Arthur Conley-Sweet Soul Music (1967)

In the mid-sixties, American soul was one of the styles that revitalized the music world, becoming a serious competitor to the burgeoning British pop movement. It was in this context that Arthur Conley emerged, one of the many singers who became its driving force. Conley was a renowned and accomplished performer who, until then, had been immersed in the rhythm and blues of the American South. As early as the beginning of the sixties, he had achieved his first hit with "Poor Girl" with The Corvettes, and some time later he would gain the support of Otis Redding, who, in addition to being a great friend, would actively collaborate on his subsequent releases. Thus began his artistic peak, releasing successful albums such as "Sweet Soul Music", a kind of tribute to the soul greats of that era, such as James Brown, Wilson Pickett, and Otis Redding himself. However, his greatest successes came with iconic hits like "People Sure Act Funnt", "Funky Street", "Ah, Ah, Ah", and "Shake Rattle & Roll", released during a time when Arthur Conley knew how to seize his opportunity. His triumph came at the perfect moment, a time when the music industry needed other stylistic alternatives. But as always happens in any area of ​​life, when the soul boom began to decline, Conley faded into the background, his image buried beneath the thousands of decibels of the new styles that emerged in the late 60s and early 70s, such as heavy rock, psychedelic rock, and progressive rock.

Tommy Bolin-Private Eyes (1976)

It's no secret that Tommy Bolin was unfairly undervalued by Deep Purple fans when he replaced Ritchie Blackmore in the band in the mid-70s. In fact, many dismissed his only recording with that legendary group, not even giving it a second listen to appreciate his mastery of the electric guitar. This public rejection was a severe blow to the ego of such an emotionally sensitive musician. Recorded the same year as his sole release with Purple, Bolin launched his second solo album, "Private Eyes", where he distanced himself from the jazz-rock of Alphonse Mouzon's "Mind Transplant", the furious hard rock and funk of Deep Purple's "Come Taste the Band", and even the vigorous rock of "Teaser", his first solo album. In "Private Eyes", Bolin displays a more eclectic and relaxed style, offering a work brimming with soothing rhythmic allusions and soft, laid-back sounds. From exotic delights like the samba "Gypsy Soul", to forays into melodic rock with "Someday We'll Bring Our Love Home", to concessions to swing-tinged blues with "You Told Me That You Loved Me", returns to the vigorous jazz-rock of "Shake the Devil", and a more conventional side with the ballad "Sweet Burgundy". Although he never abandoned drugs, likely fueled by his artistic failures a fact that would ultimately lead to his death his youth and audacity helped him find a style open to the many influences he would showcase in the short time he lived to tell the tale. Tommy would die on December 4, 1976 in Miami, just 6 months after this launch and at only 26 years of age, due to an overdose of heroin and other substances such as cocaine and alcohol.

Lou Reed-Live: Take No Prisoners (1978)

This double live album by Lou Reed, released in late 1978, is one of his most infamous records, and it's so because, more than a conventional live album, it's a long monologue in which he insults, rants, and laughs at everything under the sun, all while smoking and telling sordid jokes brimming with malice and madness. Preceded by the equally twisted "Street Hassle", this concert, recorded at The Bottom Line in New York in May 1978, features Lou Reed revisiting some of his most emblematic songs, which sound unrecognizable here, yet retain their charm thanks to the brilliant musical treatment applied. Songs like "Sweet Jane" contain hurtful interludes, such as insulting the audience. Others, like "I Wanna Be Black", "Satellite of Love", "Pale Blue Eyes", and "Berlin", showcase an excellent backing band that navigates between funk and rock, embellishing the well-oiled rhythm section with electric guitars, piano, saxophone, and backing vocals. In "I'm Waiting for My Man", Reed returns to the attack after warning the audience, "I'll speak when you shut up". Not content with slightly altering the title and presenting the song as a blues track three times longer than the original, it ultimately becomes the prelude to one of his biting songs, "Temporary Thing". However, Reed's harshest and most scathing criticisms are reserved for the nearly seventeen minutes of an unalterable "Walk On The Wild Side", whose riff perpetuates itself as a cold chant over which Lou Reed hurls insults left and right, insulting music critic Robert Christgau, talking about how idiotic Joe Dallesandro was, imitating and ridiculing Barbra Streisand, praising Bruce Springsteen, or improvising on any outlandish idea that crossed his mind during the concert, turning this song into a kind of ceremony of bewilderment and provocation. Without a doubt, we are dealing with a punk album, performed in a way that few, if any, punks would ever dream of.

Mingo Lewis-Flight Never Ending (1976)

Mingo Lewis rose to fame when he joined Santana's band, and later Return to Forever, the band of Chick Corea and Al Di Meola, as well as collaborating with Todd Rundgren. In 1976, Lewis released his only solo album, "Flight Never Ending", on which the talented drummer collaborated with various session musicians from Columbia Records, including Eric McCann, David Logeman, Michael Kapitan, Kincaed Miller, Louis Bramy, and Randy Sellgren. "Flight Never Ending" is considered by many to be one of the most underrated jazz-rock albums of the 1970s. It's an energetic and powerful work featuring Lewis's superb drumming and surprising instrumentation from a group of very talented but largely unknown musicians. Latin-infused tracks like the exotic "Visions of Another Time", funky movements like "Trapezoid", sound experiments like "Magnary Monsters", full jazz rock tracks like "Flight Never Ending", or memorable musical fusion dynamics like "Heartsong", constitute a dazzling and forgotten work of the best jazz rock of the seventies.

Colosseum II-Electric Savage (1977)

A year after Colosseum's second-era debut album, the band introduced a new bassist on their second record: John Mole, who replaced Neil Murray. Equally important, and perhaps more significantly, was their shift towards an almost entirely instrumental style of progressive jazz-rock. We say "almost" because Gary Moore lends his vocals to one track, though that song is arguably the most forgettable of all those included on this new album. On "Electric Savage", the group comprised of Gary Moore (guitar and vocals), Don Airey (keyboards), John Hiseman (drums), and the aforementioned John Mole fully delves into the realm of jazz, rock, and avant-garde structures. This avant-garde approach is evident in the progressive track "The Scorch", while Moore's powerful guitar riffs drive the jazz-rock tracks "Put It This Way" and "All Skin & Bone". On the other hand, the dispensable "Rivers", featuring Moore's vocals, and the ostentatious "Lament" somewhat lower the high bar set on the first side of the album. The rest consists of "Desperado", a vigorous jazz fusion piece, and the ethereal "Am I" and "Intergalactic Strut", two tracks where Airey's keyboards subtly overshadow Moore's guitar, and which, along with the opening songs, are the highlights of the legendary British band's second release.

Gong-Gong Live, Etc (1977)

Gong were a surreal, cosmic band who created some of the most extravagant albums, distinguished by their long instrumental improvisations, spacey atmospheres, psychedelia, satirical lyrics, and eccentric, chaotic musicality. After releasing a series of works bordering on the absurd and outlandish, such as their acclaimed albums for fans of the most unique progressive rock the legendary "Flying Teapot", "Angel's Egg", "You", and "Shamal", they released the double live album "Gong Live, Etc", a perfect showcase of their wild shows, encompassing some of the material from their studio albums. However, the live versions of all this material, while somehow summarizing the strangeness and extravagance of the group, don't quite capture the musical magic of the madness revealed in the original albums. Even so, the listener is delighted to hear the driving rhythms of their stylistic philosophy, from Steve Hillage's guitar to Didier Malherbe's saxophone and flute, Tim Blake's ethereal keyboards, Pierre Moerlen's dissonant and talented drumming, and Daevid Allen's burlesque and sometimes off-kilter vocal antics. This live recording perfectly showcases the unprecedented eccentricity that this wild and talented British band displayed on stage.