From: Prog Archives - "Originally a trio from school, John Simms (guitar), Mark Sheather (bass), and Ken White (drums), grew up in the Action part of London and started as a college circuit blues rock band called Jug Blues (later Matuse, and later X). Impressing manager Ashly Kosak, the band were given a deal with Vertigo and the band changed their name to Clear Blue Sky and recorded an album under the production of Patrick Campbell-Lyons. Still only eighteen, the band mixed hard blues with psychedelic and
progressive rock in an unbelievable mature way and the album was released in 1971, sporting one of Roger Deans earliest album covers. The group was later comared to Cream, Led Zeppelin, and Jethro Tull. Though the music had a firm prog sensibility unlike CReam or Zeppelin, but bringing Rush to mind.
Clear Blue Sky's first album is considered a classic and their personal best and the LP is a collectors item. Reissued in 1991 twenty years after it's initial release. Three more LP's were made after 1990, (Destiny), 1996, (Cosmic Crusader), 2001 (Mirror to the Stars), 2007, (Gateway to the Seventh Demention), & 2013's Don't Mention Rock n Roll.
okay this bands reputation proceeds my introduction to them. Apparently this is some type of "Holy Grail" (small , private pressing, home made type releases worth a few thousand bucks, you know the type) kind of thing but like I said, I never heard them prior to this point in time. That being said, I'm gonna skip all the comparisons between bootlegs available o fit and get right to the music. It's awesome garagy type prog rock, with plenty of guitars, so that makes it okay in my book. Strong psych flavor with plenty of organ and fuzz (the prerequisite tools of said genre). Then there's a LOT of pissing and moaning and bitching by a bunch of fucking snobs about the recording quality! One reviewer even went so far as to bitch about the seemingly young age of the musicians. guess what buddy, these guys pull off a lot more than you're geriatric ass in their sleep!!
Seriously, though, the sound is just fine, damn good as a matter of fact! compared to the demos/bootlegs I sift through doing this blog, I can honestly say it's not only fine, It's pretty damn good. As is the second LP. It was released in 2002, but you can tell it was recorded in the early 70's. I like it better than the first one myself. Heavier. Not by any means a flawless masterpiece, but if you like psychedelic acid rock.it kicks much ass.
Much. They BOTH Kick MUCH ass!!!
Although formed in Davis, California, Kak spent the better part of 1968 where they recorded their one and only album. Lead singer. guitarist, and primary songwriter Gary Lee Yoder and lead guitarist Dehner Patton had been in the Oxford circle, an obscure northern California psychedelic band that cut one garage 45 RPM single ("Foolish Woman" b/w "Mind Destruction") and played in the local psychedelic scene while Joe Dave Damrell had been ob a 1965 single on Scorpio Records with Group "B."
The self titled KAK LP was minor-league psychedelic rock colored by a list of bigger local bay-area bands. Particularly Moby Grape. There were also distant echos of Quicksilver Messenger Service (in theguitar work, and Greatful Dead (in faint traces of blues rock). KAK were at their best and most definitive when they were quiet.
KAK's album was promoted poorly and didn't do very well. It probably didn't help ant when in a matter of just a couple of months the had broken up. Youder did a single for Epic and then joined Blue Cheer. KAK's solwe album is a pricey collectors item, and therefore has been re-issued on CD.
In 1975, 3/3 are Reck (guitar/vocals), Higo Hiroshi (bass), Chico Hige (drums), when they released this album in a tiny pressing (15 copies!!) in February of that year in hopes of getting a record deal. The cover was home made and the album was recorded live (sans audience) Ultra heavy psychedelic rock, like a mixture of Blue Cheer, Randy Holden, MC5, and early punk bands. The sound quality is mediocre but the music is blasting! 3/3 never released another album, and, never did get that illusive record deal. Both Reck and Hige moved to New York, where the ended up playing with James Chance & the Contortion, Lydia Lunch (Teenage Jesus & the Jerks). They then returned to Japan and found success with the band Friction, who appeared on a compilation and went on to releasing 10 albums in Japan beginning in 1980. Friction has been a major influence on Japanese punk rock.
As well as being the rarest Japanese Psych album of all time, but it fits as the missing link between Japanese underground & punk movement. The A-side dominated by moved that are somewhere in between Peter Laughner's Post-Velvets amphetamine guitar and power trio moves a-la Blue Cheer, Human Instinct & Hendrix. 3/3 gets (easily) a 10/10.
"Supernatural Fairy Tales" is the only album put out by Art, a renamed band formerly known as the V.I. P..'s. The album contains mostly band compositions with the only exception being a cover of The Young Rascals "Come On Up", and Buffalo Springfields "For What it's Worth". Unusual for 1967, the album was issued in mono only. All of the members of Art met again as members of Spooky Tooth. Patchy, but worthwhile, the heavy guitars and organ put this on track as a progressive album in many respects, but the songs are written in a more pop like fashion.
