Plain and Fancy: October 2026

Friday, October 2, 2026

rep>>> Wigwam - Dark Album (1977 finland, excellent blend of prog straight rock, 2008 bonus tracks remaster)

Wigwam were the number one progressive rock band out of Finland in the 70's golden era of prog rock. Wigwam's Dark Album (1977) has a tumultuous production history. The original edition did not go past test pressing stage as the band's UK label Virgin rejected it. The band returned to the studio to create the final Dark Album which eventually was released only in Finland on Love Records, as Virgin were no longer interested.

Tracks

1. Oh Marlene! (Jim Pembroke) - 4:52

2. Cheap Evening Return (Pekka Rechardt, Jim Pembroke) - 5:29

3. The Item Is The Totem (Pekka Rechardt, Mats Huldén) - 4:49

4. The Silver Jubilee (Jim Pembroke, Gerard Manley Hopkins) - 3:07

5. Horace's Aborted Rip-Off Scheme (Pekka Rechardt, Jim Pembroke) - 4:07

6. The Big Farewell (Pekka Rechardt, Jim Pembroke) - 6:28

7. The Vegetable Rumble (Pekka Rechardt, Jim Pembroke) - 5:02

8. Helsinki Nights (Jim Pembroke) - 4:02

9. Grass For Blades (Jim Pembroke) - 9:13

10.Daemon Duncetan's Request (Jim Pembroke) - 5:01

Wigwam

*Jim Pembroke - Vocals, Piano

*Pekka Rechardt - Guitar

*Måns Groundstroem - Bass

*Ronnie Österberg - Drums

With:

*Jukka Gustavson - Organ

*Pedro Hietanen - Keyboards, Accordion

*Timo Kojo - Backing Vocals

*Paavo Maijanen - Backing Vocals

1970 Wigwam - Tombstone Valentine (2013 remaster and expanded)

1974 Wigwam - Being (2010 remaster)

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Thursday, October 1, 2026

rep>>> Rory Gallagher - Live In Europe (1972 ireland, incredible hard blues rock, 2018 remaster)

‘Live in Europe’ was compiled from live performance recorded throughout Europe during February and March 1972. It has gone on to become one of the best live albums of all time, serving as a massive influence on budding musicians such as The Edge and Adam Clayton of U2, who both cite this album as the recording that made them want to learn guitar and play in a band.

For some Rory had wanted to capture the adrenaline and excitement of his live performance. Whilst touring extensively in Europe he decided to record his shows, the results were little short of phenomenal and Live In Europe earned Rory much acclaim, including his first solo Top Ten album and 1972’s Melody Maker ‘Top Musician Of The Year’ award.

Rory Gallagher-official

Tracks
1. Messin' With The Kid (London) - 6:25
2. Laundromat (Gallagher) - 5:12
3. I Could've Had Religion (Traditional arr. by Gallagher) - 8:35
4. Pistol Slapper Blues (Fulton Allen) - 2:54
5. Going To My Hometown (Gallagher) - 5:46
6. In Your Town (Gallagher) - 10:03
7. What In The World (Traditional arr. by Gallagher) - 7:57
8. Hoodoo Man (Traditional arr. by Gallagher) - 5:56
9. Bullfrog Blues (Traditional arr. by Gallagher) - 6:47

Musicians
*Rory Gallagher - Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Vocals
*Gerry McAvoy - Bass
*Wilgar Campbell - Drums

1973 Tattoo (2012 promo copy, high audio quality)

1974 Irish Tour (2018 Universal)

1975 Against The Grain (2018 Universal)

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rep>>> Igginbottom - Igginbottom's Wrench (1969 uk, outstanding jazzy fusion prog rock, 2009 remaster)

This is one weird-ass album, and one that will probably become better known as time goes on and more people discover that it's a very early musical document of Allan Holdsworth — he was part of 'Igginbottom's Wrench along with David Freeman on bass, Steve Robinson on the other guitar, and Mick Skelly on drums. 'Igginbottom's Wrench, their one and only album, bears about the same relationship to Holdsworth's later work that The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles & Fripp does to Robert Fripp's work, and it's curious that both albums are on the same label. 'Igginbottom's Wrench also sounds a lot like GG&F, kind of arty, theatrical psychedelia with some prominent jazz influences weaving in and out, but none of it taken seriously enough to be played or sung especially well, and it's easy to see how this recording got overlooked in 1969.

It's mostly notable for the presence of "Golden Lakes," which evolved into "Velvet Darkness" and loomed ever larger in the decades to come. This shows Holdsworth at his least precise and pretentious, not in great form instrumentally or vocally (but not bad, either), noodling around in a less-than-formal setting and calling it an album. It's great fun and it will probably delight Holdsworth's fans, and anyone into late-'60s progressive rock or jazz/rock fusion.

by Bruce Eder