciated by progheads, but my opinion is that it does not come to the waist-height of this one, and if it was not for the two lengthier tracks (both just above the 5 min mark too) and Bill Bruford's guest appearance, it would not even reach ankle-height. Back to this album though, I always wondered if this album did not have loads of mellotrons, would it be so much appreciated by us progheads? Not that sure!!! But there are plenty of shivers on this album.

 

 

A review by Warthur:

OK, granted, Pampered Menial probably sounded dated even when it came out, back in 1974 - aside from some synth work from David Hamilton, this sounds like it could have come out four or five years earlier on the psych/proto-prog scene. Granted, it's not exactly hugely proggy, mainly adding a prog twist to power ballads. But when the music's this gorgeous I just... don't... care. Pampered Menial is a powerful album which features the exceptional voice of David Surkamp - who's compared to Geddy Lee and is certainly similarly high-pitched, but has a bit more of an operatic style to his vocals - and excellent musicianship from the rest of the band.

From Steve Scorfina's hard rock lead guitar to the more prog-tastic contributions of violinist Siegfried Carver and Mellotron/flute wiz Doug Rayburn, this is one of the most emotionally moving albums you're likely to find. The band expertly decide when a composition calls for some prog complexity, when a bit of hard rock rawness would help, and when the song needs to be stripped down to just a few instruments and Surkamp's wonderful voice. Though the rest of their career didn't exactly set the world on fire, Pavlov's Dog can be satisfied just with this one masterpiece. Brilliant. 

#217

Tilt - Immagini Per Un Orecchio
Arti e Mestieri

Arti E Mestieri are an obscure band from Italy who focus on jazz rock fusion unlike many other Italian prog artists. Their debut primarily is an instrumental with moments of Italian singing. The title of the album is “Tilt: Immagini Per Un Orecchio", and this is translated as "Images For An Ear" which seems approproiate. The tracks blend together beautifully in places, such as the stunning ‘Strips’, ‘Corrosione’ and ‘Positivo / Negativo’, and jump wildly about with odd time sigs and virtuoso musicianship. At other times, on tracks like ‘In Cammino’ the sound becomes rather subdued and tranquil.

The band are consummate professionals at their craft consisting of Furio Chirico on drums, Beppe Crovella on acoustic and electric pianos, synths, mellotron, Hammond organ, Marco Gallesi on bass, Gigi Venegoni on guitar, synthetizers, Giovanni Vigliar on violin and Arturo Vitale on soprano and baritone saxes, clarinets, and vibraphone. Vitale’s sax work on ‘In Cammino’ is an incredible tour de force and of note also is the guitar lead break of Venegoni. This track is a definitive highlight along with the spine tingling opener ‘Gravità 9,81’.

‘Articolazioni’, the mini epic that takes up most of side 2, features vocals along with ‘Strips’, the only occasions, and these are rather a nice break from all the musicality. This track features stunning clarinet and some very heavy passages mixed with moments of peaceful serenity. These dark and light sections are balanced perfectly with the amazing drumming skills of Chirico. The time sigs are everchanging and it even locks into a 6/8 rhythm and beautiful vibraphones are heard from Vitale. Vigliar’s violin is absolutely gorgeous and sings sweetly in the melancholy soundscape. This really is a masterpiece track with some of the finest musical structures in the 70s golden era of prog.

Overall, Arti E Mestieri’s debut is a lost classic in Italian prog and really deserves more recognition. The music is similar to Mahavishnu Orchestra and at times just as astonishing in terms of virtuosity. There is never a dull moment and it is packed solid with inventive musicianship and creativity.

#218

Hero And Heroine
Strawbs

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

Strawbs' finest hour

This beautiful album is a perfect blend of Prog Folk and Symphonic Prog. The whole album works as a suite as the songs more or less flow into each other which makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts. The melodies are gorgeous and the lead vocals and lyrics of Dave Cousins are deeply moving and often haunting.

The music of “Hero And Heroine” is romantic, emotional and reflective but at the same time also rocking. It very successfully combines the different sides of the band: the folky side, the hard rocking side and the progressive, symphonic side. The combination of acoustic instruments like acoustic guitars, piano, harmonica (uncredited), flute (uncredited and very discrete) drums and percussion, as well as lovely harmony vocals, on the one hand, and electric guitars, various keyboards and bass guitar, on the other hand, is very effective. The keyboards are played by John Hawken and include electric piano, organ, mellotron and synthesisers. All this creates a very full and powerful yet beautiful sound without ever sounding bombastic. It feels very genuine.

In my view this is the ultimate line-up of the band with Cousins on vocals and guitars, Dave Lambert on guitars, Hawken on keyboards, Chas Cronk on bass and Rod Coombes on drums, and “Hero And Heroine” is their finest hour.

It is difficult to compete with Jethro Tull's “Thick As A Brick”, but “Hero And Heroine” is one of the best albums in the Prog Folk genre and a masterpiece of progressive Folk rock.

One of my favourite albums!

A review by Warthur:

Despite occasional pastoral lyrics and instrumental passages, Hero and Heroine by and large sees the Strawbs moving away from the acoustic prog folk of earlier albums into lush symphonic prog drowning in Mellotron. The new direction was in part a consequence of new members joining the band, and is particularly on display on the opening three-part epic "Autumn", which contrasts dreamy summer idylls with cold winter yearning. Another particularly good pick is the title track, which offers some characteristically direct and cutting lyrics from Dave Cousins (backing away from the more oblique lyrics of Bursting at the Seams) with an energetic musical backing. On the whole, the album is as cohesive and as compelling as the excellent Grave New World, netting the Strawbs the second peak of their career.

 

#219

Il Tempo Della Gioia 
Quella Vecchia Locanda

A review by Finnforest:

The epitome of the Italian genre?

There is so much great Italian prog that I'm always raving about it only to be asked by others where to start. Then it becomes very hard to think of one album that captures all of the many wonderful and unique aspects of the classic Italian album. This would have to be one of the top candidates to suggest to someone as an essential Italian album and one that covers most of the traits that make them special: creative songwriting fusing the rock, classical, and jazz genres; immaculate production with great attention to recording details; exceptional use of violins, flutes, and other classical elements; warm and passionate Italian vocals; and perhaps most importantly an unabashed willingness to project a most romantic style of music. Some will say that the Italian stuff can't compare to the best English or German music but I disagree. True, the big groups from those other countries achieved far great commercial success but does that necessarily mean they are better? Or perhaps just different, with the luxury of more access and distribution that has allowed them to be more ingrained in our minds as the standard bearers of quality prog? The sheer beauty of "Il Tempo Della Gioia" would suggest it has a place amongst the greatest prog titles from anywhere in my humble opinion.

The album opens with a sweeping and gorgeous piano melody in ‘Villa Doria Pamphili’ joined by acoustic guitar and violin. Achingly beautiful. The vocals begin and are very good by any standards. At 2:30 there is an unexpected crescendo. Then after another verse the song ends with such a wistful, haunting piano. What an opener!

‘A Forma Di’ begins softly with building violin and then flute and piano, the violins being tense and nervous while the other instruments are contrasted by a sense of calm. Around halfway we get some wordless vocals in a choir form. Then what I believe is a harpsichord adds an elegant feel before the song fades out.

The title track is next with vocals right away proceeding into somewhat jazzy waters. We get some trippy keyboards and operatic sounding vocals. Bass and percussion provide a solid backdrop here and we get a small taste of some nice guitar. The last part of the song begins to sound like an Italian version of Relayer's ‘Sound Chaser’. But make no mistake, this band was not trying to mimic Yes or Genesis or Floyd, they made their own sound with this release.

‘Un Giorno Un Amico’ features some fiery violin playing in the first half of this near 10 minute prog gem. If you're waiting for things to get conventional, they won't. This track is just about exploration and emotion. After some vocals the second half opens up more space for some nice solos from several instruments. Again the combination of jazz/rock and classical elements is seamless. The sound quality is pretty decent for '74.

