First from Last Exit... 1975 [FLAC limited time only]

With Gordon Sumner = Sting.  I think everyone can instantly recognize his unique voice in fact, anyone who might be older than about 35 maybe, that is, millenial or Gen X or god forbid baby boomer?  (I certainly would never ask a Gen Z to identify him.)

This band existed as of 1974 and I suppose was the first for bassist Sting (aged 23 at the time), with this cassette release from 1975 in the jazz-rock territory it's unusual to say the least.  It definitely surprised me, partly because it's quite approachable and listenable, with horn rock songs for the most part.  You'll note some of the later Police harmony vocal patterns on On This Train #2:

I would go so far as to say almost every song is not throwaway, showing the youthful creative energy you always encounter with music and musicians.

Album closes out with the lovely instrumental A Bit of Peace:

Huge surprise for me, who has never been a Sting fan and probably never will be without a head injury. Apologies to those who are.

Akropolis - Half a million hours symphony, 1979

 

Back to the classic prog sound with this lesser known one-off album from late in the era, this one is very similar to stuff like Thomas Flinter, my favourite Prisma, etc.  Discogged here, despite the artist name, it's a Danish band. Go Greenland!  Btw, half a million hours of course was the expected lifespan back then-- a surprising 57 years.  Probably that's related to too much sex and drugs.

Movement, Puberty:

Post-Osanna band Uno with their one-off from 1974

 

UNO:

Formed from the ashes of Osanna when the band split in 1974 by Elio D'Anna and Danilo Rustici along with drummer Enzo Vallicelli (from Hellza Poppin, who had played with Osage Tribe and Claudio Rocchi), Uno was a much-hyped band that went to England to record their first and only album with help from lyricist N.J.Sedwick and singer Liza Strike (of The dark side of the moon fame).

The album is not far from late Osanna style (Landscape of life-era), with four English-sung tracks and three in Italian, with songs like I cani e la volpe in evidence, but didn't reach the success the band hoped.

An English sung version of the album was released abroad, with a nice surreal cover designed by Hipgnosis (again a link with Pink Floyd), but didn't attract much interest.

The three-piece band worked well in studio but couldn't get satisfying results when playing live, so the help from Danilo Rustici's brother Corrado Rustici (from Cervello) on guitar and bass was requested for live appearances. From this expanded line-up came the inspiration for a new band, called Nova.

Enzo Vallicelli has kept playing (and still does it now, under his surname of Vince Vallicelli) as an appreciated blues drummer.

Hopefully everyone is familiar with ultrahigh-energy Italian Mahavishnu-like fusion band Nova too, which is just brilliant, especially 1975's Blink but also 1977's Wings of Love.

Interesting they mention Dark Side of the Moon, because I always though Goodbye Friend is a little bit too much of a homage or less gratuitously a copycat of The Great Gig in the Sky:

The most progressive track is 11 minutes long and called Uno Nel Tutti, it doesn't rise to the level of Il Baricentro or Banco or Gramigna, but it's still great, reminds me a lot of famed French proggers Pulsar, with the strong aforementioned Pink Floyd spacey influence:

Amazing cover graphics too!

Barry Coates and the Hats: Because I love you, 1983, and Move Like a Dancer, 1989

 

I noticed Barry played guitars on the previous masterpiece prog-fusion album.  (I'd known him from before, thanks to the great Move like a Dancer fusion album.)  His own databased page is here.

In the 80s he played with the smooth fusion band called Barry Coates and the Hats, and they put out 2 albums in that decade, the 2nd a bit better than the first, privately pressed.  From that first 1983 one, the closer called At Last:

While from the follow up LP/CD Dancer, 1989, there are quite a few beautiful compositions, augmented by a bit of a new age feel which is not altogether unpleasant in this circumstance or environment.  Consider the crystal-clear acoustic guitar on Hover Craft:

Probably we can agree the usual standard simplistic new age chord progressions are missing here.

