So High I’ve Been: A European Rock Anthology 1967-73

A review by Brian R Banks

This is a panoramic view of mainland European prog-rock headed with a quote from the DJ John Peel in 1970 that such are “light years ahead of [our] currently fashionable cliché-rock [that] could stand you on your head if you listened to them”. I recall his late-evening radio broad-casts being flecked occasionally by such bands, a couple of whom were also put on his new record label Dandelion followed by others such as Virgin (Faust, Gong, Tangerine Dream) with sporadic UK gigs too.

It’s a heady blend of those that supported, indeed expanded, a Euro-scene that was to fuel the CD and growing vinyl collecting world we know today. There are eleven each from Holland and Italy, ten from Germany (excluding Can, Neu!, Amon Düül, even Frumpy whose press hailed them as the best German band of their time while on Philips like others here) seven from France, six from Denmark plus several more from Scandinavia, Spain and Switzerland (oddly, no Toad or Krokodil or Belgium at all) but, nevertheless, a wide-ranging triple set of 57 tracks and artistes that cannot be completist yet shows leading names with hopefuls for a good trawl of what was happening.

It opens with a Dutch beat title track by Q65, their first non-hit on Decca in 1967 in spite of being a fuzz-drenched garage racket (their name derived from Susie Q with a founding year). Compatriots are Ekseption who evolved from a Haarlem school band in the late ‘50s to hit-makers blending classical rock a la Nice, as with Sabre Dance. It hit for others too, a brassy wig out that probably contributed to untold factory workers’ absences or worse in that neck of the woods. Famous abroad were the organ-fronted Focus with their earworm hit Sylvia, Golden Earring’s much-covered Radar Love in the longer version of the pulsating single classic (even with drum solo!), Supersister who were a fave of “master John’s” (as Peel was called by his live-in nanny) with a woozy dream before the fuzz and crash bites mingled with flute and organ to be a staple on Rubble compilations, and the almost Tull-like Brainbox who chug along nicely while being chart regulars there.

One of the leading bands in Holland were Shocking Blue, whose hit Love Buzz charted in America and was destined to be Nirvana’s debut single (it’s said that when the songwriter/guitarist heard it in a record shop, he wasn’t impressed enough to buy it). Here it is sitar-embellished with funky drums (“can’t you hear my love buzz”!). Groep 1850 were one of the most innovative acid bands, we’re told, and their LP sported 3D glasses no less. They supported Zappa and Floyd while often on Radio Caroline sounding a tad like The Move, being banned in the U.K. after a drug raid at their Speakeasy gig in London that was promoted by Apple. There is the Dutch Dragonfly, who painted their faces long before Kiss, The Outsiders’ melodic garage rock with rocking harp—notable for the time because they never recorded covers—and delicious Sandy Coast with interesting instrumentation and sound effects for a wider Byrds sound that is well-worth exploring. They were on Page One owned by the Kinks’ boss Larry Page, before it collapsed.

In those days one was able to hear Dutch radio in England, especially on the east coast, and while their records via such as Polydor were findable it was German bands who became better known. Among the earliest were the Arthur Brownish quartet Blackbirds (issued here on Saga), The Rippers swirling a la The Animals before becoming Golgotha on renowned Ohr, and The Rattles who were called the “German Beatles” after a stack of top 30 hits before The Witch charted both here and stateside with its period mix of diabolic lyrics and cackling laughter. Necronomicon tried to take that further in name at least with a seven-minute heavy psych self-release sounding like a more ballsy Doors lost somewhere near the Rhine. There’s also the rare 600-copy self-release by commune group Siloah, whose Krishna’s Golden Dope Shop may not be ISB it is certainly COB for the cognoscenti.

Period classics appear such as Guru Guru from the legendary UFO album (1970), jamming their fusion of free jazz-rock (and still going); Tangerine Dream (from the trio’s 1970 debut) and their Edgar Froese’s first recorded band The Ones who were chums with Salvador Dali, for a beguiling sitar-and-effects blend of Lady Greengrass on the Star-Club label (its picture sleeve proudly shouted “music for Hippies”!). Other legends include Faust living up to their name (“Fist”) who became very influential after championing by Peel; Virgin sold their LP for the price of a single, allegedly shifting 100,000 units. Motorik before the term was coined, for the fastest 7+ minutes you’ll ever hear. Also still going are Popul Vuh, a collective who became world music pioneers (here with sitar and pipes from Hosianna Mantra) as well as soundtrackers for Werner Herzog’s films such as Nosferatu The Vampyre.

Italy probably has the most strident classical prog on offer (sometimes with names to match), a taste that persists today. Less known abroad are Lestelle Di Mario Schifano (a painter/sculptor chum of the Stones and Warhol) for the dreamy Susan Song (1967); Equipe04 who had hits covering Cher, Traffic etc. and also still continue; Circus 2000 with a female-led, studio distorted period piece reminiscent of Aquarius; plus two leading Italian-language groups: Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso and Il Balletto Di Bronzo (Peel played them in spite of the rather strained operatic vocal) with excellent, expensive production.

Blue Beard were a truly international quintet (hence first called Mixed Fruit) whose sole LP was produced by Fleetwood Mac’s Bob Welch and the song here, Losing You, is by Irish guitarist John Irvine. On vinyl in Italy, it was only issued in Britain on cassette and 8-track. Analogy were Italian-German prog-psychers with storming female vocals and hypnotic rhythm for the boxset’s longest track (surprisingly none go into double figures). In 1974 two of them relocated to London and formed Earthbound. Acqua Fragile wouldn’t have been out of place on Vertigo, appropriately supporting Gentle Giant, Soft Machine and Genesis. In fact, talent show winners Osanna may have influenced face-painting and costumed Peter Gabriel after supporting him, here with a track from L’Uomo (1971, Man).

They have connections with PFM, probably the most famous Italian band of the time, here with the single Celebration that scraped into Billboard’s top 200. Their album on ELP’s Manticore was produced by Pete Sinfield of King Crimson and Roxy Music fame; he also wrote their English lyrics receiving extensive radio play. Also known in Britain then were Le Orme (“footprints” in Italian) from Venice who always forged their own sound. After attending the Isle of Wight Festival in mid-1970, they were so impressed with ELP (who were only playing their second gig) that they completely changed their own style. After supporting Peter Hammill, he recommended the trio to Charisma who issued their LP with Hammill’s lyrics and headlined the prestigious Marquee Club.

Most well-known of the French contingent are Gong and Magma. With ex-Soft Machine guitarist Daevid Allen, the Australian recruited French musicians when he was unable to get a visa into England and issued Magick Brother there in early 1970, containing Change The World aka Rational Anthem. If you like the more overblown end of prog there is Magma, with their self-styled ‘language’. Originally sponsored by obsessive snooker player Steve Davis for some U.K. gigs while the music press denigrated them, their work is shown with a track from their Mekanik… magnum opus.

Less known are the Alan Jack Civilization—who featured a member of Magma—with nice assertive guitar licks; Ame-Son’s fuzzed beat (on the same label as Gong, which some members had split from) that was later liked by the cult band Nurse With Wound; Coeur Magique that reminds a little of Sutherland Brothers and Quiver, from their only album that had been recorded in what was immortalized as Elton John’s Honky Château; a single from Inter-Groupie PEB, a splinter of Aphrodite’s Child, with a one chord stomp reminiscent of Hotlegs that didn’t follow their earlier U.K. hit; and Alice with another BYG label French-language single, psychedelic rockers inspired by Lewis Carroll. Their self-titled debut recorded in London was compared to Traffic and Jethro Tull, and later changed their name to All Ice apparently to avoid confusion with a golf-playing snake lover. Three Swiss bands, including renowned Brainticket, and two from Spain (Evolution; Pan & Regaliz), complete the roster from this part of Europe.

There is the leading Swedish band of the era, Tages, who played in England, two from Norway (Oriental Sunshine; Aunt Mary), Iceland’s Svanfridur, and three top Finnish groups: Wigwam, Tasvallan Presidentti (President of the Republic), who both played in Britain, and Blues Section inspired by John Mayall. Six examples are from Denmark, Beefeaters, Blast Furnace, and Says Of Phoenix, while three regularly played and recorded in Britain: the legendary Culpeper’s Orchard, Burning Red Ivanhoe, and Hurdy Gurdy that had links with Donovan and featured his friend Mac Macleod on bass. They appeared at the Roundhouse and Middle Earth supporting Pink Floyd too. Featured is their unreleased garage mash Tick Tock Man, produced by Rod Argent.

More mulligatawny than minestrone, the names alone point to the innovation and elasticity of the featured period when sonic audacity replaced “easy listening”. There is, however, nothing outlandish here or noodling for its own sake. The third disc is probably a little more adventurous. All in all, a scintillating spread that stretches the range from known to unknown without fillers in-between, from a company that excels in box sets of the period that are second to none.

Brian R. Banks