Wheel of fortune (Badger) (LP 2036)

Badger  One Live Badger (CD, Cherry Red Records, 1974, reissue 2016) ****  

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Wheel Of Fortune

Gear costume: On The Way Home

Active compensatory factors: A lot of links to Yes with this one: Fresh from a stint in Yes, Tony Kaye features in Badger on keyboards, Jon Anderson produces, Brian Lane manages both bands, and Roger Dean supplies the amazing cover.

Plus this is a live recording, done while supporting Yes. 

The music is great and right up my alley with terrific noodling as they stretch out via some blues rock/prog rock lines.

Kaye stars, but the whole band is on awesome form. Apart from the inter song applause I would swear that this was a studio album. The songs are well crafted and expertly played.

Where do they all belong? A bit of a one off. The Badger line up changed after this debut and moved away from prog rock, so this album is even more of a stand out.

The dawn (Osibisa) (LP 425)

Osibisa Osibisa (Vinyl, MCA, 1971) ***

Genre: African pop/rock

Places I remember: Real Groovy

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: That cover, and Oranges

Gear costume:  Phallus C  

Active compensatory factors: In the liner notes of this, their debut album, it says Osibisa is about 'criss cross rhythms that explode with happiness'. And that's accurate.

Side one starts off with some scene setting before getting down to some horn embellished african prog (hence the reason for the terrific Roger Dean cover I guess).

Side Two is the commercial side - loads of catchy chant vocals (like Santana in the early days) and head shaking, foot tapping, body swaying rhythms.

Where do they all belong? In the International section - it's a unique mix of jazz, prog, pop, and Womad style otherness.

The heat goes on (Asia) (LP 115)

Asia Under The Bridge (Vinyl - The Vinyl Countdown, 2012) ***

Genre: Progressive Rock

Places I remember: The Warehouse (Hastings)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:  Heat of The Moment from the live album is always a great source for early eighties memories.




Gear: Soul Survivor

Active compensatory factors: Supergroup Asia's debut was firmly in the prog vein, thanks to sinuous songs, John Wetton's wonderful vocals (sadly John passed away in January this year), Geoff Downes' pop smarts, and great musical chops from Palmer and Howe. 

Under The Bridge is an 'official bootleg' of a show by the original band members from 2008 in San Francisco. One of those shows where legacy bands play a whole album - in this case their debut.

It's pretty good, too.

Sidebar for Under The Bridge: Naff cover is NOT by Roger Dean.

Where do they all belong? Asia would go through numerous personnel changes and I'd lose interest from the debut, persevering with collecting Yes albums instead.