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Exposé Staff Picks —
The Best of 1996

We don't always do end of year "best of" lists, but when we do, you can bet they'll be diverse. Here's a look back at how our writers felt about the year 1996.

by Peter Thelen, Jeff Melton, Mike Ezzo, Dan Casey, Mike Grimes, Steve Robey, Mike McLatchey, Mac Beaulieu, Alain Lachapelle, Published 1997-02-01

Mike McLatchey

Steve Roach - Magnificent Void coverNew Releases

  1. Steve Roach — The Magnificent Void I
  2. Deus Ex Machina — Diachronie Metronomiche
  3. Bondage Fruit - II
  4. Roach/Kent/Newby — Halcyon Days
  5. Iona — Journey into the Morn
  6. Miriodor — Jongleries Élastiques
  7. Tipographica — God Says I Can’t Dance
  8. Raison de Plus — Au Bout de Couloir

New Releases of Older Material

  1. Ash Ra Tempel — The Private Tapes
  2. Premiata Forneria Marconi — 10 Anni Live 1971-1981

Reissues

  1. Malicorne — Live en Public aux Montréal
  2. El Reloj — II
  3. Shylock — Île de Fièvre
  4. Arachnoïd — Arachnoïd
  5. Malicorne — La Bestiere
  6. John Coltrane — Friendship
  7. Alas — Alas
  8. Conventum — L’Affut d’un Complot
  9. Agitation Free — 2nd
  10. Magma — Inédits

Dan Casey

Tipographica - God Says I Can't Dance coverNew Releases

  1. Tipographica — God Says I Can’t Dance
  2. Deus Ex Machina — Diachronie Metronomiche
  3. Miriodor — Jongleries Élastiques
  4. Echolyn — When the Sweet Turns Sour
  5. Anekdoten — Nucleus
  6. Ars Nova — The Goddess of Darkness
  7. Änglagård — Buried Alive
  8. Kit Watkins — Beauty Drifting
  9. Camel — Harbour of Tears

Reissues

  1. Shylock — Île de Fièvre
  2. Jean-Paul Prat — Masal
  3. Area — Gioia e Rivoluzione
  4. Island — Pictures

Peter Thelen

Dweller at the Threshold - No Boundary Condition coverNew Releases

  1. Dweller at the Threshold — No Boundary Condition
  2. Miriodor — Jongleries Élastiques
  3. Yun — Mobius Strip
  4. Rattlemouth — Walking a Full Moon Dog
  5. Bondage Fruit - II
  6. Heretic — Yayoi Dream
  7. Iona — Journey into the Morn
  8. Dr. Folamour — Dr. Folamour
  9. Attila & Dave Project — Songs of Innocence & Experience
  10. Darling — Darling
  11. J.Arif Verner — A Vision beyond Light

New Releases of Older Recordings

  1. National Health — Missing Pieces
  2. Various Artists — Supernatural Fairy Tales

Reissues

  1. Frank Zappa — Läther
  2. Riccardo Zappa — Celestion
  3. French TV — After a Lengthy Silence
  4. Rhesus O — Rhesus O
  5. Finnforest — Finnforest / Lähtö Matkalle
  6. Nirgal Vallis — Y Murio la Tarde
  7. Rascal Reporters — Happy Accidents
  8. 5uu’s — Point of Views
  9. Už Jsme Doma — Uprosted Slov (In the Middle of Words)
  10. Magma — Inédits

Jeff Melton

King Crimson - Thrakattak coverNew Releases

  1. King Crimson — ThrakAttak
  2. Richard Thompson — You? Me? Us?
  3. Soundgarden — Down on the Upside
  4. Yes — Keys to Ascension
  5. Adrian Belew — Op Zop Too Wah
  6. Peter Hammill — X My Heart
  7. Altura — Mercy
  8. Trance Mission — Head Light
  9. Attila & Dave Project — Songs of Innocence & Experience
  10. Rush — Test for Echo

Steve Robey

Moe - Meat coverNew Releases

  1. moe. — Meat
  2. Änglagård — Buried Alive
  3. Magma — Concert 1971 Bruxelles - Théâtre 140
  4. Soft Machine — Spaced
  5. Porcupine Tree — Signify
  6. moe. — No Doy
  7. Surrender to the Air — Surrender to the Air
  8. Camel — Harbour of Tears
  9. King Crimson — ThrakAttak
  10. Rivendel — The Meaning

Reissues

  1. Hampton Grease Band — Music to Eat
  2. Jukka Tolonen — The Hook / Hysterica
  3. Frank Zappa — Läther
  4. Magma — Inédits
  5. Muffins — <185>
  6. Amon Düül II — Live in London
  7. Red Krayola with Art & Language — Kangaroo?
  8. Yochk'o Seffer / Neffesh Music — Ghilgoul
  9. Agitation Free — 2nd
  10. Espiritu — Espiritu

Mike Grimes

Uz Jsme Doma - Pohadky ze Zapotrebi coverNew Releases

  1. Už Jsme Doma — Pohádky Ze Zapotrebí
  2. Ars Nova — The Goddess of Darkness
  3. Cast — Beyond Reality
  4. Deus Ex Machina — Diachronie Metronomiche
  5. Finisterre — In Limine
  6. Solaris — Live in Los Angeles
  7. The 3rd & the Mortal — Painting on Glass
  8. The Flower Kings — Retropolis
  9. Allan Holdsworth — None Too Soon

New Releases of Older Recordings

  1. National Health — Missing Pieces

Reissues

  1. 5uu’s — Point of Views

Mike Ezzo

Art Zoyd - Faust coverNew Releases

  1. Art Zoyd — Faust
  2. Present — Live!
  3. King Crimson — ThrakAttak
  4. Jon Anderson — Toltec
  5. Jan Garbarek — Visible World
  6. Gentle Giant — Out of the Woods - The BBC Sessions
  7. Pustit Musíš (Iva Bittová / Dunaj / Pavel Fajt) — Pustit Musíš
  8. Roedelius — Pink, Blue & Amber
  9. Mike Oldfield — Voyager

Reissues

  1. Frank Zappa — Läther
  2. Maxophone — Maxophone
  3. Popul Vuh — Aguirre
  4. Bernard Xolotl — Last Wave
  5. Roedelius — Selbsportrait I/II
  6. Moebius / Plank / Neumeier — Zero Set
  7. I Pooh — Un Po’ del Nostro Tempo Migliore
  8. Anthony Phillips — New England
  9. Cluster — Grosses Wasser
  10. 5uu’s — Point of Views
  11. Kansas — Audio Visions

Alain Lachapelle

Finisterre - In Limine coverNew Releases

  1. Finisterre — In Limine
  2. Philharmonie — Rage
  3. Deus Ex Machina — Diachronie Metronomiche
  4. Miriodor — Jongleries Élastiques
  5. Dr. Folamour — Dr. Folamour
  6. The Flower Kings — Retropolis
  7. Exclusive Raja — Insubmersible
  8. Änglagård — Buried Alive
  9. Patrick Gauthier — Le Morse
  10. Premiata Forneria Marconi — 10 Anni Live 1971-1981

Filed under: New releases, Archives, Reissues, Issue 11

Related artist(s): Anekdoten, Ars Nova, Adrian Belew, Cast, Echolyn, The Flower Kings, Robert Fripp, Iona, King Crimson, Magma, The Muffins, Mani Neumeier, Anthony Phillips, Porcupine Tree, Steve Roach, Rush, Soft Machine, J. Arif Verner, Yes, Ash Ra Tempel / Ashra, Yochk'o Seffer, Mike Oldfield, 5uu's, Area, Gentle Giant, Allan Holdsworth, Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM), Present, Richard Thompson, Änglagård, Agitation Free, Amon Düül I / II, Deus Ex Machina, Camel, Patrick Gauthier, Kit Watkins, Arachnoïd, Art Zoyd, Finisterre, Exclusive Raja, Kansas, Shylock, John Coltrane, National Health, Frank Zappa, Bondage Fruit, Miriodor, Raison de Plus, Tipographica, French TV, Philharmonie, Jean-Paul Prat, Heretic, Iva Bittová, Cluster / Kluster / Qluster, Už Jsme Doma, Alas, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Dave Bainbridge, The Third and the Mortal, Dieter Moebius, Rattlemouth, Moe, El Reloj, Malicorne, Island, Nirgal Vallis, Hampton Grease Band, Dr Folamour, Finnforest, Dweller at the Threshold, Trance Mission, Rivendel, Altura, Frédéric l'Épée

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John Surman - Way Back When – John Surman (saxes), John Marshall (drums), John Taylor (electric piano), Brian Odgers (bass guitar). For many readers, that list alone puts this on the must-have list. Throw in the recording date of...  (2006) » Read more

Little Tragedies - Sixth Sense – I am having a bit of difficulty identifying my issues with Little Tragedies' third release The Sixth Sense and I don't wish to sound negative. I have tried unsuccessfully on several occasions to...  (2008) » Read more

David Cross Band - Alive in the Underworld – Ex-Crimson violinist David Cross has been pretty consistently refining his post-Crimson ideas for the past ten years or so. It’s no quantum leap to expect him to take his message literally to...  (2009) » Read more

Rainbow Serpent - Voices of the First Day – Rainbow Serpent has really caught on among Teutonic enthusiasts, and it’s easy to see why on their latest release, a great blend of pinpoint sequencing and strong melodies. Bright piano is...  (2001) » Read more

STS - Système Solaire – Jannick is back... The monstrous and legendary bassist of the 1973, 1974 and 1976 Magmas issues his first solo effort, after years of session-work with variety singers and composing film scores. His...  (1999) » Read more

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