Black Noise (77), Headroom (78, aka FM), Surveillance (79), City Of Fear (80), CON-TEST (85), Tonight (87), RetroActive (95)

Canadian trio who made a very accessible progressive rock, very influenced by Yes and Genesis, and much science fiction lyric is involved.

Canadian Trio featuring Cameron Hawkins (Synthesizer, Bass, Bass-Pedals, Vocal), Martin Deller (Drums,Percussion), Ben Mink (Violin and Mandolin on 1st, 3rd and 4th albums, Guitar on 5th) and Nash The Slash (Violin, Mandolin and Vocals on 2nd and 5th albums). Their sound was pretty unique as the Mandolin subs for guitar throughout; The earliest albums tend to be more jazz-fusion influenced, the first Headroom, consisting of two sidelong instrumental pieces recorded direct-to-disc. With the second album Black Noise, there is less reliance on improvisation as they became more Yes influenced, with multi-part complimentary vocal arrangements, and science fiction based lyrics. Surveillance carried on in much the same mode, but by this point any remaining jazz influences had all but disappeared. City Of Fear was their first dog, where about half the tunes appear to be attempts to make a hit single; the remaining (good) tracks were leftovers from the soundtrack to the movie "The Incubus." They regrouped in the mid-80's as a four piece for Con-Test, this time the entire project seemed to be aimed at the pop single market, which they finally got with the minor hit "Why Don't You Take It," which resounded with it's Phil Collins-isms. Most of the album's tracks sound more like The Cars circa Candy-O than like anything FM had done before. By 1987 both Deller and Mink had bailed, leaving Hawkins and Slash to try to do it again with two newbies. The result was Tonight a totally mainstream album without even the slightest hint of their better days. Any of the first three are a good place to start.

Interesting Canadian band. The direct-to-disc first album consists of two 16-minute-or-so pieces of exploratory improvisation using bass guitar and pedals, electric violins and mandolin, and tons of synthesizers. Vocals are buried deep in the mix, almost impossible to hear even if you try. Still, completely intruguing. Black Noise is probably their best album, more song orientated with now prominent vocals. The use of electric mandolin gives it the necessary originality, I certainly don't know of any other band that's used it to this extent before. Something like a high-tech, spacy mix of Rush and U.K., for want of a better comparison. Black Noise is definitely the one to begin with, if only for the magnificent 10-minute title track. Surveillance is the beginning of a downward-spiral for the band, the degeneration is already beginning to set in, as evidenced by the banal cover of the Yardbirds' "Shapes Of Things." Still, songs such as "Orion" and "Sofa Back" make this one decent enough to be enjoyable. -- Mike Ohman

Canadian band with some interesting albums at the end of the seventies. Black Noise is very good, clean production, listen with a headphone! Surveillance is also worthwhile but no songs catch my attention. City of Fear is a question of taste, the songs are certainly more commercial with simpler structures (check the chorus). Nevertheless I like it, the vocals are good and the playing is as with all albums superb (the electric mandoline is still very much evident). I've also got one their eighties albums on tape, avoid it all costs. It's amazing how bands can change their sound! -- Eric Hermans

[See Mink, Ben | Nash the Slash]

In And Out Of Focus (70), Moving Waves (71), Focus 3 (72), Live At The Rainbow (73), Hamburger Concerto (74), Ship Of Memories (74), Mother Focus (75), Focus Con Proby (78), Dutch Masters (compilation) (??)

Because they have a flautist they can sound like Jethro Tull at times, Most of their music is instrumental. Some of the songs they sing on are in English, and those songs tend to be their worst. The ones they sing in other languages are better. Best albums are Hamburger Concerto, Moving Waves, 3, and Live at the Rainbow.

Focus was the four piece from Holland that can be credited with being one of the first bands to bring instrumental progressive rock to the AM airwaves with their 1971 hit "Hocus Pocus" (featured on Ship of Memories). Their high- powered sound was propelled by virtuoso guitarist Jan Akkerman, and Flautist/ Keyboardist/Vocalist extraordinaire Thijs Van Leer. The other mainstay of the band was drummer Pierre Van Der Linden. Bassists came and went with nearly every new album. Their music was heavily classical and jazz influenced, with an equal proportion of hard driving instrumental flash-rock featuring vocals as an instrument, not as a conduit for lyrics. Waves and 3 represent the best of the band's earlier intensely progressive period with plenty of sidelong tracks and healthy extended solos. Most will agree that Live at the Rainbow and Hamburger Concerto were their best, moving into a period of more pure classical and jazz influence. With Mother Focus, the band took a more or less commercial turn, with shorter cuts and snappier tunes. Ship of Memories is an album of odds and ends recorded in the Rainbow/Hamburger period that had been previously unreleased, and also includes the radio version of their mega-hit "Hocus Pocus." All great stuff not to be missed.

Pretty good jazz-rock band. Focus 3 (1972) is a double LP that takes the obligatory side-long song -- a rather aimless instrumental jam in this case -- an extra step by fading out after nearly 20 minutes, and then putting another seven minutes onto the next side! In fact, all but one song on the whole set is instrumental... and that one song ("Round Goes the Gossip") has lyrics in Latin, from Virgil's "The Aeneid". What pretension... what pomp... what snobbery... but worth hearing. (This refers to the whole album -- the singing on the song in question is mediocre.) Live at the Rainbow (1973) -- recorded, you guessed it, live at the Rainbow Theatre in London -- consists of (I think) tracks from their first three albums. More jazzy instrumental noodling, along with crowd noise and the semi-legendary (and very fun) "Hocus Pocus" -- which you have quite likely heard on the radio at some time in your life. -- Greg Ward

Seminal Dutch progressive. They had a hit in the US with "Hocus Pocus" which was known for the yodeling, more than anything else. Unfortunately, that became the "signature song" for the band and is not at all representative of what their music is about. They mix jazz and classical ideals into extended, very melodic rock suites. Flute, guitar, and organ dominate the sound. Their first, In and Out of Focus contains mostly shorter songs, is a little uneven and reveals the band in development. You can hear some of Jan Akkerman's classic guitar licks and Thijs Van Leer's signature flute straining out through the music Some of the music has a beat/psych feel but "Anonymous" and "Focus (Instrumental)" hint at great things to come. Beginning with Moving Waves the band found their groove and turned out several excellent albums. My favorite is 3, but any of them, up to and including Hamburger Concerto are excellent. Highly recommended!

