PA's Top 100 Prog Albums, Year by Year

BOOM!! Apocalypse Now! "And in the Beginning" opens ominously to the apocalyptic sound of an atomic explosion, followed by a distant lonely organist, playing what sounds like a feeble budget-priced Bontempi organ. The haunting music conjures up a stark and forbidding image of an irradiated desolate landscape - similar to a typical day during the coronavirus lockdown - where the chances of coming across another living person are about as remote as finding a moderate member of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Mullah Lite, perhaps? It's not all doom and gloom though, as there's some Man-sized prog on the way. Forget the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These are the Five Welshmen of Man, and they're charging right at you with all guns blazing. Take a look at the powerful message contained within these portentous lyrics:- "The ageless face of time, Smiles carefree and is gone, And in its wake leaves nothing, Save future yet to come, And out of fire and time, A world is born and lives, A world still young and virgin, Its face yet to be scarred, And they created man." ..... This Psychedelic/Space Rock extravaganza is a real blast! The music features a triumphal marching rhythm with some hippyish Good Vibrations from the spaced-out psychedelic guitarist. There's also a sombre organ and spoken word passage thrown in for good measure too, giving the music a sense of added drama and gravitas - just like the newsreader back in 1969 who had to keep a seriously straight face when he announced that the Vietnamese villages of Phuoc Me and Ban Me Tuat had just been bombed by the American airforce. Maybe the newsreader had a few choice words of his own for his news-team after being given that particular story to read out.

Bursting onto the scene now is "Sudden Life", a quite extraordinary two-part song that opens as a basic British Blues number with a pounding rhythmic 4/4 beat, but then goes completely off the rails - a bit like this album review - and descends into a Crazy Train acid trip to hell and back. The music's crazier than rats in the attic nibbling on a diet of Bananas, Fruitcake and Nuts, not to mention the maniacal singer who sounds like he's away with the fairies in a straitjacket. The men in white coats are coming to take him away, Ha-haaa! Next, we hear the long-drawn-out echoing cry of H-E-L-L-O-O-O from a man in an "Empty Room", which just happens to be the title of the third song on the album, appropriately enough. On the contrary though, it turns out "Empty Room" is a fabulous Full House of scintillating Psychedelic Rock in the style of Jefferson Airplane and Big Brother & the Holding Company, with the male vocalist sounding remarkably like a curious cross between Janis Joplin and Grace Slick on this tripping flower-power song. Maybe he was wearing an extra-tight pair of trousers on that particular day to help him reach those really high notes. The band have come up trumps again with straight Aces in this psychedelic freak-out. It's time now for some gloriously pompous prog with the anthemic sound of "Puella! Puella!" (Latin for "Girl! Girl!"). There are no lyrics as such, but there's some wonderful choral harmonising to be heard from the five-piece Welsh choir of Man. Wow, Oh Wow! They're so incredible! This band of boyos have enough awesome vocal power between them to fill an entire cathedral. This tremendous album of classic Proto-Prog is turning out to be just as reliable and dependable as a 200- year-old Volkswagen Beetle that starts up first time after being found abandoned in a sea cave. Remember Woody Allen's "Sleeper" movie?

Turn the lights down low now, because we're getting in a smoochy lovey-dovey mood for some deep and meaningful "Love", a lilting melancholic refrain with the lovelorn heart-broken singer in full romantic balladeer mode, so get those Man-sized tissues at the ready. Listen out again for the very occasional, helium-induced, high-pitched vocals, which brings to mind the Hee Bee Gee Bees classic, "Meaningless Songs in Very High Voices". And now we come to the positively orgasmic and orgiastic "Erotica", a song with more gasps and groans than an Emmanuelle movie, or a Wimbledon tennis tournament. It's steamier than a Joan Collins movie, or a bodice-ripping Jackie Collins novel. It's easy to see why "Erotica" was banned in Britain in the not so permissive sixties, although having a song banned in the U.K never did the Sex Pistols or Frankie Goes to Hollywood any harm. This rather racy and risque tune is hotter than Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin's lustful "Je T'Aime" and Donna Summer's extended 12-inch "Love to Love You Baby" put together. The manic musical Viagra of "Erotica" is an unrestrained psychedelic organ and guitar jamboree from beginning to end, although it doesn't quite reach the zany level of insanity of Aphrodite's Child's "Infinity", which has to be a good thing. And so, after that hot and steamy love-fest of amorous fun and frolics, it's time for a cold shower now.

