Genesis / Foxtrot (1972)

United Kingdom

Progressive Rock, Pop Rock, Symphonic Prog, Progressive Pop, Rock Opera

Foxtrot was the first album I heard from Genesis, and I confess that I didn't like it on the first listen (this unfortunately happens), but today I think it's one of the nuggets of the golden age of progressive rock.

The album starts with the sensational ''Watcher Of The Skies'', a track that opens the A side in an excellent way, just that opening, it's worth having this record in the collection of those who enjoy progressive rock, really one of the best and the group's most famous songs of the time with Peter Gabriel. On the second track, we have ''Time Table'', we have a good 4 min song with a more romantic theme than the previous one. As for the third song, we have 8 minutes of a rock opera telling a story that involves 4 characters about a company employee who evicts tenants. In the next track, which even closes the A side, we have a song about a Norse king known as Canuto, conqueror for those who don't know, this mythological thing is something normal in the band.

Now we come to the B-side with "Horizons", a very beautiful acoustic guitar vignette but that soon ends for the entrance of "Supper Is Ready", a 22 minute song that has all the elements that guarantee its place as one of the brands- records of progressive rock with musical influences that go through folk, classical music and rock. Divided into 7 sections, in this song, the references of the lyrics are so many that no one has ever really been able to really know clearly what it is about but it can be said that it is about the battle of good against evil, evoked by the apocalyptic tone of the ending, which ends the disc in a masterful way.

Foxtrot is the band's first major work to be a big hit with audiences and critics, and in my opinion, it's not only one of the band's best albums, it's also one of the best albums of the 70's.

Members

Tony Banks (keyboards), Mike Rutherford (bass, guitar), Peter Gabriel (vocals, flute, oboe, 1967-75), Anthony Phillips (guitar, 1967-70), Chris Stewart (drums, 1967-68), John Silver (drums, 1968-69), John Mayhew (drums, 1969-70), Phil Collins (drums, vocals, 1970-96, 2006-07, 2020-present), Steve Hackett (guitar, 1970-77), Ray Wilson (vocals, 1997-98)

Track Listing

01 - Watcher of the Skies

02 - Time Table

03 - Get 'Em Out by Friday

04 - Can-Utility and the Coastliners

05 - Horizons

06 - Supper's Ready

i. Lover's Leap

ii. The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man

iii. Ikhnaton and Itsacon and Their Band of Merry Men

iv. How Dare I Be So Beautiful

v. Willow Farm

vi. Apocalypse in 9/8 (Co-Starring the Delicious Talents of Gabble Ratchet)

vii. As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs (Aching Men's Feet)

YANDEX

Genesis / Nursery Cryme (1971)

United Kingdom

Progressive Rock, Pop Rock, Symphonic Prog, Progressive Pop, Rock Opera

Pleasant and likeable, although quite immature progressive rock. You can't take away from this music that it is formally more ambitious than most rock, but it is already very pale in comparison to the greatest works of bands. You can hear here great ambitions, but greatly exceeding the band's skills, both composing and instrumental - there is no need for at least one man who would introduce some impressive virtuosity or give it a compositional touch. Genesis works more like "we have cool instruments, we have cool inspirations, we have cool stories in our heads, let's try a hundred different things and see what comes out." Sometimes something very good comes out, but a specific roughness to a greater or lesser extent usually envelops this music, and at times it even turns into a real brothel. Actually all the time listening to this otherwise enjoyable album, I would have been wondering why I'm not listening to Magma, King Crimson or even Yes now, if it hadn't been for Genesis's success in a slightly different field than the typical progressive rock field. This ensemble has an impressive and distinctive sense of telling stories with its pieces, for conducting suggestive musical narratives (by all means available). As a result, Genesis also managed to create an expressive fairy-tale atmosphere, strongly supported by British folk. It is by no means perfectly thought out and polished, but it somehow works, and often not somehow, but just great.

The first reason this album is worth checking out is The Musical Box, a slightly eccentric combination of a sentimental and erotic, romantic song with a threshold suite. However, for a suite of a recognized threshold ensemble, it is quite a conservative thing, a bit sluggish and technically limited, and the emotions are a bit too sloppy, and a bit too exalted (although both - in a still quite nice way), at least medium subtle this works very well in combination with each other. Everything that the piece consists of is subordinated to the musical narrative straight from symphonic poems. Emotionally expressive melodies (fitting like a glove to Gabriel's theatrical vocals), dynamic and agogic contrasts, constant juggling with instruments to transform the sound, generally large and frequent variability of individual fragments: all this allows the band to build a well-thought-out, narrative development of tension, emotions, moods, thanks to which the effect is actually very successful as an atmospheric musical story. A bit lower is The Return of the Giant Hogweed, heavier in sound and a bit more intense, moving in a marching rhythm, full of nice harmonic progressions and with a nice texture, in which the organ plays a particularly important role, despite the fact that it is heavy guitar riffs, expressive vocals and loud the drums are dynamically in the foreground. It also follows an interesting narrative path. In the third suite, The Fountain of Salmacis, it doesn't work that well anymore, but there are some pretty cool sonic escapades starring the melotron and nice epicness.