Some nice thoughts and really fine ideas in there though, worth hearing a few times.

Tom Baker in Magic Language, from 1981, strongly recommended [limited time FLAC

 

Here's another stunning find, at least as good as the recent Petit - Best of all Possible Worlds, but in a different style, this is more along the lines of classic prog-fusion like (US) Mosaic.

Hard to believe, again, these brilliant progressive LPs still exist out there, unknown, unheard, neglected.

Information here.  Little to no info on the man:

Engineer, arranger and bassist. Worked with gospel artists in Cincinnati, Ohio area.

To my amazement I saw keyboard duties are by Peter Wolf, who we've seen before here. (His progressive masterpiece from 1980 was called Tutti.) 

Arrangements, compositions, and vocals are all from Tom Baker though.

The opener to the album says it all, Alpha-Theta-Omega:

And this is followed by the equally stunning Rainbow to Rainbow:

The album closes out with a really really shockingly beautiful tender song with harmony vocals and highly intriguing harmonies plus dissonances, it's called Love that has been Lost and it kind of reminds me of the intensely original songwriting of Brandes Ward MacLean:

Note the dissonant harmony vocal chord of the ending.  Like, wow.

It seems insane to me that someone could be so unknown yet write this most amazingly creative, original and progressive music, then disappear again.  There is not one bit of trite, simplistic 'by-the-numbers' type composition in here at all.  Every track is great in its own way, like a beautiful, talented family.

A note at the end:

“The greatest and unceasing thanks is reserved always for the Savior.”

Thanks indeed!
And in turn, many thanks to the readers / followers / commenters who contribute these suggestions / finds, from the bottom of my heart.

Little known lost Italian band Luna, with ex-Osanna, from 1978 to 1981

Very sweet music, similar to ssw materials presented here in the past from Ullu, Ping Pong (but less progressive), Gino D'Eliso, etc. I was very happy to find this album I'd never heard before, since I have such a weakness for that soft diatonic seventies sound (think legendary bands America, Bread).  

Starting with precursor Osanna which everyone here knows, you can see how complicated the story got after their 4th album Landscape of Life (1974):

Unfortunately things didn't go well between the group's members and the band came to a split during the Landscape of Life recording sessions, producing a sparse album...  

Danilo Rustici and Elio D'Anna, with drummer Enzo Vallicelli, went to England to form Uno, while remaining members Lino Vairetti and Massimo Guarino gave a new life to their old band Città Frontale, this time with new musicians and recorded an album in 1975 called El Tor.

Things were not so good for both the newly formed bands and Osanna reunited in 1977 with new members Enzo Petrone (that had played with Lino Vairetti in I Volti di Pietra and later with Moby Dick) and Fabrizio D'Angelo, but their album Suddance is very far from their best days. After the last split Danilo Rustici formed Luna.

I must admit I never listened to that Suddance one out of fear of disappointment.  So after that I gave up on the whole lot of them, which I shouldn't have.  Danilo Rustici was their guitarist, who died during covid sadly, and he founded Luna with 3 other guys not related to the others mentioned earlier.  The genre described is space rock, prog rock, but there is little of either, just a smidgen of progressiveness and mostly sweet late seventies uptempo pop sounds with the lush harmony vocals, deep arrangements, naive lyrics, etc.  Consider this one which is so hummable I just wanted to swirl around my dining room to my wife's shocked amusement, called Lou Jean:

The same band which was called Tunnel earlier in 1978 released a single, while Luna made 2 in the roughly the same time period.  All of these I included in the package for the band down below, they're worth hearing too though there is quite of disco that crept in for these.

Tunnel Lights has a lovely chorus:

Siliah Era Diversa from 1977:

David Spinozza: ST 1978 and Here's That Rainy Day, 1983

 

Discogged here.

American guitarist and producer, born August 8, 1949 in Port Chester, New York.

