Paris Reunion Band – Theaterhaus, Stuttgart, Germany 7/8/88

There appears to be a video of this show somewhere, although I’m not sure if it’s legit, Euro, bootleg or what. Irregardless, this is definitely something of an allstar jazz group with people like Woody Shaw, Nat Adderley, Joe Henderson, Idris Muhammad and the like involved, and more like the reunion of an early 70s jazz group with these type of players. Of course while you’re almost always going to get a good show with these sorts of guys in the seats, the very nature of it being a reunion band puts the focus on nostalgia, and thus this doesn’t actually resemble the 70s work of most of these musicians but more like a look back to the 50s and 60s. Yeah, things do get angular and weird at times, but there’s a tightness to the group that doesn’t evince as much chemistry as you’d expect.

Rudis/Custodio/Diaz-Infante – CRR Live

It’s funny how expectations work, as for whatever reason I thought I’d be getting some jazz with this title and while that’s definitely a stream of music that plays a part in this group’s style, it’s only one in a multitude. In fact this whole group seems to crunch the history of music into one album, combining all these strands of experimental and unusual music into an updated and modern sound that really does defy description. It’s roughly like if you took modern ambient music, free jazz, fringe DJing, and a bit of “world music,” ran it all through a musique-concret blender into a multitude of harsh and dissonant pieces that speak an entirely new musical language. It’s very dangerous stuff that’s likely to challenge all but the very experimentally inclined. From an early perspective it seems like a collection of strange viginettes, but the more I listen the more the musical vision is unveiled and the musicality of the group comes out. And to think they’re doing this music on the fly makes it even more impressive.

Grateful Dead - Electric Factory, Philadelphia 2/15/69
Grateful Dead – Hollywood Palladium 9/9/72
Grateful Dead – Boston Hall 5/7/77

Been listening to hoards of Dead shows over the last two weeks and it’s getting close to the end of the current arc. In this group we’ve got some good shows and maybe a little better, but for the most part this is a group I don’t generally get excited about. When I listen to the Dead from the first two months of 1969, I’m always surprised just how lackadaiscal they could be, as 1968 could be pretty intense and fierce and they were starting to approach that superlative four day stint at the Fillmore West that spawned Live/Dead, a rare box set and a comp. It doesn’t appear to me that during this early period that they ever even hinted at the type of bomb they were about to drop, as if some of these gigs were just practice for the big event. There’s a general tentativeness to the material, particularly (and I find it a little strange) in the Pigpen numbers, which were generally the band’s standards in the early days.

Jumping a few years later to another incredible period for the Dead and yet another show maybe not up to others on the same tour. After all this was only a week and a half after the incredible Veneta gig and the same month that gave us two separate Dicks Picks, so I think it’s safe to say this gig is pretty minor for the era. Most of the first set material never quite comes up to the intensity you expect from Fall 1972, and it’s really only until the massive Set 2 suite with a gigantic Other One that things get interesting, mostly because of just how weird things get. One does wonder what the pharmaceutical of the day was.

It was very recent that another new version of the Boston 5/7/77 show was just released, although I noticed it after this listen. This is a show I’m pretty familiar with, again during one of the group’s really extraordinary periods. This gig sounds like a lead in to the legendary shows on the 8th and 9th and definitely strikes me as quite a bit weaker, although this has a very solid Terrapin Station and another rather involved an unusual suite that detours into ten minutes of The Wheel and the type of long, passionate Wharf Rat I tend to really like. But better was surely to come.

The Who – Civic Center, San Francisco 12/31/71

While the Dead were belting it out at Winterland, the Who’s New Years Eve Show at the Civic Center was probably more impressive given that they were on the heels, after the rather tedious concept of Tommy, of perhaps their greatest album Who’s Next. So the setlist is generally a combo of the last two albums, featuring some tentative early versions of Next and rather solid Tommy pieces. Given the prior Live at Leeds as well, you could easily pin this on the tail end of their greatest live period. It’s a very solid and respectable sounding Who show with the energy and noise you’d expect.

