Alchemy (2CD)

Their last album for a major label, Azure D'Or finds the band still creating their unique brand of classically influenced progressive rock. Unfortunately, perhaps because of changing tastes, record company pressure, or even their own success...the music is a bit more produced and the songs are more concise. Still a track like The Flood At Lyon captures all their magic. A conditional recommendation.• NEW 3CD CLAMSHELL BOXED SET OF THE CLASSIC 1979 ALBUM BY RENAISSANCE.• NEWLY REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES.• FEATURING NEW 5.1 SURROUND SOUND AND STEREO MIXES PLUS PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED SESSION OUT-TAKES MIXED BY STEPHEN W TAYLER.• WITH ADDITIONAL VIDEO CONTENT FILMED AT THE MILL HOUSE AND BRAY STUDIOS IN 1979.• INCLUDES AN ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET FEATURING AN ESSAY WITH EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS.An expanded edition of the classic Renaissance album ‘Azure D’Or’. Issued in April 1979, the album followed the successful ‘A Song For All Seasons’ and the hit single ‘Northern Lights’ released the previous year. The line-up of highly gifted vocalist Annie Haslam, Michael Dunford (acoustic and electric guitars), John Tout (keyboards, vocals), Jon Camp (bass, acoustic and electric guitars, vocals) and Terry Sullivan (drums, percussion) had recorded a series of acclaimed albums that fused classical music influences with progressive rock and had earned a loyal following in Europe and had enjoyed wider success in the United States and Japan.Working once again with David Hentschel (who had also produced the albums ‘A Trick Of The Tail’ and ‘Wind And Wuthering’ for Genesis), the record featured excellent material such as ‘Jekyll And Hyde’, ‘Kalynda’ and ‘The Flood At Lyons’ and would be the last album by the band’s classic line-up and their last to chart in the UK.This expanded edition comprises two CDs and a region-free Blu-ray disc featuring a newly remastered original stereo mix from the original master tapes and also includes stunning 5.1 Surround Sound and stereo mixes by Stephen W Tayler (which add new depth to the recordings) and additional unreleased bonus material from the album sessions. The Blu-ray disc also includes bonus visual content from a promotional film made at The Mill House and Bray Studios in 1979 plus an illustrated booklet with a re-production of the band’s 1979 UK tour programme and new essay with exclusive interviews.Track Listing:DISC ONEAZURE D’OR REMASTERED1 Jekyll And Hyde2 The Winter Tree3 Only Angels Have Wings4 Golden Key5 Forever Changing6 Secret Mission7 Kalynda (A Magical Isle)8 The Discovery9 Friends10 The Flood at LyonsBonus Tracks11 Island of Avalon (B-side of single)12 Jekyll and Hyde (single version) (previously unreleased on CD)DISC TWOAZURE D’ORNEW STEREO MIXES1 Jekyll and Hyde2 The Winter Tree3 Only Angels Have Wings4 Golden Key5 Forever Changing6 Secret Mission7 Kalynda (A Magical Isle)8 The Discovery9 Friends10 The Flood at LyonsBonus Tracks11 Island of Avalon12 Friends (extended version)13 Jekyll and Hyde (single version)14 Kalynda (A Magical Isle) (early version)15 Forever Changing (acoustic demo)DISC THREEAZURE D’ORNEW 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIXNEW STEREO MIX / ORIGINAL STEREO MIX (96 KHZ / 24- BIT)1 Jekyll and Hyde2 The Winter Tree3 Only Angels Have Wings4 Golden Key5 Forever Changing6 Secret Mission7 Kalynda (A Magical Isle)8 The Discovery9 Friends10 The Flood at LyonsBonus Tracks11 Island of Avalon12 Friends (extended version)13 Jekyll and Hyde (single version)VISUAL CONTENT: THE MILL HOUSE & BRAY STUDIOS PROMOTIONAL FILM 19791 Jekyll and Hyde2 Forever Changing3 The Winter Tree4 Carpet of the Sun5 Secret Mission

"Klaus Schulze - the master of electronic music - will release with ""La Vie Electronique Vol. 15"" recordings from the years 1997 to 2000. With this edition the series 'La Vie Electronique"" comes to an end for the present. On CD 1 is the last of the 25 CDs in the JUBILEE EDITION set in 1997. Klaus recorded it during April 1997 in his studio. This long track is, as Klaus puts it: ""...for playing along to. The listeners and fans can add their own melodies and sounds. Harmony is in C. They can play to it in c minor, g minor and f minor"". Disc 2: The first two tracks (L'opera aperta & La tolleranza) are the second part and the encore of Klaus' solo concert in Bologna, Italy, on the 15th of December 1998 at the ""Teatro delle Celebrazioni"". The third track was especially recorded by Klaus for the ULTIMATE EDITION box in late October 1999. Disc 3: These three tracks are a collaboration with an old friend, the cello player Wolfgang Tiepold. Most of the Schulze aficionados know (and love) Schulze's vintage albums with Wolfgang. He visited Klaus in his studio again in summer 1999, twenty years after the two did some good things in concerts and on some albums (mainly ""X"" on which Tiepold also conducted the small orchestra for the famous Ludwig track)."

Victor Peraino once again collaborates with Arthur Brown and the results are shockingly good.  The disc adheres to the old sound - Peraino is playing a variet of analogue keys - plenty of VCS 3, Hammond organd, Mellotron, Moog, etc. The music features a combination of original tunes, reworkings of some of their old stuff, plus a cover of "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood'.  The bonus DVD was filmed in Detroit in recent times."In the 70's Victor Peraino recorded on Polydor Records in England with the father of theatrical rock Arthur Brown, know for his million sell hit "Fire" Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come “Journey” was critically acclaimed as a landmark, in the music industry the first recording to feature a drum machine. Victor played keyboards. mellotron. moog synthesizer. vcs3, theremin & vocals on this ground-breaking album. After Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come disintegrated following the release of the wonderful “Journey”, US keyboard player Victor Peraino somehow retained the name, releasing No Man's Land in '75 under the name Victor Peraino's Kingdom Come, reissued by Black Widow in 2010. After about 40 years, Victor and Arthur decide to collaborate again, resurrecting the project Kingdom Come: in this new musical adventure, reproduce in a new guise some of the best songs included in "No Man's Land" (Demon of Love, Sun Sets Sail, Empires of Steel), take up the theme of the wonderful "Time Captives" from "Journey" turning it into a cross-section sidereal enriched by the magnificence of space keyboards, revitalize ina progressive key two old classics like "Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "I Put a Spell On You "... but they also offer some brand new compositions (We Only Come to Help You, Future, the title track, Walk with Angels) deploying an odyssey of lovely sounds, underpinned by the omnipresent as ever presence of Mellotron, Moog, VCS3, in an uninterrupted flow of emotions."

The debut album that sent shockwaves through the progressive underground. Particularly amazing album when you put it into the context of it's recording date - 1970. While far from the best Magma album - in fact the signature sounds are not even in place - it's one smoking jazz rock fusion album owing much to Miles Davis and Soft Machine. 2 cd set.

Second album from this overlooked band. Os Mundi was considered the first rock band from Berlin with lots of members moving in and out of the band. 43 Minuten marked a departure from their debut "A Latin Mass", finding the band with a stronger jazz rock element in their sound but still retaining the underground feel and sound courtesy of producer Conny Planck. Vocals move in and out of the mix but stay clear long enough for the jammed out guitar and flute breaks. The band gets into a groove and then blasts off. Perhaps a bit reminiscent of Out Of Focus.  Limited edition gatefold vinyl pressed by Music On Vinyl.

IQ's 10th studio arrives and again with a slightly reconfigured lineup.  The exceptionally gifted Neil Durant, previously with Sphere3, is now handling keyboards.  Nothing dramatic changed.  If anything keyboards might even be a bit more prominent.  Paul Cook and Tim Esau, the original rhythm section, are now in tow. Peter Nicholls is his sombre self.  Guitars seem to be slightly heavier but all in all this sounds like prime IQ.  This is a band that has weathered personnel changes over the year but like a fine wine they've improved with age.  This is a BUY OR DIE release.  Top 10 for 2014.