1000 Prog Albums Over 46 Years: 1966-2011

#259

Les Porches
Maneige

A review by Warthur:

Turning their hand to an epic style of fusion which drifts heavily towards symphonic prog territory, Maneige here produce a unique and captivating album in which a dizzying interplay of keyboards (from no less than three keyboardists!) buoys up equally virtuoso performances from the rest of the band. Veering towards the sort of territory that would be explored by the ECM stable, as others have pointed out, this is a fascinating and forward-thinking album which still sounds fresh and new to this day, with plenty to offer fusion and symphonic prog fans alike. I defy anyone not to be captivated from the first haunting flute and piano lines on the opening track.

A review by Sean Trane:

Recently reissued on the Cd format by the great ProgQuebec team, this album (and its predecessor) had been all too long ignored and denied a second life by the Harvest label. Oddly enough with the bulk of reserve material still waiting to be released back then, the CD reissue offers no bonus track, but the album alone is much worthy by itself. The last paragraphs are dedicated to the review being re-written after its reissue.

Old review: How to describe this absolutely masterful and orgasmic music? Except for this lone LP where one number is sung, Maneige is an instrumental group that lets you know right from the start that they will take full advantage of this and will not allow you one second of inattention. The group mixes acoustic and electric instrument with such dexterity that they make it look easy and sound simple. NOT SO!!! Although people will classify this group in the fusion section, this is only partly correct as there is some jazz & folk, but there is an uncommon percentage of classical music but nothing stolen from the historical composers.

This album and the debut as well as the recently released live 74-75 are highly indescribable melange of all sort of academic musics. If I must name one band to come close to Maneige, I will tell you a cross between Univers Zero and Gentle Giant for the construction complexities but Maneige is so much more melodic and harmonious to your ears, that GG is rather distant cry from them.

"Why have you not heard of this band before?" you ask. My theory is that they got black listed because of their Quebecois origins at the time when Quebec was overtly menacing of separation from the rest of Canada because of the English compatriots refusing to recognize Quebec as a distinct society. This made Quebec groups unable to play freely in the rest of their country along with Harmonium (a little success), Pollen (just one superb record and disband), Aquarelle (I am not even sure they released something outside Quebec) and even the Franco-Ontarian band Cano, so they had real problems of exposure. This lasts still today except for Harmonium that does get international recognition. Is the best proof of this not that only three albums of this great band are on CD? As they are still relatively unknown, your hunt for the vinyls should not be that difficult or expensive, but man, it is definitely worth it.

New review: The 19-min+ title track suite (written by wind player Bergeron) is grabbing by the throat from the first notes, and never letting it go of its grip through its six movement, with its constantly evolving composition and so many different acoustic instruments taking over the previous one and even a rare sung section, whose lyrics were reprinted in a weird fashion on a loose sheet alongside the inner sleeve. The first side closes on a short symphonic (a quartet really) piece that is not as inspired as the rest of the album. Indeed, La Grosse Torche sounds out of place on the Cd (this was less evident on the vinyl).

The flipside starts with Saxinette and Clarophone's wild adventures and the opening minute could make you think of Genesis' The Lamb on the second disc but this is quickly forgotten as the two instruments share literally everything mixing blood, trading licks, making love to each other. Bergeron's sax and Langlois' clarinet are not just the stars of the show, they eclipse the sun for the duration of the track from shining so hard. Vincent (Jerome's brother) Langlois' electric piano solo draws chills in your back, until a weird animal meows like an elephant and the tracks veers into a wild goose chase ending in a chaotic crowd and dying a slow death! Du très grand art, monsieur!! The closing track Chromo is a much funkier track that will indeed remind what was coming ahead in NV.NN, which would be a much jazzier album.

The amazing thing is that obviously at the autumn of the group's first career (the Jerome Langlois years, if you wish), the group had loads more music that was still waiting for a proper studio recording and release. Most of these tracks can be found throughout the three live albums that have been released since 98. And from these albums, it's easy to see that Maneige's first line-up could have released a third album that would have easily matched their debut and Les Porches. So as Chromo sort of announces the new Maneige, Jerome Langlois will leave the group to concentrate on the long-standing project that he had tried to get off the ground with his previous group Lasting Weep. Le Spectacle de L'Albatros would then see the light of day in early 76 with both Lasting Weep and Maneige playing alongside, but this is another superb ProgQuebec chapter of the marvelous musical adventures of Progresson.

#260

The Rotters' Club
Hatfield And The North

A review my Mellotron Storm:

This band has quite the pedigree with former members of EGG, CARAVAN, MATCHING MOLE and GONG coming together to make "The Rotter's Club". And this is truly a band effort as the four main guys Richard Sinclair, Phil Miller, Pip Pyle and Dave Stewart all take part in creating the lyrics and compositions. It's cool to see Lindsay Cooper from HENRY COW guesting on aboe and bassoon. Actually the guest list is impressive with Jimmy Hastings adding flute and sax, Mont Campbell on French horn, Tim Hodgkinson on clarinet and the Nothettes (Barbara Gaskill, Amanda Parsons & Ann Rosenthal) on vocals.

This is very much a jazz infected record from beginning to end. The lyrics are very tongue and cheek, and the singing of Mr.Sinclair is quite whimsical. In fact CARAVAN is who comes to mind the most when listening to this album. "Share It" the first song is one of my favourites on this record. It's a catchy tune that's quite charming. A feel good track.

Phil Miller's guitar playing is the focus on "Lounging There Trying". Keys, bass and light drums also help out. The tempo picks up 2 minutes in. "(Big) John Wayne Socks Psychology On The Jaw" is a short tune with keys, aboe and drums. “Chaos At The Greasy Spoon" is another very short piece with drums,horns and lots of fuzz.

"The Yes No Interlude" is another song with some great guitar in it especially 2 minutes in. I like the tone of it in this one. Horns blast and drums pound. It turns jazzy after 5 minutes. This is another standout track for me. "Fitter Stoke Has A Bath" is laid back with vocals. Flute 1 1/2 minutes in. A change after 3 minutes as aboe, piano and vocal melodies take over. Sounds like farfisa 4 1/2 minutes in with deep bass lines. It turns experimental with some atmosphere 5 1/2 minutes in.

"Didn't Matter Anyway" is a breezy tune with vocals and flute. Yeah it's another favourite. "Underdub" is jazzy with keys and deep bass. "Mumps" is the epic at around 20 minutes in length, lots of time changes are featured.Female vocals around 6 minutes on this one with distorted keys a minute later. Great section. A couple of the shorter tracks are then reprised.

Next is "Halfway Between Heaven And Earth" which is jazzy with some nice guitar before a minute. Vocals follow. Sounds like he's singing underwater. "Oh,Len's Nature!" is surprisingly heavy. Some nasty fuzz. "Lying And Gracing" features some outstanding guitar and piano. Fuzzed out bass 2 minutes in. This is such a fun yet complex release. One of the better Canterbury albums.

A review by Warthur:

The second Hatfield and the North album is, along with the first, a true cornerstone of the Canterbury sound, an essential album which should be up towards the top of any shopping list for people beginning to explore the genre. With sounds ranging from furious Soft Machine fusion (‘The Yes No Interlude’) to gentle and good-humoured Caravan whimsy (‘Fitter Stoke Has a Bath’), the band infuse everything with their distinctive musical personalities. It's often said that ‘Mumps’, the side-long epic that closes the disc, is Hatfield's best track, and I'm inclined to agree; it's a brilliant song showing every participant at their peak. (In particular, it is far and away the Northettes' best performance as backing singers.) But trying to pick the best Hatfield and the North album is trying to pick your best finger; you might have a favourite, but you wouldn't want to go without any of them.

#261

Song For America
Kansas

A review by Mellotron Storm:

I really think this is KANSAS' best album. All their other albums are very inconsistant, this one is the exception although I don't think much of the first track. I was also surprised at how symphonic the title track is, and it's hard not to say that it's their best composition. Still I can't get past their AOR sound. "Down The Road" is not a good start. Sounds like a southern rock tune to me.

"Song For America" like I said earlier is very symphonic. Drums, violin, organ and piano stand out early. Vocals 3 minutes in. When the vocals stop the synths come in after 5 minutes. It settles with piano then picks back up with violin. Vocals are back after 8 1/2 minutes. Great song. "Lamplight Symphony" settles with reserved vocals quickly. I like the instrumental section after 4 minutes. It settles with violin and piano after 5 1/2 minutes. Vocals are back after 7 minutes. Lots of organ here then guitar.

"Lonely Street" opens with bass and vocals. It gets a lot louder before a minute. This is a blues flavoured tune. I like it. "The Devil Game" is an uptempo track. Some nice guitar 1 1/2 minutes in. "Incomudro-Hymn To The Atman" opens with some drama before settling quickly with violin. Reserved vocals follow. The tempo continues to change. There's a drum solo 7 minutes in. A good ending as it kicks back in after 10 1/2 minutes. 

A review by Sean Trane:

3.5 stars really!!!

Second album and the first appearance of their usual logo on a striking eagle, ready to pounce on unsuspecting listeners. Behind that memorable artwork (maybe influencing Rush's Fly By night), the group returns unchanged with a more determined symphonic approach, compared to their debut album.

SFA is a worthy successor to their first opus, but it strikes that the band is keeping space for shorter tracks, in case they can strike for a hit single, which SFA doesn't have any. But it has three longer or four epics (or mini-epics) including the title track, the 8-mins+ Lamplight symphony (corny title, but we are in the prairies) and the 12-mins Incommudro/Altman thing, which happens to be among my fave things from the band. All three of these tracks hold many Yes-like moments, but the pupils manage to not sound like their main influence, or at least not appear derivative. Plenty of instrumental passages over a generally high-energy rhythm section, the group seems more confident on the louder passages, but it is on the quieter ones that they truly convince.

The three shorter tracks are of a lesser interest, with only Lonely Streets garnering a bit of airplay I guess, because it was the only track I knew when I first laid my ears onto the vinyl in 76. Both Down The Road and the Devil Game sound a bit like fillers to me, but I bet mosts fans would clearly disagree. Plenty of goodies available on this second more symphonic effort, but personally I prefer the debut's freshness.

#262

Crac !
Area

A review by Finnforest:

One of "difficult" prog's must-hear titles.

Area are one of the seminal Italian progressive rock bands of the 1970s incorporating jazz-fusion, avant-garde, and occasionally even touches of funkiness or folk into their music. They also employ the experimental Italian vocals of Demetrio Stratos and a hearty dose of the wilder side of Italian rock. They were outspoken political leftists who were a stalwart of the classic RPI scene, as important to Italian prog as PFM or Banco but without the beautiful symphonic grandeur of many of their countrymen. Instead Area pushed the boundaries in different directions, with aggression and a rebellious experimental nature, but also with a sense of humor and joy.

This 3rd album continued the adventure with the classic lineup that included Stratos, Tofani, Tavolazzi, Fariselli, and Capiozzo. “Crac!” is an absolute roller-coaster of energy and is challenging progressive rock not for the faint of heart. Beloved by many avant and fusion fans in addition to stock RPI nuts, the album explodes from the start and never lets up. Hot, jamming drumming and monster bass anchor the show, while piano and guitar leads shred their way through. Sharing the tracks are Stratos bizarre vocals yelps, grunts, and other assorted madman noises.

The playing is as technically formidable as a great jazz group, but Area take things so much farther that many fusion bands. With the various musical influences, the cultural and political narrative, and the obvious Italian vibe they are a must-hear band for RPI aficionados who want the whole picture of the 70s scene. They are not a band I play often as I find them more cerebrally intoxicating than emotionally satisfying, so my comments are brief. But there is no question Area's “Crac!” is excellent progressive rock.

#263

Warrior on the Edge of Time
Hawkwind

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

“We are the warriors at the edge of time, We are Humanity's scythe to sweep this way and that, And cut the Enemy down as weeds.”

“Warrior on the Edge of Time” is hailed as one of the Hawkwind masterpieces containing some of their finest compositions and proggiest musicianship. ‘Assault and Battery’ is quintessential Hawkwind with some terrific lyrics; “Lives of great men all remind us we may make our lives sublime, And departing leave behind us footprints in the sands of time, Of hewn stones the sacred circle where the wizened sages sat, Let us try to remember all the times where they were at.” The extended section on ‘Assault & Battery/ The golden void part II’ is mind blowing. The lyrics conjure a mystical transcendental evocation; “The golden void speaks to me denying my reality, I lose my body, lose my mind, I blow like wind, flow like wine, Down a corridor of flame, will I fly so high again.” The spacey mellotron of Simon House is incredible and he also plays some stirring violin. Dave Brock sounds amazing on vocals, very forceful and hitting notes dead on, and his guitar work is exemplary. Nik Turner is a revelation on Tenor and Soprano saxophone, and also flute, all absolutely perfectly executed on this album. Lemmy’s pulsating bass guitar is a pleasant addition. Simon King’s percussion is as good as ever, with a constant hypnotic rhythm and power blasts at the end of each verse. Allan Powell also doubles up on drums and it is always a delight to hear Mike Moorcock’s sci-fi narrative prose, something to look forward to on classic albums such as this.

The music is ultra-spacey and mesmirising especially on motorik instrumental hooks like the Krautrock influenced ‘Opa-loka’. The spacey effects are integral to the Hawkwind atmospheres and this track is soaked in symphonic spacey textures. The waves crashing on the beach and seagulls are a strong atmospheric embellishment. Folky ‘The Demented Man’ has a huge mellotron sound that roars majestically over an acoustic chord structure. At this point one can become transfixed by the power of the album’s atmospherics.

‘Magnu’ is a lengthy track with a killer riff, similar to ‘Born To Go’ or ‘Masters of the Universe’. Brock’s vocals are towering as he sings of mystical adventures; “Magnu, horse with golden mane, I want your help yet once again,
Walk not the earth but fly through space as lightning flash or thunders race, Swift as the arrow from the bow, come to me so that no one can know.” The instrumental is psychedelic sax and a driving rhythm as Brock chants the mantra “until we diminish by the reign of night”. The music slows down, instruments drop out and Turner’s sax spirals off somewhere as the everpresent alien effects are heard more distinctly. The violin of Simon House is incredible, as good as I have heard from the master, very high pitched and improvised generating an emotional resonance. The percussion is tom toms and very strong beats that lock in consistently. The sound is spellbinding and jams along in the same vein as much of the material on the brilliant “Space Ritual” epic.

After this the multi echoed voice of Nik Turner narrates that we are standing at the edge and it is dark, we are the unkind, we are the soldiers of the edge of time and we are tired of making love, where is desire, it’s cold, so cold, where is our joy, where is our fire. The section reminds one of the amazing recitations on “Space Ritual” which made it such an endearing unique experience. Turner is a delight when he is in this weird mood. The next track ‘Spiral Galaxy 28948’ is a deliriously spacey mellotron soaked rhythmic piece in 6/8. The wall of mellotron turbulence and fuzzy bass, conjures images of interstellar travel and a beautiful flute chimes in with precision and expertise, floating along the oceans of star clusters.  

A Dalek like mechanised voice warns that “we are the wind which will blow the ash away as if never existed, but first we must know the enemies, we are the betrayed!” This estranged poetry leads to ‘Dying seas’ which has a throbbing bassline from Lemmy and some jagged distorted guitar riffs from Brock. The vocals are multi tracked and alienating. The electric violin is incredible slicing back and forth almost like a dark Irish jig but creating very intense serrations, very much like Van der Graaf Generator. The effervescent synth solo washes over with waves of icy glacial augmentations, sparkling over galactic soundscapes.

The next track is ‘Kings of speed’, a rocking Motorhead style track. The lyrics are very cool; “We're gonna take a tasty trip on Frank and Beasley's rocket ship, The biggest attraction, the brightest star, boys you're going fast and far”. The fact that Lemmy was a speed addict, and about to be incarcerated for it, makes this song even more potent; “We guarantee you the sweetest ride, You'll go so far you'll think you've died, Step this way lads it ain't no lie, Try your luck and reach the sky.”

The bonus track is ‘Motorhead’ which of course is Lemmy’s baby literally, and it is always a killer sounding like Motorhead for some reason. It is a portentous song as this is Lemmy’s last Hawkwind album as he would be fired for drug trafficking and begin his own angry response 3 piece band. The lyrics are effective; “Can't get enough and you know it's the righteous stuff, Goes up like prices at Christmas, Motorhead.”

The packaging of the album is great too especially the artwork depicting an archetypal warrior awaiting battle on the precipice of a jagged cliff. The bildungsroman narrative ingrained in the mystical vision depicts a coming of age as the warrior awaits his destiny in the corridors of flame of the Golden Void. The concept of the album is typically unfathomable and open to interpretation, but it is an integral component of Hawkwind’s enigmatic mystique.  

Every track on this album is a sheer delight encompassing one of the most consistent Hawkwind albums of the 70s. The album generates its own specific atmosphere that the band could not capture on subsequent albums until the wonderful “The Chronicle of the Black Sword”. The band were able to inject just the right amount of spaceyness with swathes of mellotron and sonic effects, along with astonishing musicianship with flute, sax and violin. Brock is excellent on vocals and he is joined by one of the strongest lineups for the chameleonic band, that changed lineups considerably over its long tenure. “Warrior on the edge of Time” is a masterpiece because everything worked to create stratospheric soundscapes, and the band were obviously operating on all cylinders at their creative peak.     

#264

J'un Oeil
Sloche

A review by Mellotron Storm:

4.5 stars. SLOCHE's debut is another album from Quebec like OPUS 5's that must be heard to be believed. A 5 piece band with 2 keyboardists, although one of them plays sax at times. The vocals are fantastic as well and are in French. "C'Pas Fin Du Monde" opens with spacey synths for the first 1 1/2 minutes then this intricate sounding melody takes over with keys, bass, light drums and more. A collage of sounds really. Vocals join in a minute later. Nice. This sounds amazing! A calm 5 1/2 minutes in then some bombastic drums and organ kick in before it settles into a jazzy groove. Nice guitar after 7 1/2 minutes.

"Le Kareme D'Eros" is the longest track at almost 11 minutes. We get piano melodies to open for over 3 1/2 minutes before vocals and a heavy and full sound takes over. They're having fun! Great guitar after 5 minutes as it trades solos with the organ. Incredible section! It settles with synths and piano before 7 minutes then the vocals come back. It turns spacey followed by a heavier sound after 9 minutes. Check it out! Great section.

"J'un Oeil" builds to an incredible sound a minute in. Vocals join in too. Wonderful sound. There is a GENTLE GIANT vibe and then it settles before 3 minutes, we're back to the main melody with vocals a minute later.  "Algebrique" opens with acoustic guitar as synths join in. Drums come in as the tempo picks up. Vocals 2 minutes in. An outburst of guitar and sound comes and goes 3 1/2 minutes in. Sax in this one too. Love the drum patterns here. Great track.

"Potage Aux Herbes Douteuses" opens with a catchy beat, kind of funky actually. Cool sound especially the drumming after 2 1/2 minutes. Vocals a minute later followed by some outstanding floating organ sounds. Guitar and drums after 5 1/2 minutes take over. Vocals are back. It calms right with acoustic guitar to end it. This will appeal to more than just jazz fans out there, a hidden gem if there ever was one.

A review by SeanTrane:

This stunning group from mid-Northern Quebec (the Chicoutimi region if I am not mistaken and therefore more likely to hang around Quebec than Montreal) is yet another one of relatively unknown groups that help Quebec's progressive rock revolution in the 70's. Mainly an instrumental jazz-rock group, but when actually using their vocal powers (both in scatting and in actual singing), they actually reached peaks of beauty that makes you regret this quintet did not sing more. To describe Sloche's sound accurately, you would have to imagine a cross of Maneige's middle period with Opus-5's Contre-Courant album, but if you are not familiar with Quebec's scene, this will be tougher to describe, but this fusion of jazz rock, and classical influence is relatively unique and grabs you by your soft side no matter how thick your shell might be. These guys were incredibly tight-playing and were obviously well collaborating with each other as the songwriting is fairly well-shared (a track each except for drummer Chiasson giving space to bassist Hebert a second track) and the sound is still quite up to date some 30 years later.

From the first spacey ringings of the 9-min Pas Fin Du Monde to the last drop of Potage Aux Herbes Douteuses ("Shady" Herbal Soup ;-), every single second is pure heaven with opening track setting an incredible standard with its great scat-vocals (reminding a bit Wishbone Ash during the Argus album) and its middle section almost stopping as if the End Of The World had reached us without a proper warning, but it is a false alert and the tracks picks up in a funkier manner. Closing up the first side is the 11-min Kareme D'Eros and its lengthy piano intro (there are two KB players in the group), where the group shows us that they can be quite impressive in singing (not just scatting) with its text and harmonies being incredibly close to Ripaille's sole album, some Martin Circus or a much better Ange. If you can imagine a cross-over of jazz-rock with Yes, you might just be able to have an idea of how the track is closing.

The second side starts on the superb (but much shorter) title track, which is also sung, while the much funkier Algebrique (Gentle Giant meeting Mahavishnu Orchestra-sounding and penned by guitarist Bérard) is almost reaching discordance, but this track is almost too technical for its own good. Closing track Potage Aux Herbes Douteuses renews with the scatting harmonies as if to bring you back in full circle to the lead-off track. Another strong pleaser, one wishes this second side of the vinyl to be slightly longer to have developed some ideas a bit further.

While Sloche only recorded two albums, these guys excelled in their craft and were a typical example of what La Belle Province had to offer in the second part of the 70's. As equally superb (but vastly different at will also) as Maneige, Conventum or Opus-5, Sloche is one of those groups that must be investigate by every proghead, dead or alive. Astounding and outstanding ;-)

#265

Mainstream
Quiet Sun

A review by Warthur:

Phil Manzarena invited his old pals from Quiet Sun, his pre-Roxy Music band, to at long last create the album they'd always wanted to. For four guys who hadn't been in the same band for some three years, the group manage to gel remarkably well, and the album avoids sounding like a throwback thanks to the production assistance of Brian Eno.

Manzarena's distinctive guitar sound is what sets this one apart from many Canterbury albums, but the group as a whole all have a contribution to make and craft a startlingly original album. One can only wonder the impact this would have had on prog history had it come out in the group's prime; the amazingly titled ‘Mummy Was An Asteroid, Daddy Was A Small Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil’ ends with a furious burst of aggression and the punkish vocals on the closing ‘Rongwrong’ makes the album at points sound like an arty post-punk piece as well as a lovingly crafted prog gem. Although it was surely a nostalgia exercise for all involved, somehow the album still managed to be years ahead of its time. Amazing.

A review by Sean Trane:

4.5 stars really!!

This sole album is one one of those UFDisc that make the proghead so happy in his ever-ending search for 70's gems. Phil Manzanera reformed Quiet Sun as a way of letting off steam from the Keyboard-dominated Roxy Music. Although the album has divided credits and all Quiet Sun members shine, clearly the star here is Manzanera: his searing fuzzy guitars soars above the rest of the album.

Sol Caliente is a real classy track and augurs most of the rest of the album, excellent Canterbury fusion but with a definite rock edge. Bargain Classics has typical Canterbury keyboard with spacey guitars: a must hear. The Mummy track is the highlight with a flying guitar solo followed by a superb Jarrett KB solo that is leaning towards his more famous jazz namesake. The only down remark is the last track (unfortunately also the longest): it is the only sung track (and not really well either, IMHO) but also is rather tedious and over-long.

Too bad because this last track is the sole reason for not getting that fifth star. To some extent, this is the most accomplished album that Manzanera ever played on, and certainly the one where he shows most of his abilities at guitar histrionics. His 801 venture is not quite up to par with this gem. A real must for for everyone. 

#266

Pamięć
SBB

A review by Warthur:

“Pamiec” is the result of SBB finally getting access to the quality studio recording environments their material deserved, and on top of that showcases an amazing growth in the band's capabilities. The album showcases a sound which seamlessly fuses symphonic prog with a cosmic variety of space rock. Imagine a combination of Saucerful of Secrets-era Pink Floyd's command of blissful atmospheres with Peter Gabriel-led Genesis' sense of drama and technical mastery, topped off with the mystical, majestic air of the finest Yes tracks, and now imagine those qualities being expressed in a wholly original sound that can only be SBB's own: there, you have the glory of “Pamiec”.

