Kopperfield-Tales Untold (1974)

Kopperfield was a short-lived band from Michigan that attempted to emulate the sounds of British progressive rock by blending them with powerful American rock. Although they never achieved commercial success, they maintained considerable popularity as an explosive live act, thanks to their performances in venues across the American Midwest between 1970 and 1975. Their initial lineup consisted of Paul Decker (keyboards and vocals), Jimmy Robinson (lead vocals), Bill Wallace (keyboards and guitar), Chuck Eagan (guitar), Tom Curtis (drums), Keith Robinson (keyboards), and Jerry Opdycke (bass). In 1974, they self-produced their only official release, "Tales Untold", a hard rock album with a significant and consistent dose of progressive elements. The keyboards, primarily the Hammond organ, along with the guitar riffs, are the highlights of this sole Kopperfield record. Their American rock influences, such as "Anatomy", are interwoven with more progressive tracks like "Moonride", or the energetic rock songs "Watching The Go By", "Brain Riot", and "Truckin' ". However, beyond these commendable compositions, the rest of their albums lacked the commercial and creative appeal needed to attract a wider audience, and so they eventually disbanded. Many years later, Kopperfield was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2020).

David Bedford-The Odyssey (1976)

Best known for his work with Mike Oldfield, David Bedford was a British musician and composer whose repertoire ranged from classical to rock music. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music at Lennox Berkeley in London and the University of Venice, his professional career began in the late 1960s with Kevin Ayers on the album "Joy of a Toy". During the 1970s, Bedford actively collaborated with artists such as Mike Oldfield, Robert Wyatt, and Elvis Costello, while also developing a career as a composer of contemporary classical music and teaching music in various British schools. In 1976, he released an album based on one of the masterpieces of classical literature, Homer's epic poems, on which Bedford played all the instruments except the guitars, which were played by Mike Oldfield and Andy Summers. This album is strongly reminiscent of his early work with Mike Oldfield, particularly in its synthesizer arrangements. The shadow of albums like "Hergest Ridge" looms over "The Odyssey", which, while not having transcended rock history, is a worthy symphonic rock album.

Black Sabbath-The Eternal Idol (1987)

While Black Sabbath's career in the 1970s was filled with great works, establishing the Birmingham band as one of the greatest in the history of heavy metal, with a stable lineup of Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler, the following decade was quite turbulent, marked by numerous lineup changes. First, former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James took over as lead singer, followed by former Deep Purple member Ian Gillan, and finally, a then-unknown Tony Martin, who ushered in the second most stable period in the band's long history. Further changes were still to come, but with albums like "The Eternal Idol", the band reaffirmed their commitment to high-quality heavy metal, nearly reaching the heights of some of their most iconic works. An album that doesn't lack progressive tendencies, as seen in "Ancient Warrior", "Nightmare", and "The Eternal Idol", while the powerful hard rock/heavy metal, replete with Iommi's incredible and memorable guitar riffs, is present in "Hard Life To Love", "The Shining", "Glory Ride", and "Born To Lose". Although Martin's voice is slightly bluesier and more nuanced than Osbourne's and Dio's, his contribution breathed new life into the career of the iconic British band.

Bodkin-Bodkin (1972)

Bodkin were a short-lived Scottish quintet who released a superb progressive heavy blues album in 1972, but then vanished without a trace. Related to the heavy, dark style of bands like Nosferatu, Atomic Rooster, and Bram Stoker, their sound was based on energetic rock where powerful guitars and a prominent organ created a very appealing mix of dark rock and heavy blues rock, with progressive elements and a certain psychedelia imbued with passages related to the occult and Satanic, but very far removed from the general (literary) concept of bands like Black Sabbath or Black Widow. Their origins date back to 1971 when keyboardist Doug Rome recruited guitarist Mick Riddle and vocalist Zeik Hume, forming the core of Bodkin. Later, bassist Bill Anderson and drummer Dick Sneddon joined them. With this lineup, they entered the studios of producer Jim West, who also owned the independent record label West. He produced and released their self-titled debut album in mid-1972. This single album features five tracks, beginning with the suite "Three Days After Death", which is divided into two parts. The first is highly dynamic, blending heavy rock sounds with subdued passages of atmospheric organ, while the second is more progressive and rhythmic, with sounds reminiscent of Uriah Heep's hard rock. In a similar vein is "Aunt Mary's Traschan", the longest track, which throughout its development leaves us with that scent of classic Deep Purple, while the remaining tracks, "After Your Lumber" and "Plastic Man", being shorter pieces, have less room for progressive moments and are more focused on heavy rock with sharp guitars that remind us of early Black Sabbath.

Michael Sembello-Bossa Nova Hotel (1983)

Although the name Michael Sembello may not ring a bell for many, this multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter is the author of "Maniac", one of the most famous songs of all time. Years earlier, Sembello had worked with Stevie Wonder, participating in the recording of several of his albums, such as "Fulfillingness' First Finale" and "Songs In The Key Of Life", both from the mid-70s. In the following years, he also actively participated in projects for artists like The Temptation, David Sanborn, Donna Summer, and George Benson, among many others. In 1983, Sembello released his first solo album, "Bossa Nova Hotel", which included "Maniac", a song featured on the soundtrack of the film "Flashdance", reaching number one on the Billboard charts and winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year. This song, written in collaboration with Dennis Matkosky, definitively launched Michael Sembello's already prolific career. For the recording of "Bossa Nova Hotel", Sembello assembled a stellar lineup of musicians, including bassist Nathan Watts, drummers Vinnie Colaiuta and Carlos Vega, and keyboardists George Duke and Don Freeman. The album's repertoire is a fusion of synth-pop and smooth jazz with bluesy undertones, featuring not only the exhilarating and infectious "Maniac", but also other undeniably high-quality tracks like "Cadillac" and "Automatic Man". From this point on, Sembello dedicated himself almost exclusively to composing film scores for movies such as "Summer Lovers" (1982), "Gremlins" (1984), "Cocoon" (1985), "The Monster Squad" (1987), and "Independence Day" (1996), in addition to sporadically releasing a series of solo albums that remain largely unknown outside of North America.

