Todd Rundgren - Something / Anything? (1972)

Todd Rundgren is one of the great musical geniuses of the 20th century, composer, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, producer and engineer, a tireless musician who has always experienced different recording techniques, always having at his disposal all the latest technology for both his recordings and for many for other artists where I would participate.

From his beginnings with the band Nazz, he would demonstrate admirable intelligence, intensity and creativity, which he would demonstrate both in his solo work and in his band Utopia.

In 1972 he released his masterpiece "Something / Anything?'", a double album where Rundgren explores a wide range of sounds that take a tour of the different styles of rock.

Divided into four parts, on the first three Rundgren albums, it is responsible for playing all the instruments, where compositions such as "I Saw The Light", the melodic "One More Day (No World)", the visceral "Little Red Lights ", the rocker" Black Maria ", the wonderful" Torch Song "or the version of the anthology" Hello It's me "that had been recorded some time ago by their band Nazz.

Rundgren like other great producers like Phil Spector or Brian Wilson uses the recording studio as one more instrument, thus giving meaning to his particular "Sounds of the Studio".

The four Rundgren album is accompanied by a band with compositions where he reveals his musical roots with beautiful melodies such as "Dust in the Wind" or powerful rocks such as "Some Folks is Even Whiter than Me"

The Beach Boys-Smile Smile (1967)

By the second half of the sixties and visibly influenced by the Beatles album "Rubber Soul", the founder and leader of the Beach Boys had released the wonderful album "Pet Sounds" (1966), however for his next work Wilson would come up with an even more ambitious work which was titled "Smile"
An album that included endless recording sessions as a result of Wilson's desire to achieve perfection and beat the Beatles.
In these recording sessions, layers and vocal layers were superimposed, inconceivable musical turns for a pop group and complex structures that led to Wilson's own mental instability and an increasing intake of drugs such as amphetamines or LSD.
Proof of the chaotic sessions is that they even feared that the Beatles themselves would order the masters tapes to be stolen or that the songs they composed were even believed to have some kind of supernatural powers such as a famous fire that occurred in Los Angeles at that time, which they captured with the theme "The Elements: Fire"
In this album one of the masterpieces of the group "Good Vibrations" appears, a mini-baroque surf suite, with the characteristic elements of the band, the perfect vocal harmonies, sounds from endless instruments and great emotion.
However, among the many causes that prevented this album from being officially published in 1967, was the failure to meet the deadlines established with the record company, since due to the long recording sessions the project lengthened more and more.
For this and many other circumstances the album was archived for four decades until its re-released in 2011.

Bob Dylan-Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

The first years of his career Bob Dylan would be marked by his vindictive facet in his lyrics and folk and acoustic sounds, a combination that attracted millions of fans around the world, at a time when there was a certain pessimism and nonconformity and with rebellion that involved Bob Dylan would raise passions with simple songs full of philosophy and direct and committed messages.
In 1965 Bob Dylan would give a change to his style by electrifying his sound and on the album "Highway 61 Revisited" he would demonstrate that the rock world had no secrets for him.
With a consistent and powerful band he made a memorable album that would seat a chair with an immense range of musical proposals.
Famous for containing the immortal "Like A Rolling Stone", a song considered by many to be the best song in all of rock history, with a splendid solid rhythmic base, harmonies that include basic instruments of the genre, such as guitars, percussion and the organs and a forceful and memorable melody, not to mention a countercultural lyrics that in this case literally destroyed the aristocracy and the upper class of society with poetic grace and cunning worthy of a noble reward.
However the album contained other great compositions like the folk rock "Desolation Row" or the blues "Tombstone Blues", making up this rock masterpiece.

The Beatles-Rubber Soul (1965)

In 1965 The Beatles were already at the peak of world popularity, their albums "Please Please Me", "With the Beatles", "A Hard Day's Night", "Beatles for Sale" and "Help", had reaped a unprecedented success in popular music, however all these albums were a kind of compilation of hits and hit songs.
With "Rubber Soul" the band takes a qualitative leap and becomes the first organic work as an entity, something much more than a compilation of successful singles.
The folk and acoustic ambience of "Norwegian Wood" shows the impact Bob Dylan had left on Lennon and McCartney.
On the other hand, "Think for Yourself" and "If i Needed Someone" by George Harrison evidenced the influence of Ravi Shankar and eastern philosophies.
In this album The Beatles were no longer content with being the numbers one with hit songs but also being the first to chart new horizons.
The palette of sounds on this album is the least astonishing, from the melodic "Michelle" and "Girl", to the aggressiveness of "Drive my Car" or "Run for Your Life, passing through the surprising and hypnotic" Nowhere Man ".
Undoubtedly a historical record, like so many others from the Liverpool quartet.

