Hakuchyu no Shikaku Aka Dead Angle (1979)

Romance '76 (1976). Esoteric Recording’s Reactive label is pleased to announce a newly remastered CD release for the seminal German Electronic & Ambient musician Peter Baumann’s debut solo album, “Romance ‘76”. Peter Baumann came to prominence as a key member of Tangerine Dream, joining Edgar Froese and Chris Franke in the group in 1971 and making his debut on the album “Zeit”. His contribution was felt on the classic Tangerine Dream albums released by Virgin Records issued between 1974 & 1976, “Phaedra”, “Rubycon”, “Ricochet” and “Stratosfear”. In 1976 he embarked on a solo career with his classic work “Romance ’76”, recorded in July and August that year in Berlin and Munich. The result was a remarkable album that is now held in huge esteem by aficionados of German Electronic Music…

Anyone's Daughter was a late-'70s, early-'80s symphonic prog rock band heavily influenced by Genesis as well as by German bands such as Elroy and Grobschnitt. After breaking up in the mid-'80s, the group reformed in 2000. Consisting of Uwe Karpa (guitars), Matthias Ulmer (keyboards, vocals), Harald Bareth (bass, lead vocals), and Kono Konopik (drums), Anyone's Daughter was formed in 1978. Their first record, Adonis (1979), featured English vocals, epic tracks with reflective and aggressive moments, and a prominent keyboard sound with heavy use of Moogs in particular. Anyone's Daughter (1980) found the band moving towards shorter material, but 1981's Piktors Verwandlungen, on which the band first sang in German, was their most experimental work…

Symphonic Pictures (1976). Esoteric Recordings are pleased to launch their new Reactive imprint, dedicated to reissues of classic German rock, in April 2010 with the first ever UK CD release of the stunning "Symphonic Pictures" by Schicke, Führs & Fröhling. Drummer Eduard Schicke, Keyboard player Gerd Führs and guitarist and bassist Heinz Fröhling were a uniquely gifted trio who blended ambient synthesiser music and space rock with jazz rock to create a style all of their own. "Symphonic Pictures"was their debut album, originally released on the Brain label in 1976. A classic of the genre, this expanded CD reissue has been newly re-mastered and also includes a bonus CD of a rare live performance by the band recorded in 1975. This Reactive reissue includes liner notes by Heinz Fröhling.

Uncommon wit runs through the lyrics of this varied set, certainly one of the more intriguing Chicago blues albums of the late '70s. Johnson's high-pitched vocals are particularly soulful on the impassioned "I Need Some Easy Money" and "Ashes in My Ashtray," while "The Twelve Bar Blues" and "Poor Boy's Dream" are upbeat entries that don't sound as comfortable for the guitarist. Johnson gets away with a honky-tonk reprise of Ernest Tubb's country classic "Drivin' Nails in My Coffin," but his rehash of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" should have stayed on the bandstand.

Well, it was hot and new back in 1979 when this hard rockin’ album was first released. Ten Years Later was the group Alvin put together to replace Ten Years After, when he wanted to get back on the road after the original band split in 1974. Alvin teamed up with Tom Compton (drums) and Mick Hawksworth (bass), fine musicians who are featured on the ‘live’ and ‘studio’ recordings that comprised the original LP. The leader described the live recording featured as ‘A true and faithful recording of Ten Years Later on stage with no overdubs or effects’. You can hear Alvin and the boys get stuck into ‘Ain’t Nothin’ Shakin’, ‘Hey Joe’ and, of course, ‘Going Home’ - a blistering eight-minute version of the famed boogie shuffle. The other five tracks were recorded in Alvin’s Space Studio…

This session is so relaxed and tasteful as to be rather dull. Guitarist Kenny Burrell (featured on five standards and a pair of basic originals in a trio with bassist Larry Gales and drummer Carl Burnette) seems so intent on every note being appropriate that the results are overly safe and predictable.

Grace Jones Disco 2015 limited edition 3CD set featuring digitally remastered editions of her Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978) and Muse (1979) albums including unreleased tracks and rare mixes. All three discs are individually packaged andhoused together inside a deluxe sealed picture boxset with lift-off lid which comes with an extensive booklet.
Portfolio (1977). Disco mix king Tom Moulton produced these tracks at Sigma Sound in Philadelphia using the same musicians Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff held hostage for their sessions. The results are quite different: though polished, these tracks don't jump out at you. It's really a producer's album. Moulton probably had these tracks completed long before he knew who was going to sing them. Give Grace Jones credit though, she gives credence to old fuddies like "Send in the Clowns," "La Vie en Rose" is lilting, and "I Need a Man," displays a vulnerable Jones…

Pancake from Winnenden near Stuttgart in Suabia emerged from their psychedelic predecessor Nyrvana Pancake in 1974 and now played progressive rock with clear symphonic tendencies. With changing members they released three LPs with self-written tracks, namely "Roxy Elephant" from 1975, "Out Of The Ashes" from 1977, and "No Illusions" from 1979.
Pancake's debut, "Roxy Elephant" is a good representative of the German rock sound of the mid 1970s. So it's not really Krautrock per se, but it definitely has a progressive mindset, with plenty of good ideas. There are no keyboards, and the songs are driven by dual guitars. From a compositional perspective, mid 70s Jane and Birth Control would probably be a good guidepost here…

The Wall is the eleventh studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released 30 November 1979 on Harvest and Columbia Records. It is a rock opera that explores Pink, a jaded rockstar whose eventual self-imposed isolation from society is symbolized by a wall. The album was a commercial success, topping the US charts for 15 weeks, and reaching number three in the UK. It initially received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom found it overblown and pretentious, but later came to be considered one of the greatest albums of all time. The Wall was adapted into a 1982 feature film of the same name and remains one of the best-known concept albums. The album has sold more than 24 million copies, is the second best-selling in the band's catalog, and is one of the best-selling of all time. In 2000 it was voted number 30 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. In 2003, Rolling Stone listed The Wall at number 87 on its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".