A review from Mellotron Storm:

Very interesting release from S.B.B. recorded in 1975. This Polish band offers up a stew of atmospheric jazz and dashes of symphonic music with drums and an array of keyboards (grand piano,fender piano,hammond organ and minimoog) leading the way. There are some vocals in Polish but not a lot. "W Kolysce Dioni Twych (Ojcu)" opens with sparse cymbals, keys and guitar sounds before organ comes floating into this atmospheric intro. Vocals 2 minutes in and they are the focus as not much else is going on. The song finally and thankfully kicks into gear before 3 1/2 minutes as drums and organ lead the way, although vocals continue. Nice beat 5 1/2 minutes in. The tempo picks up 7 minutes in. It settles with vocal melodies before 8 1/2 minutes.

"Z Ktorych Krwi Krew Moja" opens much like the first track with lots of atmosphere as keys, cymbals and guitar calmly play. Vocals after a minute. A fuller and better sound 1 1/2 minutes in. It settles back down quickly though. This contrast continues. Some vocal melodies before 5 minutes as we get some impressive drumming. Great sound 5 1/2 minutes in. The guitar is lighting it up 6 minutes in. Some atmosphere a minute later as it calms right down. Vocals after 7 1/2 minutes as themes are repeated.

"Pamiec W Kamieri Wrasta" opens with spacey winds. Lots of atmosphere follows as floating organ comes in then vocal melodies. A change after 5 minutes as the organ stops and keys take over. We start to get more of a melody 6 minutes in as it gets heavier and darker. It doesn't last long though as it calms right down. Vocals come in and I have to say that this section sounds so much like RADIOHEAD, you'd be surprised. Check it out after 8 minutes. Guitar 9 minutes in and a fuller sound. More atmosphere takes over. A GENESIS flavour 10 1/2 minutes in. Back to the atmosphere as drums and bass lead the way. Guitar 15 minutes in goes on and on as the tempo picks up. Nice. It settles right down 19 minutes in to end it. Amazing side long track!

This record seems to get better as it plays out. I admit I still find parts of this album difficult to really enjoy, mostly some of the early vocal sections. Still worth 4 stars though as the title track is pure genius. 

#267

Fish Rising
Steve Hillage

A review by Warthur:

Steve Hillage's first solo album is possibly his strongest from a prog rock perspective. Recorded at a time when Gong were in turmoil (Hillage would soldier on in the band until the end of the year, quitting after the completion of “Shamal”), Hillage's backing band includes several Gong refugees in the form of Moerlen, Malherbe, Blake, Gilli Smyth, and of course Hillage's partner and close musical collaborator Miquette Giraudy. This Gong spin-off is rounded off with a few colleagues from the Canterburian end of Virgin's prog stable of the time - Lindsay Cooper of Henry Cow and Hatfield and the North's Dave Stewart - who, of course, had previously played with Stewart in Uriel, Arzachel and Khan, and the previous year had invited Steve to guest on Egg's one-off reunion album “The Civil Surface”. This impressive ensemble attains a sound which naturally closely resembles Gong of the “You” era, but with enough Canterbury, jazz and ambient touches to make it a distinctive and different proposition.

The lyrics are, as always when Steve pens them, painfully sincere - whilst Hillage shared Daevid Allen's intent of using musical lyrics to expound New Age ideas and philosophies, Allen would wrap them in his distinctive sense of humour, whilst Steve seems extremely serious about them. (Well, except for the songs about being a fish.) If you share these beliefs, that's probably a bonus, but many listeners will probably find the lyrics somewhat laughable. What saves this from being a weakness of the album is the strength of the compositions and the unique bringing together of Gong's music and more complex musical approaches of the sort that Cooper and Stewart were exploring in their respective bands at the time. Furthermore, Hillage himself proves to be something of a musical Nostradamus, sections of some songs (such as ‘Aftaglid’) resembling the sort of ambient/dance music crossover which he and Giraudy would explore under the moniker of System 7 a decade and a half later. I can think of few albums which manage to exemplify their time and, despite that, be so far ahead of their time simultaneously, so “Fish Rising” earns the fifth star.

A review by Sean Trane:

During Hillage's GonG membership, he had already signed a solo deal with Virgin (also GonG's label since Angel's Egg), Steve wrote and rehearsed many of the tracks on the present album (originally thought to be for the second Khan album) previous, during and outside the GonG crowd musical adventures; and the album was recorded from August 74, between GonG tours and recording sessions. So unsurprisingly this first solo effort is filled with GonG members, but also old mate Dave Stewart (from the Khan and Uriel/Arzachel days) and more surprisingly Henry Cow's Lindsey Cooper. Recorded in a few sessions, the album was released with this strange fish artwork in spring-75, just in time to worsen the Planet GonG's implosion and resulting in Steve's unwilling presiding over the group's destiny on management pressures. In many ways, this album is still way too close to a GonG that I find it difficult to call it a full-fledged solo album, despite the obvious songwriting differences.

Indeed, if Fish Rising has many Pot Head Pixies influences, it would be cruel and inaccurate to overlook a much more Canterburian feel, somewhat reminiscent of Hatfield And The North and acknowledge the "pre-Gong-esque" origin of most of the tracks on it. Actually only the closing Aftaglid dates from his GonG days. So while the material might be relatively different from the GonG, it received an unavoidable RGI treatment, despite some conscious effort not to. The opening 17-mins 4-movements Solar Magick Suite has a definite Hatfield twist, no doubt due to Dave Stewart's keyboards, but Hillage's superb aerial guitar wailings steals the show. After a forgettable short but filled with Gong-esque lunacy Fish track, the album plunges in the more cosmic Meditation Of The Snake, which might be a return to You.

Flipping the fry-pan's content over, we discover the other side of the Salmon fish, which has yet to be cooked for the next 9 minutes and in four movements, sounding like a Camembert-filled Teapot with an Angel omelette to top it off. Closing the fishing party hostilities is the 15-mins Aftaglid pieces (this time in 8 stages), a superb cosmic piece of music that reveals itself as my fave. The remastered version of this album comes with two bonus tracks, the first of which is a remixed Pentagrammaspin track that belonged to the original album, but couldn't find the space to nudge in; and was rushed onto a Virgin sampler as a preview piece. In its definitive version, this bonus sounds like an integral part of this delicious album. The second track is definitely more expandable, as it is a work-in-progress of the Aftaglid track, which if not as refined as the definitive version is certainly more powerful.

Despite the album's fair commercial success, Steve and partner Miquette continued in the mother group and acted as its (unwilling) leader, but he would leave at Christmas time 75 after the Shamal album's release to record his first "real" solo (IMHO, of course) album proper, where he would rid himself of many of the Gong mannerisms, even if this writer thinks it was a mistake to do so. Definitely Hillage's best solo work.

#268

Nightingales & Bombers 
Manfred Mann's Earth Band

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

“Nightingales & Bombers” is another album in a long series of very good albums released by Manfred Mann's Earth Band in the 70's. As had become a trademark of the band by this time, the album begins with a cover song heavily re-arranged in the bands own style. This time it is Bruce Springsteen's ‘Spirits In The Night’; a great version, rather 'progified'. Apart from ‘Spirits In The Night’ there is also a second cover this time in ‘Visionary Mountains’, credited to Armatrading/Nestor. I don't know the original version or who performed it, but it is a great song. This song is softer and slower compared to the previous three tracks, offering a short respite from the rather intense moments. ‘Visionary Mountains’ reminds me slightly of the softer tracks off the excellent “The Roaring Silence” and is possibly my favourite track on “Nightingales & Bombers”. Overall however, the material on this album is more similar in style to that of “Solar Fire”, and these two albums are among the band's most experimental (yet melodic) ones.

This album includes some of the band's better and perhaps most progressive material. Songs like ‘Time Is Right’ and ‘Fat Nelly’ are highly melodic and there are many instrumental sections where the guitarist and Mann himself can stretch out. There are admittedly a few passages throughout the album where you get the feeling they don't quite know where they are going, but these moments pass by very quickly. The last track was recorded live and should perhaps best be regarded as a bonus track.

Anyway, I think it is rather forgettable and it doesn't add much to the album as a whole (despite the fact that it features the sampled recording that gave the album its name - a recording from the Second World War, made by an ornithologist intending to capture nightingales and accidentally captured bomber planes too!). Nightingales & Bombers is one of Manfred Mann's Earth Band's better albums.

#269

Timewind
Klaus Schulze

A review by Warthur:

On “Timewind” Klaus Schulze had the opportunity to use sequencers for the first time, resulting in a refreshed sound which is dazzlingly ahead of its time. Some of the sounds and atmospheres on here are reminiscent, to my ears at least, of the more ambient moments of Vangelis' “Blade Runner” soundtrack, and it's certainly the case that it would take years before the bulk of the electronic music world caught up with some of the ideas expressed here. The compositions are in general a bit busier and have more going on than most of his previous albums, and so “Timewind” could make a fine starting point for exploring Klaus' career. Apparently it was his only album available in the US for some time - if that's the case, it's a shame, but at least the US got one of his best.

A review by Mellotron Storm:

On "Timewind" Klause starts to impliment multi layered synths, and as a result his music becomes more ambient and spacey. I was reminded of CLUSTER's first two albums actually which came out in the early seventies, although they achieved their sound in a different way than Klause did. Again we have two side long tracks, what's surprising though is the length of this album at 59 minutes, considering it was on vinyl.

"Bayreuth Return" opens with spacey winds that continue to blow throughout. A pulsating beat comes in around 2 minutes as other sounds are added. I like the synth sounds 12 1/2 minutes in. It's very windy 21 minutes, more synths at 24 minutes. The sound becomes more intense 26 1/2 minutes in, until it ends on a loud and disturbing note.

"Wahnfried 1883" unlike the first track has no beat or rhythm and reminds me of CLUSTER for that reason. Sounds echo as a wind storm blows in. Synths seem to rise out of the storm and build 3 minutes in, then take over. There is something sad about the soundscape here, as spacey winds continue but are more in the background. The sound gets intense late with higher winds as the song ends and our trip is over. I still think I like "Picture Music" more than this one, but this is essential for the electronic music fan.

#270

Glory of the Inner Force
Finch

A review by Warthur:

A compelling album which sits mainly in the symphonic prog camp - but with enough jazz leanings to make it palatable to fusion fans too. In fact, the results sound a bit like what might happen if the Mahavishnu Orchestra decided to record a tribute album to King Crimson, Yes or Emerson, Lake and Palmer, with the furious guitar heroics of Jan Van Nimwegen being reminiscent of John McLaughlin, the lightning-fast keyboard wizardry of Cleem Determejer recalling Keith Emerson, and Peter Vink displaying a technically advanced, captivating, and original approach to the bass that is as individual and distinctive as Chris Squire's. Glorious AND forceful!

A review by Sean Trane:

This quartet takes its roots in the Q65 group and released three albums in the middle of the 70's, all three in the typical "Dutch school". It's clear that these guys heard Focus and Solution or even Cargo, even if they were completely instrumental and generally harder-rocking than the afore-mentioned. Nevertheless their symphonic jazz-rock was at best enthralling (with exciting and virtuoso interplay) and at worst very cheesy, especially in the more symphonic bits. Founding member bassist Peter Vink (claiming his name's Emglish translation is Finch) and drummer Klaase provide the strongest of support for guitarist virtuoso Joop van Nimwegen and Paul Vink on keys. Upon the recording of their debut album in 75, Glory Of Inner Force, Determeyer replaced Vink on keyboards. Graced with a superb esoteric artwork and a title to go along with it, Finch's music was clearly influenced by Mahavishnu Orchestra (even the title could fit a MO album), Focus and Yes.

Just three tracks on the debut album, starting very strongly with the bombastic Register Magister, where all four members go on to show the musical skills while remaining at the service of the music. The following Paradoxical Moods, where a haunting mellotron gives much depth to Joop's guitar antics and an awesome organ solo, courtesy of Determeyer. They really thrive on fast, odd time signature jams as well as slow moody sections and jump happily from one to the other without forcing it

On the flipside, Pisces is another fine majestic piece (no pun intended), but marred by the borrowing of a theme, reprised by the bass midway through the track until the end of it.The album closes on the brilliant Bridge To Alice, where the Yes influences seep out and impose itself as the album's highlight, even though it's not helped by being placed last in the track order. Indeed the formula of wall-to-wall solo plastering is exciting at first, but by the end of the album's one must admit that the cup is filled and one more solo would be the drop that overflowed the bucket. This is where the beauty of the vinyl (choose your side first) or the shuffle button become evident.

The Cd reissue comes with two bonus tracks, the two sides of a non-album single from the same year. Both Colossus I and II are short tracks that are somewhat similar to the album's music, although it's plainly audible it's not the same sessions. One wonders why such a risk and expense were taken on (relatively) average instrumental tracks, as the ideas are good, but you don't have to be Nostradamus to see that they were not original enough to create an impact, especially for non-sung music. But both tracks fit well enough on the album to enhance the album's content. If you must have only one Finch album (it sold relatively well, back then), make sure it's this one, as this one is as close to perfection as they ever got.

#271

Banco (1975)
Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso

A review by Mellotron Storm:

Like PFM did earlier, BANCO decided to put out an English language version of select songs from their previous albums. In this case from their first and third records plus a previously unreleased track. I'll be the first to say that I prefer a band sing in their own native language, especially if it's Italian, but I'll also admit I'm not a big fan of compilations or greatest hits albums. And while my intention in light of this was to offer up 3 stars for this record, I just found it impossible to do so. Sure the charm and romance of the Italian language is missing but this is just too incredible to give anything less than 4 stars.

"Chorale" has atmosphere galore to open. The dual keyboards of the Nocenzi brothers take over the rest of the song to create an interesting soundscape to say the least. "L'albero Del Pane" hits the ground running as vocals join in. A nice variety of keyboards on this one as well. "Metamorphosis" is just an amazing display of talent. Fantastic track! It's uptempo to start and and so impressive instrumentally. It settles before 2 minutes with some great sounding piano melodies. Drums go wild 4 minutes in and then piano is back leading the way as synths join in. A full sound 8 1/2 minutes in which is just a great section! A calm 11 minutes in. The sound is so majestic 13 minutes in as Fransesco comes in vocally.

"Outside" is uptempo with vocals to open. I like the piano/guitar interlude 2 minutes in. Drums and synths start to dominate and vocals return 4 1/2 minutes in. It settles after 5 minutes. Beautiful. "Leave Me Alone" opens with acoustic guitar and bass as fragile vocals join in. It's celebration time after 1 1/2 minutes then it settles again as contrasts continue.

"Nothing's The Same" has this catchy intro as vocals come in. It's almost spacey 2 1/2 minutes in as it settles. I really like the melancholic synths 3 minutes in and later before 9 minutes. Some Howe-like guitar after 4 minutes when it kicks back in. "Traccia II" opens with piano as synths join in. A fuller sound 1 1/2 minutes in. My favourite three tracks on here are "Metamorphosis", "Leave Me Alone" and "Nothing's The Same".

#290

Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh

A review by Mellotron Storm:

This was just a pleasure to listen to. I had heard and reviewed "Arriving Twice" which was a collection of songs recorded prior (1973- 1975) to this their debut album. It consisted mostly of songs that are on this album. To my ears they have really gelled and seem more confident as a band on this their debut record when compared to the earlier songs on "Arriving Twice". Dave Stewart produced it, and we have the pleasure of having Amanda Parsons from HATFIELD AND THE NORTH singing on two tracks. She would go on to sing on NATIONAL HEALTH's debut. The late Alan Gowen who would later hook up with Dave Stewart in the band NATIONAL HEALTH is truly the star here. He incorporates mellotron, piano, synths and clavinet to these wonderful songs. GILGAMESH offer up a smorgasbord of tasty, intricate sounds to satisfy the listener. One look at the long song titles and one knows that this has to be Canterbury music.

"One End More/Phil's Little Dance-For Phil Miller's trousers/World's Of Zin" has some mellotron in the intro followed by those intricate sounds meshed together that are just a delight. Great interplay!  The guitar 3 minutes in is a highlight. There is a change 4 1/2 minutes in as we get to "World Of Zin" and it's so soothing and relaxing for 6 minutes! The guitar leads the way tastefully as Phil Lee does such a tremendous job holding back, yet in the end letting go with some soaring melodies. The drumming is intricate, and we get some female vocal melodies from Amanda. The piano is sprinkled in. Amazing!

"Lady And Friend" is mellow with keys and bass for 3 minutes except for one startling outburst. It ends with a louder sound with drums joining in. "Notwithstanding" is jazzy with some excellent piano, drums, bass and guitar interplay. I just have to shake my head at how tight these guys are. Mellotron comes in early and can't be missed.

 "Arriving Twice" is a short 1 1/2 minute tune that is light and beautiful. "Island Of Rhodes/Paper Boat-For Doris/As If Your Eyes Were Open" is lighter to begin with but there is so much going on. The second part is similar but louder. Keys, bass and drums lead the way. The final section is where Phil breaks out some aggressive guitar melodies. Nice.

"For Absent Friends" is a short acoustic guitar piece. "We Are All/Someone Else's food/Jamo And Other Boating Disasters-From The Holiday Of The Same Name" features some angular guitar melodies in the first part. Liquid sounding keys and light drums as bass throbs. The guitar starts to get more upfront and passionate, as do the other instruments. The next section is almost funky before the final part 5 1/2 minutes in where Amanda is back singing those lovely melodies.

"Just C" is a short piano piece. The album cover had an actual game on it like "Snakes and Ladders" with numbered spaces, and comments on some of them telling you to go forward or backwards and why. Statements like "Payment after gig in cash! Go forward 2 spaces". Or "Drummer late for gig. Go back 1 space".  "Mobbed by groupies. Go forward 4 spaces". "Guitar player drinks 10 Carlsbergs. Disqualified from game". I could see people playing this back in the day. As for the music, I'm a big fan if you couldn't tell already. 4 solid stars.

#291

Spartacus
Triumvirat

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

Triumvirat create some of the best Symphonic Prog of the 70s.

"Spartacus" is a wonderful full on excessive symphonic prog album from masters of German 70s prog, Triumvirat. It begins with a terrific instrumental section and then the voice of Helmut Köllen comes in on the second track sounding clear and distinct, enhancing the music. ‘The School Of Instant Pain’ is absolutely brilliant, even featuring a massive drum solo and the everpresent Hammond stabs very similar to Emerson. It is broken in to a variety of sections: a) Proclamation, b) The gladiator's song, c) Roman entertainment, d) The battle.

Next on ‘The Walls Of Doom’ there is a jaunty little instrumental on keyboard motif, with breaks in the music including wild drums and some very nice basslines. This is an excellent piece of music with some odd time signature changes and very original approach to the medium, not really an ELP clone as they have been accused. There is enough originality on offer to satiate any prog palate.

The next track ‘The Deadly Dream of Freedom’ is balladic and sweetly sung, not my favourite style but it has a lovely melody though more radio friendly than their usual material, not that this is a problem as it kind of breaks up the hyper prog swashbuckling.

Then it's on to a mental instrumental ‘The Hazy Shades of Dawn’, and its back to prog excess and it is fantastic. This tune is memorable, majestic, grand, Emerson like in places, but has so many twists and turns it is astounding. The tune is a march really with some missing beats in the phrases. I like the descending parts that build with each instrument. The drums of Hans Bathelt are simply virtuoso on this. I am reminded of ELP's Trilogy with this.

The foreboding menace of Hammond organ and drums rising to a crescendo are a true feature of the showstopper, ‘The Burning Sword of Capua’. This is a tremendous instrumental with Jürgen Fritz allowed to blaze away with fire and dynamism on keyboards. It is short but it is brilliant.

The sweet vocals of Helmut that are gentle and flowing return on ‘The Sweetest Sound Of Liberty’. Once again a real breakaway from the more proggy instrumentals preceding it, but a pleasant enough song, reminding me of the way Lake's ballads on ELP albums were always present.

A spacey effect begins the next track, ‘The March To The Eternal City’, which is the first lengthy track at 8:46, on the EMI release, and it is broken into 3 sections: ‘Dusty Road’, is a quaint song with some intriguing lyrics about Spartacus, who "has come to kill". It gains tempo with a herald of drums and clean synth flourishes on Italian Improvisation section. There are some excellent keyboard swells on this, and it is a rather lengthy instrumental but never lost my interest. The song ends with the third section, ‘First Success’, which is kind of a return to the intro melody.

‘Spartacus’ is a good way to end the album, in 3 sections again, ‘The Superior Force of Rome’, with softer vocals and then it breaks out into a frenzy of Hammond, sounding as fast as ‘Tarkus’. Perhaps too fast as it is rather amusing how zany this is. It even has an off kilter chorus, "no one comes near", and then the keyboard freak out continues, with some frenetic honky tonk piano and those ‘Karn Evil 9’ siren sounds. ‘A Broken Dream’ is the second section which is basically very fast piano, a real tour de force of speed triggerfinger playing. ‘The Finale’ sounds like a finale funnily enough, majestic and bombastic but delightfully so.

The original album ended there but it is nice on the reissue to get 2 bonus tracks consisting of ‘The Capital Of Power (live)’, and ‘Showstopper (previously unreleased)’. The live track is an intriguing version of ‘The Capital Of Power’, opening their show, and it is excellent quality wanting me to hear more of this concert. The instrumental is one of their best and is highlights the talents of bassist Helmut in particular. The unreleased track ‘Showstopper’, is a curious oddity, a rather fast paced song focusing on the keyboard finesse of Fritz. Helmut's vocals are psychedelic, sounding very good but incomparable to the rest of the album, very different. The instrumental section sounds similar to other parts of the "Spartacus" album. But this is no throwaway and may cause one to wonder why it was never released.

Overall, I haven't heard a bad album from Triumvirat and this is certainly one of their best, excellent quality prog, along with the incredible “Illusions On A Double Dimple”.

#292

Apoteosi
Apoteosi

A review by Finnforest:

Keyboard rich Italian with female vocals.

Apoteosi is yet another of the Italian bands that made one great album and vanished. The group core was the three Ida siblings whose father apparently got them a record deal and produced them. Massimo Ida, the keyboard player, was just 14 years old when this album was recorded. If you plan to add some Italian prog to your collection this should be a prime candidate. The music is a wonderful blend of melodic symphonic Italian prog with some jazzed up rhythm. Primarily a keyboard album it is filled with marvelous piano and moog but also a decent amount of electric leads. The drummer is tight and impressive with great moments throughout. One thing that makes Apoteosi unique is that we have the angelic voice of Silvana Ida on several tracks rather than the typical deep operatic male vocals one is used to on Italian albums. Her singing is a bit meek and too low in the mix but it is very pleasant. The sound is a bit of a problem on “Apoteosi”, there was obviously little budget and things sound a bit thin. But the music is solid, a little mysterious, and full of heart from people who were likely aware this album would be their only one. They made the most of it in my opinion. Sure you can detect the youth and inexperience in places but you'd be amazed how well they actually do.

"Embrion" is a short and shimmering keyboard introduction for the first half with the band charging in full force for the remainder. I read that the music was a fragmented mess of everyone's ideas and that there was no time to really hash things out so they just used the chaos to their advantage and explored all of them. At times it sounds that way but that's also part of the charm.

"Prima Realta" at nearly 15 minutes is the centerpiece and is wonderful stuff. With lovely piano, acoustic guitar and flute, crisp drums and bass, and heavenly vocals from Ms. Ida this track is vintage Italian as beautiful as PFM. At about 6 minutes we get our first taste of the spacey keyboard effects that admittedly sound a bit dated but are pleasing nonetheless. And to top it all off, a stunning and energetic ending.

Next is "Il Grande Dishumano" which is more energetic finesse and along with "Prima" is another superb track. We get some fuzzed-out psych guitar and a tight rhythm that would make Bruford proud. Next up is "Dimensione" which starts as a short vocal piece to piano and distance delicate electric leads. Drums come in around 2 minutes and things pick up. The title track is the closer and it is a fiery instrumental rocker which by the end makes you wish that Apoteosi had been given a chance to take their time and do a second album. I bet it could have been amazing. Definitely don't judge this book by its rather bland album cover!

