Care of the Cow's Dogs' Ears are Stupid from 1983, cassette

 

I posted their wonderful, wonderful 1981 album (I still don't know your style) long ago here (10 years ago!), now this, the follow-up from 1983, is finally available.  Since we're further into the 1980s we wouldn't expect too much crazy RIO prog and indeed we don't get a lot of it at all, despite the fact the band name references progmasters Henry Cow.

A track called Cemetery is quite representative:

There are not a lot of songs that really remain memorable after first listen unfortunately, not like the 1981 one.  Some reggae, some straight up songs, a lot of silliness of course.  Needed for completeness though.

Back to Nirgal Vallis with El Orfebre from 1991

 

I was searching for this one since way back when, here, when the first album from this group was posted.  The discogs info is on this page.  This second album is cassette only, so god bless the ripper from the bottom of my heart. Style is classic Mexican acoustic symphonic prog, so it will appeal to many many folks.

First track, called Entre las Cinco y las Seis:

It's quite surprising that this came out in the late year of 1991, it sounds very much a part of the late seventies sound.  Another nice track called Crisis starts with a muted-string bass riff, then builds up really nicely with modulations and the gradual addition of other instruments to an electric finale:

Altogether, this album is a bit more new agey, laidback, less energetic, and folk-derived than the recently posted album Tirelli's Profeta, but relatively similar, especially when compared to the next few posts coming this week which will be all over the map.

For those ever curious like me, the word orfebre means goldsmith.

Catching up with Mezzoforte (with unreleased material)

 

Recall I posted their first couple of LPs here.  This one fits with those as it includes earlier material that was unreleased.  It's databased here, and I should've added it to the earlier post before giving up on this band.  But better late than never, as we say.

Note the following:

This compilation was released after Mezzoforte gained popularity in UK and Europe with the track 'Garden Party' from the album Surprise Surprise (relased in 1982).

Tracks were taken from previous albums, Í hakanum (or Octopus) and Þvílíkt og annað eins.

Tracks 'Eftirsjá / Octopus', 'Með mátulega hóflegri bjartsýni / Modestly Optimistic', and 'Greiðið Afnotagjöldin / Pay Your License' were omitted.

Check out in particular the nice, almost Finnforest sound of a composition called Sweet Nothings:

I'll take a break again until Monday with a lot more beautiful lost music...  Believe it or not, a lot more great stuff to hear.

VA: Dani Jugoslovenske Zabavne Muzike JRT - Opatija '78 - Orkestralna Izvedba - wav LP rip

 

A mixture of easy orchestral, silly generic 'schlager,' trad. jazz, and fusion, databased here.  Some standout tracks, mixed composers.  I suppose you could go so far as to say the music is all over the place.  From google:

The term Opatija records most commonly refers to historical music recordings from the famous Opatija Festival (Festival Opatija), a major annual pop, rock, and chanson music festival held in Opatija, Yugoslavia (now Croatia) from the 1960s through the 1980s.

Unfort. discogs doesn't have a general "Opatija" page where the annual releases are listed.  Although this '79 LP is well known among the prog cognoscenti (with Soncna Pot, Den za Den, etc.).

Tracklist with composers (for what it's worth):

A1 Baj, Baj (S. Ilić, Z. Skerl)

A2 Zbog Jedne Davne Melodije (M. Prohaska)

A3 Mili (N. Kalogjera)

A4 Gledam Tvoje Oči (S. Kajtazi, V. Simić)

A5 Ne Mogu Sakriti Svoju Bol (A. Stefanović, S. Vujović)

A6 Okrečem Listove Kalandera (D. Dukić)

A7 Človek, Ki Ga Ni (J. Robežnik)

B1 Vozi Me Vlak V Daljave (J. Privšek)

B2 Jednom U Gradu Tko Zna Kom (A. Vlatković, B. Adamič)

B3 Ako Sada Odeš (S. Mihaljinec)

B4 U Nedelju Ane (A.Kobiljo, L. Kuntarić)

B5 Eden Bakneš  (A. Džakonovski, P. Pešev)

B6 Moma Primorkinja (B. Zenović)

B7 Na Deževen Dan (J. Privšek, J. Robežnik)

The second track is without a doubt the highlight, being inventive fusion:

Back to Uli Harmssen and Jochen Voss with their first album Mother Nature from 1986, Father Harmony, FLAC limited time only

 

Posted the second one here, back in 2016, a decade ago.  Information on this release here.

Voss is a saxophonist, his page.  Uli Harmssen the keyboardist was in Thirsty Moon, I don't recall if they were good versus just ordinary krautrock, probably the latter given it didn't stick in my memory.

Anyways, put the two of them together, and you get some very laid back highly professionally played acoustic music, cross between new age and contemporary jazz-- good for sedation perhaps?

First track, Closed Eyes: