Per.... Un Mondo Di Cristallo (72)

Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno's Per....Un Mondo Di Cristallo is one that I've found very difficult to get into personally which intrigues me to no end. Crimson is evident here, especially with some of the dissonance that resounds throughout the album, but again this album is unquestionalbly Italian.

When the band dissolved, Luciano Regoli (Vocals, Guitar) and Nanni Civitenga (Guitar) went on to play in Samadhi.

Very italian, this six-piece blends some elements of Jazz, King Crimson type rock (although I'm seldom reminded of KC while listening), the early folk sound of PFM, some north African/Arabic influences, classical, and a little of the type dissonance found in the music of Area. Very tasty, with lots of dynamic stretch, excellent vocals, flute, sax, piano, this is possibly one of the best italian reissues around, certainly one of my very favorites, I'd put them right up there with classics like Il Balletto Di Bronzo, Area, Arti+Mestieri, Opus Avantra, and others. I don't know of anyone who was aware of this albums existence back in the seventies, seems like its reissue came right out of nowhere.

[See Samadhi]

Rachel's Birthday (96)

Compare to Echolyn and Spock's Beard.

Tesseract and Monuments (92)

These guys may have several albums on cassette or LP, but I'm only familiar with Tesseract and Monument, which was recently released on CD. Three piece of dual keyboards and drums, mostly instrumental, their music might be described as three parts Canterbury, three parts Zappa, and four parts totally original. Some of the album's 17 tracks are well developed, others just seem like noodling with an idea but not taking it anywhere - which isn't necessarily bad in this case (Edhels' Oriental Christmas is guilty of this, but it works also...) because the songs are short enough to hold your attention. A very satisfying album overall.

This was released by ZNR (who released Mastermind and Easter Island), and marks a departure of sorts from other bands on the label. The music on Tesseract and Monuments is on the fusion edge of progressive rock, with strong influences from the Canterbury- style, updated with the eighties-keyboard sounds. Mostly instrumental, the compositions are possibly comparable to Hatfield, National Health and the like, with oblique passages and variant time-signatures. The dominant instrument is the keyboard, manned by two of the three members, plus percussion. However, this does not limit their style in any way, and the result is a well-crafted example of the genre.

Radio Piece III are another contemporary US band released by ZNR. The 17 songs packed into the 56 minutes of music on this disk are a slightly varied form of jazz fusion with only two songs with vocals. The opening song, "Walking Through Filters" reminded me of Steely Dan. The remainder of the songs hint at various times at ELP, Roger Powell, Zappa, and The Residents. Unfortunately Makucevich and Benigno apparently do not explore their synths beyond the factory presets resulting in a sameness in sound from song to song. The best spots on the disk are "Chimerical Crustacean," "#12 from the Old Book," and "Wes' Wonder of the Week" where they emulate The Residents' quirky song titles, rhythms, and zany instrumentation. Even the CD inset photo of Radio Piece III jumping down steps in tuxedos brings to mind The Residents sans giant eyeballs. Not a bad release, but the uniformity of the music failed to excite my interest beyond one or two listenings.

Radio Piece III are a three piece (no, not radio) band from somewhere in the US. The apparently have several albums but only Tesseract and Monuments has been released on CD. The band consists of two keyboardists and a drummer. As you'd expect with four hands playing the 'boards, Radio Piece III have a relatively lush sound with several layers of different keyboard textures. The seventeen (!) songs average about 3.5 minutes each which doesn't allow for much thematic development. There is a Canterbury feel to many songs and a fusionesque edge to some. The keyboards used are all digital. Combining these last bits of information, you might guess that Radio Piece III sound a bit like a fusiony National Health playing adult contemporary music. You wouldn't be far off. There are a few nice moments but out of seventeen songs that's not enough. Look elsewhere.

Mascaras Urbanas (92)

Let's say you take Fish era Marillion and tell them to write bonus tracks to Genesis' Selling England by The Pound and you'll have this album! Another Genesis-type band out of South Amercia who also bring in many elements of thier own. Very strong Tony Banks keyboards and Mellotron, Steve Hackett guitar and even stronger lyrics (some in Spanish), The song Icarus is especially impressive! If you're into Genesis sound-alike bands (like I am) check out Rael! -- Phil Slatterley

Nooks (76)

Very good symphonic prog band.....well worth the hunt.

The only prog band from New Zealand that I know of. Ragnarok's Nooks shows a variety of influences, ranging from Yes to David Bowie to the Beatles. Some comparisons could also be drawn to Australia's Sebastian Hardie. There's ample moog work and plenty of mellotron and enough complexity to delight the average Prog fan. There's also electric guitar (including classical guitar) and some folk-like vocal harmonies. Some of the synth work is spacy ala Eloy or Pink Floyd. Between some songs you'll hear a variety of sound effects, including planes crashing into flushing toilets or waves lapping the beach with seagulls wheeling overhead. Overall, a unique symphonic outlook and not too bad.

