I’m a music addict. When I buy an album, it’s as much to get that rush of anticipation before I first hear the music as it is to actually listen to it. So, it’s wonderful to discover a new artist whose work more than justifies that initial hope of musical pleasure. Tim Morse is such an artist. His latest album, Faithscience, is an outstanding collection of progressive rock. I had never heard of him, but Faithscience showed up in the Progarchy Dropbox folder, I had a lot of yardwork to do, so I downloaded it onto the trusty iPod.
Four consecutive listens later, I’m still as excited about this guy’s music as I was the first time I discovered Spock’s Beard. (By the way, Tim is not related to Neal Morse.) My initial impression was of a definite Yes influence, and after I did a little research I found I wasn’t too far off-base; Tim is the author of Yesstories, a track-by-track history of that band. However, if you listen to Faithscience with the deliberate attention it deserves, you’ll notice a host of other influences; I hear Ty Tabor (King’s X), Roine Stolt (Flower Kings & Transatlantic), Toy Matinee (featuring the late, great Kevin Gilbert), some 70s Kansas and Genesis, and a lot of classic Todd Rundgren (think “A Wizard A True Star” era). Morse is a multi-instrumentalist who sings and plays keyboards, as well as acoustic & electric guitar.
That’s not to say Mr. Morse is merely an imitator of those influences. They serve as a springboard to create an incredibly beautiful work that is as individual and groundbreaking as any prog classic. On his website, Tim says the initial idea was to produce an album based on the life of Charles Lindbergh. However, the songs soon expanded to embrace a much larger concept. The first two-thirds explore different aspect of journeys, while the final third is about farewells.
The first highlight is “Voyager” which is about Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight. It features some very nice keyboard solos in the vein of classic Pink Floyd and Weather Report(!). Next is “Closer”, which features a beautiful piano motif that reappears throughout the song. At first, it seems to be a standard song about getting close to a romantic partner, but it ends up having a spiritual aspect to it. It also features a killer guitar solo (video below). This is followed by a classical guitar interlude accompanied by evening crickets that segues into “Numb”, which is inspired by the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and chronicles the emotional devastation that follows a personal tragedy. It’s an acoustic piece, and it is incredibly moving.
“Myth” is an Orwellian warning about the dangers of an all-powerful state.
It’s an iron fist inside a velvet glove
I despise everything we’ve come to love.
…And it’s no mystery how this myth
Becomes our history.
Let us help you.
Truth shall make you free.
Next up is “Found It”, which features some warm, 80’s-era synths before the guitars come crashing in. It’s about leaving behind old ways of life in the search for salvation. Morse’s collaborator, Mark Dean, lays down the best guitar solos of the album on this track.
In “Rome”, Morse laments the decadence and complacence of our times by comparing them to the end times of the Roman Empire. This might be my favorite track, with the lyrics
The empire is crumbling
Sending castles into the sea.
Opportunity dissolving
Still believing we are free.
“Rome” also features a terrific violin solo by Kansas’ David Ragsdale (video below).
“The Last Wave” is a mostly instrumental track that consists of various riffs and melodies thrown together La Villa Strangiato style. We’ve got jazz vibes and trumpet, metal guitar, prog keys, and some crazy time changes on this one.
Wrapping things up are two tracks that complement each other, “Afterword”, and “The Corners”. The former is a poignant farewell to a soul mate, while the latter is a heartbreaking song about the brevity of life on a beautiful world that few truly appreciate.
Self-produced, Faithscience is a triumph. It is amazing to me that a musician is able to put together an album of this quality without any major label support. Do yourself a favor and support his art by picking up this album now. You won’t be disappointed.
A review of John Galgano, “Real Life is Meeting,” (Doone Records, 2012).
You may not like what I say.
You may not like the way my eyes stay straight.
But I tell the truth.
–John Galgano, “Real Life is Meeting, Pt. 1”
Appearing amidst a whirligig of CDs in that prog annus mirabalis, 2012, John Galgano’s first solo album barely got noticed. And, this is to the great loss of all of us who love beautiful things. For Galgano’s art is of the highest quality, and this CD would be regarded by any sane person as a must-own, prog masterpiece.
From the beginning note to the last word, the CD breathes integrity and a real wholesomeness. It is, clearly, a labor of love. The lyrics, the performances, the packaging. Everything.
