2001 release of what was the 2nd Älgarnas Trädgård album; originally recorded in 1973-1974, but never released (until this CD rescued these recordings from oblivion). Exact same lineup as witnessed on their epic debut from 1972. And what a fantastic offering…it slowly extends into meta-improvisations with distant guitars, heavily effected organs, swirling strings, plenty of space, reaching an early peak-build amidst the detritus floating through the 12-minute "Interstellar Cruise." Later, an Eastern-themed campfire freakout (sitars, tablas, Yod-chant) breaks out, then a bit of the mellow reverbed flute, later still a long vocal loop fade out over some well placed drones. One could say this record has a bit of everything.

Capability Brown had and still have a cult following in UK music history as a "progressive" band, ultimately based on an outstanding piece from their second album, Voice. But largely their range covered mainstream pop music, treated in an "arty", alternative fashion. The band was a six-piece in which everyone sang and played instruments. The line-up consisted of Tony Ferguson (guitar, bass), Dave Nevin (keyboards, guitar, bass), Kenny Rowe (bass, percussion), Grahame White (guitar, lute, balalaika, keyboards), Joe Williams (percussion) and Roger Willis (drums, keyboards).
Ferguson and Nevin wrote the majority of the band's material, and the band also excelled in covers of obscure material (Rare Bird's Beautiful Scarlet and Redman, Argent's Liar, Affinity's I Am And So Are You and Steely Dan's Midnight Cruiser).
Capability Brown's forte was vocalizing…

Fans of muscular progressive rock will love Solar Fire, a concept album loosely designed around cosmology. The album opens with the majestic "Father of Night, Father of Day," which has the drive and complexity of a prime King Crimson track. As unlikely as it may seem, the track was controversial in Mann's native South Africa because of the "Father of black, father of white" line, implying that apartheid might not extend to infinite space. The album moves on to the progressive rock/jazz fusion of "In the Beginning, Darkness," a swinging, even funky track that benefits from soulful vocals by Doreen Chanter and Irene Chanter of the Grove Singers.

Virus, from the Bielefeld area in Westphalia, were the best and most famous local progressive group there in the early seventies. In 1970, they won the well-known competition in the Recklinghausen Vestlandhalle - still under their old name of Man’s World. The first prize: Recordings for their first own LP, under the direction of sound magician Conny Plank. That LP, “Revelation”, was released in 1971 and is partly reminiscent of the early Pink Floyd, e.g. in the final part of “Endless game”. On the CD edition on Garden of Delights, the two songs of the first Virus 7” single have been added as bonus tracks. The second and final Virus LP, 'Thoughts', was recorded with a different line-up, again under the direction of Conny Plank, and it was released on the legendary Pilz label at the end of 1971. With shorter tacks, this LP was less twisted than the debut…

Formed in 1972, this ethnic/kraut jazz quintet (Jochen Leuschner, Reinhard Karwatky, Gerd Bock-Ehrmann, Deiter Kramer, and Ludwig Braun) released their self titled album the same year in a relative discretion. This album made an exploration in long / space rock improvisations relied on jazz grooves and weird electro -acoustic sounds. The "ethnic", mystical elements are obvious notably due to the acoustic percussions rhythm sections. Compositions are mainly instrumental and improvised, brightly showing the technical capacities of the musicians. After several departures the band will be organised under a trio form, recording in 1973 the seminal "Time Machine". This album features astonishing manifestations of freaky fusion jazz exercises mixed with weird experimentations and mysticism. This album was recorded at Dieter Dierk's mythical studio…

The '70s gave us a slew of classic hard rock albums and though it hasn't had the lasting influence of, say, Boston's or Aerosmith's first albums, Montrose's eponymous debut proved equally influential and important in its day. Released in 1973, the record also introduced a young Sammy Hagar and his powerful vocals to the world, but the explosive aggression of Ronnie Montrose's biting guitar left no doubt as to why it was his name gracing the cover. A rock-solid rhythm section featuring drummer Denny Carmassi and bassist Bill Church certainly didn't hurt either, and unstoppable anthems such as "Rock the Nation" and their rowdy take on the jump blues chesnut "Good Rockin' Tonight" would lay the ground rules for an entire generation of late-'70s California bands, most notably Van Halen…

Black Beat is a classic soul and funk compilation originally associated with the early 1970s era, later reissued in 1995 to highlight the timeless influence of Philadelphia soul and related styles. The album brings together a strong selection of artists who helped define the lush, orchestral sound and groove-driven rhythm that characterized the period. Featuring legendary acts such as The Isley Brothers, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and The O'Jays, the compilation blends emotional vocal performances with tight instrumental arrangements and rich production. The tracks showcase a mix of heartfelt ballads and upbeat funk-infused grooves, reflecting both the social consciousness and dancefloor appeal of the era. With its cohesive sound and iconic contributors, Black Beat serves as a compelling snapshot of classic soul music at its peak and remains an essential listen for fans of vintage R&B and funk.

One of the Canterbury scene's most revered bands, Hatfield and the North made up for the brevity of their career with some fascinating music. Always adventurous, the quartet had the keen sense to realize that only the most hardened jazz fans respond to numerous key changes and exceedingly complex time signatures, and thus enlivened their live set with the odd gnome smashing, suggestive lyrics, and jokey song titles. It worked a charm, with the band quickly amassing a large, loyal following at home in Britain and across the continent. On their eponymous debut, Hatfield stunningly succeeded in translating both their sense of fun and their musical brilliance onto disc.

Canadian brass rock band Lighthouse were formed in Toronto 1969. Unusually, the band leader Ronn "Skip" Prokop was a drummer, he has played previously with artists such as Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana and Al Kooper before forming his first band The Paupers. Of these, the Kooper connection is probably the most significant, as the music of Lighthouse is based around a solid brass section and big arrangements, similar to those of Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago.
Prokop's ambitions were made clear from the outset when the first line up of Lighthouse had no less than 11 members. The were quickly picked up by RCA Victor, who release the bands self titled debut in 1969. Further albums followed quickly, but the punningly titled "Peacing it all together", their third release, would see the end of their relationship with RCA…

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was where Elton John's personality began to gather more attention than his music, as it topped the American charts for eight straight weeks. In many ways, the double album was a recap of all the styles and sounds that made John a star. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is all over the map, beginning with the prog rock epic "Funeral for a Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)" and immediately careening into the balladry of "Candle in the Wind." For the rest of the album, John leaps between popcraft ("Bennie and the Jets"), ballads ("Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"), hard rock ("Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"), novelties ("Jamaica Jerk-Off"), Bernie Taupin's literary pretensions ("The Ballad of Danny Bailey"), and everything in between. Though its diversity is impressive, the album doesn't hold together very well. Even so, its individual moments are spectacular and the glitzy, crowd-pleasing showmanship that fuels the album pretty much defines what made Elton John a superstar in the early '70s.

Sunbirds (1971). The fusion group Sunbirds was founded by the jazz musicians Klaus Weiss (drums) and Fritz Pauer (keyboards) in Munich in 1971, when the two of them had already made a name for themselves. Musically the Sunbirds' albums can best be qualified as "flute groovers". That is to say, they are seasoned in the jazz idiom, but also wanted to venture into the psychedelic sounds of the day. But the Sunbirds also had that Krautrock thing going on. Plenty of wild fuzz guitar and electric piano. Especially on the first album, the Sunbirds could have easily fit on the Brain label, and may have had they come around a year or two later…

Originally finding fame with The McCoys, Rick Derringer worked with both Johnny and Edgar Winter, as well as Steely Dan, before going solo in 1973 for All American Boy. Co-produced with Bill Szymczyk, who would later produce the Eagles, All American Boy features guest appearances from Joe Walsh, Suzi Quatro and Edgar Winter, and features his best known hit, 'Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo'. The album also features 'Hold', a song co-written with a then relatively unknown Patti Smith. The bonus tracks include mono single versions of 'Rock 'n' Roll Hoochie Koo' and 'Teenage Love Affair'. Produced by Rick himself, Spring Fever followed in 1975, and includes a revisit to the McCoys' 'Hang On Sloopy', as well as the Rufus Thomas classic, 'Walkin' The Dog'. The album includes guest appearances from Chick Corea on moog, New York Doll David Johansen on electric harmonica, as well as both Johnny and Edgar Winter.

Tony Conrad is an American multimedia and experimental artist. He is musically known in the 60's for his abrasive violin drones and collaboration in the American "Dream Syndicate". In 1972 he visited the krautrock band Faust at Wumme and recorded a first album with them called "Outside The Dream Syndicate". The album is a vast catalogue of shimmering drones for violin, accompanied by percussive minimalist pulses and moving bass guitar lines. The result is tripped out, engaging the listener in strange rituals (almost buzzing "raga" dreamy sounds). This intriguing album is now a true classic of contemporary music and progressive rock. This one captures the essence of minimalism music and the energy of rock. To be honest, this album looks like more to Tony Conrad's explorations in experimentation sounds and insistent droning performances than Faust's hybrid rocking universe.