Keats-Keats (1984)

Keats was a side project of The Alan Parsons Project, which released an album in 1984 that went somewhat unnoticed for various reasons. Let's set the scene: in 1984, something quite unusual happened within The Alan Parsons Project. While they were recording the album "Ammonia Avenue", some of the musicians involved in that recording formed a side project and, practically at the same time, recorded two albums at Abbey Road Studios in London. One was the aforementioned "Ammonia Avenue", the seventh album by The Alan Parsons Project, and the other was the first and ultimately only album by Keats, the band these musicians had formed. These musicians were Ian Bairnson, Colin Blunstone, David Patton, and Stuart Elliott, who, along with contributions from Pete Bardens and Richard Cottle, recorded an album that Alan Parsons himself produced and which received invaluable assistance from Eric Woolfson. In other words, the entire Alan Parsons Project participated, but under the name Keats. However, the original idea to create a separate or parallel band, as we might call it, came from Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, who wanted to give more prominence and greater recognition to the members who regularly recorded with the Alan Parsons Project. Even the name Keats was Woolfson's idea, taken from the English poet John Keats. The final result of this album, as is obvious, is synonymous with The Alan Parsons Project, with a series of tracks that could easily belong on any of his albums. It's an album with a typical 80s sound, imbued with the timelessness that Alan Parsons brings to his creations, and boasts enormous and exquisite quality. Tracks like "Heaven Knows", with the introduction by saxophonist Richard Cottle and Blunstone's melodic voice, transport us to magical moments like "I Robot" or "Pyramid". A similar effect occurs in tracks like "Tragedy" or "How Can You Walk Away". while AOR sounds in a more melodic Toto vein are present in "Walking On Ice" or "Turn Your Heart Around". In contrast, "Night Full Of Voices" is a superb mid-tempo track very close to "Eye Of The Sky", and in "Hollywood Heart", Blunstone's voice and the instrumental melody remind us of tracks like "Old and Wise".

Black Sabbath-Sabotage (1975)

In 1975, Black Sabbath released their sixth album, "Sabotage", considered the most progressive and elaborate work of the band's entire career. It features epic compositions in the purest progressive style, such as "Megalomania" and "The Writ", interspersed with six other excellent tracks. Taking these two epic songs as a reference point, we find "Megalomania", an extensive, magnificently crafted piece of over 10 minutes that conceptually deals with madness and mental illness and musically showcases Black Sabbath's psychedelic and experimental side with a superb, monumental proto-progressive track. Similarly, "The Writ" is another progressive piece, even heavier and darker than the former, and lyrically a declaration against the music business. The rest of the album ranges from the band's classic sound, such as the crushing "Symptom of the Universe", to the strange and instrumental "Supertzar", the heavy and evocative "Hole in the Sky", the mournful and somber "Thrill of It All", and the more accessible "Am I Going Insane?". "Sabotage," despite being a superb album and one of their most intricately crafted works, is also one of the most misunderstood and least appreciated albums in the entire discography of the Birmingham band. While it wasn't as immediately accessible as the first three albums, it was truly the pinnacle of Ozzy's creative prowess with Black Sabbath and the end of the band's most glorious period.

Al Stewart-Modern Times (1975)

In 1975, Al Stewart released the album that would be the prelude to his legendary "Year of the Cat". Produced by Alan Parsons, "Modern Times" already hinted at the unmistakable sound that would arrive a year later. This would be the Scotsman's last album with CBS, which chose not to renew his contract after five releases with the American label. Featuring cover art by the renowned Hipgnosis, this was his most complete work to date, showcasing outstanding guitar work from Tim Renwick and highly accomplished compositions. For this album, in addition to Renwick, Stewart collaborated with musicians such as Peter Wood, Andrew Powell, Gerry Conway, and Simon Nicol. Alan Parsons' superb production and Andrew Powell's orchestral arrangements are evident in tracks like "Modern Times" and "The Dark and the Rollin' Sea", while the melodic "Carol" and the rhythmic "Apple Cider Re-Constitution" provide the perfect ending to this great album.

Al Stewart-Past, Present And Future (1974)

“Past, Present and Future” was the last album of the first phase of Al Stewart's career, a period in which acoustic sounds permeated his folk style with subtle hints of rock. While his three previous albums had already begun to electrify his style with the collaboration of some of the best instrumentalists of the time, such as Jimmy Page, Rick Wakeman, and John Paul Jones, this fifth album saw him almost entirely abandon those influences to delve into sophisticated, electric arrangements with a refined style of elegant folk rock. This album features several of his future regular collaborators, such as guitarist Tim Renwick and keyboardist Peter Wood, as well as other prestigious musicians like Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, B.J. Cole, and Queen drummer Roger Taylor, among many others. Recorded during the first months of 1973 at Trident Studios in London, it was released on different dates: October 1973 for the British market and May 1974 for the North American market. Created as a concept album, “Past, Present and Future” revisits almost every decade of the 20th century, showcasing the Scottish musician's remarkable skill as a historical storyteller. Tracks like the beautiful “Old Admirals”, the catchy “Soho (Needless to Say)”, the Beatles-esque “Terminal Eye”, the melodic “The Last Day of June 1934”, and the beautifully arranged “Roads to Moscow” and “Nostradamus” propelled the album to overwhelming success in the ever-competitive North American market.

