Sagrado Coração da Terra - Farol da Liberdade (1991 brazil symphonic progressive with touches of south america folk and celtic - MP3 320K and FLAC)

Now we face a fine SAGRADO (Sacred Heart of the Earth) album containing 3 noticeable features: a song which was a radio hit in Brazil, a rare deed for a progressive band; great general production and splendid musicianship by band members, with Marcus Viana's violin plying steadily over all; and a real and definite band bound toward symphonic prog with captivating touches of folk (South American and Celtic) and classics.

All tracks are above average, very hearable and certain moments are really jaw-breaking.

As mentioned before, SAGRADO's "Farol Da Liberdade" left behind the new wave and poppish sounds seen in their previous album and followed the symphonic renaissance trail that is much more in accordance with band members curricula.

Lyrics are in Portuguese, with one exception, and I assure that they are fair, touchy, meaningful, and sometimes poignant - vocals transmit softly the poetry emotion.

'Dança das fadas' is a good overture, a bit sad intro with the violin weeping before Celtic tunes invade the track. The general atmosphere then is clearly joyous and uplifting. After a strange proclamation the dance of the fairies overwhelms the song with charming female vocals.

'Solidariedade' starts blending folk and balladesque harmonies, violin transform the song into a notorious symphonic track, very pleasant.

From the middle part up to the end the hearer is confronted by a flurry of neat progressive tunes, well placed, including also a smooth choir and an impacting finishing.

'Amor selvagem' begins purely classic, band's influence taken from past masters and more specifically from Italian composers is disposed gently. Lyrics are amazing, vocals and instrumental arrangement contributing hugely to create a dream-like ambient.

'Pantanal', the cited radio hit, brings a strong symphonic appeal with folk pigments - again, lyrics do a great work here, rediscovering the Americas 500 years later.

The main theme changes abruptly to a typical rock moment, only to give room to an exquisite and remarkable ending. The short 'Olivia' is a nice interlude amidst such thunderous tracks.

'Farol da liberdade', the title-track, weakens a bit album direction - pseudo- neo-prog does not combine properly with SAGRADO's sound.

'Raio e trovão' is agreeable but the pretentious folk approach has little impact. Instrumental parts with violin, guitars and keyboards dueling save the track.

'The Central Sun of the Universe', the only song with English lyrics, provides the album with a great closure. Everything now works almost perfectly, the choir in Portuguese, the pastoral flute solo, the piano accompaniment, the ever-present majestic violin and much more.

The song bears the notorious and distinguished band signature, the moment when they act like an orchestra.

Male vocals have the clear Brazilian accent which in this case adds some enchantment to the song; female vocals bring some flair of the dear BACAMARTE's Jane Duboc singer. All beauty perceived along the track is trimmed by a grandiose finale.

SAGRADO CORAÇÃO DA TERRA stood and stand still as a luminescent landmark in the Brazilian, South American, and I dare to say, World progressive music ground and "Farol Da Liberdade", their 3rd studio album, is indeed an outstanding production just bordering masterpiece realm, a more than recommended addition to any (prog) music collection (by Atkingani).

Dança das Fadas (dance of the fairies):


Track List:
01.Dança das fadas (5:00)
02.Solidariedade (4:58)
03.Amor selvagem (3:41)
04.Pantanal (4:41)
05.Olivia (1:38)
06.Farol da liberdade (4:29)
07.Raio e trovao (3:45)
08.The central sun of the universe (11:33)

Sagrado Coração da Terra (Sacred Heart of the Earth):
*Lincoln Cheib / drums
*Ivan Correia / bass
*Ronaldo Pelhicano / keyboards
*Augusto Rennó / guitars
*Paula Santoro / vocals
*Andersen Viana / flutes
*Marcus Viana / vocals, violins, keyboards
*Sebastiao Viana / flute


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SBB - Complete Tapes 1974 (1974 poland progressive rock - digipack double CD edition - MP3 320K and FLAC)

SBB is one of the most important Polish bands of the seventies. This band, rightfully listed in the eclectic progressive genre, mainly plays a hybrid of symphonic prog, space/atmospheric prog and fusion.

