I was drawn to Amarok through HERO, which, although heavily influenced, had a couple of outstanding tracks that kept me intrigued. Roll on to 2024 and this outstanding album is clearly a band at the top of its game. It's apparent Amarok has been a platform for the multi-talented Michel Wotjas , however on this occasion it's clearly a band effort with all members having significant contributions. Both the bassist (come violinist and extra keyboardist) Kornel and drummer Konrad take lead vox on one of their own compositions, and they provide plenty of heavily lifting throughout. Ten outstanding tracks, all so different from each other, and with so many elements to each, although there's never too long to wait for a sumptuous guitar interlude, often slide. Michels plaintive vocals are suited, at times he reminds me of Kashmirs lead vocalist. Highlights for me are the brilliantly building Insomnia, the wrenching minimalism of Simple Pleasures, the driving force of Trail, and Stay Human (complete with E- bow solo reminiscent of Mercury Rev). HOPE Is the album which presents Amarok as a true band, more than just Michel and guests. Furthermore HOPE Is the album that raises Michel beyond more than a musician reviving memories of Gilmour and Oldfield Early days, but this is IMO the most exciting prog release of 2024.

The Godfather of Jazz-Rock pumps out his fourth album as band leader and principal composer since the failed super nova that was The Free Spirits.

1. "Gypsy Queen" (11:50) melodic soprano sax leads the cohesive band through the jungle while sherpas Mervin Bronson, Larry Coryell, and machete-wielding drummer Roy Haynes and percussionists Larry Killian and Harry Wilkinson negotiate with any intruders or inhibitors to the band's progress on their self-pioneered pathway. In the fifth minute Larry Coryell uses his guitar to fight off a barrage of monkeys or giant mosquitos. Crazy experimental sounds and engineering techniques used throughout this section sounding at times like Godzilla on a rampage--or perhaps some of his radiation-mutated friends. In the ninth minute Larry returns to support while Steve Marcus returns with his sax and the tempo slows down a bit (or at least becomes variable). I am always pleasantly surprised to hear Larry Coryell play the supporting role to the solos of others cuz I'm never sure what he's going to do; here he strums loudly using his wah-wah-monster effect, never backing down on his volume, re-usurping his lead role in the tenth minute for a bit before giving some shine to his drummer and percussionists. There's nothing so shocking or innovative here but it is a damn fine, eminently-listenable song. (22.5/25)

2. "The Great Escape" (8:39) the bass, guitar, and even rhythm section here is mired in some blues-rock with Larry himself playing something akin to Louisiana swamp guitar. The percussionists keep it real, though--keep the music anchored in urban life--and then saxophone player Steve Marcus tries to solidify the jazz roots of the song with some nice Charlie Parker-like playing--with Larry standing on the sidelines in silence. Much better. When Larry returns near the seven-minute mark it is with some nice rock/R&B effects and some very-precisely-nuanced playing--almost like one of the genius virtuosi from the Motown stable. I like the second half of this very much, not so much the first. (17.75/20)

3. "Call to Higher Consciousness " (20:00) a very pacifying four-chord motif for minutes (with Michael Mandel on piano) over which Steve Marcus' tenor saxophone solos beautifully, emotionally, over the first five minutes. Then Larry takes his turn, throwing his darts rapid-fire for the next two and a half minutes before giving up the spotlight for the next two minutes to Mandel's ivory tickling. Mervin Bronson and the percussionists below remain quite committed to their sedating beat until 9:40 when everybody clears out for a Roy Haynes solo. I'm sorry but I've just got to say it: this solo is just incongruous--it just doesn't seem to fit the mellow, relaxing, meditative mood the title and previous ten minutes would suggest. At 13:30 it's over and the rest of the band charges onto the scene with a series of forceful blues-rock bursts that seem like they're signaling the end but no! Bassist Mervin Bronson and Michael Mandel's piano set up another motif to groove into--this one a little more jazz-rock like something by Brian Auger with a now-bass four chord progression and competing soloing going on by not only Marcus and Coryell but Roy Haynes as well. In the 18th minute Larry switches to full-on rock 'n' roll: heavily distorted power chords, but then he backs off and plays some extraordinary delicate lead machine gun riffs and runs as the rest of the band supports as gently as they did in the first nine minutes. Awesome slow, unravelling finish. As with all multi-part suites, this one is a tough one to assign a single number rating to. Aside from the disruption of the drum solo, this is really an excellent song with wonderful performances of a fairly simple yet-effective composition. (36.75/40)

Total Time 40:29

I really like Larry's exposition of distinctly different styles on this album but more I love (and greatly respect) his restraint--especially in second and third songs but also on the supporting role he plays for over half of the opening song. Several of his solos are more concise and controlled--less rambling than he can sometimes do--and yet there are those frenzied ramblers as well (especially when he's experimenting).

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of various and some experimental styles of early jazz-rock and fringe jazz-rock fusion. There is some really nice music here with some very enjoyable solos. Even Larry's experimentation with sound and style are interesting and often astonishing. I can see why this album is a favorite with many other listeners/reviewers.

FRAGILE were a Jazz/Fusion band out of Japan, a trio of bass, drums and guitar and they were players. All instrumental and they were very consistent at releasing their music as we got ten studio albums from 1996 to 2011. And no lineup changes over those ten albums, in fact the only difference is the addition of guest guitarist Mike Stern on the previous album to this "Wet One" from '99 where he guests on three tracks.

This 2000 release sounds amazing and to hear each of these guys do their thing at such a high level is a real treat. I have a few of their records but "5" is my favourite, the most consistent and impressive, a keeper. They change things up nicely here with a variety of tunes including the pretty "Snow Tulip" with the impressive bass. That opener "Vacuum Bottle" is a powerful start with that heavy rhythm section and the guitar soloing over top. The closer "Cosmos" matches that but in more of a rock style. In fact it surpasses the opener in heaviness and it's my favourite. "Dagon Fish" is about the tempo changes and outbursts. More of that energy and power on "Latte" including a bass solo. "Belvedere" has some funky bass while they amp it up on "Daisy" before settling back on "Fuchsia" with synth guitar.

I don't love this style of Jazz/Fusion but I sure admire it. Apparently when they first started they were a five piece with sax and keyboards but those two left before that first '96 debut. For fans of complex jazzy music.

3.5 stars. I definite step up from "Only A Lad" their debut where I had so many issues. A low 3 stars for that one and all those issues are still here but greatly reduced making this a much more enjoyable listen. I'm saving my favourite OINGO BOINGO record for review down the road. This third studio album just seems so much more mature than the debut, more professional sounding if you will. We still get the high energy tracks with the focus on the vocals and that humour isn't going anywhere when you name your band that. But the vocals aren't as theatrical and the music less abrasive and warmer.

They are still an eight piece but have added two guest horn players who both play on the same three tracks because you cannot have enough horns as the band already has three of them. A good example of their presence on here is "Wake Up(It's 1984)". This album was actually released in 1983 by the way. If I had to pick a favourite track it would be "Pictures Of You" it's just a cool tune and clapping too. Some female vocals on this record and even a Reggae song called "Fill The Void".

I'll have more to say about these guys on my next OINGO BOINGO review but this record has been given a lot of words already on here by fans of theirs so check them words out.

this album really polarizes listeners and fans alike i find it quite humorous a sort of Creative ADHD update on his 2 Meisterwerke Tubular and Ommadawn. Of course if you have a fragmented mind as a listener you are going to be chasing your own tail within minutes because it is a musical form of " Let us go here oh no here oh no there oh no back to there ha well oh an alleyway here let us dive into it" For an hour non- stop

I love it most of the time but would also happily defenestrate it with relish .... it really polarizes and discombobulates the listener .... maybe what Mike wanted .....

Perhaps one of the hardest nuts to crack in the four album legacy of Rock In Opposition legend HENRY COW, the band's second release UNREST (album #2 of the three album sock triptych) followed the debut "Legend" in less than a year but established an ever-changing stylistic approach and lineup that guaranteed each album sounded utterly unique in its short reign of the avant-prog underworld. Obscuring the obvious and punctuating the sounds that gravitate around a designated composition rather than presenting it in a clear fashion, UNREST continued the cutting edge experimentalism of the debut and took it even deeper into the recesses of the unexplored musical terrains where experimental art rock rendezvoused with Canterbury jazz, free improvisation and chamber music all dressed up in an air of 20th century classical alienation and a smattering of European free jazz.

UNREST found classical trained bassoonist / oboist Lindsay Cooper fresh out of Comus and replacing saxophonist Geoff Leigh which in the process took the band into an entirely new direction as she would become a key member in the band's distinct Rock In Opposition repertoire. After a lengthy demanding tour with Faust, the band lacked enough newly composed material for the duration of a second album, therefore UNREST found HENRY COW upping their free improv game significantly and finding clever new ways of extending limited material into sprawling and mind-blowing musical motifs that were as dramatic as they were intimidating. Perhaps the most notable examples of HENRY COW's bizarre sense of reinterpretation comes with the opening "Bittern Storm Over Ulm" which deconstructs The Yardbird's B-side blues rock "Got To Hurry" and resurrects it as an unrecognizable display of progressive rock and avant-garde jazz freakery. Cooper's distinct oboe style immediately sets the album apart from its predecessor.

