Madness Total Madness (2009)

Handel, a child of his time, was fascinated by the poignant human dramas and emotions exemplified by Greek and Roman classical myths, dramas and poetry. A theatre composer to his very bones, he was remarkably skilled in the portrayal of human psychology. The oboe was an instrument especially beloved by Handel and it is the unifying element in this fascinating anthology of arias and cantatas focusing on themes of love and madness sung by soprano Johannette Zomer. Zomer is accompanied by oboist Bart Schneemann and the ensemble Musica Amphion.

Best known in the U.S. for their hard rock material, Golden Earring have been the most popular homegrown band in the Netherlands since the mid-'60s, when they were primarily a pop group. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist George Kooymans and bassist/vocalist Rinus Gerritsen, then schoolboys, in 1961; several years and personnel shifts later, they had their first Dutch hit, "Please Go," and in 1968 hit the top of the Dutch charts for the first of many times with "Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Gi-Dong," a song that broadened their European appeal. By 1969, the rest of the lineup had stabilized, with lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Barry Hay and drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk.

The Psychedelic Ensemble is a one-man band who chose to remain anonymous, allegedly led by someone who has been working with some great names of the music scene since the Seventies. Intriguing, to say the least! "The Art Of Madness" (2009) is a 55 minute continuous cycle of songs, each based on a different manifestation of madness. In a vein not unlike Pink Floyd, the music tells the story of an ordinary man who, without warning, experiences a psychotic Ecstasy. Those who love concept albums, find pleasure in songs lasting for an hour and have a soft spot for late 70's Pink Floyd should make up the perfect audience for this album…

Reissued on CD as a part of 6CD "Progressive Italia. - Gli anni '70 Vol. 1".
Listening today to the music produced by Sensations' Fix, a project founded and directed by Franco Falsini in '70s, can't just leave anyone indifferent. Already in the mid-'60s, Falsini was full-time involved in musical activities: a tireless traveler and experimenter, an artist with uncommon curiosity and intuition, after having lived for some time in the United States and England, he finally established again in Italy where he gave shape to Sensations' Fix and signed a contract with Polydor for the release of six records in five years. Often associated with the sound of Kosmische legends Tangerine Dream and Popol Vuh, Sensations' Fix were much more than mere clones of something already existing…

Reissued on CD as a part of 6CD "Progressive Italia. - Gli anni '70 Vol. 2".
The band's third album, from 1976, is more or less typical of the distinctive Fix style: economical synth and guitar explorations, on a tighter leash than most Space Rock.

Wynton Marsalis, ever the protagonist and explorer, brings his love of the spoken word and the adolescent relations of the male and female persuasion during He and She, a collection of instrumental mainstream jazz pieces with poetry as preludes. Inspired by the tone of the Jon Hendricks epic Evolution of the Blues Song, Marsalis uses math equations, the sun and the moon, and the budding affection of youth to frame his music - mostly jazz waltzes - into thematic conclusions based on getting along, and why the genders think differently. New pianist Dan Nimmer is a welcome addition to the quintet, while drummer Ali Jackson really shines and reliable saxophonist Walter Blanding asserts his increasing powers…

Spinning through 29 tracks (+ Bonus track for Japan) in just under 50 minutes, Scott Herren's sixth proper LP as Prefuse 73 offers more of the same musical madness for fans of his no-attention-span cut-ups - and that's a good thing. With remarkably few guests and remarkably few samples (at least recognizable ones), it's basic Prefuse material, but with dozens of ideas and delicious dead ends. Anyone looking for a differentiator between this and recent Prefuse material may look in vain, but there's slightly more electro than hip-hop going on here. Also, as in the past, there are occasional glimpses of his other projects bleeding through. Beginning with "DEC. Machine Funk All ERA's," with its airy introduction and female vocal samples, Herren reels off a series of tracks that switch back and forth between cavernous hip-hop and airy folktronica with vocal samples, all the time spending less than two minutes per cut…