Non-listed progressive and prog-related material

 

 

 

TALIS are a new band formed in the new millenium by fellows keyboardist Steffen Conrad and guitarist Michael Kohlmannslehner.The duo was joined by six more musicians in order to create their first album ''Cities'' in March,2006,not much longer after their formation.''Cities'' is a mixed bag of sounds,influences and instrumental musicianship,always under the progressive rock approach.Additionally the album contains a variety of vocal lines,from monotonic male to multi-vocal parts to ethereal female ones...so one think is for sure:''Cities'' will appeal to a great mass of progressive rock fans.Speaking of influences is hard with so much diversity in their sound.Some parts of the album are close to a modern version of PINK FLOYD,especially in the vocal section,the spacey melodic guitars and the atmospheric keyboards.But this is just a short part of the album.Other moments contain heavier guitar parts,always with a touch of melody, accompanied by trully weird electronic effects in an obscure combination.This is actually a unique mix of modern neo prog with electronics.I should notice also that plenty of vocals in this one are sometimes distorted making the album even more spacey,atmosopheric and modern-sounding.In the longer cuts I can also detect additional ibstruments like violins,cellos and even some sitar to complete a nice modern progressive rock obscurity...I really don't know if this combination is always succesful but ''Cities'' is a grower,which definitely deserves a wider promotion,as this German duo seems very talented,trying to establish a personal style among their influences...and it seems that even today German bands try to create the most obscure progressive works.

 

Magnificent US prog band,recording and performing between mid-70's and early 80's.They recorded three albums as far as I am concerned:''Flight'' (1975),''Incredible journey'' (1976) and ''Excursion beyond'' (1980).The first two are considered as one of the best examples of artistic progressive jazz rock,the latest is said to be in a much more commercial vein.The one I can talk about is their self-titled debut,featuring Pat Vidas on trumpets/vocals,Jim Michael Yaeger on keyboards,John Ray on acoustic & electric basses,Russell Dawber on drums and Ted Karczewski on electric and acoustic guitars.This one is progressive jazz rock at its best for sure.Compositions are really fast,complex and intricate,offering tons of adventuruous interplays and a very rich sound.However,FLIGHT are not your average band,delivering long improvisated parts or jam sections.The compositions are mainly short with a great developing structure and also featuring often humurous vocals of somekind of late-60's pop style.Pat Vidas present a wide variety of catchy trumpet parts,supported by great electric piano,moog synths and a touch of mellotron and even some fantrastic solos by guitarist Ted Karczewski.The funky bass lines of John Ray try to create a more relaxed atmosphere...but instrumental parts are trully mind-blowing,reminding me of GENTLE GIANT and actually if you can imagine a cross between GG and NUCLEUS you are very close to FLIGHT's unique sound.Energetic brass rock in battle with complicated jazzy prog with also some hints of classic progressive rock.This band deserves a lot more than this limited fame they earned.A must-have for ages!

 

 

With a name like that you cannot expect anything else than symphonic-oriented rock music loaded with keys.SECOND MOVEMENT existed since 1971,when they were formed in Coburg,Bavaria.They had some very ambitious plans as a band,otherwise it can't be explained that they started as an eight-piece band and even performed a rock opera named ''Jack Y'',regarding a soldier in Vietnam,reportedly a friend of the band's members.By mid-70's the band was shortened to a sextet,featuring Harald Kesselhack on vocals, Siggi Zeidler on keys,Thomas Mockl on guitars,Manni Greiner on bass,Matthias Helk on drums and Manni Bierbach on flutes/saxes.This line-up recorded the debut ''Blind man's mirror'' in 1976,released on Castle in 700 copies.

 

The album includes a total of five tracks,four of them being over 9 minutes.SECOND MOVEMENT try to keep the balances with some safe playing and alternating vocal/instrumental passages.Obviously they deliver a fair amount of keyboard parts with classical leanings at moments,featuring nice work on moog synths,organ and clavinet by Zeidler.Compositionally the band is in a good level,offering classic symphonic prog in the vein of NOVALIS,early E.L.P. and WALLENSTEIN,with some rock outburst being also present.The tracks contain also plenty of acoustic guitars,while vocals are accented and a bit pale with some GREG LAKE influence.Instrumental parts are the reason why you should search for this album,despite being not that coherent.Melodies are quite strong and will please any fan of the genre.

 

The band had some line-up changes through the following years and moved on to a second album in 1981,entitled ''Movements'',which I have not listened.The following year they disbanded once and for all,at least leaving one memorable album with plenty of good moments.

 

 

well,this is not a suggestion thread actually or if you want just a suggestion thread...Read carefully my introduction,this is just a personal space where I can sum,organize and place historical info and reviews around bands that are not listed in progarchives,but deserve fully to be called prog IN MY OPINION ONLY...The main reason is for people taking notice of unknown prog bands (one more,just in my opinion) existed mainly  in the past...suggestion comes second by a small note at the end of the post and I could simply remove it if that is the problem of making this topic a suggestion-related one.

 

All the best

 

Apostolis

 

Different sounding than most of the bands around the same time,Toronto-based TERRACED GARDEN were the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Carl Tafel,who was a member of heavy sounding rock bands Ex Libris and Cardboard Brains.He began recording tracks for the band's debut in 1981 with the help of by drummer Peter Weeks,woodwind player Ian Colvin (from Ex Libris) and violinist Simon Jacobs.Tafel run out of money,the project stayed in hiatus for sometime,before returning the next year with Phil Dewhurst  this time on drums and finishing the recordings and mixing of the album.Around Christmas 82' ''Melody and menace'' was finally released.

 

The album is a fantastic journey through the different streets of the progressive rock world with a band delivering a mixed but captivating bag of sounds.Sometimes I wonder if GENTLE GIANT or HAPPY THE MAN were formed in the 80's,how they would sound like?Perhaps ''Melody and menace'' is the answer.Filled with piano,mellotrons,violins,acoustic guitars and flutes,most of the tracks explore the sounds of symphonic music,jazz tradition and relaxed acoustic folk in one package.You can add the soft and ethereal multi-vocal harmonies and background choirs to the mix to get a soundscape of unmet beauty.On the other hand the band can play also some really intricate and dynamic guitar-based rock with an obvious fusion breeze,supported by the powerful drums and the pounding bass lines with nice keys on the background.Short tracks with fine interplays,dreamy vocals and adventuruous blend of instruments,sounding very modern until today.Can you ask for more?

 

TERRACED GARDEN went on to produce two more albums in the 80's,''Braille'' from 1984 and ''Within'',which are reputed to be less challenging,maintaining though the high quality of the compositions met in ''Melody and menace''.Unfortunately this album never got a CD-reissue and propably that's a good reason why it remained in obscurity.Recommended to all prog fans who love KING CRIMSON,GENTLE GIANT,HAPPY THE MAN and ECHOLYN.

 

 

 

This unknown Dutch band was found by ex-Sandy Coast keyboardist Ron Westerbeek in 1974.The band featured also John Lagrand (from Livin' Blues) on harmonica,Boris Farberow on bass,Allaert Troost on guitars,Peter Voogt on drums and Jan van Dijk on flutes.Debra Wokaty helps on female voices.The first album came out a year after their formation on Phillips.

 

40 minutes of music divided in 9 short tracks with multiple influnces.''Holiday'' is a nice little folk tune with nice vocal lines,while ''After the ball'' has a soul atmosphere along with a flute-driven instrumental break.On ''You are older know'' shines Van Dijk's harmonica,a number with psych and funky influences.The same feeling characterizes ''Night about four'':flutes and harmonica on front with a light soul/funky edge throughout.''All around your temble'' is a decent Deep Purple/Burnin' Red Ivanhoe combination,nice heavy/psych rock with funky bass lines.''Come and seahe day'' follows the same path,though most smooth with good piano and harmonica work and Westerbeek's best vocal performance.''Okinavasta'' mixes a Gentle Giant-like musicianship with commercial vocals,while on ''Follow me'' the Zeppelin-like guitars combine with a funky rhythm section and multi-vocals.The eponymous track closes the album in a ballad style with strong female vocals,acoustic rhythms and synths to the front.

 

The next year the band would release a second and last album,entitled ''Damburst'',an effort which is said to be more in a prog vein.Half-nice,half-weak, ''The second day'' will please fans of prog who doesn't mind a strong soul flavor in their music menu.