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Psychedelic Paul View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 30 2020 at 09:51
Originally posted by TCat TCat wrote:

Welcome back Paul!
 
Thanks for the warm welcome. I'll let you know the reason why I took a long break from here in a private message. Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote TCat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 30 2020 at 09:43
Welcome back Paul!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 30 2020 at 09:10
DEEP FEELING - Deep Feeling (1971)
1. Welcome for a Soldier
 
 
2. Old People's Home
 
 
3. Classical Gas
 
 
4. Guillotine
 
 
5. Country Heir
 
 
6. Lucille
 
 
Album Review 121:- 5 stars DEEP FEELING were an obscure short-lived band from Gravesend in the Garden of England county of Kent. Their one and only eponymously-titled album from 1971 contained six tracks, varying in length anywhere between four and nine minutes, with a bonus track later included on the CD re-issue. The band featured a traditional five-piece line-up of singer, guitarist, bass, drums & keyboards, with all of the band members contributing vocal harmonies. You won't hear this mega-rare album played on the radio. EVER!! That's about as likely to happen as finding a gold nugget in your garden, or being able to buy a whole case of Andrex toilet tissues during the coronavirus pandemic.

We're kick-starting the album off now with "Welcome for a Soldier". This opening number is as pleasantly surprising as opening the fridge door and expecting to find just one cold sausage in there and then discovering there's a whole smorgasbord of delicious delicacies to feast on. Harmony is the key to life, love, happiness and great music on this tremendous opening number. There's some gorgeous Beach Boys-style harmonising to be heard on this Pop meets Prog song. The keyboards are very much in evidence too and it's a case of Uriah Heep Lite, as it's not so Very 'eavy, or so Very 'umble. "Welcome for a Soldier" deserves a warm homecoming welcome in a glittering parade with flags flying and people partying in bunting-lined street parades, and with a fanfare of trumpets to add to the glorious occasion too. Yes, it really is that good! The second item on the menu is "Old Peoples Home", which have sadly become dangerous places to reside in these days for the vulnerable elderly residents, during these strange times we're living through with the lurking Chinese killer virus ever present. Anyway, back to the album and back to plague-free 1971. This charmingly gentle acoustic tune is as pleasant and laid-back and relaxed as nodding off to sleep on a rocking chair on a Sunday afternoon in an "Old People's Home". This unthreatening gentle tune leaves you feeling so safe and secure that the album should come with carpet slippers, a dressing gown and a mug of warm cocoa to take up to bed with you. We're in safe and familiar territory too with the third tune on the album "Classical Gas". It's an instantly recognisable piece of instrumental music, famously recorded by Mason Williams way back in 1968. Deep Feeling have given this classic tune their own magic touch by packing it with an almighty punch, making "Classical Gas" sound as high and mighty as a hydrogen-filled Zeppelin bomber. The acoustic guitar has never sounded quite so powerful as it does here in this dynamic slug-fest of thunderous keyboard-driven Prog, which comes right at you like a southpaw uppercut to the lower jaw from a heavyweight prize-fighter.

It's all chop and change now for the opening song on Side Two: "Guillotine". This dark and dramatic piece of music with its slow marching rhythm is a cut above the rest. The music features interlocking prime cuts of fast and slow organ passages with a haunting ethereal interlude thrown in too for good measure. The spooky music from the doom-laden church organist is in the eerily atmospheric style of the horror movie hokum "The Abominable Dr. Phibes", starring Vincent Price, one of the three kings of classic horror. There's nothing abominable about "Guillotine" though. It's a chip off the old block of pompous and glorious British Prog. Deep Feeling have executed a masterful performance with this sliced and diced album highlight. There's a complete change of pace now for the cleverly-titled "Country Heir". No prizes for guessing it's a Country song. It's a chance for the band to really show off their gorgeous multi-part harmonies in the best traditions of the Country Rock legends, The Eagles. This buoyant country-tinged slice of Sunshine Pop is instilled with all of the joyous sing-along energy of the sunny California band, The Association. It's an irresistably catchy tune that just makes you want to throw caution to the wind and sing along to it, so go for it, even if you've only ever sung in the shower before. Finally, the classic Little Richard song "Lucille" is given the thunderous Heavy Prog treatment with an absolutely storming cover version here, assaulting the eardrums in an all-out sonic attack, marking a VERY LOUD and memorable ending to the album. Deep Feeling are locked and loaded with emotion and going out in a powerful blaze of glory with all guns blazing!

This is the kind of timeless Progressive Rock masterpiece that should be handed down through the generations. If you don't already have a son or daughter to pass this album onto, then now might be as good a time as any to take your wife upstairs and make one. You could give her some amorous Deep Feeling whilst listening to this album, or alternatively, put on some Barry White baby-making music to listen to whilst making mad passionate love together.



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - May 02 2020 at 04:56
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2020 at 03:40
FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Album ratings only:-
 
4 stars Fairport Convention (1968)
4 stars What We Did on Our Holidays (1969)
4 stars Unhalfbricking (1969)
4 stars Liege & Lief (1969)
3 stars Full House (1970)
2 stars Angel Delight (1971)
2 stars Babbacombe Lee (1971)
3 stars Rosie (1973)
3 stars Nine (1973)
4 stars Live Convention (1974)
4 stars Rising for the Moon (1975)
2 stars Gottle O'Geer (1976)
3 stars House Full (1977)
2 stars The Bonny Bunch of Roses (1977)
2 stars Tippler's Tales (1978)
2 stars Gladys' Leap (1985)
2 stars Expletive Delighted (1986)
3 stars Red and Gold (1989)
3 stars The Five Seasons (1990)
3 stars Jewel in the Crown (1995)
3 stars Old New Borrowed Blue (1996)
3 stars Who Knows Where the Time Goes (1997)
3 stars The Wood and the Wire (1999)
3 stars XXXV (2002)
3 stars Over the Next Hill (2004)
3 stars Sense of Occasion (2007)
3 stars Festival Bell (2011)
3 stars By Popular Request (2012)
3 stars Myths and Heroes (2015)
3 stars 50:50@50 (2017)
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2020 at 10:43
I'll be taking a break for awhile from writing album reviews whilst I listen to and rate all of Fairport Convention's many albums. In the meantime, here's a preview list of the next twenty obscure British bands whose albums I'm planning to review in the not too distant future:-
 
