Just out of the mailbox–a beautifully packaged prog album from ECHO US. Eager to dive into this one.
A World Of Knives
Eclectic prog funsters Knifeworld will be performing as part of Ginger Wildheart’s Halloween Hootenanny at the Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton, England, on Saturday 28th October.
Get your tickets here.
They’ll also be at London’s Lexington on Saturday January 20th 2018. In their own words…
A full-band Knifeworld acoustic show followed by an epic electric set. Both performances will feature long since played tunes and surprises.
Ooh!
Get your tickets here!
Once that’s all done and dusted the busy bees will be off over the pond to get on a boat or a ship or something floaty on February 3rd 2018.
As the Cadogan Crow flies..
It’s a Saturday afternoon in late September and we’re heading to London by train on the second leg of an epic journey that has been gathering speed for several years. The destination tonight is located within the traditional haunt of the once fêted Sloane Rangers, the well-heeled, young members of the Chelsea and Kensington jet set. But tonight, Sloane Square and its environs are the temporary haunts of another social group, better known as Passengers or, for two nights and one afternoon only, the Cadogan Crows.
The Passengers, sorry Crows, have flocked here from every corner of the globe, the furthest travellers coming from Australia and America, with a sizeable contingent winging its way from Europe – Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Italy among the represented nations.
It’s not a global sporting occasion which has set their compasses and sat-navs to SW1 but the re-emergence on the live stage of one of the UK’s best known unknown bands, Big Big Train.
Since they graced the stage of Kings Place, London, in August 2015, the anticipation of more Big Big Train live dates has frequently reached fever pitch. However, the fans have had to make do with a double live album recorded at those London concerts plus three new studio albums that have significantly moved on the stories they are renowned for telling. Instead of the verdant beauty of Upton Heath, the ethereal loveliness of Curator of Butterflies and tales from the coalface in Worked Out, there have been freshly mined tales to explore.
Talisman
The talisman for these new tales is a crow, which, by custom, is a bird of omen and by a happy co-incidence, often enjoys the collective name of “a storytelling”. The flight starts with Folklore, released last year, which was joined this year by its companion piece Grimspound, the eponymous name of the crow, and finally by The Second Brightest Star, which acts as the coda to this particular musical chapter.
Also, maybe by design or perhaps another happy co-incidence, the Cadogan Hall, the venue which Big Big Train has chosen for this particular leg of the live journey, is just a short crow’s flight from the River Thames, which features so prominently on the recently released London Song EP.
The imposing Byzantine Revival-style hall has an interesting history, having originally been built as a Christian Science church, hence its impressive stained glass windows. It nearly became the palatial home of former Harrods owner, Mohamed Fayed, until Cadogan Estates Ltd bought the building and turned it into a concert hall. In fact, its prog credentials include Marillion’s Live From Cadogan Hall DVD, which was recorded here in 2010.
As the hour approaches, there’s a sizeable crowd assembling outside in the intermittent drizzle. It’s one of those moments when you realise that around 75% of the fans there probably know each other personally or have spoken at some juncture on Facebook. At one point, I look up to see a Facebook friend, previously unmet, who regularly thrashes me at online Scrabble!
Handshakes, hugs, selfies – the sight of so many people of a certain age, some meeting for the very first time but conversing like old friends, is a significant part of what this evening is all about – and all united by one band. If any adjudicator for the Nobel Peace Prize is in the vicinity of SW1 this evening, they may find some worthy contenders for bringing together people in the spirit of peace, love and understanding.
The hall’s expansive foyer is soon consumed by the swelling tide of concert-goers, many of whom are immediately drawn to the expansive merch desk running along almost one side of it.
Mementos
The desk is in overdrive for most of the evening as thoughtfully-crafted mementos and souvenirs literally fly off the table. Umbrellas, car air fresheners in the shape of the last two albums, aprons, mugs, concert tee-shirts and of course, the ever growing collection of albums, available on CD and vinyl, all find new owners. My own personal choice is an exquisite hand-painted pendant depicting the cover of The Second Brightest Star. Alas, the pendants have all been snapped up within an hour on the Friday night. Continue reading “As the Cadogan Crow flies..”
Album Review: Dave Kerzner, Static
Dave Kerzner is back! Static is his second full-length solo album. New World established his prog bona fides, with its sprawling sci-fi concept album deployment of Pink Floyd-esque music. On Static, Dave again deploys his uncanny ability to sound like David Gilmour, and there are even moments when he sounds like Roger Waters shrieking away.
