Workin' Together - IKE & TINA TURNER***

Workin' Together/(As Long As I Can) Get You When I Want You/Get Back/The Way You Love Me/You Can Have It/Game Of Love/Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter/Ooh Poo Pah Doo/Proud Mary/Goodbye So Long/Let It Be

Workin' Together from the soul duo Ike & Tina Turner finds them moving steadily in a rock direction that would come to fruition in Tina Turner's solo career. Includes the US No. 4 cover of Proud Mary. (US:25)

"This is classic soul, and that's a good, even at times great thing. Proud Mary was a huge hit, and did the Creedence original proud. Get Back does the same with The Beatles. Tina was the guts to be sure, but Ike knew his stuff, and the arrangements and band are super tight."

"Workin' Together marks the explosive duo's final step towards a white rock audience. Besides those early Sue singles, they were never really interested in black audiences anyway. If they spent the 1960s playing the 'chitlin' circuit', now it was payback time."

"In reality, nothing really drastically changed - all those years Ike played mean guitar, Tina always provided those frenzied vocals and The Ikettes have always been her Greek chorus in the background - the Turners successfully metamorphosed into a soul-rock act. The only difference is that this time they didn't cover black artists like in the past but white rockers and their repertoire - Turnerized versions were inevitably grittier and funkier."

"Workin' Together is an album with one of the finest 'peace' anthems of the 70s. The title song is one that is very relevant today; the sound is fresh and very well performed by the famed duo. It especially shows Tina's turn toward the rock music that would support her career for decades. This album also has the electrifying Get Back - Tina makes the song all her own like no other. And Tina made history by recording Proud Mary - this track shines on this album, it is as hot as ever."

"The opening title song and of course the smash version of Proud Mary are strong examples of what is often called "rock 'n' soul", a sound that has much of rock 'n' roll's brashness with some of the churchy cleanliness of 60s soul."

"The soulful, raspy voice of Tina and the groovy playing of The Kings of Rhythm make this album something special. The Ike and Tina Turner Revue was maybe an act which was the best at covering songs and making them sound nice and rough."

Daughter Of Time - COLOSSEUM***

Three Score & Ten Amen/Time Lament/Take Me Back To Doomsday/The Daughter Of Time/Theme For An Imaginary Western/Bring Out Your Dead/Downhill & Shadows/The Time Machine

Daughter Of Time was the final studio album from British jazz-rock group Colosseum before they split. Here they were joined on vocals by the blues vocalist Chris Farlowe. (UK:23)

"Though not as outstanding as its predecessor, it's still a good album, though perhaps leaning a little more in a traditional prog rock direction, and featuring some heavier material, being quite consistent as well."

"Excellent album let down by an eight minute drum solo on the last track. Drums, guitar, keyboards, sax and horns are all super in what man for man as instrumentalists was possibly the finest rock band of all time."

"This band's output was first rate and this one is one of their best. Recommended to blues/rock fans, and also to progressive listeners of course."

"Daughter Of Time is where Colosseum's music really began to change. They recruited a new singer, Chris Farlowe, who had been in Atomic Rooster. The music became much heavier - perhaps to sustain Farlowe's mammoth voice, and more influenced by classical and chamber jazz than the blues of the first two albums. This album is very good if you like very heavy art rock. It is at times overwhelming just because of the massiveness of the sound, but the music is inventive. I like the bluesier incarnation of this band, but that is a matter of taste. This is a good album for hard-core progressive rock fans."

"Chris Farlowe's voice was a galvanising force in Colosseum - a powerful blues wailing instrument to match the rest of the band. And the band? Original, powerful and captivating. Buy this, play it loud and then play it again - louder. You can't go wrong. The version of Theme For An Imaginary Western is up there with Jack Bruce's original and in some ways even betters it. This is a seriously good album."

"A purist might prefer the first two recordings with James Litherland as singer. This disc has a slightly more fusion feel to it, in that the drums have loosened up, there is more progressive keyboard work, the writing is not so blues based and the horns aren't as arranged. However, the writing and arranging are strong, Greenslade and Clempson really shine and Chris Farlowe's singing does reflect the slow change in direction the band was taking."

T.Rex - T.REX****

The Children Of Rarn/Jewel/The Visit/Childe/The Time Of Love Is Now/Diamond Meadows/Root Of Star/Beltane Walk/Is It Love/One Inch Rock/Summer Deep/Seagull Woman/Suneye/The Wizard/The Children Of Rarn (Reprise)

With the new abbreviated title for his group, Mark Bolan would cast aside hippy-dippy idealism and, almost single handed, create the glam rock genre that would dominate the early 1970s British pop scene. (US:188 UK:7)

"The music on this album presents the transformation of the group from its almost anarchistic roots in psychedelia, poetic suites with complex verses and lots of weirdness, into a wide audience oriented sleek hits producing machine and fashion setting glam act, which the group would henceforward become."

"A fascinating fusion of the electric guitar heroics of Bolan's glam period and the preceding folk-prog fairytale guitar-and-bongos duets of the Tyrannosaurus Rex days. It's the blossoming of Marc Bolan's songwriting skills which really stands out here. In terms of subject matter we're still very much in fantasyland, but in terms of Bolan's vocal performance and guitar playing the sound of Electric Warrior is beginning to creep in. The end result is an album which isn't quite like anything else in the T. Rex back catalogue, as well as bringing the experiments of the Tyrannosaurus Rex years to a shockingly good conclusion."

"First release featuring the shortened moniker, T. Rex balances Bolan's brain-fried, hippie-folk mysticism with a pop sensibility that would explode in T-Rexstacy, once he figured out this stuff might sound better with bass and drums. Of course, Bolan could craft a killer hook in his sleep, and T. Rex is full of them, be it on tender numbers like Diamond Meadows, close encounter of The Visit, electric freak out Jewel, or glam boogie previews like One Inch Rock, many numbers benefiting especially well from added string accompaniment."

"This is pretty strange stuff if you have only listened to the glam rock-era of T.Rex. Half of this album is psychedelic folk and half is glam rock. Pretty awesome album which still has a little bit of the original Tyrannosaurus Rex sound left, but it also has a totally new style."

"The transition album between the acoustic mystical folk of Tyrannosaurus Rex and the electric boogie of T. Rex which made Marc Bolan a superstar. This album rocks yet has a beautiful folky quality that is truly unique. The blend of English rock/swagger and mystical folk makes this album unlike any other."

Wishbone Ash - WISHBONE ASH***

Blind Eye/Lady Whiskey/Errors Of My Way/Queen Of Torture/Handy Phoenix

Eponymous debut album from the stalwart second division rock band Wishbone Ash noted for their twin lead guitar sound. Despite some limited critical acclaim they never quite broke into the major league. (UK:29)

"There were so many good British rock bands around at the end of the 1960s, and very early 70s, that it would be all too easy to overlook Wishbone Ash. You'd do so at your peril. They were both influential and very good. This and Argus are my favourites of their albums."

"You'll find six songs from this record which combine the elements of hard rock, progressive rock and blues rock to form a great sound. Wishbone Ash are said to have been one of the first rock groups to use twin lead guitars. I must say that I really dig their sound on this album."

"The album opener Blind Eye is your standard three minute boogie rocker, albeit an energetic, mildly enjoyable one. Lady Whiskey gets heavier, darker and more intense, with some superb guitar soloing. My favourite non-epic is Errors Of My Way, the folksiest effort and the one song here where the band's vocals, here harmonized to haunting effect, are extremely effective, as mediocre vocals are probably the band's biggest weakness and perhaps hindered them from being bigger."

"Here on the debut, they're a little unfocused, with some too-long-songs, that may put some off, but overall it's a pretty strong debut. Blind Eye opens well enough, a pretty straightforward hard rocker, and Lady Whiskey is maybe a little overlong, but is another satisfying rock track. Errors Of My Way is probably the best song, with an excellent double guitar melody, and a nice atmospheric gloom to it, helped by the excellent harmonised vocals. Queen Of Torture is a bit grimy, but enjoyably raucous. Handy may put some people off, as it's really an extended jam, but it's also pretty impressive guitar work. Phoenix is another favourite, again it's long, but pretty fiery guitar bits here, and it's a strong closer to the album."

