La Vie Electronique Vol. 15 (3CD)

Part 12 of the required series of rare tracks of the German electronics pioneer!!DISC 1: "Picasso..."  is Klaus' longest composition so far. Originally it were various 1992-'93 recordings for a film soundtrack, but the film producer could not pay for it and accordingly Klaus withdrew his collaboration and his music. For the Silver Edition release I put the music in logical order. It continues on the Disc 2.The denomination of "Picasso geht spazieren" was "Picture Music in Three Movements" due to the fact that twenty years earlier Klaus invented the term "Picture Music" for one of his earliest albums. This description and name did still fit in 1993 ...especially with the variety of sampling pictures you'll hear while dear old "Picasso Takes a Walk".DISC 2: In 1995, '96, '97, '98, '99 and also in the year 2000 the more than two and a half hours long (!) "Picasso geht spazieren" was elected by the members of "The KS Circle" among the top ten of the most popular of the many KS titles, the highest position was number 3 in 1997.Words from the booklet of the original release: In terms of time, the history of Electronic Music is essentially limited to the twentieth century -in terms of a successful work inside this genre just to a handful. In terms of struggle for the new and unknown to a few, if not to just one. Though Klaus Schulze may not have the trained piano playing craft that other players outside his genre have, he gives, I think, far more poignancy, tenderness, and feeling, yes I dare to say: Soul. The truth of an artist is as simple as that: He puts his soul into his work. DISC 3: The original tape of "The Music Box" had the working title "Meditation I" first. Klaus recorded it in 1993 and gave it for free to the "Guttemplers", an institution that helps alcoholics. For the first release in Silver Edition I had given it the full title "The Music Box -Tongemälde in fis-moll" (Sound picture in F sharp minor). PS: Of course I had the famous movie in mind when I invented the title "The Music Box", yes I speak of Laurel and Hardy's only Oscar winning epos (the one with the piano up (and down) the many many steps). I did put some other Laurel and Hardy titles and references in Silver Edition. Not just KS believes that the two (and also W.C. Fields) were true geniuses, they put their souls into their work.

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."

Budget priced 5CD set in a slimline case featuring the following albums:ManDo You Like It Here Now, Are You Settling In?Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A DayRhinos, Winos & LunaticsSlow Motion

Blazing second solo album, from 1977. This has some of the fastest guitarwork you will ever hear in your lifetime. DiMeola shows many facets to his playing touching upon pure electric fusion as well as gorgeous acoustic work. The acoustic duet with Paco De Lucia on "Mediterranean Sundance" is breathtaking. Jan Hammer and all the other stars play their nuts off here. Great.

"GAZPACHO was formed in 1996 by Jon-Arne Vilbo and Thomas Andersen and Jan-Henrik Ohme, later completed by the three others. They released six studio albums, which were well received. The Norwegian band is bringing out their seventh album, ‘March Of Ghosts’ which Vilbo describes as “a collection of short stories. The idea behind the album was to have the lead character spend a night where all these ghosts (dead and alive) would march past him to tell their stories. Characters include Haitian war criminals, the crew of the Marie Celeste, a returning American WWI soldier who finds himself in 2012 and the ghost of an English comedy writer who was wrongly accused of treason.”You might then expect quite a dramatic concept album with a lot of turbulent and heavy soundscapes or with the ghostliness some eerie and ethereal, thickly layered atmospheric songs, but with the mixture of ambient and folk elements into their post-art rock sound the music is more on the relaxing side. Though the layers and atmosphere are there, it’s rather straightforward and unpretentious and accessible. Many of the songs are dreamy, mostly evoked by Ohme’s vocal, take the first part of the ‘Hell Freezes Over’ songs, of which the second part, following the first, ups on the intensity, but it’s still pretty low key affair, reminiscent of MUSE. Added interest to this song comes with some bagpipe-y, Celtic sounds towards the end raising the oomph as it fades.‘Black Lily’ is enhanced by some unimposing and non-bombastic orchestra parts. Some compare GAZPACHO to ANATHEMA, PORCUPINE TREE and MARILLION, yet the sound so many times reminds me of the band I’ve previously mentioned – MUSE, this track in some ways is the most representative of it - with the vocals and the way the melody sways, lets go and intensifies with that nearly MUSE-like music diction. Guitar details and folk-ish elements in the ‘Gold Star’ change this tack somewhat and earn rather the comparison with MARILLION. The violin and dreaminess in the third part of ‘Hell Freezes Over’ and its melancholy create the best moment of the album together with ‘Mary Celeste’ which has this precarious steering towards heavier sound with some wonderful detailing going on with piano, and darker, moodier strings. The lyrical narrative stands out more here too.‘Golem’ has a most pronounced sense of experimentation woven together in an appealing way. Lyrically I especially enjoy how they’ve worked the legend of Golem into an interesting metaphor. The last part of ‘Hell Freezes Over’ is the hardest here, yet atmospheric and quite beautiful and the reference to ANATHEMA comes justified here. In fact within the last few sentences I have also written some of the adjectives that fit this album overall quite well - appealing, (very) interesting, beautiful, and also a multi-faceted and richly rewarding listen. " - Reflections In Darkness

"The second, along awaited album from the italian multi-talented band is finally out! And "it's not so far" (in italian language "Non è poi così lontano" is a Perigeo work) from the expected!During the preceding months the band has given to fans information about their hard work in studio, but nothing let us know what would be their new musical orientation, though they were noticing it would be different from the debut one!Now we know at last! Though it's not so far from the first one, with a similar melancholic ansiogenic mood and the same powerful expressivity, there's a great melodic research and this gives easy pleasure to the listener, notwithstanding the harmonic and structural complexity. Let me tell you, this is only from talented and inspired musicians: the others entangle themselves in boring and uselessly complex structures.The opening track 'Wait For Me' starts with a powerful intro in Echolyn - Änglagård style, but it suddenly changes in a melancholic mood when Calandriello starts his beautiful singing.It's very difficult to find out what are the more representative tracks since the whole work is very high level. Surely the opener 'Wait For Me' has its big impact, as 'I Feel Like Snowing', the crimsonian 'Pleasure of Drowning', the dramatic 'Open Window' and the intense 'Not Now', this last sometimes recently performed LIVE. The whole work is enriched with musical and sound effect refinements which often bring pleasing surprise to the listener. For a NOT lazy listener this is a pleasure.. hasn't it?Calandriello, in my opinion, reaches his highest in intensity and melodic inspiration, the sound effects and the registers of Botta's keyboards are charming and refined, Zago's guitar work, in counterpoints, accompaniment or solo, has always the right tune and visionary intensity, Malacrida's refined drumming is a powerful support for Cassani's complex bass patterns.King Crimson is reborn in Italy? Not so true! Though the crimsonian inspiration is alive and well, as painful moods, ostinatos, harmonic and structural constructions, NAGS are actually the melodic counterbalance of another italian band where Zago and Botta are involved: Yügen.Sadly in the last days NAGS announced that Zago will not take part to the project anymore. We all hope that Gian Marco Trevisan, the one who will take his heavy inheritance, will be able to grant to the band the same visionary and technical support in future compositions.The last track 'Farewell' is Botta's special gift to Zago." - ProgArchives