Rush-Clockwork Angels (2012)

Five years would pass before the Canadian band Rush released their next album, which would ultimately become their discographic epitaph. On "Clockwork Angels", the trio returned to their heavy hard rock style, but blended it with a series of highly complex and progressive pieces. With brilliant musicianship, Lifeson, Lee, and Peart created another concept album about a traveler and his various encounters, involving law enforcement, chaos, the world of piracy, and other surreal scenarios. The album opens with the heavy hard rock track "Caravan", a highly accomplished instrumental piece, followed by the thunderous "BU2B", another energetic song with heavy riffs, galloping bass lines, and virtuosic, dynamic drumming. However, it's with the track "Clockwork Angels" that the trio begins to expand into progressive and complex sounds, an inspired piece that continues with the elaborate "The Garden", the haunting "Headlong Flight", the exotic "The Anarchist", and the catchy "Wish Them Well". For many, this was Rush's finest conclusion, an album closer to the musical philosophy of the distant and spectacular "Moving Pictures" (1981) than to almost all of their subsequent releases in the eighties and nineties.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Watch (1978)

In 1978, Manfred Mann's Earth Band were at the height of their success and worldwide recognition; however, creatively they seemed to have stagnated, if anything, regressing towards a more commercial sound. That said, they were still producing excellent progressive rock albums. "Watch" is undoubtedly Earth Band's last great album, a stunning progressive rock record that gradually morphed into a commercial regression. Although it closely resembles their most commercially successful songs to date, such as "Blinded By The Light" from their previous album, "The Roaring Silence" (1976), they even achieved significant commercial success with the single "Davy's On The Road Again". Despite this, it remains a certified minor masterpiece of the progressive rock genre. This is underscored by the superb mellotron sounds, the addictive choruses, and the catchy acoustic and electric guitars that permeate the entire album. "Watch" is undoubtedly the last great Earth Band album, thanks to its stunning mellotron work, addictive choruses, and infectious acoustic and electric guitars. Tracks like the brilliant “Circles” or the brilliant “Drowning on Dry Land/ Fish Soup”, “Chicago Institute” and “Mighty Quinn” demonstrate the potential of an album of abundant quality, a product of the unquestionable talent of one of the greatest British progressive bands of the 70s.

Spooky Tooth-The Mirror (1974)

The origins of this important British blues-rock band with progressive influences date back to late 1964, when a band called The V.I.P.'s released several singles with little success. These singles paved the way for Spooky Tooth, specifically for a group called Art, who released the album "Supernatural Fairy Tales" (1967). Just a year later, singer Mike Harrison, keyboardist and vocalist Gary Wright, guitarist Luther Grosvenor, bassist Greg Ridley, and drummer Mike Kellie officially formed Spooky Tooth, releasing their first album, "It's All About a Roundabout" (1968), on the Island label. On this first album, the psychedelic influences of their predecessor, Art, are quite evident, but the blues-rock sound that would later become the band's hallmark is also timidly emerging. The album alternated between covers and original songs, but it ultimately met with little fanfare. The same could not be said for their second album, the magnificent "Spooky Two" (1969), which managed to carve out a place for itself on the British and American charts, thanks in part to tracks like "Evil Woman" and "Waitin' For The Wind". After the album, Greg Ridley left the group to join Humble Pie. With a new bassist, Andy Leigh, they released "Ceremony" (1970), which, due to the shift towards a more electronic sound, suffered a monumental failure and precipitated the general exodus of almost all the band members. From this point on, Luther Grosvenor joined Stealers Wheels and Gary Wright founded Wonderwheel. In the middle of that same year, the group reformed with the addition of some members of Joe Cocker's Grease Band, such as Chris Stantion, Henry McCulloch, and Alan Spenner, but they were unable to revive the group's career with the recording of the album "The Last Puff" (1970). This latest failure led to the band's disbandment in late 1970. But three years later, Spooky Tooth resurfaced with a harder rock sound. The return of keyboardist Gary Wright and Mike Harrison, along with new members like singer Mike Patto, guitarist Mick Jones, drummer Bryson Graham, and bassist Ian Herbert, seemed to breathe new life into the group. With this lineup, they released the albums "You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw" (1973) and "Witness" (1973), achieving respectable sales and even better reviews, marking the band's peak period. On "The Mirror" (1974), the group recruited new members, including former Van Der Graaf Generator bassist Keith Ellis. However, despite containing strong tracks like "Kyle", "Fantasy Satisfier", "The Mirror", and "The Hoofer", it failed to achieve the desired success. In 1974 the band officially broke up, although this didn't prevent the occasional reunions with some of the original members. A year later, Island Records released the compilation album "The Best Of" (1976). Subsequently, some of the members went on to join bands such as Foreigner (Mick Jones) and The Alvin Lee Band (Bryson Graham).

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-The Roaring Silence (1976)

Fueled by a hugely successful single with their rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded by the Light", Manfred Mann's Earth Band produced one of their best albums in the mid-seventies with "The Roaring Silence". However, by this point, vocalist and guitarist Mick Rogers had left the band after the release of the previous and epic album, "Nightingales & Bombers". This was a mutual decision, the result of his almost obsessive interest in the music of Frank Zappa and his desire to take the band in an avant-rock jazz direction. In Rogers' place, the band expanded to a quintet, recruiting vocalist Chris Thompson and guitarist Dave Flett. The rest of the lineup remained the same, having left behind such widely acclaimed albums as the outstanding "Messin'" (1973), "Solar Fire" (1973), "The Good Earth" (1974), and the aforementioned "Nightingales & Bombers" (1975). These musicians were Manfred Mann (keyboards), Chris Slade (drums), and Colin Pattenden (bass). In addition, a dozen more musicians contributed to the recording process, including saxophonist Barbara Thompson and a large group of backing vocalists. Among those featured were Chris Hamlet Thompson, Irene Chanter, Suzanne Lynch, and Mick Rogers. The album opens with a cover of "Blinded by the Light", featuring a magnificent keyboard solo by Manfred Mann. While the song clearly has a pop-rock foundation, it differs significantly from the original with a lengthy middle section that reinforces the group's progressive credentials and became a true avant-garde hit. This is followed by "Singing the Dolphin Through", a fine piece of melodic progressive rock, and the atmospheric and chaotic "Waiter There's A Yawn in My Ear". The B-side features "Road to Babylon" and "This Side of Paradise", two tracks with a leisurely progressive rhythm, strong melodies, and complex instrumental work. The album closes with the simple yet beautiful "Questions", where Chris Thompson's distinctive voice showcases his talent as a superb vocalist. The album went on to achieve several gold and silver records, achieving great success in the North American market.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-The Good Earth (1974)

Manfred Mann's Earth Band's fifth album, "The Good Earth", sits between their two masterpieces: "Solar Fire" (1973) and "Nightingales Bombers" (1975), which might have relegated it to the status of a mere media transitional album. However, on this new release, the group, led by Manfred Mann (organ and synthesizers) and supported by Mick Rogers (guitar and vocals), Colin Pattenden (bass), and Chris Slade (drums), created an ingenious blend of 70s guitar-driven heavy rock and the familiar patterns of progressive blues rock. Purely instrumental tracks like "Sky High" and "Earth Hymn" showcase that hard rock power, while the progressive "Give Me The Good Earth" (an excellent cover of Gary Wright's song) and "Launching Place" perfectly exemplify the triumphant interplay between Rogers' electric guitar and Mann's synthesizers, all under the cloak of cryptic and chaotic lyrics. On the more melodic side, there's the catchy cover of Mike Rudd's "I'll Be Gone" and the country/folk rock-tinged "Be Not Too Hard". Despite being somewhat hidden among the albums mentioned earlier, "The Good Earth" is another indelible mark left by the legendary Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Manfred Mann´s Earth Band (1972)

Manfred Sepse Lubowitz, better known as Manfred Mann, began his career in the early 1960s, releasing a series of works focused on jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop, achieving several hits in the British market such as "Do What Diddy Diddy" and "Pretty Flamingo", among others. At the end of that decade, he formed Manfred Mann Chapter Three, a group that steered his style toward the experimental realm of jazz. After two noteworthy albums, the South African-born keyboardist created Manfred Mann's Earth Band, in which the restless musician sought to expand his sonic palette by exploring the progressive rock trends that were flourishing at the time. For this new lineup, he recruited drummer Chris Slade, guitarist Mick Rogers, and bassist Colin Pattenden, a lineup that would remain unchanged for the next five albums. The first album of this new venture, released in 1972 on the Polydor label, was met with great acclaim in the British and American markets thanks to its eclectic progressive style. Tracks like the midstream rock of "California Coastline", the progressive blues-gospel of "Captain Bobby Stout", the jazzy "Jump Sturdy", and the experimental psychedelic "Sloth", contrasted with the progressive folk melodies of "Part Time Man" and "I'm Up and I'm Leaving". From then on, a series of excellent examples of the talent and creativity of Manfred Mann's Earth Band followed, with highly acclaimed albums that achieved enormous commercial success.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Glorified Magnified (1972)

Released the same year as their debut but several months later, Manfred Mann's Earth Band's second album is a clear indication of the sound that would become the group's signature. It showcases a brilliant variety of styles, which the band performs with considerable fluency and confidence. In fact, on their subsequent albums, these sounds become even more pronounced and progressively more expansive. The lineup remains the same as on the first album: Manfred Mann (organ, synthesizers, and vocals), Mick Rogers (guitar and vocals), Colin Pattenden (bass), and Chris Slade (drums). Those eclectic sounds we mentioned earlier are present in the colorful and picturesque rock of "Meat", the intense hard rock of "Look Around", with its outstanding and enormous guitar solo by Rogers, the semi-acoustic "One Way Glass", the emotive "Ashes to the Wind", and a nod to 60s rock with their cover of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". The album delves into the roots of country blues with "Down Home" and the dense mid-tempo "Our Friend George". Finally, the album closes with more experimental approaches in the hypnotic instrumental "Wind" and the progressive "Glorified Magnified".

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Messin´ (1973)

In 1973, Manfred Mann's Earth Band released their third album, "Messin' ", a record that followed the stylistic path of their first two works, with its blues and R&B influences interwoven with their burgeoning progressive rock sound. The lineup of Mick Rogers (vocals and guitar), Manfred Mann (keyboards), Colin Pattenden (bass), and Chris Slade (drums) was beginning to solidify, and some time later they would create one of their best albums, "Solar Fire". But focusing on "Messin' ", they began to showcase characteristics that would establish them as one of the best progressive rock bands, such as the expansive tracks, an almost hard rock rhythm in many passages, and the interplay between guitars, Hammond organ, and synthesizers. The swampy "Mardi Gras Day", the bluesy "Black and Blue", the jazzy "Messin'", the emotive "Cloudy Eyes" or the energetic "Pretty Good", make up a solid work that little by little approached the sound that would make them world famous in the years to come.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Angel Station (1979)

As we've mentioned before, the 1980s marked a turning point for all those bands that had achieved creative and commercial success during the 1970s. Manfred Mann's Earth Band was no exception, adapting to the changing times while preserving their original musical philosophy. It was in this context that the band, led by keyboardist Manfred Mann, released their ninth album, "Angel Station" (a title referencing a London Underground station). Mann, along with Chris Thompson (vocals), Geoff Britton (drums), Pat King (bass), and Steve Waller (guitar), created a solid work that displayed certain new wave influences and commercial sounds within their usual progressive framework. That commercial appeal is evident in the opening track, "Don't Kill It Carol", a thunderous classic rock song driven by bass, guitar, and keyboards. Another rock classic appears in their version of Bob Dylan's "You Angel You", which showcases the band's knack for performing such successful covers. On the other hand, the hypnotic and sublime "Angels at My Gate", the bluesy "Belle of the Earth", the sarcastic "Resurrection", the epic and iconic "Waiting for the Rain", and the somber "Hollywood Town" complete an album that is as enjoyable as it is commendable, at a time in history when artists had to tread carefully to avoid musical bankruptcy.

Aragorn-The Suite (1973)

Aragorn's short career lasted only a few months, just enough time to record an album that was initially released in a limited edition of fifty copies, until many years later it was rediscovered and reissued on CD. This Australian band was led by a talented classically trained musician named Oleg Dietrich, who in 1967 had begun composing a work called "The Suite", influenced by the book "The Lord of the Rings". Years later, he finished most of the composition and formed a band called Aragorn to record and officially release it. With a fully established lineup, they recorded "The Suite", a record that draws directly from the roots of British progressive rock with echoes of medieval folk and jazz. The work displays great intensity, with a sober and complex composition, featuring dense passages in a series of fluid, separate pieces that result in a hidden masterpiece of progressive rock.

Premiata Forneria Marconi-Storia di Un Minuto (1972)

In the late sixties, the British progressive rock movement was in full swing, and hundreds of bands from numerous countries influenced by the genre ventured to experiment with their own sounds in search of success and glory. One of these many bands was the Italian group Premiata Forneria Marconi, who absorbed this new rock sound, fusing it with different elements such as Italian music, creating their own unique identity. In this context of effervescence and creativity, this Italian band released their second album in 1971, "Storia di Un Minuto", a record that departed completely from the melodic, psychedelic pop sound of their debut. This second album is characterized by reflective and complex passages that support impeccable instrumentation, as demonstrated in the pastoral "Impressioni di Settembre". The following tracks, such as "Paloma…Quando", a sentimental piece reminiscent of medieval music, and the atmospheric "La Carrozza di Hans", continue in this introspective vein, with touches of drama. The popular Italian tarantella style shines through in the lively "E Festa", driven by extroverted keyboards, while jazz improvisation is present in "Paloma…Quando Part II". To close the album, the band reserves its most progressive moment with the experimental "Grazie Davvero", which features precise orchestral arrangements and an outstanding acoustic ending. "Storia di Un Minuto" proved to be an excellent starting point for Premiata Forneria Marconi, who in the following years would release such monumental works as "Per Un Amico" and "Photos of Ghosts", “L´ Isola Di Niente” or “Chocolate Kings”, becoming one of the biggest bands of the Italian progressive movement and the one with the greatest international impact.

Premiata Forneria Marconi-L'Isola di Niente (1974)

Amidst the buzz surrounding the success of “Photos Of Ghosts” in the English-speaking market, the Italian band Premiata Forneria Marconi embarked on a new project, their fourth release chronologically titled “L'Isola Di Niente” (The Island of Nothing). Recorded with meticulous production, the band took significantly more time to develop the musical structures, resulting in greater instrumental and lyrical depth. This shift is evident in the opening track, the title track, an instrumental interlude where Franco Mussida's guitar and Franco Premoli's keyboards, accompanied by a haunting choral arrangement, showcase the strength of their new sound. This track is followed by the progressive “La Luna Nuova” (The New Moon), where the keyboardist once again takes center stage with his Moog synthesizer sounds. The Mediterranean melody of “Dolcissima Maria” and the jazzy “Is My Face On Straight” are the tracks that lead to a spectacular closing with the lively “Via Lumiere”, the culmination of another masterpiece from one of the best bands to have emerged from Italy.

Premiata Forneria Marconi-Jet Lag (1977)

With their eighth album, "Jet Lag", the Italian band Premiata Forneria Marconi forged a new musical path, abandoning their poetic lyrics and singing in English without the involvement of lyricist Peter Sinfield, who had translated the albums "Per Un Amico" (released as "Photos of Ghosts") and "L'Isola Di Niente" (released as "The World Became the World"), both for the English-speaking market. This time, the band focused primarily on the ambitious North American market, producing a work closer to the jazz fusion/rock style so popular in the late seventies. The interplay of the rhythm section, composed of Franz Di Cioccio and bassist Jan Patrick Djivas, is truly electrifying and complex, while the absence of the usual horn section, due to Mauro Pagani's departure, is compensated for by Gregory Bloch's excellent violin. Special mention must be made of Franco Mussida's guitar, displaying an unusual intensity with dizzying riffs reminiscent of hard rock. From the incredible title track, a superb progressive jazz-rock composition, to the pastoral and instrumental "Peninsula", the Italian band delves into and finds an unclassifiable sound within progressive rock, always remaining true to the essential Italian progressive approach. The vocals perfectly complement the overall musical philosophy, and while they don't quite reach the eloquence of their emblematic works, they still retain moments of grandeur. The rest of the repertoire consists of pieces that navigate between pure progressive rock ("Traveler"), highly talented instrumental exercises ("Meridiani"), and avant-garde explorations like the energetic "Left-Handed Theory". Without a doubt, "Jet Lag" is another essential work from Premiata Forneria Marconi, despite the substantial stylistic shift from their initial sound.

The Next Morning-The Next Morning (1971)

The Next Morning was a short-lived American band founded in New York City by Trinidadian guitarist Scipio Sargeant, who had emigrated to the Big Apple in the late 1960s. Once settled in the city, he formed a close friendship with guitarist Bert Bailey, and together they decided to create a band in the style of the Jimi Hendrix Experience's hard rock and psychedelic, acid blues rock. To this end, they recruited drummer Herb Bailey, organist Earl Arthur, and singer Lou Phillips. After a series of concerts in various New York venues, the band garnered significant media attention and was signed to a subsidiary of Rhino Records. With the support of this label, they recorded their first and only album at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The final result of this album is a clear example of Jimi Hendrix's tremendous influence on the band, who, driven by a dizzying and strident organ and fuzz guitars, left a repertoire full of psychedelic and hard rock sounds, with hints of funk and soul as demonstrated in the tracks "Jam Of Love", "Life Is Love", "The Next Morning", "Changes of the Mind" or "Back to the Stone".