Missionaria Protectiva

  ALLAN HOLDSWORTH  Velvet Darkness  (CTI,1976) - Jazz fusion       Velvet Darkness  is a musical bastard. Holdsworth himself has disowned it as the illegitimate offspring of a recording session that was never paid for or approved. This has not stopped record labels from re-releasing it over the years or fans from praising it. Featuring a mix of fiery fusion instrumentals and acoustic guitar interludes,  Velvet Darkness  is occasionally breathtaking.  TRACKLIST : Good Clean Filth                        Floppy Hat                        Wish                        Kinder                        Velvet Darkness                        Karzie Key ...

  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...

  SYREETA  One To One  (Motown,1977) - R&B,Soul       Assisted by a tight, all-star band and producer Leon Ware, One To One became the best album of Syreeta’s three-album career. While commercial success still eluded Syreeta, she proved not only was their life after Stevie Wonder. The three year break she’d enjoyed, had rejuvenated her career. One To One, was the finest album Syreeta had released and is indeed, a hidden gem in Motown’s back-catalogue.  TRACKLIST : One To One                         I Don't Know                         Rest Yourself                         I Too Am Waiting                         Tiki Tiki Donga                         Do...

  TOWER OF POWER  Back To Oakland  (WB, 1974) - Funk, Soul       Arguably the best and certainly the most commercially successful album from one of the greatest horn section bands. ‘Back to Oakland’ featured blistering horn section writing and awesome soloing by a young Lenny Pickett who went on to lead the Saturday Night Live band for 20 years. TRACKLIST : Oakland Stroke...                        Don't Change Horses (In The Middle Of A Stream)                        Just When We Start Makin' It                        Can't You See (You Doin' Me Wrong)                        Squib Cakes                        Time Will Tell          ...

        Carla Thomas – daughter of Memphis disc jockey and singer  Rufus Thomas  – was only 10 years old when she started out with the Teen Town Singers (a chorus drawn from the black high schools around Memphis) and just 15 when the self-penned  Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)  sold a million copies in 1960 and became her signature song.       She was one of the first artists to record for  Stax , the label that came to define the Memphis sound.       With Stax-mate  Otis Redding  she worked up  Tramp  – in which the pair carried on a memorable mock quarrel – during an impromptu Christmastime session in 1966. In 1967 she toured the UK with  Redding ,  Sam & Dave ,  Eddie Floyd ,  Arthur Conley  and  Booker T  as part of the legendary ‘Hit The Road’  Stax  package tour.       Carla spent most of the 1970s in Los Angeles, pursui...

  JUICE NEWTON  Quiet Lies  (Capitol,1982) - Country rock        This album assured Newton three country hits (the first three tracks) as she found her way back to the country-rock sound she seems to do best. Her choice of covers works better this time as well. Her  Brenda Lee  ( Break It To Me Gently )  netted her a hit, and her  Gene Pitney  ( I'm Gonna Be Strong )  cover wasn't bad either. TRACKLIST : Heart Of The Night                        Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me                        Break It To Me Gently                        Love Sail Away                        I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can                     ...

  WILLIE NELSON  Red Headed Stranger  (Columbia, 1975) - Country       Willie Nelson’s career-defining masterpiece symbolizes the transition from the glossy Nashville Sound of the then-recent past to the more introspective songwriting of a new generation of country songwriters; it’s an indisputable classic that harkens back to the rich storytelling tradition of country and western music. TRACKLIST : Time Of The Preacher                         I Couldn't Believe It Was True                        Time Of The Preacher Theme                        Blue Rock Montana / Red Headed Stranger                        Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain                        Red ...

  RICHARD BETTS  Highway Call  (Capricorn,1974) - Country rock       ‘Highway Call’  built on the country styling of  ‘Blue Sky’  and  ‘Brothers and Sisters’  but more so. While this seemed new and innovative in 1974, in reality, Dickey Betts’ inspiration was based on his childhood exposures to country, bluegrass, western swing, and the music of Jimmie Rodgers. The fact it was released under the name Richard rather than Dickey Betts adds to the sense of personal history. The musicians that Betts gathered to record  ‘Highway Call’  were a mix of southern rock musicians like Chuck Leavell, Cowboy’s Tommy Talton, and producer Johnny Sandlin, and real country and bluegrass musicians like famed steel player John Hughey, and bluegrass fiddler Vassar Clements. There were also appearances by Frank, Leon, and Walter Poindexter who were related to the Rice Brothers, Tony, Larry, Wyatt, and Ron, and the American Southern gospel group...

  PETER FRAMPTON  Wind Of Change  (A&M,1972) - Hard rock       Beginning with his initial solo album,  Wind of Change , Peter Frampton laid the groundwork for the releases that would follow. While not his strongest overall work, all of the songs had that inestimable  something  that would define Frampton’s solo work -- a gentle, comforting style that kept each tune playing over and over in my head. Songs like “Fig Tree Bay,” “Wind of Change,” “It’s a Plain Shame,” and “All I Want to Be” can stand with anything he would write in the future. While all his best works touched on relationships, they were all different enough not to cloud the mind, and they remain fresh through repeated listens. TRACKLIST : Fig Tree Bay                    Wind Of Change                    Lady Lieright                 ...