Linda Cohen - Leda (USA, 1972)

 

Linda Cohen was a Philadelphia-based guitarist, who made three albums of instrumental music for classical guitar, augmented with various electronic instruments and effects. Sadly, she passed away recently, but was well-known in Philadelphia both as a musician and a guitar instructor. (Her obituary can be seen here.) Other members of the Philadelphia music scene help out on all her recordings: notably, Craig Anderton and Michal Kac of legendary psych group Mandrake Memorial, as well Charles Cohen, a modular synth player who is well-known to anyone familiar with the Philly underground scene of the past few decades. Leda was followed by Lake of Light (1973) and Angel Alley (1982); of the three, Leda seems to be the most sparse, with the warm nylon-string guitar of most tracks being subtly augmented by bass or synth sounds which remain in the background. Like of Light is available at this Soundcloud page. Although the arrangements of Lake of Light are sometimes more engaging, I think the songs of Leda are stronger, ultimately making it a more enjoyable album. Calm, reflective, psychedelic, and slightly melancholic music, reminiscent of Führs & Fröhling. 

Linda Cohen - Leda

LP, Poppy Records, 1972

A1    Arroyo
A2    Promenade
A3    Leda
A4    Madman Samba
A5    Wisteria
A6    Valentine Suite
B1    Fantasia Inca
B2    The Dust
B3/4 Two Themes     
B5    The Old Castle
B6    Sixth Sense

Link

Jesús Figueroa - Mágica Fuente (Uruguay, 1974)

 

Killer Uruguayan guitar psych! Little more needs to be said than that. South American shredding, punctuated by folksy interludes and stoned maté-blues. Definite similarities to compatriots Psiglo (although not as proggy, more straight-ahead blues-rock) (also: members of Psiglo apparently play on this record) as well as Southern neighbors like Almendra and Aquelarre, and more far-flung shredders like Shinki Chen. Figueroa was also in the group Opus Alfa; the bonus track included here (added onto the CD reissue) is by that band. I would take it off to preserve the original tracklisting, but it's too good of a song. I think I got this originally from Crotchbat. I always remember being surprised this one wasn't more well-known.

Jesús Figueroa - Mágica Fuente

LP, Sondor, 1974

A1  Curtiendo Bajo el Sol        
A2  Gitana        
A3  Nena Diablo        
A4  Amándote        
B1  Las Sombras        
B2  Eva        
B3  Boa Verde        
B4  Fuego de Dragón

(Bonus Track)  Casa des Huespedes

Link

Too much maté

Sheriff - s/t (Italy/USA, 1979)

In the mid-70s, Sensations' Fix relocated from Florence to California, eventually landing in Virginia in 1979. From their earlier experimental style, they moved towards a thick, otherworldly AOR sound on the later recordings. After recording Boxes Paradise, Vision's Fugitives, and Flying Tapes (I'm not sure if all three were recorded in the US, but the second was released there, as was this record), the group decided to change their name to Sheriff, and recorded this solid rock album at a studio in Fall's Church, VA in 1979. A second guitarist Frank Filfoyt is credited here, but I'm not sure if this is a pesudonym for Falsini (anyone know?). Otherwise the lineup is the same as Sensations' Fix. Falsini's guitar and vocals are unmistakeable here, continuing in the solid, spacey, bluesy rock mode of Boxes Paradise. This record is certainly the least 'prog' of the S.F. albums, but it's never boring, never predictable, ranging from cosmic blues to proto-metal. Uncredited synths bubble in the background, guitars echo and phase, Falsini shreds. If you approve of the later S.F. approach of Boxes Paradise, you'll be feeling Sheriff. I think I originally got this from Lamaraba back in the day.

Sheriff - s/t
LP, Observatory, 1979

A1  Girl with Optional Eyes
A2  Don't Let Go
A3  Troublemaker Blues
A4  Infall Defrauders and Audiphiles
B1  Stranger
B2  Sustain City
B3  There from the Phantom Base (instrumental)
B4  Transfixion Wait-In

Link

Flying Norwegians - Wounded Bird (Norway, 1976)

This one originally came from mysteryposter a few years back. Rare psychedelic country-rock from Norway. A thorough write-up on the group is at Willems County:

The first real country-rock band from Norway was formed January 1974 in Bergen. They ended their carrier in the early 80s as a new wave band singing in Norwegian, but had a reunion in the 90s where they where back to the country-rock roots.
Guitarist Rune Walle and drummer Gunnar Bergstrøm had both been playing in the folk(-rock) band Hole in the Wall, and had just been playing with the band Saft when they grouped with Cato Sanden (vocals, guitar), Johannes Torkelson (bass) and Jarle Zimmerman (vocal, keyboards) to make a Norwegian country-rock act inspired by what had been going on in the US (eg. Flying Burrito Brothers, Eagles, Poco etc). The quintet moved to Denmark, where they where living in the countryside making songs for their first LP, recorded in Oslo. ”New Day” was released in ’74 and ”Wounded Bird” in 1976.  A&M Records long considered a release of the second album in the states, but it never happened. 

Along with the aforementioned influences, I would cite the Byrds, CSNY, the Dead, other Scandinavian guitar-rock like Day of Phoenix, Anonymous, Oasis (the 70s Californian group), even Thin Lizzy (at times), or the Trevor Swadling I posted here last week. The most interesting songs are the ones that lace the well-built country-rock songs with proggy riffs, jangly guitar and cosmic synth lines.

Flying Norwegians - Wounded Bird
LP, Sonet, 1976

A1  Crazy Eyes Go Blind  
A2  Turn The Page    
A3  Taste Of The Money   
A4  Let's Walk To The River
A5  Evening Prayer
B1  Wounded Bird  
B2  Tangles  
B3  It's Over 
B4  Old Lady
B5  Absolutely Sweet Marie

Link

Michel Madore - Le Komuso à Cordes (Canada, 1976)

Michel Madore is a painter, sculptor, and musician from Quebec. He recorded two albums of progressive music in the late-seventies. On this one, the first of the two, he plays guitar and "string synths," and is joined by Ron Proby on moog and soprano sax. The music is a distinctive take on prog: spacey, a bit jazzy, and very melodic. There is somewhat of a new-age bent here, but the music isn't trancey or catatonic—it's energetic (but not exhausting) and dynamic, consisting of shifting harmonic plates of layered sound. The crystalline, finger-picked guitar is stabilizing, metronomic, merging with the rhythm section,  complemented by the swooshing synths and soaring woodwinds. Beautiful, refined, compelling, highly listenable Canadian music.

Michel Madore - Le Komuso à Cordes
LP, Barclay, 1976

A1  Calligraphie / Mac  
A2  Ballade   
A3  L'Avant-Dernière  
B1  Stanley    
B2  Rush   
B3  Juggernaut
B4  Bâli 

Link

"100% Canadian content"

Duo Diethelm Brandenberger - Didi L'Amour (Switzerland, 1978)

Thomas Diethelm is a Swiss jazz/prog/pop guitarist and singer. He would later form the Thomas Diethelm Band and play in a duo with keyboardist Santino Famulari. Bruno Brandenberger was a Swiss upright bassist. I forget where I grabbed this (bad of me, I know) but it doesn't seem to be unavailable anywhere online now, so I'm putting it up here.

The music is somewhat reminiscent of Führs & Fröhling, in that it is melodic, moody, spacey progressive music structured around nylon-string guitar. Instead of synthetic accompaniment as in F&F, Diethelm's guitar is coupled here by Brandenberger's warm bass counterpoint. Guitar and bass are sent through various echo, delay, and phaser units, giving the album a simultaneously acoustic and electronic texture. Far from being jarring, the sound is insanely comfortable on the ears. On several songs the instruments are accompanied by Diethelm's surprising and strangely beautiful falsetto vocals, consisting of wordless vocables. Extremely listenable. Some parts of rare beauty. Singular sound quality.

Duo Diethelm Brandenberger - Didi L'Amour
LP, Gold Records, 1978

A1 Didi L'Amour 
A2 Dvorak
A3 Oktober
A4 Basso
A5 Maisprünge
B1 Peperonata
B2 Vergnügt
B3 Tagtraum
B4 Herbstwanderung
B5 Toni N.
B6 Viva La Marie

Link