Rory Gallagher-Jinx (1982)

After releasing a string of outstanding albums throughout the 1970s, Rory Gallagher faced the 1980s with a considerable decline in his discography. During those decades, the Irish wanderer only released two albums, separated by a considerable gap between them: "Jinx" (1982) and "Defender" (1987). This sparse discography led many fans to wonder if the guitarist was still active. However, this decline was partly due to various legal issues with his record label, a severe creative crisis, and his ongoing struggles with alcohol. These factors, however, did not prevent him from releasing "Jinx" in 1982, his ninth album, unfairly considered by many to be a minor work within his extensive career. Alongside his inseparable squire, bassist Gerry McAvoy, plus collaborations from Brendan O'Neil (drums), Bob Andrews (keyboards) and Dick Parry and Ray Beavis (saxophone), the guitarist originally from the Irish city of Ballyshannon, showcases his powerful hard rock infected with distorted riffs in a series of songs with iron and tenacious sounds such as "Big Guns", "Bourbon", "Loose Talk", "Easy Come Easy Go" or the version of the bluesman Louisiana Red, "Ride On Red, Ride On".

Moraina-Loners & Lovers (1974)

This Danish band, formed in the early seventies, released only one excellent album, which is considered among the best musical productions to come out of Denmark. Composed of musicians from other prominent Danish bands such as Culpeper's Orchard and Day of Phoenix, the lineup consisted of vocalist Hans Lauridsen, guitarist and keyboardist Nils Henriksen, guitarist and harmonica player Ole Prehn, and drummer Ken Gudman, with bassist Thorkild Nielsen completing the band. During their early years, the band earned a strong reputation in their home country by releasing a series of singles that garnered considerable attention. Then, in 1974, they released their only full-length album, "Loners & Lovers," a superb record where warm vocal harmonies, reminiscent of American bands like Crosby, Stills & Nash and America, were complemented by beautiful folk-rock melodies. In contrast to these sounds, we also find highly inspired moments closer to energetic rock and even blues rock, such as the opening track "Late Night Woman Blues," the vigorous "Rock 'n' Man," and the bluesy boogie "Fortunate & Fame," while the aforementioned folk/country vein is present in the captivating "Break It Up," "Since You've Been Gone," and the melancholic "Alone." There's even room for AOR tracks like the catchy mid-tempo "Deep Within The Storm" and "City Rambling Boy." Some time later, the band would definitively disband, leaving behind this magnificent work of folk, blues, and rock, which has earned its well-deserved recognition among fans of 1970s rock music. 

Prefab Sprout-Steve McQueen (1985)

Prefab Sprout belonged to the large legion of British pop groups that emerged in the 1980s, but unlike most of them, who were immersed in a commercial, mainstream style aimed primarily at young people, they steered their sound towards a sophisticated pop more oriented towards adults. Formed in the late 1970s in Newcastle by brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon, their style has always been considered intelligent, sophisticated, and thoughtful pop, due to the influence of everyday life in rural England, Victorian-era British romanticism, and 1950s American rock and roll. Together with keyboardist Wendy Smith, they released their debut album, "Swoon", in 1984, which already showcased their original style, far removed from the new wave sounds so fashionable at the time. A year later, they released their second album, and ultimately their best, "Steve McQueen", which achieved gold status and widespread critical acclaim from the British press, hailed as one of the most beautiful and insightful albums of the 1980s. Produced by the renowned musician and producer Thomas Dolby, the band also collaborated with former David Bowie guitarist Kevin Armstrong, saxophonist Mark Lockhart, and drummer Neil Conti. Their distinctive, refined, and captivating pop is simultaneously sentimental and intense, as evidenced in such impeccable tracks as "Goodbye Lucille #1", "When Love Breaks Down", "Bonny", "Horsin' Around", and "Appetite".

Mariah-Mariah (1975)

A short-lived band originally from Chicago, formed in the late 1960s, which enjoyed considerable popularity in the Michigan club and concert hall scene for a few years. During the early 1970s, under the name The Jamestown Massacre, they recorded a series of singles released by Warner Bros., which received some airplay on local Chicago radio stations. After several lineup changes, in 1974 the band, now definitively renamed Mariah, reformed with keyboardist Mark Ayers, bassist Ed Burek, singer Comforte, drummer Wayne DiVarko, and guitarists Len Fogerty and Frankie Sullivan. After signing with United Artists, they moved to Los Angeles where they recorded their self-titled debut and only album, "Mariah." On this debut album, the band drew influences from a wide range of groups, from the vocal melodies of The Doobie Brothers to the progressive style of Styx, and the heavy sounds of American hard rock from Mountain. "Mariah" consists of nine uniformly enjoyable tracks such as "Reunion," "Broadway," "Rock and Roll Band," "I Was Born," and "Hey Mama," all brimming with catchy melodies aimed at North American FM radio. Despite the album's high quality, it went largely unnoticed, which led to the band's breakup some time later. Frankie Sullivan would later found the band Survivor, with whom he achieved massive success throughout much of the 1980s.

Robben Ford-Pure (2021)

We have before us another superb album from guitar virtuoso Robben Ford. This time, the understated combination of blues, jazz, and rock is perfectly synchronized, blending sensitivity and virtuosity with his instrument. Released on the Ear Music label, this is the twenty-eighth album from the Californian guitarist, who has been nominated for five Grammy Awards and was chosen as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of the twentieth century by the prestigious American magazine Musician. This is one of those albums made for the most discerning electric guitar purists and for connoisseurs of jazz, blues, and fusion, all played with great class and interpretive intelligence. Robben Ford transports us to hypnotic soundscapes with tracks like the intro "Pure (Prelude)", the bluesy "White Rock Beer...8 Cents", the ambient "Balafon", the jazz fusion "If You Want Me To" and "A Dragon's Tail", and the jazzy "Go".

Joanne Shaw Taylor-The Blues Album (2021)

Joanne Shaw Taylor is a young British blues guitarist considered one of the most talented of the last 25 years. Discovered in the early 2000s by Eurythmics frontman Dave Stewart, when she was sixteen, he offered to launch her recording career. Joanne had learned to play guitar by listening to iconic guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Albert Collins, Rory Gallagher, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Her first official release was the album "White Sugar", released in 2009, a work that garnered attention from both the public and critics due to her immense virtuosity. The following years were quite fruitful, with the release of half a dozen albums, some of which earned her several important awards, including Best Female Vocalist at the British Blues Awards in 2010 and 2011. With her fourth release, "The Dirty Truth", she achieved great success on the British charts. Starting with her seventh album, "The Blues Album", the renowned bluesman Joe Bonamassa took the reins of her new productions in an attempt to showcase her voice and ensure that his guitar skills didn't overshadow her excellent singing. "The Blues Album" comprises a selection of blues classics such as Fleetwood Mac's powerful "Stop Messin' Around", Little Milton's funk-infused "If That Ain't a Reason", Aretha Franklin's poignant "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody", and Albert King's devastating "Can't You See What You're Doing to Me". In all of these tracks, Joanne demonstrates her deep passion for the blues while maintaining a profound respect for the original essence of each reinterpreted song.

Tantor-Tantor (1978)

Tantor is one of Argentina's quintessential cult bands and, at the same time, considered one of the country's greatest. This mostly instrumental power trio, playing progressive jazz-rock, lacked wider commercial success, primarily due to the presence of instrumental tracks on their albums. Nevertheless, they garnered a large following and received significant critical acclaim in Argentina and internationally. The band consists of drummer Rodolfo García, bassist Carlos Alberto Rufino, and guitarist Héctor Starc. These three virtuoso musicians brought extensive experience from other important Argentine bands such as Aquelarre and Invisible. Formed in 1977, they released their debut album just a year later, featuring keyboardists Lito Vítale and Leo Sujatovich. This debut album is the perfect example of jazz-rock with progressive leanings, technically superb, with a frenetic and energetic rhythm, driven by incredible guitar work, electric piano and synthesizer sounds, and a powerful and punchy rhythm section. Released at a time when the progressive rock era was in decline worldwide and jazz-rock wasn't at its peak of popularity, this legendary band managed to create one of the best jazz-rock and progressive rock albums ever made. From the opening, energetic jazz-rock track "Guerreras Club" to the epilogue with the vigorous "Carrera de Chanchos," the album unfolds with excellent musical ideas that are as exciting as they are captivating. The serene "Niedernwohren," the funky "Llama siempre," the jazzy, Latin-tinged "Halitos," and the enthusiastic jazz-fusion "Oreja y vuelta al ruedo" complete an anthological and essential work for all fans of progressive rock and rock music in general. 

Neuschwanstein-Alice in Wonderland (1976)

Neuschwanstein was a German progressive rock band formed in the early 1970s in the town of Volklingen, near Saarbrücken. Their name comes from the famous castle of the same name, commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in honor of Richard Wagner. In their early years, this band, led by Thomas Neuroth and Klaus Mayer, focused on performing covers of progressive rock classics by artists such as Rick Wakeman, Yes, and King Crimson. By 1974, the band had begun to gain some recognition in their home country, opening for other German rock bands like Lucifer's Friends and Novalis. Two years later, they recorded their first album, "Alice in Wonderland," a conceptual and instrumental album with narrated interludes. The lineup that recorded this album included Neuroth and Mayer (both on synthesizers, keyboards, and flute), drummer Hans-Peter Schwarz, bassist Rainer Zimmer, and guitarist and narrator Roger Weiler. Echoes of Camel, Rick Wakeman or Genesis are interwoven with grand atmospheric passages, symphonic music and dreamy melodies that leave us with an album with a carefully and brilliantly executed classical background.

Made In Sweden-Made In England (1970)

Made In Sweden are another of those bands lost in the long tunnel of time, who released three studio albums and one live album over a few years before disbanding in 1970. Their original lineup consisted of Georges Wadenius on guitar, Bo Haggstrom on bass, and drummer Tommy Borgudd. Their style was clearly oriented towards progressive jazz rock. The album we're discussing today was their third recording, released in 1970 on the Sonet label, and is the best example of this Swedish trio's talent. Recorded in London, it was produced by bassist Tony Reeves, who had met the group during a short tour they did with his band Colosseum across Great Britain. Highlights on the album include the catchy jazz track "Winter's Bummer", the ethereal "Mad River", the jazz-rock "Love Samba", and the bluesy "Blind Willie". Shortly after this album they would separate until some time later, when they resurfaced with a new lineup, with guitarist Wadenius as the only member of the original formation, to record the epitaph "Where Do We Begin".

Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention-Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970)

Divided between live and studio tracks, "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" is one of Frank Zappa's most accessible and least convoluted albums (within his characteristically extravagant and peculiar style). On this occasion, Zappa fully embraces jazz, even employing a large horn section and creating expansive instrumental passages. As is typical of the American musician, these passages feature a great deal of improvisation and abundant experimentation. In this new work (his eighth release), Zappa collaborates with his band, The Mothers of Invention, which included Lowell George, Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Roy Estrada, Jimmy Carl Black, Punk Gardner, Ray Collins, Don Preston, Art Tripa, Buzz Gardner, Motörhead Sherwood, and Ian Underwood. Among its grooves we can find everything from eccentric jazz rock "Didja Get Any Onya?", to typical blues "Directly From My Heart to You", passing through extravagant cuts like "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Sexually Aroused Gas Mask" or sound experiments like "Toads of the Short Forest" or "Weasles Ripped My Flesh", while others like "Get a Little" or "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama", show its melodic and "accessible" side of conventional jazz rock.

David Gilmour-Luck And Strange (2024)

In 2024, legendary Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour surprised everyone by releasing a new album, his fifth solo effort, following "Rattle That Lock", released nine years prior. At this point, this iconic musician has nothing left to prove or impress; his legendary past speaks for itself, having crafted some of the best albums of the 20th century with his Pink Floyd bandmates. This time, he presents a relaxed and atmospheric work, with soft, melancholic sounds. Among the highlights of this new album is the title track, a mini-epic recorded many years earlier with his late Pink Floyd bandmate, Richard Wright, which undoubtedly represents the album's most progressive moment. The rest of the album comprises a collection of sophisticated and refined songs, some of which feature the angelic voice of David's daughter, Romany, a perfect complement to her father's melodic guitar lines.

Toad-Tomorrow Blue (1972)

“Tomorrow Blue” was the second album by the Swiss band Toad, a superb and successful blend of hard rock, blues rock, and progressive rock. Led by the brilliant guitarist Vic Vergeat, and supported by bassist Werner Fronlich and drummer Cosimo Lampis, this popular Swiss band, in this new release, moves away from the psychedelic and proto-rock of their debut album to delve into progressive sounds, incorporating elements of the most energetic blues rock. The album is brimming with sharp, searing guitar sounds, a precise and incredibly complex bass line, and powerful drumming, as demonstrated in tracks like the blistering “Vampires,” the epic “Change In Time,” the heavy rock tracks “Thoughts,” “Tomorrow Blue,” and “No Need,” and the progressive folk “Blind Chapman’s Tale.”

Iron Savior-Iron Savior (1997)

Iron Savior is another band that emerged from the family tree of the power metal group Helloween. This German band began its career when former Helloween and later Gamma Ray guitarist Kai Hansen joined forces with bassist and vocalist Piet Sielck (formerly of Savage Circus) and drummer Thomas Stauch (formerly of Blind Guardian). With a style based on melodic power metal and science fiction-themed lyrics, they recorded their self-titled debut album, "Iron Savior", in 1997 a concept album centered on a spaceship. Beyond the album's concept and themes, musically this debut contains some of the best classic power metal anthems, such as "Iron Savior", "Assailant", "Protect the Law", and "For the World", which showcase a driving rhythm influenced by the NWOBHM, with vibrant drums, fast guitar riffs, and catchy vocal choruses. However, the change in members would cause their style to evolve in subsequent years towards more conventional sounds of classic heavy metal, but without completely losing their original identity.

Coldplay-A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2001)

It's the year 2000, and the charts around the world are shaken by several singles from an unknown British alternative rock band that would soon become one of the sensations of rock music in the new century. They were Coldplay, a band led by singer and pianist Chris Martin, who, along with guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion, managed to climb to the top of the charts with their debut album, "Parachutes", and songs like "Yellow", "Shiver", "High Speed", "Don't Panic", and "Trouble", thanks to a simple approach and moving, intelligent lyrics. A year later, they definitively cemented their success with their second full-length album, "A Rush of Blood to the Head", where they continued along a consistent musical path based on a perfect combination of piano and guitar, simple melodies, grand string arrangements, a touch of epic grandeur, and captivating vocals. Replete with songs that shine with their own light such as "In My Place", "Amsterdam", "Warning Sign", "The Scientist", "Green Eyes", "Politik", "Daylight" or "Clocks", this second album became a true declaration of intent of the best indie-rock, with more than thirteen million copies sold and the Grammy award for best album of the year.