Early, highly influential Dutch progressive, featuring the flute, keyboards and vocals of Thijs Van Leer and the undisputed talents of ex-Brainbox guitarist Jan Akkerman. I haven't heard the first album yet, it's supposed to be pretty proto-prog. Moving Waves is probably the one you'll want to begin with, anyway. Notorious for the six-minute novelty hit "Hocus Pocus," a rocker with Black Sabbath-like guitar riffing including wild yodelling, goofy cartoon voices and solos for flute and accordion! Whether they wanted it to or not, it became their signature song. But the real reason to own this is the 21-minute "Eruption," in which the various sections highlight Van Leer's flute playing, churchy organ and pillowy mellotron as well as Akkerman's top-notch guitar playing. Focus III is a somewhat overextended double LP, with tracks like "Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!" and the 27-minute (!) "Anonymus II" going off on jazzy tangents, and for the most part going on longer than they should. But these tracks do have their moments, and the shorter songs, notably "Carnival Fugue" and "Round Goes The Gossip" (the latter graced with Latin lyrics!), are excellent works with rock, classical and jazz elements. The beautifully melodic "Sylvia" was a major instrumental hit in Europe. An attempt to write a side-long piece entitled "Out Of Vesuvius", intended to rival "Eruption," resulted in the title-suite of Hamburger Concerto, which does indeed blow "Eruption" away in every which way, no mean feat if you've heard it! ("Eruption" I mean.) Van Leer pulls out all the stops--literally with synthesizer and even pipe organ! Meanwhile, Akkerman's guitar is as good as ever. Also noteworthy is the classic "Birth," spotlighting Van Leer's flute, and the hard-rocker "Harem Scarem." Perhaps their best album ever. Ship Of Memories is an album of odds and ends, mostly recorded in between Focus III and Hamburger Concerto, some of which eventually ended up on Hamburger Concerto (like the aforementioned "Out Of Vesuvius," which appears as an incomplete five minute track here) and Mother Focus. -- Mike Ohman

[See Akkerman, Jan | Brainbox | Sweet'd Buster | Trace]

Wanderers Of The Neverending Night (92), Soul Travels (93), In Flux (95), Earth Shaper (96)

A very fluid, mostly instrumental rock project that drips of psychedelics, comparable to something like Erpland without the reggae influences. Ripping lead guitars and throbbing rhythms paint a modern space-rock that burns in overall intensity. I'm sure any fans of Ozrics would go berserk over this (I did!). A long disc to boot, almost seventy minutes.

Fonya-- there is a macron (horizontal bar) over the "o" and "a" so the name should be pronounced phone-yay -- is the solo vehicle for multi-instrumentalist Chris Fournier. In this day of countless neo-progressive bands, Fonya instead draws from the likes of Eloy, Tangerine Dream and Camel to create a very spacious (and spacey) melodic progressive rock. Functioning essentially as a trio, Fournier combines either bass (his primary instrument) or guitar with drum machine and sequenced keyboards. To date, Fonya has released two compact discs, Wanderers of the Never Ending Night and Soul Travels. A third, In Flux, is in the works. Wanderers of the Neverending Night was Fonya's 67 minute debut release from 1992 on Larry Kolota's Kinesis (then Kinetic Discs) label (KDCD 1004). As you might guess, this fine debut is a conceptual work based on the planets of our solar system, plus the sun around which they revolve. There is an additional song called "Sea o' Dreams" which I can only guess might be inspired by our moon's Lunar Mares. For the most part, the arrangement of songs reflects the order of the planets from nearest to the Sun out to Pluto though Neptune manages to slip into the third orbit while centrifugal forces threw Mercury out to the sixth orbit. The planets are followed by "Elder Sun, Bringer of Light" then the above mentioned "Sea o' Dreams." Right! So what about the music? Unlike Holst's orchestral suite, "The Planets," Fonya music creates a vision of celestial grandeur that has forever drawn man's fascination to the sky. Holst focused on the astrologial and mythological significance of the planets. Fonya instead conjures up the majesty of the planets themselves. The first thing that I noticed was the keyboard sounds. Chris uses a wide variety of sounds ranging from chimes to shimmering "space dust" sounds (hell, I don't know how to describe 'em) to the rumbling floor shakers. Integrated with these are the drums, guitar and bass. The compositions are well thoughout and, though the planets may be out of order, lead well from one song to the next, each building in intensity. By the time I had travelled past "Mars" to "Jupiter" -- Whew! That asteroid belt! -- I was completely absorbed and flying around "Mercury" was a delight. I thoroughly enjoyed Wanderers of the Neverending Night except for two things: vocals and a bit of redundancy. Brother Phil contributes vocals to four of the eleven songs. His style of delivery is, umm, faux-tortured and doesn't really contribute anything to the mix. In fact, they are buried in 'verb and very hard to understand. They're a bit of a distraction at first but I found them easy enough to listen around. Though present on "Jupiter (Dark Side of Callisto)," they're not enough to keep this song from being one of my favorite on this disc. The redundancy is a minor problem. By the time I had voyaged out to "Saturn" a degree of sameness has crept in. Still, an impressive debut and well worth a listen. The second release, also on Kinesis (KDCD 1007), is the 61 minute Soul Travels from 1993. The music carries on in the same vein as the first Fonya album and no new territory is explored. I find this to be a bit of a detriment as I would have liked to have seen more variety and exploration of sonic textures relative to Wanderers of the Neverending Night. The majority of the compostions are still fairly strong (I like "Glacier 21," the dreamy and all to short "Voyager" and "Bluefoot," for example) but there is nothing to *contrast* this release with Fonya's previous. A side-long suite would be nice, too! There are now twelve songs so they are slighly shorter on average. I don't detect any conceptual themes among song titles that might be suggested by the album title other than a vague "life's experiences." Nineteenth century classical afficionados will want to note that "The Sea/The Shipwreck" is based on fourth-movement of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade." Well, I guess it's time to roll out the obligatory criticisms. The synths used are all digital which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Chris uses some wonderfully spacious timbres with slow attacks and long decays. Combine these with mild doses of reverb and even Robot would get lost in space. But after awhile it grows tiresome. After listening to these two albums many times the thing I wanted the most was for Fournier to cut loose with a good ol' analog solo. Bring on the moog, Chris! Honestly, that's not a problem of the music but instead a personal preference of mine. My next quibble was with the bass and drums. On Wanders of the Neverending Night both of these rhythmic instruments were well integrated into the texture creating an uniform sound with no instrument dominating any others. On Soul Travels, however, I felt the bass was too prominent which distracted from the spacey elements that I so enjoyed. The same for the drums. The machine patterns began to sound similar by the mid-point of either album. Again, I found this to detract from the cosmic atmosphere I felt was being created. I didn't mind them for a few songs but I didn't want to hear them in each and every song. Finally, back to the drum machine. Chris spent much time gigging with and studying real drummers, including his brother Tony. From them Fournier learned what goes into good progressive drumming and it shows in much of his drum programs, which are generally very good. Obviously, Chris gave a lot of thought to the rhythm tracks. But, one of my beliefs in drum machines is that they shouldn't always be used to play *drums.* With digital technology, the electronic musician has at his disposal a seemingly infinite variety of sounds that can be used as percussive instrumentation without them sounding like drums or like he's trying to do that Fourth World thang. You have a synthesizer...synthesize something. In Flux is Fonya's third release. In Flux offers nothing new and therein lies the problem. The style is not significantly changed and, if Chris continues in this current vein, I'm afraid that even the most devoted fan will tire and look elsewhere. I think it's cool that Chris is able to do his own thing, but I feel the time has come for him to challenge himself and explore other areas. By way of example, only two tracks really stood out on In Flux. The first was "Fleabitten Cat," an ode to his cat that prowls his studio and has been known to stretch his claws on Chris' leg while practicing! The programmed percussion on this cut shows how Chris has developed in his use of the drum machine, an instrument I usually consider a bane of good music. The melody line of synth chasing guitar and other catchy hooks are also nicely done. The best track is a medley cover of "Los Endos" and "Hairless Heart." Once again, his mastery of the drum machine is well-demonstrated. Unfortunately, this well-done cover also shows to me how much it is time for Fonya to move on into different realms. -- Mike Taylor

Social Gathering (70)

Foodbrain were part of the early Japanese psych scene. Two of its members, Shinki Chen and Hiro Yanagida were part of a circle that included Speed, Glue and Shinki, and Love Life Live + 1. Foodbrain's Social Gathering features Yanagida's swirling Hammond organ and Chen's monsterous blues guitar. Where there is smoke there is fire and these guys smoke! The album has a nice raw vibe that adds to the overall energy of the album. The "normal" songs are connected by brief interludes of experimental bits, harpsichord, and so forth. The longest song, "A Hole in a Sausage" is the most experimental and contains some mad saxophone amidst the obligatory free-form psychedelic freakout. It gets a might tedious unless you're as stoned as those guys were! The rest of the album, though, is good heavy blues/psych. If you like good heavy blues guitar and organ, or are a fan of heavy psychedelia, check out Foodbrain.

[See Love Live Life + One | Speed, Glue and Shinki | Yanagida, Hiro]

86/88 (88), Live (89), Nerd Illusion (90), Illusions (90), Both Worlds (91), Running in Circles (94), FAF Out of HAL (95), Tintinnabulation (96)

Gack! This is typical SI brand neo-prog pop, lacks imagination and creativity, born yesterday, derivative of every other neo-prog band you can think of... just another crappy pop band who's highest goal is to sound like Pendragon.

Powerfully melodic prog band established in the mid-80s and hailing from Rotterdam Holland. Band is centered on the soaring English vocals of A.T. (he, like many Dutch, has almost no trace of an accent in English) and the tight, economical keyboard playing of Peter De Jong. Running in Circles contains some of their best hard rock influenced numbers, such as "Into Love," "Someone Like You" (which features fantastic drumming and grooving guitar), and "The Bald, the Fat, and the Ugly" (instrumental). FAF Out of HAL is a newer release which is half unplugged in the studio and half live in Holland. The acoustic setting allows the band to stretch out with great vocal harmonies and original percussion. The live half features their most popular numbers, including "Attitudes" found on a SI Music complilation CD. The crowd is loud and rowdy. In November of 1996 the band released another CD which I haven't heard yet. -- Antonio Ortolani

[See November. Ilusions is essentially a CD reissue of Nerd Illusion, which was cassette-only. There are fewer songs on the CD.]

Love Cycle (69)

Rarest UK psych.

Cocktail (77), L'Oeil (91, recorded earlier?), Art d'Echo (92)

French guy who apparently has several albums. L'oeil is the one recently released by Musea, the sound gravitates between progressive, fusion, pop, and even hits borderline disco in a couple places. The good stuff is good and the bad stuff is lame, about 50/50 overall.

Patrick Forgas is a highly talented multi-instrumentalist who has been around since the seventies. Unlike his previous release L'Oeil, Art d'Echo is an instrumental album with very little singing. Forgas also allows room for his guest musicians to play acoustic instruments (sax, flute, brass, and guitar). Nine of the ten songs were recorded in 1992 while My Trip is the second side of the LP Cocktail recorded in 1977. Art d'Echo hints at Soft Machine's Third due to Jean-Pierre Thirault's outstanding saxophone. I also detect similarities to Weather Report and Miles Davis. The high point of the album for me is the nineteen minute opus, "My Trip." I think this song works better than the rest because of the interaction of the six musicians laying down licks and playing off each other. I do not get the same feeling of interaction on the other tracks. If nothing else, seek out this disc just for My Trip. If you enjoy the Canterbury or Zao form of jazz, you won't be disappointed.

Largos Sueños (81)

Flamenco prog.

Signals (89), Blue (92)

Another band influenced by Marillion, contributing to the resurgence of the "prog" sound in the nineties.

Formula is a six piece from Germany, featuring the basic four plus flute and vocals (in English). Their sound blends elements of mainstream and progressive rock, jazz, and just a touch of classical and blues into a synthesis generally characterized by long instrumental passages, to-the-point lyrics, plenty of nice guitar-keyboard-flute correlativity, and a vocalist who will remind of Peter Gabriel. I've heard a second album is out now.

Dies Irae (70), Formula Tre (71), Sognando E Risognando (72), La Grande Casa (73)

A trio, although not really resembling the usual, their guitarist Alberto Radius would go on to help form the great Il Volo. They put out four early albums which are all different in style. Probably the only one worthy of high praise is their third Sogrando E Risognando a highly inventive album who's styles are very diverse.

A good band delivering commercial prog, where the best LP (more prog) is Sognando. After this group split, Alberto Radius and Gabriele Lorenzi played in Il Volo. Alberto Radius is now solo.

Alberto Radius was a leading light on the seventies progressive scene in Italy, and he was the guitarist for this band, whose last two releases were very much in the early PFM vein, with mellow guitar/keyboard melodies. La Grande Casa is possibly their best release, and should appeal to those who enjoy PFM, Le Orme, and Il Volo, which Radius formed after the demise of Formula 3.

Italian prog-pop. I've only heard La Grande Casa, and while it has its share of nice songs ("Rapsodia di Radius," "Liberta per Quest'Uomo"), it's really very commercial, and quite a letdown when compared to all the other great Italian prog out there. "Cara Giovanna" and "Bambina Sbagliata" sound like something your parents might listen to if your parents happen to be Italian, while "La Cilegia Non E Di Plastica" is a straight rock song with grunting vocals. Guitarist Alberto Radius has shown much more in his subsequent work with the infinitely better Il Volo. To be fair, Sognando e Risognando is supposed to be more progressive than this, earlier albums more psychedelic. -- Mike Ohman

Bambi Fossati E Garybaldi (90?)

More direct blues approach than Garybaldi.

[See Bambibanda E Melodie | Garybaldi]

14bis II (85), Performance (88)

14BIS is one of Brazil's premier progressive pop bands. Drawing on diverse influences from the Beatles to Pink Floyd to South American folk themes, these guys have put together a unique sound which is very positive and uplifting, with catchy tunes that stay with you all day long, demanding another listen. They have several albums out spanning the last decade or so. Performance is a "Best of" combined with some excellent live material, for a total of 65+ minutes of their absolute best stuff. Lyrics are in Portuguese.

[See Terco, O]

Finesse and Fury (92?), See What I See (95)

Colorado, U.S., area instrumental band on the Hapi Skratch label that offers complex guitar-oriented rock. The first album is more straight- ahead a la Steve Morse/Dixie Dregs while the second offers more soundscapes and ethnic textures. Definitely has shades of Rush. -- Anthony DeBarros

The Fourth Way (69?), Werwolf (70), The Sun and the Moon Have Come Together (71?)

Not a progressive or fusion band, per se, but a seminal early electric jazz group (Mike Nock - keyboards, Ron McClure - bass, Michael White - violin, Eddie Marshall - drums) based in the San Francisco Bay Area. They issued three recordings, two of which are on Capitol's "Harvest" subsidiary. The Fourth Way's sound was a plugged-in version of late '60s hard bop (e.g Horace Silver, Art Blakey, etc.), plus some avant-garde stylings thrown in. Overall, The Fourth Way's music was much less aggressive and experimental than that of the far better known fusion groups that followed one or two years later (e.g., Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, etc.). Their first album features the compositions of keyboardist Mike Nock, and is a pretty straight-ahead modern jazz record with funky, bluesy and avant-garde flourishes. Werwolf, a dynamic live set, is a vast improvement over their first record for several reasons. The playing of the entire ensemble (especially drummer Eddie Marshall) is unusually spirited, and several fine compositions ("Brown Rice," "Mesoteric Circle," "Spacefunk," and "Tierra del Fuego") provide a springboard for solos by Nock (excellent on highly distorted Fender Rhodes piano) and White (whose violin sound is a bit tinny). Their final album, also a live recording, was pretty much in the same vein as Werwolf, albeit a bit more subdued. Mike Nock has recorded a few solo albums which are mostly in the straight-ahead acoustic jazz vein. However, one of Nock's records (Climbing on the now-defunct "Tomato" label) is a really fine jazz-fusion effort which would appeal to the more adventurous prog-rock listener. -- Dave Wayne

A Shadow Of The Past (84, released 89)

This band hails from Norway, and has only one release entitled A Shadow of the Past. Despite their name, they remind one much more of later Camel (ala Stationary Traveler) than old Genesis. Their music is very melodic and pleasing to the ear, with excellent vocals and instrumentation. Highly recommended if you can find it!

Audion implied that this was one of the very worst neo-prog albums, and that all they were was a "shadow of the past"! :-)

If you don't expect this to sound like the Genesis album it was named after then you won't be disappointed. Actually it's not bad, weighing in somewhere near Pallas, the songs are quite good and, while not the most originally styled sound around, these guys sound far better than the average neo-prog. Actually the band was from Norway and had some other name when they were together, but their album never got released. Years later when they finally found a record deal, the record company decided to renamed the band....

Frágil (79), Avenida Larco (80)

Symphonic prog.

Rock and Blue (??)

Keyboard-orientated.

Through the Years (71)

French TV (83), After A Lengthy Silence (86), Virtue in Futility (94), Intestinal Fortitude (95)

Really neat Louisville fusion band with a serious Canterbury leaning. I really liked their first one, and am looking forward to their second one which is supposed to be more in the symphonic realms.

This band from Kentucky employs a HEAVY bass and strong rhythms, with possibly some influence from Magma. The styles range from roaring pounding complex-rock to disjointed artsy pieces, with plenty of jazz influence thrown in...although one probably wouldn't call it fusion, all of those elements are present. Maybe closer to the Canterbury sound of Soft Machine and others.

French TV is the recording moniker for Louisville, Kentucky bassist Mike Sary and friends, including Fenner Castner on drums, Artie Bratton and Dean Zigoris on guitars, Paul Nevitt and Bob Ramsey on keyboards, and Reid Jahn, Richard Brooner and Bruce Krohmer on brass and woodwinds. The music on Virtue in Futility draws from a variety of influences including fusion, more traditional jazz, the Canterbury scene, Yes, classical music and Frank Zappa, all mixed with no small sense of humor Diverse, yet cohesive, most of the seven songs are supported on foundations of strong, engaging compositions built by talented musicians. Often, one song will tread across many different styles. For example, "Clanghonktweet" opens with violin, piano and bass in classical rigidity, overlaid with a fusionesque rhythm, later followed by a somewhat melancholy Wind Synth solo, bound together in a matrix of proggy synth. After the Wind Synth solo, the band jumps into a groove ala Jean-Luc Ponty. "The Family That Oonts Together, Groonts Together" works through tight, twisting riffs characteristic of Zappa's excellent fusion work. "I'm Whining For That Baby of Mine" sounds like an improvisational blow across Henry Cow and Soft Machine fields. "Empate," after a "contemporary" trumpet solo, plows headlong into an oncoming train of progressive fusion. Sary, no slouch on the bass, has coupled himself with a superb and tasteful drummer; the two make a powerhouse rhythm section to propel the music through the many surprising hairpin turns. There are a few blemishes in the finished product, however. The most obviously flaw is "Friends in High Places," Sary's political statement. A mash of tapes extracted from the Iran-Contra hearings, infused with synth and drum machines, the song portrays Sary's anger with the covert deal gone awry, but will severely date the album and will be ignored beyond the initial listen by most listeners. The above-mentioned improv gets a might tedious, lasting for over six minutes but never developing a groove. "Slowly I Turn...Step By Step...Inch By Inch" is a mixed bag of aimlessness and purpose. Overall, though, Virtue in Futility as a lot to offer with few flaws. French TV seems destined to languish in obscurity but undeservedly so. -- Mike Taylor

Exposure (79), God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners (80), Let the Power Fall (81), The League of Gentlemen (81), God Save the King (85, comp. re-issue of Leauge of Gentlemen material), Network (85, comp.), Show of Hands (91, as League of Crafty Guitarists), The First Day (93, w/ Sylvian), The Bridge Between (93), Damage (94, live '93 w/ Sylvian), 1999: Soundscapes - Live in Argentina (94)

Apart from leading King Crimson for much of his musical career, Robert Fripp has released some great solo material. He has worked with countless other people like Debbie Harry, The Roaches, The Giles Brothers, Andy Summers, Toyah (his wife) and has contributed to a lot of albums as a "guest" (early Van Der Graaf Generator, Peter Hammill, David Bowie etc). Most notably, he has collaborated with Brian Eno to produce No Pussyfooting and Evening Star which are beautiful showcases for Eno's ambient tastes and Fripp's incredible "Frippertronic" guitarwork which involves long Reevox tape loop delays and seemingly permanent sustain. Let the Power Fall is an album of Frippertronics and, IMO, is superb. It is meant for improvising guitar too and is a real challenge ... you can't just sit and play pentatonic scales over this! Exposure was supposed to be a companion album to a Hall and Oats album and a Peter Gabriel album. It has Gabriel's "Here Comes the Flood" with Frippertronics wrapped round it and versions of tracks that appear on Hall and Oat's albums with different lyrics ... all very confusing. All in all though, Exposure is a great album ... very varied, intense and as a bonus, Peter Hammill sings on a couple of tracks. The "League of Gentlemen" material is rather idiosyncrastic and involves peculiar timings, prominent bass and some lovely Fripp guitar work. Especially the "God Save the King" track which makes the hairs on my neck stand up when it fades into Frippertronics with Fripp improvising over it. Recently, he collaborated with Toyah and Trey Gunn to release Sunday all over the World's Kneeling at the Shrine. Some great guitar on this. Also, he has released an album with David Sylvian called The First Day. Fripp is certainly one of the most original and pioneering of all guitarists ... he uses his own tuning (has done since the mid seventies), has set up his own guitar school and has avoided all of the nasty guitarist pretentions. You owe it to yourself to hear at least some of his material.

The Bridge Between presents another project based exclusively on guitar work, as The Robert Fripp String Quartet. The quintet includes Fripp (guitars and Frippertronics), Trey Gunn (stick) and the California Guitar Trio (acoustic guitars). This lineup offers a certain variety of arrangements. Some tracks areacoustic (by J.S. Bach), some receive a more electric treatment, while others a based on Frippertronics. The selections offer a good sample of Fripp's recent projects with the Guitar Craft. A disc full of sonic explorations with guitars of different kinds. -- Paul Charbonneau

Robert Fripp surprises again with one of his numerous projects. The League of Crafty Guitarists is a peculiar ensemble formed by over a dozen guitarists (mostly acoustic). The short pieces of Show of Hands are in a style that goes back to J.S. Bach (counterpoint) but the execution is more typical of contemporary King Crimson. It features disciplined execution of melodic as well as rhythmic phrases. This innovative production, part of a concept that reaches beyond the music, offers a very rich sound. The arrangements are astonishing and push the use of guitars in new territories. -- Paul Charbonneau

[See King Crimson]

Guitar Solos (74), Live in Prague and Washington (79, with Chris Cutler), With Friends Like These (79, with Henry Kaiser), Gravity (80), Speechless (81), Cheap at Half the Price (83), Who Needs Enemies (83, with Henry Kaiser), Nous Autres (86, with Rene Lussier), The Technology of Tears (87), The Top of His Head (88), Step Across the Border (89), Dropera (89, with Ferdinand Richard), Sounds of a Distant Episode (94), others.

British multi-instrumentalist (guitars, violin, bass, keyboards, tapes, drums, samplers, etc.), and one of those rare musicians who is an adept songwriter and lyricist, and a stunningly original improvisor. Frith is at home playing the twisted pop of Cheap at Half the Price as he is in the avant-garde improvisational arena with cohorts such as Henry Kaiser (With Friends Like These, and Who Needs Enemies), Chris Cutler (Live in Prague...), and Rene Lussier (Nous Autres). He has also composed film scores (The Top of His Head) and music for modern dance (The Technology of Tears). In short, Fred Frith's recorded output is so varied and so unique that I cannot do it justice in a few paragraphs, but here goes nothing...
Fred Frith was first known for his work with British RIO band Henry Cow. After the demise of this excellent group, he formed Art Bears with Henry Cow drummer Chris Cutler and vocalist Dagmar Krause. Musically, Frith's solo records have a tangential relationship to either of these well-known bands. Avant-garde free improvisation dominates several of Frith's solo records (e.g., Live in Prague and Washington and With Friends Like These), while others are odd, twangy, ethnic-sounding pop music (e.g., Cheap at Half the Price). I find both approaches very rewarding. To my ears, Gravity and Speechless are the most similar to Frith's earlier work with Henry Cow. On Side 1 of Gravity, Frith is backed by his "favorite dance band," Zamla Mammas Manna and on Side 2, the Muffins do the honors. Anyone who likes any of these bands will enjoy Gravity, even the screwy instrumental cover version of the old pop chestnut "Dancing in the Street." Speechless has Etron Fou Leloublan on Side 1, and Massacre (Frith's excellent avant-noise power trio with Bill Laswell and Fred Maher) on side 2, and seems a bit darker and noisier than Gravity. Again, if you enjoy either Etron Fou or Massacre, Speechless will deliver the goods. Unlike Gravity and Speechless, Cheap at Half the Price (Frith's final recording for the Ralph label) is essentially a pop record. Frith plays all instruments, and sings every track. The lyrics are very politically oriented, and in its own way, Cheap... is as uncompromising as everything else Frith recorded.
With Friends Like These and Who Needs Enemies are duet recordings with Henry Kaiser. The earlier With Friends... is quite a wild and wooly avant-garde improv affair, with both Frith and Kaiser playing mostly electric guitars. Although no less adventurous, Who Needs Enemies is a very lovely and melodic record, with Frith and Kaiser doubling on guitars, bass and drum machines. Frith also contributes some violin, and there are even two acoustic blues tracks. Nous Autres, a live duet recording with Quebecios guitarist Rene Lussier with guest shots by Chris Cutler and several vocalists, is very varied with some moments that recall Frith's earlier work (both Gravity and Speechless), some guitar noise sections, a track ("J'aime la Musique") that sounds like very warped disco with shouted lyrics, and some quiet pastoral sections. Technology of Tears is very rhythmic, with lots of samples, wordless vocals, horns, and odd percussion. Some of it reminds me of Gravity, but it's a pretty unusual record. The Top of His Head, a movie soundtrack, has a dark, but delicate, almost ethereal sound. Some of it sounds almost like chamber music, with prominent cello, guitar and violin, but there are some tracks with vocalist Jane Siberry that sound strangely poppish and conventional. All of Frith's recordings are great, but if I had to choose, I'd say that Who Needs Enemies, Speechless, and Gravity are my favorites. Fred Frith has recorded with several fine groups, including Massacre, Skeleton Crew (with cellist Tom Cora), Curlew, and John Zorn's Naked City. -- Dave Wayne

Fred Frith, formerly of Henry Cow and the Art Bears, certainly rates as a cult figure. Best known as a guitarist, he also excels on bass, violin, and keyboards. His records range from tune-packed group excursions to fairly arid free improvisation. Gravity, recorded with members of the Muffins and Zamla Mammaz Manna, and Speechless, with members of Etron Fou Leloublan and Frith's power-noise trio Massacre, are both full of tunes, creative and odd but fairly accessible. (Commercial? Certainly less abrasive than Naked City, but I think the typical pop or rock fan would consider them pretty strange.) Cheap at Half the Price has Frith's response to punk - a low-tech, straightforward approach to writing and singing songs. Unfortunately, Frith's singing and lyric-writing are not terribly impressive. (The two records by his group Skeleton Crew are from this same period and have a similar approach.) Guitar Solos and Live in Prague and Washington are examples of his free improvisation - very good, but be warned - there are no tunes on these records. Step Across the Border is a good introduction to Frith - it's the soundtrack to a film about him and includes examples of a variety of his approaches, from solo improvisations to compositions played with different groups. -- Dan Kurdilla

Dreams (96)

Keyboardist from Apocalypse (Brazil).

[See Apocalypse (Brazil)]

Aqua (73), Ypsilon in Malaysian Pale (74), Macula Transfer (75), Ages (77), Stuntman (79), Pinnacles (??)

Aqua is a lot of electronic noodling. Epsilon in Malaysian Pale is the most Tangerine Dream-like and fits right in with Phaedra and Rubycon. Recommended: Epsilon in Malaysian Pale, Pinnacles.

Long the mainstay of Tangerine Dream, Froese has released several solo albums in addition to his work with T-Dream. I've heard Epsilon in Malaysian Pale which is a beautiful title. The music isn't too bad either though long-time fans of T-Dream will find no surprises. Two 17 minute tracks of flowing sequencers and moog. Most similar to Phaedra, Rubycon or Ricochet.

[See Tangerine Dream]

From The Pond (73)

US Prog, Private Pressing.

Macrocosm (??), Nekropolis 2 (82), Miniatures (??), Third Millennium's Choice Vol. 2 (91), Attenti Al Terno! (92), Armorica (??), Cycle of Eternity (94)

Armorica,the ancient name for Brittany, was once occupied by the Celts and still contains many burial mounds, dolmens, and menhirs. The music on Armorika is Peter's musical impression of this region. The enclosed beautiful black and white photographs of Brittany taken by Peter and his artist friend Liselotte Siegert complement the music. Peter never ceases to surprise the listener, even on this CD, his 15th album. Each new release is an improvement over the last. Armorika builds on and goes way beyond what Peter explored on Macrocosm and 3rd Millennium's Choice. Gone is Peter's digital orchestra. Instead he returns to the bass, electronics, acoustic instruments, sampled nature sounds, and a judicious use of silence to build the tension. There is a constant shift of moods across the 11 tracks and yet the music is unmistakenly Frohmader. Beautiful bucolic and folksy passages are followed by heavy ritualistic sequences similar to Zoviet France. At other times jazz fusion leads to "cabaret" music. And as always, there is Frohmader's diabolical signature as in Tumulus, Les Roches du Diable, Dolmen, and Aberwrac'h. Truly another excellent album from a long list of triumphs. Play this CD, turn out the lights, and experience Brittany through the mind of Herr Frohmader.

Peter Frohmader burst onto the electronic music scene in the mid-'80s with his release of Nekropolis. Though I haven't heard it, the album is supposed to be a stunning work of dark texture and haunting atmosphere. In constrast, Nekropolis 2 was a work almost entirely for basses, with Frohmader playing fretted 6- & 8-string and fretless basses, among others. Since that time, Frohmader has apparently been at the cutting edge of the electronic/avant- garde scene in Germany and the rest of Europe. Though Frohmader has nearly 20 albums to his credit, Macrocosm, from 1990, was his first American release. Cycle of Eternity, an album of digital keyboards and sequencers, is number two. Opening with "Spiral" and sustained chords, I thought I'd be using lots of words like "cosmic dust" and "celestial traveller." Then came some rather stiff and too-regular sequenced arpeggios. I thought this would turn into a very boring album if this kept up. Fortunately, neither case is true. In the case of "Spiral," the repeated arpeggio does drag a bit as it appears and disappears during the course of 12 minutes, but the urgent melody of this "Spiral" displays another characteristic of this album. Frohmader has a way of coming down either just in front of or just behind the beat, thereby creating a great deal of tension. In some cases, it's exaggerated to the point that it almost sounds like a kid at his lessons who pauses long enough to glance at the music and falls off the beat a bit, then rushes to try and catch up. Frohmader, however, is no piano student, as he is in full command of his music. His tempo shifts are often abrubt without being drastic, shifting up a few pulses per minute, then dropping back on the next measure, creating an ebb and flow to each song that carries you farther out to sea like a slow current rather than a rip tide. Before you know it, you're swimming with sharks. When I heard the 11+ minute "Hypnosis," I was reminded of something I had heard before. I knew it wasn't Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, or Steve Roach. Frohmader's style is quite distinct from what I've heard by those two Berlin artists, or the American artist who has expanded the field pioneered by the Germans. After repeated listenings, it finally came to me (and I gave you a clue a moment ago). The subtle keyboard interplay reminded me a bit of some of the things A Triggering Myth were doing on "Myths" from Twice Bitten. They don't really sound similar but the darkish, angular rhythms on "Myths" can also be heard on many of the songs on Cycle of Eternity. Rather than providing a relaxing ride (ala Schulze's Timewind), Frohmader's album is very active electronic music that can prove to be a challenging listen. Surely this goes against the conception of electronic music held by most people unfamiliar with the genre (including me!). When I heard the opening two songs for the first time, I thought this album would be one to dismiss. After playing it non-stop for two days, Frohmader's music had me quite drawn in. I became much more interested in exploring the variety of electronic music that has been created in years past and still is today. Ultimately, that's a good thing. An interesting side note: Frohmader is also quite an artist. His painting style (and the pictures his music creates) is comparable to H.R. Giger. In fact, Frohmader is apparently good friends with Giger. Frohmader's has created music expressly for some of Giger's movies. Giger has reciprocated by providing covers for some of Frohmader's albums. Two of Frohmader's paintings grace the the insert for this release. The cover of (I think) Nekropolis 2 is stunning. I'm not sure if it's from that album, but the art is displayed in black and white on the back cover of Audion #3 (January, 1987). It must be incredible in color. Anyway, Giger fans have another reason for checking out Frohmader's work. In the meantime, Cycle of Eternity would be a great starting point. -- Mike Taylor

Tsukini-Hoeru (85)

Lush symphonic progressive. One of the best Japanese?

[See Heretic]

Fool Tapes (??), How To Make It (94)

Excellent neo-prog made of direct and easy melodies. -- Ricardo Deidda

All Will Be Changed (70), Frumpy 2 (71), By The Way (72), Now! (90)

I heard the two tracks they did at the Hamburg '70 festival, both from their debut, All Will Be Changed. Fronted by ex-City Preachers/I.D. Company female vocalist Inga Rumpf, whose voice is creepily androgynous. The reason to listen, however, is for Belgian keyboardist Jean-Jacques Kravetz, whose wild, reckless organ playing rivals Keith Emerson's. -- Mike Ohman

Founded by drummer Carsten Bohn, singer Inga Rumpf, keyboarder Jean-Jacques Kravetz and guitarist Karl-Heinz Schott. In 1970, Frumpy started a succesful tour in France. The Same year they went on a 50 concert tour Spooky Tooth, and played with Yes, Humble Pie and Renaissance. All Will Be Changed appeared in 1970. It's a 40 minute Hammond Organ orgy in the style of Quatermass' Gemini or the wildest Keith Emerson. Frumpy 2 came wrapped in a round plastic bag. Rainer Baumann (guitar) joined. Their best work, with tracks no shorter than 10 minutes, an excellent guitar-organ masterpiece. Frumpy topped the "Musik Express" poll as the most popular German rock group of the year and the newspaper FAZ voted singer Inga Rumpf to be "the country's biggest individual talent," but a tour in England with Mott The Hoople failed to attract popularity. Musical differences with keyboardist Jean-Jacques Kravetz caused him to leave Frumpy, in spring 1972, to record a solo LP. But he returned for the recording sessions of Frumpy's third LP By the Way. Frumpy disbanded after a farewell concert on June 26, 1972. Inga Rumpf, Jean-Jacques Kravetz and Karl-Heiz Schott formed Atlantis. The year 1990 saw a Frumpy reunion and a new LP Now!. -- Andras Sumegi

[See Atlantis]

Future Legends (73), Seven Secrets (74), Prince Of Heaven's Eyes (75), Modern Masquerades (75)

Fruupp were an Irish band who released four albums of pastoral, progressive rock, quite similar to Genesis of that period. However, they were eclipsed in popularity by that band and were not as well known. The Prince Of Heaven's Eyes is from 1974, and contains all the trademarks of that era, including the ubiquitous mellotron. The music is very melodic and will surely appeal to those who enjoy the symphonic, keyboard-oriented style of prog rock. Songs for a Thought is a compilation (clocking in at just under 76 minutes) that collects material from their releases (plus an otherwise unavailable bonus track), and should serve as a fine introduction to the band. The music is centred around the keyboards of Stephen Houston, with lush Mellotron-strings backgrounds and melodic piano comps and leads. The style is probably quite similar to what Genesis did in the early-to-mid 70s, a bit mellower, though fuller sounding. Additionally, Fruupp employ a wider arsenal of instruments including violin/cello and oboe.

This somewhat overlooked band hails from Ireland and has a very symphonic sound which compare favorably to old Genesis. They had four releases, with Modern Masquerades being far and away their best. This is a classic band that, unfortunately, all too few people are aware of.

Early symphonic band from Britain that sounds as much like Cressida, Spring, Beggars Opera et. al. than the many Genesis comparisons. Also sound a bit like Family, and have a possibly more odd symphonic/vaguely folky sound

Irish folk-rock band, who's sound is vaguely comparable to the quieter more idyllic side of early Genesis circa Trespass, but with a stronger folk influence. Really nice stuff when one listens closely, but fails to generate any real long term excitement.

Modern Masquerades is ok, but sounds a little dated and has too much electric piano for my tastes. It does have some beautiful passages and excellent arrangements, though.

Future Legends is a near-classic of British-style prog. From Ireland, Fruupp gave many of their British contemporaries a run for their money (figuratively, of course). Centre stage of Future Legends is the sublime guitarist Vincent McCusker. His ripping style full of fast runs and arpeggios brings to mind Jan Akkerman. The music is given a magical cast in the lyrics and vocals of bassist Peter Farrelly. The lyrics are more explicitly fantasy-orientated even than Yes, while Farrelly's voice has an affable high-pitched Celtic tone that makes their music uniquely Irish sounding. Keyboards by Stephen Houston take a back seat to the up-front guitar. Houston also plays oboe, giving an odd Middle-Eastern feel to a few of the darker passages, and also sings some wordless vocals in an ethereal falsetto. Future Legends gives all these elements their proper measures, especially McCusker's guitar, which is all over the place in "Decision", "Graveyard Epistle" and "Lord Of The Incubus." Definitely worth seeking out. Seven Secrets is a bit of a transition. McCusker's guitar is still at the helm, but the music is becoming more subdued, even folky. Also, there are more overt classical references. In fact, the intro to "Faced With Shekinah" sounds directly lifted from Vivaldi's "Spring" concerto (of course, one of The Four Seasons). By the time of Prince Of Heaven's Eyes, the music had become still more subdued. Houston's keyboards had fully come to the fore by now, adding some icky string-synth to his keyboard arsenal. The manic riffing of earlier albums is now all but a memory, exchanged for a subtle, dignified type of music with a strong classical base, centered around Houston's piano and organ. Although it doesn't generate the excitement of Future Legends, the music is not without its melodic charm. "Crystal Brook" is the most breathtaking song on the album. "It's All Up Now" and "Annie Austere" are pleasant and memorable. "Prince Of Darkness" is a quaint novelty. The CD adds a bonus track: "Prince Of Heaven.". -- Mike Ohman

Non Stop (77), 2 (78), Kula (80), 8 Obratów (81), Hit Parad (82, EP), Po Dziesiecu (83), Vi (8?), In Concert (8?)

According to Audion's "East-Euro Discography," FSB have two keyboardists who play a symphonic sound comparable to Omega. 2 is recommended starter, later albums are mainstream rock. -- Mike Taylor

Tremendously popular Bulgarian band that in the '70s started out as a dual-keyboard prog band with jazz, rock and classical influences. I haven't heard the first album, but apparently it features a classically trained violinist. The second album has some funky jazz numbers, and may have some people asking "What's the big deal?" But stick with it and listen closely, the dual keyboards add a refined touch to many of the pieces, akin to Italian bands of the league of PFM. "Gold" is a dreamy etude featuring a haunting, wordless female voice. "For Goodbye" starts off with a complex solo piano with layers of synthesizer slowly entering until the piece concludes with a frenetic multitude of synths. Very rewarding. -- Mike Ohman

Ammerland (78), Strings (79), Diary (81)

Two-thirds of Schicke FFührs and Fröhling: guitarist Heinz Fröhling and keyboardist Gerhard Führs, continuing on without the aid of drummer Eduard Schicke, who departed to join Hoelderlin. As a result, the music is sapped of its rock power, but does have moments of majesty that make these albums worthwhile. Ammerland is hampered by a few Fröhling compositions on side one, which were obviously written as solo acoustic guitar pieces, yet were awkwardly arranged to accomodate Führs synths and mellotron. But the other songs are pleasant enough in a Gordon Giltrap sort of way, and the B-side is simply beautiful. The 13-minute "Every Land Tells A Story" is a marvel of acoustic and light electric guitars, piano, synths galore and impressionistic sound-effects (most dramatically, a Moog thunderclap about 3/4 of the way through). The closing song, "Ammernoon," is an uncommonly dark and eerie number with droning synths and mellotron a la Heldon, with a Floydian use of a taped recording of a man's crying voice. Strange. Strings finds the band adding drums (some played by Führs, some played by guest Detlev Wiedeke) and using much more electric guitar. They also seem to be spreading themselves a bit thin, trying to cover rock, prog, neo-classical, jazz, disco (Gack!), reggae and new-age all in the space of one 35-minute album. Still, there are some songs that stick with you, especially Führs' beautiful synth piece "Open Valley." "Dancing Colours" has some very nice acoustic soloing from Fröhling. In spite of the use of some rinky-dink electronic drums on a few songs, Diary manages to be more cohesive than its predecessor. "All Through The Night" even allows Fröhling to play his acoustic guitar...ALONE! with no intrusive synth interjections from Führs. "All Hallows' Eve Dream," the haunting "Mind Games" and Führs' "China Puppet" are all beautiful songs with lovely melodies. "Back And Again" really rocks, reminding of the title song from "Ticket to Everywhere.". -- Mike Ohman

Gerd Führs and Heinz Fröhling, keyboards and guitars respectively, started off as a spinoff of SFF. Their music is powerful and full of imagery, largely due to a high level of melodic interplay and fluid dynamics; The lack of drums gives the music an acoustic ethereal feel (although some tracks on Diary do feature drums and are more upbeat). No Vocals. "Every Land Tells A Story," a fourteen minute track from Ammerland, is some of the sweetest music my ears have ever heard!

Fuhrs and Frohling were two of the three members of SFF, who branched out to create 3 releases that carried on the SFF sound. The music is instrumental, and features Frohling's guitars, very melodic, perhaps in the style of Gandalf, etc. over the keyboard washes of mellotron, moog and other such classic weapons of seventies progressive rock. As such, the music is more mellow than other groups of that time, and straddles the edge between instrumental rock and progressive rock. The closest comparison would be to Gandalf or, perhaps, Gordon Giltrap.

[See Schicke, Führs, and Fröhling | Spektakel]

Fulano (87)

Chilean underground band that must have gotten a recent supply of Recommended Records distributed to them. Sound very much like a Henry Cow gone mad, and while I've heard the Canterbury comparisons, these guys sound much too odd to be anywhere close. Tape only so far.

Full Moon (89)

Norweigan progressive-metal band from the mid 80's. Much of their sound is highly energized, comparable to bands like Hawkwind or Rainbow, maybe with even some punky undertones. When they get into their progressive mode, they tend to remind of early Pink Floyd, Robin Trower or Amon Duul. The vocals (in english) are OK, sort of punky at times, and seem a little muted but generally appropriate. Some smokin' heavy psychedelic guitar jams. Overall very good.

Fool Moon (75)

Jazz-rock fusion.

Allegorical Misunderstanding (93), The Caution Appears (94), Live (??)

This is really weird stuff! Mainly the project of Haino Keiji (guitar and recorder), but there is also a drummer and a bassplayer here. I have two CDs by them, but I think there are some more around. Allegorical Misunderstanding (produced by John Zorn) consists of sometimes relaxed jazz-like, mostly strange and somehow monotonous improvisations by the trio (guitar is dominating). This one is recommended for those interested in more "complicated" prog like Henry Cow or Fred Frith's solo stuff. The Caution Appears is an incredible noise-massacre, just very loud live-improvisations, completly different from Allegorical Misunderstanding. If you love Throbbing Gristle or other industrial stuff you may like this one, too. -- Achim Breiling

Described as Amon Duul II jamming with Guru Guru after a purple microdot swap. Said to be currently collaborating with John Zorn.

Skeleton In Armour (73)

Jazz Prog/Rock.

No Prisoners (88)

Their Name says it all. Excellent 70's style fusion, closer to jazz than rock, with outstanding contributions from all band members. Very stylish and inventive. Only album to my knowledge is No Prisoners.

Fusioon (72), Fusioon (74), Minorisa (75)

Prog band. Supposedly quite good.

Made In Heaven (85), Bound For Space (87), For Earth Below (90), Blomar i ei natt (94)

The first two albums are full band projects, led by Fylling's keyboards and synths, with soaring guitars, strong bass and drums, with guest saxes, flutes and female vocals. The style is a classically influenced melodic progressive rock, with wall-of-sound keyboards, split about 50/50 between instrumental and vocal tracks. These albums are extremely powerful and dramatic, full of beauty and brilliance, and very unique. The Third album is more of a keyboard dominant sound, spaciness balanced with powerful rhythmics, with guitars secondary and programmed percussion, ending up sounding somewhere between Vangelis' Heaven and Hell period and Michael Garrison's Earthstar. Definitely more synthetic than his first two. Start with Bound For Space.