This incredibly diverse collection was Chicago’s sixth studio album and their final studio-recorded double album to date. Cited for its jazz excursions, Chicago VII reached No. 1 in the US and included three stand-out hits including Searchin’ So Long, Wishing You Were Here and the first single penned by trumpeter Lee Loughnane Call on Me, which reached No. 6 in the US.

The end of the 60s was an important period in jazz, as well as rock music, in Poland and the rest of the world, with the development of many styles and trends in popular music. In 1970 the jazz rock fusion band, Laboratorium was formed in Kraków. Their music soon developed in jazz rock fusion, and so were pioneers in this music in Poland. In their first years, Laboratorium's music was acoustic, cleverly avoiding any limiting definitions. At the beginning of the 70's there was very limited access to Western recordings but this did not prove an obstacle for the band, because of the musicians searching and experimenting in the field. On the contrary and because of their relative isolation, Laboratorium developed an unique sound which was often noted in various critical reviews…

One of those real rare hard rock group often considered as heavy progressive, Jenghiz Khan produced one sole album that is now a highly-priced collectible item. With an amazing cartoon-like gatefold cover of the Great Conqueror having cut the group member's heads, this obscure quartet is also the start of bassist Rapsat's lengthy career (he had recorded with another "prog" group Laurelie the same year) as a French-speaking rock singer/songwriter. The album is the hard rock that one can expect from the era with an amateur trait, but also some undeniable progressive tendencies. The album has received a CD issue sometime ago and is now most likely scarce also. ~ Hugues Chantraine, Belgium

Formed in 1968 in Warwick, England, the Edgar Broughton Band were part of the late 60s British underground blues boom. Led by the Broughton brothers, vocalist/guitarist Edgar Broughton and drummer Steve Broughton, and fleshed out by bassist Arthur Grant and guitarist Victor Unitt (who also briefly served with The Pretty Things), they were contemporaries of Groundhogs, Hawkwind, and The Pink Fairies, but were unique within the movement due to their radical political consciousness. In May 1971 they released possibly their finest work: their eponymous third album, which contained the classic "Evening Over Rooftops" (with strings by David Bedford which Edgar Broughton called "stunning"). Mike Oldfield also featured on "Thinking Of You".

This two-fer from Dutton Vocalion features a pair of out of print Ronnie Aldrich LPs: The World of Burt Bacharach and Webb Country, originally issued in 1972 and 1977, respectively. These 21 tracks are dominated by Muzak versions of popular songs of the era written by Bacharach and Hal David and include "(They Long to Be) Close to You," "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," and "This Guy's in Love with You." The remaining tunes are from the songbook of Jimmy Webb and include "MacArthur Park," "Wichita Lineman," and "Up, Up and Away." This is an enjoyably relaxing reissue from Aldrich's deleted catalog on London Records.

In 1972, pre-heavy metal legend Neil Merryweather took the musicans from Mama Lion with the exception of Lynn Carey, entered the studio and laid down two albums, "Heavy Cruiser" and "Lucky Dog" under the name of Heavy Cruiser.
Artie Ripp (record producer) stopped the band from putting their names on the record cover because he didn’t want it to interfere with his main act, Mama Lion.
The same thing happened when Neil did more of his songs with the band and produced a second “Heavy Cruiser” album called “Lucky Dog” - band members’ names were left off the cover.

The band's fifth release, Rain Dances is Camel at its best, offering the most consistent and representative package in their saga. The addition of Caravan-cofounder Richard Sinclair proves profitable, as do a few colorist touches by Brian Eno on "Elke." Mel Collins' woodwinds are among the highlights, especially on "Tell Me" and the title track. From beginning to end, this project flows gracefully.

"Beautiful Music" used to be a genre in the realm of popular music. It's also been called "easy listening" and then morphed into "adult contemporary". But today's adult contemporary is really just soft rock (albeit today's soft rock is harder than a lot of Top 40 was in the late 70s and early 80s). There used to be stations that played "beautiful music" exclusively: Stanley Black, Ray Conniff, Percy Faith, Frank Chacksfield, etc. Most of the playlist would be recent contemporary hits covered by choral groups, pianists, and orchestras. During that time, London Records sold a lot of their patented Phase 4 Stereo LP records and reel-to-reel tapes. The series was renowned for it's technical brilliance, using state of the art recording, mixing and mastering techniques. Ronnie Aldrich was among London's best selling artists and Tony D'Amato produced many albums using Aldrich's twin pianos backed by The London Festival Orchestra. These albums were not only known for their technical brilliance (which is still quite impressive even in the 21st century) but also for their glossy, gatefold covers featuring colorful artwork and graphics and maybe a sexy model or two. The two LPs featured on this CD were originally released in 1973 and 1972, respectively.

Cybotron was an electronic music duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, by expatriate German Steve Braund (aka Steve Maxwell Von Braund) and Geoff Green in 1975. The group draws heavily on synthesisers, electronic and acoustic percussion, plus saxophone and played minimalist, repetitive progressive-style electronica in a style that emulated the direction of the 1970's German cosmic sounds. The second album, "Colossus" - arguably the peak for Cybotron - was released in 1978. Soundscapes displayed here are very similar to Tangerine Dream (Froese/Franke/Baumann period), but in a more melodic and symphonic way, with more distinct and rythmic parts, and less trance and repetitive loops. Furthermore, Cybotron introduces an instrument not very much used by electronic bands at this moment: the sax! This adds quite a refreshing feeling to the music.

Deluxe treatment for one of the most important works by Piero Piccioni, includes the complete film score plus the 1974 album version. Appassionata (1974) was a sexually-charged production starring Gabriele Ferzetti, Valentina Cortese, Ornella Muti and Elenora Giorgi. Chronicling the competition of two nubile girls who attempt to seduce the patriarch of a household, Gianluigi Calderone’s movie didn’t shy away from depicting such forbidden subjects as incest or the early sexual awakening of teenagers. This disturbing story was made more all the sensual by the lush underscore of Piero Piccioni.

While German Prog/Art rockers Jane may be a familiar name outside of the Prog arena, Harlis were a tremendously talented offshoot of the band who recorded two albums that didn’t conform to the Prog Rock rulebook, but didn’t stray to far from it either. Led by former Jane member Charly Maucher, Harlis were a bit looser than their contemporaries, which added a raw edge to their sound. While the band features excellent musicians, Harlis’ sound is more about the band as a whole as opposed to the skills of the individuals. Adding a bit more Blues and British and American Rock influences into the mix may have turned away some Prog fans, but in doing so, their sound has a timeless quality to it.
Harlis’ 1976 self-titled debut was a joyous slice of Rock that didn’t really belong to any defined genre…

Roy Ayers's had long made his shift into R&B/soul by 1976's Everybody Loves the Sunshine. His recordings of this period can be very hit and miss, and in this particular record, you get both. The title track, "Everybody Loves the Sunshine," is a quintessential song from the mid-'70s. While it might not have slammed the charts like Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music," it's still a revered classic. It evokes that feeling of sweltering concrete in Brooklyn where the only relief is the local fire hydrant.