The rest are obvious stuffers, which can be divided into pleasant and nondescript trifles. This album is chaotic, very uneven, even fragments of individual tracks are uneven. Nevertheless, he is very successful, original, sincere, he does not try to pretend what he is not. Maybe not the entire album, but at least The Musical Box is a significant event for the genre.

Members

Tony Banks (keyboards), Mike Rutherford (bass, guitar), Peter Gabriel (vocals, flute, oboe, 1967-75), Anthony Phillips (guitar, 1967-70), Chris Stewart (drums, 1967-68), John Silver (drums, 1968-69), John Mayhew (drums, 1969-70), Phil Collins (drums, vocals, 1970-96, 2006-07, 2020-present), Steve Hackett (guitar, 1970-77), Ray Wilson (vocals, 1997-98)

Track Listing

01 - The Musical Box

02 - For Absent Friends

03 - The Return of the Giant Hogweed

04 - Seven Stones

05 - Harold the Barrel

06 - Harlequin

07 - The Fountain of Salmacis

YANDEX

Genesis / Trespass (1970)

United Kingdom

Progressive Rock, Pop Rock, Symphonic Prog, Progressive Pop, Rock Opera

A truly underrated album by critics. It is the album that marks the beginning of the group's progressive phase.

The compositions are bizarre, but demonstrate that this would be the fetus of what Genesis would be; twelve-string guitar junctions, integration of British folk and progressive rock and surrealist lyrics. Probably the band's most unique LP.

At that time Anthony Phillips was still the leader of the group, and in Trespass it is more than proven that he was the character that would define the definitive characteristics of Genesis as a symphonic progressive band (although he is not well recognized for that).

Members

Tony Banks (keyboards), Mike Rutherford (bass, guitar), Peter Gabriel (vocals, flute, oboe, 1967-75), Anthony Phillips (guitar, 1967-70), Chris Stewart (drums, 1967-68), John Silver (drums, 1968-69), John Mayhew (drums, 1969-70), Phil Collins (drums, vocals, 1970-96, 2006-07, 2020-present), Steve Hackett (guitar, 1970-77), Ray Wilson (vocals, 1997-98)

Track Listing

01 - Looking for Someone 7:04

02 - White Mountain 6:40

03 - Visions of Angels 6:48

04 - Stagnation 8:46

05 - Dusk 4:11

06 - The Knife 8:55

YANDEX

Genesis / From Genesis To Revelation (1969)

United Kingdom

Progressive Rock, Pop Rock, Symphonic Prog, Progressive Pop, Rock Opera

This genesis of Genesis in 33 r.p.m. format, is a work that many fans of the classic formation, namely those who elected “Lamb Lies down” as one of the wonders of the century, will hardly tolerate, and that those for whom the band is that trio led by Collins probably won't even notice, since it's light-years from the synthetic Pop of the 80s; if this seems to me an almost inevitable conclusion after verifying that almost 1,500 votes on the album page failed to make it reach the threshold of 3 stars, and even taking into account the uniqueness of the content, I would not hesitate to push it above the waterline, as I find much more reason to be happy listening to it than I do with most of the Collins-era products. band, although often with alternative titles and/or other subterfuges intended to deceive the less enlightened; perhaps this is one of the reasons for the anger it arouses in many cases).

The 1st idea that remains is that this must be the only feature film where Gabriel participated containing more than half a dozen songs per side; next is that the vocalist had not yet defined his identity in terms of timbre and style, with everyone, except the drummer John Silver (except for the duly compensated exception by a certain David Thomas who also gave a little help in the choirs), contributing with parts vocals; right after that this is the band's work with more string, wind and brass arrangements, arrangements that are both vulgar and capable of submerging the group's instruments, in themes with sweet melodies and highly predictable harmonies; in fact, Gabriel seems to admit it when he sings “Music, all I hear is music guaranteed to please…”, which is confirmed when the melody of “In The Wilderness” seems exactly the same as that of “The Conqueror” that follows it”; however, right after that, he sings “…and I look for something else”, and really in this last song there is already a more Rock impulse, and even a very psychedelic guitar solozito at the end.

