Saundra Hewitt Saundra (1976) [reissue 2012]

Known by many as the 'Brazilian Gentle Giant', Terreno Baldio are one of the most important prog-rock bands in Brazil. Grouped in the beginning of the 70s, the band debut was the album "Terreno Baldio", which got substantial sellings although the master-tapes were lost avoiding new editions. The line-up was João Carlos Kurk (vocal, flute and percussion), Mozart de Mello (guitars), Ronaldo Lazzarini (keyboards), Ascenção (bass) and Joaquim (drums). Noticeable is that more than 20 years after its original release, Terreno Baldio and the Brazilian label Rock Symphony recovered the original first album, still unreleased in CD. The CD release includes a folder with all the band biography, photos and also an extra folder in English aiming at the international market.

Known by many as the 'Brazilian Gentle Giant', Terreno Baldio are one of the most important prog-rock bands in Brazil. Grouped in the beginning of the 70s, the band debut was the album "Terreno Baldio", which got substantial sellings although the master-tapes were lost avoiding new editions. The line-up was João Carlos Kurk (vocal, flute and percussion), Mozart de Mello (guitars), Ronaldo Lazzarini (keyboards), Ascenção (bass) and Joaquim (drums). Noticeable is that more than 20 years after its original release, Terreno Baldio and the Brazilian label Rock Symphony recovered the original first album, still unreleased in CD. The CD release includes a folder with all the band biography, photos and also an extra folder in English aiming at the international market.

Certainly the most enigmatic Stormy Six CD release, this album consist of two different albums recorded in 1976, although one content's worth, called Pinocchio Bazaar (from track 16 until 25) did not see a release until the Fonitcentra CD reissue in the mid-90's, which uses the Cliché artwork and just adds the extra tracks and Pinocchio Bazaar name. An enjoyable album that can also be used as starting point for people who wants to approach the genre.

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the long overdue release of the re-mastered edition of the classic 1976 album 'Softs' by the celebrated Jazz and Rock group Soft Machine. The album was the band s second for EMI s Harvest label and featured a line-up of Mike Ratledge (keyboards), Karl Jenkins (Oboe, Piano, Soprano Sax), John Marshall (Drums), Roy Babbington (Bass) and new member John Etheridge (Guitar), along with Saxophonist Alan Wakeman. An accessible collection featuring John Etheridge s considerable guitar playing talents and would also be the final album to feature founder member Mike Ratledge. Unavailable on CD for nearly 15 years, this reissue has been re-mastered from the original tapes and fully restores the original artwork.

Out of the mysterious mind of Andrea Centazzo came Elektriktus. Originally released on the PDU label in 1976, the LP Electronic Mind Waves offers a collection of eight synth-fueled songs that sound very close to what kraut/cosmische heads were doing at the time, think of Conrad Schnitzler, Deuter or Cosmic Jokers, and also other European experimentalists like Richard Pinhas' Heldon, Spacecraft, Didier Bocquet, Seesselberg, F.G. Experimental Laboratory, Roberto Cacciapaglia or Hydrus. Along with Cacciapaglia and Hydrus, Elektriktus shows the most adventurous experimental sounds under a kraut/cosmische music influence to ever come out of Italy…

Out of the mysterious mind of Andrea Centazzo came Elektriktus. Originally released on the PDU label in 1976, the LP Electronic Mind Waves offers a collection of eight synth-fueled songs that sound very close to what kraut/cosmische heads were doing at the time, think of Conrad Schnitzler, Deuter or Cosmic Jokers, and also other European experimentalists like Richard Pinhas' Heldon, Spacecraft, Didier Bocquet, Seesselberg, F.G. Experimental Laboratory, Roberto Cacciapaglia or Hydrus. Along with Cacciapaglia and Hydrus, Elektriktus shows the most adventurous experimental sounds under a kraut/cosmische music influence to ever come out of Italy…

Out of the mysterious mind of Andrea Centazzo came Elektriktus. Originally released on the PDU label in 1976, the LP Electronic Mind Waves offers a collection of eight synth-fueled songs that sound very close to what kraut/cosmische heads were doing at the time, think of Conrad Schnitzler, Deuter or Cosmic Jokers, and also other European experimentalists like Richard Pinhas' Heldon, Spacecraft, Didier Bocquet, Seesselberg, F.G. Experimental Laboratory, Roberto Cacciapaglia or Hydrus. Along with Cacciapaglia and Hydrus, Elektriktus shows the most adventurous experimental sounds under a kraut/cosmische music influence to ever come out of Italy…

Ry Cooder has always believed in the "mutuality in music," and this may be no more evident in his career than with his fifth album, Chicken Skin Music (a Hawaiian colloquialism, synonymous with goosebumps). Even more than usual, Cooder refuses to recognize borders – geographical or musical – presenting "Stand By Me" as a gospel song with a norteño arrangement, or giving the Jim Reeves country-pop classic, "He'll Have to Go," a bolero rhythm, featuring the interplay of Flaco Jimenez's accordion and Pat Rizzo's alto sax. Elsewhere, he teams with a pair of Hawaiian greats – steel guitarist and singer Gabby Pahinui and slack key guitar master Atta Isaacs – on the Hank Snow hit "Yellow Roses" and the beautiful instrumental "Chloe." If Cooder's approach to the music is stylistically diverse, his choice of material certainly follows suit. Bookended by a couple of Leadbelly compositions, Chicken Skin Music sports a collection of songs ranging from the aforementioned tracks to the charming old minstrel/medicine show number "I Got Mine" and the syncopated R&B of "Smack Dab in the Middle".

Iceberg from the middle of the 70's were easily one of the best Progressive bands to come from Spain. This band came from Barcelona and consisted of: Max Sune (guitar), Josep Mas Kitflus (keyboards), Primi Sancho (bass) and Jordi Colomer (drums), Angel Riba (voice) could only be heard on the first record. Their style was definitely jazzier but with continuous conversations between the guitars and keyboards in a mixture of fusion and symphonic sounds. The band mixed Return to Forever or The Mahavishnu Orchestra's crazy and energetic music and Santana's more latin one. Iceberg made four studio-albums entitled: "Tutankhamon" (1975), "Coses Nostres" (1976), "Sentiments" (1977) and "Arc-en-Ciel" (1979).

If the heavy-hitters of outlaw country were acting like rock stars during their mid-'70s peak, then perhaps it was inevitable that the outlaws would start singing rock songs – which is precisely what Waylon Jennings did on 1976's Are You Ready for the Country. Although the title is taken from Neil Young's song – which provides an absolutely storming opener for this ten-song record – there is a bit of a jibe to its sentiment as well, since Waylon not only sings Young, but also the Marshall Tucker Band and Dr. Hook, along with reviving Jimmy Webb's "MacArthur Park." That selection of material indicates not just the increasing rock-isms of Waylon and the outlaws, it also indicates that Jennings' focus was beginning to blur slightly as he lost the sense of purpose that propelled his records of the first half the '70s, from The Taker/Tulsa to Dreaming My Dreams. Here, the music hasn't really changed, but the flow is no longer seamless and the shifting tones can be a little jarring.