Bill Bruford-Feels Good To Me (1978)

Bill Bruford is one of those musicians who, throughout his career, has kept busy with dozens of collaborations, both as a member of some of the biggest bands on the planet (King Crimson, Yes, and U.K.), as a guest on various projects (Genesis and Earthworks), and by contributing to albums by other artists (Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Roy Harper, Pavlov's Dog, etc.). Even so, he found time to pursue a parallel career, releasing half a dozen highly acclaimed albums. On his first record, released in 1977, Bruford assembled a dream band composed of guitarist Allan Holdsworth, keyboardist Dave Stewart, and bassist Jeff Berlin, while other musicians such as guitarists John Goodsall and John Clark, bassist Neil Murray, and singer Annette Peacock appeared as guest artists. Stylistically crafted in the jazz-rock vein, this album showcases the virtuosic pyrotechnics of keyboardist Stewart, the virtuosic bass playing of Berlin, the exceptional guitar work of Allan Holdsworth, and the high-level drumming technique of Bruford. The sparse vocals contributed by Annette Peacock add a distinctive touch to instrumental compositions such as the dynamic fusion track "Beelzebub", the jazz-rock number "Sample and Hold", the poignant "Either End of August", and the melodic "Back to the Beginning" and "Seems Like a Lifetime", in which Peacock delivers a highly original and captivating vocal performance.

Captain Beyond-Sufficiently Breathless (1973)

After their stunning debut, the band led by Rod Evans fully embraced the sounds of avant-garde rock with "Sufficiently Breathless", a departure from the powerful hard rock of their first album. In this new release, progressive elements appear throughout, showcasing greater compositional maturity, more imaginative work, and even enhanced instrumental technique. All these changes are foreshadowed from the start with the progressive title track, which nevertheless retains the signature effective riffs, splendid vocals, and refined instrumentation. But they soon shift into high gear, revealing their energetic side with the surprising rock of "Starglow Energy", the addictive mainstream hit "Bright Blue Tango", the rock fusion of "Drifting In Space", and the powerful "Everything's A Circle". In short, with their second release, the band formed by the aforementioned Rod Evans (vocals), Larry Reinhardt (guitars), Guille Garcia (percussion), Marty Rodriguez (drums), Lee Dorman (bass) and Reese Wynans (keyboards), wanted to expand their style by producing an album that, although initially rejected by their most purist fans, is also true to be one of the most meritorious cult works of the early 70s.

Gypsy-Gypsy (1970)

Gypsy was an interesting band focused on American roots rock, incorporating jazz, rock, soul, and folk influences, and whose origins lay in a psychedelic pop group called The Underbeats from the mid-sixties. After moving from their native Minneapolis to Los Angeles, the band toughened their musical approach, reinventing their style with sounds more in line with the cultural movements of the American West Coast. Among their seven-member lineup, guitarist and singer Enrico Rosenbaum and organist and vocalist James Walsh stood out as the two driving forces behind the band, composing most of their material and serving as their best instrumentalists. The rest of the band consisted of Preston Epps (percussion), James Jonson (guitar and vocals), James Epstein (drums), and Jimmie Haskell (strings). In 1970, they released their self-titled debut album, a double LP, on a small Californian record label. In this first release, they showcased a diverse sound ranging from soul to classic rock, with some avant-garde elements of folk and psychedelia, all delivered with vigorous and energetic rhythms. Songs like "I Was So Young", "The Third Eye", "Man of Reason", "Decisions", "The Vision", "More Times", "Here In My Loneliness", and "Gypsy Queen" are brimming with rich vocal melodies and a high level of musicianship, featuring precise and well-arranged semi-progressive structures. A year later, they released their follow-up, the more established "In The Garden", before shifting their style towards a more conventional rock sound with the subsequent albums "Antithesis" (1972) and "Unlock The Gates" (1973), their last two releases before their final disbandment.

Alan Parsons-The Secret (2019)

Fifteen years after Alan Parsons' last solo studio release, "A Valid Path" (2004), the musician and producer returned with a large lineup of musical collaborators for a new work titled "The Secret", a concept album based on the art of magic, one of the artist's fascinations. While hardly a full-fledged progressive rock concept album, what we have here is an impeccable production of smooth rock and pop melodies and elegant ballads with highly refined vocals, soothing harmonies, and rich orchestration, all in the classic tradition of the defunct Alan Parsons Project. Among the extensive list of collaborators are former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, former Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm, bassist Nathan East, vocalists Jason Mraz, Mark Mikel, and Todd Cooper, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and his regular guitarist Ian Bairnson. An album that ranges from grandiose, orchestral moments like "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "One Note Symphony", to catchy pop-rock melodies like "Miracle", "As Lights Fall", and "The Limelight Fades Away", passing through the brilliant ballads "Soiree Fantastique", "Years of Glory", and "Fly to Me", without neglecting the timeless sound of his main band with tracks like "Sometimes" and "Requiem". With all this, the legendary producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist once again demonstrated why he is one of the great musical geniuses of the last 50 years, leaving for posterity an extraordinary album of dazzling, addictive, and catchy pop-rock tracks, superbly produced with his signature orchestral touches.

Babe Ruth-First Base (1972)

Babe Ruth were a powerful British progressive hard rock/blues band who, in 1972, released one of the greatest classic rock albums of all time. Formed in 1971 in Hertfordshire, in the east of England, around the talented guitarist Alan Shacklock, the lineup also included singer Janita Hann, keyboardist Dave Punshon, drummer Dick Powell, and bassist Dave Hewitt. In 1972, with a fantastic cover designed by Roger Dean, they released their debut album, "First Base", on EMI Odeon's progressive rock division, Harvest Records. In addition to the band, a large group of musicians played cellos, saxophones, and percussion. This abundance of musicians and instruments gave the album a complex, progressive sound. On "Wells Fardo", the band showcases their energetic style, combining powerful guitar riffs, Hann's vigorous vocals, and wind instruments. In contrast to the latter, there is the melodic "The Runaways", which, influenced by symphonic elements, showcases Babe Ruth's distinctly progressive character. The instrumental "King Kong", another energetic piece of progressive rock, is the prelude to the complex and dark "Black Dog", a song with blues influences and grand piano and guitar arrangements. This magnificent album closes with the galloping "The Mexican" and the expansive progressive jazz-rock "Joker". In the following years, Babe Ruth would release four more albums, some of them highly regarded, such as "Babe Ruth" and "Stealin' Home" (both from 1975), but none would reach the excellence of this formidable "First Base".

Camel-Rain Dances (1977)

By 1977, Camel had released four seminal albums oriented towards progressive rock, with hints of the Canterbury sound. That same year, 1977, the band underwent its first lineup change, incorporating bassist and vocalist Richard Sinclair (formerly of Caravan), replacing Doug Ferguson, and saxophonist Mel Collins (formerly of King Crimson). Both musicians enriched Camel's sound with different jazz textures and nuances, while maintaining the band's usual progressive structures. The rest of the lineup remained Andy Latimer, Andy Ward, and Peter Bardens. The result of this new Camel reorganization was their fifth album, "Rain Dances", where Latimer's crystalline guitars, along with Bardens' extensive keyboard repertoire, are supported by Collins' elegant saxophone playing and a rhythm section with a distinctly jazzy feel. From the atmospheric "First Light", or the fragile "Elke", a track featuring Brian Eno with his experimental keyboards and Fionna Hibbert with her electro-acoustic harp, to commercial melodies like the catchy "Highways of the Sun", relaxed passages like "Tell Me", convincing minimalist and orchestrated pieces like "Rain Dances", or the instrumental and carefree jazz "One Of These Days I'll Get an Early Night" or "Skylines", the result was a work that, while not reaching the excellence of their previous works, maintained the high level that was demanded of this iconic and essential British band within the progressive rock scene.

Wishbone Ash-Live Dates Volume Two (1980)

Seven years after the monumental and brilliant "Live Dates" of 1973, Wishbone Ash released "Live Dates II", another double live album with an almost identical cover, but with a different lineup and setlist. By then, Ted Turner had left the group and been replaced by guitarist Laurie Wisefield, who, along with Martin Turner, Steve Upton, and Andy Powell, made up the Wishbone Ash lineup of those years. Recorded in various locations in London, Bristol, and Wolverhampton between 1976 and 1980 during tours promoting the albums "New England" and "Just Testing", the repertoire consists of songs from their later albums. The first two sides consist of a series of melodic and energetic classic rock songs with compelling guitar solos and a solid rhythmic structure, such as "Doctor", "Runaway", "Living Proof", and "Helpless", while extended tracks with their characteristic guitar jams are interspersed between this first disc and the following two. These extended pieces include "F*U*B*B", "The Way Of The World", "Persephone", and "No Easy Road", undoubtedly the four longest and most progressive compositions on this double live album. While not reaching the heights and energy of the legendary original "Live Dates", this is generally a good live album.

Gravy Train-Second Birth (1973)

The third album from progressive rockers Gravy Train, and their first on the Dawn label after their first two releases with Vertigo. In this release, the British band's nascent avant-garde style continues to be influenced by genres like blues and folk, but always from a hard rock perspective. In the opening tracks, "Morning Coming" and "Peter", we observe that heavy rock character driven by J.D. Hughes' Hammond organ, the leadership of guitarist Norman Barratt, and a penchant for complex compositions underpinned by rich vocal harmonies. On the other hand, tracks like the bluesy "Motorway" leave us with a taste reminiscent of Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull, thanks to its bouncy flute and instrumental arrangements. The jazzy "Fields and Factories" becomes another highlight where there are deviations to the catchiest sounds and in the powerful and dark "Tolpuddle Episode", they again show those sophisticated arrangements, under the vindicatory lyrics of the martyrs who created the first British unions.