Happy New Year 2026!

 

One more year is gone, and more to come yes!!! Thanks to B., Spunkie, Snakeboy, Miles, Alfred Venison, FiveGunsWest, E.W., Vincemagzic, T.G., Juan Muñoz... and so many more, and to all this blog followers,....thanks for sharing life around!!! Happy New Year 2026! ✌😉

Tim Buckley - Starsailor 1971

After his beginnings as a gentle, melodic baroque folk-rocker, Buckley gradually evolved into a downright experimental singer/songwriter who explored both jazz and avant-garde territory. Starsailor is the culmination of his experimentation and alienated far more listeners than it exhilarated upon its release in 1970. Buckley had already begun to delve into jazz fusion on late-'60s records like Happy Sad, and explored some fairly "out" acrobatic, quasi-operatic vocals on his final Elektra LP, Lorca. With former Mother of Invention Bunk Gardner augmenting Buckley's group on sax and alto flute, Buckley applies vocal gymnastics to a set of material that's as avant-garde in its songwriting as its execution. At his most anguished (which is often on this album), he sounds as if his liver is being torn out -- slowly. Almost as if to prove he can still deliver a mellow buzz, he throws in a couple of pleasant jazz-pop cuts, including the odd, jaunty French tune "Moulin Rouge." Surrealistic lyrics, heavy on landscape imagery like rivers, skies, suns, and jungle fires, top off a record that isn't for everybody, or even for every Buckley fan, but endures as one of the most uncompromising statements ever made by a singer/songwriter. AMG.

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Zylan - Rainbows, Dreams & Fantasies 1973

Canadian early 1970s rock band from Millbank, New Brunswick. The name they chose is a derivative of Doctor's Island, an island in the nearby Miramichi River.
The original 9 members were from all over New Brunswick (Réal Pelletier was from Edmundston, Hélène Bolduc from Saint-John). Their albums were recorded at Sunshine Studios in Halifax. La Différence (french version of Rainbows, Dreams and Fantasies) came as an afterthought. Both albums were launched at the Friar's Pub in Montreal in 1973 with a smaller line-up of musicians. The group was a short lived and disbanded shortly thereafter.
 

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John Morgan - Kaleidoscope 1971

Keyboard player and vocalist John Morgan was a Graham Bond afficianado who turned toward psychedelia as the 1960's wore on. Billed originally as The Spirit of John Morgan, the band was successful enough to get booked into the Marquee and other top clubs, and cut three albums. Their self-titled debut into 1969 was followed by two more LPs in 1970 and 1972 (credited simply to John Morgan) for the Carnaby label. He also cut a single for British RCA in the early 1970's. AMG.

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Swallow - Out Of The Nest 1972

Swallow was a rock band from the Boston area. Formed in 1969, they were extant for five years, touring with Traffic, the Supremes and B.B. King and headlining area venues on their own. Somewhat unusually for a rock band, Swallow included a horn section, so there were initially eleven members in the band. Band members included Vern Miller from the Remains who wrote most of the band's songs, and blind blues singer George Leh. Swallow released two albums on Warner Bros. Records. Their first album, Out of the Nest, released in 1972, included a contribution by Jeff Baxter on one song, "Come Home Woman". Another album, Swallow, with one Phil Greene produced single "Yes, I'll Say It". followed in 1973.

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The McCoys - Infinite McCoys 1968

Anyone who picked up the McCoys' third album, 1968's Infinite McCoys, expecting a set of R&B-flavored garage rock in the manner of their 1965 hit "Hang on Sloopy" was doubtless very confused once they got two or three minutes into the opening cut, a meandering psychedelic exercise called "Faces" replete with overdubbed mumbling and goofy sound effects, and the brassy sway of "Jesse Brady" and the low-key piano jazz exercise "Resurrection" which followed certainly didn't help reassure puzzled listeners. Infinite McCoys doesn't have much to do with rock & roll at all, certainly not in it's garage-centric form, but there's no arguing that the McCoys threw themselves into the task of reinventing themselves with tremendous enthusiasm. Everything on Infinite McCoys is played with passion and genuine skill; the band's chops are impressive throughout (especially Bob Peterson's keyboards and the guitar work from Rick Zehringer, later known as Rick Derringer), and the songs display a greater intelligence and eclecticism than one might expect, running the gamut from the country-influenced "Rose Rodriguez," to the delicate pop melody of "Song for Janie," the melodramatic homage to S&M of "He Likes It," and the avant-garde soundscape "Hell." But while Infinite McCoys made it clear this band was capable of far more than cranking out teen dance fodder, the album's stylistic breadth prevents it from achieving a much needed focus, and though the album's technique is remarkable, it's never as interesting as it wants to be and the whole exercise becomes a chore to listen to by the time the easy listening pastiche "Union City Waltz" comes to a close. Infinite McCoys was a brave and doubtless necessary step for the McCoys, but the whole is decidedly less than the sum of its parts. AMG.

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Coldwater Stone - Defrost Me 1973

Hiding behind the Coldwater Stone name, 1973's "Defrost Me" was actually the work of the late Freddy Briggs. Soul aficionados will recognize Briggs for his work as a songwriter and producer (plus the fact he was married to the late Kimberley Tolliver-nee-Briggs). Having attracted some attention for his early-70s efforts with Chess and Stax, in 1972 Briggs and Tolliver set up Castro Productions with the apparent goal of starting a solo career for Freddy. Over the next year Briggs recorded a host of material at sessions in Cleveland's Agency Sound Studio, Muscle Shoals, and Miami's Criteria Studios. Released on Lloyd Price's small GSF label, the resulting album was largely a one man show with Briggs credited with producing, arranging, writing nine of the ten songs (wife Tolliver wrote 'Outside Love Affair'), and handling all of the lead vocals. Musically this was prime early-'70s soul with Briggs voice reminding me a bit of a cross between Swamp Dogg, Clarence Carter, and Lloyd Price (who happened to serve as executive producer). Briggs didn't have the sweetest voice you've ever heard and his delivery was occasionally a bit rough, but to my ears, that raggedness made for some of his old-school charm. Without support from GSF the album did little commercially and has become a collectable among soul fans. Briggs continued to dabble in music, at least briefly paying his bills as a Cleveland taxi driver. Sadly, living in Los Angeles, Briggs died in November 2006. Having been in failing health for a decade, Tolliver died in 2007. "BadCatRecord"

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The Who - Quadrophenia 1973

Pete Townshend revisited the rock opera concept with another double-album opus, this time built around the story of a young mod's struggle to come of age in the mid-'60s. If anything, this was a more ambitious project than Tommy, given added weight by the fact that the Who weren't devising some fantasy but were re-examining the roots of their own birth in mod culture. In the end, there may have been too much weight, as Townshend tried to combine the story of a mixed-up mod named Jimmy with the examination of a four-way split personality (hence the title Quadrophenia), in turn meant to reflect the four conflicting personas at work within the Who itself. The concept might have ultimately been too obscure and confusing for a mass audience. But there's plenty of great music anyway, especially on "The Real Me," "The Punk Meets the Godfather," "I'm One," "Bell Boy," and "Love, Reign o'er Me." Some of Townshend's most direct, heartfelt writing is contained here, and production-wise it's a tour de force, with some of the most imaginative use of synthesizers on a rock record. Various members of the band griped endlessly about flaws in the mix, but really these will bug very few listeners, who in general will find this to be one of the Who's most powerful statements. AMG.

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George Benson - Bad Benson 1974

Preceding Breezin', his crossover smash for Warner in 1976, Bad Benson shows the guitarist still hanging on to his Wes Montgomery roots in places while stretching his soul-jazz persona into even funkier arenas. CTI had a formula for making funky, accessible jazz and fusion records that in 1974 still held true. Arranged by Don Sebesky, Bad Benson  sometimes confusing choices. Benson's own playing is precise and smooth as always, and guitarist Phil Upchurch keeps a large color palette for him to draw from, as in the funkified version of "Take Five." Other notables are the stellar "My Latin Brother," which begins as a Debussy-ian impressionistic string study before becoming a heavily arpeggiated variation on the samba. Kenny Barron's pianism here is the driving force behind a rhythm section that also includes drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Ron Carter. They give Benson a harmonic floor for one of the most inspiring solos of his career. These intensely meaty cuts -- along with Upchurch's stellar swinging in the pocket groover "Full Compass" -- are juxtaposed against ballads such as "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams" and "The Changing World," a pair of ballads that ape Montgomery's later snore-fest session for A&M. Not a great album, but a very, very good one. [Some reissues include three bonus tracks from the session: a hip and syncopated read of "Take the 'A' Train" (with truly surreal and shimmering colors courtesy of Sebesky's string section) and the amazingly driving, greasy funk of "Serbian Blue," as well as a simply beautiful -- and brief -- solo from Benson called "From Now On."] AMG.

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Stanley Turrentine - Sugar 1971

If ever there were a record that both fit perfectly and stood outside the CTI Records' stable sound, it is Sugar by Stanley Turrentine. Recorded in 1970, only three tracks appear on the original album (on the reissue there's a bonus live version of the title track, which nearly outshines the original and is 50 percent longer). Turrentine, a veteran of the soul-jazz scene since the '50s, was accompanied by a who's who of groove players, including guitarist George Benson, Lonnie Liston Smith on electric piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, bassist Ron Carter, organist Butch Cornell, and drummer Billy Kaye, among others. (The live version adds Airto, flutist Hubert Laws, drummer Billy Cobham, and organist Johnny Hammond.) The title track is a deep soul blues workout with a swinging backbeat and the rhythm section fluidly streaming through fours and eights as Benson, Hubbard, and Turrentine begin slowly and crank up the heat, making the pace and stride of the cut simmer then pop -- especially in Hubbard's solo. This is truly midnight blue, and the party's at the point of getting really serious or about to break up. By the time Benson picks up his break, full of slick, shiny, warm arpeggios, the seams are bursting and couples are edging into corners. Butch Cornell's "Sunshine Alley" is a solid, funky groover, paced by organ and double fours by Kaye. Turrentine and Hubbard stride into the melody and keep the vamp in the pocket, riding out past the blues line into a tag that just revs the thing up even further. But the big surprise is in the final track, one of the most solidly swinging, from-the-gut emotional rides of John Coltrane's "Impressions" ever taken. Turrentine is deep inside his horn, ringing out in legato with everything he has -- and it is considerable. Ron Carter's bass playing flows through the modal interludes, creating a basis for some beautifully intervallic invention by Benson and Smith by building a series of harmonic bridges through the mode to solos. It's hard to believe this is Turrentine, yet is could be no one else. If jazz fans are interested in Turrentine beyond the Blue Note period -- and they should be -- this is a heck of a place to listen for satisfaction. AMG.

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The Abyssinians - Satta Massagana 1976

This is one of those legendary reggae albums that's easier to admire than enjoy. There's no doubt of its importance: if you had to pick the five most influential Rasta anthems of the 1970s (and Jah knows there have been few if any since then), the title track of this album would be one of them. So, most likely, would "Declaration of Rights," which has been remade in countless different versions. And the Abyssinians themselves are a fine vocal trio. If they're not as sweet-sounding as the Mighty Diamonds, and not as tight and compelling as the Heptones, they do have a fierce and intense spirituality that is pretty compelling in its own right. But all that said, this is an album that takes some time and adjustment to enjoy. For one thing, every single song is taken at exactly the same tempo. Reggae is a music that is built on subtle differentiation (or, as philistines and Babylonians might say, it all tends to sound the same), and that means that it's important to sow a little variety wherever you can. It's also true that the group's spiritual intensity sometimes leads the harmonies to, shall we say, wander in the wilderness a bit. But the deep religious conviction of the songs and singers, as well as that unchanging, loping, serene groove, will begin to draw you in after a few listens. AMG.

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T. Rex - Electric Warrior 1971

The album that essentially kick-started the U.K. glam rock craze, Electric Warrior completes T. Rex's transformation from hippie folk-rockers into flamboyant avatars of trashy rock & roll. There are a few vestiges of those early days remaining in the acoustic-driven ballads, but Electric Warrior spends most of its time in a swinging, hip-shaking groove powered by Marc Bolan's warm electric guitar. The music recalls not just the catchy simplicity of early rock & roll, but also the implicit sexuality -- except that here, Bolan gleefully hauls it to the surface, singing out loud what was once only communicated through the shimmying beat. He takes obvious delight in turning teenage bubblegum rock into campy sleaze, not to mention filling it with pseudo-psychedelic hippie poetry. In fact, Bolan sounds just as obsessed with the heavens as he does with sex, whether he's singing about spiritual mysticism or begging a flying saucer to take him away. It's all done with the same theatrical flair, but Tony Visconti's spacious, echoing production makes it surprisingly convincing. Still, the real reason Electric Warrior stands the test of time so well -- despite its intended disposability -- is that it revels so freely in its own absurdity and willful lack of substance. Not taking himself at all seriously, Bolan is free to pursue whatever silly wordplay, cosmic fantasies, or non sequitur imagery he feels like; his abandonment of any pretense to art becomes, ironically, a statement in itself. Bolan's lack of pomposity, back-to-basics songwriting, and elaborate theatrics went on to influence everything from hard rock to punk to new wave. But in the end, it's that sense of playfulness, combined with a raft of irresistible hooks, that keeps Electric Warrior such an infectious, invigorating listen today. AMG.

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George Benson - The Other Side of Abbey Road 1969

Just three weeks after the U.S. release of the Beatles' swan song, Abbey Road, Creed Taylor ushered George Benson into the studio to begin a remarkably successful pop-jazz translation of the record (complete with a parody of the famous cover, showing Benson with guitar crossing an Eastern urban street). It is a lyrical album, with a hint of the mystery and a lot of the cohesive concept of the Beatles' original despite the scrambled order of the tunes. Benson is given some room to stretch out on guitar, sometimes in a bluesy groove, and there are more samples of his honeyed vocals than ever before (oddly, his voice would not be heard again by record-buyers until he signed with Warner Bros.). Don Sebesky's arrangements roam freely from baroque strings to a full-throated big band, and Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Fortune, and Hubert Laws get some worthy solo space. Yet for all its diversity, the record fits together as a whole more tightly than any other George Benson project, thanks to his versatile talents and the miraculous overarching unity of the Beatles' songs. One wonders if the Fab Four liked it, too. AMG.

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Djavan - Djavan 1978

Djavan is a Brazilian composer, singer, and the owner of a respectable discography. His international success has taken him to the highest-ranking venues worldwide and his songs have been recorded by Al Jarreau, Carmen McRae, the Manhattan Transfer, and, in Brazil by Gal Costa, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ed Motta, Leila Pinheiro, Chico César, Dori Caymmi, Nana Caymmi, Rosa Passos, Lenine, Elba Ramalho, João Bosco, Zélia Duncan, Leny Andrade, Chico Buarque, Daniela Mercury, Ney Matogrosso, Dominguinhos, Jane Duboc, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Beth Carvalho, João Donato, Joyce, Johnny Alf, and other artists.

Djavan had early contact with music through his mother. From the environment, he took the rich northeastern folklore as influences. But he only began to play at 16, when he took the violão as a self-taught instrument. Abandoning his studies, he had to work small jobs. Still in his hometown, he formed the group LSD (Luz, Som, Dimensão), which covered the Beatles' repertory, playing in every venue for pocket money. Moving to Rio in 1973, he became acquainted with Edson Mauro, a fellow statesman who was Rádio Globo's sports speaker, and presented Djavan to Adelzon Alves, who introduced him to Som Livre's producer João Mello. A month later, he was hired by Som Livre as a singer for soap opera soundtracks. In this capacity, he would record the songs "Qual é" (Marcos and Paulo Sérgio Valle) for the soap opera Ossos do Barão, "Presunçosa" (Antônio Carlos and Jocafi) for Super Manuela, "Calmaria e Vendaval" (Toquinho and Vinicius) for Fogo sobre terra, and "Alegre Menina" (Dori Caymmi and Jorge Amado) for Gabriela. He also participated in several hit-parade records, recording other composers' songs. Meanwhile, to fatten his meager budget, he worked as a crooner for four years at Number One and 706 nightclubs, before his breakthrough as a composer. Participating in TV Globo's festival Abertura (1975), he won second place with his song "Abertura." His first single came four months later with the songs "E que Deus Ajude," "Um Dia," "Rei do Mar," and "Fato Consumado." One year after, he recorded his first LP, (A Voz, o Violão e a Arte de Djavan, Som Livre), which had "Fato Consumando," "E que Deus Ajude," "Pára Raio," "Maria Mercedes," "Na Boca do Beco," "Ventos do Norte," "Magia," "Muito Obrigado," "Maçã do Rosto," "Embola Bola," "Quantas Voltas dá o Mundo," and "Flor de Lis," the latter scoring a big hit which endures even today. A while later, he did a solo show at the 706 nightclub for three months. He recorded a single arranged by João Donato with songs "É hora" and "Romeiros" and left Som Livre for Odeon. He then recorded Djavan (1979), Alumbramento (1980), and Seduzir (1981). In 1982, he signed with CBS, recorded Luz in the U.S. (produced by Ronnie Foster), where he made contacts with Quincy Jones, who acquired the publishing rights of many of his songs through Djavan's own publishing Luanda. Stevie Wonder was a guest star on that album. In 1984, he recorded Lilás with production help from Eric Bulling, whose international sound can be heard on that album. In the same year, he worked in the film Para Viver um Grande Amor (Miguel Faria, Jr.). He also recorded Brazilian Knights and a Lady (1985), Meu Lado (1986), Não é Azul mas é Mar (1987), and Bird of Paradise (1988). In 1989, he did Djavan, accompanied by flamenco guitar player Paco de Lucia on the track "Oceano," included in a major soap opera. He followed with Puzzle of Hearts (1990), Coisa de acender (1991, with a partnership with Caetano Veloso on "Linha do Equador"), and Novena (1994). In 1996, he recorded Malásia, which had Tom Jobim's "Correnteza" included on a prime time soap opera and, in 1998, Bicho Solto -- o 13o. In 1999, he recorded Ao Vivo in two volumes, which sold 1.2 million copies and garnered him his first Diamond Record. He was awarded with three Multishow prizes: Best CD, Best Show, and Best Singer (popular election by vote of the cable channel spectators). He was paid tribute in the series Talento Brasileiro and with three Lumiar Songbooks, having his songs performed by Gal Costa, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ed Motta, Cláudio Zolli, Ângela Ro Ro, Leila Pinheiro, Garganta Profunda, Chico César, Dori Caymmi, Nana Caymmi, Rosa Passos, Rosana, Orlando Morais, Lenine, Paulinho Moska, Elba Ramalho, João Bosco, Zélia Duncan, Cidade Negra, Sandra de Sá, Leny Andrade, Chico Buarque, Daniela Mercury, Ney Matogrosso, Dominguinhos, Jane Duboc, Zé Ricardo, Personagens, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Beth Carvalho, João Donato, Daúde, Joyce, Johnny Alf, Eduardo Dusek, Be Happy, Fátima Guedes, and Clara Sandroni. The following year, Djavan won a Grammy for Best Brazilian Song for "Acelerou" at the first Latin Grammy Awards. AMG.

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Sui Generis - Vida 1972

Argentinean folk-rock band Sui Generis was formed in the early '70s by singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Charly García and singer/instrumentalist Nito Mestre, who met while being high school students. Their first record, called Vida, was released in 1972, followed by 1973's Confesiones de Invierno. The following year, bassist Rinaldo Rafanelli and drummer Juan Rodríguez joined the act, soon recording Pequeñas Anécdotas Sobre Las Instituciones. Due to internal discrepancies, the group decided to perform for the last time at Buenos Aires' Luna Park on September 5, 1975. That farewell concert was recorded and later issued as Adiós A Sui Generis, a double album and documentary considered to be a major event in the Latin rock history. The band reunited in 1980 to play shows in Montevideo, Uruguay, and Santiago de Chile. In the year 2000, Sui Generis returned with Sinfonía Para Adolescentes and an American tour. AMG.

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Salamander - The Ten Commandments 1971

This record was something of an enigma -- apparently it never got distributed very widely even in England, where it was recorded and released, and was never officially issued in the United States. The band calls to mind early Deep Purple (pre-Machine Head) in their style, while the record resembles the early progressive efforts of the Moody Blues. This is a concept album built around the Ten Commandments, with each of the ten songs corresponding to a commandment -- it seems like a stretch today, in terms of an effort at reaching a mass audience, but one must remember that 1970 was the era of the original Jesus Christ Superstar album. Salamander take the concept and run with it most effectively, backed by some occasional orchestral accompaniment, but mostly the quartet pounding away, highly melodic and sometimes a bit heavy but always interesting. Dave Titley's guitar work isn't in Ritchie Blackmore's league, but his voice is powerful and expressive, and it's surprising that we haven't heard more from him, and A.B. Benson's keyboard work was of at least the same caliber as Rick van der Linden of Ekseption, or even Jon Lord of this period, and he should have done more that would have been heard. AMG.

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Richard Last Group - Get Ready 1972

With just an LP and a single, both issued by Car Juke Box and very rare, this group was surrounded by mystery for many years, even for the absolute lack of information on the record covers; only through the recollections of some musicians it was possible to rebuild their story. The group Duu Duu had been formed in 1969 in Milan, playing in that area and Valtellina. In 1971 singer Maurizio Calò asked the five musicians to play with him, first as Maurizio Jr. e i Duu Duu, then as Maurizio Jr. e l'Azienda Autonoma di Soggiorno, then using the name Richard Last Group after his choice of the nom de plume Richard Coley.

Calò wanted to release the album as a solo artist, but given the popularity of rock groups at the time, the record company insisted to have it credited to the Richard Last Group. The 12-track album Get ready included mainly covers (by the likes of Jethro Tull and Donovan) along with three originals, all sung in English, showing good technical qualities but little creativity. Towards the end of the recording sessions there was a line-up change, with bassist Dal Toso leaving for his military duties and the entrance of second giutarist Mario Volanti and later the new bass player Fulvio Massi. This seven-piece line-up appeared on the LP and single cover pictures. Volanti only played on the three original compositions of the LP (Confusion, He has gone away and Naple in rock) along with a guest bass player coming from the group La Luce.

The group broke up in September 1972 but Calò/Coley recruited new musicians and created a new group with Rosario Brunetti (guitar), Enzo Menunni (bass) and Massimo Dinoia (drums), that played for some years with the name Richard Coley and the Last Group Show. In 1977 Coley released with his name a remake of Get ready entitled Dedicated... containing the same twelve tracks as the previous one and was issued by his label, Alexandra. After another line-up change Calò started using his real name and with Dinoia and guitar/bass player Flavio Scansani recorded some tracks with jazz and funky influences for a new album that was never issued, although two of them appeared on a single in 1979, Folle evasione. Coley/Calò had a part of his musical career in France, and he was involved in many commercial productions after this brief period in the rock music scene.

