Vindication - Vindication (1973 Xstian Prog)

Indiana based Christian progressive rock band. No mistaking its Midwest identity, with those unique bowling-alley-beer-binges-meets-barbershop-quartet harmony vocals. Music is insanely complex for the time and place, and especially for the subject matter. It would seem Ohio's The Load may have heard or known Vindication as well, though they weren't near as complex as their brethren to the West. This one seems to get better with age. 
From RYM (ashratom)

Link

Mamba - Mamba (swe jazz fusion 1979)

Link fixed

Serenity - Piece of Mind (N.Z. psych folk 1972)

 Link

Seedog - We Hope to See You..(1972 krautrock psych jazz ger)

On a label most known for two highly regarded avant Krautrock albums - Code III and Sand - Seedog couldn't be more different. This album has a poor reputation, most likely a reaction to the fact its not anywhere near the same style of the two aforementioned bands. It's not Krautrock in the traditional style, yet many of the elements are present: Soaring flute, long tracks and loud guitar solos. It would be passable as an album on Brain, perhaps a companion piece to albums by Cornucopia, Lava and Satin Whale. "We Hope to See You" is song oriented, with way too many vocals in accented English. But it's surprisingly listenable with a chugging acoustic guitar driving the generally happy tone of the album. Had Agitation Free added a multitude of vocals after their "Second" album, then I could imagine Seedog coming from that. And, as it turns out, a former Agitation Free member indeed is a member of Seedog. Much better than I expected. 
From RYM (ashratom)

Link

Rain - Rain (1972 can hard soul)

So here's a little known, but mildly enjoyable early-1970s Canadian pop set that you can still find for a reasonable price ... what's not to like about that? Led by former Landslide Mushroom (don't you love the name), vocalist Phyllis Brown, Rain hailed from Kitchner, Ontario Featuring keyboardist Charley Hall, singer Ron Hiller, lead guitarist Bill McLaughlin, and drummer Chris Woroch the band signed to Greg Hambleton's newly formed Axe Records. Axe had a distribution agreement with London which led to the release of their 1971 debut single: - 'Out of My Mind' b/w 'You're the One' (London catalog number 17410). With the single going top-40 in Canada, Axe rushed the band into the studio to record a supporting album. Produced by Hambleton, 1972's cleverly-titled "The Rain Album" included a collection of professional, if seldom inspired pop-rock material. Brown handled most of the vocals and displayed a nice voice, though some of the appeal wore off whenever she tried to push her voice. Hiller was featured on 'I'll Write You a Letter'. Similarly, the rest of the band were quite competent, showing occasional flashes of real talent; particularly Hall's tasteful keyboards and McLaughlin's lead guitar (check out his solo on the atypical rocker 'Got To Get Away'). That said, as a band they didn't seem to have a great deal of personality, or chemistry going for them. That may have been one of the factors in Brown's subsequent decision to go solo. - Yeah, 'Out of My Mind' was a top-40 Canadian hit, but to my ears it was kind of a tuneless mess with Brown breathlessly screeching her way through the song. She clearly had a nice voice, but it wasn't very apparent on this one. rating: ** stars - Written by future Major Hoople's Boarding House front man David Lodge, 'Let the Love Begin' was a far better song. Kicked along by Hall's keyboards, this one had a breezier sound that showcased Brown's blue-eyed soul moves against a nice Stax-ish feel - kind of like a poppier, Canadian Dusty Springfield. rating: *** stars - Hall's organ opened the song with what sounded like a funeral dirge and their cover of Carole King's 'Child of Mine' never recovered ... sounding like it was being performed at half speed, this one just went on and on and on ... rating: ** stars - With 'Got To Get Away' they decided to get heavy ... and much to my surprise they actually pulled it off. Surrounded by a straightforward rock arrangement Brown's voice proved surprisingly well suited to the genre. Great Hiller bass line with McLaughlin turning in a fantastic fuzz guitar lead. Easily the album's stand out performance. rating: **** stars - Penned by Brown, the ballad 'Reason for Living' came off as something The Carpenters might have recorded. Pretty, but inconsequential. rating: ** stars - Side two simultaneously showcased the band's strengths and weaknesses; namely a nice rocker that suffered from Brown's strained and shrill vocals. rating: ** stars - Probably the worst song on the album, 'Here with You' was a hideous touchy-feely ballad that even The Carpenters would have rejected. rating: ** stars - The lone song to feature Hiller on lead vocals, ' (Hiller was featured on 'I'll Write You a Letter')' was a nice slice of power-pop. Definitely one of the album's better tracks with a catchy hook. rating: *** stars - 'Sad Colours Blues' found the band taking a so-so stab at the blues. Competent, but nothing more, the highlight came in the form of McLaughli's tasty lead guitar. This one probably sounded better in a club after you had a couple of beers. rating: ** stars - I'd rate 'I Don't Want To Leave You' their best pop song since it boasted a radio friendly melody and showcased one of Brown's best performances. On this one she sounded competent without pushing into shrill territory. Would've made a nice single. rating: *** stars So, I'd sum it up by saying pleasant pop, but non-essential for most folks. The band hit the Canadian club circuit releasing two follow-up non-LP 45s: That was followed by: - 1972's 'Stop Me From Believing' b/w 'Caught Right in the Middle of It' (AXE catalog number AXE-1) - 1972's 'Find Your Love' b/w'\ 'I Don't Want to Leave You' (Axe catalog number AXE-5) Neither did much commercially, and the band quickly underwent a string of personnel changes. As mentioned, in late 1972 Brown left for a solo career. She was quickly followed by Hiller and McLaughlin who were replaced by lead guitarist Bernie LaBarge and vocalist Brian LeBlanc. The revamped line up made it back into the studio for one final non-LP single before calling it quits: - 1972's 'Make Me' b/w 'Catwalk' (Axe catalog AXE-9) For anyone interested, looking far younger than seems fair, Brown has a small website at: http://www.charitybrown.ca/ Late inning guitarist LaBarge also has a web presence at: http://www.bernielabarge.com/ 
From RYM (rdten1)

Link

The Outlaw Blues Band - Outlaw Blues Band (1968 blues rock psych/prog)

A very solid, very consistent mix of light blues pop, and heavy blues rock, with psych influences and featuring some great guitar. Grades - 1 B+, 2 B's, and 4 B-'s. Track B4 stands out as a real klinker to my ears, though.From RYM (tymeshifter)

Link

Warm Dust (psych - prog - jazz 70/71)

Warm Dust released 4 albums worth of material in two years (first album is a double). When Warm Dust are on, they play some of the finest jazz infused progressive rock one can ever hear. Somewhere between fellow English groups Nucleus and If, when both are at their peak. There are some really beautiful grooves to be found here. Sometimes they're a bit too diverse for their own good, especially in their feeble attempts at free jazz or straight blues rock numbers. But the good outweighs the bad - especially on the first two albums. 
From RYM (ashratom)

Link

Utopia - Utopia (1973 Ger Krautrock)

Probably more like 3.75 stars. Unless you're a confused Todd Rundgren fan, you probably aren't reading this unless you're more than just a casual fan of Amon Duul II. So, should you add this to your pile of ADII CDs? Yes, if you can find it (not that easy) for a reasonable price (even harder). You're probably aware that technically this isn't even an Amon Duul record; their name was attached only upon a 2nd CD re-release. It began as one member's solo project and then the AD principals jumped in and helped. Thus, in hindsight, calling it an ADII record isn't too much of a stretch. The music itself is pleasantly all over the place. 'Alice' sounds kind of like Kevin Ayers w/a bad sore throat. 'Nasi Goring' sounds like grooved-out '60s Italian soundtrack music. 'Deutsch Nepal' is 'Stonehenge'-era Spinal Tap as hell (including the tongue-in-cheek aspect). 'Jazz Kiste' sounds like a '70s Miles Davis track (think 'Big Fun' or 'On The Corner' but not as repetitive). The rest is maybe a bit more conventional but certainly listenable. The version I have is the Gammarock CD. It includes some bonus tracks. Two are pretty awful (circa '97 recordings; trying way too hard to sound contemporary), one is yet another version of 'Deutsch Nepal' (OK but sort of 'who cares'), and the last three are actually songs by the band 18 Karat Gold (which included somebody from ADII). I assumed these would be pure dreck but 2 of them ('Goldrush' and 'Star Eyed') are quite good. The bottom line I guess is this is worth buying if you have the first 4 or 5 ADII albums and want to add a decent little coda to your collection. 
From RYM (themouthbreather)