"Despite being a big fan of both prog and 70s hard rock, I find Wishbone Ash seriously overrated. Sure they had two great guitarists, but they certainly didn't make effective use out of them, by producing way too many substandard songs. Add in the fact that the vocals and bass are almost always too weak and this band doesn't stand up too well."

Emerson Lake & Palmer - EMERSON LAKE & PALMER***

The Barbarian/Take A Pebble/Knife-Edge/The Three Fates: Clotho-Lachesis-Atropos/Tank/Lucky Man

Self titled debut album from Emerson Lake and Palmer the group that would give progressive music a bad name through their pomposity and excessive self indulgence. (US:18 UK:4)

"Generally, when people talk about prog, the perceived faults of the genre and the whole era, ELP are inevitably mentioned in the same breath. And not without reason, since as the 70s wore on, ELP began to embody the self indulgent excess and loss of perspective which plagued progressive rock. And it's also true that of the big prog bands, ELP are my least favourite, I don't like their boring displays of their virtuosity, I find a lot of their songs seriously lacking in both good ideas and solid songwriting."

"Last of the big British prog bands to emerge at the turn of the decade, Emerson, Lake & Palmer would come to embody the extremes of the genre, a qualified supergroup with inarguable musical muscle filtered through a classical fixation, but often seemingly blind to any standards of excess. Emerson, Lake & Palmer the album is split between moments where the band's brutal power and cold, finelyhoned virtuosity come together in effective, tightly constructed tracks, and areas where tedium and pointless displays of skill send the album drifting into snoozeland."

"The album starts with some rocked-out classics in the form of The Barbarian, with a down and dirty performance that proves that ELP can get heavy when they want to. Other highlights include Take A Pebble, in which the group prove that they can bring jazz into their formula as well as classical music. The closing Lucky Man binds a moog solo to a folk-rock number with surprising success."

"I guess part of the reason I can't quite extend my rating is that the album feels directionless. Musically, the group are very diverse, but the consequence is that the tracks don't seem to flow together very well, and it's hard to say what the band's identity or sound at this point really is - or even if it does have an identity at all beyond being a vehicle for the three named talents to strut their stuff."

"Emerson Lake and Palmer were the first progressive rock supergroup and the combination of their utterly fantastic talents made for an enormously powerful and amazing debut album. The Barbarian is a smashing, bashing romp. Take A Pebble is wondrous. Tank is punishingly powerful. And Lucky Man combines beauty and power like few songs have ever been able to."

Naturally - THREE DOG NIGHT***

I Can Hear You Calling/One Man Band/I'll Be Creepin'/Fire Eater/Can't Get Enough Of It/Sunlight/Heavy Church /Liar/I've Got Enough Heartache/Joy To The World

Naturally is an uneven collection from the mostly covers rock band Three Dog Night. Includes the US chart topping single Joy To The World and the US No. 19 One Man Band. (US:14)

"By this date, they have become exceedingly inconsistent, yet somehow managed to continue to come up with a few good cuts to mix in with their excruciatingly soulful ballads. Based on this, I can't abandon them just yet."

"While they were in their heyday, each new release of Three Dog Night was better than the last one. Not many bands can claim that. And none of today's artists can come close to their output in the early and mid 70s. In my opinion this album was their high water mark."

"Very Phil Spectorish pop/rock heading in a Crosby Stills & Nash direction. This band tends to do mostly covers, but this album has a lot of originals on it. Most of the songs aren't great."

"Despite the inclusion of a little ditty entitled Joy To The World (which ended up sounding like a kiddie-anthem and prophesized uglier things to come, sadly) this isn't a shabby album. At this time in their history, covering songs by bands such as Free and Traffic, Three Dog Night still possessed a bit of a 'hip factor' in the world of music. And listening to this album today, I can see why. Although always leaning toward the pop end of music, the band could still include songs like Liar, for example, which even today has a certain power, an interesting atmosphere."

"Three Dog Night were successful at utilizing three lead singers combining soul, rock and blues into a sound that was distinctly their own. I can't think of too many groups that could harmonize as well as Three Dog Night and it's no wonder they were the early seventies most popular rock group. If there's one Three Dog Night LP you should buy, this should be it, as Naturally was released when the group was at the peak of their musical career. Highly recommended."

"Certainly dated yet by no means dead, Naturally provides the listener with a small fragment of this group's enormous talent - despite the second-rate lyrics. Driven by the incredible vocals of Hutton, Negron, and Wells, the album was a welcome change from their earlier works in both style and studio engineering."

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - JOHN LENNON***

Mother/Hold On (John)/I Found Out/Working Class Hero/Isolation/Remember/Love/Well Well Well/Look At Me/ God/My Mummy's Dead

A rather bleak and stark debut album release from John Lennon, which finds him in a self absorbed emotional rage over the unfairness of the world. Working Class Hero is the only stand out track here. (US:6 UK:8)

"John Lennon creates a raw masterpiece and ends any thoughts of a Beatles reunion all on one great album. The album starts and ends with haunting songs about his deceased mom. There are three sadly beautiful songs, Hold On(John), Love, and Look At Me as well as two songs that are just stripped down vitriol, I Found Out and Well Well Well. Working Class Hero is pure acoustic venom whereas Remember is piano-based hard rock. Isolation is a scary little tune and God tears down all the illusions surrounding The Beatles. This album isn't for everyone but if you enjoy stripped down, no-holds-barred rock you will enjoy this album."

"Troubled individuals like John are often driven by mental obsession over the course of their lives. I believe that John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band has to be one of the best depictions of inner anguish by a rock artist. Lennon would continue to be a rebellious curmudgeon after its release, but he exposed a different side of himself through this gripping musical work."

"No happy pop to be found on this classic, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is all heavy emotions. Lennon lets it all out on this record."

"Basing this on musical qualities alone, and not Lennon's history, this just sounds like a complete whinge-fest. Sure, he was a decent singer, but the so-called 'emotion' of this album just sounds overly contrived and forced - grating, even."

"Yes, it's very bitter, indulgent, and at times even difficult to listen to. But it's also one of the most honest albums I've ever heard. Not perfect but incredibly special, and one of the all time best Beatle solo albums."

"This album puts me in a rather bad mood and not in a good way. I don't want to hear him scream or tell me hippie clichés. He is egotistical in an irritating way and I don't really care if this is a very daring, personal and important record." "Pretty raw and painful, and that can be a turn-off at times. But this is sincere music, and that's hard to not appreciate."

Pendulum - CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL****

Pagan Baby/Sailor's Lament/Chameleon/Have You Ever Seen The Rain/(Wish I Could) Hideaway/Born To Move/ Hey Tonight/Its Just A Thought/Molina/Rude Awakening #2

Pendulum was the final creatively inspired LP release from the prolific rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Includes the US No. 8 hit single Have You Ever Seen The Rain. (US:5 UK:8)

"One of the best American bands, Creedence Clearwater Revival made great music at easily the fastest rate that any rock group ever has. Pendulum is not quite at the level of its immediate predecessors, but it's remarkable just how able and terrific it is, with all original songs too. There was no need for a band this rootsy and unpretentious to attempt an experimental avant-garde track like Rude Awakening #2. Cuts as timeless as Have You Ever Seen the Rain and Sailor's Lament more than compensate."

"Pendulum found John Fogerty pushing the group in new directions, including more blatant nods to New Orleans funk, Stax soul, and experimental studio productions. The new focus was partly motivated by the dismissive attitudes of the band's peers. With a string of top five singles and a lack of trendy sounds on their albums, Creedence weren't always given their due as innovators."

"Pendulum was the sixth Creedence Clearwater studio album and the last to feature all four members of the group as Tom Fogerty would depart shortly after its release. This album is different from the five that preceded it as John Fogerty decided to take the group in new directions. He may have over-reached himself at times, but the sound remains an interesting glimpse into what they may have been moving towards had they not disbanded."

"There are three classic sounding Creedence songs for traditionalists. In a way Fogerty may have been hedging his bets. The two sided hit single, Have You Ever Seen The Rain/Hey Tonight, contain the tight song structures and harmonies that had made the group famous. It was issued at the height of the Vietnam War and is still a reminder of those times. Molina could have been another hit single as it is uptempo, catchy, and stays in the mind for days."

"It's amazing how many great records CCR produced in just a span of two years. Unfortunately, the greatness stopped with this one. Fogerty seems to take himself a bit too seriously here, as some of the songs are just weird 'experimental' tracks, that sound too odd to be on a CCR record."

Greatest Hits Vol. 2 - FRANK SINATRA****

My Way/A Man Alone/Cycles/Bein' Green/Love's Been Good To Me/I'm Not Afraid/Goin' Out Of My Head/ Something/What's Now Is Now/Star/September Of My Years

A second greatest hits collection lifted from Frank Sinatra's Reprise years. Features his best known song to modern audiences My Way, plus some less remembered tracks, some of which were not even hits. (US:88 UK:6)

"Cycles is again Frank as 'everyman', though it's hard to think he got fired from any job. Love's Been Good To Me is a wistful look at a man who is probably alone, but looking back at past loves and travels. Both belong in an ultra Sinatra collection. My Way maybe helps to sell the album. A Man Alone is also very fine, Star is reasonable enough and hard to find elsewhere. September Of My Years is an all-time misty eyed nostalgic beauty. The rest are mainly forgettable, especially Going Out Of My Head, another big hit of the time, which seems embarrassing today."

"This album covered the short period from the release of Frank Sinatra's first Reprise Greatest Hits album to his short lived 1971 retirement. There's much to muddle through here: the revered version of My Way, the lesser version of Something, some movie songs and his strange but lovely version of Bein' Green. But then you get to Cycles, originally the title track of an album of 60s covers."

"There are many fine Frank tunes on this LP, Cycles, My Way, but there are also a few glaring pitfalls, the worst of the bunch being his covers of Goin' Out Of My Head and Something. Nonetheless, this is still a good collection, and a fine companion album to Vol. 1."

"If you think you have never heard of some of these songs because the title is not familiar, that's because this collection has been (rightfully) forgotten. If you are an occasional listener looking for a Sinatra collection because you do not want to invest in the original albums, look elsewhere. There is only one essential song here, My Way. The remainder are quite good, but likely to appeal only to his biggest fans."

"The title of this album is misleading because most of these songs were not hits for Sinatra, My Way and September Of My Years being the hits. The rest are fine covers of contemporary numbers Goin' Out Of My Head, and Something. The rare recording here is Star, I have not been able to find it anywhere else, and is probably worth the price of this album alone. I really like this, very classy, very much a Sinatra song."

All Things Must Pass - GEORGE HARRISON*****

I'd Have You Anytime/My Sweet Lord/Wah-Wah/Isn't It A Pity/What Is Life/If Not For You/Behind That Locked Door/Let It Down/Run Of The Mill/Beware Of Darkness/Apple Scruffs/Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp/Awaiting On You All/All Things Must Pass/I Dig Love/Art Of Dying/Isn't It A Pity/Hear Me Lord/Out Of The Blue/Its Johnny's Birthday/Plug Me In/I Remember Jeep/Thanks For The Pepperoni

The first serious album release from George Harrison was the boxed three discs set All Things Must Pass. During the lifetime of The Beatles his compositions were clearly secondary to the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership. Thus he already had plenty of songs available for release when the group folded. The third disc is a jam session and can be ignored. Includes the US and UK No. 1 My Sweet Lord and US No. 10 What Is Life. (US:1 UK:1)

"All Things Must Pass may have a lot of music to wade through, but it is worth it. You can cut the Apple Jam after the first listen. What usually hurt long albums are the filler tracks that aren’t that good. There is nothing of the sort here."

"The songs are great on their own but as a whole they're actually better, which is impressive considering the album's length. He finds the beauty and the darkness in life and combines them in a way that is far more realistic than Paul's outlook that everything is lovely and John's outlook that everything is a downer."

"No one was kept in the shadows more during The Beatles heyday than George Harrison. It seems only fitting that with the collapse of the Fab Four, he exploded with the lengthy and spiritual All Things Must Pass, showing that he was just as much of a genius as John and Paul were. Isn't It A Pity, My Sweet Lord, and Beware Of Darkness are some of the sweetest post-Beatles ballads available.”

"One wonders if perhaps Harrison should have offered two separate albums of material, and better cemented his post-Beatles legacy. I would have bought both of them. The only down note in this review is the Apple Jam, which is fairly pedestrian fare that can be heard in any basement or garage. Nevertheless, All Things Must Pass is essential to any collection."

"All Things Must Pass exudes a warmth and kind-heartedness that spans spirituality, fellowship, empathy, love, and simple enjoyment. Phil Spector's production does the right thing in wrapping George's voice in swathes of instrumentation. There's reverb, country slide guitar (Behind That Locked Door), psychedelic swirling guitar, orchestral arrangements and trumpet fanfares (Let It Down). The Apple Jam at the end is unnecessary, but George just had a straightforward love for making music."

Air Conditioning - CURVED AIR*****

It Happened Today/Stretch/Screw/Blind Man/Vivaldi/Hide & Seek/Propositions/Rob One/Situations/Vivaldi With Cannons

Air Conditioning was the debut album from the British progressive group Curved Air featuring electric violin and the ethereal voice of Sonja Kristina. Reputedly the first picture disc to be released, resulting in a disastrous diminution in sound quality. (UK:8)

"Curved Air never returned to this electric fury again, and despite some rawness this is a passionate record full of gems: the opener It Happened Today (with lovely violin); the acoustic folky Blind Man; the romantically hopeless vignettes of Screw, Propositions and Situations."

"Curved Air are pretty much a forgotten band these days which is a shame because their early 70s albums include some really good progressive rock. The music on this album is mostly very good. Some of these musicians had a classical music background. Songs like It Happened Today, Screw, Vivaldi, Hide & Seek and Situations are great examples. The other songs are interesting too. It's nice to realise that all of the songs do their job and none of them feels like filler. Air Conditioning is a really solid and enjoyable debut by a band that should be better known these days. Their debut is proof of that."

"Curved Air's first album showcases a sound achieved by combining early prog bombast (complete with classical covers in the form of two Vivaldi re-workings) with classic 60s pop - most evident in the chanteuse style that lead singer Sonja Kristina sings in. Not as full-on experimental as many contemporaries, but still an interesting experiment with a pleasant sound. Suffered from the marketing gimmick of making this album one of the very first picture disc LPs - only picture disc technology being in its infancy, the sound quality was necessarily scaled down."

"A milestone in progressive rock surfacing from the psychedelic mould, as Curved Air made mega-leaps in song construction and complexity. An impressive first effort. Song by song description is unnecessary as they are all cutting edge for 1970. It is unfortunate that this band didn't get the recognition they deserved."

"Air Conditioning was a solid blend of musicianship and then current psychedelic sensibilities. Songs such as Screw and Blind Man manage to convey an 'out there' sensibility while still being accessible to most listeners. Overall, it's a very solid rock album which has both the virtue and failing of being dated."

Chicago III - CHICAGO***

Sing A Mean Tune Kid/Loneliness Is Just A Word/What Else Can I Say/I Don't Want Your Money/Flight 602/Motorboat To Mars/Free/Free Country/At The Sunrise/Happy 'Cause I'm Going Home/Mother/Lowdown/A Hard Risin' Morning Without Breakfast/Off To Work/Fallin' Out/Dreamin' Home/Morning Blues Again/When All The Laughter Dies In Sorrow/Canon/Once Upon A Time/Progress/The Approaching Storm/Man v Man The End

Yet another double LP from Chicago making it three in a row. Unfortunately, the inspiration takes quite a dip with this one, and they would never again reach the heights of their first two album releases. Includes the US Top Twenty single Free. (US:2 UK:9)

"Mostly awful, dissonant jazzy ramblings and schmaltzy lyrical pop. Loneliness is a good track with a really enjoyable Hammond solo. The rest is never up to the standard of the first two albums - way behind them in fact. Disappointing."

"The boys from Chicago have provided us with the third two record set in a row and while it's strong moments are stronger than their previous album, the weak moments are weaker and the pompous moments should not even be talked about. Word of advice, avoid side four all together as they attempt to get experimental and dabble in a bit of poetry and the classics as well."

"With this release, Chicago had produced three double-LP sets within two years, which cluttered the market and drained the band members' creativity. The result was a fall off in quality and sales, though Chicago III did manage to stay on the charts for over a year, selling a million copies. The hits are Free and Lowdown, neither of which are among the group's best."

"Chicago III, the band's third double album in as many years, features plenty of good music, but suffers for its lack of focus. There are three extended jams, and of them, only James Pankow's Elegy is consistently good. Terry Kath's crude rambling ode to An Hour In The Shower and Lamm's Travel Suite both have some enjoyable moments, but also contain much filler."

"This was somewhat of a disappointment for Chicago fans. Not their best work in my opinion, but then again how do you follow up a masterpiece like Chicago II?"

"Chicago III was a more experimental outing by Chicago than their previous two albums. The styles range wider, with barely a nod to mainstream music of the late 60s and early 70s. It is likely that the ability to have such a large variety was made possible by the success of their previous two albums."

Air Force 2 – GINGER BAKER***

Let Me Ride/Sweet Wine/Do U No Hu Yor Phrenz R/We Free Kings/I Don’t Want To Gone On Without You/Toady/12 Gates Of The City

The second release from the jazz-rock ensemble founded by Cream drummer Ginger Baker. Unlike the live cuts on the debut this one comprises studio recordings featuring vocals from Graham Bond and some female singers.

“Ginger Baker's second album with the Air Force is made up of the band first studio recordings. We have a fairly eclectic mix of music that combines Baker's usual jazz, R & B, and blues-rock inclinations (explored in his tenure with Graham Bond and Cream), with his post-psychedelic fascination with world music. Weaving in and out of the album are African rhythmic innovations and harmonic horn lines as well as eastern musical flourishes. This album, while highly uneven and inconsistent is a mostly pleasant listening experience overall.”

“This is off the pace of their debut. However, it's still progressive, but the use of horns, sax, and female backing vocals lends a strong soul flavour.”

“I assumed this would be mostly an unenjoyable venture into world music, heavy on drums and instrumentals. Happily, I was wrong. Ginger may be directing the music from his kit, but he's not dominating it by any means. It's definitely not Cream's blues-rock style at all. I would call it eclectic (for the time), but very listenable. The vocals are mostly split between Graham Bond's sandpaper rasp, and a collection of female singers who sing back-up on the other tracks. There are ‘world beat’ influences all over the record, but all the songs have a contemporary rock/pop underpinning, and a pretty good groove to them.”

“After the first few cuts of this LP were recorded, all the really big names except Ginger Baker and Graham Bond left. The music is basically Baker's drum kit plus a bunch of woodwinds (mostly flutes and saxes) and rather quirky vocals. The arrangements and production seem relatively rudimentary, and the overall feel is pretty loose, like an early-stage rehearsal. The saxes tend towards Coltrane-esque free-jazz. Most of the songs are at least co-written by Baker and feature his characteristic goofiness.”

Warhorse – WARHORSE***

Vulture Blood/No Chance/Burning/St Louis/Ritual/Solitude/Woman Of The Devil

Self titled debut album form the British heavy rock band Warhorse. They have been compared to Deep Purple as founder Nick Simper was once a member of that band. Famed keyboardist Rick Wakeman was also briefly a member.

“Vulture Blood and Burning are proto-metallic trips into hard rock. No Chance and Solitude are power ballads with a rare vulnerability to their lyrics seen only rarely in their style. Ritual and St. Louis are more concise blues rockers, and Woman Of The Devil is a stone's throw away from Sabbath with early doom, livened up by the end with a more conventional hard rock injection.”

“Warhorse's debut is a pretty awesome hard rock record filled with clear progressive rock elements all over the place. A strong guitar and a powerful organ dominate the sound of the record. The songs are quite lengthy with some really killer solos which are a big plus. If you enjoy the early 1970s prog influenced hard rock then Warhorse is definitely worth giving a try.”

“The Brits truly were in a league of their own when it came to crafting the heaviest metal of the early 70s, and this group is no exception. They may have sounded a lot like Nick Simper’s previous band Deep Purple, but with an album this awesome that becomes a very minor issue.”

“This is a great early 70s hard rock album with progressive leanings. Nearly all the songs are well put together and tasteful guitar and keyboard solos abound.”

“When Deep Purple's original bassist Nick Simper was fired in 1969 he was left at a loose end. He had a short and unsuccessful stint with another band but when it collapsed he obtained the services of the fantastic vocalist Ashley Hunt and keyboardist extraordinaire Rick Wakeman and formed the powerful heavy rock band Warhorse. This album, their debut, is an amazing slice of English proto-metal.”

“It is, at times, fairly ordinary rock and the real problem I have is a lack of imagination in the writing department. The presence of the Hammond does elevate the music significantly, preventing them from sounding like dozens of other similar hard rock acts of the time. There is some good soloing from both organist and guitarist and the vocals are very strong, even powerful.”

Come To My Garden - MINNIE RIPERTON***

Les Fleurs/Completeness/Come To My Garden/Memory Band/Rainy Day In Centerville/Close Your Eyes & Remember/Oh By The Way/Expecting/Only When I'm Dreaming/Whenever Wherever

Come To My Garden was the acclaimed debut album from the Chicago soul singer Minnie Riperton. She was noted for her five octave vocal range, and would achieve some commercial success in the middle of the decade. (US:160)

“You'll rarely hear music this magical. Borrowing from soul, orchestral pop and psychedelia in equal measures and seemingly unscathed by commercial considerations, Minnie follows a more organic, pastoral and ultimately more genre busting path than during her later, more commercially successful period.”

“The execution is practically flawless with these large and lush orchestral arrangements that perfectly accompany Minnie Riperton's soft and angelic voice. This is really is just a great album, almost like hearing a musical.”

“This is without a doubt one of the most unique 70s soul albums I've ever heard. There's some very tasteful orchestration, smooth funk rhythms, pretty songs, and Minnie's incredible vocal range. Even when she hits the really high notes, it's always more ethereal than ear piercing.”

“Come To My Garden is a rare collection of polished gems, showcasing Minnie's collective talents as singer, artist, communicator and visionary. Each cut is timeless and a masterpiece in it's own right. I don't think there has ever been a recorded work as beautiful as this.”

“The record breathes the special atmosphere at the turn of that decade, when some great music appeared. The music is urban, sophisticated, slightly psychedelic and totally different in style from Minnie's later records.”

“A criminally overlooked soul classic. This album belongs in any classic R & B collection. And yet it's not exactly soul/R& B in the traditional sense. Imagine a black female version of Astral Weeks crossed with the best of Burt Bacharach and you get a close idea of the amazing music found here.”

Yeti - AMON DUUL II**

Soap Shock Rock/She Came Through The Chimney/Archangels Thunderbird/Cerberus/The Return Of Ruebezahl/Eye Shaking King/Pale Gallery/Yeti/Yeti Talks To Yogi/Sandoz In The Rain

The double LP Yeti was the follow up album from the avant-garde German band Amon Duul II. It mixes some shorter blues-rock songs with other extended instrumental pieces featuring obligatory noodling.

“Catchy riffs and drum beats maintain a sense of accessibility which a ton of guitar and violin soloing drives forward the improvisational nature of the music. But most important is the overall ambiance and feel of the music. The songs themselves are a mixture of shorter composed pieces and longer jams.”

“Sides B, C and D are mostly comprised of innovative free-form space-rock/krautrock jams. Side A has extremely tedious and annoying blues-rock songs.”

“A lot of these songs, while long, complex, and experimental, are also full of thunderous drumming and heavy-riffing guitars, overlaid by the haunting vocals.”

“During the first half, the band attempt to entertain the listeners with a couple of rock songs, which, in the best psychedelic tradition, are always on the verge of falling apart, as the guitars seem to play against rather than with each other. The instrumentals are not quite as accessible, but they show a lot of variation, which keeps up the interest, even though it's sometimes hard to keep apart interesting solos from aimless noodling.”

“Duul's potent, mystical, doom-laden sound is most effective on this epic double album. Beginning with a hysterical suite and ending with apocalyptic slow burning atmospheric pieces straight from the top of Krautrock Mountain.”

“There's a lot of 60s psych influence here, with an electrical, sizzling sound coming from the guitars. The vocals are still completely deranged, especially on far-out jams like Cerberus or the fantastic Eye-Shaking King. And of course, the band are still capable of taking insane voyages into the depths of space, with cosmic rockers like Yeti. Then there are some traditional prog rockers such as Sandoz In The Rain, with some flute action fresh from the Tull academy.”

