Orang-Utan-Orang-Utan (1970)

Orang-Utan is another of those obscure British bands from the early 70s with a story as bizarre as it is unheard of. Originally called Hunter, this band had built a considerable reputation on the pub and gig circuit in North London in the late 60s. Their lineup consisted of Terry Clark (vocals), Mick Clarke (guitar), Sid Fairman (guitar), Paul Roberts (bass), and Jeff Seopardie (drums). With a style that straddled acid rock and heavy rock, tinged with the prevailing psychedelia of the time, following in the footsteps of leading bands like The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin, and Cream, they soon attracted attention for their undeniable talent and skill. In 1970, they managed to record a self-financed album, produced by Roy Thomas Baker, a seasoned producer who would later become famous as the sound engineer for albums by Queen, Journey, and Hawkwind, among many others. Once the album was completed, and while waiting for a record deal, the original master tapes were stored in the recording studios for later official release. However, shortly afterward, the original tapes were stolen from the studios where they were stored and ended up in the hands of a man named Adrian Miller, who claimed credit for the album's production and sold the rights to Bell Records for release. Before doing so, he even changed the band's name to Orang-Utan and designed a cover that, frankly, looks like the work of an elementary school child. Shortly after, the band accidentally discovered that their album had been released without their consent and, to make matters worse, under a different name. This strange episode precipitated the group's dissolution shortly afterward, as they received no royalties from the released album and were financially driven to bankruptcy after investing all their money in its recording. This unique and unusual album was released only in the German and American markets, another misfortune for the group, as they couldn't even see it released in their home country. This fact also hampered their attempts to claim the rights to the released material. Musically, this obscure and lost album showcases the great talent of vocalist Clarke, fabulous guitar riffs, and brilliant and effective compositions, as demonstrated in the powerful "I Can See Inside Your Head", with its late-60s psychedelic flavor, the hard blues rock of "Slipping Away", the Zeppelin-esque "Chocolate Piano", the dusty, Southern-rooted "Fly Me High" and "Country Hike", and the experimental "Magic Playground".

Camel-I Can See Your House From Here (1979)

As the 1970s drew to a close, progressive rock wasn't at its peak. Other styles like new wave, punk, disco, and heavy metal were booming, so many of the leading bands in the symphonic genre tried to modernize their style towards more commercial sounds without falling into mediocrity or losing an ounce of their own identity. Camel was no exception to this rule, and with their seventh album, "I Can See Your House From Here", they reinvented themselves by brilliantly blending commercial appeal and virtuosity. By this point, the band had undergone several lineup changes. Pete Bardens and Richard Sinclair were no longer with the band, replaced by keyboardists Kit Watkins and Jan Schelhaas, and bassist Colin Bass, while guitarist Andy Latimer and drummer Andy Ward completed this new lineup. Produced by Rupert Hine, the album also featured collaborations with other musicians, including regular collaborator Mel Collins on saxophone and Phil Collins on percussion. Leaving behind the jazz and Canterbury sounds of yesteryear, the melodies here become more catchy, with great, highly addictive choruses, while retaining the excellent contributions of Latimer's guitar and the superb keyboards of Watkins and Schelhaas. Infectious tracks like "Your Love Is Strange Than Mine" and "Neon Magic" contrast with the frenetic "Wait", the more complex "Survival/Hymn to Her", and the expansive and progressive "Ice", the latter a clear nod to their glorious past. Despite its great diversity and appealing content, the album was rejected by a large part of their more purist fans, who accused them of selling out to the commercial soft pop sounds that were so fashionable in those final years of the 70s.

The Eagles-On The Border (1974)

With their third album, The Eagles wanted to move away from their well-known folk and country influences and delve into more rock-oriented territory; however, the final result was a hybrid of all those styles. While their previous, heavily country-influenced album, "Desperado", showcased their more acoustic side with tracks like the title track, "Twenty-One", "Tequila Sunrise", and "Saturday Night", they also began to show glimpses of their rock side with "Out of Control" and the melodic "Certain Kind of Fool" and "Outlaw Man". For this third album, "On the Border", the band opted for a new producer, replacing the more refined and melodic Glyn Johns with the energetic Bill Szymczyk, although Johns also contributed to the production in a secondary capacity. All of this is evident from the start with the powerful country-rock tracks “Already Gone”, “On The Border”, “James Dean”, and “Good Day in Hell”, which provide the perfect counterpoint and balance to the more melodic and acoustic “Midnight Flyer”, “My Man”, “Ol '55”, and “The Best of My Love”, or the mid-tempo “Is It True” and “You Never Cry Like a Lover”. This progression toward a more rock-oriented sound was further solidified when the album surpassed its predecessor, “Desperado”, on the charts, matching its sales with over two million copies sold in the United States alone.

Thin Lizzy-Fighting (1975)

In 1975, Thin Lizzy focused exclusively on energetic and powerful hard rock, abandoning their eclectic funk rock and blues rock style with the album "Fighting". This album solidified their place among British, European, and North American audiences, thus beginning their golden era. On this fifth album, the band, led by bassist and singer Phil Lynott and supported by guitarists Scott Gorhan and Brian Robertson, along with drummer Brian Downey, crafted what would soon become the distinctive sound of the iconic Irish group. Songs like "Rosalie", a brilliant cover of Bob Seger's original, and thunderous hard rock anthems such as "For Those Who Love To Live", "Suicide", "Fighting My Way Back", and "Ballad of a Hard Man", share the stage with more melodic tracks like "Wild One", "King's Vengeance", and "Spirit Slips Away", all sharing a clear common thread; the powerful sound of Gorham and Robertson's twin guitars.

Led Zeppelin-The Song Remains The Same (1976)

“The Song Remains the Same” was for many years Led Zeppelin’s only official live recording, until the release many years later of the live album “BBC Sessions” (1997) and the subsequent albums “How the West Was Won” (2003) and “Celebration Day” (2012). But going back a bit in history, we find ourselves in the summer of 1975, just as Led Zeppelin were about to begin their world tour promoting their double album “Physical Graffiti”. Tragedy struck: their singer, Robert Plant, and his wife were involved in a serious car accident on the Greek island of Rhodes, where they were spending a few days on vacation, an accident that nearly cost them their lives. That accident and subsequent recovery led to the cancellation of the tour and a long delay of almost a year. Even with Plant still convalescing, recording sessions began for the next album, "Presence", which would be released in mid-1976. Taking advantage of this interruption, Atlantic Records decided to release "The Songs Remain the Same", a live album and film recorded three years earlier, from July 27th to 29th, 1973, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. These shows were part of the tour following the album "Houses of the Holy". However, the laborious process of mixing and recording in the studios delayed its release until just a few months after the release of "Presence". Another reason for the delay was Jimmy Page's dissatisfaction with the quality of the tapes recorded that night, which he felt were not suitable for release. Leaving aside the film, which is essentially concert footage plus an introduction featuring the four band members in various situations from their private and everyday lives, the album contains memorable moments such as the 27-minute "Dazed and Confused", which, given its considerable length, becomes quite tedious at times, or the thunderous "Rock and Roll" and "Whole Lotta Love". Also noteworthy are the classic "No Quarter", the bluesy "Since I've Been Loving You", and the expansive "The Rain Song", not to mention John Bonham's nearly ten-minute drum solo on "Moby Dick". But it is undoubtedly the extended version of "Stairway to Heaven" that stands out as the album's high point, where all the band members deliver outstanding and flawless performances. The album's subsequent reception was a number one hit on the British charts and a number two spot on the Billboard charts, in addition to numerous platinum records for its worldwide sales.

Rush-Signals (1982)

After eight studio albums and two live albums, synthesizers take center stage for the first time, overshadowing guitars on a Rush album, even replacing them in much of this ninth work by the Canadians. On “Signals”, Neil Peart’s signature, immeasurable drumming is still present, but progressive rock and heavy guitars have almost completely disappeared, shifting the style towards new wave sounds, albeit in a rather subtle and complex way, with those intricate, high-class arrangements and the trio’s established personality. Opening the album is one of the best songs of the era, “Subdivisions”, a track that enjoyed considerable chart success and is a true classic in their repertoire, especially its keyboard intro. Also noteworthy are some tracks revived more recently for live performances, such as “The Analog Kid” and “The Weapon”, the latter being the third installment of the “Fear” trilogy. The rest of the album revolves around technological advancements with a modern and futuristic feel, reflected in tracks like "Digital Man", "Chemistry", and "New World Man". The album closes with the fantastic "Losing It", featuring Ben Mink with a spectacular electric violin solo, and "Countdown", which attempts to recreate the experience of a space launch and brings to a close an album that would keep them at the forefront of the rock world, despite the radical stylistic shift the band introduced in this commendable new release, following their album, "Moving Pictures".

Eloy-Ocean (1977)

Eloy is perhaps the best band of German progressive rock, whose musical style includes symphonic rock and space rock, the latter with a higher prevalence in previous albums. Despite their nationality and period of activity, the band is not generally considered krautrock due to their sound, which has much more in common with English progressive rock bands like Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Yes. Moreover, the band that was always considered by the world music critics as the "German Floyd" because of its sound parallel to that of the British in many moments. It is true that sometimes sound similar, but the Germans have their unique sound, mixing rock with symphonic air space memorable.
"Ocean" is the sixth album released by the Germans. It was launched in 1977 and is considered by many their best album, a classic of the genre in Germany. 200,000 copies were sold, making it better than Genesis or Queen in the German charts at that time.

Iron Maiden-The Final Frontier (2010)

"The Final Frontier" is another monumental release from Iron Maiden, an album of biblical proportions in its musical scope, perfectly reflecting the grandeur of this legendary British band. On this occasion, the sextet delivers a sublime work of elaborate progressive structures beneath that mantle of epic and visceral heavy metal, clearly reflected in the cover art, which depicts Eddie evolving into a kind of alien extraterrestrial in a devastated and hostile surreal landscape. These apocalyptic sensations are reflected in tremendously heavy and decadent tracks like the sinister "Satellite 15..." or the experimental title track. Following a similar stylistic pattern are the emotive "Coming Home", the somber "Mother of Mercy", and the refined "Isle of Avalon" and "Starblind". The effective and tremendously vigorous "The Talisman", "The Man Who Would Be King" and "When The Wild Wind Blows", only perpetuate the impetuous tempest of this superb album from one of the greatest bands in the history of heavy metal.