Link

Highdelberg - Highdelberg (1972 ger kraut fusion)

Link

Gladstone - Gladstone (1972 usa folk rock)

Link

Fortune Teller - Inner-City Scream (1978 us rock)

Link

Brian Short - Anything for a Laugh (1971 folk psych)

The mood here is pitted somewhere between the seemingly lighthearted title and the solemn, somber album art. It all starts off quite reminiscent of The Band, and stays that way throughout, vocally. Check for "Emily," sampled on the Cunninlynguists' Dirty Acres track titled "Dance For Me." Short's got a way of making songs that are at once chilled and somewhat gloomy, yet quite epic. Sometimes the sound is loungy, sometimes it's baroque-folky, and a very cool sax leads the way out on "Blue Tuesday". Meanwhile it's just straight up guitar 'n' piano classic rock on "Don't You Need Me Anymore". And it all just somehow reminds of Joe Cocker's version of "A Little Help From My Friends". It's a great obscure little album, in fact I don't even remember how or why I got it... From RYM (jaybird)

Link

(Unit) Gloria - Ultraiectum (1971 hol psych)

unit_gloria_-_ultrajectum_nl_psych_71

Strawberry Path - When the Raven Has Come to the Earth(71 jap heavy psych/H.rock)

As the awesome fuuzy, bluesy pump of "Gotta See My Gypsy Woman" gets grooving, you'll feel like you're in old school heavy heaven. And this Japanese band certainly had their hearts in the right place when it comes to this kind of old school heavy ambling about. "Woman Called Yellow" and "Five More Pennies" are great, with plenty of power and energy, the latter bringing a slightly less cranked out MC5 to mind, and the same goes for "Leave Me Woman," which is superchanged R&B that just makes you shake whether you want to or not. But as much as I hate to pigeonhole bands on the basis of national origin, Strawberry Path did do the typical Japanese deal, and included a couple of ludicrously sappy numbers as well. But just as quickly the get back to business. There's even a "Moby Dick" style drum solo workout called "Spherical Illusion." Damn good record. And if you're motivated enough to find it, I'd also grab Blues Creation's second album, and Ranmadou's 1971 album to get a nice picture of early Japanese heavy stuff. From RYM (cirithungol)

Link

Decennium

Decennium - Song of the Sad Times (hol 1974 soft prog)

decennium_-_1975_-_songs_of_the_sad_timeholP1soft_prog

decennium_-_1975_-_songs_of_the_sad_timeholP2soft_prog

Morganmasondowns - Morganmasondowns (1970 folk)

Really gentle balladeerish folk that doesn't have any particular draw for me. It's rather straight ahead and weepy, but a few good songs here and there. From RYM (valis666)

Link

Rock Island - Rock Island (1970 us hard rock)

Link

Moonstone - Moonstone (1977 us hard rock)

Link

Privilege - Privilege (1973 us hard rock)

Link

Color Humano - Vol 2&3 (arg heavy psych/blues 72 73)

"Color Humano 3" seemed to re-find the creative songwriting of the first album, perhaps featuring a better production for their 70s' heavy prog rock, and quite interesting instrumental passages, for instance in the long "Las historias que tengo".
The tongue-in-cheek "Mañana por la noche", "Hace casi 2000 años" & "Cosas rústicas" (aka "Coto de caza") must be the highlights of this final Color Humano's album...not a big fan of the Edelmiro Molinari's vocals, nevertheless I like the album, it's quite ace during some passages, a bit so-so at times though.
Color Humano never reached the excellence of other Argentine bands of its time, like Invisible, Almendra, Vox Dei or Manal, but will be reminded as part of the idealized 70s, and for albums like this one.
From RYM (death metal doll)

Link

Piska Mig Hårt - Elisabet (1974 prog swe)

Link

Maranatha - Soon(1971 usa west coast)

Link

Mushroom - Early One Morning (1973 irl progressive folk)

Once again, we find Tovan's opinion blending seamlessly with that of all the other reviewers! This is a mix of traditional style folk driven prog, and some harder, semi-comm. prog. It's a good album in the genre, and certainly worth seeking out by folk/prog fans. Grades - 4 B's, 2 B-'s, and 3 C+'s, consistent too. From RYM (tymeshifter)

Link

La Clave - La Clave (1973 funk prog usa?)

