Author: bradbirzer
By day, I'm a father of seven and husband of one. By night, I'm an author, a biographer, and a prog rocker. Interests: Rush, progressive rock, cultural criticisms, the Rocky Mountains, individual liberty, history, hiking, and science fiction.
Roie Avin, ESSENTIAL PROGRESSIVE ROCK ALBUMS (Book Review)
Yes, I want to break into song. I just recently rewatched THE SOUND OF MUSIC with my two oldest daughters. I’d forgotten what a great joy the whole movie is, and how satisfying it is that the family outwitted the Nazis. As their followers, the alt-nuts grow in audacity in America, I hope the descendants of Captain Von Trapp continue to thwart their efforts.
What does any of this have to do with Roie Avin’s latest book, Essential Modern Progressive Rock Albums: Images and Words Behind Prog’s Most Celebrated Albums, 1990-2016 (phew—what a title!!!) you ask? Ok, a legitimate question.
However, I can answer it simply, if not somewhat goofily.
Books and prog? Well, these are a few of my favorite things! Imagine how great it is when there are books written about prog albums and prog albums written about books! Heaven. Pure, heaven. Almost as good as dancing across the Alps with the family Von Trapp!
Continue reading “Roie Avin, ESSENTIAL PROGRESSIVE ROCK ALBUMS (Book Review)”
New Gazpacho: SOYUZ
Great news today from Burning Shed. The forthcoming album from Gazpacho: SOYUZ is now available for pre-order.
I didn’t realize this would be coming so soon. I’m in the middle of a retrospective of all of Gazpacho’s albums. This, of course, will be coming to a progarchy website near you.
For now, though, pre-order SOYUZ.
And, now, to wait patiently. . . .
Arrived at Progarchy HQ: Molesome Dial
Today, much to my surprise, a nice package arrived from Sweden. And, to make it even better, inside, I found not just a beautiful new cd, but also a three-page handwritten note.
Now, that’s excellence!
Thank you, Mattias Olsson. I’ve not listened to a single note yet, and I’m already your fan!
The Klug: On Mozart and Beethoven (TIC)
Did Beethoven steal tunes from his older contemporary for the “Eroica” Symphony, the Ninth Symphony, and for his most popular and beautiful song?… It is one of the most popular tunes in all of classical music, nay, in all of music, period. 1,085 more words
via Copying Mozart: Did Beethoven Steal Melodies for His Own Music? — The Imaginative Conservative
The Traffic of Gazpacho
Purely by chance (if such a thing as chance exists), Fidelia played Traffic’s “Dream Gerrard” from WHEN THE EAGLE FLIES, then Gazpacho’s “Vera” from LONDON.
From such “chances” emerge the stuff of dreams.
What hit me hard–in fact, for the first time–is how similar the style of the two bands is.
Separated by decades as well as countries of origin, Traffic’s epic “Dream Gerrard” blended stunningly into Gazpacho’s “Vera.” Same style of bass, keyboard swells, and atmospherics.
Cool.
Love
To celebrate this 14th of February–the Feast of St. Valentine–here are fifteen tracks to enjoy. All about love, but not necessarily romantic love. Blessings, Brad
Riis’s Mini Album (from The Prog Mind)
Bjørn releases a companion EP to his amazing 2017 album.
A Novice in Classical Music? Start Here (TIC)
Are you dipping your toe into the classical music waters, not sure if you’re up for the full swim, but willing to wade around a bit? 1,666 more words
via 10 Tips for the Fledgling Classical Music Lover — The Imaginative Conservative
Tillison/Tangent/Kalman Filter News
This arrived, happily, this evening from Sally Collyer. Great update about all things Tillison.
Happy New Year to everyone and first and foremost a huge thank you to all who supported Andy and the band last year, bought “The Slow Rust of Forgotten Machinery”, attended the live shows in Europe and the USA and voted for the album and band members in the PROG Magazine readers poll, huge congratulations to Andy for being voted number one in the Keyboard players category and to Jonas and Luke for gaining 5th place in the Bass Player and Guitarist categories respectively, the album “The Slow Rust of Forgotten Machinery” also achieved 5th in the best album category, all in all incredible achievements considering the wealth of talented output in the progressive music genre over the last 12 months, in addition to the fact that we have a policy of never asking fans to vote in polls, it was wonderful to get this news in the knowledge that people had chosen to give support without any outside influence, the music really did speak for itself!
Lots going on here at Tangent HQ right now:
Progarchy 