| # | Artist | Song (click to play) | Album | Year | CD label | My Gnosis Rating |
| 1 | Ramses | American Dream | La Leyla | 1975 | Sky Records | 10 |
| Melodic symphonic progressive where guitar takes the lead melody role most of the time. Analog keys and synths also run throughout. More than anything, I am reminded of Octopus' _Boat of Thoughts_ album, with some occassional hints of SFF, Novalis, and early Camel (first 2 albums). The CD re-issue also includes their 1978 album _Eternity Rise_. | ||||||
| 2 | Popol Vuh | Du Tranke Mich Mit Deinen Kussen | Das Hohelied Salomos | 1975 | Tempel/Spalax | 11 |
|
Wonderful floating cosmic music featuring the brilliant guitar work of
Daniel Fichelscher. The music is pretty mellow with distant piano,
overdubs of melancholy lead guitar, and soft female vocals. An album
to relax to.
Popol Vuh | ||||||
| 3 | Dzyan | Electric Silence | Electric Silence | 1975 | Bellaphon/Bacilis Records | 11 |
| Dzyan's 3rd and last album finds their jazz/rock fusion moving further into their eastern influences, and well as dabbling in electronic experimentations. The dazzling guitar work of Eddy Marron reminds of John McLaughlin and Abercrombie. This blend sounds a bit like Agitation Free at times. | ||||||
| 4 | Schickert, Gunther | Wald (excerpt) | Samtvogel | 1974 | LP only | 11 |
| Gunther Schickert is a guitar, who like Achim Reichel, made vast musical soundscapes by multi-tracking numerous guitars, and little else. The results are quite amazing and unique. Also comparable to Ash Ra Tempel's _Inventions for Electric Guitar_. | ||||||
| 5 | Harmonia | Dino | Musik Von Harmonia | 1974 | Metronome/Brain | 9 |
|
A German electronic music supergroup featuring Cluster's Joachim Roedelius,
Neu!'s Michael Rother, and Dieter Moebius, also from Cluster. Comparable to
Kraftwerk, perhaps, though, I am not very well versed in this area of
German electronic music. To my ears, it sounds way ahead of it's time
for electronic music experimentation. For what it is, it is very good,
but, as this is a somewhat new area of musical exploration for me, I gave
it a middle of the road rating.
Hans Joachim Roedelius | ||||||
| 6 | Novalis | Dronsz | Novalis | 1975 | Repertoire/Brain | 12 |
|
Novalis' self-title, which is there second, adds a second guitarist,
Carlo Karges, ex-Tomorrow's Gift. The first Novalis album has English
vocals, but, starting with this album vocals are in German. With the
brilliant keyboard arrangements, Novalis is one of the best examples
of the German symphonic movement in the mid-1970's. I am reminded
sometimes of Eloy or Pulsar's _Strands of the Future_. Novalis' first
3 albums are highly recommended.
Novalis - Progressive Rock for Summer Evenings | ||||||
| 7 | Tritonus | Lady Turk | Tritonus | 1975 | Second Battle | 12 |
|
A keyboard trio that is very much in the ELP/Triumvirat mold. If you
like Trilogy, Tarkus, Illusions on a Double Dimple, or Spartacus, then
this CD digi-pack re-issue is a must. The CD compiles both their self-titled
debut and _Between the Universes_.
Music of Peter Seiler | ||||||