Achim Reichel & Machines - Echo / AR4, 1972/1973 (Kraut)

1. Einladung Invitation 20:32
2. Das Echo Der Gegenwart The Echo Of The Presence 10:08
3. Das Echo Der Zeit The Echo Of Time 13:05
4. Das Echo Der Zukunft The Echo Of The Future 18:13

1. Das Echo Der Vergangenheit The Echo Of The Past 19:38
2. Cave Explorers And Birdmen 5:25
3. The Man In Kidleather 10:43
4. Thin Is The Skin Of Ecstasy 5:47
5. Every Raindrop Longs For The Sea 23:00
Achim Reichel - guitar, vocals
Klaus Schulze - vocals
Matti Klatt - vocals, percussion
Arthur Carstens - jews harp
Jochen Petersen - saxophone
Norbert Jacobsen - clarinet
Peter Becker - sirenes
Frank Wulf - recorders, sitar
Helmuth Franke - guitar
Claus-Robert Kruse - electric piano
Hans Hartmann - bass
Dicky Tarrach - drums
Hans Boche - drums
Churchill Jolobe - drums
Lemmy Lembrecht - drums, percussion
Hans Lampe - percussion
Kalle Trapp - percussion
Rolf Köhler - percussion
Olaf Casalich - percussion
Carsten Bohn - percussion
AMG:
"German singer, songwriter, musician, and producer Achim Reichel enjoyed a long and varied career that began during the beat boom of the '60s, when he founded the Rattles, and carried on well into the next millennium, by which time he was still recording albums and performing large-scale rock concerts. Born on January 28, 1944, in Wentorf bei Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Reichel began his music career in 1960, when he, as a singer/guitarist, formed the Rattles with bassist Herbert Hildebrandt in Hamburg. The band, along with the Lords, proved one of Germany's leading beat bands of the day, for instance touring England with the Rolling Stones in 1963 and touring Germany with the Beatles in 1966. Reichel left the band in 1966 after several albums, including Twist im Star-Club Hamburg (1964), Liverpool Beat (1965), and Hurra! Die Rattles Kommen (1966), and subsequently entered the Bundeswehr (i.e., the German armed forces). Upon Reichel's departure from the military, he formed another band, Wonderland, whose debut single, 'Mocow' (1968), was a Top 15 hit. Next he formed the experimental solo project A.R. & Machines, which debuted with Die Grüne Reise (1971) and followed with a succession of Krautrock-fashioned albums: Echo (1972), 3 (1972), 4 (1973), and Autovision (1974).
In 1975, Reichel released Dat Shanty Alb'm, a shockingly straightforward collection of sea shanties that was a 180 degree turn away from the experimentation of A.R. & Machines; also of note, the album was sung in German, unlike his previous releases, and was billed to himself rather than a group moniker, two characteristics that were common to his successive albums as well. Reichel's embrace of volksmusik, particularly of the north, continued in the few years that followed, with albums including Klabautermann (1977) and Regenballade (1978), the latter of which was critically praised. In the wake of Regenballade, Reichel, in conjunction with Frank Dostal, formed the label Ahorn in hopes of showcasing German-language rock bands of the day. Along with the advent of Ahorn, Heiße Scheibe (1979), a showcase for contemporary writers and Reichel himself, reflected his interest in moving out of the past and into the present. Also during the mid- to late '70s, Reichel labored as a producer, working with such bands as Novalis, Kiev Stingl, Neil Landon, and Emsland Hillbillies."



Echo / AR4

or

Echo / AR4 

Pages - Pages, 1978 (Soft Rock)

1. Clearly Kim
2. This Is for the Girls
3. Let It Go
4. Listen for the Love
5. Love Dance
6. If I Saw You Again
7. Interlude
8. It's Alright
9. Room at the Top
10. I Get It from You

Richard Page - Vocals, Clavinet
Steve George - Keyboards, Moog Synthesizer, Synthesizer, Vocals
Peter Leinheiser - Guitar
Jerry Manfredi - Bass
Russell Battelene - Drums
+
Al Jarreau - Vocals
Tom Scott - Saxophone
Jay Graydon - Horn
John Lang - Lyre
Paul Jackson, Jr. - Guitar
Charles "Icarus" Johnson - Guitar
Steve Khan - Guitar
Victor Feldman - Vibraphone
Abraham Laboriel, Sr. - Bass
Neil Stubenhaus - Bass
Jeff Porcaro - Drums
Michael Baird - Drums
Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums
Ralph Humphrey - Drums
Francisco Aguabella - Congas
Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion
Tim Downs - Percussion
Steve Forman - Percussion
Chuck Silverman - Percussion
Claudio Slon - Percussion
Philip Bailey - Vocals (Background)
Bobby Colomby - Vocals (Background)
Donna Fien - Vocals (Background)
Lani Groves - Vocals (Background)
Mary Hylan - Vocals (Background)
Linda Mallah - Vocals (Background)

Wiki:
"Pages was an American pop rock band of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The band consisted of Richard Page and Steve George on vocals and keyboards, supported by various studio musicians, some of whom from time to time were considered part of the band proper. Although Pages was highly regarded for its well-crafted pop and jazz-fusion sound, the group did not achieve commercial success, and disbanded after recording three albums. Pages is perhaps best known as the launching pad for the recording careers of Page and George, who later formed Mr. Mister and topped the charts during the mid-1980s with pop classics such as 'Broken Wings' and 'Kyrie.'
Pages grew out of a long friendship between Richard Page and Steve George dating back to their high school days in Phoenix, Arizona. After high school, the two occasionally played together in bands in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. For a time, Page relocated to San Diego to attend music school.
In 1977, emerging teen idol Andy Gibb, recently relocated in Los Angeles, recruited Page and George to perform vocals and keyboards as part of his backing band. Gibb, whose first single, 'I Just Want To Be Your Everything,' was racing to the top of the charts, completed his backing band by adding Peter Leinheiser on lead guitar, Jerry Manfredi on bass and Russ Battelene on drums.
Gibb toured with this group of musicians throughout 1977. Toward the end of the year, the group recorded a demo tape of original jazz-fusion material. This tape came to the attention of former Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer Bobby Colomby, who liked what he heard and signed the group, now called 'Pages,' to Epic Records. The group also included Page's cousin John Lang. Although Lang could not play a musical instrument (he claimed he was tone deaf), he became Pages' chief lyricist.
Pages' eponymous first album, released in 1978, featured tracks ranging from light funk ('Clearly Kim'), calypso ('Love Dance') and driving rock ('Room At The Top') to smooth, harmonious ballads ('This Is For The Girls,' 'I Get It From You') and luscious instrumentals ('Interlude').
The album featured an impressive array of session musicians. The roster of talent included Colomby, Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind & Fire), Steve Forman, Dave Grusin, Claudio Slon, Victor Feldman and Michael Brecker. Although Page provided most of the lead vocals, George took the lead on 'Let It Go' and 'Listen For The Love.'
Colomby was quoted as saying that 'Pages represents the mainstream of contemporary music. They utilize various elements and combine them into an original and tasty mixture that will appeal to all formats of radio.' Despite Colomby's prediction, radio found it hard to place the group's sound. Neither Pages nor its single 'If I Saw You Again' made the Billboard charts. Leinheiser and Battelene went their own way after the album was recorded."

Pages

or

Pages

Blåkulla - Blåkulla, 1975 (Sympho Prog)

1. Frigivningen 1:33
2. Sirenernas Sång 6:05
3. Idealet 3:44
4. De får la Stå Öppet tess Vidare 1:47
5. Maskinsång 5:16
6. I Solnedgången 4:53
7. Drottningholmsmusiken 2:20
8. Världens Gång 1:53
9. Erinran 10:36
10. Mars 7:46
11. Linnéa 5:49
12. Idolen 6:41
Dennis Lindegren - vocals, chimes
Mats Ohberg - electric - acoustic guitars
Bosse Ferm - organ, piano
Hannes Rastam - bass
Tomas Olsson - drums
vintageprog:
"Blåkulla was a Swedish symphonic progressive rock band that was active during the mid-70's. Their one and only album was released in 1975, and it's a listenable but far from fantastic work. Their main influence was obviously Yes, but not more than they were not a clone-band. Swirling organ and guitar are the most dominant instruments in their sound. The guitar-playing varies from harmonic, melodic, almost Jan Akkerman- like and to more gutsy and aggressive. There's also some Squire-like bass here and there, and it can be heard especially good on the short instrumental 'De Må Få La Stå Öppe Tess Vidare'. The songwriting is decent, and there's no track here that is painful to listen to. 'Sirenernas Sång', 'Idealet', 'Maskinsång' and the lengthy closing-track 'Erindran' will suite most 70's progressive rock fans. In between these tracks are also some short and atmospheric acoustic pieces. They also do a cover of 'Drottningholms Musiken', which is a Swedish classical piece. But the muddled production weakens the overall impression, and the vocals are a bit weak from time to time."

