Light plays Art-Rock with influences of Ekseption and Nice and integrates jazzy brass elements like Colosseum and Latin-American percussion work similar to Santana. Light were formed in the town of Gouda in the 1960s and toured through the provinces of the Netherlands in the late 60s. The band members were Adri Vergeer (piano, organ, mellotron, keyboards, vocals), Gerard Steenbergen (acoustic guitar), Joop Slootjes (bass), Hans de Bruin (saxophone, flute) and Sjaco van der Speld (drums, vocals). Eddy Barclay brought the band - then called "Light Formation" - to the attention of producer Bert Schouten. In 1972 "The Story of Moses" was published, having been recorded at Phonogram Studio in Hilversum. On the album Guus Willemse (bass), Hans Hollestelle (electric guitar) and Marian Schatteleyn and Robbie Dale (voices) appeared as guest musicians. The recording was a concept album, telling the story of the biblical figure of Moses. It was the only album ever recorded by Light.

Second volume to complete the anthology of Wicked Lady recordings, their final tracks recorded in 1972, just before the band split up and guitarist Martin Weaver left for Dark (of "Round the Edges" fame). Another batch of excessive, over-the-top doomy psychedelic hard-rock including underground classics like "I'm a Freak" and the 21 minute epic "Ship of Ghosts".

The legendary first lineup of Chick Corea's fusion band Return to Forever debuted on this classic album (titled after the group but credited to Corea), featuring Joe Farrell on soprano sax and flute, the Brazilian team of vocalist Flora Purim and drummer/percussionist Airto Moreira, and electric bass whiz Stanley Clarke. It wasn't actually released in the U.S. until 1975, which was why the group's second album, Light as a Feather, initially made the Return to Forever name. Nonetheless, Return to Forever is every bit as classic, using a similar blend of spacy electric-piano fusion and Brazilian and Latin rhythms. It's all very warm, light, and airy, like a soft breeze on a tropical beach – hardly the sort of firebrand approach to fusion that Miles Davis, Tony Williams, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra were exploring, and far less rooted in funk or rock.

Originally released by Cobblestone and later by Muse, this 1997 CD reissue from 32 Jazz features the distinctive and exploratory guitarist Pat Martino in a tribute to Wes Montgomery. Martino does not attempt to sound like Wes (although he uses octaves here and there), and only one of the six selections ("Road Song") was actually recorded by Montgomery; the tribute is more heartfelt than imitative. With the intuitive assistance of rhythm guitarist Bobby Rose, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Billy Higgins, Martino stretches out on six selections, including a bluesy original ("The Visit"), "Footprints," and "Alone Together," always sounding like himself and pushing the boundaries of straight-ahead jazz.

Five of the Isley Brothers' albums released during the late '60s and early '70s are featured in this compact box set, consisting of standard jewel cases inside a simple cardboard sleeve: The Brothers: Isley (1969), Get Into Something (1970), Givin' It Back (1971), Brother, Brother, Brother (1972), and 3 + 3 (1973). The albums, which range from decent to excellent, contain several of the group's Top Ten R&B singles, such as "I Turned You On," "Love the One You're With," "Pop That Thang," and "What It Comes Down To." In 2008, when it was released, it sold for roughly the same amount as two full-price discs.

Catapilla's second album is probably better-remembered for its gatefold cover – a bug-headed lettuce leaf which opens to reveal a fat, juicy maggot – than for its contents. Delve in deeper than that, though, and the music is even more striking . A magnificent disc, Changes offered an absolute shift away from the grinding Armageddon of Catapilla's debut, with the opening "Reflections" viciously carving out a new territory which floats with breathtaking audacity. For over 12 minutes, vocalist Anna Meek and saxophonist Robert Calvert duel and duet in a manner which would influence everything from Deep Purple's voice and guitar confabulations to Gong's spectral, spacy meanderings.

Saxophonist and clarinetist Toshiyuki Miyama formed his own ensemble called Jive Aces in 1950 and later renamed it The New Herd in 1958. From the end of the 1960's, The New Herd opened up new horizons in big band jazz by introducing innovative techniques and radical sounds. The music recorded around 1970 is important in The New Herd’s history, and one of their most representative works is the album Nio & Pigeon, released by Nippon Columbia in 1972. This album is a masterpiece that seamlessly weaves a distinctly Japanese feeling with elaborate arrangements based on motifs of local customs, traditions, and scenes.

Franco Battiato is one of the most successful singers in Italy. He began his career as a "light" singer, recording a few singles. In 1971 he started his particular journey through experimental music, recording his proggiest issues: "Fetus", "Pollution", "Sulle corde di Aries". Some very atmospheric parts and some very melodic songs make these records worthwhile, along with musical references to the arabic culture and italian folk that will surface from time to time in all of his following output. His next records are gradually more and more experimental, exploring minimalism and culminating with "L' Egitto prime delle Sabbie", with two long pieces based on hardly one note and its harmonics.

Monster Italian Symphonic Rock band, formed at late 60's, when Sicilian singer Davide "Jimmy'" Spitaleri met the members of the beat group "I Frammenti", led by keyboardist Enrico Olivieri.It took the new Rome-based band about two years to refine their sound and come up with a style closer to the rising force of progressive rock.The 29th May of 1972 was the date when their debut finally sees the light entitled "…E Fu Il Sesto Giorno" on Vedette Label, with lyrics dealing with the positives and negatives of the human nature and an obscure cover featuring Spitaleri in the role of Jesus Christ.
"…E Fu Il Sesto Giorno" is one of the greatest examples of the growing progressive scene in Italy. Obviously Spilateri and Olivieri are the driving forces in this debut. Spilateri has a dramatic, emotional operatic color in his voice, making every sung line a pure heaven for the listener…

A double album and worth every minute of it, America Eats Its Young makes for a freaky, funky, and aware good time. Compared to the endless slabs of double-album dreck that came out around the same time from all sources, here Funkadelic brought life, soul, and much more to the party. With George Clinton credited only for arranging and producing, here the mad cast he brought together went all out. Bernie Worrell in particular now had a new importance, credited as co-arranger with Clinton as well as handling string and horn charts on a number of songs. His surging, never-stop keyboards, meanwhile, took control from the start, with his magnificent lead break on the opening "You Hit the Nail on the Head" making for one of the best performances ever on Hammond organ…

First Base was British hard rock group Babe Ruth's biggest success, both in terms of popular and critical acclaim. This LP defined an interesting junction between hard rock and progressive rock. The two driving forces behind this album were guitarist Alan Shackloc, who wrote most of the material, and vocalist Janita Haan, who came out as the perfect balance between Janis Joplin and Robert Plant. The album contained "The Mexican," the band's classic song which also includes a theme by western soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone ("Per Qualche Dollaro in Piu"). Other highlights include the powerful rock number "Wells Fargo," the sweet-and-sour "Black Dog" (with nice piano work by Dave Punshon), and a surprising rendition of Frank Zappa's "King Kong"…

A Tab in the Ocean mirrors Nektar's first album, but only to a certain degree. While their sound still basks in lengthy keyboard passages and fantastic lyrics, the psychedelia is traded in for a more directional and established approach, with longer tracks and a tighter progressive structure. There's an obvious cohesiveness between the guitar and keyboard tandem, with an attempt at shaping a concept through the album's five tracks. Both the title track and the 19 minutes of "King of Twilight" are Tab in the Ocean's best examples of Nektar's maturing process, with sleek instrumental runs that taper off into the lyrics as opposed to a more improvised feel that surrounded their last album. A stronger influence can be felt on Roye Albrighton's guitar playing, which is more structural, and Derek Moore's basslines are sturdier and more expressive…

Pinguin's only release, though they had previously made a record under the name of Talix. Originally released by Zebra records and the sound is strongly keyboard-dominated (organist Volker Plitz composed all the tracks), but there are enough furious guitar leads to satisfy the psych-lover. Similar to other Germans prog outfits like Frumpy, Subject Esq.

GASH is a 70s Krautrock band from Germany featuring the musical talents of Manfred Thiers on bass, Reinhard Schiemann on drums, percussion, Frank Feldhusen on guitars, vocals, and Jochen Peters on piano, organ, and lead vocals. The band have released only one studio album in 1972, "A Young Man's Gash" and disappeared from the scene. The music is a definitive taste of the underground hard rock oriented sound churned out of the German Krautrock era. The music is replete with catchy songs, keyboard, organ and guitar solos and an overriding hard driving energy.