Gwendal-Gwendal (1974)

Gwendal is a legendary French band that masterfully fused Celtic and Breton influences with jazz and rock elements. Its founder was saxophonist and flautist Youenn Le Barre, who, along with bassist Roger Schaub and guitarist Jean-Marie Renard, was one of the band's core members for many years. Their self-titled debut album, "Gwendal", was released in 1974, showcasing the rhythms and folk influences of Ireland and medieval music. On this first release, instruments like the violin and flute were the driving force behind a distinctly traditional style. However, by then, other artists such as The Horslips, Alan Stivell, Gryphon, and Clannad had already explored this eclectic fusion of traditional and avant-garde sounds, releasing seminal works that would have a profound impact on the world of modern music. Despite having a musical philosophy still undefined, this debut album showcases interesting creative contributions such as the rhythmic "An Dro-Nevez", the reflective "Planxty-Birke", the intriguing "Patrick's Day", and the minimalist "Deu Tu Ganene". Starting with their third album, "Á Vos Désirs" (1977), they incorporated drummer Arnaud Rogers, an instrument that would broaden Gwendal's musical palette, adding a deeper, more jazz-influenced dimension to their rich and distinctive style.

Magnum-On A Storyteller´s Night (1985)

With cover art that perfectly reflects the music within, Magnum's fifth album, "On A Storyteller's Night", became one of their best works, perfectly capturing their addictive style that brilliantly blends epic, melodic rock, and progressive structures. It's replete with great keyboard passages, courtesy of Mark Stanway, the powerful hard rock guitars of Tony Clarke, and the impressive vocals of singer Bob Catley. From the energetic "Just Like An Arrow" to the melodic "The Last Dance", passing through the infectious "Endless Love", the AOR "Two Hearts", and the epic and glorious "Haw Far Jerusalem", Magnum showcased their great musical diversity, producing everything from semi-progressive albums like "Chase The Dragon" and "Wings Of Heaven" to clear concessions to high-quality melodic rock such as "The Eleventh Hour", "Vigilante", and "Goodnight L.A".

Earth, Wind & Fire-The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol1 (1978)

Earth, Wind & Fire managed to turn every song they composed into a true anthem for an entire generation, whether it was funk, rock, soul, disco, or R&B. They are also one of the most successful bands of all time, with nearly 100 million records sold and seventeen Grammy nominations, winning six and countless other accolades. In 1978, with only seven albums released, they launched the compilation "The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol 1", which became a massive success, selling over 6 million copies thanks to an impressive collection of great songs like "Got to Get You Into My Life", "Fantasy", "Love Music", "Getaway", "September", and "Sing a Song". The band continued to release work until 2014, reaping success after success such as the million-selling albums "I Am" (1979), "Faces" (1980), "Raise!" (1981) or "The Essential" (2002).

Steeleye Span-All Around My Hat (1975)

"All Around My Hat" perfectly encapsulated Steeleye Span's nascent style, blending their folk sound with more accessible, commercial rock. It subtly replaced their usual fusion of artful folk and traditional folk from their earlier works, particularly their predecessors "Now We Are Six" (1974) and "Commoners Crown" (1975). For this new album, curiously released months after "Commoners Crown", the band, led by the duo Maddy Prior and Tim Hart (vocals and guitars respectively), expanded their musical horizons into the realm of folk-influenced rock, highlighting Bob Johnson's powerful electric guitar riffs. With a repertoire full of attractive songs such as "All Around My Hat", "Gamble Gold", "Hard Times Of Old England", "Sun Waves" or "Dance With Me", with this album, the eighth chronologically of Steeleye Span, they would achieve their greatest commercial success, achieving a gold record in the British charts and considerable sales outside the United Kingdom.

Boomerang-Boomerang (1971)

From the ashes of the legendary Vanilla Fudge emerged several bands: Cactus and Boomerang. Cactus was led by drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tim Bogert, while keyboardist Mark Stein would form the core of Boomerang. To form Boomerang, Stein recruited several unknown musicians, starting with guitarist Richard Rameriz, bassist Jo Casmir, and drummer James Galluzi. Their only release was the self-titled "Boomerang," a decent hard rock album that drew from the sonic sources of other contemporary bands such as Vanilla Fudge, Led Zeppelin, and Steppenwolf, but with a clear psychedelic undercurrent. Rameriz's heavy guitar riffs, Stein's dense organ, and the dusty, southern rock-influenced rhythm are the common denominator of an album that, despite containing a commendable repertoire, would fail spectacularly, overshadowed by the success of his former bandmates in Cactus. Powerful hard rock tracks like "Cynthia Fever", "The Peddler" or "Juke", the country rock "Hard Time", the bluesy boogie "Mockinbird", the attractive southern rock "Fisherman" or the melodic ballad "Brother's Comin' Home", have enough merit for this release to have had greater media and commercial recognition.