Al Stewart-24 Carrots (1980)

"24 Carrots", the ninth album by Scottish musician Al Stewart, marks the culmination of his most creative period, coinciding with his greatest successes thanks to monumental albums like "Love Chronicles", "Past, Present and Future", "Year of the Cat", and "Time Passages". On this latest recording, guitarist Peter White remains a key contributor to the compositions co-written with Stewart, who also leads his new backing band, Shot in the Dark. The album comprises a series of elegant, accessible, and catchy soft rock songs. Tracks such as the engaging "Merlin's Time", the energetic "Mondo Sinistro", the semi-progressive "Running Mari", the infectious "Paint by Number", and the harmonious "Midnight Rocks" are part of an inspiring and sophisticated album, very much in keeping with the stylistic vein of his previous work.

Wishbone Ash-Number The Brave (1981)

In 1981, Wishbone Ash released their eleventh studio album, "Number the Brave", whose main novelty was the addition of John Wetton on bass. And although his contribution is noticeable in the vocal melodies and his powerful bass playing, he left the band shortly after recording to join a new lineup, Asia, alongside Steve Howe, Carl Palmer, and Geoff Downes. The rest of the band consisted of Andy Powell (guitar and lead vocals), Laurie Wisefield (guitar), and Steve Upton (drums), with additional musicians Claire Hammill on vocals and Gasper Lawal on percussion. On “Number The Brave”, the band opted for a frenetic album with powerful guitar riffs, featuring standout tracks like their cover of Rare Earth's "Get Ready", the melodic title track "Number The Brave", the rhythmic "Where Is The Love", the fast-paced "That's That", and the commendable "Rainstorm", "Underground", and "Kicks On The Street". However, poor reviews and limited commercial success led to Wishbone Ash's contract with MCA Records being terminated. Even so, as a farewell gesture, the label released the live album "Hot Ash" that same year, featuring a setlist based on some of the band's classics like "Blowin' Free" and "Goodbye Baby Hello Friend". But it was "Way Of The World", "No Easy Road", and "Bad Weather Blues" that truly made this live album appealing, primarily because these songs were not typically included in their concert setlists.

Elvis Presley-Elvis (1956)

Released seven months after his phenomenal debut, Elvis Presley's second album once again showcased his innate talent for mastering diverse styles such as blues, ballads, and rock. Recorded in just four days at Radio Recorders Studios in Hollywood and RCA Studios in New York, it was produced by Steve Sholes. The backing band at that time consisted of his inseparable Scotty Moore on electric guitar, Bill Black on bass, D.J. Fontana on drums, and pianists Gordon Stoker and Shorty Long, along with the backing vocal group The Jordanaires. Songs like "Ready Teddy", "Long Tall Sally", "Rip It Up", "First in Lane", "Paralyzed", and "Old Shep", confirmed another brilliant recording from the King of Rock and Roll, at a time when his popularity was at the peak of his career, astonishing the world with his enormous versatility, his highly distinctive voice, and his charismatic personality. The album immediately entered the top spot on the Billboard charts, managing to sell a whopping one million copies in the North American market in just a few months.

Refugee-Refugee (1974)

In the early 1970s, Keith Emerson left The Nice to form the first progressive rock supergroup, the legendary Emerson, Lake & Palmer. This move practically spelled the end for The Nice, who nevertheless managed to continue for a few years, releasing several albums consisting mainly of material they had composed in previous years. In 1973, two of its members, Lee Jackson and Brian Davidson, wanted to reform the band, recruiting a new keyboardist. This position went to the Swiss Patrick Moraz, who came from a band called Mainhorse. This virtuoso keyboardist, far from trying to emulate the instrumental pyrotechnics and post-romantic sounds of Keith Emerson, proved himself a virtuoso keyboardist with more versatile resources, oriented towards a more baroque and classical symphonic style. This new project, called Refugee, released their debut and ultimately only album in 1974. It showcased a solid progressive rock sound, with brilliant compositions and instrumentation, driven by Moraz's keyboards and supported by the powerful bass of Lee Jackson and the drumming of Brian Davison. From the opening track, "Papillon", a stunning display of Patrick Moraz's skills, to the epics "The Source" and "Credo", it's an outstanding work that rivals the masterpieces of ELP. However, a year later, history repeated itself. This time, Patrick Moraz left the band to join Yes, replacing Rick Wakeman, thus ending the adventure of this short-lived but formidable progressive rock band.