Songs from the Hedgerow: Preliminary Awards, 2012

146BBT1by Brad Birzer, Progarchist Editor

Though Progarchy is only two months old, I’m absolutely thrilled with its successes.  A thanks, first, to all of you out in the world (it’s a blast to look at the google map of who checks us out daily) who read us.  I hope you keep coming back to us.

Second, though, an immense thanks to all of the Progarchist writers.  Everything written here is purely voluntary.  We each have full-time jobs and families, but we do this because we love it.

We’re certainly not the biggest music website, but I believe that–in terms of sheer literary quality–no other website matches us.  I would hold any one of our writers (individually or collectively) against any other group of writers in the blogosphere.  If this sounds cocky, I apologize.  But, as editor, I find it quite humbling.  We really like each other, but we also believe that the importance of the music demands that we write and try to match with our utmost abilities.  On this, I think we’ve succeeded.

Additionally, though the site is based in the western Great Lakes of North America, we also have writers from the U.K., Brazil, and New Zealand.  We’re hoping to have someone from Antarctica soon—Penguin Prog?—but, it’s been more difficult than one might first imagine.

As 2012 comes to its necessary and inescapable end, each of the Progarchists has been asked—as time permits—to rank her or his favorite albums of the past year.

I’ll be ranking my top fifteen albums as well, and I’m sure my number one pick of the year, which I think is the best album of the last twenty-four years, will probably come as no surprise to anyone.

Continue reading “Songs from the Hedgerow: Preliminary Awards, 2012”

The Greatest Christmas Rock Song

Dan Flynn makes a very strong case that the greatest Christmas rock song is The Kinks’ “Father Christmas“:

The number that most embodies the spirit of the season depicts a violent robbery of Santa Claus. Thirty-five Christmases ago, The Kinks released “Father Christmas,” a gritty tale about a department-store Santa getting rolled by a gang of teenagers. “Father Christmas, give us some money/We got no time for your silly toys/We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over/Give all the toys to the little rich boys.”

It’s a 45 with a sense of humor. It also has a sense of the Beatitudes.

If upon first listen “Father Christmas” rings as cynicism inverting the spirit of giving into one of taking, subsequent spins reveal a track telling us to give thanks for our good fortune rather than the small fortune under the tree. A hoodlum instructs St. Nick to hold off on the Bionic Man costume for his brother and the cuddly doll for his sister. “But give my daddy a job cause he needs one/He’s got lots of mouths to feed.”

“Father Christmas” invites us to be more Christ like. An ode superficially about the ultimate expression of materialism (theft) becomes a spiritual admonition to remember the least among us.

And, as Dan points out, the ultimate coda to the song is how Ray Davies actually got shot in New Orleans when he chased two muggers!

By the way, Dan says the best Christmas songs “can be counted on an eight-beaded abacus” and lists “Silent Night” as one of the eight best.

I have to say that the only version of “Silent Night” that I can wholeheartedly endorse is Leah’s version. And I wish Dan could have seen her amazing show last night, because she did epic metal versions of “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”, “The Holly and the Ivy”, and “God Rest Ye Merry”, which Dan will have to make room for on his abacus! But more about Leah’s incredible concert later on, as Progarchy shall post a full review…

An Epic Night of Symphonic Metal

I had the privilege of seeing an epic evening of symphonic metal tonight, as Leah rocked New Westminster with an orchestra of superb musicians. My full review will be posted tomorrow, but those who want a sneak peek at the set list can search Twitter for #Leah121212 because I tweeted the whole concert live. It was an amazing show, and I promise to share the details with you soon.

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My top 10 of 2012…almost

I was sorely tempted to do a “Top 10 ‘Top 10 of 2012’ Lists” list. But I decided that’s a bit meta so instead I tried to scientifically rank my favourite albums released in 2012 and present them with my thoughts about why they’re so awesomely excellently fabulously brill.

I even considered building an Excel spreadsheet. Imagine if you will a matrix, using subtle pastel hues of course, with a list of 2012 albums (alphabetical by title for convenience) down the left side and a list of prog ‘features’ (aka clichés?) along the top. Then I’d cross-reference the albums by the ‘features’ they contained, and put a little tick (that’s a ‘check’ to you US types!) in the corresponding box. Perhaps I’d even colour-code each tick to weight it based on such criteria as homage to past bands/decades/instruments/guest artists/dress sense/lack of dress sense. The album that got the highest score would be the clear winner. It would be awesome*.

Easier said than done. Plus, the winner wouldn’t have been my favourite album. Not by a long, long way.

So I went back to basics, to think about what I really mean by ‘favourite’. I considered that even though I bought a lot of music in 2012 very few albums are still played routinely in my house or (and this is reserved for the holier-than-holy) elevated to a spot on my car’s MP3 player, which is where I have some of my most profound musical moments. Drivers of NZ beware!

So I present my easy-to-use criteria for blistering prog:

1. Tears flow.

2. Smiles erupt.

3. 1 often occurs concurrently with 2.

4. Ermmm…that’s it.

And without further ado, I present my Top 10 Albums of 2012:

1. Big Big Train – English Electric Part One

1. Echolyn – Echolyn.

OK, so I failed at making even a Top 10 list, but I am very happy with my top shared first place selection. Each does weird/good things to me for completely different reasons, and each will join me as a truly special companion on my (hopefully) long journey into the future. Kudos, BBT and E!

Finally, if I may make an honourable mention of other favourite 2012 prog moments, in order of merit again:

1. Being invited to contribute to Progarchy.com.

1. Joining the Big Big Train facebook group and meeting some incredibly fantastic people.

Enjoy December everyone, however you choose to/not to celebrate. Personally I will be training for the 2013 Hedonism Olympics. Huzzah!

*Apologies, I work with software people. But I refuse to be one of them. Mostly.

My top albums of 2012

 

Seeing as my funds for purchasing new music have run dry,  I’ve drawn a line under a fantastic year for music and decided on my top 12.  

This didn’t really take me long to put together,  my favourite albums of 2012 are quite clear.  There are some omissions  that other may find strange (Rush, Marillion) but it’s my list and it’s for me to choose who goes on my list …. so there 🙂

Big Big Train is my stand out album which is no surprise and the others follow in a random order.

 

Big Big Train – English Electric 

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Simply stunning throughout. Not as epic as The Underfall Yard but a timeless English masterpiece evoking village greens, stone walls and fields but tinged with darkness and seriousness …. a true classic

 

Steve Hackett – Genesis Revisted II 

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A beautiful re-working of some classic Genesis and Hackett songs. Not quite a homage as new vocals add variance. Beautifully produced and a sonic wonder as Hacketts guitar is brought right to the front of the mix

  

Pineapple Thief – All the Wars

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Classy, snappy prog-pop wonderfully produced with a raw edge of emotion throughout – superb.

 

Nine Stones Close – One Eye on the Sunrise

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The second NST album and a tremendous effort with atmosphere, great guitars and an absolute killer track in ‘Frozen Moment’.  Hints of Gilmour, Page and others but has it’s own sound.

 

It Bites – Map of the Past

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A glorious pop-prog masterpiece with a hefty whack of emotion thrown in – catchy as hell.

  

The Rumour Cubes – The Narrow State 

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Beautifully layered string instruments build to guitar crescendos reminiscent of Mono at their best – ‘The Gove Curve’ is a track to die for.

 

Anathema – Weather Systems

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Emotion, power, beauty, wonder – what else can you say ?

 

Storm Corrosion – Storm Corrosion

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Quirky, low-key, strange, inventive and an album I keep returning to time after time but somehow can never play the whole thing through in one sitting…..

 

Headspace – I am Anonymous

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Powerful, edgy new rock of the highest order.  Well-structured songs, great production and a very, very convincing album.  Excellent

 

Twilights Embrace – Traces  (EP) 

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A stunning EP with tight, hard songs infused with Anathema moods, Opeth growls and a mood and atmosphere all it’s own. A great surprise.

 

Neal Morse – Momentum

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A late entrant and gloriously rowdy and upbeat album of brilliant musicianship – cracking stuff.

 

Echolyn – Echolyn

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A stunner. Reflective, clever, tricky, tuneful – a grower.

 

So there you go !

All the best to everyone for the coming festive season and I hope you continue to discover, enjoy and share the wonderful music that is being created in this very special time.

 

 

Rush to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

From RollingStone.com:

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has officially announced next year’s inductees: RushPublic Enemy, Heart, Randy Newman, Donna Summer and Albert King will all join the class of 2013, with Summer, who passed away this May, and King, who died in 1992, earning the honor posthumously. Lou Adler and Quincy Jones will both receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award for non-performers.

“It’s a terrific honor and we’ll show up smiling,” Rush’s singer and bassist, Geddy Lee, tells Rolling Stone. “It made my mom happy, so that’s worth it.” Lee is especially happy for Rush’s army of hardcore fans. “It was a cause they championed,” he says. “I’m very relieved for them and we share this honor with them, for sure.”

More from the Q&A with Geddy Lee:

I’m sure some small percentage of your fan base will say, “They should protest the whole thing by staying home.”
I never got too hot and bothered about the subject, and I don’t think that’s a very gracious way to respond to an honor. 

Axl Rose stayed home last year, and the Sex Pistols refused to come, too.
We’re nice Canadian boys. We wouldn’t do that. 

It’s a pretty eclectic lineup this year. Are you fans of the other inductees?
I certainly have worked with Heart and I know them well. I’m very happy for them. I have great respect for Albert King and for Randy Newman. I don’t know the music of Public Enemy very well, but I know they have a very strong fan base. They’ve certainly played a role in the development of that style of music for sure, so it’s a nice group.

To be frank, I am disappointed that Deep Purple is not included in that group. Certainly Heart and Rush would not sound the way we sound without Deep Purple. 

I’m sure they’ll get in soon.
Yeah, I hope so. 

I keep saying this to everyone, but I can’t picture the jam at the end of the ceremony.
Yeah, that’s for sure. What do you jam to? “YYZ?” I don’t know. [Laughs] That’d be pretty fun. 

Read more!

Have Yourself a Proggy Little Christmas…

Brad has already discussed A Proggy Christmas by The Prog World Orchestra (and very good it is, too!) but there are yet more musical treats out there to get you in the mood during the festive season.

Cover art for The Jethro Tull Christmas AlbumMy first recommendation is the 2009 two-disc edition of The Jethro Tull Christmas Album. Disc 1 of this set is a reissue of the original 2003 album. It contains some reinterpretations of seasonal Tull material such as Ring Out Solstice Bells and A Christmas Song plus some new songs and some new arrangements of traditional tunes.

Even more interesting is Disc 2, a recording of a 2008 concert at St Bride’s Church in London. The concert features live versions of half of the material from Disc 1, interspersed with readings and carols sung by choir and congregation.

Cover art for Chris Squire's Swiss ChoirMy second recommendation is Chris Squire’s Swiss Choir. This album appeared in 2007, over three decades after Squire’s first solo album, but it is quite unlike that earlier work. Twelve of the album’s thirteen tracks are traditional carols or Christmas songs. The album title is a Spoonerism rather than a clue as to the nationality of the singers, for it is The English Baroque Choir that plays a pivotal role here. Some of the tracks are largely choral in nature whilst others have a predominently pop/rock flavour. Squire is on bass throughout (of course), with Steve Hackett guesting on guitars.

The final track is a remix of the enjoyable 1981 Chris Squire-Alan White Christmas single Run With The Fox. You can listen to the original version here:

New Yes Tour Announced

Yes will be undertaking a three-month US tour next spring.

“Big Deal!” I hear you cry.

Well yes, it is, as a matter of fact – because they will be playing The Yes Album, Close To The Edge and Going For The One, all three albums, in their entirety.

Changes to the lead vocalist role in recent years will have left many Yes fans uneasy, but this seems too good an opportunity to miss. I am praying that they bring this show to Europe soon!

Further details will no doubt appear soon at http://www.yesworld.com/

Kompendium now available for download

Taken from Prog magazine.
Taken from Prog magazine.

I received this via email this morning.  Glad to see it.  I ordered my physical CD quite a while ago, but I’ve still not received it.  It seems to be quite the rage in British and European prog circles.  Now, North and South Americans can download it as well.  Amen.

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Firstly we would like to thank everybody for purchasing the album and for all their kind words and compliments. The album is really doing well and getting a great reaction across the board.

We would really appreciate any way that you can spread the word about Kompendium; Forums, Facebook, Radio Stations and TV.

For us it’s all about getting the word out that this special album is available. So all help is warmly appreciated.
Continue reading “Kompendium now available for download”