The following "Half Asleep_Half Awake," a John Greaves contribution is perhaps the most "normal" of the diverse swath of sounds and styles offered on UNREST with the most consistent bass groove and the only track to cop a bit of the Canterbury jazz vibe that traversed the debut thus adding a touch of warmth and familiarity before launching into some of the most alienating soundscapes of the HENRY COW playbook. The Frith penned "Ruins" shifts gears completely by evoking the classical world of Hungarian classical composer B�la Bart�k and adopting his use of Fibonacci number sequences to forge the abstruse beats and harmonic orchestral effect which in conjunct with the avant-rock guitar and jazz accompaniments offered a bizarre mishmash of a rock-based futurism the early pioneers of rock and roll never could've envisaged in their wildest dreams. After a jittery and skronky display of contrapuntal excess, the track takes a hairpin turn into the world of 20th century classical before reprising the unique chamber music effect and finally an energetic rock-fueled outburst that cedes into a etheric sustain closing sequence.

While primarily favoring a penchant for the trenchant instrumental workouts with improvised tape manipulations and pushing the musical avant-garde to the excesses of the extreme, "Linguaphone" showcases some rare vocal contributions albeit in wordless utterances in the context of chaotic noisy effects in the vein of Faust only augmented by Cooper's oboe sprinklings and Cutler's spasmodic percussive accents with pointillistic appearances of other band members channeling their inner Stockhausen. "Upon Entering The Hotel Adlon," a titular reference to a hotel in Berlin where German occultists started The Third Reich, showcases the most energetic display of rock run amok found on the album with spastic drumming patterns accompanied by frenetic free jazz saxophone squawking and bat[&*!#] crazy bass thumping seemingly displaying every conceivable time signature move coalescing all under the guise of a single track. The short "Arcades" offers a comedown moment with sparse instrumentation that slowly oozes angular rhythms and discordant sustain power.

As the album winds down with the Greaves 1972 composition "Don't Disturb Me" and deconstructed to only be resurrected in the form of "Deluge," the band pulls out their best sprinkling effects over a stabilizing bass groove which finds sputtering sounds bleeping in and out of existence while slinking sax naughtiness slithers to and fro between the cracks thus concluding one of the wildest prog experimentalism of the mid-1970s. UNREST fittingly describes its contents well as a menagerie of manic effulgence with a keen sense of uncompromising creativity. Add to that the amazing adaptability of eking out an entire album's worth of innovatory musical developments with only a handful of precomposed scores to work with. The improvisational skills were as impressive as the musical breadth of this team of musical agents seemingly operating out of a completely different world than any other act of the day.

While UNREST truly can be considered the pinnacle of avant-prog liberties run taken to the apex of creative freedom with no attempts to pacify the music normies of the era, it certainly latches on to the subconscious which picks up on the hidden patterns and structures and beckons for a deeper understanding. Perhaps one of those albums nobody will truly comprehend, it was certainly one that firmly established that HENRY COW was no one-trick pony, or should i say moo moo cow and had the chops to deliver an ever-evolving stylistic approach that seemed to have no limits. Although it requires a number of active listening exposures to even begin to sink in, UNREST is an acquirable taste that reveals much more than random noise chatter shrieking by in chaotic procession. Woefully ahead of its time, HENRY COW and albums like UNREST required several decades for zealots of extreme music to fully appreciate. While not as immediate as "Legend" nor as perfectly structured as "Western Culture," UNREST and its propensity to set sail across the vastness of what the world of sound had to offer resulted in some extraordinarily fascinating albeit bizarre musical experiments.

OSAGE TRIBE was perhaps best known as the Italian band from Genova that Franco Battiato started but left after only singing on one mere pop single before embarking on his solo career of musical experimentations and turning it over to an ever-changing lineup that ultimately fell under the control of drummer / vocalist Ninzio "Cucciolo" Fava. The band experienced significant structural changes and struggled to keep going but finally surrendered to the multi-pronged forces in his opposition after less than two years in existence. OSAGE TRIBE was one of Italy's earliest bands to jump on the progressive rock bandwagon in 1971 focusing on a penchant for hard rock with strong progressive influences rather than qualifying as a fully indoctrinated prog rock band in its own right.

After acquiring the fiery guitarist Marco Zoccheddu freshly out of Nova Idea and bass guitarist Bob Callero who would go on to play with Duello Madre and Il Volo, the band existed as a power trio only packed a serious punch with Zoccheddu handling not only the scorching guitar duties but offering smatterings of keyboards and harmonica as well as significant songwriting duties. The band engaged in an active albeit live presence in their day and found their sole album ARROW HEAD coming out on the Bla Bla label in 1972 which while focused primarily on the nascent head banging proto-metal effects of early 70s hard rock, still pulled out enough progressive punches in the form of extravagant jazz moves and time signature deviations and elegant use of dynamic mood shifts.

ARROW HEAD featured five heavy tracks and in many emulated the sounds of the heavier sounds of Led Zeppelin as well as displaying the eye-catching album cover art of a Native American woman tempted by the modern world's lure for money just outside the relative freedoms of her traditional lifestyle which seems to have referred to the band's pop single being used for a popular TV quiz show of the day. With catchy pop infused hooks OSAGE TRIBE certainly delivered a punch with not only instantly exhilarating melodic ear worms but also with a bluesy guitar style that was reminiscent of Cream and the psychedelic rock giants of the 60s including some Hendrix inspired wah-wah moments. The album's use of dynamics is its strongest suit with not only pounding hard rock heft thundering like a stamped of American bison roaming the plains but also for its slower contemplative parts as well as the competent vocals performed exclusively in the Italian language.

Also notably different from other hard rockers of the day was Zoccheddu's use of Native American drumming techniques which made use of the album cover art theme and the deftly blended use of heavy psych in a jazz rock context thus the reason why OSAGE TRIBE despite its hard rock leanings has been indoctrinated into the halls of prog rock as well. Four of the five tracks extend beyond the 7-minute mark and despite some jamming liberties displayed a much wider repertoire of musical ingenuity. The most progressive tracks are expressed on the final tracks "Soffici Bianchi Veli" and "Orizzonti Senza Fine" which gracefully meander through the intricacy of more subdued progressive rock and the more frenetic propensities to let loose into a head banging hard rock banter-fest. In many ways OSAGE TRIBE sounded like the Italian version of what the Canadian band Rush would formulate on its first two albums before Neil Peart took the band into the progosphere.

After the release of ARROW HEAD both Zoccheddu and Callero formed Duello Madre in late 1972, leaving Cucciolo with the name OSAGE TRIBE and a new line-up with former Capsicum Red singer/guitarist Red Canzian and bassist Giampiero Marchiani coming from Forl�. This short-lived lineup was doomed once Cucciolo himself was drafted into the army. Despite this only release seeing the light of day during its initial run, OSAGE TRIBE did find two non-album tracks and "Hajenhanhowa" appearing on the 1972 "Tarzan Compilation" also on the Bla Bla label with Capsicum Red and Black Sunday Flowers. While the band seemed forever lost to circumstance, apparently Cucciolo kept the candle burning and unexpectedly resurrected the band with a completely new lineup and released the 2013 album "Hypnosis." While many seem to piss all over this one, i actually find it exhilarating! Sure it's not the proggiest prog of the lot but it's certainly a very well constructed album and peaks my interest.

The studio only project NEWS FROM BABEL's mission was to keep the avant-garde spirit of Henry Cow and Art Bears alive in the prog desert 80s and released two extraordinarily demanding albums starting with the debut "Sirens and Silences / Work Resumed on the Tower" on New Year's Day 1983 (although most sites cite 1984 as the correct year, the band lists 1983 on its own website) followed three years later by its second and last offering LETTERS HOME.

Once again this was primarily the workings of former Henry Cow members Lindsay Cooper who composed the music and Chris Cutler who wrote the song texts which as the debut delved into Marxist politics and personal alienation. Zeena Parkins returns with her array of electric and prepared harps, accordion and on this second album offers something new with an e-bow guitar. The most striking difference between the two NEWS FROM BABEL albums is in the vocal department. Dagmar Krause dominated the debut but this time around only appeared as a guest on the two ending tracks "Victory" and "Anno Mirabilis."

In fact five vocalists in all appear including Robert Wyatt on four tracks, future English film director Sally Potter on two tracks and Phil Minton who was a guest trumpeter on the debut but on this one makes a reprise as a lead vocalist on one track. Guest musician Bill Gilonis also contributes the occasional bass and guitar sounds when needed. Given the diversity of vocal styles on LETTERS HOME, this second coming doesn't offer the same consistency that albums by Art Bears or "Sirens and Silences / Work Resumed on the Tower" and although Robert Wyatt is a Canterbury avant-gardist legend, somehow his frail vocal style sounds totally out of place in the presence of a style of music pretty much built around Krause's unique singing style.