121. Deep Feeling (Crossover Prog)
122. Quicksand (Prog Folk)
123. Curved Air (Eclectic Prog)
124. Salamander (Proto-Prog
125. Home (Eclectic Prog)
126. Man (Psych/Space Rock)
127. Stackridge (Prog Folk)
128. Mellow Candle (Prog Folk)
129. Jackson Heights (Prog-Related)
130. Janus (Crossover Prog)
131. Three Man Army (Crossover Prog)
132. The Gun (Proto-Prog)
133. The Parlour Band (Prog-Related)
134. Nicholas Greenwood (Canterbury Scene)
135. Byzantium (Prog-Related)
136. Blodwyn Pig (Prog-Related)
137. Tea and Symphony (Prog Folk)
138. If (Jazz-Rock/Fusion)
139. Sunday (Crossover Prog)
140. Groundhogs (Prog-Related)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2020 at 15:02
WRITING ON THE WALL - The Power of the Picts (1969)
 
 
Album Review #120:- 5 stars WRITING ON THE WALL were a one-album Heavy Prog band from Bonnie Scotland. They began life in Edinburgh in the late- 1960's and later moved down to London where they became a popular Live act, playing at the famed Middle Earth club. They were hit by ill fortune in 1973 though when their band gear was stolen and the writing was on the wall for the break-up of the band. Their one and only studio album "The Power of the Picts" (1969) featured a creepy black and white image of a skull. The album is categorised as Occult Rock on Wikipedia, so you can expect to hear a spooky witches brew of music in the style of those other two hocus pocus black magic bands, Black Widow and Coven. The CD re-issue of "The Power of the Picts" added two bonus tracks to the original nine songs on the album. There were three later album releases from Writing on the Wall, featuring rare recordings from various sessions in the late-60's and early-70's:- "Rarities from the Middle Earth" (1994); "Burghley Road" (1996); and "The Rockfield Sessions" (2015).

The album opens in fine rollicking and rambunctious style with "It Came On Sunday", which comes loudly knocking at your back door. The postman doesn't bother to ring twice, he just comes crashing straight through your door with a special delivery of powerhouse heavy blues. It's not quite as heavy as the throbbing and thunderous raw proto-metal of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath though. No, this roaring song with its pounding beat and hypnotic rhythm is more akin to the powerful organ-driven sound of early Uriah Heep, Deep Purple and Rare Bird, with a healthy splash of mean and mighty blues thrown into the mix too. It's probably best to hunker down through the storming Hard Rock of "It Came On Sunday" and wait for Monday to come 'round. There's no peace for the wicked (or the good) though, because it's time now for a piece of "Mrs. Cooper's Pie", which turns out to be a tasty slice of thrumming organ-driven heavy rock, of which High and Mighty keyboard wizard Ken Hensley of Uriah Heep fame would be mighty proud. This Very 'eavy, Very 'umble song is a Demons and Wizards Wonderworld of sonic energy which has all of the raw undiluted power of a tank rolling across Salisbury Plain, so you better run, you better take cover, because this tank ain't stopping for anyone. We're celebrating the Sweet Freedom of a "Ladybird" next, as we dive Head First into this sonic blast from the blast. Again, the Writing is on the Wall for another pounding and pulsating explosion of audio dynamite, as this band of stormtroopers are on a take-no-prisoners Conquest, where you the listener may be the Innocent Victim. This is an album that should come with a noise abatement notice! The band really Ram the message home with the next storming rocker: "Aries". Batten down the hatches because this album is about to get VERY LOUD indeed! "Aries" is a supercharged high-energy cover version of a track from the classic American Psychedelic Rock album , "The Zodiac: Cosmic Sounds", recorded in the Summer of Love year of 1967. This is where the manic intensity of earlier numbers is ramped up to 99 and taken to a whole new level of sonorous magnitude, instilling the music with all of the unstoppable power and energy of a battering Ram. Whether or not you believe in horoscopes, it's written in the stars that the Astounding Sounds of this song and album will Amaze and Delight fans of Heavy Prog.

Take cover! It could be a good time to hide under the bed now or the "Bogeyman" might get you. He sounds like a mean and moody bogeyman too, if this creepy blues number with a mean and moody attitude is anything to go by. The brief and very bizarre sailor's hornpipe sea shanty in the opening only adds to the Looney Tunes wackiness in this wild ride on the Crazy Train, with the manic vocalist sounding like he's on some kind of psychedelic acid trip from Hell. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible..... There's no hope of sanity returning any time soon though as it's a Return To Fantasy for "Shadow of Man". It's another dark and brooding return to insanity that doesn't just verge on madness - it goes right off the rails altogether and takes the listener on a nightmare ride of absolute bedlam where the lines between fantasy and reality are constantly blurred. The music is a lunatic asylum of crazy over-the-top vocals accompanied by an absolutely manic keyboard player and a drummer going hell for leather with the relentless pounding power of a pneumatic drill. "Shadow of Man" represents a non-stop bunker-busting artillery barrage of sound from beginning to end, so it's best to have the ear- defenders at the ready. This band might sound as crazy and demented as a box of frogs at times, but that only adds to their manic appeal. Some sense of normality returns now for the heavy blues rocker "Tasker's Successor", which still barrels along relentlessly on full-power, but without the craziness of the two earlier numbers. We're S-L-O-W-I-N-G things right down now for "Hill of Dreams", an epic and grandiose number with all of the pomp and magnificent splendour we've come to expect from the best in Prog-Rock. This truly IS Progressive Rock too because the song progresses from a fairly sedate beginning, and then lights up like a Firefly into a dynamic crescendo of sound for the magnificent finale. This is the kind of gloriously pompous prog that dreams are made of! The album is rounded off nicely now by "Virginia Waters", a heavy psych number charging full-steam ahead, featuring some strangely incomprehensible babbling vocals and a maniacal accordion player, but that's no less than what we've come to expect from this psycho band of warriors on the edge of time.

If you like your Heavy Prog all-fired up with some added manic intensity, then the Writing on the Wall is that you'll love the sound of "The Power of the Picts". This band are a whole Different World of Prog with a unique style all of their own, which verges on madness at times, but the album should appeal to fans of the keyboard-heavy sound of such bands as Black Widow, Deep Purple, Rare Bird, and especially Uriah Heep.



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 25 2020 at 15:11
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 23 2020 at 14:47
MARSUPILAMI - Marsupilami (1970)
 
Album Review #119:- 5 stars MARSUPILAMI might sound like an exotic breed of Australian mammal, or maybe an Italian pasta, but they're really an English Prog-Rock band. They might not be quite as exotic as their bandname implies, but their music is pretty extraordinary. Their bizarre name derives from an obscure Belgian children's comic character. Marsupilami had a relatively brief lifespan with two albums to their credit:- "Marsupilami" (1970) and "Arena" (1971). It's their first eponymously-titled album that our attentions are focused on here, which features five long suites of music, varying anywhere between six and eleven minutes in length. Let's dive into the deep end now and check it out.

