Accolade / Accolade 2 (1971)

United Kingdom

Folk Rock, Progressive Folk, Progressive Rock

Men who sing to their loved ones about not seeing them (him?) in the next few days, weeks, months because they will be on a bereavement tour in Finland, Marseille or Shanghai, which is also in various foreign tongues suspect for me anyway. If the whole thing is then also accompanied by acoustic guitar and "flute", which is what happened on "Transworld Blues", it becomes dangerous in my opinion and I slowly begin to mentally flee. But it's not absolutely necessary, I find out with "The Spider To The Spy". It's also very funny. "Baby, Take Your Rags Off" also has a pleasant lush feeling. Almost good, if it hadn't been for the annoying piano dribbling in the background. Also on "Cross Continental..." the flute plays again... and this time it's really good. Yes, you weirdo, that really works!!! The chords and all the rest just have to fit. And that's the case with this song without exception. The acoustic bass part, in which you think you can hear the strings snipping on the cornea of ​​your fingertips, is also great despite its structural simplicity. Fine! An 11:14 long good piece of music. "Snakes In A Hole" brings you back down to earth. Quite a nice fizz, what is offered there. With "The Time I've Wasted" it becomes clear that in the end "only" progressive folk is offered here, maybe with a dash of psy ("Sector Five Nine"), but in the end everything probably became one way or another played once. The fact that this impression arises is not least due to the always the same (and at some point annoying) instrumentation. The nice vibraphone intro on "William Taplin" doesn't change anything about that. No, not even the engraved double bass. Well, maybe marginally.

Members

Eden Abba (double-bass), Brian Cresswell (saxophone, flute), Gordon Giltrap (guitar, vocals), Ian Hoyle (drums), Don Partridge (guitar, vocals, vibraphone), Malcolm Poole (double-bass)

Track Listing

01 - Transworld Blues

02 - The Spider to the Spy

03 - Baby, Take Your Rags Off

04 - Cross Continental Pandemonium Theatre Company

05 - Snakes in a Hole

06 - The Time I've Wasted

07 - Sector Five Nine

08 - If Only I'd Known

09 - William Taplin

10 - Long Way to Go

YANDEX

Accolade / Accolade (1970)

United Kingdom

Folk Rock, Progressive Folk, Progressive Rock

ACCOLADE were a short-lived band (1969-1971) that focused on combining light jazz/fusion arrangements with idyllic English folk lyrics and sensibilities, with a musical emphasis adorned with acoustic instrumentation. They released only two albums and a single in their short life, but they managed to spend most of their active musical life touring. The original band consisted of Brian Cresswell, singer/guitarist Gordon Giltrap, drummer Ian Hoyle and guitarist Don Partridge.

The band's debut album featured a cover of Nature Boy, a still and complex folktale-like song first recorded by Nat King Cole, with arrangement by American bassist Eden Ahbez (also known as George Aberle and Eden Abba). This piece has been covered more than seventy times, including by MILES DAVIS, HARRY CONNICK JR, CELINE DION, JAMES BROWN, JOSE FELICIANO, GATHERING's Annie Haslam, and most recently, Greek psychedelic group WILL-O-The WISP.

Poole left the band due to a problem with Partridge during their tour of Sweden in late 1970. Just before entering the Graphic Design business, he takes a short tour with the Colosseum. Guitarist Wizz Jones is included in the band's second album, released only in the UK, but even that doesn't prevent the band from breaking up.

Accolade is one of the quality bands that failed to become popular despite the talented musicians in the group.

Members

Eden Abba (double-bass), Brian Cresswell (saxophone, flute), Gordon Giltrap (guitar, vocals), Ian Hoyle (drums), Don Partridge (guitar, vocals, vibraphone), Malcolm Poole (double-bass)

Track Listing

01 - Maiden Flight Eliza

02 - Starting All Over

03 - Prelude to a Dawn (Instrumental)

04 - Never Ending Solitude

05 - Nature Boy

06 - Gospel Song

07 - Calico

08 - Ulysses

09 - Go On Home

YANDEX

After All / After All (1969)

 

USA

Psychedelic Rock

After All is an American band that made music in the proto-prog / heavy psychedelic / prog related genres of the late 60s. Their music is very similar to The Doors. The group recorded their only self-titled album in 1969.

Quickly put together by seasoned musicians in 1969 in Tallahassee, FL, After All is just a footnote in '60s and Florida rock history. However, their only recorded effort was a raucous, acidic progressive pop experience that, if not perhaps among the best obscurities of the era, brought back the perfection and cuffed adventurism of the decade in full colour. All of the After All members had backgrounds playing in various rhythm and blues and jazz bands, performing at clubs and parties in the Tallahassee area. Drummer Mark Ellerbee had just returned from Vietnam and ran into Florida State graduate keyboardist Alan Gold, who was performing in one of the area's top nightclub bands at the time. With the participation of bassist Bill Moon and jazz guitarist Charles Short, After All was officially born. The band managed to create a concept album by bringing together the latest styles of the era, from acid and classic rock to structural complexity and surreal lyrics. The band entered the Nashville studio in 1969 and recorded After All a few days later. Following the release of the album on Athena Records, the instrumentalists returned to Florida and continued their local careers. Hargrove remained in Nashville and had a good career as a country singer/songwriter and performer.

Members

Bill Moon (vocals, bass), Charlie Short (guitar), Alan Gold (keyboards), Mark Ellerbee (drums)

Track Listing

01 - Intangible She 7:12

02 - Blue Satin 3:46

03 - Nothing Left to Do 7:04

04 - And I Will Follow 4:46

05 - Let It Fly 4:30

06 - Now What Are You Looking For 3:02

07 - A Face That Doesn't Matter 4:30

08 - Waiting 4:20

YANDEX

Acqua Fragile / Live in Emilia (1975)

Italy

Progressive Rock, Symphonic Prog

After 2 awesome albums it's basically a good concert record, very well played but it wasn't worth putting out. I think they're just a good studio band. Because this concert recording doesn't feel anything in terms of progressive rock.

Members

Bernardo Lanzetti (vocals, guitar), Gino Campanini (guitar, vocals), Maurizio Mori (keyboards, vocals), Franz Dondi (bass), Piero Canavera (drums, acoustic guitar, vocals), Joe Vescovi (keyboards)

Track Listing

01. Take 9 4:56

02.  Cosmic Mind Affair 8:26

03. Bar Gazing 7:10

04. Professor 7:23

05. Going Out 2:59

06. Science Fiction Suite 5:27

07. Mean Woman Blues 5:07

08. Morning Come 8:11

09. Prelude in C Major 1:25

10. The End 3:57

YANDEX

Acqua Fragile / Mass-Media Stars (1974)

Italy

Progressive Rock, Symphonic Prog

"Mass Media Stars", the band's second LP, should help the prog rockers to their international breakthrough. Unfortunately nothing came of it. This Italian sound sounds too special for many ears, the compositions appear too jazzy for the mainstream rocker. The music isn't bad though. "Cosmic Mind Affair" is a fantastic opener that sets the listener in the mood for what's to come. Breezy pad sounds harmonize with dominant solo synth sounds and lots of guitars.

"Bar Gazing" is a ballad with acoustic guitar and vocals that are performed somewhat shakily, but it also gets pretty spacy after about 1:50 minutes. Synths, organ, guitars, the whole program. In terms of tempo, everything stays moderate and then eventually ends up back with the acoustic guitar. "Mass Media Stars" sounds like Italian-style fusion rock due to the strong bass, "Opening Act" clearly shows the band's weaknesses. It's all too playful. A cappella opening, sloppy singing, then the typical guitar strumming and many breathy Doo Doo Doooos.

The Who could have done the strong guitar intro of "Professor" better, but I like it here too. Arguably the best song on the album. The concluding "Coffee Song" is then again an average "guitar number with vocals" that you don't want to hear anymore after almost thirty minutes of Italian Prog Rock art. All in all, not a bad album.

Members

Bernardo Lanzetti (vocals, guitar), Gino Campanini (guitar, vocals), Maurizio Mori (keyboards, vocals), Franz Dondi (bass), Piero Canavera (drums, acoustic guitar, vocals), Joe Vescovi (keyboards)

Track Listing

01 - Cosmic Mind Affair 7:19

02 - Bar Gazing 5:06

03 - Mass-Media Stars 6:53

04 - Opening Act 5:40

05 - Professor 6:49

06 - Coffee Song 5:56

YANDEX

Acqua Fragile / Acqua Fragile (1973)

 

Italy

Progressive Rock, Symphonic Prog

Perfect example of a group made up of skilled individuals (singer excluded) who are unable to put their skills to good use.

This album strongly influenced by the progressive from across the Channel is divided into a relatively listenable more "Italian" side A (in instrumentation and composition), and a B side full of Genesis-like garbage and crowned by the "Three Hands Man" ending, a kind of rhapsodic collage without rhyme or reason.

One of the most execrable creations of macaronic prog-rock.

Acqua Fragile will only have existed for two albums but will have left their mark in the world of Italian prog. Far from being a major band like PFM or Banco, Acqua Fragile having a singer with texts in English (with a voice very Peter Gabriel period Foxtrot) composed here an album where we find Gentle Giant and Genesis (Morning comes) as influence while knowing that they have their identity. A track like 'Three Hands Man' shows the band at their musical peak. There are also some nice folk sounds throughout the album which yes, make you think a bit of CSNY at times and drift into plagiarism on the other hand. A rather rare album these days but definitely worth hearing.

Members

Bernardo Lanzetti (vocals, guitar), Gino Campanini (guitar, vocals), Maurizio Mori (keyboards, vocals), Franz Dondi (bass), Piero Canavera (drums, acoustic guitar, vocals), Joe Vescovi (keyboards)

Track Listing

01 - Morning Comes 7:25

02 - Comic Strips 3:59

03 - Science Fiction Suite 5:57

04 - Song From a Picture 4:11

05 - Education Story 4:16

06 - Going Out 2:59

07 - Three Hands Man 8:06

YANDEX

Saggitarius / The Blue Marble (1969)

 

USA

Baroque Pop, Psychedelic Pop, Sunshine Pop

Not as good as the first album. But it's still a Gary Usher recording. And successful work. For this reason alone, it should definitely take its place in the archive.

"The way some of tunes suddenly veer into country/western territory are really clever, and don't feel at all clunky, particularly on "Will You Ever See Me", Curt's best performance on the record, a vocal only he could pull off, and the spooky psych-pop number "I See In You". His natural gift as an arranger is evident here."

"As it is easy to notice, The Blue Marble is notably worse than Present Tense, which is one of the best ten albums of the whole 1960s in my opinion. But as Present Tense was really that good, this still doesn't mean that The Blue Marble is not good. In fact, Side B is very nice overall, though not extremely special. Side A is a little bit more flawed. First, it feels weird that Gary Usher has needed to open the album with a cover of "In My Room" by The Beach Boys. Yes, the song was co-written by him, and the version is honestly good. But still it gives the impression that if this performance is the most significant thing that The Blue Marble has got to offer, the album must be a throwaway case. This impression is even emphasised by next track, "From You Unto Us", which is slightly confusing. Otherwise, the album makes a good listen, if not an unforgettable one like its predecessor."

Members

Gary Usher (vocals), Curt Boettcher (vocals)

Track Listing

01 - In My Room 2:09

02 - From You Unto Us 1:47

03 - Will You Ever See Me 2:14

04 - Gladys 2:46

05 - I Sing My Song 2:45

06 - The Blue Marble 2:59

07 - Lend Me a Smile 3:11

08 - I Still Can See Your Face 2:42

09 - I See in You 3:14

10 - Cloud Talk 2:24

YANDEX

Saggitarius / Present Tense (1968)

 

USA

Baroque Pop, Psychedelic Pop, Sunshine Pop

Sagittarius is a kind of solo project by Gary Usher - producer of great sixties pop stars, such as Gene Clark and the Beach Boys. This beautiful album features songs with soft melodies, ethereal vocals and a sonority quite close to that of Pet Sounds by Beach Boys.

The mere presence of Gary Usher and Curt Boettcher should have been enough to guarantee the quality of this unique studio project, although as has happened many times, the sum of talents does not always give the expected results. The letter of introduction of both was not minor: Usher co-wrote some songs of the first stage of the Beach Boys in addition to producing works by the Byrds and Chad and Jeremy, to name the most outstanding. Boettcher's credits include names like The Association and The Millennium. If we add to that a series of outstanding musicians present at the sessions, this Present Tense had everything to succeed, although commercially none of that happened.

Curiously, the album takes a while to get off the ground. The first three songs are full of harpsichords, orchestral arrangements, light melodies and delicate vocals, sounding like a cross between the Monkees, Association and sunshine pop groups. From the psychedelic Glass another story begins and from then on the level of the album reaches superlative heights. “Would You Like To Go” and “Hotel Indiscreet” are two excellent and contagious samples of pure pop, “My World Fell Down” is the most elaborate (although the version of the single was cut) and demonstrates all the experience accumulated by both. Not for nothing was it included in the classic Nuggets, although it has little to do with the predominant style of that compilation.

The two undisputed jewels are reserved for the end, the extraordinary “Musty Dusty”, with its childish melody to which effects are added, transforming into something truly overwhelming, and the rarefied “The Truth Is Not Real” closes everything in a decidedly psychedelic, being the only composition of Usher (Boettcher was in charge of most of it) and that breaks with the more cheerful atmosphere of the rest of the album. Within that perfectly elaborated and arranged baroque pop produced in the United States at that time, there are few works at the level of this Present Tense, and if they had included some of the discarded songs that come on the CD edition, it could have reached 5 stars.

Members

Gary Usher (vocals), Curt Boettcher (vocals)

Track Listing

01 - Another Time 2:40

02 - Song to the Magic Frog (Will You Ever Know) 2:49

03 - You Know I've Found a Way 1:53

04 - The Keeper of the Games 1:53

05 - Glass 2:27

06 - Would You Like to Go 2:37

07 - My World Fell Down 2:54

08 - Hotel Indiscreet 2:12

09 - I'm Not Living Here 2:28

10 - Musty Dusty 2:13

11 - The Truth Is Not Real 2:48

YANDEX