La Clave are a studio collective on Verve that are quite mysterious. This rare and valuable LP is filled with amazing latin grooves and funky soul-rock. Santana fans should keep a look out. From RYM (sleepobsessed)

Link

Galaxy - Visions (1978 kraut prog germany)

This is somewhat commercial sounding prog with some garage influences and fairly typical for it's vintage, soft-into-hard style on many of the cuts. Inconsistent quality too; of the 8 tracks, 1 cut gets a B+, 4 get B's, 1 B-, a C+, and a C-. I guess with better than half at or above the dividing line between good and average, this is overall a decent album. This reissue comes with the giant Germ/Eng. booklet that most of the issues on this label have. Hardcore krautrockers may have a tough time with this, but if you have leanings towards late 70's proto-metal, this may be more up your alley. From RYM (tymeshifter)

Link

Murahachibu - Live + 1(jap hard rock garage 1973)

Why are there no reviews for this band? I own an album of theirs called 'Live' from 1973 and it is wonderful. The rhythm guitar riffs have a definite Keith Richards influence. The drumming is really strong and 'on the money'. If you enjoy the sound of a real, nonproduced, basic, infectious drum kit then this is the album for you. There are copies of Chuck Berry-type songs and stuff like that. Some of it puts me in mind of The Stooges. Of course the singing is all in Japanese but with music this good, who cares? I would recommend this to anyone who likes good basic no-nonsense real music. From RYM (xvgi)

Link

Cromwell - At the Gallop (irl blues rock hard rock)

Like the Luxembourg band Cool Feet, Cromwell's sole album is one of the most sought after, and expensive, European albums out there. And also like Cool Feet, the album isn't really that special. A guitar based trio, who play a combination of hard rock and boogie rock. Save for some good leads, most of this can be easily forgotten. Comparable to many rare albums here in America. Indispensable for fans of the rare private press genre, but only to them. From RYM (ashratom)

Link

Oz Knozz - Ruff Mix (1975 us great hard rock)

One of the better US private press progressive (alliteration allegation) rock albums from the 1970s. Coming from Houston, but having that amateurish production, vocal style (Id's "Where Are We Going" leaped to mind) and overall approach of any US 1970s group from anywhere. Like most bands of the era, the idea was to throw out a few different styles to see if something would stick. Of course the theory was a major label would hear their private album by chance and want to sign them up for a 5 album contract so they could open for Led Zeppelin or Foghat's next US tour. What separates Oz Knozz from the others, is a strong compositional component, with plenty of original ideas and superb instrumentation (especially the guitar work). My favorite track though, has to be the groovy and infectious horn rocker, which sounds as dated as the movement itself and easily could have been from 1969. The fact these guys tried that in 1975 is the equivalent of Genesis releasing a "Foxtrot" like album in 1982. Which explains why Oz Knozz disappeared practically without a trace. Love it. From RYM (ashratom)

Link fixed

Altona - Chickenfarm (1975 kraut jazz ger)

This is so my style of Jazz Rock song lengths that are within the 4-5 minute range with the exception of the wonderful 10 minute title track song. This album has a lot of catchy tunes and great singing from Karl Heinz Blumenberg for serious Jazz lovers this album wont be to their liking it isnt adventerous enough. However for this guy who does not like crazy heavy jazz fusion i consider that stuff way to hard on the ears this album is great. I believe there are a few different types of Saxaphone's on the album no trumpets and trombones. I like five songs from this album the slower ballad (Lover's Tale) and the uptempo Elephant Walk, Back Again & Ramadam and of course the moody title track. Check this album out its very good From RYM (classicrockman)

