Camel's inspiration for their third album, The Snow Goose, was a novella written by Paul Gallico, for which the author won an O. Henry Award in 1941. The band did not receive the author's blessing, however, and subsequent pressings would be retitled (Music Inspired By) The Snow Goose to avoid copyright infringement. The all-instrumental album was again produced by Genesis and Caravan cohort David Hitchcock, and featured orchestral arrangements from David Bedford. Set during WWII, Gallico's short story concerns an old man who is befriended by a young girl and an injured goose; so, it goes without saying that there's precious little heavy rock inside! Nonetheless, Camel uses precise arrangements to provide a cohesive uniformity to the album's 16 vignettes, and ends up with one of progressive rock's better-executed concept albums. "Rhayader" features a light and melodic main theme that sets the album's course. Andy Latimer's lead guitar takes a rare spotlight on the following "Rhayader Goes to Town;" but in general, the album forgoes soloing for tightly controlled arrangements. Pete Bardens's keyboard work is first-rate, offering a variety of textures. Doug Ferguson and Andy Ward never stretch out too much either, instead providing a solid anchor throughout. The second side drifts towards a more introspective feel, with "Preparation" and "Epitaph" both reprising a simple, haunting melody. David Bedford's orchestrations of "Friendship" and "La Princesse Perdue" are rich and judicious, but never overfilling. The album sounds spacious, inspired and relaxed; if not everything needed to "rock out," Camel certainly would take top honors. The album was Camel's first in a long stretch of charting records, reaching No. 22 in the UK.
By 1973, Soft Machine was down to one original member, organist Mike Ratledge, and three former Nucleus members, sax and pianist Karl Jenkins, bassist Roy Babbington and drummer John Marshall. The band then switched labels to EMI's Harvest Records, and in an act unprecedented since their very beginnings, forwent with numbering for their next album's title, Bundles. Also, unprecedented since their first single (though perhaps precipitated by an NDR session with Isotope's Gary Boyle in 1973), was the arrival of a guitarist, Allan Holdsworth. Here, Soft Machine come close to reinventing themselves. The opening bars of "Hazard Profile Part One" reveal a modern jazz-rock, with of course, the guitar as the focus. Holdsworth is the main soloist, and certainly he picked up a thing or two from Ollie Halsall since we last heard him in Tempest. The following "Part Two (Toccatina)" goes acoustic, and after a few more brief "Parts," Ratledge lets loose on the synthesizer for "Part Five." The second side's "Bundles" and "Land Of The Bag Snake" further the band's new design; Marshall's drumming in particular shines, as does the mix of electric piano and organ. The Ratledge-penned "The Man Who Waved at Trains" and "Peff" offer some jazz, while Jenkin's closing "The Floating World" indeed floats effortlessly off into a dream. The album was recorded following the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 1974, though released almost a year later on Harvest. Released in June 1976, Softs was musically similar, but would see further change in personnel. Ratledge would depart before the album's completion, ending the last vestige with Softs' original lineup, while Holdsworth had already followed his nomadic spirit to The New Tony Williams Lifetime. His replacement, guitarist John Etheridge, had previously played in Darryl Way's Wolf, followed by a quick stint with Global Trucking Village Company, while saxophonist Alan Wakeman, a cousin of Rick Wakeman, allowed Jenkins full keyboard duties. It would be the last studio album from Soft Machine for nearly five years.
