Coney Hatch-Friction (1985)

This Canadian band made rock for discerning tastes. Coney Hatch emerged in the early eighties within the burgeoning melodic rock scene of the time, and with their self-titled debut album (1982), they quickly made a name for themselves thanks to tracks like "Devil's Deck", "Hey Operator", and "Monkey Bars". They were characterized by their multiple riffs, immersive keyboards, catchy melodies, and the distinctive voice of their singer, Carl Dixon. In 1985 came their third and ultimately final album, "Friction", a collection of superb melodic rock tracks, beginning with the sublime ballad "Fantasy". However, it's the opening track, "This Ain't Love", a hard rock blast, that kicks off the album, followed by other gems like "Wrong Side of Town" and "State Line", alongside superb AOR tracks such as "She's Gone", "Girl From Last Night's Dream", and the powerful "He's a Champion". As has so often happened, quality doesn't guarantee success, and they soon faded into complete obscurity, until 2013 when they returned with the album "Four", which finally restored them to the recognition they had been denied in those years.

Kayak-Kayak (1974)

Another renowned Dutch progressive rock band is Kayak, dubbed "the new Dutch supergroup" by the Dutch press, and whose immense popularity was primarily in Central European countries. Founded by keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel, guitarist Johan Slager, drummer Pim Koopman, bassist Kristoffer Gildenlöw, and vocalist Max Werner in Hilversum, in the north of the Netherlands. In 1973, they released their first album, "See See The Sun", which spawned three highly successful singles, followed by "Ruthless Queen", both of which reached the top of the charts. In 1974, they released their self-titled second album, maintaining a style similar to their debut. However, on this album, Johan Slager's guitars took center stage over Tom Scherpenzeel's keyboards, although Scherpenzeel also contributed to the more melodic tracks. An album where the progressive tracks “They Get To Know Me”, “Mireille” and “Trust In The Machine” stand out, as well as the melodic “Woe And Alas” and “Mountain Too Rough”, while “Alibi” and “Serenades” showcase the more commercial side, with addictive and catchy rock songs.

Solution-...It´s Only Just Begun..(1980)

Another great band from the Netherlands is Solution, originally formed in the early 1970s, who were active until 1983, releasing six studio albums highly regarded in the progressive rock, jazz-rock, and symphonic pop scenes. From their very first album, this band demonstrated great songwriting talent and impressive instrumentation. This debut album consisted mainly of instrumental tracks, complex jazz-rock arrangements with prog influences, clearly influenced by bands like Soft Machine, Frank Zappa, and the jazz of John Coltrane. In 1975, Elton John's label, The Rocket Record Company, released their albums "Cordon Bleu" and "Fully Interlocking" (1977), where, thanks to John Gus Dudgeon's production, their sound became much sharper and more concise, featuring a sophisticated blend of soul and jazz-rock. From this point on, the band shifted its style towards a more commercial yet highly complex sound, where expansive instrumental passages blended with melodic rock and soul/jazz themes of great compositional creativity. Thus, the albums "...It's Only Just Begun..." and the subsequent "Runaway" are considered their best works. "It's Only Just Begun" is where the band best showcases its diverse influences, from Steely Dan-esque soft jazz with standout tracks like "On My Own", "It Happened In September", and "It's Only Just Begun", to progressive explorations like "Captain Willie" and genuinely jazz-fusion pieces like "Logic".