Link Fixed

Q65 - Revolution (holl 1966 garage)

Pretty impressive garage rock from this band from the Netherlands. The opener, "The Life I Live" is an excellent opener which, like almost every song, has a very garage feel to it. "I Got Nightmares" has some great rhythmic drum and bass while "Just Who's in Sight" has a definite Eastern feel to it, mostly because of the vocals, droning guitar, and some sort of flute interlude in the middle. The sax on "Mr. Pitiful" is well done as is the pounding rhythms and accompanying harmonica on "I'm a Man." "Summer Thoughts in a Field of Weed" is an excellent down tempo number and "Sour Wine" is another gem with haunting organ and acoustic guitar. "Bring it on Home" is a longer, bluesier thirteen minute jam that is great at times, but not at others, and needed to be about six or seven minutes shorter. From RYM (branting)

Link

Ax Genrich - Highdelberg (1975 ger krautrock)

Link

Antares - Over the Hills (1982 ger krautprog)

Link

Potter-St. Cloud - Potter-St. Cloud (psych pop 1970)

Link

Gash - A Young Man's Gash (1972 kraut prog germany)

This album is an unexpected surprise! I can think of few albums that start so horribly and end so incredibly! “Angel and Mother” is SO appalling on every level (soppy music, terrible lyrics, cheese-grater-to-the-eardrum vocals) it nearly made me want to throw the disc out of the window when I first heard it! But I stuck with it through the balance of the A-side (“Twentyone Days” is nearly as bad, but “In The Sea” is slightly better, sounding like one of Jane’s cast-offs) to make it to the “A Young Man’s Gash” suite. People, let me tell you this is one of the most amazing, fascinating and one-of-a-kind half-albums I have ever heard! It almost sounds like a completely different band! A blend of haunting rock & roll, orchestration and dark textures (the crazed screaming in Part 2 makes this a must to play around Halloween time!) that sound like nothing else I’ve heard before or since. Wow! Worth hearing for the mind-blowing title suite, but you might want to give the first three tracks a pass. From RYM (progbear)

Link

Noir - We Had To Let You Have It (1971 uk prog)

This is a very difficult record to describe. To start with, it’s different than anything else I’ve heard from this period. Overall the record is heavy on the keyboards (organ, piano) and is VERY percussive in nature (no drum solos though). Plenty of good wah-wah and fuzz guitar solos as well. The 9 minute opener is dog slow with an almost gospel tinge to it (the vocals throughout have this spiritual, almost Native American feel). It picks up the pace considerably from there. Has a strong white boy R&B vibe, as if Rare Earth recorded an album for the Dawn label. Also hear slight references to Indian Summer as well. (RYM Ashratom)

New Link

Banana and the Bunch - Mid-Mountain Ranch (1972 us folk rock)

Snippets of bluegrass, rock, jazz, and lachrymose ballads put together in the same laid-back style that characterized the last few Youngbloods sets. Recorded at a point where the group's east-coast-era inventiveness was just beginning to be overwhelmed by their west-coast-era laziness. It's a huge plus to hear Youngbloods-style music not dominated by Jesse Colin Young. From RYM (ochsfan)

Link

Oliver Walrus - Walrus (us 1972 psych rock)

Not to be confused with the British band of the same name, this outfit featured the talents of singer/percussionist Oliver Walrus (aka Gary Levine). Levine was born and raised in Pennsylvania. Moving to California, he took the name Oliver Walrus (if you've ever seen a picture of the guy, you'll see why), and began playing percussion at various clubs and recording sessions. In the early-1970s he also formed a band - Walrus. So here's a career synopsis in Walrus' own words: "My career began in the 70's with my band Oliver Walrus ... We played the circuits of Los Angeles including the infamous Troubadour and the Whiskey. I was discovered and signed with Chess Janus Records who had known artist(s) like Bo Didley, Chuck Berry and Jimmy Hendrix among others. I recorded my first album in 1972. My song 'Climb, Climb, Climb' was my first top 10 record on the billboard charts [no idea what that means]. My main music background consists of heavy funk that I fused with rock and pop. I am proud to say that I have a huge fan base still building." By the time Walrus and company went into the studio to record 1972's cleverly titled "Walrus", the band showcased the talents of percussionist Warren Bryant, keyboard player Mark Fiedler, guitarist Robert Franklin, bassist Michael Herring, and drummer Warren "Bugs" Pemberton. Produced by Robert Adcock (Joseph Long credited as executive producer), the album typically gets labeled as a slice of horn rock which undoubtedly turns off a big chunk of the potential audience. True, tracks like 'Let Me Save You' and 'Freedom' featured some horn arrangements, but with the exception of 'You Can't Shine', this wasn't anything like a BS&T, or Chicago album. Namesake Walrus had an interesting, if not particularly commercial voice - imagine a gruffer version of Meatloaf and you'll be in the right aural neighborhood. As a band these guys were actually quite tight, though producer Adcock's penchant for adding shrill female backing singers to virtually every track didn't help the proceedings. - The album opened up with a strange R&B-tinged number that's always reminded me of a weird hybrid between Delaney and Bonnie and David Clayton Thomas and BS&T. Imagine Clayton-Thomas singing with a bad head cold and you'd get a feel for what 'Let Me Save You' sounded like. rating: ** stars - Crazy Things' was a breezy, mid-tempo number, boasting a nice melody and an uplifting lyric. Walrus' voice sounded much more comfortable and likeable on this one. If some would have stripped off the irritating female backing singers, this one would have had some commercial potential. rating: **** stars - Opening up with some cool Franklin 'scratch' guitar, 'You Can't Shine' was the track that probably came the closest to the BS&T school of horn rock. Once again Walrus' voice was interesting, though on this one you were left to wonder whether he was going to actually make it through the track. Franklin also turned in a cool, guitar solo - anyone know what the effect was? rating: *** stars - Once you got over the opening horns 'Freedom' was actually a decent rocker with Walrus displaying his best blues voice. Shame about the irritating female backing vocalists. rating: ** stars - The best song on side one, 'Climb, Climb, Climb' was also the most conventional rocker. Opening up with a great Franklin lead guitar, Walrus' raspy voice proved surprisingly well suited to the genre. Would have made a nice FM hit. rating: **** stars - Side two started with the atypical county-fied 'Bakersfield Boogie Boy'. Sung by either Franklin, or Herring, this one sounded like an Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen outtake. Didn't do much for me. rating: ** stars - A straightforward rocker, 'Nobody's Pearl' was another track that featured either Franklin, or Herring on lead vocals. Franklin turned in another nice solo, but the song would have been even better without the horns. rating: *** stars - Hum, hearing 'Clap Together' you were left to wonder how Up with People get on this album? Just kidding though the poppy, uplifting lyrics certainly made you wonderer. rating: *** stars - A mindless and routine blues shuffle, 'Sweet Thing' was made even worse by the upfront horns and those blasted female backing singers. Terrible. The only thing the song had going for it was Franklin's guitar work, but that wasn't enough to salvage the track. rating: * star - An up tempo Gospel flavored number, 'Pass It On' sounded like it was copped from the Blues Brothers soundtrack. I guess it was enthusiastic, but it sounded like hundreds of other Gospel songs. rating: * star - Wow, 'Friends with My Neighbors' sounded like something a Sesame Street character might have sung ... part civics lesson, part nod to Oliver himself. Funny in a goofy fashion. rating: *** stars Sporting one of the year's ugliest covers (blame photographer Tom Wilkes) certainly didn't do a great deal to boost sales ! "After the album was released the band appears to have called it a day, though his musical career took a couple of unexpected turns. This is just speculation on my part, but producer Long may have taken the master tapes from the Walrus sessions and sold them to Morris Levy. That's based on the fact Levy's Tiger Lily label released an Oliver Walrus solo album in 1977 - "Me, Myself & I" (Tiger Lily catalog number TL-14038). Walrus subsequently focused his attention on DJing, finding in steady niche at Gibby's/Bogies Niteclub in Los Angeles where he eventually became the club's talent manager. Suffering from diabeties and on dialysis, Walrus passed on in October, 2006. For anyone interested, I found a copy of his obituary online: Gary A. "Oliver Walrus" Levine. The world was blessed to have known this dynamic musician, visionary and humanitarian. Gary passed peacefully Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006, at the tender age of 60. Gary is survived by his wife, of 35 years, Betty; daughters, Adora Weiss, Denise Graham, both of Nevada, and Renie Price of California; sons, Roger and Michael Masterson, both of California, and Brian Masterson of Nevada; his parents, Gertrude and Walter Levine of California; sisters, Rochelle Fern of Van Nuys, Calif., and Jolene Clark of Culver City, Calif.; brother, Jack Levine of Yuba City, Calif.; 16 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and friends worldwide. Memorial services will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, at King David Memorial Chapel, 2697 Eldorado Lane. Graveside service will be held in California. From RYM (rdten1)