Onto Side Two now and the "Blind Man" is leading the way. It's a two-part song, beginning with a rabble-rousing burst of boogie-woogie piano, but then plunging into a dark mournful tale of loneliness and despair with these plaintive, emotionally- wrought lyrics:- "From my window in the alley I see life, Passing below, So very far away, And it doesn't really matter much to me, I've nothing to think of, No words to say, And the only answer seems to be that life, Is lying there waiting, To take my life away." ..... This impassioned song is a real tearjerker with the powerfully-emotive singer pouring out his heart and soul in this suicidal tale, that's even sadder than being a member of an N-SYNC tribute band. Onto a real album highlight now with "And Castles Rise in Children's Eyes", a classically-inspired prog-tastic spectacular - featuring some heavenly harmonisation - that's built around the grandiose majesty and splendour of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, and it doesn't come much grander than that! It's time for some heavy Heavy Prog, as storming into view right now is "Don't Just Stand There (Come in Out of the Rain)", a non-stop artillery barrage of sonic nirvana and pounding machine-gun percussion. This tremendously-rousing Top Gun music is as awe-inspiring as a screaming F-14 Tom-Cat - piloted by Tom Cruise - swooping down on Biggles down below in his sputtering Sopwith Camel. And now for something completely different: "Missing Pieces", a manic melange of chaotic noises that sounds crazier than a Monty Python sketch, or as mad as a March Hare at the Mad Hatter's tea party. It's probably best to skip this wacky "song" altogether and move onto "The Future Hides It's Face" which brings us right back to where we started from with the tinny sound of the Bontempi organ featured in the introduction again. We're at Mission Control in Houston in 1969 for this spectacular out-of-this-world Space Rock extravaganza as we blast off into orbit with actual recordings from the Apollo missions. The Eagle Has Landed!

In the beginning, God created Man, and Man created Prog, and it was Good..... Man have blasted off into Space Rock heaven with their dazzling debut album of psychedelic Proto-Prog. It's one small step for Man, one giant leap for Prog-kind!

"Sunflower Morning" opens the album like a beautiful flower blossoming in radiant sunshine. The song title perfectly matches the ebullient mood of the music. It's a powerful organ-driven sunburst of classic prog. It's atmospheric, it's anthemic, and it's terrific music. It's a feel-good opening number designed to brighten up the dullest of days. Just take a look at the positive message in these uplifting lyrics:- "To wake up one day, Find that my eyes can't believe, All the good things around, That keep happening to me, And the world is filled with love, On a sunflower morning." ..... Now that we're in buoyant spirits after such an exuberant opening to the album, let's have a listen to Song No. 2: "Angelina". No, it's not about Angelina Jolie. This is a bright and breezy Jazz-Rock number about a lady in an old folks home, reminiscing about days gone by and longing to be young again. Take a look at these heartfelt lyrics:- "Angelina remembers the pleasant days When she was young, But doesn't seem realized these pleasant days are gone." ..... It's another sassy and brassy, cheerful-sounding number, despite the sad message contained in the lyrics. Onto Song No. 3 now and "Skylight Man". What's it all about you may well ask. Take a look at these enigmatic lyrics:- "Tells me if you try to run with a skylight man, It could put a strain on your eyes, 'Cause the stage is set for a whole life, Trying to take your line to the sky." ..... No, I haven't a clue what it all means either, but it's great music. The singer sounds remarkably like Peter Gabriel on this particular song, which has to be a good thing. It's another lively Jazz-Rock number that's as bold as brass with the horn section in fine fettle. On we come now to the closing song of Side One and "Day of the Lady". It's another emotionally appealing tale of a lady longing for times gone by with these touching lyrics:- "Through the recalling she has longed in calling, For days of diamonds and lace, Victorian springs nights, Banquets by gas light, Now neon light shines on her face." ..... This charming little Jazz-Rock ditty is carried along nicely by the dulcet tones of the singer and the pleasing cadence and cascade (to quote King Crimson) of the music by this talented eight-piece group of musicians.

