Some music birthdays incoming

This friday, two great musicians of our time, born in the half of past century, will be celebrating their respective coming to life: Brian Eno (born in Woodbridge, Suffolk on 1948) and Mike Oldfield (born in Reading, Berkshire, 1953).



Greetings to both in one day advance, wherever they are now (I mean, Oldfield is actually living at the Bahamas islands but I'm not sure about Eno).

Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) - L'Isola Di Niente (1974)

Of the three PFM albums that I've heard (the first three Italian language releases), this is my least favorite. With one exception, there aren't any bad songs on the album, but there also isn't much that makes me say "wow" like the first two albums do.

I got off on the wrong foot with this album on my first listen - the opening minutes of nothing but choral vocals had me wondering if I had picked up the wrong album. Once that title track gets going it turns out to be a good symphonic prog track though. Unfortunately, "Is My Face On Straight" comes along next and ruins any goodwill I've started to build up about the album. Featuring some hideous English-language lyrics and poor, accented vocals, this song makes me understand why most hard core PFM fans recommend avoiding the all-English albums.

The remainder of the album is better, but by this point there's only seventeen minutes left. "La Luna Nuova" starts out with a neat little percussion section and then turns into a bouncy number with very catchy violin and synth leads. Probably my favorite song on the album. "Dolcissima Maria" is a bit too pastoral for my tastes, but "Via Lumiere" makes up for it with some really chops-driven and intense sections that sound a little out of place on this otherwise very pretty album.

Overall the good outweighs the bad on this disc, and if you're into Italian prog it's worth picking up eventually. But if you don't already have the first two PFM albums, I'd grab those first.

(C) Ground And Sky.

Franz di Cioccio, drums, percussion, voice;
Jan Patrick Djivas, bass, voice;
Franco Mussida, guitar, voice;
Mauro Pagani, violin, flute, voice;
Flavio Premoli, keyboards, voice

Tracklist:

1. L'Isola di Niente — 10:42
2. Is My Face On Straight — 6:38
3. La Luna Nuova — 6:21
4. Dolcissima Maria — 4:01
5. Via Lumiere — 7:21

Total time: 35:29

Spotify users, press over here.

Buy it:

- Amazon (MP3)
- Amazon (offers)
- IBS - Internet Bookshop
- Dada - The Music Movement
- Legal Sounds

Granada - España, Año 75 (1976)

Pioneering early-70's Spanish progressive band, GRANADA (from Madrid...) was the musical project of multi-instrumentalist Carlos Carcamo (flute, violin, acoustic - and electric piano, mellotron, clavicordio, 12-string guitar, percussion and vocals!) and the other musicians Michael Vortreflich (electric guitar), Antonio Garcia Oteyza (bass) and Juan Bona (drums and vocals). GRANADA had a unique style. They remind of the Mexicans ICONOCLASTA, and also other Spanish bands like TRIANA or COTO EN PEL. The British influences come from YES, JETHRO TULL and other Italian bands very present in their sound. The emphasis of GRANADA relies on the keyboards (with profusion of moog and mellotron) and guitar instrumental passages, but with more keys that guitar. They sound like a mix of fusion and symphonic influences.

GRANADA released three albums: "Hablo De Una Tierra" (’75), "Espana Ano" ’75 (’76) and "Valle De Pas" (’78). The debut-album "Hablo De Una Tierra" is their most original album. The six compositions sound very varied (from rock and bluesy to latin and symphonic) with strong Spanish vocals, powerful guitar (some biting solos), pleasant keyboards (many beautiful Mellotron waves) and IAN ANDERSON inspired fluteplay. The title track includes a splendid and very unique duet from the Mellotron and flamenco guitar of guest-musician Manolo Sanlucar, goose bumps! Two of their best albums "Espana Ano 75" and "Valle Del Pas" were reissued on 1 CD. They consist of instrumental, melodic progressive rock with occasionally surprising moments, which include the use of orchestration and bagpipes. They are both two excellent examples of Spanish prog and highly recommended. Definitely check them out!!!

