Back catalogue: Progressive Rock

Review: Japanese jazz drummer Takeshi Inomata is a little-spoken-about figure in the jazz-rock scene; The Japan Jazz All Stars alumn, We 3 trio leader and Rhythm Clinic Center founder has made well over 300 recordings in his career - this being the third in a year-long trilogy enthusiastically and successively released under the Sound Limited name alongside Kimio Mizutani and Shigenori Kamiya - amongst others - largely influenced by European musicians like Donovan and The Beatles. A notable and funny inclusion is 'London Bridge is Falling Down', a quite literal jazz groove cover interpolating the famous nursery rhyme. Opening track 'Something' is a cracking piece of relaxing jazz, nothing eye-popping, just some glossy, well-played, easy listening. 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' is a fast-paced funk cut with striking psychedelic guitars over a frantic flute line - the project showed Inomata's vision for a more approachable and instantly catchy jazz rock that still retained a lot of character and left, evidently, lots of room for experimentation.

Review: Michael Schencker recollects his years during the 70s as part of his time-vaunted band, UFO across two chunks of vinyl, with the Scorpions/MSG rock icon leader marking the 50th anniversary of the spacefaring UFO era. Schenker became a driving force behind some of UFO's best loved tracks, including 'Doctor Doctor', 'Rock Bottom' and 'Only You Can Rock Me'. Now we can relive these larger-than-life, out-of-this-world rock smackdowns for a second time.

Review: Memories in Beach House by Seaside Lovers is one of those much sought-after city pop gems. It comes from 1983 and on now is it reissued on vinyl. The album features three iconic Japanese musicians of the 80s - Akira Inoue, Hiroshi Sato, and Masataka Matsutoya (who is the husband of Yumi Matsutoya) and as master keyboardists, they deliver a lush, harmonically rich collection of island fusion sounds that blend jazz and electronic influences into new forms. The mostly instrumental tracks are occasionally accented with light Balearic vocals and so although summer may be over, this album transports you to the sea with its relaxing beachside vibes and smooth atmospheric sound.

Review: The Tiger Rock long player from Tiger B. Smith roars back into circulation here thanks to a vinyl reissue that will please fans of heavy sounds. The album marked the band's 1972 debut and is an archetypal work from the German heavy rock trio. It takes some obvious inspiration from the electrifying energy of Jimi Hendrix and adds to that plenty of raw and powerful kraut-psych sound. It features the standout nine-minute epic 'To Hell' which is a real thrash delight with gritty riffs and rhythms all showcasing their fearless approach to heavy rock. Tiger Rock captures the spirit of experimentation and intensity that defined the Krautrock era.

Review: In 1969 Soft Machine were truly growing into the otherworldly entity they're best known as now, moving on from the more psychedelia-rooted sound of the debut album into the broader expanse presented on Volume Two. This live recording captures them in full flight at the legendary Bataclan in Paris, and the wild creative vision of Robert Wyatt's merry pranksters splays out from the ominous drum intro onwards, through towering crescendos of musicality that touch on noticeable album moments such as the 'Esther's Nose Job' suite from Volume Two to 'Moon In June', which would be released one year later on Third.

Review: Softs marked a pivotal moment in Soft Machine's evolution, departing from their experimental roots towards a refined jazz fusion sound. Following Bundles in 1975, this album found the group embracing a more structured approach while still delivering intricate and dynamic compositions. Keyboardist Karl Jenkins takes a more prominent role, with his compositions blending beautifully with John Etheridge's fiery guitar and Alan Wakeman's expressive saxophone. Highlights include the energetic 'The Tale of Taliesin', featuring a blistering guitar solo, and 'Ban-Ban Caliban', where the band's fusion of synths and sax creates a rich, textured sound. The album also includes softer moments like 'Song of Aeolus' and the piano-acoustic guitar duet in 'Out of Season', offering a contrast to the intensity of the faster tracks. Drummer John Marshall shines with a powerful solo in 'Kayoo' and the album concludes with Etheridge's gentle acoustic piece 'Etka'. While Softs diverges from the classic Soft Machine style, it stands as a strong jazz fusion album with undeniable charm. It's an excellent listen for fans of the genre, though some purists may find it a departure from the band's psychedelic roots.

Review: Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs of Saint Etienne fame are the diggers behind this new rock assemblage which pays tribute to mid-afternoon set times at lesser-known festivals from years gone (well, the 70s) such as Deeply Vale, Bickershaw, Krumlin, Weeley, and Plumpton. They were just as important to those who attended as the more celebrated likes of Glasto' and this collection shows the sounds were just as good, too. The sounds - from big names liek Deep Purple, Hawkwind and Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw to lesser known acts like Jonesy, will appeal to hippies and bikers alike with big riffs, funky drumming and some psyched-out sounds.

Review: Sternenmadchen, or Star Maiden in English, was a title given to Gille Lettmann, part of the Cosmic Couriers coterie of kosmische German adventurers in the mid 70s. The album Gilles Zeitschiff was released in 1974, but a quickly recorded follow-up never saw release despite the heavyweight line-up of Dieter Dierks,AJurgen Dollase,AHarald GroBkopf andAMythos backing up Gille. The reasons for the hiatus are undisclosed for now, but either way, 50 years after the fact, Gilles Zeitschiff 2 finally surfaces as a true gift from the psychedelic gods for all lovers of kosmische music.

Review: Kiyoshi Sugimoto's Babylonia Wind is a mesmerising dive into deep, mysterious grooves that entice you while challenging your surrender. Celebrated by peers like Terumasa Hino and Akira Ishikawa, Sugimoto's guitar work represents the pinnacle of modern jazz and jazz rock. This album beautifully showcases the collective talent of his band, featuring Hideo Ichikawa's electric piano creating ripples, Yoshio Ikeda's rich bass anchoring the sound, and Motohiko Hino's dynamic drumming. From the oceanic depths of the title track to the ethereal charm of 'Hieroglyph,' this reissue is an essential listening experience.