Blåkulla

or

Blåkulla

Geoff & Maria Muldaur - Sweet Potatoes, 1972 (Country/Folk)

1. Blue Railroad Train 3:01
2. Havana Moon 4:52
3. Lazy Bones 4:49
4. Cordelia 3:57
5. Dardanella 4:31
6. I'm Rich 5:09
7. Sweet Potatoes 2:07
8. Kneein' Me 3:22
9. Lover Man 4:07
10. Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues 4:57
Maria Muldaur - Tambourine, Vocals
Geoff Muldaur - Clarinet, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Mune Blackburn - Flute, Sax (Alto)
Brother Gene Dinwiddie - Sax (Tenor)
Trevor Lawrence - Sax (Baritone)
Peter Ecklund - Trumpet
Bobby Notkoff - Violin
Bill Keith - Guitar (Steel)
Amos Garrett - Guitar, Trombone, Vocals
Paul Butterfield - Harmonica, Harp
Jeff Gutcheon - Keyboards, Piano
Stuart Brotman - Bowed Bass, Trombone (Bass)
John Kahn - Bass
Junior Turlock - Bass
Bill Wolf - Bass
Billy Mundi - Drums, Gong, Lujon, Percussion
AMG:
"In the midst of leaving the Jim Kweskin Jug Band and beginning the juggernaut that would be the solo career of Maria Muldaur, the happily singing and swinging couple made several sides which made expert use of a loose-knit group of players who had grown into masters of the folk revival arts. At times the choice of material on this album is unfortunately lazy; 'Havana Moon' was a song that not even Chuck Berry himself could complete without boredom setting in, and the efforts here don't pay off much better. At the same time, the players here really don't need much more than the most basic framework from which to jump off and they are hard at it, pushing the music forward with a sense of purpose that inevitably helped it earn its hard-fought respectability. As a whole, Sweet Potatoes is something of a masterwork, rich and revealing, possessing the contagious enthusiasm of young musicians finding a personal voice in the rich traditions of the past as well as the relaxed sophistication that develops when these players are no longer novices. The Geoff and Maria Muldaur combination, when it was working, was also very special, a challenging partnership that also was something of an inviting nucleus to the players with the talent to be drawn into the fold. This album contains some of the better playing of harmonica man Paul Butterfield, removed from the hyper-drive excess of his blues bands. 'Kneein' Me' and 'Cordelia' are among the song highlights."

 Sweet Potatoes

or

Sweet Potatoes

Siren - Siren/Strange Locomotion, 1969/1971 (Blues-Rock)

1. Ze-Ze-Ze-Ze 3:07
2. Get Right Church 3:22
3. Rock Me Baby 3:32
4. Wake up My Children 3:39
5. Wasting My Time 2:52
6. Sixteen Women 2:47
7. First Time I Saw Your Face 2:55
8. Gardener Man 3:34
9. And I Wonder 2:48
10. Asylum 3:47
11. Bertha Lee 3:19
12. I Wonder Where 5:11

13. Relaxing With Bonnie Lou 3:23
14. Some Dark Day 3:33
15. Hot Potatao 4:09
16. Soon 3:48
17. Gigolo 4:26
18. I'm All Aching 3:04
19. Strange Locomotion 2:56
20. Shake My Hand 3:17
21. Lonesome Ride 2:21
22. Fat Moaning Minnie 2:51
23. Squeeze Me 2:37
Kevin Coyne - Guitar, Vocals
John Chichester - Guitar
Mick Gratton - Guitar
Nick Cudworth - Guitar, Piano
Dave Clague - Bass
Tat Meager - Drums
AMG:
"Before beginning his career as a solo artist, Kevin Coyne was the centerpiece of Siren. The group recorded two albums in the late '60s and early '70s for Dandelion, the British underground-oriented indie run by DJ John Peel. The paths that Coyne would follow on his many solo albums are much in evidence in Siren's work, which spotlight his pained, scraggly, and soulful vocals, as well as his funny, sometimes bitter lyrics. Guitarist Dave Clague (who was once in the Bonzo Dog Band) and pianist Nick Cudworth helped Coyne pen much of Siren's graphy was doubled and then some in the mid-'90s, when DJC came up with three albums of mmaterial, and provided much of the low-key bluesy, folksy arrangements. Siren's slim discoostly unreleased material."