“Amon Duul II's second record is a double album monument of dark European soundscapes that possess Led Zeppelin heaviness without an over-reliance on the blues or a dependency on rock clichés.”

J. Geils Band - J. GEILS BAND***

Wait/Ice Breaker (For The Big M)/Cruisin' For A Love/Hard Drivin' Man/Serves You Right To Suffer/Homework/ First I Look At The Purse/What's Your Hurry/On Borrowed Time/Pack Fair & Square/Sno-Cone

The self titled debut album from the Boston blues-rock J. Geils Band featuring the raspy vocals of Peter Wolf. They would enjoy a consistently successful chart career throughout the 1970s and beyond. (US:195)

“What we have here is generic blues rock that's nothing special. All the elements that would make this band what it became can be identified already, sense of humour, good musicianship, doing it for the fun. Maybe they were already a good live band when this came out, but if those elements are present here, there was still nothing special about them.”

“Peter Wolf's voice and the whole band's interaction and confidence altogether were still far from being able to present an album that expressed the well oiled rock ‘n' roll machine they were going to become. The whole record sounds a bit contrived, a band that wants to be big, but is still too immature to take risky decisions and do things their own way, whether about song-writing, performance or production.”

“There are a few keepers on this self-titled debut LP. I quite enjoy the direct, no frills attack of Hard Drivin’ Man and Homework. And Peter Wolf's full husky voice just knocks me out. But there is something about this album that just reeks of insincerity. Somewhere along the line Boston’s finest bar band began to equate themselves to the R & B legends they were striving to emulate.”

“An incredibly good first album by a classic rock & roll band. Peter Wolf's raspy vocals and Magic Dick's wailing blues harp highlight this toe tapping medley of tunes. The best song, Wait sets the tone with Can't Do My Homework also a real winner.”

“Take a pinch of Canned Heat with a zest of Creedence Clearwater Revival and you will have an idea of the J. Geils Band's sound. Peter Wolf is a wild singer with the husky voice required for that type of music. The lead guitar, bass, drums and harmonica are on the forefront most of the time.”

“The J. Geils Band's first album is one of the best rock ‘n' roll albums ever made. It combines the basic elements of R & B with an original rock style. It has great instrumental work and terrific vocals.”

Play It Loud - SLADE***

Raven/See Us Here/Dapple Rose/Could I/One Way Hotel/The Shape Of Things To Come/Know Who You Are/I Remember/Pouk Hill/Angelina/Dirty Joker/Sweet Box

For their second album Play It Loud this good time rocking band have abbreviated their name and temporarily adopted a dubious skinhead image. Within a year they would be topping the UK singles chart to launch themselves as the most consistent British singles group of the early 1970s.

“Extremely inconsistent, but the brunt of these tracks are at the very least good. Only a few are out and out clunkers. They've got a hell of a compositional range, tackling heavier-than-average hard rock, psych, blues-based boogie rock, and late 60s The Who in equal measure and occasional within the same song.”

“Noddy has such a recognizable voice. Starts off rocking and turns into hippie stew but what else would you expect in 1970. I can hear in a few of the songs what they would become later but here they are just a band still finding their way.”

“With the Ambrose dropped, and a harder sounding name, the band dipped into the skinhead fashion that was sweeping the country and became the first skinhead band. They certainly didn't play the sort of music that skins were into, but it was all about publicity, and the band received loads.”

“It was the band’s first real foray into writing for themselves, and although the LP contains some covers, there is enough original material to highlight the bands talent. Holders voice is still raw, Hill's guitar is as good as it was ever going to be, Powell's drumming kept everything steady, and in Jimmy Lea, they had unearthed a bass player of phenomenal ability. Dirty Joker is his standout track here.”

“I consider this to be Slade's most outstanding album. It contains, in rough form, nearly all the elements that would make them UK superstars, but adds to the mix odd, thick, almost classically-constructed vocal harmonies, atop rather bizarre minor key hooks to create a slightly discomforting overall sound.”

Act One - BEGGARS OPERA***

Poet & Peasant/Passacaglia/Memory/Raymond’s Road/Light Cavalry

Act One was the appropriately titled debut album from the Glaswegian progressive rock band Beggars Opera. They specialised in introducing classical themes into their organ dominated sound.

“I admit their stuff is often bombastic and overdone, but what can I say? I love their style. I can listen to this one again and again. Long intricate compositions, heavy on texture and counterpoint. These guys sure knew how to jam.”

“Fairly impressive and unique prog with heavy organs and some occasionally pounding guitars. Most of the long jams are excellent and incorporate some classical pieces within the songs. Raymond's Road is probably the best track, but the opening two seven minute jams are also excellent.”

“The band succeeds in blending gothic hard rock with folk prog without over emphasising either.”

“Musically Act One seemed to me excessively repetitive – it’s almost like the running on the spot, it takes a lot of energy but goes nowhere. Songs sound almost too lilting for progressive rock.”

“This is the first album from Beggars Opera and in many ways carries on from The Nice in musical terms. The music is definitely progressive rock with heavy influences from classical music. If you like you music with pomp and circumstance aplomb you will love this album.”

“This is mostly instrumental music with some really skilful playing. The first side is powerful but the ultimate highlights can be found on the second side. Just awesome progressive jamming that is worth checking out.”

“Beggars Opera began their career as an excellent heavy organ/guitar prog band that used a lot of classical motifs. On Act One they serve up intense (mostly instrumental) over-the-top, vintage rock with frantic drumming, blistering guitar and powerful organ.”

Little Feat - LITTLE FEAT***

Snakes On Everything/Strawberry Flats/Truck Stop Girl/Brides Of Jesus/Willin'/Hamburger Midnight/Forty Four Blues-How Many More Years/Crack In Your Door/I've Been The One/Takin' My Time/Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie

Self titled debut from the American southern rock band Little Feat, fronted by guitarist Lowell George. This release was bluesier in feel compared with their later funkier and often changeable sound.

“The world of Little Feat is one of truck stops, rednecks, strange women, and big rigs. It's a bluesy trip through America's blue collar heartland that takes a black and white world and gives it colour. George's guitar playing is excellent, and if that wasn’t enough, Ry Cooder drops by for some tasty bottleneck on Willin’.”

“This really is quite impressive for a debut, the band seeming fully formed and confident. It would turn out Little Feat weren't quite there yet; they would get funkier, boogie a bit more and hone their songwriting skills, but still this is quite good.”

“Pretty ordinary sounding debut from the Feat, it's much bluesier in feel and approach with slide guitars very much to the fore. Occasionally Lowell’s vocal delivery reminds me of the Stones. Its certainly well played, but there’s no sign of those infectious beats and quality songwriting that made Dixie Chicken so great.”

“Though the sound may be rougher than on most later Feat albums, most trademarks of the band are already shown here; the fat slide-guitar playing, the great voice of Lowell George and of course the unique songwriting.”

“The debut of Little Feat was a blueprint for the consistent run of unassuming albums the group produced while Lowell George was at the helm. Heavy on slide guitars and bluesier than what would follow, George still had enough pop knack to know how to present a good hook.”

“Derivative is the best description for the sound, although Lowell George's lyrics are wickedly demented and humorous, and paint a picture of the back roads and backwoods of America.”

“Their brand of southern rock eventually found considerable cult success, but Little Feat makes their later mellow, bland groove-rock seem almost jaded. Ragged edges and all, this album hangs with the best of ‘em. Here, Little Feat were full of youthful promise. At every turn they were willing to take chances.”

The End Of The Game - PETER GREEN***

Bottoms Up/Timeless Time/Descending Scale/Burnt Foot/Hidden Depth/The End Of The Game

The End Of The Game was the debut solo album from Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green after he quit the group. It consists of free-form instrumental tracks quite different from his previous blues based sound.

“I've heard a lot of Peter Green, but never anything quite like this. Free-form jazz/rock, hard psych blues-rock with some of the most wicked guitar work you'll ever hear. In fact, all of the musicians put on amazing performances, even though Green's blistering guitar is the stand-out.”

“This is a bit tough to listen to. It’s a late night jam session without much structure or direction. It is heavy but generally not dissonant or challenging. I wouldn't call this jazz-oriented though it has the open-ended feel of some modal jazz fusion jamming. If you like free-form instrumental music on electric guitar, check it out.”