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Al Kooper - New York City (You're a Woman) 1971

This is the fourth solo album from rock and roll wunderkind Al Kooper. He congregates two very distinct bands -- one in London and the other in Los Angeles -- to accompany some of his most emotive compositions to date. This is ironic when considering the title track is a paean to the Big Apple. The UK aggregate consists of musicians from Hookfoot, including Herbie Flowers (bass), Caleb Quay (guitar) and Roger Pope (drums). The band were fresh from several collaborations with Elton John, most notably his third studio effort Tumbleweed Connection. The LA sessions included legends such as Carol Kaye (bass), Paul Humphries (drums) and Louis Shelton (guitar). Also to Kooper's credit is his own talents as a multi-instrumentalist -- best exemplified on the title track, which is in essence performed by a trio since Kooper handles all the guitars and keyboards. His nimble piano work recalls the same contributions that he made to Blood Sweat & Tears' rendering of Tim Buckley's "Morning Glory." (Incidentally, an alternate version of the track "New York City (You're a Woman)" -- with significantly less mellotron in the mix -- is available on the best-of compilation Al's Big Deal/Unclaimed Freight.) "John the Baptist (Holy John)" could easily be mistaken for a long-lost composition from the Band -- right down to the Rick Danko-esque vocals. The upbeat number is similar to a pepped-up version of "Katie's Been Gone" or even "The Rumour." Although Kooper credits the Fab Four as his inspiration to "Going Quietly Mad," from the nasal-sounding lead electric guitar to the highly introspective lyrics, it has many of the characteristics of an early Joe Walsh composition such as "Turn to Stone." As he had done on the title track, Koopertastefully incorporates a string section without coming off as pretentious or sonically overbearing. Another song not to be missed is the cover of Elton John's "Come Down in Time". This version blends both backing bands as Herbie Flowers reprises his timeless basslines from the original, while Kooper and the LA all-stars provide the remainder of the instrumental. AMG.

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Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention - One Size Fits All 1975

Released soon after the live Roxy & Elsewhere, One Size Fits All contained more of the material premiered during the 1973-1974 tour, but this time largely re-recorded in the studio. The band remains the same: George Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Chester Thompson, Tom Fowler, and Ruth Underwood. Johnny "Guitar" Watson overdubbed some vocals and Captain Beefheart (credited as Bloodshot Rollin' Red) played some harmonica ("when present," state the liner notes). The previous album focused on complex music suites. This one is more song-oriented, alternating goofy rock songs with more challenging numbers in an attempt to find a juste milieu between Over-Nite Sensation and Roxy & Elsewhere. "Inca Roads," "Florentine Pogen," "Andy," and "Sofa" all became classic tracks and live favorites. These are as close to progressive rock (a demented, clownish kind) Zappa ever got. The obscurity of their subjects, especially the flying saucer topic of "Inca Roads," seem to spoof prog rock clichés. The high-flying compositions are offset by "Can't Afford No Shoes," "Po-Jama People," and "San Ber'dino," more down-to-earth songs. Together with Zoot Allures, One Size Fits All can be considered as one of the easiest points of entry into Zappa's discography. The album artwork features a big maroon sofa, a conceptual continuity clue arching back to a then-undocumented live suite (from which "Sofa" was salvaged) and a sky map with dozens of bogus stars and constellations labeled with inside jokes in place of names. An essential third-period Zappa album. AMG.

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Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn 1975

Although it features the beautiful recorder of Leslie Penny and the Chieftains' Paddy Maloney playing the uilean pipe, Ommadawn didn't gain Mike Oldfield the success he was looking for. The album was released in the same year as the David Bedford-arranged Orchestral Tubular Bells and nine months after Oldfield picked up a Grammy award for the original Tubular Bells album. The most pleasing attribute of Ommadawn is its incorporation of both African and Irish music in its symphonic rock & roll mainframe. Boosted by a hearty amount of different horns, piano, cello, trumpet, and synthesizer, the album has its moments of rising action, but the whole of Ommadawn fails to keep its lovely segments around long enough, and there are some rather lengthy instances that include bland runs of unvaried music. Another plus is Oldfield's use of a choir, giving the album a soft, humanistic feel when contrasted against the keyboards or synthesizer. While it does include flashes of Mike Oldfield's brilliance, the entire album may seem a little anticlimactic when compared to some of his other releases. AMG.

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