Volker Kriegel-Inside: Missing Link (1972)

Acclaimed for his impressive versatility and immense talent, guitarist Volker Kriegel is one of the pioneers of European jazz-rock. In his early years in the late 1960s, Kriegel played in the band of another legendary European musician, Dave Pike, before launching his own solo career with his bands The Mild Maniac Orchestra and United Jazz & Rock Ensemble. In 1971, he released one of his most emblematic works, "Spectrum", a true classic of European jazz-rock/fusion, featuring collaborations with renowned jazz musicians such as Cees See, John Taylor, Peter Trunk, and Peter Baumeister. On this debut album, the German guitarist crafted a work brimming with ingenious ideas, showcasing his electric guitar skills in brilliant tracks like "Zoom", "So Long, For Now", "More About D", and "String Revisited". A year later, he returned with the ambitious "Inside: Missing Link", a double album featuring other musicians such as Eberhardt Weber and John Marshall, who contributed significantly to a more dynamic and eclectic work than its predecessor, with a more rock-oriented and experimental approach. This excellent second album includes standout tracks like the jazz-rock "Slums on Wheels", the melodious fusion "Zanzibar", the rhythmic R&B "Für Hector", the Caribbean jazz "Remis", and the psychedelic, Latin-tinged "Definitely Suspicious".