“Peter's state of mind as these jams were glued together suggests he may not even have written these six pieces, more shaped their wild, freaky, mind boggling aural journey so to speak.”

“The End Of The Game is a psych rock album full of great material with some experimental elements and bluesy sound. The whole album was just a long studio jamming cut to pieces. It still works great.”

“I was expecting it to be an album of blues guitar similar to his work with The Bluesbreakers or Fleetwood Mac. It's actually nothing like that at all, but instead, is an album full of jamming with a free form experimental feel to it. For what it is it's very good, but I like music that's a little more structured. Still, some nice moments are to be found here.”

“On this solo album, Green stretches out across a collection of flowing, jazzy instrumentals with some great interplay between the bass, drums and piano during the six tracks. The sense of mood, texture and atmosphere on this album is wonderful but, the compositions are a little too free form for me and sound occasionally chaotic.”

“An excellent experimental, free form jazz album from Peter Green. Very similar to early John McLaughlin work, but much better. Highly recommended, but be aware, it is much different from his blues influenced work.”

The Going's Easy - THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH***

Borderline/Magic Woman Touch/Story Times & Nursery Rhymes/The Leader/Love Magnet/Tell The Story

The Going’s Easy was the quick follow up album from the British group with the lengthy and ambitious name. The Harvest label was established by EMI in 1969 to market the then burgeoning progressive music genre.

“Psychedelic guitars are at the top of their power, the Hammond organ goes madder and madder and a saxophone tries to madden the whole world. The melodies are composed and arranged with fantastic mastery.”

“Dynamic horn-rock which flirts with proto-progressive soundscapes. Definitely an improvement over the last album which was riddled with standard blues-rock numbers.”

“People who mention prog rock have no idea what they are talking about. This is a 70s rock band with some jazzy undertones, but don't think Chicago, they are much better than that. Nice Led Zep type of riff intermingled with horns and jazzy arrangements. A pleasant surprise.”

“Groovy, jazz-driven but at times bluesy prog of the first order. The name may be a slight overstatement but the pair of albums this group left behind in their all too brief spell are superior examples of the genre. Given the high standards being achieved by Harvest at the time it is no mean praise to say that none of their label mates could touch them in the prog-jazz stakes.”

“On a par with their debut, featuring fairly heavy prog rock. But somewhat stronger use of horns tends to yield a soul flavour to their sound at times.”

“A tumultuous and deliciously overpowering instrumental of Latin infused brass-rock peppered with scorching guitar leads and flaming organ work.”

“With excellent vocal power, and a ferociousness tempered by Latin, jazz, soul and folk inflections, the group’s forte are clearly the long multi-sectioned pieces like the nine minutes plus Love Magnet.”

“This record is rough but beautiful, no over repeating of motives, many sudden mood swings, and the singer has a very expressive voice that switches from gentle to angry instantaneously. There is hardly a weak moment on this album. The frantic Borderline is as good as the beautiful ballad Love Magnet.”

Mountains - STEAMHAMMER***

I Wouldn't Have Thought/Levinia/Henry Lane/Walking Down The Road/Mountains/Leader Of The Ring/Riding On The L & N/Hold That Train

Mountains was the third album from the commercially unsuccessful bluesrock band Steamhammer. They experimented with instrumental passages, introspective lyrics, and ultrasonic guitar effects, along with folk, jazz and classical influences.

“The third album by the British blues rock group Steamhammer follows the same kind of style they performed on their first two studio albums. Their debut album and their second one MK II are both really strong releases and the same thing continues with Mountains. Two out of these eight tracks are live performances. The longest jam Riding On The L & N and the following Hold That Train were recorded live at the Lyceum and both are fantastic.”

“On this album Steamhammer had a brilliant sense of light and shade, managing with great skill to balance the jagged riffs of hard rock, with the slow lumbering soundscapes of something altogether more melodic. Another sadly forgotten band that deserves more investigation.”

“A very strong and consistent album. Solid songwriting throughout and very well produced. The music is I think close to the guitar playing style of Peter Green's last recordings with Fleetwood Mac. Reminds me also of John Mayall but much darker, and somewhat close to what The Groundhogs were doing around the same time but more fluid. It has a heavy, druggy vibe and dwells in the lower frequencies. A beautiful album, highly recommended.”

“While I like Steamhammer, and thoroughly enjoy portions of this album, taken as a whole I find it to be somewhat disjointed and feeling as though it was pieced together by a band that no longer knew which direction they were headed.”

“I guess to most people, Steamhammer's Mountains album is probably fairly ordinary. Well, ordinary by 70s rock standards, which means, it's still pretty amazing and totally enjoyable progressive blues-rock. The guitars are well-played and immediately enjoyable, and the overall sound is really good.”

“Steamhammer were an English group that started out as a blues based backing group. Their sound progressed from the British blues sound common to the era, into a harder rocking yet quietly atmospheric sound found on this album.”

Medusa - TRAPEZE***

Black Cloud/Jury/Your Love Is Alright/Touch My Life/Seafull/Makes You Wanna Cry/Medusa

Medusa was the follow up album from the British hard rock trio Trapeze. The individual members would later in the decade join some of the most commercially successful groups featuring this genre.

“An improvement over their debut, this one is guitar driven heavy metal style hard rock with a few semi-commercial rock cuts in the mix. It's consistently very good.”

“Medusa is quite different from eponymous which was full of psychedelic flowery songs. Here the band try to rock harder throwing glances in the direction of Led Zeppelin, but their harmonies are more progressive.”

“Awesome English power trio featuring future members of Deep Purple, Whitesnake and Judas Priest. Glenn Hughes vocals and bass-lines are awesome and the songs kick along nicely with a riff heavy groove that can't fail to get you head-banging along.”

“I've heard this album a number of times and there just isn't much in the way of hooks. Makes You Wanna Cry has a decent vocal refrain, and there are a couple of OK guitar licks here and there. Medusa and Jury attempt to conjure a darkness that the by-the-numbers writing and instrumental parts just can't support. The vocals are pretty middle of the road for this type of music and there's little in the way of impressive musicianship.”

“The slow tempos and complete lack of sonic energy just kill this. More evidence that power trios just don’t work. The bass here is extremely poor in content and volume. Don’t expect proper chord progressions or anything as complicated as a middle eight, as the singer hangs in limbo improvising a stereotypical vocal lines over a murky riffs that monotonously underpin entire songs without any real chords to work against. There is one hot track, Makes You Wanna Cry that could have been worked up into something really good.”

“This is one of the best hard rock albums of the early seventies. Most people who were around in those days equate this album with the very best rock of the era. Only a tin ear can compare this with the much later, less interesting and somewhat formulaic Judas Priest or Whitesnake.”

Gentle Giant - GENTLE GIANT***

Giant/Funny Ways/Alucard/Isn't It Quiet & Cold/Nothing At All/Why Not/The Queen

Self titled debut album from the British progressive band Gentle Giant, previously known as the psychedelic one hit wonder Simon Dupree & The Big Sound. The new group became known for the complexity of their music and the multi-musical skills of the members.

“Formed from the ashes of Simon Dupree and the Big Sound in 1970, British progressive rock act Gentle Giant released their eponymous debut album and broke down more barriers than we've come to expect from bands these days. A wildly creative and innovative observation indeed, this album combines dozens of styles into a brand of eclectic rock that can only be described as one-of-a-kind, Gentle Giant offered a style that was vastly different from their contemporaries.”

“Gentle Giant burst onto the scene with an astonishingly well-developed and innovative album comparable to very little else on the scene at the time. The incorporation of medieval inspired harmonies adds a novel twist to the music, and the band's command of mood is masterful. Funny Ways, for instance, changes from a quiet folk ballad with trumpet flourishes into a jazzy workout at the drop of a pin.”

“Gentle Giant's debut is nothing special compared to what they'd later achieve in the studio, but this album certainly holds the foundations of their signature sound.”

“All things considered this is an album and a half, almost ahead of its time. The record features superb production considering its age, powerful drumming, interesting lyrics and of course fantastic music that is creative, complex and incredibly varied. Things can range from powerful to soft to quirky, and from concise to complex, often changing at the drop of a hat. Every musician is a master of their instrument, or several instruments in fact.”

