Uncut Magazine's 200 Greatest Albums Of All Time

I was recently leafing through the February issue of Uncut, containing their list of the 200 Greatest Albums Of All Time. It's the first "All-time-best" list published by the magazine, but they make comparisons with chart positions and similar lists compiled every decade since '74 by the NME (I gather that many Uncut writers used to work for that publication a very long time ago). It's interesting to see how opinions change with the passing of the years, which albums stand out as classics, which fade from memory and which are reappreciated - e.g. Robert Wyatt's "Rock Bottom": Released in '74, it did not chart at all and appeared in NME's lists for the first time in 2013 (on no. 358), to be featured here on no.40, above the debuts of Sex Pistols and The Stone Roses (formerly no.3 and 1, respectively). I've always enjoyed these lists and have used them from time to time as a buying guide, discovering interesting albums from periods and genres I was less familiar with and filling the gaps in my collection - I try to acquire the universally accepted as essential albums, regardless of genre. This particular list, though, held very few surprises as all of the entrances are established classics. I counted 167 albums I own on LP or CD, one of my best scores - as usual, omissions concern mostly Jazz and Rap/R&B. I've added links to the albums I've already reviewed here and, as my ambition is to present all of my record collection, intend to return often to the list and slowly add more links. Meanwhile, here are some stats:

-The artists that received the most votes were 1.The Beatles 2.Bob Dylan 3.David Bowie 4.Rolling Stones 5.Velvet Underground (the latest being a minor surprise)

-The greatest decades were the 70's (43%), 60's (23,5%), and 80's (17,5%). Only 4% of the albums came from the 21st century. I wonder if the 00's and 10's were so musically poor or if it is an indication of Uncut staff's age. 1968 and 1971 produced the most masterpieces (15 each), followed by 1969 and 1970.

-The greatest producers (for those that care about such trivia) seem to be 1.George Martin (only one client of note, but that was The Beatles) 2.Jimmy Miller 3.Tony Visconti 4.Tom Wilson 5.A tie between Joe Boyd, David Briggs, Bob Johnston and Chris Thomas.
The magazine's final rating is as follows:

1. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds - 1966
2. The Beatles - Revolver - 1966

3. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks - 1968
4. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico - 1967
5. The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album) - 1968
6. Love - Forever Changes - 1967
7. Bob Dylan - Blond On Blond - 1966
8. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead - 1986
9. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited - 1965
10. Television - Marquee Moon - 1977
11. David Bowie - Hunky Dory - 1971
12. David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust - 1972
13. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On - 1971
14. Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue - 1959
15. The Beatles - Rubber Soul - 1965
16. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street - 1972
17. The Band - The Band - 1969
18. Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks - 1975
19. David Bowie - Low - 1977
20. Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express - 1977
21. The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band - 1967
22. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back - 1988
23. The Clash - London Calling - 1979
24. The Beatles - Abbey Road - 1969
25. Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love - 1985
26. The Clash - The Clash - 1977
27. The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers - 1971
28. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed - 1969
29. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced - 1967
30. David Bowie - Stationtostation - 1976
31. Lou Reed - Transformer - 1972
32. Neil Young - After The Goldrush - 1970
33. Joni Mitchell - Blue - 1971
34. Neil Young - On The Beach - 1974
35. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme - 1965
36. Joy Division - Closer - 1980
37. The Kinks - The Kinks Are The Village Green Society - 1968
38. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless - 1991
39. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home - 1965
40. Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom - 1974
41. Otis Redding - Otis Blue - 1965
42. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland - 1968
43. The Stooges - Fun House - 1970
44. Sly And The Family Stone - There's A Riot Going On - 1971
45. R.E.M. - Murmer - 1983
46. Michael Jackson - Off The Wall - 1979
47. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (IV) - 1971
48. Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief - 1969
49. Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life - 1976
50. Nick Drake - Bryter Layter - 1971
51. Carole King - Tapestry - 1971
52. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground - 1969
53. Big Star - Third/Sister Lovers - 1978
54. The Velvet Underground - Loaded - 1970
55. Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks… - 1977
56. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses - 1989
57. Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates Of Dawn - 1967
58. Blondie - Parallel Lines - 1978
59. Prince - Sign O The Times - 1987
60. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures - 1979
61. Primal Scream - Screamadalica - 1991
62. The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers - 1968
63. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - 1977
64. David Crosby - If Only I Could Remember My Name - 1971
65. Orange Juice - You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever - 1982
66. The Band - Music From Big Pink - 1968
67. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions - 1973
68. James Brown - Live At The Apollo - 1963
69. New Order - Technique - 1989
70. Patti Smith - Horses - 1975
71. Joni Mitchell - Hejira - 1976
72. LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver - 2007
73. The Cure - Disintegration - 1989
74. Public Image Limited - Metal Box - 1979
75. Can - Ege Bamyasi - 1972
76. John Martyn - Solid Air - 1973
77. Steely Dan - Countdown To Ecstasy - 1973
78. The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday - 1967
79. Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator) - 2001
80. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat - 1968
81. Radiohead - In Rainbows - 2007
82. The Who - Who's Next - 1971
83. Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 1963
84. Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon - 1973
85. Jimi Hendrix - Axix: Bold As Love - 1967
86. Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star - 1973
87. Joni Mitchell - The Hissing Of Summer Lawns - 1975
88. Can - Tago Mago - 1971
89. Big Star - No1 Record - 1972
90. The Cure - Head On The Door - 1985
91. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - 1969
92. Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis - 1969
93. Radiohead - Ok Computer - 1997
94. U2 - Achtung Baby - 1991
95. The Flying Burrito Brothers - The Guided Palace Of Sin - 1969
96. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run - 1975
97. The Cure - Pornography - 1982
98. The Incredible String Band - The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter - 1968
99. John Cale - Paris 1919 - 1973
100. Laura Nyro - Eli & The Thirteenth Confession - 1968
101. Radiohead - Kid A - 2000
102. Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire De Melody Nelson - 1971
103. Pulp - This Is Hardcore - 1998
104. Johnny Cash - At Falsom Prison - 1968
105. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs - 1974
106. Talking Heads - Remain In Light - 1980
107. Spiritualized - Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space - 1997
108. Talk Talk - Sprit Of Eden - 1988
109. The Only Ones - The Only Ones - 1978
110. The Congos - Heart Of The Congo’s - 1977
111. Joni Mitchell - Court & Spark - 1974
112. New Order - Power Corruption & Lies - 1983
113. The Slits - Cut - 1979
114. David Bowie - "Heroes" - 1977
115. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs - 1985
116. The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet - 1968
117. The Specials - The Specials - 1979
118. Suicide - Suicide - 1977
119. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew - 1970
120. Big Star - Radio City - 1974
121. Can - Future Days - 1973
122. Prince - Parade - 1986
123. Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill - 1972
124. Nirvana - In Utero - 1993
125. Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True - 1977
126. Nick Drake - Pink Moon - 1972
127. Chic - C'est Chic - 1978
128. The Byrds - Sweetheart Of The Rodeo - 1968
129. Curtis Mayfield - Curtis - 1970
130. Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs - 1970
131. The Isley Brothers - 3+3 - 1973
132. The Human League - Dare! - 1981
133. The Who - Live At Leeds - 1970
134. Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On The Edge Of Town - 1978
135. The Beach Boys - Surfs Up - 1971
136. Ramones - Ramones - 1976
137. AC/DC - Back In Black - 1980
138. Van Morrison - Moondance - 1970
139. Gang Of Four - Entertainment! - 1979
140. The Beastie Boys - Check Your Head - 1992
141. Portishead - Dummy - 1994
142. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation - 1988
143. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Safe As Milk - 1967
144. Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas - 1990
145. Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish - 1993
146. Pixies - Doolittle - 1989
147. Jeff Buckley - Grace - 1994
148. Miles Davis - In A Silent Way - 1969
149. The Beatles - A Hard Day’s Night - 1964
150. Massive Attack - Blue Lines - 1991
151. Daft Punk - Discovery - 2001
152. Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul - 1968
153. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti - 1975
154. The Associates - Sulk - 1982
155. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - The Boatman’s Call - 1997
156. Tricky - Maxinquaye - 1995
157. Bjork - Debut - 1993
158. The Fall - The Nation's Saving Grace - 1984
159. Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Love And Hate - 1971
160. The Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers - 1993
161. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrumbone - 1983
162. PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me - 1993
163. Neil Young - Tonight's The Night - 1975
164. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds - 1980
165. Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets - 1974
166. GZA - Liquid Swords - 1995
167. Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 - 1992
168. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come - 1987
169. T.Rex - Electric Warrior - 1971
170. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry - 1969
171. Prince - Purple Rain - 1984
172. Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory? - 1995
173. John Lennon - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - 1970
174. Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure - 1973
175. My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything - 1988
176. Neil Young - Harvest - 1972
177. Super Furry Animals - Radiator - 1997
178. Black Sabbath - Paranoid - 1970
179. The Who - Tommy - 1969
180. Michael Jackson - Thriller - 1982
181. The Replacements - Tim - 1985
182. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black - 2006
183. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left - 1969
184. Kraftwerk - The Man-Machine - 1978
185. David Bowie - The Man Who Saved The World - 1970
186. Charles Mingus - The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady - 1963
187. Donald Fagen - The Nightfly - 1982
188. Talking Heads - Fear Of Music - 1979
189. The Smiths - The Smiths - 1984
190. Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen - 1985
191. The Who - The Who Sell Out - 1967
192. Gene Clarke - No Other - 1974
193. Johnny Cash - American Iv: The Man Comes Around - 2002
194. Joanna Newsom - Ys - 2006
195. T.Rex - The Slider - 1972
196. The Fall - Hex Enducation Hour - 1982
197. Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? - 1972
198. Mercury Rev - Deserters Songs - 1998
199. Dr John: The Night Tripper - Gris-Gris - 1968
200. Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom - 1982

There are, of course, glaring omissions. I cannot fathom how and why Bob Marley can be missing - I would have sworn that at least 2 or 3 of his albums should be here. The entire Reggae genre is only represented by The Congos' "Heart Of The Congos". World music is inexplicably entirely absent and so are the blues. Nothing from Cream or Clapton. No White Stripes, and nothing released between 2007 and 2016. No matter what is left out though, everything included has rightly won a place in musical history.

Rainbow "Live in Munich 1977" 2006 (released)****

I was just in the German town of Bietigheim-Bissingen to witness the resurgence of Ritchie Blackmore as a rock guitarist. It was the second of three appearences, planned to culminate with a Birmingham concert on June 25th. The event took place as part of the Monsters Of Rock festival, under the arches of a long railroad bridge. Freight trains loaded with cars passed endlessly above us, as if to remind us that yes, Germany produces a lot of cars. I guess I knew already, but still I was quite impressed. 
A strange choice of venue, that Bietigheim viaduct, as this open air place is only quasi-famous for the so-called Bietigheim Horse Market, one of Oktoberfest's smaller-sibling beer festivals. It was as if Blackmore needed to do it somewhere out of the way to avoid publicity in case the concert proved to be a total disaster. Well, if that was his intention, he succeeded only too well. Our small company must have been the only ones crazy enough to dare the elements of nature and drive 700km away through rain and storm (sounds like a Dio lyric, but it's true nevertheless) to witness the new Rainbow. The muddy festival ground held a few thousand pretzel-munching beer-slugging aging rockers from the nearby villages. Maybe some had come all the way from the closest big city, Stuttgart. The place wasn't exactly suitable for a big rock festival either, and it reeked of a combination of dung and grilled bratwurst - so if you weren't there you haven't exactly missed much. Unless, that is, you're a Classic Rock fan who grew up listening to Deep Purple and Rainbow. In which case, you'll be glad -excited even- to learn that Ritchie is back! 20 years of absence from rock haven't diminished his ability to play the electric guitar! So what if he looks like an aging 16th century pilgrim? 
He's been playing lord of the castle for 20 years, the man doesn't have any normal clothes anymore, give him a break! To prove he's still the same old Ritchie he opened with Highway Star and his famous trademark solo. Then he went on with a perfectly executed mix of Deep Purple and Rainbow classics. New singer Ronnie Romero was a real revelation too, a spectacular talent reminiscent of Ronnie James Dio and, at times, Freddie Mercury. The rest of the players ranged from plain good (keyboards) to average (bass, drums) to non-existent (wifey Candice and the other back-up singer were barely audible). Despite that fact, they played Deep Purple songs with more urgency than the current touring version of Purple. As for the Rainbow material, it just hasn't sounded that good since Dio was in the band. A magical night for all involved, and the most perfect setlist: Highway Star/Spotlight Kid/Mistreated/16th Century Greensleeves/Since You Been Gone/Man on the Silver Mountain/Difficult to Cure/Catch the Rainbow/Perfect Strangers/Stargazer/Long Live Rock 'n' Roll/Child in Time/ Black Night/ Smoke on the Water. Beat this if you can, Ian Gillan & Co! 
...And after a few words on the latest version of Rainbow, we can focus on today's album, a live recording of the band in their 70's prime. Also from Germany, as there probably hasn't been a better documented Rainbow tour than Germany 1976/77. Shows were recorded with a live album in mind and indeed some of that material was used for the double LP "On Stage". That album, though, was heavily doctored in studio by producer Martin Birch, who not only used material from different performances but also spliced songs together from various sources - so that the final product wasn't really "live" at all. Years later, whole concerts of that tour resurfaced, of which "Live In Munich 1977" was (chronologically) the last. It was recorded for the German TV show Rockpalast and released in CD and DVD form in 2006. The main difference from previous shows was that the epic "Stargazer" was replaced by the poppier crowd pleaser "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll". Right from the beginning, another difference becomes evident: "Kill The King" is faster and much more aggressive from the "On Stage" version - it feels like we're witnessing the birth of power metal. This is followed by Deep Purple's "Mistreated". A heavy blues a la Zeppelin, at 11 minutes it allows Blackmore to showcase both his heavy and sensitive side, with long expressive blues solos in the middle. Dio's performance may be a bit over the top though, as he substitutes original singer Coverdale's pure emotion with heroic pomp. The 3-minute baroque intro to "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" presages Blackmore's later fascination with Renaissance music. Then it's back to heavy metal, with everyone giving their best: Dio and Blackmore, of course, but also Cozy Powell on drums who's fantastic throughout the whole show. The studio version of "Catch The Rainbow" was a (gorgeous) 5-minute ballad. Here the 5-minute mark is just where Blackmore starts warming up. The next 12 minutes will either test your patience or have you marveling at the virtuoso guitarist. "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" comes just in time to wake the audience with its populist chorus which Dio sings along with the crowd. It's followed by another catchy tune "Man on the Silver Mountain". This is stretched to 15 minutes, incorporating jazzy solos by Blackmore and keyboardist David Stone and a detour into "Lady Starstruck" from the Rising LP. "Still I'm Sad" is a Yardbirds cover that graced Rainbow's debut in an instrumental version - a shame, as Dio always nailed it live. Above all, though, it's used as a showcase for the players' considerable instrumental talents. Blackmore, of course, shines above all others, but at 25 minutes there's enough room for lengthy solos by Stone and Powell, too. The proceedings close with a romp through "Do You Close Your Eyes", and no amount of intricate solos can mask the fact that it's one of Rainbow's weaker compositions. It ends with noisy feedback and Blackmore smashing his guitar. All in all, this live album manages to convey the band's energy on stage and features Dio, Blackmore and Powell on top form. It is, however, fraught with excess and should be approched with caution as the over-long solos will delight guitar afficianados but may bore less patient listeners. Lucky for them, the new Rainbow should be releasing a live CD/DVD of their hits-laden live set pretty soon. Sure, Ritchie isn't as fast as in his youth and Ronnie Junior isn't exactly Ronnie James Dio, but they can still wipe the floor with the competition!

**** for Mistreated, Sixteenth Century Greensleeves, Catch the Rainbow, Man on the Silver Mountain, Still I'm Sad

*** for Kill the King, Long Live Rock 'n' Roll 

** for Do You Close Your Eyes

November "En ny tid är här...1970*****/ 2:a November 1971****" 2003(comp)

