Laurent Voulzy-Rockollection (1977)

Laurent Voulzy will go down in history for a revival song that was a worldwide hit in 1977 and that even today is used very frequently on radio stations around the world.
Born in Paris in 1948, he began his career in the mid-seventies collaborating with the author and singer Alain Souchon, a member of the Pascal Dane orchestra, as well as composing for other artists, among other tasks, until at the end of 1976 he signed a contract with the RCA to publish their own compositions.
A year later he published a 15 minute song entitled "Rockollection" which became number one in many countries worldwide during the year 77.
In 1979 he published "Le Coeur Grenadine", his first album after the triumphant hit "Rockollection", a work quite far from his star song in which only the song that gives title to the LP stands out, a good soft pop ballad and the version of the Serge Gainsbourg's song "Qui Est In, Qui Est Out"
Years later, a 1989 compilation album titled Belle Ille In Mer, brings him back to the charts thanks to the excellent post "Rockollection" songs such as "Surfing Jack", "Les Nuits Sans Kim Wilde" (a tribute to the British singer Kim Wilde) or the ballad "My song of You".
However the jewel of this album is a song composed in 1978 entitled "Bubble Star", one of the best French power pop songs in history an irresistible beatle flavor theme.
His next work, Voulzy, focuses more on the fields of singer-songwriter with a careful production and impeccable sound, but nevertheless detrimental to his compositions, although he retained that revival of yesteryear in the song "Le Povoir Des Fleurs", with a splendid pop rock style American.

Christie-Christie (1970)

Christie was a British pop-rock band that was formed in the city of Leeds in the late 1960s by Jeff Christie, Vic Elmes and Mike Blakely. Jeff Christie, who had already served in professional groups and had done serious work, became the leader of the band.
Christie had previously had a band called Outer Limits, which had some hits like "Just one more chance" or "Help me please" (1967), even becoming hits in the United States. However, the following songs were a resounding failure, which led to the breakup of the group, so Jeff decided to continue as a composer.
In 1970, Christie composed a song called "Yellow River" that was originally directed to the group The Tremeloes, but they rejected it because it seemed like a pop very far from the usual in their repertoire.
Thus, with this panorama, Christie himself founded a band to record the song and which he called his own name and published the song in April 1970, which reached number one in half the world and an astonishing sixth place in the North American charts, selling more than three million copies.
Shortly after, that same year they published "San Bernardino", which would also be a success, followed by "Iron Horse", one of the best compositions of the group.
When they were recording the songs for their third album, relations between Jeff and Vic Elmes deteriorated and the group temporarily disbanded in 1973. Jeff was considering starting his solo career, but decided to mold a new Christie, with Roger and Terry Fogg and the guitarist. , Danny Krieger.
From then on they began to live off their old successes, since the successive albums would go completely unnoticed.

Bryan Ferry-"Boys And Girls" (1985)

Almost 12 years after the publication of the first Roxy Music album titled the band with the same name, its founder and leader Bryan Ferry dedicates himself exclusively to his solo career, which had already started in parallel with his mother band in 1973 with the publication of his debut album "These Foolish Things", which will be followed by a series of albums such as "Another Time, Another Place" (74), "Let's Stick Together" (76), "In Your Mind" (77), and "The Bride Stripped Bare ”(78), all of them of unequal fortune, although the first two reached the top of the British charts.
Roxy Music emerged in the fervor of glam fashion, but with more than enough personality as a rock band, and supported by the charisma of its members, especially Bryan Ferry, dissident Brian Eno and guitarist Phil Manzanera, converting the band in one of the most important in British music throughout the 70's. The Roxy style, first based on glam fascination, adorning itself with feathers and sequins and later establishing itself on the margins of the balance between the quality of albums and the commerciality of the singles, was then saturated with the retro image and greened in the late 70s with the return of the group, which makes it one of the most attractive bands that pop has ever produced with an amalgam of great works like "For Your Pleasure" (73), "Stranded" (73, "Country Life" (74), "Manifestó" (79) or "Flesh and Blood" (80)
Already in 1985 after publishing the acclaimed “Avalon” (82) with Roxy Music, Ferry recorded the work “Boys and Girls”, an album that definitively consecrated him, reaching first place on the English charts.
Tracks like "Slave To Love", "Don't Stop The Dance" Valentine" or "Windswept", made up a work that exudes luxury, dreamy, sensuality and romanticism, demonstrating the versatility and quality of the singer, who is considered one of the dandys of pop rock for their elegance and sophistication.

The Eagles-One Of These Nights (1975)

The Eagles' first great masterpiece, a year before the billionaire in sales and masterpiece "Hotel California" hit the market, the Californian band invoiced this superb album that was partly the prelude to their radical turn in terms of sound which was endorsed a year later.
It is also the first work where the Frey-Henley duo consolidates its leadership by signing half of the album's songs, to the detriment of Bernie Leadon and Don Felder, both authors of only several songs.
Subjects like the song that gives title to the album, the rocker "Too Many Hands", the exciting "Alter The Thrill is Gone" and "I Wish You Peace", the instrumental "Journey of the Sorcerer" or the fantastic "Lyin' Eyes" and "Take it to the Limit", form a spectacular preview of what would soon come.

The Spencer Davis Group-The Best Of (1967)

Founded in 1963, it would not be until the middle of the decade when The Spencer Davis Group, came to the fore with several important hits within the British beat.
Formed by Spencer Davis, Steve Winwood, Pete York and Muff Winwood, their beginnings were within the British jazz circuits of London.
In 1965, after signing for the Fontana label, they recorded their first album "Their First" where their style varies towards more pop sounds with strong R&B influences and from where some of the band's most important hits such as "Keep on Running" come out. puts them at the top of the UK charts.
From here on, a series of singles follow a similar fate; "Somebody Help me", "Gimme Some Lovin´" or "I´m a Man", which guarantees huge sales, while their first album gives them great prestige among specialized critics and the world of British pop.
But their luck did not last long, in 1967 Steve Winwood left them to form Traffic, the rest of the members did the same to follow different projects and only Spencer Davis continued to lead a band that would no longer return to the honeys of success. , despite releasing a number of good albums during the 1970s.

Motorhead-"No Sleep´til Hammersmith" (1981)

Recorded during the tour of the album "Ace of Spades", this is one of the most emblematic live shows in rock history, which managed to sneak up to the top position of the British charts.
Until then the power trio had had great success with their visceral heavy metal infused with punk rock with the albums "Overkill", "Bomber" or "Ace Spades".
Recorded in the Queen's Hall in Leeds and not as its name indicates in the Hammersmith in London, the band displays its entire arsenal of powerful riffs with a dense and crazy rhythm, with themes that make allusions to war movies, the Wild West or the Hell's Angels, the group of bikers so famous in the United States.