Yet another symphonic fusion instrumental album, España, Año 75 main trump card being the flamenco influence which surfaces here and there, although not often enough. The well played orthogonally juxtaposed passages with lots of keyboards and acoustic and electric guitars are mostly cobbled together within and across tracks, with not much unity or fluidity, especially in the opening suite, which nonetheless is reasonably strong, especially in the early going. And both "Setiembre" and "Noviembre Florido" have more good than bad parts, so this album easily rises above the sea of symphonic fusion available out there. And after all, 1975 was a very special year in Spain....

Tracklist:

01. a) Por donde andamos
02. b) Todo hubiera sido tan raro
03. c) La autentica cancion del verano
04. d) No me digas bueno, vale
05. Septiembre
06. Noviembre florido
07. Ahora vamos a ver que pasa.

Spotify

Line-up / Musicians:

Carlos Carcamo: Flute, violin, keyboards, guitar, percussion and vocals.
Antonio García Oteiza: Bass guitar.
Juan Bona: Drums and vocals
Michael Vortreflich: Guitars

Buy it:

- CD Universe
- Price Minister
- Dada - The Music Movement

Klaus Schulze - Body Love (1977)

Body Love is the seventh album by Klaus Schulze and the original soundtrack for the porn film of the same name by Lasse Braun. The original studio album had inauspicious beginnings, as the background music of the forementioned erotic movie. Instead of the cheesy jazz typical of 70's adult movies, Klaus Schulze pumped out a masterpiece of throbbing electronica.

There are three cuts on this album. They are each long cuts; the shortest is 11 minutes. They are put together in a classic format: fast first movement; slow, reflective second movement; and fast third movement. They come together to make a satisfying listen.

The first cut, Stardancer, starts with swirling percussion, voices and synth sequences. About three minutes in, a pulsing bass line begins, and Schulze solos over this. Stardancer has a bit of an Indian feel the way it starts with a short droning slow section that introduces the "vibe", and then transitions to a rhythmic section featuring improvisitory soloing.

The second piece, Blanche, is slow and mellow. It features piano that has been treated with echo, giving it a psychedelic feel. It is accompanied by synthesized effects. Synth strings are introduced, along with a slow pulsing sequence. Schulze solos with a heavily echoed lead synth as tinkling sequences dance in the background.

The final cut is the longest on the album. On vinyl, it took up the whole side, 27 minutes, pushing the limits of what worked in vinyl. P:T:O: starts out slowly, with choral voices (probably Mellotron), synth strings, and the same tinkling sequences as Blanche fading in and out. Schulze solos over this, in a slow, thoughtful way, allowing the sound to grow and change with each note. 4 minutes into the piece, he introduces a simple, 8 beat sequenced synth line. He accompanies this with "voice" and synth string sounds.

As the piece goes on, Schulze gradually builds up the intensity, and has a pair of lead lines interlock and play off of each other. The music gets more and more intense, building to a sweaty climax at about 20 minutes into the piece. Whew! Then it quickly changes, and there is a sort of musical denouement.

For electronic music lovers and hardcore synth fans, "Body Love" is a must-have. Maybe it's psychedelic electronic porn music, but you wouldn't have read this far if you didn't get off on that, would you?

Tracklist:

1. Stardancer - 13:38
2. Blanche - 11:44
3. P.T.O. - 27:12

Total time: 54:44

Line-up / Musicians:

- Klaus Schulze: keyboards and sequencers;
- Harald Grosskopf: drumkit

Spotify users, press over here.

From now on, and as I did with some previous posts, I'll add a Spotify link for those who usually listen music via Spotify, and gradually leave offering links to get the albums related, commented or reviewed in the blog, except for bootlegs and live recordings. It's better for me and also better for everyone!

Buy it:

- Amazon
- Movie Grooves
- 7-Digital

Edgar Froese - Macula Transfer (1976)

I'm surprised at how low the ratings are for this one. The mellotron is just gorgeous throughout this album. Edgar came up with the inspiration for these songs while on tour with TANGERINE DREAM in 1975/76. So he named the songs after the flight numbers. He seemed to be infactuated with travel, and it was while travelling (in this case by plane) where he would come up with these songs. "OS 452" features some guitar a minute in that reminds me of PINK FLOYD while the mellotron flows in the background. This soundscape continues throughout. The mellotron is otherworldly 4 minutes in. An absolute storm of mellotron 7 minutes in. "AF 765" is spacey to start as the mellotron comes and goes. Moog comes pulsating in with more mellotron. Whispered sounds come and go.

Love the guitar that also comes and goes. All of these sounds i've described continue. The tempo picks up until you would think something is going to explode. It stops before 10 minutes though as mellotron ends it. "PA 701" is eventually dominated by majestic mellotron floods 1 1/2 minutes in. A pulsating beat comes in as mellotron continues. Mellotron choirs dominate the sound before 5 minutes. Some pleasant sounds end it. "Quantas 611" is the only track with no rhythm on it, instead we get waves of mellotron throughout. It becomes sinister sounding before 3 1/2 minutes, but it comes and goes quickly. "IF 810" is lighter as moog pulsates. It sounds like this soundscape gets swallowed up by a vortex 2 1/2 minutes in, but no it returns to end it. A solid 4 star album that TANGERINE DREAM and mellotron fans should check out.

Track Listings:

1. OS 452 (7:56)
2. AF 765 (11:04)
3. PA 701 (7:36)
4. Quantas 611 (4:58)
5. IF 810 (4:26)

Total Time: 36:00

Line-up/Musician:

- Edgar Froese / synthesizer, guitar, keyboards, vocals

Releases information
LP Brain 0060008 (1976)

Buy it:

- Amazon(Remastered CD edition)
- Price Minister (LP original, for vinyl collectors)
- Spiral Vinyl Records (LP original, released by Brain Records)
- Ciao ES
- MP3 Fiesta DE
- Legal Sounds

King Crimson - Live In Hyde Park, July 5th 1969

King Crimson are an English progressive rock band founded by guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Michael Giles in 1969.

They have typically been categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, although they incorporate diverse influences ranging from jazz, classical and experimental music to psychedelic, New Wave, hard rock, gamelan and folk music. King Crimson have garnered little radio or music video airplay, but gained a large cult following. Their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, is widely regarded as a landmark in progressive rock, and made the list of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Their later excursions into even more unconventional territory have been influential on many contemporary musical artists.

Throughout the early-1970s, King Crimson's membership fluctuated as the band explored elements of jazz and funk. Today, its early music seems to owe a lot to the compositional frameworks of jazz innovators, like Charles Mingus. As the band developed an improvisational sound influenced by hard rock, the band's personnel became more stable in the mid-1970s, before breaking up in 1974. The band re-formed in 1981 for three years, influenced by New Wave and gamelan music, before breaking up again for around a decade. Following their 1994 reunion, King Crimson blended aspects of their 1980s and 1970s sound with influences from more recent musical genres, a synthesis which has continued into the 21st century.

King Crimson's membership has fluctuated considerably throughout their existence, with eighteen musicians and two lyricists passing through the ranks as full band members. Fripp, the only constant member of King Crimson, has arranged several distinct lineups, but has stated that he does not necessarily consider himself the band's leader. He describes King Crimson as "a way of doing things", and notes that he never originally intended to be seen as the head of the group.

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King Crimson made their live debut on 9 April 1969, and made a breakthrough by playing the free concert in Hyde Park, London, staged by The Rolling Stones in July 1969 before 650,000 people. The first King Crimson album, In the Court of the Crimson King was released in October on EG Records, described by Fripp as "an instant smash" and "New York's acid album of 1970" (notwithstanding that Fripp and Giles claim that the band never used psychedelic drugs). The album received public compliments from Pete Townshend, The Who guitarist, calling the album "an uncanny masterpiece." The sound of the album has been described as setting the "aural antecedent" for alternative rock and grunge, whilst the softer tracks are described as having an "ethereal" and "almost sacred" feel. Music reviewer Annie Gaffney wrote that they were credited with starting the entire progressive rock movement that was popular in the early 1970s.

After playing shows in England, the band embarked on a tour of the United States, performing alongside many contemporary popular musicians and musical groups, and "astounding audiences and critics" with their original sound. Personal tensions within the band eventually reached a limit, however, and the original line-up played their last show together in San Francisco at the Fillmore West on 16 December 1969. Ian McDonald and Michael Giles left King Crimson to pursue solo work, recording the McDonald and Giles studio album in 1970.