Winterhawk-Revival (1982)

Winterhawk's only studio album, "Revival", is considered by many to be one of the most outstanding guitar-driven hard rock albums of all time. This Chicago-based band is frequently compared to the Canadian band Rush due to the similarity in their instrumental patterns and Doug Brown's vocal timbre, which bears a striking resemblance to Geddy Lee's. However, musically, Winterhawk's style leaned towards the primitive roots of American hard rock, unlike the Canadian band, which was more influenced by British blues-rock, a style inherited from bands like Led Zeppelin, and which they already showcased in their first three albums: "Rush", "Fly By Night", and "Caress of Steel". Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the shadow of the Canadian trio is evident in many of their instrumental passages, as demonstrated by the title track, the dynamic "Sanctuary", and even the progressive-tinged hard rock of "Period of Change". On the other hand, “Ace In The Hole” showcases the group’s diversity with a muscular piece of instrumental jazz rock, while the Southern rock track “Can’t See The Forest For The Trees” and especially the legendary jam “Free To Live” demonstrate the dazzling talent of their guitarist Jordan Macarus with his dizzying and arabesque solos on the six strings, making it clear that he is one of the great and at the same time unknown guitarists of seventies hard rock.

George Hatcher Band-Dry Run (1976)

George Hatcher is one of the greatest unsung heroes of southern rock, one of those musicians who exude genius and creativity in equal measure. He had to emigrate to Europe in the mid-70s to achieve some recognition with his band, the George Hatcher Band. Originally from South Carolina, George Hatcher had already explored his musical talent in several local groups that came and went without much fanfare, such as Frantic and Flatrock. In 1974, he decided to try his luck in England, where he formed the short-lived band Stark Naked and the Car Thieves with former Curved Air members Stuart Copeland (later famous for founding The Police) and Darrel Way. They toured the country for a while. After this short-lived venture, he founded the George Hatcher Band, initially enlisting guitarist John Tomas and former Renaissance drummer Terry Slade. Shortly after, bassist Harris Joannou, guitarist Phil Swan, and keyboardist Steve Wren joined, completing the band's lineup. Thanks to the United label, they released their first album, "Dry Run", a work oriented towards southern sounds with hints of boogie rock, as demonstrated in the opening track, "Lucky Guy". Other standout tracks include "All Night Gambler", "Rockin' in the Morning", "First Thing Smoking", and "Good Friend", where we find a style influenced by country rock and southern blues that at times recalls the Allman Brothers Band. During the following years, the band continued to release great works such as "Talkin' Turkey" (1977), "Rich Girl" (1978), and "Coming Home" (1980), all of which received significant media attention, leading to appearances at the Reading Festival and opening slots for artists like AC/DC, Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, and Molly Hatchet in the UK. Back in the United States, in 1985 they released their last album, "Hindsight", resuming activity well into the 1980s. In the 2000s, they played a series of concerts with a completely reformed band, touring with leading bands such as Molly Hatchet, Cheap Trick, Black Oak Arkansas, The Outlaws, Black Sabbath, and Scorpions, or performing as the main act for large audiences of up to 80,000 people alongside the 38 Special, such as the one held in 2002 at the famous Speed ​​Street festival in Charlotte.

The Clash-Sandinista (1980)

In 1980, The Clash released their fifth album, "Sandinista!", a triple album whose cover perfectly reflects the image of its four members with their backs to a wall, as if about to be executed an image that perfectly captures the last vestiges of punk. When it was released, this overwhelming collection of songs surprised no one. A year earlier, they had already done something similar with the double album "London Calling", a work brimming with rock 'n' roll anthems, as evidenced even by its iconic cover, a clear nod to Elvis Presley's famous first album. "Sandinista!" consists of 36 songs, not all of them of exceptional quality, but as is to be expected with such a large number of compositions. Ironically, despite being a deeply anti-American album, "Sandinista!" was a huge commercial success in the United States, thanks in part to the diverse styles and sounds it encompasses, from rap and blues to dub and rock. Stylish tracks as disparate as the rockabilly of "The Leader", the epic ballads of "The Magnificent Seven", and the reggae of "Junco Partner" alternate with truly surprising and high-quality compositions such as "Somebody Got Murdered", "The Call Up", "Washington Bullets", "Police on My Back", and "Rebel Waltz". Even with such a profusion of songs, "Sandinista" is not an easy album; its development is quite erratic and its repertoire is excessively disconcerting and disordered, something very common in the punk philosophy, and this album in particular would stage the biography of an entire generation on the threshold of a new decade and the subsequent decline and fall of a genre that almost at the same time as Macío was devoured by its own image.

Can-Flow Motion (1976)

After nine magnificent albums, some of which are fundamental to the progressive rock genre and krautrock in particular, the German band Can released their tenth album, "Flow Motion", a captivating, intense, and meticulously crafted work with mischievous reggae and funk rhythms and generous doses of rock. From the climactic title track with its seemingly endless guitar solo, to the commercially successful "I Want More", and including the psychedelic reggae "Cascade Waltz", the heavy "Smoke EFS No", and the funky "Babylonian Pearl", Can once again created a solid and fluid work. And while it's true that they moved away from the experimentation and avant-garde of their earlier work, this new release remains a key piece in their extensive discography.

Molly Hatchet-Flirtin´ With Disaster (1979)

Molly Hatchet always represented the heavier side of southern rock, despite being unfairly labeled on more than one occasion as a mere parody of the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd. With "Flirtin' With Disaster", their second album, they solidified their position as one of the best acts of the second generation of southern rock, producing a monumental work that earned them several platinum records in the North American market. Dusty, boogie-rock-infused songs like "Whiskey Man", "It's All Over Now", "Let The Good Times Roll", and "Boogie No More" are interwoven with the catchy melodies of southern-tinged tracks like "Jukin' City", "Good Rockin' " and "Long Time", and the exhilarating heavy rock anthems like "Flirtin' With Disaster". The enormous success of this album opened doors for them to open concerts throughout the United States and Canada for groups such as AC/DC, Aerosmith, Journey, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, UFO, The Who, and Rush, among many others.

J.Geils Band-Live Full House (1972)

This led Peter Wolf on vocals and guitar J.Geils band was a real steamroller of rock'n'roll, soul and a lot of rhythm & blues. The truth is that to begin to taste this excellent band material, I can not think of anything else to start this direct published in the year 72. Previously, they had already released two albums that seem formidable me as essential and this recording was not more than the culmination of a perfect trilogy.
But what we were, which is nothing but this live recording at the Cinderella Ballroom in Detroit on April 72, consisting of only 8 songs, but enough to get into orbit from the first second. It is true that the recording can cross a somewhat shorter in duration, when at that time the band offered their fans directly twice typical fall of ass. But, what the hell !, this work sounds like a runaway locomotive without brakes. All exercise of power, passion and joined the unlimited talent musicians energy off his hat. There is little of their own as they only include tremebundo "Hard driving man", but versions that are marked "First I look at the purse" Smokey Robinson, "Homework" Otis Rush or immeasurable "Serves you right to suffer "by John Lee Hooker, to give some examples, are powerful tools to put this live on an altar reasons. And to show a button relative to the strength and intensity that emanated from these guys live with "Looking for a love" ... overwhelming!


   

Randy Crawford-Best Of (1996)

Thanks to her impeccable and refined voice, Randy Crawford is one of the great soul/jazz and rhythm and blues singers of the late 20th century. Randy rose to fame when she lent her vocals to the song "Street Life" on the album of the same name by the jazz fusion group The Crusaders in the late 1970s. From then on, her collaborations with keyboardist Joe Sample, as well as her solo albums, earned her the reputation of being one of the divas of Black music. Albums such as the exuberant "Secret Combination" (1981), "Nightline" (1983), "Abstract Emotions" (1986), and "Feeling Good" (2006) were chart hits around the world. A highly versatile singer, she has also collaborated with other artists such as former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and Australian rocker Rick Springfield, among others. In 1996, his compilation album "Best Of" offered a meticulous review of some of his best songs, an album featuring elegant compositions with grand and magnificent arrangements of refined smooth jazz & soul and R&B such as "Give Me The Night", "Street Life", "Imagine", "Who's Crying Now" or "Knockin' On Heaven's Door".

Bob Marley And The Wailers-Natty Dread (1974)

Although Bob Marley's previous album, "Burnin' ", was released internationally in England and the United States, this would be the first to be distributed globally, introducing him and his band, The Wailers, to the world. That year, Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston, two of the original members of The Wailers, had left the group due to the pressures of constant touring and their growing popularity. With a reformed lineup featuring guitarist Al Anderson, bassist Aston Barrett, and organist Jean Roussel, Bob Marley undertook the recording of this seventh album, which would achieve unprecedented success in the Jamaican musician's career up to that point. Somewhat softening the political message of his earlier works, Bob Marley approached this project with a profound spiritual and emotional intensity. The powerful rhythm section of drummer Carlton Barrett and his brother, bassist Aston Barrett, along with Anderson's riffs and Marley's subtle guitar work and soulful, African-tinged vocals, drive an album brimming with African-American sounds adorned with reggae rhythms. "Takin' Blues", "Them Belly Full", and "Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)" are clearly geared toward that antisocial message, while the rebellious "Lively Up Yourself" and the glorious "No Woman No Cry" complete one of Bob Marley and The Wailers' finest albums.

Thin Lizzy-Bad Reputation (1977)

Thin Lizzy are considered today one of the greatest hard rock bands in history, but this wasn't always the case. For much of their career, they were consistently undervalued and panned by the British press compared to other contemporary bands. Led by Irishman Phil Lynott, their early years saw several lineup changes. From the first lineup, which released their first three albums, featuring guitarist Eric Bell and drummer Brian Downey, along with Lynott on bass and vocals, to their final album released in 1983, illustrious guitarists such as Gary Moore, Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson, Snowy White, John Sykes, and keyboardist Darren Wharton all played with the band. "Bad Reputation" was their eighth album, preceded by the commendable "Johnny the Fox", an album that didn't achieve the same acclaim as its predecessor, "Jailbreak", partly due to its conceptual experimentation. For "Bad Reputation", the band, in addition to Downey and Lynott, featured guitarists Robertson and Gorham, and it was produced by Tony Visconti, who had previously produced David Bowie's "Heroes" album that same year. This is undoubtedly Thin Lizzy's hardest and most aggressive work of their entire career; however, all that power is not without its captivating melodies, as demonstrated by the thrilling "Soldier of Fortune". Besides this iconic song, other highlights include the hypnotic "Southbound", the irresistible "Dancing in the Moonlight" with its pop rhythm, the raw "Bad Reputation", the frenetic "Killer Without a Cause", the mid-tempo "Downtown Sundown", and the enormous "Opium Trail", resulting in an album as brilliant as it is essential within the hard rock genre.

Ted Nugent-Craveman (2002)

In 2002, guitarist Ted Nugent released his first album on the Spitfire label, "Craveman", which follows a stylistic approach very much in line with other groups and artists on the same label. This is the Detroit guitarist's twelfth album, and it represents, to some extent, a return to the raw and visceral sound he had already showcased on his albums in the 1970s. This is undoubtedly his most brutal work, directly focused on modern metal and hardcore. For this project, Ted Nugent opted for a band consisting only of guitar, bass, and drums, featuring musicians Marco Mendoza and Tommy Clufetos. Replete with crackling, razor-sharp riffs, angry vocals, and deafening screams, the result is a radical album of modern and aggressive heavy metal. However, most of the songs included here have an added infectious and catchy quality, while still retaining his characteristic style. Songs like "Crave", "Rawdogs & Warhogs", "Kistrphnky" or "Damned If Ya Do", are clear examples of this updated heavy metal, where Ted Nugent's undeniable talent with the electric guitar stands out.

Nektar-Recycled (1975)

This is another essential album from the British-German group Nektar. "Recycled" is crafted as a concept album that unfolds into two thematically linked suites of classic progressive rock. The lyrics, which accompany the album's themes, are prophetically based on a hypothetical future where recycling becomes the only way of life, and musically it showcases a powerful and energetic symphonic progressive rock, infused with jazz nuances, psychedelia, Latin rhythms, and funk rock. Roye Albrighton's talented guitar work, with its sharp riffs and spacey style, drives much of the album's sound. The first part of the album oscillates between frenetic rhythms and thunderous guitars with brief interludes featuring Larry Fast's unmistakable synthesizer melodies, and a second, more eclectic and somber section. With this album, Nektar followed in the footsteps of unquestionable works within progressive rock, and although they had already reached the highest level of musical inventiveness, combined with concepts that invited reflection due to their intelligent lyrics, this album was their definitive culmination.

