 genre: fusion
state: italy
quality: lossless (flac, cue, log, covers, size: 254 mb)
time: 44'45"
ItalianProg:
Napoli Centrale were formed by the nucleus of Showmen after the band's split, when James Senese and Franco Del Prete, along with american keyboardist Mark Harris and english bass player Tony Walmsley veered toward a personal blend of jazz-rock and popular music leaving any traces of prog behind them.
With lyrics sung in neapolitan dialect, the first single Campagna became a hit.
The six-track debut album was in a similar style, the strong lyrics dealing with social problems while the music was sometimes very original.
After the LP release, bassist Tony Walmsley left the band to join the reformed Rovescio della Medaglia, and was soon followed by Mark Harris, they were replaced by Ciro Ciscognetti from Fabio Celi & gli Infermieri and a young Pino Daniele on bass, later a popular solo artist.
The band had a good live activity and also played the Montreux jazz festival in Switzerland.
A second album was released in 1976, with help from many well-known session musicians among which drummers Bruno Biriaco (Perigeo) and Agostino Marangolo (Flea and Goblin), and was in the same style as the first one.
Third album came in 1977, with the founding duo helped by other musicians, and was more jazz-oriented than their previous works.
After the band split James Senese started a short solo career with two albums, while both him and Del Prete have had a good career as session musicians.
Keyboardist Mark Harris, still living in Italy, has launched his own record label, Saint Rock, to promote new italian artists.
A revamped line-up of Napoli Centrale was created by James Senese in the late 80's, with Savio Riccardi (keyboards), Gigi De Rienzo (bass) and Agostino Marangolo (drums). This line-up released two albums, Jesceallah in 1992, including reworkings of early tracks, and 'Ngazzate nire in 1994. Another album followed in 2001, entitled Zitte! Sta venenn' 'o mammone.
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 genre: heavy
state: uk
quality: lossless (flac, cue, log, covers, size: 324 mb)
time: 59'05"
Tapestry of Delights::
This keyboardist's first significant band was a Birmingham-based pop outfit called The Brumbeats (surprise, surprise) in which he played guitar. This was not the same Brumbeats that issued a 45 on Decca in 1964. He was soon offered a place in another Black Country outfit, Locomotive. When they split in late 1969 Haines formed a new band called The Sacrifice, which found it hard to get work. Their debut 45, Daffodil, was a Latin-style 45, which sounded like a commercial version of Santana but didn't sell. To add insult to injury the record company didn't like the name Sacrifice and credited the record to The Norman Haynes Band (even spelling Haines wrongly!)
Their album, Den Of Iniquity, has gone on to become one of the most sought-after collector's items of the progressive era. The cover was striking and pictured a huge creature giving birth to miniature human beings and another huge creature chucking them through the air - presumably to their deaths. It seems likely that some stores didn't stock the album at the time on account of this artwork. Musically, the album boasted a very varied fare. It included a re-recorded version of Locomotive's classic, Mr. Armageddon, but its finest moments were two lengthy instrumentals, Rabbits and Haines' Life Is So Unkind. Curiously two tracks from the album (Finding My Way Home/Rabbits) were also released as a 45 credited to Avalanche.
After a further solo 45, Give It To You Girl, which sounded like early Locomotive, Haines called it a day, leaving behind what is now a much cherished collector's item.
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 genre: rock, folk, prog related
state: uk
quality: lossless (ape, cue, log, covers, size: 197 mb)
time: 38'05"
ItalianProg:
Not a prog band, the Nomadi have been in their long career, that still lasts today with a different line up, one of the most loved Italian groups, with a cult following that has given them many hits.
Sometimes their albums are mentioned in foreign dealers' lists as "prog", but be warned, they're by no means a progressive band!
I Nomadi started in 1963 and their first single came in 1965 with Donna la prima donna. With a repertoire initially based on cover versions (by the likes of Dion, Sonny Bono, Moody Blues) the band had many hits in the 60's playing a beat inspired pop. Their first album in 1967, Per quando noi non ci saremo, is usually considered as one of the most important Italian beat albums, also notable for being not just a singles compilation (as it was the case with most Italian artists' LP's at the time) but a concept album on youth problems. The album has slight psych influences, mostly in the group image as demonstrated by the nice cover.
Between late 60's and early 70's the band veered towards pop, and gradually abandoned the protest songs that made them famous in their early days, despite being always close to left-wing movements. According to some critics, a slight prog influence can be heard in their 1971-73 production.
Leader Augusto Daolio died in 1992, and the group still exists with new musicians around the only remaining member Carletti and has the usual intense live activity.
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 genre: canterbury
state: uk
quality: lossless (flac, cue, log, covers, size: 313 mb)
time: 56'25"
misc.: archive material largely pre-Health '75-'79
AllMusic:
Skip around to any ten-second window on this album and you may think you are hearing a well-rehearsed college band. But, step back and witness the sudden shifts in tempo and musical voice and you know you are witnessing a uniquely successful eclecticism. Most of the material from this superlative British prog rock band was previously unavailable in any form. National Health was the farm team for some of Great Britain's most expansive and important artists. Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson) handles the traps on most of the tracks. Bassist "Dirk" Mont Cambell's very interesting multi-instrumental album is also on East Side Digital. Steve Hillage laid down his guitar to produce albums and explore electronica with System 7. This and other news along the where-are-they-now? line is included in the liner notes by Dave Stewart. Stewart himself is spoken of in neo-classical circles for his avant-pop albums. A taste of this can be had in the re-recording of "Starlight on Seaweed" presented here and produced by Stewart and his then-current partner Barbara Gaskin. Stewart also elucidates each daring track with notes. Missing Pieces is a compelling reason to believe progressive rock suggested much artistic possibility that was never realized. ~ Tom Schulte
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 genre: kraut
state: germany
quality: lossless (ape, cue, log, covers, size: 263 mb)
time: 41'50"
from Crack ib the Casmic Egg:
... Whatever the reason for radical changes in personnel, at least the next band Stephan got together made two albums! This era saw a move to a more direct, harder edged rock form, though still uniquely Mythos, with the heavy guitars acting as a foil to Stephan's myriads of synthesizers. STRANGE GUYS is especially excellent, at times close to Hawkwind's LEVITATION in its power and combination of hard-rock and electronics.
01. Aeronaut 5:12
02. Strange Guys 6:17
03. Mysterious Scene 8:23
04. Powerslide 8:30
05. Terra Icognita 4:30
06. Backstage Fumble 8:58
Stephan Kaske / lead vocals, synthesizer, acoustic guitar, lead guitar (voice-box guitar), flute, lyrics and music
Eberhard P. Sadler ("Eichler") / bass, backing vocals, chorus
Ronnie Schreinzer / drums, percussion
Sven Dohrow / lead guitar, mellotron
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 genre: psych
state: brazil
quality: lossless (flac, cue, log, covers, size: 278 mb)
time: 41'57"
wikipedia:
A Divina Comédia ou Ando Meio Desligado is the third album by the Brazilian rock band Os Mutantes. The album was originally released in 1970 . The title in English means: The Divine Comedy or I Am a Bit Disconnected. "I am a bit disconnected" in this sense means "I feel a little spaced out." The second track features the band imitating California accents. The album as a whole is characterized by a mix of psychedelic and religious imagery.
It's also the first album by the band to break away from the Tropicália aesthetic, and move towards more of a pure rock sound. Except for a tongue-in-cheek version of the ballad "Chão de Estrelas", the record shows little Brazilian music influence. This shift in direction is speculated to be because their helpers and influences, Tropicalismo stars Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil were exiled by the Brazilian military dictatorship.
The album cover reflects a similar illustration by Gustav Doré from Dante's Divine Comedy.
It was listed by Rolling Stone Brazil at #22 in the list of 100 best Brazilian albums in history. The magazine also elected the title song "Ando Meio Desligado" as the 50th greatest Brazilian song.
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