‘E Accaduto una Notte’ begins with choral voices, flutes, and acoustics before the lead vocal begins, accompanied by piano and distinct bass. The mood gets decidedly dark as the strings and piano take on a sinister tone. The album ends with a trippy build-up to an explosion of some type. So much for the happy ending! It is true as some have noted that QVL was "ending challenged." Many of their songs just stop abruptly or in some unimaginative way but for me it just can't negate all the things they do right.

The Japanese mini lp-sleeve features incredible sound and a perfect reproduction of one of the most amazing gatefolds I've ever seen. A deliciously abstract painting graces the outside while the inside art would suggest maybe a romantic road trip spent writing music among other things? How should I know, just a guess! Whatever the point of the art, it works magically with the music to convey the feeling that these were men reveling in a most creative and heady time in their lives.

An essential title for a collection desiring any exposure to the Italian scene, the masterpiece of QVL, and also recommended to fans of classical music. Their debut may be more rocking and accessible, but this one is where the real magic is! 4 ½ stars rounding up on this one.

 

#220

Biglietto Per L'Inferno
Biglietto Per L'Inferno

 

A review by Finnforest:

Biglietto Per L'Inferno came from Lecco Italy in the early 70s and are most known for this collection on the heavier side of Italian prog. They employed dual keyboards here along with acoustic and electric guitars, flute, bass, drums and vocals with an Ian Gillan edge. While I don't speak Italian I have read repeatedly that the lyrics on this album are impressive. Many people consider this one of the very best Italian titles and I can't say I agree. I do like this but at the compositional level I feel there are better choices out there. The sound quality is often savaged by reviewers and while it is poor by today's standard it is certainly listenable; I've heard much worse. If you love Italian prog don't let the sound quality criticism stop you if the album sounds to your taste. The BTF reissue is high quality as usual with a gatefold mini-lp sleeve and a booklet with band history and lyrics.

‘Ansia’ begins with a stoic sounding acoustic guitar over very light keys, the bass joining shortly as the pace picks up. The drums and e guitar kick in for some brisk workout but it will alternate between lighter and heavier sections. The vocals come in very warm and placid for a brief appearance. The song is a nice introduction to the flavors the group will pursue in the longer songs. It doesn't take long into ‘Confessione’ before you realize why this band is placed on the "harder" side of Italian prog as they quickly launch into some bombastic power chord chugging which were heavy in a Deep Purple sense at that time, but of course compared to today's metal bands it is really quite tame. Everything is kicked up a notch here, the vocals get much more dramatic and operatic, we get some down and dirty electric leads and some wild flute passages. This track is varied and rocking.

‘Una Strana Regina’ begins with lovely piano that switches to keys over bass before some gentle vocals begin. By the middle it has heated up fiercely but again the shifts to mellow passages occur as with a light switch that they keep flipping on and off. There is a nice dreamy guitar solo around the 5 minute mark that morphs into a festive foot-stamping section until the end. ‘Il Nevare’ almost parodies the style of loud to soft again and to me this approach has become a bit of a distraction. I love albums with variety but I'd prefer them to take some time building from one extreme to the other, whereas Biglietto sometimes seems so fast and arbitrary in their slow/fast/soft/heavy zig zagging.

‘L'Amico Suicida’ is the big kettle of fish here at over 13 minutes. Beginning with a brooding heaviness featuring sound effects, synths, acoustic, and tom-toms the first two minutes are very effective. This track is by far the most impressive to me as they stretch out and explore some middle ground, filled with tasteful drumming, nice electric guitar flurries, emotional vocals, and excellent keyboard work. The keyboards and flutes are not flashy solo type affairs but are simply creating the background moods. The song finishes with nice dramatic flair.

The BTF reissue CD then has a reprise of ‘Confessione’, I'm not sure if this was on the original album or not. Certainly a recommended title for Italian fans shooting for a deep collection but not an essential title for others. I think this is good but just not among the very best Italian titles. 3 ½.