This album is highly recommended for lovers of quality 70s symphonic prog. While I acknowledge there are a few flaws with the sound that along should not stop RPI fans from getting to this title eventually. The young people involved wear their hearts on their sleeves and that always helps win me over. Their love for this music they came up with is obvious. I want to close by quoting fellow reviewer Andrea Cortese who summed up what makes this really special: He writes "....this is a hymn to their homeland, a hymn of hope for the awakening from the numbness of that wonderful piece of our beloved country. All this passion and emotional involvement are the propulsive force of this great opus...." 

#293

Nowy Horyzont
SBB

A review by Finnforest:

SBB has had a long, acclaimed career and they are one of the most important progressive groups from Poland. It is clear from the liner notes that they are Mahavishnu devotees, and they also state that they are already beyond this album at the time of its release, that their "spirit is already with their next album." They seem to stake out a sound here somewhere between fusion and space-rock. While the playing is good and some of the ideas nice I feel the album is not very consistent.

"Na Pierwszy Ogien" starts with some wild synth sounds before that band drops, a steady rhythm with trebly nervous leads on top. The guitar sound is a bit thin and the bass a little muddy. The drum fills are a real treat. The final minute is strange, the band stops and the song finishes with delightful solo piano, more impressive to me actually than what we heard before it. "Blysk" blasts off at a fast pace but is otherwise quite similar to the first track with highly treated guitar and synths exploring the landscape. I remain pretty underwhelmed I must say. Again the heavy stuff dies and the last minute of so features a short piano excursion.

"Nowy Horyzont" gets significantly better. A really jamming opening section leads into a very quiet spacey acoustic guitar and keys interlude. Nice. After this it moves to a good instrumental section with a fusion of fiery guitar and key workouts, again the drumming is very tasty. The bassist knows what he's doing too but unfortunately it doesn't always come through in the mix. OK, sensing a pattern here as the closing changes to another piano solo.

"Ballada o Pieciu Glodnych" is a spoken word piece that is a complete momentum killer musically, but perhaps if you understand the language it has value from that aspect. "Wolnoscz Nami" is the side long 20 minute cut. A dramatic drum roll intro ushers an acoustic guitar trying not to drown in some harsh synth blasts, then get very wild, very free form, with synth, piano, guitar, percussion all dabbling away. Wordless vocals come in and the mood is rather uneasy for a bit. The bass and drums come back after the six minute mark and we get a rare section of "normal" sounding symph prog, a bit Yes-ish but only a bit. After a section of near silence, the experimental sections starts around the 12 minute mark and you get some very Floyd-like psych madness before the drums come ripping back in at a fast pace paving the way for some aggressive guitar and synth licks. Out of nowhere drops a strange and heavy riff which slowly winds down to nothing for the 3 minute closing, which is..can you guess? A piano solo. It's a rather nice one that provides one of the more emotional moments of the album, a sad, longing mini tune.

I can see why the band themselves say right in the liner notes that they've already moved on in spirit from this album, this seems like a warm-up in every sense of the phrase.

#294

Visions Of The Emerald Beyond 
Mahavishnu Orchestra

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

Masters of their craft.

After the blistering start to Mahavishnu Orchestra with the definitive jazz fusion of "The Inner Mounting Flame" and "Birds of Fire", it was the next step to add in some funk and alternative styles to the jazziness of the music. The band do that on this album yet retain the jamming improv style and manic time sig changes. John McLaughlin, guitarist extraordinaire, is the only sole survivor of the original lineup but he is joined by the stalwart company of Jean-Luc Ponty's electric violin, the percussion of Michael Walden, Ralph Armstrong's bass, and Gayle Moran's keyboards.

'Eternity's Breath' is a standout for the band especially 'Part 2' with Luc-Ponty's exquisite violin serrations. It also has a heavier guitar than the usual Mahavishnu and from the outset the music signifies a completely different approach. The electric guitars on Part 1 are heavier and the effervescent violin is an amazing embellishment.

'Lila's Dance' is a brilliant piece of music in a number of odd meters from 7/4 to 14/8 and even 5/4 at times. It is an amazing rhythm with searing fret melting lead work and astonishing percussion and violin. Simply stunning.

'Can't Stand Your Funk' is a jazz odyssey in funkadelic guitar rhythms and the odd trumpet blast and very ominous keyboards. The bassline is as funky as it gets embellished by nasty brass.

'Pastoral' begins with birds whistling and the electric violin generates a peaceful atmosphere. 'Faith' is a heavier percussion explosion with ascending violins and an angular guitar riff. 'Cosmic Strut' is another funky jazz piece with odd time sigs throughout that change often. The intro is in 9/8, there is a medial section with a guitar soloing in a 7/4 metrical progression, soon after the music is in 13/8, and at times 27/8. There is no doubting the virtuosity of the band with tracks like this.

'If I Could See' is a short piece with the soprano vocals of Gayle Moran and this is followed by 'Be Happy', a frenetic jazz blitzkrieg. McLaughlin cuts loose on lead gutar on a rhythmic percussive figure.he dynamic jamming and tempo is jaw dropping on this track. Jean Luc-Ponty joins on violin slicing back and forth with speed bow work. The duo trade off solos as in a duel. These two are masters of the craft.

'Earth Ship' has a very soft, gentle musicality with flute and bass over percussion brushes. The guitar is distant and the vocals are sleepy. 'Pegasus' follows as a short transition. 'Opus 1' and 'On The Way Home To Earth' begins with a spacey ambience of Tangerine Dream textures and synth sustain. It moves into a jam session of the fuzz guitar and extraordinary percussion by the lead break is McLaughlin at his best.

This album is a magnificent musical work of virtuosity at its highest level. It proves that the second incarnation of Mahavishnu Orchestra is as good as the original lineup and of course this is always going to be hailed as a masterpiece by many listeners. The music will keep many spellbound with its immeasurable creativity and powerful spirit.

#295 

Profondo Rosso O.S.T.
Goblin

A review by Warthur:

Marking the point where the Italian prog scene collided with the Italian filmmaking market, “Profondo Rosso” is the first Goblin album and one of their better soundtrack works. The moods and musical styles adopted on the album are quite diverse, as befitting its origins as a movie soundtrack, with influences ranging from “Tubular Bells” (as on the opening of the title track, or the guitar section in ‘Mad Puppet’) to funkier material at points reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield's work on “Superfly”. Some where between these extremes the distinctive and original Goblin sound emerges, applying symphonic prog musicianship and compositional approaches to a more cinematic set of influences than those that informed the pastoral prog or fusion-leaning bands of the RPI scene.

Note that “Profondo Rosso” has been reissued in various formats, including a greatly expanded release which includes more incidental music and multiple different takes of the same tracks. If you are a major fan of the Goblin sound and want to hear every little track they made during these sessions, you might want to go for it, but I personally find these editions rather repetitive and tedious to listen to all the way through. My appreciation for this album shot up when I simply programmed the CD to play only the original album tracks in the order they originally appeared on; on the whole, I'd say Goblin did a fine job in condensing the soundtrack for an LP release.

#296

Giro Di Valzer Per Domani
Arti e Mestieri

A review by Finnforest:

A showcase for one of the greatest drummers alive.

"Giro" is a very solid album that should please anyone remotely interested in the genre. While I don't own "Tilt" and thus can't compare the two, from what I remember this album is every bit as formidable, perhaps less acclaimed simply because it followed an album much beloved. The album may actually be a bit richer in terms of production and band interplay. The highlight here as noted by many is the simply jaw-dropping percussion performance by the legendary Furio Chirico and I can only add that anyone who is a drummer or appreciates spectacular percussion needs to hear Furio in action. I am also a fan of Beppe Crovella since hearing his work on the later Tower album "Tales from a Book of Yestermorrow."

The tracks are intricate and flawlessly executed jams with great guitar work and enough sax and violin to really add great color. Jazz-rock.net also plays up Chirico's importance in the band: "Personally I would compare him with Billy Cobham, although an octopus also comes into mind. This virtuoso is able to fill the space with such an incredible sound, layer upon layer of polyphonic rhythms, it's quite spectacular. Behind him, an ensemble of bass/guitar/keys/violin/sax/voice are creating track after track of pure enjoyment" [jazz-rock.net].

For me personally the music is at times too busy and this is why I give a higher rating to something like Esagono, who may not have quite the chops of this band but arguably provide more emotionally satisfying music. "Giro" can be a simply exhausting listen that rarely gives the listener a chance for a breather; of course I realize this is a plus for many of you. For jazz fans really into intense, technically savvy jamming I can see why others would give this 4 or even 5 stars.

#297

A Night At The Opera
Queen

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

“Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?”

Queen's “A Night at the Opera” is a definitive album of 1975, a year when prog was absolutely flourishing with many bands producing their best material. Queen produced this album at the height of prog and yet did not include a single prog element except one penultimate song that we have all become accustomed to.

Of course I speak of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Perhaps this is a good opportunity to gush over this song. I believe it is quite simply the greatest rock song in history. It features a rock opera within its complex structure. We can all recite its Wagnerian lyrics with multi layered vocal harmonies; “Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning me, (Galileo) Galileo (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo Figaro, Magnifico!... Bismillah! No, we will not let you go (Let him go!)” It is safe to say that the song became ingrained into pop culture as a result of this section alone. The structure is really three sections encompassing three distinct genres of rock.

The piano driven rock ballad begins the track after an intro of harmonies. The ballad speaks of a man who has killed a man, shot him in the head and now he is facing death row. As he is waiting in his cold cell for the bell to chime reflecting on his past life and it doesn't have much time (Iron Maiden, anyone?), about to walk down the corridor of no return to the electric chair, he hears angelic choral voices calling him; a battle between good and evil ensues in the murderer's mind.

The opera section is the most celebrated, most discussed section in Queen history. Using operatic terminology and harmonies the song defies anything done before or since. As the song builds to a crescendo the paroxysm of lightning explodes onto a power riff that is pure metal. The doors are blown apart with dynamite.

Section three is metal complete with the killer riff, lead break and screaming vocals. The murderer has escaped, a violent struggle and he is free. Mercury is stunning in this section as he screams to the world; “So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye, So you think you can love me and leave me to die, Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby, Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here-ah!” It is a short section really and yet has managed to be the head banging national anthem. “Wayne's World” captured it perfectly as the boys banged heads furiously in their car during this section. It all ends with a bookend, more piano, same melody as beginning; “nothing really matters” and like all good operas finishes on a resounding gong. That's how you create a masterpiece.

That's about it, isn't it? Oh, that's right there are other songs. They pretty much disappear in light of this track but they are worth a small mention. The problem is the ‘Rhapsody’ track is so massive that if you are expecting more like this you are in for a shock as nothing comes close. There are good tracks such as the single, 'You're My Best Friend' with a radio friendly catchy melody that I like a lot. 'I'm in Love With My Car' is fun with quirky lyrics and even quirkier structure. 'Prophet's Song' is very strange with great hooks and an a capella section repeating Mercury's vocalisations over and over, no music just masses of multi layered vocals. Weird and memorable but annoying on subsequent listens. And the live set and album closer, the bombastic patriotically British 'God Save the Queen'. Of course this is infamous for the track where Mercury appears on stage at the end in flowing royal robes and royal crown. He dips his crown to the loving crowd and retains his enthroned position as Queen of rock. Looks good in concert but sounds rather bombastic on CD.

Of course pomp rock was Queen's Curriculum Vitae but there is a lot of very ordinary music on the album. 'Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon' is short but unsatisfying. 'Sweet Lady' is kitschy and corny. 'Seaside thingy' is eccentric mumbo jumbo. 'Love of My Life' is a crowd pleaser where Mercury gets crowds to sing along and that may be great to hold lighters up in the air and sway, but on album it is mediocre at best. So all this considered, here is an album that does not live up to the hype. Yes, it features Queen's and rock history's greatest song, and a killer single, but is that enough to gain masterpiece status? You be the judge! I think 'A Night At The Opera' is a worthwhile album for the shining lights amidst some dire moments.

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

A night at the Prog opera

As a long time Queen fan, I cannot quite decide if Queen II or A Night At The Opera is the best Queen album, but they are clearly both masterpiece albums for me. Queen is one of my favourite bands of all time and it is fair to say that if it wasn't for Queen I would probably not have become aware of progressive rock. Queen converted me from 90's alternative rock to classic 70's rock and I have never looked back since.

With a great self-titled debut album, a masterpiece second album and a third, very good but not perfect album under their belts, this fourth album was a very important one for the band. A Night At the Opera was to become the band's breakthrough to a wider audience much due to the amazing mega hit Bohemian Rhapsody, possibly the most progressive song to ever become a number one hit.

Like Queen II, A Night At The Opera flows extremely well; many of the songs flow into each other making the whole greater than the sum of its parts. The sum of its parts would already add up to a considerable sum in its own right, but it is the album considered as a whole that really makes it into a masterpiece. All of the band's trademarks are here in full bloom. The hard rock, proto-metal of the early albums is still present, the commercial side of Killer Queen is also present as well as the progressive and experimental side of the band.

The four band members are all excellent musicians and Brian, Freddie and Roger all have very distinctive singing voices that compliment each other perfectly. As usual the three of them does backing vocals and also lead vocals on some songs. Roger sings his I'm In Love With My Car and Brian sings his '39 and Good Company, for example. John, the bass player is 'the quiet one' as far as his personality goes, but he never misses a beat.

Brian's guitar sound and technique is also instantly recognizable and unique. As usual on 70's Queen albums there are no synthesisers. But Brian's unique ability to make his guitars sound like any other instrument makes up for it. He even makes them sound like trumpets on some parts! Together with Steve Howe and Steve Hackett, Brian May is one of my favourite guitar players of all time. In addition to the more traditional instrumental attack of guitar, bass, piano, drums and vocals, we also find electric piano, banjo and harmonica as well as some less common instruments like a Japanese koto! There are also many vocal and instrumental effects, and various bells and gongs, etc.

The styles of music vary from acoustic Folk ballads to hard rock to almost experimental music, but all the time staying true to the distinctive Queen sound. The moods similarly vary from very serious and reflective to almost comedy to more aggressive. It is remarkable how well it all holds together given all the diversity. The Prophet's Song is a truly progressive song with an amazing a cappella section and driving hard rock.

A Night At The Opera is a masterpiece of progressive rock and a true must-have album for all Prog fans.

A review by Conor Fynes:

Music aside, 'A Night At The Opera' was a massive undertaking. At the time, the album was the most expensive in terms of production, and each moment of the album was created under the meticulous eyes of the band, who could take as much as a day to even produce 30 seconds of material. It's safe to say that Queen were out to make a real masterpiece here, and while there is some material on the album that doesn't hit me in a big way, the majority of it makes it up to be true to it's intent. 'A Night At The Opera' is indeed; a splendid work, and arguably the best in Queen's repetoire.

As I've said, many of the songs on the album are great, with but a few small exceptions. The only real stinker here being the epilogue track 'God Save The Queen' (which I usually skip through anyway,) the less potent songs are still decent rockers that aren't out of place on this album.

There's a very prevalent classical influence on the album. From the operatic harmonies of Freddie Mercury in the bombastic climax of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to the erudite piano introduction to 'Death Of Two Legs,' it really sounds like Queen is making a brand of classical music for the new generation of music. That's certainly not the only style shown on the album however. The most personal and moving track '39' delves straight into the realm of skiffle-folk. On another note, the most progressive song on the album, 'The Prophet Song' takes a much heavier approach, and has even been called by some as being the first 'power metal' song ever done (although I tend to disagree personally.)

The best known song here is easily 'Bohemian Rhapsody' which is the climax of the album. I can't say this for many songs I've listened to, but the performance on 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is well near perfect.

With the great load of effort and talent that was put into this album, it's not hard to say that this is a masterpiece. It's not one of my favourite albums, but the world would not be the same without this gem of music. This is one to cherish.

#298

Four Moments
Sebastian Hardie

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

Australian symphonic prog is a rarity and it is with gratitude that a fellow Australian is able to immerse himslef in the beauty of “Four Moments” by Sebastian Hardie. It is astounding how achingly beautiful and uplifting this music is. There is some incredible musicianship on this and it is not without its virtuoso moments especially some of the guitar lead work and organ phrases. The band consist of Mario Millo on vocals, guitar, mandoline, Toivo Pilt on keyboards, mellotron, Alex Plavsic on drums, and Peter Plavsic is bassist.

‘Four Moments: 1 Glories Shall Be Released’ begins this exporation of symphonic beauty. The orchestral keyboards are complimented by a melodic guitar and the percussion and bass rhythm prowess. Ater a long intro of melodic powerful keyboards, Mario Millo’s vocals come in; “now you feel the heat of the sun upon your face, and as you reach out you really can embrace everything is real.” 

‘Dawn of Our Sun’ is a gorgeous piece of music with haunting flute sounds on keyboards, and a very effective phased psychedelic guitar picking rhythm, with cymbal splashes that add a sense of majesty to the sound. Vocals by Millo add to the sense of mystery; “time moves on, our sun will be gone, leaving our sky, and night time will come, deep in our minds, memories live on, lost in a haze, soon we will be gone.” The melancholica of the lyrics are augmented by soaring lead guitar and uplifting mellotron.

‘Rosanna’ is a showpiece of exquisite music with violining guitar, and infectious melodic elegance. It is the biggest track for the band and is a popular live favourite. On the last track we have perhaps the best of Sebastian Hardie. ‘Openings’ is a 13 minute mesmirising journey into beautiful soundscapes. Camel influences abound, especially with the Andy Latimer guitar style. The melody is nice, and it is very relaxing music with tranquil synths and orchestration. The organ is excellent especially when it launches into a solo and shimmers with effervescence alongside pipe organ and piano. The feel of the piece is on the same steady time sig but it builds in intensity and is replete with passages of exquisite crystalline keyboards. The dreamy musicality is superb, and the violin style of guitar over the spacey textures of mellotron is exemplary. I love how the heavy riff locks in toward the end and it changes into a different rock style using the same melody but quicker tempo.

This is an excellent album with swathes of mellotron and guitar lead work, a must have for lovers of Camel, Yes, Eloy, The Moody Blues and symphonic prog. 

#299

Novalis
Novalis

A review by Finnforest:

Novalis' second and self-titled effort is seen as their best by many and is rated accordingly. While this one is more animated and rocking to be sure symphonic prog bliss to me is as much about mood as anything, and for this reason I tend to prefer their next album "Sommerabend" to this one. The composition on “Sommerabend” blows this away. As great German prog goes I would also prefer the first Rousseau album to this one for the greater variety in sound and use of the flute, whereas this album relies almost exclusively on the keyboard element to wow you.

"Sonnengeflecht" starts poorly in my opinion with some uninteresting and cheesy synth runs but does recover in the middle with some quiet guitar licks and brief piano before they are again squashed by the loud circus-clown synths and a return to the beginning part. The song feels like an introduction to the much more respectable second song but it should have been shortened to just the middle section.

"Wer Schmetterlinge Lachen Hort" is really just an extraordinary symphonic masterpiece with about everything the romantic prog fan could want: sensitive vocals, acoustic guitars, fluid electric leads, delicate female vocals, crisp drum work and of course masterful keys. The mood and pace are generally quite upbeat. This is the kind of track that takes you straight to symphonic heaven. Every itch is scratched, one of Novalis' finest tracks if you forgive the obnoxious gong at the end, which I do. Unfortunately it is the peak of this album and is not sustained throughout.

"Dronsz" is a cool, trippy assortment of experimental synth sounds set against a simple bass and drum beat. "Impressionen" has a long intro with a single cymbal and regimented bass line over synth before opening up into a bit to full grandeur. Mostly keyboards at work here but there are a few spicy guitar runs as well. "Es farbte sich die Wiese grun" is an effective harder symphonic gem with lots of excellent lead guitar runs. The pace is slow-medium with plenty of moody synth background and a few vocals but the rocking leads provide the money shot here. There is a bonus track on the Japanese reissue of "Impressionen" which was recorded live in Hagen in 1975. The sound quality obviously is not perfect but fans of Novalis will likely be thrilled at the chance to hear the group live in 1975.

The Japanese mini reissue is a gorgeous high-quality glossy gatefold of the wonderful cover art. It comes with a nice booklet of photos, bios, lyric sheet, and of course the live bonus track mentioned. The booklet notes that guitarist Carlo Karges passed away in 2001. 1970s Symphonic fans must sample Novalis and I would advise this: If you prefer upbeat and extravagant synth-dominated music start with this one. If you prefer moodier, spacier stuff start with “Sommerabend” but you should probably hear both as they are quite different in my opinion and represent the peak of Novalis.

#300

No Mystery
Return To Forever

A review by Warthur:

Another strong album from the classic Return to Forever lineup, “No Mystery” is enhanced by the growing guitar skills of Al DiMeola, whose shredding on several tracks makes key contributions to guitar technique which would soon be adopted in a variety of genres. The strongest composition on the album is probably the closing ‘Celebration Suite’, but the greater emphasis on songs composed by the whole band opens the door to a greater sonic diversity than heard on the previous album, with funk and the smoother side of jazz both making their presence felt. The album is, by and large, a satisfying work which gives the impression of a band continuing to develop towards its peak.

A review by Sean Trane:

Another one of RTF classic line-up ventures that got a bit lost, this album is rarely seen on sale and certainly not the most representative of their discography. Sporting a psych-disco artwork, No Mystery is probably RTF's funkiest effort, but let that not deter you; it's still a worthy RTF album that you're bound to like if you dug their other works. With an unchanged line-up over WHIMYB, NM features vocals, something which hadn't happened over the previous two albums.

Yes, the funk thing is almost overpowering although you're not yet on Hancock's Headhunter album either, but this is sometimes close. The opening Dayride and later on Jungle Waterfall are full and complex funk stuff (ie. Sofistifunk) where the jazz elements are almost eradicated (White and Clarke are the main songwriters on this side), this being enhanced by Corea's disputable synth sounds. The race towards new technology was something that seemed primordial to all these jazz rock pioneers (Zawinul, Hancock and later McLaughlin with those ugly Synclavier guitar effects), often causing them to overuse and abuse these novelties and their music can seem quite dated nowadays, precisely because of these "novelties". One of the rare tracks that escape the Funkmania is the lengthier and ADM-penned Flight of The Newborn that returns to a more conservative fusion and the collectively penned Heavy Metal movement that features Corea's classical roots.

The flipside (all tracks written by Corea) starts with the title track makes a return to more standard jazz (a hint of LAAF, with Clarke's bowed bass) but again veering a bit more classical to the end. Actually, the whole side takes on a very different feel with plenty of Corea's Spanish-influenced classical musical, reinforced with ADM's guitar, the whole culminating with the first part of Celebration Suite, but the second part is not far behind: full 14-mins dramatic Hispanic histrionics and hysterics a gogo: great stuff worthy of their HOTSG album

Saved by its second side, NM is a very schizophrenic album, with its fusion and funk facets: most likely Afro-Americans will prefer the opening side, while the euro-American will prefer the flipside. In either case, NM is again a very good (if not excellent) album, but I would not recommend it as an introduction to RTF's works.

#310

Moonmadness
Camel

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

Camel explore very unique territory with each release. This is their fourth album and definitely one of their best featuring some of their most eclectic symphonic prog tracks such as ‘Song Within a Song’ and ‘Lunar Sea’. The album features in the top 40 best prog albums in the Mojo magazine prog special.

Each track is beautifully, masterfully executed with incredible musical virtuoso playing from each member. Latimer's guitars are perfectly balanced by Ward's drumming and the keyboard talents of Barden's. The keyboardist also trys his vocal talents on ‘Spirit of The Water’ which is phased out psychedelic beauty. The instrumental sections of each track are the highlights, not taking anything away from the vocal talents of the band who all take turns on this release.

‘Song Within a Song’ is what it purports to be, a song hidden within another song and it does feature many metrical time changes as is akin to the music of Camel. ‘Air Born’ is a beautiful sonata style piece that virtually ebbs and flows on the air. This is a similar style to “The Snow Goose”, the previous album that was purely instrumental.

The best track on the album is ‘Lunar Sea’, a 9 minute extravaganza, that works as a multi movement suite, in the great classical tradition, but this is symphonic rock. It has become a staple of the Camel live concert and features as a bonus live track, equally as well executed. In fact the bonus features on the Decca remastered CD are a definite drawcard. There are 5 in total - the single version of ‘Another Night’, a demo of ‘Spirit Of The Water’, and live 1976 versions of ‘Song Within A Song’, ‘Lunar Sea’ and ‘Preparation / Dunkirk’. The bonus material clocks in at over 30 minutes! This caps off a great CD release. The best of Camel is right here, make no mistake.

