VACATION, ALL I EVER WANTED!

OK I'm taking off tomorrow for parts unknown, no posts for the next two weeks at least hehe!

SEE YOU LATER

Agamemnon - Part I & II (1981)

I originally posted this way back in December 2005, but I have since purchased the CD, so this is a fresh rip @ 320 - I think the other one was only 160, so this is well worth redownloading if you already have it. Anyway, this one-shot release from Swiss group Agamemnon tells the story of it's namesake in two long suites. Nothing spectacular probably, but I really like to listen to this, and can't help recalling Atom Heart Mother-era Pink Floyd when I do.

Track Listing

1. Agamemnon's Youth - Agamemnon, King of Mykene
2. Agamemnon at Troja - Agamemnons Death

Musicians

Urs Ritter / drums
Erich Kuster / vocals, guitars, organ
Walter Rothmund / bass, keyboards
Werner Kuster / piano, keyboards, guitars, flute

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Murphy Blend - First Loss (1970)

Only album from German group Murphy Blend is a mostly keyboard based heavy duty prog workout! The songs are melodic, classically influenced hard rock - plenty of chunky organ riffs, and some nice guitar playing. The guys in the rhythm section are no slouches either. A great example of German heavy progressive music. Note: the last track is a joke - it's really that short.

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Ginhouse - Ginhouse (1971)

Ginhouse was a hard rock trio from Newcastle England whose only album is an obscure bit of great early 70's British rock. A unique sound, proggy in a way - hard to tell what their influences might have been. Good songs, great period vocals, well played, with a real interesting take on the Beatles' "And I love Her". Standout track would be the last one, "Sun In A Bottle".

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Morpheus - For A Second (2002)

I posted German band Morpheus' album "Rabenteur" (1976) back in January of 2006, it's a great album of proggy, jazzy instrumental music. This is their reunion album from 2002 - it's way more laid back than their 70's album, but Morpheus is still there! Plenty of great jazzy saxophone bits and some sweet guitar. Very nice.

Part 1 Part 2

Novalis - Banished Bridge (1973)

This is the first album from probably the best symphonic prog band to come out of Germany. Very little guitar on this - not the case with their later recordings. This is energetic yet melancholic, haunting, dramatic, maybe even pompous at times. A lot of reviewers complain about the vocalist and the lyrics, but the singers voice seems perfectly suited to the music, and the lyrics - so the writer didn't speak English so well. Easy enough to ignore the mistakes in grammar, isn't it? It's the music that carries the day anyway, especially the 17 minute title track. Symphonic prog at it's best, as far as I'm concerned.

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Propeller - Let Us Live Together (1973)

"A one-off "have fun" project led by Achim Reichel. In 1972 he teamed up with some old friends from Rattles (the renowned beat-group of which he was a member from 1961 to 1968). Together they made an album of heavy boogie and glitter rock. Let Us Live Together featured ten jolly rockin' tracks and was quite well received by the German press. After this, Reichel soon returned to his much more experimental solo projects, such as A.R. & Machines. On the other hand, Hildebrandt and Tarrach formed Randy Pie & Family with Bernd Schulz and Klaus-Georg Meyer (two other former Rattles-members)." My rip @high VBR w/scans. (Cosmic Dreams At Play)

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Andwella's Dream - Love And Poetry (1969)

Opinions on this debut album from Northern Ireland's Andwella's Dream range from "one of the best British psychedelic albums of the 1960s" to "an eclectic but unmemorable affair", but it seems most reviewers consider this to be Andwella's masterpiece, and eclectic it is. Hard psychedelic rock with heapings of acid guitar, naive druggy experimentation, studio effects, contemporary pop/psych, orchestral backings, unusual percussion, bamboo flutes - it's a pretty cool album with something for everybody it seems.

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Second Hand - Reality (1968)

"The first album by this confused bunch of excellent musicians still holds its ground after 38 years. Its unusual mixture of poetic psych with Hendrixy or Arthur Brownish heavy episodes and progressive (in 1968!) structures is inventive and only slightly flawed by not always strong vocals. Lovely arrangements and above average compositions make this recommended. Highlights: the opening cut A Fairy Tale (great mellotron) and the trippy title track. Don't let the cover art fool you: it's meant to look "second hand". (Tapestry of Delights)

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Keith Cross & Peter Ross - Bored Civilians (1972)

Yes this is Keith Cross the guitar wizard from T2, the music though is nothing like T2. Not really sure who Pete Ross was, despite my best googling. This is melodic, mellow folk-rock, similar maybe in a way to Matthews Southern Comfort, though not so country and way cooler. Some members of Brinsley Schwarz are on hand as well as a member of Caravan. Low key and fantastic, especially the cover of Fotheringay's "Peace In The End"!

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OK that's it then - see you when I get back. Hope you all are enjoying yourselves too!!