It's effectively from British-Psych that the best themes will drink, although what you hear could have been done by Tomorrow, or by Pretty Things among many others, or just like the various intros based on acoustic piano or 12-inch guitar. strings are reminiscent of the Gracious for example; on the other hand, although in terms of composition the ideas are still generally unidirectional, many of the same or other introductions are nothing but false starts before the song undergoes an unexpected change and change of direction, with theatrical ambitions suggesting sensations that go from menacing to hopeful (“The Serpent”), or to an arrangement where the 12-string and piano are joined by a harpsichord and flute, as well as some externalized oboe embellishments (“Am I Very Wrong?”) ; and although the succession of songs almost without silence between them is perhaps the most evident suggestion of a predisposition towards the Progressive and the concept-albums, these genes already seem to want to come to the fore in the above themes, or in others with some epic sense such as “ In Limbo”.

And given what followed, one might in retrospect consider Gabriel's words in “A Place to Call My Own” positively prescient.

P.S. the re-release of the CD album on which this text is based, includes, in reverse chronological order, the group's first two singles, plus drummer Chris Stewart, The Silent Sun / That's Me December 1967, and A Winter's Tale / One-Eyed Hound from May of the following year, just click on their links to find more details.

Members

Tony Banks (keyboards), Mike Rutherford (bass, guitar), Peter Gabriel (vocals, flute, oboe, 1967-75), Anthony Phillips (guitar, 1967-70), Chris Stewart (drums, 1967-68), John Silver (drums, 1968-69), John Mayhew (drums, 1969-70), Phil Collins (drums, vocals, 1970-96, 2006-07, 2020-present), Steve Hackett (guitar, 1970-77), Ray Wilson (vocals, 1997-98)

Track Listing

01 - Where the Sour Turns to Sweet

02 - In the Beginning

03 - Fireside Song

04 - The Serpent

05 - Am I Very Wrong?

06 - In the Wilderness

07 - The Conqueror

08 - In Hiding

09 - One Day

10 - Window

11 - In Limbo

12 - Silent Sun

13 - A Place to Call My Own

YANDEX

Pilot / Two's A Crowd (1977)

United Kingdom

Pop Rock, Power Pop, Soft Rock, Progressive Pop, Pop

Arguably the band's best album. The enthusiasm and influence of the first album shows itself more in this album.

Members

David Paton (vocals, bass, guitar), Stuart Tosh (drums, vocals, 1973-76, 2014-present), William Lyall (keyboards, vocals, 1973-76), Ian Bairnson (guitar, vocals, bass, 1974-78, 2002-present)

Track Listing

01 - Get Up and Go 3:33

02 - Library Door 3:34

03 - Creeping Round at Midnight 2:50

04 - One Good Reason Why 3:34

05 - There's a Place 3:38

06 - The Other Side 3:54

07 - Monday Tuesday 4:07

08 - Ten Feet Tall 3:21

09 - Evil Eye 3:48

10 - Mr. Do Or Die 3:31

11 - Big Screen Kill 4:30

YANDEX

Pilot / Morin Heights (1976)

United Kingdom

Pop Rock, Power Pop, Soft Rock, Progressive Pop, Pop

Arguably the band's best album. The enthusiasm and influence of the first album shows itself more in this album.

Members

David Paton (vocals, bass, guitar), Stuart Tosh (drums, vocals, 1973-76, 2014-present), William Lyall (keyboards, vocals, 1973-76), Ian Bairnson (guitar, vocals, bass, 1974-78, 2002-present)

Track Listing

01 - Hold On

02 - Canada

03 - First After Me

04 - Steps

05 - The Mover

06 - Penny in My Pocket

07 - Lies and Lies

08 - Running Water

09 - Trembling

10 - Maniac (Come Back)

11 - Too Many Hopes

YANDEX

Pilot / Second Flight (1975)

United Kingdom

Pop Rock, Power Pop, Soft Rock, Progressive Pop, Pop

Not as good as the first album. But they show that they have a style of their own in this album. You remember 10cc while listening.

Members

David Paton (vocals, bass, guitar), Stuart Tosh (drums, vocals, 1973-76, 2014-present), William Lyall (keyboards, vocals, 1973-76), Ian Bairnson (guitar, vocals, bass, 1974-78, 2002-present)

Track Listing

01 - You're My No. 1

02 - Love Is

03 - Call Me Round

04 - 55° North 3° West

05 - To You Alone

06 - Do Me Good

07 - Heard It All Before

08 - Bad to Me

09 - You're Devotion

10 - January

11 - Passion Piece

12 - Dear Artist

YANDEX

Pilot / From The Album Of The Same Name (1974)

United Kingdom

Pop Rock, Power Pop, Soft Rock, Progressive Pop, Pop

The band from Edinburgh, Scotland is known for their pop rock songs. They may not be Progressive Rock or Hard Rock, but they're really good at popular rock.

