Cap-Caz

Captain Sperrmüll (West Germany): Spontanarcho Musik (Trikont Unsere Stimme US-80, some with insert and poster, 1981)
Rock/Progressive
Möhre (bass, backing vocals), Ruth (backing vocals), Cachi (backing vocals)
As the title suggests, this is conceptually in the same area as Crass. However, musically there is little resemblance, as Captain Sperrmüll took their influences from early seventies rock and prog, with bluesy elements here and there and plenty of good guitar work. In fact, this is musically quite conventional, with most of the more anarchic elements coming from the semi-sung and spoken vocals. GRADE: C+.
Captain Sperrmüll (West Germany): Die Sonne Geht Aus! (Schneeball 34, 1982?)
Rock/Progressive
Sarah (principal vocals, percussion), Sonja (percussion)
Their second and final album drops most of the ranting for a more straightforward guitar-led progressive rock sound, with jazzy and occasionally Arabic edges. Whilst both of their LPs are interesting, this is the more mature and consistent of the two. GRADE: C+.

Capturing Virga (USA): Capturing Virga (MPLS, CD, with gatefold minisleeve and insert, 2009)
Progressive
Gretchen Kieling (occasional vocals, guitar, bass)
These mostly instrumental vignettes, based around electric guitars, bass and drums hint at both latterday King Crimson and a variety of post-punk bands; with its angular, hard-riffing style this is also quintessentially American. On the downside, there’s not much variety until the seventh track, after which the album goes in a number of interesting directions including a rather winsome song, but there’s no arguing that the jams here are lively, energetic, dynamic and extremely well recorded. GRADE: B–

Carambolage (West Germany): Carambolage (David Volksmund Produktion 333, 1980)
Rock/New Wave/Progressive
Elfie-Esther Steitz (joint lead vocals, guitar, organ), Angie Olbrich (joint lead vocals, bass), Britta Neander (joint lead vocals, drums)
This obscure all-female trio offer interesting political rock, blending influences from punk and prog on thirteen short, funky songs with unusual riffs and some experimental touches. On ‘Je T’Aime’, the singer is an absolute dead ringer for Renate Knaup-Krötenschwanz, and the song strongly puts me in mind of mid-seventies Amon Düül II. Apart from that, it’s all very late seventies or early eighties, but it’s also quintessentially Krautrock, making the album well worth a listen. GRADE: C+.
Carambolage (West Germany): Eilzustellung Exprès (David Volksmund Produktion 444, with inner, 1982)
Rock/New Wave/Progressive
Elfie-Esther Steitz (joint lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Angie Olbrich (joint lead vocals, guitar, bass, organ), Janett Lemmen (bass, saxophone), Britta Neander (drums, percussion)
Their second album, cut with a larger four-piece line-up, is similar to their first, but rather punkier and with fewer Kraut touches. Overall, this is probably best compared to contemporaries like Gang Of Four, L Voag, Poisongirls and Talking Heads. GRADE: C+.

Caramel Mou (Canada): Caramel Mou (Deram XDEF 104, 1974)
Rock
Vivianne Moreau (principal vocals, effects)
This is usually described as progressive, but in fact it’s mildly quirky mainstream rock with frequent folky edges and a few experimental touches. Several tracks borrow liberally from better-known songs, with ‘Miss Ellery’ in particular seeming to take its rhythm guitar line from Fairport Convention’s ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes?’. In the sleevenotes, they thank the Ville Emard Blues Band, with whom they obviously had some connection. GRADE: C+.

Caravelles (UK): The Caravelles (Decca LK 4565, 1963)
Pop
Andrea Simpson, Lois Lane
‘You Don’t Have To Be A Baby To Cry’ may have been a transatlantic top ten hit during the British Invasion beat boom, but this teenage female duo had a rather different sound to most acts of their day. In fact, with their lush, dreamy harmonies, they might easily appeal to those enjoying later American bands such as Free Design. Also, unusually for a female act of the time, they penned four of this album’s cuts themselves. GRADE: C+.
See also Lois Lane

Cardboard Village (USA): Sea-Change (Cardboard Village CVST 4, with insert, 1973)
Folk/Psychedelic
Chris Poole (occasional vocals, flute)
At its best this is really lovely hippie-folk, with most songs featuring the winning combination of acoustic guitar, electric bass, congas and flute. A couple of good-time numbers slightly break the flow, but mostly it’s a fine album that acts as an effective vehicle for talented singer/songwriter and guitarist David Clark. GRADE: C+.

