TEST-TEST-

This outfit originated from Warzaw Poland and this, their sole album, was released in 1974. Best described as an east-european version of Deep Purple, there are several musicstyles collected on a very odd piece of vinyl. Gathered together here are Hard/Prog/Blues/Folk rock Music with a nice and polished (!!) soundframe. Described and promoted as Hardrock back in the day in Poland, that is a bit exaggerated…

The production is Clean with cool Dynamics towards the vocals and instruments. The compressed soundframe does make the timewearness appearent. The benefit though is the great breaks and will put your knowledge about Eastern europe rock Music up to date. The cover of “Smoke on the water” is just hilarious with Polish/English accent but at the same way a great reminder that Music is a global phenomenom…..excellent!! 🙂

Whatabout the drummers, Henrik Tomala & Ryszard Gromek?? As this album is a cut of several tracks, the first five pieces are a bit raw with personal striking abilities and very good Dynamics. Perhaps This is the better part of the record and it belongs to Mr Gromek. The second part of the record is more Heavy influenced and the drumming is comming towards more of a Power input with less personal reflection. To compare would be unfair but both drummers enjoys great hitratio and technical skills. A great performance due to the fact that almost all western rock Music was banned by the goverment and so forth the musical influences from the rest of the World. With this taking in consideration, this is a very nice effort and experience.. 🙂

So, if you´re in for ´70s Hard/Prog/Blues/Folk rock Music this is a very good contender. Cool guitar-riffs and breaks makes this a very good Blueprint for interesting Music in the genre all in all. As some songs are in their native tounge, this makes the album an even more cool record to get you focused on the musical input. There are great original copies out there for no Money at all and this one´s really delivers in obscure department! Why not try this one at the Music quiz next time?? Bet you get away with a very pleasent evening and many opinions!! 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

PEACE & QUIET-PEACE & QUIET-

This american outfit was formed in Miami Florida and this their sole album was released in 1971. This is just the contrary to the album title with saltwater flavoured Hard/Psych/Southern rock with some excellent vocal tributes.

The production is super with a splendid rhythmsection with a smokin´hammond organ on top to release the fury of this forgotten top notch album. The songs are strong with a good distance towards more heavier Psych-influences of the timeperiod and the album benefits from that approach. There are few low water marks but the softer tunes are way into the Everglades swampland and perhaps they should have ditch a tune or two out there! 🙂 You need a good piece of patience investigating  this album but it will pay off….

Whatabout the drummer, Reuben David Ferguson?? This fellow fit this outfit perfectly and maybe this is just the itch at my back. There are some good striking abilities displayed but there are also to much input with poor Dynamics to upset my ears. The technical skills are avarage with no fuzz to talk about. The hitratio is also a mediocre affair. Perhaps a more personalized drummer with more dynamics and drive could have persued a better outcome? That is my belief. This is more like taking a shower in Cold water..not nice but effective..

If you looking for a lost timepiece with Hard/Psych/Southern rock this is a strong contender. Few albums deliver such a spectrum of songs. The quality waries but you do get some personal input with both violin and I think accordian in some places..not bad but maybe this one was left out from the radio playlist´s… 🙂 Original presses are out there for a handsome piece of your Money but also reissues and maybe a better investment, if you´re not a hardcore fan of American Hard/Psych/southern rock that is…

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

THE ELECTRIC TOILET-IN THE HANDS OF KARMA-

This outfit from Tupelo Mississippi, released this album in 1970. As a Hippie fuming record it consists of Prog/Psych/Country/Blues/funk rock with ideas that perhaps not many bands back in the day would even try to attempt to release on an album.

The production is hollow with a bit of ´60s soundframe. But there are some great passages with terrific vocal efforts and the album contains some pretty good songs with exciting mixes between styles. I just love the input of gospel choruses and high pitch refrain singalong. The hammondorgan is just up with best of the timeperiod. This is absolutely one of history´s most obscure albums and it does the job in a very good way! A surprise album with the name suggesting a lot of Bullshit… 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Jimmy Morgan?? As an avarage fellow with skillful detection for mediocre input this is just a passage through history. There is just plain hitratio and the striking abilities are like a monday morning. If there are some technical skills beyond plain drumming 1-0-1, this fellow is hidding it very well. The extra Point goes out for being in the most obscure album I´ve until this day reviewed. Great timing!! 🙂

This album is just for the hardcore fans of Prog/Psych/Country/Blues/funk rock mixed into one big barrel. This is not something you put on your turntable to impress your saturday night date unless the person is an old school Hippie. An original copy is almost impossible to find but no worries! There are plenty of reissues out there for no Money at all. This one is in it for the race of the most unlikely record of all time. In a Good way!! 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-6-GOOD-WORTH BUYING-

ASHBURY-ENDLESS SKIES-

This American outfit which consisted of brothers Randy and Rob Davis with friends, was formed in Tuscon Arizona in 1980. This, their debut album, was released in 1983. It contains a wellorganized set of songs bending from Hard/Prog/Folk/Southern rock to more Heavy influences in some Points during the album. This is like having a nice cup of coffee with a cupcake flavoured with music at the side…Yummy!!

As this is a very good produced album with terrific vocals and nice guitar harmonies, there is splendid interaction between the participant musicians also. A welldeserved resurrection of the band came in later years with apperances in several festivals with much bigger acts such as Bon Jovi and Alice Cooper. The album is such a treat for a soft evening listen that you almost will forget any invited Company…. A Splendid effort!! 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Dave Carpenter?? As good as it could be with a Cold Coca Cola in the desert heat during the day, this is just what it is! A perfect solution for the record at the moment but no what so ever after impact, to bring back to the rehearsal room. The striking abilities are fine and the technical skills are good but there here we do lack the personal input and drive. Nothing wrong with the drumming but this is not a drummers record. To bad, with another drummer with more personal style and drive, this would have change the destination significantly…….Well you can´t Always get what you want. 🙂

Persuaders of obscure Hard/Prog/Folk/Southern rock from America already got this album on it´s radar or in the collection. Great copies are out there and there are reissues for a descent dollar. As a timepiece it is one of those truly forgotten masterpieces. no what so ever recognizion back in Europé, makes this a golden ticket towards easy listening but yet great rock Music. This is a true obscure gem!! 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-7-VERY GOOD!-GAME, SET & MATCH-

WINTERHAWK-REVIVAL-

This american outfit got together for the first time in 1977 and released this their full length debut in 1981. After a tenure in college Jordan Macarus got together with his earlier bassplayer Doug Brown and with a new drummer they recorded this early ´80s masterpiece. A mature Hard/Heavy/Prog/Blues rock record that certainly does speak for itself. The overlooked release back in the day makes this a true “in between layer” recording.

A great producing job makes this a very nice album that seems to have survived all time wearness and the great songs are perfectly represented with terrific interaction between the vocals and guitar overdubs. This is a very good album and one of those glowing lights that shows the path to enlightment amongst obscure bands and albums. Top notch!! 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Scott Benes?? As the belief in astralplanes and afterlife this drummer is a true exception that this demensions must excist. A phantom-drummer with clear resemblence towards Neil Peart with fantastic striking abilities and a hitratio that just puts the Word “Divine” in an Another aspect. The drive and technical skills are amongst the best from this timeperiod and there is nothing lacking in Mr. Benes performance. This just great drumming at top World level so I just bow my head and enjoy the ride along with the turntable. One of the best experiences of my Life!! I´m lost for Words….happy, happy, happy 🙂

Well, if you do like this genre in Music there is probable cause to Think that you already own this masterpiece. If you don´t there are good original copies out there but be prepared to pay a handsome sum of Money. Reissues are available and a much better option because the risk of playing this album over and over until there is no plastic left is eminent. What the heck, treat yourself with a bag of crisps and a case of beer to enhance the experience… the wonderful World of Music!! 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-8-EXCELLENT-HEAD ON RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES COLLISION WITH A FREIGHT TRAIN-

GRANMAX-KISS HEAVEN GOODBYE-

This outfit from Kansas City was formed in 1975 and released their debut album one year later. This, their second and more prefered album, was released in 1978. The record contains a stirdy mix af/Heavy/Hard/Blues/ Folk rock influences but the impression is just one dimensional hardrock predated the westcoast rock style that would later hit the USA.

The production got a lot of time wearness and the vocals is not helping to lift the avarage songs. The basic ideas are fine but the red thread is missing and this album just squirts out songs in all directions. Perhaps it is not such a hard riddle to solve why this never got the attention from the public. Hard and thorough touring did not help as the merchandise is second rate by the timestandards. This is the way into the void of nothing… But it is a true obscurity contender!!

Whatabout the drummer, Lewis McCorkle?? This fellow got the striking abilities by the numbers and gives me a reminder of early brittish drummers, With fine input and good technical skills this the talanted one. The hit ratio and the Dynamics are fine and in my opinion this is the difference between a true failure and the avarage album on the turntable. This is a a perfect match to the outfit and sad but true, it is not the drummers fault this time… 🙂

If you are a sucker for pre/westcoast hardrock this is something to investigate. The songs fly around in every direction but there are a few gems not to be forgotten. The prices are high due to low distribution and be careful, there are better albums out there so if you don´t sit on a pot of gold, this one´s maybe could be left out. The choice is yours!! 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

4-CHEESY-AVARAGE-