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.

Birzer Bandana’s First Album Reviewed

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

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Mark Naida of Hillsdale College has written a beautiful review of Birzer Bandana’s first album, BECOMING ONE.  Thank you,  Mark!

Theology, intellectual rock, and the liberal arts — these are three main elements of the debut album by Birzer Bandana, a collaboration between progressive rock musician Dave Smith and Hillsdale College Professor of History Bradley Birzer.

Birzer provided the concept and lyrics, and Smith wrote the music for the seven-song progressive rock album “Becoming One,” which was released on Spotify, Bandcamp, and iTunes March 18.

Progressive rock seeks to combine the formal elements of classical music while also embracing the eclectic side of rock and roll music, according to music critic Lucas Biela of progarchives.com.

“Rock bands like the Rolling Stones wanted to show pure emotion in their music. Prog is a more intellectual genre that shares ideas,” Birzer said.

To read the full review, please go here: http://hillsdalecollegian.com/2017/04/birzer-bandana-ties-together-science-fiction-apocalyptic-poetry-british-prog-rock/

Forthcoming Bjorn Riis

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I had no idea (until a few moments ago) that Airbag’s Bjorn Riis had a forthcoming solo album.  The teaser sounds gorgeous.

Ayreon THE SOURCE Earbooks Available for Preorder

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment
Dear Ayreonauts,

Good news! After your many requests for more limited edition Earbooks, I begged the record company to print more because they sold out really fast. After my endless nagging they decided to print more! So here’s your chance to get one after all 🙂

As always, I’ll sign every copy that is sold through the MLG webstore. They will be shipping from May 12.

Arjen
To order, click here.

A Really Nice ARW Lego

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock1 Comment
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By Eric Valencia (for fun!)

Or, perhaps, I meant logo!

Beyond Prog: GRIMSPOUND by Big Big Train

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock8 Comments
Grimspound
Artwork by Sarah Ewing.

Big Big Train, GRIMSPOUND (Giant Electric Pea, 2017).  Tracks: Brave Captain; On the Racing Line; Experimental Gentleman; Meadowland; Grimspound; The Ivy Gate; A Mead Hall in Winter; and As the Crow Flies.

The band: Greg Spawton; Andy Poole; David Longdon; Nick D’Virgilio; Rachel Hall; Danny Manners; Dave Gregory; and Rikard Sjöblom.

The Rating: Perfect.  Beyond prog.

Go, go, go said the bird: human kind

Cannot bear very much reality.

Time past and time future

What might have been and what has been

Point to one end, which is always present.

–T.S. Eliot, “Burnt Norton.”

There can be no doubt that Big Big Train is not just one of the best bands of third-wave prog, but also one of the best bands of the rock era.  I suspected this when I first heard THE UNDERFALL YARD back in 2009 and was moved at every good level of my being.  Subsequent releases from the band have only confirmed this for me.  Every note, every lyric, and every brushstroke matter for the band.  They take their music seriously, and they take us—their followers—seriously.  Aside from the music (if there is, in any reality, such an “aside”), it’s clear that the two founders and mainstays of the band, Greg Spawton and Andy Poole, know how to form and leaven communities.

Continue reading “Beyond Prog: GRIMSPOUND by Big Big Train” →

Clockwork Lives Graphic Novel

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ClockworkLives_AvatarV2

Well, in perusing Cygnus X1’s website just now, I found even more information about Rush.  Stuff that had totally eluded me.  Cygnus, what would we do without you???  Thank you!

Kevin J. Anderson has just announced that CLOCKWORK LIVES will be a graphic novel soon.  How very cool.

Here’s the Cygnus X1 link: http://news.cygnus-x1.net/2017/04/clockwork-lives-graphic-novel-coming.html

And, here’s the direct link to KJA’s website: http://kjablog.com/clockwork-lives-graphic-novel/

Cygnus X1 on Geddy Lee and YES tonight

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock3 Comments

Amazing moment in rock history.  From Cygnus X1:

Ever since it was announced that the progressive rock band YES was to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, rumors abound regarding a possible involvement with the members of Rush, who are all self-proclaimed YES fans.

In January, the news many fans were waiting for arrived – both Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson would induct YES into the Hall. However as of that writing, there was no indication as to whether or not Geddy and/or Alex would actually perform during the evening’s festivities. Fast-forward a few weeks, and a huge story coming out of Billboard was published which all but confirmed that Geddy Lee would, in fact, be performing with YES. Less than a few hours after the story broke, Billboard posted a retraction indicating that Geddy Lee would NOT be performing.

To read the full article at CYGNUS, go here: http://news.cygnus-x1.net/2017/04/geddy-lee-alex-lifeson-set-to-induct.html

geddy-roundabout
Photo taken from Cygnus X1.

Thanks to John at Cygnus and Brian Sullivan!

FIELD RECORDINGS by The Fierce and the Dead

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TFATD FIELD RECORDINGS
Short but mighty.  Out April 28 from BEM.

So, I fell in love with The Fierce and the Dead from the moment I saw online the image of their first proper recording, PART 1.  That was seven years ago.  The image of the lone tree standing in a field took me back not only to the actuality of my childhood in central Kansas, but it also took me back to the fantasy of my childhood in Tolkien’s The Shire.

As such, The Fierce and the Dead has always occupied that tenuous place in the prog world–something undeniably tangible and real mixed with something almost too good to be true.  Certainly, the wordless music of The Fierce and the Dead is analogous to my own inability to articulate fully how much joy this band brings me.

Continue reading “FIELD RECORDINGS by The Fierce and the Dead” →

Up and Over: Mew’s AND THE GLASS HANDED KITES

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock1 Comment
MEW Kites
Such a hideous cover for such a perfect album.  What were these guys thinking with this cover?  It ranks up there with LOVE BEACH.

Many years ago now, I bought my first Mew album, FRENGERS, because of the recommendation of Big Big Train’s Greg Spawton.  Greg has impeccable music tastes (and book recommendations as well), so I was more than happy to learn of the Danish band.

I can state with no exaggeration that FRENGERS pretty much blew me away.

To a lesser extent, the same true of NO MORE STORIES.

Only very recently did I purchase AND THE GLASS HANDED KITES.  For whatever reason, it’s difficult to obtain in North America.  I had to order a used copy.

Whatever I thought of Mew’s other albums, this one is perfection itself.  It’s not only magnitudes better than their other albums (which are already excellent), but AND THE GLASS HANDED KITES is up there with PET SOUNDS, SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR, and SKYLARKING.

In other words, we’re now in the realm of prog-pop godhood.  Holy schnikees.  If you don’t have AND THE GLASS HANDED KITES, get it now.  Granted, the album art is simply terrible, but don’t judge an album by its cover!!!

A proper review is forthcoming.