Basically this is late 70s American fusion just as you'd expect it to be. Smooth, light, and a little bit progressive.  The Prelude to Ballerina is a wonderfully composed orchestral suite:

The standout from a fusion standpoint is vibraphonist Mike Mainieri's Edge of the Sword, which I hadn't heard before despite exhaustively (I thought) going through all his stuff once, with Bernhardt, and also with Steps and Steps Ahead, the furious riff sounds like it should've appeared on Return to Forever's Romantic Warrior masterpiece:

Next LP Here's That Rainy Day moves further into the smooth fusion direction, along with surprisingly cover versions, as if he ran out of compositions to showcase, from that one, 

Robby Steinhardt from Kansas' Not in Kansas Anymore, A Prog Opera, 2022 [FLAC limited time only]

 

OK so I'm guessing most of us grew up with Kansas: all we are is dust in the wind, etc.

I certainly didn't know this gentleman was their violinist, from the earliest days (1974 or before).  I was even more ignorant, this time intentionally so, of the fact he released this album recently in the same style as the original band and believe it or not it's quite good and worth checking out.  It turns out, it's his only solo work. As you'd expect it's a mixed bag, with progressive alternating with ordinary music and songwriting, and some electronic noodling and so on.  

Nonetheless, I will go so far as to say the track called Rise of the Phoenix is about as perfect a prog epic one could hope for in this day and age, and I thank him for that:

And that's not the only one like that, there's more for you to explore.

His bio is as follows from discogs:

Robby Steinhardt (born May 25, 1950 – died July 17, 2021) was an American rock violinist and singer best known for his work with the group Kansas (2). He was co-lead singer along with keyboardist Steve Walsh, from 1973 to 1982 and from 1997 to 2006.

Therefore he passed away some years back and no longer plays with them (except in spirit I guess).

For those curious about these things, he died of pancreatitis.  One thing I was not too pleased about was that he rehashed Dust in the Wind on this record. Note as well:

Posthumously released.

With guests: Ian Anderson, Pat Travers, Steve Morse,

Bobby Kimball, just to name a few.

I'll throw in an online review that is a little too enthusiastic to my taste, but at least describes it half decently:

The songs on Not in Kansas Anymore rock out, but they also showcase the proggy twists and turns (and flights of virtuosity) that characterize the genre. And Steinhardt’s arrangements put the focus upon memorable melodic lines, too, adding up to a well balanced album that ticks most all of this reviewer’s boxes.  Befitting a work by a strings player, the album is filled with rich orchestration, featuring the real things as opposed to modern keyboard equivalents. The Bösendorfer piano is real, too, and sounds like it. Listeners who approach the album expecting it to sound like Kansas will find some stylistic cues in common, but Steinhardt’s solo muse led him in some directions that might not have fit neatly into the aesthetic/format of his old band. That said, the emphasis is squarely on accessibility throughout the album’s 11 tracks. And in a nod to his former group, Steinhardt inserts bits of his signature melodic lines from “Dust in the Wind” into “Prelude.”

Oddly, though that tune doesn’t open the album; it’s the sixth track, preceding a new recording of – you guessed it – “Dust in the Wind.” The new version is lovely, though it doesn’t really add much to the original, and its inclusion here elicits a shrug. Far more interesting are the album’s other tracks, like the classically-tinged (and aptly/playfully titled) “Pizzacato.” (That’s not a typo.)  The tiny (5-point or so) type in the CD’s liners make sorting out who-plays-what an exercise in futility, and the same is true for the lyric sheet. The lyrics to “Downtown Royalty” won’t be to some listeners’ tastes – they’re a bit histrionic and overwrought – but the tune itself is nice enough. In any event, most listeners will likely gloss over the lyrics – perhaps focusing instead upon the sonic quality of the massed vocals throughout – and luxuriate in the arrangements and instrumental breaks.

