American genius. Susie looks like she’s having a blast.
Charity Auction: Drumhead from Neil’s First Kit at $1,026
The bidding on one of Neil’s original Slingerland 12″ concert tom drumheads has surpassed $1,000 with three days remaining in a charity auction.
DrumsforCures is using the auction to raise money for people with cancer and their support network. The organization hosts Drumstrong events, which are rhythm and arts festivals that raise money for cancer education, research, and survivorship help.
Neil played the Slingerland in his early years with Rush and the drumhead was part of that set. “Up for auction [is] a very rare historical piece of music memorabilia for any Rush fan or collector,” the auction description says. “An original 12” concert tom drum head that was mounted on Neil Peart’s first drum kit with Rush (1974 chrome Slingerland). This head was used during “All the World’s a Stage” tour and was later signed by Neil Peart himself on 9/26/2010. A Certificate of Authenticity will also be provided.”
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Anathema – Distant Satellites (2014)
Artist: Anathema
Album: Distant Satellites
Year: 2014
Label: Kscope Records
Review: Diego Camargo
Thoughts:
Anathema, Nosound, Steven Wilson, Frequency Drift and thousand of other bands from Kscope has a sound that for me… doesn’t work.
They have everything but Rock on their music, they have Ambient, Post Rock, Alternative Rock, Indie Pop, Electronic…. but not Prog ROCK.
I tried several Anathema albums, including the ‘everybody’s love’ last album Weather Systems (2012). I told myself that this music wasn’t for me and that I wouldn’t listen to it again, but what can I say, I’m a hopeful guy, so I gave it a try on their new album Distant Satellites (2014).
For the fans, that mainly are not Prog fans but Post- Prog-Kscope fans, it’ll hit the nail, right on the head. It’s Pop but full of ‘somber-teenager-dark-angst-don’t-know- where-I’m-going’ kind of music. But this time without excitement. I admit that even if…
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Don’t Overlook Airbag
One of the best and most interesting Englishmen I’ve never actually met in person, Richard Thresh, recommended I check out a Norwegian band, Airbag, about two summers ago. Richard’s views and recommendations are almost always (in fact, I can’t think of one with which I’ve disagreed) spot on. He cautioned me that a lot of prog folk in the U.K. have dismissed them as warmed-over Pink Floyd, but that I should still listen to them anyway.
I did. But, appearances first.
Their first album cover—the best in my opinion—could be the sequel to Talk Talk’s The Party’s Over. This has James Marsh written (illustrated!) all over it. A single bulbous blue eye cries a teardrop of blood. It is equally disturbing and artistically enticing.
Before even talking indepth about the music, let me add up a couple of things. A recommendation from Richard Thresh, a band from Norway, and a cover painting inspired by James Marsh. Three for three.
What about the music? Yes, they wear their Pink Floyd (mostly Gilmour) influences rather dramatically on their psychedelic sleeves. In fact, they do so really loudly. And, the cover of their most recent album, Greatest Show on Earth, has a very 1980s Floydish look. The guitarwork could be done by a student of Gilmour’s, and the organist possesses a rather Wrightish touch.
Comparing them to Floyd, though, isn’t enough. Not surprisingly, especially given the artwork of the first album, a rather strong air of Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene hangs over all in a thick entangled and shifting haze as well.
Some reviewers also have heard some A-ha in Airbag. Granted, each band begins with an A, and each is from Norway. Otherwise, I hear no similarities at all between the two. This, though, is quite possibly a limitation on my part, as I own all of Airbag’s music, while I’ve listened to only two of A-ha’s albums—each years ago.
Whatever influences these guy wear openly, they are their own band. The musicianship of Airbag is simply outstanding. For proof of this, listen to their two-track live album, Live in Oslo (2008). Holy smokes, this is great stuff. Though only 24 minutes long, Live in Oslo ranks, at least in my mind, as a live recording up there with Rush’s Exit Stage Left and Anathema’s Universal. These guys can really, really, really (I could keep going here) play.
It was listening to this short live album that convinced me of their excellence. The two songs sound almost conducted in the sense that Bruno Walter conducts the Viennese Philharmonic.
A point about the lyrics. I know absolutely nothing in any personal way about the musicians in Airbag. If they vote socialist or if they worship Freya—I have no idea.
But, I really (yes, multiply this word several times) like their lyrics. The lyrics are more Hollis than Floyd. And, that’s a good thing, as they reach a very poetic level. One could easily listen to the vocals merely as another instrument in the Airbag’s music–the singer is this good to be a standalone instrument—but one should really attempt to bring the lyrics and their meaning into he music. As just mentioned, they reach poetic levels, but they also deal very interestingly with what might be called, apolitically, libertarian themes. Meaning, they lyrics explore very nicely and intelligently the role of community, individuality, rights, artistry, creativity, and conformity.
My final word in this post. Don’t let the comparisons to Pink Floyd throw you off. Yes, the band is rather proudly and openly Floydian, but in terms of skill, musicianship, harmony, purpose, and lyricism, they reach toward great heights.
When your monthly budget allows you to purchase that next cd and you’re in the mood to try out a new band, don’t overlook these guys.
I almost did, but Richard Thresh prevented me from making this mistake. Start with the two-song live album. If you like it, purchase any or all of their three studio albums: Identity; All Rights Removed; and/or The Greatest Show on Earth. You won’t regret it. In fact, you might even need to send a thank you note to Richard.
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Receive Honorary Doctorates
From Detroit’s Classic Rock station, WCSX:
Foggy skies may have stood in the way of Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson from receiving their honorary doctorates from Nipissing University yesterday (June 12th) in person, but it didn’t stop them from recording very insightful speeches for the graduating class.
Embedded below, Lee and Lifeson’s speeches reflect on their past experiences, both personal and as bandmates, and drove home to the graduates the value of hard work and perseverance.
Clocking in together at just over five minutes, their speeches are short and straight to the point but pack a heartfelt punch. If anyone in your family is set to graduate soon (or just needs a boost of inspiration), you’ll want to pass these videos on.
Enjoy: https://progarchy.com/2014/06/12/dr-geddy-lee-the-university-of-rush-studies/
BillyNews: A Tribute to The Doors
Superstars Of Classic Rock Honor The Music & Legacy Of The Doors Feat. Members of Deep Purple, Foreigner, Yes, Rainbow, Mountain, Moody Blues, ELP and Others!
Featuring Todd Rundgren, Ian Gillan, Edgar Winter, Steve Morse, David Johansen, Larry Coryell, Mark Farner, Patrick Moraz, Mick Box, Keith Emerson, Lou Gramm, Leslie West, Thijs Van Leer, Steve Cropper, Rick Wakeman, Roye Albrighton, Nik Turner, Billy Sherwood, Steve Hillage, Zoot Horn Rollo and Others!
Los Angeles, CA – A star-studded syndicate of rock virtuosos have gathered together to pay tribute to one of the best loved and most influential bands of all-time, The Doors, on a new CD release titled Light My Fire – A Classic Rock Salute To The Doors to be released by Purple Pyramid Records on June 24th! Produced by the extraordinarily talented Billy Sherwood, the album features brand new interpretations of classic Doors cuts that defined an entire generation, songs such as “Light My Fire,” “Riders On The Storm,” “Break On Through (To The Other Side),” “Love Her Madly,” “L.A. Woman,” “People Are Strange,” and lots more!
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear some of The Doors’ peers and prodigies tackle these seminal songs. Not one but TWO members of the quintessential prog rock band Yes, keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman and lead guitarist Steve Howe, joined Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan on the signature song, “Light My Fire,” which as Wakeman explains, “has always been one of those iconic tracks that keyboard players listen to because of the fact that there are so few tracks with keyboard/organ solos on them compared to our six-stringed buddies. It’s also a solo area that is totally open to interpretation so whatever you do is not comparable to the original, so it was an absolute joy to do.” Howe likewise enthuses, “I was delighted to play on this album as The Doors were a band I heard a lot as everywhere I went in the late ‘60s their music was playing, at friend’s, in restaurants, gigs & bars throughout London. I’m sure I saw them play at Middle Earth, a then hip club. Then, when the reissue more recently came out, I got totally back into their music, especially ‘Light My Fire.’”
Another keyboard legend, Geoff Downes, likewise extolled the genius of Doors’ organist Ray Manzarek saying, “It was a real privilege to be asked to participate in this project. Ray Manzarek was one of the pioneers of keyboard playing in rock music, and had a major influence on me and many others. His style was totally unique, and an integral element into what made The Doors sound the way they did.”
Meanwhile, renegade guitarist Steve Morse, of Dixie Dregs fame, recollects that The Doors were “a soundtrack, literally, for some of the most memorable times, good and bad, that I experienced as a young teen. Like many of my favorites, they were adventurous, improvising, unafraid of what the media might say, and all with a sort of lyrical freedom that still stands up today.” The Cars’ lead axeman Elliot Easton proclaims, “I had a wonderful time reinterpreting ‘Spanish Caravan,’” a song Easton found both “challenging and very rewarding!” And jazz fusion Larry Coryell concludes, “The Doors were the unofficial representatives to the world for LA, not ‘Los Angeles,’ but ‘LA.’ Their sound – raunchy, cluttered, sassy, leering, kind of mean, and always horny was the sound of LA/Los Angeles itself. How many times circa ‘65-66 did my first wife Julie and I drive through LA on the freeway listening to, say, ‘Love Me Two Times,’ and think that The Doors were the sound of LA just as clearly as Thelonious Monk was the sound of NYC.”
That sound continues to reverberate outward through both space and time, touching each new generation around the globe and keeping The Doors’ flame burning brighter than ever! Producer Billy Sherwood sums it up when he declares, “The Doors’ music will live on forever, and it’s my hope that we’ve paid tribute to the band in the highest way possible.”
1. L.A. Woman – Jimi Jamison (Survivor), Ted Turner (Wishbone Ash) & Patrick Moraz (Moody Blues)
2. Love Me Two Times – Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Thijs van Leer (Focus) & Larry Coryell
3. Roadhouse Blues – Leslie West (Mountain), Brian Auger & Rod Piazza
4. Love Her Madly – Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) & Mick Box (Uriah Heep)
5. Riders On The Storm – Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), Tony Kaye (Yes) & Steve Cropper (Booker T. & The M.G.’s)
6. The Crystal Ship – Edgar Winter & Chris Spedding
7. Intro (People Are Strange) – Keith Emerson, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter & Joel Druckman (John Fahey)
8. People Are Strange – David Johansen (NY Dolls) & Billy Sherwood (Yes)
9. Touch Me – Robert Gordon, Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Steve Morse & Nik Turner (Hawkwind)
10. The Soft Parade – Graham Bonnet (Rainbow), Christopher North (Ambrosia) & Steve Hillage (Gong)
11. Hello, I Love You – Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep) & Roye Albrighton (Nektar)
12. Spanish Caravan – Eric Martin (Mr. Big) & Elliot Easton (The Cars)
13. Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) – Todd Rundgren & Geoff Downes (Yes / Asia) & Zoot Horn Rollo (Captain Beefheart)
14. Break On Through (To The Other Side) – Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad) & Chick Churchill (Ten Years After)
15. Light My Fire – Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), Rick Wakeman (Yes) & Steve Howe (Yes)
16. The End – Pat Travers & Jimmy Greenspoon (Three Dog Night)
To pre-order the CD at Amazon: http://georiot.co/216h
To pre-order the album on iTunes: http://georiot.co/Wns
Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
Playing the History
About a year ago an album was released of re-workings of a number prog standards called ‘Playing The History’. It was principally the work of Marco Lo Musico, an Italian organist and composer, Carlo Matteucci of Dancing Knights, an Italian Genesis tribute band, and John Hackett. In the liner notes to the CD of the project, the three artists say that ‘the core of our idea is to give a place of honour to progressive rock music on the same level as the works of the great classical composers’, and in order to achieve this they have produced fresh instrumental interpretations, without vocals or drums, of a number of progressive pieces.