“Gentle Giant would go on to carve out a very distinctive sound, but their first few albums show a band still trying to locate their niche. On the first album this brings with it all of the natural upsides and downsides. This album is eclectic to the extreme, which also means it's somewhat inconsistent.”

”Gentle Giant arguably had the most distinctive sound of all the 70s progressive rock headliners, and it's amazing to see such a complex amalgamation of sonic elements emerge almost fully-formed on this self-titled debut.”

Barrett - SYD BARRETT***

Baby Lemonade/Love Song/Dominoes/It Is Obvious/Rats/Maisie/Gigolo Aunt/Waving My Arms In The Air/I Never Lied To You/Wined & Dined/Wolfpack/Effervescing Elephant

The second and final album from Syd Barrett, the former front man of Pink Floyd, made with the help of some former colleagues. At his best his songs were creatively idiosyncratic, but too many were self indulgently whimsical.

“Producer Gilmour drained much of the life out of this one, taking the blandest takes Syd recorded and having Rick Wright overdub them with the most uninspired keyboard playing of his career. Only on Wolfpack and Rats does Syd's unfettered madness shine through.”

“This album is like the biggest soap bubble I’d ever blown, trembling with the most vibrant colours of the rainbow, only to pop and disappear before anybody else noticed or cared.”

“There's a perversity about listening to Syd Barrett. I always feel like I'm eavesdropping onto something I shouldn't be. I am curious as to how far the poor guy will go, like on Rats when he almost loses control of the song, it's so oddly fascinating. The stranger the lyrics the more I am interested. Only after several listens did I appreciate his solo albums for what they are - a jumbled up collection of folk songs hanging together by a split thread.”

“Gone is the folksy meanderings of The Madcap Laughs and the guitar freak-outs of Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. In their place comes a cohesive sounding set of whimsically bumpy and bouncy psychedelic pop songs. This is Syd Barrett's goodbye to the world of music and fame.”

“A much more cohesive and refined album from Barrett, mainly because it was pieced together by people not out of their heads. Put together the best tracks from this and Madcap and you have a brilliant album.”

“This is basically The Madcap Laughs part two with the only difference that there are less poppy hooks here, and generally Syd sounds very tired and bored. Quite an unfortunate goodbye album.”

“It's just too disjointed, disconnected, inconsistent and obtuse to be more than a cult album, which is where its reputation is built. There are glimmers here and there but not enough and even those glimmers are fading fast too. Tragic but fascinating.”

Bloodrock 2 - BLOODROCK***

Lucky In The Morning/Cheater/Sable & Pearl/Fallin'/Children's Heritage/Dier Not A Lover/DOA/Fancy Space Odyssey

A quick follow up album from the Texan hard rock group Bloodrock. It achieved their highest chart placing helped by the doom laden minor hit single DOA. (US:21)

“Nowhere near as good as their debut, this is significantly friendlier and less heavy. It's still pretty riffy, mind you, but the riffs seem interchangeable. And DOA has doomy chords and lyrics but literally nothing else. There's also occasional smatterings of boogie rock, which just makes things worse.”

“The second Bloodrock album scored the surprising AM radio hit DOA despite it's brooding heavy rock sound with death lyrics about a plane crash. Here you get the long unedited version with all the sound effects and chilling dark atmosphere throughout.”

“A decent follow-up to #1. Not quite as strong with the guitar and a bit more keyboards then on their previous album. All in all some real toe-tappers on this LP.” “Bloodrock's songs are dark themed and beautifully lyrical, they should have been huge. It's really too bad. Bloodrock 2 is easily their masterpiece and had their greatest song in the dark progressive rock epic DOA.”

“Bloodrock 2 is the album that brought them out of obscurity and included their only major hit, DOA. Most fans will agree that it wasn’t a fair representation of what they aspired to be, and certainly not of what they eventually became. What Bloodrock 2 offers is a view of a work in progress.”

“You remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when you heard DOA the first time. Sure, it's a bit on the dark side, but it's so powerful you can smell it. Sadly, it's the lone song this great band is remembered for.”

“Because this band had a jazz influence, the term metal doesn't quite apply to them. But they were a good, solid, pump the amps up type of band that lovers of metal would like.”

“Inspired by a fatal plane crash, the nightmarish DOA ambulance ride stands as Bloodrock's crowning achievement, although the song was banned by numerous radio stations from coast-to-coast.”

Jesus Christ Superstar - STUDIO ALBUM*****

Overture/Heaven On Their Minds/What's The Buzz-Strange Thing Mystifying/Everything's Alright/This Jesus Must Die/Hosanna/Simon Zealotes-Poor Jerusalem/Pilate's Dream/The Temple/Everything's Alright/I Don't Know How To Love Him/Damned For All Time-Blood Money/The Last Supper/Gethsemane/The Arrest/Peter's Denial/Pilate & Christ/King Herod's Song/Judas' Death/Trial Before Pilate/Superstar/Crucifixion/John Nineteen : Forty One

The original and best version of Jesus Christ Superstar, from the songwriting team of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice. Recorded in the studio with professional singers and musicians to produce a genuine rock opera, in contrast to the later sanitised interpretations. (US:1 UK:23)

“This is the original, a hard-hitting rock opera, the operative word here being ‘rock’. It was a departure for Webber, and he went beyond the frontier with this back in 1970, pulled out all the stops and created a passion play for the rock generation.”

“I never get tired of listening to this album. The musicianship, the artistry, the sheer vocal abilities make this one of my favourite albums of all time.”

“From the outset you realise this is not a sanitised West End version of this amazing rock opera, but instead is a true raw collection of songs. This version is not a musical, it’s a rock album. Stamp your feet and get the air guitar out.”

“You may have heard many different versions of Jesus Christ Superstar, but this original double album remains the best. The orchestration and the singers are simply perfect.”

“Having seen and heard most of the versions of this tremendous musical, this is by a long shot, the very best. The others are not a patch on the sensitive, heartfelt, emotion packed interpretation of this amazing cast of disparate musicians and singers. If you want to appreciate the full depth and meaning of the music and words, this has to be the one you keep and treasure.”

“Yvonne Elliman's performance of I Don't Know How To Love Him, makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.”

“I can't stop playing this. It has the raw, gritty edge to it that I love to hear in rock operas, and it doesn't sound the least bit dated. In fact, I think it beats all the other versions easily, which I now realise have been sanitised too much, messed around with and lost that pure rock sound.”

Confessions Of The Mind - THE HOLLIES***

Survival Of The Fittest/Man Without A Heart/Little Girl/Isn't It Nice/Perfect Lady Housewife/Confessions Of A Mind/Lady Please/Frightened Lady/Too Young To Be Married/Separated/I Wanna Shout

With the departure of Graham Nash the credibility of The Hollies as an album band took a knocking. Confessions Of The Mind finds the group struggling to find an identity. (UK:30)

"Average mechanical pop music - listenable, but the jovial excitement is long gone. Give credit to the professionalism, though."

"This is typically for them, vocal harmony pop, mixed with some slightly less commercial rock, but mostly somewhat softer material. Surprisingly, this also contains some comparatively darker cuts than normally found on a Hollies' album, rendering this among their more progressive releases."

"This one has a lot of great songs on it like Too Young To Be Married and others. The harmonies are perfect, and the songwriting is first rate, so this one should be in your rock pop collection."

"The Clarke/Hicks/Sylvester version of the group had fully blossomed into its own, so much that it was able to cut a rousing version of a leftover Nash song Survival Of The Fittest. This is the final Hollies album from the bubblegum era and must stand as a landmark of 'haute bubblegum' with its Pete Townsend inspired mini-opera title track and the superb domestic soap operas Too Young To Be Married and Little Girl."

"While the group's never been strong with words, they reach new lows on Frightened Lady, admonishing us to 'get together' before there's a war. The music is equally flaccid, abounding with tired hooks and rote blues progressions that still allow for some satisfying instrumental work in the multi-part title track. Their harmonies are still choice too, but as time goes on, that's all The Hollies have left going for them."

"This is where I draw the line for liking the Hollies as an album group. Survival Of The Fittest is the obvious high point even as a Nash era leftover. Tony Hicks contributes a lot more songwriting than usual but to my dismay doesn't sing a lick. Lady Please is one of those songs and has a country-rock flavour to it. The song Separated is interesting with its weird bongo beats and random background hollering. There's not much else to recommend here besides the title track, a mini rock-opera with lots of different parts, written by the lead-guitarist Tony Hicks who dominates this album."