Swedish Rock...one would think that's not too big a category - I mean population-wise Sweden isn't that big, plus it's isolated somewhere at the edge of the world and who remembers any Swedish bands other than ABBA anyway? Well, this website mentions no less than 600 famous bands, and some of my favorites are still missing. Where are The Creeps, Randy or Anekdoten? Even The Nomads barely made the cut at no.506. I wasn't surprised by the absence of today's subject, as they are one of the few Scandinavian bands singing in their own language. It was bound to place obstacles in their gaining world recognition, but I found out I like listening to hard rock in Swedish. So what if I don't speak a single word of their language? One look at the tracklisting had me imagining it's about the saga of the Viking Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons, although November were ostensibly a politically progressive pacifist band. Well, I can nevertheless imagine that they sing, like Led Zeppelin did, "We come from the land of the ice and snow/From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow/Hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new land/To fight the hordes, and sing and cry/Valhalla I am coming". It'd fit them, too. November's bluesy hard rock style is very close to early Zeppelin (as well as Free, Cream, Black Sabbath etc). An early incarnation of the band featured English blues guitarist Snowy White, but by the time of their debut "En ny tid är här..." (1970) they were down to a trio. Opener "Mount Everest" was also the lead single, and it's the equal of anything produced in the UK at the time - It actually wouldn't sound out of place in Cream's Disraeli Gears. "En annan värld" is even heavier, a fast Uriah Heep-like number with a rolling bass line. "Lek att du är barn igen" is prog with some jazzy flute reminding me of Jethro Tull. "Sekunder (förvandlas till år)" and "En enkel sång om dej" are electric boogie rock. "Åttonde" is almost funky and "Varje gång jag ser dig känns det lika skönt" sports some heavy Sabbath riffs. "Gröna blad" and "Ta ett steg i sagans land" are classic hard rock and "Balett blues" is a short instrumental closer. All in all, a veritable lost classic with terrific guitar by Richard Rolf. At the moment I can't think of a better non-English language hard rock album.

***** for Mount Everest, Lek att du är barn igen, Sekunder (förvandlas till år), En enkel sång om dej

**** for En annan värld, Ta ett steg i sagans land

*** for Varje gång jag ser dig känns det lika skönt, Gröna blad, Åttonde

** for Balett blues

Sophomore album 2:a November (1971) is introduced with the soft piano-led "Sista resan", but after that things get heavy with the Sabbath-y "Men mitt hjärta ska vara gjort av sten". "Mina fotspår fylls av vatten", "Mouchkta" and "Ganska långt från Sergel"are funky hard rock a la Hendrix, "En lång dag är över" bluesy and "En ny tid är här" a rolling boogie. "På väg" has heavy riffs Sabbath-style and acoustic passages like...now that I think of it, Sabbath did those, too. "Och så en morgon..." and "Asthamahgurchk" are two instrumental interludes, the former light and atmospheric and latter playful and funny. 2:a November is another excellent classic rock album, though probably slightly inferior to their debut. They would release one more LP before splitting up in '72. According to their Wikipedia page (bassist/singer) Christer Stålbrandt started the group Saga, (drummer) Björn Inge joined jazz rockers Energy, and (guitarist) Richard Rolf was one of the forming members of Bash and later on joined Nature. In the 00's they have reformed a few times to play some gigs (see clip here) but otherwise they seem to keep a low profile and never got the international recognition they deserve.

***** for Men mitt hjärta ska vara gjort av sten, Mina fotspår fylls av vatten

**** for Sista resan, Môuchkta (Drömmen om Malin), Ganska långt från Sergel, På väg, En ny tid är här

*** for En lång dag är över, Och så en morgon...

** for Asthamahgurchk - den fjottegangere

  

