Años Psicodélicos - Various Artists

This is an incredibly strange record - a Peruvian compilation of (mostly) Brazilian music from the 1970s, the Psychedelic Years.
Side one consists of jazzy, funky, synth heavy MPB.  There are some wonderfully heavy breaks to be heard here.
Side two, on the other hand, presents us with five choice cuts of Brazilian psyche, progressive rock and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll.
All things considered, I'm preferring the funkier side at the moment, but that could change with my mood.

Here are a couple of tasters:



Tracklist:

01     Dudziak – Mosquito     
02     H. Belardi – An American In Paris     
03     Lott – Baby         
04     Orlandivo – Tem De Ser (Tiene Que Ser)         
05     Grupo Arco-Yris – Coisas Da Vida (Cosas De La Vida)         
06     Ary Lobo – Nego São (Nego Sano)         
07     Terço – Ilusão De Ótica (Ilusión Ôptica)         
08     Light Reflections – Send It For Tomorrow         
09     Mutantes – Tudo Bem (Estás Bien)         
10     Tutti Frutti – Nessa Altura Dos Acontecimentos (A Estas Alturas De Los Hechos)         
11     Karma – Depois Do Portåo (Después Del Portón)

Get it HERE.

Gérard Manset - La Mort D'Orion

 

 

This record was rescued from a box of old vinyl in a charity shop in Woodingdean, where it languished amongst heaps of records by Des O'Connor and Slim Whitman.  Weird to find such a strange, symphonic psychedelic prog-rock album in amongst such incongruous company.

The music here is dense and otherworldly and Manset employs a broad palette incorporating gypsy violins, sitars, fuzz guitars and experimental recording techniques alongside all the traditional instruments of the orchestra. 

Tracklist:

01         Introduction         
02         Où L'Horizon Prend Fin        
03         Salomon L'Hermite         
04         Final        
05         Vivent Les Hommes        
06         Enchaînement         
07         Ils         
08         Paradis Terrestre        
09         Elégie Funèbre

Get it HERE.

Alla Pugacheva - Mirror of the Soul (1978)

This 1978 compilation of songs by Alla Pugacheva is a quite incredible collection of Communist era prog rock, soul, psychedelia and big, ballsy balladeering from one of Russia's most popular and enduring stars.  For all the funky goodness on display here, Alla was, for many, the epitome of the State-endorsed Culture Industry of the late Soviet era - safe, manufactured entertainment designed to pacify the mind.  Sound familiar?  For all that, I'm loving some of these mad tracks at the minute - the producers obviously had lots of fun, and it sometimes seeps into a lovely kind of Pink Floyd-esque territory.  Anyone who enjoyed the Patty Pravo album I posted a while back will want to check this out.

Here is a severely abridged version of 'Shaman's Tambourine':

Tracklist:

01         Бубен Шамана · Witch-Doctor's Tambourine        
02         Верю В Тебя · I Believe In You   
03         Сонет · Sonnet         
04         Приезжай · Come        
05         Не Отрекаются Любя · Those Who Love Don't Renounce         
06         Песенка Про Меня · A Song About Me         
07         Женщина Которая Поет · The Woman Who Sings

Get it HERE.

Patty Pravo - Per Aver Visto Un Uomo Piangere E Soffrire Dio Si Trasformò In Musica E Poesia

I picked up two Patty Pravo LPs in a charity shop a couple of years ago and this one has really grown on me. Patty started out as a nightclub singer in the mid '60s, she has the honour of being the first pop singer to have a song played on Vatican Radio. This is her 1971 foray into orchestral prog-rock histrionics, I don't understand the Italian she sings but to me she conjures filmic images of a startled awakening from a '60s dream, aimless glamour, cynical and dead-eyed jetsetters in Rimini nightclubs, smashed ashtrays and hysteria. Maybe you'll like it.



Tracklist:

01 Morire... Dormire... Forse Sognare
02 Lanterne Antiche (Antique Annie's Magic Lantern Show)
03 Poema Degli Occhi (Poema Dos Olhos Da Amada)
04 Storia Di Una Donna Che Ha Amato Due Volte Un Uomo Che Non Sapeva Amare (The Same Old Chair)
05 Preghiera (Bright Tomorrow)
06 Un Uomo Una Donna Una Bambina (Do Yourself)
07 Un Volto Bianco Sulla Neve (I Do Love You)
08 T. L. & R. (Thunder Lightning And Rain)
09 Follow The Lamb

Get it HERE.