Hair - Piece - 1970 (Den) Heavy Psych

Another band formed in Copenhagen was Hair. A heavy psych quartet consting of Paddy Gythfeldt (organ, piano, guitar & lead vocals), Benny Dyhr (lead guitar & vocals), Allan Sørensen (bass & vocals) and Peter Valentin Rolnes (drums, percussion & vocals) formed in 1969 and disbanded in 1971. This the only record they released, it has been known to be sold for more than 3000DKK (337£) on auctions on the internet.

This is a great record. Hair sounds like they were the bastard child of a triangular-drama between the Doors, Blue Cheer and Mountain. It is filled to the brim with strong heavy songs, with lots of organ, fuzzed out guitars, great vocals and a behemoth of a rhythm section. It would have been nice to have heard more music from this marvelous band.

1. Coming Through
2. Supermouth
3. Dream Song
4. Everything's Under Control
5. Pleasant Street
6. Piece (of My Heart)

Bitrate: 320kbps
Link

Blast Furnace - s/t - 1971 (Den) Heavy Progressive

Blast Furnace was a Danish heavy progressive rock band from Copenhagen, which was brought to life when Arne Würgler (bass, cello, vocals) departed from the heavy psych group Pan around '70/'71. He met up with Niels Vangkilde (guitar) and Thor Backhausen (organ, piano, flute). The three lads met up with a Scot called Tom McEwan (drums, vocals) and Blast Furnace saw the light of day. This is the only album by the band, unfortunately. Tom McEwan has appeared in a lot of Danish movies and was a part of the Monty Python-esque Danish comedy trio "Klyderne".

This record is one of the finest heavy progressive records there is. It has all the elements you would expect a heavy progressive album to have; great instrumental parts, smooth and groovy basslines, nice flute melodies, driving organs, catchy guitar/organ riffs and great solos, nice acoustic mellow pieces including piano and acoustic guitar, but instead of the long instrumental songs that almost every prog band at this time had, they had only progressive hard rock songs that did not span for more than seven minutes. They did not need to play long songs to show their talent. Every single stick hitting the drumkit and every note stroke is of pure talent. The vocals are descent though, great at some points, but if this band had had a singer like Robert Plant or Ian Gillan they could have gone far. I It would be a huge insult to the band to play this record on a low volume level.


1. First And Last
2. Ginger Cake
3. Jaywalker
4. B-Major Blast
5. This Time of the Year
6. Toytown
7. Man Bites Dog
8. Long Distance
9. Goodbye Mr. Bobo
10. Dr. Night
11. Bye Bye Bobo
Bonus track:
12. Lister Du Omkring Hjørner* (If You Creep Around Corners)
*This could also mean "Do You Creep Around Corners?", but it is not really indicated which one is the correct, but since the song's title is not ended by a questionmark, it is supposed that the translation in the parantheses is correct.

Bitrate: 256kpbs
Link

Feo - Eg Meini Ted - 1971 (Den) Progressive Folk

If someone told you today, that there was band consisting of only blind or visually impaired members, you probably would not believe them, but in the 1970's everyone had a voice. Blind or deaf, it did not make any difference. Somewhere in between Steppeulvene and Skousen & Ingemann lived a progressive folk band called Feo. In Feo the members were either blind or visually impaired. They released two studio albums and a compilation through the 1970's. The band was formed by Rudi Albersten (vocals), Søren Durhuus (guitar), Thorkild Blond Andersen (flute), Mikkel Bayer (violin) and Flemming Nørgaard (bass).

This is their debut record. It's a very great and interesting record to listen. If you know Danish it contains both funny moments as well as scary moments, but if you do not know Danish the record might scare you. Despite the lack of female vocals, this record reminiscent of Comus. The instruments sounds very good and the melodies are great. Generally a very good and interesting record. Listen to this with the lights on.