The Police-Synchronicity (1983)

After the complicated and experimental "Ghost In The Machine", The Police released their most successful album "Synchronicity" in 1983, an album where internal problems began to surface among the members of the band.
Here one of the characteristics of the group disappears, such as its reggae elements, however they retain the ambitious proposal of their previous work.
Four songs like "Every Breath You Take", "Synchronicity", "King Of Pain" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" proved by themselves that even the band had enough arguments to make a great album.
From here on, the band would practically disappear, each of its members concentrating on their solo careers.

Eloy-Time To Turn (1982)

"Time to Turn" is the tenth album of Eloy published in 1982 and would be the sequel to the album "Planets" within the concept that unites them, and is the last album that we can consider highly recommended by Eloy. In this work Fritz Randow returns to take care of the battery, after leaving the group in the first time.

This album follows the line of "Planets" in some aspects, but it is a work more infected by sounds of the time. Something that can be seen in the most simplistic and more strictly pop-rock rhythms, taxes on a large part of the themes, or in a notable abandonment of the atmospheres, for the benefit of a more direct sound. The spatial setting, in this case, does not involve the themes entirely, but is shown here in more specific doses, while we can also appreciate some touches that can remind Alan Parsons Project, or a taste for techno-pop sounds, especially in "The Flash."

The album highlights the songs "Through a Somber Galaxy" progressive rock adapted to the 80s, the semi-acoustic "Say is it Really True" and the longest track "End of an Odyssey", which includes an excellent and long instrumental start , dominated by keyboards. But I would even add that the best of "Time to Turn" are the synthesizer solos included in the cited "Through a Somber Galaxy" and "End of an Odyssey", and the one included in "The Flash". All these solos, which seem highly exciting to me, are quite similar to those made by the renewed Hawkwind in "Levitation".

Spyro Gyra-"Morning Dance" (1979)

Formed in the mid-70s by Jay Beckenstein and Richard Calandra in Buffalo, a town near New York, Spyro Gyra is one of the most emblematic jazz formations and for more than 40 years they have published a series of albums that are considered the best. of the genre of jazz fusion and smooth jazz.
In 1976 they published their first work called "Spyro Gyra", an album recorded in a rudimentary way of which only 500 copies were initially released, which however thanks to local radios and the song "Shaker Song" becomes a resounding success, getting expanding the album edition and selling more than 70,000 copies.
With a second and glittering album "Morning Dance" (1979), the band expands with keyboardist Tom Schumann and vibraphonist David Samuels.
With this second album they manage to sell a million copies thanks to great compositions like "Heliopolis", "Jubilee" or "Song For Lorraine".
After another great album such as "Catching The Sun", (1980) which achieves recognition similar to the previous one and even reaching number one on the charts, "Freetime" (1981), Incognito "(1982) and finally "City Kids" (1983), which will close a septet of masterful recordings.

Russ Ballard-"The Fire Stills Burns" (1985)

Russ Ballard is world famous for composing great hits for other artists, from Santana to Rainbow, to singers and groups as diverse as Uriah Heep, Three Dog Night, Hot Chocolate or America among many others.
Russ Ballard began his career in 1961 in the band Meikle & The Day Breakers, then he would join The Roulettes and later join the band Argent, where he obtained his first big hit "God Gave Rock and Roll To You".
Almost in the mid-70s, he left Argent and began his career as a soloist as well as a composer, thus publishing works relatively frequently; "Russ Ballard" (1975), "Winning" (1976), "At The Third Stroke" (1979) or "Russ Ballard & The Barnet Dogs" (1980).
But it would be with the records "Russ Ballard-1984" (1984) (with which he achieved significant success with the song "Voices"), but especially with "The Fire Still Burns" (1985) with which he would acquire quite a lot of notoriety, in This latest addictive Rock with catchy choruses and infectious rhythms lead him to bill a superb album, where "Once a Rebel", "Hey Bernadette", "Your Time Is Gonna Come" or the irresistible melodic "The Fire Still Burns" stand out.

Kenny Rogers-"The Gambler" (1978)

By 1978 when Kenny Rogers released the album "The Gambler", his fifth album chronologically to date, he was already an experienced country musician with several hits on his back, his works "Kenny Rogers" (77), "Daytime Friends "(77) and" Love or Something Like it "(78) had reached the top of the charts, getting several platinum records for sales.
Kenneth Ray "Kenny" Rogers was born in Texas in 1938, his childhood was spent in one of the poorest sectors of the city of Houston, and he began his career at the age of 20, playing songs by other singers of the time.
In 1966 he was part of a folk group called The New Christy Minstrels. In addition to Kenny, the still unknown Gene Clark and Kim Carnes were active in the group. The following year Rogers and some members left the band to form The First Edition, which would later adopt the name Kenny Rogers & the First Edition.
With this band he had some hits that performed well on the pop and country charts such as 'Ruby, don't take your love to town', 'Reuben James' or 'Something's burning'.
In 1975 Kenny Rogers dissolved the group and began a solo career, achieving in 1977 the success that catapulted him to international fame, 'Lucille'. The issue was # 1 in many countries selling more than five million copies.
Another of his great country hits was the song "Coward of the County". In 1979 his romantic ballad "She believes in me" enshrines him not only as a country singer but as a solid romantic performer on the charts around the world. In 1980 with "Lady" he not only obtained world fame but the confirmation of being a great music star, he also won a Grammy award.
With this new album Rogers inaugurates his own characteristic style, he also started as an actor in movies and TV series.
As of 1978 his career reached very high levels of popularity worldwide with 'The gambler' (1978), 'Coward of the county' (1979), 'Lady', his first No. 1 on the pop charts (1980), 'We 've got tonight' (1982) and with Sheena Easton, 'Crazy' (1985).
In 1980 he starred in a TV series and several sequels based on two of his songs: 'The Gambler' and 'Coward of the county', which maintained their popularity in the 1990s despite the fact that their recordings no longer had the same impact on the sales lists. He continued to reap number 1s on the country charts with songs like 'Morning desire' (1985), 'Tomb of the unknown love' (1986), 'Make no mistake, she's mine' (1987, with Ronnie Milsap) and again on the 2000 with 'Buy me a rose' with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean.
Today Kenny Rogers is considered a country legend and is reflected in many awards that he has been reaping for four decades.

