Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior (1976)

Chick Corea's Return to Forever project is one of the benchmarks of mid-70s Jazz Fusion, what it lacks in songwriting it more than makes up for in technical prowess- Al DiMeola's guitar runs sizzle, Stanley's Clarke's bass lines pop and Lenny White anchors it all with some funky drumming. 

Chick is Chick, what more can be said about the man? If you find this too dense and impenetrable, try Chick's earlier stuff and work your way up to it. 

This comes with a disclaimer: they veer heavily into psuedoclassical territory here and if you're a fan of both jazz and prog as well as later-day jam band noodling (a la Phish, et. al.) then this one does not disappoint. 
Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior (1976; Columbia Records)

Focus - Hamburger Concerto (1974)

Symphonic prog from the Netherlands; features excellent guitar work from Jan Akkerman- medieval renaissance and classical baroque styles mixed with rock and funk. 

Nods to Jethro Tull and Yes all over this record; it's more an homage than a rip-off. A necessary addition to any prog rock fan's library.  
Focus - Hamburger Concerto (1974; Atco Records)

Frank Zappa - Philly '76 (2009)

Never underestimate Frank's ability to squeeze the maximum amount of talent out of his musicians- this album, recorded in a transitional period off the heels of the Zoot Allures album stands as a testament to his workmanship and passion for his craft. 

Bringing in Bianca Odin for vocals and keyboards and a stripped down backing band (Ray White on guitar, Eddie Jobson on violin and keys, Patrick O'Hearn on bass and Terry Bozzio on drums) it's an interesting filler and most likely only truly appreciated by hardcore Zappa fans. 
Frank Zappa - Philly '76 (2009; Vaulternative Records)

Coheed & Cambria - The Second Stage Turbine Blade (2002)

Coheed & Cambria have been able to blend prog rock and post-hardcore music seamlessly together to create some intricately layered and dense sounds; along with Tool and The Mars Volta (the only other bands I can think of that do that, post-millennium), they have created a music that's both rhythmically complex yet totally listenable- I've always thought that Coheed is what Rush would sound like if they were born way later and were raised on Fugazi and NoMeansNo.

Anyway, here's their debut record from '02; where it lacks in technical prowess it makes up for in raw emotionality.

Coheed & Cambria - The Second Stage Turbine Blade (2002; Equal Vision Records)

Flower Travellin' Band - Satori (1971)

Heavy psych from Japanese stoners; think Sabbath and Zeppelin channeled through extensive LSD trips, Eastern philosophy and Asian technical superiority- this is the essence of Flower Travellin' Band's 1971 classic Satori (the Japanese Buddhist term for "understanding"). Yeah, I understand that this fucking rocks- it acts as both an homage and an encouragement to American-slash-British hard rock, pushing the envelope a little further than Grand Funk, Deep Purple or Blue Cheer could've hoped to.

Lead guitarist Hideki Ishima may also be one of the most under-rated axe men of all-time; he shreds. Balancing the precarious tightrope between psychedelia, prog and metal; he weaves lines in and out of Joe Yamanaka's harmonica runs, all over Jun Kozuki's outstanding, plodding bass lines and George Wada's tight drumming.

I can't believe I didn't discover this record earlier in life; it's filled a void I didn't even know existed. Do yourself a huge favor; Oh, musical adventurer!- listen to this shit right now!!!

Flower Travellin' Band - Satori (1971; Atlantic Records)

Wishbone Ash - Argus (1972)

I guess I'm one of those dudes that always thinks records like this one should've been bigger than they were; maybe there's a perfect world where all the greatest overlooked music exists in perfect harmony with the over-rated- a place where Wishbone Ash would be filed (alphabetically, of course) right in between The Who and Yes (because that's sort of exactly where they're filed in my mind).

This album should be known for its outstanding guitar work; Andy Powell and Ted Turner's twin axe attack was maybe the first instance on record where two guitars could take a lead at the same time, interweaving their lines and runs into, as well as on top of, one another's. Lead singer Martin Turner's vocals aren't especially great but his bass work stands out here, clicking perfectly with drummer Steve Upton to create one of the most rewarding hidden gems of the decade.

