Jethro Tull - Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young To Die! (1976)

Year: 23 April 1976 (CD 1987)
Label: Chrysalis Records (Germany), 252 663
Style: Progressive Rock, Gothic Rock, Folk Rock
Country: Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Time: 42:15
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 263 Mb

Ian Anderson should stick to music, because he most definitely is not a storyteller. This is the muddled story of one Ray Lomas, “the last of the old rockers,” whose long hair and tight jeans mark him as a person whom time has passed by. After a series of events remarkable only for their lack of humor and originality, we leave the “hero” as he is about to become a pop star in his own right.
So what? We can take comfort, though, in knowing that Anderson’s technical prowess as a composer remains undiminished. The album abounds in breathtaking musical passages. The title cut, for one, is a textbook example of the use of dynamics and nuance in a rock song: instruments subtly creep in during the verses, with the slightest of musical nods to let us know they’re there. The music builds with a tension that heightens a desperate theme, then erupts in the chorus. “Quizz Kid” features, in addition to numerous startling changes in texture, several brief but pungent solos by guitarist Martin Barre, whose playing is exemplary throughout.
(rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/too-old-to-rock-n-roll-too-young-to-die-204560/)

Album recorded and mixed in the analog domain - AAD. That is, a minimum of digital processing.
A=Analog. D=digital. The first letter stands for how the music was recorded. The second letter for how it was mixed. The third letter stands for the format (all CD's will have D as the last letter).

01. Quizz Kid (05:07)
02. Crazed Institution (04:47)
03. Salamander (02:51)
04. Taxi Grab (03:55)
05. From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser (04:08)
06. Bad-Eyed and Loveless (02:14)
07. Big Dipper (03:37)
08. Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young To Die (05:41)
09. Pied Piper (04:32)
10. The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive) (05:23)

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Camel - Moonmadness [Japanese Ed. 2CD] (1976)

Year: April 1976 (CD 2009)
Label: Universal Music (Japan), UICY-94134/5
Style: Art Rock, Symphonic Rock, Canterbury Scene
Country: Guildford, Surrey, England
Time: 54:41, 73:52
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 347, 437 Mb

CD1: Moonmadness - original album + 3 bonus tracks. CD2: The London Hammersmith Odeon Concert - 14th April 1976.
Moonmadness is the fourth studio album by English progressive rock band Camel. It was released in April 1976 on Decca and Gama Records and is their last album recorded by the group's original line-up of Andrew Latimer, Peter Bardens, Doug Ferguson, and Andy Ward. After reaching success with their previous album, the all-instrumental The Snow Goose, the band started on a follow-up and incorporated vocals and lyrics to the new music. Moonmadness has a loose concept with one track based on the personality of each band member: "Air Born" for Andrew Latimer, "Chord Change" for Peter Bardens, "Another Night" for Doug Ferguson, and "Lunar Sea" for Andy Ward.
Camel's popularity grew in 1975 with their critically acclaimed instrumental album The Snow Goose, which was followed by the group being voted Britain's Brightest Hope by readers of the nationwide music publication Melody Maker. In late 1975, the band spent three weeks writing new music for a follow-up album, and recorded Moonmadness in January and February 1976. At the time of release, Latimer said he was very pleased with the album despite the need to rush to finish it.
The last track, "Lunar Sea", ends with a minute-long wind-blowing effect. On some LP pressings, the record arm would skip during the end of this part and naturally return to the beginning of the effect, playing it endlessly (the "terminal groove" effect).
In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came number 23 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".
It was voted no. 58 in the Top 100 Prog albums of All Time by readers of 'Prog' magazine in 2014 and is ranked 16th greatest prog album on progarchives.com (as of 23-07-2025).
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonmadness)

01. Aristillus (01:57)
02. Song Within a Song (07:14)
03. Chord Change (06:43)
04. Spirit of the Water (02:07)
05. Another Night (06:54)
06. Airborn (05:02)
07. Lunar Sea (09:12)
08. Another Night (single) (03:24)
09. Spirit of the Water (demo version) (02:14)
10. Lunar Sea (live) (09:50)

01. Song Within a Song (07:38)
02. Excerpts From the Snow Goose (11:03)
03. Air Born (05:12)
04. Chord Change (06:58)
05. The White Rider (09:10)
06. Preparation / Dunkirk (10:17)
07. Another Night (07:25)
08. Lady Fantasy (16:05)