Steppenwolf 7 - STEPPENWOLF****

Ball Crusher/Forty Days & Forty Nights/Fat Jack/Renegade/Foggy Mental Breakdown/Snowblind Friend/Who Needs Ya/Earschplittenloudenboomer/Hippo Stomp

This was the final studio album from heavy rock group Steppenwolf to achieve a top twenty chart placing. Despite favourable reviews it failed to halt their slide in popularity. (US:19)

"A spectacular album, consistent from start to finish. It also has one of the coolest album covers of the era. The music is dark and heavy, with the ability to flow from one song to the next without losing the vibe. The band appeared to pull this one off almost effortlessly, but behind the scenes, tension was tearing them apart."

"By this point in their history, they have pretty much settled into a fairly comfortable, mainstream approach to rock, with a mildly hard edge. Not a particularly innovative album, this is nonetheless considerably more consistent than earlier releases." "There's something extremely appealing about the way these guys were able to blend meaningful lyrics, emotional vocals, and fabulous musical ideas and have album after album of highly listenable material. A band that deserves to be defended and remembered."

"Steppenwolf 7 showed everyone just what a great band they were. The magic captured here is only possible because it features the perfect, strongest and probably best Steppenwolf line-up. From start to finish, this album is wall to wall attitude and conviction. They perform every song like their lives depended on it."

"A great mix of blues rock with some West Coast sounds in there. Very consistent and full of great material. Great lyrics, keyboard playing and guitar riffs."

"Steppenwolf released some good albums but this is one of their strongest front to back. The excellent Snowblind Friend and Ball Crusher are must have songs from the 70s. There are other excellent cuts on this album, Hippo Stomp being one of the bands greatest moments in my opinion. John's lead vocal is compelling and the groovy bass lines sell this song easily. The band never again reached this level of consistency. Just a fine, fine piece of music history."

"This is one of the greatest rock records ever recorded. Nothing sounds dated on it -- no gimmickry to tie it to the past. Just clean blues rock with John Kay and Co.'s amazing vision."

Tea For The Tillerman - CAT STEVENS*****

Where Do The Children Play/Hard Headed Woman/Wild World/Sad Lisa/Miles From Nowhere/But I Might Die Tonight/Longer Boats/Into White/On The Road To Find Out/Father & Son/Tea For The Tillerman

Commonly regarded as Cat Steven's best album, Tea For The Tillerman showcases a collection of folk-pop acoustic masterpieces. Includes the US No. 11 Wild World. (US:8 UK:20)

"When you listen to this record, nothing else matters. You're presented with some truly beautiful, heartfelt music. The lyrics on this album are incredibly good. I especially like Father & Son, written to be a conversation between the two. It's some of the least pretentious, most human and relatable music I've heard in quite a long time. It's an incredibly refreshing listen and I recommend it to absolutely anyone who will open themselves up to it. A truly great work of art."

"Cat Stevens' Tea For The Tillerman is truly a classic album, and they don't come any classier than this. Stevens was a talented musician, and was not afraid to make music that came from the heart - a quality many musicians nowadays lack. Stevens had the ability to write memorable tunes and pen intelligent, thought-provoking lyrics, which made him top of his game in the early 70s, and has gained him successions of new fans year after year."

"Cat Stevens delivers a set of songs which can be genuinely described as 'iconic'. Many of the songs on here have become standards, to the point where I was surprised at how many of them I had previously heard in cover versions, though Stevens delivers an emotional intensity which makes his renditions definitive."

"Tea For The Tillerman is one of the best acoustic rock albums in both instrumental artistry and sublime melodies, with a lyrical depth and meaning for the lost generation after the Vietnam War who were searching for themselves."

"The perfect combination of artistic lyrics with pop orientated melody. He breaths life into each song with his ambitious songwriting, refined it with different musical arrangements and unique song structures."

"Tea For The Tillerman is an album that you can't get tired of. The beautiful acoustic guitar, paired with one of the most distinctive voices in the singer-songwriter genre, makes Cat Stevens' music remain with you long after you listen to it. His lyrics are sung with such passion. No one can deny how influential and how moving his music is. Every cut is carefully crafted, beautifully arranged and performed."

Layla - DEREK & THE DOMINOS*****

I Looked Away/Bell Bottom Blues/Keep On Growing/Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out/I Am Yours/ Anyday/Key To The Highway/Tell The Truth/Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad/Have You Ever Loved A Woman/Little Wing/Its Too Late/Layla/Thorn Tree In The Garden

Layla is the famed double blues-rock album that features the guitar pyrotechnics of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman. A shortened version of the title track was a US and UK top ten single. (US:16)

"The apex of Clapton's career. Clapton and Duane Allman form an unbelievable musical bond. The great songs are too numerous to mention. This should be on everyone's desert island disc list."

"This one-off double album is a masterful set of blues-rock which unquestionably was an artistic peak for Eric Clapton. He had the knack of playing in good company all through his career, but he never played in a better band than this, particularly with the guest augmentation slide guitarist extraordinaire Duane Allman. With rich production, intuitive cover versions, strong original material and a band which sounds as if it's been recorded absolutely live, this is one great double album."

"It teams up the greatest guitarist of all time, Eric Clapton, with the greatest slide man of all time, Duane Allman. And it is perfect: the guitar work, the songwriting, the overall background of the album."

"One of the most appreciated and best known albums in the history of rock music. Many people say that this is the ultimate highlight of Eric Clapton's career. This is definitely a superb album from start to finish. If you make an album as long as this the songs really have to stay fresh throughout the listening journey. I must say that this album does just that."

"One of the greatest guitar records of all-time, Layla captures Eric Clapton at a sustained level of brilliance. A double album that contains several truly transcendent tracks, filled with down and out blues-rock songs that showcase Clapton and guest star Duane Allman's soaring guitar work. Clapton’s writing and singing is confident and passionate, Many of the dual guitar flights of are spellbindingly exhausting, hitting climax upon climax before drifting into blissful melancholy."

"This collaboration is one of the most rocking albums ever made. Blues yes, but also love songs and hard rocking guitars and drums. This is one of the essential albums for anyone who loves the hard rock music of the 60s."

To Be Continued - ISAAC HAYES**

Ike's Rap/Our Day Will Come/The Look Of Love/Ike's Mood/You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling/Runnin' Out Of Fools

To Be Continued, the third solo album from soul artist Isaac Hayes, followed the same formula of long jamming interpretations of pop hits, mostly to the point of them becoming unrecognisable. (US:11)

"Another great effort from Mr. Hayes. His albums all follow the same formula, beautiful singing with a great voice over well played arrangements. I like this one a lot because it's a lot more consistent in quality."

"By itself, Isaac's moody, sensual and suspenseful remake of The Look Of Love warrants buying this LP. Our Day Will Come foreshadows the disco sound that would materialize just a few years down the line and Isaac's remake of the Righteous Brothers' You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling is as powerful and emotive as could be. This is smooth and sophisticated '70s soul at its finest."

"This album, like its two predecessors defined his work. Hayes shows his continued ability to take great songs in their own right and rearrange them to make them new and different classics. The Look Of Love is a masterpiece, which must give its creators new found pride. However, there is no song quite like You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling: sure enough a great work by The Righteous Brothers.

"Although the album isn’t up to the standard set by Hot Buttered Soul, it is still a very good record, with the tracks being at best essential, and at worst still very interesting and likeable. The album starts again with an intro, this time placing Isaac as one half of a relationship that is forbidden by the girl’s parents. The track is listenable enough and reasonably convincing, and it leads into Our Day Will Come, an uplifting yet sorrowful piece with beautiful strings with a wonderful outro as well."

"Overall, this is one of Hayes’ more consistent albums, and although he was still staying true to the Hot Buttered Soul formula, it was still working for him. To Be Continued is definitely recommended to those who enjoyed Hot Buttered Soul, and is a fairly essential part of a decent Hayes collection."

"To Be Continued follows the same structure for the third time but with all the classic proto-hip-hop touches and emotional atmospherics that made Hot Buttered Soul such a massive classic."