Missionaria Protectiva

  RENAISSANCE  Novella  (Sire,1977) - Progressive rock       That the audience's tastes had changed didn't seem to matter much to Renaissance, who in 1977, undeterred by the musical revolution taking place, released their seventh studio album with an unchanged lineup, following a successful concert season that culminated with the release of the double  Live at Carnegie Hall .      Novella  is indeed another tale that seems to come from the past, almost a re-edition of their debut album,  five tracks opened by a very long suite (  Can You Hear Me?  ) with the piano always in the spotlight and refined arrangements to elevate  Haslam 's singing;  it's pure progressive, as the style of this band eludes by definition any genre label.      Midas Man  that opens the second side is certainly one of the best pieces of the record and of Renaissance's entire production, two intimate tracks for ...

        The Young Rascals (the ‘young’ prefix was dropped when the band members left their teens) initially gained a following in New Jersey around 1965, particularly the Choo Choo Club in Garfield, where they made their debut in January of that year.        Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore  was their first single, and their first American hit.        By mid-1965 they were supporting  The Beatles  at Shea Stadium. but it was  Good Lovin’  in 1966 which gave them their first Number 1 success.        Then in 1967, they recorded what was to be their major hit,  Groovin’,  which also marked a total change of style. It was a record that captured the mood of that spring. The disc signalled the summit of their career and, although they had another Stateside #1 the following year with  People Got To Be Free , they were on the downward path.       1971 brough...

  JOHN MILES  Zaragon  (Decca,1978) - Rock       For Zaragon, the John Miles and Bob Marshall songwriting team wrote seven new songs. This included the eight minute epic Plain Jane, and the three part suite Nice Man Jack. These seven songs were recorded by John’s original band with Rupert Holmes again taking charge of production.       Music was changing, with punk, post punk and disco among the most popular musical genres So were people’s opinions on orchestral arrangements. Many critics and record industry insiders thought that albums with orchestral arrangements were yesterday’s sound. For John Miles, he was moving towards rock epics, like Overture, which lasted nine minutes. Keyboards and synths were to the fore, and replaced the lush, orchestral arrangements of previous albums.  TRACKLIST : Overture                         Borderline           ...

  JUSTIN HAYWARD  Night Flight  (Decca,1980) - Rock       You could say that the album,'Night Flight' is more of a dance worthy love song dominated album. Unfortunately this album was not well received by the fans. Even though this album proved to be a dissatisfaction to the fans, it' still Justin Hayward. There's speculation that fans weren't overly thrilled about Jeff Wayne's Musical of "The War of the World's' ( Justin provided vocals to one of the songs ) so Justin had Wayne produce 'Night Flight', maybe not a good idea considering all the disappointment. TRACKLIST : Night Flight                        Maybe It's Just Love                        Crazy Lovers                        Penumbra Moon                        ...

  AMANDA LEAR  Sweet Revenge  (Ariola,1978) - Euro disco       Amanda sings and speaks with such great finesse; and despite her French  accent, her English diction is spot on. Her music and lyrics are pure  indulgence ― an absolutely intoxicating and mesmerising mix of extravagant  and luxurious aural treats.       With the synth sequencing; this album is rather technologically advanced for  its time (compared to most of the productions done during this period in the U.K., Europe, Scandinavia, and the U.S.)       The late 1970s production methods and techniques are quite lush as well. TRACKLIST : Follow Me                        Gold                        Mother, Look What They've Done To Me                        Run Baby Run ...

  SISTER SLEDGE  We Are Family  (Cotillion,1979) - Disco/Soul       Recorded simultaneously with Chic's own C'est Chic album, We Are Family was written and produced by Rodgers and Edwards, who had recently scored big with Everybody Dance and Dance, Dance, Dance. They were offered the cream of Atlantic’s roster to work with. Icons such as The Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin were rejected in favour of Philadelphia quartet Sister Sledge. By taking this relatively blank canvas, who’d already released a duo of underperforming albums, expectations were low.       Disco myth suggests that Sister Sledge’s records prior to this were simply not very good, but both had some great moments. If you listen to Funky Family from 1977’s Together, you hear the template for We Are Family. However, it sounds like a cola commercial as opposed to the gargantuan groove produced by Rodgers and Edwards.       With four classics (We Are Family, Lost I...