Grannie-Grannie (1971)

This is one of those strange and obscure limited-release albums, originally appearing only as a promotional disc, with an official run of just 100 copies and a stark, handcrafted cover. This British band was formed by guitarist Phil Newton in the late sixties. Little else is known about the history of this short-lived group, who privately recorded an album in 1971 without a label to finance them, only to vanish shortly thereafter. Grannie was initially a cover band that played in various London venues such as The Marquee and The Roadhouse. Besides Phil Newton, the band consisted of singer Fred Lilly, flautist Jan Chandler, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Johnny Clark. Taking advantage of an advertisement offering eight hours of studio time, a master recording, and an album for £99, Newton began composing his own songs for the group to include on the recording. The result was an album composed of six tracks of avant-garde and progressive rock, featuring heavy guitars and catchy melodies, as demonstrated in songs like "Coloured Armageddon", "Saga of a Sad Star and Leaving", "Romany of Return", and the acoustic "Dawn". After recording this album, the band suffered the theft of all their equipment before one of their performances, including their first and expensive Mellotron, effectively erasing all trace of the band. In the 1990s, the prestigious magazine Record Collector included this album among the 100 most valuable records of all time due to its high quality, rarity, and limited pressing.

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant-No Quarter (1994)

In 1994, the long-awaited reunion of some of the legendary Led Zeppelin members finally took place, thanks to the live album recorded by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant titled "No Quarter". The tracks on this live album were taken from various performances in London, Wales, and Morocco during mid-1994. Featuring Arabic orchestration on several tracks, the repertoire was based on a more traditional folk and blues style. Despite being quite different from the hard rock and blues rock of their parent band, this new album became a magnificent work and a huge commercial success. Composed of covers of Led Zeppelin classics, along with some new songs, the album showcases the more traditional folk and blues side of Page and Plant, styles that were always a prominent aspect of Led Zeppelin's career, all seasoned with subtle Arabic influences. Listening to tracks like "Nobody's Fault But Mine", "Thank You", "Since I've Been Loving You", and "Kashmir" in an acoustic format, with occasional appearances of electric guitar and Page's unmistakable riffs and guitar solos, is a true delight for the ears of all fans of the band and music lovers in general. These tracks contrast with the more exotic "Friends", "City Don't Cry", and "Wah Wah", while cuts like "That's The Way" and "Gallows Pole" are the most powerful on this outstanding live album from two of the greatest legends of rock music.

Grateful Dead-Grateful Dead (Skull And Roses) (1971)

The Grateful Dead were undoubtedly one of the most intriguing and unique bands in rock. Their mind-blowing live shows made them the epitome of a live band. In 1971, the Grateful Dead were at the height of their success, and it was in that year that they decided to release the self-titled double live album "Grateful Dead", also popularly known as "Skull and Roses". This became their second live effort after the monumental "Live/Dead", released several years earlier. Released in late September 1971, this was the band's seventh album chronologically. On this live recording, the band performed many of the tracks that have become classics in their repertoire over the decades. At that time, the Grateful Dead consisted of Jerry Garcia on lead guitar and vocals, Bob Weir on second guitar and vocals, Ron McKernan on organ and harmonica, Bill Kreutzmann on drums, and Phil Lesh on bass, plus keyboardist Mel Saunders on several of the tracks featured here. While the previous live album showcased expansive, distorted guitar solos influenced by psychedelic rock, blues, and folk rock, this album prioritizes the arrangements of simpler compositions, with Jerry Garcia opting for a low profile in contrast to the band's prominence. This tendency to emphasize the songs themselves over lengthy, drawn-out arrangements is evident in tracks like "Bertha" and "Mama Tired", which barely exceed four minutes. However, there are also moments of frenetic energy, clarity, and instrumental virtuosity, as in "The Other One", an almost 20-minute epic jam that stands as one of the Dead's iconic songs. The rest is a succession of tracks ranging from the free-flowing improvisations of "Wharf Rat" and "Not Fade Away/Goin' Down the Road" to the catchy, more conventionally lengthy rock of "Me and My Uncle", "Big Boss Man", and "Me and Bobby McGee".

Al Jarreau-Breakin´Away (1981)

This extraordinary singer of soul, pop, and smooth jazz has transcended all musical barriers throughout his career, reaching a wide audience thanks to his unique and exquisite vocal technique. Having honed his skills for years in Los Angeles nightclubs, he was discovered performing in 1975 by a Warner Music talent scout who immediately offered him a contract, financing his first album, which was released some time later. This debut album, titled "We Go By", received high praise from both critics and the public, showcasing a musician who moved with astonishing ease from one style to another with complete naturalness, possessing a technique that even allowed him to perfectly imitate guitars and percussion, all delivered with the warmth of his voice and his joyful compositions. From this point on, Al Jarreau's career experienced a meteoric rise, releasing a series of albums that garnered widespread acclaim, such as "Glow" (1976), "This Time" (1980), and "Breakin' Away" (1981). With this last album, Jarreau achieved his greatest commercial success and his best work, a small gem of the finest jazz-soul-pop, with a repertoire brimming with enchanting songs like his version of Dave Brubeck's "(Round, Round, Round) Blue Rondo à la Turk," the captivating "Breakin' Away", and the sensitive pop song "We're In This Love Together". However, much of the album's merit lies in the exquisite production of Jay Graydon and a roster of musicians that included George Duke, David Foster, Steve Lukather, Bill Champlin, Tom Scott, and Jeff Porcaro, among other renowned session musicians from the American West Coast. Over time, Al Jarreau would go on to win nine Grammy Awards with his subsequent albums in the categories of jazz, pop and rhythm and blues, becoming the only artist to achieve such a feat.

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe-Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989)

In the late 1980s, the British band Yes was mired in a kind of structural chaos. While some original members, such as Chris Squire, Alan White, and Tony Kaye, were working in New York on a new album under the official name Yes, along with other former members like Billy Sherwood, the remaining members Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe were doing the same in London. However, the two groups were not interested in joining forces, and in fact, it was this second group that unilaterally released the self-titled album "ABWH" under their initials. Although the album was initially conceived as a solo project by Jon Anderson, who asked the aforementioned former bandmates to collaborate on the recording, it ultimately ended up being credited to all four members as the ABWH project. In those years, there was enormous anticipation to see what this disguised "Yes" would sound like without Chris Squire, and the album would also feature production and cover art by Eddie Offord and Roger Dean, regulars on previous Yes albums, respectively. This album, which seemed destined to become one of their most memorable works, nevertheless suffered from a lack of creativity, the necessary balance, and a certain inconsistency in the final result, despite sounding reminiscent of classic Yes at times. The final result is a kind of hybrid sound, a blend of the original Yes, the band Asia, elements of world music, and hints of new age. This is partly due to Rick Wakeman's innovative keyboard work, Bill Bruford's unusual electronic drumming, the orchestrations of guest keyboardist Matt Clifford, and the exotic guitar touches of Steve Howe and Milton McDonald, another of the musicians who collaborated on the album. Special mention must be made of Tony Levin's bass playing, which undoubtedly makes him one of the most outstanding instrumentalists on this album, noticeably influencing the aforementioned new age and world music sounds with his distinctive style. Even so, there are other remarkable moments such as the symphonic "Fist of Fire", the atmospheric "Brother of Mine", the ambient "Birthright", the spacey "The Meeting", and the progressive "Order of the Universe", a track with a sound reminiscent of Yes at their peak. Shortly after the album's release, the two factions reached an agreement and together, in an extravagant manner, recorded the inferior "Union", which featured a recording process as surreal as it was almost absurd, with two separate working groups (actually there were three): on one side there was ABWH, on the other were Chris Squire and his collaborators, and finally Trevor Rabin also appeared with different musicians in a crazy and chaotic job in six different recording studios, spread between New York, Los Angeles, and Paris.

Marillion-Fugazi (1984)

Marillion's second album, and the first where they truly showcase their own style, moving away from the obvious Genesis influences of their debut. However, despite the band developing highly avant-garde instrumental sections characteristic of their own school, they don't lose sight of the classic sound that was present in their earlier work. For this new album, the band introduced a new drummer, Ian Mosley, who would fit perfectly into the instrumental cohesion of his bandmates. Furthermore, Fish's lyrics are more dynamic, and his vocal style doesn't delve into the vocal intonations of Peter Gabriel. The opening track, "Assassin", represents, in a way, Fish's particular vision of Eastern music an uplifting and energetic song with vigorous drumming, bass interludes, and great guitar riffs. The powerful “Punch and Judy” stands out as one of the most commercially viable yet hard-hitting tracks the band has ever recorded, brimming with powerful riffs, fabulous melodies, and a catchy hook that makes it utterly irresistible. Perhaps “Jigsaw” is the song that most closely resembles the Genesis style, a dark track with soaring passages and sublime guitar solos from Rothery. The superb “Emeral Lies”, with its sinister atmosphere and poetic lyrics, gives way to the brilliant and melodic “She Chameleon”, where the organ takes center stage. To finish the dynamic and progressive track, “Incubus”, which with smooth transitions between the different melodies within the same theme, makes it a superb and brilliant track and one of the fans' favorites in the group's live performances, and the more intimate and delicate “Fugazi”, a worthy conclusion to an extraordinary neo-progressive album, considered one of the masterpieces of the genre.