 

#221

Todd Rundgren's Utopia
Utopia

A review by Mellotron Storm:

I just can't get past the fact that this sounds like a pop singer getting a band together and doing a paint by the numbers Prog album. It's not fair to say that perhaps, but to my ears that's what this sounds like. I am a fan of Todd Rundgren and I'm not sure if he did a Prog record just because it was "in" at the time, or maybe he liked this style of music? Motives aside I just think this album comes off a little messy, but the main thing for me is that I just don't enjoy it very much.

‘Utopia Theme’ is fairly bombastic to start. Lots of synths and drums 3 1/2 minutes in. It settles and the crowd cheers. Vocals follow. Some nice guitar before 9 1/2 minutes. I like the way it ends too with the drums and guitar leading the way. Great tune. ‘Freak Parade’ has a good intro. Mellow guitar a minute in. Not a fan of this though. Piano joins in. A change after 3 minutes and vocals come in late. ‘Freedom Fighters’ is a short vocal track that reminds me of Steve Hillage for some reason.

‘The Ikon’ is the over 30 minute closer. It's energetic and bombastic to start. Keyboards lead 3 1/2 minutes in and the vocals join in again reminding me of Hillage. Not a fan of the vocals 9 minutes in where they sound different. Lots of synths before 14 minutes, then it settles as synths continue.Vocals are back after 17 minutes. It picks back up with guitar 23 1/2 minutes in then settles again as contrasts continue. Most Prog fans rate this highly, and while I respect the love that is out there for this album, it does little for me. 

 

A review by Sean Trane:

After the Nazz's demise, Rundgren started a production career and recorded a few highly rated solo albums (of which Runt is clearly the best-appreciated) and in 74, he started his own band that will last until the decade turned over. A rather surprising move from one of the best-known pop-rock icons of the US. And this album is no-half hearted attempt at a progressive gimmick, quite on the contrary, and we get an album load of prog (some minutes in total). Although future albums will lack the same impetus, drive and enthusiasm.

It is clear that Todd had heard Yes when playing the 14 min+ plus opener, Utopia, but the influences are not overpowering. The track was recorded live and perfectly executed. The sound is quite "full" - this is a sextet with two KB players - this reminds you (a bit too much for my comfort) of a lesser-convincing Yes at its best. The second track, Freak Parade (10 min interrupted in its middle section by a freaky passage) is more in the vein of Gentle Giant, but less enthralling, mostly due to a boring and needless bass outro that last way too long.

Unfortunately the second side of the vinyl, starts with the thankfully short and sadly insipid Freedom Fighter (so this is where Dubya got his inspiration or his Utopian stupidity ;-) and it was most likely the attempt at a single but its very average FM rock sound. But this is quickly forgotten as the monster Ikon is a clever attempt at mix Yes, GG with some jazzy-funk-rock ala Edgar Winter Band (or his earlier White Trash - some passages anyway, listen for yourself), with its bizarre sound reminding you of Frankenstein especially on the Parade track. Note that another time when those two meet again (but not through influences, that time) is Meatloaf's awesome Bat Out Of Hell debut album. But I am getting sidetracked from this record, but not uselessly, because this album is a real mix of UK prog done Stateside and its slicker American recording industry, and with Kansas and Starcastle, you are very close at how this album sounds. One of the most irritating things for me, though is those precise synths used by the twins KB attack: they sound like synths like the ones from that dreaded 80's decade, crappy, cheap and only the playing on the instruments well made the differences. And it is certainly the case in this album; although one must remember that they were two of them players, which makes it a lot less impressive compared to their UK counterparts.

Nevertheless this album will be a bit of an almost-logical UFO in this utopic discography, clearly their more progressive in a symphonic kind of way. Not sure I would call this a masterpiece but it is certainly one of the most notable US prog of the 70's. This album is mainly getting the occasional spin every two years or so (this was one time, although another spin was necessary for a proper review) on this proghead's turntable that has known thousands of records since it came out in his early teens. Just another good prog record.