Another major point of separation is that LETTERS HOME seems to rely a lot more on the cabaret aspects of the NEWS FROM BABEL sound with the rock and jazz counterparts placed a little bit behind the scenes. The roaming through the avant-prog jungle approach of the debut also seems to have been tamped down a few notches with a greater emphasis on repetitive catchy motifs that establish and underbelly before unleashing the crazy counterpoints. All of this conspires to create a completely different album than its predecessor but unfortunately just doesn't rise to the same level of perfection to my ears. The album evokes the hodgepodge effect with a nonchalant randomness to the moods the different vocalists bring to the table.

It's certainly a brilliant album musically speaking with the same knotty angular nuttiness that the debut offered and plenty of blistering complexities laced like a time signature playground where no rules have been established. Pretty much anything Lindsay Cooper and Chris Cutler touched guaranteed a high quality alienating effect that no other musicians have even come close to replicating in the same manner. A slight step down in the inconsistency department as i find the vocal choices to work against the continuity rather than enhance it. Personally i would've rather seen Dagmar Krause as the sole diva in the house on this one but as it is it's still an excellent slice of high quality avant-prog which at this stage ended yet one more chapter in the extended Henry Cow playbook.

OINGO BOINGO and in particular Danny Elfman have made quite a career for themselves with their high energy, humour filled music. I mean if you name your band OINGO BOINGO I'm thinking you don't really care if people take you seriously or not. The album's title, the cover art, this is all about having fun and doing it at a high rate of speed. Ten songs over 38 minutes as we get songs between 3 and 4 1/2 minutes and a lot of silliness.

This really is a niche style of music in my opinion. I know Danny has been very successful with his musical work with The Simpsons and Tim Burton movies in particular, but also their big hit "Weird Science" from the movie of the same name made them some cash. Some mention that this is proggy New Wave music for lack of a better description and I thought maybe I'd like this based on being in my 20's when New Wave was all over the radio and I did like some of it. This not so much, although I tried.

The vocals are an acquired taste for me, the lyrics too. I feel this is for young people who like the punk mantra of do it as fast as you can for as short a time as you can and it doesn't really matter if you can play or not it's about the attitude. Okay first off these guys can play, it's more about other multiple things that bother me on every track. There are four guys playing horns and they blast us, not my thing. And it's the lead guitarist of this 8 piece band who did the horn arrangements surprisingly. They cover THE KINKS "You Really Got Me" and please give me the VAN HALEN's rendition or the original. The processed vocals on that one early turn me off right away. I was reminded of the B-52's on "Perfect System" mostly the chorus. Rough vocals on the closer "Nasty Habits" singing about what goes on behind closed doors.

I have two other albums by this band that I prefer, this is a low 3 stars.

1.Fly High Fall Far for the Pendragon sound with Rik Carter on keyboards and Nick's already recognizable guitar; soft title with no interest other than saying oh yes I remember it, in short I don't see anything transcendent in it and keep this impression a few decades later 2 Victims Of Life with the typical intro all at once, orchestral, symphonic, rhythmic, tasty, prog like we didn't think we'd have anymore; well there had been the Twelfth Night of course but it was necessary to scratch a little, and the Marillion who with their hardcore fervor and this support from the fanzines... had put a layer back into the effervescent prog anthill; yes prog was reborn from its ashes; short, melodic, tasty, a long title with the perfect combination of Nick's voice, keyboard and guitar, nothing to waste!

3 Dark Summer's Day with a syrupy atmosphere, bass, keyboards which imprint the sound while the guitar arrives, flowing drops of water overflowing from a waterfall. Final guitar solo on bluesy rather than progressive notes, the origin ultimately 4 Excalibur with a Marillionian, muscular start, which imposes a fat sound... that of the 80s of neo prog; finished the 70s with the extended intros, here it's more nervous to help set the mood more quickly; yes the trauma of the punk wave had passed by; brief 2 minutes of grandiloquent intro and the military drums emerge, the synth gives a bucolic air while Nick's spleen guitar vibrates deeply, beauty on a melancholic base, the one that makes aching hearts capsize; a magnificent instrumental which already shows that the sound is well established with the solo which rises, orgasmic; yes there is often a link with enjoyment in listening to very beautiful music, and there we get right into it.