OZ-FIRE IN THE BRAIN-

As the great year of 1983 evolved some of the best hard/heavy/ rock records ever, there were a few under the radar albums that only later, would become recognized as true hard gold nuggets of its genre.This outfit origins from Finland but relocated to Sweden during this release.

A true contender of the most iconic album of the early years of Scandinavian hard/heavy/psych/prog rock, together with both Heavy Load and Mercyful Fate, this one´s a winner with it´s broad and fantastic production with excellent songs and  that magic touch of heavy/hard rock, with a terrific seasoning, and a bit of Psych and prog ingredient. A true rock record all to the Finnish line.. 🙂

The vocals by Ape De Martini just blends terrific together with the twin guitar overdubs in a great distuned and agressive serious way of playing. The songs got a big influence by UK heavy /hard rock school but the personal impact saves the day in a wonderful way. This is something to refer to later in life but, you must spin this record a few times on the turntable to appreciate it´s grand light on the heavy/hard rock path of history. Standout tunes in my book would be “Fire in the Brain” “Fortune” and “Gambler”. Familiar tracks but nothing you can place in time nor space..Just Awesome timeless tunes.. 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Mark Ruffneck (aka Pekka Mark)?? This is a selfthought powertrain with no what so ever dynamics. The striking is like a boxing game and the impact is furious with great determination and superb drive. In my opinion this is how a Hard/heavy metal drummer should deliver his persona!! I Love it!! The technical side of things maybe not send shivers down your spine but thats not case here, so I would let that pass with no further notice… 🙂

This a must have piece of Hard/heavy/psych/prog album and it while give you a terrific time of great resemblence towards later acts of the genre. A coll thing is that this is one of  those albums you can listen to in quit and peace and at  Heavyrock beerfueled gathering at full blast volume. Few albums can match that and just to know that the album cover contains one of Hard rocks best kept secrets, the bloody fist of a burning skull belonging to the mysterious Bathory front man Thomas Forsberg (RIP)….is JUST plain cool… 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

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

THE THIRD POWER-BELIEVE-

As a prominent band on the local scene in Detroit Michigan USA this Power trio outfit released their only album in 1970. Heavy psych/prog/hard influences brings this album out of the shadows. Guitarist Drew Abott and bass player Jem Tragal shared the vocals and perhaps this the best benefit of this odd ball album. As the vocals sometimes reminds me about softhearted ballads they push the Music to limits in some of the tunes and this creates a confused impression.  is it intentional? I just wonder if they realized that this would create a collision in styles.

The production is flawless with a bit of tired downmix of the drums and bass with a strange distortion added. It doesn´t help the overall impression but with the odd choice of songs you don´t really care. There are no songs that stands out but at same time you just can´t Believe some of the  compositions. The lack of a thread to follow is eminent but also the strengh of the record. A Very peculiar album..

Whatabout the drummer, Jim Craig?? This is a splendid drummer with the responsibility for the great drive and Dynamics on this album. Great technical abilities with impressive strike timing. A pure joy for anyone´s ears. To bad that the production suffers from a poor drumssound. Much to bad….

This is one of those strange albums you never thought you would encounter. A boiling mix of sweet harmonys and raw riff guitar playing at the same time, marvelous!!

If you´re in to Heavy psych/prog/hard rock Music from a certain Point of view, this one´s for you. Great reissues are out there for a descent price and a Word of advise is: If you got any hesitations, just listen ahead Before purchase because this is one of the most weird albums I´ve ever Heard. In a positive way!! 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

ROBIN TROWER-BRIDGE OF SIGHS-

Sometimes when the feeeling of stagnation is upon you, the only way out is to look forward and perhaps progress from your present position. Not everybody achieves this but for Robin Trower this is  very much the truth. Most recognizable from Procul Harum Mr. Trower left the outfit after the album” Broken Barricades” and started up his solo career.