Plans were afoot for a tour in support of the album, but Steinhardt’s passing last July put an end to those. His collaborator on the project, producer/arranger Michael Franklin, shepherded the album to completion and release. And Not in Kansas Anymore stands not only as a fitting way to remember Steinhardt, but as a worthwhile listening experience.

Jean-Philippe Rykiel [Waterfalls in Space with Tim Blake 1979, Shambala with Verdeaux, and ST 1982]

 

Discogs: 

French composer, arranger and keyboard player. He has been blind since his birth in 1961. Son of French designer Sonia Rykiel.

Recall he was responsible for the lovely synth tracks from Malherbe's Fetish album, posted back here.

I thought those were beautifully composed.  So I went back to see if there was something I was missing in the rest of his output.

From 1979's Waterfalls in Space, with the famous Tim Blake (Gong, Hawkwind), the lovely swirling synth sound of Lighthouse 79:

The next album, Shambala from 1981, was even more basic drony electronic, which makes sense because it was a collaboration with Cyrille Verdeaux (Clearlight, etc.).

Then the ST from 1982, which is again basically cosmic electronic music, nicely written, similar to so much in this vein, played of course entirely by Jean-Philippe.  As an ex., Step by Step:

A really beautiful cover graphic again for the 1982 LP, typical of these French records.

More fusion by request from the great Ceccarelli: Structure (1970), Synthesis (1976), Working Progress (1975), Human Egg (1978)

 

Brilliant cover art, as is often the case with French LPs from back in the day.

Information for Monsieur Ceccarelli here, again.  He was involved in tons of albums in general, but these fusion works are particularly impressive, along with the Troc stuff.  Recall I posted other stuff back here long ago.

First up is the 1970 Structure record:

In 1970, the AFA label asked flautist Bernard Wystraëte to register a “pop” album after the worldwide impact of progressive bands like Aphrodite’s Child and Jethro Tull. Wystraete recruited some of his friends who were professional musicians and Structure was born. He wrote a collection of songs influenced by progressive rock, jazz and Brazilian music. The Pop Music album was recorded live in the studio to give a “live show” feel. It was released later that year/ The band even toured across France and several countries at the same time that Bernard and other Structure members started backing famous French singer Marie Laforêt live. After the good reception given to the album, another label asked Bernard to record a 2nd Structure 45, viz. Structure (8), Bernard Wystraëte Avec La Participation De Luc Donat - Dilatation / Escale. It was released in 1971 under a new line-up.

The bizarre Sexonomie:

The absolutely brilliant fusion album 1976 Synthesis, a one-off LP:

Members:  André Cazalet, André Ceccarelli, Annie Wystraete, Chantal Alexandre, Chantal Curtis, Christian Lété, Didier Lockwood, Francis Cournet, François Jeanneau, Frédérique Gegembach, Guy Khalifa, Hamid Belhocine, Ivan Jullien, Jacques Bolognesi, Kako Bessot, Marc Chantereau, Marc Steckar, Marianne Mille, Paul-Jean Borowsky, Paula Moore, Philippe Briche, Raymond Gimenes, Tony Bonfils

City Life really highlights Ceccarelli, electric violinist of course is the formidable Lockwood:

Jeanneau on saxes, flutes.  Unbelievably warm and lovingly energetic music.  I love it when fusion uses vocals too in such a rich environment.  Wonderful funky driving rhythms.  For me this one stands out as such a strong work, with every single track top notch and worth hearing: all killer, no filler.

Succinct description for Working Progress, another of my favourite fusions from France:

One of many 1970's French fusion bands featuring drummer André Ceccarelli.

Scratch my Stone:

Human Egg, from 1978, has no description.  Very similar to Troc in general, but with some late 1970s influences of course (discoish, funkish). 

