June, 1 1974

Man's importance in the history of Welsh rock music cannot be understated. Fusing the worlds of Psychedelia, Blues, Rock and Roll and West Coast inspired rock, they were simply one of Britain's most original groups of the 1970's. Along with label-mates Hawkwind, Man were true champions of the "underground" spirit.
Man - Revelation (1969). Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the Welsh rockers' 1969 debut album including four bonus tracks. A fabulous blend of Psychedelia and Acid Rock, the set is now regarded as an early classic by the band. Featuring the French hit single "Erotica" and a loose concept inspired by the Space race. With fully restored artwork, the booklet features liner notes by Man's guitarist and resident wit Deke Leonard…

Emerging from the Canterbury, England musical community that also launched Gong and Kevin Ayers' the Whole World, the whimsical progressive rock unit Hatfield and the North formed in 1972. Named in honor of a motorway sign outside of London, the group's founding membership brought together a who's who of the Canterbury art rock scene - vocalist/bassist Richard Sinclair was a former member of Caravan, guitarist Phil Miller had tenured with Robert Wyatt in Matching Mole, and drummer Pip Pyle had served with both Gong and Delivery. After a series of lineup shuffles, keyboardist Dave Stewart (an alumnus of Egg) was brought in to complete the roster, and in tandem with the Northettes - a trio of backing vocalists consisting of Barbara Gaskin, Amanda Parsons, and Ann Rosenthal - the group began gigging regularly…

War Child was Jethro Tull's first album after two chart-toppers, Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play, and was one of those records that was a hit the day it was announced (it was certified platinum based on pre-orders, the last Tull album to earn platinum record status). It never made the impression of its predecessors, however, as it was a return to standard-length songs following two epic-length pieces. It was inevitable that the material would lack power, if only because the opportunity for development that gave Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play some of their power. Additionally, the music was no longer quite able to cover for the obscurity of Tull's lyrics ("Two Fingers" being the best example). The title track is reasonably successful, but "Queen and Country" seems repetitive and pointless…

Riff Raff (1973). British progressive rock band's folk and jazz oriented debut album little bit similar to Igginbottom's Wrench. Featuring Tommy Eyre on keyboard who has been actively involved with numerous bands including The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Juicy Lucy and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
Original Man (1974). The second album released by Britain's Riff Raff was a further study in the textures of jazz-rock as they had been articulated not only on the band's issued debut, but also with Tommy Eyre and Pete Kirkley's stint with Mark-Almond. Here are seven rather extended forays into keyboard-drenched rock that carried a jazz sensibility in its beak and dropped it thoroughly onto blues-based progressive rock.

Bob Dylan and the Band both needed the celebrated reunion tour of 1974, since Dylan's fortunes had been floundering since Self Portrait and the Band stumbled with 1971's Cahoots. The tour, with its attendant publicity, definitely returned both artists to center stage, and it definitely succeeded, breaking box office records and earning great reviews. Before the Flood, a double-album souvenir of the tour, suggests that these were generally dynamic shows, but not because they were reveling in the past, but because Dylan was fighting the nostalgia of his audience - nostalgia, it must be noted, that was promoted as the very reason behind these shows. Yet that's what gives this music such kick - Dylan reworks, rearranges, reinterprets these songs in ways that are still disarming, years after its initial release…

Joe Vitale is an American singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist, most known for his close work with Joe Walsh. On his first solo album, "Roller Coaster Weekend" (1974), he's responsible for most of the music, playing everything from drums and keyboards to flute and tympani. Filling out the other slots is a mini-guitar army of Rick Derringer, Joe Walsh, and Phil Keaggy. Yet, despite such luminaries, it's not a guitar show-off album. Rather, it's a song-oriented album, and the three guitarists always work in service to the songs.
"Plantation Harbor" (1981) is a dated sounding, but decent, collection of light and airy late 1970s/early 1980s rock. Long-time musical partner Joe Walsh guests on the album, as do a bevy of other similarly styled musicians, including Timothy B. Schmidt, Don Felder, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash.

Riff Raff (1973). British progressive rock band's folk and jazz oriented debut album little bit similar to Igginbottom's Wrench. Featuring Tommy Eyre on keyboard who has been actively involved with numerous bands including The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Juicy Lucy and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
Original Man (1974). The second album released by Britain's Riff Raff was a further study in the textures of jazz-rock as they had been articulated not only on the band's issued debut, but also with Tommy Eyre and Pete Kirkley's stint with Mark-Almond. Here are seven rather extended forays into keyboard-drenched rock that carried a jazz sensibility in its beak and dropped it thoroughly onto blues-based progressive rock.

Sun Ra & His Arkestra - Discipline 99 (Out Beyond the Kingdom Of) (1974) {2018 Enterplanetary Koncepts}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (tidal.com) -> 274 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 119 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 1974, 2018 Enterplanetary Koncepts / Sun Ra LLC
Jazz / Space-Age / Avant-Garde Jazz / Jazz Funk / Experimental Big Band / Progressive Jazz

On June 16, the Arkestra performed at Hunter College in New York City and the concert was recorded, possibly by the college itself (the sound quality is remarkably good). Portions were compiled by Ra for release as Out Beyond The Kingdom Of (Saturn 61674) later in the year (although some copies are titled Discipline 99) (Id.). The first thing you notice is the school has provided Sonny with a decent grand piano, and he relishes in the opportunity to tickle the ivories. “Discipline 99” is given a stately, confident reading by the band and features a long piano solo, alternating pretty harmonies with flurries of dissonant tone clusters.

War Child was Jethro Tull's first album after two chart-toppers, Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play, and was one of those records that was a hit the day it was announced (it was certified platinum based on pre-orders, the last Tull album to earn platinum record status). It never made the impression of its predecessors, however, as it was a return to standard-length songs following two epic-length pieces. It was inevitable that the material would lack power, if only because the opportunity for development that gave Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play some of their power. Additionally, the music was no longer quite able to cover for the obscurity of Tull's lyrics ("Two Fingers" being the best example). The title track is reasonably successful, but "Queen and Country" seems repetitive and pointless…