UFO - UFO Live (1972)

Originally released only in Japan as "UFO Lands In Tokyo", this is a real nice performance, featuring material from their first two albums, "UFO 1" and "UFO 2 - Flying". This will not appeal to fans of the Michael Schenker-era UFO, he came on board the next year. Guitarist on this and the other two releases is Mick Bolton, who was much more slow-handed than Schenker. Unfortunately his playing lacked the commercial appeal of Schenker. Part boogie-based hard rock and part space rock, this early incarnation of UFO was innovative in ways that the later band never was.

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P2O5 - Vivat Progression Pereat Mundus (1978)

Great album of German hard rock, a little on the mystical side. I actually first posted this way back in December 2005! Well, blog visitor Franz from Deutschland thought the rip was a little lacking sonically, possibly due to a worn stylus, so he purchased the 180 gram vinyl reissue and ripped it himself @ 320. I have to say his version does sound better. OK way better! He also photographed the covers for us. Thanks Franz for this first-class share! Edit: forget all that, this is Franz's rip of the remastered CD with bonus tracks.

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Moolah - Woe Ye Demons Possessed (1974)

This is a very strange album, the work of two guys - Walter Burns and Maurice Roberson. A variety of keyboards, percussion instruments, found sounds, studio funny business, tape loops, weird voices - truly a subversive underground classic. From an out-of-print Japanese 'gray-market' CD reissue. The reissue LP can still be purchased. One reviewer describes this as "America's Krautrock album"! The performers say this is a "a cosmic rock relaxation creation to elevate sensory awareness to include the aura of intuitive perception of higher realm of human/divine consciousness using the astral body projection experience vehicle to pierce time/space/logic dimension barriers on the return voyage to the ultimate concept."

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Prosper - Broken Door (1975)

A private release from this German band, this is some excellent psych/jazz/prog. A real conglomeration of different styles, from symphonic rock to acoustic ballads, jazz fusion to space rock. Some awfully tight guitar playing from guitarist Evert Brettschneider, who was also a member of jazz group The Contact Trio. More than one listen will be required to fully appreciate this. Great stuff, this is a real treasure.

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Eela Craig - Missa Universalis (1978)

The fourth album from one of Austria's best prog bands is an ambitious though probably less than successful attempt to place a Roman Catholic mass in a progressive rock context. Unlike similar earlier attempts by The Electric Prunes (Mass in F Minor-1967) and German band Os Mundi (Latin Mass-1971, posted Jan 30 2006) this seems overtly religious with what may seem to be some preachy bits. Sung in four languages - if you can ignore (that is if you want to) the Christian messages what you have is some elaborate, complex symphonic prog.

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