The band originated from the early seventies, with their initial name being SILESIAN BLUES BAND.

The band was formed by composer, keyboardist, bass-player and extravert vocalist Józef SKRZEK.

Young, but skill-full guitar-player Antymos APOSTOLIS added his great solo's and drummer extraordinaire Jerzy PIOTROWSKi freely experimented with his recognizable fast fills and break-up rhythms.

In the end of '71, after a year full of gigs, the band started a fruitful cooperation with one of Polish most important musicians and song-writers: Czesław NIEMEN.

For a year and a half the band NIEMEN toured in Poland, as well as in Europe. During this period SBB & NIEMEN recorded three critically acclaimed progressive records; "Marionetki" (1972), "Strange is This World" (1972) and "Ode to Venus" (1973). Czesław NIEMEN has his own page on the progarchives.

After this period SBB regrouped itself and changed its name in SZUKAJ - BURZ - BUDUJ (Search - Break - Build up).

In 1974 their first album 'SBB' was recorded live. Though the album lacked cohesiveness (both piano ballads and very dirty experimental rock improvisation), it was a big hit in Poland and soon it ran out of stock. The record was sold on the black market for twice the price.

A unique 2CD digipak containing complete material recorded live during two shows promoting SBB's debut album in April 1974

CD 1 incl. Complete material from the concert played on 19th April 1974, CD 2 incl. Tracks played in different arrangements on 18th April 1974 - This remarkable release is a must-have for the fans of SBB and of the best quality progressive rock.

CD-1:
01.I Need You, Baby
02.Odlot (incl. Odlecieć z wami)
03.Wizje (incl. Erotyk)
04.Wicher w polu dmie

CD-2:
01.Pamięć z nami (incl. Ku pamięci, Wyjątek z wolności)
02.Zostało we mnie
03.Wolność do tyłu (incl. Przed premierą, Freedom With Us, Who Knows, 360 do tyłu)
04.I Need You, Baby *
05.Zostało we mnie *
06.Figo-Fago *
07.Rock For Mack *

* 4 bonus track recorded in 18.04.1974

SBB:
*Józef Skrzek: vocal, piano, synthesizer (Davolisint), bass guitar, harmonica
*Apostolis Anthimos: guitar
*Jerzy Piotrowski: drums


Notice!!! In the third track on the halfway between the 6th and 7th minute on cd1 there is an error. There is an approx. one second long silent gap, which is not the fault of the rip - it also appears on the original cd. I suppose it may be the mistake of the original mastertape.


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Greenslade - Greenslade (1971 uk progressive rock - wounded bird records edition - FLAC)

Not long after the disintegration of Colosseum, Greenslade was born, with their inaugural self-titled album whetting the appetites of progressive rock fans worldwide.

Dave Greenslade used the group to showcase his illustrious keyboard intricacies alongside Tony Reeves' bass guitar, Andrew McCulloch's predominant percussion work, and Dave Lawson's vocals, all of which made Greenslade a quintessential prog album.

The attention almost never veers from David Greenslade's beautiful organ texturing, alternating between hard and delicate patterns while defining the album's pure progressive sound.

Reeves' bass riffs are spatial and thorough, complimenting the keyboard runs when needed while falling in behind the music at the proper times.

Although the three instrumental pieces ("An English Western," "Melange," and "Sundance") aim the spotlight straight at Greenslade, the vocal tracks are just as worthy.

The lyrics are of a simple nature, unlike Yes' brand of fantastical poetry, and they adhere perfectly to the instruments, especially on the sincere "What Are You Doin' to Me."

For this project and the rest of Greenslade's albums, Dave Greenslade exchanges the jazz-infused stylishness of his Colosseum days for the complexities of a progressive rock realm, and his transition ends up being faultless.

Bedside Manners carries on with the same rich, keyboard-led sound, while another member from Colosseum, guitarist Dave Clempson, joins on for 1974's Spyglass Guest, in which the electronics were noticeably toned down (by Mike DeGagne).