If you're a prog rock fan, or an early '70s hard rock junkie, here's a pretty nice record that runs down the middle of those two genres, incorporating some folky influences as well...

Wishbone Ash - Argus (1972; MCA Records)

Dün - Eros (1981)

Q: Was France teeming with awesome prog rock bands thirty years ago?

A: Outside of Christian Vander and his band Magma, here's the best one I've ever heard, Dün's Eros.

A true hidden gem in the avant-prog school of Zeuhl; incorporating elements of jazz fusion, odd time signatures, a penchant for all things Zappa, this is a can't miss for progressive rock fans...

Dün - Eros (1981; self-released)

Can - The Classic Years

Can is the most under-rated band of all-time.

Probably for several reasons; one (the biggest) was that they weren't American (or even British), so they didn't have the luxury of over-exposure (they called Cologne, Germany their home-base). Had they been an American (or British) band, they'd have been as big as The Grateful Dead or Pink Floyd; as improvisers they were just as talented, and as far as locking into a groove; they were un-matched (stickman Jaki Leibezeit was like a human drum machine). They could be as funky as George Clinton's bands or as free as Sun Ra's Arkestra.

Before you shoot flames at me for not acknowledging original lead singer Malcolm Mooney's contributions (ironically he is from the United States), I'm choosing to focus on their three best albums, the ones with Japanese-born Damo Suzuki as their lead singer. He was a street poet that basically scat-sang, usually an unintelligible mix of English, Japanese and screaming.

Another reason they were so under-rated; they were so ahead of their time. Light years ahead. Just like their influences, The Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention, electronic music pioneer Karlheinz Stockhausen; they were more or less misunderstood, another fact that hinders their recognition because again (god-dammit!) even those bands aren't as appreciated as they should be.

In terms of who they influenced, let's start with the entire Krautrock scene; Brian Eno's forays into ambient dream-scapes; all those post-punk bands (especially Mark E. Smith, penning the homage I Am Damo Suzuki on The Fall's This Nation's Saving Grace), P.I.L. (who collaborated with bassist Jah Wobble in the '80s), even Joy Division and Siouxsie Sioux have named Can as a primary influence. Other groundbreaking artists that kneel at the altar: Radiohead, David Bowie and Talking Heads.

If any of the aforementioned artists are on your list of favorites, and you've still never listened to Can, skip the rest of the reading and start listening to these records! 

Here's some neatly arranged bullet points to further assert my position in this essay:

• They were incorporating rock instrumentation into "World Music" before the term even existed, experimenting with tribal drum patterns, dub basslines and primal screaming.

• They spent hours in the studio recording then later going back and editing said sessions into "songs", the track Yoo Doo Right from the album Monster Movie was edited down from a 24-hour jam into a 20-minute song. This was all done by hand, called micro-editing; meticulously done with razor blades and splicing tape- I can only imagine the frustration (and the time involved) to cut down 24 hours of reel-to-reel to a twenty-minute edit.

• Bass player/engineer Holger Czukay studied under Stockhausen for three years, as well as keyboardist Irmin Schmidt- who was a well-established concert pianist/composer with the Vienna Symphony.

• Guitarist Michael Karoli was a classically trained cellist and violinist before picking up the six-string, even playing violin on a few albums (although uncredited).

• They more or less anticipated and influenced entire movements of music (see above).

I'm just going to say listen to the whole lot of these records, find them on vinyl, get the CDs, the re-issues, the remasters; three of the greatest albums of all-time...

Tago Mago (1971; United Artists)


Ege Bamyasi (1972; United Artists)


Future Days (1973; United Artists)

Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (1969)

I always thought this early version of Pink Floyd (right after Syd left) was the impetus for the whole Krautrock movement; listen to Can's Monster Movie or Faust's Faust or Amon Düül II's first two records and you'll hear what I mean.