Ragnarok (76), Fjarilar I Magen (79), Fata Morgana (81), 3 Signs (83), Well (91)

Swedish band that combine folk, fusion and symphonic prog. Bits of King Crimson, Gong and other Scandinavian bands can be pointed to has possible influences, but Raganrok don't really sound like any of the above overall. They take a very pastoral approach to fusion/prog, eschewing high-tech studio trickery, using just pianos, gently tolling electric guitars, flute, bass and percussion. The first album is beautiful mood music, great to drift off with at night. Fjarilar i Magen surprises everyone with its leading track: "Adrenalin". True to its name, it's a metallic hunk of blazing guitar that nearly makes King Crimson's Red look tame. The rest of the album is much more subtle, but in its own way is more like "Adrenalin" than the first album. All right, that's taking the analogy a bit far, but the band do inject more intense passages neatly interwoven among the gentle fantasias. Overall, probably better than the first. -- Mike Ohman

One of the first concerts I saw in my life was with Ragnarok, and I recall that I liked it. Nevertheless it's not a band I'm overly enthusiastic over. I've got one album. Pleasant listening, and although not cliche-ridden, like much other instrumental music a bit anonymous.

Fairly well known Scandinavian band with several albums to their credit. for the latest album Well, they are down to a trio of woodwinds, drums and keyboards, and have assumed a more low-key new agey feel to their music, while still remaining provocative and inspired.

[See Bryngelsson, Peter | Triangulus]

Rain Tree Crow (91)

Rain Tree Crow is a one-shot album, but excellent to say the least. What was supposed to be a reunion between the members of Japan, turned in to a super group of the "Who's Who" in '90s Progressive Rock. Members are Mick Karn, Richard Barbieri (Porcupine Tree), Steve Jansen, David Sylvian, Michael Brook, and Bill Nelson. The members of Japan realized they were performing entirely different material from what they were previously covering in the 80s; thus, the name Rain Tree Crow prevails. Here's a quote from the liner notes: "The majority of the material on this album was written as a result of group improvisations. There were no pre-rehearsals; The improvisation took place in the recording studio and much of the finished work contains original elements of those initial performances." Need I have to say anything?! This CD would appeal to fans of Porcupine Tree, Bark Psychosis, and '80s King Crimson (the ambient works such as "Nuage" & "The Sheltering Sky"). Highly recommended! -- Julian Berlanger

[See Nelson, Bill | Porcupine Tree]

The Armada (75)

Symphonic prog, compared to Airlord or Aleph.

Rainman (71)

Pre-Finch prog.

[See Finch]

Space Hymns (71), Glass Top Coffin (75)

Early Vertigo band, a male/female duo making the sort of music you'd expect to hear on a hippie commune. "You're The Only One Joe" is one of those songs which sticks in your head for all of eternity. Members of 10cc played on Space Hymns, the one I heard, which is housed in an impressive poster cover. Novel, but definitely not essential. -- Mike Ohman

[See 10cc]

Il Lungo Cammino Dei Raminghi (71)

La Leyla (76), Eternity Rise (78), Light Fantastic (81)

German semi-commercial prog rock band who made a few albums in the late seventies, and were then topped by the excellent Anyone's Daughter with whom they share some similarities. Close in style to the late seventies German bands a la Eloy, Grobschnitt, etc.

Random Hold (79, EP), The View From Here (80), Etceteraville (81?)

Straight out of the Roxy/Eno/Manzanera/Gabriel school of progressive pop-rock, i.e. quirky yet polished and professional. Featured David Rhodes (Gabriel) on guitar and Bill McCormack (Manzanera, Quiet Sun) on bass. Produced by Peter Hammill (Van Der Graaf Generator), and his influence is felt.

Random Hold is a person and a group, the person being Ian McCormick, the band composed of many of his mates from Phil Manzanera's 801, aside from Manzanera himself. Not surprisingly, the music is not unlike some of the artistes for whom Manzanera played over the years: Eno, early Roxy Music, et al. The band's first release was a self-titled EP in 1979, followed the next year by a full-length album The View From Here, produced by Peter Hammill. His influence can be heard in McCormick's overdramatic vocals, also perhaps influenced in part by Eno. There is some excellent synth playing here, and bits of good guitarwork. Best track is probably "With People Out Of Love," which builds slowly to a vicious climax. Etceteraville is a compilation of tracks from View and the EP. -- Mike Ohman

[See 801 | Quiet Sun]

Randy Pie (73, aka Sightseeing Tour), Highway Driver (74, aka Randy Pie), Kitsch (75), England England (76), Fast Forward (77)

Composed of Hamburg's leading lights, Randy Pie take a very dated approach to fusion on Highway Driver. Their apparent desire is to mix jazz-rock a la Kraan with a more straightforward funk style like the Olympic Runners. Unfortunately, much of this is treading perilously close to the dreaded D-word, using staccato high-end strings, falsetto vocal harmonies and wailing horns as well as relentless thumping bass drum on songs like the title track and "Microfilm." But the musicianship is obviously of a high calibre, singer Bernd Wippich has a great punchy, soulful rock voice, and there are good moments. One in particular of interest to prog-heads: the mostly acoustic "Winter Song", which has some good flute playing reminding of Jethro Tull, and some interesting scoring for strings. It doesn't sound like you'd expect. -- Mike Ohman

Rare Bird (69), As Your Mind Flies By (70), Epic Forest (72), Attention! (73), Somebody's Watching (73), Born Again (74), Rare Bird (75), Sympathy (76, comp.)

I have their first album from 1969. Heavily organ dominated music, there are no guitars or flutes, just drums, bass, and organ. The opening cut, "Iceburg" sounds very similar to Highest Bidder era Supersister. There are vocals on nearly all, if not all, songs. For this album anyway, the music is song oriented and there isn't much development within a song. There also doesn't seem to be much change from song to song across the album. There are some nice moments here and there, e.g., "God of War," and the entire album has a nice underground feel to it. I've not heard later albums, so I don't know how the band matured over the years. If you like the organ, you may want to check out their compilation, Sympathy. But, given this style, I'd just as soon hear Supersister which has much more variety and ultimately sustains my interest more than this band.

The first album has its moments, but really only rises above mediocre songs a couple of times. The two singers' voices and instrumental ideas show promise, which is much more in evidence on their second release, As Your Mind Flies. This has better developed songs and a side-long progressive suite full of great riffs. No guitars which was fairly unusual for the time. Epic Forest showed a great maturing of song writing, playing and composing ability. Somebody's Watching and Born Again were also excellent, although they were gradually tending more towards the standard song format. Still, their harmonies and instrumental ideas were excellent. These are albums I don't get tired of listening to. The Sympathy CD is merely the same material that appeared on an LP of the same name pressed in 1976 that included songs from their first two LPs. It only runs about 30 minutes and is a ripoff if you pay more than about $10 U.S. for it. Frankly, on the strength of this collection alone, you don't get a very impressive view of what this band was capable of. -- Tim Scott

[See Fields]

Aside from Julian Jay Savarin and the big names (Yes, Van der Graaf, King Crimson) Rare Bird's debut was one of the first albums of real audible evidence of British prog rock. A quartet composed of a bassist/singer, two keyboardists (one on organ, the other on electric piano) and a drummer, their sound was built around the haunting organ work of Graham Field and the passionate vocals of Steve Gould. Not surprisingly, the long tracks are the standouts: "Beautiful Scarlet" and "Iceberg" emphasizing the band's aforementioned strong points perfectly. The rest of the songs are short and often poppy, "Sympathy" became something of a hit single in the UK. As Your Mind Flies By is their finest hour, including a sidelong piece that varies from symphonic to spacy to heavy. Epic Forest adds guitar and percussion, and subtracts Graham Field, leaving American Dave Kaffinetti their only keyboardist. The music is for the most part folkier and more subdued, with the nine-minute title song and "Title No. 1 Again (Birdman)" being the best songs. The emphasis is shifted from organ to dual-guitar interplay. Later albums are for the most part faceless pop/rock with folky tinges. Somebody's Watching does include a prog piece, an interpretation of themes from Ennio Morricone's "A Fistful Of Dollars" soundtrack. Born Again isn't really prog at all, though "Last Tango In Beulah" has some Supertramp-esque keyboard work, "Peace of Mind" and "Redman" are nice, and "Harlem" has a powerful, affecting vocal by Gould. -- Mike Ohman

Happy Accident (88)

Canterbury influenced.

The General Statement Of The Problem (8?)

Unusual Russian synthesist.

Hamsa (76), Hamsa Music (81), Feel Good At Last (84), Under the Magnolias (89)

Richard Raux was sax player on Magmas first LP. Hamsa is his first solo recording featuring an African rhythm group. On this one (wich is quite rare) you find fusion with African influences, very good (not zeuhl!). -- Achim Breiling

[See Delired Cameleon Family | Magma; First two albums are by Hamsa Music, second two are Raux solo.]

Raw Material (70), Time Is Rare (71)

Early prog.

Constructing Scenes From the Memory (??)

Raymaker is a Boston-based progressive rock band comprised of: Pat Raymaker - keyboards and vocals, Pete Zacco - guitar, Mike Mallory - bass, occasional keyboards, Geoff Chase - drums and percussion. They have a single CD release entitled Constructing Scenes From The Memory, available at Tower Records in Boston, and a promo tape of a 15-minute song entitled "Descent Into Loneliness" available from the band. The band is comprised of former and current Berklee School of Music students. Pat Raymaker has also composed a rock opera entitled "Portrait Of A Hero" as a soundtrack project. Their musical style could probably best be described as a far more progressive Dream Theater.

Reale Accademia Di Musica (72), Adriano Monteduro (74)

Another great Italian band.

Two albums of romantic rock.

[See Fholks, I | Uovo Di Colombo, L']

The Path (92)

Here's a band that sounds more like Yes than Yes itself. These guys have focused in on CttE and ToTO period Yes, studied every composition, styling, nuance, and generally have assumed the character of that band, and in fact have done it quite faithfully, with the only notable exception being Squire's bass stylings. To my ears, vocalist/guitarist Darrel Studna sounds *exactly* like Jon Anderson, and keyboardist Steve Vail sounds enough like Wakeman to fool all but the most discriminating listeners. If you liked Yes in those old days and wish they still sounded that way, wish no more....pick this album up and imagine it's 1973 again.

Realm is released on Syn-Phonic, is very much Yes influenced, and, as with all Syn-phonic releases, full of instrumental virtuosity. Vocal duties are carried out by Darrell Studna who has learnt his lessons well at the altar of Guru Jon Anderson, and, interestingly enough, two of the three members of the band acknowledge Rick Wakeman with Special Thanks! Unlike most Syn-phonic releases, this is all new music, recorded in 1992, though prominent use of Moog and Moog Bass by keyboardist Steve Vail help turn back the clock. In conclusion, this is sure to please followers of Yes, who may not have quite adjusted yet to 90125.

Wait a minute! Do my ears deceive me or is this a long lost Yes release? No, it is the debut release by the mid-western group Realm and could easily be the best Yes release they never recorded. Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri Realm is Steve Vail (keyboards and synths), Lake Furney (drums and percussion), and Darrell Studan (guitars and vocals). Studan's voice is a dead ringer for Jon Anderson and Vail has his Rick Wakeman chops down pat. In fact, both Studan and Vail extend a special thank you to Rick Wakeman for his help with this album. Most of The Path is a tribute to God and nature. Off by itself is "Little Bottle," a protest song about Tianamen Square. The high point of the CD is the title track, an upbeat song about death and the afterlife making use of unusual timbres. The beautiful artwork (akin to the psychedelic guru contemplation art of the late 60s), full color picture disk, and the CD booklet with nature photographs, lyrics, and band photos makes for an artistic and pleasurable package.

[See System | Vail]

Wunjo (86)

Good nashville electronic musician.

Phoenix (82), Labyrinth (84)

German symphonic band from the early 80's, highly touted. Both extremely rare.

As Crianças da Nova Floresta (77)

Don't Open (70), Music or Not Music (71)

Crazy band. On Music or Not Music you find, as the title may imply, a weird mix of everything (styles, voices and noises) baked with a strong rhythm group. Sometimes you are reminded of Gong or a Canterbury kind of fusion. Very good and higly recommended. I don't know anything about their first. -- Achim Breiling

Red (83)

Comparable to Brand X with a little Mahavishnu Orchestra thrown in?

Parable of Arable Land (67), God Bless the Red Krayola (68), Soldier-Talk (79), Three Songs on a Trip to the US (84), Art and Language (??)

Father of Pere Ubu. I have very little info on them and only one LP (they made a couple I believe). The LP I have is a reissue (again I'm not sure, it's been 10+ since).

I have their first two on one CD. There are about a billion tracks as these guys are way weird and like short songs. Not a good production job and the music is mainly really out there psych with an undercurrent of sinister weirdness. VERY strange ... avoid if you like nice things.

[See Pere Ubu]

Red Dirt (70)

Prog monster.

A Winter's Tale (94)

This band from Wales includes five members on vocals/flutes, keyboards, guitars, bass and drums. The style on A Winter's Tale is common to a bunch of British bands who produce simple symphonic rock based on fantastic themes. In fact, it's the strong presence of the singer (deep voice) and a bit of folk inspiration that set the tone of a music that uses a very familiar formula. The instrumental performances are solid and involve the usual arrangements. A quality production of most interest to unconditional fans. -- Paul Charbonneau

Sarcelles-Locheres (70)

Unique experimental/electronic band with influences as diverse as Frank Zappa and Syd Barrett. No relation to Bill Nelson's Red Noise.

Experimental/underground prog featuring Patrick Vian and John Livengood.

[See Alpha Du Centaure | Spacecraft | Vian, Patrick]

Redd Tristes Noticias (??), Cuentos del Subsuelo (??)

Prog.

Get Off the Phone (93)

The Redfins are an Australian quintet that have been around since about 1991. They have two cassette releases (as Billy and the Redfins). Get Off the Phone is their first CD release. The Redfins create an eclectic instrumental blend of jazz, world music, and hints of progressive rock to sometimes danceable rhythms with catchy hooks. Please don't let that scare you, though; were regular top-40 this good you'd be listening to the radio far more often than you do. The stand-out musicians are guitarist Julian Barnett (who also wrote the majority of the songs) and Mark Kraus on sax. Over a background of Martin Boyd's rolicking keyboard rhythms, Barnett and Kraus generally alternate solos, occasionally dueling in tasty showmanship. Barnett's guitar ranges from burning fusion licks to slow, Gilmouresque solos. Kraus' sax style seems to range from Wayne Shorter to Mel Collins, as he alternates between short, thoughtful phrases with tasteful use of space and longer, sinuous solos. The rhythm section (bass and drums) gets a little monotonous. I would prefer a more involved style rather than simple rhythm keeping. For more information, contact Martin Boyd at martin@itd.adelaide.edu.au.

Reform (79), Der Löwenzahn (81), Uhren Ohne Zeiger (85)

Described as Deep Purple meets Pink Floyd.

Refugee (74)

The Nice, with Keith Emerson replaced by Patrick Moraz. This is a reissue of a progressive rock classic, with long instrumental tracks composed around the awesome keyboards of Mr. Moraz.

This is better than anything that The Nice ever did. Moraz's dymanic experimental sounds are fantastic.

A must have for Patrick Moraz's keyboard work. Lee Jackson's vocals are annoying as usual (has a worse vocalist ever existed?) but he doesn't sing all that much. Just listen to Moraz play.

[See Jackson Heights | Mainhorse | Nice, The]

Die Gruene Reise (71), Echo (72), A.R. 3 (73), A.R. 4 (73), Autovision - A.R. 5 (74), Ehrolung (75)

Reichel was formerly the guitarist in Germany's most popular "Beat-Club" band, the Rattles. Die grüne Reise is a guitar-based album of rather primitive tape-loop experiments. Most of it is enjoyable, spacy rock with decent vocals, and guitar overloaded with echo. But the final track goes too far: it's ALL echo, like an early Stephen Reich experiment gone out-of-control. It takes SO long to die down, you keep asking yourself, "Has it really ended, or did the sound just go down again?" Your head will be echoing after hearing this album. -- Mike Ohman

Kino (??), Cocobolo Nights (??)

