| Here is a band I can never get enough of....Popol Vuh's early years are some of the most important and influential albums of the 70's electronica. "Das Hohelied Salamos" is a masterpiece from start to finish and is one of the most played albums from Popol Vuh in my collection. This album is the ultimate veg out Sunday morning spin ! Nothing too raunchy or loud here with pretty well a steady ebb and flow of soundscapes. The album also features some great guitar work reminiscent of Pink Floyd put to a moreharmonic new age vibe. Instumentation includes the sitar, various synths , table , sound effects ...wow what else could you ask for ? | |||
| One of the great French Prog bands was Pulsar who brought symphonia and space together to create some of the most enduring music of the 70’s. Pretty clear Floyd influences on this album who also acted as quite a catalyst for Pulsar in fact over the years. Pollen was the first album Pulsar officially released and represents a true milestone in French progressive rock. Pollen ebbs and flows with some fantastic analog symphonic passages, delicate flute and addictive acoustic/electric guitar , bass and drum interplay. | |||
| You gotta love when 4 virtually unknown musicians get together and write and record an amazing album all in a basement on a 4 track. With no apparent overdubs, needless mixing or sound reduction, this is pure music to be enjoyed to its fullest and let me say loudest! Wow these guys are amazing musicians and I love the endless frontiers they explore...absolutely mind numbing. This all instrumental album plays right thru with zero dull moments and I must say it is one of the best albums I have heard in a long time. Mahogany Blue mix the vibes of Mogwai with the symphonic prowess of Godspeed and hints and traces of classic prog bands like Pink Floyd and even Kraftwerk. Very authentic music and 100% addictive ! Highly recommended | |||
| This was Peter Hammill's second solo album and IMHO one of the truly most remarkable moments for Hammill. With over two-thirds of the album basically plays like a musical solioquay, as Hammill congers up some pretty sparse and dark imagery put to his emotive voice with gentle guitar and piano accompaniment. The other third of the album features the cast from Van Der Graaf Generator with Hugh Banton (organ, bass), David Jackson ( sax, flute) and Guy Evans (drums) and takes on a slight more classic VDG vibe. I love the deep personal and soft delicate approach this album takes remaining highly acoustic and quite cerebral. Musically this album hosts some pretty classic moments with tunes like “What’s It Worth” and “Slender Threads”. | |||
| Following in the steps of both "Aqualung", "War Child", “Minstrel In The Gallery” took Jethro Tull in a slightly different direction mixing in a more acoustic progressive vein perhaps than the earlier and fantastic but more rock based recordings. In fact Minstrel for me ranks on the same stage as both “ Thick As A Brick” and “A Passion Play” which are also some of my favourite Tull albums. Of course side 2 contains the epic side long “Baker St Muse” which is a fantastic track and really got Jethro Tull on the prog map. Musically I suppose this is also a fairly acoustic album with a good bits of orchestration on it as well. This album also contains one of Jethro Tull most beautiful songs ever recorded “Requiem” which plays as a courtyard ode and musically sounds a lot like the early soft Bee Gees. Absolutely a great album ! | |||
| Here is an album that totally blew me away the first time I heard it. The Soundtrack If Our Lives musically hit a real soft spot on this album with their musical ideas and approach reaching the lofty heights Radiohead did on “OK Computer” and Kula Shaker did on “Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts”. This incense-scented music blends generously layered psychedelia with progressive, pop and 70’s sensitivities to create a very unique wall of sound. TSOOL may be the most British sounding of all the Swedish bands I have ever heard. TSOOL are marked by the excellent vocals of Ebbot Lundberg, 3 guitarists: Bjorn Olsson, Ian Person, Mattias Bärjed with Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm (bass), Frederik Sandsten (Drums) and Martin Hederos (keyboards). Musically this complete band pull in elements from Kula Shaker (aka Eastern influences of the Sitar) with Radiohead vulnerabilities and psycheldia rock explored by early Pink Floyd. I also hear elements of the harmonic pop that characterizes bands like Travis and Coldpay to the alternative touches of bands like REM and XTC. For those who may have given up on modern music may want to temporarily suspend this belief and pop this album into your CD player.....definitely not from this planet ! | |||
| A Genuine Tong Funeral was the genius of Gary Burton (Vibes) and Carla Bley. "Tong" was intended for live peformances with a designed light show to accompany this tragic and dark concept album. Told most thru the vibraphone strumming of Gary Burton and the orchestration of Carla Bley the listener is transported into a delicate four part story that begs for emotion. Among the jazz guests that grace this album you will find tenor sax legend Gato Barbieri. The end result is a dream like aura with some poignant jazz and light fusion parts which create this wonderful piece of music. This is definitely one of those albums that you live as you listen . Exceptionally well crafted album that deserves the tag of classic. A wild listen for sure! | |||
| German synthesizer pioneers Tangerine Dream reached the height of their early experimentation with their third studio album on 1972's "Zeit" (the German word for "Time"). This album marked the debut of the band line-up consisting of founder Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke and Peter Baumann. Musically this was the darkest TD ever got in theri early years (although not the strangest) and all that fantstic goundbreaking glumness was captured over a double LP 75 Mins set ! "Zeit" is absolutely a wonderful headphone experience album with tons of dark synth and sound effect-augmented cracks and crevices. | |||
| “Atem” was atmospherically much brighter in contrast to their previous album Zeit”. “Atem' (the German word for 'breath') is also one of my favourtite electronic albums from the 70's offering one of the true masterpeices from this genre. Froese, Baumann and Franke blend tons of analog synth and keyboard work to create an outerwordly 42 Minute daydream. Progheads beware as this was the first time TD used the Mellotron on any album. I always thought that Breathe was a fitting title for this album, as it does literally carry the tonal ebbs and flows of the breathing reflex. | |||
| Here is a real nugget from the golden underground German Krautrock era. Fans of Amon Duul II will likely very much dig this recording with its big sound and heavy progressive tendencies. Musically this album is areal stonker with great bass and guitar lines, keyboard wizardry and a strange overall presence. Album Centerpiece is the epic 20 mins "Day Of A Daydreambeliever" which mixes Van Der Graaf darkness and borrows the musical wierdness from cousins Amon Duul II. Lead vocalist Wolfgang Kause (Gurker The Goat) has a great voice and very much fits the music. This album also offers a great big and wide sound with fantastic production qualities and excellent speaker seperation. Overall a fantastic album and I would highly recommend to anyone who is into the Krautrock thing! | |||
| I would consider this album to be really the last great Cosmic Couriers album. Lord Krishna von Goloka is another huge viceral mind numbing experience album...an album that plays out with raga like mannerisms and acts like a 40+ minute musical chant. Hypnotic vocals and psychy narration by Sergius Golowin add to the creative wierdness adorning this album. Heavily Eastern influenced themes with tons of acoustic guitar, cosmic flute, piano , mellotron, tabla and bongo and percussion, Glockenspiel (...need more glockenspiel !) Wow....what a cosmic parade of musicians as well...Klaus Schulze, Walter Westrupp, Bernd Wutthuser, Jurgen Dollas and Jerry Berkers. "Lord Krishna" is really centered around 2 epic tarcks "Der Reigen (17 Mins) and Die Hoch-Zeit (20 Mins) which both play on the cosmic chant mood. The end result is a pretty trippy and pretty insane recording that plays nicely along on those slow moving Sunday mornings. | |||
| Here is a real stonker of an album ….an absolute heavy psychedelic 70’s triumph ! This four piece German act create one pretty heavy wall of sound on this album. Heavy foot stompin' progressive psychedelic rock all the way thru with 2 crunchy guitarists, and a great bass and drum rhythm pounding duo. Not sure what these guys were ingesting at the time of this recording but Syd Barrett might have a neighbour! Best way to describe this band might be to mix some Led Zeppelin with some early Pink Floyd and toss in some Jimi Hendrix. Lead vocalist Harry Unte has a great heavy psych voice and fits this album perfectly well. Although I love this album it is one I can only play when I need that heavy vibe running thru my body ! A solid album and one that I definitely recommend. | |||
| Mogul Trash I suppose were one of the early “Supergroups” of the 70’s who recorded this one and only fantastic album. Featuring the alumni talents of John Wetton on bass (King Crimson, Roxy Music), James Litherland Guitars (Colosseum), Roger Ball (Sax) & Malcolm Duncan - Sax (Average White Band), Michael Rosen- Trumpet (Eclection), Bill Harrison - Drums and the magician Mr. Brian Auger. Musically these guys were a pure mix of Jazz, fusion and Canterbury Progressive rock having written some pretty cool tunes here. Hard to exactly compare their sound but I would suggest a mix of “Colosseum” with “King Crimson” might be an attempt. Included on this album is a great 10 min version of Colosseum's hit "Elegy" which will blow your lips off. I love their mix of sax’es, trumpet with the wild guitar and bass interplay that accompanies this. I was lucky enough to have snagged Disconforme’s CD re-mastered release which includes a couple extra bonus numbers which are very complimentary to this album. | |||
