Viva Prog Rock

[A Lark Ascending]

I've been on a big Dave Stewart binge the last few weeks. National Health, Egg, Hatfield and the North, Bruford. Great music, I do say.

Try and find this:

The Big Idea: Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin

It came out around 1990/91. Stewart was deep into synths by then but his trademark sound cuts through. The songwriting/arranging is superb. The whole album has a sort of Gothic grandeur, shot through with deep sense of disillusion with the Britain of the Thatcherite and then 'Loadsamoney' years.

The CD collection of singles from the 80s is also very good - covers of everything for 'It's My Party' (which bizarrely made No. 1 in the UK) to 'Busy Doing Nothing'.

Very sad that a musician of Stewart's instinctive talent had so few outlets in a long period of rock history where technical skill was eyed with suspicion.

[A Lark Ascending]

Take a look at this brief flirtation with single success:

Worth it just to see the uncontrolled joy on the faces of the dancers. They'd clearly hoped to see T. Rex on Top of the Pops, not a bunch of hippy proggers!

[Aggie87]

Yes - Fly From Here

This just came out, and I know a few of us have had a chance to check it out already. I have to say I'm very pleasantly surprised by this album, as I really wasn't expecting that much.

Yes has been touring without Jon Anderson for a few years now, with a singer named Benoit David, who was plucked from a Yes-tribute band in Canada. He kind of looks like a younger version of Jon, and has a similar voice.

They also had been touring with Oliver Wakeman on keys, and had been preparing to record this album with him (in fact I think he's on it in a few spots, but can't tell where), but when Trevor Horn came in to produce, he recommended bringing Geoff Downes for some keyboards on the title track, which was an old Drama/Buggles era track that they expanded into a 20+ minute suite here. Downes ended up basically replacing O. Wakeman, and is now in the band and touring with them.

Anyway, the album really impressed me! David doesn't sound like he's trying to mimic Anderson, but simply bringing his own style to things. Kind of like Horn did when he sang on Drama. The music sounds Yes-like, but also sounds like Yes should sound today. Squire sings on one track as well, "The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be". And Steve Howe is definitely heard on this album.

Is it the new Close to the Edge? Not at all. But 42 years after releasing their first album, they still are capable of putting out music that's interesting to listen to. Check it out!

Edit -

Found the Buggles' version of Fly from here, from 1981. Interesting.

Edited July 21, 2011 by Aggie87

[Shawn]

The melody to "Madmen At The Screens" is almost identical to "Machine Messiah" from Drama (not surprising considering who is involved). I've been really enjoying the album. I'm more impressed by the individual songs on the second half of the album.

The only false step is "bumpy ride", fortunately it's short. The solo acoustic number "Solitaire" is a very nice Howe feature.

I liked Drama, so I was expecting to dig this album (I know that puts me in the vast minority).

[Aggie87]

I've always liked Drama as well, Shawn!

It's a shame it's taken 10 years for Yes to put this album out. Both this and Magnification are worthy additions to the Yes canon. Hopefully the next album isn't 10 more years down the line.

[Aggie87]

'In the Land of Grey and Pink' and 'If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You' just epitomise the early 70s for me.

Looking back through this thread, and I noticed this 8 year old comment.

If you weren't already aware Bev, there is a new "Grey and Pink". 3 discs, and just came out last month. Here's the description from Amazon:

"Digitally remastered and expanded deluxe three disc (two CDs + NTSC/Region 0 DVD) edition of this classic album from the British Rock/Folk outfit. Disc One contains the original album plus three brand new stereo mixes of album tracks by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree). Disc Two contains four new stereo mixes of non-album tracks plus two previously unreleased recordings and five live tracks. Disc Three is a DVD containing a brand new 5.1 Surround Sound mix and a new stereo mix of the entire album by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree and two videos recorded for the German pop music program, Beat Club, in June 1971."

And Wakeman claims he'll no longer be touring after this year, I believe. So it's entirely possible that Geoff Downes could end up being the Yes keyboardist again.

Six years later and Downes is indeed Yes' keyboardist again.

[Shawn]

Bruce Dickinson has been given an honorary doctorate in music.

The Iron Maiden frontman was given this degree by Queen Mary College in London on Tuesday, July 19.

Dickinson actually got a degree in history from the same college in 1979, although he admitted during his acceptance speech that he spent half his time at the college rehearsing with his band at the time

[BFrank]

Take a look at this brief flirtation with single success:

Worth it just to see the uncontrolled joy on the faces of the dancers. They'd clearly hoped to see T. Rex on Top of the Pops, not a bunch of hippy proggers!

That's a great one!

"Death Walks Behind You" is one of my 'guilty pleasure DIDs'. Been a favorite since it came out.

[Shawn]

Death Walks Behind You is a great record. I think the followup album (In Hearing Of) was probably the best all-around album they did.

[DobermanBoston]

A lot of it was and is too earnest for my liking, and I'm not a fan of choirboy vocals either. That's probably why I like early Genesis more than most other bands of that sort. Gabriel didn't take himself too seriously in the lyrics department and he had a lot of R&B influence in his vocal style too.

If you can call 1970-1973 Soft Machine "prog" (many would call it "fusion" or "electronic music") than I dig that too. Same deal with Can and the original Mothers of Invention. They were both great bands but a lot of people think prog has to be from the UK.

[Shawn]

I've always felt the need to label this stuff "prog" ends up pigeonholing too many different sounding bands together into a clump. Genesis didn't sound like King Crimson who didn't sound like Jethro Tull, etc. I like huge batches of the stuff, mostly because I prefer music with a bit of audacity to it. If most of the general population finds it annoying there's a good chance I won't.

[7/4]

Yes - Fly From Here

This just came out, and I know a few of us have had a chance to check it out already. I have to say I'm very pleasantly surprised by this album, as I really wasn't expecting that much.

It may even be their best album since Drama, I like it.

[Guy Berger]

Listened to this for the first time since the late 70s yesterday.

Enjoyed it far more than I did at the time. I remember the whole album was played on the radio just before release - a group of mates sat, listened and we were all horrified. I bought a copy...just in case...but never warmed to it.

Enjoyed it far far more yesterday. It doesn't seem that well recorded, Anderson's voice seems strained and it lacks the melting melodies (apart from 'Soon') that were at the heart of the group previously. The songs themselves sound even more cut-and-paste than usual - fragments stiched together.

But Steve Howe seemed to be having a wail of a time - it really does seem to be his record with a level of grittiness and menace he had rarely shown before. Maybe it was their 'punk' record, two years before punk!!!!!

Happy to have been reaquainted.

Bev, what about "To be Over" - gorgeous melodies on that one.

Guy

[A Lark Ascending]

I've seen that Caravan set, Aggie. I bought the remastered albums (with extra tracks) from a few years back and I think that will do me. I'm following the King Crimson upgrades because they have considerably better sound; but I think that new Caravan set will be a step too far for me.

Interested in the reactions to the new 'Yes' album - I never enjoyed much after ToTO but (as mentioned above) really enjoyed Relayer in recent years. But the one I loved was 'Magnification' which was really strong song-wise and had all the instrumental flair of the 70s. Might take a chance on this.

Edited July 22, 2011 by A Lark Ascending

[Shawn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97FXeUQXIEo

the transformation into a progressive rock band has been completed, without losing the dynamics of before. Bravo.

[Aggie87]

That's a great song, Shawn!

Also - from an SW email I got today:

"The latest releases in the King Crimson 40th Anniversary series have been announced and will be available as a pre-order from Burning Shed's King Crimson store within the next 48 hours. The releases are Discipline and Starless And Bible Black. Both will be loaded with the extras people have come to expect from this superlative series and both will feature 5.1 surround mixes by Steven Wilson and new stereo mixes by Wilson and Robert Fripp."

[Shawn]

I wish people still made music this wonderfully odd...

[Jim Alfredson]

I'm actually working on a solo record that melds prog / electronica / and jazz. With lyrics. And me singing. I'm in the writing phase right now but I'm cataloging ideas and musicians I want to use for the project. I'm about halfway done with the writing portion. I'm trying to finish up at least the writing before I go back on the road with Janiva. The rest will have to wait until next fall / winter.

The song I just wrote is a little mini-suite (think something off of Wind & Wuthering by Genesis) that I'm really happy with. It takes you on a journey, which is what I'm trying to achieve and something I think a lot of prog-metal and modern prog doesn't really do. The modern stuff is more about chops and technique.

Anyway, when I get to the actual recording phase where I have to pay for studio time and musicians, I want to set up a Kickstarter and see if people are interested.

[BFrank]

I'm actually working on a solo record that melds prog / electronica / and jazz. With lyrics. And me singing. I'm in the writing phase right now but I'm cataloging ideas and musicians I want to use for the project. I'm about halfway done with the writing portion. I'm trying to finish up at least the writing before I go back on the road with Janiva. The rest will have to wait until next fall / winter.

The song I just wrote is a little mini-suite (think something off of Wind & Wuthering by Genesis) that I'm really happy with. It takes you on a journey, which is what I'm trying to achieve and something I think a lot of prog-metal and modern prog doesn't really do. The modern stuff is more about chops and technique.

Anyway, when I get to the actual recording phase where I have to pay for studio time and musicians, I want to set up a Kickstarter and see if people are interested.

Bring it ON, Jim!

[Guy Berger]

Bruce Dickinson has been given an honorary doctorate in music.

The Iron Maiden frontman was given this degree by Queen Mary College in London on Tuesday, July 19.

Dickinson actually got a degree in history from the same college in 1979, although he admitted during his acceptance speech that he spent half his time at the college rehearsing with his band at the time

Pretty soon he'll be wearing gold-plated diapers.

[BFrank]

I'm liking the new Silversun Pickups album. I thought their last album was pretty good, but ultimately didn't hold up all that well for me. On "Neck of the Woods," their sound hasn't changed radically, but the songwriting has become more complex and interesting - less groove-driven, if anything.

I'm posting it here because they're definitely a little proggy, which I hadn't grasped before! Check it out.

[Dave James]

I'm liking the new Silversun Pickups album. I thought their last album was pretty good, but ultimately didn't hold up all that well for me. On "Neck of the Woods," their sound hasn't changed radically, but the songwriting has become more complex and interesting - less groove-driven, if anything.

I'm posting it here because they're definitely a little proggy, which I hadn't grasped before! Check it out.

Last night, I checked out some Silversun Pickups video on YouTube. My first impression was "no way" but the more I listened, the more interesting it became. Call me crazy, and it's not just because they have a female bass player, but I kept getting a Pixies vibe. What I need to concentrate on most, though, is decoupling from the idea that Justin Bieber is singing lead. BTW, that's not meant to be derogatory. It's just that there's a certain, "poppy", Top 40-ish element to Brian Aubert's voice. BTW, I went ahead and DL'ed this from iTunes. It definitely warrants some additional investigation.

I'm always looking for something new and a little different. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Shawn]

Thanks for the Silversun Pickups recommendation, I'll be checking that out tonight after I get off work.

I posted this elsewhere, but I think many fans of prog might enjoy this new collaboration between Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth). It surely doesn't sound like anything else currently out there.

Storm Corrosion

[Dave James]

I posted this elsewhere, but I think many fans of prog might enjoy this new collaboration between Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth). It surely doesn't sound like anything else currently out there.

That's so many kinds of weird, I don't even know where to start. You're certainly right about the sound being unique. And the video. Wow. It reminded me at times of a movie soundtrack. At others, I expected that an appearance by Salad Fingers was imminent. To say this is interesting would be something of an understatement.

Edited May 13, 2012 by Dave James

[BFrank]

I think Silversun is better to listen to than watch. There are a couple of tunes on YouTube they did recently for Jimmy Kimmel and they aren't very interesting. They're most frequently compared to Smashing Pumpkins, who I never got into.

Also, this set works as a 'whole album' - song to song. Unusual these days.

Edited May 14, 2012 by BFrank