Köhnzert Zünd puts together is a sumptuous box set, all the band's official live shows, recorded between 1975 and 2000. On top of which are two extra records made of excerpts from shows given between 2005 and 2011, as well as two unreleased records of the unforgettable 2009 concert given at the Alhambra in Paris. Also comes with an 80 page booklet.
Next to Embryo, Kraan are among those German groups who include psychedelic, sometimes ethnic elements to their distinctive, innovative jazz rock. At the beginning of their career, started in 1970, Kraan free form jazz rock was really into jam sessions, totally improvised, mainly instrumental (featuring sax sections and many guitar/bass solos). Their self title album was experimented with ethnic, psychedelic/acid tastes and discreet electronic manipulations. Since their debut album and with their two following "Wintrup", "Andy Nogger" the band has demonstrated with interest, dynamism and humour how can we make fusion / jazz with addition of influences from everywhere. Really imaginative, inspired and technical these albums provide something new and amazing: an absolute trippy ethnic jazz rock. This particular facet of the Kraan music culminates with their masterwork "Live" (1975)…
During the 70's, Catherine Ribeiro & Alpes recorded a string of stunning and successful albums, gathering a few plaudits and yearly awards from specialized press, played throughout Europe and even in Latin America and Northern Africa and are now seen as an iconic group of the hippy 70's in France. Their music is rather experimental and hard to define and involves folk, progressive and improvisation. Their use of seldom-seen percuphone and cosmophone (both alpine instruments), their lengthy Poème Non-Epique pieces, Ribeiro's anarchist avant-garde and ecologist lyrics and doomed atmosphere (there is some VdGG feel in their music) made this group a very distinct and very original group that has their own sound. In a similar vocal style to Brigitte Fontaine, Catherine Ribeiro's low voice tone may also evoke Nico at times and is theatrical and declamatory.
Ekseption is a Dutch band that was famous during the late sixties/early seventies for the way it combined themes from classical composers with contemporary rock and jazz in a blend of dominating, virtuoso keys and trumpet plus sax(es).
The band came as close as any group from the European continent ever did to stealing the thunder of early classical rock outfits such as the Nice and rivaling the early work of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. In Holland, they charted singles based on classical compositions and released successful concept albums, and were - along with Focus - the top progressive rock band in the Dutch-speaking world.
This band was from Scotland, their name is derived from a novel by the poet John Gray in 1728. The musicians of Beggars Opera were Martin Griffiths (vocals), Rick Gardiner (guitar and vocals), Alan Park (keyboards), Gordon Sellar (bass, acoustic guitar and vocals), Virginia Scott (Mellotron and vocals) and Raymond Wilson (drums and percussion).
Their debut album "Act One" (1970) contains fluent and tasteful organ driven progrock with powerful "Sixties" sounding guitarwork. The long track "Raymond's Road" is a splendid tribute to the "classics" featuring Mozart's A la Turka, Bach's Toaccata in d-fuga en Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite on the Hammond organ. The second album "Waters of Change" (1971) is build around the dual keyboardplay of Alan Park and newcomer Virginia Scott and the distinctive, a bit cynical vocals of Gardiner…
Pekka Pohjola (1952-2008) is without doubt one of the greatest bassist/multi-instrumentalist in Europe. He knows how to handle several other instruments too… violin, piano, organ, keyboards, synthesizers, and trumpet as well. His style could be described with words as progressive rock filled with invention & Scandinavian folky/jazzy delights. In 1970 Pekka joined Wigwam, a Finnish group around the English singer and pianist Jim Pembroke, staying four glorious years. In 1977, he formed The Group and in 1979, he toured with Mike Oldfield, who is an admirer of this bass-player. In 1980, The Group changed its name to Pekka Pohjola Group, but along the way the word "Group" is dropped, so the band played on as Pekka Pohjola…
Resistor is the rock quartet of Steve Unruh, Fran Turner, Barry Farrands, and Rob Winslow. The band's sound is characterized by merging modern progressive and rock song structures with an organic classic rock sound. Their classic rock sound is probably due to their preferred recording technique of having everyone play the basic tracks in the same room at the same time, like bands did the "old days." This allows Resistor's recorded music to "breathe," as you can hear the band members adjust to each others' energy, tempo, and feel in real-time.
In 2008, Steve and Fran pooled their recording equipment and knowledge, and recorded the debut Resistor album in 2008. The album got rave reviews…
Delirium is an important band in the history of Italian progressive rock music, having been active since 1970. They originally formed in Genoa during the late 1960s as I Sagittari and their line-up consisted of Ettore Vigo (keyboards), Peppino Di Santo (drums, vocals), Mimmo Di Martino (acoustic guitar) and Marcello Reale (bass). The later arrival of Ivano Fossati (vocals, keyboards, flute) completed the band, whose early musical style was a mix of the so-called Italian melodic tradition and UK progressive influences, in particular King Crimson and Colosseum.
Their first album, the rough-hewn ''Dolce Acqua'' (1971), was one of the earliest Italian progressive albums and is a conceptual suite with each of its eight movements being based on different human emotions…
2014 five CD box set containing a quintet of releases from this New Wave act and their original frontman. Includes Kajagoogoo's first three albums: White Feathers, Islands and Crazy People's Right To Speak; plus Limahl's first two solo albums: Don't Suppose and Colour All My Days.
Kajagoogoo's light synth pop and pretty, photogenic look made the group an instant sensation in the early days of MTV. Led by vocalist Limahl (born Chris Hamill), the group also featured Steve Askew (guitar), Nick Beggs (vocals, bass), and Stuart Crawford (vocals, synthesizer). Produced by Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes, Kajagoogoo's debut single "Too Shy" hit number one in the U.K. in early 1983; it peaked at number five in the U.S. "Too Shy" and the following album White Feathers proved the band may have shared some similarities with Duran Duran and Naked Eyes…
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).