PINK FLOYD - The farm of animals
Released forty years ago, "Animals" is certainly not Pink Floyd's most typical album. But it's much more than just a record. From a distance of four decades, "Animals" is the psychogram of a society subjected to extreme political, economic and cultural upheavals. At the same time it is the early conclusion of the music of a decade between progressive rock and punk. In the following we explore the essence of the record, with which the band conquered new territory for themselves, and investigate the forces that influenced and unleashed the album.
A.R. & MACHINES - The incredible journey in a crazy machine
"From teeny to top musician" - this was the headline of the "Kölner Stadtanzeiger" 1973 article about Achim Reichel. Today the Hamburg musician is still associated with the Rattles, apostrophized as the "German Beatles". It is hardly known that Reichel produces groups like Novalis or Ougenweide and above all has a psychedelic past: As A.R. & Machines he released five experimental studio albums from 1971 to 1974. The recently published ten CD box "The Art Of German Psychedelic (1970-1974)" presents these works as well as archive material.
YES featuring ARW - division, part 2
Who are the true yes or what constitutes the "true yes"? This is the crucial question that fans of the progressive rock grandees are asking themselves not only because of the death of Chris Squire in June 2015. The increased live activity of Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman, who call each other Yes featuring ARW and are in direct competition with the Yes for Steve Howe, Alan White and Geoff Downes, also raises the question of the originality of a band that has already split for the second time.
VIBRAVOID - Today never knows
The discussion about the year 1967 continues. Everywhere, it seems, the ideas and concepts that drove the youth movement fifty years ago are once again being discussed, drunk to jubilee. The German band Vibravoid preserves the cultural legacy of the hippies. For her driver Christian Koch this is not a fashion, but a survival principle: "Nowadays everything is no longer right".
VANILLA FUDGE - Punctual because too early
2017 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Vanilla Fudge. But the band with the famous slow-motion sound already celebrated their anniversary last year. In the southern Swedish village of Norje, the US band, which specialises in cover songs, played to 35,000 fans at the "Sweden Rock Festival". This historic performance can be relived with the CD/DVD document "Live At Sweden Rock 2016", which Vanilla Fudge is now presenting on time for their anniversary.
CHRIS HILLMAN - America first
Chris Hillman is revered as a pioneer of country rock. And this, although as bassist of the Byrds he was rather connected to psychedelic folk rock. In other band collaborations like the Flying Burrito Brothers or Manassas he indulged - as a guitarist - mainly in his beloved western sound, perhaps the most American of all musical styles. He does the same on his latest solo work "Bidin' My Time".
WOBBLER - All the time of the world
The Norwegian progtrolle Wobbler let six years pass between their last album and their current work. Time they had to spend looking for a new guitarist, among other things. But maybe the span also contributed to the band collecting. That she's reassured herself who she is and where she's going artistically. At least this impression is conveyed by the new slab, deeply rooted in the prog of the seventies.
QSP - QUATRO SCOTT POWELL - Who can, who can
Three of the influential personalities of Glamrock unite to a surprisingly fresh rock project. Suzi Quatro, Sweet guitarist Andy Scott and Slade drummer Don Powell are QSP. In 1973 one would probably have spoken of a Glamrock elephant wedding and suspected the hit suppliers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman behind it. Four and a half decades later, it still remains a collaboration that attracts attention.
PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI - Do you speak italiano?
Hardly anyone had expected that: The Italian Prog-Granden PFM are busy after some reshuffles like for a long time not and bring with "Emotional Tattoos" after eleven years a new studio album on the market. It has become a double CD, with eleven titles each with Italian and English lyrics. The new record doesn't quite have the magic of band classics like "Per un amico" or "L'isola di niente". But it's unmistakably PFM!
EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER - The Last Fanfare
In March 2016, Keith Emerson committed suicide, and nine months later Greg Lake died of cancer. The Prog-Urgestein ELP had shrunk to the "P" - "P" like Carl Palmer. The 67-year-old is alive and kicking, bursting with energy. He's the executor of the famous group. He was in charge of the conception and compilation of the new box set "Fanfare: 1970-1997". "It's the last fanfare to be heard from ELP," he says. "There must be an end to dealing with the past at some point. I want to focus on my creative future now."
The name says it all: Here comes the SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE
"Californisoul" is the second album of the Supersonic Blues Machine. The Californian bluestrio, consisting of drummer Kenny Aronoff (Sammy Hagar, Paul McCartney and others) as well as songwriters Lance Lopez (guitar, vocals) and Fabrizio Grossi (bass, production), is well networked and invites an illustrious group of musicians into the studio and on stage. This time Eric Gales, Walter Trout, Robben Ford, Steve Lukather and Billy Gibbons will be there.
On "Pinewood Smile" THE DARKNESS again give free rein to their love for Glam-Metal and Queen-Choir-songs
Although the British hard rockers The Darkness haven't delivered a weak album yet, it's already clear after a few runs that "Pinewood Smile" is at least as good as the famous debut "Permission To Land" (2003). Among the ten new songs there is not a single gap filler, and the attitude and playfulness of the band are absolutely stirring. A return to top form? You could say that Guitarist Dan Hawkins - the driving force behind The Darkness along with his brother Justin - is preparing for the tour when the interview with eclipsed takes place. As the 40-year-old reveals right at the start, the band has a new lighting system at the start, with Hawkins trying to coordinate the correct lighting of a cowbell (!). A spinal tap moment that wonderfully expresses the self-ironic attitude of the group.
