Ouzo Friday with lotsa Greek prog in it

**Scrotum Scissor** · 05-22-2015

The last and final Greek restaurant (Alexandros at Holbergs plass; they offered exquisite food and wines there) has just closed in Oslo, and as a rabid protest I intend to have nothing but chilly ouzo and Greek progressive music streaming from my speakers tonight.

Here's what's in store:

Akritas - [sole album] (great, eclectic and poetic and spacey stuff)
Aphrodite's Child - 666 and some of the hits
Apocalypsis - s/t (quite OK tho' of-the-mill 'symph' rock)
Axis - Axis (the 1973 *classic*, which I just got on vinyl from a label calling themselves O;M rather dodgy label, I guess)
Socrates - Phos and Drank the Conium
Iraklis - [sole, the double rendition] (large scale folky 'symph' and more)
P.L.J. Band - Armageddon (monster space rock opus)
Kostas Tournas - Aperanta Chorafia (I don't much like the others of his; this one is a poetic, orchestrated song-form epic)
Poll - Poll (never heard the debut) (solid folky pop tunes)
Mariza Koch - Arabas (great singer-songwriter, but this is a CD-R with bad hiss in it)
Peloma Bokiu - Peloma Bokiu (heavy progressive) (CD-R)
Leda/Spyros - Hameno Tipota (nice and folky tunes, but appalling CD-R rendition)
Dimitris Poulikakos - Metaforai (heavy progressive with brass in quasi-Canterburian and/or Zappa-like arrangements, CD-R!)

And some newer stuff:

Abaton - s/t (pseudo-religious, semi-krauty worldmusic-meets-industrial; rather good one, I think)
Ciccada - [both]
Will o' the Wisp - Gift for Your Dreams (arguably the finest modern Greek progressive release; wonderful psych)
Purple Overdose - Solemn Visions and Reborn (great acid/space-rock with 'trons and excellent axework)
Voyage Limpid Sound - Electronically Enhanced Dream (DIY psych by a 19-year old onemanband with uncanny resemblance to Syd Barrett or Steve R. Moore - absolutely stunningly good album!)

So - just some tips there. TUPÌ!

**Steve F.** · 05-22-2015

Did they close due to lack of business? What a shame there are no Greek restaurants in Oslo now.

**Rarebird** · 05-22-2015

And perhaps some Vangelis?

And don't forget Nana Mouskouri

**Scrotum Scissor** · 05-22-2015

Originally Posted by Steve F.

Did they close due to lack of business? What a shame there are no Greek restaurants in Oslo now.

Yes and yes. Norwegians claim the "Greek" to resort within the confinements of tourism; thus one wants no "Greek" while at home. And the Greek community in Oslo numbers less than 500 individuals, so there's not much business coming through them.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 05-22-2015

Originally Posted by Rarebird

And perhaps some Vangelis?

Yes, I'd like one of those soft-porn soundtracks, but'll settle for Heaven and Hell.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 05-22-2015

Yeah, I think so.

**TheH** · 05-22-2015

**Scrotum Scissor** · 05-22-2015

^

The Peloma Bokiu remains to be reissued. As for Roussos, his first solo album is actually respectably good, but as with Jahn Teigen (Popol Ace) here in Norway, extremely unvven.

Did you ever hear that first Teigen album; Tivoli?

chalkpie · 05-22-2015

Enjoy Greeking out man! I have never heard most of that stuff on your list, but I know I should. I love a good souvlaki to death.

**Levgan** · 05-22-2015

Wow, thanks for that Dimitris Poulikakos video - never seen it before! I thought his album was one of the better records from 1970s Greece, although the truly awesome albums from your list are, of course, Akritas and Axis - two Greek classics that are 100% on par with anything released in UK, Germany or Italy.

Some Dionysis Savopoulos albums were wonderfully eclectic too, although almost always a little patchy.

**Progbear** · 05-22-2015

Mariza Koch kicks ass! She’s known as a national/protest-folk singer but some of her early stuff is very avant-garde. If you’re familiar with Alan Sorrenti’s Aria album, imagine a female-sung version of that.

**smcfee** · 05-23-2015

Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor

^

The Peloma Bokiu remains to be reissued.

If you mean their album from the 1970s, it has been reissued. I used to own it.

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/al...E%BF%CF%85_f3/

Maybe I am misunderstanding you though.

**emperorken** · 05-23-2015

I'm a fan of the Greek band with the French name that has English vocals, "La Tulipe Noir". I do like Ciccada as well.

**zutul** · 05-23-2015

The Peloma Bokiu album was reissued in 1994 as two albums on one CD together with Nostradamos sole album (a real strange reissue) on Lyra label. Don't Forget Vangelis' Dragon, Hypothesis and Earth and also the V/A - Live at Kytaro and George Romano Two small blue Horses