Cardinal Folk (UK): The Cardinal Folk (County Recording Service COUN LP 128/129, no sleeve, 1968?)
Folk
Just a handful of copies are known of this private pressing, issued without a sleeve on the same label as Levee Camp Moan’s two albums. Musically, it’s gentle and naïve, midway between folk club fare and a school project album in mood. All of the material is familiar, including such staples as ‘Georgy Girl’, ‘Kum-Ba-Yar’, ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’, ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ and ‘We Shall Not Be Moved’.

GRADE: C+.
Cardinals (UK): Sweet And Refreshing (Nelmwood Audio NWA 1, 1971?)
Folk
Anne Morris (joint lead vocals)
Their second LP, under a slightly different name, is quaint traditional folk – not particularly original or inventive, but often delicate and beautiful. In particular, sensitive readings of ‘Summer Wine’ and ‘Dream’, the slightly eerie ‘Last Night They Burnt Atlanta’ and the Eastern-tinged ‘Morning Please Don’t Come’ work very well. GRADE: C+.
Cardinals (UK): Top Of The World (Nelmwood Audio, UK, 1973?)
Folk
Anne Morris (joint lead vocals, guitar, tambourine)
Similar in style to Sweet And Refreshing but not as good, this spans a broad range of material, from the Carpenters’ ‘Top Of The World’ to Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Wednesday Morning 3am’ and the Seekers’ ‘Red Rubber Ball’. Ultimately, it’s all rather middle-of-the-road, and exactly the kind of stuff one could have heard in any folk club during the early seventies. GRADE: C.
Cardinals (UK): Moonshine (No label CWB DO1, 1974?)
Folk
Anne Morris (joint lead vocals, guitar, tambourine), Anne Skates (joint lead vocals, flute)
On the plus side, their final album includes original material for the first time, in the shape of two pleasant Anne Morris compositions. On the downside, the whole thing has a generic folk club sound as usual, and I could have done without their versions of ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’, ‘Last Thing On My Mind’ and ‘Annie’s Song’. GRADE: C.

Cardinal Newman School (UK): The Healer (Piper Studios PSS011, with insert, 1977?)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Susan Fogarty (joint lead vocals), Helen Burke (joint lead vocals), Helen Walker (joint lead vocals), Esther Hackett (strings), Ailsa Campbell (strings)
This school project album, housed in a striking minimalist sleeve, is rather interesting. Typically for the genre, it’s a religious-themed rock opera, with lots of woodwind and some slightly hesitant vocals. Untypically for the genre, it also has lots of electric guitar leads and some synthesiser, giving it a definite progressive edge. A few whimsical moments (notably on side one’s closer ‘Who’s He Anyway?’) don’t work so well, but overall this is a fine example of its genre. GRADE: C+.

Care Of The Cow (USA): Care Of The Cow (No label SS-29846-01, 10”, with inserts, 1975)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Sher Doruff (joint lead vocals, guitar, percussion, mandolin, recorder), Christine Baczewski (joint lead vocals, guitar, percussion, psaltery)
Issued only as a promo, the band’s debut LP (which came with a soft foldover sleeve and various inserts) is so rare that it is omitted by most of their discographies. Musically, it’s completely different to the new wave/avant-prog for which they’re known, blending influences from folk (with hints of the Incredible String Band), progressive rock and psychedelia. Highpoints include the superb instrumental ‘New Joe Clark’ and an eerie, trippy nine-minute version of ‘Matty Groves’. GRADE: B–.