Jeff Wayne-The War Of The Worlds (1978)

Jeff Wayne's "The War of the Worlds" is one of the classics of popular music of the 20th century, a double concept album that adapted the germinal science fiction literary classic "The War of the Worlds" by rock and musical work. HG Wells of 1898.
Jeff Wayne was a shrewd musician, producer, arranger, and British nationalized American visionary, who was an experienced television and advertising tuning specialist.
An underrated talent needed his own label which would lead him to create this great work along with others of similar characteristics.
Years before publication, Jeff Wayne would begin to conceive this project as a musical work, which gradually matured, thinking that it would be better to adapt the work to an album in order to preserve the theatrical essence of the project with dialogues performed by actors and a narration in the purest style of radio serial.
Over time this project grew even more and in 1976 Wayne had the collaboration of notable musicians, vocalists and actors to give life to this ambitious work that went far beyond the usual concept album of the rock operas of Webber and Rice ( Avoid or Jesus Christ Superstar)
Finally, the actor Richard Burton would be the narrator journalist of the play, which also had a stellar roster of musicians such as David Essex, Phil Lynott, Julie Covington, Justin Hayward, Chris Thompson, Chris Speeding, George Fenton, Ray Cooper, Gary Osborne, Herbie Flowers, among many others.
The result was a spectacular album dramatized with a suggestive combination of narrative, with dramatic dialogues and instrumental and vocal themes, the latter two under the canons of progressive rock and rock with echoes by Alan Parsons Project, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Rick Wakeman, Yes, Genesis, Fleetwood Mac, Supertramp and the rock operas of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
A true masterpiece

Craig Chaquico-Acoustic Planet (1994)

In 1993 the former guitarist of the mythical band of the 60s and 70s Jefferson Airplane or Jefferson Starship among many other projects and collaborations Craig Chaquico, released his first solo album titled "Acoustic Highway", a memorable exercise in harmonies and melodies focused on the style "new age", but not without jazz fusions and sounds with passionate rhythms.
A year later he would publish this "Acoustic Planet" where Chaquico broadens the horizon towards more varied sounds and influences such as blues, Latin sounds and smooth jazz without leaving that "new age" feeling that permeates the entire album.
An album full of creative trips that build an overwhelming soundscape and that would be worth the nomination for the best music album "new age" at the Grammy Awards the following year

Toto-IV (1982)

In 1982 Toto would get one of the best albums of the eighties with his album "IV", an authentic commercial hit and quite a musical feat.
Considered one of the masterpieces of rock, it was the most successful album of 1982 after Michael Jackson's "Thriller", a work curiously where the members of Toto also collaborated.
"IV" is a very elaborate and millimetrically arranged and produced album, with infinite influences.
After two well-made albums such as "Hydra" and "Turn Back", the band was pressured in that year by the mediocre sales that both albums had had, so they were on the ropes and had to express their ideas to make a work that combines quality and commerciality and take it to the top of the hit lists and thus show its enormous instrumental mastery that all its components treasured.
At this point the band would show their enormous maturity making a coherent and perfectionist album that would excel them even more than they already were.
The entire album is a masterful collection of songs like "Rosanna", "I Won't Hold You Back", "Make Believe" or "Africa" ​​... which would lead them to win six Grammy Awards.

"Canarios"-Ciclos (1974)

If there is a record by a Spanish group that is revered in many countries such as Japan, UK or South Korea, that is "Ciclos" of the Canarios.
This superb double album was an ambitious project of Alain Milhaud and Teddy Bautista, producer and keyboard player of the Canarios, respectively), and is based on Vivaldi's "Four Seasons".
This work was never intended to be played live, simply because it was a study experiment with an amazing result, in addition to the fact that the Canarios band did not exist as such at that time, some years ago they had ceased to exist.
Musically "Ciclos" is a very diverse amalgam of style ranging from rock to pop, passing through Latin, baroque, classical and jazz sounds, at times it seems that we are listening to Yes by Rick Wakeman, the first Genesis or ELP, since keyboards are of vital importance in the album.
At the time it was ignored by the public, but over time it became the best progressive rock album ever made in Spain.

Scorpions-Lovedrive (1979)

"Loverdrive" is one of the most balanced German Scorpions albums they have ever recorded, released in 1979, it is the only one with three guitarists in the recording sessions, Michael Schenker, Rudolf Schenker and newcomer Matthias Jabs.
This album was preceded by "Taken by Force", the last album where Uli Jon Roth had participated as a solo guitar and the first album by drummer Herman Rarebell.
"Loverdrive" is a work that moves subtly between hard rock and melodic heavy metal, with impressive guitar exercises such as "Loving You Sunday Morning" or the fast-paced "Another Piece Of Meat", in addition to the band's eclecticism this demonstrated with reggae "Is There Anybody There?", the progressive "Coast to Coast" or the hypnotic ballad "Holiday".
This album would be a point and apart within the career of Scorpions, since it came in one of the most committed moments of the group with the departure of its leader Uli Jon Roth, which would lead to a more eclectic and unmistakable sound change.

