1000 Prog Albums Over 46 Years: 1966-2011

379

Movin' On
Circus

A review by Sean Trane:

Circus has a reputation for having one of the more uncommon line-ups of the genre - no KB and no electric guitars. Not so for the guitar for there are bits of it although staying discreet, some sounds are done by guitar effects. This absolute masterpiece (I strongly insist on this) gradually builds up to a superb climax progressing from one track to the other. Hauser is a real top-notch percussionist and puts in an impressive performance using all sorts of instruments and makes some of the loveliest vibraphone lines since Greenslade in Colosseum. Bassist Cerletti is the only non-Alemanic Swiss but is certainly an impressive bassist and an accomplished guitar player. Grieder and Frei are simply an amazing duo on wind instruments and together with Cerletti make a superb vocal section. The music is rather unique in some points making you think of VDGG (mostly the saxes but also in one superb section of singing much better than Hammill himself because it’s more melodious), but also Maneige during the classical influenced moments. It is also like King Crimson but IMO not much like Tull, although this album is loaded with orgasmic flutes.

Bandsmen is a nice tune, poppish but intentionally simple, only the unusual line-up is intriguing enough to go on further. Laughter Lane is quite a gem and a solid progression from the opening track but stays in the song format and one knows that much better is to come, but this would be a real gem for any other band. With their third track Loveless Time still in song format, we now move into serious business and we are aware that this will be a real interesting Oeuvre that is to come. Movin' On (get the album title?) with Dawn is entirely instrumental (8 min long) and is one of the better examples ever of what descriptive music is, and ranks up with some of the masterpieces of impressionist classical composers of early 20th century. In between some really gloomy athmospheres at the end of the night to the soothing bird calls and wind breezes to the first rays of the sun, this is simply astounding.

And now comes the "piece de resistance". They could've easily made a suite of this 22 min+ number but they chose to let it express itself as an entity of its own. This pieces starts off with the most genial rhythms sprinkled with sax and flute lines and 6 mins into the number comes in some scatting (no jazz feeling though) with suddenly one of the three vocalists breaking into another scheme making this grandiose. Bass and flutes take over only for Roland Frei to break into this Hamillian-singing worthy of Pawn Hearts. We are now just barely half-way through and are now lying on the floor ready for the final blow, the ultimate nail into our coffin. The music flutters by, twiddles, twirls around you and circles, swirls not giving you an instant to recuperate and now comes the blow. The final verses are shared in the most beautiful call-and-respond manner so well delivered that if it has not shot your intellectual wad by now, you must be frigid or impotent. The number closes off with fabulous music unfortunately (the only slight mistake) sticking too close to my fave number from Crimson, Starless.

Wow! Repeated listening in the last four years still have not calmed me down as I shot my intellectual wad just writing this review not even listening to it. I don't know how this album is almost never cited in a desert island list, because this belongs on everyone's, and their debut is also well worth it. SIMPLY ASTOUNDING.

380

Ni Vent... Ni Nouvelle 
Maneige

A review by Mellotron Storm:

These guys really blew my socks off! Classically trained and very creative. Shorter songs this time which didn't go over too well with song writer and keyboardist Jerome Langlois, who left prior to the recording of this album because of that. This is so different, the variety of instruments, the xylophone, vibraphone, and on and on, all creating a fresh, energetic album that is truly progressive.

"Le Gai Marvin" features lots of flute as other sounds come and go. This is a short intro tune. "La Fin De L'Histoire" has some atmosphere to it. I really love the way this one sounds. Flute leads the way for the first half then it changes to a more uptempo track. "Les Folleries" is a song that seems to show off almost all of the instrumentalists playing abilities, a mixed bag that is yet very cohesive. So much going on here once it gets going. A collage of intricate sounds. A change after 1 1/2 minutes. Very cool to hear the guitar and sax trade solos as the bass digs deep. Amazing stuff! I could almost mention the drumming on every song, it's pretty amazing. Check it out before 4 minutes. Flute is back. The song continues to change and evolve.

"Les Epinettes" is pastoral to open with piano and acoustic guitar leading the way. Flute comes in and leads.  "Mambo Chant" opens with piano melodies. Bass and guitar join the percussion and synths. Piano is back leading before 2 1/2 minutes. Drums and bass are prominent a minute later. Sax late with percussion and drums.

"Douce-Amere" has these xylophone sounds that sound pretty upbeat and silly. Drums join in with guitar. Vocal melodies 2 minutes in sound great. A change after 3 minutes to a good beat with atmosphere then guitar joins in. Amazing sound! "Le Gros Roux" opens with bass and vibes. Flute and drums take over. The contrasts continue.

"Au Clair De La Prune" is jazzy to open. Lots of sax throughout the first half then it settles as flute leads the way. "11 Juillet" becomes uptempo with some great sax and drumming. "Time Square" is the silly 1 1/2 minute closer. The bonus tracks come from the live record "Composite" and the four songs truly are worthy additions. Love the flute on the last live song, it really reminds me of the flute that SINKADUS is famous for. "Douce Amere" boasts some terrific guitar. And "Etrange Hiver" is a beautiful flute laden song. Looking for something a little different, you can't go wrong with this record. After their self titled debut this is my favourite from them.

381

New Age Of Earth
Ashra

A review by Mellotron Storm:

Manual Gottsching left ASH RA TEMPEL after the "Join In" album which was their fifth.  He then put out a solo album called "Inventions For Electric Guitar" which he also called "Ash Ra Tempel VI".  He then switched record labels and continued to go solo,calling his project ASHRA,he being the only member of the band. This is ASHRA's first album called "New Age Of Earth". The obvious difference between ASH RA TEMPEL and ASHRA besides the number of musicians, is that with ASHRA Gottsching has turned to the electronic style of music not unlike TANGERINE DREAM. He certainly began that on his "Inventions For Electric Guitar" album. I do prefer ASH RA TEMPEL and the traditional sound, and use of the guitar which Manual plays so well, but that's just my taste in music.  

"Sunrain" is an upbeat tune with keys, and electronics creating the melody (rain) throughout. Synths come in 1 1/2 minutes in like the sun shining upon the soundscape. "Ocean Of Tenderness" is much more spacey than the first song as synths wash in and out slowly. Some gentle guitar comes in late. "Deep Distance" is a blend of the first two tracks. Spacier than "Sunrain" but not as spacey as "Ocean Of Tenderness". It does give the impression we are in deep space far from all our troubles. "Nightdust" was originally a side long song at almost 22 minutes. Again the title of the song gives us a clue to what Manual was thinking when he composed this song. Spacey winds in the form of synths blow across the lonely soundscape, it's dark. Keys before 12 minutes as the song calms right down 16 1/2 minutes in. Guitar arrives 2 minutes later. Nice. Barely 4 stars.

A review by Warthur:

Manuel Göttsching follows up his work in Ash Ra Tempel with his solo project Ashra, which presents a mildly different flavour of electronic Krautrock - there's a greater emphasis on highly orchestrated synthesisers, in a mode also explored by Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze at around the same time, and less freewheeling psychedelia on offer. Manuel's guitar by and large sits back and lets the synthesisers take centre stage, but when it's given spotlight tme Manuel proves himself able to produce an excellent solo or two. A perkier and more upbeat alternative to the deep space explorations former Ash Ra Tempel colleague Schulze was producing at the time, New Age of Earth is a fine start to the Ashra project.

382

Ragnarök
Ragnarök

A review by Sean Trane:

Add up another halfstar for this gem. I have been aware of this album since the late 70's but never managed to put an ear on it until the mid-90's. It was worth the wait, I must say as from the first note on, I felt transported into this calm reflective soul-searching world. If Mr. Unger points out a few bands that might help you define their sound, I personally am thinking of the best Fleetwood Mac album: Then Play On. This 1970 album is the last with Peter Green and does not sound like the blues-oriented Mac at all but comes closest to Ragnarok and is certainly easier to find than the swedish record, so get an ear on that Mac and see if you want to hunt down the object . I personally can only advise you to do so.

Very acoustic by the guitar and the wind instruments, the production is great and crisp sounding. The following albums however do not sound anything like this and they came six or seven years later with different people. Watch out, for there is a mid-70's New Zealand band with the same name and also a late 90's HM outfit also.

A review by Mellotron Storm:

I've been drawn to this album cover from the first time I saw it. I didn't know though until I got the album that the dark sky at the top wasn't the night coming but it's actually pollution floating across the sky. RAGNAROK are an all instrumental Swedish Folk band, and this is their debut from 1977. The music here is so tasteful and beautiful, and much like the album cover once you experience it for the first time you will be hooked.  

"Goodbye Copenhagen" is led by acoustic guitar melodies throughout. Beautiful song.  "Walks" opens with keys and bass as gentle guitar joins in. Electric guitar and drums before a minute then we get this CAMEL flavour. Themes are repeated.  "Freshbaked Bread" is led by acoustic guitar and flute throughout.  "Foam Of The Days" is by far the longest track at over 8 minutes. It's pastoral to start with intricate guitar. Flute then keys join in. A fuller sound after 3 1/2 minutes. Nice.  This is simply gorgeous.  

"Reel From Kalmer" is a very short flute piece.  "Factoryfunk" has to be a reference to the factory on the back cover of the album where all the pollution is coming from. Intricate drumming and guitar on this great sounding track.  "Tatanga Mani" opens with acoustic guitar then it starts to build as flute and bass arrive.  "Fiottot" has a good rhythm to it.  "Calm-Breaking Up" opens with piano then this beautiful flute/acoustic guitar melodiy takes over.  "Pools Of Water" opens with laid back keyboards. Drums and a fuller sound after 1 1/2 minutes. Sax a minute after that. Back to the keyboards to end it.  Easily 4 stars and one of the best Prog-Folk albums I have heard.

383

Over
Peter Hammill

A review by Warthur:

With Van der Graaf Generator in a state of flux following the departure of David Jackson and Hugh Banton, Hammill took some time to lay down a solo album featuring the talents of Guy Evans, Nic Potter and Graham Smith - all of whom would end up forming the core of the reconfigured and reimagined Van der Graaf.

A concept album surrounding his messy divorce, Hammill recounts how he recorded the piece at a sufficient distance from the split itself that he was able to gain some perspective on things - thus the album also includes Crying Wolf, a prog-punk piece of self-criticism reminiscent of Nadir's Big Chance (it's like Rikki Nadir stepped in to tell Hammill to pull himself together and stop lashing out at people) and Autumn, which posits an alternate path where the split never happened and both parties ended up miserable.

The meat of the album, though, consists of Hammill exploring the raw pain that resulted from his wife abruptly leaving him, and doing so in a brutally honest manner. The prog singer- songwriter approach of Chameleon In the Shadow of the Night makes a mild return here, bolstered by Hammill's greater confidence with his guitar, and the piece as a whole is a stark, stripped-down affair closing with a heartwarming crescendo as Hammill acknowledges that things are, bit by bit, getting better once more.

Whilst it's not a dazzling masterwork of symphonic prog complexity, it is an emotionally genuine album in which Hammill shows an unprecedented level of honesty and directness with the audience. Marillion fans with sharp eyes will have noticed its presence (along with Fool's Mate) on the cover of Fugazi, and it was probably this album which inspired many neo-prog artists to address more down-to-earth issues as opposed to the metaphysical and allegorical meanderings of previous prog lyricists. A triumph for Peter Hammill as a songwriter and lyricist, and a truly unique album in his discography, but not one for those who seek complexity above all over considerations or are uncomfortable with raw emotion.

384

Body Love: Original Filmmusik
Klaus Schulze

A review by Warthur:

Robert Fripp might have been irked when artsy porn flick "Emmanuelle" ripped off Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part 2 for part of its soundtrack, but Klaus Schulze seems to have no problem providing music for arthouse sex movies, contributing this soundtrack to Body Love.

In terms of Klaus' own work, it's a refinement of the approach taken on the preceding Moondawn, presenting a more gentle, emotional vision of electronic music than the stark, cold, brittle work on the likes of Cyborg. As far as music to get freaky to goes, it's not exactly Isaac Hayes material, but in terms of Klaus' career it's another great entry to his discography.

385

Trans-Europe Express (Trans-Europa Express)
Kraftwerk

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

"Trance Europe Express... Trance Europe Express... Trance Europe Express..."

“Trans-Europe Express” is an interesting Kraftwerk album as it centres around two excellent tracks and a whole swag of mediocrity that is cheesy and rather shallow in structure. It is a pity really as the title track is a definitive prog statement with massive techno ambience and entrancing repetitive synth motifs.

The track perfectly captures the feeling of a long monorail or train in full flight, complete with click clacking percussion and haunting diesel horn effects. The other great track on the album is 'Europe Endless' clocking in at 9 and a half minutes, it is a triumph of techno pop.

The other tracks do not measure up to these classics but still have moments. Curiously one of the most memorable is the chilling 'Endless Endless' with its computer phased vocals and echoed repetitions. There is not much to this track, the vocals dominate all, but it stays with you.

Unfortunately there is not much else I can recommend. 'Showroom Dummies’ was never a favourite and I still do not like the structure of this poppy quirky ditty. In any case the album is worth a listen for the aforementioned tracks. The greatness for Kraftwerk was yet to come.

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

From station to station

After the disaster that was Radio-Activity, which consisted of a couple of simple, catchy Synth Pop tunes amongst a multitude of failed sound experiments, Kraftwerk pulled themselves together to produce a worthy follow up to Autobahn. With Trans-Europe Express they build on the formula of Autobahn, but this time it is not about automobiles and motorways but instead about trains and railways.

The whole of the original second vinyl side of the album forms a suite based on the concept of Trans-Europe Express which was a European railway service network that at its maximum extent, in 1974, comprised 45 trains, connecting 130 different cities (thank you Wikipedia for that information). In the title track that opens this suite, they describe (in extremely minimalistic terms) a train journey from Paris to Vienna and then to Düsseldorf (where this album was recorded) where they meet David Bowie and Iggy Pop! As far as I know, this meeting between the group and Bowie actually took place and the line "from station to station" in the lyrics to Trans-Europe Express is said to refer to the Bowie album of that name. Metal On Metal is Kraftwerk's attempt to mimic the actual sound of a train, and this rhythmic sound experiment is surprisingly listenable and forms a nice passage in the suite. While not quite as satisfying as the Autobahn title track, the Trans-Europe Express suite is one of Kraftwerk's most successful and progressive compositions.

The first half of the album is equally satisfying and the almost ten minute Europe Endless is another highlight of Kraftwerk's career. Even this song is thematically connected with the train concept and describes what can be seen out of the windows of the train while travelling through Europe. If you ever go on a train journey from Paris to Vienna, expect to see both elegance and decadence! It would have been interesting to see if they could have incorporated the whole Europe Endless into the suite on the other side of the album, but they do indeed refer back to the opening track at the very end of the album.

The remaining two tracks of side one are however entirely unconnected to the overall concept of the album. This can perhaps be seen as a small distraction, but these are fine songs in their own right. In Hall Of Mirrors we get to hear more vocals than usual and even the lyrics are more elaborate and reflective than we are used to from Kraftwerk. This is another highlight for me. Showroom Dummies is the album's hit song, but as such it is much better than the more famous The Model.

Trans-Europe Express was to my mind the pinnacle of Kraftwerk's creative but uneven career.

386

Reviure 
Atila

A review by Sean Trane:

Last album by this Catalonian quartet, and probably their crowning achievement, Reviure (reviver in Catalan) must be one of the most stunning Iberian albums around. Unlike many of their peers, Atila avoided sounding "Italian" (as Crack did) and were typically theirs (as Coto & Pel), roughly based on a sound between Vanilla Fudge, King Crimson, with an unusually ever-present Moog synth in the foreground. Niebla's guitar is excellent all around and leaves no ground uncovered that Nogue's Moog had left unfilled. Their sinister semi-skeleton artwork sure gave them an edge on many of their peers in the shelves of record stores.