Feathered Friends:


Track List:
01."Feathered Friends" (music: Dave Greenslade, lyrics: Dave Lawson) – 6:44
02."An English Western" (Greenslade) – 3:27
03."Drowning Man" (Greenslade) – 5:49
04."Temple Song" (music: Greenslade, lyrics: Lawson) – 3:34
05."Mélange" (Tony Reeves, Greenslade, Lawson) – 7:28
06."What Are You Doin' To Me?" (Lawson) – 4:41
07."Sundance" (Greenslade) – 8:43

Greenslade:
*Dave Greenslade — keyboards, co-producer
*Dave Lawson — keyboards, vocals, co-producer
*Tony Reeves — bass guitar, double bass, co-producer
*Andrew McCulloch — drums, percussion, co-producer


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CODE: 58012 or click here (password is cod_number+phrockblog)

Jonesy - Growing (1973 uk progressive rock - Si Wan records edition - MP3 320K and FLAC)

Following on from their debut album No Alternative and sophomore set Keeping Up, Jonesy released Growing in 1973, their third and final album for the Dawn label.

Overseen by top-notch producer Rupert Hine, it was certainly the best sounding set of the batch, and arguably their most adventurous, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

The almost-12-minute long set closer "Jonesy" was a case in point. What should have been an exciting epic instead disintegrates into overindulgent improvisation.

It starts off strong enough with the instruments circling around the organ and Mellotron, the electric guitar then storms in, and the piece pushes into R&B laced with funk and wah wah guitar.

But then it fragments into a series of disjointed solos, and never really comes back together, although at times it's intriguing how the various instruments can evoke a genre with just a few notes or chords.

Along the way, though, "Jonesy" loses the plot, better was the set opener "Can You Get That Together," where the band indeed get it together.

Here too they tumble through genres, funk, surf, psych, jazz, R&B, and rock, but a strong melody and a coursing rhythm lace the song up tight, even when the group shift into the improvisational jazz section.

"Know Who Your Friends Are" is similarly effective, as the band shifts tempos and moods, sliding from bright and light prog rock into slower, prettier passages that build and build, finally exploding into driving hard prog where the organ, guitar, and trumpet duel for supremacy.

On "Hard Road" axeman John Evan Jones goes head to head with trumpeter Alan Bown, as the band exuberantly winds its way through Latin rhythms, funk, jazz, and rock.

These musical battles were a new development, perhaps reflecting the internal tensions that soon saw the group split apart.

And while the fencing certainly fed the number's excitement, on the downside, too often the musicians were going their own way, with no regard to the song or their bandmates. In the end, this leaves too much of the album feeling unfocused and disconnected.

It was still a grand set, but the rot was setting in. Keeping Up would be their apex while the Jonesy empire was fast beginning to crumble (by by Jo-Ann Greene).


Know Who Your Friends Are:


Track List:
01.Can You Get That Together (8:28)
02.Waltz for Yesterday (4:11)
03.Know Who Your Friends Are (6:14)
04.Growing (5:04)
05.Hard Road (3:56)
06.Jonesy [instrumental] (11:40)

Jonesy:
*Alan Bown: trumpet, percussion
*Ken Elliot: synthesizers
*Bernie Hagley: saxophone
*Gypsy Jones: guitar, vocals
*John Evans Jones: guitar, vocals
*Jamie Kaleth: keyboards, Mellotron, vocals
*Morris Pert: percussion
*Plug Thomas: drums, vocals


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CODE: 52932

Jonesy - No Alternative (1972 uk progressive rock -Si Wan records edition - MP3 320K and FLAC)

Trevor remembers:"Bernie, Terry, John and I did what felt like a very long tour of Germany. Sadly, there was a lot of tension in the band and when Jonesy returned to England two of the guys decided to go their own way.

Bernie had been offered a really good gig in a band called Tranquility and Terry retired from music completely to settle down to a much saner lifestyle in retail management."

Trevor and John auditioned for new musicians and recruited Jamie Kaleth (joint lead vocals and mellotrons) and David Potts (drums).

However, the two brothers still found themselves arguing about the direction of the band and Trevor was not a happy bunny.

