This was submitted by Blplus, a friend of ProgNotFrog. And these are his enthusiastic comments about this bootleg:

I must say first of all that I have been a Gabriel fan over the years, and being disappointed by the long wait (10 years without a new studio album) and the subsequent below par Up-Growing Up-Still Growing Up stuff; it’s been a privilege to have access to this material from the 1978 tour.

The first impression is that this one sounds great for a boot.
The setlist is based on PG´s first and second albums, plus the closing with The Lamb. The musicians that contributed on both albums are here, Larry “Synergy” Fast on keyboards providing the atmospherics (listen to the intro), Levin the master of the bass and stick in conjunction with Marotta giving a strong rhythmic base, John Ellis on guitar is the least known member, this gig and another one with Peter Hamill have been his more important milestones. And of course, there´s Robert Fripp. What else can be said about the master? I was very curious when I learned that Fripp was playing in the 1st Gabriel album (eventually on the 2nd and 3rd as well). Anyway, this collaboration worked both ways (Levin began working with KC shortly after these gigs and made his first appearance in the 1981 Discipline album).

This concert is pure Gabriel energy, starting with a strong “On the Air”, following with the Genesis-like “Moribund the Burgermeister” (would have fit in the Lamb, I think), then on to a GREAT “Perspective” where Levin and Marotta kick asses. The credits don´t mention the sax player who makes a great solo. Then, a Gabriel standard up to these days “Here comes the flood”. This ballad sounds a bit different here thanks to the mysterious sax player again. Following is my favourite from this concert, “White Shadow” with a synth intro by Fast that blends with the rhythm section. This is a great song that seldom appears in Gabriel live cds. A bit of Frippertronics at the end. “Waiting for the big one”, the longest track, features Gabriel on piano and vocals swimming on non familiar waters (blues by the way), there is an interesting duel between the guitar and the sax (Timmy Capello from what I hear Gabriel introducing the musicians).

“Humdrum” is not one of my favourites and this version is no exception, but I have to say that the interesting thing is that it represents a period where PG hadn’t completely separated from the prog influence of his Genesis days. Then a track that represents the complete opposite “I don’t remember” makes you want to get up and dance. Another survivor in today’s PG concerts is “Solsbury Hill”, nothing special to comment. “Modern love” is full of pure Gabriel force that we miss so much nowadays.

The encore, a salute to the past: “The Lamb lies down on Broadway”. This is the only time that I am aware of that PG has played this track with his band.

In short, great sound, awesome musicians, and Gabriel at his best, what else can you expect? If only we could have some of this magic on these Growing Up days. Enjoy!

Angel Gómez, July 2006


I guess that says it all,

Keep listening...!!!

Links in the usual place.


Peter Gabriel - Humdrum...

"The members of the Gâyan Uttejak Society and The Gáyan Uttejak Orchestra in Budapest have made it their duty practice and to study the world heritage of the traditional cultures - among them the classical Language of the Hindu-Moslem Tradition of the Hindusthani Music - but also the bioastronomy, Kathakali, songs of the whales ("whale-canto"), Tinctoris'compositions, nigromania, computed fractal engines, Raga-mala paintings, cyborgs, Kuandalini sex, reports from the Arecibo Radiotelescope's Post Ozma Project..."

This fragment is what you find at the very begining of Laszlo Hortobagyi's website. It is sort of a satement that works as the base on which the opus and research of Gayyan Uttejak Society is build.

Now, what is the Gayyan Uttejak Society?

Well, that's a difficult question because the society and the orchestra only exist inside the amberine laberynths that lie deep in the mind of a Prefessor os Musicology at Budapest University, Hungary, whose name is Laszlo Hortobagyi.

He is also a composer, remixer, editor, sitar player, record collector and musical engineer.
My first encounter with El-Horto (as he calls himslef) and his out-of -this-world conception of art, was at an obscure record store located in the biggest town of an island at the north west african coast. How the CD ended there is a major mystery. The amazing cover of the album called my attention and I bought the cd out of a hunch. ("...an album with this cover and this name can't be bad...")

The album was "Traditional Music of Amygdala" . Two years later I was the happy owner of all his albums.


As Jorge Luis Borges, who used to invent whole philosophical countries and academical planets, Hortobagyi is a civilization maker.

In his mind Amygdala and many other societies exist. And he composes and play their folkloric and ritual music.
In most cases, these musical-imaginary civilizations are parallel to ours (Amygdala, Arcadia) in other they are just one possible variations of the ones we know (The futuristic and vertiginous India of " The Conference" , or the remote past of the Tribes of Aeon)

Hortaobagyi has created one of the most intriguing body of musical work of modern music. As professor of musicology Hortobagyi commands one of the biggest collections of Middle Eastern and Eastern music on the planet. With this musical archive and his technical skills he creates new harmonic and sonic universes.

Some might think that we're facing another pseudo shaman, that uses synths to cmake cheap new age albums from samples. But this is far from being the cae. Actually Hortobagyi's music is not easy at all.

It is deep. Ritual. Subterranean. Telluric. Even Scary.

He goes, down the rabitt hole of the collective conciousness and takes back to light odd objects, forbidden jewels, magical artifacts and beautiful monstruosities.

The Gayyan Uttejak Orchestra moves with a frightening easiness from the distant and unknown future to the remote and dark past. Those travels end in our troubled present.
To end this cronic I must add that Hortobagyi is Mad.


He is Crazy.



Seventeen albums, including the covers which are a total trip. (Most are not only worth seeing but also reading!)

Plus: never published material, videos, amazing cyber-art.

Welcome to the twisted personal Nirvana of a mad genius.

If you want to know how to get his stuff , see the comments section.

And,

Keep listening!!!

Another week has sunk into the past and millions of songs have been performed, played and aired on this troubled planet. This is our humble contribution to the general cacophony.
We start in Brazil with Milton Nascimento, one of the founders of the Tropicalia movement. We’ll let ourselves flow with Francis Cabrel who will take us to the border between France and Spain. One high point in this week's travel is going to be Charming Hostess a peculiar female band founded in Israel some years ago.

We’ll visit Sweden with Midaircondo, We’ll be amazed by an Italian cover of a Robet Wyatt tune and finally we’ll go back to the south American jungle with Simon Diaz and Caetano Veloso.

Thanks for your encouraging comments about the previous shows. I hope you like this sixth blend.

It was done for you. Keep Listening…!!!

If you are interested, please go here.

I think it's about time to say something too.

ProgNotFrog is like a child to me. For several reasons i don't contribute very much to the blog. I invented the term and by this time i am really proud of that. It was only a cheap rhyme influenced by several beers. This name doesn't mean all posted or discussed stuff has to be what some people define as prog - it includes much more.

Jaime (The Herbalist) is the most friendly and polite man i've ever met so far. His angry comment showed that he was badly injured. I have learned that discussing with trolls leads to nowhere. That is what they want. Ignorant comment - answer - even more ignorant comment. They live from that.

Noone expects that everybody likes all albums posted here. I for myself am not a geat lover of Jazz or Fusion - i don't care, it's who likes likes. That has nothing to do with 'going downhill' or so. Take it or leave it. Much more important is the chance of getting to know lost or forgotten albums/artists.

Here I have a surprise for you. Its related to the very first talk The Herbalist and me had, the beginning of a long friendship. We both agreed that this version was better than the re-edited one. It's a great album and very much related to The Herbalist. I define it as prog-rock, maybe you not - it doesnt matter.