And so, what's next on the "Horizon" as we delve into Side Two. Song No. 5 is "Real Cool World", which was later released as a single. It's a rollicking rock & roll number brimming with energy and vitality. The single did well in Europe although it didn't make much of an impact in the U.K. The music certainly packs a punch though with the pounding rhythm and the guitarist embarking on a wild riffing spree. This song rocks!! "I Fought for Love" is up next. The keyboard player is in his element here, displaying impressive dexterity with some amazing keyboard runs in the style of keyboard maestro Ken Hensley, of Uriah Heep fame. This is Jazz-Rock with an uncompromising take-no-prisoners attitude. You're bound to be impressed by this powerful piece of music. And now we come to the epic title track, the 14-minute long "Horizons". This is where the eight musicians really get to demonstrate their individual prowess, taking it in turns with some very impressive soloing. There's a long drum solo, a sonorous keyboard solo, a flute solo, and a stunning wild guitar solo. What more could you ask for!? It's booming and bombastic and it sounds fantastic! The musicians sound like they're having a real blast here. How can you possibly follow that!? You follow it with "Again and Again", that's what. It's the closing song on the album and it's a rousing and uplifting romantic ballad, only this is no gently lilting romantic ballad. No, this is a powerful ballad going full steam ahead with the unstoppable power and energy of a runaway train. Make no mistake, this is a Power Ballad with full locomotive power!

This terrific Jazz-Rock album really DOES sound like The Greatest Show on Earth, or at least it would be if you could see this album performed Live. This is bright and breezy British Jazz-Rock at its best. The music is very much in the style of early Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears, so if you like those bands, then you'll love this album too. If you haven't heard this stunning album before, then you're in for a real treat. We never know what wonderful music awaits us just over the "Horizon".

We enter the mysterious world of Demon Fuzz with "Past, Present & Future", a psychedelic trip back in time to a bygone age of half a century ago. This funky Jazz-Rock album has really stood the test of time. Stir in some Graham Bond Organisation, Ginger Baker's Air Force, Brian Auger & the Trinity, and add a liberal dose of Funkadelic (all from the same early 1970's era), and you have a recipe for success with the sound of Demon Fuzz. Altogether now..... "They don't make music like this any more!" - and that's certainly the case with this superb debut. When you hear the first burst from the acid fuzz-toned guitar in the opening, swiftly followed by a storming horn section, you know you're about to hear something rather special indeed here, and so it proves to be. "Past, Present and Future" is a 10-minute long instrumental masterpiece of bold and brassy Jazz, featuring a hypnotic captivating rhythm. This cool and groovy music is sure to delight hippyish fans of the psychedelic sixties era too. "Afreaka!" has announced its impressive arrival in no uncertain terms with a fabulous fanfare of trumpets! The second piece of music is titled "Disillusioned Man", but you certainly won't be a disillusioned man (or woman) when you hear this lively and soulful number for the first time. It's a five-minute wonder in a fifty-five-minute-long album of stonkingly good tunes. All of the Jazzy elements are here in full force too, featuring an extended sexy solo on the alto sax and with the organ player belting out some funky rhythms in dazzling accompaniment. The singer sounds in mighty fine voice too with just the kind of deep and soulful vocals needed for this kind of groovy psychedelic Jazz album. He's a Soul Brother! Our musical journey continues with "Another Country", another storming Jazz rocker in what is turning out to be an album full of highlights, and we're barely halfway through the album yet. This is eight and a half minutes of soulful Jazz-Rock heaven!

We're in a mellower mood for "Hymn to Mother Earth", an 8-minute-long devotional epic praising the joys of life on our fair planet. This is a truly beautifully angelic number featuring a heavenly choir and some lovely laid-back percussion. There's also a soothing organ to help you reach the musical equivalent of Cloud 9. This tremendous piece of music also features a soaring horn section which will lift you heavenwards on a joyous emotional high. Yes, it really is THAT good! It's a truly outstanding slice of smooth and soulful Jazz which bears repeated listening, just like the album as a whole. This is the kind of gloriously inspirational music that would have folks flocking to Sunday church in their masses, if only..... The fifth and final song "Mercy (Variation No. 1)" opens with a tribal jungle drums rhythm which rumbles along nicely before the whole band "freaks out" and goes absolutely ape-crazy strutting their funky stuff in a Jazzy free-for-all of wild and sensational improvisation. This is wonderful stuff from seven musicians at the top of their game in what is a suitably rousing conclusion to a stupendous album!

Demon Fuzz have left us with one marvellously unique album of what can best be described as soulful Jazz-Funk/Rock tinged with a healthy splash of fuzzy psychedelic colours. In other words, it's a veritable smorgasbord of musical delicacies which the band have expertly blended together to make one outstanding album. "Afreaka!" is a timeless evergreen album that always sounds great, whether you listen to it in the "Past, Present or Future".

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

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

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

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

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

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

The opening song "In Ancient Days" conjures up a spooky Hammer horror movie image of a graveyard at night, where the haunting sound of the solo organ gives the impression that some ghostly apparition is about to suddenly leap out of the shadows. Don't have nightmares though, because this is just a prelude to some uplifting funky Jazz-Rock. It's easy to see why some religious conservatives might have been spooked by these sinister demonic lyrics though:- "Here in my thirteenth life the mystic power of old returns, and as I say these words, my soul again in Hell, I conjure thee, I conjure thee, I conjure thee, I conjure thee appear, I raise you mighty demon, come before me, join me here." ..... The lyrics might be dark and occult, but the music is really jaunty and Jazzy and proggy and the satanic sacrificial imagery in the lyrics and video never did their album sales any harm. The lively and invigorating Jazz-Rock of Black Widow bears no relation to the dark Heavy Metal of Black Sabbath, who the band have sometimes been compared to. There's more doom and dark satanic gloom on the way with "Way to Power", where the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are mentioned in the sinister lyrics, although the rollicking music is another solid slice of foot-stomping British Jazz-Rock. This lively feel-good music is more likely to inspire jumping and jiving on the dance floor, rather than giving the listener a scary touch of the heebie-geebies. The next song "Come to the Sabbat" DOES sound very sinister though, so it might be time to hide beneath the bedcovers, especially when you hear the repeated sinister refrain of "Come to the Sabbat, Satan's There". There's really nothing to worry about though, as we live in far more enlightened times these days, and this stirring harum scarum Jazz-Rock hokum is no more scary than a candlelit pumpkin at Halloween. Side One closes with "Conjuration", which rumbles along nicely to a slow marching rhythm with the rousing horn section weaving their magical spell.

Black Widow have conjured up a big romantic power ballad for the Side Two opener: "Seduction". You're sure to be seduced by the lush string arrangements and the playful and pleasurable Jazz organ solo. This song is like a bright ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds compared to the dark satanic imagery conjured up in Side One. The singer sounds like he's head over heels in love with these warm and tender lyrics:- "Would you have me stay with you, Squeeze and hold you tight, Smooth you with my tender touch, Share your bed at nights." ..... From the sound of things, it could be his lucky night. Next up is "Attack of the Demon", a rompin' stompin' barnstorming display of Jazzy prog to stimulate and invigorate the senses. We end the album with the powerful 11-minute-long title track "Sacrifice". It's an all-out sonic assault of thunder and lightning for the final song. The music barrels along at a relentless pace with the manic drummer and frantic Hammond organist hammering away in a non-stop cacophonous frenzy of high-decibel sound and energy. This is music designed to hit you straight between the eyes with the awesome power of a thunderbolt.

Black Widow represents British Jazz-Rock at its brilliant best. The band weave a wonderful web of timeless timbral tunes, ranging from raucous rockers to romantic refrains. It's no "Sacrifice" to say this stunning album deserves to be in any discerning Jazz-Rock connoisseur's collection.