Grand Funk Railroad-E Pluribus Funk (1971)

In 1971, Grand Funk were at their peak. Their fourth album, "Survival", released in April of that year, catapulted them to the forefront of American rock. Seven months later, the trio of Mark Farmer (guitars, organ, and vocals), Mel Schacher (bass), and Don Brewer (drums) returned to Cleveland Company Studios in Cleveland to record their fifth album, "E Pluribus Funk". Produced by Terry Knight, it continued their triumphant run with another anthological work of energetic hard rock. However, this new album already hinted at more melodic nuances, with the band taking a step back from the accelerator pedal of its frenetic songs. Here we find one of Grand Funk's anthems, the galloping "Footstompin' Music", a track that navigates between hard rock and psychedelia. As a counterpoint to this appears the soul rock "People, Let's Stop The War", a track with a clear allusion to the Vietnam War, followed by the frenetic with a funk rhythm "Upsetter", the heavy and forceful "I Come Tumblin' " or the dark "Save The Land" which together with the epic with progressive touches "Loneliness" is the repertoire of a superb work of the best hard rock to come out of the United States in the 70s.

Hawkwind-Warrior On The Edge Of Time (1975)

With their fifth album, Hawkwind continued their progressive and lysergic journey, which they had begun with their previous album, "Hall of the Mountain Grill". "Warrior on the Edge of Time" brought together everything that had captivated Hawkwind up to that point. It's all present here, brimming with pure (and perhaps even exaggerated) poetic lyrics, tracks overflowing with flutes, echoes, saxophones, sharp, lysergic guitars, hazy bass lines, and diverse electronica with overwhelming synthesizers and mellotrons everywhere. It's an astonishing concept album based on tales of wizards and space wars, all bathed in psychedelic music. But in addition to the band's ever-intricate style, there were their frequent lineup changes, and this album was no exception. Keyboardist Del Dettmar left, and a second drummer, Alan Powell, joined, a factor reflected in the powerful and varied percussion sounds throughout much of the album. The opening track, indebted to the best of krautrock, “Assault & Battery/ The Golden Void”, immerses us in a complex composition with a stormy barrage of mellotron sounds combined with a heavy rhythm featuring flutes, organs, and a powerful bass line. “The Wizard Blew His Horn” is essentially an introductory piece by science fiction writer Moorlock, set against a backdrop of strident, surreal sounds, and serves as a prelude to the hypnotic, spacey “Opa-Loka”. This is followed by the frenetic, progressive “Magnu”, with its excellent riffs and powerful percussion, leading into the more spacey and electronic “Spiral Galaxy 28948”. The album concludes with the more purely rock tracks “Dying Seas” and “Kings of Speed.” “Warrior on the Edge of Time” is considered one of Hawkwind’s greatest contributions to history and a minor masterpiece of space rock. From here on, and following the trail of continuous defections, bassist Lemmy Kilmister would leave the band (he was actually expelled for drug smuggling and for his clashes with the rest of the members over musical differences), to later found the iconic heavy metal band, Motorhead.

Nazareth-No Mean City (1979)

In the mid-seventies, Nazareth's sound shifted towards a more melodic direction, which diminished their credibility within the hard rock community and among their own fans. Therefore, with "Expect No Mercy" (1977), they returned to a harder sound with an album packed with powerful hard rock tracks. A year later, they repeated the formula with "No Mean City", the band's tenth album. By then, the Scottish band had expanded with the addition of guitarist Zal Cleminson, formerly of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, adding greater depth to Nazareth's unmistakable style. Replete with memorable moments like the irresistible hard rock track “Simple Solution”, which structurally recalls “Free Wheeler” from the legendary “Loud ’n’ Proud” of years past, while the energetic “Just To Get Into It” and the dark and heavy “Claim To Fame” once again leave that lingering taste of the band's powerful and forceful hard rock. Meanwhile, the rhythmic “No Mean City (Parts 1 & 2)” brings us back to Nazareth at their most dynamic. On the opposite end of the spectrum are “May The Sunshine” and “Star”, tracks with folk influences that alternate acoustic sounds with catchy choruses. Despite the positive reception from their fans, the band would choose with the following album "Malice In Wonderland" to return to playing with AOR sounds, combining the sound of melodic rock with powerful hard rock tracks, which meant acceptance or resignation (depending on how you look at it), from some sectors of their large legion of followers.

Tangerine Dream-Hyperborea (1983)

This was the last album of Tangerine Dream's most creative period and at the same time the last under Richard Branson's own label, Virgin Records. Looking back, the productivity of the band led by Edgar Froese with Virgin Records had already yielded some of their best work, such as the successful "Phaedra", the dynamic electro-psych of "Rubycon", the grandiose "Stratosfear" the orthodox "Cyclone", and the progressive rock-inspired "Force Majeure". In 1983, Froese wa,s still accompanied by Christopher Franke, and for this album, Johannes Schmoelling joined them, bringing a different perspective to the electronic samplers and repetitive rhythmic sequences. Placing greater emphasis on the electronic aspect of the music, the trio maintained their melodic sensibility, exploring the fusion of Eastern sounds and modern electronica. "Hyperborea" presents an overview of a fascinating and mysterious electronic journey with distinct tracks, such as the hypnotic "No Mans Land", the dark and atmospheric "Hyperborea", and the elaborate "Sphynx Lightning", the latter of which partially recaptures their signature sound. from the German group. In short, with this fifteenth studio album, TD offered another of their most sophisticated and avant-garde musical visions of krautrock, in its electronic and spacey form.

Toto-Hydra (1979)

After the enormous success of Toto's self-titled debut album, the American band decided to continue exploring new sounds and avoid becoming stuck in melodic rock geared towards radio hits. Unlike their debut, on their second full-length album, keyboardist David Paich didn't unilaterally take the reins of songwriting, as he had on their first album. Here, of the eight tracks, four are credited to the rest of the band, while Paich himself wrote the remaining four and co-wrote the other four. Due to David Paich's affinity for progressive rock, "Hydra" features more complex and ambitious tracks, such as the opening, progressive title track, "Hydra", which culminates in the following track, "St. George and the Dragon", in a kind of small conceptual suite. With “99”, the band returns to its comfort zone: melodic and addictive AOR, closing the first side with the epic and dynamic “Lorraine”. For the second side of the album, the band reserves its more rock-oriented tracks, such as “All Us Boys”, a hybrid of hard rock and melodic rock, the powerful “Mama”, the potent “White Sister”, and the ballad “A Secret Love”. These tracks bring to a close a release that, despite being musically far superior, received less commercial success than their debut. Even so, “Hydra” would reach high positions on the charts, achieving both gold and platinum status.

Birth Control-Backdoor Possibilities (1976)

"Backdoor Possibilities" was the sixth album by the German band Birth Control, considered one of their most ambitious works, though somewhat overshadowed by the success of its predecessor, "Plastic People", released the previous year. Conceived as a concept album based on the story of a powerful corporate executive trapped by his own success, who ultimately reflects on his life and commits suicide on the subway, it maintains the band's musical philosophy, fusing rock with jazz and symphonic passages. Featuring the same lineup as the previous album, with the addition of vocalist Bernd Noske, this new release showcases the band's brilliant compositional creativity, along with superb arrangements and excellent musicianship, including impressive instrumental passages. The album is mainly divided into three extensive suites "One first of April", Beedeepees and "La Cigüena de Zaragoza", where they show that characteristic humor inherited from Frank Zappa and those classic arrangements influenced by Gentle Giant, while their hard rock roots appear in the melodic "No Time to Die".

Budgie-Squawk (1972)

One of the best bands in British hard rock was the Welsh group Budgie, who released a series of fantastic albums, almost all of which are now considered cult classics in the proto-hard rock and early heavy metal community. Founded in Cardiff in the late 1960s, their initial lineup consisted of bassist Burke Shelley, drummer Ray Phillips, and guitarists Brian Goddard and Tony Bourge. In 1971, they released their first album on the MCA label, though Goddard was no longer with the band, thus solidifying their status as a powerful power trio. On this debut album, Budgie showcased their effervescent hard rock sound in a very early stage, featuring powerful guitar riffs and constant rhythmic shifts. A year later, and under the same label, came "Squawk", which, with a superb cover by Roger Dean, definitively confirmed the band's progression and maturity. It featured outstanding tracks such as the progressive "Young Is A World", with its great keyboard passages, and the powerful "Whisky River", "Hot As A Docker's Armpit", "Drugstore Woman", and the heavy "Stranted", while the bucolic "Make Me Happy" added a melodic touch to this interesting album from the Welsh band. A year later came the band's magnum opus and one of the best albums of the 1970s, the monumental "Never Turn Your Back On A Friend".

UFO-A Conspiracy Of Stars (2015)

Well into the 21st century, the legendary UFO were experiencing a second, or perhaps more accurately, third youth, after so many years in the music industry. In 2015, the band still retained three of its original members (Phil Moog, Paul Raymond, and Andy Parker), along with guitarist Vinnie Moore and drummer Rob De Luca. That year they released their twenty-first studio album, "A Conspiracy of Stars", an album that holds its own against many of their earlier works, especially those from their second phase in the 1980s. The distinctly 70s-tinged style of Vinnie Moore's powerful guitar work, the spectacular vocals of the seasoned Phil Moog, and the force and power of the rest of the band resulted in an album brimming with energy and intensity. Songs of tremendous hard rock hits such as "The Killing Kind", "Run boy Run", "The Real Deal", "Ballad of the Left Hand Gun", "One and Only" or "Devil's In The Detail", continue to give great credibility to a band that in 2015 had behind it more than 50 years of fruitful and successful career.

Incredible Hog-Volume 1 (1973)

Incredible Hog was a short-lived British band that released only one album packed with heavy doses of blues rock in the early 1970s. Formed by guitarist and singer Ken Gordon, bassist Jim Holmes, and drummer Tony Awin, they managed to put out a solid record where bluesy influences and hard rock intertwine in intricate tracks like the superb "Lame", while the hypnotic "Execution" offers a respite from the breakneck pace that follows with powerful hard blues numbers like "Tadpole", "Another Time", and "Warning", before bringing the energy down a bit with the more subdued "Walk The Road" and "There's A Man". However, as we've mentioned countless times, this was another band that would pass without fanfare through the annals of rock, and which is now so highly regarded by fans eager to discover obscure groups with little media exposure but enormous talent.

Tony Williams-The Joy Of Flying (1979)

This album is the second solo effort from the great drummer Tony Williams since the release of "Spring" thirteen years earlier in 1966. This time, Williams presents a collection of jazz fusion, funk, and jazz-rock, continuing the various incarnations and experiments of the seven albums he had previously released with his Tony Williams Lifetime Band. Recorded with other jazz and rock luminaries such as Jan Hammer, Herbie Hancock, Randy Brecker, David Sanborn, Tom Scott, George Benson, Brian Auger, Ronnie Montrose, and Stanley Clarke, the repertoire is primarily composed of that joyful and dynamic jazz-rock with funk, rock, and more progressive passages. While in "Going Far" and "Hip Skip" the drummer continues down that funk path, in other tracks such as the jazz-rock "Open Fire", the smooth jazz "Tony", the avant-garde "Coming Back Home" or the experimental "Morgan's Motion", Williams stays within the canons of the genre, producing an excellent sampler of the best jazz rock of the late sixties, a very complicated time for musicians and artists of avant-garde and progressive sounds or jazz fusion.

The Ugly Guys-Still Twenty/Five In Your Head (1978)

Another forgotten southern and country rock band is The Ugly Guys, although unlike almost all others in the genre, they were British. Their beginnings date back to the early seventies when they were one of the most popular bands in the burgeoning pub rock scene of London and its surrounding areas. "Still Twenty-Five In Your Head" was the fifth release from these Brits, offering music that draws from the roots of folk, country, bluegrass, and American southern rock. Songs like "Where Did It All Go Wrong", "Rose Tattoo", "Late Great Golden State", and "White Line Fever" are all imbued with the dusty sounds of the South and so-called roots rock with a nostalgic flavor.

Rufus Zuphall-Phallobst (1971)

Another interesting work in the krautrock genre is "Phallobst", the second album by the German band Rufus Zuphall. This record alternates psychedelic influences from the American West Coast with progressive rock and folk. For this second release, the German band introduced two new members: bassist Manfred Spangenberg and a second guitarist, Thomas Kitte. Günter Krause (guitars, keyboards, and vocals), Udo Dahmen (drums), and Klaus Gülden (flute) remained the only founding members. With better production than their debut, this album is shorter and more progressive than its predecessor, driven by the guitars and Gülden's prominent flute playing. Tracks like "Closing Time", "Makröjel", "Wasted Land", "Portland Town" and "I'm On My Way" are part of a very commendable work that, without surpassing their debut album, effectively maintains a high level of musicality.