The arrangements are based around flute, bass guitar and organ or piano, with the addition (on the CD) of further guitars from Giorgio Gabriel (The Watch) & Steve Hackett and saxophone from David Jackson (VdGG), and feature works by ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, Van der Graaf Generator, Pink Floyd, Anthony Phillips, Rick Wakeman & Steve Hackett, as well as original material by John & Marco. The sound is lyrical and haunting in places: Marco’s arrangement of Steve Hackett’s ‘Horizons for piano and flute particularly stands out, as does the re-working of King Crimson’s ‘I Talk to the Wind’, and one of the new pieces – ‘Bilbo’s Dream’ (come on, it wouldn’t be real prog without some Tolkien references!) is, I hope, destined to become a classic. (Check out the link below) Indeed, John Hackett writes in the liner notes: “With Bilbo’s Dream Marco Lo Muscio has written a masterpiece – it deserves to be heard in concert halls throughout the world alongside the few really good pieces for solo flute such as the JS & CPE Bach A minor sonatas and Debussey’s Syrinx.”
http://youtu.be/UIKzDm4PTro?t=34s
I beleive this is a highly commendable piece of work, and one that shows the durability and timelessness of many of the classics of progressive rock. The album is available from www.hacktrax.co.uk
Believe Again — Pre-order Yes’s new album and get an instant download of the first track
It’s official (and no longer unofficial). You can listen to an excerpt of some new Yes online. A pre-order will get you a full download.
Review: Little Sparrow – ‘Wishing Tree’ (2014)
Something new, yet something familiar…
It’s a given that many progressive rock fans grew up on a diet of the beautiful, quirky songs of Kate Bush through the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, many of whom will have probably paid out massively to see her on her upcoming tour in the UK, such is the lasting love for her unique, beautiful sound.
If you are a fan of that sound or indeed that of other singers such as Tori Amos then there is a strong likelihood you will find something exciting and new, yet familiar and classic about ‘Little Sparrow‘.
Hailing from London originally and now Manchester, UK, Little Sparrow, aka Katie Ware, has been slowing but surely burning a slow course to stardom with her own delicate, acoustic style which reflects some influence and character from the likes of Bush and Amos but also some of the sound of the lesser known ‘All About Eve‘ from the late 90’s.
Little Sparrow represents her own acoustic folk styling that may at first glance appear to be one singer in a well subscribed genre, there are many bars and clubs around the world with talented female singers all armed with a Dreadnought and a Capo. But it’s worth taking the time to hear the ones that stand out from the rest and Ware is a great example of that.
Her debut release, ‘Wishing Tree’ comes on a wave of growing appreciation for her infectious songs and captivating presence and the recognition from the national press and beyond has started to propel her towards the kind of success she deserves.
Mixing emotional charge and thought provoking themes, Ware impresses with her lyrical subtlety and her cleverness. Frequently there is a delicious ambiguity to her songs, ‘Sending a message’ is a wonderfully moving piece that stands as a song of deep yearning love and also a question about modern communication and the loss to us that it brings in our everyday lives. Musically there is a simplicity to the songs’ design which helps deliver the honesty in the pieces. Without clutter the potency is truly realised and this also allows for Ware’s impressive voice to shine brightly.
Songs like ‘Polly’, ‘The Hunted’ and ‘Wishing Tree’ are all delivered with the same charm and excellence. ‘Polly’ particularly shines with its pulsing beat and vocal layering and is a contender for the strongest track on the album. Without doubt, after hearing it, the pull to hear more takes over and leaves one wondering why an artist of this calibre is still an unknown.
On the strength of this debut, there is a clear case for success and acclaim. For those fans already listening to Little Sparrow, they are surely practicing their “I told you so” responses.
Little Sparrow – Wishing Tree (2014) UK
Tracks
1.Polly 04:13
2.By My Side 05:09
3.The Flame 04:31
4.Wishing Tree 02:57
5.Sending The Message 04:34
6.Struck Gold 04:14
7.I Found A Way 03:07
8.The Hunted (A Bears Tale) 04:56
9.Heart 04:38
10.The Swallow Flies 03:03
Links
Listen to the album for free at:
http://uklittlesparrow.bandcamp.com/
Little Sparrow Homepage:
Progarchy 