Care Of The Cow (USA): I Still Don’t Know Your Style (Fame & Fortune DBS-8842, with inner, 1981)
Folk/Progressive/New Wave/Avant-Garde
Christine Baczewska (joint lead vocals, guitar, percussion, whistle), Sher Doruff (joint lead vocals, guitar, drums, percussion, clarinet, whistle)
Their much delayed second album maintains the dark electric folk style of their first, but adds lots of new wave and experimental elements plus a slightly satirical feel (most notable on a deconstruction of ‘Que Sera Sera’). It’s all quite intriguing and very, very American, but their debut retains the edge for me with its more British orientation. GRADE: C+.
Care Of The Cow (USA): Dogs’ Ears Are Stupid (Fame & Fortune, cassette, 1983)
New Wave/Progressive
Christine Baczewska (joint lead vocals, synthesiser), Sher Doruff (joint lead vocals, guitar, synthesiser, drum programmes, concertina, clarinet)
Album number three completes their transition to new wave, complete with lots of synthesisers, some programmed drums and even occasional reggae rhythms. However, there’s a lot more to this than that description suggests: whereas their first two were pretty sparse, this is dense music, packed with tempo changes, psychedelic guitar solos and mild progressive diversions. As a synthesis of singer/songwriter, folk and experimental music refracted through a new wave prism, this is fascinating stuff that takes several listens to appreciate fully.

GRADE: C+.

See also Christina Baczewska

Carefrees (UK): We Love You All (London LL 3379 / PS 379, USA, 1965?)
Beat
Lyn Cornell (joint lead vocals), Betty Prescott (joint lead vocals), Barbara Kay (joint lead vocals)
This obscure pop group is best remembered for its cash-in single ‘We Love You Beatles’, which gave them a minor hit, but this album appears to have been issued only in the States. It’s low budget British invasion stuff, with rather shrill vocals and rudimentary instrumental backing, including versions of ‘I Only Want To Be With You’, ‘Needles And Pins’, ‘You Were Made For Me’, ‘Glad All Over’ et al. Cornell and Prescot were formerly of the Vernons Girls, who issued an album in 1958 and a few early sixties singles; the former later went on to the Pearls, who scored a top ten single in 1974 with ‘Guilty’. GRADE: C.

Carew Manor School (UK): Carew 2 (No label CMS 200, 1974)
Folk
Sylvia Barnett (joint lead vocals), Wendy Dunne (joint lead vocals), Diana Gliddon (joint lead vocals), Anita Hunt (joint lead vocals), Gillian Jones (joint lead vocals), Judith Jones (joint lead vocals), Linda Kirtley (joint lead vocals), Sharon Krelle (joint lead vocals), Susan Martin (joint lead vocals), Adrienne Robins (joint lead vocals), Carol Rose (joint lead vocals), Jacky Spindlow (joint lead vocals), Sandra Williamson (joint lead vocals), Lynn Beckingham (guitar, tambourine, banjo), Amanda Combley (guitar, autoharp), Judith Elliott (guitar), Alison Garrod (guitar), Denise Gillett (guitar), Cathy Girdlestone (guitar), Lynne Hart (guitar, bongos), Patricia Hoare (guitar), Janet Tulley (guitar)
The mostly female group pictured on the back sleeve are all teenagers, but they’re the guitarists; unfortunately the massed vocals were clearly handed over to the primary kids. The end results are so twee as to be almost unlistenable in parts – far closer to Albany Folk than Reality From Dream, so I’m amazed that this has sold on eBay for between £30 and £50. From the title, I’m assuming there must also have been a Carew 1 but it hasn’t turned up, and if it sounds like this I’m happy for it to stay lost. GRADE: D.

Carmen (USA/UK/Spain): Fandangos In Space (ABC DSDR 50192, USA, 1973)
Rock/Progressive/Flamenco
Angela Allen (occasional vocals, keyboards)
This interesting album crosses progressive rock and flamenco, with a dramatic and powerful approach and some excellent riffs. Despite a high degree of complexity, it’s also very vocal, with the result that the music often sounds rather messy; a few extended instrumental passages would have worked wonders. Although it mostly operates on different turf, there’s more than a passing resemblance to Jethro Tull thanks to the very Ian Anderson-like vocals. GRADE: C+.
Carmen (USA/UK/Spain): Dancing On A Cold Wind (Regal Zonophone SLRZ 1040, UK, 1974)
Rock/Progressive/Flamenco
Angela Allen (occasional vocals, keyboards)
Their second album interprets their formula rather formula, being much less frenetic, with a relaxed and folky edge. It’s more mature and satisfying than its predecessor, with an appealingly symphonic sound and some excellent musicianship, though once again there are no individually outstanding songs. GRADE: C+.
Carmen (USA/UK/Spain): The Gypsies (Mercury SRM-1-1047, USA, 1975)
Rock/Progressive/Flamenco
Angela Allen (occasional vocals, keyboards)
The band’s third and final album was recorded with a significantly smaller budget than their first two, and only released in the States. Consequently, it’s a touch simpler, moving their sound closer to mainstream hard rock, though still with lots of flamenco and Hispanic touches. However, this is possibly their best release overall, as they’d really mastered their style by this point, although it’s hard to see where they could have taken their music after this. GRADE: C+.

Roger Carmen, Rick Keeling, Mo Thomas & Ann & Steve Mitchell (UK): Frost Lane (Mosart Music MM 1, 1971)
Folk
Ann Mitchell (joint lead vocals)
This rather good folk club document differs from the norm in two important ways. First, the performances appear to be studio recordings, with excellent sound quality. Secondly, the album owes nothing to traditional folk, with most of the numbers being self-penned and the feel mellow and decidedly transatlantic. Alongside some fine singer/songwriter cuts with simple acoustic backing, covers of material like ‘Rainy Windows’ and ‘Nights In White Satin’ give a fair clue as to the performers’ influences. Finally, some amusing sleevenotes indicate their contempt for traditional folk club attitudes and behaviours (‘the casual reputation of some clubs seems to be dependent upon the bar supplying adequate alcoholic fuel for chorus participation… at Frost Lane the music is listened to; no one talks during a performance’). GRADE: C+.

Carnival (USA): The Carnival (World Pacific WPS 28176, 1969)
Pop/Bossa Nova
Janis Hansen (joint lead vocals)
Involving several former members of Sergio Mendes’s Brasil ’66, on their sole LP the Carnival offer an enjoyable mixture of lively bossa nova and harmony pop. Some of the covers are pretty predictable (‘Walk On By’ and ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’ are just about de rigueur for this type of album), but a few choices are more unexpected. GRADE: C+.

Carol Of Harvest (West Germany): Carol Of Harvest (Brutkasten 85 0004, 1978)
Progressive/Folk/Rock
Beate Krause (lead vocals)
This is widely considered the best progressive folk album ever made, at least in Germany. I’d have to disagree – I’d choose Bröselmaschine, let alone Emtidi’s Saat, over this any day – but it’s certainly a superb piece of work. More a symphonic progressive album with folk influences than the other way around, it’s a little lacking in variety and dynamics, but it creates a wonderfully melodic and mellow atmosphere, particularly on the three long cuts ‘Put On Your Nightcap’, ‘Somewhere At The End Of The Rainbow’ and ‘Try A Little Bit’. The original pressing was reputed to be 200 copies; the band put out an almost exact reissue in 1994 in a run of 500, while a more recent CD features several bonus cuts in a harder and more psychedelic style. GRADE: B+.
Carol Of Harvest (Germany/Poland): Ty I Ja (Guma Music LC 01368, CD, Germany, 2009)
Folk/Rock
Ewa Grams (principal vocals)
This is the sort of ‘reunion’ nobody wants: thirty years down the line, a member of a shortlived band with a cult album launches a new project and decides to name it after his old group to boost sales. Hardly surprisingly, this has none of the magic of their first LP, being inoffensive folk/rock with mainly Polish lyrics and some unwelcome additions from programmed drums and lugubrious saxophone. In all fairness, it’s not bad, but it’s certainly not Carol Of Harvest. GRADE: C+.
See also Thomas Fink Trio & Beate Krause, Joker

Caromel (USA): He Walks In Beauty (No label 012044, 1980)
Folk/Rock/‘Incredibly Strange Music’
Carol Jolley (joint lead vocals)
At its best, this Christian album offers beautiful, haunting, mildly trippy folk (‘Two Friends’); at its worst, irritating novelty swing jazz (‘Shadrach’) or bizarre MOR country (‘Keep Your Eyes On Jesus’). Three of the other four cuts are fairly good mellow folk/rock, whilst the closing number ‘Ode To Mount St Helens’ is dramatic progressive rock. As that summation makes clear, this is odd through and through and sometimes downright awful, but there are some fine moments here (and plenty to attract ‘real people’ collectors). GRADE: C+.

David Carroll & Friends (UK): Bold Reynold (Talking Elephant TECD483, CD, with gatefold minisleeve and booklet, 2023)
Folk/Rock
Lucy Cooper (occasional vocals)
New old-school electric folk albums are pretty thin on the ground, so this came as a very welcome surprise. Its success is partly due to the richness and diversity of the instrumentation: keyboards, mandolin, violin, bouzouki and assorted woodwinds help to breathe new life into familiar songs like ‘Follow Me Up To Carlow’, ‘Poor Murdered Woman’, ‘Banks Of The Nile’ and ‘She Moved Through The Fair’. But it’s largely down to the quality of Mr Carroll’s ‘Friends’, including Graeme Taylor, Brian Gulland, Dave Pegg and Chris Leslie. Breeding always tells.

GRADE: B–.

Casket (Germany): Emotions… …Dream Or Reality (Serenades SR 009, CD, with digipak, 1996)

Metal

Karin Trapp (occasional vocals)

The best doom metal is majestic, bass-heavy and widescreen; the best gothic metal has angelic vocals and haunting melodies. Should either genre employ death vocals, they’re best delivered in a genuinely chilling manner or they simply appear silly. Whilst well recorded and far from bad musically, this doom/gothic crossover can be trebly and tentative and lacks any truly memorable tunes; whether Karin Trapp’s vocals are angelic is moot as she sings lead on only the opening number. Meanwhile, the male vocals, which alternate between pseudo-growls and a shaky tenor, are strange through and through: maybe Karin should have opened her Trapp more often. GRADE: C+.

Casket (Germany): Tomorrow (Serenades SR 00000132, CD, 1997)

Rock/Metal/Progressive

Karin Trapp (joint lead vocals)

After their rather odd debut, Casket change style significantly here, offering a mixture of hard rock (with definite pop edges and a few AOR tinges) and symphonic progressive elements. They sound a great deal more comfortable in this mode, and at its best – notably the segue of the hard rocker ‘Questions Of Life’, the beautifully recorded instrumental ‘Secrets’ and the lovelyl ballad ‘Last Days…’ – this far outclasses anything on their first LP. GRADE: C+.

Casket (Germany): Faithless (Serenades 007393-2 SR, CD, 1998

Rock/Metal/Progressive

Karin Trapp (joint lead vocals)

Their third and final (and by some margin best) album mixes early seventies-style hard rock with more relaxed symphonic ballads to good effect. The music here isn’t what you could call groundbreaking, but it’s thoroughly satisfying and beautifully crafted – a world away from the stumbling hesitancy of their debut just two years previously. In a nice touch, the first track from that album is reproduced as the last track here, completing the band’s oeuvre and bringing them full circle. GRADE: C+.

Cast (UK): Raindance (Excellent, cassette, 1987)

Progressive

Rachel Schollar (lead vocals)

Not to be confused with the prolific Mexican neoprogressive band of the same name, this Cast (or technically ‘The Cast’) was an early project by the equally prolific and equally neoprogressive keyboardist Clive Nolan. With its melodic female vocals and low-budget backing from guitars, keyboards and programmed drums, this three-track, 20-minute EP in some ways provides the blueprint for Strangers On A Train, although I far prefer Rachel Schollar’s vocals to Tracy Hitchings’s. GRADE: C+.

Cast (Mexico): Com.Unión (Muséa FGBG 4716.AR, CD, France, 2007)
Progressive
Lupita Acuña (occasional vocals, percussion)
The common description of this Mexican band’s music as ‘neoprogressive’ didn’t inspire me to review their albums, and I found this set’s two predecessors Nimbus (2004) and Mosaïque (2006) (on which Lupita Acuña makes brief guest appearances) patchy, with great instrumentals but mediocre songs. This, however, is a huge step up: harder and more dynamic yet still quite ornate, with lots of woodwinds, and with the songs and instrumentals on an equal footing. That said, the album sags a little in the second half, recovering with the final two tracks, which suggests that some judicious editing might have been in order, but this is still a solid B–. GRADE: B–.
Cast (Mexico): Originallis (No label, double CD, 2008)
Progressive
Lupita Acuña (occasional vocals)
Opening with a mediocre song followed by an excellent instrumental, this substantial double album quickly confirms the impressions I gained by listening to Nimbus and Mosaïque. In fairness, most of the subsequent songs are good enough but most of the subsequent instrumentals are excellent – and there are plenty of them, so this is another generally strong set. GRADE: B–.
Cast (Mexico): Arsis (No label AVCA012, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2012)
Progressive
Lupita Acuña (occasional vocals)
Cast play to their strengths here by opening the album with a 25-minute instrumental suite, which is mostly excellent despite a few clumsily handled tempo changes. This is followed by a fair-to-middling nine-minute song, on which the band’s neoprogressive roots become more obvious, and finally a much more appealing mixed vocal and instrumental suite containing some superb passages. GRADE: B–.

Cast (Mexico): Vida (No label AVCA013, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2015)
Progressive
Lupita Acuña (backing vocals)
Cast don’t play to their strengths here, as this is entirely song-based. They’re not bad songs, averaging about eight minutes and containing a few decent instrumental diversions. But ‘average’ and ‘decent’ is about as far as I can praise this when comparing it to their last few albums. GRADE: C+.
Cast (Mexico): Power And Outcome (Progressive Promotion PPRCD048, CD, with digipak and booklet, Germany, 2017)
Progressive
Lupita Acuña (backing vocals)
This returns to the band”s usual blend and songs and instrumentals; the main change is that violin has replaced woodwind as a lead instrument, adding an epic neoclassical dimension to their sound. With a few Arabian edges in the music, the result is a consistently enjoyable widescreen tapestry of sound. As a footnote, Lupita Acuña once again barely appears. GRADE: B–.
Cast (Mexico): Vigesimus (Progressive Promotion PPRCD092, CD, with digipak and booklet, Germany, 2021)
Progressive
Lupita Acuña (backing vocals)
Whilst this has the same majestic sound as Power And Outcome – albeit a touch heavier and more riff-driven, sometimes bordering progressive metal – it is slightly more song-based and also slightly more neoprogressive. The two things are not unconnected and it’s mainly the penultimate 11-minute instrumental that gets it over the line to a B–. GRADE: B–.

Cartacanta (Italy): Il Tempo Delle Ciligie (I Dischi Dello Zodiaco VPA 8471, with booklet, 1980)
Folk
Susy Bellucci (joint lead vocals, guitar), Dunia Balloni (joint lead vocals, violin)
This is a lovely folk album with a very Italian feel and intricate, mainly acoustic arrangements. There’s a fair amount of variety too, and if this is occasionally a little precious it’s always extremely listenable, with excellent musicianship throughout. GRADE: C+.
See also Susy Bellucci

Jimmy Carter & Dallas County Green (USA): Summer Brings The Sunshine (BOC BOC-LPS-2002, 1973?)
Country/Rock
Mary Beth Lemmons (backing vocals), Elaine Fender (backing vocals)
Whilst this rural rock band’s biggest influence was clearly Neil Young, the group they really remind me of is Fleetwood Mac – had they had a country music base, the late Bob Welch or early Buckingham/Nicks line-ups would have sounded exactly like this. Many people may find this too mellow and one-paced, but it’s beautifully put together, with consistently accomplished songwriting, great musicianship, strong rock elements (especially the heavy but never intrusive drumming) and a sparkling recording. GRADE: C+.

Carterhall (UK): I Wish You Could See (Thor 1010 S, 1974)
Folk/Rock
Marian Tierney (joint lead vocals)
Mixing originals with covers of Fairport Convention, Bob Dylan, Gerry Rafferty and others, this quartet offers varied instrumentation including acoustic guitars, bass, drums, mandolin, banjo and harmonica. On ‘There But For Fortune’ and ‘Don’t Think Twice’, fronted by Marian Tierney, they sound rather like Folkal Point and on the closing ‘Curragh Of Kildare’ (wrongly listed on the sleeve as ‘Its [sic] Hard And Its [sic] Hard’) bear a strong resemblance to Gallery, but most songs more closely resemble the various Holyground albums, with a delicate, precious and slightly naïve sound. A few cuts have slight rural and cabaret edges, though these don’t detract too significantly, and overall this is a pleasant and atmospheric set – and a very rare one, with copies changing hands for around the £1000 mark. GRADE: C+.

Rich Casey (USA): House Of Cards (No label RCMUS2, CD, 2007)
Progressive
Gabrielle Agachiko (principal vocals)
Evenly mixing instrumentals and songs, House Of Cards blends symphonic and hard rock influences, fringing AOR on some of the songs. As such, this doesn’t deliver anything you won’t have heard hundreds of times before, but it does deliver it with slickess, professionalism – and hooks. GRADE: C+.

Cashmere (Poland): .Cash-Romantic.Music.Machine. (Roadkill Music RM-01/2006, CD, Poland, 2006)
Folk/Jazz/Rock/Progressive
Tylda Ciolkosz (lead vocals, violin)
Titles like ‘We’re In It Merely For The Cash’, ‘Horace The Wingless Wasp’ and ‘Exactly A Joke’ might make you expect something Zappa-esque or at least Canterbury-influenced. That’s partly true, but there are lots of other elements at play here: as the CD booklet notes, ‘you can call it folk or call it prog, porn-groove or lala-rock, call it pop – will will not mind’. However, whilst there are plenty of progressive elements and quite a bit of humour, most of the actual songs are relatively straight, blending elements of Caravan and Steeleye Span, among other influences, to pleasing effect. As such, this is a enjoyable rather than exceptional set, and it’s notable that they don’t recapture the energy of the opening ‘My Mellow’ until the closing ‘Exactly A Joke’. GRADE: C+.

CAT (West Germany): Join The Party (Good Noise VGNS 2006, with insert, 1981)
Rock/Funk
Lyma Russel (joint lead vocals), Beate Rohmann (joint lead vocals), Ilonka Breitmeier (drums, percussion, backing vocals)
Unable to decide whether they wanted to be a good-time hard rock band with soul leanings or a good-time funk band with disco leanings, CAT tried their hand at both approaches (sometimes on the same song). The end result is at times quite odd and never brilliant, but they were certainly solid musicians. GRADE: C.

Catapilla (UK): Catapilla (Vertigo 6360 029, 1971)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Anna Meek (lead vocals)
A genuinely astounding album that seems to cut across time and space: while the knotty, complex jazz/rock backing and lengthy tracks (of up to 24 minutes) are early seventies in every regard, Anna Meek’s vicious, nasal yowl and nihilistic ‘no future’ lyrics are pure class-of-’77 punk. Indeed, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Johnny Rotten learned his vocal craft from this LP. The two extended cuts are stunning enough, but it’s on the shorter pieces ‘Promises’ and ‘Tumbleweed’ that the band really evinces the future: the former is the punkiest thing on the album, whilst the latter sounds exactly like the product of some early eighties indie outfit. GRADE: A.
Catapilla (UK): Changes (Vertigo 6360 074, 1972)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Psychedelic
Anna Meek (lead vocals)
More obviously a product of its era than the debut, this saw the band moving in a more instrumental direction (presumably feedback on Ms Meek’s unusual vocals wasn’t universally positive) and introducing stronger elements of psychedelia and space rock. Indeed, the LP often bears more than a passing resemblance to Gong, especially on the standout cut ‘Charing Cross’. Both Catapilla albums are unalloyed classics for me, but the slightly more abrasive self-titled LP retains the edge. GRADE: B+.

Catapilla (UK): Embyronic Fusion (Sunbeam SBRCD5115, CD, 2022, recorded 1970?)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive
Jo Meek (lead vocals)
This fascinating rehearsal tape, cut by Catapilla’s original line-up with Jo (rather than sister Anna) Meek on vocals, opens with early versions of ‘Promises’ and ‘Tumbleweed’ before offering five previously unknown compositions and a cover of Traffic’s ‘Dear Mr Fantasy’. The two familiar songs have all the elements in place, including (surprisingly) a fair amount of the final vocal style, but the versions here are straighter, stiffer and more conventional, emphasising the wildness and weirdness Anna Meek brought to the band. The remaining songs are much straighter jazz/rock – all good stuff, but if Catapilla had continued in this vein their two albums certainly wouldn’t figure among my all-time favourites. GRADE: B.