Secret Öyster - Sea Son - 1974 (Den) Jazz Fusion

  

This is the second album by Secret Öyster.  Like in almost every band there has ever been Secret Öyster also went through some line-up changes, at this point, a new drummer and a new bass player had joined the group. The line-up for the album consisted of Karsten Vogel (alto and soprano saxophones & organ), Claus Böhling (acoustic & electric guitars), Kenneth Knudsen (piano & moog synthesizers), Jess Stæhr (ex-Day of Phoenix) (bass) and Ole Streenberg (drums). As the band's popularity grew, they eventually became a better band, which you can hear if you compare this record to their first album. The album also features a guest appearance by the nowadays well respected Danish jazz-trumpetist Palle Mikkelborg (his playing can be heard on the track "Paella").

The album is kicked off by a fresh and well working opener and quickly takes the listener right into the epic, almost romantic, second track in which you can really hear that the band has improved and has become a much tighter band. The third track resembles the first album very well, being an up-tempo jazz-rock song with lots of depth. Overall the band is still amazing, but even better than before. The saxophones are outstanding, the guitars are ace, the keyboards/pianos are genius and the bass and drums are tight. A really good second effort and the artwork is great too.

1. Öyster Jungle
2. Mind Movie
3. Pajamamafia
4. Black Mist

5. Pain Forest

6. Paella

Bonus tracks:
7. Sea Son
8. Alfresco (Part I)
9. Alfresco (Part II)

Bitrate: 256kbps
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Secret Öyster - s/t - 1973 (Den) Jazz Fusion

Secret Öyster formed in 1972 when Burnin' Red Ivanhoe split-up. You could actually consider Secret Öyster a supergroup as the members came from three separate bands. The group's personnel at this point was Karsten Vogel of Burnin' Red Ivanhoe (soprano axophone, alto saxophone & organ), Claus Böhling of Hurdy Gurdy (guitars), Kenneth Knudsen of Coronarias Dans (electric and acoustic pianos), Mads Vinding (bass) and Bo Thrige Andersen (drums). Secret Öyster would face many changes in the line-up, but I am not gonna focus on that now. I'll continue the band's story in my next post about the band. Anyway, Secret Öyster would became one of the most succesful Scandinavian jazz fusion groups and is as far as I'm concerned the only Danish band to ever perform on BBC's "the Old Grey Whistle Test". Their music would bring them to tour with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Weather Report and Captain Beefheart (among others).

This is their debut record (and a great one at that too). It features both up-tempo rock songs as well as more jazzy mellow parts, which remind one of the Canterbury scene. It is really heavy at some points and it is easy to hear that Hendrix still is the main influence for guitarist Claus Böhling, though he becomes more indepedent throughout his years with Secret Öyster. Overall it is really hard rock meets jazz with oustanding pianowork, excellent melodies and riffs, dreamy "uncrontrolable" saxophones and a rather scary ending, and most importanly it never gets boring to listen to. Like the other three albums, the album was reissued in 2007.

1. Dampexpressen (the Steam Express)
2. Fire & Water
3. Vive La Quelle
4. Blazing Lace
5. Public Öyster
6. Mis(s) Fortune
7. Ova-X

Bitrate: 128kbps
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Terje, Jesper & Joachim - s/t - 1970 (Den) Progressive Rock/Experimental

Originating from the beat group "The Unknown" formed in 1968 (some blogs claim earlier formations, but according to Spectator Records it was '68) came a fairly noticeable experimental group called simply Terje, Jesper & Joachim. They only released this album and they split-up in 1973. This is another gem from Spectator Records (that label really had some cool bands). The band consisted of Terje Bandholdt (drums), Jesper Schmidt (guitar) and Joachim Ussing (bass). Ussing and Bandholdt would later play together in the band "Mo-i-ra-na".

This album is very exciting, it's considered one of the best prog/experimental albums from this period in Northern Europe. It is very easy to see/hear why it is. It's a brew of nice experimenting grooves, fuzzy guitars as well as clean guitars with lots of wah, great riffs, that brings to mind Stray and May Blitz. The vocals, who I do not know who is performing, are descent though, they sound like a poorer version of Dave Brock of Hawkwind, but more unserious, but the music makes up for this! There is also some piano and saxophone (from unknown sources as well). If I had to describe the album in two words, those would be "peculiar" and "interesting" it gets very heavy at some points, but also dabbles in melodic pieces of softer origin. Then there is one thing, that I really find funny. In the second track "Like My Sister" the outro is a one of the parts of "In the Court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson, but that's okay, at least it's the only thing I recognize from somewhere else on the album.

1. We Got To Leave
2. Like My Sister
3. Between the Shields
4. Ricochet
5. Free
6. If I Needed Someone
7. Sorry It's the End
8. Cheer
9. All Through the Day

Bitrate: 192kbps
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Day of Phoenix - Wide Open N-Way - 1970 (Den) Progressive Rock

Before Cy Nicklin formed Culpeper's Orchard he was conquering the Danish progressive rock scene with Day of Phoenix. Day of Phoenix was formed in 1968 by Cy Nicklin (acoustic and electric guitars & vocals), Karsten Lyng Nielsen (guitar & vocals), Jess Stæhr (bass & vocals) and Henrik Friis Nielsen (drums). With this line-up the band was part of the act called "Andromeda Light Circus". They also recorded a song for the movie "Stine Og Drengene" composed by Nicklin. In 1969 Nicklin left the group and was replaced by Hans Lauridsen (vocals), Stæhr was replaced by Peter Friis Nielsen (bass & vocals) who was replaced by former Beefeaters member Erik Stedt Rasmussen (bass & vocals). Further line-up changes occured the following years, but I will not dig deeper into that right now, I will, however, tell the rest of the band's story when I write the next entry about the group. Here is a clip of the band playing live.

In 1970 Day of Phoenix released their debut called "Wide Open N-Way" which among other things included guest apperances by Kenneth Knudsen (Secret Öyster, Coronarias Dans) as well as Peter Friis Nielsen (Ex-Day of Phoenix, Coronarias Dans) on bass.The album was produced by the ex-Colloseum bassist Tony Reeves and reached a lot of succes both in Denmark and the rest of the world. The album is both dark, sweet, eerie, melodic, imaginative and creative all at once. If I should compare them to anyone I would say they sound like Beggar's Opera with a shortage of organ. Despite the fact that there is not a huge variety in used instruments on the album, it is still a great milestone in Danish progressive rock.

1. Wide Open N-Way
2. Cellophane #1 & 2
3. If You Ask Me
4. Mind Funeral
5. Tick-Tack

Bitrate: 256kbps
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Foreningen Til Livets Beskyttelse - s/t - 1972 (Den) Avant-garde/Progressive Rock

Another gem from Spectator Records. Foreningen Til Livets Beskyttelse (the Organisation For Protection of Life) is a group based on the group "Den Lille Prins". It was a Danish hippy band playing jazz and folk inspired hippy music. The line-up was Susanne Hammilton (vocals & lyrics), Gorm Larsen (saxophone & flute), Christian Risgaard Thomsen (piano & violin) and Malthe Envold Nielsen (guitar & vocals). I do not know who played bass nor drums, but there are plenty of that on the album as well.

Overall this is a good hippy record with lyrics mainly about society (what you'd expect from a hippy band from this period). The first song "Elverkongen" sounds like a softer version of Comus with a pinch of Alrune Rod. It is followed by a jolly and quite out of place country-like instrumental. From here on and out it is pretty much simple hippy hymns about society. That been said, it's not that the album isn't good, it isn't the most exciting album to listen to, but it is above average, I've heard plenty of worse records.

1. Elverkongen (the Elven King)
2. Ulster
3. Betjent Larsen (Officer Larsen)
4. Illusioner (Illusions)
5. Loppecirkus (Fleacircus)
6. Mågens Fortælling Om Livet (the Sea Gull's Tale About Life)
7. R(e)ary
8. Fuldmåne - Med Regnbuer Inde I Hovedet (Full Moon - With Rainbows In the Head)
9. Folketinget (the Danish Parliament)

Bitrate: 192kbps
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Culpeper's Orchard - s/t - 1971 (Den) Progressive Rock

Culpeper’s Orchard was formed in 1969 by Cy Nicklin (vocals, banjo, guitar & percussion), Nils Henriksen (guitar, piano, cembalo & backing vocals), Michael Friis (bass, flute, piano, organ & percussion) and Rodger Barker (drums & percussion). Before they released their first record. They made a name of themselves on stage. They represent a variety of music from psych rock to country. This record is called "First Plus Bonus" actually, because it has been remastered with bonus tracks. Here is some nice of footage of the band in concert.

When you first start listening to Culpeper’s Orchard self-titled debut from 1971. You might think you are about to engage in a Brit-folk inspired album with the soft opener “Banjocul”, but this is not what you are getting yourself into at all. Culpeper’s Orchard has much more to offer than just harmonized vocals, soft guitar patterns, folk instruments and nature-oriented lyrics. This shows when the second track “Mountain Music (Part 1)” blasts into your ears. It features two great guitar tracks, where one is heavily distorted and handling the leads and solos and the other is a slightly overdriven rhythm guitar.  Then there is the Hammond organ that will utterly make you perish if you are not prepared for an early prog rock attack! A great rhythm section and a wonderful vocal with harmonies that could resemble Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young..  Throughout the album it constantly changes and varies what you are hearing, either they are rocking you away with heavy melodies and power beats or they are enchanting you with their folk-ish interludes. Don’t miss this album. It’s flawless in every way.

1. Banjocul
2. Mountain Music (Part 1)
3. Hey You People
4. Teaparty For An Orchard
5. Ode To Resistance
6. Your Song And Mine
7. Gideon's Trap
8. Blue Day's Morning
9. Mountain Music (Part 2)
Bonus Tracks
10. Steamhouse
11. Classified Ads*
12. Troldspejlet (the Magic Mirror)
*This song is often mispelled "Classified Adds"

Bitrate: 256kbps
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Coronarias Dans - Visitor - 1975 (Den) Jazz Rock

 

I do not know very much about this record. Neither do I know much about the band. They were formed in 1970 and at this point the band consisted of Kenneth Knudsen (piano), Peter Friis Nielsen (bass) and Claus Böje (drums). I do not know from where in Denmark they were from and as far as I'm concerned this is their only released album (even though I have knowlegde of earlier recorded songs than the ones on this album). I do know who played on this record though. Coronarias Dans (Coronaria's Dance) featured Claus Böhling (guitar), Kenneth Knudsen (keyboards) and Ole Streenberg (drums) of Secret Öyster fame and Peter Friis Nielsen (bass & double bass). The record also features a guest apperance by Morten Grunnet (tambura) on the song "Morning".

The first thing that came to my mind when I first listened to this record was Return To Forever, only Coronarias Dans are white and from the very heart of Scandinavia, but despite this fact it doesn’t keep them from playing some great sort of rock-oriented jazz fusion. The album features almost ghostly/spacey passages and psyched out jams. Of course the guitar work is amazing guitarwork as you would expect from Claus Böhling. The keyboards are not bad either, not bad at all actually they are just as good as Böhling’s guitarwork. The basslines are pretty well written and the drums are wild. It’s like you are traveling through gardens of pink, purple, blue, green and red mushrooms and to foreign galaxies far from our own.  So get comfortable, lean back and journey beyond the stars with Coronarias Dans!

1. Se Det (Watch It)
2. Morning
3. Esrom
4. Don't Know
5. Visitor
6. Tied Waves
7. Sagittarius
8. Which Witch


Bitrate: 192kbps
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Midnight Sun - s/t - 1971 (Den) Progressive Rock

 

Midnight Sun was formerly known as Rainbow Band. The band was formed in the fall of 1969 - at this point the band's personnel was Bent Hesselman (saxophone & flute), Lars Bisgaard (vocals), Peer Frost (ex-Young Flowers) (guitar), Niels Brønsted (electric piano), Bo Stief (bass) and Carsten Smedegaard Andersen (drums).

They were actually one of the first Danish supergroups with members from Young Flowers, Beefeaters and Maxwells. Their style is on the border between jazz rock and progressive rock mixing blues, rock and jazz. Of course the line-up wouldn't last and Lars Bisgaard was replaced by Allan Mortensen later in 1971. And due to the rights to the music the band was formed to re-record their second album (which is this) and released it under the name Midnight Sun.

This is an absolutely fantastic album. The vocals are great, the guitar work is awesome, the pianoplaying is genious, the basslines are smooth, the drums groovy and the saxophone and flute delightful. The album is kicked off by a very strong opening song with great guiar solos. It is followed by a softer hymn featuring a melodyline close to "Summer Lovin'" from Grease, which evolves into a fuzzed out heavy jam. Next up is a song with a kind of uncanny piano intro with a Camel-like guitarmelody and then it suddenly becomes jazzy.
The good songs keep on coming with a groovy jazzrocker and much more like the epic prog-suite "Living On the Hill" with an astonishing mix of jazzy grooves and heavy riffs. I think that about does it, there is no need to say more, this album is perfect. The line-up is Allan Mortensen (vocals), Bent Hesselman (saxophone & flute), Niels Brøndsted (piano/keys), Peer Frost (guitar), Bo Stief (bass) and Carsten Smedegaard (drums).

1. Talkin'

2. King of the Sun

3. Nobody

4. Where're You Going To Be

5. BM

6. Sippin' Wine

7. Living On the Hill

8. Rainbow Song

Bitrate: 192kbps
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Hurdy Gurdy - s/t - 1972 (Den) Hard Rock

This power-trio was formed in 1967 when guitarist/vocalist Claus Böhling (Secret Öyster, Coronarias Dans), drummer Jens Otzen and the English bassist Mac MacLeod split from their former band Peter Belli & The B.B. Brothers (fronted by the legendary Danish beat rocker Peter Belli). They apparently desired to play harder and more psych-oriented music. As most power-trios this group played music influenced by Hendrix, Cream etc. Which becomes very clear when you listen to this album. They moved to England in 1968 after MacLeod had been deported. It's been reported that Donovan, a friend of MacLeod whom Mac had played with previously as a backing musician, wanted to produce a version of the band covering "Hurdy Gurdy Man," a Donovan composition. However, Donovan released his own hit version of the song, and Hurdy Gurdy did not issue anything while MacLeod was in the group, despite doing some recordings produced by Chris White and Rod Argent of the Zombies. Although two songs they recorded while they were in London eventually wound up on a MacLeod compilation released in 2003. MacLeod had to depart from the band and the band moved back to Denmark, where they recruited Torben Forne (bass), who recorded the bass parts for the album.

They went on to record this album, which sadly was their only release, which was released in 1972. The album is absolutely great with lots of Hendrix inspired guitarwork, a great rhythm section and great vocals which brings to mind Mountain, Grand Funk Railroad and of course Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The only downside is that the songs are pretty much alike, but if you can keep from thinking this sound just like that - it's absolutely great. Here is some ultra rare footage of the band on a Danish festival in 1971.

I've actually met Claus Böhling back in 2009 as well as Ole Streenberg (Coronarias Dans, Secret Öyster) and Karsten Vogel (Burnin' Red Ivanhoe, Secret Öyster, Mermaid). I had a nice chat with him and the others after a Secret Öyster gig which took place in the village hall of the small village I live in, am I lucky? And I must say Claus Böhling is one of the best Danish guitarists I've seen. We spoke about playing guitar and who I liked and was inspired by, when I told him I was fond of Ritchie Blackmore, he revealed that he had never heard Ritchie Blackmore nor Deep Purple - which I found pretty amazing as he was around back then and I wasn't. It was a great show by the way and I got to take the promo-poster which I got signed by the band. Anyway, Hurdy Gurdy, here you go!

1. Ride On
2. The Giant
3. Tell Me Your Name
4. Peacefull Open Spaces
5. Babels Tower
6. Spaceman
7. Lost in the Jungle
8. You Can Go Backwards
Bonus Tracks
9. Chain Me Down
10. Year Zero Now
11. Improv 

Bitrate: 320kbps
Link

Fujara - s/t - 1973 (Den) Progressive Rock

Fujara was formed in Køge in 1970. The band consisted of six members Ole Knudsen (vocals & guitar), Poul Chr. Nielsen (saxophone, trumpet, flute), Jørn Nørredal (trumpet, harmonica & trombone),  Jesper Christiansen (bass & vocals), Jan Andersen (guitar & vocals) John Olsen (drums). They were said to have humorous live perfomances, which you could imagine if you knew what they actually sing... Despite they are singing about erection and masturbation, they are still a hippy-band whose lyrics are deeply serious and often  deal with themes like society and socialism.

A thing that separates this group from other hippy groups from this period is the brass section, which is actually pretty good. The songs are a blend of hippy moaning, smooth brass arrangements and fuzzy guitar licks and a lot of wah. A quite odd mix, but it actually works. The songs aren't really that progressive, they are pretty much upbeat jams with not many changes to the rhythm, but I'd still consider this as prog, as I don't know what else to call it. The sound quality of this album is not that good, I could imagine it has never been re-released on a cd and therefore this is a dusty vinyl-rip.

1. Impo-Jensen*
2. Gør Dig Fri (Free Yourself)
3. Syvtoget (The 7 o'clock Train)
4. Pop Industrien (The Pop Industry)
5. Ventetid (Waiting Time)
6. Jesper
7. Fabrikanten (The Manufacturer)
8. Fyraften (Closing Time)
9. Majara

*Impo-Jensen is a pun on the Danish word "impotens" (impotence) and the Danish surname "Jensen". So the song is called "the Impotence" but instead of finishing the word "impotens" they've added the surname.

Bitrate: 256kbps
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The Old Man & The Sea - s/t - 1972 (Den) Progressive Rock

The Old Man & The Sea more commonly known as "Den Gamle Mand & Havet" in Denmark, was formed in 1968. During the six years until they split-up in 1974 they only released this one record in 1972, which was re-released in 1999, also a compilation was released in 2003 simply called "1972-1975". There is also a bootleg from 2001 called "Alternative & Unreleased 72-73" 
I was so fortunate that today, the 16th of February 2012, I accidentally bumped into someone who played with the band on the Roskilde Festival in '74 (I think) they played Roskilde in both '73 and '74. It was really cool to chat with him about 70's records and music.

Like all bands this band went through some changes in its personnel, but I am not going to dig into that. On the record the line-up was Ole Wedel Petersen (vocals), Benny Stanley (guitar), Tommy Hansen (Keyboards & backing vocals), Knud Lindhard (bass & backing vocals) and Lars "Bekse" Thygesen (drums). It is a great record containing lots of great guitar as well as organ work and some very strong songs. The only thing that could be better on the record is the vocals (and perhaps the rather boring artwork), the rest is absolutely great progressive in the vein of Tull and sometimes it even reminds you of Atomic Rooster. Concerning the vocals, it is not that Ole Wedel Petersen is a bad singer, but it's very easy to hear that English is not his primary language.
The record features heavy pieces with awesome guitar/organ solos as well as nice dreamy acoustic passages and of course there is some flute in there.

The Old Man & The Sea reunited with a slight change to the line-up during the 2000's. Ole Wedel and Benny Stanley are still with the band. Tommy Hansen used to be with the band during newer times too, but has been replaced.

1. Living Dead
2. Princess
3. Jingoism
4. Prelude
5. The Monk Song (Part 1)
6. The Monk Song (Part 2)
7. Going Blind

Bitrate: 256kbps
Link