Atlanta Rhythm Section-Red Tape (1976)

Hailing from Doraville, Georgia, the Atlanta Rhythm Section belongs to that generation of Southern rock bands that, despite creating their own style and building a strong reputation in the Southern states, were never able to compete with the giants of the genre like The Allman Brothers or Lynyrd Skynyrd. In 1972, their first full-length album, "The Atlanta Rhythm Section", was released. Despite being a promising album, it went largely unnoticed by the general public. A second release, "Back Up Against The Wall", released the following year, also failed to achieve the desired recognition, but it did lead to them being chosen to support Lynyrd Skynyrd on several tours throughout the Southern states. The switch from Decca to Polydor record labels brought with it a new album, "Third Annual Pipe Dream" (1974), which brought them considerable notoriety thanks to the hit "Doraville" and the Southern epic "Angel (What In The World's Come Over Us)". "Dog Days", released in 1975, continued the band's growing popularity, thanks to tracks like the blues-rock anthem "Boogie Smoogie", the energetic "Crazy", and the melodic "All Night Rain" and "Dog Days". In mid-1976, they released their fifth and, to date, best album, "Red Tape", a record leaning more towards a harder sound, as evidenced by tracks like "Free Spirit", "Another Man's Woman", "Jukin' ", "Mixed Emotions", "Shanghied", and "Oh What a Feeling". Despite the album's undeniable quality, it didn't achieve the expected success, only reaching a modest position on the American charts.

Great White-...Twice Shy (1989)

Great White are one of the great American hard rock bands of the 1980s, remembered as much for a series of superb albums that enjoyed immense success as for one of the most tragic events in rock history. Formed in California in the late 1970s, they were initially associated with the hair metal movement so popular in the 1980s. However, their first album didn't arrive until 1984, their self-titled debut, which leaned towards classic heavy metal. A change of record label and lineup led to their second album, "Shot in the Dark" (1986), which showcased their blues roots and clear Led Zeppelin influences. Their next and highly successful album, "Once Bitten" (1987), confirmed their irresistible style of hard blues rock, resulting in a memorable record that sold over a million copies in the United States. But it was with their fourth release, "...Twice Shy" (1989), that they truly exploded onto the scene, crafting a masterful exercise in superb hard rock with Southern and blues influences. With a repertoire as brilliant as it is breathtaking, it features songs like the vigorous "Move It", the Southern-tinged "Heart the Hunter", the fast-paced heavy rock "Baby's on Fire", the bluesy "House of Broken Love", the catchy cover of Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", and the beautiful ballad "The Angel Song". A number nine spot on the Billboard charts and over two million copies sold confirmed this masterpiece. Some years later, specifically in 2003, during one of their concerts in Rhode Island, an unfortunate incident led to a terrible fire that claimed the lives of one hundred people, including the band's guitarist Try Longley, as well as many other serious injuries, making this regrettable event one of the darkest chapters in contemporary music.

Blonde On Blonde-Contrasts (1969)

Borrowing their title from Bob Dylan's 1966 album, Blonde on Blonde was a psychedelic band formed in 1967 in Newport by guitarist Gareth Johnson, bassist Richard Hopkins, and drummer Les Hicks. Some time later, guitarists and vocalists Ralph Denyer and Simon Lawrence joined them. In 1968, they moved to England and recorded several noteworthy singles on the British label Pye Records. That same year, they recorded their first full-length album, "Contrasts", showcasing their psychedelic influences fused with other styles such as blues, folk, and hard rock. This debut features songs ranging from British psychedelic pop-rock ("Ride With Captain Max") to Eastern-influenced tracks like "Spinning Wheel", folk songs like "Regency" and "Island on an Island", blues rock like "I Need My Friend", and progressive blues with the elaborate "Mother Earth". In the following two years the band would release two new works "Rebirth" and "Reflections On A Life", which despite their unquestionable quality, would go completely unnoticed, thus leading to the disappearance of this excellent North American group.

Giles, Giles & Fripp-The Cheerful Insanity Of Giles, Giles & Fripp Music (1968)

We are faced with a historic album, not precisely for its musical excellence, but rather because, in the midst of the most splendid era of psychedelia, three of the future members of one of the greatest bands in history, King Crimson, appeared, creating an album very different from what, a year later, would be considered the beginning of progressive rock with the first and anthological recording of Corte de Carmesi (Crimson Court). However, observing from the distance of more than 50 years, something deeper than the simplicity of the included songs can be appreciated here songs oriented towards pastoral psychedelia, with a simple and strange structure and a decidedly absurd and puerile concept. In it, we can find glimpses of the elements that would be fundamental in the future King Crimson, such as the drumming of Michael Giles, and the phenomenal guitar and mellotron of Robert Fripp. These characteristics are present in several tracks, such as "Suite No. 1" and "Erudite Eyes", the former a serene instrumental with a grand intro by Robert Fripp, and the latter an energetic and intriguing experiment in psychedelic jazz. While both don't definitively clarify the path they would soon follow with their next lineup, they do showcase their early period and, as such, can be considered a clear preview of the legendary British band.

Grand Funk-Phoenix (1972)

In 1972, Grand Funk Railroad found themselves at a crossroads: continue showcasing their powerful and direct hard rock or veer towards a more versatile and accessible sound by incorporating keyboards for a more commercial appeal, without abandoning their muscular rock edge. With the addition of keyboardist Craig Frost, they released the album "Phoenix", a work that even features subtle progressive touches, as evidenced in the opening track, "Fight of the Phoenix". Furthermore, on this new release, they shortened their name to Grand Funk, albeit temporarily, and also parted ways with their manager and producer, Terry Knight. However, this new album also reveals a certain lack of creative freshness from their guitarist and leader, Mark Farner, even though he continues to display his electrifying and energetic side. Tracks like the semi-progressive "Trying To Get Away", the psychedelic "Rain Keeps Fallin' ", the boogie-blues "I Just Gotta Know", the hypnotic "Freedom Is For Children", and the catchy "Rock and Roll Soul" proved that the band still had enough talent to continue evolving musically. Although "Phoenix" didn't surpass its predecessors commercially, it did reach number seven on the Billboard charts and achieved gold status in the North American and Canadian markets.