| Another superb installment in the discography of PT this time emphasizing a much higher emphasis on vocal harmonies and a wider use of instrumentation (Tabla, Banjo, harp, sitar). As you would expect Lightbulb Sun contains the patented PT space prog accents with a wide range of sonic and mood changes all wrapped inside the thoughtful lyrics of Steve Wilson. In many ways this album musically builds off of "Stupid Dream" delivering some real thought provoking and "punchy" musical ideas appearing to represent some bad dream sequences. "Lightbulb Sun" actually captures the worldly doldrums and urban existence questions in a similar way "Radiohead" achieved on "OK Computer". Highlight for me here are the tracks "Shesmovedon" and the grand finale "Feel So Low" which concludes the album leaving the listener questioning the whole journey of life itself and our existence. Steve Wilson's musical brilliance is bubbling over here with the mix of orchestral elements on some of the tracks (Minerva Quartet- Violin, Viola, Cello) and raw guitar, bass and percussive musical swoops. All of this is layered over Barbieri's carefully crafted analog keyboard landscaped atmospheres. Deep album with some simply superb musicianship and top notch song writing making this album one of the bright spots of 2000 for this progressive rock music fan….let me call this another essential recording ..."Brilliant stuff". | |||
| For those who love progressive rock Classical adaptations will simply freak out over Los Canarios' Ciclos who re-interpret Vivaldi's classic symphony "Le Quattra Stagioni" (The Four Seasons). I would say the RDM's Contaminazione is to Bach as Canarios is to Vivaldi. For those who know the Four Seasons well will immediately recognize the substitution of electric guitar and analog keyboards for Violins. Vocals although not overly dominant are sung mostly in English and are mostly operatic by the magical vocals of Rudmini Sukmawati. Ciclos offers some simply outstanding keyboard work with loads of moog and mellotron thoughout. Essentially Ciclos is a musical re-interpretation of Vivaldi's 4 Seasons with some complete re-interpretations and variations on his masterpiece. One of the most striking aspects of this album is the vast use of instrumentation throughout (ie. Theremin, orchesta, banjo,, phase shifter....) | |||
| Soft contemplative music featuring the frippertronics of Robert Fripp and the genius of David Sylvian. Sub titled as "Music for Multi-media installations", this album delves into the etheral space of dream music. Slightly meditative, slightly experimental , "Approaching Silence" a well titled album is really a musical exploration into sound ,contrasting stillness with gentle spacey atmospheric sweeps.
| |||
| Nightwinds were a Canadian Prog rock band who lived a very short life and to my knowledge unfortunately only released this one debut album. In 1991 The Laser's Edge was able to re-release this gem and did so with great digital mastering in mind. Nightwinds were a fantastic progressive band blending many different musical elements with great sophistication and clever song writing. If you love classic 70's prog rock then I suspect this one is an essential grab. This album absolutely blew me away the first time I heard it with their allusive Mid Genesis/ Mid Rush influences. Keyboards are deep sounding and highly analog sounding..just the way your mom used to make! Bass player is simply amazing and I love this kind of bass (with pedals) drum interplay which sounds highly atmospheric and highly classic. The vocalist carries a very unique style and at times carries a sound not unlike a mix of Jon Anderson and Geggy Lee and has a lovely voice really. Nightwinds play with high degree of energy and create a musical brilliance in a highly original way. This album was produced by Dee Long and Terry Draper of Klaatu. Oh yes…I all most forgot to mention loads of Mellotron too…… | |||
| Truly amazing mid 70's French space prog fusion band creating some highly creative and definitely unique sounds. "En Regardant Passer Le Temps" features lots of superb soprano sax with acid laced guitar soloing all sauteed in a slight space jazz setting not unlike elements of "Gong" and "The Soft Machine" at times. Drawing comparisons is actually quite difficult here but perhaps one could draw some similarities to the spacier aspects of "Camel" Much of this album is instrumental, and vocals parts are sung in French and are quite acceptable sounding almost terrestrial. Without a question this is a gem of an album from start to finish and the fine folks at Musea have done a wonderful job in re-mastering this one. Set the controls for the heart of the sun. | |||
| First of all I must thank my musical comrade Bob Turnbull for showing me that there was more to Miles Davis than "Kind Of Blue" which I have always treasured. In sharp contrast to this classic jazz album, Agharta explores heavy African influenced percussive jams and ultimately explores a wild mix of Hendrix with funk and jazz interpretations throughout. For those who love the ol' extended jam thing will likely groove to this 2 CD live improv-like recording which was recorded back in 1975 (the same day as the Miles recording "Pangea"). Songs are nice and long (ie. 2 Cd's 5 tracks!) and are given lots of room to explore the frenzied and complex rhythms Davis had always wanted to explore. Miles himself adds both organ and trumpet (of course) throughout but really builds this musical essay rather in an attempt to articulate the rhythmic nature of the groups sound.
| |||
| Early heavy Italian progressive rock with enough great hammond, electric guitar and drum courtship to ensure you never sleep well again. J.E.T. were known as a four piece ensemble who performed heavy yet classically influenced guitar and keyboard dominated prog rock. Their music exudes a clever and truly emotional listen never getting to loud or crazy for the listener. Although no shortage of harder rock driven moments, J.E.T. wind out into some simply gorgeous calm and spiritually uplifting melodies throughout. In many ways this is a very complete album reaching a vast range of moods and tempo changes. Vocals are well done with lots of compelling emotion (sung in Italian).
| |||
| Over the years I have owned several copies of Mike Oldfield's classic debut album "Tubular Bells" which I am sure all of you have in your collection as well. I actually only re-purchased it on HDCD recently which brings new color to this classic recording which is also one of my all time favorite albums. I still find it hard to believe that this album was mostly conceived and performed by 1 person. A youthful Oldfield performs a vast array of instrumentation here with a list too long to capture here but each instrument brings forward a different feel into the album and of course the classic countdown in Part 1 to the climax of Tubular Bells is one of the most anticipated parts of the album. | |||
| Here is a wonderful little folkie progressive album for those evening around the campfire. Led by the young and beautiful voice of Sandy Denny (Fairport Convention) and the acoustic guitar of Dave Cousins, this album bleeds with grand nostalgia. Abundant with vocal harmonies and warm acoustic musical shades, this album forces the listener to chill out and sip on your wine slowly. Songs are exceptionally well written and although are all rather short do sustain a lasting quality. This album also contains some string orchestral instrumentation and even a groovy little track with a sitar! An excellent but very chilled out recording which I personally love to death. | |||
| The Quimby Clan certainly know how to add a little space to your life.. Imagine a marriage of the mighty "Ozrics", "Hawkwind", "Ash Ra Temple" and "This Spacious Mind" and you getting close to the influences these folks carry on "The Definitive Unsolved Mysteries Of……". This album absolutely blew me away when I first heard it and ever since it has not been far from my CD player. MQ'sB blend highly architectural space backdrops with definite multiple soaring guitar solos. Another notable aspect of this album is their grand bass and drum rhythms which changes continuously never making the music repetitive. Highlight for me is the driving track "Mystery part 1" which seems to blend all the right elements for me. Fans of space prog rock will need to own this little beauty . Turn on your lava lamps kids because here comes Mr. Quimby's Beard. | |||
| You have entered the "Musical Cranial Vista" and now find that you do not want to leave Colorstar. Accurately sub-titled HEAVENICETRIP this album will clearly place you into another orbit full of wonderful mostly instrumental space jams somewhere I would characterize between the Ozrics and Porcupine Tree. For those who have all the technical computer requirements can enjoy a nice journey across the CD Rom (Track 1) which offers an artistic video of the track "O-Zone" and contains group photos, concert footage, and a story of the band. The remaining tracks are simply to die for with phenomenal musicianship which is best displayed during their all out jams. Colorstar are a highly creative musical act which explore some tremendous musical rhythms and grooves. Colorful and highly psychy but also highly essential. | |||
| I must admit that I have always had a little spot in my heart for Asia over the years and will never forget their debut album. Asia have always toyed with the mix of prog and pop rock with Arena being no real exception. Arena features original member Geoffrey Downes and John Payne who deliver their pattented Asia sounds with pompous keyboard runs and excellent vocals. Arena is a concept album with some lovely progressive moments and features some great song writing. When the boys get going like on "The Day Before The War" they unleash some of Asia's most progressive sounds yet. Lead guitarist Elliott Randall adds some lovely lead guitar solos throughout this album and is supported on the drum kit by Michael Sturgis. Every now and then Asia get it right and everything works for me on Arena to perfection. This is one of those albums which will really surprise you in its completeness and degree of energy. | |||
| ...And speaking of classic albums ladies and gentlemen please say hello the Softies Third. Not unlike the Soft Machine, Third contains their aggressive free form jazz rock prog improvisational with a highly mature degree of composition and structure. Third features the classic Soft Machine line up with Wyatt, Ratledge, Hooper and Dean. This album has always freaked me out with just the right amount of electronic organ and keyboards, sax, bass and drum interplay. Essentially Third is 4 tracks all containing extended exploratory jams and musical landscapes. This is fantastic progressive rock music and for the slightly more daring out there, this is a necessity all the way around. | |||
| Free form Jazz fusion at its finest. The Mahav's debut album could be perhaps my all time favorite jazz fusion album…and for good reason. This is one of those albums which clearly grabs the listeners attention right from the beginning chords to the end with their wild mix of intense yet expressive musical innovation. If you are not familiar with the Mahav's albums then this is a great place to start. Classic lineup way back when was the incomparable talking guitar of John McLaughlin, keyboard wizardry of Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman on violin, Rick Laird on bass and finally Billy Cobham on drums. This music is highly intense and demands the listeners full attention which reaches heights and musical achievements I still marvel at today. It really is an amazing fusion of rock and jazz forms which will almost certainly appeal to all fans of complex ever changing prog. Mark this one up in the absolutely essential category my friends. | |||
| Excellent symphonic progressive rock with some grand original melodies and instrumentation. Atabal Yemal carries a heavy early "Camel" influence with a heavier improvisational aspect to it. The instrumentation is lush and the rhythms are nice and varied with some pretty vast swings throughout. Vocals are exceptionally done and I would put Pedro Castillo at the top of his league with his emotive style and beautiful voice. Atabal Yemal has been carefully transferred from vinyl as the master tapes have been lost but considering the age and source the sound quality is quite good. Guitar playing is tremendous with some Hackett'esque solos and accents throughout. The "Camel" influences are more evident in the atmospheric keyboard landscapes and electric piano interludes. One of the standout aspects of this great little album for me is the high skilled Percussive and bass performances displayed here. The percussion parts take on a great number of forms from straight forward rock to prog/jazz without ever dominating or crashing the songs out….Bass is heavily accented throughout this album with lots of fretless bass jabs and runs. The bass and guitar interplay is really some of the best I have ever heard and without a question this is a jem of an album……If you pick up the '98 re-released version by Musea Records you will also get 3 new tracks which parallel the character of songs found of their stunning new album "Childhood's End" . A great album with lots of amazing instrumental work… | |||
| I bought this album the year it was released and remember thinking at the time that this music was so far advanced vs most of the music of its day. Czukay and Sylvian probably sound more like Schulze and Eno to be honest but make no mistakes about this album it is nothing short of fabulous. P & P delves heavily into the etheral world of the dark nubulae with earthy orchestral and environmental soundscapes, never sounding too electronic or cold. In many ways this album touches virgin ground with its accessible yet deep and dark symphonic experimentalism. Holger is credited with piano, orchestral and environmental treatments, while Sylvian adds his piano, harmonium, vibes, synths and guitars. Mood music for the masses...
| |||
| Cherry Five were a one-time spinoff from Italian band Goblin who managed to release this gem back in 1975. Vocals are well done , full of harmonies and are convincingly sung in English. The sound of Cherry Five is hard to really peg down, but I draw allusions to many of the classic 70's Ital-Prog contemporaries with a dash of YES and ELP thrown in for good measure. Cherry Five offer some great drum and keyboard interplay..(hammond, moog, electric Piano and mellotron). Songs are nicely varied with some softer influences, some jazz Canterbury interludes and some fattier 70's classic Ital -Prog moments. Why not add this album to your gift registry for your wedding……. | |||
| King Crimson albums have mostly all been either reviewed in positive light or pulled apart by some rock 'n roll "analyst" a million times, with Lizard being no exception. I must admit that KC have always held a special place in my heart as one of the real corner stones in the genre we know as "progressive rock" as Lizard is one of their classic outputs which needs to be mentioned here. Not unlike early King Crimson's "In The Court Of The Crimson King" I find Lizard builds on this work with increased exploratory sights and a much heavier jazz-rock portrayal. Lyrics have been well crafted by Peter Sinfield and are sung by Gordon Haskell , guitar and mellotron skillfully used by Robert Fripp throughout and even a guest appearance of a very youthful sounding Jon Anderson (Yes). For years one of my most beloved tracks of all time is the title track "Lizard" which is the epic track on the album and opens with Jon Anderson's angelic voice…I always wished that he did the whole album with Fripp and friends as he sounds superb with this band… Lizard is a delicate yet highly intricate album which moves in and out of many different caverns and carries a high dream like quality to it. Instrumentation is brilliant and if you are able to pick up the new re-mastered version on HDCD you will be absolutely blown away as the well preserved sound capability on this 30 year old treasure.
| |||
| Kromlek's debut album would easily be Snooker's (my cat) pick for best album of 1999. This jem of an album is full of psychy progressive moments and a nice mix of acoustic, electric and world music influences. This album is full of psychy hand percussion with some indo thrown in for good measure. Fans of space prog like the Ozrics will absolutely drool over this rocket album. Obviously the band members were chewing on some spiced narcotics along the way but do get into some tasty grooves and nifty little songs. Not too much space exploration here but instead the album spends the time warping out your mind in the present. Killer space crap which I would highly recommend to all out there who like Star Trek. | |||
| I have always had a soft spot for the zany music of Frank Zappa and Sheik Yerbouti was just one of those albums...you know what I mean. This albums contains some of Zappa's most beloved tunes including "Bobby Brown", "Flakes" and "Yo' Mama". One of my personal favorite all time Zappa tunes if "Rat Tomago" which offers some fabulous raging guitar and a superb groove. This is one of those albums which you essentially must wear while you listen. On this album Adrian Belew makes a few guest appearances as well. ..."Take It Away Bob" | |||
| The first album released by Manfred Mann's Earth Band and the beginning of his progresssive rock influences. His new line-up at the time included Chris Slade (Drums), Colin Pattenden (Bass) and Mick Rogers (Lead Guitar/Vocals). Manfred himself is credited with playing various keyboards most importantly performing for the first time on the keyboard that was to become his trademark - the Mini Moog. One of the aspects I most appreciate in their debut album is the unknown musical direction the new band exhibited. Overall this album is a superb mix of 70's rock and 70's progressive. I love the gutteral keyboard sounds Mann delivers here and on the track "Captain Bobby Scout" we are treated to a great foreshadow of the new Mann sound with heavy guitar, soul like vocal harmonies and that moog keyboard buzz. Since I put "Solar Fire" on my website I have seen (and heard) a flock of you have purchsed it (and posted to your websites….) and let me suggest you also invest a few schillings in the Earth Band's debut album with its quirky psychy - prog influences . | |||
| Tangle Edge blend elements of progressive rock, krautrock, free- jazz, canterbury rock, psychedelia, jazz- rock and experimental rock in their music. This 3 long song live album captures the best of this band with some great improv-like sonic explorations with excellent guitar, bass, flute and drum work. The only bummer of this album is the sound reporduction which although is from the sound board it does have some limitations...but never enough to wreck your listening enjoyment. When these lads get wailing their instrumentation is simply fabulous put to some great numbers. An excellent album with some pretty spacey jams going on....I love it..just too bad about the mediocre soundscape. | |||
| For any lover of classic 70's Italian Progressive rock you must get your chubby little fingers on this recording. Essentially "Inferno" is itself a metamorphosis featuring some simply breathtaking keyboard work….a moog lovers smorgasborg. Inferno is a stunning album length suite which must clearly remains a progressive rock benchmark in my opinion. Lyricist carries a deep and hearty voice which is also quite masculine and quite nice with all lyrics being sung in native Italian. At times the piano and hammond interludes traces hints of Emersonian roadhouse styled impressionisms but do not worry this is not an ELP clone band. Songs are very well recorded and performed with great talent and a high degree of passion and expressionism. | |||
