Kraftwerk "Autobahn" (1974)

2009 cover

Autobahn

release date: Nov. 1, 1974

format: cd (2009 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI Records - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Autobahn" (5 / 5) - 3. "Kometenmelodie 2" - 5. "Morgenspaziergang"

4th studio album from by German band Kraftwerk as follow-up to Ralf und Florian (Oct. '73) is by many considered the start of the band's success story - a group which originally, and partly still here, is a duo with Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. 'Partly' because Kraftwerk is at this point both a functioning duo-project and an artist collective at the same time. Although, not yet an official member during these recording, percussionist Wolfgang Flür plays on the album - and he will be a stable member from the release and up until '86. On the other hand, both guitarist Klaus Röder and songwriter Emil Schult (who is also credited the front cover) appear together with Hütter and Schneider inserted in what should look like a rear-view mirror on the front cover, where a picture of Flür has been inserted onto the dashboard of the car, as illustration of the band's five official members - however, Röder already left the band by the time of the album's release. On some later vinyl releases, Schult is not mentioned as a member... And on other releases, the rearview mirror image and dashboard have both been retouched. However, there is no doubt that the two musical driving forces are the founders of the band: Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider.

Autobahn with its five tracks has a total running time of approx. 42 minutes, and it has achieved iconic status in music history as a groundbreaking avant-garde album with a colossal significance for the beginning of synthpop, ambience and the entire electronic genre, and an album that has inspired contemporary and later artists across genres, and it's not only the title track, which has given the album this extraordinary status. On the band's previous albums, it was mainly or partially unmistakable krautrock and musique concrete which characterised Kraftwerk's music, but with this very album, the band marks the start of a predominantly electronic approach with the inclusion of elements from musique concrete. On the vinyl edition, the track "Autobahn" - credited Hütter, Schneider and the poet Emil Schult (who often co-wrote the songs) - with its nearly 23 minutes running time fills the entire A-side, and the song has become a modern evergreen. A song like "Kometenmelodie 2" has significant similarities with some music by Jean-Michel Jarre, while inspiration especially from this and from the final track "Morgenspaziergang" may be heard on several compositions by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, who have shown great admiration throughout the band's career on multiple occasions via album and song titles, in compositions, as well as on covers. David Bowie, Roxy Music, and Brian Eno are also indebted to the music by Kraftwerk.

Personally, I didn't give the band much importance until they made "Das model", or rather: not until the song was re-released with an accompanying video in '81, and then I didn't even know that the track featured on the album Die Mensch-Maschine ( 1978). The band and its music was always in the periphery of what I found interesting, without understanding that much of the British synthpop that I was particularly excited about in the early '80s owed huge debt to Kraftwerk. I do however, reacll the title song from some airplay on the national radio back in the lat 70s, and it was a tune that stood out. One of the great Danish bands from the 80s was the new wave band Kliché, and their two acclaimed studio albums Supertanker (1980) and Okay Okay Boys (1982) are nearly unimaginable without Kraftwerk and especially this very album.

The album peaked at No. #4 on the UK albums chart, as No. #5 on the US Billboard 200, and as No. #7 in Germany. The title track released as a single went to No. #9 on the national chart list, No. #11 in the UK, and made a 25th place in the US. Still, the track has achieved iconic status.

Autobahn is a piece of music history on par with the best works of the greatest artists. And it's not just huge because it's original, but because it anticipates and forms new styles and helps creating a whole new genre. The album is naturally included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". The band has reissued this album and most other albums in 2009 in remastered editions, however, it's worth noting that the first three albums by Kraftwerk have never been officially reissued in any format. This rejection is also seen on the 8-disc box set Der Katalog (2009), where they enlists all their studio albums from 1-8 on the back cover starting with Autobahn, thus completely omitting the first three albums, just as Hütter says that with that collection they have collected all of their previous albums. On a later occasion he said that they have plans to release a second box set containing the earliest recordings, although, this has not yet materialised.

Essential.