A review by Finnforest:

Camel's finest hour?

Personally, Camel's first album is my favorite of their classic period which I consider the first four releases with bassist Doug Ferguson. The debut album has so much enthusiasm and fun jamming. But I have to admit that "Moonmadness" is probably their masterpiece, the most well-rounded, full-sounding, and consistent album of those years. They entered the studio in January 1976 and the album was on the street just two months later which is a testament to how efficient they must have been at that moment. Moonmadness seems the most mature of these albums and corrects the shortcomings of the fan favorite "Snow Goose" by eliminating the more docile spaces between the great moments in an album that was already low-key enough. Liner notes indicate that new producer Rhett Davies sought to give Camel a more spacious sound on this album and it's a difference you can really notice when you listen. Lush, melodic, and with improved writing, Camel's fourth turned out to be an album that would live up to the fantastic cover art and grand intentions.

The stage is set instantly with properly noble introduction titled "Aristillus" which likely gave fans in 1976 plenty to be excited about as they began to explore the lunar concepts. But it is on "Song Within a Song" that you realize this is going to be special. Few bands do the pastoral this fine: lush keyboards, beautiful flutes, restrained guitar and drums, mellow vocals. This is one of those very difficult albums for me to describe because the adjectives just begin to repeat. Beautiful, gorgeous, et al.

"Chord Change" sees an uptick in the energy level with Latimer and Ferguson playing off each other very nicely. It chills out a bit as Latimer lets flow one of his most fantastic solos ever with Bardens using restrained organ behind him. After Bardens takes his own solo the pace picks back up until the end. A brief respite with the great piano and rippling voice on "Spirit of the Water." The roll they were on just kept rolling with "Another Night" which was chosen as the single being an upbeat rocker with suitable vocals.

"Air Born" may be the single most beautiful melancholic prog track ever written with the flute and synth perfectly setting up Latimer who executes both acoustically and electrically. The vocals here are sufficiently dreamy to fit well with the mood. The closer is the instrumental "Lunar Sea" that puts this album over the top. The soaring atmospheres created by Bardens and Latimer absolutely bath the listener in the smooth rocking lunar vibe that the album is selling, wide-open, propulsive by Camel standards, and fun! The hero on this piece is Andy Ward who's understated but tight percussion holds everything in perfect orbit.

How fitting that this review is being posted tonight, about an hour before I will be stepping outside to view a full lunar eclipse on a clear, freezing cold night. No, I didn't plan that, this album just happened to be on the top of the pile tonight. An essential title for a wide range of progressive rock fans who adore melody and accessibility. There is nothing abrasive here, this is plain and simple musical comfort food.

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

Another night

By many considered the band's best album, Moonmadness is indeed a fantastic album. It is, however, not my personal Camel favourite - that award has to go to Mirage. Compared to that album, the present one has less energy and it mostly lacks the harder edge and intensity of Mirage; Moonmadness is a little bit slower in tempo and mellower in its mood. But there is no doubt that Latimer and Bardens came up with some fantastic songs for this album some of which are classics of the genre. Spirit Of The Water is a truly beautiful and moving song.

The keyboards, guitars, drums and bass are simply great and the occasional flutes add to the overal sound. There is not a weak moment on this album, but it doesn't blow me away quite like how Mirage does. But Moonmadness is a near-masterpiece, for sure.

A classic and an excellent addition to any Prog collection

A review by Warthur:

The final album of the original Camel lineup sees vocals making a return, but the band's newly acquired expertise in playing mellow, melodic, calming prog is still in effect, creating an intriguing blend between the song-based approach of Mirage and the tranquil nature of The Snow Goose. Standout songs include the dramatic Another Night and the majestic Song Within a Song. All the band members take a turn providing vocals (though in Andy Ward's case this involves making nonsense noises for the background of the opening track), but the album is particularly notable for the development of Andy Latimer's singing style. At points, his vocals kind of remind me of Richard Sinclair, making the imminent entry of Sinclair into the Camel lineup make a strange sort of sense.

#311

A Trick Of The Tail
Genesis

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

The genie had escaped from the bottle and Genesis were free again.

Perhaps the overly creative Peter Gabriel was actually stifling the creativity of Genesis by overpowering them with his own creative juices. After Peter Gabriel left, many feel that the magic was extracted from the band, in a sense the cork had been popped and the genie had escaped from the bottle. Gabriel went on to do other great things and left the band dangling by a thread with the reluctant Phil Collins to take up where Gabriel left off. "We came close to calling it a day when Pete left," Rutherford mentioned in an interview, "It wasn't that we lost our nerve. We were always confident we could write the music, because Tony and I had done most of 'The Lamb.' It was just a question of whether the public would accept us." There was a lot of misconception that the band could not continue sans Gabriel. After the enormously popular "The Lamb Lies Down In Broadway" the band had to come up with something extraordinary as there was such an expectation with this new lineup. Could Genesis pull it off without the enigmatic Gabriel? The answer is a bonafide yes. This is perhaps one of the best Post Gabriel Genesis albums of all time. The musicianship is absolutely brilliant when you have the likes of Hackett, guitar extraordinaire with, Banks, masterful on keyboards and mellotron, Rutherford, bass rhythm professional, and of course, percussionist Collins on lead vocals.

It begins with the progalicious off kilter rhythms of ‘Dance on a Volcano’ with Banks, Rutherford, Hackett and Collins in full flight, a force to be reckoned with. The intricate time signatures are astonishing, a mixture of jazz fusion and complex melodies. The drums are off beat, not quite in time with the signature, but the odd metrical pattern is consistently off the beat and it works so well. The lyrics are quite amusing nonsense, and the time sig is chaotic in a passage of proggy delight, "On your left and on your right, Crosses are green and crosses are blue, Your friends didn't make it through. Out of the night and out of the dark, Into the fire and into the fight, Well that's the way the heroes go, Ho! Ho! Ho!" There is a chilling self prophecy towards the end with the estranged vocals "Let the dance begin", and we all know the "We Can't Dance" album and how that shaped their music for the worst, becoming commercial and radio friendly. In any case this opening track is brilliant Genesis and a killer to present the new lineup. Hackett's guitar riffs are infectious and unforgettable on this track. This is the best track on the album, a tour de force of proggy rhythms and virtuoso musicianship.

‘Entangled’ has an excellent Hackett 12 string intro and the soft vocals of Collins accompanying. The track is essentially a folk ballad, the type that would grace every Genesis album from here on with Collins at the helm. The lyrics are all about a patient who dreams disturbing things, there is no slipperman or fox here, just a simple melodic balladic form, "Madrigal music is playing, Voices can faintly be heard, "Please leave this patient undisturbed." Sentenced to drift far away now, Nothing is quite what it seems, Sometimes entangled in your own dreams." . The harmonies are quite nice, and even pastoral at times, especially some of those swells on the keyboards that add an ethereal quality. The end synth break is a highlight, showcasing Banks inimitable flair.

‘Squonk’ has a solid steady rhythm with very familiar lyrical style, the nursery rhyme or is that cryme style, "All the King's horses and all the King's men, Could never put a smile on that face." The lyrics are very fairy tale in style, "He's a sly one, he's a shy one, Wouldn't you be too. Scared to be left all on his own. Hasn't a, hasn't a friend to play with, the Ugly Duckling, The pressure on, the bubble will burst before our eyes." The story is all about the furry little squonk and it makes references to all sort of chidren's literature such as 'Snow White'; "Mirror mirror on the wall, His heart was broken long before he ever came to you..." So Genesis were still maintaining the thematic content of past albums that was centred on fairy tales and nonsense rhymes which is nice to see. The lyrics that refers to the 'Trick of the tail' is here too, "Now listen here, listen to me, don't you run away now, I am a friend, I'd really like to play with you. Making noises my little furry friend would make, I'll trick him, then I'll kick him into my sack. You better watch out... You better watch out." A great song that is quite popular among Genesis freaks.

‘Mad Man Moon’ begins with a dreamy flute sound and very soft piano. Collins gently sings in a melancholy way while the mellotron plays underneath, "Was it summer when the river ran dry, Or was it just another dam. When the evil of a snowflake in June, Could still be a source of relief. O how I love you, I once cried long ago, But I was the one who decided to go. To search beyond the final crest, Though I'd heard it said just birds could dwell so high."This is a very pastoral song which changes feel at 2:45 with a piano interlude, played to perfection by Banks. This is a quiet sleeper track.

‘Robbery, Assault and Battery’ has some of the more character driven lyrics we have become used to from Gabriel, but this time Collins plays the very English characters, "Slipping between them he ought to have seen then, The eyes and their owner so near. With torch shining bright he strode on in the night, Till he came to the room with the safe." Collins uses a tough cockney accent on the next sections, "Hello son, I hope you're having fun." "You've got it wrong Sir, I'm only the cleaner." With that he fired, the other saying as he died, "You've done me wrong," it's the same old song forever." The chorus is memorable, melodic and easy to sing along to in a live performance,"Robbery, assault and battery, The felon and his felony..." There are some compelling time sig changes and Banks is allowed to shine with his scintillating keyboard lead breaks. The section at 3:20 is great sounding like the type of style on "Foxtrot". The cathedral grinding pipe organ sound at 4:30 is majestic and powerful.

The last three tracks are featured many times in live performances as a trilogy and indeed on compilations. I had heard them many times but on this album they made a perfect ending to the album. ‘Ripples’ begins immediately with trademark 12 string Hackett brilliance. The melody is very strong and memorable, one of the best of Collins quieter moments with the band. There is an uplifting chorus that soars, "Sail away, away, Ripples never come back. They've gone to the other side. Look into the pool, Ripples never come back, Dive to the bottom and go to the top, To see where they have gone. Oh, they've gone to the other side..." I like the instrumental break with violin style guitar and very well executed piano flourishes and an extended passage of synth. A fan favourite and performed live it is a gem.

‘A Trick of the Tail’ is a bit of a transition between two treasures. The lyrics are a real feature telling the bizarre tale of a beast. "And wept as they led him away to a cage, Beast that can talk, read the sign. The creatures they pushed and they prodded his frame, And questioned his story again. But soon they grew bored of their prey, Beast that can talk? More like a freak or publicity stunt..." The melody is whimsical matching the Beowulf style lyrics. I always liked this as it is so different than anything else on the album, and a lot of fun, not taking itself seriously. I can understand why many feel this to be a low point on the album but it resonates with me, especially the infectious chorus, "They've got no horns and they've got no tail, They don't even know of our existence. Am I wrong to believe in a city of gold, That lies in the deep distance, he cried and wept." The quest for the beast is humorous but it is intriguing, and streets ahead of any of those love ballads that were soon to permeate the Genesis catalogue in the dreadful 80s.

‘Los Endos’ is a true classic that has ended many Genesis concerts, full of incredible instrumentation and shades of light and dark textures. The drums, the tom toms are frenetic and driving, the guitar is riffing eloquent, and the bass is a key rhythm powerhouse. It settles into the familiar 6 chord keyboard pads that all Genesis fans know. Banks is absolutely stunning on this instrumental. At 4 minutes in there is a choral section and gradually building keyboard motif, until there is a type of reprise of album tracks, you can determine the various melodies. Collins even subliminally has a few lines of singing, "There's an angel standing in the sun, Free to get back home." . Then it fades into the distance. This was the perfect way to end an excellent album, with the band demonstrating their uncompromising musical genius.

Overall, "A Trick of the Tail" is a wonderful beginning to the new lineup sans Gabriel, proving the band can do incredible things even without their frontman, flutist. The songs will grow on you after a while and some have become part of Genesis folklore now, especially the last three tracks and the opening track. This progressive excellence was not to last unfortunately. There were three more solid albums with prog elements until 1981 when the band sold out to mainstream commercial radio snapping their prog apron strings once and for all and effectively destroying the trademark sound to become marketable to a mainstream target audience; adoring females. The music on this album is well accomplished and many guitarists love to emulate the work of Hackett on this and keyboardists can revel in the talents of Banks. This is a very pleasurable album with much to recommend it; one of the best from 1976. 

#312

Still Life
Van Der Graaf Generator

A review by  AtomicCrimsonRush:

This album is truly a wonderful foray into the dark netherwold of Van der Graaf Generator. Ear splitting vocals and ambient keyboards are the order of the day and Hammill is a master of the insightful existential lyric. This is him at his existential best. Listen to the caterwauling of ‘La Rossa’ and ‘Still Life’ to hear his heartbeat and feel the tension and angst of a life dedicated to music.

‘My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)’ is an 8 minute journey into the darker consciousness of the man. This is not an easy album to digest, in fact no VDGG should be, but of the big 5 classics this is the most difficult and takes several listens to appreciate. This album is a diverse detour for the band. It does not rely heavily on heavy guitar or keys and is a lot more melancholy than any VDGG. Hammill is turned way up in the mix and the instrumentals accompany his instrument/voice on each track. It is gentle and quiet but very brooding and moody. Stunning vocals throughout and Jaxon, Banton and Evans are quintessential to the evolution of the group. Perhaps this is the best line up, no arguments there I suspect. But it is surprisingly restrained and may turn some off as there is not a shred of heavy rock unlike previous albums.

The bonus track though rocks out and is a freak out of sound - incredible. ‘Gog’! What is this? Where does it come from as no album features this in studio format. It is a wonderful raw vibrant performance from the band.

'Still Life' must be commended for sheer ingenuity and audacity. A jaded album for sure, slightly twisted in places, too quiet for comfort, uneasy listening, but a very good release from VDGG.

A review by Sean Trane:

As there were remaining tracks from the previous writing/recording sessions, Still Life arrived fairly quickly on the market, and what a splendid album it was! Godbluff's twin album is actually superior (and ultimately more rewarding) to it and it shows with the stunning artwork sleeve.

Opening Pilgrims (and its slowly solemn descending crescendo) is a sure winning salvo only topped by the lengthy La Rossa (their Italian affinities showing), while the very personal My Room (Hugh Banton on bass and Jackson's superb ambient sax, with Evans' restrained drumming) is a real contender for the best Graaf track >> not far from House With No Door. The title track is another spine-chiller, with Hammill's doomy and desperate vocals crying out in the middle of the night, before the quartet is picking up momentum and Hammill's mood changing to anger. Then comes the lengthy and awesome Childlike Faith In Childhood's End (inspiration taken from a book that was particularly well appreciated from all band members) closing off the album in a grandiose way.

While two of the five songs were written (and recorded) during the Godbluff sessions, the remaining three tracks are certainly of the same calibre if not even better, but certainly the proof that Graaf still had major things to say in the realm of prog rock. As I said before, I prefer Still Life to Godbluff for it has no weak track, but sincerely, choosing between the two is something I would rather not do.

A review by Warthur:

Hugh Banton provides one of his finest organ performances on this Van der Graaf Generator album, which picks up where Godbluff left off to continue its weird and wonderful explorations of bizarre conceptual spaces. Kicking off with Pilgrims, a strident and purposeful counterpoint to The Least We Can Do's more nervous and uncertain Refugees, the album takes us through explorations of immortality, classic Arthur C. Clarke novels, wild love and lonely meditation in a murky musical haze dominated by Banton's organ and David Jackson's ever-present sax. Standout track has to be the title piece, which combines one of Peter Hammill's most fervent vocal performances with some of his most philosophically intriguing lyrics. At the same time, though, tracks such as La Rossa and My Room drag on a little too long for my liking, suggesting that the band could have pushed this up to a five-star piece had they spent a little bit longer cooking up new material for it.

#313

Leftoverture
Kansas

A review by  AtomicCrimsonRush:

Kansas's "Leftoverture" is literally a magnum opus of songs linked to a thematic concept.

'Point of Know Return' and 'Leftoverture' are both real progressive conceptual works and as good as Kansas gets. On "Leftoverture" the band consist of Kerry Livgren on guitar, keyboards, Robby Steinhardt on lead vocals, violin, viola, Steve Walsh on lead vocals, keyboards, vibes, Dave Hope on bass, Phil Ehart on drums, and Rich Williams on acoustic and electric guitars. This lineup is one of the most celebrated in Kansas' long tenure. The music on the album is virtuoso and features some of the best known Kansas compositions with incredibly inventive structures and adventurous time sigs, wrapped up in a concept.

The album cover is striking and one that I treasure in my vinyl collection. The image of an old sage with a scroll pondering over his work is perhaps as striking as Gryphons "Red Queen to Bishop Three" cover. The medieval concept of a Nostradamus like figure or Leaonardo Da Vinci is a perfect conceptual image for Kansas to indulge in.

'Carry on Wayward Son' begins proceeding with a bonafide classic and featured on many rock compilations as well as every Kansas compilation and live show. It is the quintessential Kansas with killer riffs and fantastic melodies building to an unforgettable chorus. The music is wonderful, especially the half time feel with heavy guitars. The band harmonise well and and this is the best Kansas song without a doubt, making them milions deservedly.

'The Wall' has a nice steady beat and sounds very AOR. Kansas will return to a stronger AOR sound in years to follow. 'What's on my mind' has a good guitar intro and then soft rock verses building to heavier guitar on chorus. Not prog but a nice melody.

'Miracles out of nowhere' has a chiming vibraphone intro and very nice Hammond layered with an odd time sig and then acoustic and gentle vocals. Love the feel of this and much more proggy than last 2 songs. The half time section is medieval and has an odd 7/8 meter with very progressive keyboard instrumentation. The sig changes again to an unusual meter, as violins begin and a wall of sound opens up. A new time shift as the tempo quickens and a scorching lead break is heard makes this one of the definitive higlights. An underrated classic for Kansas.

Side two of the vinyl is definitely the proggiest Kansas with a huge suite of songs to create an opus and indeed the first part is titled 'Opus insert'. The lyrics are performed strongly by Steinhardt; "There's a reason for all that rhymes, it's the fact and the way of the times, It's moving emotion, it's high and it's low, no matter where you go, There is something for all who look, there's a story in every book, All of the pages, between all the lines, so much that you can find, But there's too many empty lives my friend". The music changes meter throughout and has some majestic keys and a very bombastic style. It is followed by 'Questions of my childhood'.

This is a shorter song with similar time shifts and inspring lyrics; "When the sun is in the mid sky, he wears a golden crown, And he soaks the world with sunshine as he makes another round, It's been a faster year than yesterday, all the things that I had planned, And when I think I might be gaining, I'm in the sunshine once again." The sound is uplifting with washes of melodic keys, and a strong beat that gets faster during the keyboard solo that fades.

'Cheyenne anthem' is a ballad about the sadness of the cruel treatment against the Cheyenne Indians, and features beautiful instrumentation, keys, violins, medieval guitar, and loud percussion. It builds in speed in the middle as a frenetic keyboard solo comes in and vibraphone. The Gentle Giant sigs are odd and the thumping rhythm in the medial section is almost like a circus polka theme, but it is a cynical melody in contrast to the content. It has powerful lyrics about the death of the Cheyenne people robbed of their land and finishes with; "Soon these days shall pass away, For our freedom we must pay, All our words and deeds are carried on the wind, In the ground our bodies lay, here we lay". The poignant content is matched by sombre melodies and a melancholy children's choir. It finishes with one last majestic soundscape.

'Magnum opus' is the longest track at 8 ½ minutes. It begins with pounding drums of war, and then Livgren's howling keyboards and a steady rhythm. The track takes off into a lengthy instrumental section with inventive sigs, musicians taking turns to shine on guitar, keyboards and all brought together by the rhythm machine of bass and drums sounding like Focus or ELP. There is an ominous melody and it all sounds so massive with a wall of sound that keeps up a compelling melody with vibes, marimba and violins. It slows into the main theme towards the end, swathes of keys, soaring guitars and a finale that ends suddenly on a high note. Incredible masterpiece of prog and typifies Kansas at their very best.

In conclusion this is definitely one of the best Kansas albums and features their most beloved tracks. The exceptional single 'Carry on Wayward Son', the quasi-mystical 'Miracles out of nowhere' and all of side two make this an essential album and one of the best in 1976.

#314

Romantic Warrior
Return To Forever

A review from SouthSideoftheSky:

I'm not at all an expert on Jazz-Rock/Fusion and I haven't (yet) heard very much that I like from this genre. But I immediately liked Romantic Warrior. The keyboards, the guitars, the drums and the basses are all played with enormous skill and urgency. The music is very complex yet somehow melodic and accessible. There is feeling in the playing and it is not just technical for the sake of it.

The problem I usually have with Jazz-Rock/Fusion music is that it leans too close to Jazz and contains too little Rock influences. Romantic Warrior is true Fusion in the sense that it is not just regular Jazz played with rock instruments. Still, there are many passages here that are close to Jazz. But there is just enough Rock to keep it interesting throughout for me.

The best tracks are the first and the last one. ‘The Medieval Overture’ sounds a bit like an alarm bell at the beginning and I have indeed been using it as such for a couple of weeks now! So I wake up every morning to the sound of Romantic Warrior. There is no hurry to push the snooze button!

“Romantic Warrior” is a great album title and it has a great cover art too, and the music! Probably the best Jazz-Rock/Fusion album of all time and also one of the best all instrumental albums of any category. A great introduction for the Prog fan to Jazz-Rock/Fusion, I think.

Recommended!

A review by Ivan_Melgar_M:

Not being an expert in Jazz, I always have a hard time trying to review albums from Jazz Fusion bands, but when you have the chance to listen to genius of the size of Chick Korea, Al DiMeola, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White, it's worth the effort, so I took "Romantic Warrior" from the shelf where I keep the albums I hardly ever listen to and decided to give it a try. After so many years without listening to this excellent album, I had almost forgotten how it sounded so it was almost a discovery and a very pleasant one, they are far better than I remembered.

"Medieval Overture" is simply perfect, even when it flows coherently from start to end (something not so common in Jazz where free performance is usual), the radical changes from Jazz to some sort of Spacey King Crimson sound are simply impressive. If I had some doubts about their Prog attributes, all were dissipated by this track, Chick Corea is without doubt a master of any genre and he is the one that IMO adds the Prog elements with his display with the keyboards. The song ends with the interplay of all the bands that reminds me of Medieval battles, a great opener.

"Sorceress" starts with a very short oneiric keyboard intro soon followed by bass and drums in perfect synchronicity, even though it's evidently a Jazz song, the dreamy atmosphere reminds me during all the track, except in the sections where Al DiMeola goes nuts with his extraordinaire solos remembering that the rock element is also present.

"The Romantic Warrior" starts again with a dreamy keyboard intro and DiMeola helps to achieve the atmosphere with his acoustic guitar, but suddenly Stanley Clarke takes the lead guiding the rest of the band with his bass well backed up by Lenny White on the drums.The song remains almost inalterable for several minutes allowing all the musicians to show their skills in their respective instruments but always directed by Clarke who keeps the precise timing. Around the middle of the track, DiMeola adds a Flamenco touch, it's hard to say which musician is better because they alternate carefully showing us how skilled they are but without loosing coherence, maybe too slow and predictable for my taste but still the performances are brilliant.

"Majestic Dance" reminds me of Jean Luc Ponty's masterpiece "Aurora", even when in this case the keyboards provide a Medieval touch, after the first minute you can expect anything, they go from Medieval Clavichord sections to a full jazzy explosion; the collision of sounds and styles is simply breathtaking. Then they take their Rocker costumes and hit us with everything they have, my favorite song from the album.

"The Magician" is another high point, probably the closest they get to Prog, the ethereal moods and atmospheres created by Corea remind me clearly of Wakeman but of course less pompous, again the radical changes keep surprising the listener, and the final section is captivating.

The mini epic "Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant" is supposed to be the central point and culmination of the whole concept of the album and fulfills its mission, soft dreamy passages interrupted by sudden explosions of power and energy and an extremely beautiful subjacent melody, a highlight and the perfect closer, 11 minutes of all that "RETURN TO FOREVER" can provide.

As everybody here knows Fusion is not my favorite sub-genre, but this is an album that doesn't deserve to be forgotten for so much time, left in a box while less impressive albums are almost always in my Cd player, so I will keep it closer than ever before and play it from time to time. The rating is not hard for me, not 5 stars material (I leave that for some Ponty albums and Visions of Emerald Beyond by Mahavishnu) because I could manage to live without listening to it for years and I'm sure many Progheads can without any trouble, so essential it is not (At least not for everybody), but rating with less than 4 stars would be disrespectful. So that's my rating, a great addition for any Progressive Rock collection.