First track, the only really progressive piece, called Egg:

Incidentally, some of these tracks appeared as bonus on the 1977 French Atlantide CD (with the famous Yes-copied guitar riff opener) presumably because it's the same band?  Yet I don't see Massiera credited on Human Egg.  Anyways, it's not as good as the previous work, or other stuff by him.

One last comment, this particular rip of Synthesis is just crystal clear and wonderful to hear, highly enjoyable, because of the clarity of all the sounds. Because I remember hearing this for the first time decades ago from an old LP rip.

The rip of Working Progress, on the other hand, is my own, from the LP I bought about 15 years ago, still circulating around online I note. So thanks to me for that beauty.

Chez Jean-Claude Petit, from 1974 (Library)

 

A library from him which is exactly as you'd expect, that is, more along the same lines as the ST J-C Petit from 1975 just posted, perhaps not quite as strong in the compositional sphere.

Databased here.  The track called Guitar's Revolution has such an utterly bizarre riff it's difficult for me to say if I like it or not, and that's almost never happened before:

What do you think of it?

La  religieuse d'Haiphong reminds me so much of the early 1970s April Orchestra French compositions posted so long ago now:

If you listen closely note that combination of synthesizer oboe melody, digital strings, and digital horn later on over an odd piano chord progression at the halfway mark, followed by the solo grand piano.  This one really foreshadows the brilliance of his 1980 masterwork.  At once bizarre and enthralling I'd say.

Jean-Claude Petit in The Best of all Possible Worlds from 1980 [strongly recommended!]

What a request!  Not the kind of thing that pops up often, not anymore, after we've scraped the bottom of the prog and fusion barrel, this is the best of all possible worlds of prog fusion, advanced jazz-rock, whatever kind of progressive music you want to call it.  And totally unknown, for myself and for most of you I'm sure, who were never aware of the existence of this thing.

Evidently a soundtrack composer responsible for the music for some pretty famous French films (Manon, Cyrano, etc.), he started off with what looks like standard issue easy listening albums in the 1970s, then in this most musically unpromising year of 1980 he put out an incredible synthesis of progressive funk, fusion, and just plain masterpiece music.  If you follow this blog it's a lot like the German Peter Wolf's Tutti album with the mix of incredibly creative composition on a fusion / orchestral basis (though in actuality there is no orchestra, just keyboards).  Reminds me a bit too of my often mentioned favorite, Arif Nardin's astounding 1974 Journey.  Another similar lost masterpiece would be Michel Colombier's ST 1979 fusion work once posted here.

Database for this album can be located here.  I could sample any of the tracks and likely you'd be blown away, so I'll just start with the first one, Stones of Law, and emphasize that it continues from there in the same unforgettable vein:

Note the really strange oddity of the female chorus shouting out politicalish slogans which shows up on almost every song. (Though in this case the words are from Brit poet William Blake.)

Insane musical sounds though, right?  Note our old fave Ceccarelli plays drums.  And I really love the high energy pulsing to the beats throughout, with no ballad-like track to detract from the high-intensity musical propulsion.

From the verso, it looks like this might have been a ballet?

And what about the title, ironic reference to Voltaire's Candide?

Notes:

A Fauves-Puma Production

Synthetic Program engineered at Beaunougat Studio Paris, France.

Jean-Claude Petit uses the following:

Synthesizers: Prophet 5, Korg 3300 with Korg PS3010, 3020 

Keyboards: Korg MS20, ARP Odyssey, Oberheim Expander Module

Sequencers: ARP Sequencer; Sequential Circuits - model 800

Keyboards: Piano Fender Rhodes, Electric Piano Clavinet Hohner, Grand Piano Steinway, Hammond Organ

I added in the 1975 ST album, which is just easy listening mostly with simple compositions, and cover versions of Un Homme et une Femme and (god forbid!) My Way.  From that one, note the beautiful soundtracky Reve [Dream] which kind of starts off like the famous theme from Bertolucci's Last Tango in Paris (by Gato Barbieri):

Also, the bio:

French composer, arranger, and conductor, born 14 November 1943 in Vaires-sur-Marne. Worked as a record arranger and TV conductor prior to turning to film composing in the 1980s.

