Exposé Online » Reviews of releases for 1980

Items found : 70

Ice - Opus 1

This CD is by one of the more pedestrian rock groups that seem strangely prevalent on the Garden of Delights label. While Ice doesn’t have the overt amateur tendencies that many of the...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 2000-05-01)

Rascal Reporters - We're God

Listening to the 1980 album of Rascal Reporters after such a long time is a fascinating glimpse into the beginnings of a weird and (usually) wonderful musical world populated by exactly one band....

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2020-06-20)

Roy Harper - The Unknown Soldier

Typically Roy Harper doesn't fall into a progressive rock vein, preferring to create an English version of Bob Dylan's never ending hippie dream. But in 1980 he amassed several friends...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2000-05-01)

Anyone's Daughter - First Five Reissued

Anyone's Daughter was one of a group of late 70s German symphonic bands who brought forth a highly melodic rock, colorful and saturated with emotion. Their vocal harmonies were strong, and...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 1993-10-01)

Stormy Six - Macchina Maccheronica, Al Volo & Un Concerto

One hears the term Rock in Opposition quite often in music today. Many current bands are labeled with an "RIO" style. The Italian group Stormy Six is the basis for this style termed...

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(Posted by Gary Parra 1998-02-01)

Amber Route - Snail Headed Victrolas

Amber Route was an electronic / rock duo from southern California featuring Walter Holland on guitars and synthesizers, and Richard Watson on woodwinds, piano, and synthesizers; both share vocal...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 1997-02-01)

Lol Coxhill / Morgan Fisher - Slow Music

Lol Coxhill and Morgan Fisher are two musicians whom you wouldn’t think had crossed paths before. Coxhill’s resume consists of an early stint with Kevin Ayers and Mike Oldfield in The...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2001-03-01)

Rahmann - Rahmann

This is one of the year’s most anticipated reissues, an album in the zeuhl family by a French / Algerian ensemble with bassist Gérard Prévost. A late 70s group, Rahmann combined...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1999-04-01)

Ashra - Sunrain - The Virgin Years

And what great years they were. Never heard any Ashra? Buy this! Sorry, I am biased, this is great stuff. If you don't know, Ash Ra is Manuel Göttsching, a phenomenal guitar player and...

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(Posted by Dane Carlson 1998-02-01)

Ganelin / Tarasov / Chekasin - Concerto Grosso

My first impression of this Russian trio's single, long improvisation (nearly thirty-five minutes) was that this was some vile attempt to do an Irish jig, using recorders and ocarina to begin...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 1997-05-01)

Eela Craig - Virgin Oiland

This fine Austrian band released their first, self-titled album in 1971, then perhaps more psychedelic rock than the symphonic progressive that they evolved into by their second album One...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2018-04-16)

Melodic Energy Commision - Moon Phase Compendium

Rarely does one uncover psychedelic music from the late 70s or early 80s, so when one finds a pair of albums as anachronistic as these, and as good as these, one is obliged to wax superlative....

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1999-11-01)

Dr. Aftershave - In the Diving Bell

After Mussus Beastly split up (for the nth time) in the fall of 1979, bassist Norbert Dömling, keyboard player Burkhard Scmidl, and drummer Marlon Klein, who had just joined Missus Beastly...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2018-04-20)

Anthony Phillips - Private Parts and Pieces I & II

Released in 1978 and 1980 respectively (though recorded earlier), when acoustic music was anything but in vogue, the first two Private Parts & Pieces collections set the tone for much...

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(Posted by Mike Ezzo 1997-02-01)

Quantum - Quantum

This outstanding Brazilian instrumental five-piece recorded only this one album in the early 80s, and then disappeared. Their sound combines the best elements of the European progressive sound with...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 1993-10-01)

El Turronero - New Hondo

Who would have thought that Exposé would one day publish a review of disco music? Certainly not I. Be that as it may, this CD arrived in the same package as the Trigal album from...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2017-11-10)

Michael Bundt - Electri City

Michael Bundt began his career as a bass guitarist and founder the obscure Krautrock band Medusa, which morphed into the second incarnation of Nine Days Wonder. After leaving Nine Days Wonder,...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2017-05-17)

Adelbert von Deyen - Atmosphere

Adelbert van Deyen is a Berlin-based electronic musician who was very active in the late 70s and early 80s. Atmosphere was his third release, issued in 1980 and now reissued on Bureau B....

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2017-04-22)

Utopia - Adventures in Utopia, Deface the Music & Swing to the Right

As the 70s slipped towards the 80s, progressive rock bands found their style of music increasingly unpopular, so most of them that stayed active tried to maintain relevance by making music more in...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2014-02-20)

Zamla Mammaz Manna - För äldre nybegynnare / Schlagerns mystik / Familjesprickor

For my money, SZamla incarnation number two was their prime and despite the fact we have to pay Japanese prices for Swedish CDs (all done by Silence) these are extremely well worth the...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-05-01)

Suns of Arqa - Selected Catalog 1979-2000

Suns of Arqa started in the late 70s, first gaining notice as the touring band for reggae star Prince Far-I. Bassist / multi-instrumentalist Michael Wadada has been a constant in the band which has...

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(Posted by Jon Davis, Jeff Melton 2003-08-01)

Asia Minor - Between Flesh and Divine

If symphonic rock is defined by keyboard sounds that sit in for groups of strings and larger groups then it might be arguable if Crossing the Line truly fell in that category due to the...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 2017-02-23)

Ain Soph - A Story of Mysterious Forest

Breathtaking instrumental progressive from Japan. From the really short, Mahavishnu-type fusion rifferama of "Crossfire" which opens the album, you know you're in for an enjoyable...

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(Posted by Mike Ohman 1994-02-01)

Agnus - Pinturas y Espresiones

In their gold-panning expeditions for largely undiscovered old South American bands, Progressive Rock Worldwide recently unearthed this little nugget. Agnus hail from Argentina, consisting of a...

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(Posted by Mike Ohman 1997-02-01)

Tellah - Continente Perdido

One of the few bands from Brasilia, Brazil's capital, Tellah recorded one legendary album in 1980, then disappeared. A three-piece band of guitar, bass, and drums, two members of whom also play...

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(Posted by Mike Ohman 1997-02-01)

The League of Gentlemen - Thrang Thrang Gozinbulx

The early 80s were a musical dance phenomena as well as a signpost for radical changes in the echelons of music taste and fashion. The times dictated 'in with 4/4 rhythms, out with the extended...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 1997-02-01)

Klaus Schulze - Revisited Reissues, Part 3

Revisited Records has taken on the mammoth task of reissuing the entire Klaus Schulze back catalog, and these eight albums are what has been reissued so far this year. In addition to using...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2009-07-01)

Klaus Schulze - Revisited Records Reissues, Part 1

Revisited Records continues its reissue of the Klaus Schulze back catalog with another 12 CDs. I haven’t quite figured out their rationale, but they are releasing 12 a year covering the...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Conrad Schnitzler - Blue Glow & Charred Machinery

Herr Schnitzler is probably the most prolific synthesist (we might as well say musician) on the planet. He has been around since the early days of Kluster and Tangerine Dream (he was a member of...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1996-08-01)

Shingetsu / Serenade - Shingetsu, Night Collector & Akai Me No Kagami

Shingetsu was one of the classic Japanese symphonic bands, and their self titled Shingetsu album from 1979 is highly regarded, and often compared to classic period Genesis, if only for the...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 1996-03-01)

Dada - Dada & Castle Wall

From the ashes of Charisma, the duo of Mutsuhiko Izumi and Kenji Konishi – both on guitars and synthesizers – released two albums during its existence. Their 1978 debut, entitled...

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(Posted by Mike Ohman 1996-03-01)

Magma - Mythes et Légendes Vol.1

Released in 1985, Mythes et Légendes, Vol. 1 is essentially a condensed overview of the Kobaïan story. It features extracts from several early compositions tracing the...

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(Posted by Rob Walker 1995-11-01)

Carol Grimes, Uncle Dog & Sweet F.A. - Voiceprint 2000 Reissues

Upon the demise of Delivery (Phil Miller's quartet augmented by Janis Joplin stylized blues vocalist, Carol Grimes), Grimes moved off to join another blues-based, less improvisational group,...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2001-12-01)

Morgan Fisher - Hybrid Kids 1 & 2 + Miniatures

In the middle of his work as a keyboard player (with Queen, Mott the Hoople, and others) and as a producer (Allan Holdsworth), Morgan Fisher came up with two albums worth of oddities called...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2001-03-01)

Brainiac 5 - When Silence Was Sound

Listening to these recordings, which date from the late 70s, is kind of a strange experience now. That was a time when stripped-down punk rock was in the ascendant and complex progressive rock was...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2015-11-11)

Steve Tibbetts - Yr

McLatchey's Second Tier

Before ECM got ahold of this and stuck one of their generic covers on it, Steve Tibbetts' second album had a much more

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 2015-11-05)

Snakefinger - Chewing Hides the Sound & Greener Postures

Here we have the welcome reissue of two great albums by Residents’ cohort and collaborator guitarist Snakefinger (AKA Philip Charles Lithman). Many of the songs on these albums were cowritten...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 1999-11-01)

Picchio dal Pozzo - Picchio dal Pozzo & Abbiamo Tutti i Suoi Problemi

Slight changes in style between albums is common for most all groups, but Picchio dal Pozzo is not like most groups. Upon listening to their second CD after hearing the first, I did a double take...

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(Posted by Mike Grimes 1995-11-01)

Talking Heads - 2006 Rhino Reissues

Now that CBGB's has finally closed its doors in New York City, it's a good time to explore the reissued back catalog of one of the few valid early inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2007-03-01)

Glenn Branca - The Ascension

This is a long overdue re-issue of Branca's first LP, before the days of the army of guitars, but well past his punk days. On this album, Branca was joined by three other guitarists, a bassist,...

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(Posted by Dean Suzuki 1996-03-01)

Itoiz - Ezekiel

By the time of their second album, Ezekiel, the lineup of this Basque band had grown from five members to seven, now including saxes, mandolin, electric piano, and even violin when...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-08-01)

Enbor - Enbor & Katebegiak

Lost Vinyl has a knack for unearthing rare Basque rock groups. The only catch is that you have to be careful to check out what axis they fall in. For all intent and purpose, Enbor is a straight...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1995-07-01)

Michael Stearns - Morning Jewel

McLatchey's Second Tier

While ambient electronic music came to prominence starting in the mid 80s and came to something of a peak in the late 90s and early 00s, there were...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 2015-08-20)

Asia - Asia / Armed to the Teeth

I don't understand why I'm reviewing this in Exposé... maybe it's the Mellotron? Without being too judgemental on a genre that I inherently dislike in the first place, the 70s American hard...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1996-03-01)

Bloque - El Hijo del Alba

Bloque were a Spanish quintet who released several albums on the Chapa label in the late 70s/early 80s of which this is their third album and arguably best. Bloque played in a pretty straight-forward...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1996-03-01)

Kenso - Kenso I

It was just last issue in our Belle Antique label overview that this writer said something to the effect that since all the best tracks from Kenso's first eponymous LP had been included as bonus...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1996-08-01)

Kit Watkins - Labyrinth & Frames of Mind

Finally Watkins' first two post-Happy the Man/Camel solo albums have received the proper digital treatment. These are two very formative albums that offer a logical bridge between the music of the...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 1996-08-01)

Aksak Maboul - Un Peu de l'Âme des Bandits

This is the second album by Aksak Maboul, a.k.a. Marc Hollander and Vincent Kenis (though the latter’s involvement on this recording is rather limited) and whoever they happen to be playing with at...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1996-03-01)

Random Hold - The View from Here

For those of you who missed their brief history, Random Hold was a band that featured David Rhodes (longtime Peter Gabriel band mate) on guitar, Bill MacCormick (Quiet Sun, Matching Mole, and so on)...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2002-09-01)

Dreamworld - On Flight to the Light

From the Black Forest city of Freiburg in southern Germany hail the multi-talented Fichter brothers, Klaus and Rolf. In 1972 they released on the Brain label an album called A Meditation...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Ohman 1995-03-01)

Pekka Pohjola - Five Reissues

For anyone not yet familiar with the name of Pekka Pohjola, he is a Finnish composer, bandleader, and bassist among bassists primarily, but also fluent on piano, synthesizer, and trumpet as well....

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 1995-03-01)

Bobby Beausoleil - Lucifer Rising Suite - Original Soundtrack and Sessions Anthology

Subtitled Original Soundtrack and Sessions Anthology, this four disc set contains everything that was recorded for the Kenneth Anger film, whether used in that film or not. The...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2014-12-05)

Martin Kratochvíl / Jazz Q - Temné Slunce

Temné Slunce (“Dark Sun”) represents an odd and previously unreleased gem in the Jazz Q discography, a motion picture soundtrack the band did in 1980, although much of what’s here seems like...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2014-11-11)

Trilogy - Here It Is

With a name like Trilogy, one may have some preconceived ideas as to what this band is all about. The fact that four hands man the keyboards may further lead one to believe that this is some kind of...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-08-01)

Imán, Califato Independiente - Camino del Águila

Here's another gem in the hidden treasure trove of Spanish progressive rock, an area I'm unabashedly a big fan of. Musea did well to release this, as it should appeal to just about anyone who has...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-08-01)

Ange - 1995 Musea Reissues

These seven titles by the legendary Ange represent part of Musea's big score from absorbing the Baillemont label late last year. Although most of these have been released on CD before — not once,...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 1995-11-01)

Gentle Giant - Scraping the Barrel

The title of this second volume of Gentle Giant audio and audiovisual archives is simply a long time fan’s obsessive labor of love. Dan Bornemark has been a charter member of the band’s on-line...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-03-01)

Gentle Giant - Under Construction

Gentle Giant was at its best when adding polyphonic arrangements to aggressive rock music. Determining who was responsible was merely a scan of the writing credits, where "Shulman, Shulman and...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 1998-07-01)

Heyoka - The Spirit of Revelation

Not so long ago in a land called Texas there was a progressive rock band with a strong local following that for whatever reason remained unsigned during all their years together, which was most of the...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2014-02-26)

Chameleon - Rising

History is replete with young American bands that came of age in the early 70s, profoundly influenced by the then-current crop of British progressive acts. Some of these bands broke nationally (Kansas...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2014-01-29)

Lady Lake - Unearthed

By one scheme of reckoning, rarities collections come three categories: those that are only of interest to established fans of the artist, those that can serve as an introduction to a newbie, and...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Moving Gelatine Plates - Moving Gelatine Plates

Moving Gelatine Plates is another obscure French progressive band from the early 70s given new life on CD by Musea. MGP consisted of Didier Thibault on bass and vocals (later with Gong), Gerard...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 1993-01-01)

Heart - Little Queen, Dog & Butterfly, Bebe le Strange

Out of the Pacific Northwest, the two rockin' sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson and their band hit American radios in early '76 with "Crazy on You" and "Magic Man," two hits with a sound that combined an...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2004-09-01)

Sensitiva Immagine - E Tutto Comincio Cosi...

Here is one that Edison Records (RIP) of Japan spared no laudatory word on when it was first reissued by them back in the early 90s. Marquee's encyclopedia claims its origins as a cassette release...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Ezzo 1999-01-01)

Aera - Türkis / Live

Last issue I covered the reissue of the first two Aera albums, and now Erlkönig present the band’s third studio effort and their live album. Türkis finds the band almost completely changed during...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2006-05-01)

FM - City of Fear

Canadian trio FM's fourth album finds the lineup of Cameron Hawkins (synth, bass, vocals), Ben Mink (violin, mandolin, vocals) and Martin Deller (drums) unchanged from the previous album, but this...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Various Artists - Psychedelic Underground 16

The Garden of Delights label has a long history of issuing compilations pulled from their vast library of mostly obscure, German prog and psych bands from the 70s. Entry 16 moves the series forward in...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2013-04-01)

Noa - Noa

The original release of this album from 1980 was not known to me until Soleil Zeuhl's reissue landed in front of me, but it's definitely not from lack of quality. This could be regarded as a lost...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Serge Bringolf - Strave

Magma has been known to lean into jazzy territory from time to time, and the Canterbury bands (Soft Machine, Matching Mole) did so even more strongly. Bringolf brings elements of both zeuhl and...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Lars Hollmer - Med Mjölad Hand (Skisser) / With Floury Hand (Sketches)

It's hard to believe that it's been nearly four years since this talented musician, composer and arranger suddenly left this world shortly after the release of the gorgeous album Andetag....  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)