#315

Viva Boma
Cos

A review by Sean Trane:

With this second album, Cos still has half of Belgium laughing because of the artwork depicting Flemish grandmas. Although Loos was gone by this time, he is replaced by Marc Hollander (future Aksak Maboul) and Lonneux (ex-Recreation) takes the drum stool, but Dartsch still participates to the album. Then feeling is even more Canterbury-esque and the progression from the debut album is awesome. Marc Moulin (from the then-defunct Placebo) is the producer of the album and also contributes some killer Fender Rhodes on two tracks.

Opening electronic pulses will startle you if you were familiar with other Cos works, but this is a very brief moment, but another surprise awaits you on the following title track with its African percussions. Further Still (Nog Verder ) is a splendid slow Fender Rhodes-based track soon picking pace to end-up like a Weather Report-like funk. Boehme just funks along with sometimes-weird KB sounds startling you. The first side closes with the lengthy Flamboya, with Pascale Son making sweet love to Moulin's moog and Hollander's Rhodes, and soon the fuzzy keys send you flying across the channel to the Kent County. Clearly the first side's highlight, this track holds some of the best Wyatt-like scatting I have heard outside himself.

Son's opening Arabic influenced-vocals are a startling wake-up-and-pay-attention call especially when Schell pulls in one of those mystical Santana-like guitar solo just after it. The lenghty Idiot Leon is the cornerstone of the album with its fuzzy organ (David Sinclair-like) and weird quacking noises and a blistering Schell solo and wind instruments interventions. Closer Ixelles is a slow ode to the city where I was born some 13 years sooner and is probably my fave from the vinyl, but I can only be partial.

The four bonus tracks are excellent and great interest, especially a very different (and better) Nog Verder than the album version with its obvious Stella Vander-like vocals and Zeuhl-esque keyboards. A real touch of class!! But the other three were tracks that did not make the cut when the album was released. I can imagine how some choices can be painful.

The only regret I have is that Son's lyrics (actually Schell's) are not printed on the Musea first issue. As this album got re-released from Musea in early 2006, one can hope that this will be amended. Nevermind the details, we are again looking at a splendid album that typifies the 70's Belgian scene much better than the mediocre Machiavel. Owning this album is one of the requisite to being a happy proghead and only the ones who do not know this cannot understand.

A review by Mellotron Storm:

Thank God for liner notes. I couldn't figure out what certain instruments were that they were playing,especially when the list of instruments didn't show anything that sounded like a fuzz organ for example. Well there is a detailed story about this recording session thankfully that reveals that newcomer Marc Hollander's farfisa organ's sounds were treated by fuzz and wah-wah devices and ended up in a Dynacord echo chamber that could reproduce them at a normal, slow or accellerated speed. Alain used the same effects on his Rickerbacker bass. Band leader Daniel Schell modified the sounds of his guitars through an EMS synthesiser which allowed him to double the melody. He also used several other effects like saturation, a wah-wah filter etc. Both Marc and Daniel were fans of MAGMA, ZAO and HENRY COW which really comes through on this recording as the Zeuhl/Jazz flavour is quite strong.

Female singer Pascale Son is incredible. She has a child-like sound to her vocals that remind me of a cross between the innocence of THINKING PLAGUE's singer and fragility of the PAATOS' singer. The word "Boma" in the album's title can mean grandmother in a Belgium dialect or refer to an African town along the river Congo. That is why the front cover has the hippos in the river Congo, and on the back we have a picture of the band and girlfriends with others, along with the grandmother, front and center. Very humorous. You can tell these guys like to have fun from the other pictures in the liner notes.

Things get started with "Perhaps Next Record" which is funny given that this short song sounds like it came off of a Krautrock record and sounds nothing like they usually do. Electronics, sitar?, perhaps the next record will sound like this. Funny. "Viva Boma" has lots of drums and percussion. The vocal melodies are fantastic as the piano comes in. Cool song. "Nog Verder" is a slow moving, mellow song with reserved vocals, light drums and keys. The tempo picks up after 2 minutes as the organ comes in. Zeuhl-like vocal melodies 3 1/2 minutes in as it turns jazzy.

"Boehme" is a tribute to a hermetist philosopher appreciated by Daniel. It is supported by a complex harmonic progression dedicated to his harmony teacher. This one is heavier with organ, drums and keys. Vocals before 2 minutes. Fuzz organ before 3 minutes to end song. "Flamboya" features delicate vocals and a heavy, slow paced organ? 2 minutes in. Nice. Guitar, bass and cool vocal melodies. A nice lazy guitar or organ solo late. It's processed so it's hard to tell.

"In Lulu" has such an amazing sound to it. The guitar is wonderful. "L'Idiot Leon" is probably my favourite track. There are some great sounding passages throughout this song. The tempo and moods change throughout. There is a harmonization that includes the aboe, flute and bass clarinet. "Ixelles" features a low sounding cello throughout as long instrumental passages alternate with Pascale's beautiful vocal sections.  A must have.

#316

In the Region Of The Summer Stars
The Enid

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

Majestic orchestrations and sweeping crescendos become an emotional soundtrack.

My first listen to The Enid began with this album and I was quite surprised at the musicianship and the structure of the songs. There is a full on orchestral feel to these tracks and essentially you may be mistaken for an actual movie soundtrack such is the orchestration and mood swings of the music.

'Fool' begins with a staccato hammering piano chord and then some gentle piano follows, though it has a threatening edge, an ominous looming shape, as if something is creeping up from behind. This is soon joined by the effects of water and a perhaps a porpoise. The trumpets resound adding a majesty and there is a low droning. Welcome to the world of The Enid. It is unlike any symphonic I have heard in a long time and this may take some getting used to. The instrumentation is designed to evoke specific moods.

When 'The Tower of Babel' chimes in there is a foreign sound, perhaps Eastern and even a galloping guitar motif, reminding me of someone galloping on horseback through a steaming desert. The Egyptian style music helps to enhance this imaginary scene. There is a lot of musicianship here and this band is obviously virtuoso when it comes to structure and control of instruments that fade in and out at appropriate times. When it is inspired like this track, it is complex and magical. I would rate this as a highlight of the album.

The inventive music continues on 'The Reaper' that begins with a church pipe organ and a violin style pad. A melodic clean guitar picks a nice tune. It is very much like the music found in a melancholy moment in a romance movie. The chiming bell is an ethereal sound, tolling in death, as a crazed bass drum echoes thunderously and a crescendo of strings rises up. An intriguing track with many mood swings and emotional resonances. The overall feel of mystery and intrigue is essential to the music.

'The Loved Ones' begins with minimalist gentle piano and soft strings. Romantic, sweeping and emotive piano and strings follow and draw in a listener if they are prepared to immerse themselves. It is like the style of composer Rachmaninov.

'The Demon King' begins with a flight of eerie piano and a chilling heavy motif. The guitars are great on this and the heavier treatment is welcome after the lulling previous song. This has some shimmering Hammond and wah wah guitar to create the sense of impending dread. Perhaps reminded me more of Therion in a sense though there is no metal. There are some cheeky melodies adding a humorous edge but this is darker than previous material on the album. A definitive highlight.

'Pre-Dawn' and 'Sunrise' begins with a lone pastoral trumpet presenting the theme of dawn approaching is heard. This is joined by gentle music that is sleepy and dreamlike. The flute shrills and runs are well executed, as are the sweeping violins.

'The Last Day' features an estranged Bolero rhythm similar to Ravel in a sense. The tune is recognisable to those familiar with classical music. It begins slowly and softly building to the crescendo of trumpets and drums that crash fortissimo. It segues into 'The Flood' where there are musical shapes of allegro and adagio, light and shade throughout, and it builds to a rousing finale where a synthesizer and guitar are accompanied by flute, trickling harp and waves crashing on a beach. The balletic Bolero style of these pieces are music of mounting intensity, an orchestrated crescendo, a wonderful piece of music.

'Under the Summer Stars' begins with a zither twanging and a flute, joined by an off beat drum rhythm and swells of guitar. A very different piece to previous tracks. The guitar dominates with violining and picking expertise. The flute is a mystical sound, the mellotron is strong and the melody is infectious when it locks in. It is a bit like Pink Floyd and has a spacey guitar to give it the serrated edge of dark prog. Another highlight that draws this album to a close.

'Adieu' blends seamlessly from the previous track and is a farewell piece. The piano is played with nimble fingered dexterous flourishes. A synthesiser echoes the tune and a harp brings a majestic touch. And so it ends on a quiet lulling note, like the denouement of a movie.

Final words are to steer clear if you are not a classical music fan as this is genuine classical music with very little rock. The Enid had not introduced singing at this early stage but it was the beginning of great things to come. It is a nice piece of music on the whole but I can see how this will not appeal to everyone, but The Enid deserve commendation for musicianship and innovation on this album.

#317

Wind And Wuthering
Genesis

A review by  AtomicCrimsonRush:

Genesis find themselves in unquiet slumbers, for the sleepers in that quiet earth.

"Wind and Wuthering" ended 1976 on a high note for prog and indeed for Genesis who had already found success with their masterful “A Trick of the Tail”. Just in time for Christmas, their latest album features some of their best material sans Gabriel. Each member of the band is in fine form and 'Wind and Wuthering' is firmly entrenched as one of the favourites for the band members themselves. Tony Banks stated that it is among his two favourite Genesis albums, and Steve Hackett is also "very fond" of it and rightfully so as it features some of his most accomplished guitar work. Every song soars along on symphonic layers of keyboards and Phil Collins is excellent on vocals and drums. Mike Rutherford's bass is a wonderful embellishment and the rhythms are complex and outstanding. Here are the tracks, each one tells a story, and each have a soft spot in the hearts of Genesis fans wordwide.

'Eleventh Earl Of Mar' kicks off proceedings with a title that is dedicated to a metaphoric description of an old Scottish uprising. The song focuses on the true tale of John Erskine 22nd or 11th Earl of Mar, who is one of the most incompetent characters of the 15 Jacobite Rising. It is dominated by Tony Banks keyboard wizardry as is most of the album. The music is incredible and as good as the band gets, every member is in full flight but in particular Banks is having a field day overshadowing even Hackett who is usually in the limelight. Hackett is terrific on this album but it is really the last time he would record with the full band unfortunately, embarking on a solo career that was very successful and continues to be so. The lyrics are typical of Genesis, double entendres, quaint pop culture references, and quirky British humour abound; “The sun had been up for a couple of hours, Covered the ground with a layer of gold. Spirits were high and the raining had stopped, The larder was low, But boy that wasn't all. Eleventh Earl of Mar, Couldn't get them very far. Daddy! Oh Daddy, You Promised.” Collins is in fine voice, confident and dominating, though he overuses the cymbal splashes on this track. The mellotron is an everpresent force and Rutherford shines on bass. The track features an abundance of synth riffs that remind one of the glorious 80s synth explosion. The melody is deconstructed with time breaks, signature shifts and solo performances. The middle section is tremendous with sweet melodic tones and Collins’ gentle approach. This is certainly one of the highlights of the album and very much like 'The Battle of Epping Forest' in many ways, in both theme and structure.

'One for the Vine' continues the excellent soundscapes with one of the greatest Genesis tracks with a mellotron drone and blasts of wild percussion competing with Hackett's sweeping riffs. The opening riff is sensational and well recognised by Genesis fans. The lyrics are inspired and as good as anything I have heard in the earlier releases; “Fifty thousand men were sent to do the will of one. His claim was phrased quite simply, though he never voiced it loud, I am he, the chosen one.” The protagonist is called to serve as the chosen one, and immediately the majestic music echoes the sentiments of the one who will lead. It is regal and uplifting with some dark tones representing the conflict he feels within as he is forced to make the difficult choice. “In his name they could slaughter, for his name they could die. Though many there were believed in him, still more were sure he lied, But they'll fight the battle on.” The leader knows that many will die under his leadership but nevertheless must lead in order to instigate freedom. This may also represent the holy wars as told in The Bible, following the same themes as in other Genesis albums especially “From Genesis to Revelation”. It switches time sigs dramatically after the serenity of the symphonic musicianship. The tempo quickens and a wonderful synthesizer kicks into gear. A layered wall of sound pulsates along a dynamic percussive beat. Collins returns on vocals as the new time shift locks in. It is a complex track with many diversions. It is perhaps the best track on the album with a lot of progressive touches and an innovative structure, telling a potent story of maturity. The main protagonist is experiencing the changes of adolescence to adulthood as a reluctant leader forced into going in directions without choice that lead him to an eventual demise. Religious overtones abound, and there are multiple interpretations. The protagonist is on the verge of crossing the line between divine inspiration and delusion. He has many people around him who believe in him to the point that leads him to an ultimate decision to take up leadership with both reigns firmly in hand. It takes quite a deal of soul searching before he finally decides to fulfil his purpose instead of doing things his own way. As he takes on the responsibility to leading he crosses into adulthood. “This is he, God's chosen one, Who's come to save us from, All our oppressors. We shall be kings on this world.”

'Your Own Special Way' is certainly a poppier approach but has some very nice melodies and a catchy hook in the chorus. Collins is harmonised a few times on layered vocals and I particularly like the uplifting tones. The keys are terrific, but I wonder where Hackett is hiding on this.

'Wot Gorilla' is an instrumental that may feel like filler material but it is very well executed with some delightful atmospherics including a strange gliterring chime lending an ethereal feel. "Wot Gorilla?" may be a reference to touring drummer Chester Thompson, who had been mentioned in ‘Florentine Pogen’, which is a track on Frank Zappa's “One Size Fits All” album in 1975.

'All In A Mouse's Night’ is an intriguing piece where a mouse speaks to a loving couple, Cinderella style. The lyrics are charming with a few dark nuances thrown in. The loving couple begins with talking to each other and the mouse chips in, which may or may not be imaginary; “I can't see you but I know you're there. Got to get beside you cos it's really cold out here. Come up close to me you'll soon be warm. Hold me tightly like we're sheltering from a storm.” The mouse then has some amusing dialogue to itself and we may surmise that it is on the head of the lovers who are experiencing detachment from reality; “Think I might go out for a stroll, Into the night, and out of this hole. Maybe find me a meal. Walking along this new shag pile, Presents a problem all the while. Nearly the door.” The song continues with its quirky jaunty rhythms telling the tale of the mouse's adventures; “Suddenly he bumps into wood, the door is closed. A voice from the bed, he'll be exposed. Which way to run, must make for the hole, The light's been turned on, he's blind as a mole in coal.” Perhaps the mouse is a metaphorical representation of sexual suppression that the lovers are feeling. In fact a cat comes into the story and chases the mouse to its final fate; “But now the cat comes in for the kill, His paw is raised, soon blood will spill, yes it will.” The cat has a cynical line of dialogue that further cements the sexual tension in the lives of the lovers. They are experiencing conflict that is represented by the cat and the mouse scenario; “Hard luck mouse, this is the end of your road.” In any case it is a fun song harkening back to the classic Genesis material on “Foxtrot” or “Selling England By The Pound”.

Other interpretations are that the mouse represents mental health and the protagonist loses it completely when the cat is devoured by the ten foot mouse. Also this could be a dig at the Looney Tunes cartoon where Sylvester is taunted by a 'ten foot mouthsh' and it is actually a baby kangaroo but Junior thinks it's a real mouse and forces his father to fight it to no avail. A darker interpretation is that the loving couple discovered a mouse costume stored in an old casket in the basement. The male donned the costume in order to scare his female lover but it backfires as she has become a cat in costume also and “it only took one blow”, she finishes in the superior position of the relationship. Or did she kill her lover accidentally thinking he was a lunatic trying to kill her. Or did the man in mouse costume see a cat on his way upstairs and whack the cat dead. The song is nevertheless about the chase, submission and sexual tension, disguised in a cute tale, and is one of the great tracks on the album.

'Blood on the Rooftops' begins with a medieval style acoustic flourish, a piece de resistance for Hackett.The lyrics are very strong; “Let's skip the news boy (I'll make some tea), The Arabs and the Jews boy (too much for me), They get me confused boy (puts me off to sleep), And the thing I hate - Oh Lord! Is staying up late, to watch some debate, on some nation's fate.” The television is becoming a hypnotic device desensitizing the protagonist who is becoming lost in the fantasy of it all. A dramatis personae of his alter ego is the fantasy of escapist TV, and he indulges because his life is so empty. “Hypnotised by Batman, Tarzan, still surprised! You've won the West in time to be our guest, Name your prize! Drop of wine, a glass of beer dear what's the time? The grime on the Tyne is mine all mine all mine, Five past nine.” The lyrics are reminiscent of the Gabriel era and indeed Collins sounds similar in this vocal style. The references to pop culture are as strong as Genesis gets and are as blatant, but there are darker meaning beyond the surface particularly in the chorus that speaks of violence and despair, war and destruction, blood and decay; “Blood on the rooftops, Venice in the Spring, Streets of San Francisco - a word from Peking, The trouble was started by a young Errol Flynn, Better in my day Oh Lord! For when we got bored, we'd have a world war, happy but poor.” The viewer watches TV shows like “Batman”, “Tarzan”, How the West Was Won”, “The Streets of San Francisco”, Errol Flynn swashbuckler movies and Quiz Shows, merged with the horror of the news, but all in one night’s viewing, and it all plays out like entertainment. Instead of having any shock effect on the viewer who accepts it and is desensitised. There are touches of references to “Nursery Cryme” in the lyrics; “When old Mother Goose stops they're out for 23, Then the rain at Lords stopped play.” The reference reminds one of the nursery rhyme lyrics and front cover of the classic album, and the words are referring to a cricket match where the batter manages 23 runs before being stumped.

The album concludes with two masterful instrumental compositions that run together seamlessly and these are capped off with ‘Afterglow’, a fond song for the band. The instrumentals, 'Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers' and 'In That Quiet Earth', are decent enough to be taken in one sitting as one piece and certainly are a showcase for Banks' killer keyboard finesse. They are pleasant ear ticklers with enough keyboard to satiate any mellotron addict.

The titles of these instrumentals are taken directly from Emily Bronte's “Wuthering Heights” novel; "I lingered round them, under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath, and hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondered how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers, for the sleepers in that quiet earth".

To conclude this may be the last great Genesis studio album and it capped off an excellent year for the band that had also presented “A Trick of the Tail” equally as good. It would be the last time Hackett would produce Genesis studio material but it was not the end for the band despite the massive upheaval of personnel.

#318

Principe di un Giorno
Celeste

A review by Finnforest:

Pastoral prog legend

Definitely a top contender for someone's future poll of the "most beautiful albums of prog." This album is a legend of "pastoral" prog titles. I don't know one person who has heard this album and not liked it, it is just universally delightful regardless of what genre you call your favorite. You've all seen Heaven depicted in the movies or in books. You can imagine the setting: the camera pans across a gorgeous meadow on a perfect sunny day, wildflowers of every color blowing in a warm breeze, songbirds about, and a huge oak tree with a massive trunk in one corner of the screen. There is a white glow or haze to the film indicating the supernatural. And there is no doubt some beautiful music in the soundtrack. Well, this album could be that music. Just a silly way of trying to communicate the "vibe" of this album instead of just telling you each track is going to sooth your psyche with gorgeous melody made of soft acoustic guitars, flutes, trons, bass, and vocals.

The arrangements are impeccable. It is a uniformly mellow album without any rock and roll but that's OK. This album is not in your collection to rock you-it will become one of your prized "chill" spins. The flip side however is that it does lack excitement factor and over time has proven an album that fails to engage me very much on an emotional level. I have other "pretty" albums that move me much more than Celeste. For that reason I've had to back off my original 4-star rating to 3. It's a good album but not one for my 4 star shelf. While I've seen some reviews say the music came too late in the Italian heyday to matter (1976), the fact is that this album was written right in the peak year of '73 and recorded in '74. So don't let that charge stop you from checking out this widely acclaimed favorite.

A review by Sean Trane:

4.5 stars really!!!!

Of all the Italian symphonic prog groups, Celeste is maybe the one that relies most on ambiances, the most delicate and certainly ranks in my top five along with QVL and PDP (even if the last ones are definitely more jazzy) and is all too often overlooked by many. This multi instrumentalists quartet recorded two album in the mid-70's with their debut being the better-known. The very white (and bland) cover (even if the inside gatefold illustration is more evocative) contrast heavily with the superb calm classically influenced music on the disc. The mood is very much romantic, pastoral and mellotron-ladden. I find that Celeste does not sound like your typical Italian prog group, but in many ways, Principe Di Un Giorno is probably the album that comes closest to Harmonium's Si On Avait Besoin D'une Cinquième Saison.

Indeed, this album came out roughly a year after Harmonium, and most likely was heard by the Italian group, but if the influence is obvious, there is nothing shocking and one can't call this a carbon copy or derivative. And in some ways, Celeste's debut album betters the ambiances, and adds a little more to Harmonium soundscapes. Whether this is a more Latin feel or more classical music leanings is rather hard to determine, but this album is just as enjoyable as Harmonium's and there is a bit of Gensis in it in the form of Seven Stones. For me to give you a preferred track is very hard, because Celeste is more even in their songwriting (and taking less chances as well), but they also do not reach the absolute peaks that their Quebec counterparts do. But in Celeste's defense, they do not have tracks that can almost ruin the album (such as Dixie on Fifth season). Flutes, sax, spinet, xylophone, chimes, violin are among the instruments sprinkled throughout this delicious slice of wax.

An absolute gorgeous piece of music that would deserve top ratings if it had come before a certain Quebecois album, but nevertheless is highly recommended.

#319

2112
Rush

A review by  AtomicCrimsonRush:

32 years later and this album still has the power to captivate thanks to an almost obsessive conceptual framework on the theme of discovery and enlightenment. Hard prog rockers Rush released in 1976 perhaps their most famous album, “2112”.

A strong narrative text is evident in the title track that rocks with moments of high complexity merged with the simplistic standard song format. “2112” begins with narration and a brilliant instrumental workout in 'Overture'. Rush were a musical virtuoso band, primarily due to the guitar riffing of Alex Lifeson, but also featured incredible vocal gymnastics with a high falsetto range in the form of Geddy Lee. When he powers into 'The Temples of the Syrinx' he nails it to the wall; such is the incredible high vocal range Lee is unable to repeat this in later years live, as is evident on the brilliant “Different Stages” triple CD.

The track merges seamlessly with the rest of this epic as the quieter 'Discovery' begins. The concept concerns the weird tale of a boy who consults an oracle to find the answers and has a dream that holds the key (a theme that would occur over and over in concept albums - the tales of discovery by consulting a supernatural force - even Kiss did it on “The Elder”). I don't pretend to understand all the conceptual content, however, I prefer to sit back and let all the musical arrangements wash over, and Rush were masters of the epic performance.

The other tracks on side 2 include 'A Passage to Bangkok' a straight rocker, and the raucous 'Something for Nothing'. This was a brave album for Rush after presenting their own brand of heavy prog such as “Caress of Steel” and “Fly By Night”, but it works because the tracks are memorable and superbly executed. The Drums of Neil Peart are a definite highlight and keep the relentless rhythms flowing in perfect sync. This album is highly influential to the likes of Dream Theater's “6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence”, that feature a series of songs wrapped in the cocoon of one long album side track, and each song section has the power to stand alone.

Overall this is an excellent album, but the piece de resistance would come on the incredible followup album, “Farewell to Kings”.

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

A passage to Prog

Having started out as a highly derivative Blues Rock/Hard Rock band strongly influenced by Led Zeppelin, Rush had gradually incorporated progressive elements and structures into their music over the course of two further albums (Fly By Night and Caress Of Steel). But it was with the present, their fourth album, that Rush took the major step toward progressive Rock. For the first time in their career, the whole first side of the vinyl album was occupied by an epic, multi-part composition and it was also the first album to feature keyboards (although, very sparsely) in addition to guitar, vocals and drums.

In my opinion, the 20 minute plus title track still stands today as one of the band's finest compositions. Especially, the two first parts of it: Overture and The Temples Of Syrinx. The band is simply on fire here, with Neil Peart's drumming being some of the best I've ever heard and Geddy Lee's vocals being more intense than ever before (or after) and Alex Lifeson's guitars more to the point. The six-part song tells a story of an authoritarian society where music is banned.

