From the master, himself–
…And here is the front cover for our forthcoming new ‘Quiet Storms’ album.
🙂
A wonderful photo of Horton Tower in the snow taken by renowned photographer Roger Holman in 1960s. Already familiar to many of my dear friends, we just thought it would make a great album cover and is totally in keeping with the atmosphere and vibe of this new album.
Inner artwork, courtesy of the rather lovely Paul Tippett, and other details will be revealed soon.–Stu Nicholson
Jazz is definitely one of these genres that were always there in the modern music and that will be played until the end of the world, therefore challenging it and creating something original might seem an overwhelming task for artists. However, jazz is also the most flexible type of music, in which there will never be a final word said – it’s like a book written by thousands of writers with another thousands waiting for their time to contribute. One of these writers is Psychic Equalizer, a project by pianist Hugo Selles who gathered a team of musicians around himself, and who recently added a new chapter to the book. It’s called “The Lonely Traveller”.
Continue reading “Review: Psychic Equalizer – The Lonely Traveller”
The Mute Gods, Tardigrades Will Inherit the Earth (InsideOut, 2017)
Tracks: Saltatio Mortis (1:57), Animal Army (5:00), We Can’t Carry On (5:11), The Dumbing of the Stupid (7:08), Early Warning (3:57), Tardigrades Will Inherit the Earth (5:02), Window Onto the Sun (6:00), Lament (2:01), The Singing Fish of Batticaloa (8:25), The Andromeda Strain (2:57), Stranger than Fiction (4:23)
I’m going to catch hell for that title. I really don’t want to get political, but it seems that the regressive leftists are taking over this beloved genre we like to call prog. (I am, after all, the one who just last year wrote an article entitled, “Keep Your Politics Out of My Prog.”) Anyways, the first part of this article will be a subjective rant. The second half will be a relatively objective review. Both are neatly titled, in case you want to skip the rant part.
Continue reading “Stupidity Will Inherit the Earth: The Regressive Arrogance of Nick Beggs”
Passenger Kevin Thompson posted these on social media.
So, from checking social media this morning, it seems that some big things happened in England last night for our great friends, the eight members of Big Big Train (nine if you count Rob!).
[First post listed only THREE awards–corrected. FOUR. Apologies for the error.]
This is from David Longdon:
Continue reading “FOUR Major Awards for Big Big Train Last Night”
It’s 1975 and I’m nine years old. I’m lying on my back in Reservoir Park, a small city block of grass and oaks next to the University of Utah. In my head is a song that trips and travels as I run and play with friends. It’s a vision of sound, a strong impression of bright sun and moving clouds, a feeling on my skin, a growing chill in the air. Is it October? The song is a constant rhythm of consciousness and motion, a life in itself but also within me, as if I’m one of its many, many tributaries.
For some things there is no accounting or quantifying: How much beauty? How much devotion? How wide the smile of god?
There are many details about the conditions under which Keith Jarrett performed his concert in Köln in January 1975, from the context of his blossoming solo and collaborative career on the heels of his epic work with Miles Davis, to the third-rate piano he was given on which to perform the show, to the fact he was exhausted and in a significant amount of physical pain for his hour-plus improvisation in front of a sold-out Opera House crowd.
Ultimately none of these details matter. The Köln Concert is a river, and, if there are miracles in my life, it’s that such depths continue to transport me.
soundstreamsunday presents one song or live set by an artist each week, and in theory wants to be an infinite linear mix tape where the songs relate and progress as a whole. For the complete playlist, go here: soundstreamsunday archive and playlist, or check related articles by clicking on”soundstreamsunday” in the tags section above.
A little over twenty years ago, Arjen Anthony Lucassen anonymously released an album named, STRANGE HOBBY. The artist spot on the CD was left as a “?” A love letter to the psychedelic-pop era of music, 1965-1970, STRANGE HOBBY was recorded in Abbey Road studio and contained a total of eighteen covers.
It came out at roughly the same time that his ACTUAL FANTASY did. A totally different style, though, one that allows the perfectionist to let loose.
Nick Beggs recently named his 10 most influential bassists and here are his top three:
3. GEDDY LEE
“Fronting up a band as a bass player and vocalist is a tough gig – one with which I’ve had some experience. Geddy shows how it should be done. In a power trio, every little helps and additional duties on bass pedals, double-neck guitar and synths made for a fulsome sound in his stadium filling band Rush.”
2. JACO PASTORIUS
“Also often cited as the most influential player ever, his approach to Jazz and the fretless instrument was ground breaking. It’s hard to find someone Jaco didn’t influence. The 80s music charts were populated with hits featuring many Jaco clones – and for good reason.”
1. CHRIS SQUIRE
“My biggest musical influence ever. His sound and tone inspired a legion of players. Chris’ own inspirations were Paul McCartney and John Entwistle, two players who probably influenced more than most. But for me, Chris will always be top of the list. Sorely missed.”
Greg Spawton posted this minutes ago:
The new Big Big Train album, Grimspound, will be released on April 28th 2017. Pre-orders of the album are now available at our official stores at Burning Shed (for vinyl and CD’s)
https://www.burningshed.com/store/bigbigtrain/
and the Merch Desk (for merchandise and CD’s)
Pre-orders of hi-resolution downloads are available at Bandcamp
https://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/
All LP versions feature double, 180g vinyl with a gatefold cover and 4 page booklet featuring lyrics and the stories behind the songs. A complimentary code for a high-resolution download version of the album is provided with each vinyl order. There is a limited edition clear vinyl version alongside the standard black vinyl version and orders of this limited edition version will include a postcard signed by all band members.
The CD version comes in a gloss laminated softpack and features a 24 page booklet with lyrics and the stories behind the songs.
The hi-res download version includes a PDF of the CD booklet.
A limited edition blue vinyl version of the Folklore is also available at Burning Shed (orders will be shipped with a complimentary hi-resolution download code).
Big Big Train are playing three shows at Cadogan Hall, London, in the autumn. The first two shows are sold out and only a few tickets remain for the third show (a Sunday matinee performance.) http://www.cadoganhall.com/event/big-big-train-2016/
Progarchy 