Steeleye Span - Below The Salt (1972)

Steeleye Span -  Below The Salt 

   "Below The Salt" was British folk-rock Steeleye Span's 4th album and represents for me one of their finest albums.   Maddy's vocals are bold, sharp and definite and i think is one of her strongest contributions.   There is a slightly harder edge to this album and what is crazy is that although there are no drums on the album the instruments do a great job to fill this gap.....especially the bass guitar work (check out the tune King Henry with its percussive bass work!)

  Steeleye Span added Bob Johnson and Rick Kemp in place of  Martin Carthy and Ashley Hutchings on this album which bring in a harder folk edge.  Every song on this album is fantastic and the albums runs right thru with great song after song. 

  The Christmas hymnal "Gaudette" is a classic Steeleye Span track with heavingly 19th century-like vocal harmonies and holiday flare.  

  A hearty album that you just gotta hear !!!

Barclay James Harvest - Live Tapes (1978)

Barclay James Harvest - Live Tapes 

  Live Tapes captures the poor mans moody blues live in concert performing mostly songs from their mid period (known as the polydor era).   This live album was released just before keyboardist Woolly Wolstenholme left the band who had started to veer too far off course for his liking.   The only non-Polydor track is Mockingbird which they do a killer version of.   

  Although the songs dont wonder too far off the studio interpretations, I do like the live feel on these songs.  If you were going to make a "best of" mid period compilation by Barclay James Harvest i think you'd pick most of the songs on this live album!   

   Barclay James Harvest were a very special band and this album showcases why they were.........lovely soft pastelle vocals with haunting melodies and superb songwriting and musicianship. 

  If you are a fan then I suspect you already have this but if not then dont hesitate and it is four sides of pure bliss,

Klaus Schulze - La Vie Electronique Volume 3 (2013)

Klaus Schulze - La Vie Electronique Volume 3

  This ain't for the young at heart......

  However, if you are a space cadet.....or fan of early polyphonic analogue synth music then this is right down your alley!

  Of course Klaus Schulze was one of the pioneers of vintage electronica with a rich and large past volume of work for you to discover.     I have been a fan of Schulze for a long time and own a ton of his 70's albums.    I was pretty excited to discover the rerelease of these lost gems as i did not invest in the previous bootleg lots available back a number of years ago (Silver Edition, Historic Edition, and Jubilee Edition).  But dont let the bootleg word or fact that these were not officially release as the music is stunning......as is the sound.

   Volume 3 is a 3 cd set that cover unreleased and studio work from Schulze's golden 70's era where he was very prolific.  The SPV label have pressed these vintage recordings onto silver cd's and NOT CDR's like the MIP label did on earlier cd pressings.....    There is also a small booklet to detail a bit about each song which helps from a collectors perspective.  

  Fans of Klaus' Seminal 70's albums like TIMEWIND or MOONDAWN will die for this 3 disc collection.   There are two killer 20 mins + songs that will teleport you into another dimension!

Steeleye Span - Rocket Cottage (1976)

Steeleye Span - Rocket Cottage

 in the mid 70's, Steeleye Span began to make a more natural shift into a more folk-rock based sound and IMHO "Rocket Cottage" is THE watermark album from this "Span"-era to own.
  

  While still containing all the trace folk elements they began to turn up their amplifies to 11 resulting in a different sounding band.   Of course all the trademark Steeleye Span elements are here .....macabre lyrics, powerful harmonies, , innocent sounding vocals and that certain English flare.

Brendan Perry - Eye Of The Hunter (1999)

Brendan Perry - Eye Of The Hunter 

  Brendan Perry has the voice of a ghost......meditative, baritone, tranquil and precise with unparalleled emotion and conviction.   Of course Perry is likely better known as one of the pair that make up the band DEAD CAN DANCE where he shares the spotlight with Lisa Gerrard.

  "Eye of the Hunter" is Perry's debut album on 4AD label (the same label that brought you all the vintage DCD albums) so taht should provide a bit of insight into the artistic approach.    

  Each song is dark and foreboding with deep tones and gothic-like sonics.    Right from the start of the album the listener is drawn under Perry's trance which reveals a beautiful journey as you get deeper into the album.   This is a very special artist who makes every inch count on his album and puts every bit of what he can of himself into the music.  


   This is one of those albums that put on, dim the lights and enjoy your glass of red wine to.  The whole album is moody yet chalked full of character and depth. 

   The music of Brendan Perry is music to Live by !

      

   

Bill Evans Trio - Sunday At The Village Vanguard (1961)

Bill Evans Trio - Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Chet Baker - Chet (1959)

Chet Baker - Chet (1959)
  Just as the album cover suggests tenderness, loving and seduction....welcome to one of the finest jazz albums you will ever hear!   Baker and company pulled off something very special with this recording....the music is as deep as you can get and full of rich melodies and instrumentation.  Baker is assisted by quite a cast of players......Pepper Adams, Herbie Mann, Bill Evans, Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones.

