Meditace (69, aka Kindom of Life), Nova Synteza (71), Nova Synteza 2 (74), Modry Efekt and Radim Hladik (75), Svitanie (77), Svet Hledacu (79, aka World of Searchers), 33 (81)

Probably the best Czechoslovakian prog band who started in more jazzier realms, and moved to symphonic style on their masterpiece Svitanie. Leader Radim Hladik is a mindblowing guitarist. Anything by these guys is pretty good.

[See Synkopy]

Nao Fale Com Parades (??)

Mogul Thrash (71)

After leaving Colosseum James Litherland (guitar) founded this shortlived band including John Wetton on bass, and four other guys (3 horns/saxes and drums). They published only this LP on RCA. The music is similar to Colosseum but less bluesy and more brass, long pieces with strong guitar improvisations. This is really a strong album, especially for those who don't mind having more than one sax in a band. Recommended!! -- Achim Breiling

[See Colosseum | Steamhammer | Wetton, John]

L'Escapade (74), Grimaces (75), Le Petit Violin (77), Avant Qu'il Ne Soit Trop Tard (78), Vers Demain (79)

Mona Lisa is a French progressive rock group who owe much of their style to Genesis. Their music could be regarded as Genesis with a French Peter Gabriel, with much of the same theatrical and emotional sense. The title track of Le Petit Violon De Mr. Gregoire is a side-long (LP talk !) piece in three parts ... and a couple of the tracks are instrumental.

Mona Lisa is a French band very much in the dramatic symphonic style of another French band, Ange. If you aren't familiar with Ange, the closest comparison would probably Genesis. There's also a hint of various Italian bands, including PFM and Osanna, at least to my ears. The singer sings in a dramatic theatrical style reminiscent of Christian Decamps (of Ange) or Peter Gabriel. The music is strongly symphonic with a "French accent." I have two of their albums that are available on the Musea label. L'Escapade reveals a developing band. There is flute, sax, and violin in addition to the usual keyboards and guitar. This is a very fine album, very dramatic (perhaps a little too much in places), but it sounds a little primitive when compared to Le Petit Violon de Mr. Gregoire, their third album. By this album, the band had worked out all the rough edges and created an excellent piece of progressive rock. Still dramatic but never overly so, the band defines their sound with dynamics and texture creating an atmospheric symphonic masterpiece. Both are good listens but start with Le Petit....

The Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk (69)

German underground scene.

Energism (80), Dweller On The Threshold (81)

[See Curved Air]

Elements of Monolith (78)

An obscure album Elements of Monolith exists, its black and white jacket leads me to believe it was a very limited private pressing, the music leads one to believe it's just one guy - a keyboardist who's primary influences are Emerson and Tony Banks. The songs are all instrumental, but dearly sound like they need vocal tracks, the music on its own isn't strong enough to carry.

Il Retorno di Far la Fantasia (93)

Right now I'm listening to Montefeltro, a new italian band on the Musea label, real nice stuff, some classic and neo influences but not derivative, very melodic and moody, maybe comparable to Galadriel, Eris Pluvia, Tale Cue... wow - this IS nice!! (this is the first time I've listened to it) Vocals are in italian, kinda soft and echoey. A lot of classical-folk influence like early PFM or Errata Corrige. I hear some faint Marillionesque hints on this 4th track, but it's that fast frantic paced 70's Italian feel mixed in with it. There's only 5 tracks on the album. A sidelonger with 4 shorter ones following.

Montefeltro, an incredible Italian duo, writes and plays songs with a symphonic instrumentation that sounds like a large ensemble. Their music and lyrics embody the best of 70s Italian progressive music and extend it into the '90s. Montefeltro's orchestral sense and Attilio Virgilio's beautiful operatic falsetto transport you on a fantasy flight independent of the Italian lyrics. Il Retorno di Far la Fantasia consists of five songs that leave you in paradise at the end of the 46 minutes: "Canto #1 (Lettro ad un amico del 1400)," "Il Prescelto," "Cielo di Carta," "La Collana Riflettente" and "Nel Labirinto (Il segreto del sole)." "Canto #1" is a gorgeous 22 minute musical suite about a letter to the Duke of Urbino, Federico de Montefeltro. This suite integrates lyrical and symphonic musical passages with Virgilio's falsetto that at times recalls Le Orme and Genesis. The shortest song on the CD, "Cielo di Carta" (Paper Sky), at 2:46 is also the best. Its ethereal piano, vocals, and acoustic guitar transcend the other songs. Musea again brings another quality band to worldwide attention.

Montefeltro are a 2-piece progressive outfit from Central Italy which have one brilliant release on the Musea label. Il Tempo di Far Fantasia (The Time of Imagination), is a fanatastic example of a current band drawing on influences from the 1970s, but also giving them a fresh, modern reworking. This is neither neo-prog nor a "only the seventies mattered" type of group. The album begins with the 22 minute piece "Canto #1." Never dull, always leading to another interesting movement or guitar break. The hushed, almost whispered vocals are a pleasant change and a great counterpoint to the energetic drumming. The second half of the album contains excellent shorter tracks which lead to a climatic theme at the end. My only gripe is the low recording level used on the recording of this CD. Highly recommended if you're looking for some current Italian prog. -- Oliviero Ortolani

Homenaje (??)

