Record Reviews

TOTO BLANKE ~ ELECTRIC CIRCUS CHICKADISC 001 (Barcode: 5901549197624) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1976 Released: 2016 This is a reissue of the second album by German Jazz-Rock Fusion guitarist / composer Toto BlankeFind albums by this artist, recorded by a superb trio, which consisted of Blanke, Dutch keyboardist / composer Jasper Van`t HofFind albums by this artist and Finnish drummer Edward VesalaFind albums by this artist. The trio later adopted the album´s title as their stage name and recorded a few albums together later on. American bassist Dave KingFind albums by this artist plays on four tracks and the album´s co-producer Ulli A. RuetzelFind albums by this artist plays piano on one track. The album presents seven original compositions, six of which were composed by Blanke and one by Van`t Hof. The music presented here is an extraordinary example of European Jazz-Rock Fusion at its best, which is characterized by complex melodies, elegance and sophistication, rather than endless instrumental doodling which dominated Fusion across the pond. The music is multi-layered, spacey, funky, and sometimes even ventures into almost Free territory; in short it bursts with ideas and eschews repeating worn-out formulas. Although Blanke was the leader and the main composer, the album in fact features the work of Van`t Hof as the primary instrumentalist, both as the soloist and the musician who provides the background layers upon which the music is glued together. Van`t Hof´s limitless imagination is at its absolute most prolific best herein. Blanke, a very original and plainly "different" guitar player also produces some amazing ventures on this album, mostly unconventional both stylistically and as far as the sounds he uses for his instrument. Vesala, one of Europe´s best and most original drummers, known mostly for his Free Jazz activities, plays some incredible drum parts on this album, proving his versatility and ability to adapt to any environment. He stays relatively in the background here, but listening to his work is very educational and of course aesthetically pleasing. Overall this is one of the great Fusion albums which are almost completely forgotten and the fact that is reissued forty years after it was recorded is a miracle in every respect. This album is a must to every true Fusion fan anywhere on this planet and hopefully it will be rediscovered, as the music deserves it in every respect. This release marks the start of a new ChickadiscFind albums on this label label, which is owned by the Polish GADFind albums on this label Records label, and promises to unearth many more amazing albums lost in the tides of time. Hats off as usual!

Updated: 21/03/2017Posted: 21/03/2017

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

PSI ~ HORIZONTE CHICKADISC 002 (Barcode: 5901549197716) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1977 Released: 2017 This is a reissue, first time on CD, of the only album recorded by the German Fusion band PSIFind albums by this artist, which consisted of keyboardist / composer Matthias FreyFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Wilfried KunklerFind albums by this artist, guitarist Volkmar ZimmermannFind albums by this artist, bassist Bodo FeldmannFind albums by this artist and drummer Robert JahnFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Frey. The music is a superb example of German Fusion, which developed in West Germany in the 1970s and was a leading European scene for the genre, competing fiercely with the British Fusion scene at the time. Based on vivacious exchanges between the keyboards and the guitar, the music includes also some Psychedelic and Progressive Rock elements, which was typical of the German vein of Fusion. The music is full of quirky melodies, unexpected rhythmic shifts and wonderful inventiveness, which sadly is nowhere to be found today. The album is captivating from start to finish and has no weak moments, which of course makes the fact that it was the only recording by the group even more daunting. Although the musicians had relatively little experience and musical education, these performances are all inspired and sound as good today as they did at the time of the recording. This is an absolute must to all connoisseurs of Fusion, most of which probably never heard about this group or this wonderful album. As usual the credit and thanks for bringing this wonder back to circulation goes to the owners of GADFind albums on this label Records label, of which ChickadiskFind albums on this label is a subsidiary label.