Each instrument performs spectacularly. None, though, stand out in terms of quality more than the bass. Indeed, the bass work is nothing less than extraordinary. If there is a failing to this album (and this would be the only one), however, it is that the bass is way too low/quiet in the mix. When I listen to the album, I have to strain to hear the bass–but it’s worth it, as the bass soars in both subtlety and craftsmanship.
But, the highest of the high–that which holds the entire album together–is the combination of the voices of Galgano and Laura Meade. Alone, each is stunning. Galgano has a distinctive voice, and it’s as clear on this solo CD as it is on IZZ albums. He possesses a warm, charismatic, and inviting voice. In part, this is just a gift of nature, but it’s also a result of his integrity. That is, it’s rather clear to any listener that Galgano believes in what he’s singing. But, Galgano is at his best when signing with, around, and next to Meade. Together, they sound like a chorus of the heavenly muses. If these voices are the ones I hear seconds after death, I’ll be confident I’m heading to the right place for eternity.
There are nine tracks, ranging from a minute and a half (bizarrely called “Galgano Bonus Track) to the full-blown epic, “1000.” Common themes–relationships, suffering, depression, redemption–predominate. When Galgano and Meade sing of love, it’s difficult to know if that love is transcendent of earthly. Regardless, it’s good. To be sure, it’s very good.
Nothing Added to nothing
Gives us lots of Nothing
The only thing
The only thing
The only thing
Is Love.
–John Galgano and Laura Meade, “The Only Thing”
Most readers of Progarchy know Galgano as one of the essential parts (and persons–let’s not be too uncouth here!) of the astounding American prog band, IZZ. In recent advertisements and billings, John Galgano solo is presented as “IZZ Lite.” From my listening of/to his excellent solo album, I can’t quite agree with the advertising, but I understand the meaning. Perhaps it might be better to state: Galgano solo is IZZ while the whole band is IZZ completed. Regardless, whether one might call this IZZ or IZZ Lite or IZZ completed, this solo album is an amazing and beautiful piece of art, radiating conviction in every one of its aspects.
Even Galgano’s CD package itself is a thing of beauty. The colors and fonts are tasteful, the image of the front cover, entitled “Cathedral” is quite stunning in a late-1950s Dave Brubeck-artful kind of way. [The title, the inside information reveals, comes from a line in Jewish humanist and existentialist Martin Buber’s, “I and Thou.”] Even the lettering of the lyrics is quite nice. While I love packaging in general, I rarely find anything beyond the actual artwork worth commenting on. Here, though, it’s worth praising. Overall, the packaging, the fonts–everything–is just, well, like the music itself, tasteful. The one thing I don’t get are the three dates subtly in the background: 1945, 1974, 1923. I’m sure these have some kind of meaning, but no explanation is offered.
It would be a crime to all art, all rock, and all prog should this release continue to be barely noticed by the music community. Sadly, I did not know about it until last December when I was playing around a bit at the IZZ website. As soon as I saw it (and the title captivated me, as it has great significance for many of my personal heroes, including T.S. Eliot, C.S. Lewis, and Christopher Dawson), I ordered it. Had I known about it earlier than the last month of the year, I would certainly have included it in my top CD picks of 2012.
I’ve been meaning to write this review for nearly five months now. Finally, here it is.
Order “Real Life is Meeting,” and cherish it. It’s a rare and precious thing, and it deserves every ounce of support we can offer.
For some reason, I’ve always been quite taken with the idea of the “cover,” a great group or artist remaking the old art into something new, profound, and tangible for a new audience.
Unfortunately, the result of the cover is often a mere imitation of the original. This, sadly, does nothing but waste everyone’s time. In this instance, I can’t help but think of Echo and the Bunnymen’s remake of “People are Strange.” It is almost note for note and instrument for instrument the same as the original by the Doors. No matter how great, Echo, they will simply not best a classic by merely imitating. There’s nothing even remotely interesting or unusual in the Echo version. They sound bored, and they probably are. Echo was simply too good to be a glorified cover band.
