Savoy Brown-Looking In (1970)

At the beginning of the 1970s, the legendary blues-rock band Savoy Brown released their sixth album, "Looking In", continuing their triumphant run in both Britain and North America. Prior to this album, the British group had already left behind memorable works such as "Getting to the Point", "Blue Matter", "A Step Further", and "Raw Sienna", showcasing their magnificent blues-rock sound with tracks like the rhythmic "It's All My Fault", the memorable blues numbers "Tolling Bells" and "Black Night", and powerful covers such as "Ain't Superstitions". However, the constant changes in personnel continually undermined their stability, and this trend continued in 1970. "Looking In" did not feature their original singer, Chris Youlden, who had left after the previous album, "Raw Sienna", and was not even replaced; instead, guitarist Lonesome Dave took on the role. The rest of the lineup consisted of lead guitarist Kim Simmonds, bassist Tone Stevens, and drummer Roger Earl. On this sixth release, the remaining quartet went all out, crafting an anthological album of energetic blues rock, as demonstrated by an exciting repertoire featuring the lysergic "Poor Girl", the understated bluesy "Money Can't Save Your Soul", the jazzy bluesy "Sunday Night", the boogie blues "Take It Easy", and the tour de force "Leavin' Again". Despite the album's tremendous success in North America, shortly after its release, three of its members, Stevens, Earl, and Lonesome, left Savoy Brown to found the hard rock and boogie rock band Foghat.

The Lee Riders-The Lee Riders (1972)

The Lee Riders were a short-lived Southern rock band that spawned one of the iconic country rock groups, the enduring Pure Prairie League. Hailing from Woodstock, New York, the band was formed by singer Robert Lee, who recruited musicians with similar Southern musical tastes. These included Bill Hinds (drums), Mike Reilly (bass), Mike Connor (organ), and Matt Presby (guitar). A contract with United Artists led them to England, where they recorded their self-titled debut album. However, drummer Bill Hinds chose to remain in the United States and was replaced in Britain by Roy O'Temro. Released in mid-1972, this single album features everything from classic Western country rock to stellar Southern rock tracks like "Ruby Valentino", "Highway Queen", "The Moment", and "Pale Horse", which, despite their undeniable quality, failed to garner the widespread public attention they deserved. A promotional tour across the UK, opening for David Bowie, who was touring in support of his album "Ziggy Stardust", marked the end of The Lee Riders' time in Britain. They would eventually return to the United States some time later. Once back in their home country, Connor and Reilly, along with Bill Hinds, founded the aforementioned Pure Prairie League, thus beginning a fruitful and successful career that produced some of the best albums in American country rock, such as "Bustin' Out", "Two Lane Highway", "If the Shoe Fits", and "Firin' Up". 

Cravinkel-Garden Of Loneliness (1971)

Officially categorized as krautrock, Cravinkel were actually a band closer to the sounds of acid folk and American country rock than to the experimentation and mystical avant-garde of their contemporary German bands in the same movement. Formed in the late sixties, the band consisted of Gerd Kravinkel (guitar), Rolf Kaiser (bass and vocals), George Haupt (drums), and Klaus Meier (guitar and vocals). Their first album, released in 1970, is a peculiar experiment in opaque psychedelic folk, fused with bucolic atmospheres and melodic rock. The solid melodies contrast with distorted guitars, emotive vocals, and a sense of melancholy. Songs like the appealing country-rock tracks "Candlelight", "Lonesome Road", and "Hidden Love", along with pastoral and nostalgic pieces like "Two Circles", are the highlights of this debut album. A year later came the second and epitaph of this dark group, "Garden Of Loneliness", which unlike the calm and peaceful debut, shows a more raw and ordinary facet with approaches to standard hard rock with subtle progressive elements as is evident in the energetic song that gives the album its title or in "Stoned", a tour de force of heavy and resounding heavy rock.

Golden Earring-Live (1977)

Set against a backdrop of the band on stage, this was the first live album by the Dutch group Golden Earring. Released in late 1977, it featured some of their most rock-oriented, progressive, and psychedelic material. Recorded at London's Rainbow Theatre in early 1977, the lineup that night consisted of George Kooymans (guitar and vocals), Rinus Gerritsen (bass and keyboards), Barry Hay (vocals and flute), Eelco Gelling (guitar), and Cesar Zuiderwijk (drums). Featuring a number of extended versions compared to the original studio recordings, the setlist was primarily composed of tracks from their albums "Moontan" (1973), "Seven Tears" (1971), "To The Hill" (1975), and "Contraband" (1976). However, the inclusion of so many tracks exceeding nine minutes (seven in total) comes at the expense of other great classics from the band, omitted due to space constraints. Even so, the included songs are excellent examples of why Golden Earring were always considered a better live band than a studio band. This double album captures the immense intensity Golden Earring displayed on stage, from the extended "Radar Love" to The Byrds' psychedelic epic "Eight Miles High", passing through the powerful rock of "Candy's Going Bad", the magnificent tour de force "Mad Love's Comin' ", and the progressive hard rock of "Vanilla Queen". A brilliant repertoire performed with driving and powerful rhythms, where the dense sound of its two guitarists, along with the tight and precise rhythm section, propels the live music into grand instrumental passages, making this double album one of the most famous of the 1970s.

Toto Blanke-Spider´s Dance (1975)

Hans Otto Blanke, better known as Toto Blanke, was one of the most renowned musicians of the European avant-garde jazz scene. Primarily known for his time with Association PC, led by Dutch keyboardist Jasper Van't Hof, he simultaneously launched a solo career, forming several bands in the style of American combos like the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, but with an added element of experimentation. His solo career began in 1975 with the release of his first album, "Spider's Dance". For this project, Toto Blanke assembled an impressive band comprised of Joachim Kühn (electric piano), "Charlie" Mariano (saxophone and flute), John Lee (bass), and Gerry Brown (drums), in addition to Blanke himself, who played both electric and acoustic guitars. In this debut album, the German guitarist makes no secret of his influences from energetic American jazz-rock/fusion with progressive elements, as demonstrated in a series of creative compositions, brilliantly executed by a band showcasing its enormous instrumental virtuosity. Pieces like the jazz-rock tracks "Lady's Bicycle Seat Smeller", "Spider's Dance", and "Intermission", are interspersed with more experimental works such as the complex "Slight Touch of Hepatitis" and the dynamic, avant-garde funk-jazz "Toto". Without a doubt, "Spider's Dance" is one of the most interesting works of European jazz-rock/fusion, a style that would continue with other highly creative albums by Toto Blanke, such as the later "Electric Circus" (1976) and "Tales of Tomorrow" (1978).