This is as concept-driven as the idea of a "concept album" would allow; the first disc is four tracks from two live performances in late April and early May of '69, and the second disc has four "solo" albums that were recorded the following week. These solo records are interesting in that each member of the Floyd took on the role of band-leader (after Syd's departure, there was no clear "leader" of the Floyd camp, hence the following decade would be a bit of a creative push-and-shove between band members, tensions were instigated by Roger Waters and David Gilmour's insistence on being their leader) so it's interesting to see exactly where Pink Floyd was as a band here, and where they'd be going. Experimentally-inclined as always, it's a nice primer to the casual fan to see and hear what they were doing in the years leading up to Dark Side of the Moon.

This album was requested by my friend Martin, so here's Ummagumma in all of its glory, folks...

Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (1969; Harvest Records)

King Crimson - Larks' Tongues In Aspic (1973)

This album marks the start of a three album run that defines the very sound, no- the attitude of Robert Fripp's King Crimson. The albums aren't necessarily related in any way (it's not a thematic trilogy per se) but 1973's Larks' Tongues In Aspic kicked off the most adventurous period of this band outside of their 1969 debut In The Court Of The Crimson King.

This is exactly what I think of when I think of '70s prog rock; the over-the-top production, the start-stop drumming, the strange and hard to name instruments (gamelan and mbira, courtesy of percussionist Jamie Muir), the odd time signatures (drummer Bill Bruford quit Yes to join Fripp and his jazzier explorations), the classical flourishes (this album has a lot of viola, violin and flute on it from David Cross) and deep, satisfying bass work from John Wetton.

The main focal point of this record is the title track(s), split into two parts that bookend the album. There are some parts to this record that are insanely heavy and there are others that are ridiculously light and airy. Running throughout the whole thing is a jazz-fusion feel, creating a cohesive quality to the entire work.

King Crimson - Larks' Tongues In Aspic (1973; Island Records)

Gong - You (1974)

Aussie Daevid Allen was one of the original members of Soft Machine but was more or less replaced when his work visa expired and he wasn't allowed entrance back into England, instead seeking refuge in France. He basically lived on a commune and started Gong out of necessity- he needed to make music. And what he made was some of the finest space-prog of the 1970s, incorporating elements of psychedelia and jazz fusion along the way.

They also constructed a whole mythology of Gong; a fantasy world of their own universe. Apparently stemming from a vision Allen had during a full moon trip in 1966- he claims to have seen the future. This is where the "Radio Gnome Trilogy" was born, and out of that the third album of the trilogy was 1974's You. Sadly, this would be the last album featuring the classic line-up until reuniting in 1994, but (as you can probably guess) the magic was gone by then.

This is some seriously tripped-out shit. If you're an acid casualty there's a strong chance that you may get stuck somewhere in this record. Please don't stare at the cover too long...

Gong - You (1974; Virgin Records)

Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom (1974)

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"What's the worst thing that could happen to a musician? Losing the ability to play his/her main instrument. Many would give up; ex-Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt just got up and went on, singing and composing strange Canterburian jazz-pop/rock songs - and even getting better with it. An amazing musician (and rock's only true communist)."

- Signal To Noise magazine

Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom (1974; Virgin Records)

Gila - Gila (1971)

"Often referred by the title Free Electric Sound, Gila's debut is an amazing work, full of acid guitar freakouts, spacy organ and mellotron, exotic rhythm structures, and loads of electronic effects to fully realize the psychedelic visions. From the Floyd-ian space rock of the first two tracks the record moves into even stranger realms on the four segued pieces that make up the second side of the original vinyl. "Kollaps" starts off with ritualistic drumming, a creepy organ riff, a crying baby, and guitar licks that threaten to explode at any moment. After some electronic effects "Kontakt" goes in an entirely different direction with airy acoustic guitar and keyboards and no rhythm section, like suddenly emerging into sunlight after the darkness of "Kollaps." As the track progresses seamlessly into "Kollektivivtat" and then "Individualitat" it again picks up momentum, adding electric guitar riffs and an interesting mixture of bongos and snares as the organ cuts loose, until finally everything dies except the thundering percussions on some quasi-ethnic workout with some electronic sounds thrown in."

- by Rolf Semprebon; Allmusic.com

Gila - Gila (1971; BASF)