Mar-Maz

Mar Aun (Argentina): Aunque El Dia Sea De Atra (Viajero Immovil MARAUN041VIR, CD, 2010)
Progressive
Maria Belén Firrincieli (saxophone), Natalia Oronel (flute, backing vocals)
This is characteristic South American progressive, with rich folky and symphonic textures, some jazzy edges and lots of complex acoustic guitar work. It’s not entirely consistent, but there is some good – if not particularly distinctive – music here. GRADE: C+.

Marble Sheep & The Run Down Sun’s Children (Japan): Big Deal (Captain Trip CTCD-001, CD, with gatefold minisleeve and insert, 1992)
Psychedelic
Kimi (backing vocals), Miss Hirano (backing vocals)
Offering some lovely West Coast-styled guitar jamming, interspersed with a few odder moments, this is a lovely LP. Although beautifully crafted, it’s ultimately perhaps just a little insubstantial, but it’s certainly a fine example of its genre. GRADE: C+.

Marblewood (Switzerland): Marblewood (Taliesyn Productions TAL-003, CD, with digipak, 2014)
Rock/Metal/Progressive
Sarah Weibel (occasional vocals), Ariane Bertogg (bass)
On their website, the band describe themselves as ‘psychedelic’, but this is actually jamming stoner rock with a strong early seventies vibe. The band is a classic power trio, with a number of guests (including vocalist Sarah Weibel, who sings part of ‘Splendour’) and the album offers a procession of lengthy songs, culminating in the 21-minute instrunental ‘In The Beginning’. The result isn’t the most original album in the world, but it’s beautifully done and consistently enjoyable. GRADE: B–.

Marchandelle (France): À L’Ecoute D’Un Pays (Geste Paysanne UP 19, 1979)
Folk
Dominique Passebon (occasional vocals), Brigitte Chaine (occasional vocals), Mireille Conte (occasional vocals)
Alternating songs and instrumentals, this is pleasant French traditional folk. Whilst it doesn’t have any of the rock edges and experimental elements of, say, Malicorne and never attains the same heights, it’s all quintessentially Gallic and thoroughly enjoyable. GRADE: C+.

Marchandelle (France): Menteries (Geste Paysanne UP 26, 1981)
Folk
Dominique Passebon (joint lead vocals), Brigitte Chaine (joint lead vocals), Mireille Comte (joint lead vocals)
Whilst not dissimilar to their first, this has a mildly spacy edge that sets it apart and could make it more appealing to those who are not keen on pure traditional folk. In fact, it’s a lovely album throughout, with both the songs and instrumentals working very well. GRADE: C+.
Marchandelle (France): 3/Moments Musical Du Spectacle Aline (Geste Paysanne, 1983)
Folk/Rock
Dominique Passebon (occasional vocals), Martine Lerch (piano)
As the title makes clear, their third and final album was the soundtrack to an ambitious stage show that apparently involved some 500 people. Mostly instrumental and with partly electric backing, it incorporates sound effects to create a concept album feel, though once again their music is firmly rooted in French folk. GRADE: C+.

Maria Luisa Marchiorello (Italy): Tempi Luminosi (MP MPCD001, CD, 1992)
Singer/Songwriter/Progressive
Maria Luisa Marchiorello (lead vocals, keyboards, percussion)
With a spacy, atmospheric and sepulchral sound and some high-tech arrangements, this singer/songwriter’s sole album at times recalls Nico and at others seventies pioneers like Pierrot Lunaire. This isn’t in the same league as their work, but it’s a creative and atmospheric album with lots of intriguing diversions. GRADE: C+.

Marfuz (Argentina): Estampas (No label 001, CD, 1996)
Rock/Metal/Progressive
Patricia Falappa (principal vocals, bass, keyboards)
Mixing mainstream, hard and progressive rock, this Argentine trio has a strongly South American sound, frequently recalling the Chilean outfit Sol Y Media Noche. Whilst this isn’t a great album, it is a fairly good one, with some decent songs and instrumental breaks.

GRADE: C+.
Marfuz (Argentina): Último Eclipse (No label CD 002, CDR, 1999)
Rock/Metal/Progressive
Patricia Falappa (joint lead vocals, bass, keyboards)
In a similar style to the first, this contains some good riffs, hooks and guitar work. Oddly, the disc comes with an undersized booklet, rather like the one on fellow South Americans Parthenon’s album. GRADE: C+.

Marge Litch (Japan): Prologue (K-Machin KM-004, cassette, with insert, 1990)a
Progressive/Metal
Junko Nakagawa (lead vocals)
As the catalogue number suggests, this was not the band’s first release, but I believe it was their first with a female vocalist. Its mix of power metal and symphonic elements isn’t as fully realised as on its remarkable follow-up, but there is certainly some energetic – and sometimes quite savage – playing on offer here. GRADE: C+.

Marge Litch (Japan): Fantasien (K-Machin KM-005, CD, with poster booklet and obi, 1991)
Progressive/Metal
Junko Nakagawa (lead vocals)
Quite different from the plethora of female-fronted neoprogressive bands that emerged from Japan in the late eighties, Marge Litch offer manic and ferociously complex progressive metal on this concept album. Metal is only part of the equation though, as this has lots of baroque and neoclassical touches, constant and unpredictable shifts of moods and tempo, and virtuoso performances from all the instrumentalists (but particularly the outstanding bassist). It may be too intense and relentless for some ears, and Junko Nakagawa’s shrill, piercing voice may not endear it to many listeners, but this is a remarkably diverse and adventurous record, with music that is frequently stunning. GRADE: B–.
Marge Litch (Japan): The Ring Of Truth (Made In Japan MCD-2924, CD, with obi, 1992)
Progressive
Junko Nakagawa (lead vocals)
As bombastic as its predecessor, but much more symphonic, The Ring Of Truth places more emphasis on keyboards (perhaps surprisingly, since none of the band members played the instrument). The result is an album that’s more mature and more consistent than its predecessor, with Nakagawa’s voice used to much better effect, but the sheer audacity of their debut is sadly missed. GRADE: C+.
Marge Litch (Japan): Crystal Heart In The Fountain (Made In Japan MJC-1010/11, double CD, with obi, 1995)
Progressive
Junko Nakagawa (principal vocals)
This double album isn’t the magnum opus it first appears: the total running time is a mere 71 minutes, with the first disc (the ‘Crystal Heart In The Fountain’ suite itself) totalling only 21. That disc sees a further softening of their style, offering typical sumptuous Nippon neoprogressive, whilst the second is heavier and more manic, though again quintessentially Japanese and ultimately pretty anonymous. GRADE: C+.
Marge Litch (Japan): Fantasien 1998 (Made In Japan MJC-1017, CD, with obi, 1998)
Progressive/Metal
Junko Nakagawa (principal vocals)
As the title indicates, this is a remake of their debut album, with some restructuring and a few new bits (including a full-blown operatic section) interpolated. Like the original, this is manic, virtuosic and constantly surprising, almost approaching a total sensory assault at times, but packed with ideas and innovation. GRADE: B–.

Marge Litch (Japan): Particuliöh (ML MLHR-0001, CD, with obi, 2000)
Progressive/Metal
Junko Nakagawa (lead vocals)
The band’s final album comprises re-recordings of ‘Perfect Regulated City’ from Fantasien, ‘The Haunted Woods’ from The Ring Of Truth and ‘Wings For The Future’ from Crystal Heart In The Fountain, plus two new numbers (a song and an instrumental). The re-recordings are very well done and the new material is excellent, making for one of their better releases. GRADE: B–.

See also Alhambra

Margo (West Germany): Margo (Blackbird A-5908, 1981)
Jazz/Rock
Else Nabu (lead vocals)
This slick horn-and-synthesiser-led jazz-fusion album is far from my taste, but it’s undeniably well done (if also undeniably formulaic and sterile). Else Nabu went on to cut a solo album, which I haven’t heard. GRADE: C.

Luciano Margorani & Elaine Di Falco (Italy/USA): Home Is Where The Art Is (No label, CDR, Italy, 2013)
Folk/Avant-Garde
Elaine Di Falco (lead vocals, keyboards, glockenspiel, ukelele)
This odd, minimalist, inconsequential little album mostly consists of gentle, folky improvisations, occasionally with wordless vocals, occasionally interspersed with sound effects. It’s a nice enough set, avoiding most of the atonal excesses of avant-garde music, but it never really does much or goes anywhere, though that’s perhaps not the point. GRADE: C+.
See also 3 Mice, Caveman Shoestore, Combat Astronomy, Empty Days, Ligeia Mare, Thinking Plague, Dave Willey & Friends

Mariah (Japan): Utakata No Hibi (Shan-Shan YW-7411è2BD, 2 x 12” singles, with insert, 1983)
Pop/Rock/Progressive
Julie Fowell
Oddly packaged as two 12" 45 rpm discs (in a beautiful Arabian-influenced sleeve), this obscure album blends influences from electropop and progressive music. Thus you get strange, largely instrumental compositions with Oriental elements and plenty of synthesisers and drum machines. It’s something of an acquired taste, and I can’t imagine it ranking among anyone’s favourite albums (even anyone’s favourite albums of the eighties), but it is quite unusual and interesting. As a footnote, the band had previously cut two albums with an all-male line-up. GRADE: C+.

Marie Celeste (UK): And Then Perhaps (No label, 1971)
Folk
Tricia Jenkins (joint lead vocals), Mary Bishop (joint lead vocals, guitar)

Possibly the rarest UK folk album, this opens promisingly with the excellent self-penned ‘Prisoner’. However, much of the rest is cover versions of familiar folk club material (including a decent ‘Sally Free And Easy’ and unremarkable stabs at ‘Night In The City’, ‘I Am A Rock’, ‘Summertime’ and ‘Ruby Tuesday’). GRADE: C+.

Mark & Bonnie (USA): Wandering The Woods (Studio 5073, 1979)
Folk/Psychedelic
Bonnie Branciaroli (occasional vocals, guitar, handclaps, harmonica)
I’m not normally keen on American folk, but this is a delight. Whilst drawing on their own rural traditions, Mark & Bonnie (mostly) avoid the cornball, and are equally adept composing or offering sensitive interpretations of traditional material. The arrangements are beautifully judged too, with some effectively trippy lead guitar, synthesiser, Mellotron and percussion occasionally added to their own acoustic guitars. Side one is given over to shorter pieces, including several around the 60-to-90 second mark (one of which, oddly, is composed and sung by one Cathy Terrell), whilst they stretch out on the superb second side. The only drawback is that Bonnie is mostly restricted to harmony vocals: whilst Mark has an excellent voice, her lovely ethereal tones really deserved more exposure. GRADE: B.

Marlène & Nuages (France): Marlène Et Nuages (No label ADV 8227, 1985?)
Rock
Marlène Calatayud (lead vocals), Carole Dampeirou (drums)
This obscure album consists of pleasant folkish soft rock with a singer/songwriter vibe, with a rather hard-edged production reflecting its era. On the downside, the somewhat mechanical drumming sometimes intrudes and the reggae number probably wasn’t a great idea, but for the most part this is very listenable. GRADE: C+.

Marsupilami (UK): Marsupilami (Transatlantic TRA 213, 1970)
Progressive
Jessica Stanley-Clarke (flute, backing vocals)
This interesting psych-into-prog period piece has some strong guitar and flute-led arrangements and a powerful jamming feel. The chops are often more impressive than the actual compositions, though a high level of energy carries it through. Nonetheless it’s an excellent period piece and rightly regarded as a classic of early progressive rock. GRADE: B–.
Marsupilami (UK): Arena (Transatlantic TRA 230, 1971)
Progressive
Jessica Stanley-Clarke (occasional vocals, flute)
Their second and final album, produced by Peter Bardens, is more varied and mature than their first, with the furious rock sections contrasting with atmospheric moments dominated by keyboards and flute. Once again, the musicianship is impressive, as is the band’s dynamism and passion. GRADE: B.

Mike & Pam Martin (USA): Fernwood Pacific (Augustus, 1975?)
Country/Rock
Pam Martin
This private pressing is sometimes offered as folk/rock but it’s actually country/rock, with lots of steel guitar. A couple of rather MOR cuts don’t work too well, and I’m not too keen on side one’s rockabilly-flavoured closer ‘The King Takes The Queen’, but for the most part this is a good example of the genre, containing some pleasant and mellow songs. GRADE: C+.

John & Beverley Martyn (UK): Stormbringer (Island ILPS 9113, 1970)
Folk/Rock
Beverley Martyn (joint lead vocals, guitar)
The thing that immediately struck me about Stormbringer, listening to it nearly 40 years after its release, was how evocative it all sounds. The album perfectly captures the wistful, questing nature of late sixties music, with an atmosphere and sound very similar to Fairport Convention’s What We Did On Our Holidays (not surprising, considering they shared the same producer, engineer, studio and label). This isn’t as varied as Fairport’s outing, alternating delicate ballads and bluesy folk/rockers, which could either be an advantage or a drawback depending on your perspective. However, I can’t imagine anyone in either camp not rating this wonderful collection of songs highly.

GRADE: B–.
John & Beverley Martyn (UK): The Road To Ruin (Island ILPS 9133, 1970)
Folk/Rock
Beverley Martyn (joint lead vocals)
Whilst this is as atmospheric as their first and rather more varied and adventurous, it’s also less consistent, with several songs being good rather than great. That said, it also contains possibly the duo’s best recording in the rather psychedelic six-minute ‘Auntie Aviator’, which achieves an impressive level of intensity However, it’s given a run for its money by the fuzz guitar-driven acid-rocker ‘Here I Am’, included as a bonus track on the CD reissue. GRADE: C+.

Beverley Martyn (UK): No Frills (One World OW112CD, CD, 1998)
Singer/Songwriter/Folk
Beverley Martyn (lead vocals, guitar)
Martyn’s first solo album, recorded after almost 30 years’ absence, is aptly titled: this consists entirely of her own songs, accompanied by her own acoustic guitar, recorded in a single take. It’s accomplished bluesy folk, with her world-weary voice in excellent condition, but as with most albums of this type it’s rather low on variety and somewhat uniform in mood. GRADE: C+.
Beverley Martyn (UK): The Phoenix And The Turtle (Les Cousins LC018, CD, with digipak, 2014)
Singer/Songwriter/Folk/Rock
Beverley Martyn (lead vocals)
Her voice may have receded slightly, into a pleasing Marianne Faithfull-esque smoky croon, but this is the logical follow-up to her late sixties and early seventies albums that No Frills wasn’t. In fact, it’s every inch their equal: wonderfully atmospheric bluesy folk/rock with beautifully judged sparse yet rich arrangements. She even manages a searing version of ‘When The Levee Breaks’ that’s completely different from Led Zeppelin’s whilst being almost as memorable. GRADE: B–.

Maru & Mikael (Finland): Destination Nowhere (Hi-Hat HILP 103, with insert, 1975)
Singer/Songwriter/Rock/Progressive
Marianne Nyman (joint lead vocals, guitar, keyboards)
From the faintly psychedelic cover, this looks like hippie folk, but in fact it’s West Coast soft rock with jazzy influences and strong progressive elements. Among the songs, which bear a slight resemblance to contemporary Joni Mitchell but are a little trippier, there are several excellent instrumentals. The album ends with a spare, jazzy, rather psychedelic nine-minute version of the traditional Japanese number ‘Sakura’, which is quite impressive. Their only other release was a 1990 EP (Olarin Musiikii Oy OMS 1011) featuring four lovely, wistful folk songs, including a re-recording of 'Sakura'. GRADE: C+.

Mary Jane (UK): Hazy Days (September Gurls SGCD 10, CD, with insert, Germany, 1996)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Jo Quinn (lead vocals, guitar, recorder, flageolet)
This young British band’s biggest influence was clearly Trees, and at its best Hazy Days recalls the long jamming tracks from The Garden Of Jane Delawney. A couple of slightly weaker cuts notwithstanding, this is a truly great electric folk album, with both the original and traditional songs being delivered with aplomb. Jo Quinn’s fey, high-pitched singing style is something of an acquired taste, however, and could grate on some listeners. GRADE: B.
Mary Jane (UK): The Gates Of Silent Memory (September Gurls SGCD 21, CD, Germany, 1999)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Jo Quinn (lead vocals, violin, flute, flageolet)
Amazingly, their second album is every bit as good as their first, although I still find some of Jo Quinn’s singing a little difficult to stomach. The vinyl version, issued the following year (September Gurls SGLP 27, with insert) came with a bonus picture sleeve EP, and hence featured two more tracks in total than the CD. GRADE: B.
Mary Jane (UK): Tacit (Seventh Wave 7W001CD, CD, 2001)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Jo Quinn (lead vocals, percussion, violin, flute, recorder, flageolet)
Billed as ‘live sessions’, this features two slightly different line-ups (one including hand percussion, the other drums). Perhaps a touch lighter than its predecessors, this is another fine album that duplicates a few cuts from their earlier career but mostly showcases new material. GRADE: B.
Mary Jane (UK): To The Prettiest One (Seventh Wave 7W002CD, CD, 2001)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Jo Quinn (principal vocals, bodhrán, violin, flute, recorder, flageolet), Isabelle Lydon (occasional vocals)
Whilst all their albums are impressive, this is their best: a true folk/rock classic with great acoustic and electric guitar interplay, a solid rhythm section and extremely well-judged use of hand percussion, violin and flute. Even Jo Quinn’s vocals come across as ethereal rather than irritating this time around. For no obvious reason, one Isabelle Lydon sings lead on ‘Journey’. GRADE: B.
Mary Jane (UK): Eve (Talking Elephant TECD168, CD, 2010)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Jo Quinn (joint lead vocals, violin, flute, recorder, flageolet), Lucy Rutherford (joint lead vocals), Gillie Hotston (violin, mandolin, backing vocals)
Returning after a nine-year absence with a slightly different line-up, Mary Jane prove themselves still to be at the forefront of electric folk. Some of this is more acoustic and pagan in feel than before, but they can also rock out in no uncertain style (as ‘The Great Silkie’ ably demonstrates). From start to finish, this is another classic album. GRADE: B.
See also Zaney Janey

Mary-Anne (UK): Me (Joy JOYS 162, 1970)
Folk/Psychedelic
Mary-Anne Paterson
Rather strangely issued on Joy (the budget sub-division of President, and not a label noted for its folk repertoire), Me is a mesmerising album of acoustic acid-folk. Most tracks are traditional, with sparse accompaniment from guitar and flute, although some electric instrumentation occasionally adds excellent counterpoint. Whilst I love her traditional interpretations, her original composition ‘Love Has Gone’ is even better, though the highpoint is ‘Black Girl’, which reaches an almost Comus-like level of intensity. GRADE: B–.

Maschere Di Clara (Italy): Anamorfosi (No label, CD, 2011)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Laura Masotto (joint lead vocals, violin)
The opening cuts are cacophonous RIO of a high standard, with the chamber music arrangements (bass, piano, violin and drums) delivering a surprisingly hefty rock punch. But it’s the more restrained, though equally intense, neoclassical passages that really impress, placing the band somewhere between Art Zoyd, Shub-Niggurath and King Crimson. GRADE: B.

Maschine (UK): Rubidium (InsideOut 0506548, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2013)
Progressive/Metal
Georgia Lewis (occasional vocals, keyboards)
Whilst this sometimes resembles the interconnected Tangent, Maschine have clear roots in progressive metal and are a much more adventurous proposition. In fact, there are some fine instrumental passages here, though some sections work better than others. If there’s an underlying problem, it’s the actual songwriting: it’s by no means bad, but its neoprogressive roots show through most of the time. GRADE: C+.
Maschine (UK/Belgium): Naturalis (InsideOut 88985376222, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2016)
Progressive/Metal
Marie-Eve de Gaultier (occasional vocals, keyboards, flute)
Like its predecessor, this is very close to being a B– without quite crossing the threshold. It’s hard to say what holds it back: the music is more adventurous than most neoprog, the hard rock riffs are worked in effectively, the drumming is particularly sensitive and the recording is beautiful. Maybe it’s because it has that same old neoprog guitar tone; perhaps it’s because the drummer (unusually) stumbles on opener ‘Resistance’’s knotty tempo changes. More likely, it’s because once again the singing and songs show a definite influence from Andy Tillison, whose own music falls into the same nearly-but-not-quite category. GRADE: C+.
See also Tangent

Maschine Nr 9 (West Germany): Headmovie (Philips 6305 221, 1974)
Avant-Garde/Psychedelic
Olimpia Hruska (joint lead vocals), Renate Knaup-Krötenschwanz (occasional vocals), Petra Schümann (occasional vocals), Mascha Rabben (occasional vocals)
This unusual one-off project offers a kind of audio play, constructed mainly using minimal electronic backing. There are spoken words, weird singing, snatches of psychedelic guitar work, bits of classical music and all kinds of sound effects, plus an interesting guest list including Renate Knaup-Krötenschwanz and Danny-Secundus Fichelscher. While too unmusical to merit repeated listens, it’s a very bold and creative album, and it’s a testament to the spirit of mid-seventies Germany that it found release on a major label. GRADE: C+.
See also Amon Düül II, Popol Vuh

Mask (UK): Heavy Petal (Mandalic MDC001, dual disc, with digipak, 2005)
Progressive
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (lead vocals, guitar)
Although marketed as new age (with the DVD side being described as ‘Healing Senses’), this is a closer to a sort of neoclassical progressive-cum-gothic folk hybrid. Mixing songs and pieces with wordless vocals, the album occasionally recalls Dead Can Dance, whilst covering a wide range of musical territory with varying degrees of success. Nonetheless, there is some excellent music on offer, and it’s easily Linwood’s most interesting and creative album since the early days of Curved Air. The DVD side features two songs from the album plus ‘Healing Senses’ itself, all in surround sound with some fairly rudimentary visual accompaniment. GRADE: B–.
Mask (UK): Technopia (Repertoire RAR 1005, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2009)
Pop/Rock
Sonja-Kristina Linwood (principal vocals, guitar)
The title is confirmed by the pounding electronic beats that open the album: completely different to their first, this is largely uptempo pop/rock with lots of synthesisers. A few neoclassical, new age and acoustic elements are thrown into the mix, but overall this is far less interesting and creative than its predecessor. GRADE: C+.
See also Curved Air, Sonja-Kristina

Mason Steel Connection (USA): Early Morning Sunshine (GMS Sound Studios 6383, 1981)
Lounge
Mary Beth McGuire, Jeri Cartee
For the most part, this rather average lounge rock album is distinguished only by having all-original material. However, ‘Stonehaven’s End’ is rather interesting, being a progressive hard rocker with lots of synthesiser and helium-pitched singing; the sleeve notes that this is ‘abridged’, which is a pity as more ‘Stonehaven’s End’ and less of the rest could have created a much better LP. GRADE: D+.

Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports (UK/USA): Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports (Harvest SHSP 4116, with inner, UK, 1981)

Jazz/Rock

Karen Kraft (occasional vocals), Carla Bley (keyboards)

Don’t expect anything Pink Floyd-like here: this is a Carla Bley album with Mason on drums. But don’t expect anything typically Bley-like either, since this consists entirely of songs rather than instrumentals. How much you like it may depend on how much you like Robert Wyatt’s voice, as he sings almost everything. To these ears, this pleasant set of satirical Canterbury pop songs is likeable enough, but it’s not a patch on Carla Bley at her best – or on Pink Floyd. GRADE: C+.

See also Carla Bley, Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, Michael Mantler

Tina Mason (USA): Tina Mason Is Something Wonderful! (Capitol T / ST 2785, 1967)
MOR/Pop
Tina Mason (lead vocals)
I’m not so sure about ‘wonderful’, but this is as good as sixties MOR pop gets. Mason has a rich, sultry voice and she’s backed by top session players of the era, with David Axelrod producing and HB Barnum arranging. Those who like the style will find much to enjoy here.

GRADE: C.

Colin Masson (UK): Isle Of Eight (Headline HDL 505, CD, 2001)
Progressive
Cathy Alexander (lead vocals, keyboards, recorder)
The solo debut of Morrigan’s Colin Masson, assisted by his wife and bandmate Cathy Alexander, consists of just three lengthy tracks of 26, 27 and 13 minutes. It’s very much a showcase for Masson’s multi-instrumental talents as he contributes guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion, drum programmes and trombone to create lengthy, constantly changing soundscapes. The material is well crafted, with great dynamics, sometimes hinting towards Mike Oldfield, and only occasionally do the limitations of the one-man-band approach become obvious. GRADE: C+.
Colin Masson (UK): The Mad Monk And The Mountain (Morrigan Music MMU1081, CDR, 2010)
Progressive
Cathy Alexander (joint lead vocals, keyboards, recorder)
Masson’s second solo album is slightly different from his first, as well as slightly more accomplished: The Mad Monk And The Mountain features six tracks, with running times between 2½ and 17 minutes, including a mixture of instrumentals and actual songs. Cathy Alexander again makes a significant contribution on vocals, keyboards and recorder, and co-wrote ‘The Ends Of The Earth’. Overall, this is another solid and satisfying LP. GRADE: C+.

Colin Masson (UK): The Southern Cross (Morrigan Music MMU 1083, CDR, 2011)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Cathy Alexander (occasional vocals, keyboards, recorder)
The reinterpretation of Morrigan’s ‘The Wreckers’ is no accident: this is a very different album from its predecessors, swapping suites for discrete songs, which are mostly pretty long. On ‘The Heart Of The Machine’, Masson tries his hand at heavy rock, whilst the two closing cuts (totalling 27 minutes) hark back to the style of his first two LPs; the remainder is strongly influenced by Celtic folk, sounding like a lower-budget Morrigan. GRADE: C+.

See also Morrigan

Mastermind (USA): Angels Of The Apocalypse (Avalon MICY-1153, CD, with booklet and obi, Japan, 1999)
Metal/Progressive
Lisa Bouchelle (lead vocals)
With a typically American feel, this progressive metal album offers a song-based style driven by knotty riffs (which thankfully never get too angular). However, it’s notable that they only really come alive on their over-the-top twelve-minute cover of ELP’s ‘The Endless Enigma’. As a footnote, the American and European releases on the InsideOut label were issued early the following year, and feature one different song. GRADE: C+.
Mastermind (USA): Prog, Fusion, Metal, Leather, And Sweat (StellarVox SV 2001-2, CD, 2000)
Metal/Progressive
Lisa Bouchelle (lead vocals, guitar)
I can’t comment as to the level of leather, or indeed sweat, on offer, but this is certainly much more progressive than their studio set. In fact, if you love hell-for-leather (sorry!) progressive metal, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here. GRADE: C+.
Mastermind (USA): Broken (No label MM 200512, CD, 2005)
Metal/Progressive
Tracy McShane (lead vocals), Laura Johnson (bass, backing vocals)
The cover and spine note that this is a ‘single/EP’, but with over 44 minutes of music it’s more realistically an album. For certain, it has the feel of a stopgap release – there are two versions of the title track, a re-recording of a number from Angels Of The Apocalypse and covers of ‘I’m So Glad’ and the ‘William Tell Overture’ – but musically this is strong enough to stand on its own merits. In particular, new vocalist Tracy McShane is an excellent addition to the band, with her clear voice providing excellent counterpoint to the band’s heavy rock and progressive jamming. GRADE: C+.

Mastermind (UK): Insomnia (Lion Music LMC279, CD, Finland, 2010)
Metal/Progressive
Tracy McShane (principal vocals)
Aside from the instrumental ‘Night Flier’ and the extended closer, this dials down the progressive elements and offers straightforward metal and hard rock. The best cut by some distance is ‘Broken’, which had already appeared (twice) on the previous album, but this is nonetheless a solid and enjoyable heavy rock set. GRADE: C+.

Materialeyes (UK): In Focus (Davwilmar CD002, CDR, 2019)
Progressive
Dianne Howes (flute, backing vocals)
In their press blurb, the band compare themselves to Pink Floyd, Camel and Focus, and whilst I can hear references to the latter two there’s nothing very Floyd-like here. Their descriptor of ‘progressive rock… with a chilled feel’ is right on the money, however: this is a collection of mellow, melodic songs with fairly sedate tempos. As that summation indicates, this isn’t an album that delivers any surprises or pushes any boundaries, but it’s certainly very pleasant. As a footnote, they’d previously made an album with an all-male line-up. GRADE: C+.

Materya (Italy): Case (White Knight CDWK0612B, CD, with digipak and booklet, UK, 2012)
Singer/Songwriter
Betty Copeta (principal vocals)
This offshoot of AltaVia is quite different from the parent band, offering folky singer/songwriter material. It’s quite a varied album, though haunting, slightly symphonic ballads are the dominant style, and is pleasant and accomplished throughout. GRADE: C+.
See also AltaVia

Matraz (Chile): Gritaré (Mylodon MyloCD107, CD, 2004)
Progressive/Metal
Loreto Chapparo (lead vocals)
Typically South American, this is richly symphonic, heavy-riffing and dark and understated in mood with mildly jazzy vocals. However, it’s a touch above average, throwing in a couple of instrumentals to add welcome variety. GRADE: C+.

Matter Of Taste (West Germany): It’s Only A Matter Of Taste (Flame FL 44010, 1979)
Funk/Rock/Progressive
Karin Haug (principal vocals)
For the most part, this is funky, soulful rock, frequently bordering on jazz/funk, but with enough rock elements (including some good guitar) to make it listenable. Inevitably, back in the day some dealers chose to hype it as ‘prog’, probably because of the closing instrumental ‘Berlin’, which really is rather progressive and is by some margin the best thing on the album. GRADE: C+.

Harvey Matusow’s Jew’s Harp Band (USA/New Zealand): War Between Fats And Thins (Head HDLS 6001, UK, 1969)
Folk/Psychedelic/Avant-Garde
Leslie Kenton (joint lead vocals, metronome), Anna Lockwood (guitar, percussion, zither, effects)
Although the album was recorded and only released in the UK, Harvey Matusow was an expatriate American, allegedly with some odd connections to the CIA. As the band name suggests, this was recorded mainly using jew’s harps, plus occasional ethnic instrumentation, creating surprisingly spacy and psychedelic results. Overall, this is one of the more interesting and enjoyable avant-garde albums of its era. GRADE: C+.
See also Anna Lockwood

Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella (Germany): Gray Matters (Progressive Promotion PPR- CD037, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2015)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Melanie Mau (joint lead vocals)
The debut album by Frequency Drift vocalist Melanie Mau and Flaming Row leader Martin Schnella is an odd one: everything here is a cover version reinterpreted in a warm and mellow folk/rock style. With the material spanning numbers by Kansas, Peter Gabriel, Yes, Blind Guardian, Mr Big, Toto and others, their influences are clear and at times this fringes AOR and soft rock. With beautifully judged electric arrangements and some superb acoustic guitar playing by Schnella, it’s a nice album, but without any original songs it’s a little lacking in personality. In any case, their long, proggy version of ‘The Pinnacle’ is by far the best thing on offer. GRADE: C+.

Melanie Mau, Martin Schnella, Niklas Kahl, Fabian Gödecke & Stephan Wegner (Germany): Gray Matters – Live In Concert (No label, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2017)
Folk/Rock
Melanie Mau (principal vocals)
This isn’t a live interpretation of the Gray Matters album, as I expected, but a continuation of the same concept, mostly with different cover versions interpreted in the same semi-acoustic style. It’s also a bit of a step up, possibly due to a better choice of songs, but also because of the lively performances and sparkling recording. GRADE: C+.

Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella (Germany): The Oblivion Tales (No label, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2017)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Melanie Mau (principal vocals, handclaps)
The cover artwork gives the impression that the duo have switched styles to sympho-prog – they haven’t, but unlike the first two this consists entirely of self-penned material and is all the better for it. Whilst the first half is pleasant but unremarkable, the disc picks up significantly in the secind, with the proggy, hard-riffing 'Die Zwerge Vom Iberg’ and the closing instrumental ‘Melanie’s Theme’ being particularly impressive. GRADE: C+.
Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella (Germany): Pieces To Remember (No label, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2018)
Folk/Rock
Melanie Mau (principal vocals, handclaps)
They’re back to cover versions here, and they’re pretty wide-ranging: from Nightwish and Judas Priest to Journey, Kansas, REO Speedwagon, the Police and even Madonna. Impressively, they manage to mould this disparate material into a cohesive and consistent album, but whilst this is beautifully sung, played and recorded it’s a little lacking in personality, like many covers LPs. GRADE: C+
Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella (Germany): Through The Decades (No label, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2020)
Folk/Rock
Melanie Mau (principal vocals)
Again, this is all covers: this time ranging from Genesis to Kate Bush, Queen to Blind Guardian, Yes to Metallica. Again it’s superbly performed, arranged and produced. Again, likeable and satisfying as it is, I can’t really award it anything higher than a C+. GRADE: C+.

Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella (Germany): Crowdless Sessions (No label, DVD plus CD, with digipak and booklet, 2020)
Folk/Rock
Melanie Mau (principal vocals)
As its title suggests, this DVD and CD showcases a stage performance (without an audience) and a TV session by Mau, Schnella and friendfs. Performing a selection of songs from their albums plus a 26-minute medley of material from Flaming Row’s The Pure Shine, they sometimes achieve an impressive level of intensity and showcase real passion and some fine musicianship. There’s a clear contrast between the two performances: the audience-free concert feels more intimate and informal whilst the TV show adds lighting for a more staged feel, adding up to an enjoyable document of their work. As a bonus, the DVD features an interview (in German, with occasional English subtitles) and promotional videos for six of their songs, which are all very enjoyable. With a bonus CD of the live and TV material, this is a thoroughly enjoyable overview of their work, although I once again find myself liking and admiring rather than loving their work, with the exception of the wonderful ‘Die Zwerge Vom Iberg’, which remains their best song by some considerable margin. GRADE: C+.
Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella (Germany): Invoke The Ghosts (No label, double CD, with digipak and booklet, 2022)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Melanie Mau (principal vocals)
This album of all-original material illustrates both the strengths and weaknesses of Mau and Schnella’s approach. As always, the music is very well-crafted and surprisingly dynamic given the lack of electric guitars, with Schnella’s eloquent acoustic playing being beautifully recorded. But as usual, their approach delivers a relative lack of variety, both within and across albums. The second disc features instrumental or alternate versions of most of the tracks and I might just prefer it to the main album. GRADE: C+.

Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella (Germany): The Rainbow Tree (No label, CD, some autographed, with digipak and download cards, 2023)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Melanie Mau (principal vocals)
There’s a limit to how exciting I can find a semi-acoustic collection of cover versions: with this type of album the level of taste and craft tends to be high but the level of excitement somewhat lower. Nonetheless, this is certainly one of their better releases, with some nice progressive diversions – and of course an impressive level of taste and craft. Preorders came with the option of download cards for a bonus track and an alternate version of the album, combining acapella and instrumental versions of most of the songs – once again, I find this more interesting than the album proper, demonstrating just how much work the duo put into their intricate vocal and instrumental arrangements.

GRADE: C+.