‘I had started the thing in order to continue the music I was playing in Sweaty Betty, specifically progressive rock, but John wanted to include white funk (listen, for example, to Ricochet on the first album No Alternative).

By contrast, I was writing very different songs. During this period, for example, I wrote the first version of 'Inside the Dark Room' which was about early experiments in sensory deprivation which I was studying as a psychology student at London University.

We had very heated arguments about musical direction and eventually I sat down with John and had an in depth discussion along the following lines: "Listen! We’re brothers and we are sharing the same house. If we continue like this we are going to end up hating each other.

We have different musical tastes. Also, I'm enjoying being a psychology student and I've been offered a residency in the West End (of London) playing with Charlie Charles (see Ian Drury's Blockheads) who is a great drummer . I've decided to leave the band."

Shortly after, David Potts parted company with the band and John found himself auditioning for a new rhythm section.

It was an exciting line-up but the tensions remained. Following friction between David and Jim on the one hand and John on the other, David and Jim were replaced by Richard "Plug" Thomas (drums) and Nick Greenwood (vocals and bass).

Meanwhile, Trevor and Charlie Charles were making silly money working as musicians in a strip-joint in Soho.

Just before Christmas, the guitarist and keyboard player left, and Trevor asked John and Jamie if they'd like to make some very good money for 3 weeks work. They agreed and the four musicians really enjoyed working with each other.

There were still arguments happening in Jonesy between John and Nick. John asked Trevor to rejoin the band.

Trevor remembers: "At first I was not convinced that this was a good idea. Working with Charlie Charles was easy there was no stress, just good musicianship.

I was aware of the political, tensions within the band and wasn't immediately attracted to re-joining Jonesy.

On the other hand, it was extremely tempting to continue the concept I had originated.

What finally made up my mind was the fact that Alan Bown was joining the band. I’d long been a fan of the Alan Bown Set and loved his whole stage persona.

Also, when I met him I discovered that he was the same off-stage. So I re-joined Jonesy.

If I remember right, John and I had a punch-up on one of the very first gigs of the new lineup! I think this really freaked out the rest of the band" (from www.jonesytheband.com).





Track List:
01.No Alternative (8:14)
02.Heaven (8:14)
03.Mind of the Century (4:12)
04.1958 (7:53)
05.Pollution (9:43)
06.Ricochet (4:59)

Jonesy:
*John Jones : lead guitar, vcs3, vocals
*Jimmy Kaleth : mellotron, electric piano, grand piano, vocals
*David Paull : bass, vocals
*Jim Payne : drums, percussiom


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CODE: 52716

Cannabis India - SWF sessions 1973 (1973-1974 german heavy organ-based symphonic rock - MP3 320K and FLAC)

As a child in Germany, Oliver PETRY began playing piano at a very young age, switching later to organ after hearing contemporary greats as Keith EMERSON.

By about 1970, PETRY, drummer Rüdiger BRAUNE and bassist Dirk FLECK had formed cover band The FUTURES but by 1971, had transformed into CANNABIS INDIA, a faux-classical power trio based near Düsseldorf and part of the famous Wuppertal scene (known as a center of 'Krautrock' with acts as Holderlin garnering national attention).

CANNABIS INDIA featured all-original compositions from PETRY and after good word of mouth began spreading about their live shows, the trio secured billing with artists as EARTH AND FIRE, BEGGARS OPERA, and EILIFF.

Their appearances at Berlin's IFA and the first Wuppstock Festival in 1973 were highlights. The band's long-forgotten recordings - done in May '73 at the Sudwestfunk and finally released in 2009 as 'SWF Session 1973' on Long Hair Records - are our only taste of this unit in the studio and present a raw but dynamic early form of heavy, organ-based symphonic rock in the vein of ELP's 'Tarkus' period and smaller bands as Canada's ExCUBUS [then Incubus].

Guitarist Martin KOHMSTEDT [of SOLOMON JACKDAW] joined the band but left in '74, after which CI split-up.

Shortly after, Oliver PETRY founded UNIVERSE with ex-SOLOMON JACKDAW members and before this group's breakup, they recorded several cuts at the Studio Neugebauer [included as bonus cuts on SWF Session].

Later, bandmates reunited to work on the FRITZ MüLLER BAND helping to record the album 'Kommt'.

Oliver PETRY became lead vocalist for EMPIRE along with Dirk FLECK on bass and released an LP in 1981. PETRY now works as a graphics & sound designer for websites and plans a future music project called The Unbrothers.

Firmly recommended to any fans of vintage organ Prog at its most immediate and sincere, CANNABIS INDIA's 'SWF Session 1973' is a must for lovers of pure old fashioned symphonic rock (from progarchives.com).


Hand of the King:


Track List:
01.Hand of the King (7:26)
02.Lapis (11:54)
03.Revolver (4:18)
04.Beethoven's 9th (10:52)

Bonus tracks at Universe:
05.Mirror (3:37)
06.The Hunt (5:18)


Cannabis India:
*Oliver Petry: organ
*Rudiger Braune: drums
*Dirk Flec: bass

At Universe:
*Oliver Petry: organ, Moog, vocals
*Detlev Krause: guitar
*Bernd Frielingsdorf: drums
*Detlev Dalitz bass


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Rip and scans made by torrents
CODE: 52041

Moody Blues - A Question of Balance (1970 uk crossover progressive rock - 2008 remaster edition with 06 bonus - MP3 320K and FLAC)

My perspective on the Moodys is perhaps slightly different than the typical fan in that I find Question thru Seventh Sojourn to be their pinnacle as opposed to the backsliding years.

There is maybe only one weak track on the last 3 albums, and my only hint for now is that it is not on "A Question of Balance".

The album is bracketted by two perennials, the still fresh sounding "Question", and the now dates and starry eyed "Balance", which is nonetheless a near perfect poetic statement and song construction, not to mention a nostalgic blast.

In between you have such gentle dignified works as "How is it we are Here", "The Tide Rushes In", and "Dawning is the Day", juxtaposed with bouncy and gently chiding rockers like "Tortoise and the Hare" and "It's Up to You".

While group vocal harmonies were always a particular strength of the band, they really seem to give themselves an extra push in this direction on a Question of Balance, particularly in "Don't You Feel Small" and "Minstrel Song".

Sure, most of the themes were being revisited by this time, and one can find earlier "versions" on the much weaker "On the Threshold of a Dream" or the slightly weaker "To Our Children's...", but the progression is so evident here.

Just compare the rather thin "To Share Our Love" with "Don't You Feel Small", or the pretty "Never Comes the Day" with the cosmically significant statement of purpose in "Question".

In terms of a breakthrough, it can be argued that "Melancholy Man" was the first real Pinder ode to depression, and perhaps his best contribution as a Moody (although I might go with "My Song" on the following album).

In any case, it is the only real downer on the disk, but in a way that is oddly uplifting, an acknowledgement of the reality of suffering as it were.

No band has attracted more critical bashing than the Moody Blues. In my opinion, where the 7 classic albums are concerned, these attacks are misguided and should be diverted into self examination on the part of the offending parties. Listen for yourself (by kenethlevine).


Tortoise And The Hare:


Track List:
01.Question (5:43)
02.How is it (we are here) (2:44)
03.And the tide rushes in (2:57)
04.Don't you feel small (2:37)
05.Tortoise and the hare (3:19)
06.It's up to you (3:11)
07.Minstrel's song (4:27)
08.Dawning is the day (4:21)
09.Melancholy man (5:45)
10.The balance (3:28)

Bonus tracks:
11.Mike's Number One (3:36)
12.Question (Alternate Version) (6:08)
13.Minstrel's Song (Original Mix) (4:35)
14.It's Up To You (Original Mix) (3:19)
15.Don't You Fell Small (Original Mix) (3:02)
16.Dawning Is The Day (Full Original Mix) (4:36)


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CODE: 49746

King Crimson - The Great Deceiver: Live 1973-1974 (1973-1974 uk prog, 1992 box set - MP3 320K & FLAC, with complete booklet scans)

In King Crimson's extensive catalog of archival recordings and box sets, The Great Deceiver (Live 1973-1974) is the undisputed winner, the item truly worth acquiring.

The four-CD set Frame by Frame, released 18 months earlier, was light on material previously unavailable and included a few edits and overdubs on classic King Crimson tracks that shocked the fans.

Epitaph, another four-CD collection culled from the group's first live shows in 1969, boasted understandably flawed sound and more repetitive content.

But The Great Deceiver has it all. Over four discs, the set chronicles the on-stage activity between October 1973 and June 1974 of the most powerful King Crimson lineup.

Robert Fripp, John Wetton, David Cross, and Bill Bruford were mostly performing material from their previous two LPs (Larks Tongues in Aspic and Starless and Bible Black).

Yes, the track list remains pretty much the same from one show to another, but the group approaches each night from a different angle, changing the arrangements on the fly to suit the prevailing mood -- check out the chameleon-esque "Easy Money," presented in four guises, for tangible proof.

Most importantly, the group performed unpredictable improvisations that embodied the struggle between order and chaos that Fripp thrived to express in penned songs like "Starless" and "Fracture."

The live tapes have been beautifully mastered so that the music hits hard without losing the subtle nuances of Cross' violin.

At the time of its release, The Great Deceiver filled a gap in the group's discography (the live album USA had not been officially reissued yet), but even after tons of additional concerts from that period were released by Fripp's label, Discipline, this box set still stands as the definitive argument to consecrate the 1973-1974 Crimson as its most exciting incarnation (AMG Review by François Couture).

21st Century Schizoid Man:



Disc 1: Things Are Not as They Seem...
Recorded at the Palace Theatre, Providence, Rhode Island, USA, June 30, 1974.

01.Walk On ... No Pussyfooting – 0:52
02.Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two – 6:12
03.Lament – 4:04
04.Exiles – 7:00
05.A Voyage to the Centre of the Cosmos – 14:41
06.Easy Money – 7:14
07.Providence – 9:47
08.Fracture – 10:47
09.Starless – 11:56


Disc 2: Sleight of Hand (or Now You Don't See It Again) and...
Tracks 1-2 recorded at the Palace Theatre, Providence, USA, June 30, 1974.
Tracks 3-11 recorded at the Glasgow Apollo, Glasgow, UK, October 23, 1973.
Tracks 12-13 recorded at Pennsylvania State University, State College, USA, June 29, 1974.

(Note: Only the first half of "The Night Watch" is taken from the Glasgow performance;
the second half was taken from the Zurich show featured on CD Four.
The liner notes indicate that there were technical problems with both recordings,
and that the splice was done "to honour the spirit and sense of Glasgow's performance".)

01.21st Century Schizoid Man – 7:32
02.Walk off from Providence ... No Pussyfooting – 1:15
03.Sharks' Lungs in Lemsip – 2:3
04.Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One – 7:25
05.Book of Saturday – 2:49
06.Easy Money – 6:43
07.We'll Let You Know – 4:54
08.The Night Watch – 4:54
09.Tight Scrummy – 8:27
10.Peace: A Theme – 1:01
11.Cat Food – 4:14
12.Easy Money – 2:19
13....It Is for You, but Not for Us – 7:25


Disc 3: ...Acts of Deception (the Magic Circus, or Weasels Stole Our Fruit)
Tracks 1-11 recorded at the Stanley Warner Theatre, Pittsburgh, USA, April 29, 1974.
Tracks 12-13 recorded at Pennsylvania State University, State College, USA, June 29, 1974.

01.Walk On ... No Pussyfooting – 1:15
02.The Great Deceiver – 3:32
03.Bartley Butsford – 3:13
04.Exiles – 6:23
05.Daniel Dust – 4:40
06.The Night Watch – 4:18
07.Doctor Diamond – 4:52
08.Starless – 11:36
09.Wilton Carpet – 5:52
10.The Talking Drum – 5:29
11.Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two (abbreviated) – 2:22
12.Applause and announcement – 2:19
13.Is There Life Out There? – 11:50


Disc 4: ...But Neither are They Otherwise
Tracks 1-4 recorded at Massey Hall, Toronto, Canada, June 24, 1974.
Tracks 5-12 recorded at the Volkshaus, Zurich, Switzerland, November 15, 1973.