While still a member of Gong, Hillage was afforded the opportunity by Virgin Records to record a solo album. It's no surprise then that Fish Rising contains most of the Gong crew, plus Hillage's partner Miquette Giraudy and former bandmate Dave Stewart. In fact, much of the material here was first written during the second incarnation of Khan in 1972. Stewart's keyboards give "Solar Musick Suite" (sic) a none-too-subtle nod towards the so-called Canterbury sound. Beginning with a cheerful melody, the opening track travels through a few Gong-like instrumental sections before winding up; Hillage's distinctive, echo-inflected lead guitar is prominent. Side two is more typical of the direction his music would eventually take. The main riff of "The Salmon Song" is simple, repetitive and, above all, memorable: the anchor on which the song rests. Lindsay Cooper's bassoon adds a foreign flavor, but the bubbling synthesizers and "space whisper" of Giraudy steer things more toward the Gong side of the fence. "Aftaglid" demonstrates more of Hillage's guitar technique with the Eventide delay. From the opening bell, he adds his guitar lines over the extremely laid-back beat, before erupting with a massive lead guitar run; it's followed by a rare acoustic piece that evolves into an ethnic-tinged section (courtesy of the tabla) before the song again reprises itself. This would be Hillage's only solo album to feature Gong members; and the last with such overt Gong influence. The album rose to a respectable No. 33 in the UK charts. Hillage then took his leave from Gong; and after a very brief stint with Dave Stewart's National Health, he embarked on his solo career in earnest.
Originating from the German city of Cologne, Birth Control was one of the first German rock bands, releasing their debut album in 1970. They played heavy rock with styling not dissimilar to Vanilla Fudge or Deep Purple; and their self-titled debut even saw a US release. The core of drummer Bernd "Nossi" Noske and guitarist Bruno Frenzel then led the band through a few well-executed but ultimately unspectacular follow-ups. In 1974, keyboardist Bernd "Zeus" Held and bassist Peter Foeller joined for the Rebirth album, another heavy rocking affair. But this was all about to change: For their next album, Plastic People, Birth Control found inspiration in British prog rock. This was no cheap imitation either, as Held's keyboards here offer a richness to the heavy Birth Control sound. And despite the new complexity, the opening "Plastic People" still rocks hard. Held's command of the organ in particular is first-class. But then, "Tiny Flashlights" sees him switch to electric piano for its jazzier meter; while "My Mind" journeys into the classical realm, with assistance from Hoelderlin members. "Rockin' Rollin' Roller" lives up to its title, with Frenzel stepping up front. Noske's English-language vocals are gritty and strong—and perhaps the clearest of his German contemporaries. Both "Trial Trip" and "This Song Is Just for You" hark back to their previous work, though the latter offers some fastidious string and brass arrangements from Held. The album was original, exceptionally recorded and a positive change in direction for the band. One of the most popular live acts in Germany at the time, Birth Control earned themselves an invitation to tour the UK.
As Hawkwind's longstanding contract with United Artists was ending, their next album was licensed back to United Artists (explaining why future reissues would be so difficult), and saw release in the US on Atco Records. The band added a second drummer, Alan Powell, during their European tour, but didn't replace the departing Del Dettmar. Warrior On The Edge Of Time drew on Michael Moorcock's concept of the "eternal champion" figure, first presented in his 1961 work Elric of Melniboné. The album—the band's first to be recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales—enjoyed even better production than previous efforts, though it's still replete with Hawkwind's murky underground haze (a good thing). The opener "Assault and Battery - Part 1" and the ensuing "The Golden Void - Part 2" also retain that patented Hawkwind rhythm, though the combination of Nik Turner's flute and sax and House's keyboards add a new texture to the band's sound. Moving forward, the Neu!-ish "Opa-Loka" displays more of the band's new progression; while the atmosphere of Dave Brock's "The Demented Man" contains rich detail never before displayed on a Hawkwind record. The second side's "Magnu" and "Spiral Galaxy 28948," interspersed with Michael Moorcock's spoken-word soliloquies, further prove the band's musical evolution. Though the proto-punk single "Kings of Speed" b/w "Motorhead" didn't chart, the album reached No. 13 in the UK. Lemmy was subsequently fired from the band after a drug bust at the Canadian border; regardless, he would later drive his Motörhead to major international success. Paul Rudolph, ex-Pink Fairies, replaced Lemmy on bass; but after headlining both the Reading Festival and Watchfield Free Festival in August and completing tour commitments through the end of the year, Hawkwind would end ties with manager Doug Smith (for the first of many times), with a new era for the band just on the horizon.
