Album Notes

A time limited edition, previously only bootleged LP, of the early 70's art-rock, prog music from ......Zoldar and Clark

A google search reveals the following info:

This is a very rare 1977 progressive rock release. A friend of mine dug out his very old record collection, ripped this, and sent me a copy. I've found some very limited information on the band via Google. I've only seen one copy of the record for sale in the past, for $300. There MAY be a CD copy, but I can't find any evidence of a re-release aside from a Japanese version (but I do not know if the Japanese version is the original LP or a CD re-release).


"Zoldar & Clark" 1977 (Dellwood 56013)
I'm not a fanatical progressive collector so it's kind of a surprise that this rather obscure album has managed to worm its way into my heart. Propelled by a sea of synthesizers, musically the set's firmly entrenched in the progressive camp (check out the extended instrumental "Luner Progressions"), though tracks such as "Touch the Sky" and "The Ghost of Way" are surprisingly accessible. The group certainly had a knack for crafting catchy hooks and whoever handled the lead vocals had a nice and quite commercial voice. In fact with a little bit of editing, several songs would have given bands like Ambrosia, Kansas, Styx and even Yes a run for their FM radio play. Sure, it wasn't the year's most commercial offering, but give me these guys over Starcastle any day! Man, side two of this album seems to go by in a flash. [SB]
~~~ 
The second of the two Jasper Wrath albums secretly released by Guinness/Dellwood is the better and more experimental of the two. It has a similar prog/AOR sound with a very obvious Yes influence (including a few blatant thefts). It has more synth, more mellotron, and more special effects than the Arden House album, and unlike Arden House, all seven songs here sound like they were recorded in the same sessions. The album may appeal to fans of the Jasper Wrath album, or to psych fans, but as 70s US progressive rock goes, this is one of the best albums out there. Highlights include the truly awesome “Ghost of Way”, an epic with killer mellotron and an amazing host of instruments and structural surprises. It’s the kind of creative experimentation that I think of when I call music “progressive” in a positive way. Elsewhere are unusual uses of time signatures, terrific guitar playing and complex ideas done so smoothly as to sound simple. This is a really great record. As with the Arden House album, the songs are arranged haphazardly, with side one 21 minutes and side two 12 minutes. Jasper Wrath released a non-LP single, “You/General Gunther,” in 1976 and it has the same production sound as these albums. Seeing as these albums were released without Jasper Wrath’s knowledge (and the fake names assured that Jasper Wrath wouldn’t have an easy time discovering them), it’s interesting to speculate why they had 80 minutes (including both albums and the single) of professionally produced material just sitting around gathering dust. Did they plan two albums? A double LP? [AM]
~~~

Zoldar & Clark (read more)
89 plays scrobbled on Last.fm
The Zoldar & Clark album (released in 1977) was one of two sets of tracks recorded by the group Jasper Wrath (the other credited to Arden House) and released without the band’s knowledge or consent by the tax-scam label Dellwood. The style is symphonic progressive rock, heavily influenced by Yes. Some of the Zoldar & Clark tracks turned up on Jasper Wrath’s 1996 double CD anthology, but the album has never been reissued in its entirety (at least not legally, a Japanese pirate CD does exist, though).


ZOLDAR & CLARK: Zoldar & Clark - US (Dellwood DLD 56013) 1977 Stereo -- original US pressing of good keyboard mellotron prog rock album; with Christopher Hawk (Hawke) = JASPER WRATH under different name; cover in Shrink Wrap; Dellwood was subsidiary of Guinness; original US white label pressing
EX/M- LP $578

Jasper Wrath is another underrated and overlooked band from the 70's.They released a double CD compilation 10 years ago.They started psychy and heavy prog with crunchy guitars and Hammond and then evelved towards a more refined and pompous symphonic style by the end of the 70's.

Some of their music has been bootlegged and released under the Zoldar and Clark band name.

ＺＯＬＤＡＲ　＆　ＣＬＡＲＫ　／　Ｓａｍｅ　（ＵＳＡ／１９７７：SELF）
　正体不明の1枚、東欧のグループなどという説もあるようです。このアルバムのみぽつんとあって、これがまた傑作なんで困ったものです。「ユーロロックプレス」の「コレクター千夜一夜」でも紹介されていたような気もします。全7曲でオープニングは特にスティーブ・ハウ風のギターやら硬めのリズムセクションからイエスからの影響を強く感じさせる内容となっています。Ｖｏ＆Ｃｈｏｒｕｓもスターキャッスルと同じ感じのイエスを意識したものとなっています。続いてはフルートにこれまたメロトロンが美しいたおやかな名曲。3曲目にはピアノバラードを配しこのあたりはアメリカか？A面ラストは一風変わった展開を見せるプログレ色の強いナンバー、展開が全く読めないところがアメリカ風？なんとなくクリムゾンの「リザード」を想わせる。B面に入ってもイエス風やら、メロトロンフォークナンバーやら、牧歌的な曲やら、ハチャメチャ感は続いておりとっても楽しめる1枚です。

Produced by Christopher Hawk

Александр, и вас с наступающим. Amir - интересные французы 1981 года, этакий этно-джазовый авант-прог, весьма нетипичный и качественный альбом. Jasper Wrath - американская группа, много про нее не расскажу, знаю лишь, что часть музыкантов позже образовали симпатичный состав Zoldar & Clark, выпустивший один приличный альбом.