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.
Elarcos is a new name on the progressive rock scene. The band from Montevideo in Uruguay works as a quintet, comprised of talented musicians who crafted an amazing release with their full-length debut “Tecnocracia.” Their flirting with jazz fusion and singing in Spanish make for an unique listening experience. To make it even more interesting, the title song on the album is a 27-minute monster, a real prog epic.
What made you go for the name Elarcos?
Well, this was a little complicated. Actually is a words game, and it doesn’t means nothing. Some years ago we was called ‘CODA’, then we wanted to change it, and then ‘Elarcos’ appeared.
Italian proggers Althea are set to release their new album titled “Memories Have No Name” in January. The band spoke for Progarchy about the new material.
What made you go for the name Althea?
This is an old and very random story. You have to know that we are very bad at naming things and before coming up with the name Althea we played under a number of fancy fantasy names. At some point, we decided we needed to set a proper name for the band and we simply opened an English dictionary and the first word we picked up was Althea. We liked it and we named the band that way. It was very random and only after we realized the meaning behind the name (Althea is a Greek goddess).
It would be an understatement to say that this has been an eventful year for Mariusz Duda and Riverside. As the year began, they were riding high on the success of “Love, Fear, and The Time Machine,” and it seemed things couldn’t be going better. But life doesn’t always cooperate, and February saw the tragic gut-punch of losing Piotr Grudzinski, which left Riverside’s future indeterminate for a time.
Duda himself, as I found out in the interview, lost his father some time after that.
It’s a lot to take, but some how Duda and Riverside soldier onward, as their recent announcement to continue as a three-piece attests. I was fortunate enough to be connected to Duda for another conversation (my first one can be found here), as we discussed what he and the band have been through and where they are going from here.
Progarchy: Well, it has been an eventful year for you guys … how are you holding up?
Mariusz Duda: Thank you so much, every day better and better. You know, time flies, and time also heals our wounds a bit. This year for me, personally, has not been good because I lost my father in May. So if you just imagine three months after Piotr’s death, I had a death in my family. Piotr was also my family. Anyway, this year was not so happy, and I just needed time to recover. But now I feel better and I have the strength to talk about Riverside and some other stuff, both in the past in the future.
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.
One of my favorite albums of 2016 (full list coming soon!) is Ian Fletcher Thornley’s stunning “Secrets”, which came out in late 2015 and has been a part of my listening rotation since I first heard it. Thornley—who is a remarkable vocalist. virtuoso guitarist, accomplished songwriter, etc.—has been producing a significant amount of good music in recent years, including Big Wreck’s exceptional “Albatross”—one of my favorites of 2012—and 2014’s excellent “Ghosts”. Early 2017 (February 4th) will see the release of “Grace Street”. The first two singles/songs are already available, and one of them is a “must hear” for fans of top-notch, guitar-oriented instrumental rock. Clocking in at just over 7 minutes, “Skybunk Marché” has hints of Satriani, Jeff Beck, and Rush, with three guitars rollicking with precise abandon through a variety of keys and movements:
To get a better sense of who’s playing what, watch the band play the song live (9:45 mark):
The last song in the Dunlop Sessions (above), titled “Come Again”, features the sort of searing, beautifully constructed solo that Thornley turns out on a regular basis. Can’t wait to hear this entire album, which promises to be one of the best of 2017.
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.
Progarchy 