Following a BBC Top Gear session in June 1974, Henry Cow eventually merged with the German-Anglo band Slapp Happy. Originally from Hamburg, the trio set up shop in the UK after signing with Virgin Records; they first re-recorded their second album, Casablanca Moon, after Polydor refused to release it (recorded with Faust, the original recording eventually saw release as Acnalbasac Noom in 1980). The first joint release between the two bands was Desperate Straights in March 1975, which saw Henry Cow's avant-music mixed with the heady cabaret of Slapp Happy, and the take-it-or-leave-it voice of Dagmar Krause. Though it mostly comprised of Slapp Happy members' Anthony Moore and Peter Blegvad's songwriting, the results were generally promising, leading to a second record in May, In Praise Of Learning. Here, the songwriting was more democratic. "War" leads off with a rousing melody and jazzy meter, followed by the epic construct of Tim Hodgkinson's "Living in the Heart of the Beast;" treading both the progressive and rock music, even Krause sounds tuneful on the track-it's the band's finest recording. "Beginning The Long March" and "Morning Star" are group compositions between the two bands; but mostly improvisations that drift into avant-weirdness. Chris Cutler and Fred Frith's "Beautiful as the Moon - Terrible as an Army with Banners" approaches a terrain similar to Magma in the fade, before descending into atonality. As with most of Henry Cow's output, none of it is easy listening-but that's not to say it isn't without reward. Anyway, the collaboration didn't last. Moore went solo, while Blegvad and John Greaves would unite for the Kew.Rhone album in 1977. Krause jumped ship and joined Henry Cow, appearing on the live Concerts album (with guest Robert Wyatt) in 1976. However, divisions in the Henry Cow saw it split in two: Frith, Cutler and Krause would further a vocal-based approach as the Art Bears, releasing Hopes and Fears in May 1978, while a final instrumental album from Henry Cow, Western Culture, would appear in 1979. All would then champion the Rock In Opposition movement and forge an alternative "industry" for like-minded artists; based partly on their political leanings, and partly out of necessity.
By the time Hoelderlin got around to recording their second album, the band had changed considerably. Nanny de Ruig had departed, and another pair of brothers—Peter and Joachim Käseberg, on bass and guitar, respectively—now augmented the group. But more significant than the personnel changes was the new musical course Hoelderlin had adopted: British prog rock. Although there was a three-year gap between this album and their last recording, the band had continued to play live, clocking in hundreds of concerts over the years; undoubtedly this honed their skills. Hoelderlin begins with the fantastic instrumental "Schwebebahn," titled after the monorail in their native Wuppertal. Though reminiscent of King Crimson, its sinister Mellotron and viola re-introduce Hoelderlin as an original prog rock act. A superb soloist, Nops Noppeney also lends a distinctive and very capable vocal. "I Love My Dog" also illustrates the band's command of the English language, which is perhaps better than any of their German contemporaries—and some of their British peers, too! Along with "Honeypot," it also harks back to their debut album's folk roots, though the execution and production here offer a new edge. The second side features the equally capable vocals of keyboardist Joachim von Grumbkow on "Nürnberg." But "Deathwatchbeetle," clocking in at nearly 18 minutes, is the album's triumph. The band's mix of acoustic and electric instruments build over the vast arrangement, incorporating everything the musicians have to offer: truly epic music. Released on the Spiegelei label, their albums would not see release outside of Germany. However, this record was the first in a trilogy for Hoelderlin that represents some of the finest progressive rock of the era.
In 1974, Achim Reichel rediscovered Novalis for his Gorilla Musik production company. New to the band were two guitarists, Detlef Job and Carlo Karges. The latter, previously with Tomorrow's Gift, would make a significant impact with both his songwriting and German-language lyrics. In fact, Novalis would be one of the first German groups of the era to shun the prevailing trend of English lyrics to instead explore the lyricism of their native tongue. Back with the Brain label, they released their second album, simply titled Novalis. The instrumental "Sonnengeflecht" opens with a brisk melody and updated sound; no wonder, the translation is "Solar Plexus." "Wer Schmetterlinge lachen hört" (literally, "who hears butterflies laugh") begins with an air of formality, but quickly descends into a swift instrumental workout featuring both guitarists. Lutz Rahn's Hammond organ is still central to the Novalis sound; but here, he adds further texture with synthesizer. "Dronsz" is a treat: It bypasses their typically romantic arrangements for an indulgence in sound that's slightly out of character for the band. Taking its theme from Bruckner's Fifth Symphony, the second side leads off with "Impressionen." This track contains more of the formality of their previous work; but with the addition of the two guitarists, it further emphasizes their rocking dimension. The closing track, "Es Färbte Sich Die Wiese Grün" ("the meadow colors [itself] green") also reaches out to the past, this time adapting its lyrics from the poetry of Karl Friedrich von Hardenberg, where they also found their namesake, Novalis. Here the rhythm section of Hartwig Biereichel and Heino Schünzel (the latter also provided vocals for the album), drives the song. The arrangement is more diverse, but the melodies are classic. Before Novalis' next album, Karges would depart, and eventually ended up in Nena's pop band, co-penning her massive hit, "99 Luftballons."
Synergy was the sobriquet of Larry Fast's one-man synthesizer show. Hailing from New Jersey, Fast would rise to prominence as one of America's premier electronic musicians, largely through a series of albums released on the Passport label. Released in 1975, his debut album, Electronic Realizations For Rock Orchestra, set the stage. Awash with synthetic flourishes and Mellotron a-plenty, "Legacy" unfolds in a familiar way. But the promise of the initial heavy sequence fades into something altogether lighter, much to this listener's chagrin. "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" continues with an even richer electronic texture, but the spry and protean melodies are closer to light instrumental music than strictly prog rock; the second side continues in the same palatable fashion. Throughout, Fast's compositions are exquisitely conventional, yet still full of dramatic suspense, and constitute one of the early examples of electronic music that would find commercial prominence in the 1980s. Fast mostly used a Mini Moog synthesizer and outboard gear to create the music, and as he would always state, "Nobody played guitar." Certainly, this was a technical feat; and in fact, Fast had a parallel career as an engineer: He worked on early synthesizer and recording technologies, including building synthesizer modules for Rick Wakeman of Yes while he was still a student in the early 70s. In addition to future Windham Hill mainstay Shadowfax and Canada's FM, both Nektar and Peter Gabriel would employ Fast's talents as a musician and/or producer. His next album, Sequencer, was similarly playful; but the darker and more rhythmic 1978 release Cords stands as a career highlight. Fast would release another handful of albums over the next decade, while also finding time to curate the Audion label for Passport Records Group.
Bassist Peter Vink and drummer Beer (what a great first name!) Klaasse, both previously in one of the Netherlands' original R&B bands, Q65, founded Finch. After a series of personnel changes, the duo recruited guitarist (and composer) Joop van Nimwegen and keyboardist Cleem Determeijer. The band then inked a deal with EMI and recorded their first album, Glory Of The Inner Force. "Register Magister" introduces the Finch sound. Immediately identifiable, the band is both effusive and relentless, and somewhere in between the grandiosity of Yes and the complication of the then-current fusion. The themes are melodic yet, above all, Finch never fails to rock out. "Paradoxical Moods" showcases the virtuoso talents of both Determeijer on organ and Nimwegen on guitar. "Pisces" opens the second side to a considerably slower pace, and reveals some influence from (you guessed it) Focus. The band gets heavy again on the closing "A Bridge to Alice;" but halfway through, an acoustic guitar takes over. As Dag Erik Asbjørnsen suggested in his Scented Gardens of the Mind guide, Finch's music "liv[ed] up to your best or worst expectations of this genre." I must agree. The album saw a US release on Atco Records and went on to sell an impressive 20,000 copies worldwide. Subsequently, Finch recorded two further albums: Beyond Expression in 1976, which earned a Radio Veronica album of the week honor, and their final record (with new members, keyboardist Ad Wammes and drummer Hans Bosboom), Galleons Of Passion, the following year on Ariola imprint Bubble. Both were credible, if analogous, efforts.
The progressive era wasn't exclusive to Western Europe, though being a rock band under communism was no easy feat. Hailing from Budapest, Hungary, Omega was one such band that managed to not only break through the iron curtain, but also the language barrier of their native Uralic tongue. Formed as early as 1962, they made their way through the 60s performing covers, and even managed to secure a UK release on Decca under the name Omega Red Star. Released in 1968, From Hungary offers an album that is mostly sung in English. Slightly psychedelic, slightly jazzy and at the same time highly original, there's little equivalent to their lively 60s sound. Omega released a few more albums that only saw Hungarian release; and by 1971, they stabilized their lineup: vocalist János Kóbor, guitarist György Molnár, keyboardist László Benko, bassist Tamás Mihály and drummer Ferenc Debreceni. In 1972, the band signed with German label Bacillus and, not surprisingly, made the jump to progressive rock. A series of albums were quickly released, all with Peter Hauke producing. Their 1974 release, 200 Years After The Last War, features a brilliant side-long suite, revealing a very polished and symphonic sound that is nonetheless rooted in the blues. Their 1975 release, The Hall Of Floaters In The Sky, was recorded in England's Chipping Norton Studios. Featuring a magnificent cover, the music inside was equally compelling. "One Man Land" rides a heavy rock groove, while "Magician" offers a livelier chorus. Throughout, Benko's keyboards stand out, as does Mihály's rock-solid bass tone. "20th Century Town Dweller" closes the album, again showcasing the band's driving rock sound and deft arrangements. Passport Records even released a compilation in the US the same year, Omega. Through to the end of the 70s, the band issued several more albums with Bacillus, including 1979's best-selling Gammapolis; however, it would be one of their last international releases, as the 80s would see Omega focus on their native Hungary before breaking up in 1987.
In 1974, Jim Pembroke released a solo album, Pigworm, featuring members of both Wigwam (past and present) and Tasavallan Presidentti. Wigwam then added guitarist Pekka Rechardt for a farewell tour and live album, Live Music From The Twilight Zone, the final release from the band's (more or less) original lineup. However, a contract from Virgin Records may have enticed some of the band to reconsider. Now consisting of Pembroke, Rechardt and drummer Ronnie Österberg, Wigwam added keyboardist Esa Kotilainen and Tasavallan Presidentti's bassist Måns Groundstroem to their lineup. Under Pembroke and Rechardt's guidance, Wigwam released 1975's Nuclear Nightclub. Although moving to (more or less) mainstream rock, the album still has much to offer to the progressive listener. "Nuclear Nightclub" features Pembroke's soothing voice and an easy-feeling from the band; Rechardt's clean-tone guitar is a great addition. The Rechardt-penned "Freddie Are You Ready" is chock-full of luscious melodies and Pembroke's quirky prose and vocals. "Bless Your Lucky Stars" offers an edge, while "Do Or Die" kicks the electricity up a notch, as does the closing "Pig Storm." Pembroke's "Save My Money & Name" is a perfect example of his way with melody; few songwriters could write hooks with such conviction. Produced by Stone The Crows' Ronnie Leahy, 1976's Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose continued down the same path, offering another installment of Pembroke and Rechardt's tunes. Pembroke next released a solo album, Corporal Cauliflowers Mental Function for Love Records. However, after one final release in 1977, the again excellent Dark Album, the band would dissolve. Both Gustavson and Pohjola embarked on solo careers, the latter releasing a couple of albums on Virgin Records before joining Mike Oldfield's touring band late in the decade. Sadly, Österberg committed suicide in 1980.
In 1975, Gentle Giant signed to Chrysalis Records in the UK—an agreement that purportedly stemmed from the relationship the band had made with the label after touring with mainstays Jethro Tull. On their first album for the label, Free Hand, the band replaces the uniformity of their previous efforts with a much more playful and varied atmosphere. The first side revolves around the themes of broken relationships, both personal and business. "Just the Same" kicks things off with a choppy rhythm, but its highlight is the break: one minute soaring, the next quirky. "On Reflection" is a throwback to "Knots;" its a cappella rounds are arranged with medieval flavor, and with a gentle vocal break from Kerry Minnear. "Free Hand" is the potent rocker, but unfortunately suffers from rather stiff execution and an abrupt ending. In fact, the more concise live versions of these songs would bump the electricity up a notch and become concert favorites. After all, Gentle Giant were at their best live. The second side is less straightforward. Opening with a classic Atari Pong sample, "Time to Kill" (get it?) has a sharper tempo that lends a certain swing to the arrangement. Multifaceted, and ornate, "His Last Voyage" is Giant doing what they do best. The atypical break features a haunting piano riff, followed by another great guitar solo from Gary Green. The instrumental "Talybont" is pure medieval music. "Mobile" skips along at a jig's pace, though it has an air of earlier works—particularly in the interplay between violin and acoustic guitar, and the wah-wah break. The album barely scraped the lower reaches of the UK charts, but it did become the band's first and only album to break the Top 50 in the US.
Formed in The Hague, Netherlands in the early 60s, Groep 1850—or rather, Group 1850—was one of the Netherlands' early rock groups. Early singles earned the band the attention of Philips Records; and in late 1968, that gave way to a full-blown acid classic, Agemo's Trip to Mother Earth. Written by keyboardist Peter Sjardin and guitarist Daniel van Bergen, the album is very much of the era, and one that embraces both the good and bad of psychedelia; the sound lies somewhere between the West Coast acid rock and London's psychedelia. A second album followed in 1969, with drummer Martin van Duynhoven, guitarist Dave Duba and bassist Dave Geldof in the fold. However, this would be the band's last recording for some time. By the early 70s, the group (minus van Bergen) had an altogether different vibe, and live recordings reveal long-form jamming based around Sjardin's keyboards. Seemingly out of nowhere, a new album appeared on the small Rubber Records in 1975. Titled Polyandri, it's a very different animal than its 60s brethren. Closer in vibe to Gong, the album embraces psychedelia's natural progression towards space rock. Written and produced (or as the liner notes put it, "organised") by Sjardin, there's still plenty of acid fun here, but the groove of "Thousand Years Before" is positively electric, fueled by Duba's guitar. "Silver Earring" adds a flute from Golden Earring's Barry Hay, but it's Geldof's bass line that steals the show. "Patience" has a near-krautrock vibe that flows through to "Cages." "Avant Le Pericles" even ventures toward the ambient, with a pulsing organ floating throughout the soundscape, accented by Hans Dulfer's sax. All in all, the band offers an excellent album of space rock; but unfortunately, also one that got lost in the annals of time. Aside from a couple of live albums in the mid-70s, little else was heard again from Group 1850 or its members.
In 1974, a heavy tour schedule consumed Caravan. John G. Perry left in July and was replaced at producer David Hitchcock’s suggestion by ex-Curved Air bassist Mike Wedgwood. After a switch to Miles Copeland’s BTM agency, the band embarked on their first US tour in September. They entered the studio in early 1975 to record their sixth album, Cunning Stunts. The record kicks off with the proud “The Show of Our Lives” (with Wedgwood on lead vocals), before sliding into “Stuck in a Hole.” Both the latter track and “No Backstage Pass” would be the only compositions from Pye Hastings. Dave Sinclair’s “The Dabsong Conshirtoe” dominates the album’s second side; it’s another great Caravan epic, and the first contribution from Sinclair in nearly four years. Immediately, his sense of melody takes hold, as the Wedgwood-sung “Ben Karrett Rides Again” also attests; the track paces easily through its six sections. “Sneaking Out the Bare Quare” swings a bit, while the finale “All Sorts of Unmentionable Things” ends in grand Caravan tradition, though augmented here by some heavy backing tapes. Known for their ever-too-clever song titles, this album’s title arguably ranks as one of their worst literary inventions. Reportedly, an American band, Aerosmith, had appropriated the original title: Toys In The Attic. After a BBC session in June, Dave Sinclair left the band (again), with Liverpudlian keyboardist Jan Schelhaas replacing him just before the album’s release. It would become the first in the Caravan catalog to enter the charts. In the UK, the album rose to No. 50; while in the US, it would stall out at No. 124. It also marked the end of their longstanding relationship with Decca Records.
