If you happen to be a fan of Popol Vuh, you are more likely to have albums like Hosianna Mantra (1972), Seligpreisung (1973), Einsjager & Siebenjager (1974), etc. You know that Florian Fricke tended to use piano as his main instrument, and no electronic instruments were used by any other band member. So it’s a […] Continue reading →

In 1978, Tim Blake recorded and released his second solo album, Blake’s New Jerusalem, also released on the French Egg label. This time around, it’s a studio effort, so whatever flaws of Crystal Machine, are not here, since he got time to edit those flaws. Blake this time around, not only handles his trustworthy Mini […] Continue reading →

Buddah Records might be more notable for bubblegum acts like The Ohio Express and the 1910 Fruitgum Company, but to be fair, Captain Beefheart was also on that label for his debut album, Safe as Milk (by far the most credible artist to end up on the label). One of the more unusual albums you’ll […] Continue reading →

What’s well known about the Strawbs was that they were never known for a steady lineup, with only Dave Cousins being the only constant through the mess. The band was known for having Rick Wakeman in their ranks, but he left in 1971 for Yes, of course. In his place was a keyboardist named Mick […] Continue reading →

Cruel Sister was the fourth album by this British folk group Pentangle. Before this album, the band would combine traditional folk material, non-folk material, and their own in an all-acoustic setting. The group had two guitarists, John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, who handled strictly acoustic guitars, while bassist Danny Thompson used his trustworthy double-bass that […] Continue reading →

The Aerosol Grey Machine was the debut album from Van der Graaf Generator, although some people don’t regard it as really a VdGG album (usually the detractors), which I’ll explain. It actually wasn’t meant to be a VdGG album, rather a solo album from Peter Hammill. The band broke up briefly around this time period, […] Continue reading →

This Japanese band, Acid Mothers Temple has got to be one of the most prolific of modern psychedelic bands out there, going through many different styles and even names. The original incarnation (formed in 1996) was called Acid Mothers Tempel & The Melting Paraiso UFO. The band also had a habit of spoofing album covers […] Continue reading →

Hard to believe Peru actually had a rock scene! When one thinks of Peruvian music, they think obviously of traditional Incan music, played on panpipes, charango, quena, etc. But in the late ’60s and early ’70s, there was a band from Lima called Traffic Sound, and they hardly played traditional Andean music by any stretch […] Continue reading →

While Focus 3 did have some great stuff, I also thought the album got bogged down by excessive guitar and drum solos (“Anonymous II” was the guilty verdict). The band then recorded Live at the Rainbow in 1973, which was recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London during the peak of their success. They were […] Continue reading →

In 1970, Focus released their debut album, In & Out of Focus. It was basically an album that showed promise, which would be fully realized on following albums (think of In & Out of Focus like Trespass by Genesis or the first two albums from Yes). It was by far their most vocal dominated album, […] Continue reading →