Record Reviews

	DAVE KERMAN / 5UU`S ~ HUNGER`S TEETH RER 5UU1 ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock 3rd album from 1994 by the reformed 5uu`s and with Bob Drake on vocals. Another masterpiece, as expected, with a clear direction showing the development of the music into the 90`s with modern sound and usage of electronics.
	CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

	DAVE KERMAN / 5UU`S ~ CRISIS IN CLAY RER 5UU2 ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock 4th album from 1997 with the same lineup as the previous one. Yet another masterly executed musical experience with artistic and intellectual approach so rare among other 90`s musicians. Sadly under-appreciated and under-exposed, this is some of the best 20th century music.
	CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

	ART BEARS ~ WINTER SONGS/THE WORLD AS IT IS TODAY RER ABCD ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock 2nd & 3rd albums from 1979 & 1980 on 1 CD. More of the same great stuff as on their debut album with Chris Cutler and Fred Frith delivering their skills to the extreme. Absolutely stunning music of the best kind, although not for everybody.
	CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

	ART BEARS ~ HOPES AND FEARS RER ABD2 ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock 1st album from 1978 by the follow up band to Henry Cow. All the elements of their original band are here, extended and developed, as one might expect. This is some of the best avantgarde Prog ever recorded. Remastered and with bonus tracks.
	CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ART BEARS ~ THE ART BOX RER ABOX ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock This lavish 6 CDs box includes not only the entire recorded output by the Art Bears (the 3 original albums - beautifully remastered by Bob Drake), but also 3 additional CDs of material recorded by the RIO movement musicians, who pay tribute to one of the finest groups in the history of the movement. This is a wonderful package full of amazing music that gets better with time, as good wine!

CD 6 Digipak Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

	HENRY COW ~ LEG END RER HC1 ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock 1st album from 1973 by what is considered the most important and influential avatgarde UK Prog group of all times. Their music is so different and more advanced from anything done at that period that it took many years for people to realize the true qualities of this outstanding music. Absolutely essential listening.
	CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

	HENRY COW ~ UNREST RER HC2 ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock 2nd album from 1974 by this brilliant group. More jazz influenced then the previous one but this unique style can by hardly classified as jazz since the incredible mixture of all musical elements create an atmosphere unlike anything else. Considered their best album (but honestly all of them are great!).
	CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

	HENRY COW ~ IN PRAISE OF LEARNING RER HC3 ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock 3rd album from 1975 which is more avantgarde then the previous two, but still essential listening in order to fully comprehed thr group`s development. Requires more `flexibility` from the listener, but well trained ears will have no trouble at all enjoying this one. Remastered.
	CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

	HENRY COW ~ WESTERN CULTURE RER HC4 ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock 4th and last album from 1978. A culmination of this fantastic group long career and as usual a strong political statement as well. Not available on CD for a long time, this remastered eddition is pure joy!
	CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

HENRY COW ~ CONCERTS RER HC5/6 (Barcode: 752725022521) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1973 - 1975 Released: 2006 This magnificent and legendary album is a true document of an era and a glimpse at the process of musical groundbreaking. Henry Cow’s visionary music and musical ideology was of course aeons ahead of their time and influenced (in fact influences to this very day) generations of musicians. At the time these recording were made, Henry Cow were an obscure band, unwanted by their record label (Virgin), which was the cause of this music being released as a double LP on a tiny Norwegian label (Compendium). The vinyl album turned almost immediately into a collectors’ item and with time became a Holy Grail of every serious Prog collector (priced accordingly). The fact that the music, although composed, is predominantly improvised, makes it so innovative and fascinating. Although early traces of improvisation in rock were already present since the late 1960s (mostly by musicians, who had some jazz background), the unique combined talents of Henry Cow members managed to give birth to a whole new genre of music, which later was christened as RIO. Improvised rock, with heavy traces of jazz and contemporary classical music is about as close a description as one might think of, but of course words are hardly adequate when describing music, especially music is this caliber. Today the music contained on these two pieces of plastic belongs to the canon of modern music and any person, who considers himself a music connoisseur, can not afford to have this album missing in his collection.

CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

SLAPP HAPPY / HENRY COW ~ DESPERATE STRAIGHTS RER HCSH1 (Barcode: 752725019026) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1975 Released: 2004 The two groups, Slapp Happy and Henry Cow had a lot in common: both were Avant-Garde and ahead of their time musically and both shared the same social / political agenda. Slapp Happy consisted of the German singer Dagmar Krause, British pianist Anthony Moore and American guitarist Peter Blegvad. The band released their debut album (recorded with the participation of members from the legendary Krautrock band Faust) on Polydor in 1972, but when the rebel rejected their next album, they moved to Virgin, which at the time was pretty open to experimental music, and re-recorded the album, which was released in 1974. Since Virgin was the home label for Henry Cow, the bands soon met and started to cooperate and eventually record together, becoming de-facto one group. In fact Slapp Happy and Henry Cow recorded two albums together: this one and In Praise Of Learning, with the latter appearing under Henry Cow’s moniker only. Following the second album, Moore and Blegvad left the band, but Krause remained as the band’s singer till their demise. It is interesting to compare the two albums, as they are quite different even though the band is identical. Desperate Straights is almost a straightforward songs album, with 13 relatively short tracks, whereas In Praise Of Learning is highly adventurous and Avant-Garde oriented. Nevertheless this is a brilliant example of the early RIO movement and in time reached a classic status with the music remaining fresh and visionary forever. A must for all Henry Cow fans and RIO followers.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

LIGHT COORPORATION ~ RARE DIALECT RER LC01 ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 This debut album by Polish ensemble Light CoorporationFind albums by this artist is a stunning revelation of musical genius present among the new generation of European musicians. Led by guitarist / composer Mariusz SobanskiFind albums by this artist, who composed all the music, the ensemble also includes saxophonists Michal FetlerFind albums by this artist (baritone and alto) and Michal PijewskiFind albums by this artist (tenor), violinist Robert BielakFind albums by this artist, bassist Tom StrukFind albums by this artist (fretless bass) and drummer Milosz KrauzFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Marcin SzczesnyFind albums by this artist sits in as a guest musician. The music is a completely unique brand of RIO / Avant-Garde Prog, which is deeply rooted in the beginning of the movement (Henry CowFind albums by this artist) but successfully updated to contemporary standards, both sonically and conceptually. Superbly matched and combined acoustic sounds of the reeds and electronic distortion from the guitar and keyboards, hypnotic rhythmic patters (similar to the Zeuhl movement) and dark melodic vistas create an overwhelming effect, which is completely fresh and unparalleled. Considering the fact that these are very young individuals and this is their debut recording one must wander about the possibilities of these gifted musicians in the future. No wander the prestigious ReRFind albums on this label label released this album worldwide, especially since this kind of material suits their catalogue as a glove. On the band´s site we can learn that their performances are usually accompanied by screening of video material, which seems highly appropriate, as this music has a very strong atmospheric / ambient content as well, which is usually ideal to be combined with visual material. But listening "only" to the music is also an immensely powerful and invigorating experience of rare magnificence and depth. I listened to the album for three consecutive times, being completely enchanted by it. I´m pretty sure the same will happen to most of the listeners. Of course such music requires repeated listening sessions to be discovered and uncovered in depth – as all great music does. It is rather obvious that this music is well beyond being recommended – it would (literally) be a crime if any serious music lover, regardless is he´s a Prog or Jazz or RIO or Zeuhl fan if he was to miss this album! Such gems are so rare, that we must make everything in our power to make the world listen, especially since I can´t recall hearing such great music in a very long time! This is a brilliant piece of intelligent music - chapeau Mariusz & co.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Gold Recommend To A Friend

LIGHT COORPORATION ~ ALIENS FROM PLANET EARTH RER LC02 ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 The recording of a second album is a pivotal moment for every ensemble; a process, which often foretells if that particular group of musicians has a lasting momentum and creative power to re-invent itself time after time and remain relevant and artistically significant in the long term. There are endless examples of one-time creative outbursts, which result in brilliant music, but only a miniscule proportion of these develop into a lasting source of inventiveness, which withstands the tides of time. This, the second album by Polish ensemble Light CoorporationFind albums by this artist, is therefore a litmus paper of sorts, by which the future of this group can be predicted, bearing in mind of course that prophesy was given the fools. The group underwent some personnel changes since the release of their stunning debut album "Rare DialectFind albums with this title" a year earlier and comprises now of leader / founder guitarist / composer Mariusz SobanskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Pawel RogozaFind albums by this artist, violinist Robert BielakFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof WaskiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Milosz KrauzFind albums by this artist. Of the eight compositions present on the album (there is also a "hidden" ninth track), two are credited to the leader and the remaining six are group compositions, indicating that most of the music is improvised. The fact that the music was recorded live in an Art Gallery, capturing the wonderful ambience of the room, is yet another indication as to the highly improvised nature of the music herein. The music itself is quite different from what we can hear on the debut album, which points out that the group is not trying to find a formula, which can then be repeated, but keeps searching, which is probably the essence of all Art. Although the music consistently defies all efforts to be neatly categorized, or even described for that matter, it is quite clear that it moves more towards ambient improvised music, in which sounds become as important as notes in traditional music, even if the sounds are produced by traditional acoustic instruments, sometimes electronically amplified and modified with the use of delay and other effects. The overall effect is completely novel and deadly effective, creating sonic tension of incredible intensity and emotional potency. In many respects this album moves away from the direct relations with the sources of this music, like RIO, Zeuhl and Jazz, which were still very much noticeable on the debut album, clearly trying to establish a self-determined (sound-wise) identity. At times, when most music is sadly being reduced to repetitious mechanical dribble, originality and creativity, which are the underlying principles of this music, is so much more important and worthy of admiration and support. Sobanski and his cohorts might as well be "aliens from planet earth", as their music is so far removed from the dreaded mainstream so-called music as planet earth from other galaxies. In fact this might even suggest that Poland is a favorite place of residence of many other musical "aliens", judging by the incredible music scene, which produces these days more original and highly innovative music than most other places on our planet. As to the original question about the "second album trial", the answer is one big "passed with honors". Congratulations are in order, and of course a wholehearted recommendation to every intelligent and adventurous music lover (few of those are still remaining on this planet), to grab this immediately and put it on "repeat" at once. There will be no regrets!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

LIGHT COORPORATION ~ ABOUT RER LC03 ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the third (in three years) album by Polish Progressive Rock / Jazz-Rock Fusion ensemble Light CoorporationFind albums by this artist, founded and led by guitarist / composer Mariusz SobanskiFind albums by this artist. The ensemble is expanded to include twelve musicians, which more then doubles its size on their two earlier albums, and includes members from the earlier versions of the ensemble, like saxophonists Pawel RogozaFind albums by this artist, Michal PijewskiFind albums by this artist and Michal FetlerFind albums by this artist, violinist Robert BielakFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Marcin SzczesnyFind albums by this artist, bassist Tom StrukFind albums by this artist and drummer Milosz KrauzFind albums by this artist, as well as others who play here for the first time. They perform ten original compositions, all by Sobanski, who also arranged it. The album was again released on the prestigious British ReRFind albums on this label label, which stays faithful to its Artists. Musically this album shows yet another step forward for the group, which keeps changing like a chameleon, and yet retains a specific sound and feel, which by now are certainly their own. There is a shift from the earlier Prog and Ambient tendencies towards more Jazzy influences, which of course are emphasized by the expanded brass section and the appropriate arrangements. There is more of typical Jazz improvisation here, although rhythmically the music is still very much Rock based. The music is dark and moody as on the earlier albums, but also Funky and swinging at the same time. It appears that the ensemble is able to re-invent itself anew on every album, which is truly impressive. One can only hope that this can be repeated in the future. By now it is pretty obvious that Sobanski is a major force on the Polish music scene, which should not be ignored or dismissed haphazardly. He has proved not only his talents as player / composer / arranger but also as innovator and visionary, with a burning desire to create and develop further. His restlessness is a blessing and hopefully the harsh reality will not be able to block his creative powers. Having done a remarkable job third time in a row he truly deserves both recognition and support. This is the kind of music, which keeps my faith in aesthetics, intelligence and creativity in a world full of superficiality, banality and zero values. As already stated in my reviews of the two earlier albums, the music of Light Coorporation fails every attempt of categorization, since it is so original and unconventional on one hand and so encompassing on the other. As a result there should be something for everybody herein, regardless if the listener comes from Prog, Jazz or even contemporary Classical fields. This is simply great music, and as such needs no particular encouragement to be listened to. Just grab a copy of the album and listen – satisfaction guaranteed!

