A Song For Tooley (73)

Prog.

Runes (83), What in the World (89), Next World (91)

More psychedelic than progressive, this DC area band had a few albums, one of which was a self produced triple album recorded over a period of several years. The sound quality is pretty poor, and the playing is a little sloppy, yet they still have plenty of interesting moments. File under good garage bands.

Legendes (90)

[See Elohim]

Breakfast in the Field (81), Aerial Boundaries (84), Taproot (90), Live from the Double Planet (??)

Michael Hedges is an acoustic guitarist with the most innovative playing style since Stanley Jordan. He mixes a combination of hammering, harmonics, and percussive slaps into his music, which he plays with such dexterity that most listeners assume they're hearing two or three instruments at the same time. His stage presence is full of energy, bordering on psychotic, and his music is just as energetic. I guess "new age" is the only term I can think of to describe the music itself, but bear in mind that that's a description of his compositions, not of the arrangement, which is usually solo guitar, occasionally with electric bass or a flute. (No synthesizers, please.) Warning-- he does sing on some songs in Live from the Double Planet, and it's not that pretty.

Guitarist on Windham Hill label, tends to be sort of a one man band, his Aerial Boundaries and the live album are pretty interesting solo-guitar type stuff, Taproot is OK, but the earlier stuff is not so interesting.

I have no idea how he got on the list of bands, but he's by far my favorite acoustic guitarist. He does for the acoustic what Hendrix and Stanley Jordan did for the electric. I've never met anyone who claimed to be able to play anything he's written. Most of his stuff is just solo guitar, and I rarely notice. He uses harmonics like they were just any other note, and uses a lot of percussive techniques. I wouldn't believe that a lot of this stuff wasn't over-dubbed if I hadn't seen it live. For a prog fan, I'd say start with Live on the Double Planet or Taproot. His earlier stuff, though not typical Windam Hill stuff, is a little more airy. He supposedly has recorded a "rock" album with Michael Manring on bass (I don't know who else is on it), but it has yet to be released.

Harvest (??)

Obscure prog.

Electronic Guerilla (74), Allez Teia (75), It's Always Rock and Roll (75), Heldon IV (76), Un Reve Sans Consequence Speciale (76), Interface (77), A Dream Without (78), Standby (79)

A sound best described as industrial electronics meets Frippian guitar, altho some albums (like Allez Teia) are fairly spacy and quiet compared to others (like Interface), which contain some really agressive and noisy stuff. The core lineup was Richard Pinhas (Guitar), Patrick Gauthier (Synthesizer), and Francois Auger (drums), with other musicians dropping in and out.

Allez Teia, from the group fronted by Richard Heldon, the French Fripp, features the music of mellotrons and processed guitars and other forms of electronics. The music is regarded as a classic of the early French electronic music scene, though you will not see images of Jarre in here!

It's simply astounding what one person can accomplish with one guitar, one synth and enough vision. And Richard Pinhas shows no shortage of vision on Heldon I - Electronique Guerilla/Heldon III - It's Always Rock and Roll, an excellent 2cd package, which contains 3 albums in essence since Heldon III was originally a double album. The style here is more minimalist than on the later Heldon stuff like Interface or Stand By, but nonetheless Pinhas milks his gear for everything its worth to produce strikingly futuristic, dark, aggressive music that also has a quirky sense of serenity too. The original recording dates for these works are 1974 and 1975, but they *still* sound way ahead of their time today. Highly-charged, powerful music, and a welcome addition to anyone's Heldon collection. Also a great place to start for those new to Heldon, since this package is a great value buy.

If any of you are confused as to why Richard Pinhas is the "French Fripp," pick up Stand By. The title track is a 14 minute guitar assault that would make Mr. Fripp blush. Much more aggressive than their early releases, this Heldon album features Patrick Gauthier (of Magma/Weidorje fame) on a wide array of keyboards available in 1979. Gauthier's compositional contribution to the album, Une Drole de Journee, is complex enough to be mistaken for a Weidorje track. In short, a far cry from the ambience of Electrique Guerrilla. The remaining track, a 21 minute suite called "Bolero," is more like early Heldon, but not much. Swirling synthesizer loops share stage with bold guitar solos and intermittent drumming. I recommend this album for everyone searching for the conceptual link between "Paul Atreides" and Red. And besides, the title track shreds so hard I needed a band aid.

Heldon was/is the French guitarist/synthesist Richard Pinhas with the most frequent collaborator Georges Grunblatt on synths. The music can range from abstract electronics (most of Heldon 6: Interface) to Frippian guitar over a bed of electronics (Heldon I and II) to meltdown rock guitar over seething synthesizers (Heldon 7: Stand By). 7 is my current favorite, especially the 21 minute long track Bolero, which has strong late-70's Tangerine Dream influence (especially the sequencers). Most of this music needs a good listening to before appreciating, as at first listen the music is very abstract. 7 is easier to get into, as it is more "song-structured" than the previous efforts. Pinhas's later solo material (East/West and L'Ethitque) is also more "song-structured" than some of his earlier material. Fans of Frippertonics should check out the 22-minute long "Wintermusic" on Iceland.

[See Bellaiche, Alain | Gauthier, Patrick | Magma | Ose | Pinhas, Richard | Roussel, Coco | Zao]

Insect Perfect (81)

This is the band that Babylon became. Their only album Insect Perfect features most of the Babylon lineup, but other than that bears little resemb- lance to that band, being a very thrashy post-punk sound with very few hints of their progressive past. Pretty good for what it is.

[See Babylon]

Il y a Des Jours (85)

The precursors to Look De Bouk, and another fine example of music in the RIO vein. Thankfully, these guys are a little easier to listen to than the rest of these bands, and if you can find it, would be the ideal place to start in the RIO genre (other than Henry Cow).

