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The Geneva Tapes (1969-1970) = LP = (LP)
David Kubinec released Some Things Never Change in 1978, an album on A&M produced by John Cale that brought him to the attention of Velvet Underground fans, but had these lost tapes from Mainhorse Airline had that kind of major distribution, perhaps history would be different. The Geneva Tapes feature ten performances from vocalist/songwriter Kubinec who, along with drummer Bryson Graham, were found by a young keyboard player and future member of the Moody Blues and Yes, Patrick Moraz, and his bassist/cellist friend Jean Ristori. If it sounds like a minor supergroup, well, it is, as Bryson Graham went on to play with Spooky Tooth and Gary Wright, and Ristori became a mastering engineer of note, working with many of the bands this music reflects. The unique combination of these musical gents generated some compelling and heady sounds that turn out to be a tremendous find. Though labeled "progressive rock," the truth is that on these lost tapes from 1969/1970, Mainhorse Airline prove a wonderfully psychedelic/progressive band with some heavy pop leanings. "What the Government Can Do for You" seems cut right out of '60s San Franciscan rock while "Blunt Needles" recalls the Blues Magoos seeking out the heavier sounds of the Amboy Dukes. A Kubinec/Moraz composition, "The Passing Years," is heavily influenced by early Deep Purple by way of Procol Harum, but it's the colors of British psychedelia that prove the frosting which makes the mix most engaging.
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