Methuselah-Matthew, Mark, Luke And John (1969)

This short-lived British band only released one album, "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John", which, despite containing some great moments, had virtually no commercial impact. Even the Elektra label only released it in the United States, refusing to do so in the band's home country. Despite the biblical title, many wondered at the time what their music had to do with Christianity, aside from the references in some of the song titles and little else. Singer John Gladwin wrote and composed most of the album's material, giving it a sound reminiscent of Fairport Convention's most primitive and raw work, blending traditional British folk with blues and West Coast psychedelic influences. The highlights of this album, which deserves to be rediscovered, are undoubtedly the vibrant and fiery "High in the Tower of Coombie", with its medieval feel, the excellent "Fireball Woman", a sad and mournful ballad, and the jazzy "Frere Jacques". Methuselah disbanded soon afterwards, and Gladwin and rhythm guitarist Terry Wincott left to form the medieval folk group Amazing Blondel, which lasted well into the 21st century.

Gordon Giltrap-The Peacock Party (1979)

Gordon Giltrap is one of the most renowned acoustic guitarists with a folk-rock style, and alongside contemporaries like Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, he is a legend in British folk music. Born in 1948 in Brenchley, Kent, England, he began his musical career in 1968, and under his own name or as part of notable collaborations, he has amassed a vast catalog of recordings. In the mid-1970s, Giltrap released his most acclaimed albums, which were also among the most progressive of his career: "Visionary" (1976), "Perilous Journey" (1977), and "Fear of the Dark" (1978), considered his progressive trilogy. In 1979 came "The Peacock Party", inspired by the works of artist and designer Alan Aldridge, known for his book "The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper Feast", which Roger Glover adapted into his own rock opera, discussed on this blog some time ago. Aldridge is also famous for his album covers for pop and rock music, such as Elton John's "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" and The Who's "A Quick One", and he was also responsible for the Hard Rock Cafe logo. By the time "The Peacock Party" was released, Giltrap's main challenge after the aforementioned trilogy was to live up to its success. Despite this, he continued to embrace the progressive and electric sounds that infused his songs, which had a distinctly acoustic folk character, following the path of musicians like Mike Oldfield and Anthony Phillips. An album that, with a certain jovial atmosphere and without abandoning traditional English music with subtle approaches to medieval sounds, achieves a fantastic work, starting with the ferocious "Headwind-The Eagle", where the band composed of Rod Edwards (keyboards), John Etheridge (electric guitar), John Gustafson (bass), and Ian Mosley (drums) brings us closer to the progressive jazz sounds of the era. In contrast, "Magpie Rag" is a cheerful, danceable composition; the captivating "Tailor Bird" is a beautiful song with countless arrangements; while the exciting "Black Rose-The Raven" comes to a singular life thanks to Giltrap's 12-string guitar and Rod Edwards' keyboards and flutes; or "Dodo Dreams", an anthological piece performed solo that crescendos with a basic structure of melodic chords before adding layers of elegant guitar lines, saxophone, and keyboards.

Pete Brown And Piblokto!-Things May Come And Things May Go, But The Art School Dance Goes On Forever (1970)

This is one of the best examples of the creative spirit of 1960s music. Peter Brown is known for being a frequent collaborator of Jack Bruce, with whom he co-wrote great songs like "White Room" and "I Feel Free" by Cream. Brown was also famous as a highly creative poet in the British beat scene and one of the most important figures in the European music business for years. After leaving his first band, The Battered Ornaments, due to disagreements with another giant of the British rock scene, Chris Speeding, he formed Piblokto! in 1970. Their first album has one of the longest titles in rock history: "Things May Come And Things May Go, But The Art School Dance Goes On Forever." His band consisted of Rob Tait on drums, Roger Bunn on bass, Dave Thompson on keyboards and saxophone, and Jim Mullen on guitar, while Peter Brown took the lead as vocalist. Brown's ease with language and his ingenious, surreal imagery inspire a collection of songs that navigate between jazz and rock, rhythm and blues and pop melodies, all enriched by his poetic lyrics. This album is considered one of the best of the British underground progressive rock era.