Really good Detroit Rock n Roll, their 2nd album: "2", is much better than their first, it's a lot heavier and more consistant. The bands first album was released in 1970. The band performed around the area/midwest in clubs, ballrooms, fairs, high schools, and pop festivals. They started getting support slots for the likes of Three Dog Night, Procol Harem, She NaNa, Moody Blues, Small Faces. At one particular festival, Yes, and Alice Cooper opened for Savage Grace. It was after the band moved to Los Angeles that they released their 2nd and sadly their last album. (which took nearly two years to complete. The band broke up after this album in 1972.
Spawning from Brazilian psychedelia and Anglo American Hard Rock, Modullo 1000 represented a fusion of both sonorities, came up with something new in the Brazilian music scene.
The Rio De Janerio group featuring Luiz Palo Simas (keyboards and vocals), Eduardo Leal (bass guitar), and Candinho (drums), would put out onlt one album, 1971's " Nao Fale Com Paredes" a clear display of their influences: Black Sabbath, Quartermass, to Os Mutantes through early Pink Floyd. The nine pieces that make the album are in guitar heavy and keyboard drenched music featuring
vocals singing protest lyrics probably the reason that the album was ill received by the media. The album has gained a collectability these days, especially in Brasil and Europe where it reached cult status.
An early example of Brazilian alternative/progressive music, Modulo 1000 is an essential listen fro anyone interested in the pursuit of Brazilian hard rock.
Strongbow, Columbus, Ohio 1972-'78. In the summer of '73 Strongbow went to Cleveland and cut two original songs: 'If You're Goin' to the City", & "Change" and released as a single on the band's own Epodus Label with the songs published under "Pizza Music" - "If you don't like it, Eat it!." The band released an LP in 1975 on Buddah's "Southwind" subsidary.
Australian band active in the mid 1970's, Taste (not to be confused with the Rory Galagher vehicle of the same name) consisted of Michael Gemini (bass), Joey Amenta (guitars- vocals), Ken Murdoch (vocals), and Virgil Dunati (drums). With an outrageous pop image that looks ridiculous by today's standards, both of their LP's are fantastic hard rock LP's that reached the Australian top 20 back in the day, and they are certified classics today.
At the peak of their career, they played to crowds of 13,000 in front of a wall of Marshall stacks. They appeared on every major TV concert show including: "Countdown", "Hey Hey, It's Saturday" & The Don Lane Show. They toured wit Suzi Quatro, The Sweet, Skyhooks, Sherbet, TMG & Hush, and they were admired by
English band Queen (who played Taste's "Boys will be Boys" every night before going on stage).
Unfortunately, dur to management problems, and bad marketing, Taste never got the attemtion they deserved. They were asked to tour America with Queen and got signed to Sire Records in the United States but broke up before releasing anything.
Released in 1976, Taste's "Tickle Your Fancy" is a tih=ght batch of quirky hard rock songs witha unique melodic point of view. Considering the young age of the group at this point, the materiaal here is quite accomplished, both in performance and songwriting.
A mysterious band that once played the Marquee Club in London in 1975. A strong female singer and long glam/boogie/ blues rock with piano and good playing. Worth hearing. Reminiscent of A Euphonious Wail. Keith Evans (bass/vocals), Alan Brooks (drums/ percussion/ vocals), John Phillips (guitar/ vocals), Robin Langridge (Piano), Barbara O'Meara (vocals),
Aeroblus was a power trio made up of Pappo, Alejandro Medina, & Roland Castello Jr. It was an ephemeral parallel project by Pappo's Blues Band. They recorded a single album in Buenos Aries in 1977. The album is somewhat different than what Pappo was recording with a style closer to metal, and it was the pre-cursor to "Riff."
They debuted on January 6th, 1977 at the Premier Theater of Buenos Aries with a series of concerts that received negative critical reviews due to "lack of rehearsal", a problem that was quickly resolved.
Aeroblus at the time was a very heavy band, besides there was a social situation in Buenos Aries at the time that they were
constantly surrounded by the infantry guard. (the guys who planted bombs, etc.) Aeroblus managed to edit his only work. The delay in the edition of the album plus the police pressure made in those days in Argentina during the military dictatorship made Roland Castello Jr. decide to return and stay in Brazil. Already in 1978 Pappo along with Medina reformed Aeroblus incorporating Claudio Pesovento on keyboards and without Castello who is replaced by Gonzalo Farrugia.
In May, 2012 Aeroblus turned 35 years old and was honored in both Argentina and Brazil by different bands and musicians.
On May 28, 2010 Alejandro Medina performed a tribute concert at "El Tetro" de Flores with Chizzo La Renga on guitar as a replacement of the deceased Pappo and the same Roland Castello on drums who came from Brasil especially for the tribute, 33 years after the album was released in 1977.
(please excuse the broken English, I'm not that good at translating)
1977 Metallic sci-fi hard rock private press record featuring members of the 1960's psychedelic band Paper Garden. Recorded and mastered in 1976, "Exposure" was initially released on their own 30th Century Fox Records. Music fans re-discovered this band in the 90's resulting in the original pressing becoming a record collectors prize . The spacey punk vibe, sizzling guitar and snotty vocals give the album an ear catching sound for it's time. The resulting sound is killer!