Updated: 15/04/2017Posted: 15/04/2017

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

MARK NAUSEEF ~ PERSONAL NOTE CHICKADISC 003 (Barcode: 5901549197792) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 1981 Released: 2017 This is a reissue of the debut album by the American drummer Mark NauseefFind albums by this artist, originally released on the legendary German CMPFind albums on this label label. It features an incredible team of musicians, which includes the German pianist Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist, Indian percussionist Trilok GurtuFind albums by this artist, German keyboardist George KochbeckFind albums by this artist and guest stars: Dutch guitarist Jan AkkermanFind albums by this artist, German bassist Detlev BeierFind albums by this artist and British vocalist / bassist Phil LynottFind albums by this artist of Thin LizzyFind albums by this artist fame. The album presents six original compositions, most of which were composed or co-composed by Kuhn, except one percussion duet which is credited to Nauseef and Gurtu. The music presents a wide variety of styles, from Rock, via Jazz-Rock Fusion, Jazz-World Fusion and up to Improvised Music, which is completely unpredictable but always fascinating. There are definitely composed parts, but most of the music is improvised, using a plethora of instruments, both acoustic and electronic, producing a sound which was way ahead of its time. In retrospect this music sounds as innovative today as it was at the time of its recording, completely free of any stylistic constrains and instrumental conceptions. The strong rhythmic layer of drums / percussion adds a feeling of vitality and urgency and the piano / saxophone parts by Kuhn are absolutely stunning, catching him at his very best. Overall this is a blast from the past, which is most welcome to be back in circulation after a very long period of absence. For true Fusion connoisseurs this album is a Holy Grail which should be a part of any serious music collection. As usual the remastered music and excellent liner notes make this reissue a must have. The ChickadiscFind albums on this label label is a subsidiary of the excellent Polish GADFind albums on this label Records, which by now is a trademark of quality.

Updated: 06/02/2018Posted: 06/02/2018

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

MOEBIUS ~ WELCOME TO THE WORLD: COMPLETE STUDIO RECORDINGS 1979-82) CHICKADISC 004 (Barcode: 5901549197853) ~ USA ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 1979 Released: 1982 This is a reissue, first time on CD, of the two albums recorded by the short-lived American group MoebiusFind albums by this artist, founded by synthesizer enthusiasts / pioneers Brice RobbleyFind albums by this artist and Doug LynnerFind albums by this artist. They were joined on the first album by the iconic Steve RoachFind albums by this artist and on the second album by Bill BoydstunFind albums by this artist and the three synthesizers lineups were supported by guests playing a plethora of other instruments. The music is almost entirely original, composed by the group´s members except for a couple of covers of Pop songs by The DoorsFind albums by this artist and The SeedsFind albums by this artist. The music is everything one can expect from an all-synthesizers lineup playing electronic Pop, which is a precursor of the New Wave explosion of the 1980s. The tunes are all well crafted and superbly executed and the theatrical vocals add another layer to the wonderful mayhem. Surprisingly the music lost nothing of its freshness and uniqueness over the years is an absolute fan to listen to. The multilayered ambient sounds superimposed one on top of another, mimic melodic and rhythmic elements, previously known to be performed by "real" instruments, but of course considering the limitless possibilities the synthesizers offer, the overall result is very impressive and unusual. For lovers of electronic / ambient music, this album is a fantastic blast from the past, which again proves that much of what we hear today was already achieved much earlier, and usually much better. This inspired and in many respects visionary music is finally available again, which is a good reason to celebrate. As usual the remastered music and excellent liner notes make this reissue a must have. The ChickadiscFind albums on this label label is a subsidiary of the excellent Polish GADFind albums on this label Records, which by now is a trademark of quality.

Updated: 09/02/2018Posted: 09/02/2018

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

CHANDELIER ~ PURE CHICKADISC 005 (Barcode: 5903068120091) ~ GERMANY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1988 - 1990 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the debut album by the German Neo-Prog ensemble ChandelierFind albums by this artist, which consisted of vocalist Martin EdenFind albums by this artist, guitarist Udo LangFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Tobias BudnowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Christoph TiberFind albums by this artist and drummer Heribert RubarthFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original songs with lyrics (In English) by Eden and music co-credited to all five ensemble members. This remastered and expanded edition adds a whole second CD which presents the cassette only early album by the band with one previously unreleased outtake. The music is obviously strongly influenced by the classic British Prog bands of the late 1960s / early 1970s as well as the early British Neo-Prog bands which exploded in the early 1980s like MarillionFind albums by this artist, IQFind albums by this artist, PallasFind albums by this artist, PendragonFind albums by this artist and many others. The songs on this album as every bit as good as the material these bands managed to produce, and offer great melodies, excellent instrumental parts and falsetto (as appropriate for the genre) vocals. Neo-Prog sadly had a limited musical impact as it basically offered nothing new that was not already done in the past and refused to break beyond the self imposed limits of the genre. Nevertheless this album is quite strong as far as this genre has to offer and in the thirty years retrospective sounds really entertaining. Progheads should find this remastered and expanded reissue a feast to their ears and considering the fact that the original release is impossible to find these days, this is a great opportunity to discover this excellent band. As usual the remastered music and excellent liner notes make this reissue a must have. The ChickadiscFind albums on this label label is a subsidiary of the excellent Polish GADFind albums on this label Records, which by now is a trademark of quality.