[ allmusic.com, Uncut 5 / 5, Drowned in Sound, Spin 4,5 / 5, Mojo, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

original cover

detail from cover

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This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Thin Lizzy "Nightlife" (1974)

Nightlife
release date: Oct. 1974
format: cd (reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer: Phil Lynott, Ron Nevison
label: Vertigo Records - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 1. "She Knows" - 3. "It's Only Money" - 4. "Still in Love with You" (4 / 5) (live) - 6. "Showdown" - 8. "Philomena" - 9. "Sha-La-La"

4th studio album by Thin Lizzy following the band's '73 album Vagabonds of the Western World marks a significant change to the band's line-up as guitarist Eric Bell prior to the recordings for the album left the trio during a live tour. Gary Moore shortly replaced Bell for remainding concerts but left again before the actual recordings for the album. Lynott arranged auditions for the band and subsequently hired guitarist Brian Robertson and American guitarist Scott Gorham as replacements for Bell. Bringing in two guitarists naturally made an impact on the sound of the band, and in this regard Nightlife contains signs of a more original sound and also it introduces some of Lynott's classic works and Thin Lizzy appeared in its 'first' famous line-up as a quartet of Lynott, Gorham, Robertson, and Downey. Using two guitarists was rather unusual for a traditional rock band but it also made way for a unique sonic shape. Eric Bell hadn't succeeded in exquisite performances, and it seems that both Robertson and Gorham simply made each other better instrumentalists.
Although, now including two guitarists, Nightlife could still be considered the band's most laid-back and least hard rock studio album with both funk and soul elements on an overall coherent blues rock-founded release. Gary Moore had only a short replacement period of a few months in the band but he still co-wrote a few songs with Lynott and he contributes on lead guitar on "Still in Love with You".
Nightlife is probably the band's first coherent studio album, and it contains traits of the twin-guitar sound that from hereon would be a specific trademark of the band, and at the same time it showcases Lynott's capacity as a songwriter and as a soulful rock vocalist on a higher level.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

T. Rex "Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow" (1974)

Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow
release date: Feb. 1, 1974
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,08]
producer: Tony Visconti
label: EMI - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Venus Loon" - 2. "Sound Pit" - 4. "Galaxy" - 5. "Change" - 8. "Liquid Gang"

9th studio album by T. Rex following one year after Tanx (Jan. 1973) is the band's final to be produced by Tony Visconti as also the final with drummer Bill Legend as band member. Once again, the new album from Bolan doesn't add new layers or styles to his repertoire, and the album was now received with less enthusiasm compared to previous releases. Many of the compositions here sound much like former songs, as had been the case with Tanx, and the album title made critics imply this as a lesser copy of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972). It's not really that the music is bad, it actually contains several fine songs with perhaps a darker approach to life, but what could've made critics dislike the album is what may be seen as Bolan's attempt to stay on top despite not having any ideas left, clinging on to a formula and an imaginary throne while the magic has dissolved.
The king will not step down, although, everyone has seen former glam rockers like Bowie, Reed, and Roxy Music more than capable of producing new material building on new ideas and escorting glam rock into new shapes. Contrary to that, Bolan seems to have no intentions to follow suit. It's really not all bad but at the same time it's difficult to embrace this new installation as it replicates so much.
Not one of the best by Bolan.

Frank Zappa "Apostrophe (')" (1974)

Apostrophe (')
release date: Mar. 22, 1974
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" - 2. "Nanook Rubs It" (alt. version) - 5. "Cosmik Debris" - 7. "Apostrophe"

18th studio album by Zappa! And his best selling album.
This is still a fine album, and very much in family with his albums released from 1973, with Over-Nite Sensation, to his last albums of the decade with Joe's Garage II & III (1979). The music is experimental rock with elements of jazz rock / rock fusion, and the ever presence of satire.

10cc "Sheet Music" (1974)

Sheet Music
release date: May 1974
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5]
producer: 10cc
label: UK Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Wall Street Shuffle" - 6. "Silly Love" (3 / 5) - 10. "Oh Effendi" (3 / 5)

2nd studio album by 10cc consisting of Eric [Michael] Stewart on guitars, keyboards, and vocals, Graham [Keith] Gouldman on bass, guitar, percussion, and vocals, Lol [Laurence Neil] Creme on guitar, keyboards, percussion, and vocals, and Kevin [Michael] Godley on drums, percussion, and vocals. Stylistically, this is art pop and pop / rock with hints of progressive and symphonic rock. The music doesn't really appeal to me but I must confess that this is the best and most interesting album by the band. Much of the music seem inspired by and comes out as a clone of The Beatles and The Band without coming close to either. The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Charles Aznavour "Visages de l'amour" (1974)

Charles Aznavour
Visages de l'amour (1974)

"Tous les visages de l'amour"

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Supertramp "Crime of the Century" (1974)

Crime of the Century
release date: Nov. 1974
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,29]
producer: Ken Scott, Supertramp
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Bloody Well Right" - 4. "Asylum" - 5. "Dreamer" (4 / 5) (live) - 8. "Crime of the Century"

3rd studio album by Supertramp. The album is the first to be co-produced by Ken Scott. It's also known as the band's breakthrough album. Musically, it's no longer a fusion of various styles with single tracks having various inspirational sources, so one track may be inspired by this and another by something completely different. The band obviously still has taken inspiration from many sources, which gave them an undefinable sound on the two previous albums, but here, Scott and the band keeps things together and pins out a style of their own with equal parts of r&b, jazz rock and progressive rock, resulting in art rock and soft rock. The album is enlisted in many best-of-lists compiling the best pop / rock albums of all time. It's the only Supertramp album to figure in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com, Sputnikmusic 4 / 5 stars ]

Genesis "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (1974)

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

release date: Nov. 18, 1974

format: 2 cd (2014 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]

producer: John Burns & Genesis

label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights, Disc 1: 1. "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (Gabriel live '78) - 2. "Fly on a Windshield" - 3. "Broadway Melody of 1974" - 5. "In the Cage" - 7. "Back in N. Y. C." - 9. "Counting Out Time" - 10. "Carpet Crawlers" (4 / 5) - - Disc 2: 3. "Anyway" - 5. "The Lamia" - 9. "The Light Dies Down on Broadway" - 10. "Riding the Scree"

6th studio album by Genesis following one year after Selling England by the Pound is the band's last album to feature vocalist Peter Gabriel. The album is like the predecessor produced in a collaboration by John Burns and Genesis (Burns is also credited as sound engineer on Foxtrot, 1972), and it's originally released as a double vinyl album on Charisma Records consisting of 23 tracks with a total playing time above 1 hour and 34 minutes. The album is a conceptual album with Gabriel's story of a young Puerto Rican entering the capitalist centre of New York, and it's also known for the partecipation of Brian Eno on two compositions (#5 and #6). As with the bands previous two albums all songs are credited all five band members: Peter Gabriel (vocals, flute, varied instruments), Steve Hackett (guitars), Mike Rutherford (bass, 12-string guitar), Tony Banks (organ, keyboards, synths) and Phil Collins (drums, percussion, lead vocals on #9, #15, #18); although, in reality all but Gabriel worked on the music and Gabriel insisted on writing all lyrics with the result that vocals were put down (in another studio) after the music had been composed.

Musically, it's still very much 'prog rock' with experimental traits and with the most promissing songs on the first part - the vinyl A- and B-sides and Disc 1 for cd issues - and most of the more experimental stuff on the second half.

The album was released to mixed reviews but has gained status over the years as perhaps the bands absolute best. It peaked as number #10 on the British albums chart list and at number #41 on the US Billboard 200. Two songs were selected for single releases: "Counting Out Time" preceeding the album on Nov. 1st, and track #10 released as "The Carpet Crawlers" Apr. '75, making it to number #53 and #54 respectively on the British singles chart list. The latter was re-recorded in '95 and released i '99 with Collins and Gabriel sharing lead vocals as "The Carpet Crawlers 99". The album is the second consecutive album by Genesis to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway may be an overblown conceptual idea with lots of progressive rock tracks, and perhaps with a little too much music, but as a statement of the band's musical cleverness and Gabriel's narrating skills it's simply Genesis at its artistic peak. During the following tour Gabriel announced his parting with the band, which saw him pursue a great solo career, and Genesis began another music chapter with Collins as lead vocalist and better charting albums, although, the band in terms of originality and quality never again performed at this level. Although, it wasn't the first album I came accross by this band, it's nonetheless the absolute best by Genesis, imho.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Rolling Stone Album Guide 4 / 5 stars ]

Neil Young "On the Beach" (1974)

On the Beach
release date: Jul. 29, 1974
format: cd (2003 hdcd remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Neil Young; David Briggs; Mark Harman; Al Schmitt
label: Reprise Records, Germany - nationality: Canada

5th studio album by Neil Young with various producers is truly Neil back on top of... everything. Having released his 3 great folk rock singer / songwriter country rock albums, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After the Gold Rush, and Harvest, this is his first real electrified blues rock album release in a singer / songwriter mode, almost in style with albums by Bob Dylan (whom he also was inspired by), only, this is so much better. The album wasn't a great contemporary success and soon seemed forgotten. In retrospect, however, the album is considered one of his true masterpieces and it has been included on many musical best of lists. It wasn't issued on cd until 2003 and had a long time featured as a cult album that everyone praised but only few actually knew of.
The album was recorded shortly after the recording sessions for Tonight's the Night and both albums are from a black period in Neil's personal life - he was himself a heavy heroin addict at the time and many of his friends and musical associates died from their drug abuse. Crazy Horse members feature on the studio recordings, as well as Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and the two The Band members: Rick Danko and Levon Helms.
The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". , and it's enlisted as number #5 on the "Readers' Poll: The Best Neil Young Albums of All Time" in Rolling Stone Magazine".
This album is one of my favourite Neil Young albums and of course highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars ]

1974 Favourite releases: 1. Tom Waits The Heart of Saturday Night - 2. Neil Young On the Beach - 3. Mike Oldfield Hergest Ridge

The Velvet Underground With Lou Reed "1969 Velvet Underground Live" (1974) (live)

1969 Velvet Underground Live (live)
release date: Sep. 1974
format: 2 cd (2009 Japan reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Velvet Underground
label: Mercury Records - nationality: USA

2-disc live album by The Velvet Underground recorded Oct. 19, 1969, Dallas, Texas, and Nov. 1969, San Francisco, California. Originally the album was released as a double vinyl album. The first cd version (1988) were two separate releases with the title additions "Vol 1" / "Vol 2" respectively with each cd containing one bonus track, hence two versions of "Heroin" on the 2009 two-disc reissue. As Lou Reed had split with the band in 1970, and since the band continued without him for another three years, the album explicitly says: "Velvet Underground With Lou Reed". At this point the band consists of Sterling Morrison on guitar & vocals, Maureen Tucker on percussion, and with newest member (replacing John Cale) is Doug Yule on bass guitar, organ & vocals. Due to obscure intentions about the ownership rights, the band and Lou Reed found itself in a lawsuit when the album was being released [info]. This is a really fine album that should be included in any collection of 5-6 essential Velvet Underground albums.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars ]

Lou Reed "Sally Can't Dance" (1974)

Sally Can't Dance
release date: Aug. 1974
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,58]
producer: Steve Katz, Lou Reed
label: RCA Records - nationality: USA

4th studio album by Lou Reed isn't really the place to start if you wanna check out the man's repertoire. This is possibly his most funky album, but Lou still comes out as a laid-back, almost indifferent musician, who release just another one. It doesn't contain classics nor horrible nonsense, but it stays there in the middle of nowhere with no ambitions to do much other than... entertain? It's Lou's first studio album that doesn't contain any songs he had written while in The Velvet Underground, and it's his first in a long series of albums with keyboardist Michael Fonfara. It's also known for having been made in a period where Lou was either high on drugs or drunk. It's a bit of a low point, really, although his fifth studio album, the successor really hits the bottom, Metal Machine Music from 1975 is... just a Lou Reed (experimental) release, and that's the best thing you can say about that. This one is mediocre, and Lou has produced several.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars ]

BEST OF 1974:Tom Waits "The Heart of Saturday Night" (1974)

The Heart of Saturday Night
release date: Oct. 1974
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,18]
producer: Bones Howe
label: Asylum Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "San Diego Serenade" - 4. "Shiver Me Timbers" - 5. "Diamonds on My Windshield (Looking For)" - 6. "(Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night" (5 / 5) - 8. "Please Call Me, Baby" (4 / 5) - 9. "Depot, Depot" - 11. "The Ghosts of Saturday Night (After Hours at Napoleone's Pizza House)"

2nd studio album by Tom Waits and his first of a long series of albums with producer Bones Howe. And what a follow up to a great debut! Stylistically, the music is unchanged and the album contains only fine compositions with "(Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night" being one of his absolute best songs.

Although the debut is really good and an instant classic, this one seems even more solid and it's just one of his very best.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone Album Guide 4 / 5 stars ]

1974 Favourite releases: 1. Tom Waits The Heart of Saturday Night - 2. Neil Young On the Beach - 3. Mike Odfield Hergest Ridge

Van Morrison "Veedon Fleece" (1974)

Veedon Fleece
release date: Oct. 1974
format: cd (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,08]
producer: Van Morrison
label: Polydor Japan - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Fair Play" (4 / 5) - 2. "Linden Arden Stole the Highlights" (4 / 5) - 3. "Who Was That Masked Man" - 4. "Streets of Arklow" - 5. "You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River" - 7. "Cul de Sac" - 8. "Comfort You" - 10. "Country Fair"

8th studio album by Van Morrison originally released on Warner Bros. is a side-step to his more introvert compositions as heard on Astral Weeks, though the music here seems more bound to his Celtic background. Already, Morrison has been engaged in and has worked with many musical styles. Sometimes he turns to blues, soul, rhythm & blues, folk, celtic folk, but he always has his singer / songwriter profile whatever style he embraces and on Veedon Fleece he dwells more than ever before on ancient roots of his homeland without making it entirely celtic folk as on his later collaboration work Irish Heartbeat with The Chieftains. There's often acoustic guitar or piano up front combined with flute and string arrangements making it his most chamber or in those days: baroque-styled album.
Since his move to America in the late 1960s Morrison hadn't been back in Ireland, but a divorce and a physically exhausting tour in '73, which had produced his great live album It's too Late to Stop Now!, made him withdraw from the limelight and during a vacation in Northern Ireland, he found peace and room to write the majority of the tracks for this album.
Veedon Fleece wasn't met by critical acclaim or huge sales numbers but over time it has grown to be mentioned as a 'forgotten' masterpiece. As a contemporary rising solo artist, Van was expected to deliver strong and short soul-based songs, which could be linked with Them, but this as Astral Weeks weren't seen as the great albums that time would later have them positioned as.
After the album release and after luke-warm to negative reviews and poor sales of his most recent and emotional album Van Morrison withdrew from the music industry. He didn't launch on any new tours; in fact, the only live performance he made in a three year period was his appearance in The Band's acclaimed The Last Waltz concert in 1976.
Although, I have only come across the album in recent years, and after having settled with the greatness of Van the Man through many of his other albums, this is just another of his truly great albums that I shall never tire off. Listening to it, is like opening a window and feel how a delicate breeze change the air without a lot of turmoil, and it's easy to imagine open green fields and a desolate country-side, which may / may not have inspired him on his three weeks return to Northern Ireland back then. It's an album full of sentiments - a bombardement to your senses. In retrospect, I kind of understand how music critics and fans were disillusioned wanting to have him at 'full force gale' - but they were only in need of time to understand his true nature and vast repertoire.
It's hard just to pin out the very best tracks on this 'cause it's really like going through a novel - it takes you to places and the journey is just the way it is. There are no jumps or U-turns or mistakes along the road, but it's there, laid out for you, and the journey is so damn fine.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Record Collector, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Van Morrison "It's Too Late to Stop Now" (1974) (live)

It's Too Late to Stop Now (live)
release date: Jan. 1974
format: 2 cd (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Van Morrison, Ted Templeman
label: Polydor Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: Disc 1: 1. "Ain't Nothin' You Can Do" - 2. "Warm Love" - 4. "These Dreams of You" - 9. "Domino" - 10. "I Just Want to Make Love to You"
Disc 2: 2. "Saint Dominic's Preview" - 4. "Listen to the Lion" - 5. "Here Comes the Night" - 6. "Gloria" - 7. "Caravan" - 8. "Cypress Avenue"

1st live album by Van Morrison originally released by Warner Bros. as a double vinyl album with a playing time above 90 mins. The album is not taken from one specific concert but is a compilation of 4 live recordings from May to Jul. 1973 held at three different locations: The Troubadour, LA., California (May 23rd); Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, SM., California (May 29th); and Rainbow Theatre, London, England (Jul. 23rd & 24th). The title comes from the 10:20 mins long version of "Cypress Hill", a fan shouts "Turn it on!", Van positively replies "It's already turned on," and seconds later shouts: "It's Too Late to Stop Now!"
The album is said to have been recorded at the time of Morison's peak and it's one of the most acclaimed live albums of popular music and it's featured on many best of lists. It's the third Van Morrison album to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
I only came across this album in recent years and up until then only knew his fine 2-disc live album A Night in San Francisco from 1994, which is truly great, but this is really not an album to miss out on. I understand the critics point to the sensation that he was at the heights of his performance strengths in the early 70s, although, with Van the Man it seems he just didn't dive after that. I saw him at a concert in Denmark back on Sep. 9, 2000 where he completely blew everyone away, and from listening to his albums after the new millennium it's only amazing how he has been able to keep such standards to his ever-expanding repertoire.
I can't really tell which album I prefer of the two great live albums 'cause they both document his skills in different ways. This one serves to document his singing strengths and it showcases one great song after the other  - and so does his '94 album, only that one is with emphasis on his later material.
This album is a must. Buy it, get it, put it on and put it on repeat!
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Q Magazine, Record Collector, Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]

Lou Reed "Rock n Roll Animal" (1974) (live)

Rock n Roll Animal (live)
release date: Feb. 1974
format: digital (2000 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,33]
producer: Steve Katz, Lou Reed
label: RCA Records (org.) / BMG (reissue) - nationality: USA

1st solo live album by Lou Reed featuring four original Lou Reed compositions written for The Velvet Underground.

Roger Glover and Guests "The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast" (1974)

The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast
release date: Dec. 1974
format: vinyl / digital (1999 remaster)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,78]
producer: Roger Glover, Alan G. Rainer
label: Purple Records - nationality:

Solo project album by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Deep Purple "Stormbringer" (1974)

Stormbringer
release date: Nov. 1974
format: vinyl (TPS 3508) / cd (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Martin Birch and Deep Purple
label: Purple Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "Stormbringer" - - B) 1. "Lady Double Dealer" (4 / 5) - 5. "Soldier of Fortune" (4 / 5)

9th studio album by Deep Purple released on Purple and produced by Martin Birch and Deep Purple. The album introduces new styles like funk, soul, and more polished pop / rock output than heard before from the band. It features a more subdued and / or marginalised Ritchie Blackmore, which gives more room for keyboards and new styles. It's the last studio album with Blackmore, who would continue a solo career with Rithie Blackmore's Rainbow - later just Rainbow - and released his first solo album in the spring of 1975.
Stormbringer is a bit of a strange album featuring various styles and genres, and it is hard to see an overall idea with the album. The album was commercial step down compared to Burn released 6 months earlier and critics were divided on the album. Needless say, the band members are extremely skilled musicians but the end result is somewhat blurred. The first track takes off like Burn with a strong blues rock and hard rock composition but is then followed by "Love Don't Mean a Thing" and "Holy Man", which are soul- and funk-based compositions far away from anything they'd done before. The first track on the B-side continues a tradition they have repeated several times by putting the perhaps strongest track of the album here, but then funk really takes over again. The album concludes with one of the band's most beloved tracks "Soldier of Fortune", which in some ways is close to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" classic.
It's what you want it to be. All sorts.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5, Records Collector 4 / 5 stars ]

Deep Purple "Burn" (1974)

Burn
release date: Feb. 15, 1974
format: vinyl (TPS 3505) / cd (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Deep Purple
label: Purple Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "Burn" - 3. "Lay Down, Stay Down" - 4. "Sail Away"

8th studio album by Deep Purple released on Purple and produced by the band is the first album after Ian Gillan and Roger Glover left the band, and the first to feature David Coverdale on vocals and Glenn Hughes on bass.
Burn is Deep Purple as most have come to associate the band name with: heavy rock based and heavy metal based on blues rock stemming from Hendrix. Although, the band is here in its third constitution they continue its style and also secure another sales hit despite not reaching number #1 in many countries, the album was a top-10 charting album in both the UK and the US and critics were rather positive.
The album is part of my childhood as this was one of 8 albums I received from my older brother who had all their albums. I knew them all, listened to them all, but I was never a big fan of theirs, although, the some of their albums are quite good. This one never was to my liking, and I'm really closer to handing it 2,5 instead of 3 despite some critics rate it very high. Allmusic.com hands it 4,5 however, Rolling Stone labels it 'unfavourable', which means 'not good'. I guess, both fans and critics were split when the band went on as two of its most prominent members had left. The style is blues rock and hard rock as people had come to know Deep Purple but I only find that it's a mediocre attempt to continue a formula without adding anything new. As this point, I think they are stuck and are only capable of reproducing a familiar sound build on their own classic material.
The title track is the strongest here, and it showcases Coverdale's abilities as a fairly strong blues rock singer.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone: 'unfavorable' ]

C.V. Jørgensen "En stynet strejfer" (1974)

En stynet strejfer [debut]

release date: 1974

format: *cd (2004 remaster)

[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,72]

producer: non-produced (rec. with sound engineer Werner Scherrer)

label: Frituna - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 2. "Hey Steen Salonfirben" - 3. "Piano Rob" - 5. "En stynet strejfer" - 8. "Alt er stille indtil videre"

Studio album debut by Danish singer / songwriter C.V. Jørgensen aka Carsten Jørgensen - in whose name the V is for 'Valentin' which is an artistic addition - originally released on the label Hookfarm.

C.V. Jørgensen is credited as songwriter and composer of all nine tracks, on on this he is backed by guitarist Ivan Sonne Horn, bassist Erik Falck, and by drummer Gert Smedegård Andreasen.

Musically, the album places itself far from Jørgensen's later releases by being a fairly experimental and psychedelic rock release (with some inspiration from The Mothers of Invention and Cream) as well as being folk rock-founded with clear inspiration in Bob Dylan. As songwriter, Jørgensen narrates in a contemporary stereotypical psychedelic style, which bears some of the same features as early compositions by Marc Bolan, and especially the lyrics by the two fellow-countrymen songwriter Leif Roden in Alrune Rod and Eik Skalø as heard on the landmark debut by Steppeulvene: Hip (1967).

The album didn't attract much recognition, and several tracks also sound like jam sessions in the studio without a clear direction - perhaps inspired by Captain Beefheart? - but on the other hand it's clear that the participating musicians are skilled instrumentalists, and already here, Jørgensen has a distinct original vocal quality, which attracts some attention to the lyrics.

In Jørgensen's discography, the album shares several similarities with the sequel T-Shirts, gummisko og terylenebukser (1975), and together they may be seen as part of his formative years on an artistic journey somewhat detached from his later style and works.

On the album here, the individual compositions at times sound like several connected ideas, where one melodic line is abruptly juxtaposed with another - which was probably an artistic choice that defined a certain music, which was not only chaotic, but nevertheless, could be seen as a result of an improvisational approach - again with some reference to the old Captain.

En stynet strejfer is an interesting piece of music history, which mostly functions as fan material.

*included on the compilation De 2 første ['The first two'] (2004), a 2-cd-release containing Jørgensen's first two albums.

Julian Bream and John Williams "Together Again" (1974)

Together Again
release date: 1974
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]

Tracklist: 1-3. Ferdinando Carulli: 'Serenade, Op. 96' - 4. Enrique Granados: 'Danza Española, No. 6' - 5. Isaac Albeniz: 'Bajo La Palmera, Op. 232' - 6. Enrique Granados: 'Danza Española Nr. 11' - 7. Mauro Giuliani: 'Variazioni Concertanti, Op. 130' - 8. Isaac Albeniz: 'Evocación'

3rd collaboration work with Julian Bream and John Williams. Before this they released the album Julian & John (1973), which seems much alike their first co-work, Together (1972) featuring interpretations of works by Lawes, Carulli, Albéniz, and Granados, and this one really just continues the same path, now without Lawes but with Giuliani. The quality is at the same high level.