AUTOR

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Thin Lizzy-Johnny the Fox (1976)

Johnny The Fox was published in 1976 and composed almost entirely by Lynott that same year during his recovery from a hepatitis that left him for a few months off the road (they had to cancel the American Jailbreak presentation tour that had nothing more program and nothing less than with Rainbow).

It is the most Lynott album of Thin Lizzy since the themes of slow and melancholic cadence predominate (Old Flame, Borderline, Sweet Marie) and the fussion with Pop or funk sounds, like the addictive Jimmy The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed. Eclectic sonorities all very liked by the iconic bass player. The album was recorded by the classic line-up of Thin Lizzy: Lynott, Downey, Gorham and Robertson and contains some of the band's essentials, which never stopped playing live, like the adrenaline-fueled Massacre or the mythical Do not Believe A Word. This theme was conceived by Lynott as a half-time with a certain air of blues, as it appears in the album Back On The Streets (1978) by Gary Moore or in the posthumous live performance of the band Live / Life (1983), but final was recorded in an accelerated version, courtesy say of the always mischievous Brian Roberston. In fact Robertson got pissed off because he is not mentioned in the credits as co-author of the subject.

The two initial themes show that, despite Lynott's recent illness, the group is in top form. Hard rock with all the characteristics of the Lizzy: the melancholy voice of Phil, the unmistakable melodies of the double guitars and stories of rockstars charmingly losers (Rocky) and characters with very bad luck (Johnny). Recurring themes in the discography of the group.

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Bread-The Best Of (1973)

In the late 1960s, a guitarist named David Gates was well-known in the California pop scene as a session musician, singer, and producer. However, this busy schedule felt too limiting, and he decided to broaden his horizons. Together with another session musician, guitarist James Griffin, they formed a band. They called themselves Bread, and although their career was short-lived, lasting only seven years, they left behind a long list of unforgettable songs, some of which have become classics of rock. They enjoyed great success between 1970 and 1977, placing 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during that time. They became pioneers of what would later be called Soft Rock or Melodic Rock (AOR), a style characterized by catchy melodies and lyrics that were generally uncompromising, as can be seen in one of their biggest hits: "Guitar Man". Their first album, "Bread" (1969), featured elegant, sunny Californian pop in the style of what many artists were doing at the time "California dreaming", as the song proclaimed. Gates, however, leaned more towards introspection and sentimentality than the pop/folk euphoria of his contemporaries. This led him to create a number of sophisticated ballads, which he would release in subsequent years on albums that achieved strong sales and high positions on the charts. A year later, they released their fifth album, "Guitar Man", featuring the title track, which became the group's most famous song worldwide, achieving gold certification like all their previous albums. However, it is in their compilations, such as "The Best Of" from 1973 (an album that reached five platinum records), where their power of seduction is best appreciated, giving space to the best of their entire career "If", "Make it with you", "Guitar man", "It don't matter to me", or "Everything I own", among other great songs from this legendary band.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Bob Dylan-Slow Train Coming (1979)

In 1979, Bob Dylan spent five months attending Bible school and experienced a spiritual rebirth, converting to Christianity. He subsequently released the albums "Slow Train Coming" (1979), "Saved" (1980), and "Shot of Love" (1981), a period known as his Christian years. After establishing himself in the 1960s as one of the emblems of folk and protest songs, and later causing a sensation by electrifying his sound and bringing it closer to rock, in the 1970s Dylan oscillated between notable missteps and some superb works such as "Blood on the Tracks" (1975), "Desire" (1976), and "Street Legal" (1978). However, Bob Dylan left virtually all his fans stunned with the release of "Slow Train Coming" in 1979, an album in which the Jewish-born musician openly expressed his conversion to Christianity, and in which faith was the surprising narrative driving force behind all the songs. "Slow Train Coming" features a collaboration with Mark Knopfler and was produced by veteran R&B producer Jerry Wexler. The album reached the top of the charts in the United States, achieving platinum status and winning a Grammy for the song "Gotta Serve Somebody".

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Toto-Seventh One (1988)

After two albums that failed to meet expectations, "Isolation" (1984) and "Fahrenheit" (1986), Toto were determined to return to the path of success with a new work that followed in the footsteps of their acclaimed "Toto IV", released six years earlier. And they succeeded with "Seventh One", receiving a warm welcome from their fans, thanks to a collection of tracks that would once again place them among the best of melodic rock in the late eighties. For this new album, David Paich took the reins of the group, giving greater prominence to the keyboards and even greater emphasis on the vocal harmonies of Joseph Williams, Steve Lukather, and Paich himself, at the expense of the guitars. "Seventh One" contains an irresistible repertoire full of outstanding tracks such as the catchy "Pamela", the carefree "You Got Me", the rock "Stay Away", the epic with progressive airs "Home of the Brave", the spectacular "Stop Loving You" or the extraordinary ballads "Anna" and "Mushanga".

Friday, November 30, 2018

Utopia-Ra (1977)

“Ra” was the second album by Utopia, the band led by Todd Rundgren. Released in 1977, it is a truly impressive work, where space rock, progressive rock, and pop sensibilities come together seamlessly. By then, the band had been reduced to four members: in addition to Rundgren on guitars, there was Roger Powell on keyboards, Kasim Sulton on bass, and John Wilcox on drums, all four of whom also sang vocals as needed for each song. While their debut album had already explored sounds close to high-level progressive jazz with 30-minute suites, demonstrating Rundgren's great skill as a recording engineer, here the sound is more eclectic and varied, with rich sonic nuances. With a crushing opening like the pretentious instrumental “Overture: Mountaintop And Sunrise”, which segues into the rhythmic “Communion With The Sun”, where vocal melodies, keyboards, and Rundgren's arabesque solos stand out, “Magic Dragon Theatre” showcases the band's penchant for pompous pop with glam-tinged undertones of the era. This is followed by the powerful pop-rock track “Jealousy”, while “Eternal Love” is a song that approaches symphonic pop. “Sunburst Finish” and “Hiroshima” are the most powerful and visceral tracks on the album, culminating in the suite “Singring And The Glass Guitar (An Electrified)”, where every member of the band shines, with beautiful vocal harmonies and devilishly complex rhythm changes, demonstrating the virtuosity of all the musicians. In the following months the band presented this album live in a display of sophistication with a huge pyramid on the stage 7 meters high and a large golden sphinx that required 18 months of preparation and cost about 250 thousand dollars.

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Coven-Witchcraft (Destroys Minds And Reaps Souls) (1969)

Pioneers in using witches' sabbath imagery in rock music, Coven employed satanic imagery before bands like Black Sabbath or Black Widow. But while for the latter it was merely theatrical, for Coven it was their philosophy and way of life; they even used their own blood to sign their first contract with Mercury Records. And although it might seem like the typical foolishness of three young guys, the truth is that this group's satanic and occult imagery went far beyond what initially appears. They were already being associated with the image of hands with horns (the one Ronnie James Dio made famous a decade later), as well as the satanic symbol of the inverted cross. A band that, before releasing their first album, had already performed at various concerts opening for Alice Cooper and The Yardbirds. Their first album, "Witchcraft (Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls)", was released in 1969, almost at the same time as the murder of Roman Polanski's wife and several other people at the hands of Charles Manson's cult. This led to the album's rejection by many sectors of American society. The album contains tracks like the opening "Black Sabbath", with its dark sounds and atmosphere, and hints of psychedelic folk. "White Witch of Rose Hall" is a macabre true story about a mansion where voodoo rituals took place, while the occult atmosphere continues in "Coven in Charing Cross". But it is undoubtedly the strange "Satanic Mass", with its demonic references and its chants and prayers presented as dialogue, that most captures the attention of this album. "Witchcraft (Destroys Minds And Reaps Souls)" is undoubtedly one of the most interesting works of the late 60s, perhaps more for its themes than for its music itself, but with an unrepeatable creativity and experimentation.

Friday, November 16, 2018

Arthur Lee-Vindicator (1972)

After six albums with his band Love, in 1972, frontman Arthur Lee, completely frustrated, disbanded the group and embarked on a solo career that would prove short-lived and largely unnoticed. However, his only solo album, "Vindicator", released that same year by A&M Records, surprised everyone by radically departing from the fragile and melodic style of his band. On this album, Lee leans towards a raw, hard-hitting rock sound with hints of psychedelic rock in the style of Jimi Hendrix, as demonstrated in tracks like "Sad Song", "Love Jumped Through My Window", and "Everytime I Look Up I'm Down Or White Dog". He also delivers the magnificent blues-rock number "You Want Change For You Re-Run", the melodic "Everybody's Gotta Live", one of his most memorable compositions and the brilliant "Busted Feet", where he channels his skills into a Hendrix-esque style, both vocally and instrumentally, with outstanding and flawless blues riffs. Unfortunately, this album went completely unnoticed, fading into obscurity. Some time later, Lee resurrected Love with a new work ironically titled "False Start" (1974).

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Greenslade-Greenslade (1973)

Once the first Colosseum project was dissolved, two of its members, keyboardist Dave Greenslade and bassist Tony Reeves founded Greenslade, for which they recruited former King Crimson drummer Andrew McCulloch and keyboardist Dave Lawson, which turned this band into an unusual case as it had two keyboardists and no guitarist (at least in England, since the Italian group Banco already had a similar formation).
The debut album "Greenslade" was released in 1973 and is considered a classic of progressive rock, both for the music and for the cover art by the legendary Roger Dean.
The use of two keyboardists allowed them to create a texture and a very dense sound atmosphere rich in details, which at no time saturated the sound, partly reminiscent of the Yes for their constant changes of time signature but without the complexity of the latter.

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Howlin´Wolf-Rockin´ Chair (1962)

If there's one musician who inspired almost all the great bands of the sixties, it was Howlin' Wolf, a spectacular blues singer, guitarist, and harmonica player, and one of the most admired bluesmen in history. Chester Arthur Burnett (that was his real name), was born in West Point, Mississippi, in 1910. He was a man with a stony gaze, weighing 286 pounds and standing almost six feet six inches tall. The son of cotton farmers, he worked as a farmer until the late 1930s, when he decided to emigrate to Chicago in the 1940s. After serving in the army during World War II, he formed his own blues band and, some time later, even performed regularly on a radio station in West Memphis, Arkansas. In 1962, he released the album "Rockin' Chair", considered one of the bibles of the blues. Wolf was a genuine singer and a tireless creator who, with his raw blues, forged an expression of rage and vitality. Through his harsh and hypnotic voice, Wolf spat out all his anger and fears, everything he experienced as a farm worker in the rural South of the United States. His music was a sincere expression, capable of conveying every emotion, and his blues was a perfect reflection of himself. Hence the immense power and strength of his music, from an indestructible bluesman who has left a mark as profound as it is enduring. His legacy has left its mark on hundreds of bands, from Led Zeppelin to the Rolling Stones, including The Doors, Grateful Dead, Cream, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and many more. In “Rockin’ Chair,” Howlin’ Wolf revisits some of his greatest classics such as “Spoonful”, “Black Door Man”, “The Red Rooster”, “Who’s Been Talking?”, “Wang Dang Doodle”, “Little Baby”, “Going Down Slow”, and “Howlin’ For My Darlin’ ”, all of which he covers.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Petra-Back To The Street (1986)

Petra is one of the biggest and most successful American bands of all time, yet one of the least known outside their country. Formed in the early 1970s, with their catchy melodic hard rock style and Christian lyrics, they released around twenty albums, most of them hugely successful commercially and in the media, selling millions of records across the United States and achieving unprecedented success among their contemporaries in the same genre. Among other accolades, they have won four Grammy Awards, along with a dozen more nominations, and were the first Christian rock band inducted into the prestigious Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Pioneers in their genre, their four-decade career has been marked by numerous lineup changes, with guitarist and vocalist Bob Hartman remaining the only member of the original lineup throughout all those years. With an initial style rooted in American roots rock, they evolved towards the melodic hard rock they played throughout the 1980s, a decade in which they achieved their peak popularity, selling out every major stadium in the United States. Memorable albums such as "Never Say Die", "More Power To Ya", "Not Of This World", "Beat The System", "Captured In Time and Space", "On Fire" and "Back to the Rock" attest to the impressive career of this legendary American band. In 2005, after 30 years, the band called it quits, although they continued to perform sporadically in subsequent years. One of their greatest creative achievements came with their eighth album, "Back to the Street", which reached number four on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart. Produced by former Kansas vocalist John Elefante, it captured the essence of AOR (Asian Rock and Roll). from other bands of the genre and mixed it with their lyrics inspired by the Psalms of the Bible, embellishing with charming gospel choruses, sharp rock guitars and fabulous and irresistible melodic lines as demonstrated in "Back to The Street", "You Are I Am", "King's Ransom", "Fool's God", "Thankful Heart" or "Run For Cover".

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Frank Zappa-Hot Rats (1969)

Frank Zappa's genius is unquestionable, considered one of the most complete artists that have ever existed in rock history, his forays into almost all musical styles give him a level that very few can reach.
"Hot Rats" was his second solo album, with such a fresh and current sound, it was very advanced for his time, where he perfectly blends his experimentation with jazz and progressive rock.
An album that was one of his biggest commercial successes, reaching a ninth place on the UK charts.
Entirely instrumental, it offers an amalgamation of jazz, rock, experimentation and shows a melodic Zappa as he rarely was in his entire career.
In this work Zappa also shows his great technical variety with the guitar, with virtuosic and spectacular solos where the virtues with the six strings are outstanding.

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

The Stone Roses-The Stone Roses (1989)

In the late eighties, The Stone Roses presented their debut album, showcasing the cheerful and carefree side of Britpop, with a series of songs that inherited the pop-rock sounds of The Beatles and the psychedelic folk of The Byrds from the 60s. Founded in the city of Manchester a few years earlier by vocalist Ian Brown along with bassist Gary "Mani" Mounfield, drummer Alan John "Reni" Wren and guitarist John Squire, they created a collection of melodic and very simple pieces with a contemporary flavor. This debut is considered one of the fundamental works in the development and evolution of the so-called Manchester movement of the late 80s and early 90s. From the psychedelic frameworks of "Don't Stop", to the chords and attractive vocals of "Waterfall", passing through the outstanding pop rock "I Wanna Be Adored", "Made of Stone" and "Bye Bye Badman", the beautiful "Lizabeth My Dear" or the complex "I Am the Resurrection", together they make up a work that was highly appreciated by critics and a resounding success on the charts in half the world.

Sunday, September 30, 2018

The Hooters-Nervous Night (1985)

"Nervous Night", the second release from the American band The Hooters, is not only one of the most acclaimed albums of the 1980s, but also the one that definitively established this excellent band's status. While their debut, "Amore", released several years earlier on an independent label, failed to achieve mainstream or commercial success, with "Nervous Night", released on Columbia Records, this Philadelphia-based band crafted one of the most relaxed and carefree albums of 1985, thanks to a repertoire of songs that blended new wave, folk, melodic rock, and reggae. The lineup consisted of Eric Bazilian (guitar, keyboards, mandolin, saxophone, and vocals), Rob Hyman (keyboards and vocals), Andy King (bass), John Lilley (guitar), and David Uosikkinen (drums). The enthusiastic vocals of Bazilian and Hyman, along with the occasional use of instruments like mandolins, give them that distinctive sound, as demonstrated by pop-rock tracks like "And We Danced" and "Day By Day", the powerful rock song "All You Zombies", the dramatic "Where Do The Children Go", the melodic "Don't Take My Car Out Tonight", and the carefree "Hanging On A Heartbeat". The album's exceptional quality, coupled with two million copies sold in the North American market, cemented their status as one of the classic American pop-rock bands of the 1980s.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Bill Bruford-One Of A Kind (1979)

Bill Bruford's track record in the 1970s was impressive; drums of the mythical Yes, King Crimson and U.K., playing on a dozen albums, in addition to having participated in albums by Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Roy Harper or Albsolute Elsewhere among others.
Even so he had time to publish several solo albums, "One Of A Kind" released in 1979 was his second work where he had the collaborations of Allan Holdsworth, Dave Stewart and Jeff Berlin.
The talent of all these musicians, the variable melodies and keyboard solos of Dave Stewart, together with the sensational guitar of Holdsworth well supported by the rhythm section of Bruford and Berlin make up a collection of progressive pieces seasoned with a lot of jazz experimentation, with a magnificent result between jazz rock and progressive rock
.

Monday, September 10, 2018

Ten Years After-A Space In Time (1971)

Following memorable performances at the Woodstock and Isle of Wight Festivals, Ten Years After had released the splendid albums "Cricklewood Green" and "Watt," which featured iconic songs such as "Sugar the Road", "Love Like a Man", "I'm Comin' Home", and "My Baby Left Me". Months after "Watt" came "Space in Time", an album that reflected a less intense rock sound and a greater use of acoustic elements, with a clear commercial and accessible orientation. An album almost entirely filled with acoustic guitar-driven tracks, as demonstrated by the melodic "Here They Come", "I'd Love to Change the World", "I've Been There Too", "Once There Was a Time", and "Let the Sky", while also showcasing their signature power with the blues-rock anthem "One of These Days", the rock and roll number "Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'n' Roll You", psychedelic songs like the orchestrated "Over the Hill", and even a jazzy "Uncle Jam". In short, with this sixth album, Alvin Lee and his band displayed their eclecticism and enormous stylistic range, producing one of their most versatile works.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Egg-Egg (1970)

Egg are one of the most influential avant-garde bands of the Canterbury sound. With three splendid albums released between 1970 and 1974, they are considered a cult band in the annals of rock music. Their style, oriented towards so-called nonsense music, is represented in the emblematic "Symphony No. 2" from their self-titled album, the breathtaking jazz-rock "Long Piece No. 3" from their second album, "The Polite Force", and the ironically galloping "Germ Patrol" and the thrilling "Enneagram" from their third and final album, "The Civil Surface". For many, Egg, composed of Dave Stewart (organ and keyboards), Mont Campbell (bass and vocals), and Clive Book (drums), represent the maturity and sophistication that many less talented, though far more commercially successful, contemporary bands lacked. In all of them are present the elements of classical music driven by organ arrangements and a sober jazz structure, which led them to create three masterpieces of germinal progressive rock.

Friday, August 31, 2018

Nina Simone-Sings The Blues (1967)

Nina Simone is another of the great divas of American jazz and blues. She was a fabulous singer, a great songwriter, and an excellent pianist, as well as one of the most active advocates for American civil rights for five decades. Born in 1933 in North Carolina, she was already playing piano and singing in her local church by the young age of 10. A pivotal moment in her life was the day her parents, who had come to see her play piano in church, were forced to move to the back of the pew to make room for other white people. Around the age of twenty, Nina Simone moved to Philadelphia, where she began to earn a living giving piano lessons and singing backup vocals. Shortly after, she launched her career performing at the legendary Midtown Bar on Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City. Thanks to her impressive and soulful voice, Nina quickly rose to prominence, and her first recording, "I Loves You Porgy" by George Gershwin, achieved considerable success on the American charts. From this point on, Nina's career would be meteoric, with songs like "My Baby Just Cares For Me", "To Be Young, Gifted and Black", and "Mississippi Godman" (songs with a clear political message), as well as numerous covers of other artists such as "I Put A Spell On You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins ,"Here Comes The Sun" by The Beatles, and "House Of The Rising Sun" by Dave Van Ronk. Following further success stemming from her participation in several Broadway musicals, her song "For All We Know" would become another of her classics. With a style that blended gospel, blues, and jazz influences, Nina Simone earned the respect and admiration of the American people, earning the title of "High Priestess of the Soul", and becoming a true legend and icon of 20th-century music.

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Ryan Adams-Gold (2001)

"Gold" is Ryan Adams' second album, a work more patriotic and more American than his debut, where the influences of Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen are even more evident.
If a year before Ryan Adams had set the bar very high with his superb "Heartbreaker", with this "Gold" he would hit again with a very bright and energetic album, very close to the true canons of American classic rock.
An elegant album that shows us brilliant compositions such as "New York, New York", which unintentionally became a tribute to the city, when the promotional video for the song was recorded in front of the twin towers four days before the fateful 11 ​​of September.
An album with deep sound where acoustic guitars stand out and some careful lyrics as in "La Cienaga Just Smiled" or in "When The Stars Go Blue", or in the rockers "Firecraker", "Gonna Make You Love Me" or "Tina Toledos Street Walkin´Blues" or the beautiful blues "The Rescue Blues" that gained a lot of relevance when it was included in the movie "Proof of Life".

Friday, August 10, 2018

The Moody Blues-Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971)

For many this is the masterpiece of The Moody Blues, although weighed down in part by the immense success of their previous "Days of future Passed" and their huge single "Nights In White Satin".
However, this is one of his most versatile, varied and superbly performed works, where the single and rocker "The Story In Your Eyes" would catapult him to the top spot on the UK charts and a staggering second spot on the US Billboard.
Here stands out the mellotron of Mike Pinder, which includes the Moog synthesizers, Hayward's guitar does the rest to make a work of art in which there are sublime and mystical moments such as "My Song" or "Emily's Song", with that bucolic sound very characteristic of this huge and essential progressive rock band.

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Jonesy-No Alternative (1972)

Another of the lesser-known British symphonic rock bands was Jonesy, an admirable group that, under the spell of Mellotron sounds, evoked the influences of early King Crimson. Its members were trumpeter Alan Bown, guitarist John Evan-Jones, keyboardist Jamie Kaleth, drummer Plug Thomas, and bassist Gypsy Jones. Any of their three released albums are gems of early 1970s proto-progressive rock. Their debut album, "No Alternative" (1972), featured standout tracks such as the progressive heavy rock anthem "Mind of the Century", the emotive epic "Heaven", and complex compositions like "1958", all underpinned by biting lyrics on recurring themes such as political corruption and the environment. The group's strong personality and captivating style, imbued with ethereal interplay between guitars and Mellotron, are evident in their next two releases: the elaborate "Keeping Up" (1973), featuring sublime moments like the avant-garde "Critique (With Exceptions)" and the poignant "Children"; and "Growing" (1973), the band's final album, which veers towards progressive jazz rock, as exemplified by tracks like "Can You Get That Together", "Hard Road", and "Know Who Your Friends Are". Despite their visionary approach and immense talent, they didn't achieve the desired success, and some time later, they brought their fascinating musical adventure to a close.

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Stray-Saturday Morning Pictures (1972)

Stray were a legendary British hard rock band from the early 1970s. Formed in the mid-1960s in London by singer and guitarist Steve Gadd, who, along with bassist Gary Giles, drummer Ritchie Cole, and guitarist Del Bromham, earned respect within the London blues rock scene. Thanks to their incendiary live shows, they secured a contract with Transatlantic Records, with whom they released their self-titled debut in 1970, an exuberant, guitar-driven album with progressive influences. On "Suicide", released a year later, they achieved better production, and although it lacked the raw power of their first work, they created a formidable progressive hard rock album brimming with the sounds of the Mellotron and Hammond organ. On "Saturday Morning Pictures" (1972), the album we're discussing here, the band placed much greater emphasis on composition and arrangements, with a more prominent role for synthesizers, resulting in their most progressive and melodic work. Tracks like the ambitious "Move That Wigwam", the shimmering hard rock "Our Song" and "Leave It Out", the melodic "Queen of the Sea", and the complex "How Could I Forget You" brought their first era to a close with a superb album of great British hard rock.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Ultra-Ultra (1975)

Ultra is considered an institution in San Antonio, Texas. Their explosive blend of Southern rock and hard rock propelled them to legendary status in those Texan lands. Formed in the mid-70s, their lineup consisted of guitarists Galen Niles and Larry McGuffin, vocalist Don Evans, drummer Tom Schleuning, and bassist Scott Stephens. For years, this group built a strong reputation as the opening act for many iconic bands performing in San Antonio and throughout Texas. In 1975, they recorded a five-track mini-LP showcasing their powerful hard rock, replete with magnificent twin-guitar riffs with that gritty sound and extended, outstanding solos, backed by a devastating rhythm section and an energetic, powerful voice. Unfortunately, they barely had the opportunity to officially record a full-length album, beyond this promotional mini-album with a limited run and little promotional impact, mainly due to the enormous amount of competition within the southern rock genre at that time. Years later, Monster & Rockadrome Records did them justice by reissuing this mini-LP on CD, plus additional songs the band had recorded for a later album that was never released. The original mini-album featured outstanding tracks, including "Mustants", "Android", "Battery", "Ten Years Since", and "Lamp Black, White Flight", all excellent examples of their extraordinary Texas hard rock.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Mostly Autumn-For All We Shared (1998)

From the ashes of a Pink Floyd cover band, Mostly Autumn emerged in the mid-90s, an eclectic group drawing on a wide range of influences, from Irish folk to melodic rock, hard rock, and progressive rock. Hailing from the British city of York, the band's driving force is guitarist and singer Bryan Josh, who, along with singer and acoustic guitarist Heather Findlay, guitarist Liam Davison, drummer Allan Scott, bassist Stuart Carver, keyboardist Iain Jennings, violinist Bob Faulds, and traditional instrumentalist Kev Gibbons, released their debut album in 1998. This first release showcases a rich fusion of avant-garde elements influenced by Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull, framed by Celtic atmospheres and Heather Findlay's sensual vocals. Replete with melancholic and pastoral songs, creating challenging musical environments with large doses of folk, where violins, flutes, bagpipes and other traditional instruments are the perfect counterpoint to the electrifying guitars and the subtle structures of symphonic rock.

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Jethro Tull-The Broadsword and The Beast (1982)

Framing in the most techno era of the band, which included in addition to this "The Broadsword and the Beast", the album "A" and the later "Under Wraps", it would be a work where the wise mix of hard rock with the sounds of very avant-garde synthesizers, a risky but effective gamble by Ian Anderson.
Without being a concept album to use, the theme of the album leads us to Viking mythologies and Tolkien's tales with acoustic guitars and flutes taking a leading role, combining commerciality with the quality of the songs introduced here.
From the vigorous "Beastie" to the epic "Broadsword", passing through superb songs like "Pussy Willow", the intense "Clasp" or the extravagant "Watching Me Watching You" show an album as forceful as it is commercial that, however, was something despised by his most purist fans.

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Jefferson Airplane-After Bathing at Baxter's (1967)

The third album of the Jefferson Airplane would mean their most psychedelic work, where they did a great exercise in reflection compared to their enormous and superb "Surrealistic Pillow", without giving the least importance to the fact that it meant a less commercial album.
An album that is full of complex themes and a great diversity of nuances, with melodies that contain a series of diverse and in some cases chaotic sounds.
As proof of this is "The Ballad Of You & Me  Pooneil" which is the perfect demonstration of how surprising this complex but great album is.

Saturday, June 30, 2018

Supertramp-Some Things Never Change (1997)

With "Some Things Never Change", Supertramp's tenth album, Rick Davies boldly embraced jazz and blues sounds, almost entirely abandoning the progressive forays and sophisticated pop tracks of their two previous releases, "Brother Where You Bound" and "Free As A Bird". On this new recording, Davies reunited with two of his bandmates from the group's golden era: saxophonist John Helliwell and drummer Bob Siebenberg. The lineup was further enhanced by guitarist Carl Verheyen, bassist Cliff Hugo, and singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Mark Hart, among other musicians. "Some Things Never Change" features exquisitely produced tracks with superb arrangements, most of them rooted in jazz and blues, but where progressive sounds still subtly coexist, as demonstrated in "It's a Hard World", a track with that typical Supertramp organic sound. Other tracks like "Live To Love You" and "Get Your Act Together" maintain that old spirit, but in a very subtle way. Following the stylistic pattern of the hit "Cannonball" comes "Some Things Never Change", a track that provides just the right amount of commercial appeal to give the album a lively and fresh feel. The vintage "You Win, I Lose" and "C'est What?", the jazz fusion "Sooner Or Later", the bluesy "Help Me Down That Road", and the melodic "Give Me A Change" all combine to form a very respectable effort that, while not reaching the heights of their excellent work from the 70s, left intact the enormous credibility of one of the greatest bands of all time.

Monday, June 18, 2018

Kiss-Love Gun (1977)

With his sixth album "Love Gun" published in 1977, Kiss closed his stage of best creativity and for many of his fans, the best of his entire career.
This superb album contains part of the history of the band with songs like "I Stole Your Love", "Shock Me" or "Love Gun" demonstrating the enormous amount of songs they composed in only three years in which they released five fantastic albums.
From here the bad addictions of its members, in particular Ace Frehley and Peter Criss and the egos of the rest of the band would take their toll on them, turning their environment into their own creative tomb.

Monday, June 11, 2018

Marillion-Marbles (2004)

During the latter half of the 1990s, Marillion seemed to be preaching in the wilderness, releasing a series of rather predictable albums that would mark the lowest point creatively in their extensive discography. Albums like the unenthusiastic "Radiation" (1998), the predictable pop-rock "Marillion.com" (1999), and the more innovative "Anoraknophobia" (2001) left a certain unease among their more purist fans and a low commercial return, leading them to seriously reconsider their immediate future, convinced that this path was leading them nowhere. Thus, three years later they released "Marbles", a sprawling double album where they stepped outside their comfort zone to create one of their most consistent and progressive albums, meticulously delving into their musical origins with an intense and memorable neo-progressive sound. From epic progressive anthems like "Ocean Cloud" to the intense "Neverland", and from the melancholic "The Invisible Man" to the poignant "You're Gone" and "Fantastic Place", they demonstrated that they hadn't yet lost the essential original sound that had begun two decades earlier. However, there was also room for melodic and commercial soft rock, as exemplified by the catchy "Don't Hurt Yourself" and "Angelina". With this superb album (their thirteenth), Marillion entered a phase of great creativity, producing excellent works such as the subsequent "Happiness Is The Road" (2008), "Sounds That Can't Be Made" (2012), and "Fear" (2016).

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Eloy-Eloy (1971)

The German band Eloy's career has always been characterized by their grandiose, spacey progressive rock style, replete with allusions to science fiction and mysticism. However, their debut album bears little resemblance to that musical orientation; in this first release, they focus on the more energetic and heavy sounds of conventional hard rock. Of the lineup that recorded this first album, only three members would continue after its release: Frank Bonermann (guitar), Manfred Wieczorke (guitar and vocals), and Wolfgang Stöcker (bass), while the rest consisted of drummer Helmuth Draht and organist and singer Erich Schriever. Although initially categorized as krautrock, their style was actually closer to the British hard rock of bands like Uriah Heep, Atomic Rooster, or Warhorse than to the German movement full of improvisation, psychedelic sounds, and experimentation. Plausible pieces such as the powerful "Today", the psychedelic "Something Yellow", the dark and heavy "Song Of A Paranoid Soldier", the relaxing "Isle Of Sun" or the hard rock groove "Voice Of Revolution", were part of the worthy debut of one of the most emblematic and famous bands that emerged from Germany during the 1970s.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Bon Jovi-Slippery When Wet (1986)

For many it was the best hard rock album of the 80s, especially because of the popularity that this album would generate, a statement perhaps exaggerated when checking the endless list of great albums that came out in that decade, but even so, this is undoubtedly the best work by one of the bands that best knew how to combine addictive songs with contagious refrains and great melodies, all with a plus of pop sound that made them tremendously popular.
"Slippery When Wet" is full of compositions with a spectacular commercial vein, highlighting above all of them "Livin'On A Prayer" and "You Give Love A Bad Name", two huge songs that were the creative pinnacle of Bon Jovi.
The rest maintained a very high level like the epic "Wanted Dead Or Alive", or the rock "Raise Your Hands" and "Wild In The Streets" where he showed the influence of his mentor Bruce Springsteen.

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Grobschnitt-Rockpommel´s Land (1977)

In 1977 came the fifth album from the German band Grobschnitt, considered by many to be one of the most brilliant progressive rock recordings ever made. Conceived as a concept album, based around the naive story of a clever young man traveling through magical lands and finding wisdom and peace of mind, it is ultimately nothing more than a palpable display of the ironic humor of this German group. On this release, the lineup; Stefan Danielak (guitars and vocals), Gerd-Otto Kühn (guitars and backing vocals), Volker Kahrs (keyboards), Wolfgang Jäger (bass), and Joachim Ehrig (drums and percussion), showcases its most symphonic and intense side, with abundant guitar riffs and solos underpinned by atmospheric synthesizers, all tied together by a cohesive concept. However, it's also true that compared to their previous releases, they lose some of their defining characteristics, such as their extroverted music and humorous lyrics, while their effective hard rock guitars become more melodic and ethereal. Despite the simplicity of its story, musically it presents an inexhaustible source of creativity, which, from the opening track "Ernie's Reise", which establishes the album's main focus, through the intricate, somber soundscape of "Severity Town", the soothing and relaxed "Anywhere", and the progressive symphonic epic "Rockpommel's Land", makes this work a sumptuous and splendid example of progressive rock from the 1970s.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Krokus-Metal Rendez-Vous (1980)

Despite sometimes being accused of merely copying the Australian band AC/DC, Krokus forged a fruitful career filled with great moments that have gone down in the annals of world heavy metal with outstanding works such as "Metal Rendez-Vous", "Hardware", "Headhunter", and "One Vice At A Time". While it's true that their roots lie in the energetic and visceral hard rock of the bands led by the Young brothers, it's also true that they embellished it with the metallic sound of their guitars and intricate arrangements, transforming their style into a devastating and addictive heavy rock. In 1980, this Swiss band cemented their reputation with the release of their fourth album, "Metal Rendez-Vous". The lineup, comprised of vocalist Marc Storace, guitarists Fernando von Arb and Tommy Kiefer, bassist Chris von Rohr, keyboardist Jürg Naegeli, and drummer Freddy Steady, showcased their full stylistic maturity with a series of incendiary tracks such as "Heatstrokes", "Come On", "Lady Double Dealer", "Bedside Radio", and the frenetic "Back Seat Rock 'n' Roll". These contrasted sharply with the evocative ballad "Streamer" and the complex "Fire". The album became one of their greatest creative and commercial achievements, earning four platinum records and enormous sales across Europe.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

David Gilmour-About Face (1984)

Once Roger Waters' relationship with the rest of Pink Floyd ended after the album "The Final Cut", guitarist David Gilmour focused his efforts on creating his second solo album. Far removed from Waters' political or social activism, Gilmour concentrated solely on showcasing his musical talent without engaging with his former bandmate's controversial messages. "About Face" reveals the musical sensibility of an excellent guitarist in an accessible and thoroughly enjoyable work. Melancholic atmospheres set the overall tone of the album, as exemplified by the emotive "Out Of The Blue" and the radiant "Love On The Air", where he receives invaluable assistance from Steve Winwood on keyboards. Winwood, along with other prominent musicians such as Jon Lord, Jeff Porcaro, Bob Ezrin, Roy Harper, Ray Cooper, Pino Palladino, and Michael Kamen, comprises the extensive list of guest musicians on the album's recording. The nods to his main band are present in the progressive "Blue Light" and "Near the End", while the more predictable eighties-inspired "Until We Sleep" and "All Lovers Are Deranged", put a worthy conclusion to an effort that is more appealing and less pretentious for the average listener than the vindictive schemes of the brilliant but irascible Roger Waters.

Monday, April 30, 2018

Blodwyn Pig-Getting To This (1970)

The blues leanings of guitarist Mick Abrahams and the jazz-influenced contributions of violinist and flautist Jack Lancaster fueled the style of the British band Blodwyn Pig. Formed in 1968, Blodwyn Pig were a pioneer of the British avant-garde movements of the late 1960s. Founded by former Jethro Tull member Mick Abrahams, along with Jack Lancaster, bassist Andy Pyle, and drummer Ron Berg, their debut album, "Ahead Rings Out", released in 1969, showcased the quartet's blend of blues, progressive rock, heavy rock, and jazz-rock the latter thanks to Lancaster's jazzy saxophones and flutes. This first album became a classic of British progressive blues and is often cited as one of the genre's landmark works. A year later came their second LP, "Getting To This", which featured pianist Graham Waller as a guest musician. Unlike their previous progressive album, this new release leaned towards classic blues rock with experimental and diverse tones, subtly moving away from their jazz approach in a clear attempt to expand their sonic palette. Tracks like the rhythm and blues "Drive Me", the progressive folk jazz "Variations on Nainos", the bluesy folk "Long Bomb Blues" and "Toys", the progressive blues rock "San Francisco Sketches", and the jazzy "Send Your Son To Die" represented this ultimately unsuccessful attempt to explore new sonic horizons.

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Gila-Night Works (1972)

Despite its flawed production, the second album by the German band Gila is a true historical document of one of the cult bands of krautrock. Recorded live in the studios of a radio station based in Cologne in 1972, "Night Works" was the chronological (though unofficial) successor to their monumental debut, "Free Electric Sound", an album that showcased an ambitious and experimental approach focused on the psychedelic and hypnotic sounds of so called Kosmiche Music. On this second release, the lineup still consisted of guitarist and vocalist Conny Veit, bassist Walter Wiederkehr, organist Fritz Scheyhing, and drummer Daniel Alluno. With a style clearly related to their debut, the Stuttgart-based band follows in the footsteps of the acid and lysergic sounds of early Pink Floyd led by Syd Barrett, featuring expansive jams like "The Gila Symphony". a tour de force encompassing everything from atmospheric and hallucinatory passages to intricate interplay between a heavy Hammond organ and biting guitars, all under the spell of a powerful and brutal rhythm section. In addition to this impressive piece, the album includes memorable instrumental passages such as the psychedelic heavy rock of "Around Midnight", the lysergic "Braintwist", the hypnotic "Trampelpfad", and the atmospheric "Communication II".

Monday, April 16, 2018

Blue Oyster Cult-Cultösaurus Erectus (1980)

"Mirrors" had been a step back in the career of the Blue Oyster Cult, to the point of losing some credibility and the trust of their fans, so for their next album they hired producer Martin Birch to put them back on the record. level they deserved.
And partly thanks to the album "Cultösaurus Erectus" they would achieve it, with a powerful work and a brilliant and impeccable production.
Here the instrumental developments return and they are the main resource of this magnificent album, as from the beginning with "Black Blade" it is intuited, a song with a very hard sound, "The Marshall Plan" is a visceral rock full of power and quality, and there are even times for some interesting extravaganza like jazz rock "Monsters"

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Arena-The Visitor (1998)

The third album by the British band Arena is one of the most acclaimed and praised neo-progressive records, an admirable work of intelligent fusion composed of exuberant melodies and vibrant rock under an intricate and passionate musicianship. In this new release, the band introduced a new guitarist, John Mitchell, who replaced Keith Moore, becoming a key figure with his heavy riffs and tremendous melodic solos. Added to this are the haunting keyboards of the group's leader, Clive Nolan, who creates multi-layered sounds, grandiose orchestrations, and dreamlike, spacey synthesizers. For his part, Paul Wrightson's passionate, expressive, yet delicate vocals greatly contribute to this concept album reflecting why it is one of the greatest neo-progressive records in history.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Electric Light Orchestra-Zoom (2001)

The Electric Light Orchestra, published in 2001, "Zoom" which was the first album published after "Balance of Power" fifteen years ago, thus re-floating the group after some fruitful years of its leader Jeff Lynne, who had participated in many projects during all that time.
With the collaboration of Richard Tandy, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, Lynne produces, composes, arranges, sings and plays virtually all instruments.
An album that is close to his post-ELO style, highlighting guitars and keyboards, especially in more rock songs like "Alright", "Meting In The Sun", "Easy Money" or "All She Wanted".
But there are also elegant orchestral passages that take us back to the best era of the band like "Ordinary Dream", "Moment In Paradise" or the sober "Strangers On A Quiet Street" or "A Long Time Love".

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Hawkwind-X In Search Of Space (1971)

"Hall of the Mountain Grill" was Hawkwind's fourth album and their first to fuse spacey sounds with the acid rock of their earlier work. Recorded during mid-1974 at Edmonton Sundwood Studios in London, it was produced by the renowned Roy Thomas Baker, a regular engineer for bands such as Free, Queen, Journey, Nazareth, and Foreigner, among many others. For this third release, keyboardist and violinist Simon House replaced Robert Calvert, while the rest of the band consisted of Dave Brock (guitar and keyboards), Nik Turner (saxophone, flute, and vocals), Lemmy Kilmister (bass and vocals), Simon King (drums and percussion), and Del Dettmar (keyboards). The new sound is evident in tracks like "The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)", "D-Rider", and "Paradox", while the acid-tinged rock vein remains present in tracks like "You'd Better Believe It" and "Lost Johnny". However, the complete absence of Robert Calvert's science fiction and fantasy poetry interludes is noticeable. While these don't necessarily detract from the album's final result, they do lack the philosophical spark of his earlier work. Even so, as mentioned at the beginning, this album marked the beginning of a more ambient and progressive style, resulting in an admirable work of the best space rock of the 1970s.

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Gurnemanz-No Rays Of Noise (1977)

Gurnemanz were an incredible German band who, influenced by the progressive folk sounds of their British contemporaries Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, and The Pentangle, enjoyed a commendable artistic career, releasing three amazing albums in the 1970s, highly praised by connoisseurs of semi-acoustic folk-rock. They formed in the early 1970s in the German city of Bergheim, when Lukas Wolfgang Scheel (guitar, vocals, mandolin, banjo, lute), Manuela Schmitz (vocals, percussion, and flute), Siegfried Bushuven (double bass), and Wolfgang Riedel (guitar, vocals, and harmonica) came together, along with frequent contributions from keyboardist Georg "Köbi" Köberlein and percussionist Bernie Schacht. Their first two purely acoustic works were released by EMI's German subsidiary label, Electrola: "Fair Margaret and Sweet William" (1972) and "Spielmannskinder" (1975). In 1977 came the band's epitaph, "No Rays of Noise". On this third album, Manuela Schmitz's beautiful voice, with its serene vocal line, fits perfectly into the pastoral and acoustic atmospheres with psychedelic undertones, poetic lyrics, and beautifully dreamlike hippie vibes, all underpinned by a rich and varied musicality featuring acoustic instruments such as mandolins, lutes, kazoos, harmonicas, and flutes.

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Bad Company-Burnin´Sky (1977)

The career of the indomitable Bad Company left behind a trail of great classics in the form of generational rock anthems such as "Can't Get Enough", "Ready For Rock", "Rock Steady", "Sweet Lil' Sister", and "Good Lovin' Gone Bad", all of which cemented their status as one of the greatest exponents of hard rock worldwide. In 1977, the band, led by Paul Rodgers and Mick Ralphs, and backed by the formidable rhythm section of Boz Burrell and Simon Kirk, released their fourth album, "Burnin' Sky", showcasing their usual blues-rock sound but with a greater emphasis on the power and vigor of their repertoire. Ralphs's splendid guitar riffs, combined with the powerful bass and drumming of Burrell and Kirke, and adorned by Rodgers's prodigious vocals, result in a magnificent album composed of heavy tracks like "Heartbeat", "Burnin's Sky", "Everything I Need", and "Too Bad", while the bluesy numbers "Morning Sun", "Leaving You", and "Like Water" evoke the earlier Free lineup. Despite not achieving the same level of success as their previous works, "Burnin' Sky" reached number fifteen on the US charts, selling over a million copies worldwide.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Tamam Shud-Goolutionites and the Real People (1970)

Beneath a beautifully crafted cover lies a simple yet highly effective concept album titled "Goolutionites and the Real People". Inside, its creators, the Australian band Tamam Shud, showcase an artistic delight encompassing everything from progressive experimentation to instrumental improvisation, touching on jazz, psychedelia, and hard rock. Formed in Sydney in 1967, its core lineup consisted of Dannie Davidson (drums), Zac Zytnic (guitar), Lindsay Bjerre (vocals and guitars), and Peter Barron (bass). Amidst the whirlwind of the emerging psychedelic style of the time, they released "Evolution", their debut album in 1969. This record of raw, basic sounds and instrumentation gained some notoriety when several of its tracks were featured in a well-known Australian surf film. The addition of a new guitarist, Tim Gaze, revitalized the band, leading to the recording of their second full-length album, "Goolutionites and the Real People", the following year. Considered by critics in Australia as one of the best conceptual and progressive albums, this release showcases a more cohesive style and, at the same time, an impetuous dynamism, with captivating tracks like "I Love You All" and "They'll Take Down on the Lot", two superb interludes before the more substantial compositions "Heaven Is Closed" and "A Plague", followed by the mini-epic title track. Subsequently, various setbacks led to the definitive dissolution of this ephemeral and interesting band in 1972, until years later when some of its members revived Tamam Shud, recording the commendable albums "Permanent Culture" (1994), "Eight Years of Moonlight" (2016), and "Resonate" (2018).

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Jan Garbarek with Stenson, Rypdal, Andersen, Christensen-Sart (1971)

"Sart" was the third album by Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek and his second under the ECM label. Recorded with the same musicians as his previous works (Terje Rypdal, Arild Anderson, John Christensen, and Bobo Stenson), it showcases a combination of electric jazz fusion and avant-garde acoustic jazz, with Garbarek increasingly influenced by Miles Davis's jazz-rock and inspired by the spirit of John Coltrane, and Rypdal reinforcing that sentiment. This was Jan Garbarek's most avant-garde and progressive period, featuring a series of albums that moved between free jazz, jazz-rock, and progressive jazz. Albums like "Afric Pepperbird" (1970), "Esoteric Circle" (1971), and "Sart" (1971) consisted of extended avant-garde tracks such as "Beast of Kommodo", "Blow Away Zone", "Rabalder", "Karin's Mode" and "Song of". "Space" or "Irr." From this point on, Garbarek's musical direction changed radically, incorporating elements of world music, chamber music, and ambient music, while still maintaining a focus on experimentation. Considered an institution, Jan Garbarek is a brilliant musician who, since joining the jazz elite, largely thanks to his collaborations with Keith Jarrett in the 1960s, has consistently released essential jazz albums, always a step ahead of his contemporaries. Some of these recordings are considered absolute masterpieces of avant-garde jazz.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Cream-Fresh Cream (1966)

"Fresh Cream" was Cream's debut album, a historic recording that contains innovation and at the same time is an overwhelming album of pure rock.
The first album of the first super band in history, is one of the best debuts ever recorded. Although the best of the band was yet to come, we must not fail to recognize that for this reason it does not lose any of the attributes as a masterpiece, despite having only half of the songs as own compositions and the rest by versions, in the you can already see the powerful conjunction between blues and rock, with psychedelic influences as in "I Fell Free" or "N.S.U".

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Dschinn-Dschinn (1972)

Within the vast and diverse German Krautrock scene emerged Dschinn, an ephemeral hard rock and blues band preceded by another group called The Hurricanes, whose style was based on 1960s British beat music. Thanks to their widespread popularity throughout Germany, they caught the attention of a talent scout who offered to finance the recording of several singles, on the sole condition that they change their name. One of these singles even made it onto the charts; however, the era of British pop sounds was drawing to a close, and the band reconsidered their musical strategy, replacing their mod and pop style with the heavy, avant-garde rock that better suited the tastes of the time. It was in this context that their only album was released, featuring the band's unique lineup of two drummers; Uli Mund and Athamasios Paltoglou, plus guitarists and singers Bern Capito and Peter Lorenzo and bassist Silvio Verfürth, crafted a hard rock work with blues and progressive influences, where galloping psychedelic pieces such as "Freedom", "Fortune", "Train", "Let's Go Together", "I Wanna Know" and "For You Love", are the highlights of an excellent album with great instrumental intensity and enormous vocal personality.

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

The Souther Hillman Furay Band-The Souther Hillman Furay Band (1974)

After leaving Poco, guitarist Richie Furay considered launching his own solo career immediately, but instead, he answered the call of Asylum Records executive David Geffen and joined the project Geffen was founding with vocalist and bassist Chris Hillman and guitarist and vocalist J.D. Souther. Hillman came from iconic bands like The Byrds, Manassas (with Stephen Stills), and The Flying Burrito Brothers, while Souther was a folk singer-songwriter who would go on to become one of the genre's great composers, working with The Eagles, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Seger, and Christopher Cross, among others. But that wasn't all; Geffen also recruited other legendary musicians from the folk and country scene, such as drummer Jim Gordon (formerly of Derek and the Dominos), the renowned keyboardist Paul Harris, percussionist Joe Lala (formerly of Manassas), and guitarist Al Perkins, a true legend of American country and folk. Despite their enormous egos, their debut album is one of the landmark works of American country and folk rock, creating a dreamlike repertoire in a single release, beginning with "Fallin' Love" and "Border Town", songs that evoke the catchy country melodies and irresistible choruses of their contemporaries Poco and The Eagles. In that same vein are the addictive tracks "Trouble in Paradise", "Believe Me", "Prisoner in Disguise", and "Heavenly Fire". As expected, such a wealth of exquisite songs propelled the album to number eleven on the Billboard charts and considerable sales in the North American market.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Carlos Santana & John McLaughlin-Love Devotion Surrender (1973)

In the early 1970s, Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin showed great interest in the Eastern philosophy of Guru Sri Chinmoy, and both musicians incorporated this philosophy into their albums: Santana's "Caravanserai" and "Abraxas", and McLaughlin's Mashavishnu Orchestra's "Inner Mountain Flame" and "Birds of Fire". In 1973, the two guitarists joined forces to pay tribute to John Coltrane through the hypnotic sounds of free jazz and jazz fusion. Each contributed musicians from their respective bands to the recording, including Armando Peraza, Michael Shrieve, and Doug Rauch from Santana's band, and Billy Cobham, Jan Hammer, and Larry Young from the Mashavishnu Orchestra. An album brimming with exquisite passages, such as the opening track "A Love Supreme", which, with its distinct Latin jazz style, showcases McLaughlin's virtuosic guitar work adorned by a prominent organ. In the following track, "The Life Divine", Carlos Santana lends his divine guitar to a fusion piece with psychedelic undertones. Both, despite their undeniable quality, pale in comparison to the legendary "Let Us Go Into The House Of the Lord", an epic display of virtuosity from the guitarists and the rest of the musicians. The album concludes with the meditative and measured "Mediation", which brings to a close one of the masterpieces of jazz fusion.