Max Roach & Anthony Braxton - Birth And Rebirth (1978) {Black Saint BSR 0024 CD}
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© 1978 Black Saint | BSR 0024 CD
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Post Bop / Saxophone / Drums

The first of drummer Max Roach's two duet sets with multireedist Anthony Braxton consists of seven fairly free improvisations that they created in the studio. Each of the selections (particularly "Birth" which builds gradually in intensity to a ferocious level, the waltz time of "Magic and Music," the atmospheric "Tropical Forest" and "Softshoe") have their own plot and purpose. Braxton (who performs on alto, soprano, sopranino and clarinet) and Roach continually inspire each other, which is probably why they would record a second set the following year. Stimulating avant-garde music.

Max Roach & Anthony Braxton - One in Two, Two in One (1979) {hat ART CD 6030 rel 1989}
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© 1979, 1989 Hat Hut Records | hat ART CD 6030
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Post Bop / Saxophone / Drums

The second of two duet albums by drummer Max Roach and multi-reedist Anthony Braxton was recorded live and released on this two-LP set; this is the more interesting of the two projects since it is a nearly 78-minute continual improvisation. Braxton gets to stretch out on alto, soprano, sopranino, contra bass clarinet (which really gets a monstrous sound), clarinet, and flute. With Roach pushing Braxton, the results are quite adventurous, yet full of joy. Followers of avant-garde jazz can consider this set to be essential.

This is a wonderful but very underrated debut album from progressive Norwegian Popol Vuh (NOT the more recognizable German krautrock band!), who in 1975 (after two albums) changed its name to Popol Ace. Their eponymous long play was released in 1972 on Polydor label and today is considered by many listeners a progressive masterpiece with slightly jazzy and bluesy feeling, with many tempo and moods changes and plenty of acoustic/electric guitars, Hammond organ, electric piano, mellotron and flute interplay. This carefully remastered CD edition is necessary for fans of early Genesis, Caravan, King Crimson, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Focus & Jethro Tull.

Boxer were a rock band formed by keyboardist Mike Patto and guitarist Ollie Halsall in 1975. They signed to Virgin and three albums followed, Below the Belt (1975), Absolutely (1977) and Bloodletting (1979), which also featured Bobby Tench and Boz Burrell. The band dissolved after Absolutely when Patto became ill…

The plan was for the Vanilla Fudge rhythm section of bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice to join with guitar god Jeff Beck and his singer Rod Stewart in a supergroup of sorts. The plan was derailed when Beck had a motorcycle accident that incapacitated him for 18 months. Stewart then joined pal Ron Wood in the revamped Faces (and pursued a somewhat lucrative solo career), leaving Bogert and Appice to find alternates for their dream band. They recruited guitarist Jim McCarty from Mitch Ryder's disassembling Detroit Wheels, and singer Rusty Day from Ted Nugent's Amboy Dukes. One can only wonder what might have been…

This Israeli band (with British vocalist & guitarist) started as The Churchills and released the mind-blowing, psychedelic 1968 LP and some fine singles. In 1971 they moved to England, changed their name to Jericho Jones and recorded guitar-dominated and truly great heavy rock LP Junkies, Monkeys & Donkeys. In 1972 they has shortened their name to Jericho and released fantastic, eponymous album - the real gem of the heavy progressive era! Two shorter songs and three extended tracks make up the album. It was high-octane rock with plenty of heavy riffing and extended, driving guitar solos, screaming vocals & thunderous drumming, but also with numerous tempo changes and typical, progressive arrangements. Unfortunately, shortly after the last single (released in November 1972) the band split up.

Ry Cooder understands that a great song is a great song, whether it was written before the Depression or last week. Still, at the same time he isn't afraid to explore new avenues and possibilities for the material. Like his three previous records, Paradise and Lunch is filled with treasures which become part of a world where eras and styles converge without ever sounding forced or contrived. One may think that an album that contains a traditional railroad song, tunes by assorted blues greats, and a Negro spiritual alongside selections by the likes of Bobby Womack, Burt Bacharach, and Little Milton may lack cohesiveness or merely come across as a history lesson, but to Cooder this music is all part of the same fabric and is as relevant and accessible as anything else that may be happening at the time. No matter when it was written or how it may have been done in the past, the tracks, led by Cooder's brilliant guitar, are taken to new territory where they can coexist. It's as if Washington Phillips' "Tattler" could have shared a place on the charts with Womack's "It's All Over Now" or Little Milton's "If Walls Could Talk".

The Grateful Dead made their reputation on the road with their live shows, and they always struggled to capture that magic in the studio. From the Mars Hotel, while not a classic, represents one of their better studio albums. Jerry Garcia sounds engaged throughout and takes the vocal reigns for most of the songs on the album – although he's not the most gifted vocalist, he proves himself able and versatile…

Speed, Glue & Shinki - Eve (1971) {2011 Phoenix Records Limited Digi Gate Fold LP replica ASHCD3026}
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© 1971, 2011 Phoenix Records | ASHCD3026
Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Blues Rock / Hard Rock / Acid Rock

2011 limited edition LP replica release by Phoenix Records. Classic wasted stoner rock from 1971. Joint 1st in Julian Cope’s Top 50 Japanese album chart (along with Flower Traveling Band’s Satori). Speed, Glue & Shinki's landmark debut album, 1971's Eve, is one of the greatest contradictions of its time (maybe all time): a primitive, deranged, and at times downright sloppy mutation of acid blues and proto-metal, akin to the Bloomfield/Kooper/Stills Super Session crashing headlong into earliest Zeppelin and Sabbath records, as performed by musicians whose instrumental chops were actually beyond reproach…but you'd never be able to tell from this!

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a newly re-mastered and expanded 50th anniversary edition of the first solo album by the legendary Peter Green. Peter’s work with Fleetwood Mac needs no introduction. His acclaimed guitar playing and writing graced several albums and a succession of hit singles before he departed the group in 1970.

4 CD boxset of the complete version of Pink Floyd's The Wall with all the missing and restored tracks. Pink Floyd The Wall is more than just a classic album. It is a true rock opera — a musical, visual, and cinematic spectacle on a grand scale. It is perhaps the finest example of rock and roll theatre ever produced. It is a complex, intricate work worthy of the recognition and study we often reserve for traditional classical works. It is huge in scope and full of big themes yet at its core it’s still a deeply personal album about isolation and the damage we inflict upon ourselves. The sound of the album is timeless. Throughout the years, its messages adapt. Decades after its release, The Wall is still a relevant and important work.