But even though it’s easy to imagine if Pink Floyd were still making great albums today they would sound exactly like this, the amazing thing is that Dave is not a copycat. Although he has mastered vintage sounds — not just our favorite vocal stylings, but also the coolest keyboard sounds you will ever hear — he is not a purveyor of prog nostalgia.
The most remarkable thing about Kerzner’s impressive new album, Static, is Dave’s songwriting abilities. He has every detail perfected: melody, harmony, orchestration, developmental dynamics, and emotional impact. His excellent songs are truly a cut above the competition and they unmistakably show how true musical talent, shaped by all the best musical influences, can be put in the service of stunning original compositions. Above all, the song is the thing of note here.
Every track is outstanding, although the album really should be considered to be a ten-track opus. “Prelude” is nothing but a wispy introduction to the magnificent album-opening progfest, “Hypocrites,” which introduces a theme that will return at the end of the disc on the epic 16:52 finale, “The Carnival of Modern Life.” And “Quiet Storm” blends nicely into the rip-roaring “Dirty Soap Box,” where Steve Hackett and Nick D’Virgilio show up to set things ablaze. I also think that “Right Back to the Start” and “Statistic” are brief enough that they may be taken as two preludes joined to set up the superfunky “Millennium Man.” But however you do the math, whether ten or fourteen, the result is the same: the album is perfect prog pleasure, with incredible variety and richness.
Dave’s quieter piano ballads (like “Static” or “Trust”) best display the subtle charms of his sophisticated songwriting skills. And they don’t really deserve to be called “piano ballads,” because they never stay still in one genre for long, but rather slowly soar into another musical dimension. So much surprise and delight is offered by this album, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Trust me, you have many, many hours of listening pleasure ahead.
It’s hard to pick any track as a favorite, because they are all so good. But early loves of mine (in addition to the epic bookends of the album opener and closer) include “Reckless,” which has a jaw-dropping instrumental section that sounds like 1980s King Crimson, and “Chain Reaction,” which sounds to my ears like 100% Fun-era Matthew Sweet.
Dave Kerzner, Static
Progarchist Rating: A+ 10/10 ★★★★★
Dave Kerzner – Lead & Backing Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar, Drums, Bass
Fernando Perdomo – Guitar, Bass, Drums, Backing Vocals
Derek Cintron – Drums
Randy McStine – Guitar & FX
Durga McBroom – Vocals
Lorelei McBroom – Vocals
Ruti Celli – Cello
Steve Hackett – Guitar on “Dirty Soap Box”
Nick D’Virgilio – Drums on “Dirty Soap Box”
Matt Dorsey – Bass on “Reckless”
Colin Edwin – Bass on “Static”
Ewa Karolina Lewowska – Vocals on “Static”
Alex Cromarty – Drums on “Chain Reaction”
Stuart Fletcher – Bass on “Chain Reaction”
Chris Johnson – Guitar on “Chain Reaction”
Produced by Dave Kerzner
Mixed by Dave Kerzner and Rob Aubrey
Mastered by Dave Kerzner
CD Cover and Booklet Artwork by Ed Unitsky
Artwork Concept by Dave Kerzner and Ed Unitsky
Graphic Design and Layout by Ed Unitsky
Nikki Stringfield, “Save Our Souls” @nikki_shreds
Nikki has released her second single of 2017. “Save Our Souls” can now be bought online from iTunes and Amazon. It is also available for viewing in its video version below. Rock on, Nikki!
Big Big Train in the London Times
Oh, wow. Just, wow. Congratulations to one of the best band’s in the world for making it into the second best paper in the English-speaking world!
Very proud of these folks!
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/pop-review-big-big-train-at-cadogan-hall-sw1-ccdf3hffb
The Train now arriving…
Two years ago I was privileged to attend the first two nights of Big Big Train’s live shows at King’s Place, London, and a delight they were, as anyone can witness by watching their Blu-ray release of the shows, Stone & Steel. So when they announced last year that they were planning some more shows in the capital, in a larger venue, I snapped up tickets as soon as possible for the opening night (well, actually my son snapped up the tickets, as I was in the US when they went on sale!).
Since the announcement of the concerts the band have not been idle, releasing ‘Folklore‘, ‘Grimspound‘ and (much to the delight of their growing band of supporters – the ‘Passengers’) the surprise Summer Solstice-released album ‘The Second Brightest Star‘, and the epic conglomeration of ‘London Song‘. This gave them much new material to bring to the live arena, as well as their extensive back catalogue.