"Dorian Deep" has an eerie opening, sounding like a wind blowing over some vast windswept plain. Be prepared to be taken on an unpredictable journey into hitherto unexplored soundscapes of musical mayhem and delight. If this awesome 8-minute-long opening is anything to go by, this could well turn out to be an album of Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music - to paraphrase Hawkwind. "Dorian Deep" is such a perfect blend of all of the ingredients you'd expect from the very best of Prog- Rock, that it's almost impossible for any self-respecting prog aficionado not to like this. Not only will it delight Progressive Rock fans, but there's something here to suit Psychedelic Rock and Krautrock fans too, which is inevitably the reason why Marsupilami have found themselves in the Eclectic Prog section of ProgArchives. It's practically impossible to pin them down to one particular genre. If this band were ever pigeon-holed, then it would have to be a VERY big hole to include the tremendous variety of music on offer here. "Dorian Deep" is as multi-faceted as The Picture of Dorian Gray. It's the spooky musical equivalent of a crazy LSD-induced acid trip, so get ready for a wild ghost train ride on a Journey to the Centre of the Eye. This creepy manic music verges on hysteria, and almost goes off the rails - a bit like this album review. It may send a shiver up the spine and bring you out in goosebumps, so don't say you weren't warned!

Hallelujah Freedom! Be wild, be free, because it's time to celebrate another great piece of music with "Born To Be Free". This is a flighty flute-driven melody which opens as a fairly laid-back Jazzy refrain. Get ready for some more Marsupilami magic though, because barely midway through the song, freedom reigns with a wild excursion into supersonic Jazz-Rock territory with the afterburners glowing on full power. This tremendously inspiring music will take you soaring up into the stratosphere, where you can slip the surly bonds of Earth and touch the face of the Prog Gods. You can always expect the unexpected though with the complex and endlessly unpredictable music of Marsupilami, because there's a return to calmer Jazzier climes again for the extended play-out session. "Born To Be Free" has all of the unpredictability and latent energy of an untamed sleeping Lioness named Elsa, but that's another song and movie altogether.

Tie me kangaroo down, Sport! Never in the field of prog has so much been achieved by so few. Again, this scintillating sextet venture Where Eagles Dare to fly and other prog bands fear to tread with the inspirational epic: "And the Eagle Chased the Dove to its Ruin". The sound of the haunting ethereal organ in the opening instils the music with something of a religious devotional air. This first impression is soon shattered though by a crazy journey into the wild uncharted territory of prog. If Marsupilami were Australian, then this wild untamed music would represent a Walkabout in the wilderness of the baking hot outback. Marsupilami are as wild as a wandering band of wombats and wallabies. This extraordinary song may be less than seven minutes long, but there's plenty of exploring to do in this endlessly diverse piece of music. It's a song and album you'll want to boomerang back to again and again. Be prepared for the very sudden ending though.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do and learn Latin, and then we can translate the title of the opening suite on Side Two: "Ab Initio Ad Finem (The Opera)", which literally means "From the Beginning to the End" (with a little help from Google Translate). It might be an opera (in brackets), but you won't hear the likes of Pavarotti, Domingo & Carreras on this outstanding piece of music. This par excellence song and album is worth three tenners of anyone's money. The music opens to the tinkling sound of a musical box and this 11-minute-long epic is indeed a musical box of delights. This song has everything! There's something here for the hippyish Folkies, the psychedelic acid-heads, and even the religious spiritualists amongst us too. Above all though, this is a Progressive Rock masterpiece of unparalleled pomp and glory. From the beginning to the end, this album has been an absolute phantasmagorical dream of a prog-fest, which could give any of the major prog bands a good run for their money.

Hells Bells! Get ready for the wild men of prog to unleash Merry Hell for our final descent into the maelstrom. It's another Latin-themed 10-minute-long epic: "Facilis Descencus Averni", which translates as "Descent To Hell". It's a very apt title, as all Hell is let loose in the wildest and most unrestrained piece of music on the entire album. This epic suite represents a crazy helter-skelter ride into the darkest depths of prog and psychedelia. Don't despair though, because there are several uplifting Folky and Jazzy interludes thrown in for good measure to pull the listener out of the dark abyss. The crazy laughter and off- kilter vocals of the psycho singer only adds to the manic intensity and brooding atmosphere of the music. Even more bizarrely, there are brief spoken-word pieces too, voiced in an unmistakable charming English accent. This superb closing suite is undoubtedly a magnificent album highlight, combining all of the elements heard in earlier songs into an all- encompassing strange but magical Witches Brew of enchanting beauty and sheer delight. It's prog, but not as we know it.

Put another tinny on the barbie and drink a toast to the weird and wonderful music of Marsupilami. They're a breed apart. Join them as they go ape- crazy with an intoxicating blend of Wild in the Jungle Jazzy psychedelia and proggy Folk. Marsupilami explore the Outer Limits of Prog-Rock, so expect the unexpected. This superb debut album has to be heard to be believed. Dare you explore The Twilight Zone of Prog where nothing is quite as it seems!??



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 25 2020 at 09:42
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 22 2020 at 09:55
PATTO - Patto (1970)
 
Album Review #118:- 4 stars PATTO were a London-based Jazz-Rock band led by Mike Patto on vocals. They released three albums in the early 1970's:- "Patto" (1970); "Hold Your Fire" (1971); and "Roll 'em Smoke 'em, Put Another Line Out" (1972). Patto recorded a fourth album in 1973 "Monkey's Bum", but that album wouldn't see release until the 1990's, long after the band had broken up due to poor record sales. Their first self-titled album - reviewed here - with it's very bizarre and ghoulish cover, featured eight songs on the original album, with three bonus tracks added for the 2017 CD reissue.

Alright Now, it's time to meet "The Man" for our opening song. It's a slow tempo heavy blues number with the gravelly-voiced soulful singer Mike Patto sounding like he regularly eats sandpaper for breakfast. The music is nicely laid-back, with a similar sound to some of the slower gutsy songs by Paul Rodgers and Free. The song also has the added bonus of a Jazzy instrumental interlude featuring the lustrous sound of the vibraphone, which glides softly over the listener like gossamer caresses. If you were to throw a coin in the Wishing Well and hope for a soulful and bluesy Free-like number to open a Jazz- Rock album, then "The Man" is exactly what you would get. The second song "Hold Me Back" is a storming Blues-Rock song with a punchy rhythm section but without any of the Jazzy elements heard in the opening song. There's no holding back the electric guitarist on this bluesy number, as he demonstrates some frenetic finger-licking prowess on the fretboard. Onto Song No. 3 now and "It's all behind, it's time to rest, it's time to die" ..... Those are the opening lyrics to "Time To Die", so this song isn't exactly bursting with joyous optimism and happiness. The long-haired singer Mike Patto looks and sounds not unlike soulful David Coverdale of Deep Purple in the YouTube video that accompanies the song. If you're in the mood for some mean and moody British blues, then the raw and earthy "Time To Die" might be just your cup of tea (taken without milk and sugar). Get ready for some red-hot duelling guitars in "Red Glow", a song which brings to mind the classic dual guitar leads of Wishbone Ash. The guitarist with Patto might not have an awesome "Flying V" guitar like Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash, but he can still make it perform virtual aerobatics with some stunning Stratocaster guitar licks.

Having found a YT video for "Time To Die" on Side One, we're doubly-blessed with a Live YouTube video for "San Antone", the opening song on Side Two. This song is an all-out raucous rocker with a pile-driving rhythm which barrels along relentlessly for three minutes with barely enough time for the band to come up for air. This group of London guys sound just like a bunch of good old boys from San Antonio, Texas in this pounding Southern Rock number. The only thing missing in the YT video are the long beards of ZZ Top, forever remembered as the hirsute Texas trio whose drummer Frank Beard is the only member without a beard! The 6th song "Government Man" is a fairly routine bluesy number with a laid-back mellow groove. The song is nothing to do with a G-Man from the F.B.I. though. No, it's a sad and sorry tale of a family about to lose their home to the government man of the title. The song might be back-to-basics British blues, but it still beats most of what passes for popular music on the radio these days. Forget Bieber Fever - this is what REAL music sounds like! The next song "Money Bag" is the longest piece of music on the album, running at around ten minutes long. It's also the Jazziest tune on the album, where the extended running time allows ample time for some wild improvisational experimentation. The first six minutes is one of those Love/Hate pieces of music, where you'll either love it for the technical wizardry to be heard from a group of accomplished musicians at the top of their game, or you'll hate it for what sounds to your ears like "a tuneless mess". Either way, the last four minutes is a return to some sense of normality for the standard double-four-time British blues formula to be heard on earlier songs. Are you sitting comfortably? We're "Sittin' Back Easy" (with no "g") now for the final song from Patto's debut. It's a two-part piece of music with a deceptively quiet opening to put one in a relaxed and mellow frame of mind. There's no time to rest on our laurels though, as the opening just serves as a prelude for some powerful Blues-Rock which slowly gathers in pace, exploding out into a storming crescendo of sound for the magnificent finale. It's a four-minute-long album highlight.

Patto have stormed onto the Jazz-Rock stage in impressive style with this powerful bluesy debut which packs a mighty punch!

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STRING DRIVEN THING - String Driven Thing (1970)
 
 
Album Review #117:-  4 stars STRING DRIVEN THING were a Prog Folk contraption who were first assembled in Glasgow, Scotland in 1967. The two vital cogs in the machine were husband and wife duo Chris Adams and Pauline Adams with added power provided by Graham Smith on electric violin. The band were apparently lacking inspiration for album titles in their early years as their first two albums released in 1970 and 1972 were simply titled "String Driven Thing". There were three further album releases in the mid-1970's:- "The Machine That Cried" (1973); "Please Mind Your Head" (1974); and "Keep Yer 'and On It" (1975). The machinery then ground to a halt and the band took a VERY long hiatus before cranking it up again over thirty years later with two comeback albums:- "Moments of Truth" (2007) and "Songs from Another Country" (2009). Their first album - reviewed here - featured twelve songs on the original album with another five bonus tracks added on the CD re-issue.

It's time to wake up and smell the coffee for the album opener "July Morning", which is no relation to the rowdy Uriah Heep classic. No, this is an altogether Folkier tune. It's an upbeat feel-good song which is positively bursting with the joys of summer. There's enough joyous optimism here to inspire you to make an acrobatic leap out of bed in the morning, instilled with energy and enthusiasm as you bathe in the warm glow of the vibrant music. Yes, this exuberant song has more Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go energy than a steaming mugful of cappuccino latte coffee. We're travelling down country roads next for "Say What You Like", which is very reminiscent of Buffalo Springfield and The Byrds. This is a virtually unknown "lost classic" which could potentially have been a big hit, given enough radio airplay at the time. Sadly though, this first independently-released album by String Driven Thing disappeared without trace and the original LP album is now like gold dust to record collectors. It's rumoured there were only around a hundred pressings made of the original album, making it about as rare as finding a diamond in the dust. "Magic Garden" is the next song on our musical adventure. This is an all-round good Pop song with a touch of String Driven magic, featuring a driving chug-along beat and an energising electric guitar. It's a wonderful fifty year trip back in time to the days when everything was fabulously hip and groovy, which inevitably brings to mind the old cliche:- "They don't make music like this any more!" - and more's the pity too. Continuing with our wonderful nostalgia trip comes "Wonderful Places", which features a truly heavenly chorus from Pauline Adams. This gorgeous song includes the lyrics "Wonderful places I'm taking you to" - and this lovely song will indeed transport you back to wonderful places where the birds were always singing and everything in the garden was lovely. There's no chance of getting the Bell Bottom Blues listening to this lively piece of music. This is without doubt, a flowers and beads late 1960's sun-drenched summer of love song, so put on those mini-skirts, culottes and go-go boots and get up on the groovy dance floor - and maybe the girls can join in too! The following song "I Don't Wanna Wake Up" will have to be put quietly back to bed, as it's not currently available on YouTube, so we'll move swiftly onto the next song, which is: "City Man". This exhilarating Folk-Rock number about a man making big money in the big city could quite easily have been a "Greed is good" tribute to Gordon Gekko of Wall Street fame. And on the subject of big money, this incredibly rare debut album from String Driven Thing is now worth a Fistful of Dollars, and For a Few Dollars More, you can buy their second self-titled album too!

The Side Two opener "Another Night in This Old City" sounds as lively and colourful as a busy London street filled with trendy Carnaby Street fashions. It's a typically joyous 1970's Folk Pop tune that could have come straight out of The New Seekers songbook. The 8th song "That's My Lady" sounds like a Folk Rock classic that could well have been written and sung by Bob Dylan, even though the song is barely known by anyone other than ardent fans of String Driven Thing. It's another sparkling crystal of a song in an album that's turning out to be a marvellous nostalgia trip. The 9th tune "Catch As Catch Can" appears to be the one that got away as it's not currently available on YouTube, so we'll quickly skip that elusive song and move onto Song No. 10 which is: "No More You and I". The song title implies the sad break-up of a relationship, although the music itself turns out to be the complete opposite. It's another pleasant Folk Pop song with a cheerful vibe that chugs along nicely on a wave of exuberant String Driven energy. Just like the album as a whole, it's a celebratory song imbued with radiant happiness and the joys of being alive. The feel-good vibe continues with "Lie Back and Let It Happen", so just lie back and think of England (or Scotland) and let this glorious sunny music happen to you. This is cheery music designed to brighten up the dullest and darkest of days and it's just the tonic we need right now in our troubled times. We're slowing the pace right down now and ending the album on a sad note with "One of the Lonely People", a melancholic and thought-provoking song about those of us who are unlucky enough to end up spending the rest of our lives living Home Alone.

Take a nostalgic trip back in time to 1970 with the (mostly) cheerful Folk Pop of String Driven Thing. Just wind it up and let the music play!



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 21 2020 at 12:38
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 15 2020 at 04:07
THE ENID - Album ratings only:-
 
4 stars Fall of Hyperion (1974) Review:- http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=2284819

5 starsIn the Region of the Summer Stars (1976)

5 starsAerie Faerie Nonsense (1977)

5 starsTouch Me (1979)

5 starsSix Pieces (1980)

4 starsSomething Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

4 starsThe Spell (1985)

3 starsSalome (1986)

3 starsJoined By The Heart (1987)

5 starsThe Seed and the Sower (1988)

5 starsTripping the Light Fantastic (1994)

4 starsSundialer (1995)

5 starsWhite Goddess (1997)

5 starsArise and Shine (2009)
 
4 starsJourney's End (2010)
 
5 starsRisen (2011)
 
4 starsShining (2012)

5 starsInvicta (2012)

4 stars First Light (2014)

4 starsThe Bridge (2015)

4 starsDust (2016)

3 stars Resurgency (2017)

5 starsU (2019)

 
I'll have an album review coming up soon for String Driven Thing. Smile


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 15 2020 at 04:13
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2020 at 02:06
^^ ZZOUNDS!! Thank You so much Sweetheart! Heart That's high praise indeed and a real Zzinger and humdinger of a review of my album review. You've taken a leaf out of my book with your Zzealous and Zzestful wordplays. I'm glad you enjoyed the many musical stripes of the Zzebras in the Zzoo. I'll have some more Zzinging and Zzany album reviews coming up for you Zzoon in the Prog Zzone. Smile
By the way, I hope you're well-rested and full of energy and Zzest now after feeling Zzonked-out yesterday. Wink


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 09 2020 at 04:33
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote FloydianPinkRose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2020 at 00:12
Psychedelic Paul, you sly devil, although, you are such an angel. You bless us with your fabulous phraseology and your music knowledge in every review, blog and music challenge. Like this review on Zzebra: Panic. When I hadn't heard from you for a while, because my phone reception is so bad, I PANICked. But I picked Zzebra, because of that wonderful pic of you on the Zebra walk back home across the Pond. We are fortunate to have this band with "lucky" seven members. And their two lost to time albums, "TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT," and "LOST WORLD," lead me to think that I'm glad I get a chance to read Psychedelic Paul's reviews that are filled with fun, brain teasing words that describe the albums to a "T." Id rather TAKE IT than LEAVE IT. But I know I'd be in a LOST WORLD if I missed each and every one of his reviews. It makes me want to "strut my funky stuff and go wild," when I listen to Zzebra's melodic Jazz Rock/Fusion. I'll definitely be "firing on all cylinders." When I read Psychedelic Paul's writings on Prog Archives I can see that he "really nails it when it comes to getting down into the groove because im absolutely knackered!" When I didn't hear from you Paul because of my bad phone reception, I knew I had "LOST THAT LOVIN FEELING." In fact I felt I might have suffered, "DEATH FROM DROWNING," and it was an eerie feeling. But, then, when I heard from you, I was filled with an "extra dose of zeal," because 2 Z's are definitely better than 1. Thanks, Psychedelic Paul. I'm your number one fan. Keep em' coming...and I'll keep reading em'. FloydianPinkRose


Edited by FloydianPinkRose - March 09 2020 at 00:18
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 06 2020 at 16:53
ZZEBRA - Panic (1975)
 
 
 
Album Review #116:- 4 stars ZZEBRA were a seven-piece British Jazz-Rock/Fusion band, partly consisting of ex-members of IF and OSIBISA, so you can expect to hear some funky African vibes in the four albums they recorded together. Zzebra released two back-to-back albums in the mid-1970's:- "Zzebra" (1974) and "Panic" (1975), and they also recorded a third and fourth album around the same period, but those two albums, "Take It Or Leave It" and "Lost World", ended up being left behind and almost lost to the world. In fact, those two long-lost albums wouldn't see the light of day until a quarter of a century later when they were released on an independent label in 1999 and 2001 respectively.

Get ready to strut your funky stuff and go wild in the jungle with the title track of Zzebra's second album: "Panic". These funky Jazz Zzebra's are really funking it up (not something you'd want to say out loud for obvious reasons) and firing on all cylinders. "Panic" certainly has a frenetic urgency to it - with it's pounding rhythm and storming horn section - even if it's not an all-out panic attack. This is heavy Jazz-Rock ramped up to 99 and then some! This stunning septet of musicians have really nailed it when it comes to getting down into the groove and pumping up the volume. WARNING! Don't even attempt to dance to this manic music or there'd be panic at the disco and you'd be absolutely knackered, quite honestly. There's no way anyone could keep up with these guys on the dance floor, not even Mr Saturday Night Fever himself, John Travolta. Zzebra have really earned their stripes with this very impressive opening. Panic over now, because we're in very familiar territory for our second song, as it's none other than "You've Lost That Loving Feeling", the old Righteous Brothers smash hit which received an after- burner boost from Tom Cruise in the blockbuster movie, Top Gun. This instrumental version by Zzebra is pretty much in cruise-control, with its mellow laid-back groove, so you may be inspired to relax and just chillout for six minutes whilst listening to this cool and sophisticated Jazz. Listen out for the sax solo, which is simply sensational. There's no clue as to what the third piece of music "Karrola" actually means, as it's an instrumental. One thing's for sure though, "Karrola" sounds like a wild beast (or maybe a wildebeest) on the rampage. It's a resounding percussive artillery barrage of storming Jazz-Rock which kicks like a mule (or indeed, kicks like a Zzebra!). Moving on now..... Is it a lamb? Is it a llama? No, it's a "Liamo", whatever that is!? "Liamo" sounds like a pretty tame animal, because the music is somewhat subdued compared to the previous sonorous stampede, so it's not likely to unleash any wild animalistic urges this time around. It's not so much a funky fusion, but more of a laid-back ethno-spiritual chant, where the only "lyrics" to be heard are "Liamo" repeated ad infinitum until the fade-out. It might not get the jungle juices flowing in the same way as "Panic" or "Karrola", but the song still has a powerful bite to it.

Look out! There's a psycho about! The grimly-titled "Death by Drowning" is the weirdest and creepiest piece of music on the album and a complete contrast to any of the four pieces of music on Side One. "Death by Drowning" has a very eerie and sinister air to it in the opening, sounding like the kind of atmospheric music you might hear in a psychological thriller just before the killer leaps out of the shadows. The Basic Instinct/Fatal Attraction-style music has a pleasant change of pace midway through though with a soothing alto sax solo, which somewhat lightens the dark sense of foreboding, so it should be safe to come out from behind the sofa now. The sixth piece of music "Tree" is also pretty subdued, invoking memories of some of the finest Canterbury Scene music. Wait a minute though..... What's this!?? Out of nowhere comes a thrilling synthesiser solo - ala Rick Wakeman - where caution is thrown to the wind in a magnificent display of keyboard wizardry. After that wild and unexpected outburst, the music returns to a mellower mood for the conclusion, in what turns out to be a three- piece suite - and all in the space of six incredible minutes too. The solitary "Tree" turns out to be an acorn that's grown into a mighty oak. In fact, the album as a whole is a veritable forest of great music to feast your ears on. Get funky! The seventh song "Put a Light On Me" features the funkiest groove on the whole album. This is a song you can really get down and shake your booty to, if you're feeling particularly energetic, or if not, you can tap your feet along to it without leaving the comfort of your armchair. This immensely catchy tune is so infectious, you may need to be inoculated against it. "Put a Light On Me" will light a fire in your Soul! It's time to unleash the wild Zzebras in the Zzoo now with the eighth and final piece of music, "La Si Si-La So So", a kick-ass improvisational free-for-all of raw, unrestrained Jazz-Rock energy and power!

Are you in the mood for some funky Afro-Jazz-Prog? Let's hope so, because that's exactly what you get with Zzebra's sophomore album. Zzebra play their own supercharged version of high-energy Jazz-Rock, instilled with an extra dose of Zzeal and Zzest. There's something here to suit almost everyone's tastes:- Whether you want a rumble in the jungle with some storming Jazz-Rock, or whether you want to swing though the trees like Tarzan with some funky gibbon grooves, or maybe even get into a mellower mood with some cool and sultry smooth Jazz. As you'll no doubt discover, Zzebra are a diverse band of many stripes and colours. It's not all black and white with the music of Zzebra. In the endless menagerie of prog, it turns out two Zzees are better than one in the musical Zzoo.



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 15 2020 at 04:20
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 05 2020 at 09:18
TURNING POINT - Creatures of the Night (1977)
1. My Lady C
 
 
2. The Journey
 
 
3. Vanishing Dream
 
 
4. Creatures of the Night
 
 
5. Princess Aura
 
 
6. Rain Dance
 
 
7. Better Days
 
 
Album Review #115:- 4 stars TURNING POINT were a British Jazz-Rock/Fusion band of the late 1970's with two albums to their credit:- "Creatures of the Night" (1977) and "Silent Promise" (1978). They emerged from the remnants of another short-lived Jazz-Rock/Fusion band by the name of Isotope. Turning Point are closely associated with the Canterbury Scene, ably supporting National Health on their U.K tour in 1977. After a final tour in 1980, Turning Point broke up and went their separate ways. "Creatures of the Night" contains four pieces of music around the five minute mark on Side One, with three longer improvisational tunes of seven or eight minutes duration on Side Two. Although the mostly Jazzy instrumentals don't contain any actual lyrics, there's a stunning vocalese performance from Pepi Lemer to be heard throughout the album.

Put your feet up and relax because we're getting into a mellow mood for the album opener "My Lady C", a nicely laid-back piece of instrumental Jazz, featuring delicate percussion, soothing guitars and a subdued brass section. Listen carefully for the hauntingly beautiful wordless vocals from Pepi Lemer too. They really add a whole extra dimension to this captivating piece of music with its hypnotic enchanting rhythm. "My Lady C" is the smoothest of smooth jazz and marks a very auspicious opening to the album. It's easy to see why Turning Point would have been the perfect match made in Jazz heaven when they supported the Canterbury Scene band National Health on their 1977 U.K tour, as the music of Turning Point is very similar in style to the aforementioned band. The obvious similarities between the two bands are even more prevalent on the second piece of music: "The Journey". Again, it's another warm-sounding and melodious tune, with the added benefit of those heavenly vocalise overdubs from Pepi Lemer. The Canterbury Scene vocalise trio of Barbara Gaskin, Amanda Parsons and Ann Rosenthal immediately springs to mind from both the Hatfield & the North and the National Health line-ups. In fact, the sophisticated Jazzy music of Turning Point is as close to the Canterbury Scene sound as you can possibly get without actually being *IN* the Canterbury Scene, so you'll know exactly what to expect from this album if you're at all familiar with the Canterbury Scene sound. The third song "Vanishing Dream" is a two-part piece of music, with the first part sounding like some horrid musical nightmare, with its discordant improvisational mish-mash of sounds. Thankfully, this manic free-for-all only lasts for just over a minute before the music emerges like a beautiful butterfly into a tranquil dream of smooth and melodious Jazz. We now arrive at the title track "Creatures of the Night" for the closing song on Side One. It's a lively and up-tempo instrumental Jazz number following in the best traditions of Hatfield & the North and National Health. "Creatures of the Night" is a remarkably uplifting piece of music for a song without lyrics, and that accolade applies to the album as a whole too.

"Princess Aura" is the first of the lengthier songs on the album, running at over eight minutes long, so there's plenty of time for some Jazzy experimentation here. The music alternates between gently laid-back tunes, interspersed with lively outbreaks of intricate and complex Jazz. This is the kind of wild improvisational Jazz where a drummer really gets to test his mettle with some very tricky offbeat time signatures. The end result is a very diverse and endlessly entertaining piece of music that deserves repeated listening to admire the expert musicianship on offer here. The dynamic keyboard player and spirited horn section sound like they're having a real blast, and there is of course the added princess-like aura of Pepi Lemer's wordless vocals to add sheer delight to the overall sound of "Princess Aura". We're slowing the pace down somewhat for "Rain Dance", a laid-back groovy Jazz number featuring a sensational sax solo and a sassy synthesiser in accompaniment, ably aided and abetted by a funky percussionist beating out a syncopated rhythm. If it's damp and dismal outside, then what better way to pass the time than listening to "Rain Dance" inside. The weather outlook is looking good now as "Better Days" are on the way. "Better Days" is the seventh and final piece of music on the album, featuring a simply stunning synth solo and a rousing horn section, and just as you'd expect from the concluding song, it's an emotionally uplifting piece of music to close out the album in fine style. All of the music on the album is of a consistently high standard, but in a classic case of saving the best song till last, Turning Point have really delivered their ace in the hole with "Better Days".  This talented bunch of musicians have graduated with flying colours and full honours here in the University of Jazzy Prog.