Many many thanks for suggesting this album!

French fusion band TROC with Alex Ligertwood, compleat [?] with FLAC limited time for 1973 ST

 

Discogged here:

Troc was formed in 1972 by André Ceccarelli. Line-up was André Ceccarelli(Drums) – Yannick / Jannick Top (Bass) - Alex Ligertwood (voice) – Henri Giordano (keyboards) – Jacky Giraudo (Guitar)

André Ceccarelli reformed TROC in 2011: Line-up is André Ceccarelli (Drums) – Yannick / Jannick Top (Bass) - Alex Ligertwood (voice) – Eric Legnini (keyboards) – Claude Engel (Guitar)

I posted Ceccarelli here before, I tried to complete his discography in a huge file. Not sure if it's still active back there.  Not only was he brilliant as a drummer, but everything he was involved in turned to gold too.  Notably he was in the other brilliant fusions by Working Progress, Synthesis, Human Egg.  I think but I'm not sure that I posted those in the big compilation file for him on that post. If not, I can put them up by request. All are great.

Also, in the original Troc, it's worth noting that pianist Henry Giordano is the brother of famed library composer Jacky Giordano. I've posted a bunch of the latter's preat progressive music over the years here, most notably in this post.  

In any case, I presume everyone is already long familiar with the OG Troc so I won't post any samples from that one. And if you have never heard it before, prepare to be amazed by the beautiful fusion sound.  Anyways, I was surprised to find out their recent album with the somewhat unoriginal name of Troc 2011 ('recent' I should say, since it's from 15 years ago!) was really worth hearing and impressively original, although of course sticking to the same old fusion style. In fact there isn't even one bad song on the whole CD to be tossed away in disgust. Taking a look at the credits, you can see a whole ton of people composed for this CD, incl. band members Top, Ceccarelli, Ligertwood, Claude Engel, but also saxophonist Michael Brecker (!).  The elaborate piano intro of Another Door (by Ceccarelli) segues into a marvellously complex melody, utterly unusual, in a song about jazz ["Miles will show you Another Door"]:

Amazingly the 2015 work called Crosstalk is also remarkable, following nicely from its predecessor in the same fusionary vein.  A song called Strange Light sounds very, very much like the old and classic Troc, I suppose partly because it's by Ceccarelli and note the surprising appearance of a guitar/bass riff at the start of the bridge, as if out of place from the beginning:

Gotta love the gorgeous electric piano sound too (the artist's name is Mazzariello). Unfortunately this is followed by a rendition of Norwegian Wood, which makes me cry when I spot it on a tracklist and let me say, not out of joy. I mean, I used to love the Beatles and John make no mistake but boy was that a long time ago.

Other compositions are by Alex Ligertwood, Jannick Top (!) and Amaury Filliard, guitarist.

Incidentally with regards to Ligertwood, you may not know he became the singer for Santana in the late 1970s.

Italian fusion trio Virtual Dream by request (1998 Sintesis, 2002 Casuality, 2007 Three Sides of a Coin)

 

A more recent Italian electric guitar-based fusion trio, all instrumental, very similar to others posted here before, such as Ritchie DiCarlo, McGill Manring Stevens, etc.

Consider a track from the 2007, called 33:

Orpheus 1983 [FLAC limited time only]

 

Last in my series of Japanese posts, which did stretch on longer than intended.  Some surprisingly original finds, and some not so remarkable.  

Into the last category I guess you'd have to put this one, which is the same symphonic style as the previous posts but with a harder edge, more electric guitar.  That's because it's a one-off founded by the guitarist of Mr. Sirius, Shigekazu Kamaki (who was also in Kehell from here.)  

Information here.

Nice to see such lovely artwork again.  Again, similar to Pageant, First track: