🎸 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970)

Well it's a stunning debut album, characterized by some unforgettable tracks as well as tepid or annoying episodes in the same time..."Lucky Man" as a ballad was a famous hit single, but it's totally out of contest, in comparison for example to the splendid "The Barbarian" or the Fugue inside "Knife Edge" ...instead the mini-suite "Three Fates" is a controversial idea by EMERSON alone and it's not always inspiring from the point of view of its composition, even though his skill is excellent !

Eh bien, c'est un album époustouflant, caractérisé par des morceaux inoubliables et des épisodes tièdes ou agaçants dans le même temps ... "Lucky Man" en tant que ballade était un single à succès, mais il est totalement hors compétition, comparé par exemple à la splendide "The Barbarian" ou à la fugue à l'intérieur de "Knife Edge" ... même si la mini-suite "Three Fates" est une idée controversée d'Emerson et si elle n'est pas toujours inspirante du point de vue de sa composition. son habileté n'en est pas moins est excellente !

Tracks :

1. The Barbarian (4:32)

2. Take A Pebble (12:37)

3. Knife-Edge (With Extended Outro) (5:38)

4. Promenade (1:30)

5. The Three Fates: Atropos (Piano Trio) (3:12)

6. Rave Up (5:03)

7. Drum Solo (3:02)

8. Lucky Man (4:40)

9. Take A Pebble (Alternate Version) (3:40)

10. Knife-Edge (Alternate Version) (4:19)

11. Lucky Man (First Greg Lake Solo Version) (3:03)

12. Lucky Man (Alternate Version) (4:41)

Line-Up :

Greg Lake / vocals, bass, electric & acoustic guitars

Keith Emerson / Hammond organ, piano, clavinet, Royal Festival Hall pipe organ, modular Moog

Carl Palmer / drums, percussion

Enjoy Music :

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer (LP)

1970

🎸 Starcastle - Fountains Of Lights (1977)

Starcastle's second album veers slightly from Yes to a more Kansas-ey sound but this is very relative. Like so many US prog band after Leftoverture was released and became a major seller, these guys couldn't help but adapting their soundscapes slightly, but they didn't reneg their Yes influences in doing so.

Le deuxième album de Starcastle passe légèrement de Yes à un son plus Kansas mais c'est très relatif. Comme beaucoup de groupes de prog US après la sortie de Leftoverture et est devenu un grand vendeur, ces gars-là n'ont pas pu s'empêcher d'adapter légèrement leurs paysages sonores, mais ils n'ont pas renié leurs influences Yes.

Tracks : 

1. Fountains (10:22) 

2. Dawning Of The Day (3:43) 

3. Silver Winds (4:54) 

4. True To The Light (6:25) 

5. Portraits (5:02) 

6. Diamond Song (Deep Is The Light) (5:35)

Line-Up :

Terry Luttrell : lead vocals

Matthew Stewart : electric & slide guitars, electric sitar, vocals

Stephen Hagler : guitar, piano, electric piano, vocals

Herb Schildt : synthesizer, organ, electric piano, Oberheim sequencer

Gary Strater : bass, Moog pedals, clavinet, vocals

Stephen Tassler : drums, percussion, vocals

Enjoy Music :

Starcastle - Fountains Of Lights (LP)

1977

Willowglass - Book of Hours (2008)

Willowglass's second album (actually Andrew Marshall, a talented multi-instrumentalist) is a sharp and tangy adventure into retro-prog. His swirling mellotron and crisp guitar takes you back to the 1970s, whether you want to go there or not. The sounds are pastoral and very pleasant, reminiscent of Camel.

Le deuxième album de Willowglass (en fait Andrew Marshall, un multi-instrumentiste talentueux) est une aventure pointue et piquante dans le rog. Son mellotron tourbillonnant et sa guitare vive vous ramènent aux années 1970, que vous vouliez y aller ou non. Les sons sont pastoraux et très agréables, rappelant Camel.

Tracks :

1 Argamasilla 11:04

2 Willowglass 4:02

3 The Maythorne Cross 10:39

4 Book Of Hours 7:13

5      The Labyrinth (16:50)

I) Prelude

II) The Journey

III) Don Quixote Rides Again

IV) Nature's Cathedral

V) Knight Of The White Moon

VI) The Spiral

Line-Up :

Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Twelve-String Guitar, Classical Guitar, Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Pedalboard, Flute, Drums, Percussion – Andrew Marshall

Drums, Percussion – Dave Brightman

Enjoy Music :

Willowglass - Book of Hours (LP)

2008

Tony Banks - Strictly Inc (1995)

This is Tony Banks best solo album after his debut A Curious Feeling. Actually I did not expect much from this album since I never really like Wang Chung, and the colaboration between their lead singer and Banks seemed quite unlike to succeed. But it worked! After the hideous The Fugitive, the only average Bankstatement and the good, but uneven Still, it looks like Genesis keyboards player finally found a good balance between his hability to deliver great melodies and his ambition to write simpler, catchy tunes. All songs are good. Of course I don't have to praise his best latter day composition, Island In The Darkness. All the other reviewers have done that. It's a masterpiece, end of the story.

C'est le meilleur album solo de Tony Banks après son premier album A Curious Feeling. Après le hideux The Fugitive, le seul Bankstatement moyen et le bon, mais inégal Still, on dirait que le joueur de claviers de Genesis a finalement trouvé un bon équilibre entre sa capacité à délivrer de grandes mélodies et son ambition d'écrire des airs plus simples et accrocheurs. Toutes les chansons sont bonnes. Bien sûr, je n'ai pas à faire l'éloge de sa meilleure composition des derniers jours, Island In The Darkness. Tous les autres critiques l'ont fait. C'est un chef-d'œuvre, fin de l'histoire.

Tracks :

1. Don't Turn Your Back On Me (3:59) 

2. Walls Of Sound (5:07) 

3. Only Seventeen (4:57) 

4. The Serpent Said (5:28) 

5. Never Let Me Know (6:20) 

6. Charity Balls (4:38) 

7. Something To Live For (5:17) 

8. A Piece Of You (4:47) 

9. Strictly Incognito (5:05) 

10. An Island In The Darkness (17:21) 

Line-Up :

Tony Banks : keyboards (synth guitar, bass, percussion)

Jack Hues : vocals, guitar

Daryl Stuermer : guitar, guitar solo

Nathan East : bass 

John Robinson : drums

Enjoy Music :

Tony Banks - Strictly Inc (LP)

1995

🎸 Yes - Relayer (1974)

This is the only version of Relayer to have been completely remixed from the original multitrack tapes since 1974. In keeping with all the other releases in this series, Steven Wilson’s approach for new stereo mix is to faithfully retain the spirit & sounds of the original album mix, while applying modern mix techniques to bring further clarity to the individual instrument, vocal & overdubs for each track.

C'est la seule version de Relayer à avoir été complètement remixée des bandes multipistes d'origine depuis 1974. En accord avec toutes les autres sorties de cette série, l'approche de Steven Wilson pour le nouveau mixage stéréo est de conserver fidèlement l'esprit et les sons de l'album original mélanger, tout en appliquant des techniques de mixage modernes pour apporter plus de clarté à l'instrument individuel, vocal et overdubs pour chaque piste.

Tracks :

01. The Gates Of Delirium

02. Sound Chaser 

03. To Be Over

Line-Up :

Jon Anderson – Lead Vocals

Steve Howe – Guitars, Backing Vocals

Chris Squire – Bass, Backing Vocals

Patrick Moraz – Keyboards

Alan White – Drums, Percussion

Enjoy Music :

Yes - Relayer (LP)

1974

🎸 Camel - Moonmadness (1976)

With this, Camel did the impossible. They produced a follow up album to the Snow Goose which kept to very nearly the same standard and didn't follow the same pattern. It's full of dreamy keyboards, superb guitar and flute work and the whole is backed by one of the classiest rhythm sections in history. Even the vocals, often a Camel weak point, work brilliantly. 

Avec ceci, Camel a fait l'impossible. Ils ont produit un album de suivi à Snow Goose qui a gardé à peu près la même norme mais n'a pas suivi le même modèle. Il est plein de claviers rêveurs, de guitare et de flûte superbe et le tout est soutenu par l'une des sections rythmiques les plus classieuses de l'histoire. Même les voix, souvent un point faible de Camel, fonctionnent avec brio.

Tracks :

1. Aristillus (1:59) 

2. Song Within a Song (7:18)

3. Chord Change (6:48) 

4. Spirit of the Water (2:09) 

5. Another Night (7:00) 

6. Air Born (5:04) 

7. Lunar Sea (9:14)

Line-Up :

Andy Latimer : guitars, flute, recorders, vocals

Peter Bardens : keyboards, vocals

Doug Ferguson : bass, lead vocals

Andy Ward : drums, percussion, spoken voice

Enjoy Music :

Camel - Moonmadness (LP)

1976

🎸 Jon Anderson - Olias Of Sunhillow (1976)

This is Anderson's most complex and sophisticated album. It is rather floating new age, with progressive orientation. Maybe his best album too. The songs contain many floating loaded keyboards of the Vangelis style. There are also lots of string instruments, such like harp. The album, regardless keyboards, is rather acoustic. Jon Anderson's vocals are great, as always.

C'est l'album le plus complexe et sophistiqué d'Anderson. C'est plutôt dans le courant new age, avec une orientation progressive. Peut-être son meilleur album aussi. Les chansons contiennent de nombreux claviers chargés de style Vangelis. Il y a aussi beaucoup d'instruments à cordes, comme la harpe. L'album, hormis les claviers, est plutôt acoustique. Les voix de Jon Anderson sont excellentes, comme toujours.

Tracks :

1. Ocean Song (3:24)
2. Meeting (Garden Of Geda) (1:11)
3. Sound Out The Galleon (2:11)
4. Dance Of Ranyart (2:12)
5. Olias (To Build The Moorglade) (2:04)
6. Qoquaq ën Transic (2:29)
7. Naon (3:29)
8. Transic Tö (1:08)
9. Flight Of The Moorglade (3:22)
10. Solid Space (5:30)
11. Moon Ra (5:50)
12. Chords (3:07)
13. Song Of Search (3:40)
14. To The Runner (4:31)

Line-Up :

Jon Anderson: vocals, choirs, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, bass,
saz, harp, sitar, keyboards, percussion, flutes.

Brian Gaylor : electronics

Enjoy Music :

Jon Anderson - Olias Of Sunhillow (LP)
1976

🎸 Mike Rutherford - Smallcreep's Day (1980)

This is a great debut solo offering from Mike Rutherford. Sure it has all the flavours of Genesis like a Curious Feeling has for Tony Banks. The vocalist choice, Noel McCalla is a shrewd one because this guy can really sing and reaches those dizzy high peaks very easily. Rutherford always tended to be lumped with Tony Banks as one of the quieter ones in the band and maybe not as influential as the others. This album tells a different story. His guitar playing on this album is confident and as restained and tasteful as Gilmour or Latimer.

Ceci est une excellente première offre solo de Mike Rutherford. Bien sûr, il a toutes les saveurs de la Genesis comme pour a Curious Feeling de Tony Banks. Le choix du chanteur, Noel McCalla est astucieux car ce type peut vraiment chanter et atteindre très facilement de hauts sommets vertigineux. Rutherford a toujours eu tendance à être considéré avec Tony Banks comme l'un des plus silencieux du groupe et peut-être pas aussi influent que les autres. Cet album raconte une histoire différente. Son jeu de guitare sur cet album est confiant et aussi maitrisé et de bon goût que ceux de Gilmour ou Latimer.

Tracks :

1. I Between The Tick And The Tock (3:57) 

2. II Working In Line (3:11) 

3. III After Hours (1:42) 

4. IV Cats And Rats (In The Neighbourhood) (4:47) 

5. V Smallcreep Alone (1:31) 

6. VI Cut Into The Daylight (3:52) 

7. VII At The End Of The Day (5:37) 

8. Moonshine (6:26) 

9. Time And Time Again (4:53) 

10. Romani (5:22) 

11. Every Road (4:12) 

12. Overnight Job (5:44) 

Line-up :

Mike Rutherford : guitars, basses

Noel McCalla : vocals

Anthony Phillips : keyboards

Simon Phillips : drums

Morris Pert : percussion

Enjoy Music :

Mike Rutherford - Smallcreep's Day (LP)

1980