Delirium ‎– Il Nome Del Vento (2009, CD, Italy)

Songs

1. Intro (1:23)

2. Il Nome del Vento (6:01)

3. Verso il Naufragio (6:35)

4. L'Acquario delle Stelle (6:15)

5. Luci Lontane (4:14)

6. Profeta Senza Profezie (4:20)

7. Ogni Storia (5:02)

8. Note di Tempesta (4:29)

9. Dopo il Vento (9:40)

10. Cuore Sacro (8:49)

11. L'Aurora Boreale (4:26) (bonus track)

Musicians

Ettore Vigo / keyboards

Martin Grice / sax, flute, keyboards

Pino Di Santo / drums, vocals

Roberto Solinas / guitars, vocals

Fabio Chighini / bass

Mimmo Di Martino / vocals (2)

String quartet 

Chiara Giacobbe Chiarilla / violin 

Diana Tizzani / violin

Simona Merlano / viola 

Daniela Caschetto Helmy / cello

Guest musicians

Stefano Lupo Galifi / vocals (6)

Sophya Baccini / backing vocals (2, 4, 7, 9), piano (9)

Miriodor ‎– Rencontres (1986, LP, Canada)

Side A

A1. Échec Et Mat (4:54)

A2. Les Passants (5:48)

A3. L'Allée Des Martyrs (10:17)

Side B

B1. Brouillard (9:00)

B2. Rencontres (7:43)

B3. La Maison-Dieu (8:56)

Note

According to the Cuneiform Records advertising for their CD reissue, this "was originally released in an edition of 500 on vinyl only"

Miriodor ‎– Tôt Ou Tard (1987, Cassette, Canada)

Side A

A1. Le Lac D'Orgueil (4:35)

A2. L'Expatrié (7:00)

A3. L'Homme Fageux (5:20)

A4. Pleine Lune (3:45)

A5. Suspicion (7:35)

Side B

B1. Egrégore (7:30)

B2. Oriflamme (5:15)

B3. Convoi Nocturne (6:05)

B4. Moyen-age (9:15)

Credits:

Bass, Guitar – Denis Robitaille (tracks: A1 to A3, B1)

Composed By [Composition] – Robitaille (tracks: A2, B1), Emond, Globensky, Leclerc, Hudon

Drums, Design Concept [Conception Graphique] – Rémi Leclerc

Flute, Violin, Synth [Synthé] – Francois Emond

Piano, Synth [Synthé] – Pascal Globensky

Producer [Production] – Miriodor

Recorded By – Jean Diamant (tracks: A3), Sabin Hudon

Saxophone – Sabin Hudon

Synth [Synthé] – Marc Petitclerc (tracks: A1 to A3, B1)

Note

Enregistrement [Recording]:

A1, A2, B1 (Mars 1984)

A3 (Mai 1984)

A4, A5, B2 to B4 (Décembre 1986)

Production: (c) (P) Miriodor 1987

(SDE-Canada)

On cassette:

(c) (P) Miriodor 1987 (SDE-Canada)

Miriodor ‎– Miriodor (1988, LP/ CD, Canada)

Side A

A1. Regards • Regards (6:26)

A2. Spirale • Spiral (5:10)

A3. Marche Funèbre • Funeral March (1:37)

A4. Valence • Valence (4:37)

Side B

B1. Piège • Trap (3:21)

B2. Suspicion • Suspicion (5:11)

B3. Insomnie Prémonitoire • Premonitory Insomnia (5:55)

B4. Réseau • Network (3:50)

B5. En Attendant Rémi • Waiting For Rémi 4:56

Musicians:

Electronics, Recorded By, Mixed By – Jean Diamant

Percussion, Synthesizer, Sequencer, Composed By – Rémi Leclerc

Piano, Synthesizer, Composed By – Pascal Globensky

Saxophone, Synthesizer, Percussion, Composed By – Sabin Hudon

Note

Recorded directly onto half-track tape without editing, 17th to 24th January 1988 in Montreal. Mastered at SAE.

N.O.R.M.A. + Chris Cutler ‎– L'Arpa E L'Asino (1997, CD, Italy)

Repost

N.O.R.M.A. ‎– N.O.R.M.A. (1992, CD, Italy)

N.O.R.M.A. first LP's very original, though it definitely reflects an out-of-date fashion: reliance on improvisation, non-looped vinyl sampling, winds and chamber-like passages would make the album a perfect addition to the Nurse With Wound List, if only it came out a couple of decades before.Anyway, the music's playful and surprising, varied, well-crafted. Two multi-part suites, a longer track in the middle and some final mid-length pieces merge old-fashioned easy listening, radical improvisation, jazz, fanfare and classical music, East-Asian sketches, kitchen recipes and Federico Fellini quotes in a typical Rock In Opposition aesthetics.