Members

David Paton (vocals, bass, guitar), Stuart Tosh (drums, vocals, 1973-76, 2014-present), William Lyall (keyboards, vocals, 1973-76), Ian Bairnson (guitar, vocals, bass, 1974-78, 2002-present)

Track Listing

01 - Just a Smile

02 - Magic

03 - Lucky for Some

04 - Girl Next Door

05 - Lovely Lady Smile

06 - Sooner or Later

07 - Don't Speak Loudly

08 - Over the Moon

09 - Never Give Up

10 - High Into the Sky

11 - Auntie Iris

12 - Sky Blue

YANDEX

Uriah Heep / The Magician's Birthday (1972)

United Kingdom

Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Pop Rock, Folk Rock, British Folk Rock

Uriah Heep's 4th album in the chronological order, which was not able to come to the fore and find the place it deserves in the 70s, is one of the albums that made Heep more known by going beyond what we mentioned above.

Especially the third track of the album, Easy Livin, has an undeniable influence on this issue. With its short, concise and concise structure, it is one of the most well-known and melodic songs of the genre: Rock, Rock'n Roll, Heavy Rock or whatever you call it.

Continuing with the band member changes without interruption, the two members of the previous album Look At Yourself, Paul Newton and Iain Clarke, leave, and they are replaced by Lee Kerslake on drums and Gary Thain on bass guitar. Kerslake remained the drummer of Heep until 2007, excluding some minor differences. Bassist Thain, on the other hand, had a long way to go, but he left both the band and life towards the end of 1974 thanks to his heroin overdose. But don't get discouraged, because he got the chance to record 3 albums with Heep.

Demons And Wizards is one of the concept albums in line with the structure of the period. It consists of different parts that revolve around the main story from start to finish. Recorded in March - April, the album was released on 19 May 1972.

The opening of the album begins with The Wizard, who was later nicknamed Hensley. The song, which creates the impression of calm with its acoustic entrance, takes on a more rigid structure unexpectedly.

The Traveller in Time, which follows, reveals from the very beginning where it is going with its harsh entrance. Hensley's keyboard plays, Box's guitars to keep up with him, and Byron's raspy vocals create a festive mood.

Easy Livin', which we just mentioned, is in the third place in the album. It stands out with its fast, hard and melodic structure.

The next song can make a name for itself, if nothing else; Poet's Justice. Although it may seem flat and even monotonous at first, it is a good lesson about what can be done in 4 minutes.

Circle of Hands, which I haven't been able to categorize for years, is the 5th song of the album. While the song creates the impression of a ballad, it takes on a harmonic harshness. It breaks away from the main structure and goes to a different place. It is not clear where it starts and where it ends. Personally, I can say it's the best part of the album.

But whenever I say such assertive words, I stay like that. Because the next song, Rainbow Demon, is one of the songs that highlights the album, just like the previous one. It often creates the impression of a piece that needs to accompany a ritual.

In every album, there is a song that is foreign to me and that I think about what it is doing in the album, which is the "it" song of this album; All My Life. I don't have much to say about it! You'll understand when you listen to it.. It's not bad, but it's a piece of "what's that doing here...?"

Although the last two songs, Paradise and The Spell, are included in the album as 2 separate songs, it is actually a single and long track in progress. The Spell begins where Paradise ends. Acoustic incoming Paradise turns into The Spell at a melodic point, and The Spell differentiates the melodic structure with the sounds fed from the keyboard in between.

Members

Mick Box (guitar, vocals), David Byron (vocals, 1969-76), Ken Hensley (keyboards, guitar, vocals, 1969-80), Paul Newton (bass, vocals, 1969-71), Alex Napier (drums, 1969-70), Nigel Olsson (drums, percussion, 1970), Keith Baker (drums, 1970), Iain Clark (drums, 1970-71), Mark Clarke (bass, 1971-72), Lee Kerslake (drums, percussion, 1971-79, 1981-2007), Gary Thain (bass, 1972-75), John Wetton (bass, keyboards, vocals, 1975-76), John Lawton (vocals, 1976-79), Trevor Bolder (bass, 1976-81, 1983-2013), John Sloman (vocals, piano, percussion, 1979-80), Chris Slade (drums, percussion, 1979-80), Gregg Dechert (keyboards, 1980), John Sinclair (keyboards, vocals, 1981-86), Peter Goalby (vocals, 1981-85), Bob Daisley (bass, vocals, 1981-83), Phil Lanzon (keyboards, vocals, 1986-present), Steff Fontaine (vocals, 1986), Bernie Shaw (vocals, 1986-present), Russell Gilbrook (drums, 2007-present), Dave Rimmer (bass, 2013-present)