Jim Capaldi-Let The Thunder Cry (1981)

By now, it's hard to find someone who doesn't know Jim Capaldi, the legendary drummer of the iconic band Traffic, with whom he released such emblematic works as "Mr. Fantasy", "John Barleycorn Must Die", and "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys", in addition to collaborating with other great artists like his former Traffic bandmate, Steve Winwood, and giants such as Eric Clapton and George Harrison, among others. His solo career began while he was still with Traffic with the album "Oh How We Danced", where he showcased his great talent as a composer and multi-instrumentalist, creating brilliant albums with superb compositions that, without adhering to a specific style, were always well-received by fans and critics alike. In 1981, his eighth album, "Let the Thunder Cry", was released, on which Capaldi enlisted the help of his former Traffic bandmates, Steve Winwood and Rebop Kwaku Baah, as well as Mel Collins and Andy Newmark, with Capaldi handling vocals, guitar, and production. An album that stands out for its exquisite production, where tracks like the opening and powerful “Let The Thunder Cry” contrast with the slow and brilliant ballads “Child In The Storm”, “Warm”, “Old Photographs” or “Bright Fighter”, while its melodic side can be found in the rhythmic “Favela Music”, “Only Love”, “Dreams Do Come True” or “We Don’t Need”, all of them with Capaldi’s captivating voice and irresistible choruses, making it an essential work in rock music.

David Bowie-Hunky Dory (1971)

David Bowie's third album arrived almost a year after "The Man Who Sold the World", the work that cemented the British musician's status as a glam rock megastar and where he once again displayed that sexually ambiguous image. This time, Bowie delights us with a work brimming with folk, pop, rock nuances and hints of cabaret music, an album that became a clear landmark in the history of pop-rock. Composed of enormous compositions such as the elaborately arranged and prodigious “Life On Mars”, the sentimental “Andy Warhol”, the cheerful pop “Kooks”, the glam rock “Queen Bitch”, the innocent and playful “Fill Your Heart”, and the energetic “Changes”, all of them demonstrated the enormous creative capacity of a genius like Bowie, as chameleon-like as he was prodigious, with an extraordinary personality. His greatness lay in combining such a multitude of styles in an astonishing way without ever becoming musically incoherent. For this third release, Bowie enlisted his right-hand man Mick Ronson on guitar, Rick Wakeman on keyboards, Trevol Bolder on bass, and drummer Mick Woodmansey, and under the supervision of producer Ken Scott, they created one of the fundamental albums in the Thin White Duke's career and one of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Eloy-Dawn (1976)

Once the tour following the album "The Power And The Passion" was over, the German band Eloy almost completely disbanded, leaving only their leader, guitarist Frank Bornemann, who soon set to work reorganizing a new lineup. To this end, he recruited keyboardist Detlev Schmidtchen, bassist Klaus-Peter Matziol, and drummer Jürgen Rosenthal, with whom he entered Tonstudio Nedeltschev in Cologne to record the group's next album. "Dawn" would be the title of this new album, the band's fifth chronologically, which creatively surpassed the excellent "The Power And The Passion", showcasing a new musical direction more focused on conventional progressive rock, abandoning the spacey hard rock of their previous releases. Here, the guitars and keyboards are more fused, the arrangements are carefully structured, and the long suites and improvisations of their earlier work almost completely disappear. However, all the album's compositions are quite complex, with preconceived ideas perfectly realized in impressive tracks. The poignant "The Sun Song", the majestic "The Dance in Doubt and Fear", and the progressive "The Midnight Fight/The Victory of Mental Force" are just a few examples of the masterful canvases of an admirable album, considered one of the masterpieces of European progressive rock of all time.

Raw Material-Time Is (1971)

Let's look at another of those strange and obscure bands from the late sixties, this time a British group called Raw Material. They had a little over two years of history, but during that time they released several very interesting albums within the nascent and early prog rock scene. Raw Material was founded in London in 1969, and its lineup consisted of guitarist Dave Green, drummer Paul Young, vocalist and wind instrument player Michael Fletcher, bassist Phil Gunn, and keyboardist Colin Catt. Under RCA's progressive label, Neon Records, they released their self-titled debut album in 1970. On it, the British band showcased a fascinating array of sonic diversity with elements of jazz, blues, and psychedelic music, all bathed in a dark and atmospheric backdrop, giving it an avant-garde sound. A year later came their second and final album, "Time Is", where they reinforced their progressive approach, with a style akin to what bands like Van Der Graaf Generator or early King Crimson were doing at the time, fused with elements of powerful rock related to their contemporaries Uriah Heep or the early Deep Purple. "Time Is" stands out for its enormous sonic diversity, ranging from heavy passages with powerful guitars, organ and synthesizer sounds, and wind instruments like the saxophone and flute, to more atmospheric and symphonic developments. Tracks like "Insolent Day", "Empty House", "Ice Queen", and "Awakening" completed an album that, while not a contemporary classic, contains a solid collection of tracks focused on early progressive rock. Unfortunately, it didn't achieve much further success due to its limited commercial impact, and Raw Material disbanded shortly after the release of this interesting album.

Joe Bonamassa-Dust Bowl (2011)

The ninth album from one of the great blues guitar talents of the 21st century. Recorded after his first tour with his side project, Black Country Communion, where he shared the stage with Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian. On this album, “Dust Bowl”, Joe Bonamassa once again collaborated with producer Kevin Shirley, resulting in a superb work of powerful and forceful blues. The rhythmic “Slow Train” kicks off an album so overwhelming that it doesn't leave a second's respite, and then tracks like the rock song “Black Lung Heartache”, the splendid version of Free's “Heartbreaker”, with the estimable voice of Glenn Hughes, the introspective “The Meaning Of The Blues”, the rhythmic and cheerful “Tennessee Plates”, with John Hiatt on vocals, the rhythm and blues “You Better Watch Yourself”, a cover of the great Little Walter, the dark blues “The Last Matador of Bayone” or the immeasurable “Prisoner”, an amazing blues rock version of an old Barbra Streisand song.