There are also inferior versions of a once great song that simply had never had a wide audience in the first place. Here, I think specifically of the Bangles remaking A Hazy Shade of Winter. The Simon and Garfunkel version is in every way superior except one. When it was originally released, A Hazy Shade of Winter appeared around a number of other attention-gathering songs off of the album, Bookends. It would’ve been pretty hard to complete with “Mrs. Robinson.” And, A Hazy Shade never became absorbed into American culture the way so many other Simon and Garfunkel songs did. When the Bangles released it in 1987, it climbed to #2 on the American pop charts. Who can forget first hearing that song, realizing the immense disconnect between a barely talented hack corporate band and some of the best lyrics ever written? No, it shouldn’t have succeeded, but it clearly did. Commercially, a success. Artistically, a travesty.
Over the last decade or so, though, a number of excellent songs have been covered by various prog bands. In each case, at least as I see it, the songs covered are–quite the opposite of the Bangles assault on and diminution of a classic–in most respects far better than the originals. Three things help account for this. First, some of this improving, I’m sure, is a product of better technology. Still, we can all think of examples where the newer technology has driven the life out of a song or an album. Technology, in the end, is a tool, neither good nor bad in and of itself but a means to a good or bad end.
Second, in ways that could never be measured, a remake is importantly the result of the love the artist of today feels for the artists and traditions of the past. The current prog artist has absorbed some beloved songs for years and years, and the songs have become an essential part of the art itself and of the artist herself or himself.
Third, very importantly, few progressive rock acts perform merely to be commercial. They do so for love of the art itself.
Again, let me go back to that Strawband, the Bangles. What did they have to offer to a Simon and Garfunkel song? Nothing in the least. Per the above three points. First, the technology made them mere apes, allowing them to present sanitary mimicking of a great song. Second, the Bangles play their version as though they’d only encountered the original version days or possibly hours before recording. Their version came out twenty years later, but it, in no way, feels as though an artist had absorbed that song for twenty years. Third, the Bangles wanted to cash in on a piece of art that failed to reach its full potential two decades earlier. And, they did. Again, a commercial success, but a artistic horror.
***
But, what about some wonderful, beautiful, intense, gorgeous covers?
Nosound’s remake of Pink Floyd’s 1971, “Echoes.” Four minutes longer than the original, the Nosound version not only records their version with affection, but there is an unmistakable Nosound sound. Where Floyd used a cold and rather impressive technology to make certain unusual sounds, Nosound substitutes a much greater organicism to the song.
The Reasoning’s remake of Duran Duran’s “The Chauffeur.” This was certainly the best and most interesting track off of Rio (1982). And, Rachel Cohen of the The Reasoning has never once hidden her admiration of the best rock of the 1980s. Matt, Rachel, and the others do wonders to the original, making it far, far superior. At once more delicate and yet harder than the original, The Reasoning makes this a serious work of art. Matt’s deep and haunting bass is especially good. But, so is Rachel’s voice. The Reasoning takes a good pop/rock song, and makes it a short but haunting masterpiece of prog.
Big Big Train’s “Master of Time.” Sheer bucolic glory. Next to the original by the former Genesis guitarist, BBT’s Master is a blatant and full-voiced work of immaculacy. It makes the original seem a fine sketch of a song, while paying all due homage to it. Even in its BBT’s intensity, joy multiplies as the song progresses, following NDV’s driving drums. If this isn’t a glimpse of a pre-fallen Eden, nothing is. And, yes, I wouldn’t be surprised if David Longdon’s voice has an angelic counterpart in the spheres far beyond this world.
Peter Gabriel’s Scratch Your Back, in many ways, corrects the errors of the Bangles. While the whole album is good, and Gabriel covers everyone from Elbow to David Bowie to the Talking Heads, nothing bests his own version of the Paul Simon song, “Boy in the Bubble.” While it’s not necessarily better than Simon’s version, it is a penetrating look at the darker aspects of the song. I would challenge anyone to listen to Gabriel’s version with headphones and not tearing up at the terrors and tragedies revealed anew in the lyrics. This might be Gabriel at his absolute highest as an artist. “These are the days of miracle and wonder. Don’t cry, baby. Don’t cry.”