01.The Golden Walnut – 11:14
02.The Night Watch – 4:22
03.Fracture – 10:48
04.Clueless and Slightly Slack – 8:36
05.Walk On... No Pussyfooting – 1:00
06.Some Pussyfooting – 2:23
07.Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One – 7:41
08.The Law of Maximum Distress, Part One – 6:31
09.The Law of Maximum Distress, Part Two – 2:17
10.Easy Money – 6:57
11.Some More Pussyfooting – 5:50
12.The Talking Drum – 6:05

King Crimson:
Robert Fripp - guitar, mellotron, electric piano
John Wetton - bass guitar, vocals
David Cross - violin, mellotron, electric piano
Bill Bruford - drums, percussion


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CODE: 49206

Steel Mill - Green Eyed God (1971 uk heavy progressive, progressive and hard rock with 02 bonus tracks - MP3 320K and FLAC)

[ Progressive Series # 56 ]

One of the most obscure release from England (the history of the band and whereabouts of the musicians are still unknown) and most-searched after vinyl by collectors, and one of the best beloved in ProgArchives for a famous unsolicited job application (see last paragraph of the present review).

If in a lot of case, rare and expensive does not necessarily mean good or excellent, but in Steel Mill, such is the case. Released in 72 in Germany, this album got its UK release three years later, by which time the group had disbanded.

This quintet is your standard quartet plus wind player and develop a heavy progressive so typical of the first years of the 70's and is a pure delight for the progheads searching for lost gems: I AM one of them. Sound-wise Steel Mill is a mix of Raw Material, some hard-riffing from Heep or Sabbath. All of the tracks are penned by wind player John Challenger and keysman and singer Dave Morris.

The heavy-riffed opener Blood Runs Deep is a rather fitting intro, as soon as the first break leads us to a sax/guitar crescendo and quick time changes. Summer Child is one of the highlights of this very even album, where no weaker track exists. Its deep and dark climate underlined by a low-timbre flute works wonder on your imagination. Hard riffs open the longer track of the first side of the wax slide, but its multipkle changes allows plenty of ambiances, some of them not far away from Black Sabbath and Atomic Rooster. The closer, Treadmill, is probably their hardest/heaviest track and the Sabbath influences are loud and clear in this song.

The second side opens on the superb 9-min title track with a haunting (and eastern-sounding) flute over a steady tom-drumming and psalm-like vocals, before the heavy guitar takes the song to a higher and harder climate.

Clearly this song is the one that gives the album its weight in prog content, with its slight ethnic influences. Production-wise the album uses the fade-outs and the fade-ins a bit too systematically, but the only time this is slightly bothersome is in the middle of this great track.

Turn The Page Over is yet another superb moments and it clearly invites in their next tale of paradise. Black Jewel Of The Forest is the apex of the album, with its slow flute and toms intro (already heard earlier in the album) before a tense guitar enters to modify the drumming and the ambiances switching gradually into a haunting, almost satanic mood: grandiose. The closing interlude is a fitting outro for an almost flawless album.

Steel Mill had also released two singles the following yea r, each time featuring a song from the album and a non-album B-side.

Although the album tracks were edited to fit the singles format Repertoire record chose not too include these two songs as bonuses (which is just as well, since they are available in the better longer format), but they did choose to include the two non-album tracks, much to our joy.

Obscurity. Obviously not recorded during the same sessions and mixed differently, the two tracks differ a bit from the rest of the album, without sticking out like a sore thumb.

Get On The Line was a clear attempt at breaking the market with its basic repeated chorus and songs structures. The same can be said of Zang Will, but the second offers more to the proghead's ears because of more interplay and clear cut solos.

Be careful when looking for this album, as there are some bootlegs both in vinyl and in CD. In its digital form, this album comes with two bonus tracks coming from associated singles - which I have no idea if they are in the same line than the album per se.

In any way, shape or form, this album is a real must if you love heavy prog. This album even prompted some Pakistani engineer to apply for a job in this website, and that fact alone makes it a classic album in our beloved Prog Archives;-) (Sean Trane - progarchives.com).


