Psych /
Joy Of A Toy
An original member of Soft Machine, Kevin Ayers embarked on a solo career following a US tour with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968. He was one of the first signings to EMI’s Progressive imprint Harvest and recorded his debut album in the Summer of 1969 at Abbey Road studios.
‘Joy Of A Toy’ is a classic of psychedelic and progressive rock, featuring contributions from his former Soft Machine band mates, David Bedford and such wonderful songs as ‘The Lady Rachel’, ‘Stop This Train (Again Doing…
Apo Calypso
At that time the tenth Embryo LP, recorded in India in 1976 and in Switzerland in 1977, released in 1978 on the April label. Again in the well-known Embryo style: progressive jazz-rock with strong world music influences and only occasional vocals. The vinyl has never been reissued, there was a CD edition in 1999 on Disconforme, but it has long since been cancelled. A very relaxed album, and while there are occasional highlights in individual contributions, the overall impression is that it just …
Both Sides
*2023 stock* Before the Munich krautrockers turned more strongly in the direction of world music in the following years, at this gig they once again delivered their mix, moving between funk and jazz, as it defined the mid-70s. Fixed song structures never played a role with Embryo. Apart from the - despite difficult meter - extremely loose-floppy 'Getalongwithasong' (from the 1977 studio album Apo-Calypso), they mainly played new improvisations in Vlotho."
Storie di uomini e non
300 copies, numbered edition. This italian band from Parma (Rocky's Filj is from their leader Rocky Rossi's name) gained a contract with Ricordi label after a tour with Banco del Mutuo Soccorso.Their only album, Storie di Uomini e Non (1973) - included in the infamous Nurse with Wound list - is jazz-rock oriented with original vocals and very well made instrumental parts, symphonic touches and sax in evidence, sometimes a la King Crimson. The primary lead, in addition to sax, is guitar and there…
Disaster (Lüüd Noma)
In September 1968, Amon Düül played the "International Essener Songtage", Germany's first rock festival of five days duration, which was initiated by the later Ohr label boss Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser. The Berlin hit producer Peter Meisel heard and saw the band there and spontaneously signed them, along with Tangerine Dream and Birth Control. Amon Düül was close to the Berlin "Kommune 1" and came together at a time when everyone was an artist who wanted to be one. Anyone who wanted to could also be a m…
Fusioon
*2023 stock* First album released in 1972 by these Catalan psych-progsters. Traditional Spanish songs receive a psychedelic / progressive / jazz-rock treatment with tremendous rhythm section (drum breaks galore!), fuzztone guitar, Hammond & analogue keyboards plus occasional string arrangements.
'Igginbottom's Wrench
*2023 stock* 'Igginbottom's Wrench is a studio album by the band 'Igginbottom, released in 1969 through Deram Records originally on vinyl only. It has been reissued a number of times (sometimes under the group title of "Allan Holdworth & Friends"), most notably on CD for the first time on 5 March 1989, as well as a remastered edition in 2000 through Angel Air Records with extensive liner notes detailing the band's history. It is one of the first recordings to feature guitarist Allan Holdsworth.