Glass Hammer remaking Yes’s “South Side of the Sky.” This has been one of my two or three favorite Yes songs going back to my early childhood in the mid 1970s. Certainly, when I saw Yes play live in Grand Rapids for the 35th Anniversary tour, this song was the highlight. Nothing, however, prepared me for hearing Glass Hammer’s version when I first purchased “Culture of Ascent.” This cover is a perfect example of a band and a group of artists that had fully absorbed the song–every single aspect of it–over period of two or three decades. This song by Yes is simply an immense part of the DNA of Glass Hammer. And, it shows in every aspect of Glass Hammer’s version. Everything is simply perfect, and it’s as obvious as obvious can be that Glass Hammer recorded and produced their version with nothing but love, pure and unadulterated love. And, dare I say it without risking the reader just switching off and heading to the wilds of a new website. . . Susie Bogdanowicz was born to sing this song.
***
There are other songs I’d love to write about, but time prevents me at the moment from doing so. Let me just conclude with this. When a cover is done well and with love, it’s a hard thing to beat. And, while I would never want the current progressive moment to become imitative at its heart, it’s a healthy thing to remember and honor those who came before us. In particular, I think there are a number of songs from the 80s that were brilliant in their time, but could really benefit from being progged up. Imagine Thomas Dolby’s One of Submarines redone as full-blown prog. Or, Big Country’s The Seer. Or, The Cure’s Disintegration. Or, New Model Army’s Whitecoats.
Sonar are from Switzerland and their first album, ‘A Flaw of Nature’ was released last year . I liked it so much it entered my Top 12 Progressive Rock albums of 2102 at number 6.
“Experimental, minimalist, instrumental post/math rock. Simply hypnotic. Specially tuned guitars produce an unusual harmonic sound. The more I listen, the more I like this album. Pretty awesome actually.”
The 4 tracks that could not make it onto the album were released on an EP recently called “Skeleton Groove” . This EP saw the band start moving away from a strictly minimalist slower ‘groove’ to a faster tempo and slightly rockier sound, particularly in the tracks ‘Broken Symmetry’ and ‘String Geometry’.
Sonar (short for Sonic Architecture) like mathematical/technical references in their song titles. Their first album includes track titles such ‘Mobius Loop’; ‘Structure 3.7’ and ‘Tritone Harmonics’. This is not surprising when one considers their lead guitarist Stefan Thelen has a PHD in Mathematics and the band’s sound is based upon tuning their guitars to tritones (‘diabolus in musica’). This creates a somewhat unusual and unique sound, described by the band itself as tritone harmonics.
I had messaged the band to encourage them to visit London as I was intrigued to hear what the band would sound like live. Stefan had said ‘watch this space’ and sure enough after returning from Norway following the recording of new material for their forthcoming sophomore album, they had arranged a short European tour that included a gig at the Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston, North London. This was a venue new to me.
Arriving somewhat early, before 8pm, we found the club closed (well it was a bit early for a Jazz club!). Standing around the post-modern looking Square upon which the club faced, I was lucky enough to bump into the band itself and had a chat with Christian Kuntner, bassist and a Facebook friend. Christian is instantly recognizable with his tall, gaunt and shaven headed Germanic looks. We talked about how the recording had gone in Norway (very successful) but he made no commitment about a release date and assured me that releasing the new album on vinyl was just too expensive !
Finally getting into the club we ascended some stairs that opened up into a very small cosy room with a small stage at one end and bar at the other. In between were about 25 small round tables with marble tops and wrought iron legs. Each table was candlelit and could fit a cosy threesome at best. With a small amount of extra standing room, the venue could fit no more than 100 people at a push….we were the first in and tables had name tags on them ! So a far cry from most venues I frequent but not unusual for a Jazz club. It had the necessary Jazz ambience, a French ‘look and feel’, dark and intimate. Beers in hand, Stephan Thelen introduced himself and we talked about his influences, he is a major Robert Fripp/early King Crimson fan and his views on the new album (in his words ‘more playful’)…more about that later. The set would consist of old and new tracks.
However, first up were a band called MooV and they entered stage left (well through the audience actually) and we (now about 30 people) were treated to an intriguing mix of piano sequencer ; cello; bass and vocals for about 45 minutes.
A five piece band, billed as a three piece, but performed as a four piece !…rather confusing but that’s what we got. Colin Riley, pianist and main composer, explained that MooV’s music was malleable and open-ended and this allowed them to perform with a varied number of band members. So tonight there was no percussion but equally on some occasions there maybe no cello. MooV have been around since 2005 and made only two albums and had only performed 16 gigs…that’s only about 2 per year so not a vast output. However, as I found out afterwards, the band members are involved in numerous projects. We were told all this after the first track but, if we were concerned that this might affect their live performance, then we need not have worried. To describe their music is challenging as it appears to have may influences without any one dominating. So I enlisted some support by accessing the band’s web page and got:
‘The final product is absolutely unclassifiable’ (London Jazz Blog) .
Oh well that wasn’t much help !…so let’s have a go anyway:
Arty but not Art Rock
Jazzy but not Jazz
progressive but certainly not Prog Rock
poppy but not pop
electronic but not electronica
a sense of chamber music but not chamber music
does that help ?…probably not
Experimental and avant garde and certainly creative and stimulating; unpredictable, even random; with enigmatic, intimate lyrics with a dark edge. The use of sequencing effects and constant changes in pitch (musical and vocal) and rhythm create the backbone of the music. At times angular and unsettling but at other times ethereal and beautifully soft. Sparse and minimalistic. I cannot think of comparisons but perhaps think of Sigur Ros’s simpler tracks unplugged with a folksy edge with Bjork’s vocals (not sure that makes sense!). There is certainly a Scandinavian ‘feel’ at times. The vocalist, Elisabeth Nygard has Scandinavian roots, being from Norway. She has a hypnotic, breathy and fragile voice in the delivery of both word and sound (e.g. wailing/sighing etc.) She appears totally immersed and connected to the music.
Having bought their latest album and in view of Colin Riley’s words, it is also fair to say that listening to their music on cd compared to a live setting is a very different experience. Only live do you truly feel the power and emotional intensity; the darkness; the light. Whether this music has a wide audience I doubt it as, at times, it is almost inaccessible. But to listen is to experience and whether the feelings and emotions produced are good or bad, it is still worth experiencing. Thanks to Colin, Elisabeth, Natalie (cello) and Pete (bass).
Afterwards I managed to speak with the lead singer Elisabeth Nygard and discovered that her major influences were classical, chamber music and folk. She recommended their latest album ‘Here’ but we could speak no longer as we were both in respective toilet queues !
So after 45 minutes of hearing something I was not expecting and, at the time, felt was almost impossible to describe, we grabbed another beer before the main attraction..
By the time Sonar arrived on stage the club was nearly full and there was a healthy buzz about the place. To be honest I was a little apprehensive as to whether the music would come across as too sparse for a live setting. Known for their minimalist style, their set was also minimalist in nature with each guitar having a small miked up amp. No frills here.
No ‘movin’ but plenty of ‘groovin’
They commenced with probably their most well-known track, Tromso, from their first album. At over 11 minutes long it is typical of their style. Complex interwoven polyrhythmic guitar motifs, superbly played throughout, supported by staccato bass lines and varied percussion. One clear characteristic of their musical style is how the percussion (just a basic drum kit) drives the tempo of each track. The drum is more than a single instrument. Accenting; snare comping; rim shots(?); cross sticking; the effective use of cymbals and a variety of drumsticks, added an extra dynamic that was/is critical to the delivery of each track. Manuel Pasquinelli is indeed a top class drummer with exceptional timing. However the diversity of bass playing techniques and unusual effects was also noticeable and from the top draw.
The use of crescendo and decrescendos is equally noticeable as is the constant use of complex and layered polyrhythms.
After playing a couple of tracks from their first album, the rest of the set focussed on new material. Track 3 titled ‘Static Motion’ was a standout for me. Generally I felt the new output is less minimalistic; has more complexity; is driven along at a faster tempo; has more groove and at times has a rocky and very occasionally a funky edge. I personally like this subtle change in direction and really look forward to the release of the new album later this year.
As the set continued one could sense the developing satisfaction and enjoyment amongst the band members as their confidence increased. This was appreciated by an audience who increasingly warmed to the set. After an hour the set closed but demands for more were accepted. At the end of the first encore we were in danger of missing the last train home, so we not only missed the end of the set but also a beer with the band afterwards. Maybe next time Stefan.
Take a bow
Sonar are a group of accomplished musicians carving out a unique furrow in the prog jazz scene. An essential live experience. Thank you Stefan, Christian, Bernhard and Manuel.
I know that I can get into all kinds of trouble for stating this, but, when covers are done well, they’re often even better than the originals. And, I don’t mean to degrade the originals. For example, I think NDV’s Rewiring Genesis does an even better job at LAMB LIES DOWN than did Genesis originally. Heresy??? Maybe. But, it’s true.
Here’s another example. I love Pink Floyd’s Echoes. I was probably 14 or so when my friend and sometime debate colleague, Darrin, showed me Pink Floyd’s Live in Pompei on laser disc. I was blown away.
But, this version (linked below) is even better. I’m sure production and technological advances have something do with it. But, I also think it’s because the covers do come later, and the folks who cover them often have integrated the songs into their very being in ways the original writers probably didn’t.
Yes, start writing crazy things about me in the posts comments! At 45, I’m thick skinned enough to take it!!!
So, here’s the cover and the masterpiece: Nosound’s version of Pink Floyd’s Echoes. Makes me just sigh in wonder. Erra is a genius. And, he “just gets it.”
The release of a new album by the excellent Mr So & So is imminent. I’ve already fallen in love with the wonderful cover art. If the music’s anywhere near as good, we are in for a treat. You can order a digital download or a physical CD from Bandcamp now.
Progarchy readers, Radiant Records (Neal Morse’s company) is having an incredible sale right now. Lots of early Spock’s Beard for $1.99/cd. Also, Transatlantic and Yellow Matter Custard. DVDs and some really rare stuff, all on sale. Worth checking out.
London, UK – Esoteric Antenna is pleased to announce the release of the eagerly awaited new studio album by modern progressive rock ensemble Sanguine Hum. ‘The Weight of the World’ sees Oxford, UK’s Sanguine Hum expand their musical horizons on all fronts with a seven-track collection of diverse compositions – technically challenging and exciting yet always melodic and direct. Songs such as “From the Ground Up”, “Cognoscenti” and “System for Solution” pursue the Porcupine Tree meets Radiohead approach of their debut record ‘Diving Bell’ with powerful yet intricate riffs propelling the songwriting that continues to make ever more inventive use of surprising twists and turns in the arrangement.
“Best prog rock album so far this century. The kind of record that prog rock bands 40 years from now will try to copy…” – Michael Bjorn, Strange Days (Japan)
Surprises are to be found as well in the instrumentation as the band open up the sound and more explicitly reference a love of electronica and the music of artists such as Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin, best heard in the song “Day of Release” as synthetic percussion and rumbling synths give way to chiming acoustic guitar and a soaring vocal melody. As a counterpoint, the album also features the highly atmospheric “Phosphor”, which sees Sanguine Hum break new creative ground. Perhaps even more exciting for a band that perhaps held some of their progressive influences in check on their debut album, is the 15-minute title track that manages the task of combining effective and emotional songwriting with thrilling musical developments that push the band to the limit. ‘The Weight of the World’ breaks new ground for a band at the forefront of truly “progressive” music.
Recorded at Oxford’s Evolution studios, Joff Winks (vocals, guitars, programming), Matt Baber (keyboards, percussion, programming), Brad Waissman (bass) and Andrew Booker (drums, percussion) have pushed the creative boundaries of Sanguine Hum to produce one of THE truly progressive and landmark albums of 2013.
In support of the release of ‘The Weight of the World’, Sanguine Hum will be performing at The Borderline in London on Friday June 7th with TIN SPIRITS and MATT STEVENS. The band will also be playing at Band on the Wall in Manchester on June 21st – same line-up as at the Borderline.
SANGUINE HUM – ‘The Weight of the World’ Limited Digipack 2 disc deluxe edition with Bonus DVD (NTSC Region Free): The Making of ‘The Weight of the World’ home movie.
I’m a music addict. When I buy an album, it’s as much to get that rush of anticipation before I first hear the music as it is to actually listen to it. So, it’s wonderful to discover a new artist whose work more than justifies that initial hope of musical pleasure. Tim Morse is such an artist. His latest album, Faithscience, is an outstanding collection of progressive rock. I had never heard of him, but Faithscience showed up in the Progarchy Dropbox folder, I had a lot of yardwork to do, so I downloaded it onto the trusty iPod.
Progarchy 