I hope i haven't broken too many blog-rules.....

Have fun!

Well... it seems that there's somebody out there who doesn't like us. It also seems that he can’t read.

I have explained several times that this is an eclectic blog and that it is impossible that anyone will like everything we post here, because we cover many styles.

Anyway... to this person, who disguises behind several usernames for unknown reasons, (Is he shy? Does he suffer from split personality?)…I'd suggest to go somewhere else to look for the music he likes.

There are dozens of good blogs out there! Why coming here?

If you don't like what we post why do you keep coming back?

It is very obvious that you don't really care about music, all you want to bother us, and that you have free time to do it.

We won't stop posting whatever we think we should post, no matter what you say.

I insist, if this blog is so horrible, why do you keep coming back?????

You have serious issues inside you, it seems. (homophobia, insecurity, envy…)
We, at ProgNotFrog, are free-thinkers. We do not, and will never, discriminate people because of race, gender, religion or sexual conditions.

We respect your opinions about music. But you keep disrespecting us.

From now on, comment moderation will be enabled. Thanks to you. That doesn’t affect us. But it affects the users of this blog, because I am sure they want to see their comments posted as soon as they write them. We’ll do our best to keep pleasing them.

Have you taken one minute to read Algarnas enthusiastic reviews, for example? Man, We’re serious about this. We’re already in Usenet. We’ll be soon in E mule, MySpace, torrents, rss feeds, etc. Surprises are coming!!!
We act with deep respect for musicians and we believe in their rights. That’s why we only post out of print and old music. For new music we have ProgNotFrog Radio.


Actually no matter what you do or say, we’ll keep posting great music, which it seems you’re totally unable to appreciate. (the Vangelis album is a good example, you seem to know and like only the most common and mainstream-ish Vangelis (which is also good by the way, but you are unable to understand an album which is regarded by serious critics and one great pice of Greek contemporary music. I’d like to know what you think of “Beauborg” , hehehe…)

Our goal as Nahavanda says, is to get people together. Your schizoid goal is to take people away from each other and to tear good things apart. Not good for you, buddy.

Have a good life!

And..Keep Listening…!!! …But somewhere else…!

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO MANELIS

…. AND TO THE GUY WHO SAID THAT THIS BLOG WAS GOING DOWN FAST...

This album has been in my all-time-best list since I was 17, and that was many, many, many years ago. The thing is that I have never tired of listening to it. I believe that this album is perfect. I know it might be bit too much to call something perfect, but this musical object is as close to perfection as any rock album can be. (Although…If this is a rock album is something that belongs to the realm of controversy).

If you know Vangelis only from his electronic compositions or only because of the awarded soundtrack to Chariots of Fire be prepared for a major surprise. This one is different. This is not solo Vangelis with a paraphernalia of Synthesizers. There’re keyboards here, of course but there’s also a rocking band and a good lot of uncredited Mediterranean and Asia Minor sublime instruments. That blend gives Earth an exotic and otherworldly quality that very few albums have achieved in the last four decades.

Earth was the logical consequence of Vangelis previous epic work with Aphrodite’s Child, the band that catapulted him as a keyboardist. That work was the extraordinary and extremely essential “666” one of the best conceptual albums of all times, based on the biblical Apocalypse. It is obvious that Earth was made of some 666 ashes. One feels that some Earth songs would have fit perfectly there, but as this album wasn’t made to tell a story it doesn’t classify as conceptual and thus, it flows as a free form sonic experience, showing the influences that Vangelis had gathered during the psychedelic years and drawing for us a precious draft of what was going to be his majestic solo career after this jewel.

That flow of thing starts with the energetic track “Come On” a repetitive scream that has something deeply shamanic and cathartic. Then it blends (in the middle of the best recorded thunderstorm ever) with the song-poem “We’re all uprooted”, a metaphysical and cosmic lament that could well be a parable of the human condition. (yes, it is that deep). It follows then a sublime, inner and meditative past aided by middle eastern and greek influences and goes back to psych and pop in incredibly beautiful songs as “My Face in the Rain”, or enigmatic musical vignettes as He-O. You will not miss Demis Roussous angelic voice because Robert Fittousi’s vocal works are so good that one might thing he could have replaced Roussous or Jon Anderson in any band. The rest of the journey is as trippy as the parts described. There’s not even a fraction of a second wasted in this listening experience.

This is a sideways approach to the mind of a genius. After this one, Vangelis decided to go solo and started a career that lies in the middle ground between classical, electronic and prog. Nonetheless, Earth still stands as a great album and one that has value of his own.

As I said at the beginning it is in my favorite’s list. Actually it is in my 10 Albums For A Desert Island List. (Don’t panic! I don’t plan to get marooned in any desert island any soon. I’ll keep blogging).

In his excellent Clivage post, our friend Algarnas makes a list of great ProtoWorld Music albums. This is my answer to him.

Listen to it.
I say that perfection is possible.
You tell me if I am wrong.

Meanwhile,

Keep Listening…!!!

Hello! Someone complained about the rip of this album so I re-ripped it and decided to post it again. Sorry for the inconviniences. I'd recommend that you get it again.
Thanks

Vytas Brenner, was a Venezuelan in his heart although he was born in Tubingen, Germany in 1946. His parents emigrated to South America in 1948 and he studied in the famous Emil Friedman School, an institution dedicated to form composers and performers since an early age.

In 1958 he travelled to Italy and Spain and there he formed several juvenile bands like Vytas Brenner Quartet, Brenner’s Folk or The Pic Nics. In 1967 he went to USA to study electronic music in Tenesee Conservatory and later in Nashville College where he graduated with honors in 1972. That year he went back to Venezuela and started a long relation with Venezuelan folkloric music, an influence that permeates all his posterior works. At that time he was also obviously influenced by the electronic kraut scene (specially Cluster and Tangerine Dream) and devoted himself to the possibilities of synthtizers and the potential of the fusion of modern electronic sounds, progressive rock and acoustic aboriginal and folk elements.The unique and marvellous results was edited in 5 albums, with his band “Ofrenda” (Offering) at the time the most important prog rock outfit of Latin America, with great albums as “Hermanos” , “Jayeche", and others including the spectacular “En Vivo” (Live).

In all of them one finds a dizzying connection that bonds afrolatin percussion, Venezuelan cuatros and maracas, frantic Joropo and Golpe rhythms, abstract pre ambient noise, natural effects, all that seasoned with rock combo of bass, electric guitars and drums.

Although he could have followed the path of other latin musicians as Santana, or even go to join the Fusion Army that plagued vinyl industry at the time, he choose to stay on the symph-prog and art side of things. Nevertheless he was very successful in Venezuela and achieved certain local fame in Latin America.

Sadly the political and economical situation of the country after the currency crash in 1983 (The Black Friday) , obliged Vytas to leave to Europe. He never achieved there the success he had in South America and preferred to stay in the shadow, semi retired and managing a recording studio, although he visited Venezuela briefly during the 90’s and gave a free concert at Plaza Morelos with a simpler line up: only his keyboards and percussionist extraordinaire Nené Quintero.

His last two works where the suite Oro Negro, Performed by Venezuelan Symphonic Orchestra in 1989 (Oro Negro means Black Gold, an obvious refrence to the Venezuelan richness in oil) and later the aboriginal ethnic-new-agey “Amazonia" (1995).

Sadly Vytas’s untimely death caused by a heart attack in 2004 took from us a great musician, which I believe was about to give us more surprises. Life seems truly absurd at times.