The second side of the album is less powerful in comparison and has more to do with earlier albums. Still, we have here five fine Rock tunes with A Passage To Bangkok standing out as the best of the lot. Tears features the famous Mellotron.

Overall, a great album and the first great Rush album

A review by Warthur:

By the time Rush came to record 2112, Caress of Steel had been a commercial and critical flop and the band fully expected it to be their last album. Kicking off with a side-long prog metal epic despite their advice of their label, the band suddenly and unexpectedly turned out to be quite good at this prog thing after all. The title track from this one blows away the false starts of Fly By Night and Caress of Steel with stellar performances from all concerned, tighter compositional structures in which there's always something interesting happening, and a plot which is unashamed of its nerdiness and which is still exciting to hear after a dozen listens. (Oh, come on, tell me you don't get a shiver down your spine when you hear the distorted voice declaring the Elder Race's conquest of the solar system at the end of the song.) So what if the plot might be a thinly-veiled Objectivist allegory (or, more likely, a swipe at the music press for not accepting Rush's musical vision) when it's so good to listen to?

The second side of the album provides a tight set of shorter songs which proves that the band had also got the knack of producing these as well. As goofy as the thinly-veiled weed worship of A Passage to Bangkok is, it's still one of the catchiest songs they've ever done, with its thunderous guitar solo by Lifeson being a particular highlight of the album, Lessons is enjoyably upbeat and manages a nice blend of acoustic and electric guitar lines, and Something for Nothing is a great barnstormer to close the album.

The album isn't quite perfect - The Twilight Zone lacks the boundless energy the rest of the songs have, and doesn't quite hit the spooky atmosphere it aims for (though it comes close), and Tears is a lacklustre, melancholic ballad which even the generously applied heaps of Mellotron can't save from being bland middle-of-the-road slop. But even with these roadbumps on the second side, the album is still an enduring classic and the first sign that Rush might be able to stick it out for the long term. Finally mastering the progressive metal style they'd been tinkering with for two albums, the band took their place at the spearhead of the nascent subgenre, and with 2112 they more than earned it.

#320

Stadaconé
Sloche

A review by Mellotron Storm:

Not as good as their amazing debut in my opinion. I think the biggest disappointment for me is the lack of vocals that really added a special flavour to the debut. All things said though the playing here is flawless. "Stadacone" opens with a light and bouncy rhythm before it changes a minute in when the guitar arrives. An excellent soundscape 3 minutes in as bass, keys and drums lead the way. Synths come and go. Some rare vocals after 7 minutes with organ then it kicks back in. The song continues to change and I like the organ 9 minutes in.

"Le Cosmophile" opens with synths and organ as heavy drums come and go. A change after 1 1/2 minutes as the tempo picks up. It gets a little funky here. Some excellent vocals after 3 minutes. Sax before 4 minutes and organ follows. "Il Fault Sauver Barbara" opens with a catchy rhythm before synths come in. It's back again (the rhythm) until it settles before 2 1/2 minutes then some powerful organ kicks in briefly. Settles again then kicks back in. Well you get the picture. I do like the atmosphere when it settles each time.

"Ad Hoc" is different with the guitar sounding processed at first then becoming normal and leading the way before a minute. Nice bass lines here with atmospheric synths, but it's the guitar that is the focus. "La Balqune De Varenkurtel Au Zythogala" is a pleasant sounding song with synths, keys, drums and bass standing out.

"Isacaaron (Ou Le Demon Des Choses Sexuelles)" begins with drums before keys, sax and organ come in. A calm before 1 1/2 minutes then it starts to build. Piano and drums 3 1/2 minutes in lead the way. The sound changes 7 minutes in and I like it. Then we get lots of changes the rest of the way. The debut was more fun, humorous and free although we get glimpses of these here too. Great album!

A review by Sean Trane:

4.5 stars really!!! With a slightly changed line-up (drummer being replaced and an extra percussionist also), Sloche made an incredible confirmation with their second album, the stunning Amerindian-laced artwork covered Stadaconé. Still headed by the double keyboard attack and having plenty of back-up by their guitarist and the rest of the band, Stadaconé is relatively close to their debut although more towards Mahavishnu and GG, than the debut. One of the odd thing about this album is that it is dedicated to Pierre Boucard who helped write the two epics and that the album was recorded in two distinct sessions produced by Ouellet for one and Desbien (who had done such a great job on their debut).

Opening 10-min+ title track is already warning us that this album will be slightly more disjointed, but nothing to be alarmed: the spirit of J'un Oeuil is still there. The music is definitely funkier, sometimes even reaching the level of Hancock's sextant or Headhunter (well, maybe not Headhunter ;-). Second is the only sung track (another slight change from the debut) of the album Cosmophile which brings us right back into their debut album, while one of the KB players plays a rare sax solo, too bad the song ends in a fade-out. Sauver Barbara is an organ-drenched syncopated funky jazz-rock that can help raise your mother-in-law from the dead (provided she is not too deeply buried of course, her name is Barbara and you cannot find her stash of dough ;-) while the second side opens on the Ad Hoc highlight and takes you towards a heavenly trip. Yet another short track (outside the two monster epics book-ending the album all other tracks are below the 5 min 30 mark) La Baloune is full of great ambiances with Murray again on woodwinds. Isacaaron is the splendid closing GG-esque track that is giving its all-out effort for the album's personality compared to its debut.

Most classical proghead fans will prefer their debut album, while the fusionhead will enjoy this album, but no matter what both albums are immensely successful and it is a complete shame Sloche will never be able to record a third album. Personally I prefer the debut to this album, mostly on the strength of much more present vocals, which despite their mostly instrumental nature was one of their strength.

#321

Unorthodox Behaviour
Brand X

A review by Mellotron Storm:

I had read somewhere that Phil Collins was a fan of early MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA so it may have been a dream of his to do a jazz/fusion album. The timing had to be right considering he was already in a full time band with GENESIS. Obviously it all worked out as BRAND X came to fruition and they recorded this, their debut album just before Phil went into the studio with GENESIS to record "Trick Of The Tail".

"Nuclear Burn" opens with Phil and his intricate drum patterns as keys and bass support. The guitar comes ripping in at 1 1/2 minutes. Great sound 2 minutes in, love the synths. The tempo starts to pick up. Collins is simply outstanding here. Check out the bass and drumming with background synths before 4 minutes. Incredible! The guitar is back as we get a big finish.

"Euthanasia Waltz" opens with acoustic guitar and drums as liquid keys and bass arrive a minute in. Guitar is back 2 1/2 minutes in and what follows is fairly laid back but intricate. "Born Ugly" is more uptempo and kind of funky. Lots of piano too. The calm 4 minutes in is cool as some nice guitar comes out of that. That is my favourite part of the song. Drums and keys after 6 minutes are impressive. Guitar is back before 8 minutes to end it.

"Smacks Of Euphoric Hysteria" is led again by Collins as liquid keys come in. Synths before 2 minutes then the guitar lights it up. "Unorthodox Behaviour" is restrained for the most part as it opens with Phil sounding like a clock ticking on the drums. Bass and guitar play lightly and keys arrive before 2 minutes. Vibes before 4 1/2 minutes. It starts to come to life 6 minutes in. It ends as it began.

"Running On Three" is uptempo with some fabulous drumming and bass work. The guitar before 3 minutes really sets this song on fire. Bass 4 minutes in to end it. "Touch Wood" opens with intricate guitar as piano comes in. It starts to liven up before 3 minutes with a melody. If you think Collins is just an above average drummer then you need to hear this album. He really steals the show here with an incredible performance. Great album all around.

A review by Sean Trane:

4.5 stars really!!!

While Genesis was in a delicate phase, looking for a new frontman and its guitarist was releasing his first solo album (Acolyte), Phil was patiently waiting in the wings and became involved in this project, composed of absolute then-unknown, if it wasn't for maybe Goodsall, whom had a stint with Atomic Rooster. Phil Collins' participation in Brand X will actually play a role in Genesis, since his dabblings into JR/F will guide his choice into hiring both Chester Thompson (Zappa, Weather report) and a tad latter Daryl Struemer (Jean Luc Ponty's group). Obviously when listening to Phil drum works on BX and comparing it with Genesis material, it's quite clear that Phil listened and impregnated himself of Billy Cobham's Spectrum album.

Out of the mists of a post-modern world in Nuclear Burn, rises a guitar that has obviously been influenced by Carlos McLaughlin and the rest of the formation slowly rises from the ashes to become an instant success. Outstanding stuff. The first few seconds of Euthanasia Waltz are again reminiscent of Caravanserai, but Goodsall's acoustic strumming saves it and allow Lumley's Rhodes and Jones' ultra bass to shine. The following track's name the ultra-funky Born Ugly cannot possibly be talking about itself because it is one of the best electric piano-led funk-fusion pieces, courtesy of Lumley's Rhodes, but Goodsall's guitar does more than its share. It could've been an RTF track on their No Mystery album, Lumley's piano style certainly aiming at Corea's, while Jones's usual Jaco-esque game is replaced by a Stanley Clarke slapping play.

Out of the deep vinyl groove, comes Euphoric Hysteria, which hesitates between Mahavishnu and Santana, before deciding neither with Lumley's disputable synth sound. The title track is slowly emerging a clock-like rhythm and a rounded bass and the two spend their time twisting about your eardrums and diddle with your sanity, slowly deconstructing its propos. Not exactly a winner, but it shows another facet of the group for albums to come. Running Of Three returns to the influence of Carlos McL and if it wasn't needlessly "flamboyant", you could imagine yourself on my jazz-rock reference Caravanserai. The short and soft Touch Wood is a calm ending to a fiery album: a fitting outro.

A classic fusion album of the times but the real interest is that, as opposed to contemporary groups such as Return To Forever, Spirogyra, Weather Report or even JL Ponty, this had a definitely English twist to it and it was a welcome change (just like the post-Allen Gong jazz-rock albums are) but this is not really Canterbury-style either although some people have done that amalgam. IMHO, however, the better times for this sort of music had already passed along with the 1st generation groups such as Mahavishnu, Miles Davis, Nucleus, Soft Machine, Mwandishi, etc.... But this one is definitely a gem.

#322

L'Heptade
Harmonium

A review by Warthur:

Passing from symphonic-influenced prog folk into folk-influenced symphonic prog, Harmonium's epic concept album “L'Heptade” is a gorgeous little album from the tail-end of the golden age of prog. Always sentimental, the music at some point threatens to cross the line into sheer schmaltz, but is saved from this by the band's exceptional command of mood.

The album stands out for having some of the most delicately beautiful vocal performances in symphonic prog, lead singer Serge Fiori being backed up by a range of singers (of whom Estelle Ste-Croix stands out as offering a particularly astonishing performance). Not quite as revolutionary as their previous album, but still a great piece which can't fail to win the hearts of anyone who likes a little folk in their prog.

A review by Sean Trane:

Somewhat very different of the previous two in the sound but another full blown epic sometimes longish but unlike previously very sombre and depressing but with the same sense of harmonies and melodies. This however does not affect the musicianship and the artistic value of this great oeuvre. Just do not expect a Sixth Season, this is far away from that album but in some way the subject is still the same: alienation. No wonder after this one they called it quits.

Neil Chotem's orchestrations on the first disc are certainly beautiful but rather uneventful and therefore rather languish and does not survive well intense repeated listening. Most of the better stuff is on the first disc and Comme Un Fou and L'Exil are superb. The second disc bears the same problem as Lamb On Broadway: the inspiration was waning by Side 3 and you get the feeling that there are fillers.

This ambitious project was simply seen as the crowning achievement for Harmonium and Normandeau who was the second writer in the group left as the album was nearing completion not able to agree on the direction of the music. Be careful when you buy this one and the live album to follow for there are some really poor bootleg copies, Serge Fiori is actually working on the remastering of these two albums.

336

Black Market
Weather Report

A review by Mellotron Storm:

I guess you could call this a transitional album as they would start to make more accessible music from here on out. There would be a lot more of that found on the next one "Heavy Weather". Jaco was introduced on this album although he's only on two tracks, one of which he composed. Alphonso Johnson is still the bass player at this point although he would leave after this one to join Billy Cobham and his new musical adventure with George Duke. Chester Thompson of Zappa fame drums on the last five tracks, although he helps out on the title track too. I have to say that there are points on this album that I'm almost dizzy listening to the collage of sounds, it's pure bliss. The fact that there is some world class percussion on every song helps too. This though is mostly about Shorter and Zawinul who composed 5 of the 7 tracks.

"Black Market" opens with the sounds of a market as it builds to a pleasant melody. So much going on after 1 1/2 minutes. Amazing! Love the percussion. The sax and bass are more prominent after 2 1/2 minutes. As the song draws to a close it settles down more and more. "Cannon Ball" is dedicated to Zawinul's friend and alto sax player Julian "Cannonball" Adderley who had just passed away months before this recording. This is where we hear Jaco for the first time on this album. This is very relaxing and enjoyable although the keys are jarring at times early on. Sax after 2 1/2 minutes as the sound gets fuller. Nice drumming after 3 minutes and then it settles to a calm after 4 minutes.

"Gibralter" opens with the sounds of water and a ship. Sax takes over beautifully. An explosion of sound before 1 1/2 minutes. The drumming sounds incredible, so crisp as the bass throbs. The sax is back before 4 minutes. Zawinul is really fantastic on this song as well as he comes and goes. Check it out 6 minutes in, so much going on! Shorter is letting it rip after 7 minutes. What a song!

"Elegant People" features percussion that is simply a pleasure to listen to. The sax and keys after 1 1/2 minutes amaze. "Three Clowns" with the synths and atmosphere brings to mind the previous album "Mysterious Traveller". Then a slow sax melody comes in with piano before 2 minutes. "Barbary Coast" is Jaco's composition. It opens with the sound of a train going by. Then it's Jaco's prominent bass lines that steal the show. This one is funky and you gotta love it. Sax and keys are also featured.

"Herandnu" is my favourite track on here and is a Johnson composition. He sure left the band on a high! This sounds so good! Drums, sax, keys and bass create a fantastic sound early. A change before 1 1/2 minutes with what sounds like fuzz bass then the tempo picks up. These guys blow me away on this song. A must have in my opinion for you jazz fans out there. It's not just the playing it's those arrangements as well that are so impressive.

337

Olias Of Sunhillow
Anderson, Jon

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: 

A progressive exploration of the innerverse or universe or mindverse... Anderson's visionary breakaway from Yes.

"Olias of Sunhillow" is the visionary brainchild of Jon Anderson after a hiatus away from Yes. It is as progressive as anything from the early Yes years, but of course does not measure up to the classic band albums. Having said that, this is certainly an impressive solo effort, streets ahead of those difficult years of Yes' "Union" to "Talk". Anderson pours out his heart and soul with every track but as accomplished and virtuosic the music is, the lyrical content is full blown New Age and this may turn some listeners away. The transcendentalism, Shamanism and New Age themes explored on Yes albums are given the full treatment here and it comes across as heavy handed and impenetrable. Anderson's voice may not be for everyone but I like the way he croons on high falsetto and at least on this album his voice is not strained. The tension and release of dark and light shades in the texture of the music makes for some compelling listening.

There is a conceptual framework on which each song hangs, the story though is as opaque or hard to understand as the lyrics themselves, true to any Yes album of the 70s. I just like the way Anderson keeps it progressive and doesn't sell out like so many other solo artists from prog bands. The concept concerns an organic interplanetary craft known as the Moorglade which is an exploration of the innerverse or universe or mindverse, whatever you want to call it, of the spheres of mystical revelation. The lyrics search for meaning of existence and the listener searches for meaning of the lyrics. It is all very dense and cluttered with symbolism and it will confound, perhaps even infuriate. The music is the most important thing and it ranges from incredibly simple and fluent, to intricate and fractured. There are true moments of beauty, very Yes like or Wakemanesque keyboards.

After the opening tracks the style settles into an odd ambience that can be dreamy or somnambulistically dull depending on your mood. The extreme slow pace of 'Song Of Search', an instrumental that works as a transition point, is followed by the quirky synth-soaked 'To The Runner'. The transmogrification of styles is astounding but it works as points of interest as the story unfolds. A lot of the music is repetitive, mesmirising and transient, and yet these moments are counterbalanced by sporadic transfusions of polyrhythmic keyboards and percussion.

Overall, it is an album that will surprise many listeners familiar to Yes, moreover as a solo album the Yes men were not known for this type of musicianship, but Anderson has created something very special. Not everyone will be into the New Aginess or high pitched music, but it still delivers as a progressive excursion into unchartered musicscapes. It is known as a cult album among proggers and for good reason; an excellent slice of prog nevertheless and an astonishing concept album.

338

Stratosfear
Tangerine Dream

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: 

I was totally disappointed with “Phaedra”, so got this with trepidation. I was actually delighted with this album. It is streets ahead of “Phaedra” for sheer enjoyable quality.

Tangerine Dream's techno ambience and their influence on experimental music is definitive and of course they were one of the first to produce music like this. Tangerine Dream are certainly progenitors of electronic music and glacial landscape music like no other band. Whereas I was unmoved by most of “Phaedra”, “Stratosfear” is an encapsulating delight. The title track has a very nice rhythm and jaunty metrical patterns throughout that are compelling to the ear. All the tracks have a strange ambience and blend into one journey.

‘3 AM at the Border of the Marsh From Okefenokee’, try remembering that title, is an intriguing piece that moves in a variety of directions and never really settles on one time signature. It features bizarre animal soundwaves that transport us to a deserted neverwhere, perhaps in the middle of some ancient forest or alien desert.

‘Invisible Limits’ is very long but has awesome effects and wonderful guitar licks and keyboard motifs. It is quite ethereal and not one to play at midnight. The music is still difficult to absorb at times, but this is a nice change in TD's style and is a lot more accessible then other albums that were very much in the experimental phase.

A relaxing journey onto some cosmic glacial planet.

A review by Warthur:

Recorded shortly after Edgar Froese produced his solo album Macula Transfer, Stratosfear sees Tangerine Dream take that album's intriguing mix of synthesised cool and warm kraut- psych guitar and applied it to a full band setting, with percussion and flute joining the mix and showing more prominence than they had on a Tangerine Dream album for some time - particularly on closing track Invisible Limits. The preceding, more synth-dominated tracks have a cold, stark, spooky quality to them in keeping with what's expected from this eerie era of Tangerine Dream. As the last album from this particular lineup, it's a more than excellent swan song.

339

Aguirre, The Wrath of God
Popol Vuh

A review by Mellotron Storm:

This would be the first of many soundtracks that Florian would do for Werner Herzog. The movie itself is apparently very good by the way. Andy Thompson from "Planet Mellotron" insists that there is no mellotron on this album, what sounds like mellotron is actually choir organ, something that AMON DUUL II also used. I have a different track listing than the list on many albums. Florian really contrasts well the light and dark aspects of music here, as well as taking us on some experimental adventures.

"Aguirre I" features these heavenly trancendental soundscapes that seem to take us into the presence of God. Beautiful. "Flote" is a short one minute track of pan pipe playing from guest Robert Eliscu. "Morgengruss II" is the only track that Florian didn't compose as Daniel Ficheischer did this one. We get the sounds of the spinett from Florian and the guitar from Daniel creating wonder. Lots of light and beauty on this one.

"Aguirre II" opens with thoses choir-like sounds that come in waves. This continues until the guitar takes over before 3 minutes. Great sound 5 minutes in. "Agnus Dei" sounds amazing when it kicks in around 30 seconds. I like the guitar 2 minutes in as well. Excellent track. "Vergegenwaertigung" is the almost 17 minute experimental closing track. This is where it gets dark with no real melody, just sounds. This is minimilistic to say the least as sounds seem to float in and out of the darkness. I really like this album a lot. You don't ususally find the stark contrasts of musical styles that are found on this recording, especially from POPOL VUH.

A review by Warthur:

A solid soundtrack album from Popol Vuh, though I do think that as an album it doesn't hang together as well as those they composed as an album. With a mixture of music from the film and off-cuts from around the same era, it's perfectly pleasant, and the title track is fantastic with its combination of transcendent Mellotron chords and distorted piping. But at the same time, I think the music here works better in its original context in the film than as something to listen to separately from Werner Herzog's gorgeous rainforest imagery. Still, it's a good purchase for any Popol Vuh fan.

340

Fantasy of Horses
Rainbow Theatre

A review by Sean Trane:

Wow!! I never start my review with wow. But apparently this group remains to be discovered by a lot of people, and that includes me. Talk about unearthing a gem here. Out of nowhere comes from the underworld this strange band that knows what drama is. As a matter of fact, some of their music can even be called operatic having not only a string section but also a moody wind section as well: jazzy feel on those very Spanish Conquistador dramatic themes. Yes, the music is often grandiose (sometimes bordering on the cheesy) and being somehow what Days Of Future Past should've been. Does this sound intriguing? Ya betcha!! These guys are drawing musical circles around you and they are twiddling with your unstabled brains with their incredible musical meanders and those orgasmic Mellotrons washes. For their second album, leader Browning opted for another horn section, and inside the quartet baritone singer Hoban stepped in to take the keyboards.

I am generally not an opera fan (and certainly do not like the "high culture" snobbery always present at those events), but here I will not only make an exception, we are in for a real rock opera, much more than the great Townsend threw at us into his trips and anguishes (go back to sleep, Rick!!). This music is really classical music fused with rock and might just be on the best example of fusion ever (even if I repeat the word cheesy). But the rock parts are hovering between early Crimson with a great (and much more than that) rhythm section, jazzy Spanish horn section drawing of Rodriguez-type of Aranjuez Concerto. Just flabbergasting if you let yourself taken by the waves of the music.

The four tracks (two short and two epics) are gut-wrenching, fascinating, orgasmic, grandiose hair-raising (hear the Farewell of Dancer, the first epic) and yet flow so easily together to form one gigantic track. So much that the heavily rhythmic jazz rock of City Night Life simply does not shock, but actually perfectly and lovingly out-of-place, just like it was meant to be. Too bad for an excellent drum solo that lasted a minute too long, though. The title track starts on a slow operatic style but the crescendo is breathtakingly implacably progressive. Stupendous flutes with the whole orchestra pushing the oboe and other winds (the trombone gets some superb underlines), the whole thing resonates a bit like those unique and crazy Finns of Haikara (their first album really) due to the same Crimson influences but also Magma's works on choral works and interplay with rock. Stupendous, incredibly flawlessly played and written, this is nearing perfection although on the duration, not throughout the whole album, but close enough to be a masterpiece.

Just some 35 minutes-long, this album is easily the best thing to have come from down under, crushing any other pretenders by far, even (especially ;-) Sebastian Hardie. A second reissue saw the light of day in 06 (along with the never re-issued debut The Armada) with a 13-min+ bonus Browning-penned instrumental track Eagle Odyssey, which is not of the same era, recorded purposely for this album's bonus and entirely symphonic (no group or rock instruments). However it fits the album so well, that you don't even notice any difference and most listeners discovering the album now, will most likely integrate it in the album's oeuvre as if it had been there from the start. Sibelius and Strauss come to mind, when listening to this piece.

I'm not exactly sure how I should take the fact that this group was never being exposed (not even sure there are that many collectors who know of the group) and that they are finally getting exposition some 30 years later. This was obviously not a cheap record to make back then, so it is hard to understand how this group was never promoted properly. I just can't believe there are still some incredible albums that are finally getting a bit of attention some 30 years later (but this is also what keeps this old geezer up to his progressive obsessions ;-). Because music like this is only waiting for progheads to love it. One of my shocks this year!!!

A review by Finnforest:

Sebastian who?

If the term Aussie Prog makes you think of Sebastian Hardie first then you haven't heard Rainbow Theatre. But please do not make the mistake of judging this album too soon with a low rating as I might have in my past. "Fantasy of Horses" is the definition of a grower, an album that could seem unfocused (frenetic as another writer put it) at first but whose epic beauty comes after many plays have permeated the "instant gratification layer" of your brain, that unfortunate flaw most of us have whether we admit it or not. We often want to be blown away by music right away and if the first 5 plays don't accomplish that there is disappointment. Good music doesn't always work that way. One's first 5 spins of this album could certainly seem bewildering, perplexing, or confusing-feelings that will slowly thereafter morph into a wide proggy grin. Each new play of "Fantasy of Horses" is a revelation and that staying power is what makes an album worthy of a high rating. Without a doubt this was one of the most interesting and exciting discoveries to hit my mailbox in the past year.

