Memphis Soul Sound

NICE COMPILATION!!!!

Memphis Soul Sound

MARATHON Neo-Prog • Netherlands

Marathon biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=905)

Dutch neo-prog band MARATHON (not to be confused with Italian and German bands with the same name) were formed in Enschede in the early 90's. They recorded two albums and then followed up with a live CD just before breaking up. As far as influences go, SAGA definitely comes to mind; add a few touches of RUSH for the muscle and some AOR-like ballads à la WINGS OF STEEL, and you'll have a good idea of what they sound like. 

Guitarist Erik Ten Bos clearly dominates the first album with his Ian Crichton-like power chords, ringing arpeggios and jerky riffs; on slow numbers, he can get pretty emotional with some melodic solos à la Steve Rothery. On the band's second album, "Norm", the SAGA influence is somewhat less obvious. Although it still includes its fair share of hard tracks, it is overall more reflective, leaning closer in style to art rockers FOR ABSENT FRIENDS. It still features some good interplay between keyboards and wailing guitars. As for compositional contents, both albums are a little uneven but still make for an enjoyable ride overall. Impeccable production (lush, polished, pristine sound), good vocals and choruses as well as solid musicianship. The live album offers a good selection from the two studio albums.

Recommended to fans of SAGA, FOR ABSENT FRIENDS, EGDON HEATH, in fact to anyone with an ear for melodic rock with progressive undertones.

: : : Lise (HIBOU), CANADA : : :

1994 - The First Run

Thanks Magal

Marakesh - Prog Rock (Neitherlands)

Marakesh is a band that came from Dordrecht and was formed in 1970 by Jan Plomp (drums), George Amelung (guitar, vocals), Wijnand Zijlmans (guitar, vocals), Zeeger Roobel (alt sax) and Dick de Jong (tenor sax). During their existence they suffered many line up changes. In 1976 they recorded an album. It consisted of long, dreamy symphonic tracks with jazzy influences. After the album was released, the band changed more towards a jazz rock band. In 1978 the band ended. One track of this new direction ended up on the sampler "Drechtstreek": Hot Flushes.

Henk Zijderveld went on to Carry Load and Ronnie Willemse became a member of Nightbird. Wout Prins went to Deadline and Pitches but eventually became the owner of a recording studio and Evert Houtman played in several bands, one of them was Deadline.

1976 - Marakesh

Musicians:

Jan van Dongen: Organ, piano, strings and vocals

Evert Houtman: Guitars

Dick de Jong: Saxophones, lute and vocals

Wout Prins: Bass guitar and vocals

Ronnie Willemse: Guitars

Henk Zijderveld: Drums and percussion

Dave in 't Veld: Trumpet

Review:
A pleasant, inoffensive primarily instrumental mid 70s progressive rock album. Reminds me a lot of the German bands of the era like Indigo and Fly. Especially the latter, given the saxophone presence. Keyboards are a string synth of some kind. What gives Marakesh a slight edge over their German brethren (in this genre anyway) is some inspired (and amplified) electric guitar work, and an occasional horn rock move with trumpet as a lead. The Dutch duo of related bands Mirror and Lethe are also benchmarks, though Marakesh weren't quite the masters of melody as those groups. One can see the transition from the early groups like Pantheon, Cargo and Earth & Fire to Marakesh and then onto the proto neo-progressive groups like Saga, a style that seemed to be an enormous influence on all modern era Dutch groups.

http://members.home.nl/gerser/dutchprog/obscure.htm

Thanks Magal

MAN Psychedelic/Space Rock • United Kingdom

Man biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2380)

MAN formed in the Swansea area of Wales from the ashes of the mid 60s harmony pop outfit, The Bystanders, and another local band The Dream. The two fused together, and became a more progressive outfit, signing to Pye Records. Their debut album, 'Revelation', being a fully fledged concept album. However, this gained little momentum and they shifted to Pye's 'progressive' imprint Dawn for the more experimental '2 Ozs of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle'. This made about the same amount of impact, and they changed labels entirely for their third eponymous album that was released on Liberty. Rather typically by now, this also didn't exactly set the world alight.

It was only when they signed to United Artists, which had re-established itself as a prominent prog label at this time. A run of very popular albums started from 'Do You Like It Here Now? Are You Setlling In' in 1971 through to the live album 'Maximum Darkness' in 1975. However, again their fortunes started to dwindle and after a few less successful albums for MCA they split. However, a short term reunion in 1983, and another in the early 90s which has continued to this day, has kept the band alive, despite the fact that pretty much every album has never featured the same line up twice!! Nowadays the band is led by the bass player Martin Ace, who has been an on/off member since around 1970.

Their best work is represented by '2 0zs Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle', 'Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day' and 'Rhinos Winos and Lunatics'. The first two represent space rock at its best, and the latter one shows a more structured approach yet some of their finest songwriting is on that album. However, space rock fiends cannot go wrong with their original 1969-1977 run of albums.

 Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics 

Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics (stylized on the cover as man: rhinos, winos + lunatics) is the ninth album by the Welsh psychedelic/progressive rock band Man and was released May 1974 on the United Artists Records label. It was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, noted for his work with Queen, and spent 4 weeks in the UK album chart, peaking at No 24.

Thanks Magal

Mac Gayden - Folk Country Rock (USA)

McGavock Dickinson "Mac" Gayden is an American rock and country singer, songwriter, musician and producer. He is also president of Wild Child Records, formed in 2004. Gayden's biggest hit as a writer is considered to be the song "Everlasting Love", which he co-wrote with Buzz Cason, recorded originally by Robert Knight, a Top 20 hit in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. It became a number one hit in the United Kingdom when covered by the Love Affair in January 1968. Carl Carlton's popular disco version was a number six hit in the U.S. in 1974 and has logged over five million plays, according to BMI. Gayden wrote part of the song when he was five years old on his grandmother's piano. The song is one of two that has had hit status every decade for the last four. Gayden was performing at a fraternity house at Vanderbilt, when on break he heard the voice of Robert Knight at another frat house, ran down and introduced himself and got together with Knight to write a song for his voice. He then proceeded to meet with Knight, and finish up the song with a friend Buzz. Gayden is known for his R&B hits and influences.

Skyboat (1976)

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KAIPA DA CAPO Symphonic Prog • Sweden

Kaipa Da Capo biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=9936)

In 2014, original KAIPA members Roine STOLT, Ingemar Bergman (drums) and Tomas ERIKSSON (Bass) re-grouped under the name KAIPA DA CAPO to play the old music from the first three albums as well as brand new music. To complete the team they called Mikael STOLT (vocals, guitar), brother of Roine, and Max LORENTZ (keyboards). 

After a series of concerts in 2015 the group started the recording of a new album in June 2016.

The album is titled "Dårskapens Monotoni" (Folly Monotony, in a literal translation) and will be followed by an extended European and Scandinavian tour in the autumn. The music is in the traditional KAIPA sound with songs sung in Swedish.

Darskapens Monotoni

Thanks Magal

Ghana Soundz - Afro-Beat, Funk and Fusion in 70's Ghana

A collection of ultra-rare and previously unreleased Afro-Beat, Funk and Fusion from 70's Ghana. Ghana Soundz was the first ever Soundway compilation and became recognised worldwide due to the licensing of the Oscar Sulley track, ‘Bukom Mashie’ to the soundtrack of Hollywood blockbuster, ‘Last King of Scotland’.

Pounding rhythms, blaring horns and pumping vocals – the music is a document of a time forgotten when flares and Cuban heels strutted the streets and night-spots of Accra, the sizzlingly hot and humid capital of Ghana.  Influenced as much by traditional rhythms and local highlife as by the music of Fela Kuti, James Brown and Santana, these tunes had almost become extinct – until now!

This compilation is the result of 2 years of crate digging in Ghana for 1970s afro funk nuggets. Booty shaking good times for all. If afro funk with horns is your thing, this is well worth acquiring. Put on your most colorful dashiki, prepare some african foods and take some friends on a journey to the heart of funkiness. Ghana Soundz was Soundway's first entry, in what has become a catalog rich with facinating and entertaining african obscurities.

Ghana Soundz (Vol. I & II)