Cro-Cy

Cromwell (Germany): Burning Banners (Angular SKAN 8204.AR, CD, France, 1997)
Progressive
Anke Taeffner (lead vocals)
This above-average neoprogressive set appears to be a concept album of some sort, mixing hard rock-influenced songs with more symphonic instrumentals and a few folky touches. The ten-minute ‘Tunnel’ is pretty turgid and mediocre, but almost everything else works well. GRADE: C+.

Croque-Mitaine (France): La Chanson Du Fou (MU 87321, 1977?)
Folk
Giselle Vigneron (joint lead vocals, percussion, dulcimer, psaltery, épinette des Vosges)
With intricate acoustic arrangements and strong mediaeval influences, this is an excellent album of traditional folk. At times, the music resembles an unplugged Malicorne, whilst at others it recalls a trad Stone Angel without the psychedelic elements. GRADE: C+.

Crossbones (Zambia): Wise Man (Zambezi ZTZ 3, 1976)

Garage

Violet Babs Kafula (occasional vocals)

This charming garage-rock album effectively combines African and American musical traditions, with plenty of stinging fuzz guitar. Much of its distinction comes from its exotic location and its use of a female vocalist (unusual for a seventies Afro-rock band), but it passes the acid test: this would still be a charming and worthwhile garage-rock album, whomever had made it. GRADE: C+.

Crosswind (Japan): Soshite Yume No Kuni E (Kitty 28MS 0008, with booklet, 1982)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive
Megumi Maruo (occasional vocals)
With a rather cheesy, good-time feel and definite hard rock leanings, this is a pleasant album of instrumental jazzy rock by an all-male quartet. Guest Megumi Maruo adds occasional wordless vocals to two cuts. GRADE: C+.

Crowhurst Theatre Of The Spirit (UK): Into Resurrection Land (Divine Healing Mission DHM 001, 1976?)
Folk/Rock
Sue Tee
The aim of the Crowhurst Theatre Of The Spirit was to practise “transcendental meditation, not in order to attain expanded consciousness, but to find the existential moment of meeting with the Risen Lord here present with us now”. Their album offers a succession of instrumental pieces, with a dreamy mood and a faint Pink Floyd influence, interspersed with the odd song and quite a few spoken word passages by a slightly supercilious and querulous older man. It’s an unusual mix, with a distinctive sound and a genuinely dreamy mood, adding up to an intriguing little curio. No musicians are credited, but all the music was composed by Sue Tee, who may also be the female vocalist. GRADE: C+.

Trevor Crozier’s Broken Consort (UK): A Parcel Of Old Crams (Argo ZFB 80, 1972)
Folk
Annie Crozier (concertina, recorder, psaltery)
This basically operates in three veins: competent but utterly uninteresting traditional folk, reasonably good (but no better) mediaeval pieces, and truly appalling music hall-style numbers with ‘comedy’ yokel singing (the Wurzels unsurprisingly recorded several Crozier songs). It’s the worst sought-after LP on Argo by a country mile, which makes it all the more curious that Crozier later formed the excellent Breton folk/rock band Lyonesse. GRADE: D+.
See also Giles Farnaby’s Dream Band

Cruachan (Ireland): Celtica (No label, cassette, 1994)
Metal/Folk/Progressive
Collette Ryan (keyboards)
Sooner or later somebody was going to cross symphonic black metal (complete with death growls) and Irish folk (complete with lyrics about Celtic mythology), and Cruachan was the band that got there first. Their demo has predictably muted sound quality, making the death vocals sound ridiculous rather than threatening, though the instrumentals are better. They’d evolve into an interesting though quirky band, but this demo represents a rather tentative beginning. GRADE: C.
Cruachan (Ireland): Tuatha Na Gael (Nazgul’s Eyrie Productions, CD, Germany, 1995)
Metal/Folk/Progressive
Collette Ryan (keyboards)
This much more impressive second album is far better recorded (though the guitars are still quite subdued compared to the folk instrumentation) and integrates the different elements of their sound a touch more successfully. The death growls are still a bit silly and it’s odd to hear uileann pipes and whistles used so extensively in this kind of music, but they certainly have a distinctive sound. The 1997 reissue (Karmageddon Media Karma 024) adds three considerably superior bonus tracks by an interim line-up including the excellent female singer Aisling Hanrahan. GRADE: C+.
Cruachan (Ireland): The Middle Kingdom (Hammerheart 7202000132, CD, USA, 2000)
Metal/Folk/Progressive
Karen Gilligan (principal vocals, percussion)
It all came together for Cruachan on their excellent third album. Unlike its predecessors, this is very well-produced and it effectively integrates the metal, folk, progressive and slight neoclassical edges, with both the songs and instrumentals impressing. As a final bonus, death vocals are used in only one short section of one song, making for a much more mature sound. GRADE: B–.

Cruachan (Ireland): Folk-Lore (Hammerheart HH080, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2002)
Metal/Folk/Progressive
Karen Gilligan (joint lead vocals, percussion)
This is decidedly their folkiest and most Celtic album, including a duet with Shane Mac Gowan (‘Ride On’), who also co-produced, two traditional songs (‘The Rocky Road To Dublin’ and ‘Spancill Hill’), lyrics about Bloody Sunday and the children of Lir, and male vocals with a distinctively Irish brogue. The death vocals have a slightly higher profile here but work well enough in context and this is a confident, consistent and accomplished fusion of radically differing styles. GRADE: B–.
Cruachan (Ireland): Pagan (Karmageddon Media Karma 026, CD, Holland, 2004)
Metal/Folk/Progressive
Karen Gilligan (joint lead vocals, percussion)
Once again, their juxtaposition of styles can be startling: Karen Gilligan’s pure vocals against death growls; Irish traditional songs and a piece about Michael Collins against more traditional metal concerns like Tolkien mythology (‘The Fall Of Gondolin’) and hatred of Christianity (the title track). Nonetheless, it’s a consistently fine album with some genuinely daring and progressive moments, and a strong contender for their best release. GRADE: B–.
Cruachan (Ireland): The Morrigan’s Call (AFM 139-2, CD, Germany, 2006)
Metal/Folk/Progressive
Karen Gilligan (joint lead vocals)
By now they were starting to repeat themselves, though the addition of harp (including a long tranquil passage to close the album) works very effectively. The result is another good album, but the death growls are frequently annoying and the lack of musical progression is obvious. This was the band’s last album with a female vocalist, and they returned to a heavier and more mainstream metal sound afterwards. GRADE: C+

Crumbling Ghost (UK): II (Withered Hand WHR011, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2013)
Metal/Folk
Katie Harnett (lead vocals, percussion), Ruth Atkins (bass, synthesiser)
The band (and indeed label) name might make you expect something gothic, but this is actually a mixture of doom metal (mainly on the instrumentals) and traditional folk (mainly on the songs). It’s an unusual mixture and very well done, even if the folk parts never quite equal their influences (they cite the Albion Country Band, Shirley Collins, Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span among others) and the metal parts sometimes overdo the basic and repetitive riffing. Although this was their second album, it was their first with a partly female line-up. GRADE: B–.
Crumbling Ghost (UK): Five Songs (Withered Hand WHR012, CD, with gatefold minisleeve, 2016)
Metal/Folk
Katie Harnett (lead vocals), Ruth Atkins (bass)
The title is something of a misnomer – this short album features four songs (three traditional numbers and the self-penned ‘Lose And Get Something Good’) plus Davey Graham’s seminal instrumental ‘Maajun’. They don’t bring much to ‘Are You Going To Leave Me?’ or ‘Swansea Town’, but ‘Omie Wise’ is excellent, as are the self-penned number and the instrumental. GRADE: B–.

Crying Lion (UK): The Golden Boat (Honest Jons HJRLP110, 2015)
Folk/Rock
Lavinia Blackwall (joint lead vocals, organ, glockenspiel, autoharp), Katy Cooper (joint lead vocals, violin)
This offshoot of Trembling Bells focuses on four-part harmonies and is sometimes described as acapella. However, most songs have instrumental backing, which unsurprisingly resembles an unplugged Trembling Bells, with particular emphasis on the Salvation Army or Christmas-style brass characterising their arrangements. With the psychedelic elements absent and the two female members barely taking any solo vocals, this isn’t as good as the parent band but it certainly has its moments. GRADE: C+.

See also Directing Hand, Trembling Bells

Crystal Image (USA): Crystal Image (Dream LRS-RT-6070, 1974)
Rock
Dusty Rhoads (joint lead vocals)
This obscure local band’s career actually lasted from 1968 until 1982 and yielded 25 singles, but they only cut three albums, all in the mid-seventies. Musically this is a mixture of supple, lightweight hard rock and less distinctive barroom rock, peaking on the melodic and poignant ‘Red Badge’. With good musicianship and songwriting throughout, it’s mostly a very enjoyable LP. GRADE: C+.
Crystal Image (USA): Crystal Image II – Rock And Roll (Dream LRS-RT-6149, 1975)
Rock
Dusty Rhoads (joint lead vocals)
Despite the title, this isn’t rock and roll at all, but well-played melodic guitar rock in the same vein as their first. Whilst there’s nothing here as good as ‘Red Badge’, it’s a solid and accomplished LP all through. GRADE: C+.
Crystal Image (USA): Sure Feelin’ Loose (Dream LRS-RT-6257, 1976)
Rock
Dusty Rhoads (backing vocals)
The band’s final album, and their hardest to find, sees Dusty Rhoads restricted to backing vocals and reduced to the status of an associate member. From a musical standpoint, this is probably their best LP: the opening jam is superb, with some virtuosic bass playing, and the subsequent songs are no slouches either, sometimes putting me in mind of Led Zeppelin. GRADE: C+.

Crystal Phoenix (Italy): Myriam (Video Star VS 000 176, 1988)
Folk/Rock/Metal/Progressive
Myriam Sagenwells Saglimbeni (lead vocals, guitar, strings)
The opening instrumental ‘Damned Warrior’ is frenetic speed-metal, but the remainder of side one offers delicate folk/rock with symphonic and mediaeval edges; the two longer cuts on the second side blend the two approaches and fall firmly into the progressive metal camp. Whilst the album is a little slight, running for under half an hour, the material is beautifully composed and delicately played; the only downside is that, typically for a modern Italian prog album, the lyrics are in English and, typically for a modern Italian prog vocalist, Myriam Sagenwells Saglimbeni cannot speak English to save her life. Nonetheless, this is something of a gem if you can ignore a few amateurish moments and Saglimbeni’s pronunciation. GRADE: B–.

Crystal Phoenix (Italy): Twa Jørg-J-Draak Saga (The Legend Of The Two Stonedragons) (Black Widow BWRCD 063-2, CD, 2000)
Folk/Rock/Progressive/Metal
Myriam Sagenwells Saglimbeni (lead vocals, guitar, bass, harp)
The band’s belated second album is broadly similar to their first, though the sense of naïveté that made their debut so special is largely missing here. What’s more, Saglimbeni is more inclined to unleash her inner diva, and a few moments of quasi-operatic singing don’t work well at all, reminding me of fellow Italians Novà Mala Strana. GRADE: C+.

Crystal Thoughts (Greece): Toxic Phenomena In Kosmic Fields (Missing Vinyl MVPD003, 2011)
Psychedelic
Lilian Tsatsaroni (joint lead vocals)
This project was the brainchild of talented multi-instrumentalist Spiros Rouchotas, who recorded this at home and provides all the backing. Avoiding all the usual pitfalls of one-man-band projects and home recordings, this has superb sound quality and beautifully layered instrumentation, giving his spacious folky psychedelic songs and jams the room they need to breathe. The results are frequently nothing short of stunning. GRADE: B–.

Crystalized Movements (USA): Dog… Tree… Satellite Seers (Twisted Village TW-1002, 1987)
Garage/Psychedelic
Teri Morris (drums)
Stripped-down, dynamic and powerful, this isn’t the world’s most varied or creative album, but it’s as good an LP of eighties garage punk as anyone could hope for. Side one is song-based and pretty straightforward, but side two heads into weirder waters, with some freaked-out jamming and some almost avant-garde touches; future Twisted Village stalwart Kate Biggar helps out on one cut. Like all early Twisted Village releases, this was a very limited edition: some sources suggest 130 copies were pressed whilst others indicate a more generous 300. My own copy was pressed off-centre on side one, and this defect may have affected some or all of the run. GRADE: C+.
Crystalized Movements (USA): This Wideness Comes (Twisted Village TW-1003, 1989)
Garage/Psychedelic
Kate Biggar (guitar), Teri Morris (drums)
Even more limited than its predecessor (106 numbered copies), This Wideness Comes sees Kate Biggar joining the band as rhythm guitarist. Musically, it’s a solid step forward from its predecessor, with the centrepiece being the excellent nine-minute jam ‘Third Half’, anchored by a simple yet highly effective riff; there’s also a nice semi-acoustic ballad ‘If Ever It Appears’. GRADE: C+.
Crystalized Movements (USA): Revelations From Pandemonium (Twisted Village TW-1019, CD, 1992)
Garage/Psychedelic
Kate Biggar (guitar), Teri Morris (drums)
Despite the ‘Pandemonium’ in the title, the third and final Crystalized Movements album is far less chaotic than Wayne Rogers and Kate Biggar’s offshoot projects as Vermonster and BORB. It’s also slightly different from the first two Crystalized Movements LPs, with more of a nineties shoegaze ambience, though it’s also recognisably the work of the same band. GRADE: C+.
See also BORB, Heathen Shame, Magic Hour, Major Stars, Tizzy, Various ‘Deep Funnels Of Entry – A Twisted Village Compilation’, Various ‘Marvelous Sound Forms’, Vermonster, Kate Village & Wayne Rogers, Wormdoom

Cuarteto Cabrakán (Argentina): Folklore De Rascacielo (Dial DEM-77003, 1970)
Folk/Jazz
Susana Lago (principal vocals, piano, percussion), Beatriz Aragor (guitar, percussion, pinkullo, aikori)
This unusual jazzy folk album has spare, mainly acoustic arrangements and notable influences from world, classical and even lounge music. Overall it has a distinctly South American feel, and whilst it may be too gentle for some ears (there are no rock elements and not even a hint of energy or drama) it’s certainly well put together. Susana Lago left the band after this album for a long-term career with Anacrusa.

GRADE: C+.
Cabrakán (Argentina): Cabrakán (Nivel NF 5002, 1975)
Folk/Jazz/Progressive
Paqui Balaguer (joint lead vocals, piano), Beatriz Aragor (guitar, moxeño, backing vocals)
Much more adventurous and progressive than its predecessor, this again incorporates influences from everything from mediaeval to ethnic and lounge music. Most of the cuts are short, except for the eponymous ten-minute jazz improvisation, which works surprisingly well. Oddly, the beautiful sleeve lists a different label and catalogue number (ND DFN 5002) to the labels. GRADE: C+.
See also Anacrusa

Cuatro Brujas (Chile): El Retorno De Las Brujas (Demon LPD-013, 1965)
Folk
María Paz Undurraga (principal vocals), María Cristina Navarro (occasional vocals, guitar), María Elena Infante (occasional vocals, guitar), María Edith Casanova (occasional vocals), María Teresa Maino (occasional vocals)
Despite their gothic name, the ‘four witches’ offered pleasant traditional folk with pop, ethnic and baroque touches and simple backing from acoustic guitar. The result is a delicate and pleasant period piece, containing some lovely songs. As a footnote, they lived up to their name by being a quartet: due to line-up changes, María Edith Casanova appears only on side one and María Teresa Maino only on side two.

GRADE: C+.

Cuatro Brujas (Chile): Las 4 Brujas Y Los 4 Cuartos Cantan (Arena LPD-016, 1965)
Folk
María Paz Undurraga (principal vocals), María Cristina Navarro (occasional vocals, guitar), María Elena Infante (occasional vocals, guitar), María Edith Casanova (occasional vocals), María Teresa Maino (occasional vocals)
This isn’t actually their second album: it’s a repackage of half the tracks from El Retorno along with several numbers from male vocal outfit Los 4 Cuartos. After the band’s break-up, María Paz Undurraga went on to Los Bric A Brac. GRADE: C+.
See also Bric A Brac

Cult Of Herodias (USA): Cult Of Herodias (No label, download, 2014)
Metal/Progressive
Kristina Rocco
The duo formerly known as Herodias return with a new name, but this is broadly in their former style. A few minutes at a time, their music – mixing doom riffs, soprano vocals, classical piano and electronic effects – is rather impressive, though the thin sound undercuts its majesty. However, this is a long, unfocused album on which they repeat the same tricks ad infinitum, so once again one is left feeling that they’re a potentially great outfit that isn’t likely to realise its potential. GRADE: C+.
Cult Of Herodias (USA): Greyvein (New Frame I616783, CD, 2015)
Metal/Progressive
Kristina Rocco
Whilst suffering from the same issues as their previous albums – I wish they’d get a full band and record in a higher-end studio – this is their best by some margin. Kristina Rocco’s vocals are nothing short of stunning, and this has much more memorable hooks than their earlier work, with the fine piano work making up for riffs that often continue to plod. GRADE: B–.

See also Purson

Curva Di Lesmo (Italy): La Curva Di Lesmo (Ams AMS 345 CD, CD, with gatefold minisleeve and booklet, 2015)
Progressive
Jenny Sorrenti (occasional vocals), Beatrice Antolini (occasional vocals), Jutta Nienhaus (occasional vocals)
This collaboration between keyboardists Fabio Zuffanti (most recently of Höstsonaten) and Stefano Agnini features a fascinating cast of guests, including Laura Marsano and Sylvia Trabucco from Höstsonaten, plus Saint Just’s Jenni Sorrenti and Analogy’s Jutta Nienhaus. It consists of three long songs (of eight, 17 and 26 minutes) with rich keyboards (unsurprisingly), stately tempos and a typically majestic Italian feel. Consistently good, this could have been a great album with some longer instrumental passages and a little more adventure. GRADE: C+.

See also Analogy, Saint Just, Jenny Sorrenti, Arturo Stàlteri

Curved Air (UK): Air Conditioning (Warner Brothers WS 3012, some as picture disc, 1970)
Progressive/Psychedelic
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals)
This album is usually remembered for being one of the very first rock picture discs – which is a pity, as the music is truly unforgettable. The double whammy of ‘It Happened Today’ and the astounding ‘Vivaldi’ is as stunning as opening as any album could wish for, but an exceptional standard is maintained throughout, with material ranging from the heavy post-Jefferson Airplane progressive rock of ‘Stretch’ to the weird, trippy ballad ‘Blind Man’. GRADE: A.
Curved Air (UK): Second Album (Warner Brothers K 46092, with die-cut foldout sleeve, 1971)
Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals)
Most progressive rock fans consider this a huge step forward from their début, but I’m not among them. It’s certainly more refined and more elegant, but the raw rock edges were what made Air Conditioning an instant classic. The hit single ‘Back Street Luv’ is a progressive pop masterpiece, but elsewhere truly memorable tunes are generally notable by their absence and they only stretch out once (on the thirteen-minute closer 'Piece Of Mind'). GRADE: C+.
Curved Air (UK): Phantasmagoria (Warner Brothers K 46158, with insert, 1972)
Progressive/Avant-garde
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals, guitar)
With its witty, surreal lyrics, jazzy hooklines, quirky arrangements and weird electronic textures (with one track consisting of Sonja-Kristina Linwood’s vocals processed through a computer), Phantasmagoria is a clever and enormously original album. But once again, the lack of any rock edge is noticeable, as is a dearth of really powerful tunes. Even the best cut ‘Marie Antoinette’ is vastly superior in its live version, released two years later. GRADE: C+.
Curved Air (UK): Air Cut (Warner Brothers K 46224, 1973)
Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (principal vocals, guitar)
Their most conventional symphonic progressive rock album, Air Cut is generally considered their best. I’d say it’s their finest since their début, but it doesn’t threaten the supremacy of Air Conditioning, despite the extended masterpiece ‘Metamorphosis’, which sounds strongly influenced by early Renaissance. The instrumental ‘Armin’ also works very well, with the remainder being more song-based – everything from some effective hard rockers to the delicate ballad ‘Elfin Boy’ and the incongruous whimsy of the nostalgic ‘World’. Along the way, flashy new guitarist Kirby Gregory and 17-year old wunderkind Eddie Jobson weigh in with some powerful contributions. GRADE: B–.
Curved Air (UK): Lovechild (Castle Communications CLACD 342, CD, 1990, recorded 1973)
Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals, guitar)
Taped in July 1973 but not mixed until March 1990, this features the first set of recordings for what would have become Curved Air’s fifth studio album had the line-up not imploded. Whilst a bit piecemeal (four songs are full band demos, two are by Eddie Jobson, one is by Kirby Gregory, and the 45-second opener is a solo performance by one John O’ Hara), this contains some fine progressive rock. The performances are mostly excellent, whilst the recording quality is very good, if inevitably slightly subdued. Even though this runs little more than half an hour, it’s still vastly better than the two subsequent studio LPs the band produced in the mid-seventies. GRADE: B–.
Curved Air (UK): Curved Air Live (Deram SML 1119, 1975)
Progressive/Psychedelic
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals)
Apparently this was recorded towards the end of a lengthy tour, hence the band sounds extremely ragged and Sonja-Kristina sounds like Janis Joplin rather than her usual crystalline self. I love it. Concentrating on the best material from the early albums, this features a stunning level of energy and superb musicianship throughout, peaking on savage interpretations of ‘Vivaldi’ and ‘It Happened Today’, plus a dynamic version of ‘Marie Antoinette’ that blows the mannered studio original to kingdom come. GRADE: A.
Curved Air (UK): Midnight Wire (BTM 1005, 1975)
Blues/Rock
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals)
Whilst Linwood and Darryl Way remain from earlier line-ups, any resemblance to classic Curved Air is virtually non-existent. This is a straightforward bluesy rock album with a few minor progressive edges and nothing to set it apart from scores of similar LPs released during the seventies. GRADE: C+.
Curved Air (UK): Airborne (BTM 1008, 1976)
Blues/Rock/Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals)
After the surprisingly mediocre Midnight Wire, this is a modest return to form. The opening double whammy of ‘Desirée’ and ‘Kids To Blame’ show that the band had mastered catchy blues/rock, whilst ‘Moonshine’ (the only extended track, at eleven-and-a-half minutes) is a pretty good piece of prog. The other cuts vary from the pleasant to the very poor (notably the glam rock-tinged ‘Hot And Bothered’), but this at least suggests that had they stayed together they could have continued to make decent music. GRADE: C+.
Curved Air (UK): Reborn (No label, CD, 2008)
Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals, guitar)
Subtitled ‘classic Curved Air revisited’, the band’s reunion album (featuring Linwood, Way, Florian Pilkington-Miksa and a new guitarist, plus a few guests including Linwood’s Mask partner Marvin Ayres) sees them re-recording classics from their early career. What the point was, I have no idea, but it’s all very tastefully done, with a more pronounced neoclassical feel than the originals. The two new numbers ‘Coming Home’ and ‘The Fury’ aren’t bad either, but the less said about the ‘dance remix’ of ‘Back Street Luv’ the better. GRADE: B.

Curved Air (UK): North Star (Curved Air CRVE 002, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2014)
Rock/Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals)
Curved Air’s first album of (mainly) new material since 1976’s Airborne is an odd one indeed. Seven cuts are new compositions, four are re-recordings of material from earlier in their career and three are cover versions (including, bizarrely, versions of the Police’s ‘Spirits In The Material World’ and Snow Patrol’s ‘Chasing Cars’). The new songs are a mixed bag (‘Stay Human’ and ‘Time Games’ are rather good, whilst ‘Magnetism’ and ‘Old Town News’ are anything but), the covers are decent but superfluous and the remakes seem pointless. Despite the presence of Sonja-Kristina Linwood, Florian Pilkington-Miksa and Kirby Gregory, this sounds nothing like classic Curved Air and should probably have been released under another name. GRADE: C+.

Curved Air (UK): The Curved Air Rarities Series Volume 1 / Tapestry Of Propositions (Curved Air CRVE RS 001, CD, 2016)
Progressive/Psychedelic
Sonja Kristina-Linwood (lead vocals)
For those who thought Curved Air would never do anything good again (a viewpoint reinforced by their dull studio comeback), this is quite a surprise. Actually, it’s a surprising release for them full stop. Presumably inspired by the Grateful Dead’s Grayfolded, this is an hour-long set of jams based around ‘Propositions’, recorded live at various gigs. Like the Dead’s own jamming, it trips out to the ether in style, though it’s heavy and dynamic where the Dead are relaxed and spacious. There’s clearly some life in the old band yet. GRADE: B–.
Curved Air (UK): Live At The BBC (Band Of Joy BOJCD 014, CD, 1995, recorded 1970, 1971 and 1976)
Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (principal vocals)
This interesting archive release features studio sessions from 1970 and 1971, plus several live tracks from 1976, and offers a good cross-section of the band’s styles. The disc opens with a bizarre version of ‘Vivaldi’ that bears little resemblance to the original, whilst the remainder of the cuts are less surprising but generally very effective. GRADE: B.
Curved Air (UK): BBC Live In Concert 1971 Plus… (On The Air AIR 17, CD, 2013, recorded 1971-1972)
Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals)
This grey market (I presume) release compiles four live songs from March 1971, six cuts from German TV broadcasts in March and September of the same year, two cuts from Belgian TV from April 1972, and the band’s two elusive non-album cuts (the single ‘Sarah’s Concern’ and the B-side ‘What Happens When You Blow Yourself Up?’). Whilst the results are a touch repetitious (‘It Happened Today’, ‘Vivaldi’, ‘Propositions’, ‘Back Street Luv’ and ‘What Happens…’ all appear twice), the sound quality is good and the performances are simply stunning throughout. GRADE: A–.
Curved Air (UK): Alive 1990 (Mystic MYS CD 141, CD, 2000, recorded 1990)
Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals, guitar)
This reunion concert by four original Curved Air members features lively performances and an excellent cross-section of material from the first three albums. On the downside, the lack of a dedicated bassist gives a thin sound, whilst Florian Pilkington-Miksa’s inexplicable decision to use an electric drum kit has dated the set badly. But if one can get over the latter hurdle, this is a genuinely excellent release. GRADE: B.
Curved Air (UK): Live Atmosphere (Curved Air CRVE 001, CD plus DVDM, with digipak and booklet, 2011)
Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals)
This live album, featuring a line-up centred around Linwood and Pilkington-Miksa plus three new musicians, features outstanding performances of a well-chosen selection of the band’s ‘greatest hits’. Perhaps surprisingly, the bonus DVD doesn’t replicate the CD, but merely features a live performance of an instrumental named ‘Armin’ (not on the CD) plus a short tour documentary. GRADE: B.

Curved Air (UK): Live Under The Bridge – The 45th Anniversary Concert (Curved Air CRVE004, double CD, 2019, recorded 2015)
Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals)
Sonja-Kristina et al may not have made a truly compelling studio album of new material since the early seventies, but this is simply superb. Two hours of prime Curved Air, with dynamic and assured performances and excellent sound quality, it mixes all the classics you’d hope to hear (including the whole of Air Conditioning) with a few songs from North Star – and even those sound impressive in this setting. GRADE: B.
See also Mask, Sonja-Kristina

Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra (USA): Songs For The Night Sea Journey (SunSign CD2004, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2004)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Grace Griffith (joint lead vocals), Polly Bolton (occasional vocals), Maddy Prior (occasional vocals), Lisa Moscatiello (occasional vocals),

Tatiana Sarbinska (occasional vocals), Jennifer Cutting (occasional vocals, keyboards, accordion, samples)
The list of participants here is astonishing – in addition to Polly Bolton and Maddy Prior, there’s Peter Knight, Troy Donockley, Dave Mattacks and Gabriel Yacoub. Musically, this is a concept piece about self-discovery, mixing electric folk and more ethereal ballads in the manner of Cutting’s previous project the New St George. It’s good stuff, probably peaking on ‘Forgiveness’, sung by the peerless Maddy Prior.

GRADE: B–.
Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra (USA): Songs Of Solstice (SunSign CD2010, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2010)
Folk
Lisa Moscatiello (joint lead vocals, guitar, whistle), Annie Haslam (occasional vocals), Christine Noyes (occasional vocals)
This Christmas album is good enough not to provoke any reactions of ‘Bah humbug!’ but it also marks a move away from progressive folk/rock to traditional folk, so, whilst delicate and beautiful, isn’t as good as its predecessor to these ears. Nonetheless, there are several cuts with electric backing, which are unsurprisingly my favourites, plus everything from neoclassical to mediaeval to acapella moments, so this is certainly an impressively bold LP. GRADE: C+.
See also Albion Country Band, Apostles, Polly Bolton, Dando Shaft, Akio Dobashi, Tim Hart & Maddy Prior, Annie Haslam, Ashley Hutchings,

New St George, Mike Oldfield, Maddy Prior, Renaissance, Steeleye Span

CW Jørgensen (Denmark): Solgt Til Stanglakrids (Sonet SLP 3048, with inner, 1979)
Blues/Rock
Lotte Rømer (keyboards, percussion, violin, backing vocals)
Offering slick classic rock with bluesy and slight funky edges, this is a consistently accomplished LP without ever being very exciting. For no obvious reason, the lyrics namecheck Siouxsie & The Banshees at one point. GRADE: C+.
See also Hos Anna, Lotte Rømer

Cwmni Theatr Ieuenctid Yr Urdd (UK): Jiwdas (Sain 1174R, double, 1980)
Folk/Rock
Menna Tomos, Siân James, Jennie Vaughan Jones, Elen ap Robert, Bethan Williams, Pauline Williams, Rhiannon Rees, Anna Lindsey, Meredid Davies, Mari Emlyn, Elizabeth Scourfield, Catrin Haf, Dulais Rhys, Eirlys Gravelle, Deilwen Crump, Carol Ann Thomas, Heledd Ann Hall, Delyth Haf Rees, Linda Mills
Composed by Delwyn Siôn of the well-known Welsh rock band Hergest and performed by a youth theatre choir (including Siân James, later of Bwchadanas) and a band of professional musicians, this is unsurprisingly a religious rock opera about Jesus Christ and Judas. Musically, it’s a pleasant mixture of folk/rock and pop/rock, with some of the female-sung tracks resembling a slicker, updated Sidan. GRADE: C+.
See also Bwchadanas, Siân James, Various ‘Cwlwm Pedwar’

Cyclones (Southern Rhodesia): The Cyclones With Dyllis Stevenson And Errol Hickey (CBS ALD 6547, South Africa, 1964?)
Beat
Dyllis Stevenson (joint lead vocals)
According to the back cover, this was ‘the first rock record to be made in the Rhodesias’ and the Cyclones were big stars over there. Most of the album is instrumental, owing a heavy debt to the Shadows, but there are also six vocal cuts: four sung by Dyllis Stevenson and two by Errol Hickey. The result is a solid and enjoyable beat album, given distinction by the unusual origin of the musicians. GRADE: C+.