Fifty Year Friday | zumpoems

Zumwalt Poems Online

Archive for the ‘Fifty Year Friday’ Category

Gentle Giant: Power and the Glory, Hawkwind, ELO; Fifty Year Friday: September 1974

Gentle Giant: Power and the Glory

In late 1973, I had purchased Gentle Giant’s Octopus based on falling in love with “Knots, the most stunningly unique track on a two LP sample set issued by Columbia in 1973 and included as one of several albums my sister purchased for a total of ninety-nine cents to start a membership in the Columbia record club. I had not yet heard of Gentle Giant’s import-only album, “In a Glass House” when I first spotted The Power and the Glory the week of its release at the record store near the college I was attending. Having bought their second and third albums, at this point, I was expecting something similar, and when I brought the album home and put it on, I was a bit mystified of how different it was stylistically than the previous Gentle Giant albums I had listened to.

I did not find it immediately appealing, and was a bit disappointed in the high occurrence of repetitive musical phrases and lack of imitative counterpoint and vocal acrobatics which had made me fall in love with “Knots”, and which gave me hope there might be one selection that would approach “Knots” in terms of inventiveness and artistry. Nonetheless, there was still something appealing about the music, and I played the album a second time the next day, finding that it was already growing on me. By the third or fourth listen, I was embracing this new stylistic direction, particularly enamored by the band’s clever use of repetition of strongly angular and syncopated musical phrases.

Musically, this is another masterwork by Gentle Giant. Besides the group’s deft handling of intriguing, atomic musical components (those concise, angular, cleverly repeated melodic phrases previously mentioned), there are moments of lyrical beauty enhancing and contrasting with the abundant rhythmic vitality . Gentle Giant again uses melodic diminution (repeated musical ideas that get shorter in time by dropping out notes and/or shortening the length of notes) in some of the melodic material in the first and last tracks, “Proclamation” and “Valedictory” with the relationship between these two pieces reminiscent of classical-era exposition, development and recapitulation. The remastered released of this album also contains the initially unreleased studio track “Power and the Glory” recorded as late as June 1974, two months before Richard Nixon resigned his presidency.

The Power and Glory album, itself, is a concept album around political power and its abuse, something quite topical for 1974 with the Watergate hearings having just wrapped up in June of 1974 six months after the recording of the album in later 1973 and January 1974 — and three months before the release of the album into record stores. Readers of this blog, all three of them, may recall that I rarely discuss lyrics, but the topicality of these lyrics are extremely relevant to today’s political chaos in the United States. Here are some excerpts.

(“Proclamation”: The equivocation of political yammering with content scarily reminiscent of recent political speech)

You may not have all you want or you need
all that you have has been due to my hand,
it can change, it can stay the same,
who can say, who can make their claim

The situation we are in at this time
neither a good one, nor is it so unblest
it can change, it can stay the same,
I can say, I can make my claim.

Hail … Hail … Hail

Unity’s strength and all must be as one,
confidence in you hope will reflect in me
I think everyone not as my nation for
you are my people and there must be no change
It can change, it can stay the same
I can say, I can make my claim

(“So Sincere”)

Hear, he’ll do it all for you, you will see it,
wise and knowing what to do, what to be
and every word is …

Lies, he only tells the truth, for he means it,
means, not anything he says, eyes unseen,
but everything is …

So sin–cere, so sin–cere, so sin–cere, so sin…
Yes, that is to say no, understanding
wrong, he makes his promise right, with your hand
you’ll never know why

… So, sincere his thoughts so full, always empty
Good, or maybe things are bad, so sincere,
and every word is …
So sin–cere, so …

(“Aspirations”)
As our faith, maybe aimless blind,
Hope our ideals and
Our thoughts are yours
And believing the promises,
Please make your claims
Really so sincere.

Be our guide, our light and our way of life
And let the world see the way we lead our way.
Hopes, dreams, hopes dreaming that all our
Sorrows gone.
In your hands, holding everyone’s
Future and fate
It is all in you,
Make us strong build our unity,
All men as one
It is all in you.

(“Playing the Game”)
… I can view the power of my position and my
eyes can see more than anyone in any place,
I’ll play the game and never ever lose.

I will steer the helm of all the nation
as the captain
take my rewards for all the good I’m doing now,
and no words that I’m the knave will alter my
philosophy for if any are heard, the games started
again I’ll never ever lose.

(“Cogs in Cogs”)

Empty promise broken the path has
Not been paved any way.
Cogs in cogs the machine
Is being left where it lay.
Anger and the rising murmur breaks
The old circle, the wheel slowly turns around.

All words saying nothing
The air is sour with discontent.
No returns have been tasted
Or are they ever sent.
Slowly burning is the fire, rising murmur breaks
The old circle, the wheel slowly turns around.

(“No God’s a Man”)

Now the words and claims are seen as always
The way they’ll always be, way they’ll always be
Truth is halfway true, the man is only a man
Who fails to know,
The people shouting for him have turned now
Telling him to go

(“The Face”)

Choose your way, realizing our mission,
Figures lay, pulling strings for position.
Take your bows, hear the people are calling.
Play the game, Take the blame as you’re falling.
Time to confess, clean up the mess,
Stand in the white, step in the light.

Use the time, show the face that is sorry…

(“Valedictory”)

And though the hard times,
Are really due to me, it is still in me,
To wave all this unrest.
Things must stay,
There must be no change,
Anyway, time to rearrange.

You must believe, that there’s
Been no betrayal all that I’ve done,
I’ve really done for you.

(“Power and the Glory”)

Run, run, the shotgun has got you in its range.
Turn, turn away, when it’s time to make a change.
Look where you’re going. try not to lose your way.
What good is knowing you have to go away?

Go, you make go, never know, never know.
Time’s run away, so have to go, have to go.
Put back the ace black, you never made it good.
Go while you can go. Go while the going’s good.

And the power and the glory is over, so I’ll take it.
The power and the glory is over, so I’ll make it.
The power and the glory is over, and I’ll break it.
The power and the glory is over….

Face up to reason, you know it’s up to you.
Do what you can do, all that you have to do.
Move over now, and I’ll try to take your place.
Time to remember that I have won the race.
Go, you make go, never know, never know.
Time’s run away, so have to go, have to go.
Pick up the pieces, to you I’ll have to stand.
Break up the power, the glory’s at the end.

And the power and the glory is over, so I’ll take it.
The power and the glory is over, so I’ll make it.
The power and the glory is over, and I’ll break it.
The power and the glory is over….

Track listing, Personnel and Charts from Wikipedia

Track listing

All tracks are written by Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, and Ray Shulman.

No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	“Proclamation”	D. Shulman (verses)Ensemble (interlude)	6:47
2.	“So Sincere”	Minnear (verses, chorus)D. Shulman (chorus)	3:51
3.	“Aspirations”	Minnear	4:40
4.	“Playing the Game”	D. Shulman (verses)Minnear (bridge)	6:46

No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
5.	“Cogs in Cogs”	D. Shulman	3:07
6.	“No God’s a Man”	Ensemble (verses)D. Shulman (chorus)	4:27
7.	“The Face”	D. Shulman	4:12
8.	“Valedictory”	D. Shulman (verses)Ensemble (interlude)	3:21

No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
9.	“Proclamation” (Live) (bonus track on 35th anniversary CD edition)		4:54
10.	“The Power and the Glory” (Single A-side; bonus track available on certain editions only)	D. Shulman	2:53

Personnel

Gentle Giant

Gary Green – electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), acoustic guitar (tracks 3, 4, 6), vocals (tracks 1, 6, 8)
Kerry Minnear – Hammond organ (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8), piano (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8), RMI Electra-Piano (1, 4), Fender Rhodes (1), Minimoog (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8), Clavinet (tracks 2, 4, 6, 7, 10), Wurlitzer (tracks 1, 3, 4), marimba (track 4), vibraphone (track 6), cello (track 2), lead vocals on tracks 2–4
Derek Shulman – lead vocals on tracks 1, 2 and 4–8, tenor saxophone (track 2)
Ray Shulman – bass guitar, violin (tracks 2, 4, 7), electric violin (track 7), acoustic guitar (track 6), vocals (tracks 1, 6, 8)
John Weathers – drums, tambourine (tracks 2, 5, 7), sleigh bells (track 6), cymbals (track 1), vocals (track 6)

Charts

Chart (1974–1975)	Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[12]	91
US Billboard 200^[13]	78

Chart (2014)	Peak position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[14]	79

If you have not heard this album, a youtube link is provided below.

Electric Light Orchestra: Eldorado

This is my favorite ELO album, of those I have heard — I admit I haven’t listened to some of their later albums. I love the orchestration, the overall cohesion of the album, and its simple, melodic appeal. I consider this such a nice combination of musical quality and musical accessibility, I purchased multiple copies of this to give to some of my piano-lesson pupils for Christmas of 1978.

Hawkwind: Hall of the Mountain Grill

Just a quick mention of Hawkwind’s fourth studio album, released on September 6, 1974, with its title an amalgamation of the title of the famous Grieg orchestral composition and the name of a local dining hangout frequented by Hawkwind and other musicians in West London — the Mountain Grill.

The album is mostly Hawkwind-style space rock, with “Web Weaver”, a track played often on one of my local FM radio deep-album cuts stations, the instrumental title track, and two live selections, “You’d Better Believe It” and “Paradox.”

Track listing and Personnel from Wikipedia

Track listing

All songs written by Dave Brock except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	“The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)”		6:50
2.	“Wind of Change”		5:08
3.	“D-Rider”	Nik Turner	6:14
4.	“Web Weaver”		3:15

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	“You’d Better Believe It” (live 26 Jan 1974 at Edmonton Sundown)		7:13
6.	“Hall of the Mountain Grill”	Simon House	2:24
7.	“Lost Johnny”	Ian Kilmister, Mick Farren	3:30
8.	“Goat Willow”	Del Dettmar	1:37
9.	“Paradox” (live 26 Jan 1974 at Edmonton Sundown)		5:35

No.	Title	Length
10.	“You’d Better Believe It” (Single Version Edit) (live 26 Jan 1974 at Edmonton Sundown)	3:22
11.	“The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)” (Single Version)	3:57
12.	“Paradox” (Remix Single Edit) (live 26 Jan 1974 at Edmonton Sundown)	4:04
13.	“It’s So Easy” (live 26 Jan 1974 at Edmonton Sundown)	5:20

Personnel

Hawkwind

Dave Brock – lead guitar, 12-string guitar, synthesizer, organ, harmonica, vocals
Nik Turner – saxophone, oboe, flute, vocals
Lemmy (Ian Kilmister) – bass, vocals, guitars
Simon House – synthesizer, Mellotron, violin
Simon King – drums, percussion
Del Dettmar – keyboards, synthesizer, kalimba

Dave Brock – lead guitar, 12-string guitar, synthesizer, organ, harmonica, vocals

Nik Turner – saxophone, oboe, flute, vocals

Lemmy (Ian Kilmister) – bass, vocals, guitars

Simon House – synthesizer, Mellotron, violin

Simon King – drums, percussion

For Must Listen To Gentle Giant and Prog Rock albums, please check out:
https://zumpoems.com/must-listen-to-music/

Quick Reference & Semantic Summary (Fifty Year Friday Archive)

Primary Subject: The Power and the Glory (1974 studio album by Gentle Giant).
Key Artist: Gentle Giant.
Primary Musical Genres: Progressive Rock and Avant-Prog.
Thematic & Historical Context: A concept album examining the acquisition, corruption, and abuse of political power. Recorded against the backdrop of the Watergate scandal (late 1973 to early 1974), the album’s lyrical themes regarding political equivocation and chaos remain highly relevant to modern politics.
Musical Architecture: Marks a stylistic shift for the band, moving away from imitative counterpoint toward rhythmically vital, angular, and highly syncopated repeated phrases. Highlights the band’s use of advanced compositional techniques, specifically melodic diminution, and classical-era structures (with “Proclamation” and “Valedictory” functioning as exposition and recapitulation).
Notable Tracks Discussed: “Proclamation”, “Valedictory”, the later-added studio track “The Power and the Glory”, and a retrospective reference to “Knots” (from their 1972 album Octopus).
Archival Context: Part of the Fifty Year Friday retrospective music review series.

Category:

Fifty Year Friday, Music, Progressive Rock

Tagged with:

Fifty Year Friday: July 1974

Stevie Wonder: Fulfillingness’ First Finale

Released on July 22, 1974, Stevie Wonders follows up the magnificent Innervisions album with another remarkable musical achievement. The album begins with the mellow, uplifting “Smile Please” which effectively sets the tone for the entire album. Each track could qualify as a highlight of the album, depending on one’s musical preferences. Of particular note are “Creepin”, a hauntingly beautiful song with a misty dreamlike quality and the always politically relevant (unfortunately) “You Haven’t Done Nothin’,” My favorite track is “They Won’t Go When I Go” which with its simple, solemn piano introduction, and profoundly compelling musical material. The album ends with the upbeat yet pleading “Please Don’t Go” with its effective gospel arrangement providing a solid finish to a very memorable album.

Robert Wyatt: Rock Bottom

Released on July 26, 1974, over a year after Robert Wyatt’s accidental fall from a fourth floor window that sadly left him paralyzed from the waist down, this is one of the most exceptional, individually idiosyncratic prog rock albums of the 1970s. It is clearly a work of love and dedication. Wyatt used material mostly written before the accident and singularly sculpted it into an unconventionally effective and rather original album. Wyatt excels at making quirky chord changes sound both natural and logical, and then he furthers elevates his material through highly interesting arrangements that profoundly enhance the musical material. Innovative and compelling, stimulating and emotionally engaging, the album fully delivers a challenging and rewarding listening experience.

Renaissance: Turn of the Cards

Category:

Fifty Year Friday, Progressive Rock, Rock

Tagged with:

Fifty Year Friday: June 1974

PFM: The World Became the World

Though the original Italian version of The World Became the World was released in March of 1974, the English version, recorded in the same sessions as the Italian version, we not released until June 1974. Though the original Italian works better with the music, the English version contains an additional track, an updated English version of the classic “Impressioni di Settembre”, and these English lyrics are all authored by Peter Sinfield, making this version essential. With bassist Patrick Djivas joining the group, the band continues to be in top form, creatively and technically, providing a range of moods, particularly excelling in the more melancholic, tender and introspective passages.

Le Orme: Contrappunti

Though some progressive rock groups have flirted with imitative counterpoint, and some, like ELP and Gentle Giant have pulled it off nicely, I know of no group that actually opens an album with a fugue-like subject. Though there is no fugue that follows, the minor-key melodic subject provides a very dramatic introduction to a strong, well executed album. As good as their previous album is, which is generally considered their best, this album, for me, is incredibly enjoyable with some beautiful, heartfelt, very Italian, ballad writing, some heavier, harder-edged material, and amazing instrumental performances by the band. Its myriad contrasts and diverse elements blend nicely into a comprehensive and very compelling album.

Cluster: Zuckerzeit

With this 1974 masterpiece, Zuckerzeit, Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius, the two musicians that comprise Cluster, break away from the less accessible, more “experimental” style of their two earlier albums, to provide shorter, more accessible, rhythmically precise, musically-narrative nuggets — sugary delicacies (Zuckerzeit means “sugar time”) that, though, dessert-like in nature, still have such substance that they significantly influence the direction of late seventies and early eighties popular music.

The album starts off with the most substantial piece of the set, Roedelius’s “Hollywood”, a work that slowly evolves over its framework of sequences and robotic rhythm. Within a short of four minutes and forty-eight seconds, Roedelius rewrites the history of electronic music, surpassing the previous impact and import of academically-approved giants like Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Schaeffer and Luciano Berio. Amazing works like “Caramel”, “Marizipan”, and “Rotor” follow, with each musician contributing five short pieces, composed and performed individually, finely crafted and polished, each with their own ethos, character and story to tell.

Besides having an impact on other German bands like Tangerine Dream and bands under the Brain music label, Brian Eno has cited Cluster as a major influence on his own work. In addition, though hard to gauge to what extent, the rhythmical-stubbornness prevalent in later music of the seventies and eighties as exhibited by bands like Stereolab (and perhaps even some albums of the nineties, like Biosphere’s Substrata and Air’s Moon Safari) can partly be attributed to Zuckerzeit‘s direct and indirect influences.

Edger Froese: Aqua

Edger Froese of Tangerine Dream releases his first solo album in June of 1974. Recorded around the time Tangerine Dream’s Phaedra was recorded, given the prominent role Froese had in the band, it is no surprise to find aesthetic and musical similarities between Aqua and Phaedra.

I just enjoy Aqua as a listening experience. With the exception of the last track, “Upland”, and the start of “NGC 891”, this is a great album to relax to, compatible with either active listening or as use as a soundtrack for reading or working. “NGC 891” is particularly notable as preview of the spacey. rhythmic-driven, slowly evolving music that will be a staple on upcoming Tangerine Dream albums.

Triumvirat: Illusions on a Double Dimple and Bebop Deluxe: Axe Victim

Both of these albums are often criticized for their relatively weak production quality and for being derivative — Illusions on a Double Dimple mimics actual basslines and ostinatos from ELP’s albums, and Axe Victim is highly influenced by David Bowie, and in particularly the Ziggy Stardust album. (Axe Victim’s includes a track about the band “Jet Silver and the Dolls of Venus” which clearly invokes the Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

But neither of these albums should be dismissed for being heavily influenced by talent at the level of David Bowie and ELP. Illusions on a Double Dimple lacks the coherence and purpose of Triumvirat’s later third album, Spartacus, but the musicianship and music is still highly enjoyable with “Mister Ten Percent” being the strongest of the two long tracks of the album. Axe Victim, though derivative and lacking in consistency, has some excellent music composed from the exceptionally talented Bill Nelson, whose guitar work rivals, if not surpasses Bowie’s bandmate Mick Ronson, at least in terms of technique and innovation. Nelson also is a capable lyricist. Nelson’s vocals fall short of Bowie’s more dramatic and compelling delivery, effectively shortchanging the potential of his own material. One could consider that if Bowie had sung and produced these songs, this would be an album of much higher merit, however, the album still has much to offer, much more than implied by the two out of five stars given it in allmusic.com, and is, compositionally, one of the better glam rock albums of 1974.

For Must Listen To Gentle Giant and Prog Rock albums, please check out:
https://zumpoems.com/must-listen-to-music/

Category:

Fifty Year Friday, Progressive Rock, Rock

Tagged with:

Fifty Year Friday: May 1974

David Bowie: Diamond Dogs

Released on May 24, 1974, Diamond Dogs is a further testament to Bowie’s ability to evolve his musical vocabulary and associated lyrics to stay on the leading edge of rock music relevancy. The album is generally darker and more detached than Aladdin Sane, more dramatic and gritty, providing a new urban-influenced glam that effectively provides a novel combination of alienation, bleakness and soulfulness. Two particularly notable tracks include “1984”, one of several of the songs redeployed from Bowie’s earlier effort at crafting a musical from Orwell’s 1984, and the incessantly inescapable 4/4, punk-influenced (and punk influencing) “Rebel, Rebel.”

Sparks: Kimono My House

Released on May 1, 1974, with the album title slyly referencing the David Seville/William Saroyan song, “Come On a My House”, Kimona My House is one of the great art-rock classics of the 1970s successfully blending glam and baroque-like progressive rock elements together to create a unique and impressive work. The music is quirky but easily accessible, and the combination of Russel Mael’s upper range vocals, and Ron Mael’s innovative composition, lyrics and arrangements bring this to the level approaching Queen’s upcoming albums (Killer Queen and Night and the Opera.) This is the Sparks first big success, but with the passage of time has not been given the weight it deserves in the canon of rock classics despite being one of those rare albums that transcends all stylistic and genre categories, while also being one of the most enjoyable works of its time. If you haven’t yet give this a listen, you will be in for a treat once you do!

Slapp Happy: Slapp Happy (aka Casablanca Moon)

Released in May of 1974, with this, their second album, the trio of Dagmar Krause, Peter Blegvad and Anthony Moore decide to seriously apply their talents to commercial music, and come up with an album both musically and lyrically impressive. The album was first recorded, with members of Faust adding bass, drums, and sax, for Polydor which rejected it, and then later re-recorded with Virgin records with new arrangements by Roger Wootton (of prog-folk band Comus) effectively using violin, trumpet, and saxophone (Geoff Leigh of Henry Cow) to further distinguish the original compositions. The original Polydor recording was rereleased in 1980, titled Noom Acnalbasac and the Virgin rendition is not only more interesting but much more effectively deploys Dagmar’s exquisite vocals, showcasing them in such a way that anticipates the female vocalists of some of the new wave bands. It’s worthwhile to have both albums to compare the two versions — both instructive and enjoyable!

Henry Cow: Unrest

Released May 27, 1974, Unrest is one of the finest examples of “avant-garde” progressive rock of the mid-seventies. The first side starts with a short angular, motivic instrumental from Fred Frith, “Bittern Storm Over Ulm”, cubistically based, so to speak, on the Yardbird’s “Got to Hurry,” showcasing Frith’s precision guitar work, followed by two miniature masterpieces, John Greaves’ “Half Asleep; Half Awake” with prepared piano, and Frith’s “Ruins” which rhythmically leverages the Fibonacci series, ala Béla Bartók, and takes advantage of multi-tracking editing with slowed down and sped up instrumental parts.

The introspective “Solemn Music” opens side two, followed by a little over 15 minutes of four tracks of highly creative, mostly improvised studio work that includes some tape manipulation, direct use of piano strings on “Arcades,” and some remarkable bassoon and oboe contributions from Lindsay Cooper. All in all, a fine album that significantly outshines most of the music produced in academic avante-garde circles at that time.

Rick Wakeman: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Recorded in January of 1974 and released on May 3, 1974, Rick Wakeman’s Journey to the Center of Earth is a musical retelling of Jules Verne’s classic story of three explorers’ journey into a forgotten subterranean world that included ancient humanoids and sea creatures. Wakeman engages the London Symphony Orchestra, the recently formed English Chamber Choir , a narrator, and a few bandmates to realize the forty-minute, single LP work. There are many fine moments due to Wakeman’s effectiveness at creating dramatic musical episodes — and also notable is the choir’s contributions to the battle between the prehistoric sea creatures, reminiscent of similar passages in 18th and early 19th century classical choral works.

If the whole effort doesn’t quite come together, that is remedied with Wakeman’s 2012 re-recording of the work which engages an additional vocalist who shares duties with the original, weaker vocalist from the original album. The newer 2012 recording includes additional material, but is most notable for its superior production, sound, and overall impact.

Category:

Fifty Year Friday, Glam Rock, Progressive Rock

Tagged with:

Fifty Year Friday: April 1974

Caravan: Caravan & The New Symphonia

Recorded Live at the Drury Lane Royal Theater on October 28, 1973 and released on April 19, 1974, this live album presented a mix of new material and a composition from their 1970 album and their 1972 Waterloo Lily album arranged and performed with a decently sized orchestra conducted by Martyn Ford. The recording quality is good for that era, and the combined effort between the band and the orchestra works well, providing a new dimension to previous studio work. Fortunately, there is a re-issue of this album that adds additional tracks including a preliminary set without the orchestra of three compositions from their previous album, For Girls That Go Plump in the Night as well as arranging the tracks in the original order from the concert. This reissue also provides an exciting encore with the orchestra: a energetic, well-performed rendition of their instrumental “A Hunting We Should Go” from their previous album. Overall, this live album is a real joy to listen with the orchestra enhancing the colorful nature of Pye Hastings compositions and Caravan’s arrangements.

Arti e Mastieri: Tilt (Immagini per un orecchio)

Released in April of 1974, Arti e Mastieri (Arts and Crafts) debut album was indeed “Images for the Ear!” Each composition has its own character and musical path. The album starts off strongly with “Gravità 9,81” which includes sax, mellotron, clarinet and violin, followed by “Strips” with comforting vocals somewhat similar to PFM. The third track, the short energetic “Corrosione,” flows seamlessly into one of my favorite tracks on the album “Positivo/Negativo”, which includes violin, vibes, violin and particularly propulsive percussion from their very talented drummer, Furio Chirico (love that name!) “In Cammino” provides a welcome contrast with its initial mood, and develops into a strong rock fusion piece by its conclusion. This is followed by the brief, beautiful, initially contemplative “Farenheit” which, even within its short timespan of seventy-five seconds, evolves and develops effectively. The most notable piece on the album, is the lengthiest — the dramatic “Articolazioni” — a true prog-rock masterpiece, seemingly greater in both length and scope that its actually timing of “13:24” would indicate. The album ends with the anomalous title track, “Tilt”, which, though interesting and well-done, stands out from the rest of the album, perhaps only to signal an end to the album rather than devised to fit in with the mood of the previous tracks. All and all, an amazing album. Though this is the debut album, it is evident that these are experienced and very knowledgeable musicians, who clearly achieved what they set out to do, and in the process delivered one of the great Italian Progressive Rock albums of all time. Those seeking this out should go with the CD reissue which provides superior sound to the original LP.

Focus: Hamburger Concerto

Released in April 1974, Focus’s fourth studio album is my personal favorite of the Focus studio albums I am familiar with. The first side starts out with Jan Akkerman’s arrangement of a composition from late renaissance lutenist and lute composer Joachim van den Hove, and is followed by catchy Thijs van Leer composition “Harem Scarem.” The third track is the impressively-wrought “La Cathédrale de Strasbourg” with its strong dramatic first theme and its effective use of pipe organ and acoustic piano, vocals, and contrasting jazz theme. Akkerman’s “Birth”, which ends side one, opens up with harpsichord introducing the theme which is then referenced in the main progressive rock section with Akkerman’s guitar work and van Leer extensively on flute. Quite memorable.

The second side of the album is devoted to Akkerman’s “Hamburger Concerto” which is inspired and based on Brahm’s Variations on a Theme By Haydn, and which effectively becomes a progressive rock theme and variations. The Haydn theme opens up the work with van Leer on organ, Allen on timpani and drums and Akkerman providing a short counter theme on guitar with a third theme introduced on Hammond organ. In general, the Haydn theme provides the thematic foundation but the creativity of Leer and Akkerman (including the incorporation of other themes including a Dutch Christmas Carol) and Van Leers yodel-like vocals (a la their big hit “Hocus Pocus”) take this beyond a straightforward theme and variations exercise with the work effectively and interestingly ranging in moods and blending various musical influences into a cohesive experience making this the highlight of a rather remarkable album by this talented Dutch progressive rock group.

Gryphon: Midnight Mushrumps

Released in April of 1974, Gryphon’s second album merges their medieval and renaissance influences with a modern progressive rock sound, placing them closer to the progressive rock mainstream of 1974. The first track, for example, is a single side composition, the title track of the album, one that pushes them beyond the constraints and expectations governed by shorter pieces. Fortunately, the band handles this nicely, with an surprisingly extensive nine-minute, introduction that effective sets up the main section of the work for the final ten minutes. The second side has shorter pieces, including the notable episodic “Dubbel Dutch” which skips through a range of styles appropriately analogous to the work’s title. The final track, “Ethelion”, takes the elements of an early renaissance dance composition and envelops them into an exhilarating, rhythmically displaced, complex metrical arrangement that transitions to a simpler, emphatically repetitive section that brings the album to a satisfying close.

The Residents: Meet the Residents

This neo-Dadaist musical work was released to minimal fanfare and meager record sales, timed fittingly for April fool’s day, 1974. This is clearly either a labor of love or an extreme instance of obsessive chaotic, disruptive agitation. Either way, it distinguishes itself from the established rock-world non-conformists of the day (Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart) with its distinctness and eccentricities. Overall the effort is noteworthy for its consistent inconsistency, eclecticism and its overall artistic identity. One particularly noteworthy track is “Rest Aria” which combines a simple beautiful folk-pop melody, 1960s classical minimalism, and a bizarre, westernized deconstruction of Indonesian Gamelan music into a truly effective and interesting result. If you don’t know the Residents, this first album is a great place to start your entry, or attempt at entry, into their world.

Category:

Album review, Fifty Year Friday, Folk Rock, Fusion Jazz, Progressive Rock, Rock

Tagged with:

Fifty Year Friday: March 1974

King Crimson: Starless and Bible Black

Released March 1974, Starless and Bible Black drifts further into free improvisation than previous albums, successfully showcasing both the virtuosic skills of the band, particularly those of Robert Fripp, as well as the band’s other-worldly improvisational skills. The first two tracks provide enough accessible progressive rock to make the album an absolute must for the prog-rock fan, and the rest of the album mixes studio and live material to present a less accessible, but highly impactful musical experience. Particularly noteworthy is the live track “Trio”, an improvisation that the always amazing Bill Bruford wisely allows the rest of the band to develop and finish without forcing his own entrance, fully sensitive to the mood and the masterpiece being created. The gem of this collection is “Fracture”, worthy of lengthy musical analysis far beyond my capabilities. It’s intricacy and irregular rhythmic and structural aspects makes this a particularly challenging composition to perform, but the band is unfazed and undaunted, and not only succeeds technically but fully imbues it with the necessary emotion and expression to make this one of the most meaningful listening experiences in the King Crimson catalogue.

Camel: Mirage

Ethereal and wistful, Camel’s Mirage was released in March of 1974, first with the album cover showed above, and then with replaced (as demanded by the Camel cigarette company) with an alternative cover. Andrew Latimer (guitar, flute, vocals) and Peter Bardens (keyboards, vocals) produce a set of compositions that blend together seamlessly creating a distinctive lush and compelling sound experience.
“Supertwister” is the most dynamic and energetic track of the album, a short instrumental that marks off many traditional prog-rock check-boxes with the rest of the album being more introverted and contemplative.

Queen: Queen II

Queen’s second album, released on March 8, 1974, gives us a much more ambitious and artistic effort than the previous, making this their first must-have albums. The production is more polished and the group clearly invested substantial hours in the studio capturing the perfected harmonies and instrumental layering. Side one is mostly Brian May’s compositions, with one work by Roger Taylor, showing off Queen’s own brand of hard rock, while side two, is completely dedicated to Freddie Mercury’s fantastical compositions, with their abrupt musical shifts and endless harmonic energy. Drama and musical theater abound, particularly on the second side, and the musical diversity and level of instrumental excellence have made this an album that never wears out its welcome in the listening room.

Kansas: Kansas

Kansas released their first album on March 8, 1974, with six musicians from the American Midwest — five of the six born in Kansas or Missouri. The album is particularly American in sound, with hints of boogie rock, country, folk-rock and similar American Rock styles. Notably different than other American Midwest and Southern Rock groups is their facile integration of contemporary prog-rock elements, some of which are very similar to Genesis and Gentle Giant material, though not in the least derivative or perceivably mimicked. Particularly notable is the work of Kerry Livgren on synthesizer and the contributions of violinist Robby Steinhardt. One of the finest debut albums of 1974.

Weather Report: Mysterious Traveller

Weather Report begins to unleash is full range of jazz-fusion capabilities with the release of their fourth studio album on March 24, 1974, climbing to number 2 on the US Jazz Charts, as high as 46 on the US Pop album charts, and up to 31 on the US R&B charts. Additional funk and world music influences are incorporated, possibly leading to creative differences with legendary Miroslav Vitouš, who makes this his last recording with the group, appearing on two of the eight tracks on acoustic bass, replaced by bass guitarist, Alphonso Johnson on the other six tracks.

The album is inventive, innovative and filled to the brim with interesting improvisation — fusing jazz, world music, including Latin influences, funk, rock, and hints of classical. Album not only showcases the creativity and imaginative brilliance of Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter, but includes memorable contributions from everyone involved included several guest musicians on percussion instruments, ocarina and woodwinds (on “J0ungle Book”) and vocals (“Nubian Sundance.”)

For Must Listen To Gentle Giant and Prog Rock albums, please check out:
https://zumpoems.com/must-listen-to-music/

Category:

Album review, Fifty Year Friday, Fusion Jazz, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, jazz, Progressive Rock, Rock

Tagged with:

Peter Hammill, Todd Rundgren, Steely Dan; Fifty Year Friday: February 1974

Peter Hammill: The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage

Released in early February of 1974, even though there is ample participation by fellow Van Der Graaf band mates, this is clearly a personal, Peter Hammill solo effort. From the start Hammill dives inward stirring up and capturing a range of emotional turbulence.

The album opens with the metrical tempestuous “Modern,” and ends with one of Hammill’s greatest classics, the deeply emotional “A Louse Is Not a Home.” Hammill often performed these two songs along with “The Lie (Bernini’s Saint Theresa)”, also on this album, in the 1970s on solo tours in small venues, injecting every ounce of energy into his dramatic renditions.

Generally the featured instrument is Hammill’s expressive vocals appropriately supported by piano, mellotron, acoustic and electric guitar with additional support from the VDGG band members with Spirit’s Randy California on lead guitar on one track. The production emphasizes a sense of intimacy which underscores the uncompromising, unsuppressed intimacy, immediacy, and intensity which makes this album so remarkable.

Todd Rundgren: Todd

Todd Rundgren’s eponymous double album, released in February 1974, proclaims energetically, or rather electronically, that Mr. Rundgren is a master composer and arranger, delighting us with a wide array of electronic timbres and effects. Yes, we still have beautiful Rundgren ballads, such as “I Think You Know” and “A Dream Goes On Forever” included amidst all the voltaic dazzle, but the main attractions are Rundgren’s summoning of artfully deployed electronic-generated special effects, his command of various studio production techniques, and his venturing into more challenging musical compositions, like the metrically unbalanced “Drunken Blue Rooster”, the whimsical “An Elpee Worth of Tunes”, and ” the snide, unbridled ”Heavy Metal Kids.” Altogether, this is a extremely enjoyable, adventurous yet cohesive work that some may chose to classify as prog-rock, yet clearly stands separate from anything previously released commercially. This no doubt contributed to it going over the head of just about every major rock critic that reviewed the album in 1974 but also contributes to this being one of the most notable albums from 1974.

Steely Dan: Pretzel Logic

This is just one of those classic rock albums. Released on February 20, 1974, there really isn’t any single track that is at the level of “King of the World” from their previous album, but just about every track here is very close to that level of excellence. They group seems to have intentionally kept each song to AM airplay length — this means that jazz influence is more densely embedded in the tracks, but still handled very artfully and tastefully, retaining the classic Steely Dan sound.

Brian Eno: Here Comes the Warm Jets

Brian Eno’s debut solo album, Here Comes the Warm Jets, released on February 8, 1973, is a unconventional rich tapestry of accessible pop (think Sid Barrett) set into ingenious contexts. Truly delightful, this album showcases Eno’s unconventional brand of creativity.

Tangerine Dream: Phaedra

Released on the 20th of February 1974, this engaging album overtakes Harmonia’s Musik Von Harmonia, released the previous month, in the race for approaching the fully mature sequence-driven, repetitive, German Prog Rock that would soon become so prevalent. The music truly pulls the listener out of their current environment and into another universe — a universe where sound is not differentiated from sensation, imagery, or existence.

Chase: Pure Music

After a very successful first album, and a weaker second album, it seems Bill Chase finally figured out the best direction to go in — emphasizing a more jazz-based brand of jazz rock, with mainly instrumental material. Every track works nicely, but alas, this would be Chase’s last album due to the crash of the twin-engine charted plane flight to his scheduled performance at the Jackson County Fair. Also lost to us all was drummer Walter Clark, guitarist John Emma, and the especially talented Wallace “Wally” Yohn, who provides some excellent keyboard contributions to this last Chase album.

Chase brings some of his Stan Kenton, Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson experiences into the music on this album, elevating the content with more sophisticated arrangements and showcasing his personal solo skills at their very best. While Chicago, Lighthouse, If, and Blood, Sweat and Tears, best work was now in the past (by February 1974) is appears that Chase’s best work was tantalizingly close but, unfortunately, for all of us, never captured.

Mick Ronson: Slaughter on 10th Avenue

Released in February 1974, this is about as close to a David Bowie album as one can find which doesn’t have David Bowie involved in singing, performing or producing. We do have another member of Ziggy’s Spider From Mars band, Trevor Bolder on bass, trumpet and trombone, and we have Mike Garson on keyboards (notable especially for his piano contribution on Aladdin Sane) — and we also have two original songs by Bowie, ”Growing Up and I’m Fine” and “Hey Ma, Get Papa.” Ronson’s vocals are second best to Bowie, but good enough to carry the album off nicely. Truly a recommended record for any Bowie fan.

Category:

Fifty Year Friday, Fusion Jazz, Jazz Rock, Music, Progressive Rock, Rock

Tagged with:

Fifty Year Friday: January 1974

Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark

1974 started with the release of one of the finest singer/songwriter albums of the 1970s, Joni Mitchell’s melodically and harmonically sophisticated, partly jazz-influenced, Court and Spark, an album that ended up in the record collection of most of the young ladies I knew in the 1970s, and deservedly so. As a music lover, it is the quality and distinctiveness of her music that wins me over, and how her music not only supports her nicely crafted set of meaningful lyrics but weaves and seeps into their essence. Ensuring that Mitchell’s vision is fully and artfully realized, and is a masterfully finished product, Tom Scott provides beautiful, engaging orchestral arrangements for some of the tracks and he and other musicians provide remarkable complementary contributions to fully complete Mitchell’s masterpiece. Every track Joni Mitchell has composed is a classic, and she ends the album with “Twisted”, AnnieRoss’s (of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross) clever overlaying of lyrics to Wardell’s Gray’s November 1949 recording of his instrumental composition “Twisted” with its masterful tenor saxophone solo, an appropriate way to end an album which owes part of its magic to Mitchell’s adept incorporation of jazz influences.

Harmonia: Musik von Harmonia

Released in January 1974, Harmonia’s debut album, “Musik von Harmonia” is, in my mind, the debut of German electronic cosmic space music. Many albums released before this have been classified into that umbrella term “Krautrock”, but for that specific flavor of German repetitive, sequence-driven, minimalist-inspired, partly ambient, but mostly hypnotic music that Tangerine Dream perfected and first showcased in their February 1974 release, Phaedra, and which Kraftwerk would popularize later in 1974 with their relatively more pop-oriented Autobahn album, it is this album that provided the prog world its first taste — the amuse-bouche for what is to shortly follow.

Musik von Harmonia is a collaborative masterpiece, uniting the talents of Michael Rother, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, and Dieter Moebius, all of whom were already renowned for their contributions to the German/Swiss avant-garde “rock” music scene. Together, they craft an auditory experience that well exceeds the existing conventional boundaries and expectations of pop music or of the contemporary progressive rock of the time. It works wonderfully as ambient, background music to read or do repetitive tasks during its forty-two minutes of mechanical-like mysteriousness, but it is even better for concentrated listening, as one allows oneself to get pulled into the funneling, black-hole sonics of this trio’s relentless and imaginative industrial-electronic soundscape.

Carly Simon: Hotcakes; Graham Nash: Wild Tales

Released in January 1974, both these albums deserve mention for how they are successfully stamped with the creative musical style of their respective artists. My favorite track on Hotcakes is “Haven’t Got Time for the Pain” written while Simon was with child. While there is no one track that stands out on the Nash album, it bubbles with his captivating, pop-flavored, often country-music tinged musical style. As a bonus we have appearances by David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, David Mason and a hint of Joni Mitchell’s vocals.

Category:

Album review, Fifty Year Friday, Rock

Tagged with:

Yes, Joe Pass, Gong: Fifty Year Friday: December 1973

Yes: Tales From Topographic Oceans

Released on December 7, 1973, Yes’s sixth studio album, is a double LP set containing a single work composed of four sections inspired by a footnote in Paramahansa Yogananda‘s autobiography which discusses the classification content of Hindi scriptural writings into four categories of shastras: śruti, smriti, puranas, and tantras — or four bodies of knowledge. The album devotes a whole side of each LP to four concepts: 1) The knowledge of God and available truth, 2) Our comprehensive memories, feelings and thoughts — the Topographic Oceans of awareness and being, 3) Ancient, lost knowledge and culture, and 4) The Ritual of Life. The lyrics of the album, perhaps are worthy of study or further understanding, but I accept the words as being beyond my initial or even my likely eventual comprehension, and I am content to value them for their sound characteristics and overall contributions to the musical whole of the album.

That musical whole, is more arguably worthy of study, and provides a wealth of pure auditory enjoyment, and even though there is a fair share of meandering and excessive repetition, and though Bill Bruford has left to join KingCrimson, and Rick Whiteman, contributing to his final Yes album, has less of a compositional and performing role than ideal, there is much to like in the many individual musical episodes and the overall impact of the work. Howe’s guitar work is exceptional, and Wakeman, Alan White and Chris Squire provide an exceptional musical foundation for this immense, though somewhat imbalanced and imperfect, ambitious effort. The production quality is amazing, another fine effort by Eddy Offord, and the sonic brilliancy of the album is a major component of its enduring appeal.

Joe Pass: Virtuoso

Recorded in August of 1973 and released December of that year, Joe Pass’s Virtuoso is one of the best musical treatises on the electric guitar. Pass performs without any supporting musicians, deftly executing one jazz standard after another — as well as performing one original work as if exquisitely improvised on the spot. Providing intimacy and depth for each solo, Pass’s overall musical and technical approach set him apart from even his most notable contemporaries Most importantly, each track is similar to a short story or multi-page poem, with a distinct narrative identity and all the elements that make up a good theatrical piece. Pass’s handling of time is particularly remarkable as he goes beyond the use of traditional rubato into the realms of an elastic stretching of the tempo and beat, further contributing to the sense of someone spinning a good folktale or an off-the-cuff story. For example, on “My Old Flame” it is as if Pass is reflecting leisurely, over shared afternoon coffee or tea, on a past relationship — and ultimately going beyond simple musings by delivering a clear sense of some unspoken message or moral. The recording is amazing, allowing clarity of each individual note and the accompanying acoustics of the guitar and room to be radiantly presented. A must album for anyone that has even a borderline fondness for guitar.

Gong: Angels Egg

Released in early December of 1973, Angels Egg (no apostrophe in the title) is Gong’s fourth studio album and the second in the Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy, continuing the narrative of the earlier Flying Teapot and adventuring into even greater musical exploration, spiced with an appealing (French and British mix of) whimsy and eccentricity. The album is cosmic and sometimes just plain fun, and shifts moods (as well as rhythms and textures) wildly, unpredictably, yet sensibly and coherently, covering the mundane and the galactic, the profound and the profane, and all with elite, unique musicianship.

Category:

Album review, Fifty Year Friday, jazz, Progressive Rock, Rock

Tagged with:

Fifty Year Friday: November 1973

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-7.png

Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery

ELP’s fourth studio album, Brain Salad Surgery, first printing released on November 19, 1973, is the most ambitious of all the ELP albums, and a classic of progressive rock music, providing both moments of dark seriousness, and lighthearted diversion.

ELP’s powerful and dramatic arrangement of Sir Hubert Parry’s “Jerusalem” hymn has a dual function. The first is as an formal opening for the album as a musical event, just as “Jerusalem” might open up a BBC Proms concert at the Royal Albert Hall, or be sung prior to the commencement of the Commonwealth Games or an important soccer match. The second function is to set the musical tone for the album: dense, dark, mysterious, martial and empirical.

This is followed by an amped-up arrangement of the main theme from the presto finale of Alberto Ginastera’s first piano concerto. That arrangement brings out the most thunderous and relentless aspects of the original work. The middle section of original material features an extended drum solo from Carl Palmer on both traditional percussion and a set of percussion synthesizers, which along with additional material provided by Emerson provides a ingeniously compatible “B” section for the piece with the original theme returning to appropriately conclude the work. Worth referencing here is a passage about this track from Mark Powell’s accompanying booklet in the 2008 Sanctuary Records release of the CD:
Soon after the adaptation (of Ginastera’s music) was committed to tape in September, the group became aware that they did not have the rights to release this music. Emerson contacted Ginastera’s publishers who responded that the composer would not allow any adaptation of his works, but they advised him to talk to him personally. So Emerson flew to Geneva to discuss the issue with Ginastera himself. Once Ginastera heard the new arrangement, he gave the authorization to use his piece. To quote Emerson: “He played our recording of “Toccata” on a tape recorder. After a few bars he stopped the tape … and exclaimed ‘Diabolic!’ I thought he said ‘diabolical’ and expected him to show us the door. He had been listening to the tape in mono and our recording was in stereo. I jumped up and switched the machine to stereo hoping he would listen again. It transpired that he wasn’t concerned about that at all. He listened again and declared ‘Terrible!’ which actually was a compliment. ‘You’ve captured the essence of my music like no one else has before’, the great maestro said.”

Greg Lake’s intimately delicate “Still… You Turn Me On” followed by the wildly humorous “Benny the Bouncer” with lyrics provided by Pete Sinfield (lyricist for that legendary first King Crimson album.) provides a sharp relief to the rest of the album and prepares the listener for the musical onslaught to follow. Notable is Emerson’s barroom piano style that adds further lightheartedness and musical interest to “Benny the Bouncer.”

Now the entryway has been opened to the main event: Karn Evil 9 — the title bringing to mind an evil carnival Karn Evil 9 is composed of three sections — the first, second and third “impression” — each symphonic in nature, and though each having its own thematic material, convincingly coalescing into one of the most impressive works in the progressive rock literature.

Karn Evil 9: First Impression brims over with a wealth of music material and alternates vocal sections with remarkable instrumental diversions. There are few if any cases in progressive rock where repeated material holds up so effectively, and part of this is because the group has advantageously leveraged the classical-music theme and variations concept so that verses have varied instrumental support, and part of it is just due to the strength and infectiousness of the thematic material.

The second impression is mostly in acoustic piano trio format, including further display of synthesized percussion nicely support by Emerson on piano and a brief suspenseful middle section that then explodes into unbridled energy with Emerson’s keyboard skills fully on display. Of course, Palmer’s precision percussion work contributes to overall excitement.

The third impression opens with synthesizer fanfare, and the music, in march time, has clear militaristic overtones. Sinfield has again provided lyrics and the sci-fi content is even more topical today with the advanced made in Artificial Intelligence. The unrestrained delivery of the lyrics by Lake, the military Moog fanfares from Emerson, and the relentless percussion contributions from Palmer all over the inexhaustible 2/4 march meter propels us forward into a epic-level instrumental section. The vocals return for the climatic finale with its dramatic end. As a final exclamation point, we get an accelerating, synthesized looped-motif that, on a properly set up audio system, images death-spirals around one’s head.

Back in the last few weeks of 1973, and in the two live concerts I attended in 1974, I found this music exhilarating, impressive, immersive, and magnificent. The same holds today, fifty years later, with the passage of time providing one important alteration to such a summation — the music is also timeless.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 61QBc9O4KbL.jpg

Greenslade: Bedside Manners are Extra

Greenslade’s second album, though not particularly cohesive as a whole, contains much to engage and nourish the listener. Underrated, both as a group and as individuals, the level of musicianship here is worth remarking on. Dave Greenslade is an accomplished keyboardist and as a composer would later be in high demand for his knack at writing short instrumentals appropriate as themes for television shows. Doug Larson had a unique, emotionally impactful vocal style, a gift at writing subtly ironic lyrics, and excellent keyboard skills, particularly with electronic synthesizers (he plays the Arp 2600 in the memorable Star Wars Tatooine cantina scene.) Tony Reeves had a jazz background and provided unusually interesting bass work with the group. Andrew McCulloch, played on King Crimson’s second album, and was notably referred to in The Guardian as being one of the most skillful and inventive drummers working anywhere in the jazz or rock spectrum.

The album contains three instrumental pieces, all good, but the highlight are the three vocal works, all of which address the subject in the second person. The title track, is a wistful farewell to the narrator’s current love who will soon be separated from him by being sent off to a distant school, with a particularly poignant ending. The other two songs has the singer intimately yet critically addressing the subject with enough of a cynical tone so that the commentary reflects negatively on the character of the speaker, himself, adding a dimension of irony. The music ably supports the qualities of the lyrics, with notable instrumental passages, making these three vocal works particularly memorable.

Le Orme: Felona e Sorona

Le Orme’s fourth studio release serves as a textbook example of Italian symphonic prog-rock. The album takes the form of a concept album revolving around two interdependent neighboring planets: Felona, a prosperous and idyllic world, and Sorona, a blighted and hopeless realm in decline. The interconnected destinies of these planets become evident near the album’s conclusion when attention shifts to the restoration of Sorona, yielding unforeseen and seemingly unavoidable consequences for the state of Felona.

This allegory of the risks of shifting the focus and care of one undertaking to another and the consequences of such a shift is musically narrated in the band’s native language, Italian, perfect for the associated music created for this concept album. As non-English lyrics were a commercial hurdle for European bands, effectively limiting exposure in American and European markets, an English language version of the album, authored by Van Der Graaf Generator’s Peter Hammill was recorded and released by 1974. The new version, though nicely done, has the drawback of altering the details of the original story, though still true to the allegorical message. More importantly, the use of English-language lyrics, does not provide the same musical compatibility with the original material as Italian. Think La Bohème in English or the English version of PFM’s “É Festa” — just not a good match.

The album sound is pretty good for 1973 — the overall production quality enhances the sonic depth, allowing each instrument to properly contribute to the overall soundscape. Though this trio’s makeup of keyboard extraordinaire (Tony Pagliuca), bassist/guitarist responsible for vocals (Aldo Tagliapietra) and skilled percussionist (Michi Dei Rossi) matches that of the German prog-rock group Triumvirat and the better known Emerson, Lake and Palmer, the music is quite different. Yes, the musical arrangements are intricate, there is the artful and judicious deployment of multiple time signatures, and the musical diversity is remarkable, yet the overall sound is more symphonic with less of the trio-based intimacy of the other two groups. The work is polished, logical, and above all, a joy to listen to, rivaling other prog rock music of its time.

Roxy Music: Stranded

Roxy Music’s “Stranded” is a tasteful testament to the band’s art rock ingenuity, offering a lush and immersive experience that adroitly exposes layers of accessible melodic and harmonic material, a range of rhythmic content, a spectrum of suave musical sophistication and even a touch of avant-garde sensibilities. Released sometime in November 1973, this album marks a pivotal shift in the band’s sound with the inclusion of Eddie Jobson, whose contributions add an additional sonic dimension to the overall effort. Historically, this is an important album with influences on later glam, new wave, synth-pop, alternative and indie rock, as well as (even in Brian Eno’s absence) ambient and electronic pop music.

Ange: Le Cimetière Des Arlequins

Ange’s second album, though not as varied and musically complex as their first, has a greater sense of cohesiveness and unity. The lyrics are exceedingly challenging for non-French speakers, but the music is readily accessible and provides an overall musical continuity and art rock sensibility, similar to Roxy Music’s Stranded, even though the styles are very different.

Keith Jarrett: Solo Concerts Bremen/Lausanne

I purchased this three LP set, released in November 1973 at the end of December using some of the Christmas money I had received. I eagerly looked forward to listening to over a couple of hours worth of solo piano. However, there was significant surface noise on the LPs which was particularly audible for solo piano, particularly as the overall sound level on the recording was lower than optimal and there we many quiet passages. I also found it annoying that one of the Bremen pieces was split across sides, and that both the Lausanne pieces were split up.

Fortunately, the CD version of this solves both these issues. The recording still requires setting the volume a bit higher than usual, but there is no disadvantage to this as there is no corresponding surface noise. More importantly one can listen to the improvised pieces as intended and follow the entire flow of the music without interruption — which is a key requirement for this music which beautifully unfolds and evolves, Jarrett being a master musical story-teller.

Throughout the album, Jarrett’s improvisational prowess is on full display. Covering a wide range of emotions and styles, he effortlessly weaves together motifs, melodic fragments, and harmonic progressions, creating intricate and layered compositions on the spot. The way he navigates the keyboard, often employing extended techniques and innovative rhythmic patterns, showcases his mastery of the instrument and his willingness to push its boundaries. His technical skills are incredible, and its a marvel to hear the perfect execution of left-hand ostinatos providing an unfailing foundation for the unbridled excursions for the right hand. The Lausanne improvisations are particularly exciting: Part 1 is a whirlwind of musical innovation, while Part 2 masterfully blends an array of styles and techniques including tapping and knocking against the piano’s wooden exterior with plucking of strings, occasionally punctuated by pressed keys, as well as traditional keyboard performance ranging from a tumultuous free-jazz passage to a number of introspective harmonically-based musings.

Black Sabbath: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Black Sabbath’s fifth studio album, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, is a successful expansion of the band’s musical and technical perimeters, We still have the trademark sinister-sounding ostinato patterns throughout the album, but the band has taken a distinctly progressive turn more with more complex song structures, greater musical variety, effective use of synthesizers, and incorporation of other prog-rock elements including strings on the final track and the participation of Rick Wakeman on piano on the fourth and sixth track.

Santana: Welcome

Santana’s fourth studio album, released on November 9, 1973 marked a continuation of Santana’s fusion of rock, Latin, and jazz influences, while also masterfully exploring additional progressive musical elements. Interestingly, the album as also more accessible and more melodic than their previous efforts.

Category:

Album review, Fifty Year Friday, jazz, Progressive Rock

Tagged with:

Zumwalt Poems Online

Archive for the ‘Fifty Year Friday’ Category

Gentle Giant: Power and the Glory

Track listing

Personnel

Charts

Electric Light Orchestra: Eldorado

Hawkwind: Hall of the Mountain Grill

Track listing

Personnel

Quick Reference & Semantic Summary (Fifty Year Friday Archive)

Share this:

Stevie Wonder: Fulfillingness’ First Finale

Robert Wyatt: Rock Bottom

Renaissance: Turn of the Cards

Share this:

PFM: The World Became the World

Le Orme: Contrappunti

Cluster: Zuckerzeit

Edger Froese: Aqua

Triumvirat: Illusions on a Double Dimple and Bebop Deluxe: Axe Victim

Share this:

David Bowie: Diamond Dogs

Sparks: Kimono My House

Slapp Happy: Slapp Happy (aka Casablanca Moon)

Henry Cow: Unrest

Rick Wakeman: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Share this:

Caravan: Caravan & The New Symphonia

Arti e Mastieri: Tilt (Immagini per un orecchio)

Focus: Hamburger Concerto

Gryphon: Midnight Mushrumps

The Residents: Meet the Residents

Share this:

King Crimson: Starless and Bible Black

Camel: Mirage

Queen: Queen II

Kansas: Kansas

Weather Report: Mysterious Traveller

Share this:

Peter Hammill: The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage

Todd Rundgren: Todd

Steely Dan: Pretzel Logic

Brian Eno: Here Comes the Warm Jets

Tangerine Dream: Phaedra

Chase: Pure Music

Mick Ronson: Slaughter on 10th Avenue

Share this:

Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark

Harmonia: Musik von Harmonia

Carly Simon: Hotcakes; Graham Nash: Wild Tales

Share this:

Yes: Tales From Topographic Oceans

Joe Pass: Virtuoso

Gong: Angels Egg

Share this:

Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery

Greenslade: Bedside Manners are Extra

Le Orme: Felona e Sorona

Roxy Music: Stranded

Ange: Le Cimetière Des Arlequins

Keith Jarrett: Solo Concerts Bremen/Lausanne

Black Sabbath: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Santana: Welcome

Share this:

Subscribe to notifications

Recent Poems

Country statistics since 9/8/2011

Archives

Views since 7/1/2011

Top Clicks

Categories

Pages

Top Posts & Pages