Rush-2112 (1976)

"2112" was the work that would forever transform the Canadian Rush career, a concept album that would demonstrate to the world that they were different and unique and at the same time making an exciting new derivation of progressive rock.
Before this gem of an album the band had released three great albums which had generated excitement for their hard rock in the line of Led Zeppelin, but which had not yet reached the desired commercial expectations.
"2112" It would mean the turning point that the band needed to make the final leap to stardom in the rock universe.
"2112" is basically a conceptual album in its first part with the same name, of seven movements with a total duration of about twenty minutes.
Musically, song 2112 presents us with an amalgamation of excellent heavy and progressive rock, with changes of rhythm and passages of true virtuosity in the execution of the instruments. Geddy Lee's voice reaches high notes in various passages of this extensive composition. Alex Lifeson for his part, stands out in the riffs, aggressive solos and soft guitar chords.
Special mention to the impeccable performance of the drummer and lyricist of most songs, Neil Peart. He not only accompanies like most drummers, but he is the protagonist in Rush's music. Use a wide variety of drums (bass drum and toms), cymbals, and other accessories.
"2112" was the first Rush album to reach the Top 100 in the US and gold record sales on November by 1977 (along with his next album "A Farewell to Kings" and "All the World's a Stage") .

Electric Light Orchestra-Out of the Blue (1977)

In 1977 the Electric Light Orchestra released "Out of the Blue" a double album that would convulse the world for its brilliance, it's arrangements, its compositions and its perfect instrumental performance.
At this point ELO was already among the great progressive rock-pop bands, with magnificent albums such as "No Answer", "ELO 2", "Eldorado", or "A New World Record", these last two masterpieces.
"Out of the Blue" also marked the end of the glorious stage of the band, beginning another less grandiose and spectacular, as well as less creative and surprising, although not without massive success, however, as were the following albums "Discovery", "Xanadu" or "Time".
In this new album, the band offers a wide variety of sounds, from the initial and dynamic "Turn To Stone", the beautiful ballad "It's Over", the brilliant and commercial "Sweet Talkin´Woman", the sublime "Night In The City ", the elaborate" Jungle ", the progressive "Standing´In the Rain" or the successful "Mr. Blue Sky".
"Out of the Blue" is one of the most spectacular, wonderful and commercial records in the history of progressive rock and rock in general.

Kraftwerk-The Man Machine (1978)

"The Man Machine" is considered one of the masterpieces of electronic music and experimentation.
With this album Kraftwerk reacted to criticism from the British specialized press that accused them of threatening conventional instruments for music developed from machines.
However and following a line in accordance with his previous works, the concept of the album revolves around a declaration of love for the machine and its positive interaction with man.
From a musical point of view, the German band have never been so inspired as in this work, which has the most beautiful and memorable melodies of their entire career.
Also in this work they moved away from the references of imitations to other conventional instruments like the violins or the choirs used in albums like "Trans Europe Express" or "Radioactivity", using exclusively electronic instruments.
The album would go on to be Kraftwerk's biggest hit as it sailed between effective commerciality and unanimous acclaim from the world press.
Russian constructivism, Italian futurism, French avant-garde, and German expressionism, were a cocktail of influences that the band knew how to transmit achieving this superb album.

The Kinks-One For The Road (1980)

The Kinks is recognized as one of the greatest rock bands of all time, originally framed in the "British Invasion", its music has influences from a wide range of styles and genres, ranging from folk, country to R&B or the British music hall.
Formed around brothers Ray Davies and Dave Davies, they built a great reputation in the 60s with some of the most important rock records and especially one of the generational hymns that even today is a classic rock as it is "You Really Got Me".
However, despite their great potential, they were always in the shadow of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, making this fact one of the greatest injustices in rock history.
With nearly thirty published albums, some of which are considered masterpieces of rock, The Kinks remained active until 1993 when they published their latest work titled "Phobia"
In 1980 the band released "One For The Road", a double live album that did justice to the enormous power of this magnificent band, and where you can hear the duo between the Davies brothers with the guitars demonstrating an extraordinary rapport.
With a repertoire of great creations composed the vast majority by Ray, including "Lola", "Where Have all The Good Times Gone", "All Day And All of the Night", the aforementioned "You Really Got Me" or "Stop Your Sobbing", songs all of them that marked several generations and that live acquire another dimension with a plus of energy and vitality that makes them irresistible.
Without a doubt this is one of the live albums par excellence where the greatness of one of the best bands in history is perfectly demonstrated.

Ambrosia-Somewhere I´ve Never Travelled (1976)

This North American group has gone down in the history of rock as one of the most perfect bands with excellent vocal conjunctions at the same time as great authors and talented musicians, who got to place some of their albums at the top of the hit lists.
Formed in Los Angeles in the early 70s, it would take some time to sign with any company, although they built a great reputation among the Los Angeles public thanks to their style with a certain progressive air.
In those early days the band was a fan of bands like the British King Crimson, but also of vocal bands like CSNY and they were hell-bent on merging all their musical influences to create their own repertoire.
Already their first album "Ambrosia" (1975), would catapult them to fame for the success of the singles "Nice, Nice, Very Nice" and "Holdin´On the Yesterday".
Its enormous instrumental and vocal quality would draw the attention of Alan Parsons, who produced their second album "Somewhere I've Never Traveled", which definitely catapulted them to stardom with this superb work.
In this album the band decides to increase its commitment to an even more complex and pretentious sound, for this and as a recommendation from Alan Parsons they hire Andrew Powell, who would be in charge of the orchestral arrangements, a proposal that can be heard from the initial and pompous "And" or the luxurious "Somewhere I've Never Traveled" to the impressive "Cowboy Song", passing by "Dense With Me George" a kind of tribute to Chopin, or the anthological "We Need You Too", which made up a Anthological album of the highest level.

Steve Miller Band-Greatest Hits 1974-1978 (1978)

Steve Miller is one of the great North American musicians, who during the sixties was tanning blues classics such as "Howlin´Wolf" or "Muddy Waters" in Chicago.
In 1966 Steve Miller settled in San Francisco attracted by the emerging hippy movement and that same year he would form the Steve Miller Band.
Steve Miller had a very complete talent, with a refined technique and a great knowledge in the roots of North American music, so he had enough quality to become one of the figures of the moment.
After some first quality records that did not achieve the desired success in 1973, however, he achieved his first success with the album "The Joker", which would be followed three years later by other massive success such as "Fly Like an Eagle" and the next year "Book of Dreams".
These last three works contain some of the most recognized songs in the history of pop-rock music like "Take The Money and Run", "Rock´n Me", "Fly Like An Eagle", "Jet Airliner", "Jungle Love",  or "Swingtown", all of them would appear in the compilation "Greatest Hits 1974-1978" that in 1978 Capitol Records released taking advantage of the great moment of form of the band.
This album would become one of the best-selling compilations in history, with more than 17 million copies around the world and a masterful collection of emblematic themes.

Grateful Dead-Europe´72 (1972)

Grateful Dead have been elevated to myth status by American society, their philosophy of life and in particular their music earned them popularity throughout the United States.
Already in the early 70s, his works "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty" (1970) had meant a radical change in his sound, drifting towards folk rock and, apparently, leaving his most psychedelic sound of the Previous jobs.
These two albums were followed by several years of continuous tours where they explored this new facet while maintaining their psychedelic side and their never ending.
Two years later the triple album "Europe ´72" was released, recorded in different concerts for the European tour and where and as usual, the band savagely expands with vibrant blues like "Cumberland Blues", the psychedelic jam blues "Truckin" , the precious "Morning Dew", the anthology "I Know You Rider", the country "Tennessee Jed" or the irresistible "Brown Eyed Woman" and "Ramble On Rose".
"Europe ´72" is one of the great live shows of rock music, magnificent both for its sound and for everything that this mythical band could do on stage, with sublime and faultless performances.

Frank Zappa-Joe's Garage Act I. (1979)

In 1979 Frank Zappa published "Joe's Garage Part 1" which made his chronological work number 48 signed as a soloist, without his Mothers of Invention with which he already had 15 albums published.
That same year "Joe Garage Act´s II. and III." would be released on a double album and some time later the three volumes would be compiled on a triple album.
This first part Zappa satirizes the American way of life, Scientology, fetishism and other issues such as censorship in the world of music.
For this new album Zappa I use the technique called "xenochrony" which consisted of picking up guitar solos from previous albums and superimposing them on new songs in the recording studio.
Created as an opera rock, history recreates a dystopia in which, under the demagogic idea of ​​equalizing all human beings, prohibitive laws of all kinds have been created so that everyone is a criminal in some way and thus have control of everything the world. Thus, music has been banned and that affects the main character in the story, the music lover Joe.
The album itself is full of superb music ranging from funk "The Central Scrutinizer", energetic "On The Bus" or humorous "Catholic Girls" to reggae "Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up".

U.K.-Danger Money (1979)

U.K. It was an ephemeral superband that was born from an original idea by John Wetton for bringing together Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford in the same group, which was scrapped due to contractual problems with their respective record labels in 1976.
However, Wetton's effort to form a superband paid off several years later when he managed to reunite the ex-Gong guitarist and ex-Soft Machine; Allan Holdsworth and ex-Roxy Music keyboard player Eddie Jobson, who together with Bill Bruford and Wetton himself would record their first album for the E.G. Records generically titled "U.K."
But this lineup will hardly have time for much more, the internal problems derived from the style that both Holdsworth and Bruford wanted to impress on the band collided with the thoughts of Wetton and Jobson, so after this first work the group would be reduced to duo Wetton-Jobson.
Ex-Frank Zappa is hired to supply Bruford's march; Terry Bozzio and the formation remain as a power trio releasing the following album "Danger Money" in 1979.
In this new album a band far from jazz rock and the progressive pirouettes of the debut album were shown to delve deeper into the more purely rock side with progressive brush strokes of different nuances that generated a much more balanced and accessible work than the debut album.

Jethro Tull-A Passion Play (1973)

In 1972 Jethro Tull had published his first conceptual work, "Thick As a Brick", a kind of humorous exercise halfway between progressive rock, hard rock and jazz and in response to Ian Anderson's own response to various questions raised in those years.
On the one hand, the criticism had described the previous album "Aqualung" as a concept album, something that Anderson himself would deny outright, on the other, the prevailing fashion in the early 70's of publishing pompous and progressive albums and, on the other hand, the demand that his own record company asked the band; make a record of those characteristics.
Thus Ian Anderson would embark on a work that would be complex and of the highest quality, both musical and theatrical.
The success of this magnificent album, considered a work of art within progressive rock, would lead to a second and more complex work published a year later "A Passion Play", which is even richer musically speaking and more elaborate than the previous one, and although the letters are the darkest and the most twisted that Anderson himself has never written, they include direct quotes or indirect references to biblical texts such as the Apocalypse or the "Divine Comedy by Dante.
In the 45 minutes that the album lasts, we find superb music that recounts the outline of the medieval "Passions Plays" (popular theatrical performances that were made at Easter to represent the passion of Christ).
Anderson would take this theatrical scheme to represent the modern human being, who throughout the play dies, is put on trial, visits heaven, then hell and in an uncertain ending leaves everything to the imagination, where he is reborn, reincarnated or resurrects.
"A Passion Play" is undoubtedly one of the most complex albums, both musical and in the concept of the lyric and theatrical in the entire history of rock, which however was ruthlessly beaten by the critics, but which would obtain absolute success in the United States and a great reception in Britain

Boston-Don´t Look Back (1978)

For many critics and followers of the AOR Boston they were the inventors of this genre and already with their first album the whole world was amazed with what they offered in that work, becoming one of the most anthological and genius debut albums in the history of rock and one of the best sellers.
Several years later this "Don't Look Back" would come out, an album that was published more by the pressures of the Epic Records label than by the will of the band and in particular its leader Tom Scholz.
This album is a work that continued along the path of the previous one and provided few novelties with respect to that one, but which nevertheless maintained a very high level of composition, quality and coherence.
Songs like the honorable "Don´t Look Back", the ballad "A Man I´ll Never Be" or the great "The Journey" and It's Easy "became rock masterpieces immediately, with a sensational work of guitars and a spectacular and bombastic sound.

Jean-Luc Ponty-Mystical Adventures (1981)

"Mystical Adventures" meant the end of one of the stages in Jean Luc Ponty's career, as well as one of his most accessible albums for the general public.
Jean Luc Ponty is one of the most versatile, prolific and innovative musicians of the jazz-rock genre, either as a soloist or as an active member like the Mahavishnu Orchestra or with Frank Zappa.
By the time this album was released Ponty already had seven solo albums, two with the band led by John McLaughlin and one album with Frank Zappa, in addition to many other collaborations with musicians such as Stanley Clarke, Elton John, Al Dimeola, or George Duke.
In this album Ponty gives much more free rein to his band and his instrumental exposition, leaving in part his violin solos, which nevertheless continues to appear alongside the characteristic arpeggios.
The synthesizers, electric piano, vocoder and percussions led by Paulinho Da Costa are the common denominator of one of the best jazz rock records of the eighties.

Vangelis-Heaven and Hell (1975)

In 1975 Vangelis had just signed a succulent contract with the record label RCA, he settles in London where he begins the construction of his own recording studio, which he calls "Nemo Studio", at the same time that he begins to compose and record this great work.
Vangelis in this sumptuous album achieves a sound as revolutionary as it has been unpublished until then, a true fusion of classical forms with electronic music, and where the collaboration of Jon Anderson also appears for the first time.
In "Heaven and Hell" the Greek musician creates an impressive variety of atmospheres ranging from the frantic to the dramatic and the sublime.
With a part as aggressive as before, Vangelis had never experienced, and his mastery of classical piano, demonstrating the formidable technique of the musician.
It's no wonder that a band like "Yes" were so interested in hiring him to replace Rick Wakeman when he left the band in 1974.
A preliminary version of the classic "Chariots of Fire" already appeared in "Movement 3", which would appear years later and would become a Hollywood Oscar-winning song, but "So Long Ago, So Clear" is the most unforgettable song of the album with Anderson's voice as the main attraction.
"Heaven and Hell" was an innovative work at the time and today it is still so current and intact.

Triana-El Patio (1975)

Triana is one of the key groups in Spanish rock, the percussionist of a generation of bands that would be born under the protection of a unique and original sound, Andalusian rock.
In 1975 this great band would publish their debut work, "El Patio", an exciting journey through the mystique of flamenco but with the cadence of jazz rock and the experimentation of progressive rock.
Its style based on a permanent dialogue between guitar phrasing and anthological orchestrations and keyboards, bursting flamenco to unimaginable heights, make this band one of rock's epics.
Together with "Hijos del Agobio" (1977) and "Sombra y Luz" (1979) they formed a trilogy that is considered an absolute masterpiece of European progressive rock.

Pat Metheny-The Road To You (1993)

In 1993 Pat Metheny released her second live album, eleven years after the masterful "Travels", "The Road To You" was recorded entirely in Europe, and would mark a turning point between the different stages of the Pat Metheny Group.
Recorded on the "Secret Story Tour", it would serve to win a new Grammy award in the instrumental jazz section.
In addition to the masterful executions of impeccable performance by the band led by Metheny and seconded by Lyle Mays, Paul Wertico, Pedro Aznar, Steve Rodby and Amanado Marcal, the main role of the Italian and French public (the shots correspond to the concerts offered in both countries), totally delivered with a passionate fervor to group evolutions.

Mike Oldfield-Exposed (1979)

"Exposed" was for a long time the only live album released by Mike Oldfield, originally released in 1979, focused on the post-album tour "Incantations".
For this tour Mike Oldfield surrounded himself with a massive group of musicians trying to get a sound as close to that of the original album without resorting to prerecorded parts in the studio or other direct ones as it was becoming common in concerts of the time.
In this way, an impressive band was formed by Oldfield himself (bass, guitars), Nico Ramsden (bass, guitars), Phil Beer (guitar and vocals), Pierre Moerlen (drums, percussions), Mike Frye (percussion), Benoit Moerlen (percussion), David Bedford (percussion), Ringo McDonagh (bodhran), Pete Lemer (keyboards), Tim Cross (keyboards), Maddy Prior (voice) plus a string section of 18 musicians, a choir of 16 singers (regular collaborators with David Bedford), four trumpeters and two flute players.
The extensive suites of "Incantations Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4" sound superb with some variations that give it a fresher and more dynamic sound.
The groundbreaking almost complete version of the "Tubular Bells" is overwhelming with different arrangements compared to the original version, and to finish the rhythm "Guilty" where the whole band reaches the instrumental climax with an explosive and really awesome performance.

Blue Oyster Cult-On Your Feet Or On Your Knees (1975)

Although officially formed in 1969 under the name of the Blue Oyster Cult, they had already been acting under different names such as Cows or Soft White Underbelly among others for several years.
Its main line-up was led by the duo Eric Bloom and Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, both guitars and Allen Lanier as keyboard player, Joe Bouchard on bass and Albert Bouchard on drums.
Since their debut with the album "Blue Oyster Cult" (1972) and for several decades they have been publishing a series of great albums that have captivated their own and strangers thanks to their peculiar style of hard rock and psychedelia and their deep and intelligent lyrics.
It should be mentioned that these lyrics are the product of the imagination of Richard Meltzer and Sandy Pearlman, who have been a fundamental part of the band in addition to the production of many of their works.
In 1975 the band was in one of its peak moments and at that time the direct "On Your Feet Or On Your Knees" was published. where a review is made of his first three albums, the masterful "Tyranny and Mutation", the superb "Secret Treaties", in addition to the aforementioned debut album.
"On Your Feet Or On Your Knees" is a live album that wastes energy everywhere with incendiary songs and powerful riffs of great psychedelic heavy metal.
From the initial "Subhuman", to the Steppenwolf version "Born to be Wild" that closes the album, through the wild "Hot Rails to Hell" or "The Red & The Black", the plethoric "Buck's Boogie", the magnificent "Then Came The Last of May", the atmospheric "7 Screaming Diz-Buster" or the rocker "Me 262".
Without a doubt one of the most powerful live shows of the 70s that has nothing to envy other live albums published in the same decade.

The Climax Blues Band-Plays On (1969)

The Climax Chicago Blues Band are one of the best British blues bands that emerged in the late 1960s, yet they are one of the most unjustly forgotten by the general public.
Made up of the great guitarist Peter Haycock and the singer Colin Cooper, the rest consisted of the guitarist Derek Holt, the drummer George Newsome, the bassist Richard Jones and the keyboardist Arthur Wood.
After his debut album "The Climax Chicago Blues Band" released in 1969, which would get great reviews and acceptable sales.
Due to the pressures of the record company and the Chicago band that at that time were called the "Chicago Transit Authority", they made their name appear to "The Climax Blues Band", and under this name they released their second album "Plays On", which unlike their previous work, They fuse the blues with jazz approaches, obtaining a spectacular and brilliant sound.
From the beginning the band explored the jazzy terrain with the initial "Flight", which was followed by magnificent songs such as "So Many Roads", "Hey Baby", or the devastating Blues "Everything's Gonna Be Alright Yeh Yeh Yeh" or the happy "Crazy Bout My Baby".
An album full of deep and insurmountable sonority highlighting the impressive guitar solos of Haycock, one of those guitarists who are in the shadow of the greats but who absolutely do not deserve any talent.

Little Feat-Waiting For Columbus (1978)

"Waiting For Columbus" is an impressive live double of one of the most mythical American bands of all time; Little Feat, where we can find the best of his repertoire to date in which it was published (1978).
Southern rock elements, country, blues and R&B brushstrokes and perfect melodies make this album a delight for every good rock lover.
Here appear the beautiful ballads "Willin" or "Don't Bogart That Joint", the blues "A Political Blues", with the collaboration of ex-Stone Mick Taylor, or the mythical song "Sailing Shoes".
Also the band shines with the superb and rhythmic "Feats Don't Fail Me Now", the majestic "Oh Atlanta", the resounding and spectacular "Triple Face Boogie", the hypnotic "Spanish Moon" or the extraordinary "Dixie Chicken" and "All That You Dream".
A live this "Waiting For Columbus" that exudes an instrumental and vocal quality at times sublime, from a band in a state of grace, led by a brilliant Lowell George and his faithful squires Bill Payne, Richie Hayward, Sam Clayton and Kenny Gradney.