Turning Point's very impressive debut is an album with obvious appeal to fans of the Canterbury Scene sound of Hatfield & the North and National Health. "Creatures of the Night" also has the added benefit of being far more approachable and listenable than the endlessly complex music of Hatfield & the North. If you've already tentatively dipped your toes into the Canterbury Scene with the melodic music of Caravan, then this album would make an ideal turning point on the long and winding Canterbury Scene trail. Turning Point's sophomore album "Silent Promise" (1978) might be worth checking out too if you like this album.



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 07 2020 at 15:38
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2020 at 13:56
TUDOR LODGE - Tudor Lodge (1970)
 
 
Album Review #114:- 4 stars TUDOR LODGE were a charming Prog Folk trio from Reading in southern England, who are often compared with (and sometimes confused with) Trader Horne. The trio of merry minstrels are best-known for their eponymously-titled "Tudor Lodge" album in 1970, but the band have been touring and recording on and off for well over forty years now. It seemed like their self-titled album from 1970 might be the last we'd ever hear of Tudor Lodge, but they made a surprising comeback over a quarter of a century later with five further albums:- "Let's Talk" (1997); "It All Comes Back" (1998); "Dream" (1999); "Runaway" (2003); & "Unconditional" (2006).

We begin with a lovely nostalgic trip back in time for "It All Comes Back To Me", a saccharine-sweet Folk song that's very reminiscent of early Fairport Convention with Judy Dyble. This beautiful trip down memory lane will bring back fond memories of that bygone age when there were a whole plethora of delightfully endearing Folk albums just like the album we have here. "It All Comes Back To Me" is a haunting refrain with a semi-classical opening and featuring heavenly angelic vocals from Ann Steuart (not a misspelling) with the two male vocalists providing some delicious harmonisation. This is a truly gorgeous opening to the album, in the true spirit of Fairport and Pentangle, and of course, Trader Horne too, who released their "Morning Way" album around the same time as this album. "Would You Believe" this album can possibly get any better!?? Yes, indeed it can, because "Would You Believe" is a lovely melody with all three travelling troubadours playing jangling acoustic guitars in perfect symmetry together and featuring some exquisite three-part harmonies too. This song and album as a whole also features cellos, violins and woodwind instruments in abundance too, which all adds to the gentle pastoral charm of the music. "Would You Believe" sounds like a very pleasant hybrid cross between Magna Carta, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Association, with those oh-so-beautiful three-part harmonies very much at the forefront. Tudor Lodge is proving to be a very desirable property to own so far. "Recollection" continues the pleasant nostalgia trip with a tune that sounds like it could have come straight from The Seekers songbook. The bright and uplifting vocal harmonies are as clear as a bell and that's something that really shines through on this outstanding Folk album. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this album sounds as good as, if not better than anything Fairport Convention have ever done, so it's a pity Tudor Lodge haven't managed to gain the wider recognition they deserve. They were one of the many touring bands on the early-1970's English Folk circuit who never quite managed to make the big breakthrough to the big time in the same way as Pentangle, Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention obviously did. Our fourth song "Two Steps Back" features Ann Steuart taking the vocal lead this time around, and sounding like a beguiling cross between Joan Baez and Judy Collins. This very appealing song sounds like it could have had the potential to become a real Folk classic if only it had received any radio airplay at the time of its release, but sadly, it wasn't to be. This memorable song has a very catchy hook-line that's very much in the style of "Diamonds and Dust" by Joan Baez. It's one of those evergreen timeless classics that sounds strangely familiar, even though you may be hearing it for the very first time. It's also a gorgeous slice of nostalgia - just like the album as a whole - that you can keep coming back to time and time again and never tire of listening to. Our musical journey continues with "Help Me Find Myself", a lovely Folk song that's positively bursting with sunshine, conjuring up a rustic image of strolling through fields of buttercups, daisies and dandelions on a beautiful summer's day. This is the kind of song (and album) that could ONLY have come from the much- missed late-1960's/early 1970's Folk era, the like of which we'll sadly never see or hear again, but we can still treasure the memories forever every time we put this gem of an album on the record player. Side One concludes now with "Nobody's Listening", another charming Folk song in what is turning out to be a very fine album indeed. Every ardent fan of the early 1970's English Folk scene will almost certainly enjoy listening to "Nobody's Listening".

Moving swiftly through the remaining half a dozen songs now to avoid a hopelessly long review (although it may be too late for that already), we arrive underneath the "Willow Tree", which represents quite a departure from the jolly Folk tunes on Side One. "Willow Tree" takes us into the spookier dimensions of slightly disturbing Psych-Folk - although nowhere near as sinister as the spectral music of Comus. The opening of "Willow Tree" is eerily discordant, which only adds to the creepy and mysterious atmosphere. This just serves as a prelude though for a hauntingly-beautiful melodic soundscape of swirling pastoral Folk. "Willow Tree" is a real album highlight! We're not out of the woods yet as the next song is titled "Forest", which is a typical pastoral Folk song about taking a country ramble through an autumnal leaf-strewn forest, filled with chirruping squirrels and squawking blackbirds. It's generally a celebration of the wonders of Mother Nature in all of her infinite loveliness, so this song will no doubt have special appeal to hippyish environmentalists and Green Party activists. It's also a jolly nice tune too. The next song "I See a Man" is a sad melancholic refrain about the futility of war, as these thoughtful soul- searching lyrics reveal:- " I see a young man in early days of war, Who wants nothing more than to do the best he can, And so he volunteers to join the grenadiers, And fight the battle for his fellow man. I see a man who is welcomed home a hero, The crowds cheer as he holds his head up high, For now the war is past and now he's home at last, The crowd don't notice the tears in his eyes. I see a proud man who fought for his country, He did everythng a soldier could do, But now he's getting old and many times his story's told, The crowd don't even know his name any more." ..... It's always the sad songs that reach most deeply into the depths of the soul. Anyway, cheer up, because "The Lady's Changing Home" is on the way, which is an altogether jollier tune with a bright and catchy melody. It's the longest song - at four and a half minutes long - and also the most commercially appealing song on the album, featuring the sound of a funky electric guitar for the first time on the album. "The Lady's Changing Home" is a good all-round Beatle-esque Pop song with a rousing anthemic chorus, which marks a very pleasant and unexpected departure from the Folky tunes on the rest of the album. It's another album highlight in an album that somehow manages to get better and better as it goes along. You certainly won't find any mediocre album fillers here! We're off to meet the fair maiden "Madeline" now, and very pretty she is too. It's a gentle acoustic guitar instrumental, which serves as a pleasant horticultural introduction to the ephemeral 2-minute-long "Kew Gardens" (a Ralph McTell song). It's the 12th and final song on the album with those gorgeous three-part harmonies very much in evidence again. "Kew Gardens" is just as lovely as the song title implies, bringing the album to a delightful and memorable conclusion.