Tracklisting:

01.- 21st Century Schizoid Man
02.- In the Court of the Crimson King
03.- Get thy Berarings
04.- Epitaph
05.- Mantra
06.- Travel Weary Capricorn
07.- Mars
08.- Band Reunion Meeting (1997)
09.- 21st Century Schizoid Man (instrumental version)

The link before is no longer available

Tangerine Dream - Zeit (1972)

Tangerine Dream's third release was the first to feature their 'classic' line-up: Edgar Froese, Chris Franke, and Peter Baumann. Like Wendy Carlos' Sonic Seasonings and Soft Machine's Third, this is another album that beat Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans to the punch as a double-album with one composition per side. Also turning up here of note: transitional alumnus and Baumann predecessor Steve Schroyder on organ, Popol Vuh's Florian Fricke making a rare contribution on Moog (before turning his back on electric synthesizers), and the addition of a cello quartet. One of the cello players, as an aside, was Joachen von Grumbcow of Hölderlin, who released quite a different album that year, the folky Hölderlins Traum.

The monolithic album cover of a massive satellite really goes well in conveying what you will hear. Subtitled "Largo in Four Movements", Zeit is music recorded on Jupiter: weighted-down notes unable to break free from the pull of gravity, painted in the broadest, barely shifting, legato strokes. The song titles belie qualities very present in the music. "Origin", "Dawn", and "Birth" convey a sense of the primordial and before-ness. "Nebulous", "Supernatural", and "Plejades" (the wintertime star cluster that appears with greater clarity out of the corner of one's eye than with direct contact) reinforce a feeling of astral wonder.

This is one album that pretty much defies verbal description, but here goes anyway, with a brief summary of the four tracks. "Birth of Liquid Plejades" opens with sliding, skin-crawl drones played by the cello quartet. This sound is slowly processed and contorted, until fading into the band proper, who seize the baton with static organ maintaining the droning key of the cellos and a burbly, erratic synthesizer that sounds almost like it is malfunctioning. The piece makes its way into a final scenario of Hammond pulses combined with gently contorting sound tunnels.

"Nebulous Dawn" is a tormented, incredibly eerie track. It starts off with elongated pulsings of buzzing, low synth and canyons of deep reverberations that really push the lower limits of your stereo system, before moving onwards. Take the furthest distance in space you can imagine in your mind, and then add on a couple billion lights years more past that, and that is where this music takes you—a territory completely removed from, and possibly hostile to, the human element.

"Origin of Supernatural Probabilities" deceptively begins with a more calming mood than its immediate predecessor, with the gentle strums of Froese's guitar almost like bristlings of a harp with low, dulled strings. However, it doesn't take too long before the humongous boom of pulsing space enters, alien bird-synths twitter and dive, and the feel is one of the universe shuddering in unease.

The title track is the baby of the bunch at... um, a mere 17 minutes in length. Gentle voids of spectral sound. Space sits at rest after the engulfment and large-scale quaking of the preceding tracks, but remaining no less awesome and mysterious in scope, with an ndifferent gaze towards 'all things that delight or trouble foolish men.'

There are plenty of folks who can't take this album. In all fairness, it is an extremely difficult one to just sit there and actively listen to, doing nothing else. If you are looking for Tangerine Dream's most impenetrable work, indeed one of the most impenetrable ever recorded by a 'rock band,' then look no further. Still, love it or hate it, Zeit is an impressively unique work that does have its own aesthetic, a logic of conveying inertia through sound.

Line-up:

Edgar Froese, guitar, generators;
Chris Franke, VCS3 synth, cymbals, keyboards;
Peter Baumann, VCS3 synth, organ, vibraphone;

with Florian Fricke, moog;
Steve Schroyder, organ;
Christian Vallbracht, cello;
Jochen von Grumbcow, cello;
Hans Joachim Bruene, cello;
Johannes Luecke, cello

Tracklist:

1. Birth of Liquid Plejades — 19:50
2. Nebulous Dawn — 17:52
3. Origin of Supernatural Probabilities — 19:32
4. Zeit — 16:58

Total time: 74:25



Buy it from:

- Amazon USA
- Amazon UK
- CD Universe
- 7-Digital UK
- 7-Digital.com