Giorgio Fabbri Casadei: guitar, percussion 

Gerard Antonio Coatti: trombone 

Paola Garavaldi: violin, voce 

Paolo Grandi: cello, bass 

Roberto Monari: sound direction 

Tiziano Popoli: synth, sampler 

Massimo Semprini: sax alto 

Massimo Simonini: records, cds, tapes, objects, percussion, 

Casio SK1, voice 

Recorded live at D.A.M.S., Bologna, 1990 

Produced by Pierrot Lunaire 

released January 1, 1992

Socrates Drank The Conium ‎– On The Wings (1973, LP, Greece)

Aggressive hard prog. Beautiful!

Apoteosi ‎– Apoteosi (1975, LP, Italy)

Coming from Palmi, Calabria, in southern Italy, Apoteosi were one of those minor bands that only released a single album before disappearing.
The group was built on the nucleus of the three brothers Silvana, Massimo and Federico Idà, and their music was strongly based on the keyboards of Massimo (just 14 at the time!) and the thin voice of Silvana.
Though its members were very young, the group had played together for a long time, but the LP was only released in 1975 by the small local label Said and allegedly only had limited pressing and distribution, being now very hard to find. Apoteosi had a very good sound, reminding of some English bands such as Julian's Treatment but still retaining the typical Italian prog touch. Very nice piano playing all over.
The beautiful album includes eight tracks, but the first side is a long suite with no breaks.

After the band split, keyboardist Massimo Idà has moved to Rome, and worked as session musician and TV music producer, he also plays in a funky/disco band, called Frankie & Canthina Band. He produced and played on Tito Schipa Jr.'s Dylaniato LP in 1982.
Silvana Idà still lives in Palmi and has left the music (but her son plays in a rock band), while bassist Federico Idà died in 1992.
Guitarist Franco Vinci has kept playing and is still active in the blues field, a CD with the Bootleg Band came out in 2003, Boot tip. His current group is Franco Vinci Blues Band.
Drummer Marcello Surace is still working as session musician in Italy and France, he also plays with Massimo Idà in the Frankie & Canthina Band.

Diapason - Diapason (1975, LP, Italy)

Diapason played together since the late 60's, initially basing their music on foreign artists' covers (among these Zappa and Emerson Lake & Palmer), then gradually expanding towards a more creative style that gave space to improvised parts. They were the first group in Abruzzo to play single band concerts (rather than in festivals as it was common practice at the time), and also began using theatrical contents in their live acts around 1974.
The band played at 1976 Pescara Jazz Festival and split in 1977.
Two of Diapason members, pianist Leonardo Epifani and drummer Paolo Previtali (here on bass guitar) also collaborated with Preghiera di Sasso, that despite being less known, had the chance of playing some important open-air festivals (Nettuno and Villa Pamphili).
The band played a Nucleus/Soft Machine/Perigeo styled instrumental jazz-rock; some Diapason concerts were recorded for a proposed live album, but this was never released. italianprog

DIAPASON
Emilio Di Pasquale (guitar)
Leonardo Epifani (electric piano)
Ubaldo Di Gregorio (sax, clarinet)
Salvino Epifani (bass)
Paolo Previtali (drums, percussion)

Samadhi ‎– Samadhi (1974, LP/CD, Italy)

Tracklist:

A1. Un Uomo Stanco - 4:05

A2. Un Milione D'Anni Fa - 4:47

A3. L'Angelo - 3:11

A4. Passaggio Di Via Arpino - 5:55

B1. Fantasia - 3:38

B2. Silenzio - 5:10

B3. L'Ultima Spiaggia - 8:25

Musicians:

Flute, Saxophone, Orchestral Arrangement – Stevo Saradzic

Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Aldo Bellanova

Drums – Sandro Conti

Percussion – Ruggero Stefani

Voice – Luciano Regoli

Guitar – Nanni Civitenga

Keyboards – Stefano Sabatini

Italian group with some former members from the excellent Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno, Kaleidon, I Teoremi, L'uovo Di Colombo. The music could almost be called symphonic pop with some progressive tendacies. Again, a variety of styles are experimented with and again it flows very well. The arrangement include both organ, flute and some strings.

Henry Cow - Brixton (1978, CDr, England)

February 14, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton

Setlist:
1 - Squeaks and Squonks (58:59)

Musicians:

Fred Frith
Tim Hodgkinson
Chris Cutler
Lindsay Cooper
Georgie Born

Friendship Time ‎– Friendship Time (1976, CD, Sweden)

In a small town north of Stockholm, guitarist Stig JONSSON, bass player Martin CERHA, singer Enrico ADAMBROSI and drummer Thomas LOWGREN - all teens at the time - formed FRIENDSHIP TIME in the fall of 1970. With the departure of singer ADAMBROSI and the addition of second guitarist Dag MATTSSON, the band began to move away from their rhythm&blues background and, after hearing 'The Yes Album', turned to a more progressive path.
By 1975, after numerous personnel changes and with the help of producer C.G. Langensklold, FRIENDSHIP TIME eventually recorded an album that was slated for release in '76 on Virgin Records. Sadly, after recording the sessions and contracting artwork for the cover, band members were no longer working together and the project fell apart.
These recordings would have remained lost had TRETTIOARIGA KRIGET drummer Dag LUNDQVIST not discovered them at his home in or around 2005. With the help of Stefan Dimle of Paatos and Morte Macabre, the material was remastered and released on Mellotronen. FRIENDSHIP TIME reflected the best of the symphonic sounds of YES, FLASH and CATHEDRAL, and was a fine young band on the verge of breaking through the prog ceiling before its untimely demise. Progarchive

Studio Album, released in 1976

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Anonymiteten (8:30)

2. Engine (9:13)

3. Clouds (8:36)

4. Martins Lilla (3:01)

5. Ombadidilio (7:48)

6. Watersong (6:53)

7. Crawling Up (3:50)

Total Time: 47:51

Line-up / Musicians

Dag Mattsson/Electric and Acoustic Guitars

Kent Kroon/Electric and Acoustic Guitars

Leif Froling/Vocals

Martin Cehra/Electric Bass and Mellotron

Thomas Lowgren/Drums and Tubullar Bells

Susanne Sandstrom/vocals (3)Releases information

Track 1-5 recorded at Studio Decibel(1975)

Track 6-7 recorded at Studio Decibel(1976)

Remastered october 2006 and released in 2007 on Mellotronen Records(Mellocd 021)

Perigeo ‎– Live At Montreux (1975, CD, Italy)

Tracklist

1. Rituale (2:57)

2. Via Beato Angelico (9:36)

3. Polaris (9:07)

4. Alba Di Un Mondo (3:22)

5. Old Vienna (11:07)

6. Un Cerchio Giallo (9:56)

7. Genealogia (15:36)

8. In Vino Veritas (11:04)

Musicians

Giovanni Tommaso / bass

Franco D'Andrea / keyboards

Bruno Biriaco / drums

Claudio Fasoli / saxophone

Tony Sidney / guitars

Octobre ‎– "Live" Chants Dans La Nuit (1978, 2 LP, Canada)

Legend has it Octobre almost stole the show when they opened for King Crimson in the early 70's in Québec (though the fact that they shared a common language with the crowd made it easyer for them to identify to the band probably came into play). Well, with this live performance recorded in Montreal in '78, we get an opportunity to hear what the fuss was all about.

From the point the show kicks off with a beautiful acoustic build-up version of Survivance till the closing classic piece la Maudite Machine, we are treated to an excellent show of musicianship showcasing many highlights of their career and adding a few instrumental pieces in the blend like the "holy grail" of Octobre fans, the long latin-beat; "Brazilia". A few songs, starting with Insurection, benefit from a full horn section and theres also a very nice orchestrations on "le Vent Se Lève" which was left aside on the cd reissue as was also "l'Oiseau Rouge".

Overall I'd recommend this to fans and newcomers alike. The only problem is to get your hands on an actual copy since the LP and CD have been long out of print (some rips have been floating about though). The sound quality is very good and the bands performance is at its peak.

It's not a small feat to be regarded by many as tied with Harmonium's "En Tournée" as the best live recording from a Québec prog group.

Recorded live at The St. Denis Theatre, Montréal ,Québec,Canada March 9, 1978.