Siren/Strange Locomotion

or

Siren/Strange Locomotion

C.O.B. - Spirit of Love, 1970 (Prog Folk)

1. Spirit of Love 4:03
2. Music of Ages 3:53
3. Soft Touches of Love 4:51
4. Banjoland 3:35
5. Wade in the Water 4:34
6. Scranky Black Farmer 4:36
7. Evening Air 3:26
8. Serpent's Kiss 3:59
9. Sweet Slavery 5:11
10. When He Came Home 3:58
Clive Palmer - vocals, guitar, banjo
John Bidwell - organ, vocals, dulcitar, recorder, banjo, Indian hand organ
Mick Bennett - vocals, washboard, organ, percussion
+
Ralph McTell - guitar (1), drums (5)
Steve Bonnett - bass (1,2,8,9)
Ursula Smith - cello (8,9,10)
Chrissie Quayle - vocals (1)
Christina Bonnett - vocals (1)
Gillian McPherson - vocals (1)
Reina Sutcliffe - vocals (1)
AMG:
"It's no surprise that this album can be recommended to Incredible String fans, as it features singer-guitarist Clive Palmer, who was part of the ISB on their debut LP. It's less expected, however, that the album can also be recommended to British folk-rock fans who might not necessarily be enamored of the Incredible String Band. It's low-key, almost to the point of being subdued, and melodic British folk with that quasi-psychedelic mystical tinge characteristic of ISB. Yet the vocals are more tuneful and soothing - if, undeniably, less adventurous. The arrangements are nicely varied, too, something else that sets this apart from the standard British folk record. The embellishments from John Bidwell's dulcitar, Indian hand organ, and recorder - as well as occasional cello, haunting vocal harmonies, and the clever a cappella trio vocals of 'Wade in the Water' - play a large part in the record's modest triumph. The album has been reissued on CD by the mysterious Lady Eleanore label."

 Spirit of Love

or

Spirit of Love

The Millennium - Begin, 1968 (Sunshine Pop)

1. Prelude 1:18
2. To Claudia on Thursday 3:26
3. I Just Want to Be Your Friend 2:34
4. 5 A.M. 2:48
5. I'm with You 2:35
6. The Island 3:18
7. Sing to Me 2:15
8. It's You 3:21
9. Some Sunny Day 3:22
10. It Won't Always Be the Same 2:57
11. The Know It All 2:40
12. Karmic Dream Sequence. No. 1 5:58
13. There Is Nothing More to Say 2:23
14. Anthem (Begin) 2:39
15. Just About the Same 2:20
16. Blight 2:58
Lee Mallory - Vocals
Curt Boettcher - Vocals
Doug Rhodes - Horn, Keyboards, Vocals
Michael Fennelly - Guitar, Vocals
Sandy Salisbury - Guitar, Vocals
Joey Stec - Guitar
Ron Edgar - Drums, Vocals
AMG:
"The Millennium's Begin can truly be described as a bona fide lost classic. The brainchild of producers Curt Boettcher and Gary Usher, the group was formed out of the remnants of their previous studio project, Sagittarius, which was preceded by yet another aggregation, the Ballroom. On Begin, hard rock, breezy ballads, and psychedelia all merge into an absolutely air-tight concept album, easily on the level of other, more widely popular albums from the era such as The Notorious Byrd Brothers, which share not only Usher's production skills, but similarities in concept and construction. The songwriting, mostly by Curt Boettcher, Michael , and Joey Stec is sterling and innovative, never straying into the type of psychedelic overindulgence which marred so many records from this era. For example, 'It's You,' by Fennelly and Stec, is as powerful and fully realized as the era ever produced, easily on par with songs by the Beach Boys and the Byrds -- and, yes, even the Beatles. At the time the most expensive album Columbia ever produced (and it sounds like it), Begin is an absolute necessity for any fan of late-'60s psychedelia and a wonderful rediscovery that sounds as vital today as it did the day it was released."

Begin

or

Begin