[2022-05-27] Various Artists "Blowing Free: Underground And Progressive Sounds Of 1972" 4CD box set (Esoteric UK)

Linda · **Posted:** Sun Mar 20, 2022 10:45 pm

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09V2RLNKX/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09V2RLNKX/?tag=imwan-21

Description
• A new 4CD remastered clamshell various artists boxed set celebrating the finest sounds of the so-called “underground” and progressive rock music of 1972

• Five hours of music featuring tracks by Atomic Rooster, Barclay James Harvest, Edgar Broughton Band, Caravan, Curved Air, Emerson Lake And Palmer, Family, Free, Gentle Giant, Hawkwind, Help Yourself, Khan, Lindisfarne, Man, Matching Mole, Nektar, Pretty Things, Procol Harum, Nektar, Rare Bird, Al Stewart, Ten Years After, Thin Lizzy, Uriah Heep, Van Der Graaf Generator, Vinegar Joe, Wishbone Ash, Yes and many more

• Includes an illustrated booklet with essay by Mark Powell

The next release in their series of compilations celebrating the so-called “underground” rock music – ‘Blowing Free – Underground And Progressive Sounds Of 1972’, is a 4CD clamshell box set which gathers together over five hours of music from 1972, a momentous year in rock music and one which would continue to see Progressive music in all its forms become a dominating force with the album buying public. Much of this music appeared on the “progressive” imprints of major record labels such as EMI’s Harvest, Decca’s Deram and Philips Records’ Vertigo and the emerging independent labels such as Charisma, United Artists and Island Records and led to an increased presence of underground album music on BBC Radio One with its Sounds Of The Seventies and Top Gear programmes. On television the iconic series The Old Grey Whistle Test would be a major contributor to the success of many of these musicians.

1972 saw a wealth of imaginative artists continue to meld seemingly disparate musical genres and influences such as Jazz, Blues, Folk, Rock and Classical music on a host of wonderful albums, all of which appealed to an audience of students and followers of the “underground” culture. Universities and Colleges were regular venues on the burgeoning live music circuit in the UK for these artists, most of whom earned loyal followings through regular concert performances both in Britain and in Europe. It was also a year when many of these performers gained commercial success with acts such as Family, Free, Hawkwind and Thin Lizzy enjoying singles chart success while Emerson, Lake And Palmer, Procol Harum, Ten Years After, Uriah heep, Wishbone Ash and Yes would enjoy considerable album chart success in the UK, USA and Europe.

Tracklist
[CD1]
1. Hoedown – Emerson Lake & Palmer
2. Time Take My Life – Atomic Rooster
3. Get Out Of Bed / There’s Nobody There / Side By Side – Edgar Broughton Band
4. Medicine Man (Single Version) – Barclay James Harvest
5. Marie Antoinette – Curved Air
6. Skin Valley Serenade – Skin Alley
7. Swamp Fever – Open Road
8. Don’t Ask Me – Lindisfarne
9. Songs Out Of Clay – Al Stewart
10. Sheep Season – Mellow Candle
11. Epic Forest – Rare Bird
12. My Friend The Sun – Family
13. Do You Believe In Magic (Single Version) – Nektar
14. Seven By Seven (Single Version) – Hawkwind
15. And You And I – Yes

[CD2]
1. Time Was – Wishbone Ash
2. A Winter’s Tale – Jade Warrior
3. The Love In Your Eye/To Catch Me A Brother/Subsultus/Debouchment/Tilbury Kecks – Caravan
4. Brainstorm – Hawkwind
5. Theme One – Van Der Graaf Generator
6. Reaffirmation – Help Yourself
7. Burlesque – Family
8. O Caroline – Matching Mole
9. Conquistador (Live) – Procol Harum
10. Lost Tribe – Bond & Brown
11. Speed Queen Of Ventura – Vinegar Joe
12. Wishing Well – Free

[CD3]
1. The Wizard – Uriah Heep
2. Prologue – Renaissance
3. Chilly Morning Mama – Edgar Broughton Band
4. American Mother – Help Yourself
5. Love Is Good – Pretty Things
6. Turn It All Around – Rare Bird
7. Blowin’ Free – Wishbone Ash
8. Bananas – Man
9. Blue Angel – Dave Cousins
10. See The World (Through My Eyes) – Vinegar Joe
11. Lady Of The Lake – Jade Warrior
12. Stranded – Khan
13. Whiskey In The Jar – Thin Lizzy

[CD4]
1. Two Weeks Last Summer – Dave Cousins
2. Nick’s Seven – Skin Alley
3. Choo Choo Mama – Ten Years After
4. Hellbound Train – Savoy Brown
5. Peter – Pretty Things
6. Rip Off Train – Pretty Things
7. Instant Kitten – Matching Mole
8. The Boys In The Band – Gentle Giant
9. Midnight Moses – Sensational Alex Harvey Band
10. Walk Don’t Run – Pink Fairies
11. Ricochet – Jonesy
12. When The City Sleeps – Bombadil
13. Desolation Valley/Waves – Nektar
14. Melinda More Or Less – Curved Air
15. Hollow Stone – Khan

Linda · **Posted:** Thu Jun 23, 2022 2:23 pm

naimlover · **Joined:** 22 Sep 2009 **Posts:** 74

I have to say that this a surprisingly good collection. I went into this knowing ~25% of the music, but enjoyed the whole collection. Great buy for anyone wanting to dig a little deeper into the progressive rock scene of this era. Can't wait for 1973!

[2022-05-27] Various Artists "Blowing Free: Underground And Progressive Sounds Of 1972" 4CD box set (Esoteric UK)

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