Great solo album by Crucis bassist! -- Tom (AshRaTemp)

[See Crucis]

Montrose (74), Paper Money (74), Warner Bros PResents Ronnie Montrose (75), Jump On It (76), Open Fire (78)

Is this guy too "big" to be in this survey? Anyway, his album Open Fire is well worth the japanese import big bucks you have to pay to get it on CD. A variety of styles, mostly electronic laced, are presented without vocals - this is much better than most of the stuff he did with Montrose or Gamma.

Ronnie Montrose is a guitarist much in the league of Holdsworth and other such prog rock heroes. In Open Fire his work that best approaches the prog rock genre, we are treated to guitar-based rock accompanied by an orchestra. The result is a compelling progressive rock work, with rock guitar interludes.

[See Gamma]

Days of Future Passed (67), In Search of the Lost Chord (68), On the Threshold of a Dream (69), To Our Childrens Childrens Children (69), A Question of Balance (70), Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (71), Seventh Sojourn (72), Caught Live Plus Five (Live) (77), Octave (78), Long Distance Voyager (81), The Present (83), The Other Side of Life (86), Prelude (87), Sur La Mer (88), Keys of the Kingdom (91), A Night at Red Rocks (Live) (93)

I've been a Moodies fan for years, but I rarely discuss them in a progressive forum like this one. That's because while a lot of fans of symphonic prog rock love the Moodies, very few would say that their music is progressive in the sense of Yes or Genesis. And because of the nature of the band's more recent output, most people consider them more of a radio-ready adult-contemporary group, and I'm likely to get bounced all the way to rec.music.misc. The band's roots are firmly R&B. The initial line-up (Denny Laine (gtr/vox), Clint Warwick (bass), Graeme Edge (perc), Mike Pinder (keys/vox), and Ray Thomas (sax/flutes/vox)) recorded a bunch of R&B stuff, including one hit called "Go Now." When Laine and Warwick left and Justin Hayward (guitar/vocals) and John Lodge (bass/vocals) joined up, things changed considerably. They recorded their first (and probably most progressive) album (Days...) with the London Festival Orchestra. Edge's poetry, Hayward's vocals, Thomas' flute, and the full orchestra backing gave the album a lush, warm feel. This is also one of the band's most accessible albums, appealing to fans of prog, classical, psychedelia, soft rock, and classic rock. But the overriding "progressiveness" of recording with an orchestra (well, it was progressive then!) tagged the Moodies as a prog rock band, even though all of their subsequent albums were only marginally progressive, at best. ISotLC, the next album, is more representative of the sound of the Moodies, The orchestra is gone, but Pinder's use of the mellotron made up for it, shaping the sound of the band for years to come. The lush, smooth sounds of "House of Four Doors" are typical of this era of the band. Elements of psychedelia are still quite evident in songs like the Eastern flavored "Om," and drug-oriented lyrics abound in "Legend of a Mind" and the aforementioned "House of Four Doors." The sleeve of the original album had some notes on meditative procedures and a line drawing that was supposedly good material for helping to focus one's mind. Each album from this point on always contained one or two more radio-friendly tracks, like "Ride My See-Saw" on ISotLC, although almost every track would be appropriate for any of today's classic rock stations. The band members played all of the instruments on all of the albums from 1968 to 1972, which meant learning new instruments and recording them one note at a time in some cases. Talented musicians, all. OtToaD gave a slight nod to the band's R&B roots on tracks like "Send Me No Wine," but it and the next four albums, ToCCC, AQoB, EGBDF, and SS, all continued in the same vein of ISotLC. More poetry, more introspective lyrics, more mellotron. Their music was never dissonant, although the lyrics did ocassionally get silly, like on "The Tortoise and the Hare" from AQoB and "Nice to Be Here" from EGBDF. As the lyrics got increasingly introspective, groupies began to look to the Moodies to answer the "ultimate questions" and the band began to believe that they might have the answers! Ego ran rampant, and the band wisely decided to split up. A double live album was issued in 1977, including 3 sides of live material and 5 previously unreleased tracks. Lyrically, the band was most concerned with peace, love, and inner "balance." While Hayward's and Lodge's lyrics were generally quite good, they did occasionally contain a clunker, like: "So love everybody, and make them your friend.." Ouch. All of the band members recorded solo albums during the lay-off. The most notable is a Hayward/Lodge collaboration from 1974 called Blue Jays, which recalls some of the best of the band's earlier work. Fans of Seventh Sojourn and In Search of the Lost Chord are advised to seek this one out. The band reformed in 1978 for the Octave album. The sound was more mature, less psychedelic, and certainly less progressive. Keyboardist Mike Pinder bowed out after this, evidently reluctant to tour. Ex-Yes man Patrick Moraz was brought on board. LDV followed, and harkened back to earlier days on such tracks as "22,000 Days" and "Reflective Smile," but also gave a hint of things to come in more radio-friendly top-40 songs like "The Voice." The trend continued on The Present, although with less commercial success. These albums tended to have something for everyone on them, like "I Am," for the fans of the older stuff, "Sitting at the Wheel," for the fans of the livelier songs, and "It's Cold Outside of Your Heart," for people who enjoyed the ballads. TOSoL continued pretty much the same format, but was far more successful commercially thanks to a couple of radio ready hits. Definitely a more energetic album, but a blatant stab at commercialism. Little if any trace of progressivism or psychedelia here. The diminished role of Ray Thomas may have been a factor. He didn't contribute to the recording of the next album, Sur la Mer, and in concert, he was primarily relegated to tambourine duty, only coming to the fore on his old compositions like "Legend of a Mind." SlM was made up entirely of Hayward and Lodge songs, and has no stand-out tracks. Patrick Moraz was dismissed during the recording of KotK, which contained more adult-contemporary songs. The recent live album (Red Rocks) is an abysmal performance, and is only for die-hard fans. The Prelude album was an attempt to cash in on renewed popularity. It contained the five new tracks from the Caught Live Plus Five album and a few early singles and B-sides. It's unfortunate that mention of the Moody Blues now calls to mind an adult-contemporary, ballad-oriented band. They put out some great stuff in the early seventies. I'd recommend Days of Future Passed for its progressive nature. Seventh Sojourn and In Search of the Lost Chord are best representative of the band's pychedelic, heavy mellotron phase. Long Distance Voyager is an excellent album as well, by far their best since 1972.

Moondog (69), 2 (71), In Europe (72), H'art Songs (7?)

Experimental composer. (That's his name, honest!).

Brainstorm of Emptyness (96)

Brainstorm of Emptyness is in the typical style of many British bands. In fact, what we find is a melodic, symphonic rock with the added drama of a strong vocal presence (in English). This low-tone (ex: Peter Murphy, David Sylvian) and versatile voice certainly dominates but it rests on the solid compositions of the keyboardist who obviously favours an excellent delivery by all five members. The familiar format successfully alternates between calm and more vigourous moments and therefore offers a chance for everyone to shine. Fans of the style will recognise a good old recipe while others will appreciate the quality of its ingredients. -- Paul Charbonneau

Every Pixie Sells A Story (93), Live Stupidity And Other Embarrassing Moments (94)

The Swedish progressive space rock band called The Moor was formed in 1985. Their keyboardist Kenneth Magnusson and vocalist Hans Moll had always been the nucleus of the band. The Moor released two singles back in 1988, "Candlelight/Now..." and "Tolling Bells/If You Want Me." One of the singles were reviewed as "the soundtrack for your darkest dreams" in a news paper. In 1990 they began to work on Every Pixie Sells A Story, which was released in 1993. The favourite groups of Kenneth Magnusson are Hawkwind, Gong (You-era), Rush and King Crimson. The Moor had been compared to all these groups, but their album Every Pixie Sells A Story has also been compared to Black Sabbath, Depeche Mode, Neon Judgement, Porcupine Tree, Roxy Music and Sisters of Mercy. The people on the album were: Kenneth Magnusson (samplers, synthesizers, mellotron, composing, arranging, programming), Hans Moll (vocals, lyrics) and Peder Jansson (guitars). The line-up has changed, but at the moment (1995) their members are: Kenneth Magnusson (Mellotron, Wurlitzer piano, Moog, synthesizers), Hans Moll (vocals, computer), Stefan Renstrom (basses, synthesizer) Claes Edmundsson (guitar), and Ulf Nylén (percussion). I saw them live in Gothenburg at the 1st of April 1995. They were very powerful. Magnusson and Renstrom played furiously, while Moll calmly sat at his computer writing curious messages on the screen. Hans Moll is actually one of the most non-moving singers I have ever seen. I remember a concert back in 1993, when Moll was dressed like a preacher and was singing "Master Builder" (from Gong's You) with his back to the crowd. The Moor had also released Live Stupidity And Other Embarrassing Moments (Cassette Compilation 1994, Bishop Garden) that comprises live recordings of various quality, some outtakes from Every Pixie Sells A Story, and their second single. -- Gunnar Creutz

[See Egg [Sweden] | Simon Says]

Nova Solis (72), Brown Out (73?; aka The Sleeper Wakes), Seasons (83), Ivories (84)

Morgan is keyboardist Morgan Fisher and friends. He has also played with Mott the Hoople. I have Brown Out and it is a good (not great) prog keyboard-oriented album with a side-long track. Sort of a mix of ELP and Yes styles. -- Juan Joy

Sea Of Dreams (??)

Rabenteuer (76)

Prog.

