Here's one of the latest of the Canterbury music resurrections. Brian Hopper, brother of former Soft Machine bassist Hugh, was a key member of the "original" Canterbury band, The...
» Read moreHard to believe it's been 30 years since the Summer of Love, and also since the lone greatest single in the history of Procol Harum, "A Whiter Shade of Pale," but it's sadly true....
» Read moreThe Peter Gabriel-era progressive rock credentials of Genesis tend to fall pretty solidly on Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, and The Lamb Lies...
» Read moreWith the recent unexpected arrival of a new — yes, new — album from this long-running Canadian band, I was prompted to revisit what I feel is their high point. The Guess Who...
» Read moreIt’s a lot easier to make a progressive rock record in 2018 than it was in 1970. All one needs to do is find one or more established progressive artists from decades past and model your sound...
» Read moreThe roots of Canterbury lie in albums such as Fools Meeting, an LP which has been unavailable for many years only now surfacing on the Cuneiform label. The album is particularly notable...
» Read moreOne of the earliest CD labels reissuing early UK progressives was the Line label; off the top of my head they put out the early Jade Warriors, the two Marsupilamis, Gentle Giant, and this second...
» Read moreThe Trees was a British folk rock band formed in 1969 that sputtered out in 1972, barely leaving a footnote in musical history. Their two albums The Garden of Jane Delawney and On the...
» Read moreThis band will forever be remembered as Janis Joplin’s backing band, though their relationship with the singer only lasted two years and two albums. After Joplin’s departure, they...
» Read moreIn the last half of the 60s, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band was omnipresent, playing every major venue coast to coast, bringing the blues to rock audiences along with artists like The Electric...
» Read moreBack in the heyday of symphonic rock, it was natural for Pink Floyd to take an occasional stab at "serious" composition, their most assiduous attempt being this 1970 album's daringly...
» Read moreAs the CD liner notes state, Mellow Candle's Swaddling Songs is the holy grail of folk rock. There really is no other album that even compares in this specific genre (Fairport...
» Read moreI remember when I first got in this box set, there were a whole bunch of them that were defective because they inserted the discs into it before the glue dried and I had to sent it back at least...
» Read moreIn an earlier tier I discussed what to date is my favorite unofficial Cream show from...
» Read moreBlack Sabbath is undoubtedly as famous and as influential as any rock band out there, the progenitor of one, if not two or more, genres, but allow me the space, if not the sheer cheek at looking at...
» Read moreVictor Anthony Stanshall AKA Vivian Stanshall, the eccentric singer-songwriter, author, poet, and wit was best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, his exploration of the British...
» Read more[Note: The following review covers specifically the Tanglewood Live 1970 CD, which is CD3 of the 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition of Bitches...
» Read moreHere we have the long-awaited reissue of Marc Bolan’s earliest recordings, back when Tyrannosaurus was spelled out in full and electric guitars were unusual coloring rather than the...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Top Tier #12
If you want to see the impact that live Hendrix and Cream had on the young German musicians of the time, you could check out the
Seminal French space prog band Gong may be best known for their pioneering work in the early to mid 70s, as evidenced by the indispensable Radio Gnome Trilogy of albums: Flying...
» Read moreFunkadelic’s self-titled debut album from 1970 shows the band in search of a style. There are still remnants of the 60s soul of their background, essentially expanding a kind of...
» Read moreFunkadelic’s self-titled debut album from 1970 shows the band in search of a style. There are still remnants of the 60s soul of their background, essentially expanding a kind of...
» Read moreLike so many British bands of the 60s, Colosseum suffered from label meddling when it came to the release of their albums across the Atlantic. Their first album, Those Who Are About to Die...
» Read moreIn late 1970 Fotheringay entered the studio to record their second album. They laid down the basic tracks and scratch vocals and then took time off for the holidays, fully intending to resume work...
» Read moreKrokodil is a rock band — let's make no mistake. Their strong points are the guitars and vocals. However on An Invisible World Revealed they have mixed in two tracks with a...
» Read moreBirth Control have been around a long time, beginning in 1970. They produced 17 albums and, along with Amon Düül II, are one of the more prolific bands from Germany. The first Birth...
» Read moreHaving seen bits of the footage floating around, I was excited to learn that Emerson Lake & Palmer’s live debut at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival was finally going to have an official...
» Read moreThe list above is the entire discography of Jumbo except for two rare singles, one from 1970 and one from 1975, and Vietato Ai Minori Di 18 Anni? which is
McLatchey's Top Tier #5
This one's on a lot of peoples' lists for good reasons. First time I heard it I didn't even like it, but most great albums are growers,...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Top Tier #5
This one's on a lot of peoples' lists for good reasons. First time I heard it I didn't even like it, but most great albums are growers,...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Top Tier #6
This favorite almost came about by accident to some extent. Years before this was released, the DVD called Electric Miles - A Different Kind of...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
This is essentially the first of four Miles albums in this tier, all of which are centered around 1970 which happens to be my perfect sweet spot with...
» Read moreAnother one of the bright spots on the shaky Germanofon roster, Orange Peel were a one-shot that put out a great album in 1970 and then disappeared. The music is typical of early German groups more...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
When I first heard about this band, the rage seemed to be all around their debut album Sea Shanties and by the descriptions I read, I badly...
» Read moreIn many ways, Claudio Rocchi can be best described as the Italian Donovan – in music, lyrics and even artwork. His career that began with Stormy Six on L'Idee di Oggi per la Musica di...
» Read moreAt one time, the Japanese did some reissues of the Kansas label including I Gregor, Capricorn College, and the second and third albums by Italian quartet I Flashmen. To me, this was the epitome of...
» Read moreMost, or at least some, may be familiar with the French guitarist’s solo albums released on the Egg label in the late 70s – Le Desert Noir, Platock, and...
» Read moreMagma's earliest incarnation found its musical roots in the experimental electric jazz scene of the late 60s. Their debut double album, featuring a lineup of keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums,...
» Read moreKraftwerk, like many of the long running German outfits, was a completely different creature at its inception then after they rose to popularity. These albums, including the pre-Kraftwerk...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
The Third Ear Band quartet got even more experimental for the follow up to their debut album, reducing a bit of the Renaissance feel of some of the...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
When most of the big name progressive rock acts were barely out of their pajamas, this Vertigo band was already leaping forward from the influences of...
» Read moreThese days there are basically two ways of finding out about long-forgotten progressive artifacts (well, three if you count good old fashioned word of mouth): magazines / fanzines / newsletters...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
Released the month after their performance at Woodstock, Santana's follow up to their excellent debut made music history. Sporting an iconic Mati...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
It's been about 13 years since the great March 7th show from this stint was released as It's About That Time, but even though the...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
If there was ever an early British 70s progressive rock album that managed to languish in obscurity while a lot of lesser albums would end up with...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
This brilliant title could easily show up these days in an ad to the right of your screen with some dopey teenager with a vacant expression wearing it on...
» Read moreEx-Soft Machine bassist Kevin Ayers left that group after their full-on live U.S. assault with the Jim Hendrix Experience in 1969. After that time, Ayers spent the following years putting together...
» Read moreUnlike the recently released PFM shows (Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1995-03-01)
McLatchey's Top Tier #2
Here is the second album by Amon Duul II, Yeti. First, this is as flawless a double album as you can find. Second this is a very heavy record, I'm...
» Read moreUpon his split from his high profile job with John Mayall, drummer Keef Hartley had his sights set on making his own group in the English blues rock boom. Both of these recordings are from 1970...
» Read moreAche was a Danish four-piece progressive rock outfit that released four albums during the 1970s, of which these are the first two. Their debut De Homine Urbano ("About Urban Man"), an...
» Read moreThis one came out around 1970, a one-off by a New York based band whose members weren't even listed on the LP jacket, and were never heard from again, so far as this writer knows. For some unknown...
» Read more
2019-01-31
Keyboardist Ingo Bischof R.I.P. –
Keyboard player Ingo Bischof, best known as the longtime keyboard player of German band Kraan, passed away on January 29th, 2019. Bischof was born January 2, 1951 in Berlin-Kreuzberg and joined Kraan in 1975. »
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2019-01-11
Jazz Composer Mark Lomax, II Releases Epic 12CD Set –
In addition to being a fine jazz drummer, Dr. Mark Lomax, II is a composer in residence at Ohio State University, where he has been very busy on the compositional front. The year 2019 is the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first ship bringing African slaves to North America, and in commemoration of this, Lomax has produced 400: An Afrikan Epic, a 12 volume set of CDs featuring a variety of different musical ensembles. »
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2019-01-02
Chicago-Based Surabhi Ensemble Tours the World in January –
Surabhi Ensemble was formed more than a decade ago in Chicago with the aim of bringing together musicians from varying traditions to make music. Saraswathi Ranganathan, who plays veena, assembled a cast that includes Arabic oud, Spanish guitar, and percussion from Africa and India. This month, the group will be sharing their sounds with concert-goers in Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa. »
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2018-12-23
Seaprog Festival Seeks Donations –
Seaprog is a small festival in Seattle that highlights creative music from many genres with artists from around the world. It's also a US non-profit organization. They're seeking donations to help keep the ball rolling. Starting in 2013, the organization has been growing, and has featured such artists as Free Salamander Exhibit, Jack o' the Clock, Nik Turner, Cabezas de Cera, Miriodor, Thinking Plague, and many more. »
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2018-11-16
The Seventeenth Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival Tickets Now Available –
Fruits de Mer Records and their merry crew of psychedelic explorers are getting set to present the next The Seventeenth Dream of Dr. Sardonicus Festival. The dates are set for August 2-4, 2019 at The Cellar Bar in Cardigan, Wales. They've also announced that the legendary Groundhogs will top the bill. »
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Azalia Snail - Escape Maker – Anyone remember when indie rock really was far-out and "alternative?" Welcome to the lo-fi, do-it-yourself world of Azalia Snail, an eccentric, individualistic woman with an intensely... (1999) » Read more
Scaramouche - Scaramouche – Here is another one of those total obscurities that Musea has a knack for unearthing, others in recent memory being Flyte, Ivory, and Tibet — one-shots that came and went before most ever knew they... (1995) » Read more
IZZ - My River Flows – You have to hand it to IZZ, five years of hard work is increasingly paying off in terms of recognition. Their third proper studio release, My River Flows, continues their trend of melding progressive,... (2006) » Read more
Syn - Syndestructable – For those of you not up on your British psychedelia, Syn was the band who opened for the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Marquee Club in 1967. The band’s first CD of completely new songs is now... (2007) » Read more
Ziff - Sanctuary – This is the second time out for this German neo-progressive four-piece, operating in a similar territory as their debut Stories from a couple years ago. At the heart of their sound is a dense wall of... (1997) » Read more