Black Sheep-Black Sheep (1975)

Black Sheep was a short-lived American hard rock and blues rock band from the mid-1970s, based in Rochester, near New York City. They are known for being one of the first bands to feature vocalist Lou Gramm, who would later front one of the greatest melodic rock bands, Foreigner, for the next two decades. But before that, Black Sheep had already released the hit single "Stick Around" in 1974, and a year later their self-titled album, "Black Sheep". They then released the band's epilogue, "Encouraging Words", in late 1975. Lou Gramm did not appear on this last album, having left after being recruited by guitarist Mick Jones to join Foreigner in mid-1976. At that time, Black Sheep consisted of Donald Mancuso (guitar), Larry Crozie (keyboards), Ron Rocco (drums), and Bruce Turgon (bass), in addition to Lou Gramm on vocals. It was in this band that Lou Gramm honed the impressive vocal skills that would later make him one of the greatest vocalists in AOR, as demonstrated on Foreigner's first two multi-platinum albums. In this debut with Black Sheep, Gramm displays evident and impeccable vocal mastery on tracks like "Piano Interlude / Let Me Stay", which helped Black Sheep begin to gain some notoriety in the clubs of Rochester and New York. But in addition to this magnificent piece, the band showcases its talent with high-caliber tracks such as the blues-rock anthems "Payin' Yer Dues", "A Little or a Lot", and "Freight Train", or the melodic "Broken Promises" and "Far Side of the Sun", while the sublime "Woman" is a nod to the powerful sound of the enduring Free. After their second album, Black Sheep disbanded, with Don Mancuso and Ron Rocco joining Cheater, an obscure local hard rock band. Cheater released an album titled "Ten Cent Love Affair" in 1980, which received little media attention. Later, bassist Bruce Turgon played on Lou Gramm's solo albums, "Ready Or Not" (1987), which also featured Don Mancuso, and "Long Hard Look" (1989). In the mid-1990s, Turgon officially joined Foreigner, replacing bassist Rick Willis, and recorded the band's eighth album, "Mr. Moonlight".

Tomita-Firebird (1976)

Influenced by works such as Wendy Carlos's "Switched-On Bach", an album that popularized synthesizer sounds in 1968, Isao Tomita is a legendary and influential Japanese musician who showcased the possibilities of modern synthesizers for reproducing all kinds of sounds worldwide. Born in Tokyo in the early 1930s, he studied composition, orchestration, and music theory, as well as art history, at Keio University in Tokyo. In the mid-1950s, he began his career as a composer for film, television, and theater, including composing the main theme for the Japanese gymnastics team at the Melbourne Olympics. In the 1960s, he developed an interest in electronic music, spurred by the work of Wendy Carlos and engineer Robert Moog. His first electronic music album, "Snowflakes Are Dancing", was released in 1974 and is considered a cornerstone of the genre. Nominated for several Grammy Awards, this would be the definitive boost that launched his career to worldwide acclaim with numerous albums, including soundtracks, television series scores, and solo releases. Many of his albums are electronic versions and adaptations of well-known classical pieces by Igor Stravinsky, Claude Debussy, Modest Mussorgsky, and Gustav Holst. Albums such as "Pictures at An Exhibition", "Holst: The Planets", "Firebird", and "The Bermuda Triangle" are recorded in a highly complex manner using what would be called "Pyramid Sound", a quadraphonic soundscape impossible to encode on a conventional LP. Throughout the rest of his artistic career, Tomita dedicated himself to composing classical pieces, arranging, and producing timeless, innovative, and avant-garde melodies, which remain benchmarks in the music industry today. He received several more Grammy Award nominations and is considered one of the musical pioneers of the digital age.

The Mick Abrahams Band-A Musical Evening With Mick Abrahams (1971)

Mick Abrahams is best known as one of the founders of the British band Jethro Tull in 1967, with whom he released the album "This Was" in 1968. However, Abrahams's musical career had its roots some time before, participating in various R&B bands such as The Hustlers, The Toggerty Five, and Screaming Lord Sutch. By 1968, Jethro Tull had already earned a huge reputation based on Abrahams's distinctive blues guitar and the captivating flute and fierce stage presence of Ian Anderson. Jethro Tull's original blend of blues, jazz, and rock was reflected in the aforementioned "This Was", which achieved almost immediate success on the UK charts. However, the strong charisma of its two leaders and a different musical approach led to Abrahams' departure at the end of 1968. Some time later, Mick Abrahams founded a band of his own making called Blodwyn Pig, where he gave free rein to his passion for authentic blues, leaving behind the forays into folk and jazz sounds of his previous band. With this band, the excellent albums "Ahead Rings Out" (1969) and "Getting To This" (1970) were released. But, as fate would have it, both albums went unnoticed, despite containing an exquisite repertoire of great songs focused on blues, rock, and R&B. After this venture ended, Abrahams founded The Mick Abrahams Band, recruiting drummer Ritchie Dharma, keyboardist Bob Sargeant, and bassist Walt Monaghan. With this new band, he released two more excellent albums, "A Musical Evening With Mick Abrahams" and "At Last", which enjoyed some success on the blues-rock circuit throughout Europe. However, this time, the lack of support from his record label, Chrysalis, hampered his ability to achieve sufficient promotion to secure success in England and the United States. Disillusioned, Mick Abrahams decided to leave the music business in the mid-1970s. Focusing on his album "A Musical Evening With", Abrahams showcased his considerable skills on the guitar, along with brilliant and effective compositions such as the opening track, "Greyhound Bus". In this track, the infectious rhythm of funky sounds, accompanied by soaring guitar riffs, shines alongside Bob Sargeant's dense keyboard work. In "Awake" progressive sounds are faintly foreshadowed by its dark atmosphere, a subdued voice, and the instrumental prowess of the entire band. Meanwhile, the acoustic "Wind Of Change" approaches the folk sounds of CSN with some good vocal melodies. Blues rock peeks through in "Why Do You Do Me This Way" and in the accelerated "Big Queen", to end with the extensive "Seasons", a progressive blues rock where the keyboards, the sharp guitars, and the hypnotic sounds make it the best track on the album.

Van Der Graaf Generator-Godbluff (1975)

After a four-and-a-half-year hiatus, Van Der Graaf Generator reunited and dedicated themselves to composing and recording a series of tracks that would appear on the albums "Godbluff" in 1975 and "Still Life" the following year. This time they moved away from the sonic violence, passionate lyrical imagery, and delirious melodic lines of their previous album, "Pawn Hearts" (1971), and turned towards shorter, more intricate pieces, though retaining the same sonic aggression. Here, too, Peter Hammill's guitar playing becomes progressively more prominent, while Banton, Jackson, and Evans continue to display their jazz leanings in their fluid and precise handling of their instruments. "Godbluff" consists of four tracks, beginning with the crescendoing "The Undercover Man", a solid cut that superbly balances keyboard and horn sounds, making it a great starting point. The following track, "Scorched Earth", displays a more symphonic orientation, with a grand interlude and an incredible final section, which for many is the quintessential VDGG sound. The jazzy tour de force "Arrow" showcases the band's typical aggression, which contrasts with the album's closer, "The Sleepwalkers", a track that displays sustained joy over a martial rhythmic pattern with hints of Latin jazz and rhythm and blues. A year later, the band released "Still Life", which followed a similar stylistic pattern; not surprisingly, it was largely composed at the same time as the material on this anthological and essential album, "Godbluff".

Blue Murder-Blue Murder (1989)

Guitarist John Sykes' contribution was fundamental to the success of Whitesnake's album "1987", a record that would become a landmark in hard rock history. However, after the album's release, Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale dismissed Sykes, and the exact reasons for this decision remain unknown to this day. Almost immediately, the guitarist formed the power trio Blue Murder, alongside the versatile bassist Tony Franklin and the renowned drummer Carmine Appice, two musicians with extensive careers behind them, having worked with legendary bands such as Cactus, KGB, Vanilla Fudge, Glenn Hughes, Jimmy Page, and David Gilmour, among many others. Produced by Bob Rock and released by Geffen Records, this debut album echoes the Whitesnakes of "1987", with guitars that sound identical, a crushing rhythm section, and a series of songs that seem lifted straight from that iconic album. Tracks like the Zeppelin-esque hard rock of "Sex Child", the glorious "Valley of the Kings", the thunderous "Jelly Roll", the powerful "Ptolemy", and the haunting "Black Hearted Woman" are part of an excellent and sweeping album. However, despite achieving gold status in the North American market, the expected success did not live up to the initial expectations placed on this power trio.

Winterhawk-There And Back Again (1979)

Winterhawk was an arrogant hard rock band from the late seventies that had nothing to envy in their more mainstream contemporaries. Hailing from Chicago, this band would only release one album in 1982, but long before its release, they played a series of concerts at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom between 1977 and 1978, which were rediscovered and reissued in 2002 as "There and Back Again". The Winterhawk lineup consisted of guitarist Jordan Macarus, bassist Doug Brown, guitarist Steve Brown, and drummer Steve Tsokatos. During those years, thanks to their incendiary live performances, they were in demand to open for top-tier bands such as Black Oak Arkansas, Steppenwolf, and Budgie, among others. Some of the songs performed at this live show ended up on the aforementioned and only album, released four years later, titled "Revival". This spectacular live recording showcases the immeasurable mastery of Jordan Macarus on the six strings, delivering tons of riffs and guitar solos, while the rest of the band displays a muscular instrumentation of power and force. Powerful and energetic hard rock tracks like "Sanctuary", "In The Wake Of Things Yet to Come", "Hammer And The Axe", "Creatures Of The Sea", and "Off The Bat" make up this colossal recording. "There and Back Again" is, without a doubt, one of the essential albums for all lovers of the dark and forgotten classic hard rock of the 70s.