  This has been for a long time one of the Sunday am "go-to" jazz albums in my household.  There is no better way to start your day off than a bit of CHET playing on the stereo.     Baker creates a very serene world where things are very soft, pastelle and not rushed and offers some of the warmest tones you will ever hear on a jazz record.

  Simply an endearing album from start to finish !

Stan Rogers - Turnaround (1978)

Stan Rogers - Turnaround

  If it weren't for my wife's aunt  I may never have seriously listened to Canada's Stan Rogers.  after being absolutely hooked on "Fogarty's Cove" (1976) I had to pick up his second album "Turnaround".

 The structure of Stan's music never really wanes too far from pure Folk but on Turnaround he added a slight Celtic-Rock element into the album.  The song "Oh No...Not I" has a very strong "Jethro Tull feel" to it and if it weren't for the accordion solo (vs flute) your swear Mr. Ian Anderson just came on the LP !

I think "Turnaround" is an amazing album and contains some of Rogers' best songs he ever wrote and recorded.   "Dark Eyed Molly" and "Song Of A Candle" are also great examples of just how good a song writer Stan was!


  Sadly we lost Stan Rogers in 1983 on a fatal plane accident with apparently his ashes being spread out fittingly in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nova Scotia.

  Stan Rogers blended some new elements into his Maritime-infused sound on this album and thus the fitting title of "Turnaround".   Stan had a very distinctive and IMHO fantastic baritone voice and was an excellent guitarist.

  His albums were very well recorded and I think this one gets also top marks for recording clarity and sonic beauty.

  Turn this music up and head to the East Coast my friends.......... 

Shadowfax - Watercourse Way (1976)

Shadowfax - Watercourse Way

   I was unaware of this long lost hidden fusion giant of an album until one of my music-audiophile pals put me onto this gem.  I will admit that I was never a big fan of Shadowfax music and do recall owning one of their 80's albums which did nothing for me.   However...in complete contrast to their later material, this debut album (which was later re-recorded and re-mixed in a more new age manner and issued on CD) is stunning..and shocking actually.

  With odes to the Mahavishnu Orchestra and the likes of Billy Cobham (Spectrum), Watercourse Way delivers a solid fusion excursion for our minds.  1975 Shadowfax consisted of Chuck Greenberg (lyrics), Phil Maggini (bass), Doug Maluchnik (keys), Stuart Nevitt (percussion) and Greg Stinson (guitars).  Clearly influences include John Mclaughlan, Billy Cobham and Herbie Hancock.  


“The Shape of a Word” is a great 8 minute tune that will seriously wake your brain up !  These guys set out to record a magical little fusion album and with the assistance of Larry Fast released this gem of an album.   I would say that the impressive cover art is also fitting to the music on the vinyl record.   Sadly this version has never been released that I know of on CD so you will have to hunt this one down in the Thrift Stores or vintage vinyl stores.   Watercourse Way was the one and only Shadowfax albums released on Passport Records and some six years later would re-emerge with a reformed sound fittingly captured for new-age music fans on William  Ackerman’s Windham Hill label.

Anthony Phillips - The Geese and the Ghost (1977)

Anthony Phillips - The Geese and the Ghost 
   If you are a fan of 70's Genesis then "The Geese and the Ghost" is absolutely essential!   This album carries all the English charm of "wind and wuthering" and "a trick of the tail" with some succulent songs and progressive passages.  In many way I think of this album as what genesis would have sounded like if they had filled Hackett's absence with Anthony Phillips.

    Phillips had the assistance of both Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford of Genesis on this album with John Hackett on flutes.   Phillips wrote all the songs and  co produced the album with Mike Rutherford.  

  Musically this highly expressive album will captivate your attention as it transports you into a magical world of lutes, dragons and war.  

  Anthony phillips played his final gig with Genesis on July 18th, 1970 and shortly after wrote a good chunk of this album but it was not finally recorded and released for a number of years later.  I will never forget the first time hearing this album as a Genesis fan put me on to it and still to this day remains one of my favourite prog rock albums in my collection!

  Music like this will bring out emotions and feelings in ways you can explain.......

Clark Terry - Swahili (1955)

Clark Terry - Swahili

  "Swahili" was the debut album released by this great American trumpeter/flugelhornist back in 1955.  With all song arranged by Quincy Jones and some of Jazzes best session musicians, Terry laid down an album of 8 cool tunes.

  Clark Terry recorded this album along with pianist Horace Silver, drummer Art Blakey, bassists Oscar Pettiford and Wendell Marshall, saxophonist Cecil Payne and trombonist Jimmy Cleveland.

This is a jazz-cool album !

Tom Newman - Faerie Symphony & Other Stories (1977)

Tom Newman - Faerie Symphony & Other Stories

"Faerie Symphony & Other Stories" is a beautiful album that needs to be closely listened to.  

Tom Newman may not be immediately recognized by his name alone,  but if I was to say "Tubular Bells" then I am pretty sure you'd nod !
  Yes...it's the same Tom Newman....the guy who helped record , produce and perform on Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells.  He and soon after Mike Oldfield were amongst the first to join Richard Branson's Virgin Record label.
   Tom also released a number of solo albums and even was in a great early psychedelic band called JULY (which I have reviewed earlier).

Aptly titled "Faerie Symphony & Other Stories" was released in 1977 on Decca Records.  No question Mike Oldfield (and Tubular Bells specifically) had a profound impact on Newman who in turn conceived, composed, and arranged this Celtic-prog fuzed album that clocks in just over 30 minutes.

 Tom Newman plays most of the instruments (like Oldfield) with strong contributions from ex-JULY and JADE WARRIOR bandmate Jon Field (flutes and reeds) and Peter Gibson (brass instruments).

"Faerie Symphony & Other Stories" exudes a deep musical beauty a plays like one continuous piece of pioneering music.  Fans of Tubular Bells will love this album which does share a lot of musical and technical allusions.  

Highly recommend this album to those who still enjoy tripping the light fantastic !

Stereolab - Peng! (1992)

Stereolab - Peng!

  Peng! is a thing of beauty!  KRAFTWERK meets CAN meets The Girl From Ipanema meets Lounge......I mean seriously what an album !

  Peng! was the first full length album released by Stereolab born out of the musical genius of England's Tim Gane and French born singer Laetitda Sadier.  Musically this is "poetic experimentalism" with a heavy dose of Krautrock and trance-like qualities.  Sadier's vocals emit a  surreal like quality to the music while Gane and company explore some pretty vivid musical landscapes.

  Stereolab have always been on the edge.....their music can be challenging and yet very rewarding.  I will admit that they are a bit of an eclectic lot and some of their music can be less accessible, but I found that time and time again when i play their albums (like Peng!) that I am stopped in my tracks.

  Although not vintage 70's Progressive Rock...i would offer that this album still fits the mold of Prog Rock (in a Peng! sort of way)

Brilliant album from start to finish!

Tangerine Dream - Rubycon (1975)

Tangerine Dream - Rubycon (SACD)

The Walker Brothers - The Immortal ( )

The Walker Brothers - The Immortal

Pat Metheny / John Zorn - TAP - Book of Angles Vol 20 (2013)

Pat Metheny / John Zorn  - TAP - Book of Angles Vol 20

New Trolls - UT (1972)

New Trolls - UT

  One could not talk about the Italian progressive rock scene without mentioning the influence of the New Trolls.    

   Just before splitting up and disbanding into two different bands (IBIS and New Trolls Atomic) the soon to be gone band released their final and best album IMHO called "UT".    This delicate album of sophistication and beauty has stood the test of time and remains one of my Italian prog favs!    

 Canadian fans will be surprised perhaps to know that the song "I cavalieri del lago dell'Ontario" (The Ontario Lake's Riders) was the work of New Troll Franck Laugelli who was from Toronto!  The song actually foreshadows the demise of the Canadian great lake...omg.....

   The New Trolls were Nico Di Palo (guitar, lead vocals), Gianni Belleno (drums), Frank Laugelli (keys and bass), Maurizio Salvi (keys) and Vittorio De Scalzi (guitars). 

Musically "UT" is a mix of rock, prog and folk genres with parallels to countrymen PFM and RDM with dribs of Deep Purple and drabs of Genesis.

Einstellung - Wings of Desire (2006)

Einstellung - Wings of Desire (2 x 180g vinyl)

  Einstellung is the development of a mechanized state of mind. Often called a problem solving set, Einstellung refers to a person's predisposition to solve a given problem in a specific manner even though "better" or more appropriate methods of solving the problem exist.      Having said that this "Einstellung" is a four piece psychedelic English rock band who likely should have been born in the 1970's along with CAN.      

"Wings of desire" is the lone album from Einstellung and is a fantatsically bombastic album that will keep you up all night long!     Einstellung combine the heavy tones of Black Sabbath with the landscape imagery of Mogwai and the expansive mind-altering krautrock pursuits of CAN!

    Einstellung are Andrew Moscardo-Parker (Guitars), Andrew Smart (Guitars), Steve Hough (Bass) and Simon Rider (Drums).  Together these guys create a loud yet very inviting wall of sound that has a great heavy "riffy" feel to it.  This albums features 2 epic side long tracks that are just awesome ....."ungeeignet" and "Liedy Kann Meinen Hintern Küssen".  The opening track "Tot" features the old tape introduction by Charles Berlitz from "learning a new language" which is a wonderful way to initiate this album on your turntable!

This album was conceptualized and based on the beautiful and slightly hypnotic German film also titled "Wings of Desire" which was directed by Wim Wenders.   The gatefold vinyl artwork was done by Lucy McLauchlan and it is quite fitting.

 If you listen really closely with volumes slightly elevated I guarantee your tinnitus will go away!!!