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Camel - The Snow Goose (1975)

Year: May 1975 (CD March 1983)
Label: Deram Records (Germany), 800 080-2
Style: Art Rock, Symphonic Rock, Instrumental
Country: Guildford, Surrey, England
Time: 43:29
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 230 Mb

Looking back the history, this album should be read as Camel music inspired by "The Snow Goose". Why? This concept album was composed with a reference to Paul Gallico’s Snow Goose. Right after the success of "Mirage" which stayed at Billboard’s Top 200 for a creditable 13 weeks peaked at 149, the band brainstormed the idea of making an acclaimed literary piece concept album. Peter Bardens voted for Steppen Wolf’s but Ferguson and Latimer proposed Paul Gallico’s. So the band created the music that revolved around The Snow Goose. Unfortunately, their record label failed to sign a deal with Gallico’s publishers in the hope of obtaining official blessing for the project, ideally having the author pen a sleeve note and possibly arrange a tie-in between album and tome. That’s why this tribute to our feathered friends had its title prefaced "Music Inspired By" and remained wholy wordless. [sleeve note].
Nevertheless, the streams of music featured in this album is a good one to enjoy and you may have a rewarding experience throughout some tracks. It starts off with an ambient "The Great Marsh" (2:02) which to me personally sounds like an opener for the whole atmosphere of the album. No one would argue that "Rhayader" (3:01) is an excellent track which has powerful melody combining flute, guitar and organ performed in classical influence music with medium tempo. This song has characterized the seventies music altogether with other common songs from Genesis or Yes or ELP or Pink Floyd. I used to associate this song with "Bouree" by Jethro Tull at that time because both of them are flute-based music. "Rhayader Goes To Town" (5:20) is a logical follow- up to Rhayader as it brings the music into faster tempo with great combination of guitar and organ solo with energetic beats. These two songs must be enjoyed in its entirety.
"Sanctuary" (1:05) and "Fritha" (1:19) are songs that I consider as bridges that connect to title track "The Snow Goose" (3:12) which contains guitar solo augmented with long sustain organ in the vein of Jan Akermann of Focus. Cool guitar-based instrumental. "Friendship" (1:44) is a bit boring exploration of keyboard / organ whicch may have more meaning if we can associate with certain part of the story - say our goose was running away or swimming quickly . things like that. Otherwise, it’s a meaningless bridge. "Migration" (2:01) brings the music into up-beat style followed nicely with a cool quiet passage "Rhayader Alone" (1:50). "Flight Of The Snow Goose" (2:40) explores Bardens’ keyboard virtuosity followed with good guitar fills that bring the melody of the music combined with a bit spacey keyboard work.
"Preparation" (3:58) is to me like a theme song that brings the introduction to the next track "Dunkirk" (5:19) with the use of Hammond organ as basic rhythm section plus some howling guitar work followed with guitar solo. The song is dominated with keyboard work even though guitar fills some parts and serves as melody in some other parts. It’s a good track. "Epitaph" (2:07) and "Fritha Alone" (1:40) are bridges to upbeat music with keyboard solo in "La Princesse Perdue" (4:44). Again, I can smell a similarity with Focus music, especially the guitar part. "The Great Marsh" (1:20) concludes the album with an exploration of nature sounds .
Overall, through this album the band has demonstrated their capability to maintain their creation on par excellent with their previous album "Mirage". The album offers good combined work between organ and guitar performed in various styles. The music is cohesive to support a concept album. I think this album should be "in" any prog collection as it was one of the icons in the seventies that anyone should not miss. Recommended.
(classicrockreview.wordpress.com/category/camel-the-snow-goose/)

01. The Great Marsh (02:02)
02. Rhayader (03:01)
03. Rhayader Goes To Town (05:20)
04. Sanctuary (01:05)
05. Fritha (01:19)
06. The Snow Goose (03:12)
07. Friendship (01:44)
08. Migration (02:01)
09. Rhayader Alone (01:50)
10. Flight Of The Snow Goose (02:40)
11. Preparation (03:58)
12. Dunkirk (05:19)
13. Epitaph (02:07)
14. Fritha Alone (01:40)
15. La Princesse Perdue (04:44)
16. The Great Marsh (01:20)

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Camel - Mirage [Japanese Ed. 4 bonus tracks + Germany Ed. AAD] (1974)

Year: 1 March 1974 (CD May 27, 2009. 1989)
Label: Universal Music / Deram Records (Japan/Germany), UICY-94131/820 613-2
Style: Art Rock, Symphonic Rock, Canterbury Scene, Progressive Rock
Country: Guildford, Surrey, England
Time: 68:08, 38:03
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 426, 267 Mb

Camel’s Mirage (1974), with its iconic, cigarette-brand-referencing cover art, was a record that seemed to materialise, fully formed, from the patchouli-scented smoke of the era.
While the previous year's self-titled debut promised much, Mirage was where the band truly found their voice: a clever mix of symphonic sweep, jazz fusion and melodic subtlety that set them apart from the prog giants of the day, even if it didn't reach the same levels of success.
Built around extended suites like Lady Fantasy and Nimrodel, the album blended pastoral English whimsy with intricate musicianship, led by Andy Latimer’s lyrical guitar and Peter Bardens’ swirling keys.
Though Mirage didn’t trouble the charts on release, its reputation has only grown, even if some still confuse the group with Peter Frampton's band of the same name.
(loudersound.com/music/albums/camel-mirage)

Germany Ed. - Album recorded and mixed in the analog domain - AAD. That is, a minimum of digital processing.
A=Analog. D=digital. The first letter stands for how the music was recorded. The second letter for how it was mixed. The third letter stands for the format (all CD's will have D as the last letter).

Japanese Ed. 4 bonus tracks:

01. Freefall (05:53)
02. Supertwister (03:19)
03. Nimrodel / The Procession / The White Rider (09:17)
04. Earthrise (06:42)
05. Lady Fantasy: Encounter / Smiles for You / Lady Fantasy (12:45)
06. Supertwister (live) (03:15)
07. Mystic Queen (live) (06:07)
08. Arubaluba (live) (07:47)
09. Lady Fantasy: Encounter / Smiles for You / Lady Fantasy (original Basing Street Studios mix) (12:59)

Germany Ed. AAD:

01. Freefall (05:54)
02. Supertwister (03:23)
03. Nimrodel - The Procession - The White Rider (09:18)
04. Earthrise (06:41)
05. Lady Fantasy (12:45)

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Jethro Tull - War Child (1974)

Year: 14 October 1974 (CD 1990)
Label: Chrysalis Records (US), F2 21067
Style: Progressive Rock, Gothic Rock, Folk Rock
Country: Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Time: 39:07
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 262 Mb

For an album splotched together from a failed recording project, a failed movie project, a concept involving anthropomorphism and one song from the Aqualung sessions, War Child turned out reasonably well. It would have turned out even better had they locked David Palmer in the basement during the recording process.
Palmer’s string arrangements on War Child are consistently overdone and too loud in many of the mixes. They appear in many tracks that would have been better off without them. More Martin, less David would have been nice. On the plus side, Ian Anderson’s vocals are quite energetic and the song mix displays Tull’s versatility exceptionally well. When they’re not buried by the string section, the band sounds Tull-tight.
The original War Child concept had to do with the story of a teenage girl in the afterlife meeting up with God, Lucifer and St. Peter. I’m glad they didn’t go there, as there is such a thing as spending too much time on religion. The more interesting theme-a perceptible thread that runs through “War Child” and “Queen and Country”-is the idea that all of us who live in modern society are war children who live off the fruits of conquest, whether that conquest involves shooting wars or capitalist competitiveness. While we enjoy ourselves in “the bright city mile” or while the ministers enjoy their “social whirls,” we forget that all of our fun is made possible to some extent by war and its cousins. Now that would have made for a very intriguing concept album, particularly since Al Qaeda later justified the 9/11 attacks on innocent civilians with the response, “They pay taxes, don’t they?” If we benefit from the spoils of war, are we still responsible for the war even if we don’t fire a shot?
As it is, the title track opener is an interesting and unusual piece of music. Ian was still in love with the soprano saxophone during this period, so that’s what we hear as the music fades in following the breakfast-and-battle sequence. The chord sequence is deceptive, particularly in the chorus, where a key shift takes us to A but the chorus resolves on Bb before taking us back to the incongruous E root of the verse. Ian Anderson was by this time pretty nimble with unusual chord sequences, but this one’s particularly sweet and almost Charlie Parkerish in the use of the flattened sixth. The rhythmic changes are pretty zippy, too, especially when they speed up the tempo for Ian’s sax solo. The lyrics work if you can imagine them as the start of a longer narrative; by themselves they feel like orphans. All in all, an intriguing opening if you tune out David Palmer’s string barrage.
(full version: altrockchick.com/2014/03/07/classic-music-review-war-child-by-jethro-tull/)

01. WarChild (04:34)
02. Queen and Country (03:01)
03. Ladies (03:19)
04. Back-Door Angels (05:29)
05. SeaLion (03:37)
06. Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day (03:58)
07. Bungle in the Jungle (03:37)
08. Only Solitaire (01:29)
09. The Third Hoorah (04:51)
10. Two Fingers (05:09)

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The Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed [10 bonus tracks] (1967)

Year: 10 November 1967 (CD 2008)
Label: Deram Records (Europe), 530 663-1
Style: Symphonic Rock
Country: Birmingham, England
Time: 70:03
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 383 Mb

How The Moody Blues went from R&B to progressive rock magnificence in the span of two years is perhaps one of rock’s greatest mysteries. As a rhythm-and-blues band, it wasn’t getting them anywhere so they had to change their style and sound.
Though Days of Future Passed is their second album, it’s widely considered as their debut album considering it’s the first record with their classic lineup.
It’s ambitious and grand but unlike other albums which fell short of everyone’s expectations, this one delivered. It’s consistent, cohesive, and solid. It’s basically the culmination of the band’s musical brilliance and efforts and it’s clear from the get-go that they were at the height of their creative powers. Although it achieved moderate success after its release, over the years, it has been regarded as an important album that helped shape the sound of prog-rock. Thanks to new members Justin Hayward and John Lodge, The Moody Blues were steered towards the right direction. It was a risk but in the end, it paid off nicely.
While two songs stood out - “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon”, the rest were still stellar. It’s groundbreaking, revolutionary, refreshing, and unique. From haunting ballads to psychedelic tunes, it’s interesting to note that Decca Records ALMOST rejected it because they simply didn’t know how to market it. The album was clearly way ahead of its time.
Days of Future Passed is complex and grandiose. It’s a mixture of rock and orchestral arrangements with some spoken word poetry - in paper, it shouldn’t work together but listening to one song segueing into another, it blends seamlessly. This album made The Moody Blues legends.
(societyofrock.com/album-review-the-days-of-future-passed-by-moody-blues/)

01. The Day Begins (05:51)
02. Dawn: Dawn Is A Feeling (03:49)
03. The Morning - Another Morning (03:56)
04. Lunch Break - Peak Hour (05:29)
05. The Afternoon a - Forver Afternoon (Tuesday) b - (Evening) Time To Get Away (08:23)
06. Evening a - The Sun Set b - Twilight Time (06:40)
07. The Night: Nights In White Satin (07:29)
08. (Bonus) Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (BBC Radio Session) (02:24)
09. (Bonus) Fly Me High (1967 Mono Single Masters) (02:56)
10. (Bonus) I Really Haven't Got The Time (1967 Mono Single Masters) (03:09)
11. (Bonus) Love And Beauty (1967 Mono Single Masters) (02:26)
12. (Bonus) Leave This Man Alone (1967 Mono Single Masters) (03:01)
13. (Bonus) Cities (1967 Mono Single Masters) (02:26)
14. (Bonus) Tuesday Afternoon (Alternate Mix) (04:20)
15. (Bonus) Dawn Is A Feeling (Alternate Version) (02:20)
16. (Bonus) The Sun Set (Alternate Version Without Orchestra) (02:50)
17. (Bonus) Twilight Time (Alternate Vocal Mix) (02:28)

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Renaissance - Ashes Are Burning (1973)

Year: October 1973 (CD 2006)
Label: Repertoire Records (Europe), REP 5078
Style: Art Rock, Symphonic Rock
Country: London, United Kingdom
Time: 40:43
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 290 Mb

Somewhat unusually, the longest history with the band is with two outside members, composer Michael Dunford and poet Betty Thatcher, who together are responsible for the music and lyrics on all but one track of the album. Both were involved in the making of the 1970 Illusion album, but are not actual members of the band. Dunford officially joined the band with the next album. The only song Dunford was not on Ashes Are Burning to compose is ”On The Frontier”, written by Renaissance founding member Jim McCarty. Who was no longer a member of the band at this point. Confusing? A bit! Thus, Ashes Are Burning is a very rare prog album where all the material is written by someone other than the band members.
Ashes Are Burning is by far the most successful album of Renaissance’s career so far and started a three-album golden era for the band. The album smoothly blends influences from both folk and classical music (no direct quotes are spared). The semi-acoustic sound was an important part of how Renaissance distinguished themselves from other progressive bands. And the acoustic aspect was especially emphasized on this Ashes Are Burning album. Instead of electric guitars and synthesizers, it is John Tout’s classical-style piano that takes centre stage, and the impressive, gentle yet powerful, five-octave vocals of Annie Haslam, who had studied opera singing. Tout also makes restrained use of synthesizers but, pleasingly, sticks mostly to piano, which was rare for early 70s rock bands. And well, for rock bands of any era really.
Although Renaissance draws much of its influence from folk, the grand symphonic nature of the band’s music also clearly distinguishes it from the core of the folk scene. A rock-like kick to the sound is added by Jon Camp’s very Chris Squire-like bass playing and of course Sullivan’s relatively straightforward drumming. Camp and his bass are given plenty of space, as the only electric guitar on the album is on the closing title track, where guesting Wishbone Ash guitarist Andy Powell gets to squeeze in a long guitar solo.
(full version: pienemmatpurot.com/2023/10/10/review-renaissance-ashes-are-burning-1973/)

01. Can You Understand (09:51)
02. Let It Grow (04:14)
03. On The Frontier (04:55)
04. Carpet Of The Sun (03:31)
05. At The Harbour (06:48)
06. Ashes Are Burning (11:20)

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Camel - Camel (1973)

Year: February 1973 (CD 1992)
Label: Camel Productions (US), CP-002CD
Style: Symphonic Rock, Canterbury Scene, Progressive Rock
Country: Guildford, Surrey, England
Time: 39:23
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 260 Mb

Elsewhere, Andy shows that, apart from Blackmore, he has been attentively listening to Robert Fripp - some of the passages in 'Six Ate' are based on the fast, mathematically precise riffage of '21st Century Schizoid Man' - and maybe even Santana (the album opener, 'Going Down Slow', with its calm, steady Latin groove that suddenly turns into a wall-rattling temperamental solo midway through); pure jazz guitar chops are heard on the proto-National Health 'Curiosity'. Without a doubt, the guitar solos throughout are the best parts of the songs, and one major thing they have over subsequent instrumental passages on later records is dynamics; there's much more youthful aggressiveness in the playing than there would be on those records where the songwriting was to finally catch up with the playing and then eventually overshadow it. By contrast, Bardens lets his organ mostly stay in the background, being an essential part of the sound.
Oh yes, there's also the singing question - at least three band members take turns providing lead vocal parts, but not one of them is able to make any impression, and apparently they know it, so the vocals are kept to a minimum (and two out of seven songs have none at all). Incidentally, it's pretty damn hard to tell one guy from another; they all sound like slightly dusty clones of Pye Hastings. In fact, if there is one thing that's more or less common for all of "Canterbury rock", it's the vocals - quiet, high-pitched, and very weak voices, suggesting that Canterbury singers obviously do not drink, smoke, swear, date, eat non-kosher, or watch anime.
(full version: starlingdb.org/music/camel.htm)

01. Slow Yourself Down (04:47)
02. Mystic Queen (05:40)
03. Six Ate (06:06)
04. Separation (03:57)
05. Never Let Go (06:26)
06. Curiosity (05:55)
07. Arubaluba (06:29)

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Pink Floyd - The Final Cut [Japanese Ed. 1st press] (1983)

Year: 21 March 1983 (CD 1983)
Label: CBS/Sony Inc. (Japan), 35DP 53
Style: Art Rock, Progressive Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 43:31
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 243 Mb

Rich pop stars often act in predictable ways. They buy large houses in the country, read the wrong daily newspapers, and vote Tory. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters can be accused of a lot of things, but never of doing what’s expected. So Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut, the follow-up to the multimedia extravaganza The Wall, turns out to be a mini-epic written by Waters, subtitled “a requiem for the post war dream,” and includes the most vicious attack on Mrs Thatcher that the pop world has mounted. When Waters gets going he makes all that “stand down Margaret” stuff sound positively tame.
The lyrics are the most startling part of an otherwise messy, overblown, and awkward album that includes a few strong songs, some brilliant recording work (with whispers, footsteps or other effects mixed into songs with brilliant separation and clarity), and patches that sound like outtakes from The Wall.
The opening anthem, with its chorus “What have we done, Maggie, what have we done to England?” echoes the final song in The Wall and makes it sound as if he’s about to embark on a detailed analysis of the collapse of the welfare state. Instead, he returns to various well-worn Waters themes, from the second world war and the death of his own father (to whom the album is dedicated), to stories of war heroes becoming teachers, or songs of personal madness, interspersed with references to the Falklands and the blistering attacks on Thatcher.
The most vicious, The Fletcher Memorial Home (another reference to his father) imagines Thatcher, along with Haig, Begin and others, in a “home for incurable tyrants and kings.” The album ends, as you might have guessed, with a nuclear holocaust. The songs are mostly quiet, often with orchestral backing interrupted by David Gilmour guitar attacks. Floyd enthusiasts should note that the band are now a three-piece (Richard Wright has escaped over The Wall), and despite the title it’s not necessarily their final album.
(theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/17/pink-floyd-the-final-cut-reviewed-1983)

01. The Post War Dream (03:03)
02. Your Possible Pasts (04:30)
03. One Of The Few (01:13)
04. The Hero's Return (03:00)
05. The Gunners Dream (05:08)
06. Paranoid Eyes (03:44)
07. Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert (01:16)
08. The Fletcher Memorial Home (04:15)
09. Southampton Dock (02:12)
10. The Final Cut (04:45)
11. Not Now John (05:03)
12. Two Suns In The Sunset (05:20)

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Edgar Winter - Entrance (1970)

Year: 1970 (CD 1992)
Label: Epic Records (US), EK 48536
Style: Jazz Rock, Blues Rock, Rock
Country: Beaumont, Texas, U.S. (December 28, 1946)
Time: 47:56
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 309 Mb

When blues guitarist Johnny Winter was signed to Columbia Records in 1969 he received a $600,000 advance. It was the richest record deal cut up to that point by any artist in any genre. Johnny had made a few live appearances where he delivered electrifying performances – the news of which spread quickly throughout the industry. He was seen as the next Jimi Hendrix and labels moved quickly to lock him down. His first two albums released in 1969 were backed by a band that included future Double Trouble bassist Tommy Shannon. It also included his younger brother Edgar. Through those studio outings Johnny’s talents were made clear. But it was the support he received from his brother Edgar, who provided keys, alto sax and vocals that Epic Records found difficult to ignore. They signed Edgar in 1970 and from there he set course on his own musical path – one leaning more toward jazz, fusion, and a pop-oriented sound. Johnny would move further and further into the blues.
It’s hard to imagine that Epic knew exactly what they were getting into with Edgar Winter. Entrance is more of an expression that a definable piece of music. While songs are tracked they run into each other like a singular piece of music. The title track opens the record and it’s there where Winter’s vocals and the occasional pop arrangement drew sonic comparisons to Todd Rundgren. Those continue through the record. “Entrance” has a pop sensibility that makes it sound like a forgotten track off of Something Anything. As “Entrance” moves through a number of tempo changes Winter’s incredibly flexible and soul anchored vocals rope everything together and time stamp the material.
It’s followed by a four song bundle that’s jazz drenched. Here drummer Jimmy Gillen sails, Edgar debuts his now well-known shriek, and more importantly rips into some alto sax solos that spill over with fiery runs. They arrive, get to cruising altitude, look around a bit and come to a flashy, bounce heavy landing.
Side 2 opens with a cover of JD Loudermilk’s 1960 hit “Tobacco Road”. Here Edgar is joined by brother Johnny and his band. The signature piece to this song is the closing scream which seems to last all of an hour. It’s the ultimate expression of Edgar’s broad talents. It leaves you wondering if there is anything that this guy can’t do. While he is clearly more moved by jazz, he can still lay down the blues with the best of ‘em. That’s the case here as it is with “Back In The Blues”, a smooth slinky shuffle. The tune checks all of the boxes that make every other song on this record shine so brightly. It also affords one more moment for brother Johnny to shine - this time on some tasty harmonica parts.
(full version: goldminemag.com/columns/vinyl-finds/edgar-winters-solo-entrance/)

01. Winter's Dream: Entrance (03:29)
02. Where Have You Gone (02:40)
03. Rise to Fall (04:04)
04. Fire and Ice (06:52)
05. Hung Up (03:00)
06. Back in the Blues (02:17)
07. Re-Entrance (02:30)
08. Tobacco Road (04:10)
09. Jump Right Out (04:22)
10. Peace Pipe (04:42)
11. A Different Game (05:04)
12. Jimmy's Gospel (04:41)

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Jethro Tull - A Passion Play (1973)

Year: 13 July 1973 (CD 198?)
Label: Chrysalis Records (UK), CDP 32 1040 2
Style: Progressive Rock, Gothic Rock, Folk Rock
Country: Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Time: 45:05
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 263 Mb

Jethro Tull's second album-length composition, A Passion Play is very different from - and not quite as successful as - Thick as a Brick. Ian Anderson utilizes reams of biblical (and biblical-sounding) references, interwoven with modern language, as a sort of a rock equivalent to T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland. As with most progressive rock, the words seem important and profound, but their meaning is anyone's guess ("The ice-cream lady wet her drawers, to see you in the Passion Play..."), with Anderson as a dour but engaging singer/sage (who, at least at one point, seems to take on the role of a fallen angel). It helps to be aware of the framing story, about a newly deceased man called to review his life at the portals of heaven, who realizes that life on Earth is preferable to eternity in paradise. But the music puts it over successfully, a dazzling mix of old English folk and classical material, reshaped in electric rock terms. The band is at its peak form, sustaining the tension and anticipation of this album-length piece across 45 minutes, although the music runs out of inspiration about five minutes before it actually ends.
(allmusic.com/album/a-passion-play-mw0000036413)

Album recorded and mixed in the analog domain - AAD. That is, a minimum of digital processing.
A=Analog. D=digital. The first letter stands for how the music was recorded. The second letter for how it was mixed. The third letter stands for the format (all CD's will have D as the last letter).

01. A Passion Play, Part 1 (21:35)
02. A Passion Play, Part 2 (23:30)

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Pink Floyd - The Wall [Japanese Ed. 1st press. 2CD] (1979)

Year: 30 November 1979 (CD Jun 21, 1985)
Label: CBS/Sony Inc. (Japan), 50DP 361-2
Style: Progressive Rock, Art Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 39:19, 42:00
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 260, 286 Mb

The Wall is a 1979 Pink Floyd album, created after their success with The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and Animals. It is unique in that it tells a complete story about the life of Pink, a fictional rock star, and his gradual decline into shutting himself away from the world. Being a double album, the first disc chronicles his life from his rocky childhood, with a father who died in war (the ending of In The Flesh?, The Thin Ice, and Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1), abusive teachers (The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2), an overprotective mom (Mother), and living in constant fear of war (Goodbye Blue Sky).
To paraphrase from Dan Olson (Folding Ideas on YouTube), the variety of these childhood events is core to the album's theme: there is no one singular event that causes us to shut ourselves off from the world. They are all just bricks in the wall that keep us from others. Empty Spaces, Young Lust, and One Of My Turns show that he's resorted to sex and rock and roll (through the style of these tracks) to fill himself: to numb himself from the possible pain the world can bring him. But it becomes unavoidable when his wife finds out he's been cheating on her (Don't Leave Me Now), and combined with his abusive tendencies towards her, she leaves Pink for good.
This causes him to trash his apartment (Another Brick in the Wall, Part 3) and decide, “I don't need anything at all,” finally shutting himself out (Goodbye Cruel World). The album's first half is very catchy, with the swing of In The Flesh? and the disco beat of Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 being the best parts for me. The lyrics do a good job of describing his rough childhood and how he's attempted to fill himself with sex, rock and roll, and, as Another Brick in the Wall, Part 3 reveals, drugs. But this is a double album, and the story isn't over yet.
(full version: craccum.co.nz/the-wall-1979-album-review/)

01. In The Flesh? (03:19)
02. The Thin Ice (02:29)
03. Another Brick In The Wall (Part I) (03:10)
04. The Happiest Days Of Our Lives (01:51)
05. Another Brick In The Wall (Part II) (04:00)
06. Mother (05:33)
07. Goodbye Blue Sky (02:49)
08. Empty Spaces (02:07)
09. Young Lust (03:33)
10. One Of My Turns (03:34)
11. Don't Leave Me Now (04:16)
12. Another Brick In The Wall (Part III) (01:17)
13. Goodbye Cruel World (01:14)

01. Hey You (04:41)
02. Is There Anybody Out There (02:57)
03. Nobody Home (03:11)
04. Vera (01:29)
05. Bring The Boys Back Home (01:26)
06. Comfortably Numb (06:23)
07. The Show Must Go On (01:37)
08. In The Flesh (04:15)
09. Run Like Hell (04:20)
10. Waiting For The Worms (04:01)
11. Stop (00:31)
12. The Trial (05:19)
13. Outside The Wall (01:44)

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Utopia - Todd Rundgren's Utopia (1974)

Year: October 4, 1974 (CD ????)
Label: Rhino Records (US), R2 70865
Style: Progressive Rock, Art Rock
Country: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (June 22, 1948)
Time: 59:17
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 390 Mb

Todd Rundgren's Utopia is the debut album by American rock band Utopia, released on October 4, 1974 by Bearsville Records. The band was formed in 1973 by musician, songwriter, and producer Todd Rundgren who decided to expand his musical style by moving from pop-oriented rock towards progressive rock. He assembled a six-piece group that featured three keyboardists and toured as a live act. Most of the album was recorded in the studio except "Utopia", the opening track, which was recorded live in concert April 25, 1974. The album peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200 and critical reaction towards it was mixed.
Like Rundgren's solo albums A Wizard, a True Star (1973) and Initiation (1975), the album pushed the limits of vinyl. At almost an hour in length, the sound needed to be compressed in order to fit it onto one record, resulting in a decline in audio quality. The CD version avoids this issue. On the first reissue of the album, released in 1978, the title of "Utopia" was changed to "Utopia Theme" and publishing credits were changed from Earmark Music to Earmark Music and Screen Gems - Columbia Music.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Rundgren%27s_Utopia_(album))

01. Utopia Theme (14:28)
02. Freak Parade (10:18)
03. Freedom Fighters (04:04)
04. The Ikon (30:25)

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Robert Wyatt (Soft Machine) - Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard (1975)

Year: May 1975 (CD 1998)
Label: Hannibal Records (France), HNCD 1427
Style: Jazz Rock, Avant-garde, Progressive Rock
Country: Lydden, Kent, England (28 January 1945)
Time: 39:11
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 220 Mb

The follow-up to Rock Bottom, for which Wyatt had written all of the music and lyrics, Ruth... consisted of Wyatt's adaptations and arrangements of other people's music (either friends – Phil Manzanera, Fred Frith, Mongezi Feza, former Wilde Flowers bandmate Brian Hopper – or influences – Charlie Haden) with Wyatt adding his own lyrics in much the same way as he had done on Matching Mole's Little Red Record. Apart from "Sonia", recorded for the shelved "Yesterday Man" single in October 1974 (again with Nick Mason as producer), the entire album was recorded and mixed at Virgin's The Manor Studio with Wyatt himself handling production duties. Much of the album features Wyatt (on lead vocals and keyboards) backed by a "band" consisting of bassist Bill MacCormick, drummer Laurie Allan and saxophonists George Khan and Gary Windo, with Brian Eno adding his own idiosyncratic "anti-jazz" touch.
Two years earlier Wyatt had provided the hypnotic soundtrack to the experimental film Solar Flares by Arthur Johns. The nine-minute film, "a personal essay on colour effects", had been produced by Nick Mason and recorded at his home studio. Wyatt had been involved at an early stage and his music was central to the project. The music itself would reappear on his 1975 album "in a more 'digestible' form".
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Is_Stranger_Than_Richard)

01. Muddy Mouse (a) (00:49)
02. Solar Flares (05:36)
03. Muddy Mouse (b) (00:50)
04. 5 Black Notes and 1 White Note (05:00)
05. Muddy Mouse (c) (06:15)
06. Soup Song (04:03)
07. Sonia (04:18)
08. Team Spirit (08:33)
09. Song for Che (03:42)

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