Track Listing

1. Sunrise (4:04)

2. Spider Woman (2:25)

3. Blind Eye (3:33)

4. Echoes in the Dark (4:48)

5. Rain (3:59)

6. Sweet Lorraine (4:13)

7. Tales (4:09)

8. The Magician's Birthday (10:23)

YANDEX

Uriah Heep / Demons And Wizards (1972)

United Kingdom

Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Pop Rock, Folk Rock, British Folk Rock

Uriah Heep's 4th album in the chronological order, which was not able to come to the fore and find the place it deserves in the 70s, is one of the albums that made Heep more known by going beyond what we mentioned above.

Especially the third track of the album, Easy Livin, has an undeniable influence on this issue. With its short, concise and concise structure, it is one of the most well-known and melodic songs of the genre: Rock, Rock'n Roll, Heavy Rock or whatever you call it.

Continuing with the band member changes without interruption, the two members of the previous album Look At Yourself, Paul Newton and Iain Clarke, leave, and they are replaced by Lee Kerslake on drums and Gary Thain on bass guitar. Kerslake remained the drummer of Heep until 2007, excluding some minor differences. Bassist Thain, on the other hand, had a long way to go, but he left both the band and life towards the end of 1974 thanks to his heroin overdose. But don't get discouraged, because he got the chance to record 3 albums with Heep.

Demons And Wizards is one of the concept albums in line with the structure of the period. It consists of different parts that revolve around the main story from start to finish. Recorded in March - April, the album was released on 19 May 1972.

The opening of the album begins with The Wizard, who was later nicknamed Hensley. The song, which creates the impression of calm with its acoustic entrance, takes on a more rigid structure unexpectedly.

The Traveller in Time, which follows, reveals from the very beginning where it is going with its harsh entrance. Hensley's keyboard plays, Box's guitars to keep up with him, and Byron's raspy vocals create a festive mood.

Easy Livin', which we just mentioned, is in the third place in the album. It stands out with its fast, hard and melodic structure.

The next song can make a name for itself, if nothing else; Poet's Justice. Although it may seem flat and even monotonous at first, it is a good lesson about what can be done in 4 minutes.

Circle of Hands, which I haven't been able to categorize for years, is the 5th song of the album. While the song creates the impression of a ballad, it takes on a harmonic harshness. It breaks away from the main structure and goes to a different place. It is not clear where it starts and where it ends. Personally, I can say it's the best part of the album.

But whenever I say such assertive words, I stay like that. Because the next song, Rainbow Demon, is one of the songs that highlights the album, just like the previous one. It often creates the impression of a piece that needs to accompany a ritual.

In every album, there is a song that is foreign to me and that I think about what it is doing in the album, which is the "it" song of this album; All My Life. I don't have much to say about it! You'll understand when you listen to it.. It's not bad, but it's a piece of "what's that doing here...?"

Although the last two songs, Paradise and The Spell, are included in the album as 2 separate songs, it is actually a single and long track in progress. The Spell begins where Paradise ends. Acoustic incoming Paradise turns into The Spell at a melodic point, and The Spell differentiates the melodic structure with the sounds fed from the keyboard in between.

Members

Mick Box (guitar, vocals), David Byron (vocals, 1969-76), Ken Hensley (keyboards, guitar, vocals, 1969-80), Paul Newton (bass, vocals, 1969-71), Alex Napier (drums, 1969-70), Nigel Olsson (drums, percussion, 1970), Keith Baker (drums, 1970), Iain Clark (drums, 1970-71), Mark Clarke (bass, 1971-72), Lee Kerslake (drums, percussion, 1971-79, 1981-2007), Gary Thain (bass, 1972-75), John Wetton (bass, keyboards, vocals, 1975-76), John Lawton (vocals, 1976-79), Trevor Bolder (bass, 1976-81, 1983-2013), John Sloman (vocals, piano, percussion, 1979-80), Chris Slade (drums, percussion, 1979-80), Gregg Dechert (keyboards, 1980), John Sinclair (keyboards, vocals, 1981-86), Peter Goalby (vocals, 1981-85), Bob Daisley (bass, vocals, 1981-83), Phil Lanzon (keyboards, vocals, 1986-present), Steff Fontaine (vocals, 1986), Bernie Shaw (vocals, 1986-present), Russell Gilbrook (drums, 2007-present), Dave Rimmer (bass, 2013-present)

Track Listing

1. The Wizard (2:59)

2. Traveller in Time (3:26)

3. Easy Livin' (2:37)

4. Poet's Justice (4:14)

5. Circle of Hands (6:27)

6. Rainbow Demon (4:30)

7. All My Life (2:46)

8. Paradise / The Spell (12:41)

YANDEX

Uriah Heep / Very Eavy Very Umble (1970)

United Kingdom

Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, AOR, Pop Rock, Folk Rock, British Folk Rock

An amazing first album. Very different from Demons and Wizards and Magician's Birthday albums. It's a complete Heavy Progressive Rock album.

The opening song Gypsy tells the story of a short gypsy. In the story told in the language of the man who fell in love with the gypsy girl, the man is forced to enter into a power struggle with the woman's father.

Although Walking in Your Shadow, which came right after it, has a structure that symbolizes the next albums, it has the bad luck of coming after a track like Gypsy. Despite the high-end quality of the piece, Gypsy's being "more" surpasses it.

Come Away Melinda, which is one of the songs identified with Heep and ranked third on the album, is actually a cover, that is, a reinterpreted song. Melinda, made as a song with anti-war lyrics by Fred Hellerman and Fran Minkoff, first appeared on Harry Belafonte's 1963 album Streets I Have Walked. It has been reinterpreted many times later, one of the best of which is the Uriah Heep version.

And the blues pride of the album is Lucy Blues. Hensley's piano movements and Box's calm guitar combined with Byron's magnificent voice. It is a special piece, completely different from all the tracks that will be included in Heep's later albums.

Dreammare, which has perhaps one of the best intros of rock music, Real Turned On, whose melodic structure is divided differently by Byron's vocals, and I'll Keep On Trying ending, which gives pleasure from beginning to end and makes one want to run furiously on the grass, with its completely different structure. The piece is like preparation for Wake Up (Set Your Sights).

With Wake Up, Heep hits both the album and his musical understanding and closes the issue. The next album signals that everything will be different in Salisbury.

Members

Mick Box (guitar, vocals), David Byron (vocals, 1969-76), Ken Hensley (keyboards, guitar, vocals, 1969-80), Paul Newton (bass, vocals, 1969-71), Alex Napier (drums, 1969-70), Nigel Olsson (drums, percussion, 1970), Keith Baker (drums, 1970), Iain Clark (drums, 1970-71), Mark Clarke (bass, 1971-72), Lee Kerslake (drums, percussion, 1971-79, 1981-2007), Gary Thain (bass, 1972-75), John Wetton (bass, keyboards, vocals, 1975-76), John Lawton (vocals, 1976-79), Trevor Bolder (bass, 1976-81, 1983-2013), John Sloman (vocals, piano, percussion, 1979-80), Chris Slade (drums, percussion, 1979-80), Gregg Dechert (keyboards, 1980), John Sinclair (keyboards, vocals, 1981-86), Peter Goalby (vocals, 1981-85), Bob Daisley (bass, vocals, 1981-83), Phil Lanzon (keyboards, vocals, 1986-present), Steff Fontaine (vocals, 1986), Bernie Shaw (vocals, 1986-present), Russell Gilbrook (drums, 2007-present), Dave Rimmer (bass, 2013-present)

Track Listing

1. Gypsy (6:38)

2. Walking in Your Shadow (4:30)

3. Come Away Melinda (3:48)

4. Lucy Blues (5:08)

5. Dreammare (4:37)

6. Real Turned On (3:39)

7. I'll Keep On Trying (5:27)

8. Wake Up (Set Your Sights) (6:20)

YANDEX

Coven / Blood On The Snow (1974)

 

United States

Psychedelic Rock, Pop Rock, Rock, Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Pop

And these people were called Satanists? I imagined them as completely different. Even more surprising was the fact that “Blood on the Snow” is ranked as either proto-prog or hard rock. Proto-prog on the final album of the group Coven and does not smell. As for hard rock, only the last three songs of the album can be attributed to this style with some stretch. And even then to that soft and melodic form of hard, which borders on power pop-rock.

The album begins with the glam-rock “Don’t Call Me”, which could very well be in Slade's repertoire. In addition, the vocals in this song are reminiscent of Noddy Holder's singing, but only in a higher range. The next five show the pop side of Coven's music. It is pure pop (“This Song's for All You Children”), orchestrated pop with a country flavor and vocals similar to Stevie Nix (“Lady O”), a power pop rock ballad (“Blue Blue Ships”) in which the vocalist of the band Jinx Dawson from a pop diva to a rock diva, again a pop song (“I Need a Hundred of You”) and the last of the five “Hide Your Daughters” in which the male vocals of guitarist Christopher Nielsen clearly outperforms Jinx's singing. The last three songs of the album are performed in a heavier hard rock style. True, in a light commercial version of hard rock.

There is not a single brilliant or failed composition on the album. But most of them are above average in quality. Well, the highlight of Coven is, of course, the voice of vocalist Jinx Dawson, which is great for both pop songs and rock performances.

Nice pop rock album.

Members

Jinx Dawson (vocals), Mike "Oz" Osborne (bass), Jim Nyeholt (organ, piano), Jim Donlinger (guitar), Christopher Neilsen (guitar, vocals), Rick Durrett (organ), John Hobbs (keyboards)

01 - Don't Call Me 3:44

02 - This Song's for All You Children 2:53

03 - Lady O 3:36

04 - Blue, Blue Ships 5:12

05 - I Need a Hundred of You 3:36

06 - Hide Your Daughters 5:13

07 - Lost Without a Trace 5:54

08 - Easy Evil 3:31

09 - Blood on the Snow 2:03

YANDEX

Coven / Coven (1971)

 

United States

Psychedelic Rock, Pop Rock, Rock, Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Pop

Very good gard rock album from early 70's. There are no satanic lyrics on this album.

Members

Jinx Dawson (vocals), Mike "Oz" Osborne (bass), Jim Nyeholt (organ, piano), Jim Donlinger (guitar), Christopher Neilsen (guitar, vocals), Rick Durrett (organ), John Hobbs (keyboards)

01 - Nightingale 2:57

02 - Shooting Star 2:54

03 - Natural Love 4:00

04 - What Can I Get Out of You 3:45

05 - Dark Day in Chitown 3:51

06 - Jailhouse Rock 2:06

07 - Lonely Lover 3:32

08 - I Guess It's a Beautiful Day 3:19

09 - Washroom Wonder 3:50

10 - Nobody's Leaving Here Tonight 3:42

11 - One Tin Soldier (The Legend of Billy Jack) 3:18

YANDEX

Coven / Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls (1969)

United States

Psychedelic Rock, Pop Rock, Rock, Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Pop

The psych rock with bluesy guitars here is somber, a bass-driven theater of terror and jutting drums that, even with its almost kitsch guise, is still unlike anything that had been produced in the US until that 1968 (as far as I know), even among those bands that bet on the weight to shock - and let's face it, this is not the vibe here.

overcoming those details that can make those of little faith reject or make fun of the material, Ed Wood's film atmosphere here is engaging, even convincing. With correct attention, you quickly find yourself in medieval towns with fanatical villagers chasing witches, peasants making deals with the devil to save the harvest, among other classic scenarios that refer to the cheapest horror movie productions of the 50s and 60s.

I woke up today with For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge in my head! Great fun!

4.5 out of 5 because Satanic Mass at the end breaks the groove of the parade.

Members

Jinx Dawson (vocals), Mike "Oz" Osborne (bass), Jim Nyeholt (organ, piano), Jim Donlinger (guitar), Christopher Neilsen (guitar, vocals), Rick Durrett (organ), John Hobbs (keyboards)

01 - Black Sabbath 3:28

02 - White Witch of Rose Hall 3:03

03 - Coven in Charing Cross 4:00

04 - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge 4:35

05 - Pact With Lucifer 3:25

06 - Choke, Thirst, Die 3:20

07 - Wicked Woman 2:55

08 - Dignitaries of Hell 4:04

09 - Portrait 2:32

10 - Satanic Mass 13:17

YANDEX

Chelsea / Chelsea (1971)

United States

Psychedelic Rock, Pop Rock, Folk Rock, Blues Rock

Chelsea has nothing to do with the punk band of the same name from the late seventies. Nothing at all! Here a crude mix of rock, southern rock and folk is offered, recorded rather musty and in the middle frequencies it is like New York in rush hour. The recording quality roughly corresponds to the colors used for the cover. Washed out, dull and uninteresting. So no psy-pop pearl, no acid daddel, no masturbation fuzze. No nothing. So what was it that drove me to purchase this piece of vinyl?

Then it falls like dandruff out of my hair: Peter Criss, of course. The drummer from Kiss. Chelsea was his first band. And on closer inspection or listening, a small sensation emerges. John Cale actually plays the viola on "Long River" and "Good Company". John Cale was an icon even then; and I was a total Velvet Underground fan in the nineties. That'll be it. John Cale = good LP. How can you be mistaken? In any case, I heard this part for the second time today - and it will probably have been the last time.

Members

Peter Shepley (vocals), Mike Brand (guitar, vocals), Michael Benvenga (bass, vocals), Chris Aridas (guitar, vocals, ?-1971), Stan Penridge (guitar, vocals, 1971), Peter Criss (drums)

01- Rollin' Along 2:42

02 - Let's Call It a Day 3:20

03 - Silver Lining 2:49

04 - All American Boy 4:05

05 - Hard Rock Music 5:30

06 - Ophelia 2:46

07 - Long River 7:03

08 - Grace 3:28

09 - Polly Von 5:01

10 - Good Company 1:44

YANDEX

Epitaph / Live (1981)

 

Germany

Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Krautrock, Pop Rock

Members

Cliff Jackson (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals), Bernd Kolbe (bass, vocals, 1970-77, 1981-88, 2000-present), Jim McGillivray (drums, 1970-72, 1976-77, 2000-01), Klaus Walz (guitar, 1971-77, 1981-88), Achim Wielert (drums, percussion, 1972-75, 2001-present), Fritz Randow (drums, 1977-81), Heinz Glass (guitar, vocals, 1977-81, 2000-present), Luitjen Jansen (bass, 1977-81), Michael Karch (keyboards, vocals, 1977-80), Norbert Lehmann (drums, vocals, 1981-88)

1. Still Alive

2. Hard Alive

3. Kamikaze

4. Tequila Fritz

5. Going to Chicago

6. Die High

7. On the Road

8. What About Me

9. Do You Feel Right

YANDEX

Epitaph / Return To Reality (1979)

Germany

Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Krautrock, Pop Rock

Members

Cliff Jackson (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals), Bernd Kolbe (bass, vocals, 1970-77, 1981-88, 2000-present), Jim McGillivray (drums, 1970-72, 1976-77, 2000-01), Klaus Walz (guitar, 1971-77, 1981-88), Achim Wielert (drums, percussion, 1972-75, 2001-present), Fritz Randow (drums, 1977-81), Heinz Glass (guitar, vocals, 1977-81, 2000-present), Luitjen Jansen (bass, 1977-81), Michael Karch (keyboards, vocals, 1977-80), Norbert Lehmann (drums, vocals, 1981-88)

1. Set Your Spirit Free 3:38

2. Stranger 5:03

3. We Can Get Together 7:40

4. Summer Sky 3:40

5. On the Road 5:32

6. Return to Reality 7:13

7. Spread Your Wings 6:07

YANDEX

Epitaph / Outside The Law (1974)

 

Germany

Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Krautrock, Pop Rock

Members

Cliff Jackson (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals), Bernd Kolbe (bass, vocals, 1970-77, 1981-88, 2000-present), Jim McGillivray (drums, 1970-72, 1976-77, 2000-01), Klaus Walz (guitar, 1971-77, 1981-88), Achim Wielert (drums, percussion, 1972-75, 2001-present), Fritz Randow (drums, 1977-81), Heinz Glass (guitar, vocals, 1977-81, 2000-present), Luitjen Jansen (bass, 1977-81), Michael Karch (keyboards, vocals, 1977-80), Norbert Lehmann (drums, vocals, 1981-88)

1. Reflexion 5:15

2. Woman 4:18

3. Big City 5:54

4. In Your Eyes 2:49

5. Outside the Law 5:57

6. Tequila Shuffle 4:56

7. Fresh Air 8:50

YANDEX

Epitaph / Stop, Look And Listen (1972)

 

Germany

Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Krautrock, Pop Rock

Members

Cliff Jackson (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals), Bernd Kolbe (bass, vocals, 1970-77, 1981-88, 2000-present), Jim McGillivray (drums, 1970-72, 1976-77, 2000-01), Klaus Walz (guitar, 1971-77, 1981-88), Achim Wielert (drums, percussion, 1972-75, 2001-present), Fritz Randow (drums, 1977-81), Heinz Glass (guitar, vocals, 1977-81, 2000-present), Luitjen Jansen (bass, 1977-81), Michael Karch (keyboards, vocals, 1977-80), Norbert Lehmann (drums, vocals, 1981-88)

1. Crossroads 4:49

2. Nightingale 5:54

3. Uptight 5:54

4. Fly 8:50

5. Stop, Look and Listen 9:55

YANDEX