Curved Air - Discography and Video (1970 - 2010) 
13CD and 2DVD | EAC Rip | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Scans and Covers Included | Label: Various | ~ 4555 or 1770 Mb
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Progressive Rock / Eclectic Prog One of the most dramatically accomplished of all the bands lumped into Britain's
late-'60s prog explosion, Curved Air was formed in early 1970 by
violinist Darryl Way, a graduate of the Royal College of Music, and two
former members of Sisyphus, keyboard player Francis Monkman and drummer
Florian Pilkington-Miksa. Adding bassist Robert Martin, the band named
itself from avant-garde composer Terry Riley's A Rainbow in Curved Air, a
touchstone that would inform much of their early work.
The quartet originally came together to provide accompaniment for
producer Galt McDermott's musical Who the Murderer Was; it was McDermott
who suggested, once the stage show closed, that they add vocalist Sonja
Kristina, with whom he had worked in the U.K. production of Hair. In
this form, the band launched a well-received U.K. tour and, that summer,
they signed with Warner Bros. -- the first British band on the
company's roster.
Curved Air's first album, Air Conditioning, was released in November
1970, a monumental recording that was flamboyantly issued as rock &
roll's first-ever picture disc. Divided neatly between ambitious hard
rockers and deeply classically influenced pieces, the album reached
number eight in the U.K. chart and, while an accompanying single, "It
Happened Today," did little, still Curved Air entered 1971 on the very
edge of superstardom.
With Ian Eyre replacing bassist Martin, the band crossed that precipice
the following summer, when the incandescent "Back Street Love" rocketed
to number four, ahead of the prosaically named Second Album.
Disappointingly, the album emerged a somewhat lesser achievement than
its predecessor, and climbed no higher than number 11, while a non-LP
followup single, the lovely "Sarah's Concern," went by unnoticed.
Curved Air bounced back in spring 1972 with their masterpiece,
Phantasmagoria, home to the spectacular "Marie Antoinette" and Monkman's
side-long "Phantasmagoria" suite. Once again, however, sales were low
and, with the album bottoming out at number 20, Curved Air split up,
victims of inter-band disputes that had already seen the two sides of
Phantasmagoria pointedly divided between Kristina/Way's rock-tinged
instincts and Monkman's more portentous contributions. Way formed a new
band, Wolf, Pilkington-Miksa joined Kiki Dee's band, and Monkman moved
into session work.
Retaining the band name, Kristina and bassist Mike Wedgwood (who
replaced Eyre for Phantasmagoria) brought in an entire new lineup -- Jim
Russell (drums), Kirby Gregory (guitar), and Eddie Jobson (violin,
synths). In this form, the band released spring 1973's Air Cut album,
but it was very much a last gasp. Although the group did record a second
album, Love Child was shelved when Curved Air broke up that summer.
(The album was finally released in 1990.) Jobson swiftly resurfaced as
Eno's replacement in Roxy Music; Wedgwood joined Caravan.
Kristina initially intended to launch a solo career. In fall 1974,
however, Curved Air's original core quartet of Kristina, Way, Monkman,
and Pilkington-Miksa reunited for a one-off British tour. With the
lineup completed by bassist Phil Kohn, the band rekindled all of the
past's most precious memories, captured for posterity on the
blockbusting Curved Air Live album. The rejuvenation could not, however,
heal the breaches that had destroyed the lineup the first time around
and, when Curved Air resurfaced in fall 1975, Kristina and Way alone
remained, alongside guitarist Mick Jacques, bassist John Perry,
keyboardist Pete Woods, and drummer Stewart Copeland. (Perry would be
replaced by Greenslade's Tony Reeves during 1976.)
Two albums released over the next year, however, did nothing to reverse
the band's fortunes -- neither Midnight Wire nor Airborne offered much
more than fleeting glances of the group's original, pioneering
brilliance, with even the naturally effervescent Kristina appearing
overpowered by the anonymity of her surroundings.
Way was the first to depart, following one final unsuccessful single, a
contrarily vibrant version of "Baby Please Don't Go"; he was replaced by
Alex Richman, but the group lasted only a few more months before
splitting in early 1977. Copeland promptly joined the Police, Reeves
re-formed Greenslade, and Kristina finally launched that long-delayed
solo career.
Occasional reunions with Darryl Way have brought the Curved Air name
back to life -- 1984's "Renegade" single was followed by a short tour in
1988; 1990 then brought a fresh reunion by the original
Kristina/Way/Monkman/Pilkington-Miksa quartet for a show at London's
Town & Country 2. Featuring one new song, the appropriately themed
opener "20 Years On," the performance was captured on the Alive 1990
album.
Since that time, Curved Air has been best recalled by the Collector's
Choice label's reissues of their first three albums and the excellent
BBC Sessions collection, home to Way's otherwise unavailable showcase
"Thinking on the Floor" alongside recordings dating from 1970, 1971, and
1976.
by Dave Thompson, AMG 
Британская проггерская команда "Curved air" была основана в начале 1970 года. А
начиналось все следующим образом. В 1968-м барабанщик Флориан
Пилкингтон-Микса и его друг, басист Роб Мартин, познакомились с
гитаристом и виртуозом клавишных Фрэнсисом Монкманом, учившимся тогда в
Королевской Музыкальной Академии.
Троица частенько джемовала вместе, а также играла на вечеринках,
исполняя различные каверы. Вскоре в одном из лондонских музыкальных
магазинов Фрэнсис повстречал студента музыкального колледжа Даррила Вэя,
а тот в свою очередь представил ему своего друга, пианиста Ника
Саймона. В результате вся эта компания объединилась в проект под
названием "Sisyphus".
Правда, через некоторое время Саймон отбыл, а Фрэнсис взялся совмещать
обязанности клавишника и гитариста. Заодно было решено поменять название
группы, и по предложению того же Фрэнсиса остановились на сокращенной
версии композиции Терри Райли "A rainbow in curved air". Во время своего
становления "Curved air" были привлечены к работе в мюзикле "Who The
Murderer Was", продюсером которого являлся Галт Макдермотт.
Он же продюсировал и другой мюзикл, "Hair", где была задействована
фолк-певица Соня Кристина. Макдермотт предложил взять Соню в состав
"Curved air", и после недолгого прослушивания Кристина стала
полноправным членом команды. Последовало очень успешное турне по Англии и
вскоре "Curved air" оказались первой британской группой, подписанной к
"Warner brothers". На сессии фирма выделила приличный бюджет и, как
оказалось, не зря. Вышедший на цветном виниле "Air Conditioning" вошел в
лучшую десятку. Альбом представлял собой интригующую смесь электроники,
прогрессива, акустического фолка, классики и джазовых элементов.
В апреле 1970-го Роба Мартина сменил Ян Эйр, а летом того же года сингл
"Back street luv" занял четвертую позицию британских чартов. Эта
композиция вошла также на прозаически названный "Second album" второй
альбом (11-я позиция). После его выхода отбыл Эйр, уступивший место
Майку Веджвуду. Выпущенный обновленным составом сингл "Sarah's concern"
оказался незамеченным публикой, зато альбом "Phantasmagoria" снова
присутствовал в двадцатке лучших.
Однако после англо-американских гастролей коллектив начало лихорадить –
сказывались пресловутые музыкальные разногласия. Окончилось это тем, что
из оригинального состава в "Curved air" остались только Соня и Майк.
Для очередных сессий они пригласили к себе Кирби Грегори (гитара), Эдди
Джобсона (скрипка, клавишные) и Джима Расселла (ударные). Эта
конфигурация просуществовала всего несколько месяцев, успев, правда
записать пару альбомов, причем один из них, "Lovechild", увидел свет
только в 1990 году. Джобсона ангажировали в "Roxy music", а Веджвуд
подался в "Caravan". В конце 1974-го "Curved air" собрались в составе:
Кристина, Вэй, Монкман, Пилкингтон-Микса и Фил Кон (бас). Команда
провела британское турне, на основе которого в 1975 году был выпущен
обалденный концертник "Live".
Но трения не давали музыкантам держаться вместе, и следующая
конфигурация была подобрана следующим образом: Кристина, Даррил, Мик
Джаскез (гитара), Стюарт Коуплэнд (ударные) и Тони Ривз (бас). Этот
состав выдал два прощальных альбома, после чего группа надолго
прекратила свое существование. После этого в середине 80-х происходили
кратковременные реюнионы, а последний из них состоялся в 1990-м, когда
Кристина, Вэй, Монкман и Пилкингтон-Микса выпустили концертник "Alive"
~ peoples ru Curved Air - Discography and Video (1970 - 2010): 
CD01: Curved Air - Air Conditioning (1970) EAC Rip | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Covers Included | 2000 | Collectors Choice Music, CCM-148-2 | ~ 227 or 108 Mb
Progressive Rock / Eclectic Prog In its initial vinyl form, Curved Air's debut album is one of the prog rock movement's
most prized artifacts -- not for the music (for that, it goes without
saying, is flawless), but for the picture-disc format which had never
previously graced a 12" rock record. A glimmering of that sought-after
magnificence lives on, of course, in the artwork which has graced every
subsequent release, this Collectors' Choice reissue included. Sadly,
however, no other attempt is made to replicate the original jewel;
indeed, beyond a straightforward dub of the album, Air Conditioning's
American CD debut is something of a disappointment. No bonus tracks, no
liner notes, no remastering -- nothing, in fact, beyond one of the
finest classical rock fusions of the age. Curved Air were an unwieldy
beast at the best of times, an uneasy liaison between Sonja Kristina's
rampant rock sensibilities and her bandmates' undisguised virtuosity.
Keyboard player Francis Monkman, in particular, led the group into some
genuinely uncharted territory -- it was he who named the group after a
Terry Riley composition; he who consumed side two of each album for a
series of wild experiments, most of which incorporate acoustic folk,
free form jazz, and a hefty dose of Vivaldi. Not that this was a bad
thing. Indeed, Air Conditioning rates among the great debut albums of
1970s rock, a hybrid whose breathless audacity stands in starkly
good-natured contrast to the po-faced noodlings of the genre's other
leading progenitors. Even in full, fanciful flight (the instrumental
"Rob One" or the sawing discordant "Vivaldi"), you can hear the band
enjoying themselves, as Darryl Way's violin soars to pitches unknown to
rocking man, the immortally named Florian Pilkington-Miksa conjures
brand new rhythms from his percussive arsenal and Monkman. Well, Monkman
is as Monkman does, but even when you know what's going to happen next,
a frill or a flourish still leaps out to surprise you. Kristina,
meanwhile, possesses one of the most distinctive voices of the age, a
virtue which is apparent from the moment she enters on the opening "It
Happens Today." Hints of Grace Slick enter her delivery during the
Airplane-like "Stretch," but it's a fleeting comparison. By the time you
hit "Propositions," all echoed riffs and space age synth, Curved Air
don't sound like anything else on earth. You do, however, notice how
many subsequent bands sound a lot like them.
by Dave Thompson, AMG Tracklist: 01 It Happened Today 4:59
02 Stretch 4:08
03 Screw 4:08
04 Blind Man 3:36
05 Vivaldi 7:31
06 Hide and Seek 6:18
07 Propositions 3:07
08 Rob One 3:23
09 Situations 6:18
10 Vivaldi with Cannons 1:36
==================================
CD02: Curved Air - Second Album (1971) EAC Rip | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & iPod M4A(Tracks) & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Covers Included | Warner Bros., 7599-26434-2 | ~ 286 or 104 Mb
Progressive Rock / Eclectic Prog Time has not treated Curved Air's second album kindly. Of course it was always
dominated by "Back Street Luv," which isn't simply one of the band's own
finest moments, it's also one of the crucial singles of the early
1970s. But across this straightforward reissue of the accompanying
album, the savage innovation which was the hallmark of their Air
Conditioning debut, and the brilliant eclecticism which would
characterize their next set, is nowhere in sight. Which is weird,
because it always used to sound quite good. In its place, a crop of
relatively straightforward but sonically flat rock songs are
distinguished by Sonja Christina's most conventional, cool vocals yet --
only "Back Street Luv" truly draws any true emotion out of her, while
the band's much vaunted classical/rock fusion only shakes its fist
during the closing "Piece of Mind," although it must be admitted that
when it shakes, it really shakes. A building, foreboding 13-minute epic,
crowned by a genuinely spine-tingling recitation from TS Eliot's "The
Wasteland," "Piece of Mind" is the kind of performance which you just
know was played endlessly in college dorm rooms of the age. The segues
from mounting rock to pondering piano seem hopelessly old-fashioned now,
the building tension of violin and percussion seems obvious and
hackneyed. In 1971, though, Curved Air were pioneers in every sense of
the word and it is neither their fault, nor this album's, that we're not
so easily impressed any longer. But maybe it isn't time which has
treated this album so poorly, but the slipshod manner in which this
album has been converted to CD. It sounds lifeless, sludgy, even (in
places) a little slow. It has certainly not been remastered; it may not
even have used the best quality tapes. Albums this ambitious need loving
care and patient attention to cut the aural ice today. This one got
neither.
by Dave Thompson, AMG Tracklist: 01 Young Mother 5:56
02 Back Street Luv 3:37
03 Jumbo 4:07
04 You Know 4:11
05 Puppets 5:28
06 Everydance 3:06
07 Bright Summer's Day '68 2:52
08 Piece of Mind 12:53
==================================
CD03: Curved Air - Phantasmagoria (1972) EAC Rip | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Scans Included | Warner Bros., 7599-26194-2 | ~ 251 or 253 or 93 Mb
Progressive Rock / Eclectic Prog The sonic caveats which accompany Collector's Choice's other Curved Air reissues
remain in force; the historical truth that what sounded timelessly
groovy in 1971 is not necessarily so finger-snapping three decades later
remains unimpeachable. But still, Phantasmagoria is a fabulous album,
the culmination of all that Curved Air promised over the course of its
predecessors; the yardstick by which all rock/classical hybrids should
be measured. The opening "Marie Antoinette" sets the scene with lovely
melody, impassioned vocal and a terrifically understated band
performance which complements every syllable uttered by vocalist Sonja
Kristina. The bridge into revolution ("the rabble have gone insane") is
breathtaking -- history lessons should all sound this good, and the
amazing thing is that the album has only just got started. The gentle
"Melinda More or Less" is swirling, sweet folky psychedelia, while "Not
Quite the Same," a somewhat self-conscious ode to masturbation,
disguises its proggy inclinations with a barrelhouse 6/8 rhythm and a
genuinely catchy hook. "Ultra-Vivaldi" updates the first album's
"Vivaldi" by, apparently, letting the Chipmunks have a go at playing it.
And the four-part, side-long title track switches moods, effects, and
even genres (jazz, mariachi, and the avant-garde all get a look in) to
create an dazzling soundscape which allows every members a moment to
shine -- without once stepping into the treacherous swamps of solos and
virtuosity. This was the original Curved Air's final album -- by the
time the accompanying tour was over, only Kristina and bassist Mike
Wedgwood (himself a spanking new arrival) remained to carry on the good
work. As farewells go, then, it is magnificent, the band's grandest hour
by far. And listening to it all these decades later, one cannot help
but wonder how much grander they might have become?
by Dave Thompson, AMG Tracklist: 01. Marie Antoinette 6:20
02. Melinda (More Or Less) 3:26
03. Not Quite The Same 3:44
04. Cheetah 3:31
05. Ultra-Vivaldi 1:25
06. Phantasmagoria 3:14
07. Whose Shoulder Are You Looking Over Anyway? 3:23
08. Over And Above 8:34
09. Once A Ghost, Always A Ghost 4:22
==================================
CD04: Curved Air - Air Cut (1973) EAC Rip | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Scans Included | 2006 | Repertoire, REP 5061 | ~ 342 or 344 or 160 Mb
Progressive Rock / Eclectic Prog Curved Air's fourth album featured a very different lineup and is considered by many a
weaker effort. Of course, it does not have the bombast of
Phantasmagoria (Francis Monkman's classical touch is cruelly missed),
but it still has its share of strong moments. By 1973, only singer Sonja
Kristina remained of the original members, but her voice suffices to
keep the flame burning. She and bassist Mike Wedgewood, introduced with
the previous LP, are joined by drummer Jim Russell, guitarist Gregory
Kirby, and an 18-year-old violinist/keyboardist by the name of Eddie
Jobson. "The Purple Speed Queen," a decent light psychedelic rock song,
became one of the group's best-known tracks, and the ten-minute
"Metamorphosis" still ranks high among the classic tracks of British
progressive rock (here Jobson comes very close to Monkman's virtuosity
at the piano). Side two of the original LP comprised a string of more
straightforward rock numbers in the vein of Babe Ruth. Less striking, it
pictured a group trying to widen its audience without sounding
convinced it was the right thing to do. The album closer, "Easy," a
lusher ballad, was nonetheless a good song. The only LP released by this
lineup and the only Curved Air album with Jobson on it (he would join
Roxy Music right after its completion), Air Cut is mostly remembered for
introducing the future member of UK, Jethro Tull, and many other prog
rock-related bands.
by François Couture, AMG Tracklist: 1. The Purple Speed Queen
2. Elfin Boy
3. Metamorphosis
4. World
5. Armin
6. U.H.F.
7. Two-Three-Two
8. Easy
==================================
CD05: Curved Air - Live (1975) EAC Rip | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Scans Included | 1995 | Repertoire, REP 4514-WV | ~ 333 or 133 Mb
Progressive Rock / Eclectic Prog Although it was certainly recorded a couple of years too late to catch Curved Air in
their prime, still 1975's Live offers a valuable historical footnote to
the band's career. Dating from the fall 1974 reunion of the classic
Sonja Kristina/Darryl Way/Francis Monkman/Florian Pilkington-Misk line
up, Live was recorded in Cardiff and Bristol, England, that December,
and serves up a 48 minute sampling of a live set that remained locked in
the treasured trilogy of albums cut between 1970-73.
Highlights abound, from the opening strut of "It Happened Today",
through a "Marie Antoinette" that is as dramatic as it is virtuosi, and
onto a fiery "Everdance" that leaves even the shimmering original in the
dust. Kristina herself is possibly in her best voice ever, while the
instrumentation rides roughshod over the once-prevalent belief that
Curved Air were at their best in the studio - Way's first album-era
"Vivaldi" is nothing short of superlative (catch the "Sailor's Hornpipe"
a few minutes in... and try to keep up with it!), while a brutal
"Propositions" will take your breath away.
The separate sections that comprise "Marie Antionette" are more clearly
defined than ever they were on Phantasmagoria, while "Back Street Luv"
is simply astonishing, guitars and vocals combining to create a
battlefield that bleeds emotion and energy in equal quantities. That
song always meant a lot to Curved Air - the band's first (and only) hit
single, in 1971, it was responsible for raising them out of the club
circuit and into the realm of mainstream attractions. The sheer passion
with which Kristina wraps herself around the lyric is no less than it...
and Curved Air themselves... deserves.
by Dave Thompson, AMG Tracklist: 01. It Happened Today
02. Marie Antoinette
03. Back Street Luv
04. Propositions
05. Young Mother
06. Vivaldi
07. Everdance
==================================
CD06: Curved Air - Live (1975) [Japanese Press] EAC Rip | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Covers Included | 2002 | Arcangelo, ARC-7019 | ~ 365 or 123 Mb
Progressive Rock / Eclectic Prog Tracklist: 01. It Happened Today
02. Marie Antoinette
03. Back Street Luv
04. Propositions
05. Young Mother
06. Vivaldi
07. Everdanc
==================================
CD07: Curved Air - Midnight Wire (1975) EAC Rip | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Covers Included | 2006 | Arcangelo, ARC-7156 | ~ 256 or 92 Mb
Progressive Rock / Eclectic Prog This debut album of the third incarnation of Curved Air is one of the most unusual
approaches to music-making; it focuses its mood on humbleness rather
than blaring flashiness and on soft passion rather than obvious passion.
This is undoubtably Curved Air's best mood album,and as far as
essential creativity goes,this is tremendously high-ranking in the
hierarchy of the world's music. All this and more from a group that was
supposedly on the verge of total disintegration and disillusionment. The
group at this point consisted of Darryl Way(Violin,piano),Stewart
Copeland(Drums),Mick Jacques(Guitars),and Sonja Kristina(Vocals).
Sonja's vocals are so intense,passionate,and full of emotion that many,I
have observed,are overwhelmed and are unable to appreciate their
beauty. Darryl plays incredible violin,both as lovely as harp and as
upbeat as guitar; he is a true master of the instrument. Jacques has a
knack for playing a very grooving guitar,but also plays some very
powerful stuff. Stewart's drums are varied-at times jazzy,at others
shocking,but always good. Curved Air is also supported by excellent
sessionists. Although both the keyboardist and John Perry,the
bassist,are noteworthy,it is lyricist Norma Tager who earns the most
attention. Norma Tager's lyrics are wonderful, epic portrayals of what
we think of as dull and typical lives. Darryl dominates the group's
songwriting in terms of both quality and quantity. His compositions
include "Day Breaks My Heart", outwardly sad and mourning,yet inwardly a
testament to the fact that there is a reason that a heart can be
broken;"Orange Street Blues",an amazingly fun yet phenomenally
sophisticated rocker;and "Midnight Wire",a 7 minute epic of intense
emotion. Dark,powerful,tragic,intense, soft-a true masterpiece. "The
Fool",a co-write between Darryl and Mick,is a crafty take into the world
of folk music while remaining true to the style of the group and album.
"Dance of Love",by the same composers,is a bit pop-ish but has
incredible vocals by Sonja- terrifically passionate and trembling-and a
beautiful violin solo from Darryl. Mick Jacques's own composition is a
rather trippy and fascinating instrumental called "Pipe of Dreams".
Sonja also manages to get one of her compositions on the album,an
intensely passionate song called "Woman on a One Night Stand". This song
is not only one of Sonja's most elaborate creations,but also one of her
most breathtaking with its unpredictable vocals,haunting guitar,and
devil-may-care violin. This album keeps Curved Air's usual
genius-conceived mix of hard rock,soft rock, progressive,and
classical,yet also steps outside the boundaries of anything that has
ever been done before. Using a relatively small and untried band,they
nonetheless succeed in creating a masterful album. An essential for
Curved Air lovers,and an album which anyone with taste should at least
brifly consider.
By Robert, Amazon Tracklist: 1. Woman On A Night Stand
2. Day Breaks My Heart
3. Fool
4. Pipe Of Dreams
5. Orange Street Blues
6. Dance Of Love
7. Midnight Wire
CONTINUA MAS ABAJO 
