Baker Gurvitz Army – Live 1975 (Esoteric Recordings)

 

Baker Gurvitz Army was an amazing power rock band from the 1970s.  Consisting of Cream’s, Ginger Baker, and the Gurvitz brothers who already made their name in Gun, plus Peter Lemer on keyboards, and Mr. Snips on lead vocals.  This was an explosive combination of talent, as it can be heard on this very record.  The recordings come from Reading University, and some supplemental tracks from London’s Victoria Theatre.  Nearly 80 minutes in all, this will rock you hard!

Baker Gurvitz Army was a very dangerous band!  On stage, they appear unpredictable, and are not afraid to jam and improvise.  There is a lot of potential here, and the players feel each other well.  At times, they get funky, and stretch it here and there.  You feel the atmosphere, and the very loose approach the band takes.  Yes, there is some crazy soloing, and drumming, and the bass gets wild too when it needs to. 

Live 1975 is now a living document as to how the rock music was presented nearly 50 years ago.  It was a very special time that will never be repeated.  A lot of lessons were learned since, but the newer bands still struggle trying to top or even get close to that level.  This simple fact makes releases like this amazing.  Live 1975 is a timeless capture of a band firing up on all cylinders!

Mark Kadzielawa

Classix Nouveaux – Battle Cry (Cherry Red Records)

This release comes as a real surprise.  Classix Nouveaux was a new wave/new romantic British band that released some very cool records back in the 1980s, and broke up in 1985.  They were never a big group, but they managed to have a healthy following especially in Europe.  Their frontman, Sal Solo, was very charismatic, and after the band’s demise concentrated more on the spiritual side of music.

Battle Cry picks up where the band left off back in 1985, which means it’s 1986 already, right?  Yeah, wish it was, but they still managed to do it in 2023.  It’s a very solid album with plenty of catchy songs.  There are several potential hits here, but what guarantees a hit in 2023?  The band plays around with the sounds you’re very familiar with, but they never lost their experimental touch either.  The group also revisited two of their older tracks, and sort of gave them a new lease on life.  But it all makes sense in the great scheme of things.  It’s great to get a Classix Nouveaux album in 2023.

Classic Nouveaux fans will certainly be very happy with this album.  It has a very gentle nature, but it also kicks left and right in the most unexpected ways.  Before you know it, you’ve listened to this album 20 times, and you simply can’t stop.  For the old fans the album feels like you’re reuniting with a friend you haven’t seen in ages.  If you’re a new fan, a great adventure awaits you!

Mark Kadzielawa

Wastelander – Endless Survival (Dystopian Dogs Records)

 

Endless Survival is a like a battle between good and evil!  You feel the two opposing camps struggling for absolute domination.  Add the apocalyptic setting, and this could equal to a movie!  This is a really heavy record, and the band clearly follows the path they established on their Wardrive album.

Wastelander mixes a combination of sounds, but they do it so effectively, it actually defines their musical style.  This album has a pounding heart, and delivers crushing blows.  Its musicality is well hidden, and balanced with a delicate proportion.  The focus here is heaviness, and Wastelander achieves this at ease.

There are a lot of cool visuals in the CD booklet, every song is illustrated and connected with the music.  From that perspective, the artistic connection between the music and the visuals is very impressive, and shows that a lot of thinking and effort went into making this album.  All of those factors make Endless Survival a record with a vision that goes way beyond the musical spectrum.

Mark Kadzielawa

Edgar Broughton – Break the Dark (Esoteric Antenna)

Edgar Broughton is a music icon from the 1970s and beyond.  His records with Edgar Broughton Band were filled with rock and groove.  This new album displays a different type of energy.  It has a very toned-down approach, and quite dark in nature, as the title suggests.  It’s a very good album with an interesting angle.

Broughton doesn’t necessarily want to rock you this time, but he wants to tell you things.  This aging rocker gathered a lot of life truths over the years, and now he wants to share.  This album is full of calmness and melancholy.  It is very touching at the same time.  It seems like with each listen you pick on different aspect of the music, and the lyrics. 

Break the Dark is like a new path for Edgar Broughton.  He’s using his musical proficiency in ways no one really expected him to, and it works, it works beautifully in fact.  The charm of this album is certainly undeniable, and it’s reflective nature will find many like hearted listeners.

Mark Kadzielawa

The Church – Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars (Comm Vess)

 

The Church created a real magic with The Hypnogogue album.  One of the more essential releases of 2023!  Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars picks up where the previous opus left off.  While both albums are somewhat connected, this one certainly has its own tone and personality.  As it is with The Church, you may think you are swimming along in the familiar waters, but you can't never predict the deepness.

The whole album feels like a one big suite with various movements.  It’s that melancholic feel that unites those songs into one solid wall of sound.  As for this listener, different tracks stand out on different days.  At the time of writing this review the love goes to 1954, Korea, and Manifesto, but that changes with each spin.  Even after multiple listens, the album still appears very mysterious.  There is a lot to explore for months to come.

The music on this record has a very delicate touch.  It gets into your system, and before you know it, you flow with it.  It has a clarity of someone who lost their sight, regained it, only to see things in more beautiful colors than ever before.  What a great feeling that is, and can only be experienced by someone who understands the gift of music.  In many ways The Church is the gift of music!

Mark Kadzielawa