Jazzis Web Shop News 11/2006

Two new Prog releases on the excellent French Musea label added today:

MOVING GELATINE PLATES ~ REMOVING
MUSEA 4663 (Barcode: 3426300046635) ~ FRANCE ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2006 Released: 2006
The excellent French Prog group Moving Gelatine Plates recorded two albums in the early 1970s and a reunion album in 1980 (all 3 albums are included on the two reissue albums available on Musea) and then disappeared from the scene like most early groups. Almost 30 years later they reunited again and recorded this album, which of course created quite a buzz in the Prog community. Rather than trying to recreate their original style, the new album is quite different in most respects, except for the beautiful 1970s (retro) sound. In fact the albums sounds remarkably Canterbury, somewhere between Soft Machine and Caravan, and if I didn't know the group I'd have been absolutely convinced that it is British. They also introduced some vocals (on 3 songs only) whereas previously their material was purely instrumental. The music is relaxed and very melodic, with strong jazzy undertones and plenty of great solos by the band members. All the music was composed by the group's two founding members and is remarkably strong. In short this album should appeal to most Prog lovers, not only those who are familiar with the band's original output.

SCARLET THREAD ~ VALHEISTA KAUNEIN
MUSEA 4670 (Barcode: 3426300046703) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2005 Released: 2006
2nd album by the excellent Finnish Prog band Scarlet Thread. As everybody knows, I have a real soft spot for Finnish music, therefore every new album from the Nordic shores is always a source of excitement, especially when it is as good as this one. The group includes two guitar players, who provide the rocky parts, but basically they are heavily influences by ethnic motifs, which makes them as much a folk-rock ensemble as a Prog group (in fact I was hesitant how categorize them by genre). The usual keyboards spot is occupied by a violin player and they also use guest flute players, creating a much softer sound than one might expect form a group fronted by two guitarists. The tracks which include the flute are remarkably similar to some early Jethro Tull pieces (mind you associatively only). The folk inspired melodies are enchanting and provide a great vehicle for instrumental solos. Definitely worth serious investigation, especially for more folk-inspired Progheads.

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One album added today, but a most significant one, or as it is customary to say this days a "Mother Of All Albums" ;)

MAYALL, JOHN ~ BLUESBREAKERS WITH ERIC CLAPTON (DELUXE EDITION)
DECCA 984180 (Barcode: 602498418017) ~ UK ~ Blues
Recorded: 1965 - 1966 Released: 2006
2nd album by Mayall and his Bluesbreakers, which features Eric "Slowhand" Clapton as the lead guitarist and sadly the only album they recorded together at the time. Of course this is the definitive white blues album of all times, with an incisive impact not only on Clapton's stairway to the "Godly" status of Emperor of all guitar players, but also on the entire music scene, basically establishing the electric Blues (and later Blues / Rock) as the natural and legitimate next step from American-born acoustic blues. This album influenced (and still influences) generations of guitar players of all genres and changed the face of music probably more than any single album did beforehand. It is pretty ironic (at least in retrospect) that Clapton left the Yardbirds, accusing the band of becoming to "commercial" following the release of the "For Your Love" single (which by the way was quite revolutionary and groundbreaking as it is), to pursue a "pure" blues oriented music with Mayall's Bluesbreakers, only to leave a few month later to form Cream, which became one of the most successful Rock bands in history. Life is full of surprises! Nevertheless during his stint with Mayall, Clapton managed single-handedly to shape the future of Rock, producing some of the most memorable sounds ever. Speaking of sound, Clapton's US-made Gibson Les Paul combined with the British Marshall amplifiers produced a sound so unique that it was to be imitated by hordes of axe players around the world for decades. Of course Clapton's feel for the blues is undeniable, and his interpretation of the twelve bar music form, mixed with his rock background, created an embryo of a new musical Hydra. Mayall was of course ecstatic to have Clapton in his band, only to be utterly devastated when Clapton announced his departure soon after this album was recorded. Fortunately Mayall soon recovered and followed suit with another guitar hero - Peter Green. This (long overdue) edition of this groundbreaking album collects virtually absolutely everything Mayall and Clapton managed to record together. The First CD includes both the original mono mix of the album and the stereo mix, which was done only three years later (1969). The second CD includes a plethora of singles, outtakes, BBC sessions and live recordings, many of which see the light of day for the first time. I am not a great fun of the "If you had to select only one single album." idea, but this one does come as close to the idea as it is humanly possible. If you don't own this album, this probably is the greatest hole in your collection (not to mention your music education). Hopefully not for long.

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Massive re-stocking!

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Another Jethro Tull remaster added today, what a joy ;)

JETHRO TULL ~ CATFISH RISING
CHRYSALIS 370977 (Barcode: 094637097724) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1987 - 1991 Released: 2006
19th album by JT and the first one recorded in the 1990s, their 4th decade in the Rock trenches. By general consensus (even the critics) this is JT's strongest album since their glory days of the 1970s. In the new liner notes of the reissue Anderson says that this album "is probably the most Blues-influenced album since the 1968 This Was record". And so it is, a splendid example of Blues / Rock, with almost no folk or classical influences. The lineup is the same as on the predecessor - a quartet with the excellent Martin Barre on guitar, veteran David Pegg on bass and Doane Perry on drums and three guest keyboards players, including Andrew Giddings who later was to join the on a permanent basis. Anderson managed to come up with some superbly crafted tunes and the album has a beautiful natural flow to it. In short, JT entered the 1990s with a bang, proving again that old heroes still have a trick or two hidden in their sleeves. The bonus tracks include a studio takeout and a live track recorded in 1987. For all JT fans this is of course a must and if you are not familiar with the album, do yourself a favor and check it out.

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Have a great weekend.

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Following the fantastic Concerts, I added today the final missing link in the Henry Cow discography:

SLAPP HAPPY / HENRY COW ~ DESPERATE STRAIGHTS
RER HCSH1 (Barcode: 752725019026) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1975 Released: 2004
The two groups, Slapp Happy and Henry Cow had a lot in common: both were avant-garde and ahead of their time musically and both shared the same social / political agenda. Slapp Happy consisted of the German singer Dagmar Krause, British pianist Anthony Moore and American guitarist Peter Blegvad. The band released their debut album (recorded with the participation of members from the legendary Krautrock band Faust) on Polydor in 1972, but when the rebel rejected their next album, they moved to Virgin, which at the time was pretty open to experimental music, and re-recorded the album, which was released in 1974. Since Virgin was the home label for Henry Cow, the bands soon met and started to cooperate and eventually record together, becoming de-facto one group. In fact Slapp Happy and Henry Cow recorded two albums together: this one and In Praise Of Learning, with the latter appearing under Henry Cow's moniker only. Following the second album, Moore and Blegvad left the band, but Krause remained as the band's singer till their demise. It is interesting to compare the two albums, as they are quite different even though the band is identical. Desperate Straights is almost a straightforward songs album, with 13 relatively short tracks, whereas In Praise Of Learning is highly adventurous and avant-garde oriented. Nevertheless this is a brilliant example of the early RIO movement and in time reached a classic status with the music remaining fresh and visionary forever. A must for all Henry Cow fans and RIO followers.

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The one-before-last Peter Hammill remaster added today - one more to go:

HAMMILL, PETER ~ A BLACK BOX
VIRGIN 370518 (Barcode: 094637051825) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1979 - 1980 Released: 2006
9th album and the last to be released on the Charisma label (well not really, as it was first released on Hammill's independent label and only later licensed back to his old label). It is also the first "real" solo album, as by the time it was recorded VDGG were no more. The only link to his band is saxophonist David Jackson present on one song only. All the rest of the music is played solely by Hammill, which of course makes this a truly personal statement. The work on this album took quite a while and he included here songs he has been working on for quite a while, which were postponed due to the VDGG usual havoc. Now free of any other obligations, Hammill was able to concentrate on his solo work. The music and the texts are as usual deeply expressive and personal, culminating in the multi-part 19+ minutes suite, which was side B of the original LP. In many respects this albums marks the end of en era, for Hammill and music in general, with the golden 1970s behind and the dreary 1980s ahead. From now on Hammill will be releasing his albums on his own label, affirming his independence as an artist. For Hammill and VDGG fans this is a must.

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The fantastic new IQ DVD added today:

IQ ~ STAGE
GEP 9003 (Barcode: 5026297090031) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2005 Released: 2006
Following the release of the brilliant Dark Matter album, IQ embarked on a world tour to play concerts supporting the album's release. This DVD set documents two such concerts, recorded just a week apart in July 2005: DVD 1 was filmed at the Nearfest Festival (USA) and DVD 2 at the Burg Herzberg Festival (Germany). It is quite fascinating to compare these two concerts and witness how much the audience and the ambience of the place effect the musicians. Nearfest is often stone cold, especially towards European groups, being a gathering of the US Prog fans, some of which are notoriously suspicious of everything non-American. Burg Herzberg is a completely opposite gathering of European freaks and freethinkers, who are there as much for the music as for the outdoor fun. The two IQ performances match the two venues perfectly: the Nearfest concert is stone-cold, technically perfect delivery of most of the Dark Matter material with a few older songs re-arranged; the Burg Herzberg concert is much more relaxed, with a have-fun and please the crowd attitude in mind, where both the musicians and the public seem to have a blast. In addition to both concerts there is (as usual) plenty of bonus material and features. Well over 4 hours with the best UK Prog band should be quite satisfactory for the numerous fans. I had a great time watching this! Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, 260 minutes.

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All IQ catalog back in stock!

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The last (for now) Patrick Moraz remaster added today:

MORAZ, PATRICK ~ FUTURE MEMORIES II
TIME WAVE 009 (Barcode: 604388670321) ~ SWITZERLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1982 Released: 2006
7th album by Moraz, which documents his second solo show for the Swiss TV. The concept is quite similar to the previous album, with Moraz improvising on the spot and using an incredible array of keyboard instruments. No acoustic piano pieces this time, but Moraz clearly shows his masterly playing and compositional skills, sounding like a one-man orchestra. The show was recorded over the period of several days and the album includes a selection of the material recorded. A companion DVD (Future Memories 1 & 2) presents a full document of these sessions. The music was quite innovative at the time and includes many technological tricks of the trade (like voice samples), which were incorporated into the mainline of the industry only years later. For the many Patrick Moraz fans this is a must have, especially in view of the fact that this material was unavailable for many years.

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