Cherry Red Records' extensive compilations have established a format of presenting lesser-known artists alongside some of the more popular acts of any given genre.
Blowing Free: Underground and Progressive Sounds of 1972 applies this approach to prog, proto-metal, and other adventurous mutations of heavy rock, zeroing in its focus on the year 1972. With more than four hours of music and over 50 songs,
Blowing Free covers a lot of ground. The set kicks off with "Hoedown," a high-spirited instrumental workout from
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, one of the bigger names in the early-'70s prog scene. Other big names included on the compilation are tracks from
Yes,
Free, and
Van Der Graaf Generator. On the more hard rock side of things,
Blowing Free includes tracks from
Thin Lizzy,
Uriah Heep, and multiple tracks from space rock legends
Hawkwind. There's also a folk contingency represented with tracks from
Al Stewart,
Curved Air, and the gently rocking tune "A Winter's Tale" by the more obscure
Jade Warrior. Other less commercially successful acts like
Atomic Rooster,
Nektar,
Matching Mole, and Bombadil show up over the course of the compilation's massive track listing, making for a finely curated listening experience that goes far beyond just the hits. ~ Fred Thomas