Wet Willie-Wet Willie (1971)

Wet Willie is another iconic Southern rock band from Alabama. Their beginnings date back to the early 1970s when drummer Lewis Ross brought together several musicians to initially form a band called Fox in Mobile. These musicians were vocalist and harmonica player Jimmy Hall, guitarist Ricky Hirsch, keyboardist John David Anthony, bassist Jack Hall, and backing vocalist Donna Hall. After many months of playing gigs in clubs in their hometown, the band decided to move to Macon, Georgia, the heart of Southern rock and home to the legendary Capricorn Records label. In 1971, thanks to some excellent shows as the opening act for The Allman Brothers Band, Capricorn Records produced their self-titled debut album, "Wet Willie", which showcased their distinctive Southern style infused with funk, gospel, and boogie rock. This first album featured the powerful rock tracks “Dirty Leg” and “Spinning Round,” the commercial and gritty “Low Rider”, the funky “Rock and Roll Band”, and the powerful boogie-rock anthem “Shame, Shame, Shame”. From then on, Wet Willie would go on to record seven more studio albums between 1971 and 1979, achieving a surprising top ten hit with their third album, “Keep On Smilin’ ”, in 1974, in addition to several live albums and compilations. At the end of 1976, Wet Willie received the United States Music Award at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Then, in 2014, the band was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame for their outstanding contributions to rock music, and Southern rock in particular.

John Fogerty-Wrote a Song for Everyone (2013)

More than forty years after leaving Creedence Clearwater Revival, the charismatic John Fogerty returns to the stage with a new album featuring some of his iconic songs alongside the legendary American band. This time, the guitarist enlists a series of renowned singers to create a work that playfully and engagingly revisits contemporary classics such as "Fortunate Son" sung by Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" with Alan Jackson, "Who'll Stop the Rain" sung by the incomparable Bob Seger, "Lodi" with his sons Shane and Tyler Fogerty, "Born on the Bayou" sung by Kid Rock, and "Bad Moon Rising" with the Zac Brown Band. In each of these renditions, the unique voices of the singers lend a highly personal touch to the songs, yet despite all this, they don't quite surpass the legendary originals.

New age musicians tend to avoid the charts and media attention; their music is generally designed for a small audience seeking profound, minimalist listening experiences. However, some artists have transcended this barrier, achieving worldwide success. Andreas Vollenweider, Nightnoise, David Arkenstone, Michael Hedges, and George Winston, the musician we're discussing today, are prime examples. Winston's formula is simple: his exceptional piano talent and deep emotional sensitivity. His career began in the early 1970s with the release of his debut album, "Piano Solos" (1972), which went largely unnoticed. Years later, a demo tape of his ended up in the hands of William Ackerman, who had founded Windham Hill, a label specializing in new music. Ackerman produced George Winston's second album, "Autumn", which quickly became one of the most successful new age albums of all time. "Autumn" is composed of a repertoire that evokes in the listener moods very close to autumnal melancholy, making it, in a way, a kind of therapeutic album. Two years later, George Winston released "Winter Into Spring" and "December", which completed an excellent trilogy of new age music, and like "Autumn", became resounding worldwide hits and two essential references of this musical genre.

Ashbury-Endless Skies (1983)

Ashbury are another of those forgotten bands, buried in time, who released a legendary debut album in 1983, a true gem for fans of classic 70s hard rock. Related to the epic sound of Wishbone Ash, the vocal melodies of the Eagles or CSN, and the prog-folk mysticism of Jethro Tull, this band was actually a duo founded in Tucson, Arizona by brothers Randy and Rob Davies, both guitarists and singers. They founded Ashbury (not to be confused with the alternative rock band of the same name formed in 2005) after the breakup of the southern rock band Rigid Spur, in which Randy Davies played, in the late seventies. Once Rigid Spur disbanded, some of its members founded Ashbury South, where Rob Davies served as lighting technician. In the following years, the band gained a strong reputation in Arizona, performing in clubs and concert venues, and even winning a prestigious award from a Phoenix radio station for best live band in the entire state. By 1980, the Davis brothers decided to go solo and planned to record an album, using material they had been writing together over the past few years while with Ashbury South. The album that would finally be released in 1983, titled "Endless Skies", earned them another important award. This time, a famous Phoenix radio station proclaimed it the best rock album of 1983. "Endless Skies" is composed of a clever blend of southern rock, hard rock, and sounds very close to heavy metal with slight progressive touches, as demonstrated in "The Warning", where they show their inclination towards the heavier side of Jethro Tull, while in the melodic "Take Your Love Away", the epic, guitar-driven sounds of Wishbone Ash emerge. The heavy rock track "Vengeance", the country rock song "Madman", the epic and progressive "Hard Fight", and the southern-tinged "Mystery Man" make up an album as brilliant as it is classic. Special mention must be made of the title track of the album, a magnificent exercise in progressive and dynamic hard rock, where disparate influences are accommodated, with great vocal harmonies, delicate and melodic moments and the heavy heavy rock of the late 70s.