I wrote my reflections on the 2015 concerts at the time, and one thing that struck me about that occasion, as well as this year’s events, is that these were so much more than just a series of concerts by a rock band. These were a gathering of family, from the four corners of the world, united by a common love of each other and of exceptional music, played with skill and passion.
My son and I travelled from the Midlands to London by train on the morning of Friday 29th September, and made our way, via Marylebone Road, Baker Street, Oxford Street and Hyde Park, to Kensington, where we met with around 50 other Passengers for curry. The camaraderie was amazing, as old friends were reacquainted, virtual friends became real, and new relationships were sparked. From there, suitably replete, we then proceeded to overwhelm The Antelope, a hostelry local to the gig venue, before leaving for Cadogan Hall and the principal reason for our gathering. Merch was purchased from the ever-obliging Nellie Pitts and her Merch Desk crew, and then we took our seats, ready for the show.
The anticipation was tangible as the lights faded, and Rachel Hall took the stage alone to begin the overture to the opening number, ‘Folklore‘, being gradually joined by the brass section and the other members of the band: Andy, Danny, Nick, Rikard, Dave, Greg and finally David. The set continued with mostly material from the recent albums, but with the delightful inclusion of a track from 2009’s ‘The Underfall Yard‘, ‘Last Train‘. Accompanying the songs were images on the screen behind the band which enhanced the total experience wonderfully. The first half set was: Folklore, Brave Captain, Last Train, London Plane, Meadowlands & A Mead Hall in Winter.
Sadly, for those of us at the Friday concert, there were a number of issues with the sound, particularly for those of us in the gallery, which did mar the experience a little, but these were addressed during the break, and things were better in the second half. The interval was further enlivened by the sighting of none other than Tony Banks in the gallery!
The second half drew more on the band’s older material as well as the newer stuff, with four songs that had been played at King’s Place making the set list again. The full second half set was: Experimental Gentlemen, Swan Hunter, Judas Unrepentant, Transit of Venus…, East Coast Racer, Telling the Bees and Victorian Brickwork, with an encore of a drum solo from Nick d’Virgilio later enhanced by the brass section, and a final show-stopping rendition of Wassail. A truly moving, ecstatic experience for all who were there, I think.
For many the night was not over, as the band then mingled with Passengers to chat, sign programmes, and pose for selfies. Sadly I had to leave to catch the Last Train (!) home. For many, too, the weekend was not over, and reports of the two further concerts, on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, testify to the sound issues having been resolved and to the band relaxing into their task a little more, to astounding effect. I’m only sorry that I wasn’t able to be there for the further shows, but a DVD/ Blu-ray is, I believe, on the cards, for which I rejoice!
The members of this band have managed to create not just heart-wrenching, soul-stirring and joy-bringing music of the highest quality, in both the studio and live settings, but also, around that music, a global community of like-minded people that I have rarely seen anywhere else. It was a pleasure to meet up with some of them last Friday in person, and to continue that relationship virtually. This is music, and community, that needs to travel the world: here’s hoping that it will continue to do so!
(There are no photos, as we were requested not to take them)
Brave Murder Day
Mikael Åkerfeldt did this one album with Katatonia – ‘Brave Murder Day’, and his influence here is quite conspicuous. Within their whole catalog, this record is unique for its absolutely depressive death/doom imprint. Meandering riffs with dry shallow growls, layered atop melancholic leads — consequence is this splendidly agonizing atmosphere. Åkerfeldt’s discernible growls – “I know your smile is deadly at this point. Wherever you are, I am not” – crafts an equally uncommon emotional depth.
With occasional thick down-tuned riffs, the record also exhibits those murky funereal doom like contours. Åkerfeldt’s vocals – “I saw it end long before it ended, Life itself turned pale and ended” – hammers in that very Scandinavian grimness. The song does run into markedly heavy drums, eventually fading off towards that very pale ending. Dragged out growls with guitar strumming does illustrate how vocals can be akin to an instrument in extreme metal.
“Endtime” finally brings this death/doom torment towards a sober, but still forceful, ending – “Pierced by the darkness. They called it death. And surrounded me with sleep”. Undoubtedly, that unusually inhuman vocal shriek is more commonly found in the genres shaped by Norwegians. The record fades away, but Åkerfeldt’s dank vocal gnarls might just leave a lasting impression.
