Axis: Ela Ela/Osanna 1972 + Axis 1973

Axis was formed in 1970 by Dimitris KATAKOUZINOS and Demis VISVIKIS, after they had

hooked up as members of the backing band for Demis ROUSSOS (APHRODITE'S CHILD). They released three albums between 1971 and 1973. Their third album (their second self-titled album) brings the most interest to this site, as it is a mixture of heavy prog, canturbury jazz-rock, and pure fusion.
                                   

Similarly to their better-known countrymen, Aphrodite's Child, Axis were a Greek outfit, who moved to France, because of the right-wing regime in their motherland. The band was formed in

DIMITRIS  KATAKOUZINOS

1970 by multiinstrumentalists Dimitris Katakouzinous and Demis Visvikis. In 1971, they released their debut album Ela Ela, which featured their take on a Greek folk standard of the same title. The work was heavily inspired by the contemporary psychedelic pop. 1972 marked the release of their self-titled album. One year later, Axis released another album by the name Axis, which was radically different than all their previous efforts, only to break up soon after.

AXIS - ELA ELA/OSANNA 1972

                                      

AXIS were a four piece band from Greece but they were able to move to France in order to have some actual freedom musically and in life. Two of the members(bass/ keyboardist) are the lead singers while
the other two add harmonies and backing vocals. The two main singers were part of the APHRODITE'S

CHILD backing band which came as no surprise as there is a connection between the sound of these two bands musically. In 1972 this was released in Germany, Canada, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and France. Interesting that The Netherlands release had a different cover and title. It's called "Someone". The Spain release covers all the bases as they called it "Someone/ Ela Ela/ Osanna". The only cd release is from 2013 and they take The Netherland's cover and title but on the spine of the cd it has "Someone/ Ela Ela".
                     

How about the vocals on "Living In" which have so much character and the electric guitar and organ

standout. I like those two tracks in the middle "Nothing To Say" and "Long Time Ago". The latter is a psychedelic beauty and a top three. Favourite is "Thought" for the vocals and organ which surprisingly bring SBB's keyboardist to mind when he's ripping it up on the organ and singing. The closer is very good too called "Bad Trip". The crazy thing about this one is the harpsichord. I don't think I've heard that instrument played with such passion before. Just a great sounding tune.

Line-up / Musicians

Alekos KaraKandas / electric guitar, vocals
Dimitris Katakouzinos / bass, acoustic guitar, lead vocals
Demis Visvikis / piano, harpsichord, organ, lead vocals
George Chatziathanassiou / percussion, drums, vocals
                              

Axis – Ela Ela / Osanna
Label: Magic Records – 3930797, Magic Records – MAM 106
Format: CD, Compilation, Remastered  2008
Country: France
Released: 1972   
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

                                    

01. Osanna
02. Living In
03. Shine Lady Shine
04. Dedicated
05. Nothing To Stay
06. Long Time Ago
07. Ela Ela
08. Thought
09. Bad Trip

Bonus Tracks
    
10. Someone
11. Gold Wings
12. Get Out Of Those Lines
13. Waiting A Long Time
14. Turning Myself 'Nto Energy

Flac  Size: 289 MB

AXIS - AXIS 1973

                                

A strangely disjointed mixture of hard rock, psychedelia and jazz fusion, this self-titled 1973 album was actually the Greek group's third overall, and the second to be named after the group. Although not too much is known about Axis, we do know that they were one of a number of Greek

groups who moved to France sometime during the early 1970s, hoping to join up with the vibrant French music scene and hopefully win themselves a recording contract, though ultimately they failed to find true commercial success. Led by keyboardist-and-vocalist Demis Visvikis and also featuring Alexandros Fantis(bass), Chris Stassinopoulos(guitar) and George Hadjiathanassiou(drums), Axis' third album is considered by some to be one of Greece's all-time great prog-rock albums, though by their own admittance the Greek scene wasn't exactly large.
                              

AXIS - FRANCE 1973

Of course, you can't really have a discussion about Greek prog without bringing up the legendary Aphrodite's Child, home to Demis Roussous and Vangelis Papathanassiou, two of Greece's biggest musical exports and, later on, international stars in their own right. Like Aphrodite's Child's career-

KARAKANDAS & THE JUNIORS

defining double-album '666', 'Axis' contains a plethora of styles, textures and tones, skipping enthusiastically between fusion-style flourishes and Canterbury-flecked organ runs to initially bemusing effect. Subsequent listens, however, reveal a talented quartet at work, and a slightly hard-rock edge that plays nicely off the album's fusion- dominated mid-section. Occasionally, the group do wander off into strange little musical side-streets, yet for the most they manage to carve out an interesting and mainly instrumental album.
                       

                           
This is a great Progressive Jazz album, but prog Rock does not represent a large portion of this album. Much of the rest is rather jazzy prog rock, veering on free jazz and avant garde. There are

occasional reminder of King Crimson, and some nice use of Mellotron. They also do a version of a Byzantine church hymn, "Pa Vu Ga Di". Strange to have an album start off hard rock like "Waiting a Long Time", then go way into the field of often experimental jazzy prog for most of the rest of the album (and one church hymn). For those wanting something off the beaten track, this comes recommended.

Line-up / Musicians

                    

Alexandros Fantis - basss
Demis Visvikis - Electric Piano, Piano, Mellotron, Organ, Vocals, Percussion
Chris Stassinopoulos / drums
George Hadjiathanassiou / drums & percussion

Axis – Axis
Label: O-Music – OM 71046
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered 2013
Country: Germany
Released: 1973
Genre: Rock
Style: Prog Rock, Fusion, Jazz Rock

TRACKS

                                 

01. Waiting A Long Time    4:26
02. Sewers Down Inside    6:19
03. Materializing The Unlimited    5:02
04. Asymphonia I    5:05
05. Suspended Precipice    1:49
06. Roads    5:03
07. Asymphonia II    2:48
08. Dancing Percussion    2:37
09. Pa Vu Ga Di    3:52
10. The Planet Vavoura    3:56

NOTES

Arranged By – Axis
Alexandros Fantis - Bass, Electric Bass, Percussion
Chris Stassinopoulos, George Hadjiathanassiou - Drums, Percussion
Demis Visvikis - Electric Piano, Piano, Mellotron, Organ, Vocals, Percussion  
Engineer – Dominique Blanc-Francard (tracks: 1 to 8, 10), Dominique Samarcq (tracks: 9), Frank Miannay (tracks: 9), Mike Lanaro (tracks: 9)

Flac Size: 225 MB