Music Or Not Music
*2023 stock* "Produced by Erick Van Huls, Recreation's sophomore release "Music or not Music" featured 15 tracks, many of them quite short and linked together in a continuing suite arrangement. With all three members sharing creative duties the all-instrumental set simply wasn't the lost classic slice of progressive magic some dealers would have you believe (the fact it was included in one of the Hans Pokora books merely added to the hype). The three members were all quite talented, but the majo…
Hiro Yanagida
*2024 stock* Gatefold cover. Second Yanagida Hiro album, with Kimio Mizutani at the helm, swirling acid leads, heavy psych moves: a fuzzed out guitar record reminding me a little of Human Instinct. Like this guitar was dipped in fuzz! The grooves are great, and there are folky Japanese tunes that are nice. The album stays on the lighter side of groove, even on the uptempo joints, but this album is worth exploring for lovers of that Japanese rock sound in progressive and soloing. The 50's homage…
Ben
*2023 stock* “A reissue of Ben's self-titled album, only album, originally released in 1971. Canterbury-based progressive jazz-rock act Ben only released one obscure album, issued on Philips' prog subsidiary Vertigo in 1971, but it's a lovely collective of extended instrumental jams, worthy of discovery for those that missed it the first time around. Peter Davey's saxophone and clarinet melodies push the material to high peaks, against an understated backing from future Nashville Teens bassist, …
Full Horn
*2023 stock* 1973's Full Horn was Cornucopia's only release, but the seven members of this German progressive rock band made sure that it was a worthwhile accomplishment. From the onset of "Day of a Daydreambeliever," the album's opening track, Cornucopia's misty, phantasmal sound is set adrift with the softness of numbing vocal harmonies that emerge from the background. But from here, the song begins to breed patient rhythms and a certain sci-fi milieu that wonderfully sets the mood, picking up…
Electric Sandwich
*2023 stock* This only album by the German band Electric Sandwich is a pretty strong record from the start to the end. It's a wonderful highly enjoyable album. Songs like "Devil's Dream" and "Archie's Blues" have some impressive guitarwork and some of the songs also have a jazzy feeling because of the sax playing. Electric Sandwich's S/T only LP is a very solid and also a highly consistent package. No bad moments on this album. These seven songs all do their job very well. While it's not a total…
Continental Circus
*2023 stock* In the late 60s and early 70s, many bands within the psychedelic/progressive rock field were approached about producing OST soundtracks to accompany a certain film. Pink Floyd did Obscured by Clouds, Tangerine Dream spent virtually half of their musical career on producing OST soundtracks, and Gong even spent a bit of time providing music for the film Continental Circus, which, the film's fans would have you believe, is something of a cult classic. Yet these soundtracks made by psyc…
The Impulse Session
For the first time on vinyl, these previously unreleased sessions by the British jazz rock band. Recorded live at the Impulse studios prior to their 1972 debut album on Blackey/Warner. With liner notes by bassist Colin Hodgkinson. Colin Hodgkinson first met Ron Aspery whilst the two were playing in Eric Delaney's Showband. The two began to talk about forming their own band around 1969, and eventually Back Door came to fruition in 1971, with Tony Hicks joining on drums. Hodgkinson made an innovat…
Live at Club7 1973
*250 copies limited edition* A unique live concert experience from Club7 Norway 1973 – Organ trio w/ Christian Reim, Tom Karlsen and Swedish Rickard Rolf.
Yniverze
*2023 stock* This album can be considered Emma Myldenberger's epilogue or even their fourth album. Indeed after the third album Live (only released under the cassette format at the time (and recently reissued in Cd by the God label, the group sort of managed to survive a few months later but members were abandoning the ship.
Definitely an excellent album, Yniverse easily compares to Tour De Trance and in some ways is better. No doubt that the excellent people at Garden Of Delight will one day (r…
Odiszée Parck
*2023 stock* Radio Noisz Ensemble was the successor band to the more folk-oriented six-piece Emma Myldenberger, who released two LPs in the late 1970s, and followed those with a live cassette after the turn of the decade (all since released on CD). Three members (guitarist / mandolinist Michel Meyer, reeds player Biber Gullatz, and Topsi Tkacz on violin and contrabass) of Emma Myldenberger formed RNE in ’81, who along with percussionist Matthias Gassert and special guest Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru…
Weltschmerz
*2023 stock* Siddhartha, named after a novel by Hermann Hesse, were formed in 1973 in Korntal near Stuttgart. They performed an intelligent mix-ture of progressive and art rock influenced by psychedelia and folk. Although their 1975 album is called "Weltschmerz" all songs contain English lyrics except for "Weit weg". It was released in a limited edition of 400 copies and is now one of the most sought-after collectors’ items. A thirty minute demo tape by Siddhartha which was recorded after the re…
Thoughts
A very rare but strong 'Canterbury' release from Germany. Very pleasant, inspired and technical, Zyma cultivates the musical schema developed by Soft Machine and others but stresses the funniest and most optimistic emotional dialogue of it, thanks to very enthusiastic melodies and catchy improvisations. The opening track illustrates it perfectly. Mostly a jazzy rock composition punctuated by female voices and fantasist interludes.
Hamburg 1969
*2023 stock* "Xhol was one of the first bands who participated at the send of the 60s to the launch of the Krautrock movement in Germany. Nevertheless their music cannot be categorised. Their roots came from rhythm'n blues with soul tendencies. With their second album "electrip" they rapidly found their own style which can be considered as an original fusion of free jazz, psychedelic rock and electronic experimentations. Very dynamic their jazz rock can sometimes be compared with the spirit of t…