Unlike many fans who view progressive music as a genre requiring specific sounds, instruments and structures – usually from the 60’s and 70’s – I think of the term literally: Music that, while challenging and possibly containing traditional prog “signposts” along the way, is also pointing towards something more modern and different that what’s been done prior.

It’s that approach that endears 80’s Yes and Rush music to me. While many trash those bands for taking a more streamlined tack compared to their 70’s output, I could only applaud them for changing with the times and trying something new to them. Dream Theater had that streak in the 90’s, Spock’s Beard somehow made the old sound new in the 90’s and 00’s, and after sampling what was “new” in prog, Jem Godfrey gave us new and different sounds (at least to these ears) with Frost*.

I have the pleasure of being able to sample a lot of progressive albums, and while most admittedly do little for me – thus explaining my meager volume of columns here – I was taken by Southern Empire’s “Civilisation” this year, and repeated listens have left me declaring it to be my favorite of 2018 as it’s a modern, dynamic and forward-thinking album.

Since I knew nothing of Southern Empire before this year, and with only two albums and a live album under their belts, I was able to catch up with this band quickly, first with their 2016 debut. Tracks like “How Long,” “Forest Fire” and “The Bridge That Binds” quickly caught my attention, with “How Long” taking up a LOT of listening time early on.

When I finally gave “Civilisation” a listen, I was immediately taken NOT by the epics (as many prog fans might be), but instead by the bookend tracks, “Goliath’s Moon” and “Innocence And Fortune.” Both of these tracks and the music on the first album showed a band that, while certainly playing well within the prog genre, was definitely looking forward with their sounds and production.

“Goliath’s Moon” starts with a vintage song reference, a funked-up beat, a hooky chorus and plenty of aforementioned “prog signposts” in the middle section to display their prowess – instrumental runs, great harmony parts, a Spock’s Beard-esque vocal section (because, really, are we going to give only Gentle Giant credit for this?) – before returning to close out and ends with and excerpt from U.S. President Richard Nixon’s call to the Apollo 11 crew.

The last track “Innocence And Fortune,” is a grandiose spine-tingler containing cool, proggy verses, a wonderful chorus befitting an album-closer. Its my go-track on the album, for sure.

For the longest time, it was those two tracks that dominated my “Civilisation” listening, but as with most epic-length tracks, a deep dive into them is usually necessary, and so it was with “The Crossroads,” a 29-minute beast with a ton of stylistic twists and turns, somewhat akin to Dream Theater’s “Learning to Live” (but nearly three times as long) and also not unlike early Spock’s. It’s WELL worth your time to absorb this, their longest track to date. Finally, the album’s 19-minute second track, “Cries For The Lonely,” is a slab of modern proggy goodness.

As one should expect, the playing is top notch and tight as hell throughout “Civilisation,” but I do want to mention the expressive and emotionally-delivered vocals of Danny Lopresto, which go a long way to make the band stand out.

Bravo forward-thinking prog. Bravo Southern Empire. Ever forward!

The song was great in 1982 and it’s still great in 2017.

The band is, too – fellow progheads would do well to check out their last album, “XIV.”

Jessica Furseth of Motherboard weighs in on its allure while taking a few jabs at it…no matter, read on!

I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of listening to Big Big Train’s latest work, “Grimspound,” for a few weeks prior to its release, and it’s taken me as much time to figure out exactly what it is.

This isn’t about whether or not the music is good…oh, it’s good. Very good. It’s an absolute must-buy for Big Big Train “passengers,” both new and returning.

With each subsequent listen, I kept asking myself:

• Is this merely a collection of leftover songs from what had to be a creative outburst when “Folklore” took shape?
• Is this sort of a “Folklore Part 2?”
• Is this a standalone album altogether?
• Is this part of a much bigger canon of releases?

I’ve decided that the answer clearly isn’t “a collection of leftover songs” and it’s not really “Folklore 2,” but you could argue for the other two points.

Anyway, that’s just a frame on the picture. Let’s delve through the music, shall we?

Continue reading “Big Big Train’s “Grimspound” – A Review” →

Many who follow prog and rock in general woke to the news that John Wetton, singer and bassist for such bands as King Crimson, UK and Asia, passed away after a long, courageous battle with colon cancer.

I know that many others here will write something far more in-depth and eloquent that I will at this time, but this is a heartbreaker for me.

I cut my teeth on prog in 1981 with Rush’s “Moving Pictures,” and a year later I heard Asia for the first time.  I was immediately taken with how these then-mysterious prog musicians – I hadn’t heard Yes, ELP or Crimson at that point – had managed to pack a ton of playing into a tight song format, and to this day, Asia’s debut album remains one of my four all-time favorite albums.

Of course, while Steve Howe, Geoff Downes and Carl Palmer supplied most of the busy playing in Asia, John Wetton anchored the group with his steady bass playing and, of course, that VOICE.

After following Asia for most of the 80’s, a friend and bandmate clued me in to what Wetton had been up to just before Asia, and that was my introduction to UK.  Just a stellar group of musicians who created a pair of fine albums and one exceptional live album, and I listen to their work often.

I’ll admit to not absorbing much of what Wetton did prior to UK, which we all know was Family, Uriah Heep, Crimson, Roxy Music, Eno, and others, but for me, Wetton’s presence in UK and Asia alone formed much of the soundtrack to my youth.

Since the 90’s, I’ve kept only a periphery eye on Wetton’s career as he returned to solo work, worked with Downes in Icon, reunited with Asia and UK, and worked with District 97, but I’ve always appreciated him and his career trajectory.

Like so many, I was saddened by the news that Wetton was being treated for cancer and closely followed him online during his battle.  I so hoped he would be healthy enough to perform at the 2017 Cruise to the Edge…not because I was attending, but it seemed that it was serving as inspiration for him during his recovery, and I was crushed for him when he recently announced that he couldn’t attend.

I spent much of my day going back through various Asia, UK, Crimson and solo tracks, and will no doubt spend more time in the future simultaneously mourning John, sending thoughts to his family, friends and bandmates, and celebrating the man’s “extraordinary life.”

Seeing that I haven’t been absorbing a lot of new prog (Oh! The Horror!), I’ve spent most of 2016 happily revisiting my favorite prog (and proggy pop) from the past.  As I’ve written before, I’m at that age where 40 years’ worth of my favorite music is such that anything new really has to fight for a place among my listening.  However, with a community as great as this one, I’ve all the faith in the world that really good prog will find me, not the other way around.

2016 treated us not only to the further touring adventures of Yes, but also to the touring wonder that is Anderson Rabin Wakeman, which by most accounts was a wonderful tour, and I do hope that 2017 will see some original music from the lineup.

Inspired by Sir Thaddeus of Wert’s Top 10 Yes albums list, I just couldn’t resist compiling my own list of favorites from the boys.  I thought it’d be easy to name 10, but I quickly found that I just can’t; I would only be trying to round out the list by including some albums of theirs I like for maybe one or two songs at best, so why not list my true favorites?

Ahem…

8. Talk

Like many who salivated at the news of a YesWest reunion in the early 90’s, I bought “Talk” as quickly as possible on release day.  The album’s bookend tracks – “The Calling” and “Endless Dream” – make this a top 10 record for me. Throw in the well-written “Walls,” and it’s a solid effort, despite a few tracks I can live without.

Continue reading “My Top 8 Yes Abums” →

I never got grunge.

Yes, it was, I suppose, some sort of “what’s next” to follow the hair metal sound of the late 80’s that had more than run its course, and I did appreciate some of the music that Pearl Jam made – Vedder has a voice for the ages – but to me, grunge wasn’t alternative, and to me, Nirvana was nowhere near being the alternative band of its time, no matter how many albums they sold or however much people wanted to hold up Kurt Cobain as some sort of “voice of a generation.”

The real alternative band of the time was Jane’s Addiction.

As you’ll read in this track-by-track Rolling Stone article from last year (link below), they were influenced by classic rock bands, prog groups (Rush, Genesis and Floyd are cited) and some alternative groups,  but Jane’s Addiction’s blend of rock was something different – even dangerous – during their time.

Prog? Nah.

However, they could write epic tracks when so moved – check out “Three Days” or “Ted, Just Admit It” from “Nothing’s Shocking” – and to me, they were always ascribing to create art with their music.  A parallel with The Doors was cited, and that’s probably not far off the mark.

Their first album (a live effort), “Nothing’s Shocking” and “Ritual de lo Habitual” are a trifecta of heavy, alternative, artistic rock. The latter two remain in my 100 all-time favorite albums list and still sound great today.

Click here to check out the article.