UFO-Force It (1975)

"Force It" is the fourth release from the British band UFO, a much harder and more forceful album than its predecessor, "Phenomenon" (1974), which featured a somewhat excessive use of acoustic guitars, despite also including some of their immortal heavy rock anthems, "Doctor Doctor" and "Rock Bottom". For "Force It", they enlisted the production of Ten Years After bassist Leo Lyons and keyboardist Chick Churchill, who also contributed Hammond organ to the melodic "Out In The Street". With Michael Schenker now fully integrated into the band, he creates dizzying melodic riffs with his powerful guitar, perfectly complemented by the power and delicate vocals of the immeasurable Phil Moog. Packed with energetic hard rock, this album solidified UFO's musical identity, as demonstrated by the vigorous tracks "Let It Roll", "Shoot Shoot", "Love Lost Love", and "Mother Mary". "Too Much of Nothing" and "Dance Your Life Away", while the atmospheric "Between The Walls", integrated into the middle part of the dominant "This Kids", adds the psychedelic note to this legendary album.

UFO-The Wild, The Willing and the Innocent (1981)

At the start of the 1980s, the British band UFO faced a new era without their lead guitarist Michael Schenker, and a year later without their keyboardist Paul Raymond. They began this new chapter with their ninth release, "The Wild, The Willing and The Innocent". To replace both musicians, they recruited guitarist Paul Chapman and keyboardist Neil Carter, with the lineup completed by the usual members Phil Moog (vocals), Andy Parker (drums), and Pete Way (bass). While this new release didn't quite surpass the brilliant and classic works of "Phenomenon", "Force It", and "Lights Out", they still managed to create a very respectable and commendable album, showcasing Chapman's consummate talent on the guitar and a series of songs that relied more heavily than usual on Phil Moog's sensational vocals. Solid and compelling songs like "Making Movies", direct and forceful rock like "Chains Chains" and "Long Home", approaches to light and commercial rock with "It's Killing Me", or the melodic song that gives the album its title, are more than enough guarantees to consider this work as one of their best works.

UFO-Mechanix (1982)

This is another classic UFO album, a record that showcases the band's unmistakable hard rock, but this time seasoned with infectious melodies and elegant arrangements courtesy of keyboardist Neil Carter. Carter, along with guitarist Paul Chapman and bassist Pete Way, are the musicians most heavily involved in the composition of most of the album's tracks. Pure hard rock anthems like "Dreaming", "Something' Else", "The Writer", "We Belong to the Night", and "All for You" alternate with intense, powerful songs like "Terri" and "Back Into My Life". In short, with this album, the London band's tenth, they delivered another memorable release, further cementing their magnificent career and confirming their status as one of the leading hard rock bands in the world.

UFO-UFO (1970)

In 1968 Pete Way (bass), Mick Bolton (guitar) and Tic Torrazo (drums) formed the "Hocus Pocus" group, then enter Phil Mogg (vocals) and Andy Parker (drums) and the band was renamed "UFO". In 1970 they recorded their first album, "UFO", and 72 come "UFO 2" and "UFO Live", these three albums were remarkably successful in countries like Japan, Germany or France.
Then Mick Bolton left the band and after trying several guitarists (Larry Wallis and Bernie Marsden), replaces a very young Michael Schenker would mark the band's sound in the coming years. In 74 released "Phenomenon" and a year later they are joined by Paul Chapman (guitar) leaving the group before the publication of "Force It" (1975). For the recording of their sixth album, "No Heavy Petting" (1976), joins the group Danny Peyronnel (keyboards, guitar) who was replaced by Paul Raymond for recording "Lights Out" (1977). This training would publish "Obsession" (1978) and the magnificent "Strangers in the Night" (1979). Michael Schenker decided to fly solo and left the group and was replaced by Paul Chapman with that record "No Place to Run" (1980). The changes are happening and Paul Raymond left the band and was replaced by John Sloman and later by Neil Carter. In 81 came "The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent" and a year later "Mechanix". In 82 Pete Way left the band and was replaced by Billy Sheehan place with which released "Making Contact" (1983) but sales are not appropriate and decide to separate.
Some time later the band would return to relive a second youth with very good albums like Walk On Water, Covenant and The Visitor among others ...
In this first album of UFO clearly noticed its roots blues mixed with psychedelia and experimentation, the road to the hard rock was still to come. The production is not very good because they counted as few resources but we can appreciate a superb Pete Way on bass. In the recording are two versions, "Who Do You Love" by Willie Dixon and "C'mon Everybody" Eddie Cochran it would be a remarkable success in Japan. Other outstanding issues would "Unidentified Flying Object", "Boogie" or "Follow you Home".

Burning Tree-Burning Tree (1990)

Led by guitarist Marc Ford, Burning Tree was a short-lived power trio that released a superb hard rock album in the 1990s, drawing inspiration from bands like Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Formed in the late 1980s, the lineup was completed by drummer Doni Gray and bassist Mark Dutton. Their only release, which came out in 1990 on the Epic label, is a clear demonstration of powerful hard rock with early 1970s psychedelic touches. Tracks like "Wings, Blues and High Heeled Shoes", "Fly On", "Mistreated Lover", "Masquerade", and "Last Laugh" showcase Marc Ford's vintage guitar talent. The album's positive reception from critics and fans opened doors for Marc Ford, leading to a call-up to the Black Crowes, another important and successful hard rock band of the 1990s.

David Bowie-The Man Who Sold The World (1970)

David Bowie's third album marked, among other things, the beginning of his glam rock journey, although it is also, to some extent, one of his most intense works, imbuing his music with a powerful hard rock sound, a style that was the pinnacle of rock music at the time. On this new album, the Thin White Duke began to gravitate towards the sounds that would forever elevate him in the following years, as would soon be proven with the iconic "Ziggy Stardust". To begin with, "The Man Who Sold the World" already features several future members of Spiders and Mars: guitarist Mick Ronson and bassist, arranger, and producer Tony Visconti, both of whom would be fundamental to this release. Released by Mercury Records in the United States, it came out near the end of 1970, while RCA Records released it in the United Kingdom (and subsequently worldwide) six months later in April 1971. The album opens with a powerful "The Width Of A Circle", a titanic, nearly nine-minute track of mighty rock, where Ronson showcases his six-string prowess. In a similar vein are the frenetic "Black Country Rock" and the orchestral and melodic "All The Madmen". "Saviour Machine", on the other hand, is a strange piece somewhere between gothic and psychedelic, while "She Shook Me Cold" is the rare exception, a chaotic, odd instrumental that might seem like it was recorded as filler to pad out the album's runtime. The final two tracks are the enchanting "The Man Who Sold The World" and the powerful "The Supermen". This third album became one of David Bowie's best works and the prelude to his most musically creative works such as the aforementioned "Ziggy Stardust" or the fantastic "Aladdin Sane", "Hunky Dory" and "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders of Mars".

Charlie Haden Quartet West-Sophisticated Ladies (2010)

Considered one of the most respected bassists and composers in modern jazz, Charlie Haden began to rise to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of saxophonist Ornette Coleman's quartet. Born in Iowa in 1937, his first forays into music were as a country singer. Around that time, Haden contracted polio, a disease that affected his vocal cords, rendering him completely unable to sing. His passion for music led him to play the double bass, developing an interest in jazz, a style that would define his entire subsequent recording and artistic career. He moved to Los Angeles and joined Ornette Coleman's quartet, a leading exponent of what became known as free jazz, and later, the trio of Keith Jarrett, pianist Hampton Hawes, and saxophonist Art Pepper. Haden also achieved great renown alongside pianists Kenny Barron and Hank Jones. From then on, his collaborations with Paul Motian, Keith Jarrett, Alice Coltrane, Carla Bley, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, John Scofield, Don Cherry, and Pat Metheny were frequent. In 2010, Haden released "Sophisticated Ladies", accompanied by a quartet consisting of Ernie Watts (saxophone), Alan Broadbent (piano), and Rodney Green (drums). This album contains some of the most iconic jazz songs of the past decades, written by legendary composers such as Duke Ellington, Gordon Jenkins, Benny Harris, Johnny Mercer, and Hank Jones, and performed by some of the finest singers of recent years. Exceptional performances in the voices of Norah Jones ("Ill Wind"), Cassandra Wilson ("My Love And I"), Melody Gardot ("If I'm Lucky"), Diana Krall ("Goodbye"), Charlie Haden's own wife, Ruth Cameron ("Let's Call It A Day") or soprano Renée Fleming ("I Love Like This").

Help Yourself-Beware The Shadow (1972)

Help Yourself (known as The Helps) was a British band with a sound close to psychedelic country. They recorded four albums in the early 1970s: "Help Yourself" (1971), "Strange Affair" (1972), "Beware the Shadow" (1972), and "The Return of Ken Whaley" (1973). For many, their third album, "Beware the Shadow", was the high point of the group's career, and it is widely admired by progressive and psychedelic music fans around the world. Help Yourself consisted of Malcolm Morley (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Dave Charles (drums and vocals), Ken Whaley (bass), and Richard Treece (guitar, harmonica, and vocals). Listening to "Beware The Shadow", you might think these Brits are actually an American Southern rock band, and indeed, from the opening track "Alabama Lady", they sound like one, with clear influences from The Allman Brothers Band and other contemporary bands from the Southern states. In contrast, there's the sublime and psychedelic "Reaffirmation", a twelve-minute jam session in the purest Grateful Dead style. The blues-rock track "American Mother" continues to reaffirm that typical American sound, as does the folk-rock "Passing Through". However, the brief and carefree "Calapso", the Beatlesque "She's My Girl", and the frivolous country-rock "Molly Bake Bean" lack the creativity and vigor of the previous tracks. In short, these Brits have left us with "Beware The Shadow", an interesting collection of brilliant folk, blues-rock, and psychedelic tracks, with a decidedly American sound.

Van Der Graaf Generator-The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome (1977)

The departure of Hugo Banton's timeless organ and the diminished role of David Jackson's saxophone led to a profound shift in Van Der Graaf Generator's musical structures. This compelled their leader, Peter Hammill, to rework his original musical approach for the band's eighth album, "The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome", released in 1977. This album would ultimately serve as VDGG's epilogue until their return 28 years later with "Present". Abandoning the dark, lengthy compositions and the vast, chaotic musical intricacies of their earlier work, the band here strived for shorter pieces, though nonetheless of immense complexity. Guy Evans' drums, along with Nic Potter's bass, are the driving force of an album that, together with Jackson's fleeting appearance and Graham Smith's feverish violin, strikes us as the least conventional and epic work in their entire discography released in the 1970s. Tracks like the uncertain "Lizard Play" or the resilient "The Habit of the Broken Heart" offer unchallenging developments, while the Floydian "The Siren Song" or the hypnotic "The Last Frame" stand out as the album's highlights. However, we still find glimpses of their past with the frenetic "Cat's Eye/Yellow Fever (Running)", the psychedelic "Chemical World", and the intense "The Sphinx in the Face" and its closing track, "The Sphinix Returns".

The Allman Brothers Band-Idlewild South (1970)

On their second album, The Allman Brothers Band embraced a more complex and sophisticated style, a clear foreshadowing of what the band would do in the following years. The masterful fusion of blues, rock, and funk is reinforced on "Idlewild South" by a country essence, as demonstrated in the wonderful and enthusiastic "Revival", the magnificent bluesy "Please Call Home", and the folk-rock "Midnight Rider", which contrast with the powerful bluesy "Don't Keep Me Wonderin' " and "Leave My Blues At Home". We mustn't forget the incendiary version of Willie Dixon's classic "Hoochie Coochie Man", while "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed", is the band's classic tour de force, where each member has their moment of brilliance with guitar, percussion, and organ solos, making it the high point of another masterpiece from the Jacksonville-based group.

Spyro Gyra-Alternating Currents (1985)

"Alternating Currents" is one of the essential albums by the jazz fusion and smooth jazz group Spyro Gyra. Released in 1985, it was the ninth album by the Buffalo, New York-based group and the first to feature only the core lineup, without any backing musicians or guest collaborators. At that time, the band consisted of Jay Beckenstein, Tom Schuman, Julio Fernández, Dave Samuels, Gerardo Vélez, Kim Stone, and Richie Morales. Recorded at Bear Tracks Studios in New York during the first months of 1985, the group ventured into jazz-rock territory on this album without abandoning their signature jazz fusion sound. Among their repertoire of nine tracks, the excellent "Shakedown", "Alternating Current", "PG", "Heartbeat", "Mardi Gras" and "Sunflurry" stand out. In all of these songs, the band achieves an exquisite sound, particularly highlighting the contributions of Jay Beckenstein on saxophone, Tom Schuman on keyboards, and Julio Fernández on guitar. "Alternating Currents" would eventually reach number 41 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and number 3 on the Jazz Albums chart.