Domestic releases this month include bands from across the big swamp and
the bigger swamp. From Australia comes the LITTLE RIVER BAND with their
first U.S. release on Harvest. Another Aussie group, AYER'S
ROCK, released an LP just a couple of months ago and SKYHOOKS are just
finishing up their first American tour (read the review of their Chicago
performance in this issue's concert section)...the fifth album to be
released here by PASSPORT is called "Infinity Machine."...SCORPIONS have
their most recent album "In Trance" released here on RCA. They're just
finishing off a tour of England and plannig their first U.S. tour in the
near future...The new RANDY PIE single is called "Dance (If You Want
It)" and features some danceable disco rhythms laced with orchestral and
jazzy textures...SAILOR is one of the most unusual bands from Europe in
terms of production and instrumentation. They're quite popular of there
and their second release "Trouble" may do it for them over here...JAN
AKKERMAN has left FOCUS and has been replaced by PHILIP CATHERINE who
has recorded with Jean Luc Ponty Experience, John Lee and Gerry Brown,
and many top European jazz musicians...GOLDEN EARRING is currently on
tour of the States and were in Chicago recently. Triad is featuring them
on a Music News broadcast May 27...From Wales comes the latest MAN
album, their first for their new label MCA; it's called "Welsh
Connection."...Scottish group NAZARETH have a new LP out called "Close
Enough for Rock and Roll."...In the Import Bins: highly recommended for
fans of clasically influenced music is "Victor" a Symphonic Poem by
Rigoni and Schoenherz...THIRD EAR BAND's first in four years is called
"Experiences." Their last record was the soundtrack to Roman Polanski's
film "Macbeth."...With growing intrest in traditional forms of music,
"Lochanber No More" by the BOYS OF THE LOUGH should be worth checking
into...Avant-Garde saxophonist, LOL COXHILL has a new album out called
"Fleas in Custard." It's just as outrageous as his previous
releases...Another British Avant-Gardist, RON GEESIN, who's done work
with Pink Floyd, has an album called "Patruns." A journey through the
gleaming teeth of the piano...POPOL VUH recently finished a tour of
France and their new release is called "Letzte Tage-Letzte
Nachte."...LOTHAR MEID, bass player who's played with Passport, Embryo,
and Amon Duul II, has a solo album out called "Mensch, Dieser Klaus."