Big Big Train is awesome. Earlier today, the band announced they are giving away a compilation of all their London-related songs, appropriately titled “London Song.” Just click the “Buy Digital Album” button on the page linked below, enter 0.00 into the box, and enter your email. Click the link in the email they send you, and enjoy the free download by following the on-screen instructions.
Via the BBT Facebook page:
All of Big Big Train’s songs with a London theme have been brought together into a song cycle for a download only EP which has been released on the 28th July. As all of the individual pieces of music which make up London Song have been previously released, there is no cost for downloading the EP. An email address is required and email addresses will be included on the Big Big Train mailing list.
(i) Turner on the Thames (Spawton)
(ii) London Plane (Spawton)
(iii) Lost Rivers of London (Spawton)
(iv) London Stone (Sjoblom / Manners)
(v) Skylon (Longdon / Spawton / Sjöblom)
(vi) Mudlarks (Spawton)
Nearing the end: Keith Relf (left) and Jimmy Page, 1968
In July 1968 an exhausted Keith Relf handed the keys to the Yardbirds to Jimmy Page, the last of the triumvirate of ground-breaking guitarists to grace the seminal rock band. Relf and drummer Jim McCarty had tired of the road and, in some measure, rock itself, and wanted to do something in a folk vein. For them the frenetic rock scene had run its course.
In October of that year Page took the New Yardbirds (himself plus John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, and John Bonham) to Olympic studios in London. Over 36 hours they hammered out Led Zeppelin, the biggest shockwave in rock history, the culmination of Chuck Berry’s rock n’ roll thunder, recaptured by Jeff Beck’s dangerous and deviant guitar a couple of years earlier, the climax of every frenzied dance ending in sweat-drenched pony-tails and bobby socks blackened by the gym floor.
Page proudly wore his old band on his paisley sleeve: “Communication Breakdown” brandished the proto-punk of Roger the Engineer; “Dazed and Confused” bore the same structure of the Yardbird’s cover of Jake Holmes’ original (credit where it’s due), including a mirror of Page’s guitar break from the BBC version of “Think About It”; “Black Mountain Side” was the Near Eastern-inspired complement to “White Summer”; and the slow burning blues tracks (“You Shook Me” and “I Can’t Quit You Baby”) harken to the Yardies’ roots.
The final Yardbirds salute, the over-powering “How Many More Times,” opens with a cocksure shuffle after the manner of Clapton-era “Smokestack Lightnin’,” then rolls through a Beck-style bolero into not one but two Samwell-Smith-inspired rave ups that bookend a surreal break: a bow drawn over Page’s heavily distorted ‘dragon’ Telecaster — the schoolgirl catching her breath and picking herself up from the dancefloor.
Oh, Rosie…
Seeing Jefferson Airplane in 1967 and hearing Jack Casady’s Homeric bass solo, Page thought to himself, “This is the end of the world.” No. Led Zeppelin was the end of everything. All rock music since January 1969 is post-Zeppelin. Even Led Zeppelin had to become post-Zeppelin to maintain its dignity. The virus exploded; the DNA of countless, nameless concert halls, honky tonks, and juke joints spread through the atmosphere, reconfiguring itself in other forms: folk rock, metal, punk, fusion, techno, roots rock, grunge, etc.
Not the least of these was progressive rock, which is where Keith Relf turned up in 1974 when he formed Armageddon. In addition to Steamhammer’s speed riffer Martin Pugh and bassist Louis Cennamo, Florida native Bobby Caldwell — veteran of stints with Johnny Winter, Rick Derringer, and the Allman Brothers (“Mountain Jam”) — took a seat at the drum kit.
Armageddon (1975) is an aptly titled foray into the post-Zeppelin musicscape. But the album isn’t a detour unto itself. It looks at the past and present musically, and to the future lyrically. Pugh’s riffs are contemporaneous with Houses of the Holy and Physical Grafitti. Prefiguring later developments in prog rock, the music pulls back from the inclusion of multiple themes and motifs, settling into a groove, often one with funk and fusion elements, and extending the passage with subtle alterations. This is particularly evident on the blistering opener, “Buzzard,” as well as “Last Stand Before.”
Relf’s voice isn’t as deep and prominent as on the old Yardbird’s tracks. A lifelong asthma sufferer (it’s painful to watch Jeff Beck mimic Relf puffing on an inhaler), Relf was basically down to one lung by this stage of his ill-fated life and career. But this didn’t thwart his signature harmonica work, and when the instrument makes its appearance toward the end of tracks it comes with the harrowing apocalyptic authority of seven trumpets blowing.
Rock and roll, moving your soul
Took a few as well
On the line, out of time
Shooting stars that all fell
Oh Lord, do something, gotta slow it down
It’s coming on too fast, can’t take it
Feel like I’m gonna drown
Gonna stand and face it, but I need you near
Through the darkest hours, I’m calling
Sometimes I think you don’t hear me calling
Hear me calling
Awareness of the consummation and transformation of all things pervades the album. From the shimmering “Silver Tightrope,”
I thought I saw the candle-bearers
On their way to the beyond
Beckon to me from the future
To come and join the throng
I stepped upon the silver tightrope
Balancing beliefs
And wings unfurling with a new hope
I left behind my griefs
Even the darker “Buzzard” includes a promise,
But the meek will stand
Understanding nature
Seeing far beyond the plan
Take their place in time
Take their place in timeless structure
The end of this present life came quickly and unexpectedly for Keith Relf in May 1975, as he was the victim of an accidental electrocution while working with ungrounded sound equipment in his basement. When the Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame his wife and son accepted the honor on his behalf.
This post-everything world doesn’t last forever. In the meantime Armageddon occupies the already/not yet space with tight arrangements, subtle time changes, and expert chops from all its participants. And Relf proves the humblest instrument of ages past works in this context, creating a confident work one can take on a long drive — keeping an eye on the speedometer — in the direction of Proghalla.
Cosmograf, THE HAY MAN DREAMS (Cosmograf Music, 2017).
Professor Birzer’s grade: A.
Having grown up on Great Plains of North America, surrounded by grazing horses, big skies, and farms, that guy that hangs out on a big kind of crucifix in the fields of wheat was always, to me, a “Scarecrow.”
And, that really, really scary Batman villain, Dr. Jonathan Crane, is also a “Scarecrow.” He’s creepy in Bruce Timm’s animated Batman, but he’s downright demonic in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.
When I first saw the title of Robin Armstrong’s latest Cosmograf masterpiece (and, yes, this IS a masterpiece) HAY-MAN DREAMS, I had no clue what the album would be about. After all, Armstrong loves existential themes of isolation, alienation, and timelessness. When I first saw the title, I just assumed the album would be about a farmer who cultivates hay. Maybe some lonely old guy who couldn’t figure out the modern world. I knew that Armstrong would do something wild with it, but I didn’t know what. Hay man?
I’ve been on a German prog rock streak for some time now, and recently I was introduced to a contemporary act called Karakorum, whose sound, actually, is not that contemporary considering that they produce music which is a mixture of vintage prog, psychedelic rock and Krautrock.
“Beteigeuze” is Muhldorf quintet’s debut full length album, although the group released a self-titled demo album which included the three lengthy suites that “Beteigeuze” is made of. For the purpose of this release, which is available as a vinyl from Tonzonen Records, the band has reworked the three “Beteigeuze” tracks and offered a strong effort for everyone who is nostalgic for old-school 1970s inspired progressive rock.
The swirling organ of Axel Hackner and the smooth, melodic tone of guitarists Max Suchorghuber and Bernard Huber dominate the sound. The songs per se feature many fine melodies, and the suites are well constructed, with no unnecessary or redundant parts, and what is probably more important, they all flow and feel as one. The lengthy instrumentals between the sung pieces are pleasant, but complex.
“Beteigeuze” is an intense and impressive jam with lots of good themes and tight solo passages. This may not be an album overflowing with originality, and the band’s overall sound is similar to very many other bands of the mentioned era, but the overall good songwriting makes “Beteigeuze” a worthwhile album of great German progressive rock.
I´m very pleased to present the next Karmakanic/Tangent output. It will be a live CD from the upcoming European/US tour this fall. To be released Jan 2018.
So let me start bitching about this even before the tour has started and nothing is recorded yet. Why? That’s a valid question and I will try to answer it to the best of my knowledge.
WE NEED THE MONEY!!!! PERIOD!!!