Steppenwolf-"Steppenwolf" (1968)

The first time the term Heavy Metal would be used would be in the song "Born to be Wild" by the group Steppenwolf, a Californian band formed in 1967, which exerted a powerful rock sound.
Together with contemporary bands such as Vanilla Fudge and Iron Butterfly, they were precursors of the metal genre, their influences being decisive for the following bands of the style
Included in the group's debut album "Steppenwolf" (1968), it became the anthem of the "Hells Angels" and would later appear in the cult film "Easy Rider", reaching the top positions of the charts.
Born from the ashes of the blues rock band The Sparrows by John Kay (guitarist and vocalist), Jerry Edmonton (Drums) Michael Monarch (secondary guitar), Goldie McJohn (keyboards), and Rushton Moreve (bassist).
In the following five years Steppenwolf will be, historically, an important group, that will come to sell some 25 million records, with eight of their albums receiving the Gold Record; "Steppenwolf" (68), "The Second" (68), "Monster" (69), "Steppenwolf 7" (70), "Steppenwolf Live" (70), "Gold" (71) and "16 Greatest hits" (73), and managing to place up to twelve of their songs on the Billboard's Top 100, among which are "Magic Carpet Ride", which reached number 3, or "Rock Me", although its trajectory will soon be cut short, and then it will have only sporadic comebacks, but it is undoubted that immortality was granted by the fact that "Born to Be Wild" is considered the first Heavy Metal song in history.

Lindisfarne-"Back And Fourth" (1978)

Lindisfarne are one of the great British folk rock bands that in 1971 would make their second album "Fog On The Tyne" the best-selling album in the UK.
Originally formed in 1968 by vocalist and guitar Alan Hull, Ray Jackson vocalist, harmonica and mandolin, Simon Cowe, keyboards, guitar and mandolin, Rod Clements bass and Ray Laidlaw on drums.
With a style that highlighted the sensitivity and soft melodies of British folk they released some of the best albums of the genre during the 70s.
In 1978 they released their sixth album "Back And Fourth" with which they would manage to return to their lost roots in their two previous albums and making a beautiful album where the beautiful "Run For Home" stands out, one of the best British ballads of all times, but also the cheerful "Juke Box Gypsy", the country folk "Warm Feeling", the pop folk "Woman", the folky blues "Kings Cross Blues" the rock "Get Wise" or the rhythmic folk "You And Me" .

AC/DC-"Let There Be Rock" (1977)

Without "High Voltage", AC/DC had managed to open the way among hard rock fans around the world, with their next album "Let There Be Rock" they manage to establish themselves and finally achieve worldwide stardom.
In this album the band shows the maturity necessary to leave a superb job with masterful riffs, great chords and excellent hard rock and heavy metal compositions.
Tracks like the very hard rock 'n' roll's "Go Down", "Dog Eat Dog", give way to the emblematic "Let There Be Rock" where the protagonism in addition to the guitars is the wild voice of Bon Scott, with a perfect vocal capacity, the blues "Problem Child" puts some serenity to the frenetic speed of the songs, to continue with the mild "Overdose" to finish with two monumental songs of pure hard rock such as "Hell Ain´t A Bad Place to Be" and "Whole Lotta Rosie" that leave an absolutely masterful record of the best hard rock.

Pavlov's Dog-"Pampered Menial" (1975)

Considered a cult band Pavlov's Dog, it was founded in the early 70's in St. Louis in the United States and they played a pure progressive rock that combined with elements of folk and hard rock.
His debut was the impressive "Pampered Menial" in 1975 which is also undoubtedly his best work, which showed the talent of the band led by guitarist Steve Scorfina and singer David Surkamp, ​​plus drummer Mike Safron, bassist Rick Stockton, keyboardists David Hamilton and Doug Rayburn, and violinist Siegfried Carver.
In this first album the band perfectly combined beautiful compositions with the precious technique of all its components. With an overwhelming beginning with the theme "Julia" where acoustic and symphonic are mixed in a sublime way, the band is showing its various sounds like "Late November" where they show more harshness with great guitar riffs, or apotheosis and rhythmic "Song Dance" that leads us to "Fast Gun", "Natchez Trace" or "Theme from Subway Sue" where we see the eclectic sound of the group, to end with the instrumental "Preludin" and the progressive "Of Once and Future Kings" which becomes the great climax to one of the great progressive albums of the 70s, as dignified and great as the genre's masterpieces.

Suzanne Vega-"Solitude Standing" (1987)

Following in the footsteps of great singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and even Carole King, Suzanne Vega demonstrated with her first album released in 1985 that the generation of singers of the 80s were at the same height with a simple, captivating style and with lyrics that couldn't be ignored.
For her second album published in 1987 "Solitude Standing" she composed the tremendous success "Luka", a song that contains an irresistible, assimilable and unforgettable chorus.
In this outstanding song Suzanne sings in the first person a story of domestic violence that cannot be ignored by the listener, a song that first likes and then causes pain, and all this with an astonishing naturalness.
However, it is not the only song that stands out from this magnificent album, "Tom's Dinner" is an a cappella song that leaves its mark, making the singer make the difficult easy, precisely in a decade where the normal was the opposite.
"Solitude Standing" is one of those jewels of "signature pop" of the last decade that stands out for being full of feelings and sincerity very alien to the pomposity of pop that in those years reigned in the world of pop and rock.

Stevie Wonder-"Songs In The Key Of Life" (1976)

With "Songs In The Key Of Life" Stevie Wonder closed the trilogy started with "Innervisions" from 1973 and "Fulfillingness' First Finale" from 1974, undoubtedly one of his best creative stages and where he would begin to control his productions personally far from your label guidelines.
For this new job Wonder made his Motown record company wait two years before delivering the material for publication, the patience of the label's directors would be rewarded by the most ambitious and successful project that the musician had done up to that moment.
"Songs In The Key Of Life" was a double album thanks to the large number of songs that Stevie Wonder had composed during those two long years.
The album went straight to number one in the top 100, never before has an American artist accomplished such a feat, and spent 14 weeks at the top, in addition to obtaining three Grammy awards, for best album, best production and best vocal performance.
You only have to listen to the metal introduction of "Sir Duke" dedicated to Duke Ellington, to realize where the harmonies and musical resources of the funky singers of the following years come from, such as the Jackson Five or Earth Wind & Fire.
Stevie Wonder would achieve here the intrinsic quality of the songs and a new direction of great wealth in arrangements and instrumentation that his music possessed, with an outstanding album.

Humble Pie-"Rock On" (1971)

Formed in the late 1960s, Humble Pie is considered one of the first super bands in rock history. Its leaders were singers and guitarists Steve Marriott (of Small Faces) and Peter Frampton (who would later reap a mega-successful solo career). The quartet was closed by bassist Greg Ridley and drummer Jerry Shirley
After his second album, the beautiful "Town and Country" an album with many acoustic passages, he was followed by the album "Rock On".
In “Rock On” Humble Pie they moved away from acoustic sounds towards a clearly American sound, making their bluesy intentions clear and bringing out all the potential of these excellent musicians, here the keyboards begin to gain more prominence, and even make an appearance fancy guests like saxophonist Bobby Keys.
The album opens with the powerful rock "Shine On", followed by the hard rock "Sour Grain", in contrast to the following "9th and Sunset", it is an excellent typical music hall song, "Stone Cold Fever", is one of the classics of the album, where the fusion between hard-rock (with that marked riff) and blues rock go hand in hand, “Rollin 'Stone” is another peak moment, a blues based on the original blues of Muddy Waters to reinterpret it with total freedom, and "Strange Days", another of the outstanding songs of the album, a jazz-blues fusion that manages to create an extraordinary and intense final atmosphere.

Chicken Shack-"That´s The Way We Are" (1978)

Chicken Shack was a British band remembered for its keyboardist, Christine Perfect, who after leaving it became part of Fleetwood Mac without being a top band, it was quite popular during the late 60s, placing two albums within the top 20 recordings from Great Britain.
However, their leader was not Christine Perfect but the fantastic guitarist Stan Webb, who drove audiences crazy thanks to the fact that she could mix with the public during concerts, since she used a guitar cable that measured about 30 meters.
Stan Webb's is one of those musicians who go on and on before any obstacle that comes his way. In the mid-60s, he formed this blues rock band, and for more than 50 years he has not stopped releasing records.
Chicken Shack made its debut in 1967 alongside Peter Green's Fleetwood Macs in Windsor, during the National Jazz and Blues Festival of Great Britain. The group was the Blue Horizon label's second-best hire, the first being Fleetwood Macs themselves. Chicken Shack's first two albums, “40 Blue Fingers Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve” and “O.K. Ken”, were quite successful, this in part because the presence of a woman as keyboardist and vocalist was significant, and unusual in a scene that was dominated by men.
"That's the way we are" (1978) was the band's tenth album and it collects a selection of their own songs and some versions, in which guitars with feeling, powerful blues rock and even boggie rock predominate.
From the initial and powerful "The End" and "It Wasn't me" comes out a band sounding very compact and forceful, which however also has calm moments like in that beauty called "Emily".
Chicken Shack are one of those bands that never appear on any rock list, but whose legacy deserves to be put in the place they deserve as one of the greats of British blues.

Jango-"Dreamtown" (1999)

Debtors of the sound of Steely Dan and framed in the West Coast style, Jango is a band from Los Angeles that was founded in the late nineties by Steve Le Gassik and Michael Price, who along with Steve Nieves, Niko Kirgo, Leon Johnson and Dave Beyer released their first album titled "Dreamtown" under the Gold Circle label in 1999.
In this first album, the mixture of instrumental melodies in the purest style of smooth jazz is interspersed with vocal themes with attractive melodies, themes very close to pop but with the essence of jazz like "City of the Second Chance", "With Your Love" is a romantic smooth jazz song that flooded L.A. radio stations and was very popular and "Sunset to the Sea" is a memory of the aforementioned Steely Dan.
A year later they bring their second album "Closer To Home", in which the band reinforces the sound of smooth jazz with funky touches and delves even more in the style of Donald Fagen with an exquisite production and arrangements and with a set list that it remains at a high competitive and instrumental level.

(Dedicated to my friend Jose Maria Varela, - a great audiophile and a great connoisseur of the jazz world, - who introduced me to this band many years ago)

Night Ranger-"Midnight Madness" (1983)

"Midnight Madness" was the second and most successful album by the band Night Ranger, thanks mainly to the song "Sister Christian" which was a real hit on FM stations and on the North American Billboard charts.
Formed four years earlier by Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy, Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson, their debut album "Down Patrol" (1982) had a great reception on the melodic rock and hard rock circuits with a consistent work where excelled "Don´t Tell Me You Love me" or "Sing Me Away".
The tremendous commercial success of this "Midnight Madness" released just a year later had a double reading for the group, as it would relegate the band to the category of mainstream commercial bands and that would increase the reputation of being too soft to be a true band. hard rock.
However, from the initial "(You Can Still) Rock in America" ​​followed by the powerful "Rumors in the Air", "When You Close Your Eyes" or the hard rock "Why Does Love Have To Change", they showed that thanks to the talent of its components, Night Ranger knew perfectly well how to make a forceful and at the same time addictive hard rock and this was amply demonstrated with the following "7 Wishes" (1985) and "Big Life" (1987).

Quicksilver Messenger Service-"Happy Trails" (1969)

Quicksilver Messenger Service was an American Acid Rock band that also did folk, blues and jazz. It was formed in the mid-1960s in San Francisco. Their musical virtues stood out in the virtuous interaction of their instrumentalists, especially the guitarists John Cipollina and Gary Duncan. so that
They are one of the benchmarks in the world of double or twin guitars before the famous Wishbone Ash, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest or Iron Maiden, practicing styles that ranged from acid blues and folk with mixtures of hard rock and heavy psych, but with jazz fusion influences throughout his career.
"Happy Trails" was the band's third album, released in 1969 and is their bluesiest album. The album is semi-conceptual, especially the first side, and in general it highlights the Western theme and among the most remarkable instruments, as can be seen on the back cover, the violin, further establishing the folk roots. The album is recorded in 1968 at the Fillmore West in California. This album for both the psychedelic blues and the cover reminds many of Pink Floyd's More as analogous in a way, although the latter is even more symphonic. The covers include the classic beat "Mona" and the excellent "How do you love".

The Zombies-"Odessey and Oracle" (1968)

"Odessey and Oracle" was the second album by British band The Zombies, released in 1968 and considered one of the most iconic albums of all time.
An aesthetic, beautiful and majestic album, a blend of power and beauty, this mix of rock and classical piano ballads contains a singular and impeccable melodic index. The Zombies had already surprised with songs like the classic “She’s Not There” or “Tell Her No” that gave off two-voice harmonies. Here work is maximized with even greater vocal texture; making one of the best records of the 60's.
The obscure Chris White and Rod Argent provide a collection of great compositions, often in the form of very distinctive two-part fantasies; each more impressive than the other. Rod Argent provides the keyboards for each track, with evocative pieces and well-established harmonic rhythms, his best work is in the mellotron of “Hung Up On A Dream” or his psychedelic solo in “Time of The Season” in addition to glorious vocal harmonies. as in "Beechwood Park" or the songs of "Care of Cell 44" or "Time Of The Season".
In short, a masterpiece and a benchmark of psychedelic music from the sixties.

Bad Company-"Fame and Fortune" (1986)

After Paul Rodgers left the Bad Company, Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke re-founded the line-up to move on. And several things changed from then on. The productions stopped being stale and faithful to the bluesy textures of the early days to give way to more pompous productions. The AOR, melodic rock, keyboards and sounds that flooded the FM stations around the world completely infested the Bad Company sound. To a large extent that was due to the inclusion in the ranks of the group of someone like Brian Howe, who would take over the vocals.
Not in vain, and with the arduous mission of supplying the still omnipresent Paul Rodgers, Brian reconfigured the sound of the group with his voice, his only endorsement until then was the brutal 'Penetrator' that he recorded in 1983 with Ted Nugent and here he surpassed himself with you grow up doing extraordinary work.
Thus, the second stage of Bad Company starts with a good song like "Burning Up", in "Fame and Fortune" the most classic Bad Company return with that aftertaste of blues, the melodic "Long Walk" already leaves glimpse the future of the band, on the other hand is "Valerie" an impeccable song and the two precious ballads "When We Made Love" and "If I'm Sleeping" that leave one of the best albums of the genre of the decade of the eighty.

Traffic-"On The Road" (1973)

In 1973 Traffic would collect part of the songs written in recent years to conceive “On the Road”, a very interesting live album in which they would put aside their influences from the late sixties to vindicate with their fists on the table the most rocky rock. classic, with endless solos of saxophone, guitar, and other instruments on an impeccable rhythmic base.
The song that would stand out the most on the album would be “(Sometimes I feel so) Uninspired”, an extremely inspired ballad with an outstanding piano and several guitar solos.
Also worth noting are “Tragic Magic” and “Low spark of high-heeled boys”, two jazzy songs with a sensational work at the hands of saxophonist Chris Wood.
For their part, the other songs would maintain a very good level and would show the virtuosity of the members of Traffic with their instruments (especially “Glad / Freedom rider”) but their unnecessary long duration would make them somewhat heavy at times.
As a live record of that year's world tour, Traffic: On the Road would become the group's second live album in three years. This album shows us the latest collaboration of the trio formed by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood, together with percussionist Reebop Kwaku Baah. Who are joined here by Roger Hawkins (drums), David Hood (bass) and Barry Beckett (keyboards). The characteristics of this album are based on free improvisation, reaching the realization of 4 songs that exceed 10 minutes long. The downside is that it's the legacy of the promotional tour for "Shoot out at the Fantasy Factory," and the live versions of those tracks don't sound much better or more innovative than the studio ones. In short, Traffic: On the Road reflected the instrumental fullness of great musicians and a formidable band.

Peter Gabriel-"Plays Live " (1983)

"Plays Live" is the final summary of the most interesting stage of Peter Gabriel's solo career; the one between volumes III and IV. If his lyrics are pure conscientious message, the same can be attributed to the live performance. From the select band that accompanied him to the arrangements. The "Plays Live" tour is the one between 1982 and 1983 that featured volume IV. The band consisted of Jerry Marotta (Drums), Tony Levin (Basses and Stick), David Rhodes (guitars) and Larry Fast (on keyboards). An example of the work behind the arrangements was on Marotta's drum set, where Gabriel did not allow crashes and rides; When Marotta asked what he should do after a roll if he couldn't play a crash Gabriel told him to play another drum, snares or whatever. Gabriel wanted a drum kit that sounded more tribal, more African.
"Plays Live" comes from the American tour and shows very fresh and compact versions; with the necessary tension in the slow and half time and the dynamism in the fast ones. The musicians are very correct and respectful of Gabriel's musical sense.
At the same time that his fame was growing, but always on a more underground level than what we knew at the end of the eighties, Gabriel was cultivating a certainly interesting repertoire that he defended live on successive tours. One of them, the one that collects this formidable double album, regained that personal theatrical aspect that Gabriel made his own on previous tours with his ex-group Genesis. Gabriel has always understood a concert as a form of expression that goes beyond the musical, endowing his shows with visual and interpretive nuances that differentiated it from most of the great shows of his time.
"Plays Live", with that wonderful cover is an absorbing double album, impeccable in its sound, the double album is structured in a very intelligent way. In the first, we find several of the most complex and fascinating songs of his early years. All of them in powerful versions, capturing all the nuances of his voice and live sound. In the second he collects the first classics of the musician.
The beginning with "The Rhythm Of The Heart" already warns us that we are facing a different proposal, far from the classical parameters. Then comes the riveting and flawless "No One Of Us" Gabriel's voice, portentous in those years, floods such powerful songs as “D.I.Y” or “Intruder”, the first little classics of his repertoire. He even dares to present a new song called "I Go Swimming" which is excellent. A bridge song between the Gabriel of that time and the one that would come a few years later with albums like "So".
The second disc is reserved to include the hymns of his early days. A set of songs essential to understand the music of the early eighties. Recognizable classics such as “San Jacinto”, which improves and by far the original, “Solsbury Hill” (the best song in his entire repertoire), the danceable “I Don´t Remember”, the highly personal “Shock the Monkey” or the monumental Biko, a song that is the perfect climax to this double live album.

Paladin-"Charge!" (1972)

Paladin are another of those great bands unknown to the general public, originally from the county of Gloucesterhire, in the west of England, it was created by the musicians Peter Solley and Keith Webb, keyboards and drums respectively, and together with guitarist Derek Foley, bassist Peter Beckett and keyboardist Lou Stonebridge made up their lineup for as long as the band existed.
Already in 1971 the Bronze Records publishes their first album and a years later their second album would arrive, this fantastic "Charge!" From here the group reached a lot of popularity in Europe, but the band would not exceed two of its members , Stonebridge and Foley, left their training some time after this last job, for which they decided to separate. The musical life of its members has been intense, some of them collaborating with world-renowned bands and artists (Whitesnake, Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Motorhead or Ted Nugent ...).
In the album in question, "Give me your hand" stood out with a style very close to Grand Funk Railroad when they were a quartet, southern rock "Well we might", the instrumental based on a great organ work "Get one together" The epic "Anyway" or "Good Luck" also stands out, where they showed us some good guitar solos. The last two songs on the album, "Mix Your Mind With moonbeams" and "Whatching the world pass by" show us all their influences from hard rock, through their progressive influences with streaks of British folk.

The Rolling Stones-"Flashpoint" (1991)

In 1989 The Rolling Stones released the album "Steel Wheels" the first with Virgin Records, after having concluded their contract with CBS, during the following months the band would embark on the world tour "Steel Wheels / Urban Jungle Tour" of which different concerts were recorded and some takes were recorded that were included in the fifth live album of the group "Flashpoint" published in 1991.
Unlike his previous live releases, this one has several tracks under study, the early nineties "Highwire" and "Sex Drive", it also contains tracks that were not used to be part of his regular live repertoire such as "Little Red Rooster" or "Factory Girl".
The rest of the repertoire is made up of an impressive set list of classics of the band such as "Satisfaction", "Paint it Black", "Symphaty for the Devil", "Brown Sugar", "Jumpin´Jack Flash" or "Miss You".

Glenn Frey-"Strange Weather" (1992)

Glenn Frey did not spend much time publishing solo albums, with five albums in 25 years, not counting several compilations and a live show, he has followed in the wake of almost all the former members of The Eagles, all of them not very prolific in their careers.
In 1992 Frey released his fourth album "Strange Weather", which despite its enormous quality went somewhat unnoticed by the general public, however here it contains many of the best moments of his career apart from his mother band, such as the melodic "Part Of Me, Part Of you "that would gain relevance after being included in the soundtrack of "Thelma & Louise".
With "Long Hot Summer" Frey demonstrated his eclectic style with a rhythmic and danceable theme, or with the irresistible blues rhythm rock "He Took Advantage (Blues for Ronald Reagan)", on "River of Dreams" his melancholic vein came out as well as his facet of creator of great addictive songs with the great "I´ve Got Mine" and "Brave New World".

The Who-"Tommy" (1969)

By the time "Tommy" was released The Who were already one of the great British bands of all time, however they were considered a singles band, until they released this great work (their fourth album chronologically).
"Tommy" is considered the first rock opera in history and shows the genius of its author Pete Townsend, with an epic, intense, passionate music, opulent in structures, developments, textures and sublime tones, with a great melodic, instrumental and instrumental talent vocal of the four components of The Who.
When this album was published, many called it a masterpiece and others an insult for the subject matter (it tells the story of Tommy Walker, a blind and deaf-mute boy who has innate abilities to play pinball)
Books and films were published about Tommy, it marked an entire era and it is a timeless work, but in 1969 the world was not yet ready for so much musical information, much less accepting and understanding the musical structures that The Who proposed.
Considered one of the most important albums of the 20th century, it is ranked number 96 of the 500 best albums of all time and its commercial reception reaches more than twenty million copies sold worldwide since its publication.

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band-"Against The Wind" (1980)

"Against The Wind" was the eleventh album by Bob Seger with his band The Silver Bullet Band, and it achieved great success until it reached the top of the charts and was the album that had the honor to unseat that put to "The Wall" by Pink Floyd.
Full of slow and very quiet songs, they were the perfect claim to sell more than five million copies, songs like "Fire Lake", "Against The Wind" or "You´ll Accomp´ny Me", make this album a of Bob Seger's masterpieces.
However, it also shows, although to a lesser extent, powerful songs such as "Her Strut" or "Betty Lou's Gettin' Our Tonight", but that large number of ballads would imply a certain relaxation when it comes to continuing to compose powerful songs as before.

Queensrÿche-"Empire" (1990)

"Empire" is the fourth album by the progressive heavy metal band Queensrÿche, which was released in 1990, at the same time it was the band's best-selling album with a triple platinum record and sales that exceeded three million copies.
Unlike his album "Operaton Mindcrime" published two years before, this album does not have a conceptual narrative and is framed within the format of typical songs of hard rock and melodic heavy metal, quite accessible and progressive features and although commercially it was more successful than the mentioned "Operaton Mindcrime", musically I did not get to the top, despite everything it contains great moments such as the rhythmic and outstanding "Best I Can", the heavy "The Thin Line", the melodious "Another Rainy Night", the extensive "Empre" or "Anybody Listening" where they remind us of the slow songs of Pink Floyd.

Nazareth-"Expect No Mercy" (1977)

"Expect No Mercy" was Nazareth's ninth album released in 1977 and musically successor to "Hair of the Dog" two years earlier, and although after the latter, "Close Enough for Rock 'n' Roll" were released. and "Play 'n' The Game", the latter are considered from their most commercial stage with an AOR that moved away from their characteristic heavy hard rock sound.
So in this "Expect No Mercy" the band decided to return to its harder sound with a powerful album and recovering the influences of its beginnings.
And this is demonstrated by songs like the one that gives the album its title with that psychedelic funky touch, the catchy country "Gone Dead Train", the blues "Busted", the heavy blues rock "Kentucky Fried Blues" or the spectacular and hard "Revenge is Sweet", making "Expect No Mercy" another of the great classics of Nazareth.

Levon Helm-"Electric Dirt" (2009)

Levon Helm needs no introduction, drummer of the legendary The Band in the sixties and seventies, he was one of the great percussionists of American roots music.
"Electric Dirt" was his ninth album, in a solo career that had begun in 1977 shortly after the dissolution of The Band, in this new release Helm manages to surpass the success of his predecessor the fantastic "Dirt Farmer" with which he had achieved like this "Electric Dirt" the Grammy award for the best album of American music.
However, here, who was then seventy years old, broadens the musical horizon to go a little further, introducing more electrical elements to continue with his gospel, blues and New Orleans jazz influences, all seasoned with his folk style and country.
With his already deteriorated voice (at that time he suffered from throat cancer) Helm is reeling from theme to theme with great sincerity and in an authentic way with versions of songs by The Band, Randy Newman, Staples Singers or Muddy Waters in addition to his own compositions.

Miles Davis-"Bitches Brew" (1970)

Conceived as an album full of jazz rock, Miles Davis used for the first time in a generalized way the electric instruments and the harmonic and rhythmic structures of rock to create the album "Bitches Brew"
Although already in his previous "In A Silent Way" Davis had begun to introduce the necessary elements to electrify his sound, it would not be until this album when he printed to his music what they would later call jazz rock.
For this new album Davis surrounded himself with three great keyboardists such as Joe Zawinul, Larry Young and Chick Corea, in addition to Dave Holland on bass, Jack deJohnette and Lenny White on drums, Wayne Shorter on sax and John McLaughlin on guitar among others musicians.
However, it is an album that transmits music that is difficult to assimilate due to its structural complexity and the strange rhythm section for that time, which consisted of two bassists, three drummers, two or three pianists and a percussionist all playing at the same time.
Even so "Bitches Brew" was the first Miles Davis album to get a gold record, achieving a fourth place on the North American charts and selling more than a million copies.

Atomic Rooster-"Death Walks Behind You" (1970)

One of the most formidable progressive rock formations in history has been Atomic Rooster, although its status is at the level of a cult band overshadowed by the greats of the genre that emerged during that era and had much more continuity than this.
Formed by Vicent Crane in 1969 like his ex-band Crazy World Arthur Brown, for this he recruits incipient drummer Carl Palmer, bassist Nick Graham and guitar John Du Cann and after having played with Deep Purple they get a contract with the B&C Records label with which they record their first album "Atomic Rooster", a superb work of progressive hard rock.
But after this magnificent work, desertions began and Carl Palmer left the group to found together with Keith Emerson and Greg Lake the mythical EL&P and for his part Graham did the same to found the band Skin Alley.
With a new line-up where besides Crane and Cann were the drummer Paul Hammond, they record their best album "Death Walks Behind You", considered one of the top works of progressive rock.
With a bombastic and far-fetched sound and where the virtuosity of its components together with the force and forcefulness leave us one of the germinal albums of progressive hard.

Blue Oyster Cult-"Spectres" (1977)

"Spectres" is one of the favorite albums of Blue Oyster Cult fans, released in 1977, it was the band's fifth album and followed in the wake of the previous and successful "Agents of Fortune", although here they dose their hard rock towards sounds more commercial.
With a repertoire full of memorable songs where "Godzilla" stands out above all else, an irresistible addictive melodic rock melody, the rest include the AOR "Fireworks", the precious "Golden Age of Leathers", the commercial "Celestial The Queen" or the gloomy "Nosferatu", without forgetting the beautiful ballad "I love the Night".
The album would reach the gold record shortly after its publication and for many it was their last great album, although nevertheless there would still be good works such as "Cultosaurus Erectus" from 1980.

Stevie Ray Vaughan-"In Step" (1989)

After many years hooked on drugs, and multiple musical projects, tours and collaborations during the 70s and 80s, Stevie Ray Vaughan began to have some success when he founded his band Double Trouble in the early 80s.
With an enviable, original technique and great talent with the six strings playing with unbridled passion, Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of the last greats of modern blues, with a solo career that lasted barely ten years and which he recorded a series of albums considered the best of modern blues rock.
With his first album "Texas Flood" he achieved a great reputation and was nominated for the Grammy, being even today one of the most popular albums of the electric blues.
"In Step" was his last album released in 1989, where Vaughan produced an energetic blues rock, fusing Chicago blues with the energy and mystique of one of his idols, Jimi Hendrix.
From the initial and contagious "Crossfire", passing through rock roll "The House is Rockin´ ", the blues ballad "Leave My Girl Alone", the experimental "Riviera Paradise" or the instrumental "Travis Walk", Vaughan leaves us a an essential job that unfortunately was the closure to his excellent career, since a year later he died in a painful helicopter accident in Wisconsin while he was going to a concert in Chicago.

Alvin Lee-"In Flight" (1974)

After the 1974 album "Positive Vibrations" Alvin Lee ended the Ten Years After career, with which he had published a dozen albums.
The abandonment of Lee was mainly to pursue his own solo career that would last until the late eighties when he would reunite the band taking advantage of the fever that the sound of the seventies had at that time.
However Alvin Lee had already published in 1973 while he was still in Ten Years After, the album "On The Road to Freedom" in which he had the collaboration of Steve Winwood, George Harrison, Ron Wood and Jim Capaldi among others.
In "In Flight" Lee took advantage of one of the great specialties of his ex-band, his strong live sound and his excellent live creatives, recorded live at the Rainbow Theater in London in 1974, the repertoire included adaptations of rock classics like "Don´t be Cruel" by Elvis Presley or "Keep a Knocking" or "Mystery Train", in addition to blues songs like the jazz blues song "Freedom For the Stallion", the lilting blues "Every Blues You´ve Ever Heard" or accelerated boogies like "Ride My Train", "I´ve Got Eyes for You Baby" or "Slow Down".

David Bowie-"Aladdin Same" (1973)

With an overwhelming personality that plays with ambiguity with the same ease with which he moves through the most diverse musical genres, David Bowie is one of the most important presences that rock has had throughout history.
His chameleon facet has led him to have both detractors and fans, and this has earned him to make some of the most emblematic albums ever made.
In 1973 he published his sixth album "Aladdin Sane", where his rock essence remains despite losing some force, and retains the brilliance of his predecessor albums "The Man Who Sold The World", "Hunky Dory" and "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust ... "), where powerful themes such as the rhythmic "Watch That Man", the consistent "The Jean Genie", the intense "Aladdin Sane" or the version of the Rolling theme "Let's Spend The Night Together" make him another one of the masterpieces of the "Grand White Duke".

Dr.Feelgood-"Sneakin´ Suspicion" (1977)

Founded in the early 1970s, Dr Feelgood is a pub rock band that had its biggest hits between 1974 and 1979.
Formed by guitarist Wilko Johnson, vocalist Lee Brilleaunx, drummer John Martin and bassist John B. Sparks, they moved between rock and roll and blues rock with influences from greats such as Chuck Berry or Bon Diddley, making a great reputation mainly in direct on the London circuit of pubs and small concert halls.
With the first two albums they had some commercial success, and in 1976 they published the direct "Stupidity" with which they were definitively consecrated reaching number one in the British charts.
A year later, "Sneakin´Suspicion" would arrive. Although it did not have the repercussion of its predecessor, it was his best work, commercially unfairly eclipsed by the booming punk movement of those years.
With a repertoire loaded with explosive and joyful R&B such as "Nothin´Shakin", "Light Out", "Lucky Seven" or "You´ll Be Mine" maintained the high level of the band, which however would be the last recorded by Wilko Johnson for musical disagreements with the rest of the band.

Janis Joplin-"Pearl" (1971)

Janis Joplin is one of the greatest blues and rock singers in history, considered by many to be the most influential female rock artist, who died prematurely at the age of twenty-seven from a heroin overdose.
With only four albums Joplin would achieve the status of a rock diva, her stormy life gave her the ability to reach the depths of each song, each story with her voice and to bring that feeling closer to the public.
Her constant trips to the hippy San Francisco of the time provided her with enough energy and the necessary point of madness to mix that pure black essence with the energy of rock.
On several occasions she even said what would happen to her life when she was not number one and was not a star, and she certainly did not have time to find out, on October 4, 1970, she was found dead in a hotel room in Los Angeles.
Janis had some time broken her collaboration with her band Big Brother & The Holding Company, her happy times in San Francisco were over and she spent her time more drunk than sober, she fought with her musicians in the studio and her life was a physical, mental and emotional lack of control.
At that time Janis Joplin is immersed in the recording of her new album "Pearl", which was still finished, but by the time it was released it had an overwhelming success.
What could come out of such an emotional and physical state? What record could be the result of such a convulsed life? "Pearl" was a terrifying, painful, torn and at the same time magnificent record.
Janis Joplin had managed after her death to do her best and most complete work, songs like "Me and Bobby McGee", "Trust me", "A Woman left Lonely" or "Cry Baby" showed the most absolute sadness without stopping show your wildest and most indomitable side.
And it is that Janis achieved in this amazing album to balance her original strength and mastery of the technique in a very accentuated emotional state.

Tina Turner-"Private Dancer" (1984)

At the end of the seventies Tina Turner ended her artistic and emotional relationship with Ike Turner after more than 15 years, from then on the singer would begin a solo career full of successes.
However, her first jobs went completely unnoticed, the tortuous ending with Ike and this hesitant beginning put her career on the verge of disaster.
But in 1984 and thanks to the album "Private Dancer" Tina Turner managed to return to the top with an album that achieved the incredible figure of more than twenty million copies sold.
For this album, Capitol Records, his new label, put at his command a large number of musicians, producers and recording studios, among others were some components of the Dire Straits, Jeff Beck, Mel Collins, Rupert Hine, Joe Sample or Hal Lindes.
"Private Dancer" would be an exceptional album with a repertoire full of versions of classics adapted to modern rock such as "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green, "Help" by The Beatles, "1984" by David Bowie, or "I Can. ´t Stand the Rain "by Ann Peebles, as well as extraordinary songs like the ballad" "Whats Love Got it Do With it" or "Private Dancer", a song composed by Mark Knopfler that was originally going to be included in the Dire Straits album "Love Over Gold" and was finally never included.

IQ-"The Wake" (1985)

Considered one of the top works of the neo-progressive, "The Wake", it was commercially weighed down by Marillion's album "Misplaced Childhood" which was released around the same time as this one.
In this second IQ album, the line of its predecessor "Tales From Lush Attic" is followed, but with better production and more careful arrangements.
On this occasion the band creates a conceptual album that deals with man crossing the threshold of death, for which musically a dark, mysterious and dire sound is distilled.
Rough treatments of many parts of the guitar, the textures of the keyboards and even the dark sound, are designed to create an emotional and gloomy density, all this endorsed by the theatrical voice of its vocalist Nicholls, who knows how to take advantage of his characteristic vocal register .

Johnny Winter-"Captured Live" (1976)

"Captured Live" shows the best moment and the maximum expression of Johnny Winter and his electric blues rock, with great vitality and bringing out the best of traditional blues but with a powerful rock where his characteristic sound with the six strings here was reinforced by a second guitarist like Floyd Radford.
Recorded during the tour of the two albums that Johnny Winter had released in 1974; "Saints & Sinners" and "John Dawson Winter III", collects songs from different concerts offered in California, more specifically at the At Swing Auditorium in San Benardino, at the Sport Arena in San Diego and the Colisseum in Oakland.
With a repertoire full of electric versions, the version of Bob Dylan's classic "Highway 61 Revisited" and Winter's own "Sweet Papa John" stand out above all.
A great live show from one of the best blues guitarists in history, who during his long career left us with some of the most memorable albums of that genre.

Kansas-"Power" (1986)

Lost as the progressive rock band they were during the 70s, Kansas would publish their tenth album in 1986 with the title "Power", and in which Kerry Livgren, Dave Hope and Robby Steinhardt no longer participated, replaced by Steve Morse and Billy Greer, plus Steve Walsh would return as lead vocalist after the band's experiment with vocalist John Elefante and the album "Drastic Measures" three years earlier.
The band had been inactive for two long years, since they released the aforementioned "Drastic Measures", so many fans were eagerly awaiting a return to Kansas' progressive past, however, "Power" turned out to be a great AOR album. which had lost its unmistakable stamp of intensity, such as the violin.
In any case "Power" turned out to be a meritorious AOR and melodic rock album in which powerful songs such as "Silhouettes In Disguise", "Power", or "Tomb 19" stood out, as well as commercial middle times; "Can´t Cry Anymore" and "All I Wanted" and forays into the progressive like the instrumental "Musicatto"

Jethro Tull-"Bursting Out" (1978)

"Bursting Out" compiles the entire career of Jethro Tull at the time of its publication with a live that can only be described as a masterpiece. By then the band had one of their best lineups (Anderson-Barre-Evan-Barlow-Palmer-Glascock), and at their best and playing the best of their entire repertoire for an hour and a half.
Jethro Tull took a long time to record an entire album live, it took 12 studio albums for them to decide to do it, and by the time they decided the band showed in Bursting Out that good musicians are imperishable and incorruptible, and that they are capable of giving to the public a good dose of good material with a high quality in all aspects.
With an established line-up, more like a group of minstrels than a rock band, composed of guitarist Martin Lancelot Barre, Anderson's right-hand man; drummer Barriemore Barlow - note that even the names sound like an "Excalibur" type movie -; keyboardist John Evan, who sported the manes of a classical composer, arranger David Palmer, and late bassist John Glascock, Jethro Tull went on tour to present “Heavy Horses” and released “Bursting Out” in 1978, the obligatory live stuntman. of every band that boasts.
With a spectacular staging, this gang of adorable buffoons, excellent musicians, seemed to go out to have fun every night on the stage, wearing their clothes, clear foreheads, beards and peddlers' hats, pulling accordions, piccolos, tambourines, everything. necessary to stage those songs composed on Ian Anderson's farm.
Only the entrance to this “Bursting Out”, where an accredited subject like Claude Nobs uses up to three languages ​​to introduce the group - a mocking rant in English, French and Italian, nothing to do with the solemnity of Churchill's speech at the beginning of “ Live After Death ”- gives an idea of ​​the great guignol that Jethro Tull were able to turn their live shows into.
Ninety long minutes of show, with maestro Ian Anderson displaying his pyrotechnics: Incendiary flute solos, wonderful acoustic parts, a repertoire for all tastes, from the blues of the first period to medieval folk in which the genius seems to be more at ease, going through the rocky days of “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath”, along with moments of almost orchestral instrumentation and virtuosity content.
In the opening songs, the new "No Lullaby" and the old "Sweet Dream" - one of his first hit singles - dominate the electric moments. They start the show with force. But the distinction comes with the lyricism of the following: "Skating Away from the Thin Ice of the New Day", "Jack in the Green" and "One Brown Mouse", light, not soft, folk tunes that the band recreates with the mastery of the one who knows what is at hand.
“A New Day Yesterday”, a bluesy piece, offers the opportunity to enjoy the purity of Martin Barre's electric picks. It is followed by Anderson's improvised flute solo, interspersed with grunts and neoclassical fragments such as the piece “Bouree”, and “Songs from the Wood”, sung almost a cappella by the six troubadours.
“Thick as a Brick”, one of his masterpieces, which in the studio took up an entire Lp of 45 minutes, is here reduced to a glorious quarter of an hour. It contains an intro of Anderson singing solo on his acoustic guitar, accelerons with solo flute, electric guitar and keyboard parts, and a cathartic final phase with the entire band in unison.
The second volume opens with the simple “Hunting Girl”, with another beautiful folk tune. As magnificent is the vocal line of the classic “Too Old to r´n´r, Too Young to Die”, and its reckless final part, reminiscent of the music of a Merry-go-round.
An instrumental link containing the drum solo, “Conundrum”, and the colossal “Minstrel in The Gallery”, one of his best songs, a mix of the acoustic tones of minstrel Anderson and the plugged fury of Barre's guitar.
For the end the biggest words: The tough “Cross-Eyed Mary”, the superb “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath”, their best known songs. The strength and the lyrics of these songs from the early days, full of bad slobber and street provocation, contrast with the recent lyrics of the Anderson farmer. “Aqualung” continues to be overwhelming, with its irresistible contrasts between the soft verses and the enraged ones. Barre's plucking on this song is the best this man has ever recorded. And “Locomotive Breath” continues to close Jethro's shows in 2010, not for nothing is it the perfect rock piece.
Buffoons to the end, they say goodbye with "The Dambusters March", a joyous martial hymn that Anderson takes advantage of to throw huge colored balloons on the audience.