Czar "Czar" 1970***

Czar are one of those bands that had been (ostensibly) unfairly overlooked in their time, only to be revered decades later. Like so many others, their albums were consigned to cut-out bins, recycled or plainly destroyed. After a decade or two, collectors would start to talk about them in reverential tones, dedicate internet pages to them, and presto! yesterday's losers are today's cult heroes. I just checked discogs to see if any of the original LP's are available on the market, and what do you know? They have two: One (condition VG+) goes for €900, the other (condition Near Mint or Mint) sells for €2430 (+ shipping, which should be a substantial amount given that you'll need an armored truck to transport this treasure). It makes me lol to think of all the copies that were melted down or destroyed as useless. So why did the record-buying public ignore Czar so blatantly? I'm sure the cover didn't help, with its picture of a boggle-eyed hippie superimposed on that of someone in an unconvincing Halloween bear suit wearing a crown. We get it. Bear=Russia --> crowned bear=czar. Only this bear looks slightly less realistic than Paddington Bear, the TV show from my childhood. But mainly one has to remember the sheer number of brilliant albums released during 1969/1970, and the number of bands standing in the same niche between psychedelia and heavy prog. I'm not saying their music was derivative, but neither did it stand out in any way. So given all the other albums released in 1970 if you bought only, say, 20 LP's that year would you make "Czar" one of them? I know I wouldn't - which is not to say that it's merritless. It has a nice sound, combining the mellowness of the Moody Blues and King Crimson and heavy rock of Uriah Heep. Organ and Mellotron are way to the fore, with some nice guitar solos and heavy drumming. One ingredient that distinguishes Czar (formerly known as "Thursday's Childen") from its contemporaries is the harmony vocals which give it a pop/folk air. "Tread Softly on My Dreams" is a strong opener, with its gothic mellotron and impressive guitar solos. "Cecelia" is another long piece with an oriental melody featuring heavy organ, harpsichord and more electric guitar. "Follow Me" is a straight rock song with a catchy chorus. At 3'25'' it's the record's shortest track, probably recorded with a single release in mind. "Dawning of a New Day" is a melodic Moody Blues-like piece, while "Beyond The Moon" and ballad "Today" are simpler and reminiscent of West Coast psychedelia. "A Day in September" was the original album closer, a long prog piece dominated by organ a la Procol Harum or The Nice. Later CD editions would include a multitude of outtakes and demos, but mine only adds their sole single, 1970's "Oh Lord I'm Getting Heavy/Why Don't We Be A Rock'n Roll Band". The former song is soul reminiscent of Jullie Driscoll/Brian Auger records of the time and latter a pleasant but undistinguished rocker. In my opininion "Czar" is a good album, certainly worth saving from oblivion, but it's not in any way an essential purchase, even for fans of psychedelia and progressive rock.

**** for Tread Softly On My Dreams, Cecelia, Follow Me, Dawning Of A New Day, A Day In September

*** for Beyond The Moon, Today, Oh Lord I'm Getting Heavy, Why Don't We Be A Rock'n Roll Band?

Acqua Fragile "Acqua Fragile" 1973****

This is a rare example of an Italian prog band singing in English - maybe just because they could. It hadn't occurred to me before, but Anglophony wasn't as widespread in the early 70's as it is now. It wouldn't be easy to find someone who can write and sing in English. Probably that's why when the top Italian prog band PFM tried to tap into the American market they turned to Acqua Fragile's singer Bernardo Lanzetti with whom they made 3 records between '75-'78. His voice sounds like a cross between Peter Gabriel and Roger Chapman and his English is clear and without an accent. The two bands were already closely linked as they shared the same manager, record label and producers. Acqua Fragile were lighter and less experimental though, exchanging jazz and classical influences for folk and west coast psychedelia. Nevertheless, opener "Morning Comes" is an Italian prog classic. It starts as a soft ballad but soon gets louder and proggier, with intricate guitar solos and organ passages. "Comic Strips" is faster and more playful. Some reviewers have pointed similarities to Gentle Giant, and I tend to agree. "Science Fiction Suite" is a folk number with acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies reminiscent of CSN&Y or acoustic Jefferson Airplane. "Song From A Picture" is a pleasant acid folk ballad while "Education Story" is harder and proggier, with a theatrical vocal style. "Going Out" is once more a simple acoustic song with nice harmonies and "Three Hands Man" a fascinatingly complex yet entirely listenable composition similar in style to early Genesis. The English lyrics, vocal harmonies and lack of symphonic elements set this apart from most RPI (rock progressivo italiano) bands, but it still makes for a good introduction to that scene as it is very charming and musically less challenging than, say, Area or PFM.

***** for Morning Comes

**** for Comic Strips, Song From A Picture, Three Hands Man

*** for  Science Fiction Suite, Education Story, Going Out 

Lula Côrtes e Zé Ramalho ‎"Paêbirú" 1975****

This collaboration of Brazilian artists Lula Côrtes and Zé Ramalho was recorded in 1974, released the following year and remained virtually unheard for 30 years due to a warehouse fire that destroyed almost all of the existent copies. A curiously fitting fate for an album dedicated to the four elements: earth, air, fire and water, each of which dominates one side of this double LP. When it finally emerged, people were surprised with how difficult it is to categorize. The obvious link with the Tropicalia movement is there, but "Paebiru" travels much further than that familiar mix of jazz, psychedelic rock, samba and avant garde. Sometimes it brings to mind the experimental Kraut rockers of the 70's like Amon Duul and Can, other times it sounds like the work of 21st century hipsters with a vast library of sounds and highly advanced mixing software. Now that I think about it, I could tell you it's Brazilian stoned hippie jam music and describe it as completely as I can in 2000 words. But it wouldn't be fair: "stoned jams" implies there isn't any melody or structure when in fact these exist, if only to provide the framework within which the musicians freely chase their muse. The Earth side starts with the almost conventional "Trilha de Sumé", a percussion-driven psychedelic samba with fluttering flutes and relaxed vocals not unlike Giberto Gil's early sides. This is followed by the almost cacophonous "Culto à Terra" with tribal drumming, chants and fuzzed out electric guitar, and the charming and melodic "Bailado das Muscarias" with its flute, piano and acoustic guitar. The Air side consists of the beautiful and introspective "Harpa Dos Ares" and "Omm" and the more experimental "Não Existe Molhado Igual Ao Pranto" with its chanted vocals and bebop sax. The Fire side starts with "Raga Dos Raios" shattering the quiet with acid fuzz guitars howling on a backdrop of Indian sounds. The rocking "Nas Paredes de Pedra Encantada" tries to lure us to the dancefloor with its propulsive beat, soul vocals and organ. That vibe continues with an experimental piece with a dancing beat called "Marácas de Fogo". The Water side opens with African-style chanting on "Louvação a Iemanjá" and continues with the psychedelic guitar improvisations of "Regato da Montanha". "Beira Mar" is an acoustic folk guitar interlude, followed by the joyous "Pedra Templo Animal" and instrumental coda "Trilha de Sumé part2". This album is a rare treat for the musically adventurous, but also has enough moments of pastoral beauty and exhilerated fun to hook in the casual listener. One can hardly believe that there are any "lost masterpieces" left in the world, but from time to time a record like "Paêbirú" emerges and proves us all wrong. Here's hoping there are more surprises like that to come...

***** for Bailado das Muscarias, Nas Paredes de Pedra Encantada

**** forTrilha de Sumé, Harpa Dos Ares, Omm, Raga Dos Raios, Marácas de Fogo, Louvação a Iemanjá, Regato da Montanha, Pedra Templo Animal

*** forCulto à Terra, Não Existe Molhado Igual Ao Pranto, Beira Mar, Trilha de Sumé part2

Harmonium "Si On Avait Besoin D'Une Cinquième Saison" 1975*****

Harmonium were a folk/prog band from Montreal, Canada. They wrote exclusively in French and supported Quebecois independence. 1975's "Si On Avait Besoin D'Une Cinquième Saison" ("If there was need for a 5th season") was their 2nd LP and it represented a huge leap forward from the acoustic folk of their debut. The sound is still acoustic and drumless, but incredibly rich, with flutes, accordion, pianos and mellotrons, vocal harmonies etc. The orchestration and the long and complex compositions push the album from folk to prog territory, despite the absense of the usual heaviness and grandiosity. Of course, the "4 seasons" concept has been done before (Vivaldi is more than a popular name for pizzerias, you know) but they give it a new twist: after presenting a song for each season, they top it off by adding "Histoires Sans Paroles", representing the hypothetical "fifth season" of the title. As for its musical worth, no reason to be coy: It's an album of sublime beauty, period. Some may find it a bit too pretty for its own sake, but that's their problem. "Vert" (spring) opens the album with a sweet flute melody and is, despite the instrumental flourishes, basically folk rock with airy vocal harmonies. "Dixie" is a playful ragtime jazz tune that will remind you of carefree summers and silent movies. It's followed by the 10-minute "Depuis L'Automne", a melancholic song with wonderful passages of classical guitar and Chopin-like piano. It's all given a lush symphonic feel by washes of floating mellotron. "En Pleine Face" (i.e. winter) is another broody piece which reminds me more of French chanson - maybe  it's the effect of accordion that closes the song creating a nostalgic effect. The last song in the 5-season cycle is a 17-minute suite called "Histoires Sans Paroles". As in classical music, this is comprised by five movements. The first "L'Isolement" is a charming flute-and-acoustic-guitar melody. It ends with majestic mellotron segueing into "L'Appel", dominated by electric piano and acoustic guitar. It made me think of Pink Floyd circa Atom Heart Mother, a feel that became even stronger with the shift to "La Rencontre" (the meeting) a psychedelic collage creating an uneasy feeling akin to walking through an enchanted fairytale forest. This is followed by new age symphony ("L'Union") with soaring mellotron, soothing beach sounds (wave and seagulls) and some of the most beautiful vocals you'll ever hear on an instrumental, courtesy of ms. Judi Richards. The last movement "Le Grand Bal" starts off like carousel music, and is slowly enriched with piano, reeds and mellotron playing a waltz-like tune to match that movement's title. Harmonium would go on to record a double studio album and a live one, before disbanding in '78. I have in my collection many albums I prefer to listen to (especially louder ones), but few can compare to this for sheer beauty. I can't understand why Harmonium are not mentioned in the same breath with Pink Floyd, Genesis and Yes. Their music is as accessible as any in prog, though I guess they lacked radio hits. "Dixie" was released as a single (maybe because of its short duration) and was a local hit, but it's atypical of the band's sound and not indicative of their capabilities. Oh well...

***** for Vert, Depuis L'Automne, Histoires Sans Paroles (HSP)1: L'Isolement, HSP4: L'Union 

**** for Dixie, En Pleine Face, HSP2: L'Appel, HSP5: Le Grand Bal

*** for HSP3: La Rencontre

Rush "A Farewell to Kings" 1977****

Rush are legendary. Some would stop here, others would add legendarily uncool. Received wisdom has it that Rush fans are immature man-children playing air guitar and drums while their virtuoso heroes play pompous solos. The comedy "I love you, man" illustrated that opinion pretty well. Women supposedly hate them. Rock critics certainly do, never more so than when "Farewell to Kings" came out  in 1977 - year 1 of the punk revolution. Which were the 7 deadly sins according to punks? Long hair? check! Long songs? check! Power trios? Guitar solos? check! Big-ole synthesizers? check! Concept records? Sci-fi lyrics? double check!! As history has taught us revolutionaries make the worst tyrants, so it took a long time for rock writers to free themselves from the punk orthodoxy and view bands like Rush without prejudice. At that point of their career, they were at their proggiest stage, having moved away from the simpler hard rock of their early records, but not yet embracing radio-friendly new wave as they would do later. "A Farewell To Kings" opens the album with some gentle classical guitar of the kind that can even mellow down a punk. Until, of course, Geddy Lee invades with his shrieking high voice - one of those that you either love or hate and most people usually hate. Regardless of the vocals, the song does evolve into a tremendous hard rocker, which later gives way to the 11-minute "Xanadu", an epic with many time changes and impressive playing, employing a number of additional instruments (synths, various bells and chimes etc). "Closer to the Heart" is relatively short and simple, a psychedelic rocker starting off as a ballad, that reminds me somewhat of The Who. A natural choice for the lead single and one of Rush's most popular songs. Second single "Cinderella Man" pales in comparison, although I quite like the bass lines in it. "Madrigal" is a short and pretty ballad that functions as an interlude to "Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage" - a 10-minute space rock epic recounting the tale of an explorer's spaceship getting sucked into a black hole. Those anxious to learn the astronaut's fate had to wait for Rush's next album which contained the sequel "Cygnus X-1 Book II:Hemispheres". Jeezus, they were asking for it with those hilariously pretentious and pompous titles - not to mention the idea of splitting songs between records! Musically "Cygnus X-1 Book I" is a complex composition split in 4 movements, featuring some nice Zeppelin-ish riffs and great drumming. Geddy Lee reaches some impossibly high notes, but otherwise it's a bit all over the place and not that memorable. Dedicated Rush fans and progheads are nevertheless going to like it, as it showcases the band's most typical qualities, both good and bad. In any case, as a whole it's a pretty good album and worth having. I've had an extensive 2CD Rush compilation for years and thought I had them figured, but it wasn't until I started getting their individual albums and listening to them as a whole that I really got it.

**** for A Farewell to Kings, Xanadu, Closer to the Heart

*** for Cinderella Man, Madrigal, Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage