In the varied landscape of progressive rock, Schicke, Führs & Fröhling were surely an odd trio: two Mellotron players and a guitarist with a Les Paul/Rickenbacker double-neck guitar. This apparently caught the attention of Frank Zappa; but unfortunately, scheduling prevented the American from producing the band's debut album. In 1974, drummer Eduard Schicke and guitarist/bassist Heinz Fröhling formed SFF out of the Oldenburg band Spektakel, when a like-minded Gerhard Führs joined the pair on keyboards. Signed to the Brain label, the trio released a debut album that more than lives up to its name, Symphonic Pictures. The album's second side, comprising the epic "Pictures," is the crowning achievement. Dynamic and unrelenting, it shifts from theme to theme, reprising its sinister main refrain over whooping Moog lines and Mellotron breaks. Technically, they're unprecedented; yet considering the album's no-overdub nature, Dieter Dierks's production is effectively scuttled. Führs fills the bass line on keyboards when Fröhling switches to guitar; and more often than not, it seems as though everyone is playing a Mellotron! The purely instrumental album avoids most of the bombast of its English contemporaries, but that doesn't mean it's not without aplomb; not even King Crimson could get over a Mellotron not sounding like a Mellotron. The band's fortunes grew on their considerable live reputation, and the album sold a reputed 12,000 copies in Germany upon its release. It remains a classic of the era. SFF would release another two comparable albums; and following Schicke's departure, the duo of Führs & Fröhling continued, recording a series of new agey albums for the Sky label.
With new keyboardist Jan Schelhaas, Caravan-now consisting of Schelhaas, Pye Hastings, Richard Coughlan, Geoffrey Richardson and Mike Wedgwood-signed to Miles Copeland’s BTM label and entered the studio with David Hitchcock to record their seventh studio album, Blind Dog At St. Dunstans. The title is a nod to the once Archbishop of Canterbury-named charity for blind veterans. In perfect Caravan fashion, the lively “Here Am I” opens the album, followed by the Wedgwood-sung “Chiefs and Indians.” Both are potent rockers, filled with infectious melody, rich vocal harmonies and exceptional execution by the band. Though marked as individual tracks, the next set of songs, from “A Very Smelly, Grubby Little Oik” through to “Oik (Reprise),” work as the “big piece” of Caravan music on the album. Hastings voice is as pleasant as ever, and even Jimmy Hastings adds some horns to the light-hearted stomper “Come on Back.” Guided by Wedgwood’s bass, “Jack and Jill” attempts at a funk groove but mostly fails, while “Can You Hear Me?” suffers from Schelhaas’s busy keyboards. The closing track “All the Way” is lighthearted but also lightweight. Despite a strong opening, the album fades by the end. Remarkably, it sold well enough, again rising to No. 53 in the UK charts. Wedgwood then quit the band for a solo career, with Dek Messecar replacing him. Lineup changes would cause further upheaval, including the return and departure (again) of both Sinclairs! Nonetheless, Caravan went on to record a few more albums for Arista and Terry King’s Kingdom label, well into the early 80s—though, with each release, they went in an increasingly less interesting direction.
Drummer Jon Hiseman and bassist Mark Clarke initially auditioned Irish guitarist Gary Moore, formerly with Thin Lizzy, for a new version of Tempest. Clarke opted out for Natural Gas; and due to record company pressures, the band was rechristened to the more sales-worthy Colosseum II. Featuring the talents of bassist Neil Murray, keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Moore, and now veering away from heavy rock, Colosseum II would record a trio of perfectly serviceable fusion albums, with 1976's Strange New Flesh arriving first. "Dark Side of the Moog" kicks off their debut in fine fashion: a dark, heavy instrumental number, it exhibits all the strength one might expect from the lineup. Both Moore and Airey are virtuosos, and there's no shortage of their play. But from there, the remainder of the album takes a turn, by way of vocalist Mike Starrs. The Joni Mitchell cover "Down to You" features his high tenor, though it's the Airey-penned middle section that soars. "Gemini and Leo" offers a typical mid-70s funky groove, punctuated by Airey's keyboards and a convincing vocal from Starrs. "Secret Places" and "On Second Thoughts" occupy a place not far removed from Argent's contemporary work. The finale, "Winds," again provides ignition for the band's prowess, and in epic progressive form. Murray wouldn't last (he was off to National Health) and Starrs left for Lucifer's Friend. Bassist John Mole would join for the band's final two albums, both released in 1977, but all were remarkably unremarkable. The band (with Rod Argent) appeared en masse on Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1978 album Variations, a highly successful and curious combo of classical (Paganini's 24th caprice) and rock music. Following Moore's return to Thin Lizzy, the band split before a fourth album could be recorded. Airey would join Blackmore's Rainbow, while Mole would move to sessions and further work with Webber. Hiseman would leave the rock area behind, opting for his own studio and soundtrack work with wife Barbara Thompson.
The success generated by the previous year's Free Hand and Gentle Giant's extensive touring to promote it instilled the band a considerable amount of pressure for the follow-up. They entered the studio in February, reputedly less prepared than they'd hoped; but what they delivered was something more straightforward and precise than any of their earlier efforts. As the title indicates, the concept of Gentle Giant's eighth album is a mock interview with the band. The title track chops along under a huge organ riff, its lyrics offering a wry and jaded answer to questions they'd probably been asked a thousand times before. "Give it Back" is unique; its reggae rhythm is obviously a departure for the band, but it breaks into a great instrumental middle section that's more familiar. "Design" is the obligatory (and by now, tiring) a cappella track. The second side starts off with "Another Show," a straightforward rocker in typical Gentle Giant fashion. "Empty City" is a gorgeous song, layered with multi-tracked guitars and a beautiful synthesizer line. When asked by the interviewer (Sounds' Phil Sutcliffe), "What kind of music do you play then?" the Giant responds with "Timing:" a fitting track, it's chock-full of all the things one's come to love about their music. But the best is saved for last. Building up with a mélange of harpsichords and other keyboards that make their rounds underneath a gentle Minnear vocal, "I Lost My Head" erupts into another full-on rocker. Gentle Giant would again embark on a world tour in support of the album, documented on the exceptional Playing The Fool double-album, released the following year. However, the changing landscape of popular music would usher in a different course for the Giant. This would be the end of an era for the band.
Camped in Rothenburg, Finkenbach, in the idyllic Odenwald mountains, Mani Neumeier had Guru Guru back in action in 1976 on the Brain label, and with a new lineup. Joining him was ex-Brainstorm multi-instrumentalist Roland Schaeffer, as well as guitarist Josef "Sepp" Jandrisits on guitar, and bassist Jogi Karpenkiel from Kollektiv—the two being holdovers from Neumeier's solo album. Kraan's Ingo Bischof and Karthago's Tommy Goldschmidt also came aboard, performing as guests for 1976's Tango Fango. "Tomorrow" opens brightly, with a fine and decidedly different vocal from Schaeffer. Here, Guru Guru is completely reinvented: Bouncing between rhythms that vary from calypso to bossanova, the compositions are far more focused and discrete than on past efforts, and offer a lighter-hearted fusion of sound. "Night Bear" provides a jazzier foundation, with Neumeier and Schaefer trading off vocals, before descending into a nice guitar vamp. "Banana Flip" opens the second side, offering a good-time Caribbean influence, while "L. Toro" goes for something a little deeper. The instrumental "Salto Mortadella" trots along, before the four-part "Das lebendige Radio" closes. It's a real pastiche of German gemütlichkeit, complete with yodeling, accordion and that weirdness that no Guru Guru album would be complete without, and ending with a Chuck Berry tune for good measure! From here, Neumeier would juggle Guru Guru through ever-revolving lineups well into the early 80s, and over musical terrain similar to Kraan or Frank Zappa-yet always original. Be sure to check out the excellent double-album Live, released in 1978, also on Brain. Guru Guru even managed to tour the US in 1979.
Hoelderlin's third album was recorded less than a year after their second, and again consolidated their grasp of British prog rock. The band also experienced lineup changes: Hans Bäär (Hans Detlef Maahn) now replaced Peter Käseberg on bass, while Joachim Käseberg put down his guitar to concentrate on live sound—he was the first member to switch to the "business" side of the band. Guest Jörg-Peter "Büdi" Siebert, in a recurring role, added wind instruments. As the title suggests, the album is indeed divided into two halves. Side one, the "Clown" side, essentially consists of (more or less) songs-proper. The spiky clavinets of "Mad House" open, the track reminiscent of Genesis. As Joachim von Grumbkow's keyboard guides the track along, Nops Noppeney delivers an excellent vocal, with Siebert's sax rounding out the arrangement. Joachim then takes his turn at vocals on "Your Eyes," and his voice is more sympathetic to the elaborate yet delicate composition. Christian von Grumbkow's guitar is understated throughout the track (and indeed, the record), barely rising above Noppeney's violin at the end. The "Circus" suite has a more complex structure, though its many sections merge together effortlessly; Joachim's organ takes prominence as the band plays through the remarkably complex and melodic arrangement. Side two, the "Cloud" side, offers a pair of compositions that are based more on atmosphere and instrumental improvisation, and more than exemplifies Hoelderlin's ability with long-form music. The simplicity of the Bäär-penned "Streaming" belies its effectiveness: Fluid and ethereal, it rides effortlessly on top of Michael Bruchmann's crisp drumming. The track then segues into the lengthy "Phasing." Guided by a gentle electric piano and violin, the main phrase swells over a hypnotic bass line as it approaches critical mass; with Siebert and Noppeney again soloing, it's transcendent. Clowns & Clouds remains as impressive and unpretentious a display of progressive rock as any in the timeline. Once again, the album was immaculately recorded and produced by Conny Plank, and released on the Spiegelei label. In addition to significant touring, the band recorded several concerts for German TV around this time.
PFM's international fortunes had greatly improved, thanks to major bouts of touring in both the UK and the US, and their record deal with Manticore Records now encompassing Asylum Records in the US. Chocolate Kings was the first of two albums the group would record solely in English. True to their resolve, the band recruited vocalist Bernardo Lanzetti, previously in Italian progsters Acqua Fragile. Educated in Texas, Lanzetti had a distinctive voice, somewhere between Roger Chapman and Peter Gabriel. That wasn't the only change; gone was Pete Sinfield, with Marva Jan Marrow contributing English-language lyrics, and Claudio Fabi now sat alone in the producer's chair. From the opening bars of "From Under," the album presents a harder and more dynamic PFM, anchored in the roar of Flavio Premoli's Hammond organ and the breakneck rhythm of drummer Franz Di Cioccio and bassist Patrick Djivas. The elegant opening guitar lines of "Harlequin" and "Out of the Roundabout" offer some escape from the manic, almost forceful meters that the tracks erupt into. "Chocolate Kings" continues the pace with a jig-like tempo. The longer tracks on the second side are similarly hard-driving. There's little subtlety throughout the recording, but the new edge is more than welcome. The album was a critical and commercial success—especially in Japan, where the band embarked on their first tour, and in England, where the Queen Mother even paid them a visit before a Royal Albert Hall performance. However, the group claims that the album was "boycotted" in the US market because of their performances at benefits to support the PLO. Nevertheless, for their next album, the band headed to Los Angeles to record. [US release date]
Rush were a Canadian trio who, in just a few short years, went from riff-laden heavy metal (read: Led Zeppelin-style) to British progressive rock (read: Yes-style). The band had an excellent and versatile guitarist in Alex Lifeson, while Geddy Lee was known for both his trebly bass and high-pitched vocals. Drummer par excellence Neil Peart, who joined for the band's second album, also provided lyrics for the band's music. Their sound had steadily "progressed," both artistically and commercially, over a few albums, culminating here on 2112. Based in part on the writings of Ayn Rand's novella Anthem, the album takes its title from the suite of songs that comprises the first side of the record. Of course, it isn't that different from "The Fountain of Lamneth" on the previous Caress Of Steel, just more refined. The opening movement "Overture" is a blistering run-through of Rush's brand of heavy rock. But as the band weaves its guitar-based rock through the suite's discrete sections offering a tale of a dystopian future, Rush certainly have more to offer than your average head bangers, both musically and intellectually. The second side kicks off with the ultimate hemp homage, "A Passage to Bangkok." Subject matter aside, it's a classic Rush song, combining their pop sensibility with a great melody-and that great oriental riff-in a heavy metal anthem. The closing "Something for Nothing" follows in the same mold. This album was their first commercial success, managing to reach No. 61 on the UK charts. Their US breakthrough took a little longer though, and was the result of continuous touring with the likes of Kiss and Aerosmith. The live double-album All The World's A Stage, released in the fall, rose to No. 40 in the US.
After wrapping up his East Wind fusion project, Stomu Yamash'ta next project would be the apex of his career. In 1976, he assembled a superstar lineup that included Steve Winwood, Klaus Schulze, Rosko Gee, Al Di Meola, Michael Shrieve and Pat Thrall (the latter from Automatic Man), and recorded Go for Island Records, with Dennis MacKay producing. The opening track's lush strings unfold to Winwood's ever-soulful voice on "Crossing the Line." It's certainly a prototype of the kind of music that would yield hit singles for the singer in the 80s. "Man of Leo" then gets funky, setting up a guitar solo from Di Meola, before bowing to the juxtaposing synthesizers on "Space Theme." The second side rises from the introductory electronics before erupting into "Carnival" and "Ghost Machine." Winwood's "Winner/Loser" closes—again, another potential single. Altogether, it was a forward-thinking attempt, blending the widest varieties of musical styles. But somehow it failed to impress, only rising to No. 60 on the US charts. A live album Go Live From Paris, recorded in June, was released the same year; it was an expanded version of the band's debut with each bandmate flexing his improvisational skills. The funky white soul of Go Too then followed in 1977, with ex-Bronco Jess Roden replacing Winwood. The album saw the addition of the Martyn Ford Orchestra and several female vocalists; and, curiously, featured Yamash'ta on Korg, Schulze on Moog and Peter Robinson on ARP, presenting a "trifecta" of synthesizers! However, that was it for Yamash'ta: Retiring from music, he returned to Japan to live in a Buddhist temple. He eventually resurfaced, releasing several new agey albums and soundtracks in the early to mid-80s.
Van der Graaf Generator spent most of 1975 on the road, completing tours of both England and Europe. Then the band entered the studio in January 1976 for a few weeks to quickly complete Still Life, in what would be one of the band's most balanced and enduring records. It is a bit of an understatement to call Peter Hammill's prose here merely lyrics; he explores love, life and the meaning of it all with enough depth to sink a black hole; his powerful and direct vocal delivery is up front in the mix throughout the album. Of course, the music is perfectly suited: complex, engaging and, foremost, it never fails to rock. "Pilgrims" remains the anthem and "Still Life" the hymn; the band's forthright message is concisely delivered over Guy Evans's crisp drumming and Hugh Banton's shimmering organ. In fact, the album is a showcase for Banton's considerable talent and the organ's classic tone, here offered from the Hammond C3 with a Leslie cabinet. The opening notes of "La Rossa" belie the ferocity to come. VdGG literally blast through the song, one of their finest on record, monkey and all. "My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)" slows the pace, with Hammill retreating to a more sympathetic vocal, while "Childlike Faith in Childhood's End" remains a favorite of the band to this day. Like "La Rossa," it charges through its different movements, with the band trailblazing right to the end. VdGG played another John Peel Session after the album's release; but instead of immediately hopping on another tour, VdGG entered Rockfield Studios to record their third album in just over a year's time.
After leaving Gong in 1975, Daevid Allen, with Gilli Smyth and their children, moved into semi-retirement in Majorca-only to emerge a year or so later with the excellent Good Morning album for Virgin Records. Recorded with the Catalan group Euterpe, the record is primarily an acoustic affair, showcasing Allen's idiosyncratic songwriting. The band, featuring the acoustic guitars of Pepe Milan, the various keyboards of Toni Pascual and Ana Camps's high-soaring backing vocals, offers a gentle, Spanish-tinged and mostly acoustic backing to Allen's tunes. Compared to Gong, his lyrics are very straight-forward and down to earth; but equally as spiritual. Recorded on a couple of two-track Revox tape machines, it's mostly a lo-fi venture. The sleeper track is the Gong-like "Wise Man in Your Heart," recorded with Pierre Moerlen and Mike Howlett. Fueled by Moerlen's percussive riff, it has a massive groove, coated with Allen's patented glissando guitar. In 1977, Allen next released the similar Now Is The Happiest Time Of Your Life, this time for the Tapioca label in France, and Charly/Affinity in the UK. Much like his previous album, it again featured Milan, along with guests Sam Gopal and Victor Peraino, and the beautifully lamenting track "Poet for Sale." He then returned to England with Smyth in May 1977 and formed Planet Gong with the Here and Now band. Back in Deya, he helped assemble Smyth's first solo album, 1978's Mother. Allen then recorded a third album (with all songwriting attributed to Smyth), 1979's N'existe Pas, with Milan, Chris Cutler and George Bishop. He was at the end of his relationship with Smyth, and accordingly, it's a different record, best exemplified in the dark psychedelia of "Non God Will Not Go On." A pretext to his next set of albums, Allen would next head to New York City alone.
With ex-Carmen bassist John Glascock now on board, the interminably titled album, Too Old To Rock ‘n' Roll: Too Young To Die!, followed quickly after the last Tull record. Originally intended as a musical (I've heard that before), Ian Anderson wrote the album around the story of an aging greaser, Ray Lomas-perhaps regrettably, in retrospect, as most fans took the work as being autobiographical-especially considering the likeness of the comic illustration that adorned the gatefold sleeve. "Quizz Kidd" is a raucous opener, followed by "Crazed Institution:" both strict adherents to the now mostly static Tull song formula. Tracks like "Taxi Grab" and "Bad-Eyed and Loveless" have a bluesy feel to them (something absent for quite a few albums), while "Big Dipper" sounds not unlike a Led Zeppelin tune from the same period. Moreover, Martin Barre sounds particularly electric, with the Jimmy Page influence here undeniable. David Palmer's broad arrangements grace a few tracks, along with his first contributions as a performer. Anderson and company here offer some great songs, uniquely (and typically) Tull; but for whatever reason, the album just doesn't click. The title track was released as a single, but it too must have been too old to rock ‘n' roll, as it did not chart. The album was still successful though, reaching No. 25 in the UK and No. 14 in the US.
Novalis were reduced to a quartet for their next album, Sommerabend. Produced by Achim Reichel, the symphonic record again bypasses the overt complexities of most prog rock of the day. Written by Lutz Rahn, the instrumental "Aufbruch" opens. After the spicy intro, Novalis' large, sweeping and melodic lines take over, propelled by Hartwig Biereichel's powerful drumming. Detlef Job's guitar is at the fore, and Rahn lays his hand on a few more keyboards. "Wunderschätze," written by Job, follows in the footsteps of the previous album, again using a text from Karl Friedrich von Hardenberg for its lyrics. The crowning achievement of the record though is the title track, which encompasses the entire second side. "Sommerabend" contains five discrete sections, ranging from the lightly melodic "Wetterleuchten" and pastoral "Am Strand" to the foot-stompin' "Ein Neuer Tag." Throughout, the sections seamlessly flow together and the band's execution is precise. The album and subsequent tour would be an artistic peak for the band. They then added a vocalist, Fred Mühlböck: an Austrian who made his debut on the 1977 live album Konzerte. Novalis' music then moved into a more commercial realm on the ensuing Brandung, also released in 1977, which featured the popular track "Irgendwo, Irgendwann" ("Somewhere, Sometime"). It's easy going rock for the most part, with some creative instrumentation, such as the extended instrumental sections of "Sonnenwende" ("Solstice"). Rahn released a solo album, Solo Trip for Telefunken-Decca's Strand label in 1978. Performing the entire album on a battery of keyboards and rhythm machines, it's another formidable offering of Rahn's romantic music.
The Alan Parsons Project was initially just that: a project built for a one-off album recorded for Charisma Records. Parsons, of course, had gained a considerable education at EMI Studios in the late 60s and early 70s, working on such classic albums as The Beatles’ Abbey Road and Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon, even earning a few Grammy Award nominations along the way; and by now, had already lent his appreciable production and engineering skills to many artists, including Pilot, Ambrosia and Al Stewart. Based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, Tales Of Mystery And Imagination emerged from Parsons’s partnership with composer and singer Eric Woolfson. The album features a bevy of guests and orchestration from Andrew Powell. “The Raven,” driven by its signature bass line and vocoder vocal, was a minor hit single in the US at No. 80, while “The Tell-Tale Heart” features Arthur Brown’s distinctive vocal—always a treat on any album. The second side contains the “The Fall of the House of Usher” suite: a large scale symphonic instrumental that presents the question, “Is this rock?” The album resides in a musical space between pop and progressive rock that, like Supertramp or Electric Light Orchestra before it, offers a commercial blueprint many progressive artists would follow for the balance of the decade. The album was also a commercial success, rising to the lower reaches of the Top 40 on both sides of the Atlantic. From here, the Project signed to Arista Records and set off to MOR land (predicted here by the closer “To One in Paradise”). Continuing well into the 80s, they racked up a string of Top 20 releases along the way, beginning with the following year’s I Robot.
In 1971, keyboardist Claudio Simonetti and drummer Walter Martino first teamed up in Il Ritratto di Dorian Gray: a band from Rome that played British-style prog rock. In 1973, Simonetti, now with guitarist Massimo Morante and bassist Fabio Pignatelli, traveled to London and recruited an English singer, Clive Haynes. Adopting the name Oliver, the band reputedly sparked the interest of producer Eddie Offord; it's an unsurprising connection, as music from this era sounds a lot like Yes! However, nothing panned out. Returning to Italy in 1974, the band signed to Cinevox, a company that specialized in soundtracks. With Tony Tartarini now on vocals, their first recordings for the label were released in 1976 as Cherry Five. The story may have ended here, if it were not for a fortuitous relationship that the band struck up with director Dario Argento. Hired for his debut film, the band, now called Goblin (and with Walter Martino back on drums), struck gold. The ensuing soundtrack to the cult horror classic Profondo Rosso ("Deep Red") was an instant success, selling over a million copies after topping the Italian hit-parade. It's easy to see why; The title track's theme (not dissimilar from Mike Oldfield's excerpt for The Exorcist) is outfitted with a classic prog rock arrangement: trebly bass, big organ sound and spacious production. The next album, Roller, was in fact a studio record, though the context was similar; the symphonic refrain of "Roller" features more of the same sonic textures. "Aquaman" brings Morante's guitar to the fore, while the short "Snip-Snap" is a quick-take at fusion, Italian-style. "Goblin" is the compositional highlight, while the closing "Dr. Frankenstein" is indeed cinematic. Goblin's music is by no means lightweight, but there's a certain formula that renders it familiar and never difficult to digest. In 1977, the band would score Argento's Suspiria to comparable success; and in 1978, render the same services for George A. Romero's Zombi (US title: Dawn of the Dead). That same year, Goblin would record a final studio album, Il Fatastico Viaggio Del "Bagarozzo" Mark, which featured vocals from Morante. However, steady film work kept the band busy; and despite personnel changes, they continued until the mid-80s, churning out album after album of movie soundtracks.
Heldon's fourth album (also carrying the subtitle of Richard Pinhas's then-girlfriend, Agneta Nilsson) was released in early 1976, and offered a more polished production than previous efforts. The big change though was the middle section of the album's side-long piece, "Perspective IV." Aided by Coco Roussel on drums, Alain Bellaïche on bass guitar and Patrick Gauthier on Mini-Moog synthesizer, Heldon delivers very aggressive rock ‘n' roll. The approach was continued on the next album, Un Rêve Sans Conséquence Spéciale (US title: A Dream Without Reason), where Heldon was now the trio of Pinhas, Gauthier and drummer François Auger-(more or less) a band. While there is a certain resemblance to the power-trio era King Crimson, Heldon is far darker, far more experimental and indeed, violent: The album is a savage mix of lead guitar, lead synthesizer, manic drumming and incessant sequencer. "Marie Virginie C." finds a potent combination of sequencer and drums, while "Elephanta" is pure percussive mayhem. "MVC II" again is altogether different: Lumbering over a slower sequence, it's a lot closer to what would be known as "industrial" music later in the decade. "Toward the Red Line" features bassist Jannick Top, but his contribution is difficult to discern: The track harks back to the extreme electronic improvisation of Heldon's earlier works. The album saw distribution on the French Cobra label, and even garnered a US release on the Aural Explorer/Inner City label. Two final Heldon albums followed, with both offering further refinement (and progressively slicker production) to the approach first presented here. Interface saw release on Cobra in 1977, while the 1978 release Stand By saw a switch to the Egg label and Didier Batard on bass. In late 1976, beginning with the album Rhizosphere, Pinhas launched a parallel solo career (mostly synthesizer works), and continued recording well into the 1980s.
After leaving Neu!, drummer Klaus Dinger, along with his brother Thomas and Hans Lampe, formed the like-minded La Düsseldorf, in tribute to their native city. Conny Plank was enlisted for production duties, while Klaus switched to guitar and vocals, purportedly to aim the band toward a "pop" styling. Simply titled La Düsseldorf, their debut recording was released by Teledec/Nova in mid-1976. With soaring synths and melodies complementing Klaus's breathy vocals, the opening track, "Düsseldorf," is an effervescent, light-hearted offshoot of the typical Neu! formula. Over the same infectious beat, the following "La Düsseldorf" shows a punkier edge. Yet punk the white overall-clad Klaus certainly wasn't; take a listen to his hippie anti-establishment lyrics here. "So many gangsters" indeed! A single from the album, "Silver Cloud" b/w "La Düsseldorf," was a surprise hit earlier in the year, reaching No. 2 in the German hit parade. On the album, it's a pleasant instrumental, repeating its infectious groove in long-form. "Time" closes the album, another strong number that ambles forward under a majestic organ riff. Both tracks feature ex-Thirsty Moon Harald Konietzko on bass. The album was as influential as it was successful, with David Bowie claiming that it was a significant influence on his upcoming Low album. La Düsseldorf's follow-up, Viva, was released in 1978 and continued where their debut left off. It also was a success, driven by another hit single, "Rheinita" b/w "Viva," which reached No. 3 on the German charts. A third album, Individuellos, would see release in 1981; but the death of bandmate Andreas Schell and a failed third single hailed the band's end. A final album with Plank producing, Néondian, was recorded but quickly withdrawn (and would finally be reissued as Mon Amour in 2017). Little would be heard from Dinger until he teamed up, even quite contentiously, with Japanese label Captain Trip in the 90s.
After the live album and further touring in 1975, Magma retracted to its core lineup of Christian Vander, Klaus Blasquiz and Jannick Top. The band recorded two further studio albums before folding. Üdü Wüdü saw release in 1976, again on the Utopia imprint of RCA, and by Tomato Records in the USA and Canada (part of Gramavision). The first side opens with the uncharacteristic "Üdü Wüdü," a lighter, jazzy tune with a calypso-like beat. Vander supplies the vocal, with a call-response from the female chorus. Bernard Paganotti and Patrick Gauthier were around long enough to contribute to "Weidorje," before exiting to form the band of the same name. The remainder of the first side is a mixed bag, some of it part of the larger Ëmëhntëht-Rê song cycle. But indubitably, Top's militaristic "De Futura" is the album's high point. A masterwork of his Utopia Sporadic Orchestra, it's a primordial soup of grunts, bass rips and a host of sounds from Top. The side-long composition doesn't really go anywhere, but it most certainly has a scary presence! Attahk followed almost two years later; but lacking any unifying composition, the album was again a mish-mash of styles. Yet with a larger horn section and Laurent Thibault's production, it was a good record nonetheless. Though flush with archival live material, Inedits was a bootleg-quality release for Tapioca Records in 1977. Vander would often revisit Magma over the ensuing years, in live concerts and for a final album, Merci in 1984; but the 80s would see his career turn solidly to jazz.
Following the Relayer tour, Yes' keyboardist Patrick Moraz teamed up with two old friends and Mainhorse compatriots—Jean Ristori as engineer and Jean de Antoni on guitar—and further assembled an impressive cast of musicians for his solo album. John McBurnie of Jackson Heights wrote the album's lyrics and sang vocals, while drum duties were split between Alphonse Mouzon (side one) and Andy Newmark (side two). Jeff Berlin provided bass, while Ray Gomez was the second guitarist. The album tells the story of a tower where people can enact their own fantasies inside; though ultimately, it's a trap: The liner notes offer the play-by-play. All that aside, it's an amazing record of ethno-fusion-rock, or whatever you want to call it. Obviously, there's no shortage of Moraz's virtuoso keyboards, but two days in Brazil also provided percussion overdubs that give The Story of I its unique character. McBurnie's vocals on "Warmer Hands" and "Indoors" highlight the pop sensibility within the record, though not to be lost to the thick manic fusion underneath; note the frenetic soloing of the latter! The groove of "Incantation (Procession)" is hypnotic and the palette of sounds nonpareil. The album was meant to be played as a single piece of music, and I must agree: It works best as a whole. Moraz finished touring commitments with Yes in 1976; but by the end of the year, when the group convened in Switzerland to record their next album, Moraz got the boot. He was quick to recover, however, releasing his next album Out In The Sun in 1977, and after moving to Brazil, the Latin-flavored Patrick Moraz appeared in 1978. It was his last for Charisma. But as luck would have it, he then landed work as touring keyboardist for the Moody Blues. Splitting releases with Carrere Records-including the excellent Future Memories-in France and the American PVC label, Moraz would enjoy a prolific solo career well into the 80s, which also included two albums on the EG label with Bill Bruford.
Renaissance’s live double-album—recorded on their Scheherazade tour at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic, with Tony Cox conducting—is by most accounts their best (and most consistent) document on record. The band integrates well with the orchestra; that’s not much of a surprise though, considering that Michael Dunford’s compositions were classical in nature. In fact, the band’s music often comes closer to the sound of a Broadway stage show than that of a rock concert, which perhaps explains their significant audience in New England. The album highlights Renaissance’s lengthier compositions, including “Can You Understand,” “Mother Russia” and the Cox-arranged “Scheherazade.” But “Ashes Are Burning” steals the show, largely due to Jon Camp’s adept bass work and classic Rickenbacker tone. Here, with John Tout’s keyboards providing ample color, the band ditches the symphonic embellishment to prove that they can play rock music after all. The album reached No. 55 in the US, while the following year’s Novella also reached the US Top 50. Again, it was a solid effort, including the fan favorite tracks “Can You Hear Me” and “Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep).” But “Midas Man” stands as one of Renaissance’s finest creations; drumless but propelled by huge twelve-string guitars, it’s Haslam’s long note on the opening lyric that’s stunningly seductive. The album would see release twice-with different cover art-due to a change in distributors in the US and wouldn’t see a UK release until the fall. With fiancé Roy Wood, Annie Haslam would record a solo album around this time, titled Annie In Wonderland.