Updated: 31/03/2018Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

LIGHT COORPORATION ~ CHAPTER IV – BEFORE THE MURMUR OF SILENCE RER LC04 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the fourth album by Polish Progressive Rock / Jazz-Rock Fusion ensemble Light CoorporationFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Mariusz SobanskiFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded by a septet, which also includes saxophonist Pawel RogozaFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Kuba JankowiakFind albums by this artist, pianist Witold OleszakFind albums by this artist, bassists Piotr OsesFind albums by this artist (acoustic) and Krzysztof WaskiewiczFind albums by this artist (electric) and drummer Milosz KrauzFind albums by this artist. It includes eight original compositions, all by Sobanski, which are accompanied by eight poems also written by him, printed in the album´s booklet, which remain as unsung lyrics accompanying the music. The music was recorded live in the studio, but the sound quality and dynamics are excellent. For the fourth time in a row Sobanski and his ensemble manage to surprise me completely, which happens extremely rarely with other artists. The chameleonic ability to constantly change the lineup and the music, but at the same time create some of the most fascinating music on the Polish scene, which is exploding with talent and extremely competitive, is truly astounding. This album is definitely the most jazzy and most open of the ensemble´s releases so far, and brings fond memories of some of the Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist ambitious projects, which incorporated Rock, Jazz and contemporary Classical idioms, but also the work of some early British Jazz-Rock pioneers like Rock WorkshopFind albums by this artist. The "dirty" guitar tone and the superb brass solos, backed by a funky rhythm section are simply delightful and completely unique. There is no other group, neither in Poland nor anywhere else on this planet, which plays anything remotely similar. There are also new elements, which appear here for the first time, such as the Improvised Music approach the ensemble clearly demonstrates, and of course the element of freedom in the improvisations, which are often quite bold and clearly reach beyond the boundaries of Prog, which initially defined the group´s orientation. Over time Light Coorporation managed to evade and steer clear of all attempts to get neatly categorized, which is one of their major fortes. The last track on the album, which lasts over seventeen minutes, is a modern symphonic poem, of rare beauty and intensity, which simply de facto defines the music. Listening to this album is like a rollercoaster ride, which themes, rhythms, intensities, crescendos and silences chasing each other constantly. The music takes the listener by the throat and does not let go well until the last echoes of the music are all gone; a completely unique experience, which happens only once in a blue moon. I have no idea why Light Coorporation gets such a limited feedback in Poland, but the fact that the prestigious British ReR label releases their album for the fourth consecutive time is a symbol of distinction and appreciation. Hopefully they will be able to get more recognition back at home, as they truly deserve. This is definitely one of the best and most interesting Polish albums of 2014, and another great accomplishment by Sobanski and his cohorts.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

LIGHT COORPORATION ~ 64:38 RADIO FULL LIV(F)E RER LC05 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2016 This is the fifth album by the excellent Polish ensemble Light CoorporationFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist Mariusz SobanskiFind albums by this artist. This lineup of the ensemble features also saxophonist Pawel RogozaFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Mariusz GregorowiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof WaskiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Milosz KrauzFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded live in the Polish Radio studio in Poznan, which is named Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist Studio after the Godfather of Polish Jazz, who made his early recordings there. The ensemble performs seven original compositions, all composed by the leader. The music presents reworked versions of compositions that previously appeared on the ensemble´s first and third albums and completely improvised pieces credited to all five members of the ensemble. This album definitely marks a shift towards improvised music, taking the ensemble further away from their initial Progressive Rock and Fusion image. This constant chameleonic ability to change the musical approach has been one of the greatest assets of Light Coorporation since their inception. Although instrumentally limited only to five instruments, the ensemble creates wide and diverse sound structures. The addition of the vibraphone (Gregorowicz is the only new member of the ensemble who did not appear on any of the previous albums) changed the overall sound significantly, bringing it even closer to traditional Jazz sound. I have no idea if Sobanski was influenced by the presence of the vibraphonist Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist as a member of the early Komeda combos, when he decided to add vibraphone to this new lineup, but whatever the reason was, it had a major influence on the overall result. As already stated above this album emphasizes Free improvisation, which constitutes a major part of the music. However, the music is still very coherent and based on composed parts, which enables the listener to follow up the developments without getting lost within the havoc that is often projected by Improvised Music projects. Some basic riffs and electric guitar parts go back to the Fusion idiom, but everything here is more hinted than explicitly stated, which of course makes life interesting for the listener. Overall this is another superb release by Light Coorporation, which is surely one of the most interesting, unconventional and sadly underrated ensembles active in Europe today. The album was released again on the prestigious British ReRFind albums on this label label, which consistently supports the band. I wholeheartedly recommend to open-minded listeners to investigate this album, as well as the previous releases by Light Coorporation, as they all are still completely valid and lost nothing of their original charm. Well done again!

Updated: 05/11/2016Posted: 05/11/2016

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

PICCHIO DAL POZZO ~ ABBIAMO TUTTI I SUOI PROBLEMI RER PDP (Barcode: 752725022620) ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1980 Released: 2006 2nd album by the Italian RIO group considered a masterpiece of the genre. The music, although sounding improvised, was completely composed and includes elements of contemporary classical music, jazz phrasing and rock influences (Zappa and Canterbury among others). Of course at the time of its release the album was aeons ahead of time and sounds today as fresh and innovative as it did then and most probably will in the future as well. The group uses extensive brass arrangements in addition to the basic drums / bass / keyboards / guitar instrumentation, full of twists and turns, tempo changes, etc. It is truly superfluous to write more about this music, it simply deserves to be heard by every Prog and beyond music lover. An essential classic stuff!

CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

	THINKING PLAGUE ~ IN THIS LIFE RER TPCD1 ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock 3rd album from 1989 by this avantgarde/R.I.O. group with Bob Drake on vocals. Although they are distinctly more melodic then similar groups such as Art Bears or 5uu`s, the music is challenging, intelligent and extremely well crafted. This is a reissue, remastered and with bonus tracks.
	CD 1 Recommend To A Friend