| Arti+Mestieri's debut album titled "Tilt" was Italy's answer to the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Layer on top of an album full of high energy and high creative explosions the masterful drumming of Furio Chirico and you have a recipe for great success. With varing styles and major tempo and mood swing this band unleash a truely wonderful album that will light the ital-prog veins in you! I should also mention that there is a good dose of Mellotron work here too. The addition of Saxes, piano, and vibraphone also give this album a stong polarity into the jazz genre. The violin wok of this album (Giovanni Vigliar) reminds me very much of Jean Luc Ponty and when combined with the band in full sounds truely majestic. Strongly recommend this album to all fans of Fusion and Ital-prog genres. | |||
| Here is a true fantastic album that I suspect will take a few listens for many before the pure beauty emerges. Jim Pembroke of course was the creative genius of Finland’s Wigwam and this album represents his first solo album…a work of pure creativity and genius. If you are familiar and enjoy with the music of Wigwam, then this album would likely work quite well for you. Hot Thumbs O’Riley is a quirky concept album narrated by Jim Pembroke himself and is essentially a cabaret setting where a number of different bands/singers are introduced. Pembroke draws on his fellow Wigwam members with Pekka Pohjola, Jukka Gustavson. Mans Groundstroem, Mats Hulden and Ronnie Osterberg. The end result is a pretty eclectic album with vast strangeness yet lovingly constructed and full of creativity. | |||
| Here is the conpendium to 2002's "Behind The Music" picking up right from where we left off last ! Man these guys just keep getting better and better over time! With Origin Vol 1, TSOOL have continued to confuse the hell out of us all with thier hybrid mix of 60's , 70's , 80's and 90's styled music. There is something really special about this band and I must say that their music has totally captivated my imagination and restored by faith in modern bands! TSOOL combine 3 guitars with some fantastic bass, keyboard and drum interplay and set out to record some pretty groundbreaking music that just drips in originality and creativity. These guys create a huge wall of sound that demands to be listened to nice and loud. Highly recommended album and one of my personal favs from 2004. | |||
| Audience hit their high stide on 1971's masterpiece, "The house on the hill" featuring the distinctive vocals of Howard Werth and his electric classical guitar work. Audience were definitely not a prototypical progressive rock band...more prog-folk that explores a multitude of connecting genres including jazz, baroque, fusion and even Renaissance-era. Musically, "Audience" combined classical guitar with tenor sax, clarinet, flute, bass, vibes and percussion. This album defies catergorization and ranges from classical rock to Van Der Graaf sax-like dark passages to the art pop influences of 10CC...to the Incredible String Band, CCR, Badfinger and on and on.... Void of heavy mellotron, electric guitar and long epic tracks, yet this album still hits a great artistic high and resonates with a progressive sensitivities. A great album | |||
| Man's 1973 album titled "Back Into The Future" was a major progressive jump for this Irish act and was issued as a double LP set and was filled with perhaps their most compelling studio and live material (outside of "Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day"). The band was comprised of lead guitarist and vocalist Micky Jones, Phil Ryan (keyboards), Terry Williams (drums, percussion), Tweke Lewis (guitars, vocals) and Will Youatt (bass, vocals). Musically circa 1973, Man blended the musical prowess of Nektar with the artpop sensitivities of bands like 10CC and City Boy. This album was also for a me a lot like Floyd's "Ummagumma" which was fractued into a studio disc and live disc with both apsects working to brilliance. Man's most interesting work usually stemmed from their live performances, but on "Back Into The Future" the studio material rivals IMHO and equals the live material. A review of this album would not complete without the mention of the epic and mostly improvised track "Jam Up Jelly Tight/Oh No Not Again" which took up 1 complete side of the second album and will absolutely blow you away. Honorable mention also goes out for the great live version of "C'mon" which evokes a huge allusion to the music Pink Floyd and manages to clock in just under 20 mins!. One of the greatest Man tracks also doubles as the title track of the album which would rank on my top 100 Prog songs of all time!. As stunning album and absolutely essential. | |||
| “Eyes” was the debut album for this German band who of course released and are best known for the heavy prog psych monster “Can’t Get Through”. Their first album however which is oft not mentioned is a fantastic album as well and definitely deserves to be covered here. This album offers some pretty cool and heavy Krautrock vibes with tons of great psyched out vocals, heavy drumming, bass and guitar interplay. Hairy Chapter of course are best known for their heaviness and this first album certainly show it with some wild guitar work and that certain 70's underground sounding Krautrock charm. An excellent album for sure and a great play while en route to work ! | |||
| Viima were once known as the band "The Lost Spectacles" who later changed their name and released a stunning debut album under the name now of Viima. Led by the beautiful female vocals of Päivi Kylmänen (hate to say but carries a slight Annie Haslam quality) along with the excellent keyboard work of Kimmo Lähteenmäki (who also played drums in the sessions), guitarist/flautist Mikko Uusi-Oukari and bass player Jarmo Kataja deliver some great music here. This band and album reaches out on a few different directions with strong allusions to Camel, Renaissance and even some Arena. My favourite track is "Ilmalaiva Italia" which crossed the Porcupine Tree realm with some pretty moving musical moments. Generally the mood of this album is soft and symphonic but there are a few heavier guitar ripping sections too. I love the flute and keyboard symphonic passages which definitely remind me of classic Camel. Viima has really released a lovely album here for sure and I would recommend this album to everyone lover of Progressive Rock. | |||
| Here is an absolutely killer 70’s German underground recording you must hear…..wow how come this album is so darn hard to hunt down? Eulenspygel were a wild bunch of music freaks who recorded a fantastic couple of albums with their second in review here. Eulenspygel carried that certain underground German 70’s vibe with homemade organ grinds, heavy bass and guitar overlays with heavier vocals, but wow is this album superb. With careful mix of jazz, fusion, prog and rock this album were pretty cleverly arranged and mixed with great imagination, color and tempo shifts. All vocals are sung in German and are done so with great conviction and I understand they are singing about anti-war themes. Fans of Krautrock will need to have this album in their collection…. | |||
| As far a fusion album go, Davis' 1972 "On The Corner" album would definitely rank up there in my top 10 of all time. Serious Progressive music listeners will already likely have discovered the genius of Miles Davis CRICA 1970 when his traditional jazz roots were set aside adn he became infactuated and turned on with passion for fusion rock-jazz. Davis' hand picked band included John McLaughlin and Herbie Hancock as well as a cast of other fantatstic musicians. 100% Modal in approach and definitely porgressive in approach this album takes the listener completely into a new world with heavy groove bass lines, sitars, electric guitars, freaked out trumpet and tons of great hand and kit percussion (tabla). As you would expect this album contains 2 big epic tracks and 2 smaller ones. Standout piece for me is the 23 Mins "Helen Butte / Mr. Freedom X" which unfolds into one incredible fusion track. Absolutely essential fusion album ........ | |||
| Before they were Sahara, this band were known as Subject Esq. Sahara’s second album “Sunrise” is a stunning album mixing pop, folk and fusion elements. Hard to exactly peg this album into one category but imagine a heavy mix of Jethro Tull, with early Yes and snippets of Nektar and you might have an idea of their sound. Musically these guys blend mellotron/organ/piano symphonia with flutes, guitars and accentuated bass in a well crafted format not unlike Yes did. The band lineup was Hennes Hering (Keyboards), Michael Hofmann (Wind, Moog, Mellotron, Vocals), Alex Pittwohn (Harmonica, Saxophone, Vocals), Harry Rosenkind (Drums, Percussion), Stefan Wissnet (Bass, Vocals), Nicholas Woodland (Guitar). Vocals are sung in English and are very well done making this album a real little gem of the progressive era. Although both sides are amazing, it is side 2 that really got my interest with a 27 min long 2 suite epic track (no matter how old I get I still love the epic numbers!!!) . I have the newly re-mastered version and the sound from all accounts is far superior to the previous versions. A great album | |||
| Now here is an album that just blew me away completely from the start to the finish. The basically unheard of progressive rock jazz fusion Canadian outfit called Mahogany Frog have done it to the max this time. This album deserves a ton more exposure than it has received and would be one of the best albums I have heard in a number of years. Mahogany Frog mix modern music phraseology with the old 70’s vibes and sounds to create a truly engulfing wall of sound that sticks for his music lover. There a 4 epic tracks on this album as well and each number is given lots of space to unfold and create its own vibe. Tons of vintage keyboards (Farfisa, moog …etc…) with deep bass, guitar, trumpet, flute and wonky effects. This is one of those fantastic headphone experience albums as well with excellent soundscapes and tones. Lovers of fusion rock will also likely get off on this band ! Overall and excellent album | |||
| Here is a great live al bum capturing one of the great all time fusion legends at work. Complete with 2 epic tracks (Trilogy 12 mins and Dream 21 mins) this album will completely blow your mind. The Mahav’s were John McLaughlin (Guitars), Jan Hammer (Piano & moog), Jerry Goodman (Violin), Billy Cobham (Drums) and Rick Laird (Bass). The end result is a controlled but free roaming fusion with great excitement and vitality. Mclaughlin’s guitar playing is amazing with the entire band doing their best to support him and take the music in new direction…..something they do very well live. Cobham’s drumming is simply amazing as is the violin quirks from Goodman. Kind of a melting pot of all genres and styles coming together in one amazing place. Go get this album ! | |||
| So I will admit right up front that Hawkwind were not and are still not my favourite band but my good friend Bob Turnbull has gotten me more and more into this band’s music and being a sucker for good albums I picked up “Masters of The Universe” ! This is a pretty cool album and manages to really draw up that old space-prog rock senses with tracks like the 10 Mins Orgone Accumulator and the 11 Mins Brainstorm epic numbers. This was I guess the most interesting version of hawkwind with Nik Turner, Dave Brock, Mr Kilminster, Bob Calvert and Mick Farren . Musically this album showcases the spaced out contributions of heavy bass, drum and keyboard trio with wild vocals and assorted musical instruments. The album runs like a wild nightmare! | |||
| Here is the 6th instalment in the continued post Grobschnitt released thanks to band leader and drummer EROC. This time out "The Grobschnitt Story 6" contains a fine collection spanning 2 full CD’s covering odds and sods with emphasis on the Rockpommel’s land era. Apart from demo versions of well-known Grobschnitt songs (aka Wonderful Music), there is a handful of completely unknown pieces making this CD quite collectible for fans. The 12 Mins "About My Town" (1971) shows those a slighly more jazz rock side while "The Days Of Us" goes more in a Blues direction. This package also contains a killer alternate version of Die Sinfonie (21 Mins) as well as a 2006 remixed version of most of Rockpommel's Land. This 2 CD package offers some great reporduction as well considering the age and source of some of this music. Highly recommended for Grobschnitt fans. | |||
| The early 10CC albums are something of an original with true art rock expressionisms and genre breaking moments. 1975’s “The Original Soundtrack” is a magical album full of classic Lol Crème, Eric Stewart and Kevin Godley creativity. There was even a classic 70’s pop ballad from this album “I’m Not In Love” which was all over the radio way back when I was a kiddie boo boo….”Big Boys Don’t Dry”…….This album has it all and resounds with that classic 10CC strangeness and angular musical prowess. The Original Soundtrack is also full of wonderful vocalizations and use of the various tones in their music….kind of a cross of Barclay James Harvest harmonies with Bee Gee structures. | |||
| So this is pretty well where it all started for Canada's Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush. Built around the psyched out guitar playing of Marino, "Maxoom" rocks from the blues driven "Blues" to the progressive rock blasts of "All In Your Mind". With this album dedicated to Jimi Hendrix, Marino pulls out all stops and shows off an incredible sense of timing and detailed song writing. This is a wildly varied album as well and plays as one of those albums that you just can't put down. There is no question that Marino was hugely influenced by Jimi through and through with song structure, guitar styles, vocals and even certain band characteristics. But having said that, this album stands out on its own and is one of my favourite 70's rock albums. | |||
| Os Mutantes are best known for their psychedelic 60’s output with lead vocalist Rita Lee, but they managed to sneak in and record in 1974 a simply fantastic album that deserves lots of attention. I should start by mentioning that Rita Lee had left the band by the time of recording “Tudo foi feito pelo sol” (All Are Made For The Sun) and vocal duties were handed over to Túlio Mourão. Musically this quartet took a plunge into the land of prog rock and the end result is an album full of beautiful melodies and complex instrumental interplay of the best progressive rock one can find. The vocal harmonies are abundant and work to perfection on the album in combination with the symphonic keyboards of Mourão. Of course there is even a sitar or two tossed into the mix which completes this album. Piano, synths, organ, bass , guitar, drums and an album full of passion and emotion….what else can you ask for. Definitely a highly recommended album. | |||
| Scottish 70’s proggers Beggar’s Opera signed to Vertigo label in the early 70’s and carried that expressive yet highly progressively exploratory prowess found in many of the Vertigo bands. “Act One” was their debut album and featured some pretty amazing musicianship and song writing including an ode to composer Suppe’s popular “Poet and Peasant” overture which opens up this album. Essentially this album is organ led with full support by the bass, guitar and drum. This album in many ways is my personal favourite of all their albums and I love the exploratory and unique space they explored on recording this gem. There are a couple of longer 11 min tracks as well which gives the band a bit more space to open up with musically. The Repertoire CD version also contains 2 bonus tracks that are circa 1970 and are nice to have as well. | |||
| Strange Universe was Frank Marino’s 3rd studio album and again showcases his singing, song writing and guitar playing skills. For those who don’t know the music of early Mahogany Rush are in for a real treat…..with a vibe totally in the spirit of Jimi Hendrix, Marino blends jazz, rock, fusion, pop, blues into an original and cerebral set of light concept-like albums. Although not typical progressive rock, it is what Marino does musically that has made me include his early albums on this website with his progressive approach to music. | |||
| The Greatest Show on Earth were originally formed in 1968 by guitarist Garth Watt-Roy and his bass-playing brother Norman. Garth would later form write and record the famous sole “Fuzzy Duck” album which I also love. "The Greatest Show On Earth’s" unique mixture of Rock R&B, soul, jazz and prog-rock got them signed to EMI's progressive label Harvest Records in 1970. The folks at Repertoire have done a masterful job in re-mastering this glorious album which offers excellent speaker separation and great dynamic tones. In addition to the guitar, bass, drum standards, this band added Harpsichord, flugle horns, trumpets and saxes. The music on this album is amazing and I love the psychedelic-like structures and progressive punches these guys play. Talk about a great album that needs to be discovered by all. Essentially this album is organ/guitar driven with excellent bass, percussion support and clever vocalizations. Best way to describve this music might be to blend Canterbury's Caravan's early albums with Pink Floyd and traces of Procol Harum. Go get this album ! | |||
| Embryo are an acquired taste but once you have the taste you just can not get enough. In my days of expanding my music collection into the more obscure I snagged a copy of Embryo’s live recording from their golden era (1971) and man I still have not recovered. To say this is anything less than amazing is an understatement ! Four epic live tracks with a jazz/early Floyd prowess and a groove that just never seems to really stop, ebbing and flowing with creativity. The only bad on this whole album would be the sound quality which suffers a bit and feels fatigued at times (likely the source radio tape). But having said that the quality is still very very listenable and 100% enjoyable (I just wish it had been recorded better…..not unlike the Genesis albums). On this album and live show, Embryo blended heavy doses of cosmic flute and sax with guitar, bass, drum and keyboards to create an album of intense beauty. Truly a masterpiece and fans of Miles Davis fusion, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Krautrock like Amon Duul II will need to find a copy of this jem!!! | |||
| Argentina produced some pretty cool prog rock bands with Almendra second album standing out as one of my personal favourites. Released in 1970 this album really covers a wide range of musical inspiration from classic 70’s progressive rock to 60’s Beatles Rock “Ru Tas Argentinas” all covering a pseudo – psych influence. The band also had 2 guitarists and they love to wind those puppy up creating some nice and heavy moments. The excellent vocals and wide use of varied instrumentation and effects makes this album one of those albums that you just can’t believe has not been more widely referenced. If you had to buy only 1 album this year I would strongly suggest this one. | |||
| Skorpio’s debut album (1975) was a storming album full of deep progressive rock and 70’s rock sensitivities. This 4 piece rock band combined heavy guitar with deep and vivid Moog synth, bass and percussion elements. Hungary was responsible for some excellent prog rock and Skorpio would be right up there for definite consideration. Skorpio’s music is a blend of the space tendencies of Solaris with the 70’s vibes of Queen. They even draw onto this album snippets of “Rhapsody In Blue” ! Karoly Frenreisz (bass guitar, saxes and vocals) was in the original 1970’s line up of Hungary’s LOCOMOTIV before joining Skorpio. | |||
| Ex-bandsman of The Teardrop Explodes who were one of the 80's New Wave / Alternative gurus turned out one fantastic solo album here. First time I heard Julian Cope was of course with the hit "World Shut Your Mouth" which I was not all that fond of at the time, but then came FRIED!. Contrasted over his alternative pop seneitivities emerges this mind melding album full of unusual depth and lasting quality. I am not sure many would add this album into their "Progressive Rock" categorization but as you have likely seen my classification of PROG is quite different than many. Cope blends electric and acoustic tones over a nice range of psychedelically induced pop songs with a wide variety of tempos and moods. The overall album carries a very deep personal and introspective like feel and as wierd as this may sound does not feel unlike the Drake - Barrett zone. Just one of those albums you must hear...and from the 80's to boot ! | |||
