Oldish Psych and Prog

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1970 - Som Imaginбrio

1971 - Nova Estrela

1973 - Matanзa do Porco

Style: psych
Audio: mp3 (128k)
Size: 94mb incl. covers

Dreams Fantasies & Nightmares:
One of Brazil's top psychedelic acts in this era. They brilliantly fused progressive rock, jazz, and danceable rock 'n' roll with a healthy dose of good humour (e.g. with lyrics like "in Nepal everything is very cheap" and "I'm gonna plant carrots in your head"). This was one of the best Brazilian groups ever and equal to most groups anywhere!

Som Imaginário existed between 1970 - 1974; They also backed Milton Nascimento, Sueli Costa, Macal and other singers on some recordings and / or live shows. In 1998 there was talk of a possible reunion.
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Style: prog
Country: france
Audio: lossless (flac, cue, log, covers)
time : 1:01'37" Size: 428 mb
Issue: Musea FGBG 4011.AR

Gibraltar:
Rare, but excellent example of early '70s French progressive rock replete with slabs of the dated Mellotron sound, proficient guitar. Their only release was self-titled, and the LP is a collector's item demanding large amounts of money. They have a couple of covers of Genesis and Yes songs on that one.

1. Tristan & Iseult (11:03) 
2. Raid (3:24) 
3. Le château d'Orphée (7:25) 
4. Intro (2:25) 
5. Epopée (10:33) 
6. Final (5:59) 
Bonus tracks on cd release: 
7. Renaissance (9:05) 
8. Ritual (1:17) 
9. Close to the edge (0:59) 
10. Hairless heart (2:14) 
11. Le château d'Orphée (7:06)
 

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Style: rio
Country: italy
Audio: mp3 (320k)
Size: 95mb
 

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Style: zeuhl, prog
Country: france
Audio: lossless (ape, cue, log, bokk covers)
Size: 224 mb
Issue: Musea FGBG 4137.AR (1996)

Style: heavy psych
Country: us
Audio: lossless (ape, cue, log, scans)
time: 52'07" Size: 321 mb
Issue: 2001 Akarma

Fuzz Aci & Flwers:
Sonobeat pressed 100 copies of this Austin-based outfit's album which they tried to sell to United Artists. Musically they were very heavy with plenty of good guitar work but perhaps too much instrumentation. They won a good 'live' reputation but sadly broke up before Sonobeat concluded their negotiations with United Artists. Erik Johnson was a brilliant 16 year old guitarist who still has a considerable reputation as a guitarist in the 1980s with another Texan band Electromagnetics. His guitar work was also much in evidence on their second 45. The first was a pair of drum solos backed by studio electronics. The reissue of their album is obviously welcome because copies of the promotional-only release were very rare indeed.
 

Country: us
Audio: lossless (ape 689 vinyl rip)
Size: 215mb

who's him don't know?
 

Style: prog
Country: Norway
Audio: mp3 (320k)
Size: 92mb
Year: 2004 (records from '83-'84)

Style: psych
Country: venezuela
Audio: lossless (ape 777k)
Size: 199mb
Issue: 2004

Dreams Fantasies & Nightmares:
A stunning album and, prior to its reissue, one of the rarest and most sought-after in the World. Original pressings appeared on translucent coloured vinyl. It was made by American Stephen Scott and a group of Venezuelan musicians, whilst hippie musician Scott was on his travels through South America.

The opening cut People, also featured on the Love, Peace And Poetry: Latin American Psychedelic Music compilation, sets the tone for much of what follows with some superb fuzz guitar work, which is also most evident on the other stand out cut And Everywhere I See The Shadow Of That Life. Other highlights include To Walk On Water, a laid back number with some lovely woodwind and, in a similar style, The Time Of Hope Is Gone with its ethereal vocals. Heaven's Coming Up and W.C. Blues are more bluesy. The finale is interesting too, opening with sounds reminiscent of The United States Of America album. The track ends in a sorta freeform mayhem. All lyrics on this album are sung in English. Recommended.

Style: neo psych
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (flac 978k)
Size: 355mb

Adrift in the Ether:
Kula Shaker are a sixties influenced psych / R&B act with a bluesy edge. The band were formed from the remains of North London mod act The Kays in October 1995, although Crispian Mills (son of actress Hayley Mills) and Alonza Bevin had first met in 1988 at Richmond college and played together in a number of bands - The Lovely Lads, The New Originals and The Objects.

The band's music is variable in quality and sometimes derivative and lacking in originality although at its best the music is excellent. The debut single, in particular, was rather laboured and unsubtle but matters improved greatly with the second, Tattva. The band show themselves to be skilled songwriters and talented musicians, particularly Crispian and Jay Darlington. The sound is strongly reminiscent of Beatles-style sixties pop psych with soulful organ playing and skilfully blended with eastern elements and instruments. Other tracks retain the combination of mod and eastern elements and are all pretty good. The cover of Tim Hardin's Red Balloon is particularly noteworthy. Tattva was deservedly a hit. (Chris Williams)
 

Style: psych, prog
Country: Norway
Audio: lossless (flac 992k)
Size: 450mb

*** Junipher Greene - Magical Garden, from "Friendship", their debut album, released in 1971. Junipher Greene were one of Norway's best progressive rock outfits, formed in the early seventies. Information about them is almost nigh impossible to find, but it would appear that the band was formed by guitarist/vocalist Bent Aaserud, drummer/vocalist Geir Boehren, keyboard p layer Helge Groesli and bassist Oeyvind Villibo. Their jazz influenced sound is probably best compared to that of UK outfit Tonton Macoute, with some l ovely flute thrown in for good measure. This debut offering is apparently their only album currently available on CD, which is a pity, because their follow-up, "Communication", which came out in 1973, was excellent, but difficult to track down outside of their home country. It would appear that they split in 1975, with the obligatory "Best of " album being released that year, and then they reformed in 1980, releasing a further two albums. ( Dinosaurdays )

*** JUNIPHER GREENE was a Norwegian progressive rock band who were formed in Oslo in 1967. The initial line-up included Bent Aserud on guitars, keyboards, flute and vocals, Geir Bohren on lead vocals, drums and sax, Helge Groslie on keyboards, Freddie Dahl on guitar and vocals and Oyvind Vilbo on bass. They released their ambitious debut album in 1971 called "Friendship". It stands as one of Norway's earliest progressive album and the country's first double LP.They were one of Norway's best bands together with RUPHUS and HOST, although they only released one album in 1973 "Communication" (also very good) before splitting in the mid 70s. Two compilation albums, "Best Of" (1975) and "Rewind" (1981), which also featured a number of unreleased tracks recorded between 1969 and 1980, were issued. Helge Groslie left the band to join TITANIC in 1972, Aserud and Bohren kept the JUNIPHER GREENE name for various incarnations during the 80s, although these were very different to the original group. They've since built a reputation as the creators of Norwegian movie soundtracks. ( ProgArchives )
 

Style: prog
Country: italy
Audio: lossless (ape, cue, scans)
Size: 274 mb
Issue: 2002 Remaster 24bit

Style: hard
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (flac 966k)
Size: 427mb

oe: proud dusty hard at shelf, okay okay this house is down
 

Style: glam
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (ape 784k)
Size: 308mb

Starling review:
Now then, starting from here, you don't really need these records unless Mr Steve Harley, regardless of the actual music he and his croonies make, strikes you as an intelligent, astute, sagacious and utterly penetrative bonmot of a person. (You can have your thesaurus back now.) Oh, he actually does strike me as one, which is why in the end I ended up liking this record about as much as Psychomodo even if the sonic differentiation is drastic. But one man's genius is another man's Jerry Springer, so think for yourself cuz I won't be there with you. (Cool fuzz tone, abrupt stop).
After Psychomodo, Steve Harley abruptly dumped the original Cockney Rebel, cruelly ending the two-year-long dream of the great democratic musical revolution. Out of the original members, only drummer Stuart Elliott has survived the transition, and out of all the new members, the only name I recognize is new guitarist Jim Cregan (former Family member for a very brief time, and later a pedestrian associate for Rod Stewart in his rote early Eighties period). And this is now "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel" - meaning that music as such takes a step back and Harley's personal decadent/satiric fantasies take a step forward. Well, at least he's honest about it.
At first, the difference will seem unbearable. Gone are the ultra-cool violin riffs and the lengthy complex instrumental passages and, in fact, a huge part of the musical audacity and diversity of old. The first few times I heard this, it was all generic four-four beats and lots and lots and lots of boring lyrics to me. Then, fortunately, the feeling passed and I saw the album for what it was: Harley's half-sung, half-spoken, half-meaningful, half-absurdist oh-so-70s confession. An album full of terrific lyrical imagery and theatrical passion - and, actually, not that devoid of melodies. Well, I guess it's about as melodic as your average Springsteen album, actually, your average singer-songwriter album from the mid-Seventies, and in those cases when the singer-songwriter gets by on behalf of his personal charisma, it's about the best you can expect from that period. And you wanted the best, you got it.
There actually was one UK hit here, and that's 'Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)', an excellent mid-tempo pop-rocker with a glammy multi-vocal chorus and great use of the stop-and-start structure (as well as Beatlesque ooh-la-la-las all over the place). It's at the same time typical and atypical of the album. Typical, because it features the same type of enigmatic lyrics - on the surface, it's something like a misogynistic putdown, but what do you do with lines like 'How can you ignore my faith in everything/When I know what Faith is and what it's worth'? Atypical, because it's shorter, catchier and more concise than anything else on here, certainly chart-oriented at heart, but smart enough so as not to linger in the charts for too long.
My favourite tracks are the two side-closers, though. 'Panorama' is fast and lively, with a funny guitar tone, upbeat brass lines punctuating the melody and a totally kick-ass chorus ('I felt forty-five I was barely alive, I saw a Human Tribe and I was terrified'). Who cares if you can't really decipher the goofy lyrics? That's Steve Harley for you, Bobby Zimmerman's trusted disciple. And it's glam, baby, glam pop in all of its glory, highlighted by his female backuppers and saxophones and a giddy atmosphere of know-nothing-care-for-nothing. And then there's the title track, even more Dylan-like because it's slower and, as far as the overall impression goes, more introspective. For all of its five and a half minutes, you are openly caressed by Harley's cockneyified vocals, vocals which nevertheless seem to mock the very idea of a nostalgic confessional song. 'You think it's tragic when that moment arrives - oh but it's magic, it's the best years of our lives', he sings, and it would all be very well if you could actually understand what particular moment he's singing about. But whatever it is, it must mean a lot to the man. Or pretends to mean a lot.
The sense of the proceedings never gets any clearer, it only gets worse. Tracks like 'Back To The Farm' are openly paranoid, and it's a blessing - you don't actually have to wreck your brain over any hidden messages in that one. But indeed, Steve Harley is one of the best "impersonators of paranoia" of the epoch, and his ravings on that track are first rate, not to mention a well-crafted synthesizer solo from Duncan Mackay at the end. 'Mr Raffles' shuffles along lazily, yet with oodles and oodles of stylishness (and I particularly like that creeping little bit of Spanish guitar that enters right after the 'what a time we had down in Barcelona' line, ever noticed that?). '49th Parallel' experiments with funk, not particularly successfully, but ain't no crushing fiasco either. And 'Mad Mad Moonlight' desperately tries to pump in some rock'n'roll energy, but instead only manages to start the album off on a particularly puzzling note.
Playing this backto back with Psychomodo would actually help you to understand why they're rated equally - Psychomodo is much more daring and experimental, yet it seems like on this 1975 album Steve is much more firmly standing on his own two feet, so to speak. The songs are long, but never really overlong, and every one of them has a point, even if most of the points are undecipherable. Here is a man who has intentionally toned down his ambitions and started making records that may not be as original in quality, but are far more adequate in content. And, of course, as usual, the lyrics and the moods which accompany them may all be a huge put-on, but I find no problem in accepting them as a conscious put-on. And, after all, it's not the literal interpretation that matters, but the overall message - that of a crazy, crazy, crazy social life, life as a madhouse rife with possibilities and combinations. Actually, just look over the lyrics sheet with one brief glance. It's all about parties, madness, and murder. Well, how can one exist without the other? That's 1975 for you. Heck, that's humanity for you.
 

Style: prog
Country: us
Audio: lossless (ape)
Size: 316mb
Issue: Cuneiform
Year: 1990 (recorded '74-'75)
 

Style: prog
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (flac 822k)
Size: 731mb
Issue: FIE 9115
 

Style: prog
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (wavpack 739k)
Size: 256k
 

Style: prog, rio
Country: italy
Audio: mp3 (256k, scans)
Size: 78mb

ItalianProg:
This largely unknown group from northern Italy has only released an album on the Ultima Spiaggia label in 1977, but this can be a nice surprise to anyone into the Canterbury/Rock In Opposition sound, that only had good releases in Italy by Stormy Six and Picchio Dal Pozzo.
Their ten-track concept album Gran disordine sotto il cielo has strong similarities with the english group Henry Cow in the use of the female voice of Françoise Godard and such instruments as bassoon, oboe and violin, but even contains some lighter moments that make it a bit disjointed like the Ultima Spiaggia LP on the same label.
An interesting album indeed, this deserves to be heard.
 

Style: prog
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (flac 773k)
Size: 278mb

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Style: rock
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (ape 884k)
Size: 278mb
 

Style: rock
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (ape 971k)
Size: 284mb
 

Style: blues
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (flac 1022k vinyl rip)
Size: 505mb
 

Style: beat
Country: us
Audio: mp3 (256k, scans)
time: 1:11'58" dize: 131 mb

Really Super Psychedelic in african-gypsy style!
 

Style: kraut prog
Country: germany
Audio: lossless (flac 829k)
Size: 287mb
Issue: Brain LC-01846 (2004)

COSMIC DREAMS AT PLAY:
Electric Sandwich's only album had a most outstanding opening track, the 8 minute instrumental "China", with a repetitive, percussive rhythm and fuzzy wah-wah guitar. Other tracks had an impressive electronically treated sax style reminiscent of Ian Underwood. The guitar work was fine, but the creaky vocals less impressive! Fortunately, large parts of the album were instrumental. "Devil's Dream" and "Nervous Creek" had a slight blues feel and loud rock arrangements. Side two mellowed a bit, with softer Jazz and slow boogie blues styles. Again this was a Dieter Dierks production, and one you should check out! It was released on the green Brain label in 1972 in a funny fold-out cover, picturing a fancy, electric sandwich! The quintet was probably from Bonn.
 

Style: psych, rock
Country: us
Audio: mp3 (256k)
Size: 111mb

Album Description:
The Electric Prunes have always been a California band. Screaming out of the late 60's their pulsating music captured the hope and angst of a drifting generation. Well the drifting is back, and so are the Electric Prunes! Perhaps to the rescue! From the minute you "come flying", as the lyric suggests on the introduction, this seminal band delivers the goods. 13 surprising new flame-laden psych tracks melt your speakers with "Prune" trademark fuzz, twang, tremolo and mayhem. For those that thought the 60's were over.....hang onto your wah wah! Not some rehash or recreation of a time past, this is the real thing played as only the "real people" can play it. The "California" of the 60's is found at the end of some gloriously simple songs, memorable riffs and a sense that each track is actually taking place in some cosmic vortex of a past time. This record sounds just like 1967! Legendary Moby Grapeist Peter Lewis joins the band for some vintage 60's guitar work on "Rickenbacker 12 String", an ode to that very special "California made" 12 string guitar. California mixes some cool Rudi Protrudi abstract guitar artwork on the cover, with a range of images from a touring musician losing his pants in France (49 SONGS), to a guy that can't leave his flipped out girlfriend because he just tattooed her name on his bum (Rosy made me crazy). Face it, all pertinent topics. "California" is Escapist Surfing, the Hollywood Movie Business, Famous Friends, even an ass kicking Tidal Wave. This CD leaves no doubt in what is left of anyone's mind that the Electric Prunes were, and are, anchors for a drifting generation. Man the lifeboats!
 

Style: prog
Country: us
Audio: lossless (wavpack 947k, Cue, Log, Scans , Embedded)
Size: 420mb

Gibralrar:
Echolyn is a five piece from Pennsylvania, whose sound is direct, tightly arranged and colorful. The lyrics take a prominent role, delivered with feeling and plenty of raw emotional content. Their sound is layered and complex, but not overly busy. The "Mellotron" sound is used generously, but the overall sound has more variety than usual and tends to be a little more experimental. Of their first album: Quite impressive is the album opener "Fountainhead," a very experimental collage type piece that leads into the first full length track "The Great Men," a thought provoking track about idealism and human nature. The balance of the album is equally exceptional. A second album has just been released Suffocating The Bloom, it's even more powerful than the first, with the band showing more musical maturity all around. Echolyn represents the lighter side of progressive music: the Yes/Marillion influence, catchy tunes, repetitive choruses, mainstream style ... the list goes on. But I cannot deny that they are good musicians, the writing is solid, and that I like them. They take the style of Kansas (group voicings, power chords, overlaid keyboards) and make progressive rock out of it. Throw in some counterpoint, a busy rhythm section, and thoughtful, introspective lyrics, and you've got Echolyn. The band strides the fine line between neo-prog and progressive and somehow manages to capture the best of both worlds. While completely accessible to the average listener, *and* to anyone who isn't into progressive rock, they have enough going on to keep the attention of people like myself who need a little dissonance and/or complexity to stay awake. Prediction time: Echolyn is going to be big. Real big. They have all the tools to blow this brand of lite-progressive into the mainstream. But are they representative of the strongest aspects of the genre? Over time, they will achieve popularity, but only expose a small corner of what progressive music is and can be. Any attention brought to the genre will be lost on bands like Xaal, Deux ex Machina, and others that equal if not eclipse Echolyn in potential. Suffocating The Bloom contains a lot of variation, but it is well contructed, like a really good concept album. I don't particularly like the singer's tone of voice, but it's OK, and he more than makes up for it with his convincing delivery of some good lyrics. There are plently great sections of music in this CD. This contains my favourite drummer of these 5: his drums have been tuned to make maximum excitement in fills, and he uses his china cymbal really well. One thing I don't like, especially on first listen, is the start of the album, in which the guitar player sounds very amateurish, although he later proves he's not. Mind you, it's amateurish in the same way that I think Steve Howe sounds amateurish in some bits of Asia! Overall, a very good album, although I can't listen to it lots of times in a row. Compared to the previous albums, as the world is a much better recording. With as the world, they build upon the sound they established on their earlier albums where the music is characterized by a complex interplay of each instrument, then overlayed with thick vocal harmonies. Their composition does not follow the classic jazz format where one instrument breaks off for a solo before returning to the theme, but rather they adhere to the philosophy that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Each instrument does something different and plays an integral role in producing the finished sound. They have strong progressive tendencies as evidenced by the rapid time signature changes, which bring to mind parts of Gentle Giant and Happy the Man, however I would not classify them as neo-progressive since they sound nothing like Marillion, IQ, or that genre. They have jazz overtones, a tiny bit of folk, and some classical moments. The vocal harmonies, which are one of the strengths of Echolyn, remind me of Steely Dan, especially in the types of chords used. Their lyrics are thoughtful, but not really deep. However, they're not cryptic either, which I find a plus. Overall, as the world is a very mature effort containing a good balance of songs: some with pretty melodies, some with discord, and most with comlex and shifting rythms. As such it may appeal to a variety of listeners, but by the same token there will probably be parts that each listener may not particularly like. My experience is that the album gets better with every listen as I hear new things and gain greater appreciation for where the music is headed. Because of this Echolyn has become one of my favorite bands. Unfortunately, the latest news is that they've broken up. It looks like another talented band falls by the wayside. -- Doug Hobbs These five American musicians present the usual lineup with vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass and drums. Flutes and strings are used in some of the acoustic parts. The compositions on Suffocating the Bloom and As the World are based on introspective lyrics but never neglect the instrumental aspect of the music. The clever interaction between the voices and the other instruments introduces elements of complexity to this otherwise very accessible music. They actually pull-off an excellent fusion of the best elements from numerous influences. -- Paul Charbonneau
 

style: kraut prog
country: germany
audio: lossless (flac, cue, log, scans) & mp3 (320k)
Size: 537 or 170 mb
misc.: 1977 Second Battle

COSMIC DREAMS AT PLAY :
The Dschinn record had a very convincing Dali plagiate painting on its sleeve, courtesy of one Klaus Holitzka. I can reveal that the music isn't as surrealistic as the sleeve would imply, it's a quite conventional type of hard rock. This is not meant as a criticism, though - it is a great album! The lack of originality is nonchalantly replaced by sheer power, both in the music and the vocals. They wrote all nine tracks together, except for the cover version of "For Your Love". It was recorded at Tonstudio Mitte, Bremen and produced by Rolf Jenzen, a character unknown to me. Sadly this one album is their sole legacy, apart from a track on the 1973 sampler Mama Rock & The Sons Of Rock'n'Roll (Bacillus BLS 5526; 2nd edition BAC 2025), named "Rock'n'Roll Dschinny". Not even a single was lifted from their eponymous album and the group disappeared without trace.

Style: hard
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (ape 931k)

Style: country
Country: us
Audio: lossless (flac 776k)
Size: 212mb
 

Style: neo prog
Country: us
Audio: lossless (ape, cue, log, scans)
time: 1:05'04" Size: 439mb

from Gibraltar:
This band has developed a following in the DC area, and this is their first CD release. This is pretty much in the neo-prog vein, with fairly strong similarities to IQ, musically, with vocals in a more "American" style. The little I heard of Kingdom of Ends came across as straight forward radio rock. Very weak in terms of progressiveness, almost laughable in fact. This is one of those bands that gives neo-prog a bad name. -- Mike Borella The 55 minute Kingdom of Ends consists of two previously released cassette EPs: Cathedral (1991) and Kingdom of Ends (1992). There are four songs in the five minute range and four in the 7-10 minute range. The players on this album are: Gary Sisto, guitar; Ted Thompson, lead and backing vocals; Todd Braverman, keyboards; Mike Hounshell; bass and backing vocals; and Mark Copney, drums and backing vocals. For the most part, Cathedral fall into the Genesis/ IQ/Marillion neo-prog camp but they do it very well. There are also evident Pink Floyd influences, mainly in the guitar. This is an album I would listen to as often as IQ's The Wake or Twelfth Night's Fact and Fiction. Sisto reminds me mostly of David Gilmour and a souped up Steve Hackett but on "Beneath the Wheel," he manages to sound a bit like Roy Albrighton of Nektar! Copney and Hounshell are better than the average neo-prog rhythm section. Even Thompson's voice, although nothing spectacular, is better than the average neo-prog singer, usually a major flaw in bands of this genre. Cathedral have penned appealing compositions with memorable melodies. The longer tunes, such as the eight minute "Psychotic" or the ten minute "Pinocchio" have several sections of tension and release that give the songs direction and purpose. They are doing more than going through the motions. Even the shorter tunes, like "Seldom Seen" and "Nothing About Nothing" manage to provide a few change-ups to keep me interested. Occasionally, some of the complex passages sound slightly forced but I give them credit for trying. Ultimately, however, Cathedral are derivative and provide nothing new or fresh, a trait that keeps them lumped with the other neo-prog bands. As such, Cathedral stand head and shoulders above most others in this genre.Cathedral developed a more original sound for their second release, There in the Shadows. Featuring the same members, there are similarities to their previous release but Cathedral have honed their style into something more original, and more varied. Eight songs comprise the 65 minutes of this disc, ranging from 6:35 ("Change My Mind") to nearly 12 minutes ("Existential Crisis"). The album opens with "Holy War," which features good doses of Gary Sisto's Gilmouresque guitar. Though Sisto's style often is strongly reminiscent of Pink Floyd's guitarist, it actually helps him stand out among many faceless neo-prog guitar players. This is followed "Junk Drawer," a ballad of sorts, with acoustic guitar and voice, with minimal bass and percussion. At more than eight minutes, this drags on too long, unless you get into the story line, which draws an analogy between a household junk drawer and lifetime memories. If you don't pay attention to lyrics (like I don't), then "Junk Drawer," as well as songs such as "Don't Ruin the Memory" and "Change My Mind" can be rather tedious. Songs that are 6-8 minutes in length should have some development but these go nowhere. There are much better songs though, from the heavy, almost Black Sabbath-like riffing of "Renfield" (the Dracula character) to the Rush/Gilmour mixture of "Soul Windows (Version 3.1)." The standout track is the three part "Existential Crisis." It opens with a flanged (phased?) riff that recalls Hendrix, Robin Trower or Mahagany Rush (perhaps not as heavy) and vocals, that fades after 2.5 minutes into a spacy guitar solo that once again recalls Gilmour. The final five minutes is mostly made up of another instrumental passage ("The Dream of the Stimulating World") that recalls the heavy riffing of "Renfield." This song is easily the best developed, as is the closing "The Wayfarer," which makes for a very solid final 20 minutes. Though derivative mostly of Pink Floyd/Gilmour/Rush, Cathedral showed solid improvement from their first release. Singer Ted Thompson's voice was harder to take all the way through in one listen, which I attributed to the likes of "Junk Drawer," et al. In all, another solid album from Cathedral, sure to please fans of their first album, as well as attract new fans. -- Mike Taylor
 

Style: beat
Country: uk
Audio: mp3 192k
Size: 590mb
 

Style: hard
Country: us
Audio: lossless (wavpack, log, cue)

 

01. Take Me I'm Yours 4:17
02. Be Still 3:42
03. World Without End 3:47
04. Space Clown 2:38
05. Earthling 3:36
06. Movie Queen 1:54
07. I'm A Man 3:40
08. Inside 3:52
09. Morning Star Ship 3:31
10. Rock Of Ages 2:23
11. Blow Away 5:00

Personnel:
Jobriath
Billy Schwartz
Steve Love
John Syomis
Andy Munson
Ken Bichel
Peter Frampton
Carl Hall
Tasha Thomas
Rhetta Hughes
Heather Macrae
Zenobia
Peggy Nestor
Gerhard

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Style: psych
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (ape, cue, log, scans, 212 mb), mp3 (320k, scans,87 mb )
time: 36'02

from Tapestry of Delights:
Formed by former Nice bassist and vocalist Lee Jackson when The Nice split in 1969. The name was taken from a district of New York. Musically they were more pop-orientated than The Nice, but they built up a good live reputation through relentless touring. Their debut album on Charisma made little impact although it did contain a fine version of an old Nice favourite Cry Of Eugene and another highlight was a similarly gentle, atmospheric song Insomnia. They re-emerged a couple of years later on Vertigo with 5th Avenue Bus, an album of melodic, well constructed and somewhat orchestrated pop-orientated material. This format was repeated on Ragamuffin's Fool, which was housed in a poster sleeve. After a final effort, Bump And Grind, they disbanded, but in 1974 Jackson formed Refugee, who cut an album for Charisma. After this he disappeared from the music scene for good. The Aardvark's Dave Watts also had a spell in Jackson Heights.
 

Style: psych
Country: us
Audio: lossless (ape, cue, log, scans)
time : 40'03" Size: 247 mb

from Fuzz Acid & Flowers:
This group was from Columbus, Ohio. They started out as a combination of two local groups, The Ebb Tides and Tree. They continued as Tree and won a recording deal from Mercury as a prize in a local band competition. Craig Fuller was added to the group after some of the material for the Ultimate Prophecy had already been written. The album credits two people who don't play a note on it - Phil Stokes on bass (the actual bass player was Kenny May - he was replaced after the recording), and Sterling Smith on keyboards (also joining after the recording, there are no keyboards on the album!). The line-up with Phil and Sterling did record some unreleased material. The album did very well in the St. Louis area as there was significant radio play there. After a period of time, J.D. Blackfoot left the group and the rest of the band continued to play as Osiris. J.D. assembled a new group and recorded the two Fantasy label LPs. Some of the musicians on those albums were in other sixties Columbus area bands like The Four O'Clock Balloon and The Myrchents. The group Osiris sort of metamorphosised into two other groups, one of them being the Load, who recorded an album Praise The Load, which is keyboard driven progressive rock like ELP. The Ultimate Prophecy album is arguably the best rock album ever from Ohio. Side one shows off Craig Fuller's country/folk roots which he expanded in Pure Prarie League. Side two features lyrics by J.D. Blackfoot and drummer Dan Waldron as they search for "the Answer". Most of the music on side two was composed by guitarist and original Tree member Jeff Whitlock. J.D. himself spent two years in New Zealand between 1972-74. He and his wife went there for a month's holiday in 1972 and liked it so much they stayed much longer. Indeed, his second album, The Song Of Crazy Horse, was recorded at Auckland's Stebbing Studio with local luminaries such as Billy Kristian on bass and Frank Gibson on drums. Indeed, it won New Zealand's 'Best Album Of The Year Award' in 1974 and remains highly collectable. He also released an EP, Nobody's Business/Let Her Go/Stay The Night Away/He Walks On Past (Bison B-77), 1984. Blackfoot, who changed his name to Van Dervort in 1970, sold the worldwide rights to Fantasy Records some years ago, but retained exclusive rights to the New Zealand market. Currently living in Columbus, Ohio, he still makes recordings. Craig Fuller and Phil Stokes later co-founded Pure Prairie League. Fuller was later a member of American Flyer together with Doug Yule (Velvet Underground), Eric Kaz (Blue Magoos) and Steve Katz (Blues Project). They released two albums for United Artists in 1975 and 1976 of average country rock produced by George Martin. Later still, Craig Fuller became lead singer for the reformed Little Feat in the early '90s.
 

Style: heavy psych
Country: us
Audio: lossless (wv, cue, log, scans)
Size: 353 mb
Issue: MFSL UDCD 675

Style: prog
Country: Yugoslavia
Audio: mp3 (256k)
Size: 83mb

from Gibraltar:

Igra Staklenih Perli (79), Vrt Svetlosti (80), Inner Flow (9?, recorded '75), Soft Explosion Live (9?, recorded '78), Drives (9?, recorded '78)

This band was from Belgrade and this was part of Yugoslavia when they recorded their LPs. Igra Staklenih Perli (79) is a real collectors item here in Europe, and you have to pay some $100 if you find a mint copy of it. But it's worth that! They made some Psych-Prog stuff, maybe like Hawkwind, but much more intense and with better vocals (somewhere i read they have trippy guitars and a spacy organ!). There is also a bit of Pink Floyd (Meddle) in this music, but nevertheless they are quite unique. Highly recommended!! (if you can't find the original, there was also a repro available by Kalemegdan Disc one or two years ago!). Vrt Svetlosti (80) is said to be quite bad, but its impossible to find, so i can't tell you more about it. -- Achim Breiling Avant-garde space-rock, compared to Can. First 3 are archival material released in the '90s.
 

Style: prog
Country: Netherlands
Audio: lossless (flac 680k)
Size: 349mb
Year: recorded 1972
 

Style: estrada
Country: us
Audio: lossless (ape 848k + c)
Size: 211mb
 

Style: prog
Country: finnland
Audio: lossless (flac 807k)
Size: 423mb

from Gibraltar :
A fine, albeit somewhat derivative, Finnish jazz-fusion group led by brothers Pekka (guitars, bass, drums) and Jussi (drums) Tegelman. Eponymously-titled first album finds the trio (w/keyboardist Jukka Rissanen) under the spell of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. This is actually a fine rookie effort, with interesting compositions and spirited playing by all. Rissanen sticks largely to the Hammond organ, using synths sparingly and to largely positive effect. Pekka Tegelman takes all the solos and has a distinctive trebly, quavery sound, and brother Jussi's drumming is crisp and sharp. The overall sound of the band on Finnforest reminds me a bit of Focus, and perhaps Arti E Mestieri. A full-time bassist (Jarmo Hiekala)and two keyboardists (Jukka Linkola and Pertti Pokki) were in the band for their second album Lähtö Matkalle, which again has a somewhat derivative sound, but on this release their inspiration seems to come from both Mahavishnu and Weather Report, circa Sweetnighter. Still, there's lots here for fusion aficionados to appreciate, including more fine guitar work from Pekka Tegelman, and some pretty memorable and distinctive compositions ("Elvin" on side 1). The keyboardists get to solo, but they're no great shakes, and one cut ("Lähtö Matkalle, part 1") begins with an overture played by a string quartet! For Demonnights, two saxophonists (Heikki Keskinen and Finnish jazz great Juhani Aaltonen) and a second guitarist (Jari Rissanen) were added, and Tuomo Helin and Jarmo Savolainen replaced the former bassist and keyboardists. Perhaps because of the horns, Demonnights has a more jazzy sound than the previous albums. However, the Weather Report influence now looms very large (especially in the Jaco-influenced bass of Tuomo Helin), and one cut ("Religions") is so derivative that Joe Zawinul could easily have won a plagiarism lawsuit. Even so, there's lots of great playing here, especially from the brothers Tegelman, and Juhani Aaltonen. Of all three records, Demonnights is the one I have listened to the most. Unlike a lot of fusion from the '70s and '80s, these records have a very under-produced, spontaneous feel which I find refreshing. -- Dave Wayne In addition to their three albums, Finnforest also released two singles and one track on the compilation album Rock & Roll juhlaa 2. All these songs are available on the 2-CD compilation Love Proge 2. The gauzy, layered keyboard lullaby "Ketto" (Pellicle) is the most memorable track. The two tracks from the band's 1973 single, "Tyhjyyteen syvyyteen" ("Into the Void, into the Deep") and "Sanomaton kirkkaus" ("Unspeakable Brightness"), are notable for being vocal-based and organ-heavy art rock clearly influenced by early Wigwam, rather different from the fusion approach the band adopted on their albums. In 1977 Pekka Tegelman also provided the compositions and Finnforest the backing band for Nuoruus ("Youth"), a slightly progressive-flavoured pop album by Petri Pettersson. -- Kai Karmanheimo
 

Style: prog
Country: Czechia? Slovakia?
Audio: lossless (ape 857k)
Size: 366mb

any reviews from Gibraltar :
A Czech* group that has released 5 LP's of instrumental prog rock. The music tends to be a little oblique, with unusual chord progressions. The emphasis is on piano/keyboards. The LP's are entitled Biela Planeta ("The White Planet"), Dunajska Legenda, Huascaran, Generation , and, Piesen Z Hol ("Songs From Ridges"). A comparable group would be The Nice. * Editor's Note: I suspect that when this was written, "Czech" was intended to be simply a contraction of "Czechoslovakian". Thanks to Rastislav Galia for pointing out that Fermáta is a Slovakian band, not a Czech band, though they once were a Czechoslovakian band. -- Fred Trafton
 

Style: улёт kraut
Country: germany
Audio: lossless (ape, cue, log, scans)
time: 1:04'50" Size: 395 mb

from the Crack in the Cosmic Egg :
A seminal band, formed in Baden-Baden 1968, with the line-up Roland Schaeffer (vocals, guitar, saxophone, bass), Eddy von Overheidt (organ, vocals), Helmut Rusch (guitar), Jьrgen Argast (bass) and Joachim Koinzer (drums), born out of local pop and beat bands: Pop Mops, Reaction, Blues Act and The Edwardians. During their history they moved from blues and psychedelic rock to more complex original fusion, transforming into Brainstorm.

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Style: prog
Country: germany
Audio: lossless (ape, cue, log, scans)
Size: 226mb

A Guide to German Progressive & Electronic Rock :
'This is the story of each of us, the story of Autumn, of life's last faithful breath, which contains both the sadest and the most terrified sensation a living individuum will ever be able to feel, before the everlasting Winter gently turns himself to nothing.' So ran the liner notes of Fading Beauty (1974), melancholia very much like the track "Gravedigger" by the British group Janus. However, musically this was something else - an "Autumn fantasia" in two long movements.
 

Style: prog
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (ape 822k)
Size: 263mb
Issue: 1993 One Way MCAD 22081

from Gibraltar:After the departure of David Greenslade from Colosseum in his quest for a solo career, drummer Jon Hiseman teamed up with a very talented bunch of musicians to form Colosseum II. Powered by the guitars of Gary Moore and the keyboards of Don Airey, they released a trio of albums, of which these are the best two. Musically, they straddle the boundary between jazz fusion and rock in very much the same style as Brand X, Arti+Mestieri, etc., with an increased keyboard presence. With the exception of a couple of tracks, most of their work is all-instrumental. Jon Hiseman's drum and percussion work also contributes greatly to the intensity of the music, all of which is anchored by John Mole's bass. Electric Savage was released at the end of 1976. As noted in the sleeve, "Just hours before Christmas 1976 and a few hours after our return from a European tour, our exhausted crew set up the gear ... for seven days we continued playing the music live ...." The recording captures the musical virtuosity of the band members, and their ability to present a powerful live performance. Wardance was released in 1977, and was a more mature work with tightly executed compositions written around the dueling guitar and keyboard leads of Moore and Airey. In terms of overall effect this might have the edge over Electric Savage, but only slightly. Additionally, Don Airey's keyboard work is on equal footing with Gary Moore's guitars, unlike Electric Savage in which Moore's guitar was more prominent in the mix. Jon Hiseman tries it for a third time this time enlisting newcomers Gary Moore (guitar), Don Airey (keyboards), and Mike Starrs (vocals). Starrs lasted for only one album as the band made a change to a more instrumental approach. Strange New Flesh is an interesting first release by the new lineup. The opening track, "Dark Side of the Moog" - a humerous tribute to Pink Floyd, shows a band primed and ready for an instrumental performance. The second track, a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Down to You" is a bit of a letdown after the solid opener, but does redeem itself by Don Airey's extended keyboard improvisation in the middle. The remainder of the album much the same, great instrumental passages surrounded by vocal pieces that seem out of place. All in all a nice album, but nothing to rush out and buy. Electric Savage was recorded just before Christmas in 1976 and shows a Colosseum II that has corrected all the shortcomings from the first album. Gone are the laborous vocal tracks with Gary Moore handling the lone brief vocal track. Instead you will find relentless interplay between Moore and Airey with the listener left trying to decide who really won. This is high enery progressive fusion in the same vein as Return to Forever or Mahavishnu Orchestra sans violin. You have not heard the best of Gary Moore unless you have heard this album. Very highly recommended. Wardance features the same lineup as Electric Savage and is really more of the same brand of fierce fusion. All three releases are available as Japanese or US domestic CD reissues. Variations is an Andrew Lloyd Webber album of arrangements of a theme written by classical composer Nicolò Paganini. He enlisted all of the members of Colosseum II (Hiseman, Moore, Airey & Mole) as well as Rod Argent, Phil Collins, and Herbie Flowers. The 2nd track, "Theme (Paganini Caprice in A Minor No. 24) and Variations 1-4" was used as the theme music to ITV's "South Bank Show". -- Dave Lane

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genre: psych

Galactic Zoo is an album of chaos and mayhem, with church - like mantras along the way. Kingdom Come is similarly demented. Journey is more song-based and there are some great guitar riffs on the closing track Come Alive. Many regard it as one of the best 'space-rock' albums of all time. The recently-released Jam however, is a spontaneous, rambling set, which veers between jazz and hippie rock and is only for diehard fans.