Janko Nilovic ‎– Rythmes Contemporains (1974, LP, Montenegro/France)

Tracklist:
A1. Black On A White Ground  (6:32)
A2. Giant Locomotion  (8:10)
A3. Xenos Cosmos  (4:50)
B1. Underground Session  (10:10)
B2. Mouvements Aquatiles  (2:30)
B3. The Savage Rose  (5:04)

Musicians:
Bass – Antonio Rubio
Bass Trombone – Gérard Massot, Maurice Cevrero
Cello – Roland Pidoux
Choir – Giant
Drums – André Ceccarelli
Flute, Saxophone, Clarinet – Alain Hatot, Franck Torre, J.-Louis Chautemps, J. Calmette, Pierre Holassian
Guitar – Gérard Kawzenski, Jacky Giraudo, Jean-Pierre Alarcen, José Souk
Organ, Piano – Graziella
Percussion – Emile Serre, Jean Schultheis, Michel Zalonghi
Trombone – Daniel Bruley, Jacques Bolognesi, Pierre Goasguen
Trumpet – Freddy Hovsepian, Michel Barrot, Michel Poli, Pierre Gauthier, Tony Brenes, Tony Russo
Viola – Pierre Llinares
Violin – Catherine Bodet
Violin – Mireille Pidoux
Woodwind – J. J. Justafré, Yves Valada

Originally recorded for the Montparnasse 2000 Radio/TV/Film library with 45 of the then best French musicians in 1972-73 at the 'Des Dames Et Hoche', Paris. Here we have an obscure record of epic proportions. A Funky, Big Band Jazz onslaught of the highest standard. This is one of the most renowned ‘Library’ records to come out of Europe in the seventies.

Montenegrin poet, composer and pianist Janko Nilovic worked mostly on TV series soundtracks etc and most of his work was never actually released to public.
On ‘Rhythmes Contemporains’ we find an explosive presentation of masterful arrangements that are mostly Funk driven. Nilovic hand picked a massive 45 of the best musicians in France to work with on these sessions which explains the spectacular sounds and huge dynamic range of this very haunting and monumental recording.
The liner notes explain “Nilovic isolated himself from the rest of the world to create his own universe in a Parisian suburb, consisting of his instruments, local musicians and composers. At least 10 hours a day of experimenting and searching for the right composition”.
This record has been sampled a gazillion times throughout the decades and is a favorite amongst record collectors. A very unique record well worth checking out. I have not been able to source the names of the personnel who played on this record, but all songs were arranged by Janko Nilovic himself.

Trap ‎– Insurrection (2001, CD, Usa)

Led by drummer Gary Parra (Cartoon, PFS) this trio brings to the table a mixed bag of influences, although RIO seems to be the main genre explored. A revolving door of bass players, including such notables as Enrique Hardines (Absolute Zero) and Mike Sary (French TV), along with an assortment of other guests on various wind instruments help round out the sound that is distinctly Trap.

Totally uncompromised and unconstructured RIO style, nerve thrilling as few, and obviously only for the impossible people out there. Impossible to categorize.

by request (here)

The (EC) Nudes ‎– Vanishing Point (1994, CD, England)

A trio consisting of Chris Cutler (drums, radio, electrics), Amy Denio (bass, alto sax, accordion and singing) and Wadi Gysi (guitars) which recorded one album in 1993 called Vanishing Point.

Thrilling, engaging and dynamic rock, with the ferocity of the sax, guitars and drums, this album is a delight to listen to. It has all sorts of mood in it; ranging from fast, fun and a bit cranky (Opening) through, slow and somewhat melancholic (Axis), to slightly quirky (Delta) to more crazy (It Might Be Better) and to more fun and lighthearted parts. There is some jazz, , some post-punk, some funk, some avant-garde; but in general, there is a clear frame to the album and songs, a coherence that allows some going wild in a "controlled environment". This is an album that is a joy to listen to.

by request (here)

Luis Bacalov & Giovanni Tommaso ‎– Sincretic 1 (1979, LP, Italy)

Lato A

A1. Tangosaín (9:54)

A2. Tristies (7:40)

A3. Gabo (6:30)

Lato B

B1. Puente A 6/8 (6:55)

B2. Ebonysation (15:02)

Musicians:

Contrabass – Giovanni Tommaso

Percussion – Fred Wickstrom (tracks: A3, B1), Luis Agudo (tracks: A1, A2)