Manfred Mann's Earth Band completed their first tour of the US in 1974, where they probably discovered the track that would open their next album, 1975's Nightingales & Bombers. A cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Spirits in the Night" also was released as a single, but hold this space: They'd return to the writer's well a year later for much greater fortunes. Two other covers grace the album: Joan Armatrading's "Visionary Mountains" and Bob Dylan's "Quit Your Low Down Ways." The band's talent lies in successfully turning tracks from such diverse sources into Earth Band tunes; try picking them apart from the band's own slightly funky, always hip songs, like "Time Is Right" or "Fat Nelly." The remainder of the album intersperses several instrumental numbers between the vocal tracks, highlighting the band's technical expertise: On "Countdown" and "Crossfade," Mann's synthesizer trades licks with Mick Rogers's fiery lead guitar, all over the brisk rhythm section of bassist Colin Pattenden and drummer Chris Slade. The title track, written by Rogers, is the album's touchstone, offering a kind of fusion that's as good as any other fusion-laced track of the era. The album, however, failed to chart, and the single barely scraped the Top 100 in the US. But the band's fortune was about to change: Rogers would leave the band in 1976, to be replaced by vocalist Chris Thompson and guitarist Dave Flett. The ensuing release, The Roaring Silence—spearheaded by another Springsteen cover, "Blinded by the Light"—would carry the album to No. 10 on both sides of the Atlantic, with the song topping the charts in the US and rising to No. 6 in the UK. From here, the Earth Band's music would move toward more commercial terrain; this shift provided moderate chart success over the next several years.
Quiet Sun's sole album was recorded while Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera was recording his debut solo record, Diamond Head. That album included an incredible roster of musicians (and the classic track "Miss Shapiro"), but it also sought to cover the same pop territory as Roxy Music, and most certainly succeeded. Mainstream, then, was the progressive "studio twin." Manzanera returned to keyboardist Dave Jarrett, as well as Bill MacCormick and Charles Hayward: the former an ex-Matching Mole bassist, and the latter the future This Heat drummer. Quiet Sun had, in fact, first been together in 1970, while the members were at school in Dulwich; failing to ever secure a recording contract, they broke up in 1972. Thus resituated, Quiet Sun set out to right their unfinished business and record their original set of music. They share writing credits, contributed individually though; yet each track blends seamlessly into the next. "Sol Caliente" leads off; and once it kicks into full gear, the heat, as the title suggests, indeed turns up. Yet it's Manzanera's electric guitar that gives the album its unique twist on the Canterbury formula, lending it much more of a "rock" feel. To wit, it's a highly electric experience, bordering on manic at times—especially on the wonderfully titled "Mummy Was an Asteroid, Daddy Was a Small Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil." Jarrett primarily keeps his hands on both electric and acoustic pianos, while the Hayward/MacCormick rhythm section is dynamic throughout. The album's one vocal track, Hayward's "Rongwrong," takes a cue from Robert Wyatt, both musically and lyrically. But unfortunately, this would be the only album from Quiet Sun. Manzanera then formed the relatively disappointing but critically successful 801, releasing a couple of albums on Island Records before returning to Roxy Music later in the decade.
Signed to Manager Miles Copeland's BTM label, Renaissance released Turn Of The Cards in May 1974; the album would break the band into the US Top 100. It also contained a few songs that would become concert favorites, including "Running Hard" and "Mother Russia." However, Scheherazade And Other Stories, released in August 1975, was the more accomplished of the two releases. It features the standard Renaissance fare: Annie Haslam's crystal clear and five-octave voice high in the mix, supported by the virtuoso talents of John Tout on piano, Jon Camp on his distinctive Rickenbacker bass and Tony Cox providing orchestral arrangements. Acoustic guitarist Michael Dunford is still the band's main songwriter (and link to the "other" lineup), with lyrics written by Cornish poetess Betty Thatcher; but this album also is the first to include written contributions from Camp and Tout. In particular, "Trip to the Fair," is a delight, benefiting from rich production. The album's second side features their version of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. Perhaps more than any other band of the era, Renaissance did more than borrow classic motifs for the basis of their compositions: They wrote classical music for rock instruments, with "Song Of Scheherazade" being the perfect ringer. The band toured both the US and the UK with an orchestra, including high-profile concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. However, the band's popularity would shine in the US, where their albums now saw release on Sire Records. The album was their highest charting album yet, entering the Top US 50 at No. 48.
Originally the Sebastian Hardie Blues Band, these Australians paid their dues as Johnny O'Keef's backing band during the 60s. In 1973, the Plavsic brothers Peter (bass) and Alex (drums) joined up with guitarist and vocalist Mario Millo, while keyboardist Toivo Pilt jumped aboard a year later. It should be evident by now that a lot of bands were "switching" to progressive styles around this time. Though this wasn't disingenuous per se, the more organic evolutions of the original British groups still remained the barometer, and comparisons could not be avoided. Nonetheless, Sebastian Hardie signed to Polygram and released their debut album, Four Moments. The four movements of the title track span the first side of the record. "Glories Shall Be Released" opens with a big symphonic refrain; it's one helluva hook that's reprised throughout the remainder of the piece. The band's palette is simple enough: Pilt reaches across mainly organ and Mellotron, while Millo's guitar hits all the right notes. Meanwhile, the Plavsic brothers keep a low but steady presence. The second section, "Dawn of Our Sun," mellows the pace, while the following "Journey Through Our Dreams" approaches Yes territory. All of the melodies are memorable; but ultimately, the suite's relative effortlessness is its greatest strength. The second side is completely instrumental. "Rosanna," also issued as a single, is reminiscent of Focus. Millo and Pilt trade leads over the six sections of "Openings" in an undemanding yet formidable display of their talent. Four Moments was well received in Australia, and even earned a US release on Mercury Records. In 1976, Sebastian Hardie released their second album, Windchase, and added further complexity to their music. But afterward, the band split. Millo and Pilt adopted the last album's title as their new band name, and released one final record, Symphinity, in 1977.
Having recused himself from Roxy Music, Brian Peter George Eno set upon a solo career. His first two albums, 1974's Here Come the Warm Jets and Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), were planted firmly in the glam and art rock of his former band; however, Eno's forte was experimentation, with a revisionist outlook towards rock ‘n' roll. Eno's third vocal record, Another Green World, is generally regarded as his finest. The album hosts a veritable cast of musicians from the timeline, including Robert Fripp, Percy Jones, Phil Collins and Paul Rudolph. Alternating between so-called pop songs and instrumental vignettes, the album is pure Eno. Using he and Peter Schmidt's Oblique Strategies cards, he uses chance to guide compositions and literal descriptions to find sounds: "Wimshurst guitar," "anchor bass," "choppy organs," and so forth. The deadpan "I'll Come Running to tie Your Shoe" is classic, as well as the plaintive "St. Elmo's Fire." The treatments Eno applies to the songs are more interesting as the songs themselves—sound for sound's sake—which speaks to Eno's compositional modus operandi: it's really not about the destination the song brings, but rather the journey while it's playing. To wit, witness "In Dark Trees," "Becalmed" or the title track. From here, Eno's career would follow two paths, one continuing his pop muse into production (and a final vocal album), and the other exploring process or "non-music," beginning with Discreet Music for his Obscure Records in late 1975. In 1976, Eno would then venture off to Germany to work with Cluster's like-minded Roedelius and Moebius and collaborate on the first of a legendary trio of albums with David Bowie, as well as participate in the 801 supergroup with Phil Manzanera, Bill MacCormick, Francis Monkman and others.