Image Attribution:
By MrPanyGoff (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Concert Review: Carl Palmer and ELP’s Legacy
Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy, live at the Park Theatre, Holland, Michigan, September 30, 2017.
by Rick Krueger
What does it feel like to be the last man standing? Other than a few heartfelt but brief words between pieces, Carl Palmer didn’t say much about his late bandmates Keith Emerson and Greg Lake last night. Instead, he let the music do the talking, digging deeper into the unique way he’s presented the work of ELP for the last 15 years, revealing just how audacious this repertoire really is.
Palmer, guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and bass/Stick player Simon Fitzpatrick crammed the stage of this tiny 130-year-old theater, knocking back the 200-strong audience with their opening take on Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown.” All the strong points of ELP’s barnstorming arrangement were note-perfect — the wailing synth glides, the driven organ flourishes, the burbling low-end work, the tongue-in-cheek folk-tune quotes — stylishly reshaped into fretboard fireworks, delightedly sailing over Palmer’s busy, irresistible drive. Given that neoclassical shredmeisters like Yngwie Malmsteen acknowledged their debt to Emerson & Palmer’s virtuosity back in the 1980s, the approach makes an odd kind of sense — defiantly different than expectations, but coming from an intriguing angle that made for some cool surprises.
The biggest surprise was how adaptable so much of the ELP catalog turned out to be. Focusing on music from the debut album, Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery, along with tributes to Emerson’s work in the Nice and Lake’s contribution to King Crimson, the first set ran a broad gamut of moods. It certainly helped to have players of Bielatowicz & Fitzpatrick’s caliber — for example, as the guitarist took the lyrical piano licks of “Trilogy’s” opening, the bassist “sang” Lake’s vocal lines on his high strings with precision and passion. “Jerusalem” flipped their roles, Bielatowicz grabbing the vocal and organ parts, Fitzpatrick simultaneously laying down bass lines and synthesizer flourishes on his Stick. Each of them also got a chance to shine by themselves: Fitzpatrick duetted with Palmer on a stirring “Take A Pebble;” Bielatowicz closed the first half with a meditative solo version of Debussy’s “Clair de lune.” Palmer matched the mood throughout, always attentive and focused whether banging out intense grooves or making his cymbals sing.
For the second half Palmer & company wheeled out the big guns: the full-length ELP arrangement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, with the trio obviously fired up by the stop and start rhythms of “Promenade” and “The Gnome,” the muted menace of “The Sage” (illustrated by video screen photos of Rasputin?), the rollercoaster moods of “The Old Castle/Blues Variation” (complete with Bill Evans/Jim Hall quotes) & “The Hut/Curse of Baba Yaga,” and the grandeur of “The Great Gate of Kiev.” “Fanfare for the Common Man” followed, climaxed by Palmer’s exploding into his long-awaited epic-length solo.
At 67, the man is still overwhelming on his instrument, a monster technician and an unstoppable force of nature, moving from brain-melting polyrhythms to playful showmanship on his ride cymbal to giving his twin gongs the whacking of their lives. With Neil Peart and Bill Bruford in retirement, I’d argue there is no more amazing and impressive rock drummer onstage today (though Gavin Harrison is right up there). With a speedy, whimsically crazed encore of “Nutrocker,” Palmer and his sidekicks took their bows, promptly retiring to the merch table for greetings, autographs and fist bumps (pre-concert announcement: “Please do not shake Carl’s hand or give him a high five”). All in all, great value for money, an unmissable chance to see a legend from 50 feet away, and an evening of serious fun.
Setlist:
Hoedown
Peter Gunn
Karn Evil 9, First Impression, Part Two
The Barbarian
Trilogy
America
Knife-Edge
21st Century Schizoid Man
Jerusalem
Take a Pebble (Fitzpatrick/Palmer duet)
Lucky Man
Clair de lune (Bielatowicz solo)
Carmina Burana/Rondo
Pictures at an Exhibition
Fanfare for the Common Man with drum solo
Nutrocker
True Colors
Now this is interesting.
I’d no idea that Flying Colors were unhappy with the final ‘commercial’ mastering of their debut album – yet clearly they were, because they’ve released the raw master as a digital download.
Your $8 buys you a stonking 1GB of stuff, including all the music, in multiple compressed and uncompressed formats, and a 102-page digital booklet that includes new artwork and previously unreleased photos.
Get it now from the band’s Calliopia web store.
Progarchy 
