Rainbow Band (Midnight Sun) - Walking Circles 1972 denmark, spectacular jazz prog rock)
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Rainbow Band (Midnight Sun) - Walking Circles 1972 denmark, spectacular jazz prog rock)
Denmark's Rainbow Band was formed in late 1969 as a supergroup consisting of Peer Frost (ex-Young Flowers), Lars Bisgaard (ex-Maxwells), Carsten Smedegaard (ex-Beefeaters), Bent Hesselmann and the former jazz players Niels Bronsted and Bo Stief (they had backed American jazz musicians at Copenhagen's Cafe Montmartre). The idea was to play jazz-influenced progressive rock in the style of Burnin 'Red Ivanhoe and Traffic's second album. These influences were strongly evident on their 1970 album.
It's a very good effort, still very indicative of the hippie era. The rhythm section still produced the powerful 60s beat, forcing Peer Frost to squeeze out some of his best guitar solos. Lars Bisgaard was replaced by Allan Mortensen (ex-Tears) at the end of 1970. A Canadian group was already using the name Rainbow Band, which forced the Danish group to change their name into Midnight Sun in July 1971. Surprisingly enough, they decided to remake their first album instead of moving on to new material.Third alnum for the original Rainbow Band, but only second for Midnight Sun, this album is also graced with a Roger dean artwork, though not one of the better ones, IMHO. This album sees yet another singer (after Bisgaard and Mortensen for the two version of their previous album), the very average Lauridsen and Believe me this will affect the group in, general
Right from the opening two tracks, one cannot help but wondering where the promises heard previously lie now, because we hear some kind of AOR avant-la-lettre, even if the opener sounds bluesy and the follower sounds countryish, we are hovering in a parody of Lynyrd Brothers Band (although nothing offensive to the proghead) instead of psychey-prog group of yesteryear. Then all a sudden, with the A La Turca (an obvious nod to Blue Rondo) we are lead into an almost brass-rock (ala early Chicago), the A-side's highlight. The next tracks are more AOR without much direction. One has to wait for the slow starting Winds Gonna Blow, a pleasant light jazz-rock track, the antepenultimate title track another very brassy affair, (unfortunately ending in a useless drum soloa to find something worthy of your attention
Walking Circles can summarize what can be thought the general attitude a discerning proghead might have of this combo: nothing great, nothing bad, rather very average, but never offensive, therefore why bother???
Tracks
Walking Circles
1. Can You Hear The Music Play (Lasse Helner, Peter Helner) - 0:00
Two . Country Song (Stief, Lauridsen) - 4:07
Three . A La Turca (Hesselmann) - 9:28
4. The Way Of Zen (Andy Levy, Lauridsen, Frost) - 14:17
5. I've Got A New Mind (Andy Levy, Lauridsen, Bronsted) - 18:05
6. Winds Gonna Blow (Andy Levy, Bronsted) - 22:33
7. Walking Circles (Andy Levy, Bronsted) - 28:11
8. I'm Living A Dream (Andy Levy, Bronsted) - 35:30
Midnight Sun
* Peer Frost Johansson - Guitars
* Niels Bron
Denmark's Rainbow Band was formed in late 1969 as a supergroup consisting of Peer Frost (ex-Young Flowers), Lars Bisgaard (ex-Maxwells), Carsten Smedegaard (ex-Beefeaters), Bent Hesselmann and the former jazz players Niels Bronsted and Bo Stief (they had backed American jazz musicians at Copenhagen's Cafe Montmartre). The idea was to play jazz-influenced progressive rock in the style of Burnin 'Red Ivanhoe and Traffic's second album. These influences were strongly evident on their 1970 album.
It's a very good effort, still very indicative of the hippie era. The rhythm section still produced the powerful 60s beat, forcing Peer Frost to squeeze out some of his best guitar solos. Lars Bisgaard was replaced by Allan Mortensen (ex-Tears) at the end of 1970. A Canadian group was already using the name Rainbow Band, which forced the Danish group to change their name into Midnight Sun in July 1971. Surprisingly enough, they decided to remake their first album instead of moving on to new material.Third alnum for the original Rainbow Band, but only second for Midnight Sun, this album is also graced with a Roger dean artwork, though not one of the better ones, IMHO. This album sees yet another singer (after Bisgaard and Mortensen for the two version of their previous album), the very average Lauridsen and Believe me this will affect the group in, general
Right from the opening two tracks, one cannot help but wondering where the promises heard previously lie now, because we hear some kind of AOR avant-la-lettre, even if the opener sounds bluesy and the follower sounds countryish, we are hovering in a parody of Lynyrd Brothers Band (although nothing offensive to the proghead) instead of psychey-prog group of yesteryear. Then all a sudden, with the A La Turca (an obvious nod to Blue Rondo) we are lead into an almost brass-rock (ala early Chicago), the A-side's highlight. The next tracks are more AOR without much direction. One has to wait for the slow starting Winds Gonna Blow, a pleasant light jazz-rock track, the antepenultimate title track another very brassy affair, (unfortunately ending in a useless drum soloa to find something worthy of your attention
Walking Circles can summarize what can be thought the general attitude a discerning proghead might have of this combo: nothing great, nothing bad, rather very average, but never offensive, therefore why bother???
Tracks
Walking Circles
1. Can You Hear The Music Play (Lasse Helner, Peter Helner) - 0:00
Two . Country Song (Stief, Lauridsen) - 4:07
Three . A La Turca (Hesselmann) - 9:28
4. The Way Of Zen (Andy Levy, Lauridsen, Frost) - 14:17
5. I've Got A New Mind (Andy Levy, Lauridsen, Bronsted) - 18:05
6. Winds Gonna Blow (Andy Levy, Bronsted) - 22:33
7. Walking Circles (Andy Levy, Bronsted) - 28:11
8. I'm Living A Dream (Andy Levy, Bronsted) - 35:30
Midnight Sun
* Peer Frost Johansson - Guitars
* Niels Bron