Joe Walsh-But Seriously, Folks (1978)

1978 Joe Walsh had behind him a meteoric musical career, first with the James Gang with whom he would record four albums, later with the Barnstorm project publishing two more albums, and later publishing the albums "So What" and "You Can't Argue with Sick Mind" as a soloist, until in 1976 he would join The Eagles replacing Bernie Leadon and recording the fabulous "Hotel California".
Two years after this fantastic job, Walsh would resume his solo career releasing the sensational album "But Seriously Folks".
Everything here is brilliant and contagious, from the joyous "Over and Over" to the ironic "Life's Been Good", through cool pieces like "Indian Summer" or the atmospheric "Theme from Boat Weirdos", he would even allow himself to be left out of the disc a jewel like "In the City", soon to be included in the Eagles next work "The Long Run".
Without a doubt one of the best works of one of the components of The Eagles and quite a small masterpiece of American rock.

Tom Petty-Full Moon Fever (1989)

Tom Petty's solo career is almost as fruitful as with his mother band, the Heartbreakers, with whom he recorded seven albums.
In 1989 Petty decided to record a solo album and began a period full of success.
However, despite the Heartbreakers appearing as guest musicians throughout this album, this one sounds different from any Heartbreakers album due to the presence of former ELO leader Jeff Lynne. In his hands, Petty's rock becomes clean and bright, with layers of vocal harmonies, bright keyboards and acoustic guitars, a friendly, admirable and attractive sound.
In addition to the ubiquitous Lynne, two other members of the subsequent supergroup in which Tom Petty would participate in the Traveling Wilburys collaborate on the album: George Harrison in "I Won't Back Down" and Roy Orbison in "Zombie Zoo". Full Moon Fever became Petty's biggest commercial hit to date helped by rave reviews and three wonderful hit singles, "I Won't Back Down", "Runnin 'Down a Dream" and "Free Fallin", which reached absolute number 1 on the American charts and four more published ones, "Feel a Whole Lot Better", "Love Is a Long Road", "A Face in the Crowd" and "Yer So Bad", which also reached enter high positions in the charts.
One of the masterpieces of music in the 80s and of rock in general

Phil Collins-Face Value (1981)

Genesis had finally achieved a number one in 1980 thanks to his album "Duke", a work that was distanced in part from the progressive rock of yesteryear and that would undoubtedly be the seed of what Phil Collins would do alone later.
A year after the publication of this album, Collins was released solo with the album "Face Value" which showed the paths where his mother band would also follow.
Here Collins opts for a sophisticated pop-oriented commercial sound while still looking at what Peter Gabriel had done on his first three solo albums.
Face Value is a forceful and powerful album at times, like the initial one and already become a pop classic "In The Air Tonight", the instrumental "Hand in Hand" or the delicate ballad "This Must Be love", without stopping mention the progressive converted into a soul jazz version "Behind the Lines" or the magnificent version of The Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" that make this debut a sensational work of pop rock.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse-Ragged Glory (1990)

In 1990 Neil Young had been away from Geffen Records for three years, and had signed with Reprise Records with whom, he had published the extravagant but magnificent "This Note's For You" and the fantastic "Freedom" both to the disgrace of his previous company, Geffen Records, outraged by mediocre recorded works for the record label directed by David Geffen.
The continuation of "Freedom" would be "Ragged Glory", another extraordinary album with the Crazy Horse and where it showed that he had not lost an iota the inspiration lost years ago.
A powerful and energetic rock album, with powerful very energetic songs, with visceral themes such as "Love To Burn", "Love and Only Love" or "White Line", that exude vitality and fast-paced riffs everywhere.
In this album there are compositions that Neil Young had performed live with the Crazy Horse in the 70's, but that had never been published as "White Line" or "Country Home".

Supertramp-...Famous Last Words...(1982)

After the multi-platinum and millionaire "Breakfast in America" ​​and due in part to the conception of this album, a milestone in rock history, Supertramp was beginning to falter due to the differences between Rick Davis and Roger Hodgson.
For their next album, both musicians decided to compose separately, trying to satisfy fans with an album that shone with a very bright light, but which hinted at the musical differences between the two leaders of the band.
The songs signed by Davies denoted the progressive facet of the group as the fun "Put On Your Old Brown Shoes", the progressive melody of "Bonnie", the beautiful "My Kind of Lady" or the symphony "Waiting So Long", on the other Some of those signed by Hodgson were of a simplicity elaborated with a charming intelligence such as the melodic "Crazy", the addictive "It's Raining Again", the acoustic "Know Who you Are", the effective "Cést le Bon" or the dramatic "Don't Leave me Now".
Famous Last Words evidenced that the Davis-Hodgson pairing was already practically finalized and that the band was beginning to live off the rents and little else they could offer after masterpieces such as "Crime of The Century", "Even in the Quietest Moments" or "Breakfast in America".