Worldwide Diffusion (95)

This band sounds very good. They blend guitar and synth sounds in a beautiful way. Lyrics from Worldwide Diffusion are about dreams and nightmares and reality! Their influence seems to be Genesis, Pendragon and Pallas. -- Olivier Malivert

Mormos (70), The Great Wall Of China (71), Magic Spell Of Mother's Wrath (72)

Prog/psych folk. American band who lived in France.

The Introduction (84), Stand Up (85), High Tension Wires (89), Southern Steel (91), Coast To Coast (92)

The leader of the Dixie Dregs. His solo albums are much more guitar oriented than his stuff with the Dregs, which is more group oriented. My favorite of his solo albums is High Tension Wires, which I think could pass for a Dregs album.

Multi stylistic guitarist. Check out Coast to Coast.

Leader and guitarist from Dixie Dregs, his solo output is an extension of the Dixie Dregs style, but usually in a three-piece rock band setting without violin and minimal keyboards.

Extraordinary guitarist from the Dixie Dregs. Though his work with that band is incredible, his solo work isn't as hot. To be sure, Introduction is killer, but the later albums follow the same formula and no new territory is explored. Southern Steel particularly suffers from tizzy production.

[See Dixie Dregs]

UFO (82)

Top 80's heavy prog.

Moto Perpetua (74)

Kayak sound alikes.

[See U Totem]

13th Avenue (82)

Jazz/rock guitarist.

Rock Sous La Dalle (93)

Haven't heard much from Patrice Moullet since he and singer Catherine Ribeiro fronted Alpes, the premier french underground band, in the late sixties and early seventies. Yet apparently he's been busy all these years doing music for various special projects, creating new musical instruments, and writing a lot of theater and film music, generally staying out of the music business mainstream. Rock Sous La Dalle, recorded in 1993, represents some of the most powerful and creative music that has ever reached this writer's ears; Moullet has created a sequence of innovative sonic tapestries each with its own mood and unique strength, and contains nothing that even remotely approaches typical rock accessibility, yet this music begs to be played over and over again. Entirely instrumental, employing a programmed music computer, real guitar/mandolin, percussion, flute samples, saxes, tons of mellotron, and various other acoustic and electronic instruments, it's an almost-other-worldly musical odyssey, full of adventure, power and raw emotion. For those who need comparisons, it's not an easy task - the closest match might be Thierry Zaboitzeff's Dr.Zab, but Zab seems a bit more uniform and metronomic by comparison; Rock Sous La Dalle uses far more sonic depth and subtlety, and traps it all within a variable acoustic percept, which he has evidently mastered through his work in film soundtracks. Moullet has put togethar a forceful and compelling album, which at once has the spirit of the nineties intertwined with the freedom and adventurism of the seventies. This is truly progressive music. Welcome back, Patrice.

Moments (80)

Prog.

Lady Killer (74)

Prog.

The Move (68), Shazam (70), Lookin' On (70), Message From the Country (71), Split Ends (72)

I'll give a brief Move history. There are excellent liner notes inside the Move's LP Split Ends (vinyl only), so look for that album (hard to find these days) for complete details. Started from various bands, The Move was lead by song writer and multi-instrumentalist Roy Wood. Carl Wayne did most of the early vocals, coming from Carl Wayne and the Vikings. The other notable member is Bev Bevan on the drums. The first album, The Move, as a collection of short, snappy Roy Wood songs done in pop style with a strong 60's psychedelic bent (plus some covers). I think this came out in 1966. (Albums don't have copyrights from back then!) It produced some hits in the UK. The first album is the first record in the 2LP set Best of The Move, which was the first album plus A and B-sides of their 5 singles. The Best of the Move was (maybe still is, but I haven't seen it for a long time) available on CD from A&M. I saw an add in Goldmine for the first album on CD form $20. The second LP, Shazam was only 6 songs, all but one over 5 minutes. Side one was three Roy Wood songs, and side two is three non Roy Wood songs, including what I call the first heavy metal ballad I know of (well heavy metal for the late 60's) "Don't Make My Baby Blue." Side two is one of my all time favorite LP sides. The line up is slightly different the first LP, but not sure of it (not listed). CD is available in Japan, and contains the first LP (in mono) as well. The third LP is Message From the Country, which was the debut of Jeff Lynne in the Move. Lynne has just left the Idle Race after two very good albums with them. This albums contained a mixture of Wood and Lynne songs, each singing their own for the most part, and a Bev Bevan song! This albums is quite good, except for three tracks which are so-so. This available in the USA on CD. A fourth LP came called Looking On, which contains the first glance of ELO with Lynne's "What" plus Lynne on the only track I know in which he plays drums, Wood's "Feels So Good." The album had 5 GREAT songs, plus some okay songs. Available from Japan on CD, but the quality is not so good (sounds like it came from record). The last album was really a rerelease of Message From the Country, with the 3 so-so tracks replaced by some singles ("Do Ya," "California Man"). The result is Split Ends, which to more than one Move fan is best collection out there, but of course this isn't on CD. The singles can be picked up (except for one Lynne b-side) on Lynne and Wood compilations CD (England). After the Move Roy Wood formed a couple bands, Wizzard and Wizzo, and did a few solo albums (Mustard, Boulders, On the Road Again.) The last coming out in the late 70's. None of these lived up to his Move days, although there are moments that come close. I hear/read a rumor about once a year he is recording again. Jeff Lynne of course went on to become the 5th Beatle. :-)

I have the Best Of double LP. More beat-psych than progressive, but the way they use orchestral instruments, sound effects and such, is very influential on the prog/rock to come. Overall sounds a bit like a symphonic version of the Who; excellent 1960s rock. Predecessor to ELO, and it shows. -- Mike Ohman

[See Electric Light Orchestra]

Moving (80)

Post-Moving Gelatine Plates.

[See Moving Gelatine Plates]

Moving Gelatine Plates (71), The World of Genius Hans (72), Moving (80)

Early '70s French band, their sound will remind of the styles of the first edition of Magma, as well as the Soft Machine of the same period (Third), although in the end they're not derivative of either, This was one of the pioneering french progressive bands, who provided inspiration for many who would follow.

Moving Gelatine Plates is another obscure French progressive band from the early 70s given new life on CD by Musea. MGP consisted of Didier Thibault on bass and vocals (later with Gong), Gerard Bertram on guitar, Gerard Pons on drums, and Maurice Helmlinger on keyboards, sax, flute, and trumpet. This CD reissue includes their entire debut album (5 songs), original cover artwork, extensive band history, lyrics (such as they are), and 4 bonus tracks from MGP's 1980 album Moving. The cover art, a hand holding an exploding plate of gelatin, suggests today's industrial bands rather than 1970s progressive music. The opening track "London Cab" has a great "industrial" intro. MGP is a refreshing glimpse into the past. These four guys really cook! Their music mixed a dash of Soft Machine, King Crimson (Lizard), and Pink Floyd (Atom Heart Mother) with a dab of Iron Butterfly ("In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" drums). Fast breaks, complex rhythms, virtuoso playing, and weird lyrics combined to produce innovative music ahead of its time. The lyrics are one of the many surprises in store for you. Suddenly, in the middle of an energetic jam, you hear a processed voice reciting Three Blind Mice! Disconcerting, and in the immortal words of Mr. Spock, "Fascinating!." Don't pass on the opportunity to buy this CD.

Seminal French jazz-rock/prog band whose heavily Soft Machine/Zappa influenced debut album sounded a lot more like something from the German jazz-rock underground (Thrice Mice, Creative Rock, etc.) than anything French. They use not only sax and flute, but also trumpet, which gives them an odd, distincitvely underground sound. The very original, mesmerizing organ tone is unlike any other band I've heard, and sounds almost synthesized. Their use of complex time signatures, wacky vocals and sound effects and judicious soloing keeps things interesting. The only slow moment comes with the 15-minute "Last Song", which houses a seemingly endless drum solo. The band's second album, The World of Genius Hans (with its insane cover artwork of a cow's head dolled up in human clothing with a cigarette in its mouth and its ears and nose garnished with parsley!) has been reissued. I heard it's even better than the first. -- Mike Ohman

[See Moving]

Il Mucchio (70)

Not a very interesting rock band.

Secret Signals II (75), Chronometers (75) (released 92), Manna/Mirage (76?), Air Friction (79), Open City (85), <185> (??)

The Muffins were a DC area Canterbury inspired band that existed from about 1975 to 81, who, during their time released three regular albums, and contributed to the Random Radar Sampler - an excellent compilation of many of the artists who recorded on that now defunct label. The Muffins were Dave Newhouse (keyboards,reeds,winds and percussion), Tom Scott (reeds,winds, percussion), Billy Swann (bass,piano,guitar) and Paul Sears (Drums,saxes). Other band members came and went, playing drums, violin, harmonica, guitar and so on, and most of the albums have at least a few guests sitting in - including one-time producer Fred Frith. Their sound is heavily jazz influenced, but solidly rooted in progressive rock. As might be suspected from the lineup, saxes, flutes, clarinets and other woodwinds play a major role in their sound, which early on could be compared to the likes of Soft Machine circa Third or the instrumental flights of early Caravan. As time went on, their sound became more improvisational sounding, jagged and experimental, full of fiery urgency, and moved more in RIO directions. Chronometers is a disc full of early recordings from the 75/76 period and is a good showcase of their early sound (parts of Chronometers had appeared on the Random Radar sampler LP). The band's first regular album was Manna/Mirage, from around 78; by this time they had embraced a more improvisational direction. Later albums like Air Fiction show more of Frith's RIO influence: unusual rhythms, irregular melodies and rampant dissonance, all delivered with a vengeance. All these albums are excellent, as the Muffins were a masterful crew of top-notch musicians. Start with Chronometers and work your way forward. In addition to Chronometers, Cuneiform has also reissued Manna/Mirage and Open City, a posthumous release of recordings from the 77-80 time period and a couple tracks originally recorded for Fred Frith's Gravity with backing by The Muffins. This one is due for a CD reissue any day with 20 minutes of extra material. Hopefully the others will not be long to follow.

Manna/Mirage is a release originally on Wayside's old label (their only label now being the eclectic Cuneiform), Manna/Mirage is an American approach to the style of Henry Cow. A sometimes noisy, but well composed offering, The Muffins cover the realms of prog rock and experimental fusion, falling well on the fusion side. The four bandmembers play multiple instruments, including strings and woodwinds, giving their music a non-centered sort of sound, always doing the unexpected. This is a winner if you like Henry Cow or National Health and might even get a rise out of the fans of other forms of complex music, such as Gentle Giant or Gryphon.

This Washington D.C.-based avante garde fusion band was one of the few who could out-Cow Henry Cow. :) So it comes as no surprise that <185> was produced by Fred Frith. The album is a veritable cacophony of squeaking, bleating clarinets, wild wailing saxophones, deep fuzz bass and Frith's distinctive guitar playing. Anyone who thought no-one could outdo "Nirvana For Mice" ought to hear "Angle Dance" or "Zoom Resume" from this album--incredible! Open City is a collection of posthumously released recordings. Quite restrained in comparison to <185>, the album is full of jazzy reed-solos in the middle Soft Machine mode. Also included, a pair of outtakes from Frith's Gravity album. One begins to wonder why they weren't released before. -- Mike Ohman

[See Bass, Michael | Chainsaw Jazz | Feigenbaum and Scott]

Sinfonia Della Luna (84), The Princess Of Kingdom Gone (88), Leda Et Le Cygne (89)

Keyboard-heavy sympho-prog from Japan. They posess a very "dignified" sound with bombastic vocals and lots of fanfare-like keyboards. Doesn't do a good deal for me, but in the right state of mind it can be quite pleasing. Renaissance or Moody Blues fans may like them, though. -- Mike Ohman

I've head one track from The Princess of Kingdom Gone. It starts out with Japanese singing over somewhat spacy backdrop and mellotron, managing to sound original. Middle section pulls out every early-mid era Genesis riff, some nearly note for note. It ends about the same as it began. While one song on a sampler doesn't represent the group overall, this particular track was nothing special.

Mugen is keyboardist Katsuhiko Hayashi and vocalist Takashi Nakamura, and whatever other musicians they can round up when it's time to do an album. They have three albums I know of: Sinfonia Della Luna, The Princess of Kingdom Gone and Leda et Le Cygne. I suspect there may be more. There's also several flexi-discs containing one or two tracks that have come out in limited numbers over the years; Vento di Primavera is one of these, which seems to pre-date everything else, and it features a female vocalist rather than Nakamura. Their sound is a very powerful symphonic- progressive that might be described as PFM-meets-The Enid. There are vocals on almost all the tracks; Their music is strikingly powerful and grand, the writing and arrangements are very original, and not understanding a word of the singing shouldn't bother you. One of Japan's best symphonic bands.

The Journey (90)

Mujician is apparently a one-shot project, a live improvisation recorded in 1990 featuring Keith Tippett (piano - has played with everybody you can think of and more), Paul Rogers (double bass - no, NOT the guy who was the lead singer in Free and Bad Co.), Paul Dunmall (clarinet and saxes), and Tony Levin (drums - NOT the guy from King Crimson and Peter Gabriel's group). All four of these guys are respected sessionmen and first rate musicians, and on The Journey, they are basically playing free-form jazz, a one-hour improv that climbs to some fervent peaks and also glides through some quieter valleys - a very colorful music full of rhythms and counter-rhythms all played effortlessly in a very free and open jazz style. A close listen will reveal there is much more going on here than meets the ear at first listen - all four of these guys smoke the entire hour, there isn't a dull moment to be found anywhere - it truly is a journey. For fans of free-jazz or other adventurous music, Mujician is a must-have. Others might be advised to proceed with caution, as this is very unstructured, and bears virtually no resemblance to any rock or progressive rock forms.

Chimes (84), East-West (85), Through Your Eyes (87)

Mid-80's UK neo-proggers, their primary influences seem to be Tales period Yes, and early Marillion. The singer even sounds like Anderson sometimes. Unfortunately, too often a promising idea turns into "boom-bash-boom-bash" Pallas/Asia style AOR pop. Still, the album has some very good moments.

Multi Story were a British band who recorded East West in 1985, despite which, a mellotron is listed on the equipment list! The vocalist, on most occasions, appears to have been greatly influenced by Jon Anderson, with the music revolving around the almost "electronic" and melodic keyboard sounds of Rob Wilsher. This release should appeal to those who enjoy the new crop of UK progressive bands, such as Castanarc, Galahad, ABWH, and the like.

The maxim that says I should say nothing if I have nothing good to say applies in spades to Multi-Story's East/West. But I should tell you at least a little bit about this British band. Multi-Story consists of two guitars, bass, keyboards, drums and vocals. All five of the members strike me as incredibly plain, talent-wise. There are eight songs on this disc and only one, at 7:55, breaks the 6:00 mark. Fully half of the songs are in the highly accessible (and minimally interesting) 3-4 minute range. Within and across songs, the rhythm is the same mix of electric power chords from the guitar and chordal melodies from the keyboards. The drumming is extremely monotonous. The lyrics are generally in a verse/chorus format and the vocals remind me a bit of (once again) John Waite, though less so than Castanarc's Mark Holiday. The best song is the 5:55 minute "The Wire," in which the band actually try to develop an IQ or Pendragon-styled instrumental passage. Even the long "Ahead of Your Time" doesn't approach this level of "progressivity." This cut has ample doses of mellotron and they change time signatures now and then, but never does the band seem inspired to even *try* something spicy. Basically, these guys want to pass off as prog but it seems they had more than one hopeful eye on stadium stardom. Frankly, this is incredibly poor music. It would be best if I said no more. -- Mike Taylor

[Through Your Eyes is said to be mediocre AOR music.]

First Loss (70)

German underground. Heavy guitar and organ.

Io Sono Murple (74)

Rock band with great music but banal lyrics. I think they were too original for the time they played in.

Zarathustra (74), Rare and Unreleased (92), Live in the Early 70's (92)

One of the better Italian progressive bands.

I highly recommend Zarathustra to all symphonic prog fans. Somewhat heavy progressive (though not as heavy as Metamorfosi or Semiramis) dominated by synth and organ (Hammond and Farfisa) and some guitar. There is some wonderful mellotron work. Italian lyrics (included). The side long title track is absolutely killer, starting in a moderately lush and melodic form and developing in intensity to the very end. The three songs on the "second side" are also very powerful. Again, I can't recommend this one highly enough.

Zarathustra was a heavy mellotron-prog album. Heavy guitar meets with grand swoops of mellotron and Hammond organ. Potentially interesting to Änglagård fans, as some of the motives here sound proto-Änglagård. the final track of this album is great! I wouldn't say that Zarathustra is a must-have, but it's very enjoyable anyway. -- Mike Ohman

Museo Rosenbach were an Italian band who released the brilliant Zarathustra in 1973. The original LP issue commands large sums of money from collectors, but, unlike many others, with very good reason. The music is prime organ/mellotron-driven progressive rock that sounds like a melodic version of early ELP, with high-energy keyboard and guitar solos. This release falls into the same class as Il Balletto Di Bronzo's Ys, with less ...er... tortured vocals. The highlight is the 20+ minute title track that goes through a variety of moods, each of which is underpinned by the keyboard work of Pit Corradi, accompanied by the Palmer-like drums of Giancarlo Golzi. Recently, the Mellow Records label in Italy has released limited editions of rarities from the golden age of Italian progressive rock, the early 70s, with unreleased tracks, alternate mixes, etc. Rare and Unreleased is a self- descriptive title for the CD that features a few tracks from Zarathustra, done with a different singer, or instrumental versions. In addition, some previously unreleased tracks are included. The sound quality is uneven, bootleg-ish at times, but for those who enjoy this form of progressive rock, or have collectors' instincts, this is well worth it. In the 78+ minute compilation are also included versions of songs by Uriah Heep, Colosseum (Dave Greenslade's band before he went solo), and The Beatles (!).

The individual who taped this for me summed it up best: Almost a classic but not quite. Yet another 70's Italian progressive band, Museo Rosenbach has been exposed by recent CD re-issuings. Their style is a heavy, thick jamming, in the same league as Banco del Mutuo Succorso's best. Even the vocalist reminds me of Banco's with his harsh yet likeable voice. Except for the guitarist, the band has impressed me with a busy, over-the-top approach, fusiony at times, and even mellow (again, not unlike Banco) at others. Overall I like it, and while it may not be the best place to introduce someone to the Italian scene, experienced listeners will appreciate it.

[See Sistema, Il]

Early One Morning (73)

Symphonic folk-prog rarity.

Music Magic (79)

Obscure Hawaiian prog quartet.

Leave The City (70)

Electronic music.

Os Mutantes (68), Mutantes (68), A Divina Comedia ou Ando Meio Desligado (69), Jardim Eletrico (71), Mutantes e seus Cometas no Pais do Bauretz (72), Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol (74), Mutantes ao Vivo (76), O A e o Z (92, recorded '73)

Mutantes were releasing albums from 1968's Os Mutantes to 1973's "A" e o "Z". Their were six albums total, one from each year. The early albums will appeal more to fans of psychedelic music. They are supposed to be quite good, though. 1970's A Divina Comeda saw the band becoming more progressive, filled with beautiful dynamic and emotional contrasts. Their last album from 1973 is considered by many to be the best. It is a good place to get one's feet wet. It has a good cover and packaging, too. Lyrics are included so you can sing along! Their lineup through most of their career consisted of bass, organ/piano/ mellotron, elec./accoustic guitar, and drums/percussion. They may remind you of Yes (due to the bass), Wigwam (due to the organ), or maybe even PFM. Lyrics are in Portuguese, and multi-layered vocal harmonies are abound. The singing is one of the highlights. They tend to sound best when they really let loose and play out. Especially when the keyboardist goes nuts. He may remind you of David Greenslade. Fans of dark, morbid, depressing music may be disappointed, though, as Mutantes are generally on the brighter side of the spectrum. Mutantes prove that South America had an excellent progressive scene, as if we needed more proof. -- Mark Bergen

The Mutantes were a very popular Brazilian band, formed in the late '60s. In the beginning, they were a weird mix of pop and psychedelic, with the obvious latin influences. After five albums, they lose all members except guitarrist Sergio Dias, who wanted to take the group into the progressive vein. With Sergio Dias, Mutantes made two albums, Tudo foi feito pelo Sol and Ao Vivo. Ao Vivo captures a live show by the 2nd incarnation of the prog-rock Mutantes. An interesting fact of this album is that there are no songs from the Tudo foi feito... album, as the show consists of all inedit material, though more or less in the same style as in Tudo foi feito.... Before Tudo foi feito pelo Sol, Mutantes recorded an album, still with Arnaldo Baptista (from the early line-up) on keyboards and vocals, but the record company refused to release it, as it was too "prog" for the Brazilian taste (it wasn't trendy then), and so it was shelved. Now, after all these years, it's released in CD form, named O A e o Z. The band was quite influenced by Yes, as it shows on many parts, specially on Sergio Dias' good tricks. Also noteworthy is the very nice use of keyboards all around, including the Hammond and many Mellotrons! The vocals were shared between Sergio Dias and Arnaldo Baptista, and both are very good. Another thing that will remind you of Yes is the Squire-like bass player! Drums play an important part also, being very well performed, obviously not up to Bruford's standards. -- Luis Eduardo Bondesan Paulino

Mutantes started in the middle of a musical movement called Tropicalia, wich featured, among others, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Tom Ze'. Mutantes were at first a trio: Rita Lee (vocals and percussion) and the brothers Sergio and Arnaldo Dias Baptista (respectively elec/acoust guitar and bass), with Ronaldo "Dinho" Leme on drums as invited musician. From Jardim Eletrico on, the latter was incorpored on the "official" line-up, together with Arnolpho "Liminha" Lima Filho on the bass (Arnaldo going to keyboards). Their first albums were the more psychedelic kind, always quite inventive, using vocals which pass through the organ channel in order to get distortions, and so on. From the Jardim Eletrico on, they began to get a little more "progressive" (I spoke with both Sergio and Arnaldo in 1993 and they admitted lots of influence from Yes at that time), not losing their anarchic spirit, almost always well-humoured. After the release of Mutantes e seus Cometas no Pais do Bauretz, in 1972, Rita Lee left the group. Then, the band records the album "O A e o Z", which their label considered too much uncommercial for the time. It was finally released in 1992, when they begun to edit the band's work on CD. O A e o Z is such a Yes-like, acid-oriented album, very good but a little different from the first albums. Then, after this recording, there was a general split, and Sergio Dias re-organized the band, with other components, and recorded an album called Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol in 1974. Now this is a *very* good album, in the "traditional" progressive style, yet a little Yes-oriented, with very good instrumentation, although yet a little far from the initial band's sound, which cannot be labeled. I recommend Mutantes and Mutantes e seus Cometas no Pais do Bauretz for a first-time listen). -- Gabriel Costa

Neon Dreams (79)

Violin-led California prog band.

Land Ho! (91)

Mystery (92), Theatre Of The Mind (96) Destiny? (97)

Mythos (72), Dreamlab (75), Concrete City (79), Quasar (80), Grand Prix (81)

A very innovative ensemble led by Stefan Kaske, who put albums out slowly over the last twenty years. Their first two, Mythos and Dreamlab are generally regarded as classics, yet are very difficult to find. In the German Cosmic music vein.

Early 70's german group, their music was a combination of spacy classical influenced ideas and revved-up psychedelic jams, all very cosmic and sometimes unstructured. Of the albums Mythos and Dreamlab: They use guitars (acoustic and electric), percussion (lots of hand drums), flutes, organ, and what sounds like primitive electronics (theremins, etc.), with occasional vocals, sometimes spoken. Because of the strong forward presence of the flute, these may at times remind of early Tull or Focus, but Mythos' has a more improvised feel.

Mythos were a German band that released many albums. The classics are Dreamlab and, to a lesser extent, Mythos. Later albums apparently became much worse but they still seemed to find fans. The first two are very dreamy, cosmic albums typical of many German "space" bands in the early '70s. A variety of ethnic percussion instruments and acoustic guitar give a very earthy feel to the music which is balanced with ethereal flute and voices. You'll also hear moog and mellotron weave in and out of the spacious texture. If you're into the German "Kosmic Musiche" scene, search out Dreamlab and Mythos, preferably in that order.