Two tracks aside with plenty of mainly instrumental enthusiastic prog (excellent but not overly pleasant vocals) filled with tricky time sigs and great interplay (JP Gomez's bass work is outstanding, getting the odd touch and oh-so-subtle Zeuhl into a soundscape that Crimson would not disclaim). Like many of their Catalan peers (such as Iceberg, Fusioon or Maquina), Atila made sure that their music was solid in all departments including the drummer Punet (he gets a short drum solo slot in the awesome eponymous track) and unlike what some seem to say, there is still some organ parts, namely in the album's apex, Atila. Four excellent tracks, not a moment of rest and plenty of power.

Although all three Atila albums are vastly different from each other, I believe all three are much worth the investigation, the debut being a bit iffier, unless you're into the type of music found on erotic spoof movie Vampyros Lesbos. One of the best albums from the Iberic peninsula.

387

Feels Good to Me
Bill Bruford

A review by Sean Trane:

Bruford's most highly rated solo album before creating his Earthworks Band is one that I always had problems understanding why it received such highly rated reviews. Not being much of a fan of National Health, UK or Earthworks itself, I am also not quite as keen on later 70's fusion (as opposed to early 70's jazz Rock ala Bitches Brew or Nucleus), you might just get a glimpse of why I will not be that lenient on this album. While BB's backing band holds some of the best names in the Fusion/Canterbury realm, this album appears to be a little light on the songwriting and a bit heavy on the virtuosic side: indeed Dave Stewart and Allan Holdsworth were the usual friends, but to my knowledge, this was his first encounter with jazz singer Annette Peacock (outside her first album, I am NOT a fan) and with his future regular Jeff Berlin, the whole thing seeming rather cold and even aloof.

The album starts strong enough with the instrumental Belzeebub and the lengthy Back To The Beginning (marred by Annette's way too present vocals), but quickly boredom settles as the two-part Seems Like A Lifetime Ago (it sure does, too! ;-) is breaking all- too-beaten paths like the highway between the kitchen sink and the dishwasher. If the first part is boring sung trad cool jazz, the second part is definitely fusional (and probably the rockier track on the album), arousing your attention to drop it as soon as it caught it. We are very close to Brand X's early fusion music, but not having Moroccan Roll's enthusiasm, even if Sample And Hold and the title track try hard to maintain the level. We soon enter a world of well-heard-before fusion somewhere between National Health, Weather Report, Ponty, Brand X Doldinger's Passport (before they went "world") or Spirogyra. Nothing to get too excited about, unless your sweet spot is there.

Don't get me wrong, the record is monstrously well played, impressive of mastery, flawless in execution, perfect in the production dept, but something is missing here (or is there something too much?), but it is best expressed by If You Can't Stand The Heat and its cold-hearted bravado showpiece. The album is closing (unfortunately) on Adios A La Pasada, where Peacock (who had graced us by her absence for much of the album's centre) comes back under a Hackettian guitar to bore us past death just after the mega-boringly slow Springtime In Siberia.

Haven't heard the bonus track of the latest reissue of this album. Hard to give such an album any less than 4 stars, but in all honesty I can only give it a not essential rating.

388

Body Love Vol. 2
Klaus Schulze

A review by Warthur:

Klaus had some music left over after issuing the first Body Love soundtrack, so he took the remainders, recorded some new material to fill out the running time, and issued another great album in more or less the same style. Nowhere/Now Here might repeat his usual trick of starting out placid and tranquil and building to a busy and energetic climax, but it's a pretty good example of that trick, whilst the two shorter tracks prove that Schulze had at this point become more capable of writing satisfying pieces which last less than 20 minutes. If you enjoyed the first Body Love album, there's really no point not getting this one too.

404

Hemispheres
Rush

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

THE prog masterpiece of 1978; Rush present the most stunning music on the planet

"Hemispheres" is a classic album from Rush that featured one huge epic track on side 1 of the vinyl and 3 fantastic shorter tracks on side 2. The album is primarily celebrated for the awesome instrumental 'La Villa Strangiato', which may be the best instrumental ever. Both this track and 'The Trees' were featured on "Rush: Gold" a compilation I purchased to taste what this band everyone is talking about actually sounds like. Of course, I ended up getting the entire Rush catalogue, but these two tracks intrigued me enough on first listen to warrant grabbing this album eventually, one of the last Rush purchases in fact for me. I was unaware of how extraordinary the other 2 tracks were so this sealed the deal for me; this album is an astonishing masterpiece.

It starts with the 18 minute multi movement suite 'Cygnus X-1 Book II’ the sequel to the track on "A Farewell to Kings". I enjoyed the first part to this, with it's spacey resonance and conceptual framework so I hoped this second part would justify its existence. I was not disappointed. It begins with the crunching chords and odd time sig of Lifeson and Peart. Lee's vocals soon enter the fray and the song sets sail for one of the best epics I have heard. Rush know how to structure an epic, '2112' is a prime example, but this epic has an incredible melody, crystalline vocals and very tight musicianship throughout. The lyrics of 'Prelude' are fantastic; "when our weary world was young, the struggle of the Ancients first began, The gods of love and reason, Sought alone to rule the fate of man."

There is a break at 4:30 to herald the next section 'Apollo: Bringer of Wisdom'. Lee's voice is strong as he belts out the new melody, "I bring truth and understanding, I bring wit and wisdom fair, Precious gifts beyond compare, We can build a world of wonder, I can make you all aware, I will find you food and shelter, Show you fire to keep you warm, Through the endless winter storm, You can live in grace and comfort, In the world that you transform." The track has a strong melody that always gives me the chills. When the chorus builds up to a crescendo another melody begins that is perhaps the best section on the entire epic. Lee has an amazing voice and his high vocals are incomparable as he sings with passion and conviction, "The people were delighted, Coming forth to claim their prize, They ran to build their cities, And converse among the wise, But one day the streets fell silent, Yet they knew not what was wrong, The urge to build these fine things, Seemed not to be so strong, The wise men were consulted, And the Bridge of Death was crossed." The thematic content is all based of course on the Greek god mythology and each god addresses what they can bring to the protagonist who searches for meaning. At 6:50 'Dionysus Bringer of Love' begins, the same melody as previous though more subdued with some beautiful guitar picking. It builds to the riff and Lee returns to the chorus section; "the cities were abandoned, and the forests echoed song, They danced and lived as brothers, They knew love could not be wrong, Food and wine they had aplenty, And they slept beneath the stars...".

'Armageddon The Battle of Heart and Mind' section 4 begins at 9:08; a new time sig change entirely, though the same chords are heard. The awesome lead break is a real feature that is phased out and spacey. On this new ascending and descending riff Lee's vocals are more aggressive with a delay effect, "The universe divided, As the heart and mind collided, With the people left unguided, For so many troubled years, In a cloud of doubts and fears, Their world was torn asunder into hollow Hemispheres." The poetic pentameter works perfectly and there is a powerful effect on the sense as we are treated to one riff after another.

At 12:08 the music settles and there is an ethereal ambience when the keyboard pads begin, and the next section is titled 'Cygnus, Bringer of Balance'. It is reminiscent of the spaceyness of the prequel to this track. The atmosphere is definitely one of melancholy tranquillity but the lyrics are unsettling in this section speaking of "a disembodied spirit, I am dead and yet unborn..." It builds and Lee's voice becomes higher and more forceful on;"Then all at once the chaos ceased, A stillness fell, a sudden peace, The warriors felt my silent cry, And stayed their struggle, mystified." This is followed by some divine passages of guitar and then a very soft, gentle calmness is created with minimalist guitar, effectively massaging the senses after the onslaught of power riffing.

At 16:54 the new section begins, a much more moderate Lee with acoustic guitar and sustained keyboard pads. The lyrics are reflective on the chaos that has gone on before on The Sphere: A Kind Of Dream; "We can walk our road together, If our goals are all the same, We can run alone and free, If we pursue a different aim, Let the truth of love be lighted, Let the love of truth shine clear, Sensibility, armed with sense and liberty, With the heart and mind united in a single Perfect Sphere." The ending is abrupt and tends to leave the track up in the air, though there was no sequel to this. I think this track is a bonafide masterpiece.

'Circumstances' has a great chorus with a strong melody and very high vocals; "all the same we take our chances, Laughed at by time, tricked by circumstances, Plus ca change, Plus c'est la meme chose, The more that things change, The more they stay the same..." The chord progression is heavy and the time sig is unusual at times. This track really kicks hard and the live performances I have heard or seen lift the crowd every time. It is genuinely uplifting music with a simplified straight forward power riff. The lead break seems to blend in rather than become a showcase for Lifeson. Another excellent track due to the memorable melody and killer riffs.

I was never a fan of 'The Trees' on the compilation that was sandwiched between two classic tracks, but it tends to work better on this album as it allows breathing space between the hard rocking content of the other tracks. The trees could be an anthem for Greenpeace or other conservationist groups as it really hammers the message about saving the trees from their point of view, if you don't mind. The lyrics are very strange; "So the maples formed a union, And demanded equal rights, 'The oaks are just too greedy, We will make them give us light', Now there's no more oak oppression, For they passed a noble law, And the trees are all kept equal, By hatchet, axe and saw." It may be an allegory for civil war but more likely this is a message from Rush to look after the planet, a similar stance to the music of Yes in this regard. The track begins slowly with a sad atmosphere and it eventually builds to a dynamic instrumental break, with innovative riffing and time sigs. The melody is once again endearing and grows on you with each listen. This is the weakest track on the album but is not enough to detract it as it still has some great moments on it. The film clip on the “Snakes and Arrows Live” Rush DVD is very good too by the way featuring a humorous look at trees versus man; ironic and wonderful.

The last track is the incredible instrumental 'La Villa Strangiato' that begins with Spanish flavoured acoustic and then a synthesizer booms in and soon it locks into the fabulous 5 chord synth riff that every Rush fan knows. I saw this on the "Live in Rio" DVD and every one in the crowd was roaring the tune out as the band played in perfect sync. The instrumental is a definitive masterpiece with so much to recommend it. The bassline is wonderful that keeps up with the loud guitar of Lifeson. His lead motifs on this are well executed and stay in the memory long after the music is over. Rather than a filler, this instrumental becomes the highlight of the album and this is unusual. The violining that is heard is dreamy and haunting, and then an absolutely soaring lead solo follows, one of Lifeson's best. He rips it out with fret melting elegance, and then an enchanting riff locks in while a two chord synth progression is layered underneath. The time sig then changes with a passage of lead and then bass solos. There are fantastic drum fills in this too with a lot of jazzy cymbal work. The time sig returns to the original though it is fractured as Lifeson blasts out another brilliant lead solo. Then a back breaking chord structure is crunched out, the bassline is divine here, and it settles into a slow paced bluesy metrical pattern. The main lead motif returns and then the intro section is reprised with the same finesses as heard earlier. After 9 and a half minutes it draws to a close. What an amazing piece of music; stunning virtuoso excellence.

How does one conclude after hearing 4 incredible tracks. This is a masterpiece of prog. Perhaps the best prog album of 1978. In a year when punk had already reared its ugly head and dance-oriented disco was soon to take over and systematically kill all things progressive for a season, Rush produced this music, despite what everybody else was doing. They refused to sell out to mainstream commercialism in the late 70s, and in fact their music was more progressive than ever on this release. You have to give them credit for that and you have to identify a masterpiece when you hear it, and this is it.

405

Anabelas
Bubu

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

It is not often an album lives completely up to the hype it receives. This IS a masterpiece.

Bubu's one and only album has become legendary as one of the best things to come out of Argentina besides Evita. I can only review this as I hear it as it is so complex and it is difficult to remember all the subtle nuances of musical complexity. We begin with the epic 'El Cortejo de un Dia Amarillo'. You have to love the side long vinyl. As the manic drums fade in at the start on side A we are taken by surprise by a freakout orgiastic wash of saxophone, violin, relentless bass lines and a myriad of other sounds, wonderfully juxtaposed into some semblance of order but chaotic enough to keep any metronome swinging wildly. The metrical shapes and percussive patterns are astounding as far as drumming goes and is reminiscent of the type of work from Bill Bruford. There are some angular Fripp like guitar passages, so early King Crimson springs immediately to mind with a strange blend of Soft Machine and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Get the picture? Descriptions cannot do it justice as the music takes on a whole new meaning with each listen and must be experienced and interpreted on a personal level. The side long track is masterfully executed and shifts from light to dark textures, occasionally brutal and disturbing to light and upbeat, truly emotional music. The way the music builds to a crescendo towards the end transfixes on each listen, and then there is an improv section with cold wah wah guitar wailing while a sad tortured violin cries. Simply a wonderful instrumental and one of the best I have heard.

Side B is two songs, rather than instrumentals, that are of accomplished musicianship on every level. Even injecting some vocals into the mix does not detract from the music, in fact the vocals are distant and estranged, a part of the musical soundscape. 'Sueños de Maniqui' begins softly with twinkling piano and quiet vocals. It would sound like a normal song except the time signature is all over the place. The strong guitar crashes in and over the relentless piano motif it whines and howls beautifully. Then the track launches in to a freakout jam with blasts of sax and there is even a flute, Jethro Tull style. The guitars are heavier and then suddenly there is an Argentinian break away. The guitar solo is crazy fret melting runs and an out of control violin that fires up demonically. The sound builds higher and higher up the scale and explodes with frenetic high pitched violin over more violin and heart pounding drums. It stops flat maggot dead. The vocals sing again on a slow paced section that lets us catch our breath. After this verse there are staccato stabs of woodwind, flute sax, the lot, then an even more bizarre time sig, till finally the voice sings the last verse. The violin bow now knifes across the strings as a guitar motif is heard repeating and the choral voices return. Once again the song goes wildly out of control, a psychedelica freakout that finally settles down with a finely crafted sax and it fades. This is the best track on the album and it gets better after each listen. Ferociously original and layered with a plethora of instruments transferred into an emotional resonance unlike anything I have heard. This is how I like my prog; complex, hard to pin down and challenging, but totally compelling.

'El Viaje De Anabelas' opens with a choral chant and off kilter violin and sax that compete with each other but seems to be on the same page as far as timing, though this feels dark, and the instruments are speaking to each other. The bass line changes the direction, and there is a great sax solo over an incessant violin. The flute adds a beauty and is providing a melody similar to the sax, then the fast paced section sends the track on another detour. The surprisingly calm vocals chime in, the Argentinian language sounds sad and melancholy, perhaps reflective. The music slows and speeds up at intervals. When the vocals stop for a moment the pace picks up considerably, erratic drumming driving it to a mid section that focuses on violin played with precision. The sax is as good as any I have heard sounding at times like early VDGG. The textures are darker at about 5 minutes into the track, the sombre sax has become angry and the music sounds frustrated as if it wants to burst forth from the speakers like a caged animal. At 7 mins in, the Argentine flavour is prevalent and there is a rock beat driving it with a rock vocal, another new thing to savour on this album. At 9 mins there is a sublime violin solo and then a strange saxophone that is jazz oriented. Another great track to enjoy, no doubt about it.

Therefore we have a masterpiece. All killer, no filler and I wish other bands would take a listen to this and learn how to play music. There are so many musical styles it is impossible to name them all but they are here all on one album; jazz fusion, avante garde, zeuhl, folk, psych prog, Argentinian traditional, AOR, and symphonic, among others. The tension created by the musical fusion of jazz and rock is compelling, never dull, and the mesmirising music becomes an entity that wraps itself around you and refuses to let go. It seems that one instrument wants to go off in a new direction but there is always another instrument striving to reign it back in. This tension continues throughout the whole album and you find yourself wanting more after it all ends. Alas, Bubu are history now with one penultimate album but it is quintessential to prog. So dig deep in the prog goldmine and unearth this buried treasure.

406

What If
Dixie Dregs

A review by Mellotron Storm:

As others have noted this record has a lot of variety on it. The constants are the violin, guitar and drums that all stand out so well. The violin play did bring KANSAS to mind at times, even though the music here is quite different from KANSAS' for the most part. Ironically Steve Morse did end up joining KANSAS later on though. I really like the first three songs.

"Take it Off the Top" has such a great groove to it, a real rocker, with the drums and guitar leading the way. "Odyssey" is simply an amazing song! Opening with violin followed by a very uptempo melody of drums, keys and guitar. The violin comes back and so does more great drumming and guitar, on this the most progressive tune on this record. "What If" the title track is a beautiful slow paced song with lots of violin and a nice guitar melody. Not a big fan of "Travel Tunes" especially the toy-sounding keyboards half way through.  

"Ice Cakes" has some great sounding instrumental work on it.  "Little Kids" features Steve playing classical guitar accompanied with violin. It's okay.  "Gina Lola Breakdown" is a get down, hoe down, country song. Not a fan at all. "Night Meets Light" is a very good way to end the album. A beautiful tune with synth guitar and violin. I have to take my hat off to Rod Morgenstein who does an incredible job on this record. I'm not big on that KANSAS or country vibe that pops up at times but there's no denying that these guys are amazing musicians.

407

Of Queues and Cures 
National Health

A review by Warthur:

An oasis (one of many, I'd say) in prog's lean years between the fading of the first golden age and the dawn of the neo-prog movement, National Health's second album is the glorious culmination of all the different Canterbury scene strands that fed into that particular supergroup. With intriguing spoken word from Peter Blegvad on Squarer for Maud, an intriguing anti-TV rant in the form of Binoculars, a hilarious "a capella drum solo" and wonderful instrumentals in between, the album shows all the humour, whimsy, and musicianship usually associated with the best of the Canterbury scene. As essential as the band's debut, and as important any Canterbury collection as Hatfield and the North's two albums, or the best releases by Caravan and Soft Machine.

A review by Sean Trane:

If the first NH took a long time to materialize, their second album certainly didn't take long to appear, as it came out the same year as the debut. It is also a fairly different beast than its predecessor, even if only the departed brilliant Neil Murray is now replaced with ex-Henry Cow bassist John Greaves. Although it might appear a minor line-up change, it also opens the studio gates to a bunch of other ex-Cows to participate to the album's sessions. And this is where the difference appears: Phil Minton, Georgie Born, Keith Thompson and Peter Blegvad all join mainstay guest Brother Jimmy Hastings. A very pleasant line-up news for this proghead is the departure of Parsons and her irritating vocals. Musically the album is less jazz-rock and more pure prog, as if Steward's omelette days were indeed not fully digested. Yes, you can hear some Egg/ELP-like prog.

Opening with a wandering bass line and birdsongs, the album on the book-ending Bryden 2-Step is soon a wild jazz-rock, much reminiscent of their first album, but an added slightly symphonic touch. The closing section of this track is the same riff repeated tiredlessly until interrupted to its slow death. Collapso is a play on word (calypso) due to the steel drums, but rest assured that outside these drums, you won't find any tacky Caribbean music on this track. It is hard to call this track jazz-rock either, especially midway through, when the group members are giving it their all. Greaves' bass opens the lengthy Squarer For Maud, probably the most Cow-esque NH track, with Born's cello in the background with Hastings' clarinets and Blegvad's short spoken vocals, but the second part returns to a Caravan-type bossa improv, before going in an insane stop & go section to end it. Great stuff. Just as demented is Miller's Dreams Wide Awake, where Stewart's organ goes completely mad in the first part, then in a much quieter Caravan-styled second part, followed by Miller's usual once-per-album wild solo. Binoculars is the only sung song (by John Greaves), features another of Miller"s sizzling solo

This last NH album (besides the Gowan tribute) is another one of these links between the RIO circle and the Canterbury family, but sadly seems to indicate that Canterbury is reaching its end as RIO is only really getting under way. A marginally better album than their debut, it is mostly the disappearance of Parsons’ vocals in the NH soundscape that makes the difference for this proghead. Essential and the last masterpiece of Canterbury music.

408

10,000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte 
Jose Cid

A review by Warthur:

This classy concept album by Jose Cid is an excellent mostly-instrumental symphonic prog piece with a strong space rock influence in the guitar parts. Like Bo Hansson, another pop keyboardist who turned his hand to producing prog solo albums, Cid does not use the album purely as an ego trip - he knows when his (well-played) keyboards need to be at front and centre, and when he needs to step aside to let another instrumentalist take the lead. In particular, Zé Nabo's excellent guitar contributions - reminiscent of Dave Gilmour's work at points - enhance the album notably. Cid is also adept at using both newer synthesisers and classic prog stalwarts like the Mellotron, and shows great taste in choosing which to use when and blending the new and the old.

It might have sounded a bit retro even in 1978, but 10,000 Anos is a fine album - and whilst it might have been the only solo prog effort by Cid, it's one that I can listen to over and over again.

A review by Mellotron Storm:

This really has been a joy to listen to this past week. Beautiful, melodic and often drifting music, with those warm Portuguese vocals that remind me of some of the Italian vocals I like. There should be a warning label about the mellotron though, because those mellotron choirs are intoxicating, and they are all over this album.  

"O Ultimo Dia Terra" opens with a blast of mellotron. It takes a minute to really get going as mellotron, drums and synths start off quietly and build. Vocals are reserved almost ELOY-like, while the mellotron is so heavenly. It's all over this song. Great start.  "O Caos" is an uptempo track with a good rhythm. Vocals with floods of mellotron. A tasteful guitar solo before 2 1/2 minutes. A calm a minute later as spacey synths and vocals lead the way. The full sound returns with a more aggressive guitar solo.  

"Fuga Para O Espaco" opens with piano, light drums and synths. Waves of synths continue as a beautiful lazy guitar solo follows. Nice. Vocals 2 minutes in are very expressive and Italian-like. Another guitar solo 4 1/2 minutes in as vocals follow. Piano continues. The best guitar solo is saved for last as it soars above the drums and piano. Vocal melodies go on and on with the guitar.  "Mellotron O'Planeta Fantastico" opens with a great instrumental section with tempo changes. It calms down with vocals after 2 minutes. Mellotron before 3 minutes as bass and guitar follow. The contrast continues.  

"10,000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte" features beautiful spacey sounds with vocals arriving 3 minutes in.  "Parter Do Zero" features swirling keys as mellotron and drums create a great sound. Synths, bass then vocals come in. Instrumentally this is just gorgeous.  "Memos" opens with drums and piano before the guitar comes in and goes on and on with vocal melodies joining in like on the end of "Fuga Para O Espaco".  

"Vida(Sons Do Quotidiano)" is a bonus track that fits perfectly. Piano with someone speaking and mellotron to open. Gale force mellotron continues as passionate vocals come in as the tempo picks up. The same themes are repeated. The conclusion is so relaxing as it drifts endlessly with mellotron and synths.  Well, if you’re looking for complex and challenging music look elsewhere. If you’re into tasteful, melodic and classy music with lots of mellotron, you need to take this recording for a ride. Easily 4 stars.

409

Modra Rijeka
Indexi

A review by Warthur:

Indexi were apparently a big deal in the former Yugoslavia, but I don't personally find much that's truly distinctive about Modra Rijeka, their venture into prog concept albums. With a sound ranging from keyboard-dominated prog-psyche to straight-ahead hard rock, the album seems rather directionless and unfocused musically speaking, though I realise that if you understand the lyrics it's a fairly cohesive concept album. Still, the album has a nice meaty organ sound to it, which is a plus, and will doubtless be of interest to anyone interested in Croatian/Yugoslavian rock music. However, it should be remembered that Indexi adopted many different styles over the years, often at the prompting of fashion, and to my ears it seems that their adoption of a progressive approach for this album was a mere affectation rather than something they felt passionately about.

A review by Mellotron Storm:

There's no doubt from reading other reviews that I'm missing something by not understanding the lyrics. Apparently it's a concept album and there are two tracks that consist of spoken words only. INDEXI were a very popular pop band in Yugoslavia, so popular that the record company didn't mind that they veered off into prog territory on this release in 1978. To my ears this is Symphonic-Prog with lots of keybords, acoustic guitar and deep bass lines. For some reason I think "Italian" when I hear the vocals.  

"Modra Rijeka" is the intro consisting of spoken words only.  "Blago" is uptempo with chunky bass and drums leading the way. Synths come in as it settles some. Almost spoken vocals 2 minutes in. Organ follows then it kicks back in.  "Brod" is the first song I like although the aggressive vocals take a while to get used to. It opens with water sounds as acoustic guitar and vocals come in. Vocal melodies follow. Drums 1 1/2 minutes in followed by organ then those harsh vocals. It settles before 3 minutes as themes are repeated.  

"More" is the over 11 minute epic. Synths to open as the song builds. It kicks in before 1 1/2 minutes with vocals. Guitar and bass take over before 3 minutes then it settles with intricate acoustic guitar melodies. Solo piano melodies follow. It kicks back in with some bombast after 6 minutes. Organ 7 1/2 minutes. Acoustic guitar, bass and vocals are back 9 1/2 minutes in.  

"Zapis O Zemlji" is another brief spoken word track.  "Slovo O Covjeku" is a song I just can't get into at all. Ballad-like with fragile vocals and piano to open. The vocals do get passionate and the guitar comes and goes. The tempo picks up 2 1/2 minutes in then back to earlier sound 4 minutes in.  "Pustinja" is pretty good. I like the mellower parts of it more than the fuller sounding sections. I don't like the guitar later though.  

"More II" is my favourite song on here. It's almost like an instrumental reprise of "More" but a lot shorter. I'm reminded of a few different bands during this track.  "Modra Rijeka II" is pastoral to open. Reserved vocals a minute in. Strings follow. A full sound 3 minutes in. Chunky bass before 6 minutes.  These guys sure know how to create a melody, I'll give them that. And that's the strength of this album and what I like about it. I wish I could give this 4 stars but there's too many things (almost in every song) that I just don't enjoy.

410

U.K. 
UK

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

UK's masterful album is a powerhouse of superb musicianship, not to be missed

"UK" is the debut album of super group UK who only released 2 studio albums but both are solid examples of the last great golden era of prog that ended in 1979. King Crimson stalwarts, drummer, Bruford and Bassist, vocalist, Wetton took up the frontline. They were joined by keyboardist extraordinaire, Roxy Music's Jobson, and the talented versatile genius of Gong guitarist Holdsworth.

It begins with the big single for the group, ‘In the Dead of Night’; "Are you one of mine who can sleep with one eye open wide? Agonizing psychotic solitary hours to decide, Reaching for the light at the slightest noise from the floor, Palms of hands perspire heart goes leaping at a knock from the door, In The Dead of Night." There is a great time sig on this track and an inspired keyboard motif. The lead solo is terrific too. A memorable track and quintessential UK.

‘By the Light of Day’ has the same feel as the previous track except that Jobson shines on sparkling keyboards. Spacey sounds are generated and this is quite a tranquil song overall. Jobson is a keyboard wizard on the bombastic delightful ‘Presto Vivace’ and it reprises both opening tracks wonderfully, creating a type of suite of songs. There is no denying the innovation behind this approach.

‘Thirty Years’ moves in a different direction with lighter textures in the sound, Wetton sings with reflective lyrics. It floats along on a current of gentler waters, and builds slowly to a faster pace with Bruford's unusual percussion rhythms and soaring keyboard solos.

‘Alaska’ has icy cold atmospherics, almost like the cry of a blue whale, as the keyboard dominates. The low drones are ethereal and create a foreboding environment in the soundscape. It develops into a staccato powerful organ stab riff, reminiscent of Emerson or Wakeman.

‘Time to Kill’ is a rather strange track dominated by Wetton's vocals and a peculiar complex instrumental. The violin solo is virtuoso musicianship, very powerful and unlike anything I have heard on violin.

‘Nevermore’ features folky acoustic flourishes and a very peaceful keyboard passage. Wetton sings well and the harmonies are great. The instrumental is master class from all concerned. The swirls of Jobson's keyboards are mesmirising.

Final track is ‘Mental Medication’ featuring a pulsating bassline and massive keyboard solos. Holdsworth's guitar is a force to be reckoned with. Once the band go into full tilt they are unbeatable.

So the album is therefore a masterpiece of prog at its best in 1978. There is not a bad track on the album, and the band try a variety of styles and pull it off with accomplished musical expertise. Believe everything you have read: UK's debut is quintessential prog that deserves full recognition from a super group who's members defined the genre.

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

What can I say about this album that has not already been said at least ten times? Not much, really, so I will be brief. Despite long careers in other bands, this album is possibly the finest hour of John Wetton, Eddie Jobson, Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth, respectively. UK's self titled debut album is, in my opinion, much better than anything John and Bill did with King Crimson, and also better than anything by Asia, Roxy Music, Tempest etc. or these people's solo efforts. This is the ultimate starting point for someone who wants to discover these four unique individuals' musical careers.

This music is completely loaded with these people's musical identities; the very distinctive voice and bass guitar of Wetton, the equally distinctive and totally unique guitar sound of Holdsworth, the amazing keyboard and violin skills of Jobson, and the intense and complex drumming of Bruford. All is here, often competing for attention, but never allowed to overpower the very good compositions.

The lyrics are also good. None of that dumb "I never meant to be so bad to you." or "Don't cry now that I found you." or "Voice of America Oh, Oh, Oh America" here. The only criticism I want to offer is that, while there are several softer and quieter moments here, there are no real ballads or softer songs like ‘Rendezvous 6:02’ from the next UK album, for example. This would have brought a bit more needed diversity to this album.

Excellent addition to any Prog collection!

441

Visitation 
Pekka Pohjola

A review by Mellotron Storm:

This is Pekka's fourth album and many feel this is his best effort. I still prefer the first two albums to this one but having said that, this is an excellent album. Lots of horns (sax, trombone, trumpet and tuba) and some strings too. I like the guitar work as well from Seppo Tyni. Hey it's all good. Pekka as usual is on bass and keyboards.  

"Strange Awakening" opens with piano before the drums and some powerful outbursts come and go. Horns after a minute and they sound really good after 2 minutes. The contrast of the sound calming down then kicking in continues. Nice bass and drum work 4 minutes in. Great tune!

"Vapour Trails" features pounding drums as the guitar plays over top. Piano and bass fill out the sound. Horns 3 minutes in in this uptempo track.  "Images Of A Passing Smile" opens with horns and aboe as bass and cymbals play along. Strings come in then we get a fuller sound before 1 1/2 minutes as the guitar and piano stand out. It settles then kicks in again.  

"Dancing In The Dark" is my least favourite. It's a catchy drum/percussion/piano/horn soundscape. Guitar before 1 1/2 minutes then horns lead before the guitar returns. Nice bass late.  "The Sighting" sounds good when it kicks in with horns but it's brief. Aboe arrives before it kicks in once again.  "Try To Remember" has a mellow intro then it turns melancholic. It sounds better after 3 minutes as it brightens some. The horns before 4 1/2 minutes sound great.  I can't give this anything less then 4 stars, but it's a low four stars.

442

Spectral Mornings
Steve Hackett

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

A band new morning

Spectral Mornings was a major step forward for Steve Hackett after two quite disappointing albums. His debut album, Voyage Of An Acolyte, is far from being the masterpiece it is often said to be and the title of his second album, "Please Don't Touch", should be taken as a warning not to touch it (despite a few good moments)! Spectral Mornings fares much better by comparison. In my opinion it was with this third album that Steve Hackett really started to find his own identity as a solo artist. As a guitarist he had, of course, found his own distinctive style several years earlier with Genesis, but it was first with Spectral Mornings that he began to find his identity as a writer, singer and band leader. In that sense Spectral Mornings was the first true Hackett album. However, despite some really excellent moments, this album too fails to be as strong as people say it is and, in my opinion, Steve would make better albums later on. Including his next one, Defector.

The opener here, Every Day, and the closing title track are clearly the best two songs here and they stand out above all the rest. Too bad not everything in between them is as good. Virgin And The Gypsy is good, but nothing that blows me away. It was with this album that Hackett began blending influences from World Music into his brand of Rock. The Red Flower Of Tachai Blooms Everywhere is a Japanese influenced piece played on a Koto, a traditional Japanese instrument. Very nice, but not particularly memorable.

Clocks (The Angel Of Mons) is a very experimental guitar piece with a very strong presence of percussion instruments. Hackett had not been so experimental before, at least not with the confidence he seems to have here. A very good track that became a live favourite.

Lost Time In Cordoba is a very typical Hackett classical guitar piece with some wind instrument also present. Not one of his better, but it seems that every one of his albums needs to have one or two of these (which I love!).

Hackett's previous (and several of his later) albums are inconsistent and disjointed. Having several different vocalists on different tracks, and not being able to fuse the many different styles of music together, into a coherent whole are some of the usual problems. As I have said, Spectral Mornings comes closer to a unified whole than his first two albums, but it is far from perfect. I don't understand why Steve always has to put songs like The Ballad Of The Decomposing Man on his albums, what is the point? Is it supposed to be humour? Also the vocal part of Tigermoth seems out of place and brings this album down a bit.

Steve Hackett would go on to make many further albums in the 80's, 90's and 00's, several of which are even better than this one. On his next album, Defector, Steve would perfect the style he explored with this album and thereby make an album that is a bit more consistent and works better as a whole despite the absence of such major classics as Every Day and Spectral Mornings.

443

Blå Vardag 
Atlas

A review by Mellotron Storm:

ATLAS were an all instrumental band from Sweden who put out "Bla Vardag" (Blue Tuesday) in the late seventies. They featured two keyboard players while the music itself is fairly light, bright symphonic-prog, and at times quite jazzy. Some mellotron too on this record.  "Elisabiten" is one of those jazzy sounding songs, with guitar, light drums and piano, creating a nice breezy sound. The sound does build to become quite intense. This contrast continues.

"Pa Gata" is the epic on this album.  Organ, cymbals and clavinet open the song and are joined by drums. It all sounds so good. It calms down before 5 minutes. Drums and organ follow. What a wonderful tune. "Bla Vardag" is a very tasteful song that doesn't move very fast. I love the main melody that pervades this song. "Ganglat" is much like the first song, a jazzy, uptempo tune. The guitar comes in adding a different flavour to this cuisine.  

"Den Vita Tranans Vag" has some synths,organ and mellotron, and there are tempo changes. "Bjornsturp" is another favourite of mine. Mellotron and flute sound great as drums pound away. Organ and guitar are added to this melody. The drums and percussion are incredible after 3 minutes. They then soften as mellotron comes back. It goes back to main melody before this wonderful song ends.

"Hemifran" features some great sounding synths, creating a nice melody. The drums and percussion are again fantastic after 3 minutes. "Sebastian" opens with piano. Bass and drums come in to create a steady rhythm. Nice. There is mellotron, and a tasteful guitar solo as well. Good song! A great album that will please Symphonic fans out there.

A review by Warthur:

Atlas were a one-album wonder from Sweden whose sole release is a charming blend of accessible symphonic prog in the tradition of Genesis, Kaipa and Bo Hansson with occasional fusion leanings reminiscent of the Canterbury-influenced albums of Camel during Richard Sinclair's tenure in that band (so the better parts of Breathless and Rain Dances) or of some tracks by Hatfield and the North or National Health. The band do go full-fusion at some points, however - in particular, Bjornstorp includes a great drum solo worthy of the greats of the genre, and I'm talking as someone who usually has little patience for drum solos. A wonderful combination of influences into a cohesive sound which, sadly, didn't survive past this one album.

444

Åtabal-Yémal
Témpano

A review by Mellotron Storm:

TEMPANO are one of the first Prog bands to come out of Venezuela, forming in 1977 this their debut was released in 1979. It's mostly instrumental (over half) with lots of keyboards. Tasteful, classy and intricate are words that come to mind. Fairly pastoral overall and quite different from their later albums like "Childhood's End" and "The Agony & The Ecstacy" which besides being more modern sounding focus more on the vocals. I much prefer this debut to those later ones I mentioned.  

"Cascade" opens with lots of synths then the tempo shifts a few times before the drums lead 2 minutes in. Great section here then it picks back up 5 1/2 minutes in.  "Hecho De Horas" opens with keys as reserved vocals join in along with other sounds. Synths after 3 minutes when the vocals stop. I love the guitar that follows. Vocals are back after 4 minutes.  "Las Olas (Virginia Woolf)" opens with fairly spacey synths and a beat. Guitar 1 1/2 minutes in. The synths are back leading a minute later. Bass comes to the fore 3 minutes in. The guitar then leads after 4 minutes. Nice. That intro soundscape is back at 6 minutes to end it.  

"Atabal Yemal" is not the easiest track to digest. Probably because it's not the most melodic I guess. It takes a while to get going really. The guitar is crying out before 2 1/2 minutes as it continues to lead and wail until 4 1/2 minutes in. Bass and spacey synths before 7 minutes. A calm a minute later. Synths lead 9 1/2 minutes in as they pulse quickly. It kicks back in late to end it.  "Anhelos" is a short song with acoustic guitar and reserved vocals leading with background synths.  

"Presencias Y Ausencias" opens with synths and gentle guitar as reserved vocals join in. A calm with keys after 3 minutes then the guitar and a beat join in. Another calm follows. Vocals are back before 6 1/2 minutes then we get another calm a minute after that with faint vocal melodies, synths and guitar. There are three bonus tracks and this is one of the few releases where the bonus tracks do the rest of the recording justice. Great job guys!

445

One of a Kind
Bill Bruford

A review by Sean Trane:

Bruford's adventures post UK have for some reasons never enthralled me (even UK is not that exciting to this writer as it sounded way too adult and "professional") , but the least we can say is that his early solo albums never resonated with me. While a real fan of JR/F, I must say that by the late 70's, the genre's cold aloofness, precise (way too much) and prissily playing, ultra-technical but soulless "songwriting" never enthused me. Just to make it clear, while I still find Ponty's classic 70's albums or Brand X's early albums rather enjoyable and still get the occasional nowadays, but Weather Report's post 77 albums.

Anyway, with Bruford's all-star line-up of Holdsworth, Stuart and Berlin, this sounded like the winning combination to make a killer of a record, but to this writer, this is mostly a sleeper of an album as I just can't get into, no matter how loud I played it, and the artwork wasn't helping either. While written before AC DC's track, the opening Hell's Bells pales in comparison. Bear with me for a second here: while there is no match on the musical expertise and virtuoso qualities of the present track, it lacks soul, personality and is anything but captivating. All the same, the two-part title track has little effect on me, also.

One of the most evident flaws being Stewart's choice of keyboards sounds: they are the ones generally en vogue at the time, but compared to previous generations of synths, these here really start sounding "cheap". This coupled with the quartet's aspiration to perfection in terms of virtuosity, renders the whole thing tedious and interesting only to themselves and whoever might be musician enough to want to imitate this virtuosi perfection. On the positive side is the incredible musicianship (yes, the very one I criticize so much) of the four artistes, their ability to play incredibly tight as unit, etc. But I much prefer early Pat Metheny's albums in the genre.

While all four musicians have my utmost respect, and I am a fan of many of their previous works (not so familiar with Jeff Berlin's previous career though), I can't help but thinking that some of the clichés and epithets hurled at this kind of albums have solid grounds and will always stick with such albums. Not any better than Feels Good To Me, this album is not exciting or only passably interesting, but certainly no more. I fully understand some of the other JR/F enthusiasts calling this type of album essential, but it simply won't be my case.

446

Western Culture 
Henry Cow

A review by Warthur:

Henry Cow transmogrified into Art Bears during 1978 - producing the first Art Bears album, predominantly containing Fred Frith and Chris Cutler songs, and this final Henry Cow piece, dedicated to instrumental pieces by Lindsay Cooper and Tim Hodgkinson. These represent, in my view, the absolute best instrumental material the band produced in their post-Canterbury avant-garde period.

It's possible to properly call this material RIO - the RIO festivals having kicked off by this point - but whatever tag you put on it, this is startling industrial chamber rock combining occasional moments of tranquility with clattering, noisy rockouts that sound like rusting factory machinery coming to life for a jam session. And yet, unlike much of the instrumental material on In Praise of Learning, there's an immediateness and openness to these instrumentals which had eluded Henry Cow since their debut album. Cooper and Hodgkinson find a space here where they can indulge their every experimental whim without feeling the need to drive the listener away, making this album just plain more listenable than the two previous albums. A fine ending for a truly innovative band.

A review by Mellotron Storm:

This record is really divided into two parts, side one was composed by Tim Hodgkinson and titled "History & Prospects", while side two was composed by Lindsay Cooper and titled "Day By Day". It's kind of cool looking back that Lindsay was a guest bassoon and aboe player on HATFIELD AND THE NORTH's "The Rotters Club" album.  This album, especially the first side with titles like "Industry","The Decay Of Cities" and "On The Raft" paint a bleak picture for the future of "Western Culture". This band were politically pro socialists, even having a hammer and sicle on the album cover. This was the bands final album, and it's cool that they had Yochko Seffer (MAGMA, ZAO) playing sax on some of their live dates in their final year (1978) of existence. The band I was reminded of the most when listening to this record was UNIVERS ZERO. Chamber music played in colour instead of black and white.  

"Industry" is my favourite track on here. It has more of a rock influence I guess you could say. The drums pound as the organ comes and goes. Assorted sounds fill the soundscape, but there is a dark undercurrent to this. 1 1/2 minutes in this is clearly felt as we get an early UNIVERS ZERO flavour with Lindsay's bassoon playing. An outbreak after 6 minutes including some outstanding drumming from Chris Cutler.  "The Decay Of Cities" opens with acoustic guitar from Fred Frith before piano,bassoon,trombone and drums create some wonderful chamber music. The sound kind of explodes 4 minutes in again and again. Violin 5 minutes in with dissonant sounds to end it. Great track.  

"On The Raft" is a brighter,slower paced tune with drums, piano, sax (from Frith) and trumpet (from Cutler) leading the way. This sounds so good.  "Falling Away" speeds up a minute in with some excellent drumming and horns. Guitar 2 1/2 minutes in and a minute after that is really good. The song calms down 4 minutes in before speeding back up 7 minutes in to end it.  "Gretel's Tale" has a melancholic intro. It's the bass and piano show a minute and a half in. Some pleasant horn melodies with dissonant piano over top from guest Irene Schweizer.  

"Look Back" has a sombre mood as strange sounding horns are played. This short song does come alive before it ends.  "1/2 The Sky" has a heavy intro before a pleasant soundscape comes in with dissonant sax playing over top. The song changes before 4 minutes to an uptempo sax and drum led passage. Some great angular guitar to end it.  This is brilliant chamber music that is played about as good as it can be played.

447

The Wall
Pink Floyd

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

The story of "The Wall" obsession.

Once upon a time there was a song on the radio and a teenager heard it and it changed his life. My quest for "The Wall" began at an impressionable age. I was 17. Every lyric I have become obsessed with, knowing it off by heart. I thought I was weird walking along humming the tunes and having the lyrics swirl in my teenage brain, but of course everyone in 1982 was talking about it due to the movie release. It seemed to go by unnoticed in 1979 in Australia. Before I get to the music, let me indulge.

I remember sitting in the sound lounge at college and a guy walked in and said you have to hear this. He put on ‘In The Flesh’ and we sat there at lunch listening intently and seriously. He said these words I will never forget. ""The Wall" is the best album ever! The film is the best film ever! Pink Floyd are the best band ever!" Not exactly ground breaking words but somehow I could not get them out of my head. Now, you have to understand, I had never heard the album or even Pink Floyd but I was willing to give it a go after hearing a few songs I liked. ‘Another Brick in the Wall part 2’ was on the radio all the time. The music was excellent to my young ears, the consistent rhythm of Dm clanging on the clean guitar, almost reggae, that was the framework for some enigmatic lyrics "We don't need no education, we don't need no full control" I kind of agreed with that. It was rebellious and comforting at the same time. I liked the ominous vocals, the children choir rebelliously shouting the mantra. It all made perfect sense and there was nothing on the radio like this. The lead guitar solo was incredible, I had never heard a lot of great lead guitar being into the glam rock scene and a hopeless Kiss addict, but this was David Gilmour's guitar; soaring, harmonious and virtuoso guitar work that is unforgettable. It intrigued me and I knew I would eventually own it. These days as a teacher I cringe when I hear "No dark sarcasm in the classroom, teachers leave us kids alone", as that's what I do now!

I bought the single on vinyl in 1982, a re release to cash in on the movie, it was great to hear it pumping out the speakers but I knew I needed more. The B Side was ‘One of my Turns’ and it was "cold as a razor blade, tight as a tourniquet, dry as a funeral drum...." the freakout section in the instrumental passage was creepy, so emotional and heavy, I was stunned. "Would you like to watch TV or get between the sheets or contemplate the silent freeway..." It was not a popular song to play in front of my parents that's for sure. I wanted to hear the rest. I had to save up big because it was a double album. But hey, I managed it delivering newspapers door to door.

Finally the day came. I walked into the music store and those white bricks screamed off the shelf. There was an entire section with a screaming face and grim teacher and tons of polystyrene bricks. It was a monument to the album. I pulled out the $20 note and grabbed the album. It felt good in my hands. Heavy like gold. "This is so popular," the young girl said behind the counter. I smiled. "I have been wanting this for ages." "Enjoy it", she said. So I bought this off the shelf brand new on vinyl after hearing so much about it in magazines and friends at college.

I raced home, locked my bedroom door and put it on the record player stereo system. The first crashing chord blasted, and then after a divine lengthy intro of choral voice harmonies, Waters estranged voice chimes out, "So you thought you might like to go to the show........" It was love at first listen. I was stunned at how the songs merged together, I had never encountered this on albums, the way it ran together seamlessly like one huge track, this was the first true prog album in my collection. The beginning of my obsession.

Waters is the backbone of the album and Gilmour's soft vocals and intricate guitar breaks are the skeletal structure for me. I always liked his contribution, the best including the soft sweet, ‘The Thin Ice’, "Mother loves her babe and daddy loves her too...." It just sends a shiver down my spine every time. It is difficult to understand listening to it now as a cohesive work that the band were in turmoil. Rick Wright was eventually ejected from the band by the time the recording sessions ceased. The producer Bob Ezrin actually completed the album in Los Angeles using studio session musicians, can you believe that? Waters wrote, breathed, ate, slept this album; it was his baby and he nurtured it. The script, the concept, the entire screenplay of the burnt out musician was his idea right down to the references to poor old Syd. It is a magnum opus of epic proportions. I know many fans of this album that do not even like Pink Floyd, such is the impact of "The Wall".

The spirit of the album is encapsulated in a series of bonafide highlights that always jump out and bite me on every listen. It was always Gilmour who provided the most glorious tracks including the best track on it; the incredible ‘Comfortably Numb’. The low key verses are portentous and foreboding and then that uplifting chorus with vocal techniques that would be emulated by many prog artists especially Mostly Autumn's Josh, "There is no pain you are receding, a distant ship smoke on the horizon... when I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye, I turned to look and it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now... " masterful, perfect, unforgettable. The lead guitar solo at the end of this is legendary and I have heard many live versions which are even better with an extended screaming solo section, while a massive chandelier UFO light contraption opens above the audience sending out cascading rays of light upon them. A magic moment.

‘Run Like Hell’ is an infamous concert closer for the band. This single begins with those scratching guitar scrapes and then the echoing trademark rhythm that we hear all through the album begins to chug along. The guitar 4 chord shapes to follow have been emulated by guitarists worldwide, and why not? They are fabulous atmospheric riffs. The lyrics were always edgy and dangerous, "Cos if they find you in the backseat trying to pick her locks, they're gonna send you back to mother in a cardboard box, you'd better run!"

‘Mother’ "do you think they'll drop the bomb... hush now baby baby don't you cry, mother's going to put all of her fears into you". At the time I had no idea what Waters was on about back in 1982 but since then the song has grown on me, I have even sung it as a lullaby to my kids (an abridged version), and it is a perfect song to learn guitar to with easy G C D F chords and a strong rhythm. Gilmour's guitar break is beautiful and sombre perfectly aligned with the melancholy tone... "Mother did it need to be so high" always troubled me.

‘Goodbye Blue Sky’ has a beautiful acoustic feel and ominous chords as the planes fly overhead, see the animation of Gerald Scarfe to gain full appreciation of this. I love the extended breathtaking line that is said without any intakes of breath; "Did did did did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue sky". I always sung that with a huge breath at the beginning. I loved the feel of this song and still count it as the best song on side 2.

‘Empty Spaces’ is fabulous but there is a longer better version on the film with a crunching rhythm and lead solo.

‘Don't Leave Me Now’ always resonated with me, I could sense the sheer hopelessness and it still has the same ethereal effect on my senses. A very powerful song that captures the sense of a breakup, losing a girl, "I need you babe to put through the shredder in front of my friends..."

Side 3 began with the incomparable acoustic flourishes and Gilmour's soothing warm vocals 'Hey you "out there in the cold getting lonely getting cold can you feel me... out there beyond the wall". A delicate song excised from the film but always has a dear place in my heart.

‘Is There Anybody Out There!’ maybe overlooked by many but that atmosphere is chilling and the acoustic instrumental is melancholy and lovely, almost uplifting. It is the scariest part in the film too, where Geldof shaves, becomes insanely obsessive creating a war scene with rubbish and broken record pieces, and later is found in the asylum by the war torn child. The picture of a total breakdown and burn out.

‘Nobody Home’ is notable for the cool lyrics, that I like especially "I've got wild staring eyes, and I've got a strong urge to fly, but I've got nowhere to fly to... when I pick up the phone, there'll be nobody home". This is emotional lyrical work at its best. The aftermath of a broken marriage.

‘Waiting for the Worms’ is another would be throwaway but essential to the whole concept of the dictator rock star with delusions of godhood. "Waiting... to cut off the dead wood, ....to clean out the city, ....to fire the ovens... for the blacks and the jews"; the nazi references are quite astonishing and used to pummel my impressionable ears. It finishes with a huge loud instrumental that builds to a crescendo before "Stop!"

‘The Trial’ was the most played song when I was a teen, I loved the weirdness of it, the various sections, the characters, especially the ex wife.... "you should've talked to me more often that you did, but no, you had to go your own way, have you broken any homes up lately, just 5 minutes, worm your honour, him and me alone..." It was a rock opera and I was not prepared at the time for such an incredible finale. On stage of course this section is a highlight. I saw it live with a Tribute band and they nailed this song, receiving a standing ovation.

The last song ‘Outside the Wall’ is the weakest and I have no idea what its saying but I always loved the way it finished abruptly. It is strange too that if you want to put the whole album onto a CD you have to leave this last song off or it will not fit.

Pink Floyd's "The Wall" was the first album I truly immersed myself in as a teenager, the concept, the music, the lyrics, the sleeve art; everything captured my young imagination and it has never left my consciousness. I will never forget the incredible impact of hearing actual dialogue on an album, an actual storyline, I had never even dreamed bands would do this. The album was a monster in its day reaching top position on the US charts and it made it to No. 3 in the UK. The filmclip of the Brick single was on so much I got sick of seeing it. In a sense I have become too used to the music on the album and the impact has lessened but there is no denying that this is an epic achievement.

The live performances of the show have become legendary from both the Gilmour Pink Floyd and Water's version. He always went to greater lengths as it was his child, but the Berlin Wall came down and Pink Floyd celebrated with a full rendition of this album that is still one of the century's best ever concerts, featuring a plethora of guest artists. The movie directed by Alan Parker starring Bob Geldof as Pink, arrived in 1982, further enhancing the experience of the album. I persuaded my friend to drive me to the drive in and we sat there absolutely in awe watching the story unfold; a story that I had memorised in my head. It was a moment of clarity for me. I bought the movie lyrics book that has huge colour photos throughout. The images are powerful in any format. The album transcends mere music; like it or loathe it, "The Wall" is a monumental event. If this review hasn't convinced you, nothing will.

448

Heresie
Univers Zero

A review by Sean Trane:

If the debut album was a slap in the face, this second album can be assimilated to a kick in the butt coupled with an uppercut in the stomach. UZ's music was never designed for easy thrills and charming melodies to get cosy with a partner, but with this album, the music sinks to the lower instincts of the human mind, uncovering some rather macabre moods. By now, the group is down to a sextet, with Nicaise gone, Trigaux will take on the KB duties, while still working his guitars. Another change is the arrival of Guy Segers on bass, and some thirty years later, he is still around the scene, albeit not always as a musician.

As with the debut, the artwork is just as dark and sinister (do not be fooled by the heavy gothic feel, though), fitting the music marvellously well, but certainly not making it more accessible. The side-long "epic", the 25-min Denis-penned La Faulx is a slow starter and newcomer Segers sings out chants that could easily be written by Vander. Quite a grandiose but doomed and gloomed moment, the track slowly picks up and peaks around the 11 to 13 minute mark, and resumes a calmer (and repetitive) pace not far from Stravinsky's most sombre works.

The second side starts off with a collaboration between Denis and Trigaux, the 15 min+ Jack The Ripper (see my involuntary reference to it in the debut album's review), with the harmonium dictating the slow and lugubrious ambiance, with Denis's percussions providing most of the interest in the early part, before the violin first and the bassoon next bring the track to the next level of intensity. The albums wraps up on the Trigaux-penned En Temps Voulu track which brings many shivers of angst, which pretty well repeats what has been said before.

Hérésie is one of those albums that must be played only when the listener's moods are suitably ready for it. Compared to the rather short 1313, this 50-minute monster is quite a step upwards and forward in their musical search, but can be a bit long at times. Again, not recommended for the faint-hearted.

449

Svět Hledačů
Blue Effect (Modrý Efekt; M. Efekt)

A review by Sean Trane:

ME's last album Svet Hledacu of the decade is in some ways one of their most "prog", it was to signal the end of the Czech's most brilliant group, even if the following 33 album still has some moments. By this time bassist Freso has left ME, replaced by the returning Semelka, adding a second keyboard player, leaving the bass guitar spot empty. Oddly enough, while the 73 album and most of Svetanie were largely instrumental, Svet Hledacu has extended vocal tracks, with both keyboardist sharing vocal duties, and even odder, they both sound quite alike: it's quite hard to tell which voice belongs to which singer.

From the lengthy opener Za Krokem Zen, one can say that ME had heard of Grobschnitt's Solar Music live concept. Indeed an interesting track, a bit in the musical line of their previous Svetanie album, but nothing spell-binding past the Grobschnitt allusions. Hledám Své Vlastní is a keyboard-led track that hovers between Eloy and Yes. Closing the first side is Rajky probably the most complex of the album and has a definite Yes twist to it, but again vocally this is a cross of Ian Gillan meeting with Jon Anderson.

The flipside starts on the Zmoudření Babím Létem, a great and furious track that even Crimson clone like Anekdoten couldn't possibly match in terms of energy and is possibly my fave on the album with the opening Krokem track. Again the strong Eloy tendency resurfaces on this track. The 12-min scorcher Zázrak Jedné Noci is another excellent mini-epic, especially in its use of heavy/minor scale passages and its alternance between spacey/jazzy stretches and more symphonic lines ala Yes (especially in Hladic's Steve Howe-inspired lap steel guitar solos).

As with Freso leaving ME to refound CM and later Fermata prior to this album, Vesely would leave the group to reform Synkopy, the album comes with a bunch of later non-albums single releases, obviously shorter (due to the format), all sung as well and recorded after Veseny's departure. The six bonus tracks included are not much added value to the original album, sounding like typical AOR of the late 70's with an Italian vocal delivery, with the lengthier Fotka being the best of the lot, but not coming to the waist-height of the lesser original album tracks. Nevertheless, beside these slight drawbacks, Svet Hledacu is very much in the ME trio of "must- discover" lists, even being at moments better than Svetanie, but unfortunately ruined by the unwise choice of bonuses.

450

Adonis
Anyone's Daughter

A review by Mellotron Storm:

There is a definite Neo-Prog flavour to this album,even if this did come out in 1979. The guitar, vocals and emotion bring that genre to mind. I have to say that this album has been an absolute pleasure to listen to, I really wasn't expecting anything this good. Lots of keyboards as well including synths. piano and mini-moog. The bass and drums really impress as well. Just an outstanding release all around.  

"Adonis" is the side long suite clocking in at over 24 minutes. Yeah this is a ride. Vocals and gentle guitar followed by a fuller sound after a minute. Just gorgeous. The guitar recalls Hackett and we get some organ 3 1/2 minutes in. A darker soundscape after 4 minutes. Thunder followed by rain after 7 minutes. Silence then these ominous synths come in followed by aggressive guitar and drums. Nice. The tempo picks up with mini-moog. Vocals are back before 10 1/2 minutes. Silence after 11 minutes then keys and vocals come in. Beautiful. Some orchestral keys that recall COLLAGE after 12 1/2 minutes. I'm thinking Neo-Prog again after 14 1/2 minutes. Cool section. Some crazy synths before 16 1/2 minutes. Silence 19 minutes in then the piano comes in with vocals a minute later. Check out the guitar solo that starts before 23 minutes to end the suite.  

"Blue House" is the only instrumental on this album. Synths to open as organ floats in the background. It settles before 2 minutes as the synths stop and the guitar starts to lead. It slowly builds.  "Sally" opens with keys as vocals, drums and guitar all join in. Sax 1 1/2 minutes in then it settles down but not for long though. More sax 3 minutes in to the end.  "Anyone's Daughter" opens with synths before guitar and cymbals join in. It kicks in around 1 1/2 minutes then settles some a minute later. Some great sounding bass and organ here. Vocals after 4 minutes. Nice. A change before 5 1/2 minutes as the tempo slows down and the vocals stop. It kicks back in before 6 minutes. The guitar sounds so good. Vocals are back before 8 minutes then the guitar rips it up.  I must admit the two shorter tracks are good but they don't do a lot for me, but man the 24 minute opener and 9 minute closer are incredible. Without a doubt 4 stars.

451

Silent Cries And Mighty Echoes
Eloy

A review by Warthur:

The Pink Floyd influence on Astral Entrance doesn't really bother me because there was always a strong Floyd influence in Eloy's work; by my reckoning, Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes is a more than worthy followup to Ocean. Frank Bornemann's vocals are my main problem with the album - accent aside, he just isn't a very good singer, so the extensive amounts of narration on some songs prevent this one from hitting five stars by my reckoning. Still, at least he makes up for it with some tasty guitar solos worthy of David Gilmour himself. Recommended to all fans of Eloy's brand of space rock.

A review by Mellotron Storm:

ELOY deliver their spaciest album yet in "Silent Cries And Mighty Echoes". For some it sounds too similar to PINK FLOYD and they dismiss it, for others it ranks as one of the best records that ELOY ever made.  "Astral Entrance" opens with synths before those Gilmour-like guitar sounds come in before a minute. This sounds so much like the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond-Part 1".  

"Master Of Sensation" has a good beat with synths as guitar comes in then vocals. Some nice organ runs follow. Synths are prominent before 2 minutes. Excellent guitar solo 3 1/2 minutes in.  "The Apocalypse" is the epic at almost 15 minutes. It opens with almost spoken vocals with floating synths in the background. Organ and drums come in after 1 1/2 minutes followed by guitar and synths. Great sound! Love the guitar 3 1/2 minutes in. Vocals a minute later. It's very spacey as it settles before 6 minutes. Female vocal melodies join in before the guitar returns. The synths 12 minutes in really remind me of FLOYD. Nice bass 13 1/2 minutes in. The guitar makes some noise to end it.  

"Pilot To Paradise" has a good rhythm to it with lots of synths and organ. Vocals after a minute. Guitar solo before 6 minutes.  "De Labore Solis" has this great spacey soundscape with more excellent bass. Vocals after a minute. Some cool lyrics on this one.  "Mighty Echoes" is mellow to start before it kicks into a fuller sound a minute in. Then it settles into a mid paced tempo. Great guitar after 5 minutes. More meaningful lyrics as well.  There's no question this is one of their best releases. I still prefer the earlier albums "Inside" and "Floating" but this is a must for fans of spacey and atmospheric music.

460

Sheik Yerbouti
Frank Zappa

A review by Mellotron Storm:

This is one of my favourite Zappa albums, mostly because it's filled with comedy and lots of guitar solos. This one just makes me laugh everytime, I know it's one of his more commercial recordings but I can't help myself, haha. Great to hear Adrian Belew as well on vocals and guitar.  As usual Frank is taking shots at people, starting with Peter Frampton's I'm In You album (1977) which really sucked by the way. This song I Have Been In You is mellow, almost 50's sounding to start with thanks in part to the background vocals. 2 minutes in it sounds more like seventies soft rock.  

Flakes changes styles a few times before it's over. I like the Bob Dylan impersonation including the harmonica.  Broken Hearts Are For a****les is uptempo with lots of guitar and it's very funny. I like when the guy shouts 1, 2, 3, 4 purposely in the wrong place. And the word poop chute gets used a lot. I'm So Cute features Bozzio on lead vocals. This has a punk flavour to it when he shouts out the lyrics.  Jones Crusher has Belew on lead vocals this time. Not a fan of this one.  

What Ever Happened To All The Fun In The World is 33 seconds of humour. I like the guy's laugh.  Rat Tomago is an instrumental with some great raw, aggressive guitar throughout. Incredible.  Wait A Minute is a short conversation.  Bobby Brown is just too funny. One of the most hilarious songs I've ever heard.  Rubber Shirt has a fat bass solo that was overdubbed in the studio. It sounds pretty amazing anyway, like he's trying out for the position of bass player in MAGMA, or something like that.  

The Sheik Yerbouti Tango features a terrific scorching guitar solo that goes on and on.  Baby Snakes is an uptempo track with lots of high pitched vocals along with Zappa's singing.  Tryin' To Grow A Chin has Bozzio on vocals again. He's aggressive and theatrical singing on this one. Xylophone to open this fast paced song. I really like the last minute or more of this one.  

City Of Tiny Lights has Belew back on lead vocals. Some ripping guitar after 2 minutes.  Dancin' Fool is a classic that I'm sure everybody knows.  Jewish Princess has some crude lyrics.  Wild Love has lots of xylophone as well as clarinet later.  Yo' Mamma is the over 12 minute closer that is dominated by a very long guitar solo in the middle that is huge. Amazing tune. Amazing guitar.  This would be in my top ten favourite Zappa albums. Cool cover as well.

461

Stand By
Heldon

A review by Sean Trane:

Heldon's final abum before Pinhas continued under his own name. This album is their most accessible but still not that easy a listen. I would actually call Stand By their more polished or refined album but still think that Rêve or Interface as their more accomplished on an adventure or artistical point of view. Heldon is generally not classified as Krautrock because of the French nationality, but Heldon and Lard Free could easily be considered as such.

Again we find the usual collaborators Gauthier, Auger & Batard in fine form especially for Auger in the drumming dept. Klaus Blasquiz (of Magma fame) is here as guest for some vocals (if you can call those that - I think a vocal instrument is more suitable a definition) and the usual feel of Tangerine Dream melting into Can with Fripp & Eno is the best way to describe the music present on the album. The side-long Bolero is maybe my fave track from Heldon and it is captivating/hypnotizing you (and I am not sure it is wise to listen loud to this in the car during heavy trafic) to the point of no return.

Strange decision of Pinhas to stop the Heldon name and forego with his solo career. His first two albums are much worth a listen also especially Rizospheres.

A review by Warthur:

Far and away the best Heldon album, Stand By takes Interface's intoxicating mixture of proto-Industrial, Krautrock, mid-1970s King Crimson and a little bit of Zeuhl and melds all the influences on that album into a singular and unique sound. Synthesisers and guitars blare forth and it's hard to tell which of the two are more aggressive, particularly on the standout title track, a dizzying rapid-fire tour through everything that made the band great. Simply put, this is Richard Pinhas' masterpiece, a seamless fusion of the most violent outgrowths of hard rock and electronic music into a nightmarish, unstoppable killing machine. Handle with care, because this one is explosive.

462

Eskimo
The Residents

A review by Conor Fynes:

The Residents are a band- er, should I say 'art collective'- that prides itself on being weird, and often downright crazy. Through deceptively simple arrangements, this is a group that virtually defines what the term 'avant-garde' means to me. One of their best known works is 'Eskimo.' Like the majority of the music that The Residents have done, this album is wrought with simplistic arrangements, and a dose of surreal humour to boot. While it may work incredibly well on some albums by this band, 'Eskimo' comes across more as an album that probably sounded better on paper than it actually turned out.

Although the album is divided into six tracks, this album takes the form of a single journey through an arctic soundscape. Most of the play length is backed up by an incessant howl of the wind, the sort of generic wind sound that is also heard on Zappa's 'Don't Eat The Yellow Snow.' For all intents and purposes, this is simply a backdrop for the rest of the action during 'Eskimo.' Musically, The Residents rely on simple, droning instrumental arrangements in parts, but largely allocate their efforts towards vocals. These vocals are almost never melodic, and instead go the route of garbled spoken word, or chanting that seems deliberately reminiscent of Native American tradition. For the sake of atmosphere, 'Eskimo' does ride home on its otherworldly vibe, and the incessant nature of the ambiance seeks to keep a listener in its trance.

'Eskimo' is almost an album that I would label as being good for only a handful of listens. While much avant-garde music- and certainly work by this band- demands multiple returns by the listener, 'Eskimo’'s surreal shock value only degraded as I went back to it. The album sticks to one gimmick and does not tend to leave it. Not to mention that it seems like 'Eskimo' is trying to make fun of the aboriginals who live that life; the garbled pseudo-gibberish that The Residents speak in their chants is certainly interesting at first, but ultimately veers towards the shallow end of the pool. Creepy and odd, but there isn't much to 'figure out' inside the shell. An interesting effort from The Residents as always, but I do not find this album to be nearly as enduring as some of the other things they have done.

463

Danger Money 
UK

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

UK deliver a sensational prog album with musical innovation and odd time signatures.

True prog album from super group of the late 70s, featuring Wetton always great on vocals and bass, Jobson on keyboards and electric violin, and Bozzio, accomplished drummer. Bruford and Holdsworth were gone but it is great that the band continued relentlessly producing this excellent album.

This is UK, one of the most revered acts of the Symphonic prog scene, presenting an album full of creativity and full blown prog classics. The violin work on this album is astounding, listen to ‘Caesar Palace Blues’ for a prime example. Jobson is one of the most dynamic violinists, hard to beat this effort.

‘Danger Money’ is the title track with a slow paced off beat signature, it never hits the beat where it is meant to, and it sounds so majestic with those huge keyboard flourishes. The ambient atmosphere is strong, eventually releasing for Wetton's vocals; "3000 miles from home, it was a hell of a lifestyle, I take the job again, danger money."

‘Rendezvous 602’ is a beautiful piece replete with soft keyboards and gentle vocals. This takes a while to get going but has a wonderful keyboard solo and accomplished piano. ‘The Only Thing She Needs’ has wonderful percussion and Emerson like organ staccato hammering. The time sig is off kilter and competes with Wetton's great vocals.

‘Nothing To Lose’ is a moderate rocking track with sustained synthesizer chords. The harmonies remind me of The Sweet, but the time sig changes often enough to give it that unique UK flavour. Jobson shows real flair on this with upbeat organ sounds, and Wetton sings very well throughout. The violin solo is fabulous, almost like a lead guitar in places. A definitive highlight.

‘Carrying No Cross’ ends it with some peculiar guitar playing and wailing singing. It builds to a rocking riff and pounding drums. The time sigs change suddenly without warning and return again to the main sig. it is astounding how tight UK is on this track. The keyboard solo is a furious triggerfingering style with elongated chords and the bass guitar keeps a sporadic rhythm.

It ends the album on a high note, and unfortunately this was the last studio album for the band as they parted their separate ways. They left behind two scintillating studio releases that showed the rest how it is done. Genuine prog from virtuoso musicians who knew the genre.

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

An American in UK

The line up of UK that made their excellent self-titled debut album consisted of four people. Only John Wetton and Eddie Jobson stayed for this follow up while Allan Holdsworth and Bill Bruford left. Bruford was replaced with Terry Bozzio on drums but Holdsworth was not replaced, reducing the band to a trio. Bozzio's presence is a bit ironic considering the band's name since he is an American.

The loss of Allan Holdsworth on guitars made it necessary to fill the void with more keyboards and violin. This put the sound of UK a bit closer that of Emerson Lake & Palmer, but Danger Money is in my opinion as strong as the self-titled debut and also up to par with most of the better albums by Emerson Lake & Palmer. The keyboards are very Keith Emerson-like on many parts. While this is quite different from the debut, it is still very much UK partly due to Wetton's very distinctive vocals and bass guitar play and Jobson's violin work. These were some of the things that made UK special.

Wetton once again wrote some great songs for Danger Money and there are hardly any weak moments. The album has only six tracks and all are very good. I would even say that Wetton's career was at its peak when he was in UK. This is even more true of Eddie Jobson. Despite having played with many prominent Prog groups, Jobson's best work was right here with UK in my opinion.

As I said, the two UK albums are quite dissimilar but both are excellent additions to your Prog collection. And since they are different from each other you need both of them!

464

Musique Pour L'Odyssée
Art Zoyd

A review by Sean Trane:

Art Zoyd's second album picks up where the debut had left things to rest and is seen as their crowning achievement by many specialists. For this album, the group is joined by two members of Univers Zero, Daniel Denis on percussions and Michel Berckman's on oboe and bassoon.

The sidelong title track is an impressive, solemn, very tense piece of music with war-like ambiances, where once again main composer Hourbette is alternating Bartok, Stravinsky with later XXth century modernists (not quite Stockhausen but there are moments where atonality is very close), but the results are again not far away from Univers Zero, which is hardly surprising since both Denis and Berckmans are in the fold. Great dynamics, sombre ambiances, an almost totally acoustic sound (bar the electric bass), Kobaian-like tribal chants are on the main tour programme of this musical Odyssée.

On the other side of the album is Zabotzieff's first composition for the group and it is clearly homage to Magma (referring to the poem Terre on the back of one of their early albums), as in the second movement he grabs his bass guitar and gives one enormous bass guitar thrashing that can only make you think of Magma bass-thumping. Lettre D'Automne is more reflective and seems to be an answer to Stravinsky's Sacre Du Printemps (Spring's Rites).

Certainly as good as its predecessor, this album is yet another outstanding album that every classical music fan must hear, yet Art Zoyd's work is hardly easily accessible, and is only recommended to RIO and Zeuhl fans.

465

Exposure
Robert Fripp

A review by Mellotron Storm:

In the liner notes Fripp mentions that after he folded KING CRIMSON after the "Red" album he figured his days as a musician were over. He was so fed up with everything associated with the music industry, especially the greed. All it took was one phone call from Brian Eno and David Bowie (who were in Berlin working on Bowie's "Heroes" album) asking him if he'd play some guitar on the album they were working on to renew his passion for music. This was 1977 and Fripp would later go on to produce albums for a few of the guest vocalists on this his first solo album including Terre Roche, Daryl Hall and Peter Gabriel. This was recorded in 1978 and released the following year. Peter Hammill, Phil Collins, Brian Eno, Tony Levin and many more help Robert out. Some cool pictures in the liner notes of Fripp and various people around this time period.  

"Preface" is really just a short intro with spoken words and there are some harmonies and samples.  "You Burn Me Up I'm A Cigarette" sounds like a Brian Eno song as it's kind of punky and uptempo. Daryl Hall sings here.  "Breathless" is my favourite. It sounds like classic KING CRIMSON. Heavy duty with guitar, bass and drums.  "Disengage" kicks in hard before a minute then Hammill comes in spitting out the lyrics. Collins is on the drums. The song ends abruptly.  

"North Star" is laid back with Daryl Hall singing. Not a fan.  "Chicago" has a heavy beat with piano as Hammill comes in vocally. I like the guitar soundscapes late.  "NY3" is intricate and heavy with vocals that sound distant. An inventive tune and a good one.  "Mary" is a short mellow song with Terre Roche singing.  "Exposure" has Terre singing once again and she's great on this one. A heavy beat with guitar expressions early as she joins in singing "Exposure" on and off throughout. She gets passionate even to the point of screaming late.  

"Haaden Two" is spacey with Frippertronics and sampled words. It does kick into gear as samples continue.  "Urban Landscape" is all about atmosphere as we get Frippertronics only here.  "I may Not Have Had Enough Of Me But I've Had Enough Of You" kicks in right away and we get dual vocals (Roche & Hammill).  

The next three songs sort of blend together as we get samples and Frippertronics before a re-worked version of Gabriel's "Here Comes The Flood" arrives with Gabriel singing.  "Water Music II" is a spacey soundscape with lots in common with Electronic Prog. Sampled words and sounds end the album much like it began.  A mixed bag no doubt but better than what Robert would put out in "Beat" and "Three Of A Perfect Pair" in the following years with KING CRIMSON. A low 4 stars but definitely worth that rating in my opinion.

A review by Sean Trane:

This is the first real solo album from the somber genius. And a fitting resumé of his 70's musical activities and even a preview of things to come in the next few years. As he left Crimson to rest , Robert Fripp then meddled with Eno for two albums (listed here as his first two albums but not so IMHO), then went into production and guesting on many successful albums (he was no stranger to that success either) before actually recording this mixed-bag album. He will then re-form Crimson with some of the musicians he came to meet in this era.

I used the word mixed bag for this album and it is just that. This is very disjointed collection of tunes but that is so representative of the "Fripp"character. A star-studded cast of guests (from his many collabs) make this album very attractive but also rather uneven. Apart from two or three very short non-musical tracks, the doctor visits punk (track 2), his earlier Crimson carreer (track 3 - Red - and 12 I believe), reminds us of his Frippertronics works with Eno, revisits also his production collabs with others (Peter Gabriel - track 9 and 15 - and Peter Hammill - track 4 - on four different tracks - all my personal favorite on this album) and even previews a future King Crimson style on another track. Not everything is succesful but the album as a whole is rather entertaining. The only hole in Fripp's carreer I find is that his work with Bowie is actually completely ignored.

I am not all that convinced this "Pot-Pourri" actually really is all that essential, but on the merits of Fripp's overall achievements, I rounded up this album rating to the upper fourth star.

466

Florian
Le Orme

A review by Ivan_Melgar_M:

I always felt something special for Italian prog not only because they developed a clear symphonic style but also by the addition of something special and unique, their national and artistic identity. Le Orme is a band that can change from strong and bombastic ELP or Genesis oriented music to a precious and delicate Renaissance or Classical sound, as if we were not before a rock band but in front of a small Orchestra. It's a hard album to review because of the variety of instruments they use and for my limitations in Italian, but I'll try to do my best.

"Florian" is a Renaissance and classical oriented album extremely beautiful, maybe a bit boring for those who expect something as complex and powerful as "Felona e Sorona", but not less rewarding for the progressive fan that only wants to listen to great music despite the orientation of the band. The first track "Florian" deserves the masterpiece qualification as no other song before, the soft orchestra delights with their precision, the violin and clavicembalo give the exact atmosphere, followed by piano and small orchestra, it is simply perfect.

"Jaffa" is a more Renaissance oriented track where the violin, piano and vocals blend in a perfect way, the Italian phonetic helps very much to achieve the perfect atmosphere. The violin piccicato which starts "Il Mago" (The Magician), gives a perfect idea of how this song will develop, more rhythmic than the previous it creates an atmosphere of a medieval juggler with his mandolin whom tells the story of a magician that can fight against evil with great powers exceeding the ones that Circe (The Odyssey) had.

"Pietro Il Pescatore" (Peter the Fisherman) has a clear relation to Saint Peter "Quando una nuova alba il gallo annuncerà le chiavi perderai" (When one new dawn the rooster announces the keys you will lose) in clear allusion to his denial and the keys of Heaven, a simpler song for violin, piano and vocals, maybe the weaker track of the album.

"Calipso" is another beautiful song with acoustic guitar and piano, also very simple but not always complex is better, the violin solo is so melancholic that it almost brings tears to my eyes. The song is almost an ode to the inspiration represented by Calipso. "Fine di un Viaggo" (End of a Trip") is a happier song despite the nostalgic title, good mixture of violin, piano, mandolin and vocals, not only about a journey that ends but about a new one that starts.

"El Gran Senser" is the perfect closer, a great instrumental where violin and percussion take the lead role at the start, followed by piano and the rest of the small orchestra grows in strength and power until the middle that is soft but with some suspense as to prepare for the explosive ending.

A real unplugged album recorded long before MTV had the idea of doing something similar but without the great quality and imagination, a must have for any progressive or even classical fan, because both will enjoy it the same.

467

pH7
Peter Hammill

A review by Sean Trane:

While an acidic pun also, this album's title certainly gives the important information that this was Hammill's seventh solo album. And the first one (maybe second) recorded after the final VdGG break-up (until very recently that is), and the first one to be done completely free of previous influences.

By this time, his friendly musical mutual admiration, made him and Peter Gabriel's path cross many times around that period or shall we say era! Era due not only to our archangel Gabriel, and Robert Fripp but Brian Eno also, from the more glam rock scene of prog (those musically close to Bowie and its androgynous music), but to the other side of the pond, this lead to the Talking Heads and others, but also Hammill himself were all busy "electronifying" prog rock. This would then lead to the 80's music scene that was simply partly the result of the push of the Artistes (with the big A) mentioned just above influenced tremendously with all of its excesses. If I am going through this general overview, it is because this scene was actively challenged by Peter's seventh album.

But the usual Hammill is still present also, listen to Mirror Man to see Hammill 's shot at Bowie melodies (Five Years style), but also a more solemn hymn-like Handicap And Quality, definitely one of the most grandiose-sounding raconteur troubadour rock songs Hammill wrote. Poignant lyrics and majestic Jacques Brel-like vocal delivery (pure compliments, Peter!!!!) make a spine-chilling moment, because this also appeared clearly the case in the following Not For Keith (Ellis, most likely).

On the other side of Peter's universe are the definitely experimental edges where he stretched his voice "to places it was not necessarily supposed to be natural" (sic) and this attitude translated to his music also and stretched to making it sometimes aggressive (and challenging) to the more discerning prog fan. Careering, Porton Down, Old School Tie and Mr. X are typical examples. A few tracks in this album are very subtly pointing towards Eno, or Krautrock too (Imperial Walls for ex.).

Certainly a departure from his old group's music Zone, rather challenging at times and yet another worthy Hammill album with its strengths and weaknesses.

468

Stormwatch
Jethro Tull

A review by Zombywoof:

I don't know if this is a 'prog' masterpiece, but it's certainly one of my favorites. From the opening Flute/ guitar lick on "North Sea Oil", we are instantly placed into a Tull record, with this fantastic interplay carrying on throughout the song. "Orion" is a darker piece with bleak lyrics and gorgeous verses, followed by the ballad, "Home" and leading into one of Tull's last epics, "Dark Ages", a piece with multiple tempi and crunching guitar work from Martin Barre.

This record was recorded at a time of tragedy for the band (the bass player, John Glasscock, was dying of a heart condition) and it shows throughout the album, particularly on the epic, "Flying Dutchman". With this piece, Ian Anderson tells the sad tale of the man doomed to sail the seas forever, complete with an almost "Man-Erg" - esque (in mood only, the similarities end there) piano intro by John Evans and a well placed and surprisingly fitting folky section that brings a glimmer of hope to the dark piece, before taking the listener back to the verses and an epic ending, "So come all you lovers of the good life, Look around you, can you see? Staring ghostly in the mirror --- it's the Dutchman you will be ... floating slowly out to sea, in a misty misery."

All in all, a very sad, moody, and beautiful record. I suggest buying the remaster for the improved sound and bonus tracks: Tull were always a band to have songs left off the album that were as good, if not better, than some that made it! "Kelpie" springs to mind with one of my personal favorite flute solos in the middle. It's one thing to have the space to stretch out an improv, but it's quite a bit harder to get the "juice" of the improv in a short burst, which is what both Ian and Martin achieve perfectly in this piece. If you love Tull, I suggest you get this one. I never understood why it receives such poor ratings.

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

A forgotten masterpiece from the dark ages of progressive Rock

I'm probably in a minority here, but for me Stormwatch is the best Jethro Tull album since the otherworldly Thick As A Brick that was released some seven years earlier and a masterpiece album in its own right. Given how restrictive I am with handing out five star ratings, I feel that I have some explaining to do on this account. Admittedly, I used to rate this with "only" four stars, but after many listens over a long period of time I now must raise this to the highest available rating; this album blows me away!

As most Jethro Tull fans would agree Songs From The Wood was a return to form for the band and that album is usually considered to be the first of a trio of interconnected albums that continued with Heavy Horses and then with the present album. Like many others I think that this is one of the best and most consistent periods in Jethro Tull history, but unlike many I think that Stormwatch was the culmination of this excellent era in the band's long career. I strongly disagree with those who claim that Stormwatch offered just "more of the same" as I think that the material on this album is very different in nature from that of the previous two, even if there are some similarities too. I can understand that in 1979 people were perhaps growing tired of the sound of Jethro Tull due to the sheer amount of albums they had been put out since the late 60's and also due to changing musical trends, but an album should be judged on its own merits and not only in relation to its "surroundings".

One thing that ought to strike any listener immediately is that Stormwatch is a much darker album both in sound and subject matter compared to most other Jethro Tull albums. There are no more whimsical "kitchen prose and garden rhymes" here, but quite serious social and political commentary. Also, the sound of Stormwatch is much more hard edged and Martin Barre is on fire on this album with his guitar sound being quite "metallic" (which I love!). The sound here is very full and rich due to the strong presence of string arrangements in addition to the usual guitar/bass/drums/flute/keyboards/vocal attack. We also get some mandolin on some songs, which I simply love! I think that Jethro Tull achieved the perfect balance here between (Celtic) Folk Rock, Hard Rock (even close to Metal occasionally) and Symphonic Rock with plenty of progressive aspects, features and structures. You might even say that while this album is almost as folky as the previous two, it is also the heaviest and most symphonic of the band's many albums; it's Prog Folk, Heavy Prog and Symphonic Prog all at the same time!

The most important part of any music is for me the quality of the actual material and Stormwatch offers some really strong compositions that are up to par with those on Aqualung and Heavy Horses. North Sea Oil and Orion have strong and memorable melodies that grab a hold of you from the start. Apart from being darker in their lyrical content and quite heavy and hard edged, these two are quite typical high quality Jethro Tull songs. Home, on the other hand, is a very symphonic and somewhat bombastic ballad that is very uncharacteristic of Jethro Tull. It contributes to making this album more varied and diverse than many other Jethro Tull albums. The diversity is indeed one of Stormwatch's strongest features.

Dark Ages is the longest track of the album with its marching rhythm and interesting tempo changes throughout. It takes a couple of listens to understand this number, but it sure grew on me a lot. Warm Sporran is another track that is very uncharacteristic for the band. It is an instrumental with male choirs, marching drums, flute and bagpipes (or something that sounds a bit like bagpipes). It sounds like something that could have been on a Mike Oldfield album! - a great interlude that further adds to the diversity of this album and lets you catch your breath a bit before the rest of the songs.

Something's On The Move is the grittiest of the songs here and is a hard rocker in typical Jethro Tull-style with organ, flute and Hard Rock guitar play, as such it is the least great of the songs on the album, but it is still great! Old Ghosts and Flying Dutchman are both slower and more symphonic songs with strings, piano, flute and strong vocals. The latter have a very folky flute and mandolin instrumental break. These songs also might require several listens before you get them, but that is typical of really great progressive music!

Dun Ringill is another of my favourite songs from this underrated album. It is a short acoustic song with a captivating atmosphere. I first heard it on the Slipstream video which comes as a bonus DVD disc with the A album and I liked it instantly. The album ends with another instrumental in Elegy. Its melody reminds of Home and thus ties the album together perfectly. The style of the piece reminds a bit of the band Focus.

Stormwatch has become a personal favourite of mine and I now think it's one of the very best Tull albums of all time. I should admit right away that I have a special thing for its dark and hard edged sound and also its diversity due in part to the inclusion of a couple of instrumentals. I can understand that someone would prefer the more cheerful and whimsical Songs From The Wood or the more strongly Folk-oriented Heavy Horses, but for me Stormwatch is even more appealing. Though I consider this album very underrated, you should not be led to think that I rate it very highly just to compensate for other's lower ratings - I never do that! In my opinion, this album deserves the highest rating on its own merits and it will grow on you if you give it some further chances. It sure did on me, anyway! It is hard for me to find anything to complain about here!

Very highly recommended!

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

Jethro Tull turned to a more serious approach with this album, indeed this is Anderson at his most melancholy and brooding at times. There was good reason as the bassist John Glasgock was suffering congenital heart problems and this was his last album before his tragic death. Other members of the band were departing so it was a genuine changing of the guard. The songs were reflecting the troubled economy with the oil crisis being at the forefront of the lyrics.  I prefer this darker Tull than the whimsy of “Too Old to Rock N Roll (Too Young To Die)” or “Songs From the Wood”. However it is reasonable to understand why many reviewers see it as a letdown, whereas others hail it as a masterpiece. I sit somewhere in the middle as the musicianship is well up to standard especially Martin Barre’s driving guitars which are heavier on “Stormwatch”. 

Anderson is terrific on the flute with tracks such as ‘Orion’ and ‘Flying Dutchman’. His vocals are seriously conveyed which is a nice change. The melodies are catchy and grow on you, particularly on the upbeat ‘Kelpie’ bonus track. The bonus tracks are actually all very good, some were released as singles, such as ‘Stitch in Time’ or B sides such as the medieval inspired instrumental ‘King Henry's Madrigal’.

The packaging of the album is effective with snow bears, binoculars and album covers of the Eps and singles. All in all this is a fine album that definitely marks the end of the 70s decade. The golden era was well and truly over and now Jethro Tull were about to encounter the 80s as they verged off into new rocky territory.    

469

Cosmic Messenger
Jean-Luc Ponty

A review by Sean Trane:

By the late 70's, Ponty's «group» was not even close to its debut line-up, since outside Jean-Luc himself, no one else was still present. But this hardly means that the newer members are not as good (or better) than their predecessor, far from it. But one thing is sure: Ponty's formula is definitely going a little stale by now, with each and every album being systematically a little too close for comfort; Cosmic Messenger is almost incestuously close to Imaginary Voyage and Taste For Passion and you will not be able to tell for sure which album you're on. The problem lies at the very base of the music: this instrumental fusion was also by 78 relatively common, hardly groundbreaking and to be truthful a bit boring.

While the opening title track still sounds exciting, the rest of the first side is rather yawning, unexciting and heard-before while still remaining pleasant and technical. The second side is rather more interesting, but still not worth writing home (or even a dithyrambic review for that matter) about: both Fake Paradise (about angel dust, maybe?) and the excellent Egocentric Molecules are worth a note. While Ethereal Mood is a dreamy atmospheric tune, but failing to evolve much to arouse your interest and ultimately overstaying its welcome.

Yet another late 70's JR/F album. Not the most inspired nor is it the worst either. Just a bit pointless. Désolé Jean-Luc, quand tu en as un, tu les as tous!!!

470

Crossing the Line 
Asia Minor

A review by Mellotron Storm:

The two main players on this album are from Turkey, but they now reside in France which is where the drummer is from. The drummer Lionel Beltrami was only 18 when this album was released. Nice picture of the trio in the back cover. There is a guest keyboardist as well. This was their debut album released in 1979 and to my ears I hear an eighties vibe at times. In a good way though. I like the accented vocals, the atmosphere and flute on this one. There is some aggressive moments as well.  

‘Preface’ opens with a gong before melancholic flute comes in. Guitar and a full sound arrive after a minute. The flute leads the way with prominant drums. Synths before 2 1/2 minutes and vocals come in. Guitar leads the way 4 minutes in.  ‘Mahzun Gozler’ might be my favourite track on here. It's also the longest at over 8 minutes in length. The tempo keeps shifting and i really like the vocals. Something about this song makes me feel so good. It takes me to a good place. Emotional vocals after 7 1/2 minutes.  

‘Mystic Dance’ is a gentle guitar/flute piece.  ‘Misfortune’ becomes uptempo with flute and drums leading the way. It settles after 1 1/2 minutes and vocals come in. Kicks back in at 3 minutes.  ‘Landscape’ is a little heavier when the drums and raw guitar come in. Vocals and a calm before a minute. Synths join in. Keyboard solo before 2 1/2 minutes but it kicks back in quickly. Nice guitar 3 1/2 minutes in to end it.  ‘Visions’ opens with bass as drums and keys join in. Guitar follows and this sounds really good. It settles 1 1/2 minutes in and vocals come in.  

‘Without Stir’ is a short mellow tune with reserved vocals.  ‘Hayal Dolu Guler Icin’ has a good beat to open. Flute then a calm as vocals and synths come in. The tempo and mood continues to change.  ‘Postface’ opens with barely audible organ that builds then flute joins in.  I like this album a lot. Still it's barely 4 stars.

500

Signals
Rush

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

“Signals” is the Rush album that was sandwiched in between two incredible Rush albums and as a followup to the masterpiece “Moving Pictures”, perhaps Rush’s finest hour, this was a tough album to appreciate. The album tends to be a transition to the synthesized 80s domination. The power trio were always a compelling listen during the 70s, with lengthy progressive classics, and lyrical beauty, but in the 80s the sound changed. Gone are the epics and weirdness to make way for the new 80s sound. Rush produced something very special and really cemented their reputation as one of the greatest bands in rock history, proving they could use a current sound and still produce high quality songs. Rush use synthesizers in droves on this but still remain progressive which is a feat in itself. They remain true to the odd time sig changes that have made them so endearing over the years.

The first track ‘Subdivisions’ has a crystal clear sound, strong synths and the time sig definitely is unusual. The melody is pleasant to the ears, and tends to grow on you over time. I must admit when I first heard this album I was not all that impressed as I prefer the heavier side of Rush and this felt very safe. However, over the years I have really been enamoured with the new sound of Rush on “Signals”.

'The Analog Kid’ is another synth soaked track with a quick cadence and complex structure. Geddy Lee is wonderful on vocals effortlessly ploughing through the octaves on every track. He was at the peak of his skills at this stage.

The guitar work of Alex Lifeson is always jangly and at the same modulation as the synths. There are no brilliant riffs to speak of rather he holds back and simply carries the songs along on strong melodic rhythms. The sound on songs such as ‘Chemistry’ is rather radio friendly but it is still one of the better albums in the 80s as far as prog is concerned, as the 80s were the most difficult era for prog. Rush survived on albums such as “Signals” due to the consistent quality. Every song has a strong melody, Lifeson’s continuous guitar embellishments and the powerful percussive work of Neil Peart, particularly impressive on ‘Digital Man’ with its half time feel and time changes. This track also includes one of Lifeson’s best lead breaks.

Surprisingly of all the prog 80s albums of 1982, Rush were still able to produce an album rated the most highly on many prog album lists. It is little wonder with treasures such as the incredible ‘The Weapon’. The lyrics here are powerful on the topic of a soldier’s thoughts in nuclear war time, or it could be a terrorist planning a crime; “The knowledge that they fear is a weapon to be used against them, he’s not afraid of the judgement, he’s a little bit afraid of dying, and the thing that he fears is the weapon to be held against him.” The instrumental break is a darker sound, layers of synth and phased guitar lead break, with sporadic drumming accents.

‘New World Man’ is a fan favourite with catchy hooks and some strong melodies that are memorable. The track appeared on many live sets over the years. This is followed by a lesser known song, exclusive to this album alone I believe, ‘Losing It’. One of the interesting components of the music is the use of a violin by guest maestro Ben Mink. The slow pace of the song is alarming after all the rock and I will admit it is not a high point of the album. However the violin trading off with Lifeson’s pitchy harmonics is a treat.

The album concludes with ‘Countdown’ featuring radio controller voice overs “T Minus 20 seconds and counting”, and supersonic space shuttle effects. Given the disaster of Challenger and Columbia’s conclusion, the song has taken on an added potency. Geddy Lee’s voice is crystalline echoing over the steady beat with compelling lyrics; “Circling choppers slash the night, With roving searchlight beams, This magic day when super-science, Mingles with the bright stuff of dreams.” Later as the song builds to the actual lift off the lyrics are rather portentous, taking on a darker aspect in context of the fateful Challenger launch; “The air is charged, A humid, motionless mass, The crowds and the cameras, The cars full of spectators pass, Excitement so thick you could cut it with a knife, Technology, high, on the leading edge of life, The earth beneath us starts to tremble, With the spreading of a low black cloud, A thunderous roar shakes the air, Like the whole world exploding, Scorching blast of golden fire, As it slowly leaves the ground, Tears away with a mighty force, The air is shattered by the awesome sound, Like a pillar of cloud, The smoke lingers high in the air, In fascination, With the eyes of the world, We stare.” The whole song now brings to mind the disaster of Challenger exploding and the people staring up in disbelief at the white billows of smoke; an image that has been ingrained on the world. When the radio controller counts down to the engines starting up, and the shuttle lifts off, it brings a lump to my throat and of course this was written before the Challenger exploded 73 seconds into flight, which occurred January 28, 1986. For me this last song is an underrated Rush classic rarely heard and criminally never included on the plethora of best of Rush compilations. This song, along with ‘New World Man’, ‘The Weapon’, ‘The Analog Kid’, ‘Subdivisions’, and ‘Digital Man’ are excellent additions to the Rush catalogue and make this an album that is very worthwhile.

So in conclusion while this may not be the greatest Rush album by a long stretch there is still a lot to savour on “Signals”. It took a while for me to appreciate the importance of the album in context of the mediocre music churning out of the 80s but the album stands up as a testimony to the incredible skills of the band who demonstrated they could be a dominant force in the 80s, building on the legacy left behind in the 70s.      

501

Peter Gabriel (4 - "Security" or "Mask")
Peter Gabriel

A review by Warthur:

Peter Gabriel had already revealed an increasing fascination with traditional African music in his previous solo album - particularly in the closing track Biko - but it was on his fourth solo album (the last one to go without a title) that he chose to incorporate aspects of world music into his sound on a wholesale basis. Working in parallel with others experimenting in this direction such as Talking Heads or the 80s King Crimson (which Tony Levin takes some time out from to lend his talents to Gabriel once again), Gabriel creates an intoxicating feast of interweaving rhythms and danceable beats with sufficient art rock sensibilities that it makes sense in the context of the rest of his solo career. It's possibly his most original and accomplished song-based album.

A review by Sean Trane:

Also known as "Mask" or "Security" (since the first four album did not have names or numbers), this is probably the "proggiest " album , maybe not in terms of musicianship, but it is certainly the most dramatic songwriting The Gabe had done since leaving his former band. Actually, this album gives me very mixed feeling as it is also the most "new wave" sounding of his album.

Rythm Of The Heat and San Jacinto are probably the most stunning song on this album and are excellent dramatic and enthralling tunes, taking their time to evolve and pass through a few moods. The last two tracks on the side reveal less appeal to me as the sounds are simply too new wave-ish for me. Actually a much superior version of Touch will appear later.

The Stunning starter on side 2, Shock The Monkey, is really a shocker and not just for monkeys but all humans too. It came with a shocking videoclip, but it is also the blueprint for later huge successes such as Sledgehammer and Big Time (Success) in the following mega selling SO album. Lay Your Hands On Me is another excellent track, exactly the archetype Gabe track you have come to expect by now. Walklflower is a rather neat piano dominated track that fits well in the album and the last track is unremarkable.

This album is maybe my fave from The Gabe, but it does announce the future mega success of SO.

502

Time To Turn
Eloy

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

"Immensely rich"

People seem to be divided over which of the two thematically connected albums, Planets and Time To Turn, is the best one. For me there is no doubt, Time To Turn is my favourite Eloy album and, in my opinion, the peak of the band's career. Planets and Time To Turn were originally intended to form one double album, but the record company managed to persuade the band into making two separate single albums instead. This was probably a wise decision even if I admit that it would have been interesting to hear what might have turned out had they made it a double album. Just hearing the two albums back to back as they now are, however, reveals that they don't have quite the same sound. When comparing the two like this, one notices that Planets has a somewhat weaker sound and that Time To Turn has more punch. Though both albums are rather keyboard dominated, Planets was perhaps even more so and the guitars make a welcome return here and the perfect balance between guitars and keyboards is achieved.

The songs on Time To Turn are among the strongest and most memorable that the band has ever produced. Frank Bornemann sounds more confident in the vocal department than ever and his German accent, though still here, is a much less evident problem here than on many other Eloy albums. The compositions blend elements from Symphonic Prog and Eloy's previous more Psychedelic, spacey style to great effect. The album opens on a high note with Through A Somber Galaxy which is one of my favourite Eloy numbers. There is a sense of urgency and direction here often lacking in the music of Eloy; the song doesn't waste time, but immediately reveals its nature and moves through its various passages in a solid pace.

Behind The Wall Of Imagination is a bit slower in its pace, but no less solid. There is a very appealing variation in the keyboard sounds. The palette of sounds used is impressive. The keyboards on End Of An Odyssey, for example, remind me a lot of those on Camel's Moonmadness. There is such a good flow to this album that it is hard to differentiate the evaluations of the individual songs. The album works best as an organic unity where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The title track was released as a single at the time and has recently been re-recorded for the very good Visionary album under the new title The Challenge (Time To Turn, part 2) and even this new version has recently been released as a single. The closing number stands out as it is an acoustic song in the style of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here - a great way to end the album.

Eloy's best album, highly recommended!

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

The album begins with a powerhouse rocker 'Through A Somber Galaxy' that is a definitive highlight for the group. It has some dynamic synth work and awesome heavy guitar riffs with a blistering lead solo. After listening to more recent Eloy albums such as 2009's "Visionary" and 1994's "The Tides Return Forever", to me this album really stands out as being a masterful accomplishment. Of course the band were younger and more inventive back then, but it is such a delight to hear Eloy launching into one treasure after another. The tunes are always uplifting and the spaceyness of the synths are mesmirising throughout. The bassline punctuates the rhythm and drives the track beautifully. A brilliant start to this album.

'Behind The Walls Of Imagination' is another great track with a strong rhythmic feel, on keyboard and guitar. Clavinet accents are effective but the synth keyboards dominate and saturate the soundscape with pleasurable stellar nuances. Two solid gems to begin the album make this proghead very pleased indeed, and I am already in love with this album.

'Time To Turn' is intriguing for me after hearing part 2 from "Visionary" first. The same melody was obviously implemented as I recognised instantly the melodic phrases, especially in the chorus. The addition of guest vocalists Amy, Anna and Sabine is a master touch as they sound incredible. This is a poppy song, rather than prog, but is endearing with the vocal work and synth soaked musicianship.

'Magic Mirrors' opens with more clavinet and a pulsating bassline. The keyboards are mixed to the front and overpowering. I like it though as a diversion from complex structures, but it has to be said the keyboard work is very straight forward rather than complex virtuoso.

'End Of An Odyssey' clocks 9 and a half minutes so I hoped for a masterpiece composition. It begins with a welcome synth solo with spacey drones and high pitched resonances, as though Wakeman turned up in the studio and began to play on his way to a curry vindaloo. So far I am delighted and looked forward to some inventive structures. The music builds with drums and high hat cymbal work and this continues for about 5 minutes. Then on cue Bornemann's vocals chime in and he sounds great on lines such as "if you perceive the truth within yourself". The Pink Floyd style symphonic element is present throughout but there is also a funky Alan Parson's Project feel. The captivating song ends with a battle of clavinet and keyboard sounds and overall this is another definitive highlight of the album.

'The Flash' begins with ambience in the form of synth pulsations and a heartbeat of bass. Bornemann again injects some great vocals. The music develops to a quicker cadence with wavering synth. I love the music at 2:20 that is a bit like the synth heard in 80s rock such as Ultravox, Yazoo or Human League, and I am a fan of that sound. It is actually like the New Romantic music which was a delight for me. Eloy are more complex on this track in terms of structure and what a treasure it is to hear after the simplistic styles preceding. I love this song so much and it really cemented and confirmed a high rating as far as I am concerned.

'Say, Is It Really True' is a song with a difference, very diverse as it features the acoustic guitar, similar to tracks on other Eloy albums but mysteriously missing on this album until now. It is quiet and peaceful after the deluge of synth previous. The lyrics are nice; "Say is it really true that the flame of hope has grown, that the spirit has changed, that the few no longer stand alone." I like the seagull screech effects too. It is a melancholy song that ends the album with a fade out. I highly recommend this album unreservedly to Eloy fans and symphonic or space rock addicts. I was pleasantly surprised at the consistent quality and the amount of highlights. There are no filler tracks and it is an uplifting experience to hear Eloy so inspired and playing at their musical best. As an 80s album, this must rate as one of the best when prog was experiencing a lull in inventiveness. Eloy at least delivered a worthwhile sound and this never disappoints from track to track. 

503

In Blau
Anyone's Daughter

A review by Mellotron Storm:

This is the fourth studio album from ANYONE'S DAUGHTER released in 1982. If there was one word to describe this album when compared to the previous three it would be "maturity". This is a serious work. They seemed like they were having so much fun on the first two records while the third (a concept album) had way too much German narration and is my least favourite of the four.

"Sonnenzeichen-Feverzeichen" opens with atmosphere as the organ floats in then reserved vocals. It starts to build. So good. A full sound after 2 minutes. A guitar solo follows then it settles back. More great guitar 4 1/2 minutes in to the end. "Fur Ein Kleines Macdchan" has intricate and strummed guitar throughout. Reserved vocals before 1 1/2 minutes and synths after 2 minutes.

"Nichts Fur Mich" opens with drums, guitar and vocals. This is catchy. It picks up before 2 minutes. Excellent sound. Organ after 3 minutes followed by a guitar solo. It turns spacey after 4 1/2 minutes. "Nach Diesem Tag" is a mid-paced tune with laid back vocals. Tasteful guitar before 2 1/2 minutes to the end.

"La La" opens with vocal melodies which are joined by piano and drums as it turns uptempo quickly. It settles some with vocal melodies 1 1/2 minutes in then kicks back in again. Cool song. "Sonne" has this intricate guitar with vocals. It's fuller 3 1/2 minutes in. "Tanz Und Tod" is the over 15 minute closer. It also has intricate acoustic guitar melodies to start as soft vocals join in. Drums and piano follow then the tempo picks up. A guitar solo 4 1/2 minutes in. A calm with piano only a minute later. Spoken vocals before 9 1/2 minutes, then vocal melodies take over. Guitar and drums 11 minutes in. Great sound here. Uptempo pulsating keyboards end it.

A very good album with lots to enjoy. It doesn't hit me on an emotional level like the first two albums but this is worth 4 stars.

504

Fact And Fiction 
Twelfth Night

A review by Mellotron Storm:

TWELFTH NIGHT were one of the first neo-prog bands to come upon the scene in the early eighties. They were there even before MARILLION. I feel TWELFTH NIGHT deserves a special place in prog history for their music, especially this album "Fact And Fiction".  Singer Geoff Mann reminds me so much of Peter Hammill, not in the vocal tones but in the passion and theatrics. Lyrically Mann was also brilliant like Mr. Hammill. Intelligent, meaningful and often going straight to a person’s conscience or heart. These songs had special meaning, even if the music at times sounded "new wave" or "punkish". This was neo-progressive music that wasn't slick or smooth. This had attitude, this got in your face. And Geoff Mann led the way in making sure that you didn't feel too comfortable. He wanted you to look at yourself, to make you feel guilty if you didn't treat your fellow man with respect, dignity and love. He felt so strongly about this that he eventually quit the music business and became a pastor.  

"We Are Sane" opens with synths, high pitched vocals, and samples. The song doesn't really start until 2 minutes in. Then it's interrupted again by samples and synths. This contrast continues. Lots of humour in this one. The actual song is so infectious. We get some robotic vocals 7 1/2 minutes in. The guitar 9 1/2 minutes in is outstanding. Such a fun, progressive tune.  

"Human Beings" is such a classic tune once it gets going 2 minutes in. Some nice bass in this one, and I like the piano and calm when he sings "human being, human being". The guitar before 5 minutes is a treat. It's so uplifting when he sings slowly 6 minutes in.  "This City" opens with synths and the sounds of children playing before Mann comes in singing solemnly. His vocals get very passionate.  "World Without End" is a short instrumental featuring waves of synths. Gorgeous.  

"Fact And Fiction" is a catchy vocal tune with an eighties flavour. It has a spacey ending.  "The Poet Sniffs A Flower" is a hilarious title for this instrumental. A nice atmosphere to this one. Synths, acoustic guitar and drums stand out. The tempo picks up 2 minutes in as the sound changes. Guitar a minute later.  "Creep Show" is a dark song that is fairly slow paced. Some nice bass in this one. It's really all about the lyrics and the way Geoff delivers them. Check out the guitar, drums and vocals after 10 minutes followed by a wonderful guitar solo. Amazing song.  

"Love Song" works so well in contrast to what we just heard in "Creep Show". This might be the most beautiful yet convicting song (for me) that I've ever heard. I'd love to just quote the whole song, yet it's Mann's vocals that make this even more meaningful. Even the guitar is emotional before 4 minutes. He sings that "Jealousy is just a parasite, hatred a disease".  "Love is an open door".  "Respect for human dignity". It ends with "And if it seems that your hoping heart has led you into pain,  take a tip from the carpenter,  forgive and love again".  Thankyou Geoff Mann. R.I.P. brother.

505

Five Miles Out
Mike Oldfield

A review by Mellotron Storm:

The album cover is way better than the music here unfortunately.  Oldfield who is a pilot wrote most of the songs here from experiences that he has had while flying. It was released in 1982. I must admit I disliked this recording from the first time I heard it and repeated listens have only confirmed my initial evaluation.  

"Taurus II" is the almost 25 minute opener. It does have it's moments. This is a toe tapper early on then female vocal melodies come in after 1 1/2 minutes. It will continue to change throughout.  I have to smile when the guitar comes in before 4 minutes because I've always liked Oldfield's style and the tone of his guitar. Uillean Pipes before 6 1/2 minutes then it settles 8 minutes in followed by female vocals. I don't like the female vocal melodies before 17 minutes because they remind me of ABBA.  Guitar is back before 19 minutes. A heavier beat after 20 minutes then the song ends with solo piano.  

"Family Man" is cringe worthy.  Yikes! An 80's pop tune with female vocals.  "Orabidoo" is pastoral to start before kicking in somewhat before 2 1/2 minutes. Processed vocals on this one too. Piano before 7 1/2 minutes followed by synths. It sounds better 10 minutes in but it doesn't last long.  It ends with acoustic guitar and reserved female vocals.  "Mount Teidi" has a beat while the guitar joins in. it's fuller later. Yawn.  

"Five Miles Out" has a beat with processed male vocals. Female vocals join in. Some guest strings on this one as well and a catchy beat.  No this is not good at all in my opinion.

506

The Broadsword And The Beast
Jethro Tull

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

Jethro Tull is one of the few bands that made excellent music both in the 70's, 80's and in the 90's and some would say in the 60's too. This album is their best one from the 80's. And it is really good! The songs all have strong melodies and great instrumentation and vocals. The synthesisers sound a bit thin and minimalist, almost like Kraftwerk! But the bass, drums and guitars don't have the typical 80's sound that killed so much music around this time. Indeed, these instruments have a powerful and full sound. The genuine and "warm" sound of the vocals, flute and acoustic instruments contrasts perfectly with the electronic keyboards and electric instruments giving it a full sound. Almost like a futuristic form of Folk music! And it rocks hard at times too, but it is not metal music.

Cheerio has become a closing number on the bands concerts and for that it fits perfectly. The CD version has several bonus tracks that are great as well. Jack A Lynn is one of these and when I saw Jethro Tull live on their acoustic tour a few years ago they performed this song. Quite a surprise I would say, but the audience loved it!

Broadsword And The Beast is one of the best albums by a classic prog band released in the early 80's. Highly recommended!

507

Eye In The Sky
Alan Parsons Project

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

Electric eye

Many people seem to think that the Alan Parsons Project debuted with their best album and then continued to make worse and worse music with each subsequent album. I would rather say that their recording career went a bit up and down and down and up, etc. with Turn Of A Friendly Card having been a return to form after the lacklustre Eve and Pyramid albums. The present album continues a positive trend and is one of the better albums of the Project. The opening instrumental leads directly into Eye In The Sky, which is a minor Pop Prog classic in a way. (It is funny that Judas Priest opened their album Screaming For Vengeance - that was released in the same year - also with an instrumental (Hellion) that led directly into a song about an "eye in the sky" (Electric Eye). Strange coincidence! Both are strong ways to open an album, I think. (No comparisons above this though!)).

Children Of The Moon and Gemini are both much more interesting than most songs from albums like Eve and Pyramid. Other good songs here are Old And Wise, that closes the album, and Psychobabble. If you know what Alan Parsons Project sound like, you will know pretty much what this album sounds like since this is a very typical Alan Parsons Project album in many ways. However, this one is a bit stronger and more consistent than many other of their albums. Vocals duties are still divided between several different people. This usually leaves an album incoherent and disjointed. Here it does not have that damaging effect to the album as a whole. I think this might be because these singers are not radically different from each other.

The seven and a half minute, Silence And I has a surprising and very Symphonic and progressive section in the middle that leads into a good guitar solo finale, before the original melody of the song returns. One of the few real progressive moments on this album.

The overall quality of the songs here is very good. However, there are also a couple quite awful songs as usual on Alan Parsons Project albums. This time it is the Boogie Rock 'N' Roll of You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned and the even worse Step By Step.

Overall, a very good Alan Parsons Project album with some very good stuff and some lesser stuff. But the worst bits are better hidden here than on most of their other albums.