Overview: The Rainbow Theater were a large collective of Melbourne musicians assembled in 1973 by composer and multi-instrumentalist Julian Browning. While they are described as a "classically influenced jazz rock" by the time of this recording they list influences like Stravinsky, Wagner, King Crimson, and Mahavishnu Orchestra. The "Fantasy of Horses" album delivers what sounds like one long, calculated track with the ambition of "Atom Heart Mother," "Lizard," or "The Gates of Delirium." But Rainbow has their own sound, blending symphonic progressive with burning jazz rock, delicate melody, orchestral grandeur, and operatic singing. Their first album "Armada" was issued in 1975 and was followed by local gigs which created a small but enthusiastic following. It was hardly enough to sustain such a large group of band members and several began to leave. Undaunted, Browning would bring in a new brass section, woodwinds, strings, and engineer Gil Matthews to develop and expand the vision-the results of which were the band's most memorable achievement. Naturally after the recording of the music the label balked at the costs of pressing the album and Browning himself had to put up the cash. The album would be pirated by enthusiasts for decades before the release of the splendid remastered CD- more on that later. The new album was an amazingly successful one, yet the shifting musical interest of the times along with the huge costs associated with touring such a huge group of musicians left the project unsustainable and the band broke up in early 1977. After the split Browning studied composition and conducting and indeed did perform his works over the years.

The themes for the album really did originate from horses. Browning had been reading about the plight of "wild brumbies" running free in the high plains of South Wales. The inspiration of such natural beauty at odds with the dangers these animals faced by encroaching human interest made ample fare for the lyrics and moods of the new album, and the emotions became metaphorical for the artist's project if not for mankind itself. Browning would recall; "alright, you've done something different with the first album so now it's time to come up with a unique approach, to find a new realm in which to create this piece. I was looking for a different inspiration. I still think there's nothing else that I've heard since that's quite like that album" [J. Browning].

My own feeling is that an album like this is exactly the kind of thing more progressive music fans should be listening to, precisely because of Browning's adventurous spirit. With the homogenous, commercial mainstream "prog" albums that come out over the course of the year we need to sometimes step back and find these kinds of albums that seemed to transcend the commercial bubble in search of something more meaningful. This is one of those releases that prove again that commercial success is not a requisite for artistic triumph.

The music of "Fantasy" is grounded by a superb rhythm section playing with a fusion slant that is frequently diluted by a cloak of mellotron or organ. Browning handles both keyboards and the occasional excellent flourish of guitar work. The basic foundation is then blasted into the stratosphere by the orchestral loveliness of 14 musicians working together. Brass, strings, and woodwinds provide the beauty and the constant drama needed to engage the listener and engage you they will!

The two long tracks "Dancer" and "Fantasy of Horses" are simply mind-bending musical adventure that rarely let up as they weave through multiple sections. In the middle of both pieces will come the occasional calm interlude that allows one to catch his/her breath. In these moments may come gentle piano melody or woodwind solo. Another fascinating aspect is the male operatic vocals of Keith Hoban which are both formal and dramatic, beautifully woven into the music. While a primarily instrumental album these vocal sections add so much grandeur and another distinct avenue for the ideas being expressed. The ending section of "Dancer" (the story of a young girl's desire to be a ballerina) must be one of prog's most beautiful moments: cascading soft trumpet and flute calling back and forth as the bass and mellotron drifts downwards, hit bottom and go back up to descend again, drum bursts all around but always delicate, the sensation is one of falling, floating down.

Like "Dancer," the 7-part title track finale is remarkable in its ability to convey the storytelling instrumentally even if you set aside the vocals. Each part sounds carefully honed to impart the narrative and I was both moved and fascinated by the balance of emotion and technique, it was such an important reminder to me that the best music needn't bash one over the head with volume and note-mongering to connect with the listener. I only wish I could have seen this "prog opera" in a small playhouse in Melbourne back in the day. Browning mentioned the possibility of new material from the group in an interview. I only hope he will assemble the group for a one-off performance of this album for a DVD release, keeping the rock element firmly in tact, so that fans can witness this title as it was meant to be.

Press: "The fact is that this album is one of the best achieved and better constructed Progressive Operas ever released, especially when it comes to the 2 longer tracks in the album. The acoustic piano, sometimes close to the works of classical composers such as Stravinsky and Wagner, is perfectly combined with a thoughtful wind and metal section, with a rare sense of beauty and perfect interplay. The string arrangements are thrown in the mix to form an even tighter body of work. The multi- movement "Dancer" then introduces and adds the classical and symphonic virtues to that jazzy feel, enthralling the listener in a maze of combined styles in a not only refreshing but also surprising effect. This approach is then further explored to perfection in the 16+ minute opus "Fantasy of Horses," which just lets the listener in a pavlovian state.yearning for more. Also the duality between the ethereal Oboe, eerie Piano, and church Organ and the arousing "full band" parts is exquisitely done. The purest mindblowing 70's sympho prog is entwined with Magma inventive operatic intrusions and careful detailing, occasional Wutemberg pseudo-medieval bridges, Ezra Winston symphonic sensibility, Elizabethan pinches, Jazz Rock attacks, early King Crimson melodic approaches (remember Epitaph and Talk to the Wind) and jazzier sections (reminding Larks tongue. for instance) and a very personal sense of musical perfection" [Nuno/Alex Gitlin's Music Site].

"There are few albums that we can truly point to as being wholly original, but Rainbow Theatre's second album would have to qualify. An operating 8 piece rock unit (keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, sax, trombone and flute) accompanied by a string sextet, "Fantasy of Horses" makes full use of the large palette of instrumentation available, not to mention that Keith Hoban's vocals are sung in operatic style. Overall it's a spirited affair, not an academic high-brow run through, so rockers have much to sink their teeth into. In fact, the drumming is astounding, and propels the album to great heights of intensity. The four tracks presented here, including two lengthy multi-part affairs, chock full of mellotron and high invention, are a progressive rock lovers dream. At least for those who keep an open mind" [Gnosis2000's Tom Hayes].

Conclusion: A sure thing for any adventurous progger, "Fantasy" is an album that has proudly elbowed its way onto "the special shelf" as an essential title. The 2006 Aztec Records reissue is a high quality tri-fold digipak design with a good Bio in the booklet. Also of great interest is a bonus track that actually matters! The 13-minute "Eagle Odyssey" is not some crusty old demo but a recently recorded classical piece that fits very well with the content of the original album. The mood and ambience of the track enhances and adds value to the rather short original album making for a fuller listening experience. Furthermore the CD is remastered by engineer Gil Matthews from the original master tapes, finally providing this classic with the respectable sound is deserves. "Fantasy of Horses" would certainly make my list of the best prog releases of 1976 and would have to be considered a favorite for greatest Australian prog album.

A final point of interest to me was the choices Browning was making between composing the string arrangements and being the Mellotron player in the band. How would one decide which choice was most appropriate in a given section? He touches on the differences in this quote as well as commenting on the Mellotron versus modern keyboards: "Having written for string sections in orchestras many times I know they have much more expansive, diverse and epic qualities than the Mellotron was supposed to emulate. However, I believe the Mellotron has a warm, romantic and ethereal quality which makes it quite unique and stand in its own right. The closest orchestral string writing I can think of is Maurice Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe where Ravel mutes the strings and they trill together with bowing close to the fingerboard. Sounds like a Mellotron! The Mellotron's unique quivering sound is partly produced by the slight unevenness as the tapes move. If a modern electronic keyboard can imitate this, fine, if not... Long live the Mellotron!" [Browning to Arlequins' Alberto Nucci & Jessica Attene].

I believe those last four words are fitting ones for which to end the review. Thanks to Hugues for championing this title in his review that caught my eye.

341

Coses Nostres
Iceberg

A review by Sean Trane:

3.5 stars really!!!

Under this Mafiosi title comes one of the better jazz rock fusion albums from Spain (at least among the few I know), the second one from this mid to late-70's Catalan band. Gone is their frontman sax and singer Angel Riba and they are down to your standard prog quartet, but this hardly seem to stop them, quite the opposite, becoming entirely instrumental.

For the most part this album seems to be lost between Maha's Inner Mounting Flame and Santana's Caravanserai with some KB coming more from Weather Report and RTF or even Jan Hammer, but this is more due to the instruments chosen than the actual playing, although some guitars are a cross of De Lucia and Di Miola on one side and McLaughlin on the other. I think this sets you with a good idea of the sound of the album, if you want more get the album, you.....proghead! ;-)

The first side is really awesome in musical execution with some particularly astounding moments where you'd swear Nova (as well as its prelude) should be on Inner Mounting Flame or on Cobham's Spectrum, simply because the playing and writing are of the same quality. Acustica, as its names suggest, is much calmer and tamer (but valid only for the guitar since there are synths halfway through) although the incredibly high quality is maintained and the subtle flamenco and Catalan influences appear towards the very end. The remark that a reviewer has made about the sound quality is unfortunately correct, although the first side of the record is relatively spared.

Kitflus brings us back to the Mahavishnu world and the second track and only congas are missing to take us into the Sahara Caravans of Santana. Flamenca Electrica is an aptly named track but is only taking the usual formula and adding some Andalusian feeling to it. Unfortunately, this is where the bad vinyl transfer to Cd gets irritating about the synth layers (and it gets worse in the following tracks). I assume this last comment because I cannot possibly conceived this was recorded so on the master tape and therefore think that they worked from vinyl. The last track is... you guessed it in 11/8 (which does not mean it was recorded on August 11, you wisearses).

Since this record only exists in CD form under this version, I knock off almost one star because of the inexcusable sound problems, which unfortunately does ruin the enjoyment of an otherwise superb record. Sounds a bit severe? Check it out for yourselves if you do not believe me!!! As soon as I find the vinyl or a re-issue, I will jump on it.

342

Et Cetera
Et Cetera

A review by Mellotron Storm:

Both the instrumental work and vocal arrangements bring GENTLE GIANT to mind in a huge way. The big difference of course is the French female vocals (there are male vocals too). As impressive as this band plays and sings they do not reach GG's level in either case in my opinion. Good album, but for me it's not worth 4 stars. Funny but right from the first listen I could not get into this. Well it has grown on me but it has stopped.

"La Musique Tourne" sounds great instrumentally, you'd swear it was a GENTLE GIANT tune. Not a big fan when she starts to sing as it calms down though. The contrasts continue. "Eclaircie" opens with some good guitar and bass as piano and drums join in followed by keys. Male and female vocals before 1 1/2 minutes sounding like GG. It settles a minute later. Synths 3 1/2 minutes in. "Entre Chien Et Loup" opens with classical guitar followed by flute then those GG-like dual vocals. I like how intricate this is instrumentally. Vibes in this one too.

"Apostrophe" is laid back and a bit folksy with that acoustic guitar and flute. It picks up a minute in with synths. Nice electric guitar before 3 minutes. Piano 4 1/2 minutes in. Excellent track. "Newton Avait Raison" opens with some synths, guitar and drums. The focus becomes on the vocals though eventually, although synths are prominent. Not a fan of this one.

"L'Age Dort" is darker with some cello. Male vocals after a minute then flute comes in. Female vocals before 2 minutes. Themes are repeated. "Tandem" opens with piano as dual vocals come in. The tempo picks up before a minute. Organ before 3 minutes with guitar to follow as piano continues. It turns spacey late.

A review by Sean Trane:

Of course, there are a lot of Gentle Giant influences here and they are not trying to hide them. My colleague reviewers say that this is a clone, and yes, it is probably one, and a damn good one at that (even the 70's had their fair share of them). But most clone bands actually don't reach the height and perfection of their model. This album would rank as a GG album along with Interview in quality and for the tone of Octopus. The multi-vocals, harmonies and complex playing are the pinnacle of what came out from Quebec in those years (from 74 to 79, there was an incredibly vital prog scene in that province where the rest of Canada seemed more inclined on hard rock) but as much as this is beautiful, this also lacks personality and a little soul. Very much worth a spin, though.

343

For You the Old Women
Mirthrandir

A review by Mellotron Storm:

This album has to be a four star rating. I mean the musicianship is jaw dropping, especially on the first track. The complex arrangements and playing are very impressive. Yet why can't I get into this one? The vocals don't do anything for me but they are not bad at all. The lyrics are of a religious theme, yet they are sort of veiled. Bottom line is that this should be worth 4 stars but I'm giving it 3.5 stars.

"For You The Old Women" is GENTLE GIANT-like in it's complexity. A whirlwind of sounds really, that start and stop at will. Some trumpet in this one. I get a chance to breathe as a calm arrives 3 minutes in. This is pastoral with Hackett-like guitar and flute. Reserved vocals 4 1/2 minutes in. A fuller sound arrives 6 minutes in with passionate vocals and tasteful guitar. "Conversation With Personality Giver" features a lot of synths, and it hits the ground running. I like the guitar before it settles down 1 1/2 minutes in with piano. It kicks back in around 2 minutes with some good intricate guitar. Vocals 3 minutes in.

"Light Of The Candle" is heavier with vocals.Lots of organ in this one. It settles down some 3 minutes in.  "Number Six" is an instrumental that opens with some solemn flute as trumpet comes in. Full sound a minute in. Nice drumming. I like the organ after 2 1/2 minutes. Trumpet is back 4 minutes in. Good song. "For Four" is the almost 15 minute closing track. I really like the first 3 minutes as piano, flute, organ and bass really impress. More deep bass after 3 1/2 minutes. Check out the drum and sinister organ section after 5 minutes. A calm 7 minutes in continues for 5 minutes. More impressive drumming arrives with the full sound. I like the piano when it settles down 13 1/2 minutes in, but not the lyrics that he starts to sing. Something is missing here for me, I've never warmed up to it. I think most will love this record though.

344

Shamal
Gong

A review by Finnforest:

Gong dries out but still excels

Gong is a band I always associate with flying teapots, psychedelics, and general craziness to the th(c)ird degree. With the interim Shamal line-up lacking the members primarily responsible for the madness, this album is a complete departure from such antics. The sound is a drier jazz-fusion one that makes the album cover wonderfully appropriate. Yet it is not without life or joy, in fact, this is some pretty spicy and inspired stuff that I will turn to often. The fine production by Floyd's Nick Mason gives Shamal a sheen that makes it acceptable even to today's picky ears.

Shamal consists of 5-9 minute tracks of sometimes scorching fusion, the product of amazingly proficient playing combined with discipline and spirit. I'm mystified by those who find the record lifeless or without direction, I think it works very well--both in terms of overall feel and individual composition. Atop the base fusion sound are wonderful dressings of flute and saxophone, violin, and exotic percussions. These sounds send the songs off to occasional Eastern motifs or Mike Oldfield styled meditations.

Highlights are everywhere, from the delightfully sentimental and plain-hearted vocal that begins "Wingful of Eyes" to the gorgeous flute works of "Bambooji." The 9-minute closing title track reminds me a bit of Nucleus with the horn work woven into the fantastic bass/drums of Howlett and Moerlen--some of these drum fills will drop your jaw. Guest female vocals in a rhythmic, laid back style provide yet another texture to interest those who are not necessarily just jazz aficionados, giving the work a more rounded appeal that many jazz-rock albums possess.

Internal conflicts or not, Shamal is an album that feels remarkably satisfying to me as a casual jazz-rock fan. It provides exciting playing and enough variations to please a wide swath of progressive rock fans. I can't imagine Gong fans being disappointed here unless they insist of the humor/weirdness aspect of the earlier recordings. A bit below 4 stars but rounded up with enthusiasm.

A review by Sean Trane:

With Daevid kindly invited to step out, or his gracious bow-out over with, Gong suddenly realized that they were indeed Gong, but apparently the madness was missing, especially so that Steve Hillage, his wife and Tim Blake, the You trio, were also gone. So what's left on Gong??? Outside Didier Bloomdido Malherbe, and to a lesser extent Pierre Moerlen and Mike Howlett, we've got a brand new group compared to RGI's second tome. And musically it shows mega tons, as the unit is developing a sold jazz-rock with moods ranging from atmospheric to mad to reflective, ethnic, furious etc. On keyboards appear Patrick Lemoine from Ribeiro's Alpes, while Bauer's many tuned percussions give another twist to the new line-up. Fantastic desert photo gracing the gatefold.

Out of the six tracks, three are sung, somewhat as capable as Howlett was able to, but obviously vocals and conceptual lyrics are no concern of the new band. Their jazz-rock is highly haunting, with a tad of orientalism thrown in, and Gong can be seen as a full blown Canterbury-an group, sounding like Hatfield, National Health and a few more including Hillage, even if THE big semi-absent here. Opening on Wingful Of Eyes, where the Hillages make a quick come back, Shamal makes an awesome reassurance to fans that if Daevid is gone, Gong remains a first class group although in a very different field of excellence. While WOE and its follow-up Chandra are both sung funky jazz-rock, they are not necessarily representative of the rest of the album. A Bambooji shows us, where Extreme Oriental influence of Bloomdido lead us in a very complex tune, where Hillage finds his way through for a short but powerful solo.

The flipside returns to a solid jazz-rock where Howlett's bass plays up Moerlen's awesome drums and Bauer's tuned percussion instruments in a 100 MPH groove, while Malherbe soars with his sax, but gets a discreet help from guest (appearing on 4 of 6 tracks) violinist Pinchevski, but soon digress in an insanely complex prog tirade with crazy time sigs, and then grotesque carnival music, before reverting to the insane time sigs. Cat In Clarck's Shoes is a real tour-de-force, but one of many highlights of Shamal. Mandrake shows a slower pace and a more reflective where Didier's flute and Mireille's xylo glide on their cloud over a smooth lava rhythm section. The closing title track is yet another superb track, although the sax and violin solos (interrupted by chorus lines) are a tiny bit predictable.

Difficult to rate such an album in comparison to Gong's previous oeuvres, but Shamal is easily Gong's best album under the Moerlen- era (named as such because he will be the only constant member in the next few albums, before renaming the group to his name in order to accommodate older members' access to the name), with every new album coming after, although remaining solidly virtuoso and excellently executed, but also every time a bit less inspired. But this one is a must for the Moerlen-era.

345

The Strands of the Future 
Pulsar

A review by Finnforest:

Classic mellow, melodic space symphonic

Space rock is one of those terms we throw around that can mean different things to different people. Some of the bands that fall under this wide definition can sound pretty different so I'll try to describe this album for you. Gorgeous, dreamy, near perfect for the narcotic space crowd. Think about one of the classic spacey tracks everyone knows "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." Take the pace, mood, and beautiful floating atmosphere of that song but remove the Floydian vocals. Then add some flute ala Camel and a healthy dose of French-ness courtesy of Carpe Diem, with just a bit of Genesis regal presence in the guitar parts. Crunch these together and you might develop a picture of what Strands sound like. Few vocals, some pleasant lead guitar, but mostly a deep sea of calming keyboards/spacey electronics that is consistently on the laid back side.

The band may be called "the French Pink Floyd" by some but truth be told they never got close to that level of success of course. They were having their own problems with distribution and promotion but did achieve good success in France and good reviews for this album. The highlight of the album is the 22 minute title track which arrives on a cloud of mellotron. Boatloads of electronic wizardry ensue. Soon the band rises and lays down a fairly dramatic riff while the keys soar into heaven. That's the first 4 minutes. The next section will introduce some acoustic guitar and very chilled vocals. There will be a pause in the music for strange pysch effects and voices to freak out the tripping set. Some of the most beautiful passages occur in the second part of the song when the keys and guitar blend together melodies that range from sunny to ominous cloudy. They even manage to funk it up just a tad around 15 minutes in before the epic ends.

"Flight" is a short and delicious piece of flute and acoustic guitar. The remaining two tracks will cover similar ground giving the space fan a consistently high quality 44 minutes. From the liner notes:"a sound which is characterized by its great sophistication, complexity, technical and melodic perfection and great strength and symphonic beauty. With this album Pulsar acquired a reputation as one of the major French rock groups."

One potential problem with the album is the somewhat dicey sound quality, but you'll need to check it out anyway if you are a fan of this sort of music. Not quite in essential territory but a good piece of 1970s France all the same. The Musea issue features the typical nice band bio with color photos of the band members and a nice display of what I assume was the inner gatefold art-a very bizarre scene.

346

Octoberon
Barclay James Harvest

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

Barclay James Harvest made something of a habit out of putting at least one real stinker on each album. This time it is Believe in Me, but Polk Street Rag is closely behind it. The rest, however, is pretty good this time around! The first three tracks might not seem very impressive on a first listen, but (like some older Barclay James Harvest songs) they have a tendency to grow on you. Rock 'n' Roll Star is similar in style to Child Of The Universe, and even if not quite as good as that song, it is still a decent song. Suicide? too is a good song.

The lyrics stand out this time as being the best I've heard from Barclay James Harvest - no songs here with 'Jesus' in the lyrics (like Sweet Jesus from the previous album and Hymn from the follow up); also no songs with references to other bands (like Titles from the previous album and Poor Man's Moody Blues from the follow up). But, of course, they just couldn't avoid writing another song about prostitutes, but you can't have everything can you?

From the lyrical point of view, May Day stands out as the best of all Barclay James Harvest songs in my opinion. I usually don't put a lot of focus on the lyrics in my reviews, but some of Barclay James Harvest's lyrics (on other albums) really put me off, they don't so much on this album.

Musically, Octoberon is more interesting than Time Honoured Ghosts or Gone To Earth. For example, they use an orchestra on one track, a choir on another. Certainly, one of the best from the Polydor years and one of my favourite from Barclay James Harvest overall.

A review by Mellotron Storm:

This was my first taste of BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, and while it has always been an enjoyable listen it's just too light and commercial sounding for my tastes. I'm not sure what they were thinking with the album cover either. There is some mellotron on 3 tracks but like the music it's not in my face enough. "The World Goes On" opens with strummed guitar and reserved vocals as these orchestral sounds come in. Drums and a fuller sound before 2 minutes and these contrasts continue.

"May Day" has a guitar melody throughout that I like. It settles when the vocals arrive but the tempo will continue to shift back and forth occasionally. Good song although I don't like the multi-vocals late. "RA" begins and ends with orchestral-like sounds. Drums come in and build before it calms right down with organ, soft vocals and light drums. Some brief guitar after 3 1/2 minutes. "Rock N Roll Star" is mid-paced and catchy with vocals, drums and organ standing out. A tasteful guitar solo after 3 1/2 minutes.

"Polk Street Rag" features some surprisingly raw guitar throughout. This one's also catchy. "Believe In Me" is another light tune and this one has backing vocals. Too poppy. "Suicide?" is led eventually by strummed guitar and laid back vocals. This is ballad-like until it gets fuller with orchestral sounds. Samples end it. I have to say that this isn't a bad album. 

358

Animals
Pink Floyd

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

Pigs Might Fly, Impossible and Preposterous, but Pink Floyd Makes It A Reality

"Animal Farm" by George Orwell states, "all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”. Pink Floyd were inspired by the thematic content of the novel, an anthropomorphic socio political saga of looking at the world differently; perhaps politically it only applies to the politics of the day, however this biting satire could apply to the politics of today. In Water's conceptualisation in this world you are either a pig, a sheep or a dog. Dogs are the corporate predators that have a no compromise attitude, are devilishly cunning and run in packs with survival at the top of their highest priority. 'Dogs' is the best track on this album taking up almost the entire side one of the vinyl at about 17 minutes, it has some of the most searing guitar that David Gilmour has played in his career. The lead solos are highly emotive ranging from soft, gentle and mellow to frenetic and aggressive. The lyrics are poetic and absolutely encapsulating, "I gotta admit that I'm a little bit confused. Sometimes it seems to me as if I'm just being used. Gotta stay awake, gotta try and shake off this creeping malaise. If I don't stand my own ground, how can I find my way out of this maze?". It is a mesmirising song, with melancholy vocals and exciting synthesiser from Wright, some of his best material is captured on this album, which could be viewed as almost a paean to his genius; RIP Richard.