Piano – Luis Bacalov

A proposito di titoli ed altro
Puente a 6/8 è una scommessa sulle possibilità di amalgama di alcune forme musicali tradizionali provenienti dall’America Latina e dall’Africa. Queste musiche sono assai ricche di accenti ritmici e tutte possono scriversi in notazione occidentale usando come unità di misura il 6/8 (sei crome)…oppure il 3/4 o 3/4 + 6/8 a scelta del suonatore. Sul come e sul perché si devono scrivere in un modo o in un altro, c’è ancora chi polemizza, ma per fortuna i pezzi si sono salvati da questo “annegamento di fiume d’inchiostro”. A proposito, non è detto che la scommessa sia stata vinta.
L’”Ebony Concert” fu scritto da Igor Strawinsky per l’orchestra di Woody Herman nell’anno 1945 e inciso subito dopo da questa jazz band (nel ’44 il compositore aveva scritto sempre per jazz band lo “Scherzo alla russa”). Già questo fatto singolare di sincretismo culturale “fa sognare” (“fait rever”). Penso soprattutto a chi in generale ci fa ascoltare musica colta “dal vivo” (a proposito com’è che nessuno suona Gershwin nei concerti? Sarà di cattivo gusto…).
Con Giovanni ci siamo divertiti ad effettuare un ripescaggio di certi materiali presenti nell’Ebony Concert che secondo noi sono di matrice popolare nera (blues, marcette ecc.) per ricreare con questo materiale quelli che chiamerei “schemi per variazioni”. Salvo certi appuntamenti fissi, pochi per la verità, il tutto viene di volta in volta improvvisato su questi “schemi per variazioni” secondo la tradizione dell’improvvisazione Jazzistica. E basta per Ebonysation.
Erdosain è un personaggio ricorrente in certi romanzi di Roberto Arlt, grande scittore argentino. Io volevo chiamare il pezzo “TangArlt”, ma mi è suonato meglio, chissà perché, il finale Sain (più buono di tango?). E’ probabile che in questo pezzo sia musicalmente esplicita l’idea generale che sta alla base di Sincretic 1 (percussione free su e nel ”tango”…?!).
Il “triste” è una forma musicale del folk argentino; il pezzo suonato da noi, nella seconda
parte, rimanda a queste musiche “tristi”. In più, i brandelli melodici presenti nell’introduzione e nel finale si basano su scale musicali di negri, ebrei, indios. Basterà a giustificare Tristies?
Gabo, pezzo che cavalca la negritudine dei Caraibi e del jazz, è anche soprattutto il nomignolo di Gabriel Garcia Marquez (“Cent’anni di solitudine”, “L’autunno del patriarca” ecc.). Gabo è nato nelle terre dove si suonano ballenatos e cumbias, ricordi ossessivi e ricorrenti di Gabo pezzo e di Gabo uomo. Luis Bacalov

Northwind ‎– Last Day At Lokun / Northwind (Woods Of Zandor) / Distant Shores (1972-74-76, Usa)

The original Northwind band was founded in 1968 by Roland Ernest and Jan Stepka. They were inspired originally by bands such as the Doors, Cream, the Moody Blues, the Beatles, and Procol Harum. Northwind was later heavily influenced by ELP, Yes, King Crimson, and Genesis.

The band went through four membership changes. The first incarnation had drummer Steve White. In 1970 they created and performed an original rock opera entitled “Looking Back.” In 1972 they recorded an untitled demo album featuring the song “Last Day at Lokun.” Tom Iacaboni replaced Steve White on drums when Steve left the band to pursue the guitar.

In 1974 Tom, Jan and Roland recorded the world famous (in collectors' circles) Northwind demo album in Roland's family's basement. This album is often erroneously referred to as “Woods of Zandor”.

Tom was at heart a jazz drummer, and when he left Tim Cahill joined on drums and percussion. For a short period, Bob Pascoe contributed his rock guitar to Northwind's sound. Northwind then performed mostly in clubs and created a reputation in Canada. This period largely had the band playing covers of other rock bands' material. In 1977 returning to original music, Roland took over guitars and the band added the talents of Rob Foster on wind instruments. In 1978 the band recorded their magnum opus “Distant Shores” in Roland's family's basement in Sterling Heights, Michigan. One song, “Just Yesterday,” was released as part of a local radio station's compilation of Detroit area bands' music entitled “Home Grown”. Tim Cahill's religious calling conflicted with his perception of the rock and roll lifestyle leading him to leave secular musical performing. Howard Wells joined the band on drums and percussion for rehearsals while Roland and the band's manager Ron Geddish vainly persued a record contract. Northwind broke up in 1978 largely because of this failure.

This album features long tracks with swirling keys, lenghty choppy guitar solos, floating harmonies, good guitar textures throughout with a good mix of heavy electric leads and delicate acoustic stretches.

Last Day At Lokun (1972)

Track list:

1. Waited Long Enough (06:00)

2. Green Hills of Earth (06:42)

3. Autumn's Song (07:43)

4. DASC (04:43)

5. Remember the Rain (06:17)

6. Last Day at Lokun (10:07)

Musicians:

Roland Ernest / Vocals, guitars, composer

Steve White / Drums and percussion

Jan Stepka / Keyboards, back vocals

This was recorded at Oakland University on a two track tape, mixed to one track as a demo. There was a limited vinyl pressing (500 copies). The music here was ripped from an acetate pressing that degrades on every playing and suffers from noise.

The music still serves to show what Northwind did in the beginning, and the track "Last Day at Lokun" is one of the best Northwind songs written.

Northwind (Woods Of Zandor) (1974)

Side A

A1. Live (03:39)

A2. Nightmares (03:47)

A3. Zandor (06:56)

Side B

B1. Some Other Way (03:31)

B2. Aftermath (08:54)

Musicians:

Roland Ernest - Vocals, guitars, bass

Jan Stepka - Keyboards

Tom Iacaboni - Drums, Percussion

From what I understand, this is a demo from a 70s group which never really got off of the ground. Thanks to the internet, however, they've been able to distribute this recording, which is, if nothing else, an interesting listen and something of a time capsule. Northwind plays a very folky kind of rock music that obviously has a lot of influence from the prog bands of the day. Throughout this release I can hear shades of almost every 'big' prog band of the seventies, with nods to Genesis, Yes, and King Crimson pervading the album.

'Live' begins with an acoustic/electric guitar duet that sounds to me to be fairly reminiscent of some Allman Brothers work, of all things. Some nice vocal harmonies enter fairly quickly, but there's not really a whole lot else to the song. A pleasant bass part and some nice guitar fills round out the sound and it's a fine listen if nothing particularly special.

'Nightmares' begins with a more uptempo guitar part, and on the whole it's a pretty similar song to 'Live.' Good vocal melodies and interesting if not particularly complicated instrumental parts. 'Nightmares' does improve over 'Live' by adding a couple of instrumental breaks and some interesting syncopated vocals that are at least reminiscent of, if far simpler than, Gentle Giant. As for the overall sound of the track, Crosby, Stills and Nash wouldn't be a bad comparison, with the folky melodies and pervasive vocal harmonies recalling the work of that band.

'Zandor' begins with a more driving bass line that sounds a bit like latter day Zeppelin. Vocals enter quickly and the song takes on an epic, western feel that's undercut slightly by some rather dated synth sounds. This song really shows a lot of the band's influences, with sections that bring to mind Genesis, Rush, and the aforementioned Led Zeppelin without ever managing to reach the sophistication of any of those bands' work. Nonetheless, it's a fun listen and it makes one wonder what this band could have done if they had ever gotten their big break and moved beyond demos. The rather cheesy synths return for a still enjoyable final instrumental which closes out the track.

'Some Other Way' begins with a classical guitar part before launching into a vocal section that sounds a bit like a folkier Wishbone Ash. A nice guitar solo breaks the otherwise acoustic folky feeling of the track. This album really does have some great vocal melodies and harmonies, a trend which perhaps even reaches its apex on this track.

'Aftermath' is the final track here and probably the proggiest as well. Beginning with an epic guitar-backed-by-organ intro section, the song transitions into a keyboard solo that sounds like a harpsichord. Vocals enter soon after, with crystal clear tone and a rather delicate delivery that really highlight the strength of the vocalist. The track gets a bit heavier after that, and another good guitar solo appears before vocals re-enter. The first theme is repeated before the track switches gears, going into an extended instrumental section before vocals return. 'Aftermath' reminds me quite a bit of early King Crimson, with the dramatic vocals highly reminiscent of 'Epitaph' or 'The Court of The Crimson King.' While 'Aftermath' is certainly not as polished as any of the 'big' bands of the era, it's still a fine epic and a fun listen.

When listening to this album I often got the feeling that the music was reminding me very strongly of another band, but for the life of me I couldn't pin down what it was. I suspect it's a result of the blend of influences that pretty obviously permeate this recording. It should come as no surprise that this obviously doesn't measure up to any of the big recordings of the 70s, but it's interesting to hear this release almost 40 years after it was recorded from an up-and- coming prog band that never quite got there. Not a necessary listen by any means but a lot of fun. progarchives

Distant Shores (1978)

Track list:

1. The Sentient Man (07:45)

2. Stepping Softly (03:21)

3. When Dreams Are Lost (06:48)

4. Pretty Face ( Your'e Just Another) (03:52)

5. Silly Little Will (06:40)

6. Jamaica (03:12)

7. Where To Now? (09:36)

8. Just Yesterday (03:15)

9. As It Stands (05:26)

10. Distant Shores (08:49)

Musicians:

Roland Ernest - Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals

Jan Stepka - Keyboards

Rob Foster - Winds

Howard Wells/Tim Cahill - Drums, Percussion 7 Vibes

Releases information

Demo, no official releases and Vinyl LP

Distant Shores is the best work by Northwind.

The first track The Sentient Man is probably not the easiest entry to Northwind music. It's long and complicated.

Of the pieces on this album, I recommend listening to Stepping Softly before deciding whether you like Northwind or not. Jan Stepka

On Distant Shores, one hears an American band who sound astonishingly like an English prog band. Or better yet - like many English Prog bands. You will not hear any hints of Kansas or Styx here - there is no sense of American prog or AOR in any of this music. My summary line is that Distant Shores is an excellent album that should not be missed.

Northwinds are a late sixties band whose initial inspiration came from the major bands (pop and rock) of the day. As the early 70's progressed the band moved towards the progressive side of the field - bringing in influences from Yes, Genesis, ELP, Gryphon, and perhaps a bit of jam from a kind of mixture of the Dutch band Solution with the Finnish band Wigwam. In 1972 and 1974 the band recorded demo albums - the later is sometimes referred to by the title Woods of Zandor. But bills had to be paid and the band moved on to jobbing and playing covers. Numerous personel changes and and the failure to get a recording contract resulted in the band breaking up by 1978.

Distant Shores was recorded prior to this break-up in 1977 in the basement of the family of member Roland Ernest's basement studio. This music can be downloaded from the band's web site. Since you're not currently able to buy this music at any store - these are the higest quality files you will come across.

The music here - contains sounds that bring to mind Yes, Jethro Tull (from both the Passion Play and Song from the Woods era), Gryphon, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Genesis (Gabriel-era) and, frankly, many others (for example the track 'Silly Little Will' has the hints of that cool keyboard movement found in Stevie Wonder's Superstition but without the funk and wrapped into a prog jacket).

It is cool to hear such a diversity of influences yet have the music come out as a smoothly flowing whole. It is not just cool - it is a very rare event - something only the best prog bands have ever pulled off successfully. The music never has a hard-rock feel but it does jam. Distant Shores draws in seemlessly all the progressive elements of the aformentioned bands which means that it does in fact rock.

Playing the whole album through is what transforms the songs that are good to very good and those that are very good transform to excellent. When I consider of all the music out in 1977/78 I must rank this one of the years finest releases. This is the kind of music that drew me to prog in the first place and prog fans should should definately seek out Distant Shores. It is a fine document of mid-70's prog and will stick on your player for many replays. It's worth paying for but it won't cost you a dime! DBSilver

Virgule IV ‎– Des Accords D'Accord (1988, LP, France)

A very obscure female quartet from France playing a style of music that sounds like a weird mix of Etron Fou Leloublan and Tom Waits, but still not really recalling any of them. Heavy on the bass, vibes and percussions, with occasional sax and cello parts and vocals from every member of the group. During their fairly shortlived career, they released one LP, "Des Accords D'Accord", in 1988 and is most likely very hard to find these days. Not too difficult listening, although it does display a typical RIOistic sound overall.

Side A

A1. Hommage A La Brebis Expiatoire (5:30)

A2. Luginbuhl (2:47)

A3. Drame Des Petites Femmes (4:20)

A4. Ca Sent Le Brule (5:35)

A5. Tout Va Bien (3:51)

Side B

B1. L'Elephant Du Cimetiere (4:49)

B2. Trahi Ton Secret (3:55)

B3. Mais Ou Trouver Le Reflecteur Parabolique (3:45)

B4. Vent Maitre (3:28)

B5. Faut Que J'M'Y Remette (6:27)

B6. La Favorite Du Sultan (0:56)

Musicians:

 Christiane Cohade: Bass, Vocals

Françoise Morel: Cello, Vocals

Isabelle Lentin: Drums, Vocals

Cathy Valade: Marimba, Synthesizer, Vocals

by request: here

Kalaban ‎– Don't Panic (1990, CD, Usa)