Eventually I will post all his albums.

Ladies and Gentlemen, prog fans or not, it is an honour to give you, Vytas Brenner.

Keep Listening…!!!


Links in comments, as usual.

For a sample please go here

Late here..and tomorrow gonna hard day for me..i will sell some routers to some companies & will configure them..iyyk..
before flying thru bed i start listening kim eu chul. i like to go sleeping with accoustic music. a few days ago i uploaded this album to rapid. maybe my sleepy condition or a need of accoustic music remind me to share this album with you now.
i am not sure the history of this album..as i learned some songs are lullabies.soft guitar chords/solos follows sweet voices in a dreamy scene.i love all the songs in the album..but especially lover's lullaby & the cloud of that sky it follows are awesome..wish i know korean language to understand them..the lyrics must be awesomme..i would like to learn the english meanings of the lyrics..there is one instrumental song in that album also..that many may like..now i start listening this album..and flying thru bed..goodnight to me..and goodmorning/afternoon/evening/night to you all :) links in comments..

Kim eu chul/the cloud of that sky it follows...
Kim eu chul/lover...

hallo!! so you like santana? you did like the bwana? you may feel the same taste on this band.a bit rare..but good music wont be rare after then :) i really had hard times which song could i put to that mini players..cuz all of the songs in this album is excellent.you dontbelieve me? download and listen this energic band and let you decide yourself..i am curious about your comments after listening..leave a comment eh? ;) dont hesistate to share info/knowledge for the band in comments..happy listenings..

Links in comments..

Dakila/El Dubi...
Dakila/Gozala...

bonjour tout le monde!! last time we visited many countries all together like
Usa, UK, Columbia, Philippines, Japan, Fiji, Bahamas, Canada..now our travel begins from Zibabwe with Assagai..here is a review by motown67: Assagai was an Afro-Beat group consisting of South Africans and Nigerians that recorded in England. What I like best about their sound is that they had concise, well structured songs unlike some Afro-Beat groups that composed epic tracks that devolved into extended jam sessions. Telephone Girl makes an excellent beginning with two full measures of open drums before short horn stabs come in on the one. Eventually the vocals and the rest of the band join in. That’s followed by a nice instrumental entitled Akasa that also features an Afro-Beat drum break. The equally funky Cocoa follows. The rest of the album is more Afro-Beat oriented with the laid back Irin Ajolawa and Ayieo comparing well with the more upbeat Beka..Links in comments.. keep listening!!

Assagai/Akasa...
[Edit] i uploaded Assagai - Zimbabwe (@192) & their rare first lp (only 2 songs on it @192)..here is the samples:
Assagai - Zimbabwe (1971) / Barazinbar....
Assagai - rare unrelaised(?) (197x) / Kondo...

Clivage-"Moving Waves"

"June 1972, Lafayette Park, Washington DC. Richard Nixon ordered aide, J.R. Haldeman, to pull the plug on the concert fearing that this strange music would 'levitate the White House.' This is that music." [Newjazz.com press release]

Love Cry Want is a monstrous piece of psych-jazz, sorta like the most zonked moments of Tony Williams' Emergency Mark I further extended into some unimaginably degenerate mutation. Over the course of an hour, Larry Young's space organ is repeatedly injected into a maelstrom of primitive guitar synths, spastic ring modulated moans and an abundance of percussion. Technically-speaking, it's probably closer to free rock than free jazz and in the end, it's one of those discs so dissociating that I wouldn't dare listen to it outside of sobriety. Heavy? No shit. That this group was never documented until 1997 only hints at how much of this genre has fallen through the cracks. So yeah, muchos gracias to Love Cry Want percussionist (also the mind behind Newjazz.com) Joe Gallivan for embracing his past work... and thereby allowing us other freaks to do the same. [DW]

Did manage to track down Love Cry Want & it is indeed all that & a bag of chips! This is some of the most whacked music ever made! The drummer & guitarist are both playing through prototype drum & guitar synthesizers, Larry Young's doin' his outer space organ thing-- sheer Nirvana! Each 10+ minute song has more musical ideas bubbling around (in a remarkably cohesive & flowing fashion) than you can shake a stick at! Moments of unholy beauty &
red-hot scree bumpin' right next to each other, never losing the flow. That this music was created & '72 & more importantly, that this music was *heard by* & *scared the shit out of* Tricky Dick Nixon brings a smile to my face a mile wide. Get it if you know what's good for you! [JW]

The above comments are enough I think, listen and be amazed.

Angels Wing Track


Links in comments

Keep listening !!!

Well, this fifht show has gone a bit deeper and darker than the previous ones. That doesn't mean we're following that direction from now on. It just developed itself that way.

This is meant to be an eclectic show (as the blog is meant to be as eclectic as possible). So it is impossible that one person likes all the songs in the show as it is impossible that someone might like every recommendation we put here. (See the comments under Tom Robinson's North by Northwest)

Our goal is to open people's ear and expand their harmonic references to new forms of sound organization. We encourage a "progressive" way of appreciating music, and here progressive means an attitude, not a musical genre (and for sure not that rock genre, although we have deep respect and admiration for it)

Ok. Having that in mind, this week's journey starts with percussionist Glen Velez, and his dazzling frame drumming, then we'll move to the meeting point of Pablo Neruda's poetry and Avant-garde propositions with Pan Optikon, from german., Soon we'll find ourselves in the depths of the nocturnal ensemble Woven Hand, and after that we'll fly back to Trugunska with our old acquaintance Alan Parson and we'll end in the sweet embrace of Anja Garbarek's voice.

But do not believe all I write. Listen for yourself because there are a few hidden surprises.

The Moon is a Lunatic Factory.

Get Crazy. Become a Selenite by coming here.

If you are prejudiced about the 80’s music you should listen to this work with open ears.
Mr. Tom Robinson is a British bass player /singer and one of the most notorious artists from the so called New Wave movement that flourished in England after the Punk implosion around 1980.
He is be a good proof against the extended myth that states that “everything done during the early 80’s is crap”.
As many other acts at those troubled times Tom Robinson’s Band (or TBD, his first project) was very political oriented. Later he became involved in Gay Rights movement and wrote a hit titled “Glad to be Gay” which became an anthem for the British gay community.
Robinson also participated in several anti war organizations and played a role in other left wing and liberal political and environmentalist activities transforming himself in some kind of Political Gay Hero.
Anyway, beyond these issues he was a fine musician who knew how to craft great pop songs with an intense sensibility way beyond the usual Music Industry crappy productions of those years. He never fell into the cheesy techno abyss that swallowed so many bands at the time. One clear proof of his abilities is this album which contains a very nice collaboration with Peter Gabriel (also deeply involved in political and Charity activities at the time). That collaboration is the track “Atmospherics” which, I repeat is very nice, although not the best song of this very good album. North By North was produced by Richard Mazda who also played guitar and made all the studio wizardry.

Probably the most enjoyable element of the album is Robinson’s dark but very pleasant voice. It is a pity his career was so short. In 1985 he stopped performing music and started a new career as a Radio DJ for the BBC. He has been very successful. As a DJ he has been there for more than 20 years. I haven’t heard his show but it has been highly recommended as an excellent blend of old and new, mixed with very good interviews.
For all of you who might be interested, the name of the show is “Evening Sequence” on BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC, from Monday to Friday 7-10 PM UK Time.
If his radio show is as good as this album, I am afraid I’ll become addict to it.

Tom Robinson’s last surprise is that he quitted being gay, married a woman and now has a family. That resignation form homosexuality was well exploited by the never satisfied British gossip press. The Headlines on the Sunday People said: “Britain’s Number One gay in love with girl biker”

Isn’t life weird?

Weirdness is the salt of the earth.

Got Weird Too by Following the link in the comment section and…

Keep Listening…!!!

Ok this is a tuff one… Henry Flynt: philosopher, art activist, instigator… Musician.


Henry Flynt & the Insurrections-go down

Henry Flynt & the Insurrections-jumping

This truely is a desert island disc to this contributor. It has been held a special place since I first heard it many years ago. One of an amazing collection of albums by the enigmatic Micus.

Unless you have heard him before, I can assure you that you have heard nothing like this before, mainly because his music comes from another place, literally.

Micus is a master of an ever increasing range of world instruments that he uses, not to play the music of the instruments origin, but rather to create something totally new. For example, the instrument he plays on the cover is a sho, a Japanese mouth pipe organ. The sounds he makes from it are truely modern. You can hear a little of it in the first sample.

Micus plays all the instruments, as he always does and overdubs to create his sonic pieces. He has been a long time artist for ECM Records, so the recording and production is second to none.

The centerpiece of this album is "As I Crossed The Bridge Of Dreams" and what a centrepiece it is. A long instrumental (all vocals are wordless things of beauty) which slowly builds to a beautiful climax and finale.

I cannot recommend this album too highly, it is an important and magnificant. Just listen.

For The Beautiful Chan

For M'schr And Djingi



Keep listening !!!

Comming soon!!

Exuma - iko iko..
Exuma - Paint it black...




hello..hola..merhaba...my friends :)
would you like to join me for a small journey thru these sweet countries :) well i am off to work today..and i selected some treasures from the past..some friends of mine with me..playing instruments..sun shows its full power..drinking peach nectar..
i am now uploading samples for this bands..oh i am sure you will like them..some of them are really rare..some of them are well-known in their own country's..with my 8-10k upload speed..i try to upload all of them today..i think everybody happy with those mini players..by the way you should listen prognotfrog radio podcast the herbalist show now :) when the radio goes online i am sure..it will be no:1 online radio on the world..i talked much..i dont wanna let you wait much..uploading process started..let me try to find some useful information for the bands..see you later and take care all of you :)

Links in comments..


Mantis - Island Suite...
Mantis - You don't Love Me...

(this paragraph was taken from Asin's website)
you can visit their site here: http://www.asinpilipinas.com/

Asin - Sandaklot...
Asin - Balita.........

Links in comments..

Links in comments..

PS. By coincidence this album was posted almost at the same time by our friend Garcolga from 8daysinapril.

I have already posted one Back Door album and as that was well received, it made sense to add another.
By the time the band recorded the second album, they had come from obscurity with the first self recorded album to acclaim and real interest. There was a buzz, particularly with Colin Hodgkinson's brilliant bass playing.

Fortunately, for this second album, they resisted the temptation to overproduce, noting that they were now in a studio with a budget and producer.


The raw essence of the band remained intact, as the sample "Linin' Track", demonstrates perfectly.

I provided comments about the band in my earlier post, so just enjoy this second helping of blues with jazz overtones.

Linin' Track

Also check out the earlier Back Door post on this blog at:

http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/06/back-door-back-door-1972-var-btr.html

Link in comments

Keep listening !!!

Here we go again.
As you know, in The Voice of The Moon, we play music that we will never post in ProgNotFrog sites for a variety of reasons, although we think it must be made known by all of you.

The Voice of The Moon is still in an experimental stage and we're doing efforts to make every new chapter better.

It is also the first step of ProgNotFrog Radio, a project we will be developing in the next few months.

Thanks to all the people who have commented the previous shows.

This week we'll start by appreciating some artists that belong to the Americana movement (16 Horsepower, some rare Sufjan Stevesn songs) then we'll jump to France (with the exquisite Jorane), Norway (guided by Ketil Bjornstad), Germany (to be psyched out by Fit & Limo and finnally we'll end in England with Michael Brook and Sir Robert Wyatt (What? Haven't them named him Sir yet...?).

But that's not all, there other surprises in this new Voice of The Moon broadcast that mixes the Sublime (Ostrich Janota) with the Cruel (Nick Cave), The Modern (Millenium) and the Antique (Garmarna).

I blend my elixirs and infusions, just for you. Enjoy them and...


Keep Listening...!!!


Follow The Voice Here.

Keep Listening

Abstract Truth-in a space

Links in Comments

Bubu are an outstanding representative of Argentinian Progressive Rock. The band touches across many different styles yet imitates no one. Bubu are a band to influence not to be influenced. As a matter of fact, fans of Atavism of Twilight will recognize some themes from Bubu's 19+ minute track, "El Cortejo de un dia Amarillo." There is, however, recognition of past masters, the most obvious being King Crimson and Magma. The Crimson influence is mostly through the guitar of Eduardo Rogatti which is Fripp-like in many places and is the closest this band comes to imitation. More obvious as an overall influence, however, is Magma as Bubu performs driving marches with dramatic vocals (often with no lyrics) and Wagnerian intensity. You can also hear shades of the Canterbury scene from Henry Cow to Soft Machine, Italian Symphonic, jazz, fusion, Stravinsky and much more. The music is not schizophrenic despite these seemingly very different styles; the band is completely focused and in control. There are seven band members plus an eighth listed as composer and arranger of this complex music. And complex it is. With violin, flute, sax, guitar, bass, drums and voice there are many different forms of interaction between instruments. The band switches from high intensity multi-layered and intricate themes to simple and sonorous violin passages. Bubu is a band to challenge your listening skills and is a great place to start to get into the more "adventurous" styles of progressive rock.......

For full review, go to GEPR

Bubu's Anabelas, in my opinion, is not only the best progressive rock album to come out of Argentina but also ranks as one of the best prog albums to come out of the seventies. This album features music that sounds like a mixture of King Crimson and Änglagård. Bubu was quite a large band. Along with the usual guitar/bass/drums, the band also had a violinist, flutist, and saxophonist. They are also helped out by a part-time pianist. The album consists of three long compositions written by a composer who does not play in the band. Their music is complex, energetic, and diabolical in a King Crimson-ish sort of way. Many sections feature exciting interplay between the guitarist, flutist, violinist, and saxophonist. The last two tracks feature short passages with spanish vocals, and even Magma-influenced choir. If you're looking for an introduction to the Argentinian progressive rock, or if you're a fan of Änglagård, this is an album to add to your collection.

-- Ground and Sky

Highly Recommended!!

Keep Listening!!!!

Link is in comments....

Hello Friends from all over the world :) i just came home from work..before coming to home i visited the biggest music store in my city to buy one of the turkish great traditional music musician "göksel baktagir" cd..i could not able to find it! (this must not that hard to find his cd's)..instead of him..i saw everywhere britney posters and cds :( that make me really upset..like a nightmare! i am not against mainstream pop..but the bosses dont care what is good and what is frog..i belive blogging rise the selling of good music..we have many emails with thanks..most of them aware of supporting good new musicians..so i heartly recomend to support bands/artists by buying their albums/works..

now i am adding some recent artist's sample songs to this post..you can take it as a recomendation..you can find their albums easily in net to buy/listen/find..as you know my english not that good..but we are speaking the same language :) i wish you enjoy the samples..see you later and take care..

some more songs from luar na lubre...
Luar Na Lubre - O Son Do Ar- A flor da Iauga..................
Luar Na Lubre - O Son Do Ar- O Son do Ar.....................

smilar tastes..
Fia na Roca - Contravento - Por Entre As Silveiras............
Fia na Roca -Contravento - Sen Mais Nada.......................
Fia na Roca -Contravento- Quer Que Lle Quer.................
Na Lua - As Fases De Na Lua - Vértolas De Maio................
Na Lua - Na Lua - Danza De Espadas Sen Nome.................
Milladoiro - 25 - No Cabo De Home.................................
Milladoiro - Gloria Tibi Sit - Versión Suite........................
Pallamallada - Caloeirina Das Bouzas - Muineira Con Req....
Lunasa - Other World - Goodbye miss Goodavich..............
Kelenn - Tassons LTerreau - Pach-Pie Noire.....................
Kelenn - Tassons LTerreau - Rastaride.............................

one of my upcomming post
Pererin -Haul Ar Yr Eira - Ni Welaf Yr Haf..........................

a song of goksel baktagir that i tried to buy the original cd today
Göksel Baktagir - Cafe Istanbul - Kurdili Hicazkar Longa.......

Links in comments..

Simply Saucer-Dance the Mutation

Simply Saucer-Low Profile(Demo)

The German band Satin Whale was founded around 1971 in the region of Cologne by Thomas Brück (bass, vocals), Gerard Dellmann (keyboards), Dieter Roesberg (guitar, sax ,flute, vocals) and Horst Schöffgen (drums). Their first record Desert Places was released in 1974 on the green Brain label, musically a typical example of German Seventies rock not unlike their stablemates Grobschnitt and Jane for the harder edge, with guitar and organ jams.

During a rock contest in 1974 (Rocksound 74) Satin Whale was elected the most popular German band. For the second release Lost Mankind in 1975, new drummer Wolfgang Hieronymi joined and the band changed to the Teldec label, continuing musically in the same direction as their first record, with Jethro Tull inspired flute-work. The band then went on tour as a support act for Barclay James Harvest. This had a direct influence on their music and their third record As A Keepsake was inspired by BJH, less rock and more symphonic influenced pop.

Their consequent tour served for the double live Whalecome, which showed the good musicianship of the band, giving room to extended improvisations, especially on the 17-minute long Hava Nagila. In the same year Satin Whale released A Whale of Time, a good record especially the title track, an instrumental with a great string arrangement. In 1979 the band composed the soundtrack for the German movie Die Faust In Der Tasche by director Max Willutzki. As the film was a popular and with their popularity rising the band released the same year On Tour. In 1980 Satin Whale released Don’t Stop The Show, their last and commercial record, together with Ex Triumvirat singer Barry Palmer and the band split up in 1981.

--- Prog Archives

Highly Recommended!


Desert Places - 02 - Seasons of Life.....

Lost Mankind - 01 - Six O'clock..........

Keep Listening!!!!

(note the mixed bitrate in the title. Desert Places is 160 on the first track, 192 & 224 for the rest.)

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Ruth–Polaroïd/Roman/Photo

Stuart Nicholson's excellent book "Jazz Rock: A History", has only a few faults, one of which is its too abbrieviated history and analysis of the European jazz rock scene. One or two clues to what has been omitted, will be found from listening to this record. Tasavallan Presidentti are one of those seemingly obscure bands who contributed to jazz rock's development. Even so, they were briefly popular in the UK because of "Lambertland".

Sonet distributed the vinyl version in the UK around 1973, with a sticker on the cover, stating "....Tasavallan Presidentti are a tidied up Traffic...". As selling aid, it told the potential buyer more about the band's earlier albums and much less about the music here. With "Lambertland" TP had developed well beyond the jazz-tempered, psychedelic rock of Traffic, and produced this minor classic of fusion. This is jazz fusion that evolved in the typical European way: rock musicians taking in jazz influences (cf. much of American jazz rock was jazz musicians taking on board rock rhythms and electrification).

--- review taken from Prog Archives

Highly Recommended!

Line-up:
--------
Jukka Tolonen - Guitar
Eero Raittinen - Vocals
Pekka Pöyry - Saxes, Flute
Måns Gründström - Bass
Vesa Aaltonen - Drums

Track 3 - Celebration of the Saved Nine......

Keep Listening!!!!

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Well, here we go again. Another show. Another podcast. This one might be considered the birth of Prog Not Frog Radio as I believe we have reached a turning point here and I do hope that we’ll have in the future several webcasts from our team or some similar way to spread music to the general public. Time will tell.
Mean while I invite you to enjoy today’s eclectic selection of music.
We’ll start with the art avant-rock band TuxedoMoon to move then to the twisted mind of Mr. Blixa Bargel, the brainchild of the influential Einsturzende Neubauten. Ahead you’ll find some mind spinning songs by Jaguares from Mexico, or from that beautiful sorceress and wandered known las Lhasa de Sela. Fron there you’ll go to India with Thierry Zaboitzeff one of the men behind Art Zoyd. Beyond that exotic horizon we’ll listen to some amazing surprises from eastern Europe, among them the angelic voice and demonic percussion of Arto Tuncboyaciyan. I will soothe your psychic turmoil at the end with a rare but very acid improvised track by those post-prog heroes that hide behind the words Porcupine and Tree.
I really wish you enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed doing it.
I think you’ll discover some great music in this podcast. Actually The Voice of The Moon goal is to spread music we will not post in the blog for a variety of reasons.

Keep Listening…!!!

Interested? go here.

This album got everything, as the review at Aquarius Records points: “the Dreamies album is a venture into psych-pop meets musique concrete territory, an elaborate tapestry of samples -- and this is from long before anyone called them samples, and before there was such a thing as samplers and sequencers, which means Holt used the old fashioned, labor intensive tape n' razor blade splicing method, working at home on his beloved TEAC Model 3340 reel-to-reel four-track recorder. Densely woven into his otherwise highly laid back and melodic mix, you'll hear clocks ticking, chattering machine guns in Vietnam combat, JFK speeches, crickets, frogs, NASA transmissions, and ominous but unidentifiable minimalist pulses of electronic/industrial white noise. Or even samples of the Beatles themselves! (Bits of "All You Need Is Love" and others are buried in Holt's sonic collage.) It's both unsettling and soothing at the same time, like surfing through shortwave transmissions from the late '60s psyche. And along with all the sound bites/effects, he also weaves together what must have originally been several different, distinct, enchanting songs he'd written for his voice and acoustic guitar. It's one man and his melodies alone amidst the chaos of the times.”

Sadly, Bill return to his regular work routine, but hey, for me it’s more than enough, I hope someday I can create a similar beautiful artifact… Thanks Bill!!!!!

Keep Listening!

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Dreamies-program eleven part 7

Those who are only familiar with the recent three-piece version of Miriodor may be unaware that the band began in Quebec City in the early eighties as a full six-piece, a perfect marriage between the more chamber-oriented sound of bands like Univers Zero and (later) Henry Cow, and the more symphonic woodwind-oriented sound of bands like Happy The Man and VDGG. Rencontres is a most welcome reissue of their very first LP, long out of print and unfortunately so, because until their 1996 release Jongleries Élastiques this one was hands down their best effort. Added for good measure are four tracks from the band's 1986 cassette-only release Tôt ou Tard (a four-piece by that time, the other five tracks ended up on the reissue of the band's self-titled album from `88). In these early days the band featured flute, clarinet and violin, as well as the saxes that survived to the three-piece incarnation, two keyboardists (covering electric piano, synthesizers and organ), a full time guitarist/bassist/stick player, and of course drums, all of which made possible some very lush and organic arrangements within their very angular chamber rock style. The liberal use of dissonance and (what seems to be) improvisation offer a solid connection to the RIO school, while the lengthy multi-sectional tracks, strong melodies, the rich and varied arrangements, and the occasional touch of bombast have more in common with symphonic rock and the Canterbury school. The result is positively unique. Also unheard of on any other Miriodor release, this one features vocals, albeit only on two tracks La Maison-Dieu and Egrégore (surprisingly with English lyrics, given their French titles). In all, the Miriodor of 1984 was a meeting ground of many of the best elements progressive rock has to offer.

-- review by Peter Thelen @ Miriodor.com

Highly Recommended!

Lineup:
François Émond (flute, violin, synthesizer, electric piano, clarinet, vocal)
Pascal Globensky (electric piano, 12 string guitar, bass)
Sabin Hudon (soprano, alto and tenor saxophones)
Rémi Leclerc (drums and percussions)
Marc Petitclerc (synthesizers, organ, bass, electric piano)
Denis Robitaille (bass, electric guitar, stick, vocals)

Track 1 - Echec et Mat......

Track 2 - Les Passants......


Keep Listening!!!!

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Ok, go pick your miniature heads, put your bone in your head, and let’s dance the Voodoo!

Keep Listening

Link on the comments

Taste of Blues-on the road to nidaros

There was a request for Lonnie Liston Smith, so here is, in what I think is his finest moment.

This Smith should not be confused with organ wizz, Dr Lonnie Smith, a very different beast indeed.

This was made a a time when the keyboardist was heavily influenced by Pharoah Sanders and you can hear that in this album. Some of Sanders band are also here, bassist Cecil McBee and percussionist, Mtume. If I recall correctly, it was Smith who provided keyboards to the Sanders classic"The Creator Has A Master Plan"


If you need to gain a detailed background to this album and Smith, I suggest you enlarge the back cover, it should be readable.

I just say this, I have listened to this album with great affection for 30 years and still find it fresh and immensely enjoyable. There is great sax playing from George Barron and wonderful Indian percussion from Badal Roy (former Miles Davis band member).

Enjoy!

In Search Of Truth

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Keep listening !!!

There has been so much activity on the blog lately, "older" posts can be forgotten, so here are links to some of my posts, which may otherwise be lost in the blog.

MacKenzie Theory - "Bon Voyage" [1974] @ 256 (Excellent obscure Australian Fusion)
http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/05/mackenzie-theory-bon-voyage-1974-256.html#comments

Soft Machine - "Softs" [1976] @ 320
http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/05/soft-machine-softs-1976-320-kindly.html#comments

Pat Gleeson - Rainbow Delta [1980]
http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/06/pat-gleeson-rainbow-delta-1980-320.html#comments

Back Door - "Back Door" [1972] var btr (British Blues Jazz Rock)
http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/06/back-door-back-door-1972-var-btr.html#comments

Pork Pie - Transitory [1974] @ 320 (jazz fusion)
http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/06/pork-pie-transitory-1974-320-jazz_06.html#comments

Michael Gibbs - The Only Chrome Waterfall Orchestra [1975] @ 192 (British jazz)
http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/06/michael-gibbs-only-chrome-waterfall.html#comments

Levi Smith's Clefs - Empty Monkey [1970] @192 (Aussie rock)
http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/06/levi-smiths-clefs-empty-monkey-1970.html#comments

Danny O'Keefe - Breezy Stories [1973] @256 (American singer-songwriter)
http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/06/danny-okeefe-breezy-stories-1973-256.html#comments

Steve Goodman - Jessie's Jig And Other Favourites [1976] @256 (American singer - songwriter)
http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/06/steve-goodman-jessies-jig-and-other.html#comments

Nick Gravenites with Michael Bloomfield - My Labors & More (with Bloomfield) [1969] @320 (Blues)
http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/06/nick-gravenites-with-michael.html#comments

When virtual unknown Marc Benno wanted to make another album of his songs, he felt it only natural to ring his mates to be the backing band. In this case, Benno was a part of the Leon Russell / Shelter Records group of musicians.

Clapton had had his "sea change" as a result of listening to The Band' "Music From Big Pink" and had earlier toured with Delaney & Bonnie, so he had a connection with Benno's band. So here Benno the unknown manages to get together a dream band including:

Eric Clapton, Albert Lee - guitars
Jim Keltner - drums
Carl Radle - bass

You'll find Radle on a heaps of 70's albums, including George Harrison's "Concert For Bangla Desh".

That said, Benno writes good songs and has a distinctive vocal style, the sample below is a good guide, note the dirty slide from Clapton.

Enjoy!

Hotfoot Blues

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Keep listening !!!

Keep Listening…!!!

Links in comments.

Flaviola e o Bando do sol-como os bois

Alphonse Mouzon is the Chairman/CEO of Tenacious Records. He composes, arranges and produces, as well as acts, but he is most well-known as a percussionist. Born on November 21, 1948 in Charleston, South Carolina of African-American, French and Blackfoot Indian background, Alphonse Mouzon's popularity as a performing artist first became realized in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

He received his first musical training at Bonds-Wilson High School and moved to New York City upon graduation. He studied drama and music at New York City College as well as medicine at Manhattan Medical School. He continued receiving drum lessons from Bobby Thomas, the drummer for jazz pianist Billy Taylor. He played percussion in the Broadway show "Promises, Promises", he then worked with pianist McCoy Tyner, then he was a member of Weather Report with Larry Coryell on guitar, Joe Zawinul on keyboard and Wayne Shorter on saxophone. After that Alphonse Mouzon signed as a solo artist to the Blue Note label in 1972.

This is an obscure Alphonse Mouzon recording, which, along with Mind Transplant, accounts for Mouzon's best work as a solo artist. The presence of former Weather Report band mate Miroslav Vitous provides for much of the session's excitement ("The Light" being a standout). Fusion vets Philip Catherine, Stu Goldberg, and Joachim Kuhn also turn in fine performances, as does the relatively unknown Bob Malik. There is a great deal of integrity on this session, a quality that was often missing from Mouzon sessions both before and after this. Highly recommended.


-- pieces of this review by Robert Taylor @ www.music.com/


Musicians:
Alphonse Mouzon: drums, percussion, organ, electric piano
Philip Catherine: electric guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar
Joachim Kühn: electric piano, acoustic piano
Stu Goldberg: electric piano, acoustic piano, mini moog, organ
Bob Malik: tenor saxophone
Miroslav Vitous: electric bass, acoustic bass, mini moog, electric piano

Samples coming soon

Keep Listening!!!!

Link in comments....

I have posted a few albums with Mariano and Catherine elsewhere in this blog. They were in the context of fusion, heavily relying in electric instruments.

This is different in that it is mainly acoustic and is in a trio setting, much more intimate and personal.

That's not to say that you won't hear an electric piano or guitar, but the use and context are a mile away from Pork Pie's "Transitory" and Michael Gibb's "The Only Chrome Waterfall Orchestra", both of which you'll find in this blog.

A modern jazz album, not a fusion album.

This is about the dymanics between great musicians in a small group setting, their interplay and invention, great stuff.

Here we also get to hear Catherine, the electric bass player. He's good, so good that there is no doubt that he could also have been a very successful bassist.

Enough from me, enjoy.


Janet

Link in comments

Keep listening !!!

Hey there, bloggers. I thought I would go out on a limb here and try something radically different for this blog. Diversity is celebrated and encouraged amongst the members of the prog not frog team, and in keeping with that motive, I figured I would showcase an alternate side of my tastes, electronic music. I couldn't ethically bring myself to post any full albums by these artists, as they are fairly recent acts, so instead I decided to make a 3 ZIP mix.

The 4 groups showcased here are, in my opinion, the heavyweights of their respected genres. Infected Mushroom has taken the psychedelic trance medium and used classical musical training to take it to new heights. Orbital were an English techno duo formed in 1989, consisting of brothers Paul and Phil Hartnoll, who proved that techno music can be enjoyable as more than just "dance music". Shpongle is a collaboration of jazz flautist Raja Ram and trance artist Simon Posford who fuse trance music with regular instruments that takes alot of inspiration from folk music around the world. You can hear some relations to spanish, india, african countries among others. Steven Wilson is the founder and major creative talent behind the modern progressive rock band, Porcupine Tree. In 2004, he released a very limited (350 total copies pressed in CDR format) album called Unreleased Electronic Music, Vol 1, which contains exactly what the title suggests; more precisely, music created since 1990, somewhat similar to that of SW's ambient project Bass Communion but more rhythmic and mostly in an ambient/electronic vein. Some pieces were created for television commissions, but none were ever fully developed.

I'm not quite sure how this compilation will be received, maybe you like electronic music, maybe you hate it. I just wanted to be able to have all of my tastes displayed on this blog. Hopefully it will allow a few people to open their minds a little and expand their listening tastes.

Tracklisting:

Part 1:
1. Infected Mushroom - B.P. Empire - 09 - Dancing With Kadafi (320)
2. Infected Mushroom - Classical Mushroom - 01 - Bust A Move (256)
3. Infected Mushroom - Classical Mushroom - 05 - Disco Mushroom (256)
4. Infected Mushroom - Converting Vegetarians (CD 2) - 02 - Elation Station (192)
5. Infected Mushroom - Converting Vegetarians (CD 2) - 03 - Drop Out (192)
6. Infected Mushroom - Converting Vegetarians (CD 2) - 10 - Selecta (192)
7. Infected Mushroom - Converting Vegetarians (CD 2) - 12 - Jeenge (192)
8. Infected Mushroom - Merlin - 06 - Classical Mushroom (192)

Part 2:
1. Infected Mushroom - I'm the Supervisor - 10 - Stretched (VBR 217)
2. Orbital - In Sides - 01 - The Girl With The Sun In Her Hair (256)
3. Orbital - In Sides - 02 - P.E.T.R.O.L. (256)
4. Orbital - In Sides (Disc 2) - 05 - The Box (Radio Edit) (256)
5. Orbital - In Sides (Disc 2) - 06 - The Box (Untitled Version 1) (256)
6. Orbital - In Sides (Disc 2) - 07 - The Box (Untitled Version 2) (256)
7. Orbital - In Sides (Disc 2) - 08 - The Box (Vocal Reprise) (256)

Part 3:
1. Orbital - The Middle of Nowhere - 02 - Spare Parts Express (192)
2. Orbital - The Middle of Nowhere - 06 - Nothing Left 1 (192)
3. Orbital - The Middle of Nowhere - 07 - Nothing Left 2 (192)
4. Shpongle - Tales of the Inexpressible - 01 - Dorset Perception (256)
5. Steven Wilson - Unreleased Electronic Music Vol.1 - 01 - King of the Delta Blues (VBR 257)
6. Steven Wilson - Unreleased Electronic Music Vol.1 - 03 - Dub Zero (VBR 243)
7. Steven Wilson - Unreleased Electronic Music Vol.1 - 11 - Apres-Mortes (VBR 176)


Samples can be heard on a previous post on this blog: BlackwatchPlaid's Playlist

Keep Listening!!!!

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Keep Listening! Links in comments..

When you start up a discussion about the most influential albums in progressive rock history, you expect the conversation to center around such albums like Close to the Edge, Brain Salad Surgery, Octopus, Foxtrot, or In the Court of the Crimson King. However, for many bands who have gotten their start in the last ten years, they drew a wealth of inspiration from the Swedish legends Anglagard, a band who grew up on the albums listed above and then churned out two of the most impressive prog albums of the 90’s, Hybris and Epilog. While much has been said about the near perfect debut Hybris, let’s take a close look at the equally impressive follow-up, which turned out to be the band’s last studio album.

If you are new to Anglagard (or the Swedish prog scene in general), they use many 70’s influences and weave them into a powerful yet dark tapestry of sounds. Combining elements of Jethro Tull, Genesis, Yes, and King Crimson, Anglagard switch from furious, angular rockers, to twisting, complex fusion vamps, to atmospheric moody passages dripping with gothic imagery as fast as you can blink. While Hybris contained a fair amount of Swedish vocals, this album was all instrumental but for a few brief passages. “Hostsejd” is a 15- minute gem that throws at the listener everything imaginable, yet remains a simply majestic piece of beautiful music. Flutes and Mellotron create a haunting, romantic picture, but are quickly smashed to pieces by complex guitar and Hammond lines on top of a furious rhythm. As quickly as the fury arrives, it is hushed away by gentle flute passages that drop in from the clouds, which slowly pick up steam and volume while drums and bass get more violent. This constant push-pull from quiet to rage is what Anglagard is all about, and they do it marvelously.

The band goes for a more pastoral feel on “Skogsranden”, with nimble piano lines from Thomas Johnson complemented by the lush acoustic guitar of Tord Lindman. Again, don’t get too comfortable, as about 3 minutes into it the listener is treated to intense Hammond, weaving electric guitar, and muscular Rickenbacker bass. Backed by the ever creepy Mellotron, the band extends an intricate workout, and to relax and slowly build up the tension once again. In the distance you can hear flickering organ and ethereal female vocals, followed by a gorgeous flute solo from Anna Holmgren. More than once you will be reminded of the great drama that Genesis created on albums like Tresspass, Nursery Cryme, or Foxtrot, combining light acoustic moments with violent outbursts of rock energy. The final two minutes of this piece is quite chaotic, as the Mellotron leads in rampaging and weaving guitar, keyboard and flute blasts that are simply stunning to hear. The last of the CD’s lengthy tracks is “Sista Somrar”, a real classical sounding tune with cellos, and ominous waves of Mellotron. The Jethro Tull influence can be heard here to great effect, with plenty of rock flute playing and intricate percussion, not to mention heavy use of Hammond. The way these players are locked in and weave such complex lines around each other is just breathtaking, and the music always seems to be heading in a logical direction. The guitars of Holmgren and Jonas Engdegard take on an aggressive tone midway through this tune, snaking around the urgent flute passages while huge amounts of Mellotron provides the dramatic background. Just when you think the band is going to keep plowing forward with this insane intensity, the opening melody line is back, and acoustic guitars, Mellotron, flute, and cellos finish out the song with gentle, lulling ease, accompanied by a tortured electric guitar solo.

The CD ends with the short “Saknadens Fullhet”, a nice little piano goodbye from Thomas Johnson. It would almost be a fitting finale, as Anglagard quietly went away after playing some farewell gigs and split up. After only two studio albums and one live release, the prog world was left wanting more.

--- review by Pete Pardo @ http://www.seaoftranquility.org

Highly Recommended!

Sample coming soon!

Keep Listening!!!!

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Drummers Alphonse Mouzon and Billy Cobham led almost parallel careers during the 1970s and helped to raise the bar by which all subsequent drummers were to be judged. They were both in legendary fusion bands (Mouzon in Weather Report and Larry Coryell's Eleventh House and Cobham in Dreams and the Mahavishnu Orchestra), both led their own successful bands, both reinvented jazz-rock drumming, and both released one classic, genre-defining recording. Cobham's classic was Spectrum, a recording that is regularly considered as one of the genre's best. This, Mind Transplant, is Mouzon's classic recording that is often hailed as "Spectrum II." The common thread, besides the aggressive drumming, is guitarist Tommy Bolin. Where Cobham used Bolin's aggressive playing as a counterpoint to Jan Hammer, Mouzon features the guitarist as the primary attraction. The tunes themselves may not be as memorable as, say, "Red Baron" or "Stratus," but the playing is no less inspired. Mouzon and Bolin are a natural fit and push themselves to levels of creativity and skill that few can attain. Raw and powerful, the music herein is what made fusion such a viable musical style. This recording has never been as popular as Spectrum, but was finally released on CD in 1993 with the addition of the 15-minute jam session "The Real Thing." Easily one of the best fusion recordings of all time.

-- http://harukimurakami.livejournal.com/

Highly Recommended!

Samples coming soon!

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Hi all. Again I find myself filling a request here. I am not a big fan of Amon Düül II, or krautrock in general. I figured, a fan of the blog asked for it specifically, why not try to track it down... It was pretty hard to find any info about this album as it seems to be a rarity. Enjoy!!

Re-issue of one of the hardest to find albums by Amon Düül II from 1974. Their eighth album it saw the band continue to dabble with more commercial avenues and bring in diverse styles to the bands overall space rock sound. Similar to Vive La Trance and the album that followed Made In Germany, this is inspiring avant-garde rock pop from one of the best German bands of the '70's.

Samples will be back soon!

Keep Listening!!!!

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Perhaps the finest release of Italian progressive rock there ever was. For some on rec.music.progressive this is their favorite album period; I won't go that far, but I will certainly sing its praises.

Locanda Delle Fate did not invent any new styles. They have the dual keyboards, used with a healthy amount of flute to contribute softer parts while the guitar and gruff vocals often provide the harsher counterbalance. This isn't something unique in Italian progressive rock. They were, however, able to do so much with that style that the earlier bands didn't seem to. Melodies are layered on top of counter-melodies with a subtlety often lacking in the symphonic prog world; in fact, you could listen to this album for months before it hits you with its full force. While the arrangements can be dense, they never seem that way and the often clinical feel of such arrangements is not here.

Each track on this album is a success. The longer numbers tend to be developed intelligently, with a logical progression of themes that stops short of milking them for length. The shorter ones hit the listener with an idea or two, and tend to be somewhat simpler. Highlights would have to include the opening instrumental and the title track.

For those looking for comparisons to other bands, I could offer perhaps early PFM, Celeste and Maxophone. In my opinion, however, LDF is better than all of these bands. It is indeed a handsome slice of classic Italian symph prog. Locanda della Fate fall somewhere in between Genesis and Yes. The guitarist is a pretty obvious Steve Hackett disciple, both in the broad, melodic style of his playing and also the way he occasionally employs Hackett's well-known 'weeping' effect. The keyboardists lean favorably towards Tony Banks' sense of balance and servicing the composition, yet at the same time take full advantage of the Rick Wakeman palette, including those keys that Banks never really touched (e.g., harpsichord, clavinet). The lead vocalist is an acquired taste, singing somewhat gruffly but with gusto. I personally find his vocals quite enjoyable. This is on my short list of albums that every progressive rock fan should own. Any further superlatives would be redundant. Get it!

-- compiled from reviews by Joe McGlinchey & Sean McFee @ http://www.progreviews.com

Highly Recommended!

Track 1 - Volte un Istante Di Quiete......
Keep Listening!!!!

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I did it again. Another Podcast. This is much better than the first one, I think. I bought a better microphone (cheap!) and had more time to think about the music. I also fixed some sound glitches in the teasers and intro. It is still far from what I want to do in podcasting and I need further practice on my english flux and rythm, but it is an improvement, that I dedicate to you all.

Your comments helped me a lot. Thanks to all who listened.

This time I wanted to broadcast music that is very unknown among the usual public that comes to this blog. Bands like Drums & Tuba, Blackbright Morning Light or The Changelings are not what proggers and psychers are used to listen to. I did that on purpose so people here get to listen to new and a bit different things.
The good thing about proggers and psychers is that their ears are alwayes wide open to new sounds. This collection of songs is an tribute to that virtue.

I hope you all enjoy it.

Please write something in the comment's section. Your opinions are highly appreciated.

Big Hug from Herbaltown, in Prognotfrogland.

Your friend and BrainSmasher,

It is said usually that Iskander is less listenable album of Supersister than early albums of this band. As though, Iskander is “avant-garde”. I do not think so. Yes, this album is more difficult for perception and understanding. Yes, this album is closer to “avant-prog” or “RIO” than early Supersister works (Present from Nancy and To The Highest Bidder). But the same situation took place with music of the other leading prog-bands of those years. In other words, Iskander was natural, organic product of the musical evolution of Supersister, and this evolution was, to some extent, similar to the evolution of some British prog-bands in this period. Iskander is the concept album which is devoted to Alexander the Great. Please do not forget that 1973 is the year of the prog concept albums. Music continuously develops, and this album is the most monolithic, coherent work by the band. Moreover, this development is symphonic by its nature. Therefore reviewed album is not “avant- garde” like Frank Zappa, Henry Cow or Soft Machine (although the general features can be found). Yes, we face with a lot of “avantish” dissonances, breaks and changes in tempos, rhythms and measures, but symphonic component matters. Another important thing is the presence of Arabian “motives”. Arabian elements in the progressive rock are the extraordinary rarity. Iskander is opened by brass wind solo which creates “Near-Eastern” mood from the beginning of the album. And further Arabian “motives” are intertwined with many themes and “pieces” of this album. It is almost impossible to mark out the best tracks, it is breathtaking from the beginning till the end. But it is necessary to mention marvellous and wonderful melodies in “Roxane” and “Looking Back”, and also really progressive development of themes in “Alexander” and “The Battle”. Iskander is indeed an innovative album which has surpassed time. Iskander is a must know for any lover of prog.

--- http://www.progarchives.com

Highly Recommended!

Track 4 - Confrontation Of The Armies.....
Track 5 - The Battle......................

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The man behind the many excellent Passport albums was Klaus Doldinger and on this their first release, he names the album after himself. The band, in various guises went onto to make about 20 albums before being disbanded in 1996.

This was not his first group, he was a member of The German Jazz Quartet from 1962, until forming Passport.

The Passport sound is here, but probably not fully formed. It is , however, very good fusion.

Enjoy!

Klaus Doldinger - alto, soprano & tenor saxes, keyboards
Jimmy Jackson - organ
Olaf Kübler - tenor saxophone, flute
Udo Lindenberg - drums
Lothar Meid - bass guitar

hexensabbat


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Keep listening !!!