Eloy-Colours (1980)

The German band Eloy's eighth album featured several changes compared to their previous album, "Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes", both in terms of the lineup and the stylistic shift. Drummer Jürgen Rosenthal and keyboardist Detlev Schmidtchen were no longer with the band, replaced by Jim McGillivray and Hannes Folberth respectively, while Frank Bornemann (guitar and vocals), Hannes Arkona (guitars), and Klaus-Peter Matziol (bass) remained at the helm. Regarding their sound, this release maintains a similar direction to its predecessor but with a more accessible and catchy feel, undoubtedly paving the way for future releases that will be more focused on progressive pop-rock without the complexity of the previous work. The simplest melodies, without the pretensions of yesteryear, appear in pieces like "Gallery", "Sunset" or "Impressions", while the progressive "Horizons" continues the tradition of their previous albums and the epic "Child Migration" becomes the high point of this "Colours".

Memoriance-Et Aprés (1976)

Memoriance was an obscure and forgotten French art rock and symphonic rock band that released two compelling albums during the 1970s, now highly sought after by the prog rock community. Formed in the mid-70s, their original lineup consisted of Jean-Pierre Boulais (guitar and vocals), Jean-François Périer (keyboards), Didier Guillaumat (guitar and vocals), Didier Busson (drums), and Michel Aze (bass). Their intelligent fusion of styles, encompassing classic symphonic rock and space rock, is prominently featured on their only recordings. On their debut album, "Et Après", the sounds of a galloping bass, refined and elegant guitars, and certain jazz elements predominate, all underpinned by great musicianship. Tracks like "Je Ne Sais Plus" showcase the virtuosity of its members, crafting a powerful yet melodic, progressive structure with continuous rhythmic shifts. Jazz rock appears in the instrumental "La Grange Mémoriance", while the group's theatrical side is reflected in the title track "Et Aprés", a diverse piece that includes both quiet moments and frenetic rhythms, ending with the accessible and conventional classic rock of "Tracsir". Three years later, they returned with the concept album "L'Écume des Jours d'Apres Boris Vian", based on a 1940s novel by the philosopher and writer Boris Vian. ​​After a maxi-single titled "Sparadrap/Téléphone", released in 1981, the band finally disbanded, bringing their interesting recording journey to an end.

Popol Vuh-In Den Gärten Pharaos (1971)

Popol Vuh were pioneers in expressing the diverse musical ideas that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. With their second release, "In Den Gärten Pharaos" (1971), the band, led by Florian Fricke, demonstrated a clear evolution from their debut album released the previous year. In addition to Fricke (synthesizers, organ, and electric piano), the Popol Vuh lineup for this album included Betina (cymbals and production), Holger Trülzsch (Turkish, African, and Asian percussion instruments), and Frank Fiedler (Moog synthesizers). Comprising two expansive epics of genuinely hypnotic sounds, this is undoubtedly one of the great milestones of popular music, representing a fundamental step forward in the development and consolidation of the various musical movements that would follow. The nearly 20-minute title track, "In den Gärten Pharaos", establishes a surreal, cosmic adventure, with a multitude of ambient sounds and rich instrumentation that alternates between world music percussion, cymbals, organs, and synthesizers. In "Vuh", an even more extensive suite, the medieval church organ is the driving force behind the music, which, supported by synthesizers and the cacophonous sounds of cymbals and drums, creates a sound very close to trance and the deepest meditation. Without a doubt, despite its inaccessibility to the general public, "In den Gärten Pharaos" is a masterpiece of contemporary music and of the most experimental and innovative rock.

Hank Mobley-Soul Station (1960)

Unfairly overshadowed by contemporary musicians like saxophonists Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, and John Coltrane, Hank Mobley was another of the great legends of hard bop and jazz soul. While not a mere innovator or pioneer, his career was remarkably prolific, releasing formidable albums for Blue Note Records between 1955 and 1970. His style, distinct from Coltrane's aggressive sound or Stan Getz's subtlety, was relaxed, delicate, and melodic. For Blue Note, he recorded some of the finest jazz albums, such as "Soul Station" and "Roll Call", albums of great musical and jazz solidity. In "Soul Station" (1960), Mobley surrounded himself with some of the great musicians of his time such as Art Blakey, Wynton Kelly or Paul Chambers, offering a masterclass in jazz starting with the anthological "I Remember" or the formidable "Dig Dis" and "If I Should Lose You", in which this talented musician also showed his tremendous ability to compose exquisite pieces of the best hard bop in history.

Return To Forever-Light As A Feather (1972)

A year before reforming Return to Forever, adding an electric guitarist (Bill Connors) and venturing into the realm of powerful jazz rock, frontman Chick Corea was immersed in refined jazz fusion with clear Brazilian and Latin influences. Following his debut album recorded for the ECM label, Corea released the elegant "Light as a Feather" with Brazilian singer Flora Purim, drummer Airto Moreira, saxophonist Joe Farrell, and bassist Stanley Clarke. On this second recording, this lineup offers a warm setlist of island and Latin sounds, featuring the versatile "Captain Marvel", the epic "Spain", the classic "500 Miles High", the jazzy samba "You're Everything", and the bossa nova "Light As A Father". From this point on, only Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke would remain in Return to Forever for the next stage of the band, and yet the one that would record this "Light As A Feather" is undoubtedly responsible for one of the best jazz fusion albums of all time.