Blood Runs Deep:


Track List:
01.Blood Runs Deep
02.Smmer Child
03.Mijo And The Laying Of The Wich
04.Treadmill
05.Green Eyed God
06.Turn The Page Over
07.Black Jewel Of The Forest
08.Har Fleur
09.Get On The Line Single A-Side
10.Zang Will Single B-Side

Steel Mill:
*John Challenger: woodwinds
*Chris Martin: drums
*Dave Morris: keyboards, vocals
*Jeff Watts: bass
*Terry Williams: guitar


[ FLAC rip and scans by OldrockerBR ]
Previous MP3 version posted at PHROCK in 6/13/2009
CODE: 49099

Mad Curry - Mad Curry (1970 belgium progressive and jazz rock - remaster edition with 02 bonus tracks - MP3 320K and FLAC)

Machiavel might be Belgium's best known and most successful progressive rock band, but they weren't the first.

Probably the earliest band from that country playing this kind of music is Mad Curry, who released a single called "Antwerp", and then a self-entitled album, both in 1970 on the small Pirates label, meaning LP copies aren't likely to float around, and a legitimate CD reissue hasn't surfaced.

The band came from Antwerp, which is in the nothern half of the country (where the Flemish variety of Dutch is spoken). The band included female vocalist Viona Westra, who sounds remarkably like Curved Air's Sonja Kristina, with saxist Joosk Geeraerts (apparently also known as Giorgio Chitschenko), organist Danny Rousseau, bassist Jean Andore (or Vandooren), and drummer Eddy Kane (or Verdonck).

Notice they don't have a guitarist. Despite the band being Belgian, they stick to a British style of jazzy progressive rock.

Really, Mad Curry is truly one of the great, lost gems of progressive rock. This is simply an incredible collection of music, with some really creative drumming from Eddy Kane, and some killer organ work from Danny Rousseau.

This one of those progressive rock albums that isn't particularly pretentious (for those who run at the thought of this kind of music), as they tend to borrow more from jazz than classical. The music is really full of great twists like on "Beauty", "Music, the Reason for Our Happiness", and "Longhaired Children in a Cave".

"The Worker" is a real interesting one where it the keyboard heard sounds like a cross between a piano and harpsichord. While vocals are largely from Viona Westra, one of the guys (not sure who) do actually share vocal duties on "Beauty" (a song with reference to sex) and he reminds me of the Amon Dььl II male vocalist.

Frequently Mad Curry gets compared to Soft Machine and Julian's Treatment, which is understandable, the Soft Machine comparison coming from the jazzy nature of the music, and Julian's Treatment for the female vocals and Hammond organ.

Other groups I get reminded of are Affinity, Catapilla, and even Curved Air (thanks to Viona Westra sounding like Sonja Kristina, which means if you like Sonja's vocals, you'll have little problem warming up to Viona's vocals, although like Sonja, she is an acquired taste).

Really, had Mad Curry been British, they'd likely end up on the Vertigo label, as it's very much in the vein of the more jazzy progressive albums on that label.

But since they were Belgian, they ended up on the Pirates label. Remember, in Belgium, the progressive rock scene hadn't been as so well represented as the progressive rock scenes in the countries that surround it (Netherlands, France, Germany), but Belgium had their share of groups worth your time, and if you're a fan of those British groups I mentioned, I really think you can't go wrong with Mad Curry. I was simply blown away from the first listen! (by hippy.com).


Men:


Track List:
01.Men
02.Big Ben
03.Beauty
04.Music, The Reason Of Our Happiness
05.Jack Is Away
06.5 Longhair Children In A Cave
07.The Worker
08.Sound For Tomorrow
09.Antwerp (single A side)
10.Song For Cathreen (single B side)

Mad Curry:
*Viona Westra: vocals
*Giorgio Chitschenko (Joosk Geeraerts): sax
*Danny Rousseau: organ
*Jean Andore (Vandooren): bass
*Eddy Kane (Verdonck): drums


[ Thank you CRIMSON for sending this post ]
CODE: 49152