Tudor Lodge stands out like a magnificent Mansion on the Hill! There's a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity to acquire the very desirable oak-beamed Tudor Lodge at a very affordable price. The property has a delightful Olde Worlde artful decor and is situated in a lovely rural idyll. The purchase of the strikingly impressive Tudor Lodge will take you on a nostalgic trip back in time to a wonderful never-to-be-repeated bygone age of peaceful pastoral Folk, with twelve beautifully furnished rooms/songs to explore. This charming Folk album from yesteryear sounds as warm and comforting as lying on a soft woolly rug in front of a nice blazing log fire with a cup of hot cocoa in the middle of winter. Baby, it may be cold outside, but it'll give you a lovely warm feeling listening to the music inside the "Tudor Lodge"!



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 04 2020 at 15:24
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2020 at 01:06
Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

Wow..another blast from the past....Velvett Fogg...again Tom had that one on vinyl and it was in my basement for a while until he moved them when he went to Colorado.
Can't say it did much for me, more of an artifact from that time period.

Yes, it's a pity Tony Iommi's  Velvett Fogg aren't on ProgArchives. I have a feeling it'd be another five-star album if I'd reviewed it. Wink
 
I could suggest Velvett Fogg be included in the Proto-Prog section of PA, but I think they would most likely be rejected if past experience is anything to go by. Confused
 
By the way, I found Paladin yesterday on your handy list of underground bands - an endless source of long-lost album treasures. Thumbs Up


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 04 2020 at 01:37
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote dr wu23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2020 at 20:36
Wow..another blast from the past....Velvett Fogg...again Tom had that one on vinyl and it was in my basement for a while until he moved them when he went to Colorado.
Can't say it did much for me, more of an artifact from that time period.



Edited by dr wu23 - March 03 2020 at 20:46
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2020 at 16:55
Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

Wow...I haven't heard that one mentioned in a long time....a long time....my friend Tom had an original on vinyl. One I don't have on cd....decent music,,, but 5 stars...?

I want you to write my obituary.

Wink 


It's good to know I brought that long-forgotten Paladin album to your attention again, and you know me well enough by now to know that a Heavy Prog album is more than likely going to get a five-star rating from me. Wink
 
By the way, Paladin were a last-minute replacement for an album review I was going to write for either Velvett Fogg or Glencoe, neither of whom are included on ProgArchives at the moment.


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 03 2020 at 16:56
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote dr wu23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2020 at 16:16
Wow...I haven't heard that one mentioned in a long time....a long time....my friend Tom had an original on vinyl. One I don't have on cd....decent music,,, but 5 stars...?

I want you to write my obituary.

Wink 




Edited by dr wu23 - March 03 2020 at 16:17
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2020 at 14:51
PALADIN - Charge! (1972)
 
 
Album Review #113:- 5 stars PALADIN were a short-lived English Heavy Prog band, named after the knights of Charlemagne's court - the French equivalent to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Having chosen a suitably proggy bandname, Paladin embarked on their musical quest with the release of a self-titled album on the Bronze record label in 1971, which unfortunately failed to attract much attention from the record-buying public with its plain black album cover. Their second album "Charge!" (1972) featured fantasy cover art by Roger Dean, but the album still suffered from poor sales, and the gallant musical knights of Paladin dismounted their trusty steeds and hung up their armour forever in late 1972. To secure Paladin's place in the prog history books, a later 2-CD re-issue of the "Charge!" album was released in 1996, doubling up the original seven songs on the album, and a compilation album of Jazzy tracks was released under the title of "Jazzattack" in 2002.

Paladin are armed and ready to do battle with "Give Me Your Hand", a funky 8-minute-long Jazz-Rock number that definitely doesn't need "more cowbell", as there are cowbells in abundance on this lively rocker. This is like the kind of electrifying high- energy opener you might hear on a Santana or Savoy Brown album. These gallant Paladin knights are charging full-speed ahead on a burst of frenetic energy and raw adrenalin in a storming crusade of guitars, keyboards and pounding percussion. The soulful vocalist packs an impassioned punch too with this rousing chorus:- "Give me your hand, lead me on, Through this moment of despair, oh, Give me your hand, lead me on, Show me something that's still there." ..... This peerless band of musical knights have really set the bar high with this very impressive album opener. Can we expect Paladin to keep up the incredible pace throughout the album!?? "Well We Might", because that's the title of their second searing offering. There's no doubt about it, "Well We Might" is a super-charged Blues-Rock song that barrels along relentlessly for five breath-taking minutes like a diesel locomotive on full power. These intrepid knights sure know how to ROCK!! It's another dazzling display of roof-raising keyboards, guitars and percussion, all jousting to see who's the loudest and mightiest musician of them all, with amplifiers that probably go all the way up to eleven. The band barely have time for a breather with "Get One Together" either, as Paladin have got together again to deliver another real hell-for-leather barnstormer of a song. This pummelling instrumental rocker sounds like a funky cross between Uriah Heep and Santana, which can best be described as Funk Rock that's as hard and heavy as a block of granite. The fourth Very 'eavy and Very 'umble song "Anyway" has shades of Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. It's a rousing anthemic number which dramatically gathers in pace, reminding one of "July Morning" by Uriah Heep or "Child in Time" by Deep Purple. Either way, "Anyway" is an uplifting and inspirational song to close out Side One on a spiritual and emotional high-point.

"Good Lord", is that the time!? Yes, it's time for an extended fruity jam session where the musicians give a High and Mighty display of heavy Stormbringer prog at its absolute best, in the best Demons and Wizards traditions of Uriah Heep and Deep Purple, spiced up with the funky sound of the Allman Brothers and Santana. This sensational band have it all! Can it possibly get any better than this!?? YES IT CAN, because on the way now is "Mix Your Mind with Moonbeams", which might sound like some weird, stoned-out psychedelic acid trip, going by the title alone, but it's really a full-blown Heavy Prog epic, guaranteed to lift you up into prog heaven and beyond. This roaring soaring prog anthem is another stunning highlight of the album, alongside the marvellous "Anyway" at the close of Side One. We're taking it easy now and getting into a mellower mood for "Watching the World Pass By", with a deceptively light and breezy harmonica and keyboard opening. This just serves as a prelude though for another monstrous blast of powerful keyboard prog for a storming conclusion to a terrific album.

Paladin are the mother of all funky Jazz-Rock bands, with influences to be heard from the Allman Brothers, Deep Purple, Santana, Savoy Brown and Uriah Heep. These chivalrous knights are charged-up and ready to do battle in a dynamic explosion of thunderous keyboards, blistering guitars and pounding percussion. When it comes to Heavy Prog, Paladin are like gallant knights in shining armour charging full-speed ahead in a searing blaze of take-no-prisoners musical glory!



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 06 2020 at 00:46
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