Link

Bill Plummer and the Cosmic Brotherhood (68 psych jazz us)

Sitars and snake charms and tablas and bongos and bells and clattering free jazz that opens up my third eye good and wide. ...And then there's the lite-jazz lounge cover of "The Look of Love" which sticks out like a sore thumb. Yeah, don't know what they were trying to do there. From RYM (vali666)

Link

California Earthquake - Reformation (us 71 psych hard rock)

From RYM ()

Link

Bethlehem Asylum - Commit Yourself (70 us jazz rock)

The first time I played this album I guessed they were a New York-based outfit, but then I noticed that the album had been recorded in Macon, Georgia's Capricorn Studios ... That said, it turns out they were actually from the Clearwater/Tampa area of Florida where drummer Buddy Helm had been a member of Those Five. I also know that the band toured extensively and regularly opened for The Allman Brothers Band. So what else can I tell you? Well, the line up that recorded "Commit Yourself" consisted of sax player Charles Dechant, keyboardist Christian Gandhi, lead guitarist Danny Finley, bassist Jimm Neiman, and drummer Helm. Signed by the New York-based Ampex label, there 1970 debut was produced by Dechant. Featuring six original works, the predominant sound's horn-propelled jazz-rock. That description won't exactly endear it to many folks and I'll readily admit that it left me somewhat cold. That said, there are at least a couple of interesting moments including the atypical folk-ish 'Child of the Mountain', 'Talkin' 'Bout Love' which was an attractive slice of blue-eyed soul, and Finley's nice guitar throughout the rocking 'It's About'' (easily the standout track). Elsewhere Ampex released 'Child of the Mountain' b/w 'Talkin' 'Bout Love' as a single (Ampex catalog number 110298). "Commit Yourself" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Child of the Mountain (Danny Finley) - 3:15 2.) Sailboat Ride (Danny Finley) - 3:10 3.) Earth (Robert Christian Gandhi) - 9:50 (side 2) 1.) Sea Rider (instrumental) (Charles Dechant) - 6:43 2.) Talkin' 'Bout Love (Charles Dechant) - 2:06 3.) It's About (Danny Finley) - 5:13 I've never heard it, but the following year the band recorded a sophomore LP; 1971's "Bethlehem Asylum". Helm briefly played with Tim Buckley and then Frank Zappa. Dechant was a member of Hall and Oates touring band. Finley hooked up with Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys. RYM (redten1)

Link

Avanço 5 - Somos Jovens (68 bra psych)

Link

Fantasia - Fantasia (1975 fin prog)

From 1975; a Finnish one-shot obscurity which, as far as I can tell, has never been released on CD. Undoubtedly they didn't have much of a recording budget, but they nonetheless managed to put together a fairly unique set of music. Blend Bardens-era Camel with Nuclear Nightclub-era Wigwam, subtract the virtuoso playing, add an unconventional approach to composition and an appreciation for brevity, and you get the idea. It's not a mind-boggler by any stretch, but it has a certain melancholic charm to it, and it deserves a better fate than to be dismissed out of hand. From RYM (reginod)

Link

Charity - Charity Now (1968 us psych rock)

Basically soul flavored rock with some horns and a few progressive moves. They were a Cal. band. Grades - 3 B's, 4 B-'s, 1 C+, and a C-, overall, pretty consistent. From RYM (tymeshifter)

Link

Good Rats - The Good Rats (68-69 hard psych us)

I've been watching the ' Rats, and their predecessor group, The U-Men, since before I was old enough to be in the venues they were playing in, thanks to my girlfriend's older sister. I still catch them every time they play in town (they play at a local club, right in my little backwater of a town). On this album, though it's somewhat deeper than most of the pop of it's vintage, there can be no mistaking the commercial orientation of the record. There is a diversity of styles to their mat'l, and Peppi's voice is (and always was) quite distinctive. Probably my biggest criticism is a lack of consistency, but there is plenty enough good to outweigh the mediocre. Grades - 1 A-, 3 B+'s, 2 B's, 2 B-'s, 1 C, and a C-. From RYM (tymeshifter)

Link

Cymbal and Clinger - Cymbal and Clinger (1972 uk rock /psych)

Link

SAINTE ANTHONY'S FIRE - SAME (US psych - 1971)

Salve a tutti!

ho postato questo disco grazie al link che ho ricevuto da un mio amico e spero vi piaccia anche se è rippato da vinile! la musica proposta è un sanissimo hard rock statunitense dei primi anni 70 (1971) e ci sono molte canzoni che meritano ("lone soul road","starlight","love over you" sono molto belle!) Penso che postarlo contribuisca a non farlo cadere nel dimenticatoio quindi...a voi!

Hi!

Today's post is this great hard rock album! One friend of mine sent to me the link for posting this album (i think it's vinyl rip...-192kb) because he thinks it's hard to find it...(In Italy it's not hard...it's impossible!)

review by Jan

Mindfuck biker stupe-rock from the early 70's, the Fyre were a three piece 'grunt' rock band with cheap guitars, thundering drums, wasted bass, and a shitload of microdot and cheap speed. Like Wicked Lady or a third rate Black Sab, these guys were constantly in danger of going one-hit-of-clear-windowpane too far and falling off the edge for good. You already know if this is your kind of thing or not, but if you are a cosmonaut of the armchair variety, let me gently push you in the right direction. Unlike, say, The Beatles, whose acid world was made of plasticine flowerz, these guys' walls were made out of coarse sandpaper. Clue: the drummer's name is "Sharples". Open wide and stick yr. tongue out, it's time to take a (t)rip.

fonte: http://rateyourmusic.com

   Link

Homer - Grown In USA (1970 usa psych)

Vi sto viziando!

tanti post questo periodo! Spero che possa sollevare il numero di contatti anche se i risultati ancora si devono vedere! ma veniamo al disco di oggi...CAPOLAVORO!!!!! Anche questo l'ho scoperto per caso visto che mi incuriosiva in nome (D'oh!!!)...in più ho faticato per cercarlo perchè sia il nome che il titolo in realtà negli U.S.A. sono il nome di una marca di ARANCE!!! Ma torniamo a noi....ripeto: CAPOLAVORO DI MUSICA PSYCH!!!! Ci sono anche dei tocchi prog ma solo accennati!Mi sento di consigliarvi "Circles in the north" "In the beginning" "Dawson Creek" ma è meglio che finisco perchè altrimenti le citerei tutte!!!! mi ripeto...BELLISSIMO!

Una piccola richiesta se possibile...aiutatemi a mantenere un buon flusso di gente su questo blog altrimenti la mia idea di far conoscere una musica non proprio comune cadrà nel vuoto! Vi ringrazio! a presto!

Hi!

This album is only a MASTERPIECE OF PSYCH!!!!

Originally released in 1970 by United Recording Artist. The only album by this San Antonio, Texas based combo. From psychedelia to more progressive rock with some very fine guitar work. There are great song like "Circles in the north","In the beginning"(extraordinary song) and "Dawson creek".There are arwork and 2 bonus track (edited by Akarma Label some years ago...)

You MUST have it. A MASTERPIECE!!!!

bye! i waiting for comments!!!

LINK

Madison Dyke - Zeitmaschine( germ 1977 kraut)

link