[See Look De Bouk]

End of Illusion (82)

Classically trained pianist, this keyboardist presents his compositions and arrangements, armed with his stack of analog keyboards. End of Illusion was recorded over a three year period, the production includes numerous guests on guitars, bass, drums and violin. The sound is naturally dominated by classical themes on keyboards and the arrangements are rich and symphonic. The style bring to mind those of extravagant keyboardists like K. Emerson and R. Wakeman. Should please those who enjoy excellent technique and the sounds of good old keyboards. -- Paul Charbonneau

Legend (73), Greasy Truckers Live At Dingwalls Dancehall (73, 1 side), Unrest (74), In Praise Of Learning (75), Concerts (76), Western Culture (79)

Speaking of RIO music, this band is definitely the archetype of the genre. As much in to the Canterbury sound on their earlier albums as Hatfield or Matching Mole, Henry Cow were a fantastic band that combined rock, free jazz, classical and avant garde into an unmistakably unique combination. These guys, of course, will not appeal to the sympho-only crowd, but to those who like progressive on the verge of jazz, you may like these guys a lot. My favorite is Legend - read this Leg-end, which is their debut, and I remember when I first heard it how it sounded completely made up on the spot. But Henry Cow were extremely unconventional, and made music that didn't conform to any laws, and were therefore an island to themselves. Of course the Cow unleashed Fred Frith and Chris Cutler into the world, two of the major innovators in new music to this very day. Later albums incorporated Slapp Happy into them and if you don't like Dagmar's weird voice, I'd avoid anything but Legend and Unrest. Other opinions say they really like Western Culture a lot.

Henry Cow started in 1968 as a "loose-knit blues-based six-piece group with a Dadaist sense of humour" (from the liner notes). The core members, Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson, discovered a mutual interest in complex and innovative composed music; thus was born Henry Cow. Henry Cow requires a dedicated ear to enjoy the angular melodies and a truly devoted ear to enjoy the horn squonks. I have four of their albums on CD and enjoy each and every one, though to varying degrees. Unrest is mostly crash and bang but the first few songs are great. In Praise of Learning alternates between excellent tunes (with vocals) to more crash and bang, but it was this one that had the first tune where I could actually determine that there was direction to the crashes and the bangs. IPoL technically is a colloboration between Henry Cow and Slapp Happy and features the vocal quirkiness of Dagmar Krause, giving the album a different feel to previous albums. Dagmar has a rather unique vocal style, to say the least. Western Culture starts to get away from entire compositions of squonks, etc. and may be one of the most "straight-forward" albums while being the most angular in melody. Legend (read Leg End) is their most accessible, IMO, and makes a good starter. If you like your progressive to be symphonic, don't look here, but if you like adventure you should check out Henry Cow. -- Mike Taylor

Canterbury band featuring Fred Frith (guitar), Tim Hodgkinson (sax,keys), Chris Cutler (drums), John Greaves (bass) and Dagmar Krause (weird atonal agressive irritating vocals). Henry Cow essentially developed the RIO (rock in opposition) sound, combining rock, free-form jazz and a little classical into an edgy sort of avant-garde mix. Musically they are extremely tight and innovative, and strikingly original. One problem though: Dagmar!! The early albums (Legend and Unrest) are probably their best, and seem to feature less of Dagmar than the later ones. [Editor's Note: Dagmar was never a member of Henry Cow. She was with Slapp Happy when the two bands did some collaborative work. One was released as a Henry Cow effort (In Praise of Learning) and the other was released as a Slapp Happy album. Albums prior to that don't feature Dagmar very much because she doesn't appear on the album at all!!]

Imaginative, provocative British band that trailblazed with their own individualistic music, which sounded like nothing ever before, yet was very influential on what was to come. Key players include: guitarist Fred Frith, the band's prime mover, drummer/percussionist Chris Cutler and keyboardist/sax/clarinet player Tim Hodgkinson. The first album may well be a classic of the genre, establishing their territory the way none of the others did. Their sound draws on modern classical music, jazz and experimental music, and uses Frith's unusual guitar playing, Hodgkinson's creepy electronic organ, and lots and lots of clarinets and saxes. All this is whipped up by Chris Cutler's rich drumming. The compositional style of alternating complex, dissonant Bartok-like scoring for massed reeds and percussion and jazzy soloing makes for interesting listening. "Nirvana For Mice" showcases the intricate reed arrangements, while "Teenbeat Reprise" is an excellent vehicle for Frith's guitar. It and "Amygdala" include fine organ playing by Hodgkinson. One big drawback to the album are two self-indulgent group improvisations, other than that it's well worth owning. Unrest shows a few changes, at least in the lineup. Sax/flute player Geoff Leigh is replaced by the more musically proficient oboe/bassoon player Lindsay Cooper. Her presence is felt immediately on the first track, the wild "Bittern Storm Over Ulm", which is supposed to be based on the Yardbirds' "Got To Hurry." Of note, Frith's great 12-minute "Ruins" and the jazzy "Half asleep/Half awake," composed by bassist/singer John Greaves. On "Ruins," the band start explicityly experimenting with tape-splicing effects, continued on "Linguaphonie", another group improv, but far more cohesive than those on the previous album. This album closes with the mesmerizing, cascading "Deluge," featuring a sung conclusion by John Greaves, who also plays piano. In Praise Of Learning is the second fruit of a union between this band and the multi-national "cabaret-rock" trio Slapp Happy. Most noticeable is the addition of singer Dagmar Krause, whose offbeat soprano would be perfect for singing Brecht (which she later did), and is definitely an acquired taste. Two of the tracks are group improvs of the most disorganized kind. The 15-minute "Living In The Heart Of The Beast" has some fine Cow music, and is a good vehicle for Dagmar's voice, but has some unbelievably pretentious and over-verbose lyrics, as does the equally pretentiously titled "Beautiful As The Moon--Terrible As An Army With Banners.". -- Mike Ohman

[See Art Bears | Aksak Maboul | Cooper, Lindsay | Frith, Fred | News From Babel | 1919, La | Slapp Happy]

Hepp, Hahn und Huhn (71)

[See Krokodil]

What You See is What You Get (78), Give and Take (78), All Over the Show (79), A Dog in Hell (??), Theatre (??)

Here and Now are one of the lesser known UK bands of the late seventies that delighted in the brand of psychedelia popularized by Gong. The Give and Take CD contains tracks from the original LP issue plus another five. One of the tracks is named "Floating Anarchy Radio," which should give an indication as to the nature of their influences. The music is a more raucous, yet melodic, version of Gong, with "straighter" lyrics, and musical interludes with arpeggiated synth and guitar patterns that recall the updated sound of the Ozric Tentacles to some degree. Both male and female vocalists are featured, and, on some of the tracks, the intensity and lyrics are almost "punkish" in a vein similar to The Clash especially in the "bonus" tracks. Also, in a manner similar to that band, some of the musical backing employs a definite reggae rhythm. All in all, this is very much an anti-establishment kind of work, with a variety of influences.

Interface (84), Escape Sequence (88), 1984-1988 (94), Past in Future (96)

1984-1988 is a compilation of Heretic's music, with selections coming from albums Interface (1984, tracks 1-3) and Escape Sequence (1988, tracks 4-8), plus a previously unreleased track from 1988. Heretic, as a core, are multi-instrumentalist Hiro Kawahara, whose arsenal includes electric violin, guitar, keyboards, percussion, voices, drum machines and a variety of tapes, devices and treatments; and Tohru Ohta who plays synthesizers, electric guitar, drum machines and sequencers. They are helped out by a variety of guests on a variety of instruments but the list is too extensive to delve into here. Notable names, however, are Yozox Yamamoto, guitarist from Ain Soph, and bassist Chihiro Saito of Lacrymosa and Golden Avant-Garde. They play on "Tripping on Waves" and "Resource," respectively. The first three songs are excerpts from perhaps the only three songs Interface, "Interface" (2 parts) and "El Rayo De Luna." Together, these three tracks characterize the first album as melodic guitar over digital synths with a sort of new-agey vibe. The music is gentle and relaxing, not unlike later-day Tangerine Dream. I dismissed these three tracks as fair background music and generally uninvolving. Starting with the songs from Escape Sequence, things get much more interesting. Take the centerpiece of this disc, "Do Heretick." This 22 minute track is an avant-experimental collage of sounds and voices, with the final five minutes ending in a Heldonish guitar and drum march. "Fail Safe Error," an 11 minute track also from Escape Sequence, is an frantic vision of what happens when war-time fail-safe mechanisms fail. The sampled voice in this track sounds amazingly like Charlton Heston as the President of the United States. The edge of these two cuts are smoothed out by the folk gentleness of "Anonymous. "Tripping on Waves" is a jazzy tune, very much akin to Ain Soph in style, which isn't surprising considering Yozox penned the tune, in addition to guesting on guitar. "Resource," the previously unreleased song, is strongly Crimsonic with good, Bruford-like drumming although the bass lines are simplistic. Taken as a whole, 1984-1988 is an uneven album, mainly because of the first three tracks taken from Interface. Dismiss them and you still have 55 minutes of excellent music -- Mike Taylor

[See Ain Soph (Japan) | Fromage]

Click here for the Heretic Home Page (Japanese Language)

Sternentanz (??)

Space-rock solo by Jane guitarist.

[See Jane]

Phobia (92)

The haven't got any record company yet but last year put out an 8 track cassette only release (out of their own pockets) called Phobia. They are very different from- but show a- Pink Floyd influence. Phobia has some of those earlier Floydian melodies as well as the guitar solo's providing (sometimes) simliar instrumentals. The lyrics focus very much on the depression of life/aging et al subjects. The songs, are naturally all longer then three minutes and show both alot of experimentation (not just mimacs of experimentation by 70's bands) and also an influence of indy (independent, unsigned by major labels) bands here in Brisbane and Sydney. I guess you won't hear from them over there in the USA but if they make they will make it big - they are pretty good. (But doesn't everyone say that about every band?).

Sea Shanties (69), High Tide (70), Interesting Times (69-70, released 87), Precious Cargo (70, released 89; live studio jam), The Flood (70-71, released 90), Ancient Gates (90), A Fierce Nature (90)

One of the most innovative British bands of all time and the only band that seriously got the heavy and the complex down perfectly at the same time. 1969's Sea Shanties is a monster album that was the platform that this quartet launched their heavy brand of progressive pyrotechnics on the world. Featuring future Hawkwinder Simon House on violin, these guys will appeal very much to the Hawkwind fan, yet were much more complex and dynamic

Hard rock progressive four-piece featuring guitar, bass, drums and violin, with vocals as well. Of Sea Shanties- a very crude production with lots of rough edges, but the performance is nonetheless good.....soundwise it might hint of early Hawkwind, though High Tide's music is far more structured, but every bit as free spirited, and the violin makes it all pretty unique.

High Tide was a quartet that was part of the burgeoning UK proto-prog/hard rock scene in the late '60s/early '70s. Sea Shanties and High Tide are driving, intense music that, at times, sounds like Jim Morrison jamming with Hawkwind but with more intensity and without the plodding guitar. I'm not a real fan of Hawkwind but this is much better, rockin' music. Simon House's (later of Hawkwind) provides an interesting contrast to the guitar work and provides a unique touch not found in many of the early UK bands, such as Mighty Baby, Gravy Train, or Mayblitz. Start with Sea Shanties.

[See Gerrard, Denny | Hawkwind]

Fish Rising (75), L (76), Motivation Radio (77), Green (78), Live Herald (78), Open (79), Rainbow Dome Musick (79), Aura (80), For To Next (83), And Or Not (83), BBC Radio 1 Concert (92)

Fish Rising IMHO is one of the very best progressive albums EVER, yet Hillage (Who may be the arguably best prog guitarist on earth) went slowly down hill after this. Actually the electronic Rainbow Dome Musick is also a great one, yet different form some of his others. Try either of those two or L or Live Herald.

I have Fish Rising, which was/is a recommended starter. Plenty of electronic effects here; it does occasionally get kind of silly, but it is still fun. This album has a great ending to it, BTW. Really tasty.

Fish Rising is an absolute masterpiece but unfortunately nothing else is. L and Motivation Radio are boring. Rainbow Dome Musick is a bit better but still nowhere near as good as Fish.

BBC Live (In Concert) contains live renditions, from 1976 and 1979, of many of his classics ranging from the symphonic, jazz-rock stylings of his earlier days to the spacy duets with synthesist M Giraudy. In all cases, Hillage's virtuosity on guitar comes through, captured in live performance. Certain lead passages, with steady bass-drums-rhythm, and lead guitar twanging over a synth background, bring to mind the new super-band of the nineties, Ozric Tentacles. Certainly looks like the kind of music that inspired the Ozrics, I would surmise.

The octave doctor. Hillage has been at the forefront of space fusion and progressive guitar, beginning with Uriel (Arzachel), through Khan and Gong, and into his solo career. By far, his best solo release is Fish Rising. One or two of the cuts developed out of the Khan sessions, so if you are familiar with Khan's Space Shanty (and you should be if you aren't), you'll have a point of reference. But Hillage expands on those ideas and carries his gliss guitar to the outer limits. L is also good, but not as good as Fish Rising. It contains great versions of Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" and George Harrison's "It's All Too Much." Live Herald is a live recording of some of Hillage's best works from his first few solo albums and shows him in fine form. Unfortunately, the "fourth side" is new studio material that pales in comparison to the live tracks. The CD version of this album contains only the live songs on a single disc. The studio tracks can be found on the CD version of Open. Most people seem to agree that his albums fall off in quality after his first one or two solo albums, but you'll find fans for almost all of his output. For his best work, check out Khan's Space Shanty, Gong's You, and his own Fish Rising. After Fish Rising, work your way chronologically with his releases until you lose interest or have all his albums.

Apart from the spacey version of Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" from L, the only solo Hillage I've heard is the mediocre Green. It's mostly slightly funky songs with some semi-decent Hillage guitar playing and tons of synths (guitar and keyboard). Proof that all the technology in the world doesn't make you progressive. Good moment: "The Glorious 'Om' Riff", a decent but, in the end, shallow reworking of Gong's "Master Builder". Fish Rising is supposed to be great, though. -- Mike Ohman

I've heard all the solo stuff up to and including Green. Any of it is to be recommended; I'm especially fond of Green.

[See Gong | Khan | System 7]

[See Thursaflokkur, the name by which the band is more widely known.]

Castle of Noi (88)

The leader of Teru's Symphonia. His album Castle Of Noi is quite good, pre-dates the first TS album, and in pretty much the same style, with lots of symphonic stylings and japanese vocals. He was also the guitarist in Novella.

[See Teru's Symphonia]

From Ignorance to Ecstasy (91?)

Yuck.

Vocalist for Quasar.

I think I'm one of the few who actually likes her singing. And her solo-album. The first two songs on it are quite great. She has a very nice voice, sort of Melissa Etheridge but more pronounced. No great art, but nice music. Try it sometime.

[See Quasar | Strangers On A Train]

Down to Middle Earth (67), Men and Doors (68), Back From Middle Earth (69)

Early prog.

Hölderlins Traum (72), Hoelderlin (75), Clowns and Clouds (76), Rare Birds (77), Live/Traumstadt (78), New Faces (79), Fata Morgana (81)

I have two Hoelderlin albums, Hoelderlin's Traum and Hoelderlin. Both are excellent, rather unique German symphonic albums. Hoelderlin's Traum is a rather dreamy album, appropriate for the title. The female (and occasional male) vocals are in German. There is ample flute (two! flute players), violin, and cello in addition to the usual guitar and keyboards. The keyboards are the least prominent instrument though mellotron is heard throughout. At times, some of the flute passages are reminiscent of Gong circa You while some of the violin passages are vaguely reminiscent of Magma. Overall, though, this album sounds like a blend of Amon Düül II, Yatha Sidhra, and Jefferson Airplane. Quite a unique blend. Hoelderin is similar, yet different in several aspects. The female vocals are gone. Though still somewhat spacey, there seems to be a much stronger fusion aspect from the violin and the newly added saxophone playing in several of the songs, perhaps somewhat similar to Didier Lockwood jamming with Didier Malherbe and Gong. For me, this is the better of the two albums, sounding more mature. Both, however, are quite good and unique contributions to the German symphonic scene.

[See Schicke, Führs, and Fröhling]

Departure from the Northern Wasteland (77), Xcept One (87), Seventh Sign (88)

Ex-Agitation Free electronic musician in the same vein as Tangerine Dream in the late seventies. I believe he joined them on tour for a while as well.

Some guy that played in Tangerine Dream somewhere along the line. I got his Departure From The Northern Wasteland album for about fifty cents. That money would've been better spent on a couple cups of coffee.

Michael Hoenig was briefly associated with Tangerine Dream in the mid- seventies, when he toured with them as a replacement for Peter Baumann. He released Departure From The Northern Wasteland in 1977, which was very much in the vein of what Tangerine Dream's music sounded like in the early to mid 70s, with long, arpeggio-ostinato driven passages on a continuously changing background of synth textures. Phaedra and Green Desert would probably be the closest points of comparison, and, perhaps, Stratosfear.

Seventh Sign is a soundtrack.

[See Agitation Free]

Earth Harmony (72)

Hokus Poke were a early UK British blues band on the Vertigo label. As far as I know, they only released Earth Harmony in 1972. Essentially, Hokus Poke follow along the lines of the electric blues pioneered by Cream five year earlier. However, the first half of the album is much more acoustic based which gives them their own voice. At least I couldn't think of any ready comparisons. They are a quartet of two guitars, bass and drums. One of the guitarists also adds occasional steel guitar. Overall, nothing to write home about except for collectors of the UK electric blues scene and the Vertigo label.

Malaga (74)

Private pressing.

Holding Pattern (81), Majestic (90)

Holding Pattern are a US band from the early eighties who issued a private EP and then drifted into obscurity. They were "rediscovered" last year, and composed a few more tracks, which, along with remasterings of their older material now appears on CD. The music is strongly reminiscent of Genesis and Happy The Man, with many other influences along those lines.

An obscure east-coast psychedelic-progressive band from that made one album around 81 then faded into oblivion, recording sporadically throughout the 80's with various lineups led by guitarist Tony Spada. Art Sublime reissued the original album on CD a few years back, along with a lot of these later recordings as bonus tracks. The sound is intricate and melodic, with a lot of changes and electronic overtones. Mostly Instrumental.

Holding Pattern was the musical vehicle for guitarist Tony Spada. The music is strong on guitars and fat, analog keyboards (sounds like an Oberheim to me). The music is instrumental and very melodic. The closest comparison is to Bill Pohl's first solo album of melodic symphonic with just a hint of fusion in the guitar playing. Pretty solid.

Connecticut-based Holding Pattern released a sole album in 1981. The short, four song LP garnered a little bit of attention in the New England area. Though ostensibly a group effort, Holding Pattern seems mostly a showcase for classically-trained guitarist Tony Spada. In fact, Spada has been the only constant member throughout the history of Holding Pattern. However, several of the Holding Pattern tracks feature a good deal of fat analog synth work and some mellotron. After the LP, and with different members, Holding Pattern have managed to record a smattering of songs through the years. The original Holding Pattern LP and these songs have been compiled by Tony Spada and the Art Sublime label and released as Majestic, replete with an LP-sized jacket, detailed liner notes and a reduced picture of the inside of the original gatefold LP. Holding Pattern's music can be broadly described as instrumental (for the most part), melodic Prog with occasional fusion flourishes. Early Holding Pattern (e.g., the songs that comprised the original LP and two live tracks) are very Genesis/Yes influenced, the guitar alternating between Howe and Hackett styles (and maybe even a little Jerry Garcia in "Another Point of View") and the keyboards alternating between Banks and Wakeman. The exceptions are the five minute "Jigsaw Dream" which puts a jazz/not-quite-funk surface on the symphonic foundation and the seven minute "Out of Tunnels" in which Spada rips through McLaughlin-like arpeggiated chords and solos, intertwined with searing synth work. Actually, this song (and the similar "Tunnels") reminds me strongly of Bill Pohl's Solid Earth. In fact, these two versions of "Tunnels" typifies the Holding Pattern/Tony Spada sound. Take equal parts of mid-'70s Genesis, Yes and Mahavishnu, add a dash of Hendrix, and twist it around for some semblance of originality. Though not exactly original, these Holding Pattern tracks are generally well executed and melodically engaging. In particular, the mid-'80s tracks included here have more fusion flavor and are, to me, more appealing. Variations on their style include the Dixie Dregs-like "Iraqiroll," the Genesis-styled ballad "Was it You" (guitar is similar to "Mad Man Moon") and the jazzy intro to "Arrival.". -- Mike Taylor

[See Spada, Tony

Velvet Darkness (77), I.O.U. (82), Road Games (84), Atavachron (86), Sand (87), Secrets (89), Metal Fatigue (85), Wardenclyffe Tower (92), Hard Hat Area (93)

Fusion guitarist extraordinaire who graced Gong, Soft Machine, and Bruford with his presence among others. His solo stuff is much more conventional than the stuff he did with these seventies bands.

Excellent Fusion/Prog. guitarist. Only heard very little, but was very impressed. He also plays the SynthAxe.

Technically a great guitarist, but has a problem writing interesting material. His only album that stands on its own is I.O.U., the rest are flat boring. His best performances may be from his tenure with Bruford, or his early days with Gong.

Sand, released in 1987, features Holdsworth on Synthaxe, the premier guitar synthesizer of its day. With characteristic skill, Holdsworth churns out lead passages with synthetic textures and crisp execution that would put a keyboardist to shame. The only presence of keyboards is on one of the tracks, which, upon listening to the sounds that are coaxed out of the Synthaxe, is hard to believe. Musically, the sound is in the realm of jazz-influenced rock, with complex interplay between the players, among whom is included the high- speed drummer and percussionist, Chad Wackerman. The final track features Biff Vincent on Octopad Bass and Jon England on a Mac Computer, which, in lay terms, translates to keyboards being played on a guitar and a computer, and bass being played on drums! You just gotta love technology! Secrets was released in 1989, and features music in a mold similar to Sand. Vocals are present on some of the tracks, which is a departure from his previous works. As usual, the music falls deeper into the jazz-fusion side of the fence as opposed to rock, and again, contains Holdsworth's Synthaxe timbres in profusion. Piano and keyboards are featured more on this release, though they provide the interludes and accompaniments rather than the focus.

Best known as a jazz/fusion guitarist. He has played with such bands as Ian Carr's Nucleus, Tempest, UK, Bruford, Gong, and his own solo work. Excellent and well respected guitarist. Check out Metal Fatique or Secrets for starters. On Atavachron, he plays the SynthAxe and the music suffers for it. Wardenclyffe Tower shows Holdsworth in fine form and is also an excellent first album.

I have the same problem with him that I have with Clapton. I love all the stuff he did with everyone else, but I think his solo stuff is boring.

[See Bruford | Gong | Igginbottom's Wrench | Ponty, Jean-Luc | Soft Machine | Tempest | UK]

Transience of Love (87)

På Sterke Vinger (74), Hardt Mot Hardt (76)

Norwegian heavy rock. På Sterke Vinger is rather ordinary, very guitar based with some organ. As far as guitar-based hard rock with progressive touches goes, it's one of the better albums. More interesting from a strictly progressive standpoint is Hardt Mot Hardt. Still with an undeniable heaviness, but with an extended role for keyboards, plus guests on flute and strings. -- Mike Ohman

Stoyz Vi Dozeveloy (79)

Magma-inspired zeuhl band.

Nervous Night (85), One Way Home (88)

Rock band that makes hit records on a major label. Listen to their first LP Nervous Night, then go listen to Horslips' The Man Who Built America, and you'll swear it's the same band, right down to the mandolin-guitar interplay, the piano/organ sounds, occasional use of accordion, folk-rock writing style, and the overall attack of the music. Actually this first album is quite good, but whatever they had, they lost by their 2nd album and have never recovered.

1984 (73), Cruel But Fair (76), Hopper Tunity Box (77), Rogue Element (78), Two Rainbows Daily (80, with Alan Gowen), Monster Band (79), Mercy Dash (85, recorded '77), Alive (87), Meccano Pelorus (89), Odd Friends (93), Hooligan Romantics (93), A Remark Hugh Made (94, with Kramer), Adreamor (94, with Mark Hewins), Caveman Hughscore (95), Carousel (95), Bracknell-Bresse Improvisations (96, with Alan Gowen, recorded '80)

Hugh Hopper was a member of the seminal Canterbury band Soft Machine during some of their prime years, namely Two through Six. I have his Hopper-tunity Box release which features Dave Stewart, Elton Dean and several folks who's name I don't immediately recognize. Hugh plays a little, too!! The opening track is somewhat heavy and plodding but the album picks up from there and goes into the more traditional Canterbury/Soft Machine style. Actually, the album is generally very comparable to the instrumental experimental/ jazzy/ proggy Soft Machine style when Hopper was a member. The only exception is when Dave Stewart steps in with his organ the sound becomes a bit closer to Hatfield and the North. Recommended to fans of the Canturbury sound though I got mine because Dave Stewart plays.

I heard Cruel But Fair, which was intriguing jazz-fusion, free-formish in spots, with fine drums and synth work by some guy I never heard of before. Aside from that and Hopper's thick bass, the band includes Keith Tippets on piano and Elton Dean on saxes. -- Mike Ohman

Hugh Hopper has long been a favorite of mine. I really like his playing and his compositions. A brief survey of his records: 1984 is one of his most experimental. It has three short tunes recorded with a band that are very good, but most of the album is devoted to three long pieces made with bass guitars, tape loops, and percussion. Interesting stuff, but definitely not accessible. Monster Band is divided between two projects. One side is Hopper overdubbing, playing multiple basses and some miscellaneous other instruments. This is very different from 1984 in that Hopper is playing tunes (in my opinion, really great tunes). I like this stuff very much. The other side is live recordings of a 5-piece band including Elton Dean. The recording of these is pretty poor, enough so that I never really enjoyed them. Hopper Tunity Box is a great record, and I think that anyone who likes Soft Machine or any Canterbury-related band will almost certainly enjoy it. Lots of good tunes and a rotating cast of musicians including Elton Dean, Gary Windo, and Dave Stewart, among others. Cruel But Fair and Mercy Dash are by a co-op quartet with Elton Dean, pianist Keith Tippett, and drummer/synthesist Joe Gallivan. These are more in the nature of jazz-rock blowing. Cruel But Fair is the more enjoyable of the two; the recording of Mercy Dash is not the best. Rogue Element is by a quartet with Dean, Alan Gowen (of National Health) on keyboards, and Dave Sheen on drums. While some of the pieces are fairly long, it seems less digressive than the Tippett group (maybe just better tunes?). The recording is live, but very good. (This same quartet with a change of drummer recorded as Soft Heap.) Two Rainbows Daily is a fairly spare set, just a keyboard/bass duo, but in my opinion very enjoyable. The recently released Bracknell-Bresse Improvisations by the same duo from the same period are looser, more of demo quality. Alive and Meccano Pelorus were the first records by Hopper's "Franglodutch" band, with French guitarist Patrice Meyer and some "unknown" Dutchmen on sax, drums, and keyboards. Both are live recordings of decent quality. The playing is fairly loose, with some good tunes including a few old favorites revisited. Hugh Hopper and Odd Friends is an odd collection, a CD EP with six tracks, only one of which has Hopper playing bass. One track is Dionys Breukers, the keyboard man of the Franglodutch band, playing his arrangement of Hopper's old tune "Miniluv." The remaining tracks all have Hopper playing keyboards. Two are collaborations with singer John Atkinson, sounding as if he was recorded over the telephone. The best track is "Iron Lady," a satiric look at a certain British politician, with ex-drummer Mike Travis declaiming the words backed by Hopper on bass and keyboards and Rick Biddulph on guitar and singing. Hooligan Romantics is a good collection, a combination of live tracks by the Franglodutch band (better recorded than some of the earlier stuff) and studio work with singer Atkinson and keyboard guy Breukers. These Atkinson tracks are much better than the Odd Friends tracks, both better recorded and with Atkinson lyrics that are clever and often amusing. Carousel is the first studio recording by the Franglodutch band, good playing, good tunes, good sound. A Remark Hugh Made is another oddity. It's obscure when this was really recorded (Gary Windo appears - I thought he died several years before this disc claims to have been made). The recording is kind of muddy. It includes an odd version of a Beatles song that I'm not sure Hopper plays on. But it has some nice Hopper tunes, and one track with very good words and singing by Robert Wyatt. Adreamor is on a different tack - longish duo improvisations by Hopper and guitarist Mark Hewins. Nice stuff, if not as immediately accessable as the tunes. Caveman Hughscore is a collaboration between Hopper and the American band Caveman Shoestore, playing all Hopper tunes (mostly new ones, but a couple oldies, including "Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening"). Most tracks have singing - either by keyboard player Elaine DiFalco or talk-singing by drummer Henry Franzoni (often clever/amusing, but not holding up terribly well for repeat listening). Overall recommendation: Best place to start: Hopper Tunity Box. Best of the more recent records: Carousel or Hooligan Romantics. -- Dan Kurdilla

[See Gowen, Alan | Isotope | Soft Head | Soft Heap | Soft Machine]

Connect to Hugh Hopper Home Page

Horizont? (79)

Horizonte (??), Senales Sin Edad (??)

Senales Sin Edad is the better of the two. -- Tom (AshRaTemp)

Voyager (90)

Spaced-out flautist that plays on many of Gandalf's albums. His solo album Voyager is just too meditative and uninteresting for my tastes. Maybe fans of T.Dream, Deuter, Amin Batia and that kind of stuff would enjoy this.

Flutes, guitars, gongs, bells, and synthesizers characterize Robert Julian Horky's debut CD. Robert Julian Horky composed, arranged, recorded, and produced the 73 minutes of breath taking music on this CD in his studio in Vienna during 1989. He plays a variety of acoustic instruments and synthesizers to create a wide range of exotic floating music. Chi, the opening track, instantaneously transported me half way around the world to the Orient. The eight selections on the CD are all different, but with a definite Far Eastern ambience. Much of the CD called to mind Deuter, while Dance for A Warrior and The Island sound like Ian Anderson meets Ash Ra Temple. Throughout his music, Horky maintains a wonderful harmony of acoustic and synthesized instruments. Voyager is perfect for meditation or introspection. Play this CD and take a voyage through your dreams with Robert Julian Horky.

[See Gandalf]

L'Etrange Mr. Whinster (76)

Prog with Atlantide members.

[See Atlantide (France)]

Happy To Meet, Sorry To Part (72), The Tain (73), Dancehall Sweethearts (74), The Unfortunate Cup Of Tea (75), Horslips Live (75), Drive The Cold Winter Away (76), The Book Of Invasions (76), Aliens (77), Tracks From The Vaults (77), The Man Who Built America (78), Short Stories Tall Tales (79), The Belfast Gigs (80), Straight From The Horse's Mouth: The Horslips Story (89, compilation)

Horslips was an excellent folk-rock progressive rock band from Ireland that produced a long string of albums throughout the 70's. They sometimes sounded a little like Jethro Tull of the same period without the blues influences, and less dominated by flute and more by a shared lead role for violin/flute/ mandolin, and vocal harmonies. The vocals were shared by several band members, and the dominant force in their sound was clearly Irish traditional folk music, which slowly grew to include more and more rock on their later albums, until the final studio album which seems pretty much void of any folk influences. The best starting point is no doubt their classic Book of Invasions, which encompasses all of the best elements of their sound in an outstanding concept album, at a point when the band was equally balanced between folk and rock. The Tain is another good one, a concept album but with more traditional elements in the forefront. Drive The Cold Winter Away is an all acoustic christmas album. Man Who Built America is probably the best album in their rock period, although even here traditional folk themes abound just under the surface. Dancehall and Unfortunate Cup are a couple of the weaker albums, but even these have a few good tracks apiece. Belfast Gigs is by far the better of the two live albums. Finally, Horslips Story is a good album if you want a compilation of their most popular cuts, but not neccesarily their most interesting or progressive ones, and many of the songs on it have their intros cut off and it lacks the cohesion you'd get on the original concept albums.

James Newton Howard (74?), James Newton Howard And Friends (76?)

American session keyboardist. First (Kama Sutra-label) album is said to be in Keith Emerson or Clearlight style. The Sheffield Lab album was recorded with members of Toto. -- Mike Ohman

Sudden Dusk (81), Calling (85)

American east coast Canterbury influenced band that released two albums. Sudden Dusk was on the Random Radar label, and as such the RIO influences here are fairly strong, as well as their appetite for experimentation and an overall urgency, which is evident throughout the album's 10 tracks. The band at that point was Bill Kotapish (Guitars, occasional Bass), Peter Princiotto (Vocals,Bass,12 String,Clavinet and Piano), Bobby Read (Saxes,Flute,Clarinet, Marimba and Synth) and Joe Princiotto (Drums and Percussion). In addition, guest musicians fill in on vibraphone, violin, marimba, recorder and bassoon. The album starts off with "It's Good Fun," an OK track but certainly nothing to write home about; after that we have "Hardt" which is where things start getting interesting. This is followed by "In The Aisles" and the overtly melodic "Louise Sitting In A Chair," which leads up to what I feel is the album's highest point: "Beese," a long track loaded with dynamic stretch, strong melodies, and lots of interplay between vibes and wailing saxes, backed by some spoken dialog concerning the sounds made by bumblebees in flight. Side two kicks off with the title track, a more tempered melodic track, and moves through several more excellent tracks before concluding with "In the Midst of Making," which wraps everything up nicely. Around 1985, Cuneiform released the second However album titled Calling; it sounded a bit more toned down and polished, but still strongly in the Canterbury mold. Not bad at all, it featured an expanded lineup and slicker production, with an excellent female vocalist, but overall it's a little pale compared to what they had done before.

When I first started hearing about the "long-lost" classic American Progressive bands, I heard about bands like Mirthrandir, Lift, Cathedral, Yezda Urfa and Easter Island. Though many of these bands are good to very good, they simply didn't hold a candle to their European counterparts. Happy the Man, from the Washington D.C./Baltimore area were a much better example of late '70s American Progressive Rock. Another excellent band from that region and period was The Muffins. Finally, contemporaries and compatriots with these two Eastern seaboard bands was However. However debuted in Spring, 1978, but didn't release their first LP, Sudden Dusk, until 1981 on Random Radar Records. The Kinesis CD reissue has one bonus track. On Sudden Dusk, However are a quartet consisting of Bill Kotapish: electric and acoustic guitars, bass, vocals; Bobby Reed: vocals, saxophones and a variety of percussion, Peter Mark Prince: vocals, basses, guitars, a variety of keyboards, kalimba and autoharp; and Joe "Stellar" Prince on drums and a variety of percussion. Guest musicians contribute recorder, bassoon, violin, cello and a variety of percussion to several songs. (In the early '80s, the Prince brothers "Americanized" their surname. The Sudden Dusk LP lists them as Princiotto.) Sudden Dusk contains ten songs, plus one bonus track. The songs range from a couple of short ones at just over two minutes up to six or seven minutes. The average is about 4-5 minutes. On to the music itself.... The reviews I have read about However always mention a Canterbury influence. While this is certainly so, the first thing that I noticed upon first listen was a strong Gentle Giant presence. One only need listen to the contrapuntal structures, carefully intertwined melodies and vocal interplay of "It's Good Fun" or "Beese" to detect this obvious influence. Still, there is a Canterbury feel throughout, like a more friendly Henry Cow. Not always accessible, though. The improvisational cacaphony of the title track will certainly delight Univers Zero fans, though usually the musical pedigree of the band (at least Bobby and Peter are conservatory trained) shows through in the structured music. There is also an original flavor in songs like the melancholy "Hardt" with its acoustic guitar, recorder and soprano sax. The first few songs ("It's Good Fun," "Hardt" and "In the Aisle") sound a bit lost, as if the band were trying to settle on an identity and not quite succeeding. This isn't helped by the awkward vocals, which aren't harmonized well despite the woven vocal lines. However, the band gets rid of the cobwebs with the beautiful instrumental, "Louise Sitting in a Chair," with soprano sax, piano, glockenspiel, ocarina and haunting cello. This is followed by the seven minute "Beese," which combines Gentle Giant counterpoint and Henry Cow/Univers Zero RIO with a dose of lyrical humor. Easily one of the highlight tracks, it marks the plateau that the balance of the album traverses. Most of the bands I mention at the top of this review make up for their lack of originality and ability through enthusiasm. However use their musical abilities to build upon the Gentle Giant and Canterbury foundation to create a music that can only be described as one of the better American efforts from the late '70s into the '80s. If you like your Prog steeped in counterpoint and technical ability, However will be worth your while to audition. -- Mike Taylor

Hyönteisiä Voi Rakastaa (95)

Egads! Such a *brilliant* album is also one that is so difficult to describe. While the title of this album tells is that "it's possible to love insects," I will tell you that Hyönteisiä voi rakastaa was the best release I have heard of new music in 1995. Better even than the wonderful 5uu's and Happy Family releases. The influences brought together by the eight members of Höyry-Kone are so diverse that their melding together was bound to create something unique. The music is quite varied and absolutely stunning. The only prog influence I readily detected was Fripp/Crimson, and this in only a few places, the most obvious being the beginning of "Hämärän Joutomaa." Any sort of comparison between Höyry-Kone and any other band is quite trite and useless. Perhaps a few examples of the diversity will help elucidate their music but I'm afraid my effort will be weak. "Kosto" switches from classical (vocals, oboe, cello) to thrashing intensity at a moments notice, then just as quickly back to classical (this time, violin, bass) with an edge of the avant. Hell, this whole album is so inventive that the term avant-garde degenerates into useless anachronism. "Raskaana" opens with what I can only describe as "Velvet Underground Lounge Lizard" before reinventing itself in the form of Belew-era Crimson gone insane. A beautiful samba rhythm and gorgeous oboe moves "Luottamus" into a 100% incongruous break, then a wonderful guitar solo. Höyry-Kone is a full ensemble work that showcases the band rather than placing the spotlight on virtuosic solos. Yet, this only serves to convey the full virtuosity of the entire band. I can't begin to describe their music accurately enough, nor can I praise Hyönteisiä voi rakastaa highly enough. -- Mike Taylor

This superb Finnish ensemble offers very original music on Hyönteisiä Voi Rakastaa. The band features eight musicians who use vocals (in Finnish), oboe, violin and cello, as well as the usual rock instruments. The compositions make use of a great variety of unpredictable arrangements that make the sound difficult to describe. In fact, the influences are numerous but integrated in a very original manner. Here, rock music crosses path with opera, chamber music, samba, blues, techno, etc. The very original tracks and the expert performances will satisfy those who demand more. -- Paul Charbonneau

Volume One (70)

Heavy Hendrix inspired guitar trio.

Hurdy Gurdy (71)

Hurdy Gurdy were a guitar/bass/drums trio from Denmark who released one album in 1971. The guitar player was the excellent Claus Bohling before he went on to Burnin' Red Ivanhoe and the excellent Secret Oyster. With English vocals, Hurdy Gurdy recall to mind many early '70s bands such as Humble Pie, Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience or Jimi's Band of Gypsys and so forth. Fans of the early British scene would probably go a bundle for this. Bohling is an excellent guitar player who can set up quite a jam. One of the eight songs is instrumental while all the others have vocals to varying degrees. There's also a little bit of sitar (with tabla!) for the occasional psychedelic sound and, of course, the standard blues harmonica. Great air guitar material!

[See Burnin' Red Ivanhoe / Secret Oyster]

Hush (78)

Bay area band from the mid 70's that released one album. Mostly pop, but had a couple of longer proggy type tracks. Don't bother, nothin' special.

House Of Sleeping Beauties (85), Secret Luminescence (87)

Trained in chinese classical music, she released two albums on the Private music label in the mid-80's. Both very different, both are worthwhile finds. The first House Of Sleeping Beauties contains the sidelong "Tibet Suite," plus four shorter tracks on side two, and is predominantly synthesizer with supporting musicians playing flute, saxes, violins and various chinese traditional instruments. The result, not surprisingly, falls somewhere between chinese classical music and the synthscapes of Kitaro and the like, but with more force and energy than one might expect. The second Secret Luminescence is very different from the first, containing six medium length tracks and much less reliance on synthesizer, with a more varied composition style, and some vocals (no lyrics though). It's a very unique sound that defies convenient comparisons. Recommendations: If you like synth driven spacy stuff, go for the first one, but personally I think the second is a lot more unique and truly progressive.

Grey Sky (??), The Ground, The Light, The Sound (??)

Heavy-epic rock-prog.

Hydravion (78), Stratos Airlines (80)

Ranges from electronic ala Jean-Michel Jarre to exotic.