1. Eg Meini Ted
2. Bjergfyr (Mountain Pine)
3. April*
4. Maj*
5. Juni*
6. Rundgang (Turnaround/Progression)
7. Drømmen (the Dream)
8. Bedstemor (Grandma)
9. Os (Us)
10. Mosen (the Bog)
11. Sisdyrdans (Sis-animal Dance)
12. Undren (Wonder)
13. Eg Meini Ted II
*The three months April, May and June in Danish.

Bitrate: 192kbps
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Blue Sun - Live '73 - 1992 (Den) Jazz-Rock/Avant-garde

Blue Sun is one the most missed and best remembered 1970's groups from Denmark today. They formed in Copenhagen in 1969. They were a hippy-group with musical roots in jazz-rock and avant-garde. They were also one of the many bands to be spotted by Spectator Records (on which they released their first album). After releasing their first album "Peace Be Unto You" they were signed by EMI (on which they released a self-titled album). They later released their third album on "It's All Money Johnny" the Danish label Genlyd under the name "Jytte Pilloni & Blue Sun". In 1992 this record was released on Danish Music Archives and they have also had a "Live 1970" record released by Karma Music (a Danish label run by TømrerClaus - a musician who has been involved with a lot of the Danish music scene in the 1970's).
The band's personnel was Dale Smith (vocals, percussion), Niels Pontoppidan (guitar), Jan Kaspersen (piano), Søren Berggreen (alto saxophone, flute, harmonica, percussion), Jesper Zeuthen (tenor saxopohne), Poul Ehlers (bass, doublebass) and Bo Jacobsen (drums). The band was so alive that no line-up lasted for a longer period of time. The only constant member was Poul Ehlers.

This is the album that was released in 1992 containing live recordings from '73. It is a great record with lots of soul to the music. It is very soft at some point and easy to listen to, but it also has its aspects of heaviness. The album is mostly dominated by saxophone, the other instruments will eventually visit the listener's ears and leave a smooth bassline or guitarlick in the listener's head. The other instruments than the saxophones are well-balanced and really good (not that the saxophones are not good). The few songs containing vocals features a very soft, soulful and peaceful vocal that fits the record perfectly.

1. Gryets Vinger (the Wings of Dawn)
2. Blue Sun
3. Tåreperseren (the Tear-jerker)
4. Efterår (Autumn)
5. Søn Af Solen (Son of the Sun)
6. Bladene Falder (The Leaves Fall)
7. Ivalo & Liza
8. Solhverv (Solstice)

Bitrate: 256kbps
Link

Days - s/t - 1970 (Den) Rock

Days was a Danish band who released several albums throughout the 1970's. The group was formed in Copenhagen in 1967. Their self-titled debut was released on Spectator Records (and was the only one of their albums to be released on this label). Later they were signed by Sonet. The band was formed by John Kjærgaard (vocals, rhythm guitar), Lars Reinau (vocals, lead guitar), Ole Fester (vocals, bass), Jørn Anker (organ) and Peter Lindhe (drums). John Kjærgaard quit the band before the release of their first album. They went through many line-up changes in through the years.

The album is a great post-psych rock album inspired mainly by groups like The Beatles and Procul Harum. It features mostly organ-driven songs with a great use of the hammond organ, it is not impressive, it is not bad either, but it is there and sounds good and acts as the main element of the record. It also features a more mellow acoustic song and some bluesy inspired compositions with slightly overdriven guitar. Overall it is a moody, peaceful and simple record. It is one of the most expensive records today from Spectator Records. I know a copy of the original LP was recently sold for 1900DKK (213£).

1. Preambulum
2. Discovery In Blues
3. Believe Me
4. Feel the Joy
5. What Can I Do
6. The Lonely Shepherd Boy
7. Globe Without A Soul

Bitrate: 241kbps
Link

Secret Öyster - Straight To the Krankenhaus - 1977 (Den) Jazz Fusion

Straight To the Krankenhaus is the fourth and last studio album released by Secret Öyster. They now stood "on top of the world" and decided to split-up after this album. They stopped while they were still going strong. The reason they chose the title Straight To the Krankenhaus for their last album was because everytime they played in Germany the first thing they would encounter in any city was a huge sign giving directions to how to get to the "Krankenhaus" (Hospital).

This is by far the band's best record. It features the up-tempo jazzy songs and the more melodic and melancholic pieces. They are still experimenting and taking their band to new heights even on this, their last album. There is actually no need for any words here. The record says it all. It does not need to be reviewed nor recommended, it is just great. Very, very great. The line-up is the same as on Vidunderlige Kælling and by far the best line-up the band has had.

1. Lindance
2. Straight To the Krankenhaus
3. My Second Hand Rose
4. High Luminant Silver Patters
5. Delveaux
6. Stalled Angel
7. Rubber Star
8. Traffic & Elephants
9. Leda & the Dog
Bonus tracks:
10. Alfred
11. Glasprinsen (the Glass Prince)

Bitrate: 320kbps
Link

Secret Öyster - Vidunderlige Kælling - 1975 (Den) Jazz Fusion

"Vidunderlige Kælling" which translates into "Wonderful Bitch" in English was a Danish ballet, that was performed at Det ny Teater in 1975. It was a very popular thing for bands to write music for ballets in the 70's. Groups like Ache and The Savage Rose had already written music for ballets and at this time around it was Secret Öyster's turn. Vidunderlige Kælling thusly became Secret Öyster's third album. Vidunderlige Kælling is described as an erotic ballet by Jens August Schade. It had choreography by Flemming Flindt and was starred by Vivi Flindt (who is on the front cover of the album). As you may already have guessed, there were naked dancers (who were beautiful according to Karsten Vogel's website) and in one of the scenes one of the dancers had to be covered in some sort of toxic gold-dust organism, that was actually rather dangerous. (You can see a picture of this on the album's front cover above).

Again Secret Öyster marks their dominance on the thrown of Danish jazz-fusion of the 70's. It's an outstanding album with lots of beautiful music that varies between melancholic ethereal piano pieces as well as jazzy sax themes and outstanding guitar work. Oh my, they did it again. Yet another masterpiece from this marvelous group. On this record the line-up was Claus Böhling (acoustic & electric guitars, sitar), Karsten Vogel (saxophones, string synthesizer), Kenneth Knudsen (keyboards, piano, moog, string synthesizer) , Jess Stæhr (bass) and Ole Streenberg (drums, percussion, harmonica).

1. Intro

2. Stjernerne På Gaden (the Stars on the Street)

3. Sirenerne (the Sirens)

4. Astarte

5. Solitude

6. Tango-Bourgoisie

7. Bellevue

8. Valse Du Soir

9. Outro
Bonus tracks

10. Sleep Music

11. Circus Sax

12. Intro To Act II

Bitrate: 256kbps
Link

Culpeper's Orchard - Second Sight - 1972 (Den) Progressive Rock

This is the second album by Culpeper's Orchard. Rodger Barker had left the band and his empty seat behind the drumkit was filled by Ken Gudman (ex-Young Flowers).

The album is a lot like their debut, but with lesser heavy parts and more mellow and all acoustic parts. There is not a lot to say about the record, it has its moments, but is not at good as their first. It is not because the album lacks the heavy parts it is bad, but it seems the band's creativity at this point was reduced a bit, forcing them to record a blues standard as a track for the album. It is not a bad record, but it is not the best record ever either. It contains some strong songs like "Classified Ads", "Julia", and "Autumn of it All", the others songs are not bad, but still there seems to be absence of something indescribable, but with all the bonus tracks it is a pretty enjoyable record to listen to.

1. Julia
2. Keyboard Waltz
3. Classified Ads
4. Late Night Woman Blues
5. Mind Pollusion/Weather Report
6. Autumn of it All
7. Satisfied Mind
Bonus tracks:
8. Raving (Live)
9. Sailor (Live)*
10. New Day, New Day (Live)
11. Hey Mister Housekeeper (Live)
12. Good Days (Live)
13. Sailor (Live)*
*These two are different recordings.

Bitrate: 320kbps
Link