This album was released in 1974 and almost everywhere it´s a top noticed recording from the 70´s. This recording is almost free from all time wearness and the production is one of the best of 1974. The guitar is perfectly harmonized together with the rest of the band and the vocals are like smooth honey to your ears….Wonderful!! This is a Power trio with great overdubs and the songs are fantastic. No one falls under the radar and I just wonder why this album never reached the top notch chartlists back in the day. A true riddle but to our favor an obscure treasure. The sound of the album is an Albert King drenched piece of work with the ghost of Jimi Hendrix hovering above…the more you listen the more stuck you get.. a rare gift on an album. Faboulus!! 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Reg Isidore?? The weakness of this album is this cautious  drummer. The technical department and the striking abilities are all fine but the lack of drive and initiative to push forward brings down the grade to only an avarage performance. This could have been a much more harddriven affair with a more potent drummer. Sorry…

This album though is a must have in anybodys rock record Collection. A suitable piece for everyday listening as much as a guitardriven party with similar mind friends.

Great copies are out there for no or less Money. Do yourself a favor and visit a vinylfair and you certainly will find a great copy and the day will be saved, or maybe even the next few month´s…:-)

VINYLRATING/GRADE

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

SALEM MASS-WITCH BURNING-

Sometimes, when all things around you seems to be just normal and nothing exciting is under way, why not put on a sinister prog/hard/psych rock record to spice up your day?

Released 1971 this outfit originated from Idaho USA and had a popular following in the northwest of the US and Canada. Thriving organ sound with multipal vocal sheering this album knocks you of your feet and really put the perspective on the other side of things.

The producing is timetypical with the vocals above Everything else and the minimoog in the front row. The time wearness is obvious but this becomes secondary do to the drive and faboulus organsections/solo´s. The resemblence to Deep Purple, The Doors and Uriah Heep is not intentional but eminent due to the timeperiod but this becomes more of a softer approach towards the Heavy side of prog. Always a fresh input to a rock rotten brain.. 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Steve Towery?? This a cautios fellow with great Dynamics and durable striking abilities. The production doesn´t favor the drums on this album and maybe a pitty because there are some sections with great or should I say brilliant playing. This is a MiniMoog album and fan´s of this excellent instrument should get their dosage plenty overrun by this record. The song´s are great and strong and you could pick up a trick or two by listening carefully. A Great Company!!

If you´re into Prog/hard/psych rock from this timeperiod this is a must have headshaker. For the rest of us musiclover´s this is an exciting album to discover and an odd one too. 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

TOO MUCH-TOO MUCH-

This Japanse outfit released this Prog/Hard/Blues/psych album in 1971 and one thing is perfectly clear; The Japs had something cooking back in the day. Originated from the city of Kobe the influences from western Music is obvious and maybe more difinitive UK Music input is very strong. This doesn´t mean it´s a Copycat band. The personal drive and strong songs are awesome and this is a topnotch Japanse rock album.  A Very Good job!!

The production is very good, a lack of time wearness with a great interaction between vocalist Juni Rush and guitarist Tstomu Ogawa. The latter got a great resemblence towards Tony Iommi and in this outfit it just fits like a glove. Great overdubs that could have been recorded yesterday as many of the stoner bands are lookin for this kind of time warp sound.Splendid!! 🙂 The band only released this album and then dismantled for whatever reason. Vocalist Juni Rush had a brief career as a soloartist but faded away in missuse of drugs and alcohol.

Whatabout the drummer, Hideya Kobayashi?? This is a sleepwalker behind the kit and he´s never really get his things together. A boring effort and the striking is just avarage and the technical inspiration just doesn´t appear anywhere. Watching sailboats matchrace is a more funny duty than trying to Catch something up from this fellow. Boring.

