Yes-Relayer (1974)

"Relayer", along with "Tales From Topographic Oceans", is one of Yes's most difficult, inaccessible, and intricate albums, but by no means a lesser work. On the contrary, both are masterpieces of progressive rock, which, despite having less commercial impact, owed it to their complexity and, at the same time, their less harmonious and accessible side. In a way, "Relayer" follows the trend of the aforementioned "Tales From Topographic Oceans", released a year earlier. But the musical epic of almost biblical proportions that was "Tales From..." claimed its first victim in Rick Wakeman, who came to loathe the complex compositions based on Eastern philosophies that singer Jon Anderson and Steve Howe composed during countless hours between concerts on the "Close To The Edge Tour". Finally, after the tour following "Tales From...", Rick Wakeman left the band to pursue his solo career, which had already begun in 1973 with his album "The Six Wives of Henry VIII". Therefore, they had to find a replacement with the ideal qualities for the position. While Vangelis was initially considered, it was ultimately the Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz who was chosen. Patrick Moraz already had an impressive career with the bands Mainhorse and Refugee, the latter a progressive rock band in the purest ELP style, so his integration was quick and seamless, with no one missing the blond keyboardist with long hair and colorful layers. "Relayer" structurally consists of three extensive tracks, beginning with the jazzy and progressive "The Gates of Delirium", a prodigious 23-minute piece inspired by Tolstoy's "War and Peace", which is one of Yes's compositional and instrumental peaks. On the second side, we find the brutal “Sound Chaser”, which blends elements of free jazz and visceral rock with tons of progressive sounds, featuring an immeasurable and sublime Steve Howe on guitar. The album closes with “To Be Over”, a track brimming with moments of peace and solemnity, where Jon Anderson delivers an absolutely masterful performance. “Relayer” confirmed the band's shift away from accessible and melodic sounds, towards riskier and more experimental approaches, a direction that would keep them from releasing new albums for almost three years.

Blue Goose-Blue Goose (1974)

Blue Goose was a British band that rose from the ashes of a group called Zeus, which included keyboardist Nicky Hogarth and drummer Chris Perry. Along with guitarists Allan Callan and Eddie Clarke (the latter later joining Motörhead), they formed the initial core of the band. Later, before recording their first and only album, guitarist Mike Todman replaced Clarke, and together with vocalist Joey Molland, they recorded the self-titled debut, "Blue Goose", under the Anchor Records label in 1974. Although not officially a member of the band, Clarke briefly participated in the recording of the album, playing on the instrumental track "Over the Top", a song he composed himself. Musicians Alexis Corner and Steve Marriott also contributed to the album. With a strong influence from boogie rock and British hard rock blues, and a heavy emphasis on powerful twin-guitar riffs, slide guitars, and Hammond organ sounds, this debut album was an interesting record, highly praised by critics at the time. Right from the start, Blue Goose's style is evident in the jam-rock blues track "Stuffin' Stuff", featuring the entire band's participation. In "The Chorus", the band showcases their impressive vocal and melodic talents, as does the acoustic "Call On Me". Meanwhile, "Loretta" and "Snowman" display their more powerful side with two excellent hard blues tracks. The rest of the album is equally commendable, including the laid-back "Inside Yourself," the aforementioned instrumental "Over The Top", and the powerful "Let Me Know". Although the subsequent live album was quite well received, the studio album did not achieve the expected success, so all its members decided to pursue independent careers, thus ending the short career of this interesting band.

Headstone-Still Looking (1974)

Headstone was an American band from Indiana that released only one album in 1974, "Still Looking", in addition to several singles the following year. Formed by the Flynn brothers Bruce on guitar, Barry on bass and lead vocals, and David on drums along with keyboardist Tom Applegate, their sole release had such a limited run that it quickly became a collector's item for fans of dark, heavy prog from the 1970s. This single album is notable for its enormous, powerful, and heavy guitar riffs, a smoky organ, and catchy vocals, playing a hard rock style with progressive and psychedelic elements a style closer to that of the late 1960s than to the mid-1970s when it was recorded. Among the highlights of this album are the title track, a visceral and powerful psychedelic hard rock song, the melodic and dark "Those Days", the progressive blues "I Like It", and the psychedelic "Misery". Years later, the original tapes were discovered, and the album was reissued on CD with additional tracks by Starr Records.