Hans Reichel plays guitar-like instruments which he builds or modifies himself. His main axe/idea is that if there is a substantial amount of string length on the "other" side of the guitar's bridge you can play on that side and generate notes on both sides of the bridge. The phantom notes generated on the left hand's side of the bridge have a strong overtonal/harmonic component. This may sound cold and theoretical and it would be if HR weren't also a first rate musician. I only have 2 of his albums; Kino and Cocobolo Nights. Kino is definitely the more accessable of the two. He plays with a percussionist Eroc and plays many different instruments. The sound often represents various kinds of European folk interpretations and is quite eclectic. The songs switch between bluegrass with farm sounds to heavy stomping Celtic "metal" in the blink of an eye. This is definitely a progressive album though. The compositions are all harmonically well concieved and developed. Cocobolo Nights is a more "art" oriented solo album. At first listen it mat sound like he is just making stuff up but the whole album is very coherent harmonically. This is not immediately apparent as is is a very avant garde CD. Hans improvises through dense and subtle chord changes masterfully. This is a very listenable album that will grow with the listener and get better each time you hear it. The effects are sparse (a little reverb and chorus) and it is recorded live (in the studio) with acoustic and undistorted electric guitar-things. Several of the songs on the CD are played more than once so you can hear two seperate interpretations of the same song. Very Highly Reccommended.

[See Grobschnitt]

Reign Ghost (69), Reign Ghost Featuring Lynda Squires (69)

Canadian psych. Most of the songs were written by Bob Bryden, who went on to form Christmas and The Spirit of Christmas. The songs are squarely in the psych vein, with plenty of fuzz guitar and other late-60's psychedelic stylings. Lynda Squires is the vocalist on both albums. She attempts to sound dramatic, but comes off sounding weak, particularly on the first album. Overall, their first is pretty much a yawner, unless you're a die-hard psych fan. The second release, the better of the two, is more polished and moves into a West Coast psych feel. Lynda's voice has matured somewhat. Ken Golden, of The Laser's Edge, upon whose label the CD was released, states that her voice sounds like "Janis Joplin after singing lessons." I can hear what he is talking about, but I still don't go for it. Should you choose to purchase the CD, it is for this album. But it's still not real exciting.

[See Christmas | Spirit of Christmas, The]

Life (74), Garuda (75), Get the Ball (77), Beyond the Limit (78)

German fusion band formed out of the ashes of Tomorrow's Gift. Get The Ball is apparently typical of the early albums. Decent fusion spoilt by a poor female vocalist/percussionist (Margit Haberland). But the jazzy, Joe Zawinul-influenced keyboard playing of Manfred Rürup is very good, and this forms the basis for the much better, all-instrumental Beyond The Limit. Günther Reger's mellow sax work provides some much needed counterpoint for Rürup's keyboards (earlier albums had a series of session guitarists, trumpeters, and sax players, none of whom really meshed well with Rürup's style). For the most part on the lighter side, with the occasional intense, percussive workout (e.g.: the middle section of "Up By The Riverside"). More in line with American fusion bands than any European band I can think of, except perhaps Passport, and not unlike what Weather Report was doing at the time. -- Mike Ohman

[See Tomorrow's Gift]

Reloj, El (76, aka Blues for Atadecel), Reloj, El (7?, second album)

The second El Reloj album is a masterpiece!! -- Tom (AshRaTemp)

Renaissance (69), Illusion (recorded 70,released 74), Prologue (72), Ashes Are Burning (73), Turn Of The Cards (74), Scheherezade and Other Stories (75), Live At Carnegie Hall (76), Novella (77), A Song For All Seasons (78), Azure D'Or (79), Camera Camera (81), Time Line (83), The Other Woman (94?(). Compilations: In The Beginning (includes all material from Prologue and Ashes), Tales Of 1001 Nights - Vol.1, Tales of 1001 Nights - Vol.2.

Great!!! The most classical of any of the prog groups that I've heard. Most of their songs are highly orchestrated, which give the classical feel to their songs. This is the only group I've ever heard with a female singer that I actually liked. I might even go as far to say that she's the best singer I've ever heard. Annie Haslam's got a tremendous voice. My favorite albums of theirs are Novella, A Song For All Seasons, and of course Scheherezade. I would suggest starting with either of the Tales of 1001 Nights compilations though.

Wonderful stuff. It's hard to really classify them as progressive rock. The quick description I usually give is they are sort of like the old Moody Blues with a an incredible female vocalist (Annie Haslam) Some of their music has a russian peasant kind of feel to it if you know what I mean. My favorite is Scheherezade which feature a fully orchestrated story of Scheherezade on one side. Much of what they do has a heavy classical influence. Everytime I listen to Annie's voice on the closing passage I get chills. The Live at Carnegie is a good album as an introduction but is a little down the list for being my Renaissance favorite. It does contain "Scheherazade" but the performance is much better on the studio album. It contains a very good version of "Ashes are Burning" and a good version of "Mother Russia."

Azure D'Or and A Song for All Seasons are both good. Annie Haslam's voice is great, even your mother would like it. The music on these two albums is good; largely acoustic, plenty of classical influences.

Classical influence - a lot of piano playing, full symphony orchestra backup. Annie Haslam (lead vocal) has a strong voice (she aspired to go into opera). Many pieces start with instrumentals (sounding like a classical piece) and then "melt" into a rock beat with electric bass and drums.

Very symphonic sounding group, the keyboard player is a great classical pianist. Female singer is also excellent. Kind of like a complex version of early (Days of Future Passed) Moody Blues. Some of their long pieces get a bit tedious though. Tales from 1001 Nights Vol. 1 and 2 seem to be good places to start, seem definative enough that I probably won't buy any of their regular studio albums.

The lineup of the first album features most members of the final Yardbirds lineup before they became Led Zeppelin. Keith Relf and Jim McCarty were set on doing something in the folk music vein, and formed the duo "Together" which released one single. Later Keith's sister Jane was brought in on vocals, and two classically trained musicians John Hawken (piano,keyboards) and Louis Cennamo (bass) were recruited in an effort to incorporate some classical elements into the sound, and former Yardbird Paul Samwell Smith would be the band's producer. The first album was released in 69 and stands even today as one of the finest fusions of folk, classical and rock that's ever been done; the band toured extensively, and a live document of this is available in the Off Shoots bootleg, recorded at the Fillmore West in 69, although the recording quality is fairly dreadful. In 70 the band began recording the follow-up album, but before recording was completed the band started falling apart - McCarty leaving to join the first lineup of Cactus, and Keith Relf leaving to form Armageddon, and the others left shortly after. Before the lineup had completely fallen apart, McCarty brought in guitarist/songwriter Mick Dunford to carry on and recruit new band members. He brought in vocalist Terry Crowe, drummer Terry Slade and bassist Neil Korner to finish up the second album. Illusion ranks overall as one of the band's less spectacular efforts, probably due to the internal turmoil (and probably the reason for its delayed release in '74). By late 71, Terry Sullivan had replaced Slade, John Camp had replaced Korner, and John Tout had been brought in on keyboards and vocals. Dunford even replaced himself with guitarist Mick Parsons, so he could concentrate on the songwriting and production. The most stunning change, though, was the recruitment of seamstress-turned-singer Annie Haslam. Work was started on a new album. Just before the album was to be recorded, Parsons was killed in a car crash, and guitarist Rob Hendry was brought in to replace him. Prologue showed a new direction for the band - the rock and piano based classical elements were still there, but the folk influences had been replaced by touches of jazz and a strong symphonic turn, becoming even more pronounced on the 1973 follow-up Ashes Are Burning. By this time Hendry was out and the band was again a four-piece. Turn Of The Cards, released in 74, may be the band's strongest effort, it received a considerable amount of FM airplay on the east coast, and would attract the loyal following that buoyed the band to near stardom in the mid-70's. For this and all subsequent albums, Dunford would be a regular member of the band, on acoustic guitar and vocals. Two more strong very progressive studio albums would follow (Scheherezade and Novella), plus a double live set recorded at Carnegie Hall in '76, before the band began to turn in a more poppy direction - first noticeable on Song For All Seasons, becoming more pronounced on Azure D'Or and then hitting an all time low on 1981's Camera Camera, a pathetic failure by either the progressive or the pop yardstick. By this time the band had gone through some significant lineup changes, and only Dunford, Haslam and Camp remained from the previous lineup. Surprisingly, though, the tour that followed that album was outstanding. The final album was 1983's Time Line, an fairly decent pop album that wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't a Renaissance album too. There was a significant effort here to create a solid album of good pop songs without trying to hang on to their old sound at the same time. This one worked. The band hung on a few more years until about 1987, but no new records were released in that final period. By far, the best introduction to the band would be the Tales of 1001 Nights Volumes 1 and 2, which together contain most of the band's best material from 72 through 80. Also the very first album from '69 is essential.

One of the best. Elegant arrangements, stunning vocals, if there is a heaven, they'll play Renaissance music there. One of the few bands technically capable of writing arrangements that approach classical music. Recommened: A Song for All Seasons, Novella.

Renaissance and Illusion are from the version of Renaissance that preceded the arrival of Annie Haslam, fronted by Keith (ex-Yardbirds) and Jane Relf. However, both these, the first two releases by the band (1969 and 1971 respectively), feature the dramatic piano and keyboard work of John Hawken, who had similar responsibilities in Haslam-era Renaissance. The music is also quite comparable to Curved Air and other similar bands, who incorporated classical music structures in their compositions.

My favorite is Scheherezade and Other Stories. A long convoluted story exists about the start of the band (involving ex-members of the Yardbirds, and an entire (!) band change between the first and second albums). The band with Annie Haslam on vox is very good, somewhat symphonic in feel.

I've only heard Tales Of 1001 Nights Vol. 1 and part of Vol. 2. I wouldn't call this progressive ROCK, because I have yet to find anything remotely rock-ish about it. Good points, Annie Haslam's voice--certainly! --the musicianship is top-notch and some tracks ("Mother Russia", "The Black Flame", "Ashes Are Burning") are certainly bewitching. Bad points, what I said before, not rock. I guess it's okay if you need something you can play around Grandma without offending her. One big gripe I have against them is that stylistically, they remind me of the Moody Blues, a band I dislike. Still, they are not a bad band, but many other bands have done the idea of "acoustic prog" better. -- Mike Ohman

[See Armageddon (UK) | Haslam, Annie | Illusion | Intergalactic Touring Band, The | Stairway]

Reportaz (87)

Polish example of RIO music.

Cosy Square (75)

Jazz/rock outfit.

Meet The Residents (74), Not Available (75), Third Reich and Roll (76), Fingerprince (77), Duck Stab/Buster and Glen (78), Eskimo (79), Commercial Album (80), Mark Of The Mole (81), The Tunes Of Two Cities (82), Intermission (83), Residue (83), Title In Limbo (84), George and James (84), Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats? (84), The Big Bubble (85), The Live Mole Show (??), Heaven (86), Hell (86), Stars and Hank Forever (86), Live In Holland (87), God In Three Persons (88), The King And Eye (89), Cube-E (90), Freakshow (90)

These guys did too much acid. Typical Ralph Records "I'm weirder than you are" fare. No chops.

Experimental rock. Bizarre. Good for getting rid of uninvited guests.

Possibly the most unique band anywhere, what they do can't really be easily compared to any other artists. Everything they do seems to defy convenient categorization, but the spirit in which they approach their music (and everyone elses) might be comparable to the early Mothers of Invention with Frank Zappa. Their sound is definitely odd, maybe strange or even weird, they often do mutant interpretations of pop songs, sometimes beyond recognition, or cloudy musical montages of voices, noise, music and dialogue. These guys are definitely too bizarre to appeal to the masses, but if you give them an open minded chance, they'll grow on you quickly. Best place to start: any of the late 70's albums, incl. Duck Stab, Fingerprince, Eskimo - even Not Available, but don't get them all at once - may result in overdose.

I was actually frightened by The Residents the first time I heard them. I'm sorta familiar with everything up to Eskimo, and I'd recommend buying *one* Residents album if you're adventurous. It probably doesn't matter which one. Really, I don't see that you'd sit and listen to them repeatedly; they're more like a band you'd just play occasionally for friends who haven't heard them.

Return to Forever (72), Light as a Feather (73), Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (73), Where Have I Known You Before (74), No Mystery (75), The Leprechaun (76), Romantic Warrior (76), Music Magic (??), Live (??)

The Earliest albums (RTF, Light As A Feather) (usually listed as Chick Corea albums) are very jazz with a South American feel brought in by Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. With the third and fourth albums Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy and Where Have I Known You Before, they assumed a harder fusion sound with a lot of twists, turns and pyrotechnics provided by Corea's synths and the guitars of Al DiMeola. No Mystery held the status quo, but offered nothing really new. Later albums lacked direction, although Romantic Warrior did have its moments.

Another classic fusion band from the mid-70's. Like Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra, Chick Corea's band split off from fusion-era Miles Davis and developed the fusion ideas seeded by Davis. In actuality, the first two RTF albums are more in the pure jazz realm, though I still highly recommend them. They are incredible and include some excellent bass work by Stanley Clarke. By the third album, Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, Chick moved the band into the fusion arena. This features Bill Connors on electric guitar and Lenny White on drums. Though not as well known as later albums, this is an excellent work and probably my favorite. Connors left and was replaced by Al Di Meola, a fiery guitarist with latin influences. They remained in this formation for the next four albums, which vary in quality. A funk groove started to pervade throughout the music, particularly on No Mystery. The most popular was Romantic Warrior. After this, the band reformed into an acoustic format for some rather boring drek that isn't recommended at all. The live album, which just came out on CD, is this last formation. Needless to say, don't bother with this one either.

Chick Corea, Stanley Clark, Lenny White, Al Di Meola. Just a damn good fusion band. The best I've heard is Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. That's just one hot album.

[See Davis, Miles | Di Meola, Al | White, Lenny]

Timer (7?), Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Reverberi (75), Stariway to Heaven (7?)

Gian Piero Reverberi, Italian keyboardist/producer.

Ek-Tunkel (??), A La Izquierda Del Colibri (86), Templo Mayor (??), Comala (??)

Mexican Space Music at its best, with influences from Prehispanic music. He's got a zillion albums, both solo and with other artists - I've only heard a few. The best of those was Templo Mayor, which I'd recommend to all fans of the space genre.

Templo Mayor is an Antonio Zepeda solo album (w/o Reyes), A La Izquerdia Del Colibri is their only collaboration, and Ek-Tunkel and Comala are Jorge Reyes solo.

Rhamann (7?)

Intense fusion.

Rialzu (78)

Prog mixing zeuhl stylings with Corsican influences.

Dioptria 1 (69), Diotria 2 (70), Jo, La Donya i el Gripau (71), Electroccid Accid Alquimistic Xoc (75), Licors (77), Dioptria (78; 1st and 2nd packaged together), Amarga Crisi (??)

The Spanish Daevid Allen. Very popular in Spain. I recommend Licors and Electroccid... (what a cool title) for the curious. - Juan Joy

Numena (87), Rainforest (89), Gaudi (91), Strata (91, w/ Steve Roach)

Excellent SF electronic musician a lot like Steve Roach. Get anthing by him.

[See Roach, Steve]

Time Actor (79), Tonwelle (81), Plays Megatone (84), Miditation (86), Trancelation (94)

A Klaus Schulze project that at times was aided by Arthur Brown, Vincent Crane (Atomic Rooster, Crazy World Of Arthur Brown), Manuel Gottsching (Ash Ra Tempel, Ashra), and Michael Shrieve among others. Rather average electronic music and a let down with all of those great musicians in it.

Richard Wahnfried was Klaus Schulze's pseudonym when working on collaborative efforts. Time Actor features the "awesome" vocal talents of Arthur Brown, against the electronic backbeat of Schulze. The sound is very rhythmic, at times almost like Magma. Tonwelle is a collaboration featuring Klaus Schulze, Manuel Gottsching, and Michael Shrieve, and is a non-vocal work. The music is very much in the vein of early- to-mid-80s Schulze, with many touches that are reminiscent of his other collaboration with Shrieve, Transfer Station Blue.

[See Ash Ra Tempel | Schulze, Klaus]

Richter Band (92)

Listening to the first track of this Czech ensemble's debut album, I had the feeling that it was leading up to something - a sudden leap in intensity, an eruption into a wild and busy jam section, or some form of energetic musical statement (Gong's "A Sprinkling of Clouds" comes to mind). Well, the second track picks up a little, but throughout the entire 70 minutes of this disc, the music remains subdued and mysterious. Thats not necessarily bad, just a bit surprising. The overall mood and atmosphere is not unlike some of the mellow '70s German space/psych bands such as Popol Vuh or Yatha Sidhra; a sound rarely, if ever, evoked by today's progressive outfits. Richter Band is a three-piece, and their instrumentation includes electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and a variety of percussion (no standard drum set). The percussion is especially interesting; aside from some African drums, it consists almost entirely of "homemade" instruments - pots, pans, bowls, and other such items, used to surprisingly good effect. Much of the music on this album is created by the superimposition of several slowly shifting rhythmic patterns and melodic ostinatos. In fact, the rhythmic ideas they use are quite similar in style to an Indonesian gamelon orchestra, with the pitched percussion parts being played by guitars and bass. An example closer to home might be the minimalist work of composers like Steve Reich, who has been influenced by the strong rhythmic nature of both Indonesian gamelon music and African drumming. Two of the ten tracks are percussion only, and in addition to the mesmerizing sound of all three members weaving a sinuous rhythmic trance, feature interesting, or at least creative, sound effects such as spinning pot-lids on a cement floor, all recorded with a healthy dose of reverb. Another track is created using only guitars, with spacey E-bow drones drifting through various pick and slide effects. Especially for a contemorary progressive ensemble, Richter Band performs a highly original and creative style of music. Relaxing, peaceful, and meditative, it may not appeal to listeners who want searing guitar leads and driving drum and bass riffs constantly bombarding their ears. But the mellow nature of this music does not preclude it from containing a certain degree of rhythmic sophistication, a fact which should find this album an audience with many a prog fan.

Ricordi D'Infanzia (?) (??), Io Uomo (73)

I don't know who plays in this band. The album has some vangard songs and some hard rock songs.

Wunderbar (78)

Guitarist/synthesist/electric violinist.

[See Streetmark]

Torment (89), Amputees In Limbo (??), Idiots On The Miniature Golf Course (??), Interim Resurgence (??), Water (??), Island Of Living Puke (??), Water II (??), Looser Than Clams (??), Nonentity/Water III (??), Murdering Hell's Happy Cretins (??)

Sort of like a crude Captain Beefheart (no - really crude!), but the guy plays with a passion and fire that the magic band only hinted at. He does get a little repetitive at times, and this is the music's weakest point. The lyrical humor often evades me as well. Has a lot of albums out.

Victor (75)

Unbound (96)

Compare to Yes.

Summer Suite (83)

A one-off 5 piece project led by guitarist Teja Bell, very ethereal and new-agey, with plenty of acoustic 12 string guitar backdrops filled with beautiful synthesizer melodies, vibraphone, flute, piano and lyricon. No drums and no vocals. Something this might be comparable to is Ammerland by Führs and Fröhling, or Geese and The Ghost by Anthony Phillips.

[See Bell, Teja | Kindler, Steve and Teja Bell]

Laza Ristovski and Ipe Ivandic: Stizemo (78), Merge (82), Roses for the General (84), 2/3 (8?)

Keyboard prog.

[See Smak]

Ritual (95)

A 1995 sensation. Many elements from folk and a lot of forgotten struments (mandolin, mandola, violin, bouzouki, hammered dulcimer, tin whistles, mallets, jaws-harp, harmonica) with strong melodic base that create an ibrid form of music that drag you. One of the best album of 1995. -- Ricardo Deidda

This band features four young musicians on guitars, keyboard, bass and drums. They use the usual rock instruments but also rely on rich vocal harmonies and numerous traditional instruments like mandolin, dulcimer, flutes, violin, harmonica, accordion, etc. The musicians are versatile and solid but rely on theoriginality and variety of arrangements rather than virtuosity. The compositions on Ritual are text-based (in English) and their very actual rock sound incorporates a tasteful folk touch. An excellent production that blends an impressive variety of influences into an accessible format. -- Paul Charbonneau

Manifesto (91)

Awful new neo-proggers with drum machines.

Sounds like some Marillion wannabees with a really annoying singer. Occasionally their neo-prog interpretations burst into something interesting, but I just can't get comfortable with the singer, who sounds like Fish on qualudes with a mouth full of marbles. Vocals are in English.