Kalaban were formed in the Utah area as Procyon's Demise in 1981 by Randy Graves and Michael Stout, soon to be joined by Michael's brother Gary on drums.Despite line-up changes they recorded a cassette in 1985, titled ''Don't panic'', no luck in the States, but this work received warm reviews overseas, notably in Japan and South America.It was partially re-recorded by the intact trio with minor contributions by singer David Thomas and bassist Craig Poole and released in 1990 by Synphonic both on CD and vinyl with a separate press for Japan.Somewhat pompous but well-arranged Symphonic Prog with AOR-ish vocals, tons of synthesizers and a slight jazzy edge on guitar, although there are many great and melodic solos in here.Album suffers a bit by mechanical keyboards, but compositions are grandiose and energetic with some rougher guitar passages and lots of complex moves.Warmly recommended. apps79

André Duchesne ‎– Locomotive (1993, CD, Canada)

Locomotive is the pinnacle of André Duchesne's discography. Released after a three-year hiatus (his last CD, Le Royaume ou l'Asile, came out in 1990), it contains his liveliest music. For this project, he came back to something very close to the instrumentation of Les 4 Guitaristes de l'Apocalypso-Bar: three guitars (Duchesne, Apocalypso member Claude Fradette, and Abbittibbi guitarist Francis Grandmont) plus drums. This time his writing is tighter than ever. His contrapuntal guitar lines are intertwined over avant-prog rhythmic patterns delivered by Miriodor drummer Rémi Leclerc. The album revolves around trains, as much in the lyrics and the titles than in the moods themselves, complete with train sounds. The music races at the speed of a locomotive, one track after another of rock songs influenced as much by the Ventures than by Robert Fripp, anthems of surgical precision. Six of the 13 tracks have vocals, Duchesne's declamations giving even more stamina to the pieces. Highlights include the mid-tempo opener, "Avril-Mai," the frenetic "Tension au Moyen-Orient," the very emotional ballads "Elle (Slow)" and "Bella Machina," and the hair-rising "Le Train de l'Est/La Dispute," which includes a guest appearance by vocalist Jerry Snell (you won't believe how much one scream can contribute to a song). Very strongly recommended to any fan of avant-rock, Locomotive may be the best rock album from Quebec ever.

Bi Kyo Ran - Sakigake!! Cromartie High School OST Vol 2 (魁!! クロマティ高校オリジナルサウンドトラック2) (2004, CD, Japan)

Cromartie High School (魁!!クロマティ高校 Sakigake!! Kuromati Kōkō, fully titled "Forging Valiantly Ahead!! Cromartie High School") by Eiji Nonaka, is a Japanese comedy manga, which was adapted into an anime and a 2005 live-action movie titled Cromartie High – The Movie directed by Yūdai Yamaguchi. It follows the everyday life of Takashi Kamiyama and his odd classmates at Cromartie High School, an infamous school for delinquents. Both the manga and anime have been released in North America by ADV Manga and ADV Films respectively. However, the manga is not yet completely published in North America due to restructuring issues at ADV. Discotek Media has since licensed the anime, after ADV's closing in 2009. The manga won the 2002 Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen.[1] The series aired in the United States on the cable network G4 on its Barbed Wire Biscuit late-night block and on the UK satellite channel Rockworld TV.
The series is a parody of Japanese "yankii" (juvenile delinquent) manga of the 1970s and 1980s. The style of art resembles Ryoichi Ikegami's works such as Crying Freeman or Sanctuary.[citation needed] There are also many pop culture (especially music) parodies in the characters, chapter names, episode names, CD covers, and DVD covers of this series.

Fish & Roses ‎– Fish & Roses (1987, 12" EP, Usa)

The debut missive from this downtown NY outfit featuring Rick Brown (V-Effect, Run On, Les Batteries) and vocalist Sue Garner (well before homespun winsomeness would lead her to pastures well outside my remit on albums for Thrill Jockey) deftly juggles aspects of the late-model Etron Fou Leloublan-like angular R.I.O. motion that made Brown's work in V-Effect such a event with the supple roiling grooves and effervescent left field oddity characteristic of fellow scene travellers like Skeleton Crew, No Safety and Curlew. Mutant Sound

Erehia ‎– Manuzkritoz Ze (1999, CD, Mexico)

A Mexican rock outfit EREHÍA, founded by Jorge Gaytan (bass, viola; ex-NAZCA, BANDA ELÁSTICA) and Tizok aka Tizok Briseno (guitar, drums, programming) in 1998, have a career of over decade in "Rock en Oposiciòn" scene. Under the influence of King Crimson, Univers Zero, or Frank Zappa, they have shoved strong dissonances and frequent rhythmic pattern alterations forward, which have been crystallized into their debut creation "ManuzkRitoz ZE" released in 1999 via Smogless Records.