Kiss-Dynasty (1979)

This was the album that the closest Kiss fans abhorred to the point of selling for commerciality and succumbing to the disco sound so in vogue in the late 70s.
However, despite the bad reviews, it should be recognized that the band would achieve a decent and sparkling job with a style that perfectly fit with their germinal philosophy, glam and lyrics about love, parties and sex.
"I Was Made For Lovin´You", was undoubtedly where the disco influence would be most noticeable but that would become a classic of the so-called rock album.
The rest of the album is closer to the previous works of the band as the version of the Stones "2000 Man" where Kiss shows us his heaviest power, the calm and sentimental "Sure Know Something", the street rock 'n' Roll "Dirty Livin´", the great "Magic touch" or the festive "Hard Times", gave Kiss the reason with an album that did not betray anyone, just as it should sound at the time it was published, bathed by musical currents around him but with the seal of the essence of Kiss themselves.

Donald Fagen-The Nightfly (1982)

In the late 1970s Steely Dan was immersed in the recording of the album "Gaucho", and the obsessive perfectionism of its leader Donald Fagen and his bandmate Walter Brecker. About 50 musicians would participate in this recording and it would last two years, during which multiple creative, personal and professional differences arose, which would end up definitively finalizing the band and the end of the first stage of Steely Dan.
But Donald Fagen, far from abandoning the music business, would continue alone and several years later he would publish what is undoubtedly his masterpiece "The Nightfly", in which he showed his influence on the spirit of Steely Dan but with renewed and updated sounds.
This album was one of the first records in history to be recorded on a digital system, despite the fact that it caused numerous technical problems for Donald and his expert army during the extremely meticulous registration process, and that is that one of Fagen's own demands on His new company (Warner Bros) was to summon almost the entire disciplined legion of musicians who had already worked with him on his ex-band (producer, engineers, studio musicians, etc.), in addition to other additional luxury collaborations. As always, the more than thirty hard-working companions experienced the "slow Chinese martyrdoms" to which Fagen subjected them in rehearsals. Nobody escaped "Millimetric Man" if he ventured to play with him and only the difficult recording lasted 8 months, commanded by that obsessive lover of technological-musical avant-garde who is Donald Fagen himself! And that nobody from his luxury establishment it occurred to him to make the most microscopic mistake in any chord!
The album contains an anthological repertoire with songs like "I.G.Y (What a Beautiful Day)", "New Frontier", "The Goodbye Look" or "Walk between the Raindrops".
This already mythical album achieved Platinum, entered the Top 20 in the United States and England, in addition to obtaining several international recognitions, among which the 7 nominations for the Grammys in 1983 stand out.

Larry Carlton-Sleepwalk (1981)

Larry Carlton is one of the most versatile jazz guitarists, with a career that reaches thirty albums, in addition to composing music for film and TV, which earned him the Grammy Award with the main theme for the series "Hill Street Blues".
Throughout his professional life Larry Carlton has also been a highly sought-after studio musician who has participated in thousands of recordings, some of such important people as Steely Dan, Al Jarreau, John Klemmer, Michael Franks, Spyro Gyra, Randy Crawford or Barbra Streisand by quote a few.
In 1968 he recorded his first solo work called "With a little Help From My Friends" and which was enthusiastically received by the public and critics. Shortly after he would sign for The Crusaders with whom he would record up to 13 works until 1976, even contributing with his own compositions and above all, with that soft sound he got with his Gibson ES-335 guitar. That guitar would give Carlton a nickname, known since then as "Mr. 335", he even created his own recording studio which he would call "Room 335".
At the end of his relationship with The Crusaders, Carlton signed with Warner Bros Records for whom he would record a series of great albums between 1977 and 1984 such as "Larry Carlton" (1978), the direct "Mr. 335: Live in Japan" (1979), "Sleepwalk" (1981), "Strikes Twice" (1981), "Eight Times Up" (1983) and "Friends" (1983).
In all of them, Carlton, in addition to his subtle guitar touch, provides sensational arrangements and exquisite productions, full of nuances and full of different styles, from jazz to rock through funk, soul and blues.
In 1985 with his album "Alone but never Alone" he achieved number one on Billboard Jazz, and even got another Grammy for "Minute by Minute" and received a nomination in the category of "Best Jazz Fusion Performance" for his live "Last Nite " With a successful halo on his back, Carlton prepares to record his next work. It will be a more electric album than the previous ones and it will be called "On Solid Ground". But one day leaving the recording studio Larry Carlton is brutally shot by a stranger and is about to lose his life. This dramatic event marked a major turning point as it led to a long period of hospitalization followed by endless and painful recovery sessions. But the guitarist knew how to redirect his career again and although his live appearances began to dramatically decrease from that moment on, he soon continued with his participation as a studio musician, now totaling more than three thousand.
In recent years the guitarist has been essential in the consolidation of the "Fourplay" project, a band initially formed by keyboardist Bob James, bassist Nathan East, drummer Harvey Mason and guitarist Lee Ritenour, who was replaced by Carlton from his fourth work "4" released in 1998. Fourplay currently has 10 albums on the market, the last one "Energy" from 2008.