Despite the poor drumming and some awful ballads, this album stands out as one of the more obscure records from 1971. If you´re into Prog/hard/blues/psych rock out of the ordinary but with excellent crafmanship into the songs this one´s hard to beat. Prices are high even for reissues and that only confirms that this one´s got the attention it deserves. If you don´t appriciate the album you will get your Money back..:-)

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-6-GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-

ROAD-ROAD

After leaving Fat Matress, Noel Redding started up this outfit that only released this album in 1972 and then dismantled themselves. This is a Psych/Hard/proto rock record with some of the best “Jam” sessions ever recorded. A totally uneven record with great highlights like “Mushroom man” and then some unexplainable fuzzadelic freakouts which maybe just flavour up this forgotten masterpiece.

Guitarist/vocalist Rod Richards is having a blast in some places and Noel Redding just follows through like there´s no tomorrow. Splendid!! The production is a bit muffled and got a bit of time wearness to it, but the vocals are in an excellent blend together with the faboulus guitarsound. The drums together with the bass, makes this a lethal powertrio!! Oxygen at hand to be recommended!!

The resemblence to heavier acts like Black Sabbath is eminent but not intentional. The personal edge towards the songs gives this album an unpresidented top spot amongs obscure records from the 70´s. A GOLDMINE in that sense.

Whatabout the drummer, Leslie Sampson??? As a true “tour de force” this fellow just puts all in to this record. Great striking abilities together with high octane technical skills gives you goosebumps. This is a “for the moment” driving guy that brings  the rest of the band into a positive spiral of terrific instrument handling. As the songs tend to bend in every different direction, the drums just follow suit and let´s nobody down. An excellent lesson in just in time delivery!!

This is one of the true obscure classics out there and if you´re into Psych/Hard/proto rock Music this is a top contender in that genre. Great reissues are out there so… Grab a copy and let yourself go and feel free, as the Music just brings you out in space… 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

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

DEMIAN-DEMIAN-

Originaly named Bubble Puppy this outfit originated from Texas and as thousand´s of bands during the 60´s and 70´s they were mismanaged by their record label.

This album was released in 1971 after they changed their name and moved to LA. They quickly signed a new deal with ABC-Dunhill just to discover once again to be mistreated by the industry´s management and given record time in 10p.m. to 06 a.m. slots which put strains to everybody involved.

The album production have survived the time wearness and has a good polished sound to it and a great interaction between the guitar by Rod Prince/Todd Potter and vocals , which was shared. There are hints of the Beatles and Carlos Santana but all in all the drive and songs are very strong with a nice toetappers and no particularly low water mark. Very Good job!!

The no success on the chart finally grow to big and the band dismantled in 1972 but got together again in 1984 and recorded Another album released in 1987.

Whatabout the drummer, David Fore?? Well this fellow is as exciting as a pair of used underwear. Plain simple striking abilities with soft almost anxious drive with great hesitation. This is a guitar album and the drummer just go along for the ride. Sad….

Very poor input and nothing to bring home to the rehearsal room. Perhaps a more driven drummer would have brought this album up a notch or two.

Thanks to the great history of this band the album deserves a space here to its obscurity and great material. If you´re in for guitar driven Prog/Hard/blues/psych rock with a Heavy dose of TexMex guitarslinging this is a precious moment on the turntable. Great reissues are out there for affordable Money so this is a piece to investigate further.

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-6-GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-

HEAD OVER HEELS-HEAD OVER HEELS-

As probably one of the more obscure bands coming out of the US I just want to give you an extra cool input for the one hundred post on vinylanddrums!! Congratulations. 🙂

This Michigan Power trio released their only album in 1971 and what an album!! A hard/prog/blues/psych rock record that keep all flavors happy with great interaction between guitar/vocalist Paul Frank and bass player/vocalist Michael Urso. The mood in the songs bend like a willow tree from farout psych/hard rock to emotional soft numbers in geniuin dynamic rollercoaster. Priceless!!

The album was produced by Dan Moore and Buzz Clifford and it got a bit of timeware to it but the soundframe is forward with good guitarsound and terrific vocals. The drums are a bit dry and muffled but fit the retrospective tone of the album. The impression is all or nothing with a tough guitarriff dragon lurkin behind the bend..super!!  🙂

Whatabout the drummer, John Bredeau?? This is a pleasure to hear a fast interaction man with excellent drive, hard striking abilities with  super technical skill. When you reach this fun driven statement upon an album like this you just have to surrender. Pure joy!! 🙂

Great cover of “Little red Rooster” brings a big smile to my face and as you spin this hallelujah moment on your turntable the wish is that you have played on this album. This is one of the main reasons for this blog, to keep alive the true unheard classics so they don´t  will be forgotten.

If you´re in to the American rough rock scene by the start of the 70´s this a must have Emerald. Hard/prog/blues/psych rock just captured in it´s true raw essence is a rare thing to find in today´s records. Fantastic!! Great reissues are out there for no Money at all so hurry up Before more people discover this hidden treasure…

VINYLRATING/GRADE

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

TOEFAT-TWO-

Even though the band lost two of their most “namefamed” members before this recording it ment nothing in the way of developing their sound and Music from their first album.

Realeased in 1970 this is a Before it´s time album with strong Psych/prog/hard/blues rock ingredients. The strong vocals by Cliff Bennet and Heavy impact by lead guitarist Alan Kendall make this album a several listning adventure on your turntable. The production by Jonathan Peel got a best Before time label on it but at same time the soundframe is Clean and dynamic with great guitarsound and some nice left/right speaker mixing. A great experience!! The songs are strong with high low bar presence and excellent interaction together  with all the musicians.

The bands recordlabel EMI dropped the band after this release due to poor Sell´s figures and “not for believing in the Product”. The band dismantled short after. Several bandmembers ended up in other succesful act´s  such as; Uriah Heep, Jetro Tull and the Bee Gee´s.

Whatabout the drummer, Brian Glascock?? This gentleman brings a different beat to this album than the more Powerful predecessor of Lee Keslake. Clean soft striking with great interaction is the melody here. No particularly technical tricks to enjoy but the Dynamics are fine and timing are great so..avarage would be the judgement.

This is a go for album only if you´re into Psych/prog/hard/blues based rock from late 60´s. The low distribution brings Selling prices up and finding a great copy could be harder than you think. Nevertheless this is a great album but with the most hidious artwork ever made by Hypgnosis… EVER!!  Could someone please explain to me what the it´s suppose to be presenting??

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

BUX-WE COME TO PLAY-

Once recordered in 1973 but not released until 1976 this is the proof how record companies put profit before art and Music interest.

Guitarist Punky Meadows and bass player Mickie Jones had a great success with their other band “Angel” which made Capitol records  to postpone this interesting recording. With Ralph Mormon on vocals this is straight forward Hard/blues/boogie rock album with no further fuzz. Great production by Jack Douglas gives a well deserved soundframe and a the songs are strong but nothing to top the charts with except maybe “White Lightning”. This tune would later reappeare on Angels third album with different lyrics and  reshuffled arrangement.  The Guitars are great and the rhythm section is splendid with nice keyboard fills here and there.

The big question mark is how this album would have made it back in ´73 when it was originally recorded? I think that we would have had a Winner in this genre. Not to glammy, a Little dose of melodic rhythm´s, so I would put this one more towards Deep Purple´s “Burn” and there are worse records out there.. 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Rocky Isaac, there´s a great flow in this man´s playing and the striking abilities are sweet as candy. Nice timing and Clean interaction together with the bass player just brings the perfect beat to this outfit. Bold techniques in some places gives a professional impression to this recording. Terrific work!!

This albums is just the alterego to Angel´s albums and brings a historical view to what happened in the beginning. If you´re into Hard/blues/boogie rock from early 70´s this is a milestone in the twilight zone with excellent guitar playing, great vocals and hard to beat rhythm section.

This is a must have record for those about to rock. Great copies are out there but be prepared to put in a few more bux(!) for a nice good copy.   🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

6-GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-