Katamaran – s/t (1977 Germany).
Katamaran – Footprints (1980 Germany). The endless German jazz fusion era of the late 70s and early 80s strikes once again with Katamaran. The debut is more in line with the then current scene (Moira, Kraan, Munju) with hot playing, memorable melodies and tight unison runs. Their 3rd and final album branched into more hardcore jazz (acoustic piano, sax solos, loose structures), while still maintaining a preferable fusion edge. Final track is a sombre flute, acoustic bass, piano and drums piece. Haven’t heard the middle album “Cafe Florian” yet, which is on the “listening stack” (a mile high). No reissues exist for any of their albums. That’s too bad, as Katamaran are one of the stronger German fusion bands of the era.

Hydrus – Midnight in Space (1978 Italy). One of the 3 indigenous electronic albums on the PDU label (Elektriktus and Robert Cacciapaglia’s “Sonanze” being the others – PDU were most known for their Italian pressings of the German Cosmic Courier clan.) Hydrus could have been named Hybrid, as they mix spacey, non seqeuncer based electronic music with tiny hints of disco. Lovely wordless female vocals adds an exotic atmosphere. Not a bad record at all, though they should’ve let loose a bit more as the electronics get a bit static after while. No reissues exist.

Odyssee – White Swan (1978 Germany). Way above average German symphonic progressive album. This one has a lot more meat on its bones than most of the somnambulant snoozers coming from there during this time. For one thing, the tempo is faster and they mix in some time changes, to help keep it interesting throughout. Full fledged band sound with a thick production. The thematic sections are well developed, and a melody or two can actually be committed to memory. There’s a definite Genesis influence, but not as much as Neuschwanstein, Ivory and Sirius. There’s even a little funky business in the bass lines. A very good album that could use a legit CD reissue.

Komintern – Le Bal du Rat Mort (1971 France). An all over the map type release, with just about every conceivable style being represented somewhere. Avant-rock-cabaret-jazz is about the closest I can come to making any sense of it. Fellow countrymen Red Noise (who Komintern were formed from) and Mahjun are a couple of other references one could point to. A real mystery this is still not on CD, since this was reissued on vinyl in the 1980s (Cryonic). Even though the group was a radical left-wing political collective, there’s (fortunately) little evidence of that here. They just let the music do the talking, as it should be. Had they still been around during the original RIO formation, they most certainly would’ve been a charter member.

Apartment One – Open House (1970 Netherlands). Straightforward hard psych record. Sounds more like what was happening in the 1960s Dutch scene with albums from Cosmic Dealer, The Outsiders and Q65. Some good fuzz and older organ sounds. Opening track on each side is instrumental, and represents the best material. Also reminds me of the vast boneyard of US post psych albums from 1970 on labels like Paramount, ABC, Epic, Rare Earth and Mercury. No reissues exist.

Abrial Stratageme Group – Mannderly (1977 France). Imagine Ange as a hard rock group, or a French Blue Oyster Cult, and you have a pretty good idea of what we’re dealing with here. Also reminds me of the Rictus album that’s also in this list, though this one is much more professionally done. Vocals are in French and have that psychotic touch that I find highly fascinating. Very heavy guitar sound for the early date. A couple of ballads, and one 8 minute progger round out the contents. Interesting album! No reissues exist

Womega – A Quick Step (1975 Belgium). Very interesting release. It’s an all-over-the-map type album, but all within the confines of what normally constitues progressive rock (rather than the usual kitchen sink that represents all facets of music in general). There’s pomp, Canterbury, proto, symphonic, fusion, Zappa. Lots of mellotron and flute, in the most unexpected places. Some parts are more simplistic, giving it a radio friendly sound, and then followed by something entirely difficult and complex. Maybe a little too diverse for its own good, but undeniably too fascinating to call it anything but a tier 1 album! No legit reissues exist.

Solar Plexus – s/t (1972 Sweden). 2 LPs of groovy jazz psych. Organ, electric piano (with lots of effects applied), guitar, bass, active drumming. Primarily instrumental, though a few Swedish vocals that add a joyful disposition to the mix. Even some elements of Bacharachian pop lounge, and when combined with the Swedish vocals, makes for an interesting smorgasbord. Side 3 is a long suite for classical orchestra and jazz rock, and is definitely the weakest portion of the album. The idea is good, but it’s poorly executed, with long stretches of noodling/down time. But the other 3 sides are exemplary, and thus a Tier 1 album that is in definite need of a CD reissue.

Mr. Brown – Mellan Tre Ogon (1977 Sweden). Similar to the German albums of the day, like Pancake, Fly and Shaa Khan, Mr. Brown draw pretty deep into the Pink Floyd well ala “Wish You Were Here”. English vocals are too maudlin, but the native Swedish ones are nice (and too infrequent). The sylistic brush here is pretty broad and it gets thin by the end. Nice CD reissue from Transubstans will satiate the curious.

Pop Workshop – Song Of The Pterodactyl (1974 Sweden). Interesting all-star fusion band including Janne Schaffer and Tony Williams. Definitely a Coltrane-ish jazz album with strong overtones of Mahavishnu era fusion and Herbie Hancock “Headhunters” funk. A nice mix and not too far from that other Swedish based jazz rock ensemble Ablution, though I found that one to be more unique. Those that like the early 70s jazz fusion sound, will most certainly enjoy this release. On the same label as the recommended Ibis album. Borderline 11 quality, though it’s just a bit too predictable to give it such a high recommendation. Never reissued on CD

Le Grande Nebuleux – Les Pirates du Cortex (1978 France). Interesting and complex jazz rock album with some freer structures. It tends to get a bit shreiky in the sax department and the compositions stray towards the unhinged. But that’s not to say their aren’t some stellar moments as well. Rhythm section is super tight, and the guitar playing sometimes has an acidic tone, which is more than welcome. Best track, and at complete odds with the rest of the material, is a mellow hand-percussion / flute piece with quirky French voices. Had the album been more composed and less improvised, it would’ve been a monster. As it stands, it’s still quite good. Never reissued on CD.

Cortex – Le Troupeau Bleu (1975 France). A very fascinating jazz funk record. While not the most sophisticated album you’ll ever hear, it absolutely kills with breezy melodies, tribal/funky drumming and the soft/seductive French female vocals. The title track is sublime. Sits somewhere between the Belgian Canterbury Zeuhl group Cos and the more creative efforts of the NYC disco act Chic. Nice driving bass and electric piano. There’s a legit LP reissue, and I’ve seen reference to the CD, but have never actually seen one for sale. So it remains unissued as far as I’m concerned. Second album “Volume 2″, also recommended, is available on CD.

Karmic Society – Journey (2007 Germany). Karmic Society are a new, primarily instrumental German band who have a sound somewhere between the early 1970s German/British heavy prog rock sound (2066 and Then, Odin) combined with some 60s jam band elements (Grateful Dead, QMS) and even some Kraut space rock ala Ohr era Guru Guru. Nice to see the high quality reissue label World in Sound beginning to produce some fine new talent in addition to their excellent reissue inventory. “Journey” opens with a fascinating cover of an obscure mid 1960s synthesizer composition, though with a full sounding rock band (organ, guitar, bass and drums). From here they launch into their 4 original compositions, which are easily the highlights of the album. Hammond organ and electric lead guitar are the solo instruments of choice, and to my ears at least, they sound like the best of the retro hard prog rock groups like Black Bonzo, Blood of the Sun and the Wicked Minds. One aspect of Karmic Society’s sound that I find highly appealing is their strong melodic sense, something that is lost on many newer bands. The final 3rd of the disc comprise of all covers. “Yoo Doo Right”, the old Malcolm Mooney era Can chestnut gets a much needed upgrade, and I find Karmic Society’s version considerably better and more focused (and frankly less annoying). Quicksilver’s “Witches Moon” is up next, and KS are up to the task with a riveting version. They close with the Dead’s “Dark Star”, which if nothing else takes a lot of guts. There are literally thousands of live versions of this opus, mainy of them masterpieces in their own right. They’re stomping on sacred ground here, and perhaps it would be better not to try an attempt, even if they do indeed produce a fine version. In conclusion, Karmic Society are much better with their own material which fits them like a well tailored suit, and I hope in the future that’s the focus for them. They have “classic” written all over them. Even as it is, “Journey” is simply VERY GOOD and is not to be missed!

Mylla – Vanya (2007 Sweden). Mylla are the house band for Subliminal Sounds and sort of represents an “All-Star” cast featuring, amongst others, label wunderkind Gustaf Ejstes (Dungen). Recorded on a remote forest island in the Arctic, Mylla’s sound is, appropriately enough, isolated from modern times. Organ, ac. and el. guitar, flute, and the songwriting and production all recall a 1969 to 1971 vibe. The compositions are all quite lyrical and the overall sound is VERY Swedish. So a love of the language in song is pretty much mandatory for one to have any chance of appreciating this album. Anyone from Träd, Gräs och Stenar to November would be a good guidepost here on the vocal front. Musically, it’s interesting to spot pre “Aqualung” Jethro Tull coming to the fore. I’m averse to comparing any rock band with an abundance of flute to Tull, but sometimes it’s unavoidable, especially if the songwriting style is similar. And even though I said earlier how Swedish this album is, the closest album I can compare it to is Finland’s Tabula Rasa circa their debut. Other than a couple of 60s sing-around-the-campfire feel-good ditties, this one is easy to recommend. While the album as a whole isn’t overly convincing, I have a feeling future efforts will be awesome, if such an event occurs. The right pieces are in place.

Lamp of the Universe – Earth, Spirit and Sky (2005 New Zealand) LotU is the pseudonym of Craig Williamson from New Zealand, who’s aggressive side is carried out in the stoner metal band Datura. On “Earth, Spirit and Sky”, Williamson seems to conjure up his inner Popol Vuh, and has released an album that is almost entirely acoustic. This is LotU’s “Hosianna Mantra”. Though a good idea initially, the album becomes pretty monotonous after awhile, as he still possesses the “dreamy” vocals of prior works, and the material begins to blur together. Only a couple of instances of electric guitar are presented, which provide much needed color to the proceedings. All the limitations of a one-man band are brought forth, and it’s clear that for LotU to go forward, Williamson is in much need of assembling a full band and the introduction of new ideas.

Isolation Chamber – Grind Textural Abstraction. (1996 USA). Isolation Chamber is the nom de plume of guitarist Mike Chlasciak. On first glance, this would appear to be yet another guitar hero album in the Malmsteen/Vai/McAlpine genre. I’ve never been a fan of the million-notes-a-minute show off display, and I take the stance that most folks who DO like this kind of album are also musicians (real or imagined). But Isolation Chamber is much more than that… here amongst the million-notes-a-minute, you also get a variety of riffs to play against, keeping it interesting throughout each piece. But even more impressive are the experimental bits thrown in here to offset the onslaught. Strange voices, musique concrete sounds, industrial percussion and Spaghetti Western haunting acoustic guitar sections are all part of the Chlasiak formula. I’d put Isolation Chamber in the same category as Ron Jarzombek and Fredrik Thordendal – i.e. modern metal guitar innovators. I’ve had this album since it came out, and I have yet to tire of it – always a good sign.

Morse Code – La Marche des Hommes. (1975 Canada).
Morse Code – Procreation. (1976 Canada). I really don’t have a whole lot to say here about Morse Code, a band that I knew surprisingly little about, despite their albums being readily available in the used record bins throughout the 1980s. I did pick up “Procreation” back then, liked it but didn’t listen to it much, and it didn’t inspire me to tackle the debut (I’m not counting Morse Code Transmission here, as that’s a completely different era and sound). Apparently “Procreation” was hyped in the day as the French-Canadian equivalent of “Foxtrot” or “Close to the Edge”. Best not buy into that, but I can say they parallel pretty closely with what was going on in France at the time, like the music of Pentacle or the debut of Carpe Diem. I do want to call out, however, these ProgQuebec reissues, as once again they’ve done a splendid job of providing legitimate re-mastered editions, with relevant bonus tracks, histories, unique insight and unseen photos. Essential buys for fans of the Quebecois progressive rock sound. (They also reissued their 1977 album “Je Suis le Temps”, which I haven’t heard yet.)

Mosaik – No. 1. (1977 Germany). Mosaik are yet one more fusion group from Germany. There were so many great bands from that era in Germany, and we’re just now learning about many of them. Kraan and Embryo were the knowns. If you really were into the scene, you may have learned about Missus Beastly, Moira and Munju, possibly even Aera. Through CD reissues, we then learn about bands like Morpheus, Frob and Skyline. And still we find out the surface is just being scratched. Ceddo, Nanu Urwerk, Sun, Syncrises, Surgery and many more keep bubbling up. For my ears, Mosaik is in the top tier of these groups. The guitar work is superb (like Frob) and there’s some really nice melodic sax playing throughout. They’re clearly informed by bands like Soft Machine and Passport, but add their own ingredients. Another group that hopefully Garden of Delights or Long Hair gets to in the near future.

Versylus – s/t (1982 USA). New Jersey based group who put out this “hedged” progressive LP and held out hope that the AOR/commercial songs would take hold and send them to the big time. That strategy never did work. The progressive cuts are nice, showing an almost neo approach to the early Genesis sound (guessing here that the band wasn’t aware of what was going on in the English underground at this time). There’s also some nice Gentle Giant chorus-counterpoint bits to grab hold of. Pretty decent for a self produced album. I think there were no covers – just released in generic white sleeves. Never been reissued.

Granmax – Kiss Heaven Goodbye (1978 USA). I don’t usually write much about straight ahead hard rock albums, but this one struck me as better than most (unlike their debut “Ninth Alive”, which is far more tepid). For 1978 this rocks hard and has some riffing that you may have only found on a Judas Priest album (“Stained Class”) at this date. Pretty much non stop heavy rock, and no pub and boogie rockers to drag it down as is typical for albums such as this. Would be an obvious candidate for Rockadrome Records to reissue. Bootlegs exist.

Electric Orange – Morbus. (2007 Germany). It wasn’t that long ago that I heard the expanded CD edition of “Platte”, but unfortunately I didn’t have an opportunity to pen anything down on it. So here I sit with “Morbus”, an album that immediately brought to mind “Platte”, except it’s even more heavy, intense and relentless. And I don’t mean that in the I-can’t-take-it-anymore-noise-fests of Acid Mothers Temple, but rather this is far more measured, where they capture a groove and expand upon it, rather than destroy it to the last note. When the group started, they were more or less an extension of Dirk Jan Muller’s one man project. Now it’s a fully fledged 5 piece group, armed with the latest in technology and a pile of vintage gear (especially in the keyboard department). I like the addition of the German narration, the wordless female vocals and even the occasional lyrical song in English. Electric Orange are getting better as each year passes.

Phlox – Rebimine + Voltimine. (2007 Estonia). Phlox are a new Estonian band that play in the VERY heavy fusion category (no metal though). Hard driving, fast, complicated and downright exhilarating. A 6 piece group with guitar, sax, Moog, and electric piano being the primary solo components. The opening track alone ‘Rahn’ is likely to leave you with jaw dropped and completely out of breath. We hear flute on this track, and it’s unfortunate that it’s the only use on the album, because the contrast with the heavy guitars and blazing rhythms is awe inspiring. That’s not to say the rest of the album isn’t as impressive, because there’s so much here to like. The only fault I can find is their tendency to take the sax and electric piano jams TOO far and lose us in the weeds (especially on the last 2 live improvisations, which should’ve just been left off altogether). Fortunately that’s a few and far between occurrence. Somewhere between Naikaku, Panzerballet and National Health is where you’ll find the sound of Phlox. HOT!!!

Tuna Laguna – Ripples and Swells. (2007 Norway). Tuna Laguna are a modern Norwegian post rock band who have a clear connection with the US post rock scene ala Tortoise. But there’s more here than insoucient mid paced jams to aid with your sleeping disorder. With the growling fuzz bass, wah wah guitars, filtered organs and the occasional tempo change, it’s clear Tuna Laguna are just as comfortable being a 1970s instrumental European prog rock band (Lotus, Scope, National Health, etc…). And the 7 piece band collective (including 3 guitarists and 2 keyboardists!) allow the group a multitude of options that really expands their sound. And sometimes they’ll catch a groove, which makes me think of the modern tribal cosmic groups such as Korai Orom or Ole Lukkoye. Add in the melodic content that is post rock’s greatest contribution, and you have a nice piece of music to drive the interstate with.