We lost a well payed gig in Boston that was one of the anchor gigs to finance this tour. We run into totally overpriced VISA application costs. Do you know how much a application cost for a band like us? 2500 US dollars, just to get in. Then add flights, accommodation, hiring a van, gas, hiring a rehearsal room, paying salary for the band members, domestic travels prior the rehearsals and all other little things that I´ve forgotten right now and you´ll probably understand that the numbers are totally in the red.
So why even think of doing this? Why just not cut the whining and throw this project right out of the window? I´ll try to answer that too.
To run a band is probably the worst business idea you can have. No money coming in a lot of money going out, poor attendance, over the years I´ve also felt lack of support from band members, although, with the current line up I´ve never heard a bad word, yet. And you all know how to make a musician complain don’t ya??? Give him a gig!! But even though with all this in consideration you do it anyway. Why?????
I LOVE MUSIC!!! PERIOD!!!
I also love the people that actually supporting the scene, buying the albums and are attending the shows. That means the world to me. To see a person actually getting moved by something you wrote or played on a recording in a shabby studio somewhere when presented on a stage in another shabby and funky club somewhere in the world is the actually payment for all the hassle, you feel connected, you´re part of something bigger.
So that’s why we, Tangent and Karmakanic reaching out to you guys and giving you all a chance to support this tour but also even more important, support the scene. You can support the tour in two different ways.
Option 1: Pre-Order this live recording just like a normal CD for 15:95 Euro
Option 2: Be one of 200 that will get their full name on the actual front cover of the CD. 34:95 Euro.
Your choice!!!
And of course, if you think that this tour support is just a big chunk of bogus we’re totally fine with that as long as you attend one of this shows on the upcoming tour.
Sincerely
Back in January, Boston-based prog duo Killer Cortez released their full-length debut “Maquiladora,” a record which is a pleasant surprise. The two-piece plays a show in Cambridge, MA this July 28th; if anyone is nearby on that date I would truly recommend to stop by and visit the Middle East Upstairs.
Composer and multi-instrumentalist Socrates Cruz spoke for Progarchy about the band’s first album, other genres, and more.
Alright, first thing is first. Before we dive into all the music stuff, how’s life?
Life is treating us alright, thanks. There are times when we can get caught up with what’s not going well in our daily lives, but it’s also important to step away and understand that overall we’re pretty privileged to be able to make music surrounded by people that support us. That said, the past few months have been a fascinating mix of joy, regret, uncertainty, and excitement. This does lead to a heightened sense of creativity though!
Speaking of music, you have an album. What can people expect from “Maquiladora”?
It’s dark; but melancholy rather than angry. The album is kind of a collection of mini-documentaries that shed light on stories we thought were worth sharing. You could say the album is a little unnerving in that each of these stories is tragic; no matter how detached we are from the characters the plot is meant to feel familiar. Then, you have all these swirling instruments and textures and sounds that make the whole thing feel sweeping and cinematic. If you are looking for music with meaning then this is for you.
What was it like working on the album?
SLOW. Also exhilarating. We’re really proud of the outcome.
Are there any bigger touring plans in support to “Maquiladora”?
It’s in our DNA to want to tour endlessly but we’re coming at this cycle through a different angle. We’re about to officially “release” the album at our show at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA on 7/28 and are close to announcing a series of dates for late Fall. Details are forthcoming, but most of the shows centered in New England, with a few scattered through NY, PA, and MD.
While we are on the subject of touring, what countries would you love to tour?
Though not exactly countries, we seem to be getting attention in the UK and Eastern Europe. It would be great to tour there soon and maybe cap it all off playing a massive castle somewhere in the middle of Czechoslovakia. One can dream, right?
Who and what inspires you the most?
Any song, moment, story, or person who causes us to reflect on our human condition. We’re both a little addicted to some kind of never-ending search for meaning, which really can rise up anywhere at any time as long as you’re paying attention.
What other genres of music do you listen to? Have any of the other genres you listen to had any impact on your playing?
We’re both really open minded – in the van we’re blasting anything from electronica and progressive metal to power ballads and orchestral film scores. With Maquiladora, some of this variety is reflected in the digital atmosphere of songs like Bracero or Villa Grimaldi, and also in the odd time signatures of a song like Pine Ridge Peltier.
I really appreciate you giving us your time today. Is there anything else you would like to tell us and the fans before we wrap things up?
We’re excited to share our album with whoever is willing to listen. We tried to create a work that celebrates the struggles of the disenfranchised, the dispossessed, the exploited, and the forgotten. We feel that the shared human experience is one of constant struggle and of overcoming those challenges. Music can help us escape but it can also help us look inward.
“Maquiladora” is out now and is available from BandcampBandcamp. Stay in touch with Killer Cortez via Facebook.
I could easily turn this into a 1500 word rant about how Roger Waters has turned into a senile ass. I won’t do that, but I will just say that his head is shoved so far up his rear that he can’t see what’s going on in reality. Just look at the recent interview with Prog magazine where he said the following:
[Trump] might not sell his own kids, though you sense that they’re like lumps of meat when you see them parading around, They’re like prized cattle. They’ve sort of been plumped up. Those Trump boys, they look as if they’ve been injected with hormones every morning before breakfast to get them that pumped up and kind of dopey.
– Prog 77, page 57
Beyond the mere fact that the above idiotic statement has absolutely nothing to do with music, it is completely absurd! Just imagine if someone in Waters’ position said the same thing about Bill and Hillary Clinton’s daughter. There would be people calling for his arrest and hanging!
It truly is sad to see the once-great cultural critic Waters succumb to this base level of stupidity. The Palestinian government monetarily supports and vocally condones the utter destruction of the Jewish people and the Jewish state. How can supporting a boycott of Israel in support of the Palestinians be anything but vitriolic racism against the Jewish people?
I’m happy there are musicians like Steven Wilson, Radiohead, Steve Hackett, Mike Portnoy, and many others that are willing to ignore the anti-Israel garbage spewed by some on the left and play in Israel and collaborate with Israeli musicians.
I would love to go to one of Waters’ upcoming shows in Chicago, but I refuse to give my hard-earned money to that man after the things he has said. For that same reason, I refuse to buy his new album, and even if somebody gave me a copy, I probably wouldn’t listen to it. I am even having trouble listening to Pink Floyd because of his absurd comments, and they are one of my very favorite bands.
Roger Waters has completely lost touch with reality, and he needs to seriously reconsider his political positions because they are in direct contrast with the anti-establishment and anti-totalitarian (and brilliant) lyrics he wrote for Animals, The Wall, and The Final Cut.
Mr. Waters, if you choose to support an egregious boycott of Israel and the Jewish people who choose to live there, then I can choose to boycott you.
I just heard about this horrible story via Mike Portnoy’s twitter. Bassist David Zablidowsky of Adrenaline Mob (and Trans Siberian Orchestra, as well) was killed in a car crash in Florida that involved all members of the band, as well as Symphony X singer Russell Allen. According to reports, Allen was seriously injured along with A-Mob drummer Jordan Cannata and guitarist Mike Orlando. Several other people traveling with the musicians were also seriously injured.
Progarchy sends its deepest condolences to David’s family and friends, and we hope that the rest of the band members, Mr. Allen, and those traveling with them have a speedy recovery. This is truly a devastating accident.
“Every name is real. That’s the nature of names.” Jerry Spinelli,
Name your favourite bands of all time. Mine would be Yes, The Beatles, Big Big Train, Pink Floyd, Prefab Sprout, Genesis… and the list goes on. Those few are just off the top of my head and always at the tip of my tongue. Not only do the names of these bands conjure up what their respective music does for me as far as enjoyment and even enlightenment goes, it also enables us if connected to convey mood within the musical genre we follow. By that I mean these names help shape thought around their successes as bands. For someone who likes “Yes,” just being up the simple name in conversation to someone you know also loves the band and the sound of that syllable will transport that person’s thoughts and feeling back to a time where the music was so intrinsically and emotionally tied to them. Words have power. Names have symbolic baggage (in a good way and place) we carry around for the rest of our lives, and in the age we live in, just as in any other age, symbols and icons are everything. In music we can express such names in logos, and the visual impact can not be underestimated. It further binds us to the name.
Now what does such mad mutterings have to do with anything? Well, I’m glad you asked because right now there is a new Prog band who has relinquished their right to create a band name themselves, and have gladly offered such an important task to Prog fans on social media. They have a working name at the moment but with four or more other bands using the same name they now think it is the right time to go with a brand-spanking new name that will be there’s to own and use as they see fit. The challenge will be for members on the very popular Prog Magazine Readers page on Facebook to come up with the name the band agrees will suit their musical personae.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so although this is a bit of fun, it’s no laughing matter for the band. This will be the name they will rap (hopefully not rap in the literal sense) around their whole group existence, and dare I say it, make a name for themselves. So no pressure.
Who are they?
I asked Keys and Programming wiz, Dave Hilborne that very question. They formed purely by chance in an internet gaming chat room. Initially these musicians started talking (over three continents) and they haven’t looked back since! “Collaborations are achieved via file sharing. No member has any real idea what the other will bring to a particular project. This makes the writing process incredibly exciting and the dynamic of songs are shifting constantly!
We are :
Dave Hilborne – Keys/Vox/Programming (I started writing music in 1987 after I got my first acoustic guitar. Songs flowed fairly easily for me, but I soon found I was better suited to the piano. Over the years I recorded and gigged, gradually developing my own style. I formed a few bands and even managed to release a vinyl single at one point. My most ambitious project was an opera based on the short story ‘Masque of the Red Death’ by Poe. I love musical challenges, so a high point for me was performing a solo 14 minute song I wrote called ‘Box Man.’ In 2017 I was fortunate to meet Dave Fick and Alessio Proietti. We clicked as musicians and arguably more importantly as people. I look forward to our future projects together).
Alessio Proietti – Guitars/Vox(I learned to play the guitar at the age of 14, in 2004 I decided to form my first band called Raccoon Balls (Punk/Rock/Alternative). We did many gigs around Italy for about 6 years then we released an album. In the past years I have had many projects and collaborations. Recently I got involved in this brand new Alternative/Ambient/Progressive. We come from different backgrounds of music, but we have so many ideas to bring to the table as shown on our first single ‘Continuum’).
Dave Fick – Bass (Born July 30th 1980. I got my first Bass Christmas of 1993. I was 13. I’ve played in many different bands with many different genres of music. We got hooked up through a mutual friend, Lord Rage, and are doing something quite different from what I’m used to. I love a good challenge and we hope to bring you some great tunes).
Recently we were delighted to welcome Charlie Bramald Flute/Vox to our project.
We are an Ambient/Progressive Rock band taking their cues from many different influences. Our aim is to constantly surprise and to challenge, whilst staying melodic and above all memorable. The aim of the band is to produce what we like to call “Immediate Prog” This is possibly one of the trickiest things to get right in Progressive Rock, but we are always up for a challenge! Atmosphere and melody are two guiding principles that we have in the band. If there’s a future goal,then right now its to produce a full album and then? Well who knows. Prog is forever shifting and so are we!”
So this contest of sorts starts right now.
It really is in the hands of those who decide to put forward their original recommendations to giving this band a name. This is exclusive only to Facebook page members on PROG MAGAZINE READERS (see link to join below). Sometimes you can come up with more than one good name so members will have up to five of their nominations allowed. Just look for the post “NAME THAT PROG BAND!” and add your choices.
The contest starts today and will run two weeks where upon the band will select ten of their favourites for the final selection to choose one which will announce the following week. The band has indicated they will
There’s even an incentive provided by the band.
An exclusive signed copy of the CD, including work in progress demo’s of the tracks. A personal thank you written by each member of the band. Access to the band’s private chat server. Plus a video call with one or more band members.
I would also add there is also on offer “bragging rights” to actually giving a band its name. How often does that opportunity come about?
So in a nutshell you can enter this challenge by joining the Prog Magazine Reader page and find the thread NAME THAT PROG BAND and send through up to five posts with one original name you came up with for the chance of give the band a name. Good luck!
“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.” PATRICK ROTHFUSS
This video shows the world premiere live performance of the penultimate track from Schooltree’s superb rock opera Heterotopia. This happened on March 31, 2017 at the OBERON in Cambridge, MA.
Big Big Train is awesome. Earlier today, the band announced they are giving away a compilation of all their London-related songs, appropriately titled “London Song.” Just click the “Buy Digital Album” button on the page linked below, enter 0.00 into the box, and enter your email. Click the link in the email they send you, and enjoy the free download by following the on-screen instructions.
Armageddon
Progarchy 