The album is bookended by 'Pigs On The Wing' which has a memorable Waters vocal and soft acoustics. The pigs on this concept album are of course the tyrannical moralists who are motivated by power, that corrupts absolutely as usual, and they have the ability to go to the top of the hierarchical ladder despite who they tread on to get there, but it's lonely at the top. They are focused to impose their estranged worldview on the other animals. The story is one of corruption with all its negativity, and deception, that will ultimately drag the antagonist to their doom. The tracks are best heard as part of the whole rather than as separate entities, they work well as bookends, and I count them as part of the lengthy tracks that require these short pieces to make sense.

Moving on to other pigs, there are three different ones that are visualised in the surreal 11:30 track that has some very nice melodies, and mordant lyrics; "Hey you, Whitehouse, Ha ha, charade you are. You house proud town mouse, Ha ha, charade you are, You're trying to keep our feelings off the street. You're nearly a real treat, All tight lips and cold feet, And do you feel abused?" Of course this was Waters’ attack on Mary Whitehouse, self confessed moralist of the British public who had committed some onslaught on Pink Floyd for their stage antics and lyrical nature. Waters' literally spat at a fan on the “DSOTM” tour which made headlines and of course led to the inspiration of "The Wall" stage show where a giant wall between the band and the audience was erected. Interestingly enough, much of the music on "Animals" was already written and performed on the “DSOTM” tour; 'Dogs' was known as 'You Gotta Be Crazy' and 'Sheep' was actually titled 'Raving and Drooling'. I am kind of glad they changed those titles.

So who are the three different pigs on ‘Pigs (three different ones)?’ It is no secret among Floydians that pig 1 was the business pig, the lying, cheating, thieving fat suit that deceives their way to the top of the business rung; pig 2 is the politician, Thatcher at the time, who had already, along with Whitehouse, copped a heap from UK TV on "The Goodies"; and pig 3 was Mary Whitehouse, as has been mentioned, who was scared witless that the British public were being perverted.

The concept was further enhanced with the iconography of the album, the enigmatic pig flying above the smoke stacks of Battersea Power Station became an image of the band never to be forgotten. Pink Floyd literally got a pig to fly when the ropes gave way and the pig sailed in to the heavens; perhaps a fitting tribute to the band bucking against the pigs of the music industry that were jumping on the punk band wagon.

The fatalistic concept always works for Pink Floyd as it echoes the bleak psychedelic music, but there is a real sense on "Animals" of a ray of hope, the way Gilmour plays with those uplifting chords and melodic notes, Wright's soaring keyboard swoops, Waters' pulsating bass, and Mason's exceptional percussion embellishments; you could not get better than the virtuoso genius of this lineup. However, I always felt that "Animals" was one of the darkest Pink Floyd adventures primarily due to 'Sheep'. There is a section on this track that disturbs me everytime and it is the part where a very doomy synth is heard and a voice over narration. It is almost subliminal but if you listen closely you can hear a parody of The Lord's Prayer with a nasty twist; "With bright knives He releaseth my soul. He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places. He converteth me to lamb cutlets, For lo, He hath great power, and great hunger..." The sheep are the passive followers, docile and innocent, the common man, headed for the slaughterhouse to be chopped into little pieces (reminiscent of 'One of These Days'), exploited by the dogs and pigs. The exploitation continues until the sheep rebel and rise up against the oppressors only to be exploited again, a vicious cycle. In a sense, Pink Floyd themselves. The sheep in the novel gain a consciousness when they see the corruption of the rich corporations, and they rebel, as Pink Floyd rebelled against the trash music of the late 70s by producing stunning music like this. Of course the irony is the communists could never do such a thing or they would be slaughtered too, and Pink Floyd are well aware of these ironies, even making fun of themselves, after the incredible success of "DSOTM" and "WYWH". They had to face these corporations who wanted a piece of them too. The band had already touched on this theme on "WYWH" especially, 'Have A Cigar' The 'communist' record companies wanted the band to conform to the music of the day; they refused and the result was "Animals".

To conclude, every part of this album is equally important to the rest. The music is lengthy, complex and houses a framework of some of Waters’ most scathing attacks on the music business and politics. When I first heard this on vinyl as a teen I just did not get it. I was confused by the high concept, the visuals puzzled me, and it is nothing like "DSOTM" at all, or "WYWH", except it was sandwiched in between "WYWH” and “The Wall" as a transition to both, and I think a lot of us were expecting something akin to the previous masterpieces, which it is not. However, I listen to this today and it jolts me every time. The concept is Orwellian, the music is psych and symphonic prog, the vocals are exquisite, and this album paved the way for the grand concept masterpiece of "The Wall".

A review by Ivan_Melgar_M:

Pink Floyd was always a solid band that maintained their classical sound and style even in the hardest moments when they lost key members like Syd Barret and Roger Waters or when all the rest of the progressive bands considered they had to start a radical change in order to survive.

"Animals" is proof of this regularity, released in 1977 when the first peak of Prog Rock was in the past and bands as Genesis and Yes were starting to mix some radio friendly tracks with their usual music and beginning to flirt with pop, but Pink Floyd released a semi-conceptual album much more complex than the two previous masterpieces, like trying to show the path to the rest of the prog' bands.

Even the length of the tracks (three 10 minutes + songs) was unexpected for the end of the 70's when all the bands were trying to make shorter tracks that could fit the radio requirements.

Based on Orwell's Animal Farm, even when it’s not an adaptation, "Animals" is a very obscure album in a year when all the bands tried to be simpler and lighter. This great release would never be a financial success as "Dark Side of the Moon" or considered an Icon as "Wish You Were Here", but IMHO it has the same quality of the ones mentioned and the last real masterpiece by Pink Floyd.

Some months ago I was talking about "Animals" with a friend and he told me that this release showed a more developed Pink Floyd, a phrase with which didn't agree in that moment. It's clear “Animals” has many more clear references to British Psychedelia than any album after “Atom Heart Mother” and in many parts reminiscent of “Wish You Were Here”, even when the band manages to create something original and extremely creative.

But after some days and a couple more listens I started to agree more with my friend that "Animals" has some of the typical aggressiveness of Punk Rock; they needed to change in order to survive but they did it with respect for their history and fans.

"Pigs on the Wing" is a beautiful semi acoustic track by Roger Waters, but the soft music has a great contrast with the pain expressed in the lyrics, it's clear that Roger was taking the band on starting to express with more freedom of his political point of view.

"Dogs" is the central track of the album, a 17 minutes epic that resumes Pink Floyd’s career, great guitar solos by David Gilmour, incredible vocals by him and Roger and of course intelligent lyrics. The constant changes are soft, not as radical as other progressive bands before, but they manage to include something of each musical moment in the history of Pink Floyd. One of the best tracks ever released by the band.

"Pigs (Three Different Ones)" is a hard track more in a Rock vein; the lyrics are absolutely aggressive and political. I can hear clear psychedelic references in the song.

If you think the lyrics of the previous tracks are controversial, then the ones in "Sheep" could be considered almost offensive and anti religious, the masses are described as weak followers always afraid of everything and spend their lives eating and surviving in order to have a chance to grow old. Roger's bass is outstanding and Rick is also brilliant with the keys. The guitar section near the end is simply amazing.

"Pigs on the Wing Part Two" sounds almost exactly as part one, but the lyrics express a bit more optimism or at least are less depressing than the first one.

"Animals" is probably the last album released by Pink Floyd that can achieve the status of masterpiece, even when the decline in this band was less evident than in most of the other members of the big 5 group.

I can't give less than 5 stars to this wonderful album.

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

Animals is in my opinion the first true Prog rock album Pink Floyd ever did. Meddle only had one really progressive song and Dark Side Of The Moon and Wish You Were Here were still quite Psychedelic albums, rarely breaking away from traditional song structures. And also subsequent albums like The Wall had a more New Wave-ish sound to my ears.

David Gilmour is great on this album, as is Richard Wright. This is really a band effort despite the fact that Waters wrote almost all the material. A favourite moment is the guitar solos towards the end of Dogs with the keyboards and acoustic guitars backing up. It sounds great!

Much ink has been spilt on this album so I will not say very much. Great concept, great music - in my opinion the best Pink Floyd album (at least until the excellent Division Bell)

Excellent addition to your Prog collection.

A review by Conor Fynes:

This could be said to be my favourite Pink Floyd album. The Orwellian concept behind it is very interesting, and a great starting-off point to write a masterpiece. The guitars in 'Animals' really shine through, more so than on any other Pink Floyd record. The album consists of three epics, and an acoustic piece split into two parts. The structure of the album really adds to it's togetherness. After a pleasant acoustic section, the longest epic 'Dogs' sets in, which is generally a depressing piece, but very well done. Theres some very nice soloing from David Gilmour in this piece, and the lyrics (which tell of the plight of the dog, who is always trying to go through life aggressively and claw his way to the top) are some of the most poignant Pink Floyd's ever done.

The album's concept revolves around three animals (Dogs, Pigs and Sheep) which are used as character stocks to describe different types of people in the world. There are the Dogs, aggressive and paranoid. There are also the Pigs, who are manipulative and intelligent, and finally the Sheep, who are the 'followers' and docile ones. While it borrows a lot from Orwell's 'Animal Farm,' the concept is expanded to a great musical depth, and sparks an originality of it's own.

Next, after 'Dogs' is 'Pigs (Three Different Ones)' which is actually the only song on the album which was written specificially for the album. The other tracks were made out of existing material that hadn't been used yet. Of the three epics, 'Pigs' stands as being my least enjoyed. I'm not quite sure, but I think it might be the vocal delivery by Roger Waters, which I'm not really a fan of.

Next is 'Sheep,' which is my favourite piece on the album. The production of the song is very cool (having the sustained vocal notes changing into electronic noise etc) despite a rather weak middle part, the end more than makes up for it in it's sheer intensity. There is a great Stratocaster sound in the end, as the album reaches it's pinnacle climax.

As the album ends, the listener is treated to a recap of the acoustic 'Pigs On The Wing' which is more or less identical to the first part. This is a really fantastic album, and my most listened-to release of Pink Floyd. Total brilliance!

359

A Farewell To Kings
Rush

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

"All that musicality, all the intricacies, all the power from just three guys": Thin Lizzy's Scott Gorham.

“A Farewell to Kings” is the first album I purchased of Rush and I knew instantly I would be building up a collection of Rush albums as they are masters of heavy prog, like nothing I have ever heard. The three piece trio of power sizzle on this album from the opening track to the awesome last track. Only 6 tracks but each one is an instant classic.

The album begins with the title track that heralds the instantly recognizable Rush sound. Alex Lifeson's jangly, jagged guitar riffs and Geddy Lee's high soprano and pounding bass, complimented by Neil Peart's erratic drums. This is Rush at their best.

'Xanadu' is the longest track clocking in at some 11 minutes and is a representation of a quieter contemplative Rush that has moments of blazing fury, and ripping lead guitar. The lyrics are based on Coleridge's classic (in the same way that Iron Maiden's 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' is based on a Coleridge poem). It is pomp-rock with an edge of humour interlaced within it's structure. The percussion is way off the scale for inventive genius utilising such favourites as the vibraslap, temple blocks and bell trees amongst others. It's pure prog bliss.

'Closer to the Heart' is the most accessible and as such was the single off the album that has been played ad infinitum live in concert, captured beautifully on the live masterpiece 'Different Stages'. 'Cinderella Man' is the more forgettable track on the album but has some nice moments. 'Madrigal' is a short 2 ½ minute blast that prepares us for the epic to follow.

'Cygnus X-1' is one of the reasons I bought this because I had read it was one of the best Rush tracks. I was not disappointed. It begins with a voice narration that transports us into a space fantasy as we are about to embark on an exhilarating but terrifying journey into the abyss: a black hole - the Cygnus X-1. It's a hard rock excursion into the unknown and ranks as one of the best of Rush's stratospheric moments, as we travel through the void we are treated to memorable guitar riffs, and scintillating existentialist sci-fi drama.

In conclusion, this album is a heavy prog masterpiece. It is a mighty model of bombastic rock power and highly listenable inventiveness.

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

You say goodbye, I say hello!

As I pointed out in my review of the previous 2112 album, Rush started out as a highly derivative and generic Blues Rock/Hard Rock band heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin but gradually incorporated progressive elements and structures into their music. 1976's 2112 album was the start of their classic period that peaked with 1978's Hemispheres and continued until Moving Pictures in 1981. But while the side-long, multi-part title-track of 2112 was the first truly progressive piece by Rush, the rest of that album was still a little bit backward-looking. A Farewell To Kings was the first full album of progressive rock by Rush and what a great album it is. For me personally, A Farewell To Kings is rivalled only by Hemispheres.

Synthesisers were taking a larger role in the sound of the band and here they blend wonderfully with the electric guitars, bass, drums and vocals and especially with the acoustic guitars. I love the unusually strong acoustic dimension of this album, a side of the band that would not be very prominent on future albums. There is a very nice balance between ballads and rockers and there are no weak points whatsoever. While only Closer To The Heart remains a mainstay in the band's set list to the present day, every track here is a true Rush classic. Xanadu is one of my all-time favourite songs and Cygnus X-1 is the first part of Hemispheres.

The next step in the band's evolution would be to add an almost Jazz-Rock/Fusion dimension to their sound with tracks like La Villa Strangiato from the next album. A Farewell To Kings, while highly progressive, is still rooted in Rock 'N' Roll somehow.

They would reach perfection with their next album, but they are very close to their peak already here and this one is also absolutely essential

A review by Warthur:

Having saved their careers with 2112, and noting the appreciative reaction to that album's ambitious prog epic on side 1, Rush increased the prog rock influence on their formula on this album. In terms of lyrics and themes, this is almost like Caress of Steel Take Two - it's still rooted in sci-fi and fantasy with objectivist ideology poking its head up here and there (though not so obnoxiously that you can't look past it if you're not a Rand fan).

The big difference is in the compositions; not only had Rush clearly advanced as musicians by this point (Geddy Lee's bass work in Madrigal and Cygnus X-1, in particular, is pretty damn amazing), but their songwriting had also matured. On preceding albums, songs were either comparatively short or of absolutely epic length, with comparatively few in-between; this time around, they show much more willingness to compose songs of moderate length, and only stretch out to the ten minute and beyond mark if they really have enough ideas to fill that much time.

With an infectious amount of energy and enthusiasm for the songs here - Rush know that they are playing unabashedly geeky material here, and they are absolutely cool with that - Rush deliver a performance which takes their music to the next level. With strident declarations of intent, acoustic romanticism, and foreboding black hole rhythms all in the mix, this is also one of the most varied Rush albums of their early career. The first Rush disc which is a flat-out great album from beginning to end, Farewell to Kings is a must for anyone interested in fusions of metal and progressive rock.

360

Elegant Gypsy
Al Di Meola

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

Elegant indeed!

While I'm normally not a big fan of Jazz-Rock/Fusion, I tend to love Al Di Meola's music. Together with Return To Forever's Romantic Warrior and Di Meola's own Casino, Elegant Gypsy is my favourite album in the Jazz-Rock/Fusion category. These three albums are similar in several ways. The most obvious similarity is, of course, the amazing guitar work of Di Meola himself. Another similarity is that the keyboards, drums and basses are all played with enormous skill and feeling, and they are all completely instrumental albums.

Many people will inevitably think that this music is too technical and is only a way for the musicians to show off. That might be true of many albums in the Jazz-Rock/Fusion genre and perhaps some of Di Meola's other albums, but I don't think it applies to Elegant Gypsy or the other albums I mentioned above. The music is often highly complex yet somehow very melodic and accessible.

A difference between Return To Forever and Di Meola's solo works is that there are more acoustic guitars in his solo work. Mediterranean Sundance is a Flamenco inspired piece with simply awe-inspiring acoustic guitar playing. As I said, I'm not at all an expert on Jazz-Rock/Fusion, but I immediately liked this music. The problem I usually have with Jazz-Rock/Fusion is that it leans too close to Jazz and contains too little Rock influences and that the emphasis is on technical skills rather than melody and feeling. Elegant Gypsy is not just Jazz played with Rock instruments, it is rather a genuine fusion of Jazz, (Prog) Rock, Flamenco and Latin influences. In fact, this album leans more towards Latin music than Jazz, I would say.

Elegant Gypsy is an excellent addition to any Prog collection and a great place to start investigating the Jazz-Rock/Fusion genre.

A review by Mellotron Storm:

Man, this guy is so fast and yet so smooth! "Flight Over Rio" is my favourite from this record, especially the 90 second intro where Jan Hammer's synth work is incredible. There is some scorching guitar 3 minutes in, and check out DiMeola and Hammer trading solos! The song ends as it began. Nice. "Midnight Tango" is a change of pace, as it is a jazzy tune with some great percussion towards the end.

"Mediterranean Sundance" has a Spanish flavour to Al's guitar playing that is fast and intricate. Some great leads! "Race with devil on Spanish highway" features some light speed guitar playing from DiMeola that is contrasted with his almost soaring melodies. Great tune! "Lady of Rome Sister of Brazil" is a short acoustic song.

"Elegant Gypsy Suite" features some cool percussion and great bass playing, while the guitar melodies 5 minutes in shine. Easily 4 stars. Again, I'm so impressed at how smooth DiMeola's playing is when he's playing so fast. It's like he has the ability to slow it all down in his mind, it seems so effortless on his part. Amazing! And he has surrounded himself with some very talented musicians. Highly recommended.

A review by dreadpirateroberts:

Another fantastic fusion album with a strong Latin feel.

Di Meola carries over a mostly unchanged line-up from his first album for 'Elegant Gypsy,' which is more consistent, though not by a tonne. While it follows a similar pattern in structure and sequencing, it certainly remains satisfying. If the songs are much the same texture-wise, using percussion, a tight rhythm section and speed-driven guitar work with often atmospheric keys - it's no surprise that he refined the successful sound from 'Land of the Midnight Sun.'

After the steady opening of 'Flight Over Rio' with its tempo shift in the middle, we have the more contemplative 'Midnight Tango' which is probably the highlight of the album. Smooth but still surprising at times and graced by evocative solos from guitar and piano, it's a step forward in arrangement for Di Meola, who gives the song a lot of space, choosing his moments on electric guitar carefully, while also incorporating more acoustic.

A theme which is continued with 'Mediterranean Sundance' - a duet between flamenco legend Paco de Lucía and Di Meola. It's stunning (and I do have a soft spot for flamenco guitar) perhaps not simply for their dazzling fretwork but the way it so effortlessly brings Spanish imagery to mind, it's one of those pieces (a little like 'Lady of Rome...') that transports your mind.

Following the duet is 'Race With Devil on Spanish Highway' which is a little menacing, and once again displays the speed we've come to expect by now, slowing down for a nice intro. 'Elegant Gypsy Suite' is a little more of a mid tempo piece and a satisfying conclusion, its bass and key sound hinting at material that would be covered on his follow up 'Casino.' Another fantastic album of Latin fusion, four stars.

361

Mirage
Klaus Schulze

A review by Mellotron Storm:

Some thoughts in the liner notes from Klause : "...I wanted to do something completely different with "Mirage" and exclusively work with sound layers. This is somewhat the same as what I had done with "Irrlicht" back in 1972. With both records I had the idea to create a more abstract music in order to show in which direction my music could move in the future. The basic idea was to create an electronic winter landscape. Now here I must also add that at that time my brother was dying, and I was in a very sombre mood which I think is reflected on "Mirage". The record also reflects themes such as Ice Age, Winter, stagnation, and death. But that didn't really become clear to me until later because I had never made a record with a concept in mind beforehand. I would usually just start with a track and then let it develop out of itself. It's like writing a diary, you always write how you felt at that particular time. Looking back today I can absolutely tell you that every one of my albums mirrors how I felt then, and what I had in mind": Klause Schulze November 2004.

"Velvet Voyage" has some of the greatest moments in Klause's discography. This is dark, cold and spacey.  It gets quite eerie and tense 4 1/2 minutes in. The intensity and fear breaks after 6 1/2 minutes. This is an amazing soundscape. Unbelieveable. The haunting mood continues though and that hopeless feeling starts to return after 10 minutes. The cold sounds are just sweeping across the icy soundscape. It sounds so lonely here. After 13 minutes we get what sounds like light keys playing repetively while the solar winds continue to gust. Another sound joins in that could be farfisa organ. The last 2 minutes are very heavenly as it seems to fade into nothingness.

"Crystal Lake" opens with a cool synth melody, more synths arrive 3 minutes in. It gets even fuller 9 minutes in. The original synth melody stops 14 1/2 minutes in as waves of sound take over. It becomes haunting 16 minutes in and continues that way until the sound becomes intense as other synths join in around 24 minutes. It builds to a chaotic sound 28 minutes in until it ends. This is one of my faves from Schulze, especially those dark, haunting soundscapes that appear on both tracks. Brilliant.

A review by Warthur:

After test driving his cool, sleek, proto-cyberpunk sound on Moondawn and the Body Love albums, Klaus Schulze presented an absolutely perfect album in this style with the magnificent Mirage. Relying almost completely on analogue synths, Klaus creates a futuristic atmosphere in which the creepy undertones of Cyborg are substituted for a more relaxing and calming mood. Raising the bar for electronic music yet again, with this album Klaus opened up a lead between himself and Tangerine Dream, who had previously been neck-and-neck with him when it came to pioneering this particular strand of electronic music - it's simply better than Tangerine Dream's material from around this point of time by a fair way.

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

The music of Klaus Schulze slowly grew on me with an avid interest in Kraut and electronica. I was introduced to his inimitable style with "Mirage" and what an introduction, laced with a tapestry of analogue synth; a dance of Farfisa, Moog and Mellotron. There are a sequenced suite of movements in the piece; '1984 / Aeronef/ Eclipse / Evasion / Lucid Interspace / Destinati'. The icy cold glacial soundscapes are hypnotising and calming to the senses. The celestial beauty of solar winds blowing over icy planets is an image that is conjured by this mesmirising ambience. Far more intriguing and compelling than Tangerine Dream, the music howls through the mind and creates dense atmospheres of haunting dreamy cognizance. As the opener 'Velvet Voyage' builds in intensity I felt drawn into the music like a starship caught in the gravitational pull of a black hole. The lush synthetic beauty is intoxicating and I felt some strong emotions; the serenity and peace of daydreams encapsulates, and I can only shake my head in awe and wipe away a tear as the music envelops my world. The howling at the end fades into oblivion and we are left in the stillness of silence. After such a powerful opening I was looking forward to a different feel on side two.

The masterful ambience continues with 'Crystal Lake' on the flipside of the vinyl. This one is also lengthy taking up the full vinyl side and is presented in a suite of stages; 'Xylotones/Chromewaves/Willow Dreams/Liquid Mirrors/Springdance & A Biento'. At the opening crystalline snowflakes fall from out of a solar star streaked sky. The music locks into a rhythm of chimes and tubular bells. Finally a synth bass sound drops into the frame and the rhythm changes into a new hypnotic melody. I like the way it changes key so patiently several times. At 14:22 the droplets of synth fade out and we are left with bass heavy synths and spacey ambience. The album is dripping with analogue sounds, a ballet of electronic soundwaves. The layers of abstract keyboard waves are an effective sound to conjure images of wintery icecaps looming amidst sleet sheets raining down on glacial mountains. At this point in the album I am transfixed by the splendour of layers of synth, and dark atmospheres. Vangelis, Tangerine Dream and Jean Michel Jarre spring to mind but Schulze has a density to the soundscape that is superior to my ears. He does not go for swathes of synth variation but focuses on a theme and melody and then operates around this as a framework to build a thick intensity. At 20 minutes in there is an organic liquid sound of lush Moog flourishes. Towards the end a bell chiming sound vibrates over the mellotron dance and captivates in its crystalline passages. This 70s album is surely the pinnacle of the genius of Klaus Schulze.

362

Ocean
Eloy

A review by Warthur:

Another confident space rock symphony from Eloy, continuing the direction taken in The Power and the Passion and Dawn. This time around the sci-fi Atlantean concept (predating Pallas' The Sentinel to the tune of around half a decade or so!) is the perfect springboard for the band's extended electric workouts. With Detlev Schmidtchen's keyboards at centre stage, the band attain a pulsing, driving sound which captivates right up to the apocalyptic destruction of Atlantis. Although the album does bog down a bit in places - in particular, the spoken word narration just doesn't work - it's still another great entry in the Eloy discography.

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush: