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.
Thirty years ago this month and next, U2, Brian Eno, and Daniel Lanois were putting the finishing touches on what is arguably one of the greatest rock albums ever written, THE JOSHUA TREE. That “the album wears well,” even three decades later, would be a tragic understatement. Frankly, though I have listened to it repeatedly over the past 29 years, THE JOSHUA TREE sounds as fresh at the end of 2016 as it did in the spring of 1987. It’s possible that nostalgia—“the rust of memory,” as the great sociologist Robert Nisbet once proclaimed it—clouds my judgment, but I don’t think so. Other albums from that time that meant almost as much to me then sound dreadfully tinny and dated now.
So, my continuing and continuous awestruck response to THE JOSHUA TREE can’t be complete nostalgia.
So, without much explanation at all, the master of mischief, Andy Tillison, has just posted on Facebook that he would be releasing new music tonight. Whether this is solo or The Tangent or something else is unclear. Regardless, we await it eagerly. And, we’ll let you know when we do.
Prog Magazine, led by the ever-amazing Jerry Ewing, has asked for a vote of the best of 2016 in a variety of categories. The Prog Readers Poll, as Ewing describes it:
Here’s your chance to vote in the Prog 2016 Readers’ Poll. 2016 might not be year many of us will remember too findlay, for a variety of reasons. But music is the great leveller, and in music we all seek the great escape. Having just compiled our Critics’ Choice album of the year list, and casting an eye back over the past 12 months, then maybe 2016 did have something going for it… There were great new albums from Marillion, Opeth,Big Big Train, iamthemorning, Radiohead and more. Vibrant gigs from Haken, Public Service Broadcasting, Dream Theater and others. And new arrivals on the scene like Kylver, The Anchoress, Teramaze. Oh, and some blokes called Anderson Rabin Wakeman… Maybe 2016 wasn’t too bad after all… So who made your 2016 a real prog rocker? Let us know – you can fill in the form on Page 25 of the current issue of Prog. or you can e-mail us your picks for the following categories. Use the subject Line ‘Readers’ Poll 2016′, and e-mail your choices to progpoll@teamrock.com.
We’ve never (and I’ve never) done anything like this before, but I ask that you consider voting for Susie Bogdanowicz of Glass Hammer as BEST FEMALE VOCALIST. I’ve been praising her vocals for well over a decade now, and I find that she simply gets better and better, though I did not think this possible when I first heard her voice. Her lead vocals on this year’s VALKYRIE by Glass Hammer are nothing less than astounding. Indeed, I consider her the single best voice in all of rock (in every form) today.
In case you’re in doubt, however, I’ll let you decide for yourself. Here she is, singing a prog classic.
Dare I note, she’s even better than the original vocalist! Heresy, I know. Still, proof as well that Bogdanowicz deserves best female prog vocalist of 2016.
A two-part review of Rush, TIME STAND STILL (2016).
Between May and August, 2015, Rush performed to jam-packed audiences in cities across the United States and Canada. Rush captured this tour with its own 2015 release, R40 LIVE, a three cd/1-bluray set. This tour attracted an immense and diverse crowd. Generations of men in the same family (grandfather, father, and sons) sat together, women attended in larger than usual numbers, and my two oldest kids (Nathaniel and Gretchen) drove with me nearly 10 hours to see the band perform R40 in Lincoln. That magical show will always remain one of the greatest of my life. Not just because I was seeing Rush for the umpteenth time, but because I got to share the band with my children for the first time. They’ve grown up with Rush—listening to the music and watching their concerts over and over again; indeed, all six of my kids can readily name the members of the band, the songs, and the albums—but they’d never experienced the joy of an actual concert. It was, to be sure, a glorious spectacle.
When I looked out the bedroom window the other day to see Nathaniel shoveling snow and head banging, I could tell he was head banging to 2112. Every few moments the shovel came up and served as an Alex Lifeson air guitar. Needless to write, it took a bit for him to complete the driveway. Regardless, I’m deeply proud that my children recognize the greatness of the three Canadian artists, even older than their dad!
One of the many Steven Wilson remixed albums. And, one of the best. Beat.
Well, I must admit, I am a bit sorry to have taken so long to get all my “best of 2016” out. Four parts is outrageous, even by prog standards. Too much music, too little time, too many keys on my keyboard!
So, the final part of 2016 list is nothing less than a bit of cleanup, an attempt to give coherence to a number of disparate things.
First, I want to offer a huge thanks to all of you for reading Progarchy and also to all of our writers. Obviously, we do what we do for love, not profit. But, it’s truly a community effort. Again, a profound thank you–to all members of the progarchy community.
Second, I’d like to single out three companies for making reviewing so much easier than it might otherwise be. An amazing slap on the back to Roie Avin and Jeff Wagner at Insideout! Incredible guys, incredible company. Another loud and hearty shout out to Brian Rocha of Fresno Media not only for his wit and friendship, but also for all of his excellent support. And, again to Steve Babb of Sound Resources (Glass Hammer).
Third, there are a few musical releases from 2016 that don’t fit easily into the lists I’ve offered thus far.
One album I’ve thoroughly enjoyed but have not had long enough to offer it a place within my lists is The Gift’s latest album, WHY THE SEA IS SALT. It’s extraordinary, and I very much look forward to spending more time with it.
I must also recognize Steven Wilson’s ep, 4.5, and The Tangent’s single, “A Few Steps Down the Wrong Road.” Each is simply outstanding.
Finally, this year’s progarchy audiophile award goes to Steven Wilson for his work remixing so many classic albums. Indeed, Wilson has remixed so many, it’s becoming hard to keep track of them all. But, I’d like to single out the ones that meant so much to me this year: Jethro Tull’s STAND UP and AQUALUNG; XTC’s SKYLARKING; King Crimson’s BEAT; and Yes’s TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS.
For the most part, the live studio versions performed on STONE AND STEEL are similar, but not identical to the original album versions. It’s clear that the band encourages spontaneity in each musician. Watching the band, I was happily surprised to see how many duties Manners and Poole (even Longdon plays keys briefly) share when it comes to the keyboards and just how much Gregory (my all-time favorite guitarist, along with Alex Lifeson) shares with Sjöblom. Such sharing, of course, is nothing if not a sign of wisdom and charity, yet another example of why so many of us love this band. Individual ego diminishes in proportion to the excellence manifested by the entire band.
Spawton, it must be noted, is clearly the sturdy pillar around which all revolves. Though he’s off to the side and not in the limelight, his bass is strong, innovative, and warm.
My review was glowing, and there’s nothing in it I would change, even 9 months later. When it comes to live releases in 2016, there have been a fair number of simply excellent ones. Steve Hackett’s TOTAL EXPERIENCE, Aryeon’s THE THEATER EQUATION, Morse’s ALIVE AGAIN, and even BBT’s second live release of the year, A STONE’S THROW FROM THE LINE, each captured something unique about the musicians and the time period.
Ok, so I’m taking a bit to get through my best of 2016. It was a GOOD year. Certainly not when it came to violence or politics, but music. It soothes my upset soul. Thank you, fellow proggers.
One quick note before I dive into part III.
I must mention an album (two parter) that brought immense joy to me this year: the soundtrack of STRANGER THINGS. I’ve had the opportunity to sing the praises of this glorious 8-part nostalgia trip of a Netflix series elsewhere, and I’m terrible at trying to describe and review electronic music. Regardless, this soundtrack captures the mystery of the series just perfectly. I’ve seen the series three times, and I’ve listened to the two-CD soundtrack a million more. Few things will define 2016 as much as this series did.
One quick note before I dive into part III.
Progarchy 