APHRODITE'S CHILD - 666 (1972-2014) RM / Mini LP PT-SHM Universal Japan / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

An amazingly bombastic concept album about the Apocalypse of St. John seen as a rock spectacle. Demis Roussos wails the lyrics in a frantically operatic falsetto, while the band pound fiercely through Vangelis' furiously complex music. It certainly has its moments, but the entire set eventually becomes too overwhelming to sit through. by Steven McDonald
Tracklist:
1 The System 0:27
2 Babylon 2:54
Lead Vocals – Demis Roussos
Tenor Saxophone – Michel Ripoche
3 Loud, Loud, Loud 2:43
4 The Four Horsemen 5:55
Lead Vocals – Demis Roussos
5 The Lamb 4:32
6 The Seventh Seal 1:30
7 Aegian Sea 5:24
8 Seven Bowls 1:29
9 The Wakening Beast 1:12
10 Lament 2:45
11 The Marching Beast 2:01
12 The Battle Of The Locusts 0:56
13 Do It 1:44
14 Tribulation 0:32
15 The Beast 2:26
Lead Vocals – Lucas Sideras
16 Ofis 0:16
17 Seven Trumpets 0:35
18 Altamont 4:35
19 The Wedding Of The Lamb 3:40
20 The Capture Of The Beast 2:17
21 ∞ 5:16
Lead Vocals – Irene Papas
22 Hic Et Nunc 2:57
Lead Vocals – Demis Roussos
Tenor Saxophone – Michel Ripoche
23 All The Seats Were Occupied 19:32
24 Break 3:00
Lead Vocals – Lucas Sideras
Personnel

Vangelis Papathanassiou (Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou) - keyboards, organ, piano, vibraphone, bass, flute, percussions, backing vocals ("Lament", "The Beast", "Break")

Demis Roussos (Artemios Ventouris Roussos) - lead vocals ("Babylon", "The Four Horsemen", "Lament", "Hic et Nunc"), bass, guitar, backing vocals

Lucas Sideras - drums, lead vocals ("The Beast", "Break"), backing vocals

Silver Koulouris (Anargyros Koulouris) - guitar, percussion

Guest musicians

Harris Halkitis - bass, tenor saxophone, congas, percussion, backing vocals

Michel Ripoche - trombone, tenor saxophone ("Babylon", "Hic et Nunc")

Irene Papas - vocals ("∞")

John Forst - English narration

Yannis Tsarouchis - Greek narration ("Ofis")

Daniel Koplowitz - voice ("Loud Loud Loud")

Costas Ferris - lyricist

RARE BIRD - Rare Bird (1969-1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This debut featured an organist and an electric pianist, but no guitarist, resulting in a moody Hammond-heavy album from a band that would later become more progressive and varied in its sound. "Beautiful Scarlet" shifts easily from histrionic soul to offhanded slow-four interludes, and the instrumental "Iceberg" shows off the organist Graham Field and the rest of band's chops well. The whispered vocals and weird background noises of "God of War" achieves the kind of creepy gloom appropriate to an era of carpet bombing and napalm. Indeed, the production and instrumentation of this album makes it very much of a period piece, though certainly not in any derogatory sense.by Paul Collins
Tracklist
1 Iceberg 6:46
2 Times 4:00
3 You Went Away 4:17
4 Melanie 3:27
5 Beautiful Scarlet 5:23
6 Sympathy 2:30
7 Natures Fruit 2:32
8 Bird On A Wing 4:13
9 God Of War 5:08
- Bonus Tracks -
10 Devil's High Concern
11 Sympathy (Mono)
Credits
Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals – Steve Gould
Drums, Timpani, Backing Vocals – Mark Ashton
Electric Piano – David Kaffinetti
Organ – Graham Field
Written-By – Rare Bird

ELOY - Eloy (1971-2008) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This is the debut recording from one of Germany's most accomplished progressive rock bands. The band was originally co-led by vocalist Erich Schriever and guitarist Frank Bornemann, and the two differed on musical direction, which is evident here. The band was essentially a hard rock act at this time with a sound similar to Black Sabbath and Atomic Rooster. Although the production is lackluster and their technical abilities were not yet fully developed, it does have an intrinsic quality. "Today," in particular, demonstrates the band's abilities to create catchy rock songs. While Eloy would move in a more progressive direction, which would yield more consistent results, they would never sound as honest and vulnerable as they do here. Humble beginnings for one of progressive rock's most underrated bands. by Robert Taylor
Tracklist
1. Today 6:07
2. Something Yellow 8:14
3. Eloy 6:17
4. Song Of A Paranoid Soldier 4:54
5. Voice Of Revolution 3:09
6. Isle Of Sun 6:07
7. Dillus Roady 6:34
- Bonus Tracks -
8. Walk Alone 2:43
9. Daybreak (1970) 2:41
10. Vibrations Of My Mind 3:36

ELOY - Inside (1973-2000) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Eloy was only on their second album when they introduced their first major change of direction in sound. With the departure of founding member Erich Schriever, Frank Bornemann found himself able to take the group on a more resolutely progressive rock road. Still strongly hard-rocking, though, the music is dominated in turns by Bornemann's guitar solos and Manfred Wieczorke's Deep Purple-esque overdriven Hammond organ. The 17-minute "Land of No Body" tries too hard to emulate the clichés of the prog rock epic. A space-related theme ties together a string of riffs and extended solos. It lacks meat around the bone, and in the end sounds a lot like Benefit-era Jethro Tull. The shorter tracks are more satisfying. "Inside" and "Future City" rock hard and efficiently, the former pushing Wieczorke up front, the latter featuring Bornemann's best vocal impression of Ian Anderson. The closer, "Up and Down," remains, for the most part, a dazed piece filtered by Led Zeppelin and Procol Harum. Compared to the following year's Floating, Inside represents a transition from Eloy's first incarnation and a first exhibition of their leader's main influences -- influences that he still needed to digest. The 2001 remastered edition from EMI adds the two tracks from the 1973 single "Daybreak"/"On the Road." by François Couture   
Tracklist
1 Land Of No Body 17:20
2 Inside 6:35
3 Future City 5:35
4 Up And Down 8:25
5 Daybreak 3:39
6 On The Road 2:30
Credits
Bass Guitar – Wolfgang Stöcker
Drums, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Flute – Fritz Randow
Guitar, Vocals, Percussion – Frank Bornemann
Organ, Guitar, Vocals, Percussion – Manfred Wieczorke
Written-By – Eloy

ELOY - Floating (1974-2000) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With Floating, Eloy hit their first artistic peak. The German group's brand of hard rock meets prog rock gelled beautifully for this set of five songs. The structural shortcomings of the longest track from the previous album are now things of the past: "The Light From Deep Darkness" is a 15-minute roller coaster. The opening title track gets very close to early Santana, thanks to a spirited drum track and Manfred Wieczorke's organ work, closer this time to Gregg Rollie than Jon Lord (Deep Purple). But the album's highlight resides in the infectiously heavy riff of "Castle in the Air," maybe the most recognizable sound bit in Eloy's first three albums. New bassist Luitjen Janssen gives the song a tremendous momentum. The lyrics to "Plastic Girl" are more down to earth (and relate to Frank Zappa's "Plastic People") than the group's growing interest in metaphysics and space-age references. The album is capped by "Madhouse," a frantic rocker that shows how Bornemann has integrated the influence of Jethro Tull in his music. Fans of Eloy's concept albums (Dawn, Ocean, Planets) have a tendency to look snobbishly at the first three LPs, but Floating stands as a great rock achievement, no matter what the group will record next. The music did not have to adapt to a plot and is not drenched in synthesizers. As a result, it feels more honest and direct. The 2001 EMI remastered edition adds three live bonus tracks.  by François Couture 
Tracklist
1 Floating 3:59
2 The Light From Deep Darkness 14:37
3 Castle In The Air 7:13
4 Plastic Girl 9:05
5 Madhouse 5:16
- Previously Unreleased -
6 Future City (Live) 4:59
7 Castle In The Air (Live) 8:08
8 Flying High (Live) 3:30
Credits
Arranged By, Producer – Eloy
Bass – Luitjen Janssen
Drums – Fritz Randow
Organ, Guitar – Manfred Wieczorke
Painting – Jacques Wyrs
Vocals, Guitar – Frank Bornemann

ELOY - Ocean (1977-2004) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

As good as Dawn was, the weight of the orchestra prevented it from being truly compelling, while its story seemed a bit thin. Eloy fixed both flaws for Ocean, creating their most striking album, a true classic of progressive rock history in Germany and abroad. Written by drummer Jurgen Rosenthal, the lyrics relate to Greek mythology, combining the tale of Poseidon and the myth of Atlantis. Man lost the paradise on Earth that was Atlantis because of his violent nature -- an obvious metaphor of the nuclear menace that was still very much alive in 1977. The album consists of four extended pieces that combine atmospheric keyboards (think early Vangelis), progressive rock developments à la Pink Floyd-meets-Yes, and occasional recitatives inspired by the Moody Blues' storytelling form (In Search of the Lost Chord, On the Threshold of a Dream). Frank Bornemann sings slightly better than usual, his voice carrying more emotion. The band hits the perfect balance between heaviness and lightness: the riffs are solidly anchored, yet the music really floats, especially in "Atlantis' Agony at June 5th -- 8498, 13 P.M. Gregorian Earthtime." "Incarnation of Logos" provides the best moments. Three of the four songs are also featured on the Live album, released a year later, which revealed how little musical material they actually had. Their strength resides in the rich studio arrangements. by François Couture   
Tracklist
1 Poseidon's Creation 11:38
Engineer [Remixing] – Günther "Felix" Beyer
2 Incarnation Of The Logos 8:25
Engineer [Remixing] – Günther "Felix" Beyer
3 Decay Of The Logos 8:15
Engineer [Remixing] – Georgi Nedeltschev
4 Atlantis' Agony At June 5th - 8498, 13 P.M. Gregorian Earthtime 15:35
Engineer [Remixing] – Georgi Nedeltschev
Credits
Composed By, Arranged By, Producer, Performer [Played By] – Eloy
Crew [Road Crew] – Delle Hä!, Klaus The Soldier
Engineer [Recording Engineer], Other [Creative Ideas & Great Sound] –  Georgi Nedeltschev
Lyrics By, Drums [Sonor Genuine Rosewood], Cymbal [Paiste], Timbales, Rototoms, Drums [Kettle Drums], Temple Block, Bells [Tubular Bells], Voice, Triangle, Flute, Other [Morse Key & Paper] – Jürgen Rosenthal
Organ [Hammond], Synthesizer [Mini-moog], Synthesizer [Arp], Mellotron, Computer [Rmi Keyboard Computer], Xylophone, Voice [Angelic] – Detlev Schmidtchen
Painting [Cover] – Wojtek Siudmak
 Producer, Lead Vocals, Guitar [All Electric & Effect], Acoustic Guitar – Frank Bornemann
Vocals, Bass Guitar [Thunderbird- And Fender Fretless] – Klaus-Peter Matziol

ELOY - Colours (1980-2005) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A new decade, a new lineup, with Frank Bornemann on guitar and vocals, Klaus-Peter Maziol (who stayed on from the previous lineup) on bass, Hannes Folberth on keyboards, Hannes Arkona on guitars, and British born drummer Jim McGillivray. This marked a new direction for the band, a more accessible, direct approach in their music. The guitars tend to be heavier, the keyboards aren't so drench in atmosphere as Detlev Schmidtchen had. Still, this is the sound of the band reluctant to enter the 1980s (and that holds true with their following two albums, "Planets" and "Time to Turn"), and Folberth sticks with strictly '70s keyboards here (but more early '80s keyboards will enter the setup after this album) like Mini Moog, string synths, Hohner Clavinet, and Hammond organ.

The album opens up with "Horizons", complete with clavinet and female chorus, with quote from YES' "Tales From Topographic Oceans" in the lyrics. "Child Migration", "Giant", "Silhouette", and "Gallery" all show the more straighforward direction, a lot of this reminding me of the ALAN PARSONS PROJECT. Some of this music borders on AOR. "Sunset" is an instrumental, synth dominated piece with spacy Moog. web

Tracklist:

 1. Horizons (3:20)

2. Illuminations (6:19)

3. Giant (6:05)

4. Impressions (3:06)

5. Child Migration (7:23)

6. Gallery (3:08)

7. Silhouette (6:57)

8. Sunset (3:15)

- Bonus Tracks - 

9. Wings Of Vision 4:14

10. Silhouette (Single Edit) 3:30

Line-up / Musicians

- Frank Bornemann / lead vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, co-producer

- Hannes Arkona / acoustic & electric guitars

- Hannes Folberth / keyboards

- Klaus-Peter Matziol / bass, backing vocals

- Jim McGillivray / drums, percussion

With:

- Edna & Sabine / lead vocals (1)

CZAR - Czar (1970-2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In kind of the same way some Nektar tracks can't fail to bring a smile to your face in their close-but-no-cigar similarity to Pink Floyd, Czar's sole and obscure album sometimes sounds like an earnest if inferior emulation of King Crimson's first album. Nowhere is that more apparent than the opening track, "Tread Softly on My Dreams," which comes off a bit like King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "In the Court of the Crimson King" with perhaps a dash of "Epitaph" thrown into a blender. It may be derivative (and Czar guitarist Mick Ware does acknowledge King Crimson having had a huge impact on the band in the liner notes to the 2007 expanded-CD edition), but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable for those with a yen for early keyboard-heavy British prog rock. Certainly few other tracks by anyone came as close to re-creating King Crimson's ominous Mellotron sound as "Tread Softly on My Dreams." And while the King Crimson influence (especially via that Mellotron, though also with foreboding crunching guitar riffs) is heard on the rest of the album as well, it's not as blatant on the other tracks. Czar has a greater tendency toward songs with a West Coast psychedelic influence, and a greater willingness to use vocal harmonies and organ that echo Keith Emerson as well as King Crimson. It is, however, those passages that stress the creepiest aspects of Bob Hodges' accomplished keyboards (whether Mellotron or other instruments) that are most impressive, if not among the more original such things to be heard in British prog rock. A nifty curiosity on its own terms, its length is doubled by the expanded edition, which adds historical liner notes and eight bonus tracks. One, the heavily classical-influenced (but rocking) outtake, "Ritual Fire Dance," would and should have fit in fine on the LP; the non-LP 45, "Oh Lord I'm Getting Heavy"/"Why Don't We Be a Rock and Roll Band?," in contrast, is far more straight-ahead rock than the material on the album, and far less distinguished. The five final tracks, all previously unreleased 1971 demos, could almost be the work of a different band, the keyboard prog rock menace having been jettisoned in favor of so-so period good-time rock with a slight rootsy/country influence (and, on "I Laid It on the Line," an apparent attempt to follow in the steps of T. Rex).  by Richie Unterberger   
Tracklist
1 Tread Softly On My Dreams
2 Cecelia
3 Follow Me
4 Dawning Of A New Day
5 Beyond The Moon
6 Today
7 A Day In September
Credits
Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Paul Kendrick
Drums – Del Gough
Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Mick Ware
Mellotron, Piano, Organ, Celesta, Harpsichord, Vocals – Bob Hodges
Noises – Dave, Roger

COLLEGIUM MUSICUM - Collegium Musicum (1970-2007) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This band was active from 1971 until 1981 with six releases plus one live album. Their style is similar to Emerson Lake & Palmer, Rick Wakeman, and The Nice. There are clear Classical influences. The bands music consisted of Ludovít Nosko (vocals, guitars), Marián Varga (keyboards), Karel Witz (guitars), Fedor Freso (bass) and Dusan Hájek (drums).

Their albums contain long tracks all composed by Varga. The compositions are solid and have Classical inspirations. An example is "Hommage a J.S. Bach" or "Concerto in D" and other tracks, the guitar have much space supported by superb keyboards (Hammond organ, mini Moog, piano). I support people who think this is one of the best east Europe bands of ever. Collegium Musicum official website

Tracklist  

1 Hommage À J. S. Bach 7:16
Composed By [Uncredited] – Dušan Hájek, Fedor Frešo, Marián Varga
2 Ulica Plná Plášťov Do Dažďa 6:43
Composed By [Uncredited] – Dušan Hájek, Marián Varga
3 If You Want To Fall 13:24
Composed By [Uncredited] – Marián Varga, Peter Saller
4 Strange Theme 13:40
Composed By [Uncredited] – Marián Varga, Peter Saller
5 Concerto In D 12:35

Composed By [Uncredited] – Joseph Haydn

Conductor [Diriguje] [Uncredited] – Vladimír Popelka
Credits
Bass Guitar, Vocals [Zpěv] – Fedor Frešo
Drums [Bicí Nástroje] – Dušan Hájek
Guitar – Pavel Váně (tracks: 1, 2), Rastislav Vacho (tracks: 3, 4, 5)
Organ, Harpsichord [Cembalo] – Marián Varga

QUATERMASS - Quatermass (1970-1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Quatermass' only album is a must-have for prog rock enthusiasts, especially lovers of the keyboard-dominated style which flourished in the early '70s. Although there are only three members of the band, their histories are just as colorful as the music they produced. Keyboard player Pete Robinson and bass man Johnny Gustafson met drummer Mick Underwood and founded Episode Six, a band which included Ian Gillan who later fronted Deep Purple. Underwood was also involved with the Outlaws as well as the Herd, only a few years before Peter Frampton arrived. When the band finally formed Quatermass in 1970, they had set their sights on a power rock format which would use Robinson's keyboards to shape their sound. Both "Black Sheep" and "One Blind Mice" were released as singles which fell mostly on deaf ears, but the band's sound was equally as moving as the Nice's repertoire, for example, at around the same time. Quatermass' sound is far from sounding hollow, isolated, or directionless, but all of the cuts are rather rock-sturdy and instrumentally voluptuous from all points. The string work that swoops in is encompassing, Underwood's drumming exhibits personality, and the keyboard portions are remarkably striking and distinct. Even Gustafson's robust vocals work well within the music's structure, subsiding and ascending when called for, and all of the cuts result in worthy examples of well-built progressive rock, in both ballad and power rock form. Following this album, the band broke up, with Gustafson later doing session work for Kevin Ayers, Steve Hackett, and Ian Hunter, among others, while Robinson found new life within the jazz-prog band Brand X. Beautifully packaged with informative liner notes, Quatermass sounds as resounding today as it did in 1970, and upon hearing it, one can only wonder why it was so overlooked during its release.  by Mike DeGagne  
Tracklist 
1 Entropy 1:10
Written-By – P. Robinson
2 Black Sheep Of The Family 3:35
Written-By – S. Hammond
 3 Post War Saturday Echo 9:39
Written-By – Ross, Gustafson, Robinson
4 Good Lord Knows 2:51
Written-By – J. Gustafson
5 Up On The Ground 7:05
Written-By – J. Gustafson
6 Gemini 5:51
Written-By – S. Hammond
7 Make Up Your Mind 8:41
Written-By – S. Hammond
8 Laughin' Tackle 10:32
Arranged By [Strings] – Peter Robinson
Written-By – P. Robinson
9 Entropy (Reprise) 0:40
Written-By – P. Robinson
- Bonus Tracks -
10 One Blind Mice 3:15
11 Punting 7:18
Credits
Drums – Mick Underwood
Keyboards – Pete Robinson
Vocals, Bass Guitar – John Gustafson

MANDOKI SOULMATES - Living in the Gap + Hungarian Pictures (2019) 2CD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Born in Budapest, the drummer and bandleader of German descent László (Leslie) Mandoki belonged to the 1970s' student opposition in communist Hungary. Far beyond the system-conform mainstream, his Jazz-Rock formation "JAM" symbolized the longing for a free world. In 1975, he was forced to leave the country because of governmental repression. Accompanied by his two closest friends, László Bencker and Gábor Csupó, their flight was followed by a long odyssey. On his quest for freedom, he found more than that: a new home - in Germany.

In the "Golden West", after having been taught the hard way by the free market music industry, Leslie became established as a musician. After working as a singing drummer in various theatres, cafés with dancing and jazz festivals, he soon made a name for himself as a studio musician. As front man and lead singer of the band "Dschingis Khan", he then, almost unintentionally, won public recognition with no.1 hits in many countries and innumerable awards, gold - and platinum records. While being far away from his own artistic and musical visions, his years with Dschingis Khan have served Leslie as a kind of apprenticeship. His studio work and his first successes as a songwriter as well as dealings with various useful divisions of the commercial music industry finally enabled him to gain artistic freedom. In this time he made the acquaintance of many influential "men of action" of the music scene, who became friends over the years, such as Monty Lüftner, the founder of the BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group).

With his old school friend and so-called "muse twin", top arranger László Bencker, he founded the Park Studios in Munich, where he began to put his musical visions into practice with a small team under the name "Red-Rock Production". It was their perfectionism and hard work which brought Leslie and Laszlo their first gold and platinum records as well as various other awards as producers; at the time they worked on productions of such different artists as Engelbert, Placido Domingo, M.S.S.O. or Leslie's companion at the time, Ami Stewart, an American disco-singer with two international no.1 hits.

At the opening festivities of the Olympic Games in Seoul, Leslie sang alongside a number of world stars; the Mandoki/ Bencker- song became a no.1 hit in Asia.

Many years of common experience have turned Leslie Mandoki and Laszlo Bencker into a well-attuned team; as graduate musicians they are open for different styles and genres, true to their motto: "Music is a matter of taste; recording is a matter of dedication and professionalism." In the course of the years, many artists coming from the most diverse musical backgrounds have put their trust into Leslie and Laszlo, for example Milva, Karel Gott, Howard Carpendale, but also Kenny Loggins, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Jermaine Jackson, Pia Zadora, and many others.

In their studio work and the resulting music production, Leslie and Laszlo finally found a way to realize their original artistic vision. Leslie never let go of his passion for his artistic roots, the jazz-rock of the 1970s and intellectual pop music. Consequently, alongside his various productions, he created the Man Doki project featuring Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Jack Bruce (Cream), David Clayton-Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears), Bobby Kimball (Toto), multiple Grammy-winners Michael and Randy Brecker, Pino Palladino (Elton John, Billy Joel, Phil Collins), Nik Kershaw, Steve Khan, Al Di Meola, Bill Evans (Miles Davis Band), Larry Coryell, Anthony Jackson (Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Bee Gees, Chick Corea) and Victor Bailey (Madonna, Weather Report, Mary J. Blige). These old and close friends of Leslie's were joined by Chaka Khan, Steve Lukather (Toto), Guru (Jazzmataz) and Joshua Kadison to work on the album "People In Room N° 8" which was introduced to the public in Thomas Gottschalk's
Parallel to the TV broadcast the CD "50 Jahre Rock" was released and immediately reached the top of the charts, where it remained for several weeks.
In the year 2005, the "50 Years Of Rock" line up participated in the Bambi-awarded ZDF (Second German Television) fundraising gala for the victims of the Tsunami. Leslie Mandoki was also in charge of one of the telephone lines for donations during the charity show, which entered the Guinness Book of Records as the TV show with the highest amount of received donations ever. The final song of the Charity Gala was also performed by the Man Doki Soulmates featuring Jon Lord, Greg Lake, Paul Carrack, Ian Anderson, Bobby Kimball and greatly successful young shooting-star Katie Melua. progarchives
Tracklist:
Living In The Gap
1 Living In The Gap 7:06
2 Young Rebels 4:25
3 Turn The Wind 5:17
4 Where We Belong 5:05
5 Let The Music Show You The Way 4:12
6 Too Much Pride 6:54
7 Old Rebels 4:43
8 Welcome To Real Life 7:45
9 Hottest Queen Of Cool 3:46
10 Wake Up 4:25
11 Mother Europe 3:40
12 I'm Not Your Enemy 8:47
Hungarian Pictures
1 Sessions In The Village 6:50
2 Utopia For Realists 2:09
3 Transylvanian Dances 19:02
4 You'll Find Me In Your Mirror 2:35
5 Return To Budapest 4:36
6 Barbaro 4:32
7 The Torch 5:51
Credits:
6-String Bass – Steve Bailey
Accordion – Fausto Beccalossi
Alto Saxophone – Max Merseny
Bass, Vocals – Richard Bona
Drums – Simon Phillips
Grand Piano – Béla Szakcsi Lakatos
Guitar – Al Di Meola, Mike Stern
Piano, Organ – Cory Henry, Gyula Papp
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Ada Brecker
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Bill Evans
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – John Helliwell
Trumpet – Till Brönner
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Randy Brecker
Violin – Edvin Marton
Vocals – Bobby Kimball, Chris Thompson, Jesse Siebenberg, Julia Mandoki, Nick Van Eede, Peter Maffay
Vocals, Bass – Jack Bruce
Vocals, Drums, Percussion, Udu – Leslie Mandoki
Vocals, Flute – Ian Anderson
Vocals, Piano, Organ – Tony Carey

GARIBALDI - Nuda (1972-1992) RM / WV (image+.cue), lossless

The Gleemen quartet from Genoa is rather a typical for Italian prog groups, generally avoiding the heavily slanted symphonic influences most of their countrymen were choosing and were relying on a heavy guitar-based sound and were often hard rocking. Their first album (1970) is still regarded nowadays as a gem from collectors all over the world, although it will surprise progheads a bit with its very 60's sound and major Hendrix influences, and absolutely stupendous artwork.
Having changed their name to a more Italian sounding name (Garybaldi being some hero of the late XIXth century in Liguria and neighbouring French Provence), they proceeded to record two further album with the same heavily slanted Hendrix influences even if the keyboards are also a good part of the sound). The first one sports an astounding and complex artwork by future Italian comix superstar Guido Crepax. Sidelong tracks are a common feature in those albums and they are self-indulgent, either.
Fosastti then disbanded the group, and with drummer/singer Cassinelli went on to form La Bambibanda E Melodia that released one record late 74. Guitarist Fossati has reformed the group (although he was the only original member) during the late 80's but the general sound was much bluesier and released one album.
Somehow their short career is almost parallel to Flea/Etna group (they also changed their name while retaining the same line-up), developing the same kind of unusual (for Italy) guitarey hard prog during the same years. progarchives
Tracklist:
1. Maya Desnuda (6:08)
2. Decomposizione, Preludio E Pace (1:55)
3. 26 Febbraio 1700 (7:20)
4. L'Ultima Graziosa (5:22)
5. Moretto Da Brescia:
- a. Goffredo (6:15)
- b. Il Giardino Del Re (9:16)
- c. Dolce Come Sei Tu (5:19)
Total Time: 41:35
Line-up / Musicians
- Bambi Fossatti / guitars, vocals
- Angelo Traverso / bass
- Maurizio Cassinelli / drums, vocals
- Lio Marchi / keyboards

THE GUESS WHO - Wheatfield Soul / Share the Land / Canned Wheat (2010) 3xCD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Wheatfield Soul (1969)

1 These Eyes 3:45

2 Pink Wine Sparkles In The Glass 2:13

3 I Found Her In A Star 2:36

4 Friends Of Mine 10:05

5 When You Touch Me 3:38

6 A Wednesday In Your Garden 3:22

7 Lightfoot 3:08

8 Love And A Yellow Rose 5:05

9 Maple Fudge 1:53

10 We're Coming To Dinner 2:45

Share The Land (1970)

1 Bus Rider 2:58

2 Do You Miss Me Darlin' 3:58

3 Hand Me Down World 3:26

4 Moan For You Joe 2:41

5 Share The Land 3:56

6 Hang On To Your Life 4:11

7 Coming Down Off The Money Bag / Song Of The Dog 3:57

8 Three More Days 8:56

9 Palmyra 5:48

10 The Answer 4:07

Canned Wheat (1969)

1 No Time (First Version) 5:36

2 Minstrel Boy 3:19

3 Laughing 3:06

4 Undun 4:18

5 6 A.M. Or Nearer 5:25

6 Old Joe 2:58

7 Of A Dropping Pin 3:42

8 Key 11:17

9 Fair Warning 1:46

10 Miss Frizzy* 5:09

11 Silver Bird 2:43

SPLASH - Ut Pa Vischan! (1972-2019) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Swedish jazz and rock band, combining Zappa influences, prog, soul and Nordic folk.
Tracklist:
1 Jag Minns Min Gröna Dal 5:19
2 Jag Drömmer Om En Annan Värld 6:16
3 Stormen 4:34
4 Ut På Vischan 3:58
5 Frihet 3:01
6 Spelmannen Och Forskarlen 6:51
7 Vår Dröm 3:47
8 Smutsig Jord 4:59
Credits:
Bass, Vocals – Kaj Söderström
Drums – Jan-Erik Westin
Guitar, Vocals – Christer Jansson
Organ, Piano – Gösta Rundqvist
Saxophone, Bassoon, Clarinet – Christer Holm
Saxophone, Flute – Håkan Lewin
Trombone – Lennart Löfgren
Trumpet – Leif Halldén

SPLASH - Splash (1974-2019) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1 Karottorokokrockokrokorock (Elephant Nilson) 21:02
2 Tiokronorspolkan 6:53
3 Sambahmadu 13:47
Credits:
Bass, Vocals – Kaj Söderström
Design [Cover] – Ardy Strüwer
Drums – Henrik Hildén
Flute [Flutes], Saxophone [Saxophones] – Torbjörn Carlsson
Guitar, Violin, Vocals – Christer Jansson
Maracas – Sven-Åke Eriksson (tracks: 3)
Percussion – Ahmadu Jarr (tracks: 3)
Piano, Organ, Synthesizer [Mini-Moog], Violin, Vocals – Thomas Jutterström
Producer [Produced By] – Splash
Saxophone, Clarinet, Bassoon – Christer Holm
Trombone, Flugelhorn – Lennart Löfgren
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Leif Halldén
Vocals [Presley-Vocal] – Gunnar (tracks: 1)
Voice [Announcing In Kolgujev] – Jan-Erik Westin (tracks: 1)

AIN SOPH - A Story of Mysterious Forest (1980-2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1980, when the crisis of progressive rock and fusion started to be apparent, a brilliant and imaginative album comes out in Japan! Any European country would have been thankful for such output at that time! Listening to this album, you can clearly recognize what guys liked listening to: Brand X and Return to Forever, among others. Ferocious moments owe a lot to Brand X, while more quiet and solemn moments such as on the last long track, bear traces of late Chick Corea on Return to Forever as well as even Collegium Musicum solemn wintery feeling (Konvergencie from 1970).

Keyboards dominate the album and are incredibly versatile. In one of the tracks, the keyboard sound changes from contemporary fusion to traditional bop within a second. Guitar is less prominent on this release, but has its electric and acoustic moments.

The first track is one of the best ones - a furious Brand X (76-77) inspired number that will rise your pressure and temperature. "Natural Selection" is another highlight with a semi-exotic and classic fusion track witha great Fender Rhodes piano soloing. The fourth track is reminiscent of Return of Forever and plenty of improvisation here by both keyboards and electric guitar. Unfortunately, the long title track is not cohesive and sounds unfocused at times. The impressive Christmas sounding symphonic organ beginning bursts into a drum workout with keyboard layers but after the first 5 minutes, the compositions loses its momentum and seem to be a disparate sequence of ideas that are not interconnected. In the end, the motives from the first 5 minutes creep in again. One of the better fusion records of the 1980. web 

Tracklist:

1 Crossfire 2:54

2 Interlude 1 1:30

3 Natural Selection 8:10

4 Variations On A Theme By Brian Smith 9:44

A Story Of Mysterious Forest (18:47)

5a Awakening

5b Longing - With The Wind

5c Mysterious Forest

5d Passion

5e Deep Sleep

5f Darkness

5g Dance

5h Misfortune

5i Mysterious Forest

5j Awakening

6 Interlude II 0:33

Credits:

Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Yozox Yamamoto

Bass, Effects – Masahiro Torigaki

Drums, Percussion, Gong [Crystal Gong] – Hiroshi Natori

Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano, Celesta [Celeste], Organ [Hammond], Clavinet, Synthesizer [Synthesizers, Strings], Vocoder, Mellotron – Masey Hattori

Written-By – Ain Soph

NECKTAR (1971-1977) 9 Albums Mini LP SHM-CD + 5 Bonus CD (2013) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The four Englishmen who formed the initial incarnation of Nektar met in Germany and formed the band there in 1969. For a little while in the early to mid-'70s, it seemed like they might take the American rock world by storm, but that was mostly hype, and by 1975 their big moment had already passed, although they lingered on until the end of the decade and have re-formed in the new millennium, recording several new CDs and appearing at various progressive music festivals.

Allan Freeman (keyboards, vocals), Roye Albrighton (guitar, vocals), Derek Moore (bass, Mellotron, vocals), and Ron Howden (drums) all came to Hamburg from England in 1965 as members of different bands. They met in 1968 at the Star Club, where they discovered some common ground in the Beatles as well as early rock & roll but were drawn to the more experimental sounds just beginning to emerge on the rock scene. A year later they formed Nektar and began working at combining these influences into an effective whole. By 1970, with a light show (designed and operated by unofficial fifth member Mick Brockett) added to their stage act, they began attracting a growing following in Germany. by Bruce Eder

 Journey To The Centre Of The Eye  (1971)

Nektar's debut album was one of their finest releases, saturated with abstract psychedelia and a wonderful science-fiction motif that is magnified through the rigorous but dazzling Mellotron of Allan Freeman and Roye Albrighton's nomadic guitar playing. Throughout Journey's 13 cuts, Nektar introduced their own sort of instrumental surrealism that radiated from both the vocals and from the intermingling of the haphazard drum and string work. With the synthesizer churning and boiling in front of Howden's percussive attack and Mick Brockett's "liquid lights," tracks like "Astronaut's Nightmare," "It's All in the Mind," and both "Dream Nebula" cuts teeter back and forth from mind-numbing, laid-back melodies to excitable, open-ended excursions of fantastical progressive rock. Just as Hawkwind was exploring the depths of outer space with their progressive tendencies on most of their albums, Journey to the Centre of the Eye musically probed the inner universe of the mind and body with its very own conceptual field trip. "Burn Out My Eyes" and "Warp Oversight" are let loose with buzz-saw vocals and hazy, undefined guitar chords which converge and fade into background rhythms, while the 54 seconds of "Look Inside Yourself" is a short, illusory voyage that ends too soon. Nektar's freewheeling sound is best felt on Journey and on their next three releases, as by the end of the decade, their progressive moods and ambient-like suites started to get harder and take on more of a mainstream feel.

Journey to the Centre of the Eye is the debut album from English progressive rock band Nektar that came out in late 1971. Because of its narrative nature, it has been called a rock opera and/or dense concept album. Listen to it from start to end, and you'll surely get a very enjoyable journey to the centre of the eye! Wikipedia

Tracklist 1:

1. Prelude 1:26

2. Astronauts Nightmare 6:26

3. Countenance 3:34

4. The Nine Lifeless Daughters Of The Sun 2:54

5. Warp Oversight 4:10

6. The Dream Nebula 2:16

7. The Dream Nebula II 2:26

8. It's All In The Mind 3:22

9. Burn Out My Eyes 6:35

10. Void Of Vision 1:55

11. Pupil Of The Eye 2:07

12. Look Inside Yourself 0:45

13. Death Of The Mind 4:07

Tracklist 2: Bonus CD

Official Bootleg: Live In Germany

1. Prelude 2:03

2. Astronauts Nightmare 6:50

3. Countenance 3:37

4. The Nine Lifeless Daughters Of The Sun 3:26

5. Warp Oversight 4:29

6. The Dream Nebula 2:24

7. The Dream Nebula II 2:34

8. It's All In The Mind 3:39

9. Burn Out My Eyes 7:24

10. Void Of Vision 1:11

11. Pupil Of The Eye 2:07

12. Look Inside Yourself 1:31

13. Death Of The Mind 5:04

Credits:

Roye Albrighton - guitars, vocals

Mick Brockett - liquid lights

Allan "Taff" Freeman - Mellotron, pianos, organ, vocals

Ron Howden - drums, percussion

Derek "Mo" Moore - Mellotron, bass, vocals

Keith Walters - static slides

Dieter Dierks - additional piano

 A Tab In The Ocean (1972)

A Tab in the Ocean is the second album from German-based English progressive rock band Nektar. An awesome follow-up to the classic debut. The album starts with the 17–minute title track, which got a atmosphere that fits the title quite good. The track sounds like it was recorded in a big hall, with Nektar on one side of the hall, and the recording–equipment on the other side. Wikipedia

Tracklist 1:

1. A Tab In The Ocean / The Original 1972 Mix 16:52

2. Desolation Valley ~ Waves / The Original 1972 Mix 8:12

3. Crying In The Dark / The Original 1972 Mix 6:28

4. King Of Twilight / The Original 1972 Mix 4:22

5. A Tab In The Ocean / The 1976 U.S. Mix 16:04

6. Desolation Valley ~ Waves / The 1976 U.S. Mix 8:33

7. Crying In The Dark / The 1976 U.S. Mix 5:13

8. King Of Twilight / The 1976 U.S. Mix 4:05

Tracklist 2: Bonus CD

Official Bootleg

1. A Tab In The Ocean 17:45

2. Porcelain Valley (Later Called 'Desolation Valley') 11:33

3. Cryin' In The Dark 9:16

4. Desolation Valley ~ Waves 8:24

Credits:

Roye Albrighton - guitars, vocals

Mick Brockett - liquid lights

Allan Freeman - keyboards, backing vocals, Mellotron

Ron Howden - drums, percussion, backing vocals

Derek "Mo" Moore - bass, vocals

... Sounds Like This (1973)

…Sounds Like This is the third album from English progressive rock band Nektar, released in 1973. By far their heaviest album, numerous sections of the album contain lengthy, highly chaotic electric guitar and organ solos. The track "New Day Dawning" contains a reference to the Beatles song "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)". These pieces actually pre date the first two Nektar releases (Journey & Tab), many are from Roye Albrighton or from Mo, Taff & Ron (Prophecy) compositions from their pre Nektar days. Wikipedia

Tracklist 1:

1. Good Day 6:45

2. New Day Dawning 5:03

3. What Ya Gonna Do? 5:25

4. 1-2-3-4  12:43

5. Do You Believe In Magic 7:16

6. Cast Your Fate 5:45

7. A Day In The Life Of A Preacher: a) Preacher / b) Squeeze / c) Mr. H 12:58

8. Wings 3:47

9. Odyssey: a) Ron's On / b) Never Never Never / c) Da-Da-Dum 14:25

Tracklist 2: Bonus CD

Live November 13, 1971

1. Good Day 7:59

2. Odyssee (Da-Da-Dum) 6:51

3. 1-2-3-4  13:34

4. Do You Believe In Magic? 4:55

5. Odyssee (Ron's On) 10:42

6. New Day Dawning 7:30

Credits:

Roye Albrighton - lead vocals, guitars

Allan "Taff" Freeman - keyboards, vocals

Derek "Mo" Moore - bass, vocals

Ron Howden - drums, percussion

Mick Brockett - lights

Remember The Future (1973)

Remember the Future is the fourth album from English progressive rock band Nektar. It is a concept album featuring one song divided into two parts. …This album also have the most perfected Nektar–sound. The lyrics is about a boy who speaks to a bird, and the whole story has a very optimistic and nice message. The album was also Nektar's best selling, so it seems that the record–buying public SOMETIMES have some good taste. This album is just as important to any prog collection as Yes's "Close to the Edge", ELP's "Brain Salad Surgery" and Genesis's "Foxtrot". Wikipedia

Tracklist 1:

1. Remember The Future, Pt. 1 16:41

a) Images of the Past

b) Wheel of Time

c) Remember the Future

d) Confusion

2. Remember The Future, Pt. 2 19:01

a) Returning Light

b) Questions and Answers

c) Tomorrow Never Comes

d) Path of Light

e) Recognition

f) Let It Grow

Tracklist 2: Bonus CD

1. Remember The Future / Radio Edit 9:54

2. Let It Grow / Radio Edit 3:52

3. Lonely Roads / Radio Edit 2:18

4. New Day Dawning / The 1970 Boston Tapes 5:36

5. Do You Believe in Magic / The 1970 Boston Tapes 3:40

6. Candlelight / The 1970 Boston Tapes 4:00

7. Good Day / The 1970 Boston Tapes 8:51

8. The Life I've Been Leading / The 1970 Boston Tapes 4:34

9. Where Did You Go / The 1970 Boston Tapes 5:27

10. Sealed With A Kiss / The 1970 Boston Tapes 3:56

11. Our Love Will Last Forever / The 1970 Boston Tapes 4:53

Credits:

Allan "Taff" Freeman - keyboards, backing vocals

Roye Albrighton - guitars, lead vocals

Derek "Mo" Moore - bass guitar, backing vocals

Ron Howden - drums, percussion, backing vocals

Mick Brockett - lighting, projections and visual effects

 Down To Earth (1974)

Depending on who you ask, this is either Nektar's greatest or worst album. As Albrighton explained later, it was the band's attempt to re-invent itself as someone else -- like the Magical Mystery Tour. Old fans were appalled; but as the first album to get much airplay in the U.S., it brought in new fans who found it by far their most accessible work. Its progressive and funk elements are set around a demented circus theme, with the songs introduced by a loony Teutonic ringmaster. "That's Life," powered by chattering drums and a positively orgasmic Rickenbacker bass sound, is a standout of progressive rock showmanship. Delicate pieces like "Little Boy" and "Early Morning Clown" -- where Albrighton uses rotating Leslie speakers to great effect -- alternate with pub rockers like "Fidgety Queen" and the lumbering funk of "Nelly the Elephant." For new fans, this album is the place to start; and if they're willing to take it on its own terms, old fans might find a place in their heart for it too. by Paul Collins

Tracklist:

1 Astral Man

2 Nelly The Elephant

3 Early Morning Clown

4 That’s Life

5 Fidgety Queen

6 Oh Willy

7 Little Boy

8 Show Me The Way

9 Finale
Bonus Tracks

10 Astral Man

11 Nelly The Elephant

12 Early Morning Clown

13 That s Life

14 Oh Willy

15 Show Me The Way

16 Rovert Calvert Outtakes

Credits:

Backing Vocals – Kenneth Cole (tracks: 3, 4, 7), P.P. Arnold (tracks: 3, 4, 7)

Bass, Vocals – ''Mo'' Moore

Choir – Chipping Norton Mandies (tracks: 2, 10)

Drums, Percussion – Ron Howden

Effects [Special], Sounds – Dieter Dierks

Engineer – Barry Hammond

Keyboards, Vocals – ''Taff'' Freeman

Lead Vocals, Guitar – Roye Albrighton

Producer, Written-By – Nektar

Tenor Saxophone – Steve Gregory (tracks: 2, 5, 6, 10)

Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Chris Mercer (tracks: 2, 5, 6, 10)

Trombone – Chris Pyne (tracks: 2, 5, 7, 10)

Trumpet [1st] – Butch Hudson (tracks: 2, 5, 7, 10)

Trumpet [2nd] – Ron Carthy (tracks: 2, 5, 7, 10)

Tuba – Stephan Wick (tracks: 1)

Tuba [Bass] – Phil Brown (tracks: 1)

Voice [Ringmaster] – Bob Calvert (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5)

 Sunday Night At London Roundhouse (1974)

Tracklist:
1-1 King Of Twilight 12:10
1-2 Desolation Valley 8:58
1-3 A Day In The Life Of A Preacher Featuring The Birth Of Oh Willie 19:50
1-4 Summer Breeze 3:04
1-5 Cast Your Fate 5:41
2-1 Remember The Future Part One 18:47
2-2 Odyssey (Ron's On) 11:15
2-3 1-2-3-4 12:31
2-4 Remember The Future Part Two (Let It Grow) 5:14
2-5 Woman Trouble 6:09
Credits:
Bass, Vocals – Derek 'Mo' Moore
Drums, Percussion – Ron Howden
Guitar, Lead Vocals – Roye Albrighton
Keyboards – Allan 'Taff' Freeman
Lighting [Lights] – Mick Brocket
Recorded By – Roye Albrighton
Written-By – Nektar

 Recycled (1975)

While the instrumental alliances that take place throughout Recycled aren't nearly as solid as on Journey to the Center of the Eye or Remember the Future, the album still harbors some of Nektar's intergalactic progressive rock penchants, although a slight decline in the band's cohesion is apparent. Guitarist Roy Albrighton lacks his usual gusto on most of the tracks, but tends to show signs of earlier days on both "Flight to Reality" and "Automatic Horrorscope." What does hold strong is Nektar's ability to conjure up a science-fiction atmosphere through the unorthodox application of percussion, guitar, and keyboards. Tracks like "Unendless Imagination" and "Cybernetic Consumption" wallow in a futuristic amalgam of strings and synth, with Larry Fast working the keyboards this time around. Fast holds his end up for the most part, but at times his playing sounds manufactured and colorless, which in turn dampens the rest of the surrounding instruments. Some intriguing creativity arises near the end of the album with "Sao Paulo Sunrise" and "Marvellous Moses," which resembles some of Nektar's early-'70s material. Recycled isn't a total disappointment, but the frequency of solid instrumentation and ability to hold attention does seem to fluctuate from time to time. by Mike DeGagne 
Tracklist:
Part One 17:38
1 Recycle 2:47
2 Cybernetic Consumption 2:12
3 Recycle Countdown 1:51
4 Automaton Horrorscope 3:08
5 Recycling 1:46
6 Flight To Reality 1:18
7 Unendless Imagination? 4:36
Part Two 19:07
8 São Paulo Sunrise 3:05
9 Costa Del Sol 4:04
10 Marvellous Moses 6:37
11 It's All Over 5:21
Credits:
Arranged By [Choir] – Christian Kolonovits
Arranged By [Orchestral Moog Arrangements] – Larry "Synergy" Fast
Bass, Vocals – "Mo" Moore
Choir – The English Chorale
Conductor [Choir] – Robert Howes
Drums, Percussion – Ron Howden
Guitar, Lead Vocals – Roye Albrighton
Keyboards, Vocals – "Taff" Freeman

 Live In New York (1977) 

The problem with progressive rock artists recording live albums lies in the fact that the same feeling of wonderment, musical vastness, and escapism mustered on their studio releases is difficult to capture on-stage. Half of this dilemma plagues Nektar's Live in New York release recorded in 1977, while the rest of the album's disappointments stem from the group's removal of their early-'70s progressive sound altogether. The nine cuts that make up Live in New York fail to show the true essence of their progressive beginnings, with the songs embellishing more of a straight-ahead rock & roll style. Gone are the long keyboard wanderings, the abstract guitar trips that spiral into the rest of the musical interplay, and the fantastic ambience that was once formed by the music's overall trippiness. By this time, Nektar's sound was shed of any distinctness that it once touted, presenting average-sounding pieces such as "Woman," "Good Ol' Rock'N Roll," and "Show Me the Way" without much flair or excitability. Some redemption can be found on the 15 minutes of "A Day in the Life of a Preacher," which best resembles their early style, and in "King of Twilight," a cut taken from 1972's A Tab in the Ocean album. After Roye Albrighton departed following their Recycled release, Nektar was never the same, and the regression of the rest of the band's chemistry can easily be regarded here. The album sounds messy and cluttered, with a disorganized feel coming mostly from the guitar playing and from the minimal enthusiasm of the group -- and many of the pressings of Life in New York suffer from poor production as well. While the album may be of interest to die-hard fans, Nektar's true progressive essence can be better felt through most of their studio albums. by Mike DeGagne  
Tracklist 1:
1 Introduction ~ Astral Man
2 Remember The Future Part One
3 Marvellous Moses
4 It's All Over
5 Good Day
6 That's Life
7 Show Me The Way
Tracklist 2:
1 A Day In The Life Of A Preacher
2 Desolation Valley
3 Remember The Future
4 Crying In The Dark ~ I Can See You
5 King Of Twilight
6 Woman Trouble
7 Medley: Johnny B. Goode ~ Sweet Little Rock And Roller ~ Blue Suede Shoes ~ Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
8 Fidgety Queen
Credits:
Bass, Vocals, Mellotron – Mo Moore
Drums, Percussion – Ron Howden
Guitar, Vocals – Roye Albrighton
Keyboards, Vocals – Taff Freeman
Lighting [Lights] – Mick Brocket
Mixed By – Manfred Schunke
Producer, Mixed By, Design [Cover Idea And Concept] – Peter Hauke

Magic Is A Child (1977)

Magic Is a Child was released in 1977, the debut for new Nektar guitarist Dave Nelson. Carrying on, though, from where their last set left off, Nektar's fascination with shorter, punchier songs continued unabated, even while the keyboards continued to swell and the guitars shifted ever more toward the symphonic. Nektar's brightening vistas were new, however, and a fatal flaw as far as their fans were concerned. They didn't want breezy pop, and breezy pop fans didn't want Nektar, while the band's new label, Polydor, apparently didn't care either way. The art department did spring for the 13-year-old Brooke Shields to appear on the front cover, but that was it in terms of promotion. Thematically, too, little about Magic Is a Child recalls Nektar's days as prog darlings. The opening "Away from Asgard" is a fine slab of Norse storytelling, tied into the vast dark forests of northern Germany (where the band was still based), while "Midnight Light" also has a romantic Germanic tinge, as it eulogizes the village of Seeheimut. "Love to Share," in contrast, is an unabashed Beatles tribute, riddled with affectionate borrowings and an oddly effective backward drum, while "On the Run (The Trucker)" still sounds like a slice of AOR radio filler. by Jo-Ann Greene 
Tracklist:
1 Away From Asgard
2 Magic Is A Child
3 Eerie Lackawanna
4 Midnight Light
5 Love To Share (Keep Your Worries Behind You)
6 Train From Nowhere
Guitar [Ethereal] – Walt Nektroid
7 Listen
Music By – R. Albrighton
8 On The Run (The Trucker)
9 Spread Your Wings
Bonus Tracks
10 Away From Asgard (Original Demo)
11 On The Run (Alternate Mix)
12 Train From Nowhere (Alternate Version)
Featuring – Robert Fripp
Credits:
Arranged By – Jeff Kawalek, Nektar
Arranged By [String Quartet] – Stephan Galfas
Bass [Basses, Bassthings] – Mo Moore
Drums, Percussion – Ron Howden
Guitar – Dave Nelson
Keyboards – Taff Freeman
Music By – T. Freeman, D. Nelson, D. Moore, R. Howden, S. Barth (tracks: 1 to 4, 10)
Percussion [Percussives, Smurds] – Ron Howden
Strings [String Quartet] – Julien Barber, Kermit Moore, Michael Commins, Anthony Posk
Synthesizer – Taff Freeman, Larry Fast
Vocals – Taff Freeman, Dave Nelson, Mo Moore, Ron Howden