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 29/06/2019

CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

CHANDELIER ~ FACING GRAVITY CHICKADISC 006 (Barcode: 5903068120107) ~ GERMANY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1992 - 1993 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the second album by the German Neo-Prog ensemble ChandelierFind albums by this artist, which consisted of vocalist Martin EdenFind albums by this artist, guitarist Udo LangFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Tobias BudnowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Christoph TiberFind albums by this artist and drummer Heribert RubarthFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original songs with lyrics (In English) by Eden and music co-credited to all five ensemble members. This remastered and expanded edition adds a whole second CD which presents a concert recording of the group captured at a Paris club. The music continues the classic Neo-Prog direction established on the debut, but with a much tighter playing, radically improved sound and stronger compositions, which altogether shift the band into the top of the genre´s acts. In retrospect this album is considered as one of the top German Neo-Prog albums ever recorded and easily matches the best albums recorded by the parallel British Neo-Prog bands of the period. Although the Neo-Prog genre was a priori limited by the concept that it had to continue the direction set by the original Prog genre initiated decades earlier with as little deviation from the original formulae as possible, it did produce some excellent music over time, of which this is a good example. Solid melodies, complex instrumentation and operatic vocals generate epic symphonic sound which at its best is overwhelming, but at its worst can be ridiculous and boring. The album maintains a superb level of musicianship for its entire duration and is certainly an epitome of the Prog idiom, avoiding successfully the traps of repetition and duplication which many albums within the genre suffer from. Progheads should find this remastered and expanded reissue a feast to their ears and considering the fact that the original release is impossible to find these days, this is a great opportunity to discover this excellent band. As usual the remastered music and excellent liner notes make this reissue a must have. The ChickadiscFind albums on this label label is a subsidiary of the excellent Polish GADFind albums on this label Records, which by now is a trademark of quality.

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 30/06/2019

CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

CHANDELIER ~ TIMECODE CHICKADISC 008 (Barcode: 5903068120343) ~ GERMANY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1986 - 2018 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of the third (and last) album by the German Neo-Prog ensemble ChandelierFind albums by this artist, which consisted of vocalist Martin EdenFind albums by this artist, guitarist Udo LangFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Tobias BudnowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Stephan ScholzFind albums by this artist and drummer Tom JarzinaFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original songs with lyrics (In English) by Eden and music co-credited to all five ensemble members. This remastered and expanded edition adds a whole second CD of bonus material, called "Lost & Found", which presents previously unreleased demo, outtakes, rehearsal take, a cover of a GenesisFind albums by this artist song and new (2018) re-recordings, all recorded by the original lineup of the group with bassist Christoph TiberFind albums by this artist and drummer Heribert RubarthFind albums by this artist, which recorded the first two albums. Recorded and released five years after its predecessor, the album continues the classic Neo-Prog direction established on the two earlier albums. The playing is still very tight, slick and polished, the vocals are excellent and so are the tunes, but sadly by the end of the 1990s Neo-Prog was running completely out of steam and the band finally called it quits a few months after the album was released. Although the Neo-Prog genre was a priori limited by the concept that it had to continue the direction set by the original Prog genre initiated decades earlier with as little deviation from the original formulae as possible, it did produce some excellent music over time, of which this is a good example. Solid melodies, complex instrumentation and operatic vocals generate epic symphonic sound which at its best is overwhelming, but at its worst can be ridiculous and boring. Although this album maintains a superb level of musicianship for its entire duration and is certainly an epitome of the Neo-Prog idiom, it did not manage to avoid the traps of repetition and duplication which many albums within the genre suffer from, especially towards the end of the Century. Progheads (well Neo-Progheads) should find this remastered and expanded reissue a feast to their ears and considering the fact that the original release is impossible to find these days, this is a great opportunity to discover this excellent band. As usual the remastered music and excellent liner notes make this reissue a must have. The ChickadiscFind albums on this label label is a subsidiary of the excellent Polish GADFind albums on this label Records, which by now is a trademark of quality.

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 14/03/2020

CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend