Nektar

Ah, perhaps there's truth in advertising after all, since The Best of Uriah Heep really is a "best of." Nothing less than a musical Juggernaut, this compilation delivers wave after wave of heavy molten rock that will either forge your fealty or send you fleeing. At their most menacing ("Gypsy," "Bird of Prey"), Heep rides relentlessly alongside the horsemen of the apocalypse, Black Sabbath and Van Der Graaf Generator. What the band lacks in artful studio execution they make up for in sheer force, from Ken Hensley's towering organ to Mick Box's distortion-drenched guitar. Perhaps because of frequent personnel changes (chronicled in a multicolored chart on the disc sleeve that would give Ross Perot a headache), Uriah Heep never developed the consistent sound of other heavy metal acts.

Supernatural Fairy Tales: The Progressive Rock Era is a 5-CD compilation of progressive rock from around the world. It was curated by Archie Patterson of Eurock, and released by Rhino Records in 1996. The cover art is by Roger Dean, longtime cover artist for the genre. Reviews of the set generally note the difficulty of summarizing such a broad and far-reaching genre, as well as the obvious omission of several big-name bands whose music could not be licensed for inclusion. However, several lesser-known tracks from a broad variety of bands make the set an interesting listen.

Country Lane's "Substratum" was recorded in 1973 with Raymond Amey on guitars, synthesizers, and vocals, Olivier Maire on organ, piano, spinet, and vocals, Jean-Francois Donze on drums, Giancarlo Duella on bass, and Freddy Von Kaenel on rhythm guitar and banjo. Swiss bands generally fit well alongside German artists, but Country Lane managed to set themselves apart. Like the others, they were mainly influenced by British artists of the time. However, where most were taking after the likes of E.L.P., Genesis, and Yes, Country Lane sounds more inspired by Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, and psychedelic music. There are even some comparisons made to Nektar and Frank Zappa. They jam heavy at times, but also keep it melodic. Epic concept is present, as well as humor (in the form of a little vaudeville).