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Back Door: Vienna Breakdown: The Recordings 1971-1976
by Geno Thackara
It was a whole different world back then, me lad. A person could not simply plug in a couple gizmos and record an album in their bedroom--well, not a very good-sounding one at any rate. It was fairly rare for an early-'70s combo to wing it on their own (or at least with a friendly venue owner's help) without company or label support. Those who know the name Back Door, though, know that their whole career was practically built on ...
Continue ReadingPere Ubu: By Order of Mayor Pawlicki
by Glenn Astarita
Launched in Cleveland, Ohio in 1975, the group's in-depth history includes shifting personnel changes, although charismatic front man/vocalist Dave Thomas has remained at the helm since the beginning. A notable live act as they get from A to Z in expeditious and often boisterous fashion, this two- CD set compiles 2017 performances in Jarocin, Poland and other tracks spanning 2013 -2018 in Croatia, France, and Germany. The ensemble has coined its stylistic tendencies as avant-garage music, but at ...
Continue ReadingRosalie Cunningham: Rosalie Cunningham
by Glenn Astarita
Throughout a mélange of classic psyche rock and other related genres, dappled with cabaret-like chutzpah, UK-reared vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist Rosalie Cunningham maintains a distinct persona on her debut, following the breakup of Purson, the critically celebrated band she co-founded. With fluid walls of sound, disparate time signatures and sprightly themes largely framed on melodic choruses, Cunningham's melodramatic exuberance and unrelenting passion radiates from start to finish. Even though this is a studio outing, it's easily discernible that Cunningham's ...
Continue ReadingAhmad Jamal: Trio & Quintet Recordings With Ray Crawford
by Chris May
This 2xCD reissue comprises three of Ahmad Jamal's early and mid 1950s trio albums plus a fourth recorded in 1960 with a quintet. Between times, Jamal had released the totemic trio set At The Pershing (Argo, 1958), which included the break-out single “Poinciana" (his first, equally lovely, 1955 recording of Nat Simon and Buddy Bernier's tune is included here). Jamal divided opinion in the 1950s. Some critics wrote him off as “just" a cocktail pianist whose touch ...
Continue ReadingMercury Rev: All is Dream
by Jakob Baekgaard
"A year is just a drop in time." This is what singer Jonathan Donahue sang on “A Drop in Time," a song from Mercury Rev's celebrated album All Is Dream. It has now been eighteen drops or years since the band released the album in 2001 and now it's time for a reissue. Cherry Red Records has certainly done it with style. This edition contains the album and three additional CDs of extra material, including B-Sides, sessions, ...
Continue ReadingRoy Budd: Get Carter
by Jakob Baekgaard
A classic movie needs a classic soundtrack, and composer and pianist Roy Budd delivered that with his music for Mike Hodges' iconic crime movie, Get Carter (1971). Without the opportunity of working with a grand orchestra, he made the most out of a low budget and tailored the sounds to the raw realism of the movie. The ethos of Get Carter was based on minimalism and it's perhaps surprising how little incidental music there is in a ...
Continue ReadingBe-Bop Deluxe: Sunburst Finish
by Glenn Astarita
This is 1976 issued gem by the British band led by guitar virtuoso Bill Nelson, projects artsy, erotic and radiant cover art that was ahead of its time, but then again, this ensemble seamlessly merged progressive rock, straight-ahead rock, blues, reggae and fabricated pop music with a college education. This newly re-mastered and expanded 2-CD edition includes the customary bonus tracks on (CD2) and a radio version of the band's memorable, buoyant and intricately designed hit single “Ships in the ...
Continue ReadingFocus: 11
by Glenn Astarita
If the artwork looks familiar, yes, it's by Roger Dean who created album cover artwork for progressive rock icons, Yes, Gentle Giant, Uriah Heep and other notables. Dean continues his phantasmagoric images via his work for this pivotal 1970s and 80s Dutch prog unit, Focus for its 11th studio album, featuring founder Thijs van Leer (keys, flute) and original drummer Pierre van der Linden. Newer member Menno Gootjes admirably handles the guitar throne, once held by poll-winner, Jan Akkerman, and ...
Continue ReadingProcol Harum: Live in Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
by Glenn Astarita
This is an archival release by one of the celebrated prog outfits that is still relatively active, Procol Harum, that is remastered and expanded with bonus tracks, featuring fully restored artwork and liner notes. This 1972 classic stands as a seminal rock meets classical music endeavor, recorded live in Canada. Procol Harum founder, keyboardist/vocalist Gary Brooker wrote the parts for the Edmonton Symphony and Da Camera Singers for these compositions that are among the band's most notable pieces, ...
Continue ReadingYuka & Chronoship: Ship
by Glenn Astarita
This irrefutably impressive Japanese progressive rock outfit is led by talented female keyboardist Yuka Funakoshi. The the first seven tracks are based on the Greek mythology Argo, named after the ship Jason and the Argonauts used to retrieve the Golden Fleece. And of course, mythological topics along with intergalactic space travel are relatively common threads for progressive rock bands, largely due to the late 1960s emergence and integration of Moog and Arp synthesizers into rock idioms. Vocalist Sonja ...
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