Easter Island - Easter Island (Belle Antique Japan) 1979

Biography Easter Island was originally formed in 1973 by guitarist Mark Miceli. They were easily one of the best US prog bands to have recorded during the 1970's. The music places emphasis on excellent mini-moog and Mellotron work as well as guitar, like most prog bands from the mid-'70s seemed to do. Their original and progressive music has its roots in the compositional techniques of King Crimson, Yes, and ELP. Musically their new opus recalls latter-day King Crimson mixed with heavy doses of world music (in the rhythms) and some modern rock sounds, too. Maybe a little Genesis creeps in here or there, but the majority of this album really recalls no one in particular. If you want good songwriting and original arrangements done in a fresh way, this is for you. If you want a retro 70s sound, buy their first album! Their first album, ''Now and Then'' was released in 1979 in vinyl and re-released in 1991 in CD-format, with Rick Bartlett (vocals), Park Crain (bass & pedals), Mark Hendricks (drums) and Ray Vogel (keyboards) along Miceli (guitars, vocals, Gato drum and synthesizers), who was the only remaining member in the 1999 sophomore release ''Mother Sun'', then joined by Alfred Collinsworth (bass, guitars, vocals), Richard Streander (electronic guitars, vocals), and Bob Chapman (electronic drums and percussion). Miceli has also been making solo albums since 1990, with the last one in 2010. progarchives

Tracklist

01.Face To Face Including Wonderer's Lament Intro 10:10

02.Genius Of The Dance 4:19

03.Solar Sailor 6:21

04.Winds Of Time 6:46

05.The Alchemist Suite A: Prelude 5:31

06.The Alchemist Suite B: Life Celebration 4:18

07.The Alchemist Suite C: Telesterion 5:31

08.The Alchemist Suite D: Resurrection 5:52

09.Summerland 4:49

Bonus

10.Now & Then 1:43

11.Face To Face Live 7:30

12.Solar Sailor Live 6:53

Line-up

Park Crain - Bass Guitar, Synthesizer, Percussion

Mark Hendricks - Drums

Mark Miceli - Guitar, Vocals, Drum, Synthesizer

Ray Vogel - Synthesizer, Hammond C-3, Mini Moog, Piano, Mellotron

Rick Bartlett - Vocals

Time - Time (2012 Prog Temple) 1975

Biography Time were actually UK Psych/Hard Rockers Spontaneous Combustion in disguise. 

As Spontaneous Combustion were falling apart, brothers Garry and Triss Margetts (on guitar/keys/voice and bass/voice respectively) set up a quartet with England's members Alec Johnson on guitar and Jode Leigh on drums and recorded one self-titled album (1975) on Bulk Records under the guidance of famous German producer Conny Planck. Their sound was a harder-edged version of Yes with emphasis on dual guitars and less prominent keyboards, thus they have been fairly comprated to Peter Banks' Flash.Music is complex with impressive guitar tricks with psych/jazzy tastes, sharp solos and complex melodious themes, surrounded by polyphonic harmonies and a few keyboard splashing. They never actually reach the highest of either Yes or Flash albums, but were talented enough to offer interesting compositions, requiring repeated plays for full appreaciation. Some moments in the album do sound a bit too exaggerate with multiple moves in a few seconds and the Prog pomposity is often sacrified in the name of technical exhibition. I am not quite surprised they did not manage to make some noise back then and they apparently disbanded very soon after the album's release.

A dissapointed Garry Margetts left the music bussiness for good, while Triss went on to join Greg Lake's band. allmusic.com

Tracklist
01.Shady Lady 4:25
02.Turn Around 6:30
03.Violence 3:20
04.Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow 4:25
05.Dragonfly 8:09
06.Liar 2:53
07.Hideout 1:25
08.Steal Away 5:05

Line-up
Gary Margetts - keyboard,guitar,vocal
Triss Margetts - bass,vocal
Alec Johnson - guitar,vocal
'Jode' Leigh - Drums,vocal

Barry Hay (Golden Earring) - Only Parrots, Frogs & Angels (1999 Lost and Found) 1972

Biography : Barry Hay is the lead vocalist of Golden Earring, one of the most popular Dutch rock bands of the 20th century. In addition to his decades of output with Golden Earring, he released solo albums from time to time. Born August 16, 1948, in Faizabad, India, he moved to the Netherlands at age ten. In 1967 he joined the lineup of Golden Earring (then known as the Golden Earrings), a Dutch rock band based in the Hague that had been founded in 1961 and that had made its recording debut in 1965. The Hay-fronted lineup experienced decades of international success. The band evolved stylistically with the changing times, most notably progressing from psychedelic rock during the late '60s to hard rock in the 1970s. Best known stateside for their 1973 rock radio classic "Radar Love" and their 1982 early MTV staple "Twilight Zone," Golden Earring were one of the first European rock bands to tour the United States and did so repeatedly over the years. While only moderately popular internationally, the band scored several chart-topping hits in the Netherlands: "Dong Dong Diki Diki Dong" (1968), "Back Home" (1970), "Radar Love" (1973), "Twilight Zone" (1982), and "When the Lady Smiles" (1984). As a solo artist, Hay released full-length albums including Only Parrots, Frogs & Angels (1972), Victory of Bad Taste (1987), and The Big Band Theory (2008). Among these solo album efforts, Victory of Bad Taste spawned the minor hit single "Draggin' the Line," while The Big Band Theory, featuring the Metropole Big Band, was the most successful from a commercial standpoint, reaching number two on the Dutch albums chart. Review by Jason Birchmeier

Tracklist

01.Xeña 8:41  

02.Sometimes Three Times 6:15  

03.Oh Lordy I'm Gonna Try 5:01  

04.Roll Another Rock 4:44  

05.I Want To Be With You 5:43  

06.Did You Really Mean It? 4:40  

07.Once Upon A Time 6:36  

08.March-Xeña 0:45

  

Line-up

Barry Hay - Vocals, Guitar, Sax

Jan Hollestelle - Bass

Hans Hollestelle - Guitar  

Louis Debij - Drums  

Frank Van Der Kloot - Guitar  

Ron Westerbeek - Organ  

Herman Van Veen - Violin, Vocals

Patricia Paay - Vocals

Robert-Jan Stips - Keyboards, Electronic Effects  

Jose Van Iersel - Vocals  

Gonnie Van Dijk - Vocals

Cesar Zuiderwijk - Bongos

Dick Vennik - Sax 

Snowflake Strings - Strings

Harry Van Hoof - Organ, Harpsychord

Golden Earring - Together (2001 Red Bullet Records) 1972

Biography : Together represents an important step forward for Golden Earring. Unlike the group's previous outings, the songs on this album don't fall into strict rock or progressive categories. Instead, the group blurs these strict lines and weaves elements of each genre into a distinctive style that gives the songs their unique flavor. For instance, "Brother Wind" has the complex arrangement and length of a prog rock epic, but it moves forward with the energy and powerful riffing of a hard rock song. The group also makes a concerted effort to give each song a tight arrangement and usually more than one catchy hook. The result is the band's first truly consistent album. Driving rockers abound on Together: "Avalanche of Love" is driven by a procession of gutsy riffs that live up to the song's title, and "Buddy Joe" is a surging, dramatic adventure tale built on a singalong chorus and an insidiously catchy Indian-style guitar riff (this rousing tune has remained a popular part of the band's live set list). "Jangalene" is another highlight, a cleverly arranged tune that starts out as an acoustic blues but flowers into a full-throttle rocker midway through. The downside of Together is that, while the songs are all solid and the arrangements stay interesting, it is slightly less adventurous than previous albums. As a result, its songs never quite hit the manic highs of past classics like "Big Tree, Blue Sea" or "She Flies on Strange Wings." Despite that minor quibble, Together remains an impressive album and clearly shows off the chops and songwriting skills that would bring the group a massive worldwide success the next year with Moontan. Review by Donald A. Guarisco (allmusic.com)

Tracklist

01.All Day Watcher 4:50

02.Avalanche Of Love 4:15

03.Cruisin' Southern Germany (Hay) 3:02

04.Brother Wind 7:57

05.Buddy Joe 3:50

06.Jangalene 5:10

07.From Heaven From Hell 6:07

08.Thousand Feet Below You 4:11

Line-up

George Kooymans - guitar, vocals

Rinus Gerritsen - bass guitar, keyboards

Barry Hay - flute, guitar, saxophone, vocals

Cesar Zuiderwijk - drums

M.O.T.U.S. - Machine Of The Universal Space (2010 Flawed Gems) 1972

Biography : Psych Jazzy Prog (France), Original release 1972. Feat. Ian Jelfs , future member of french prog group "Alice". Prog rock with jazz influences. In some tracks you can here strong influences of early Caravan. Some guitar parts are in style of early Allan Holdsworth playing. Great Hammond organ sounds in classic rock style. Guitar and vocalist play before (with Mell Collins) in legendary Circus band.

M.O.T.U.S. were a French progressive band that had a very English sound, due largely to the fact that they had an English singer in Ian Jelfs (formerly of the UK band Circus). Their material was heavish, with quite a few jazzy chord progressions and guitar parts. To be honest with you, their material was pretty good, but nothing to get all that excited about, and their sound was maybe like a cross between early Caravan (with the organ style) and some of the more "rock-based" Vertigo acts.

The only album from the Frech progressive quartet (inc. one British member) appeared on the market in 1972 (on a small Connection label) and featured English lyrics sung by Ian Jelfs - former guitarist of the UK progressive rock formation Circus (of Mel Collins fame). This rare album will certainly delight the majority of fans of early Caravan, Traffic and Brian Auger's Trinity (circa 1970) - with dominant and powerful Hammond organ sounds; tight rhythm section and impressive, jazzy guitar licks (somewhat similar to Allan Holdsworth and Robert Fripp). This LP doesn't contain any fillers and certainly belongs to the top of the early 70's French progressive rock. This CD has been carefully remastered (from original source) and sounds deliciously! Flawed Gems

Tracklist:
01.Let It Get Higher 3:41
02.Summer Song 3:36
03.Ba'albeck Stone 3:39
04.Out in the Open 3:50
05.Green Star 3:22
06.Taihnanaco Road 3:10
07.Aldebarente 4:54
08.Mesopotamie Natale 5:40
09.Proxima 2:41

Line-up:
Ian Jelfs - guitar, lead vocal
Michel Coeuriot - organ, keyboards, vocal, percussion
Gilles Papiri - bass guitar, percussion
Philippe Combelle - drums, percussion