Pink Floyd: The Later Years, 1987-2019

On By kruekuttIn art rock, Pink Floyd, progressive rock7 Comments

Be afraid, Pink Floyd fans — they’re coming for your bank balance!

After 2010’s reworking of their catalog (single-disc Discovery remasters, with Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall also released in multi-disc Experience and super-deluxe Immersion sets), followed by 2016’s massive Early Years set, the Floyd is preparing to unleash The Later Years: 1987-2019 this November 29th.  Focusing on albums and shows from after the split with Roger Waters, you may be surprised at what’s included — what’s not — and what it’ll set you back.  But that’s for after the jump …

Continue reading “Pink Floyd: The Later Years, 1987-2019” →

Stick Men with David Cross, Panamerica

On By kruekuttIn progressive rock1 Comment

Stick Men — touch guitarist Markus Reuter, bassist/Stick player Tony Levin and percussionist Pat Mastelotto — have been expanding the frontiers of progressive music since 2007.  With a repertoire that encompasses Levin & Mastelotto’s legacy in King Crimson, Reuter’s innovative soundscapes and searing improvisations, 4 studio albums as a group and even Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird, they are the real deal, whether as a self-contained unit or joined by other groundbreaking musicians.  I heard them live in 2011 when they toured with The Adrian Belew Power Trio, both performing their own music and joining Belew’s band for an awe-inspiring set of Crimson classics.

In August and September 2018, Stick Men teamed with violinist David Cross (best known for his contributions to King Crimson from 1972 to 1974), touring ten countries in Latin America.  The results are documented on the new Panamerica, due for release in September.  Expanding on previous live Stick Men releases Midori (recorded with Cross in Japan) and Roppongi  (recorded with saxophonist Mel Collins), the set will include:

  •   A complete show recorded live in Costa Rica
  • “Pan America Specials” recorded live in Argentina and Brazil
  • “Pan America Suites” recorded live in Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay
  • “Fire Starters”, a continuous mix of selected Cross/Reuter show opening pieces

While Panamerica will be available for download at Stick Men’s Bandcamp store, pre-orders are now being taken for a collectors’ 5-CD set, limited to 500 copies and sold by invitation only, with all proceeds going directly to the band.  Interested? Go here for all the details!

— Rick Krueger

A Summer of Perfect Pairs

On By kruekuttIn electronic, pop, progressive rock, Talk Talk4 Comments

Submitted for your consideration: perfect pairs that have been engaging my two ears and two eyes for the past two months, recalled as a Michigan summer enters its last hurrah …

Three of A Perfect Pair: Live Albums

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I’m thrilled that Esoteric Recordings’ reissue series from British folk-proggers Renaissance now includes 1976’s Live at Carnegie Hall;  recorded over three sold-out nights at the legendary New York venue, this set has been a favorite since high school days.  It captures Renaissance’s essence: Annie Haslam’s clear soprano vocals soar over Michael Dunford’s spacious acoustic guitar, John Tout’s supple piano and keyboard work, Jon Camp’s agile bass and backing vocals and Terry Sullivan’s orchestral drumming.  Members of the New York Philharmonic join the band for most of the set, bringing out the delectable French and Russian flavors of extended classics like “Can You Understand”, “Running Hard” and the “Song of Scheherazade” suite.  A bonus disc of BBC session versions show that Renaissance could conjure up the same magic without the orchestra as well.  If you don’t know this worthwhile band’s music, Live at Carnegie Hall is a perfect introduction.

As is a pair of new live albums from the Norwegian trio Elephant9!  Recorded during an extended Oslo residency, Psychedelic Backfire I and Psychedelic Backfire II (the latter with Dungen guitarist Reine Fiske sitting in) are two sets of unremittingly scorching jazz-rock improvisation.  Organist/keyboardist Ståle Storløkken spins out one mesmerizing solo after another, whether by himself or trading licks with Fiske, while bassist Nikolai Hængsle and drummer Torstein Lofthus stoke relentless, hard-driving grooves.  Whether subjecting Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” to a Bitches Brew-era Miles-style breakdown or building unstoppable momentum on “Habanera Rocket”, the music captured here is endlessly inventive and thoroughly compelling.

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The Flower Kings Revisited Lineup Becomes The Flower Kings

On By Geddy Lee IsraelIn progressive rockLeave a comment

If you were waiting for a miracle, it’s here. From the Flower King himself:

“The Flower Kings announce studio double-album ‘Waiting For Miracles’

Progressive rock legends THE FLOWER KINGS are pleased to announce the release of their brand new studio double-album ‘Waiting For Miracles’ on the 8th November 2019. The album is comprised of 15 new tracks, recorded over the summer at RMV studio in Stockholm, Sweden – a vintage studio space owned by ABBA star Benny Andersson.
Band leader Roine Stolt comments: “We have gone back to the joyful and playful style that made the band famous in the late 90’s. So here ‘more’ is always ‘more’! At time the lyrics have a bit of a serious concern about the state of our world, but overall the theme is full of joy and colour.”
The band, currently comprised of Roine Stolt, Jonas Reingold, Hasse Fröberg, Zach Kamins & Mirko DeMaio (the most recent live line-up), have crafted an adventurous collection of pure prog-rock. Expect boat-loads of vintage keyboards, odd time signatures and long guitar solos – with elements of pop, symphonic and cinematic music.

The album will be released as a 2CD, Gatefold 2LP + 2CD & as digital album, featuring beautiful artwork by American artist Kevin Sloan. Find the full track-listing below:
Disc 1:
• House Of Cards
• Black Flag
• Miracles For America
• Vertigo
• The Bridge
• Ascending To The Stars
• Wicked Old Symphony
• The Rebel Circus
• Sleep With The Enemy
• The Crowning Of Greed
Disc 2:
• House Of Cards Reprise
• Spirals
• Steampunk
• We Were Always Here
• Busking At Brobank
The Flower Kings also recently announced they would be heading out on tour this December with label-mates KAYAK. Roine Stolt: “We’re happy to go on tour in Europe again in December – We will present The Flower Kings music from the early days – concert favourites – plus some brand new music – that is along the lines of the early music of the band – symphonic rock. We’re happy to bring our friends in KAYAK along for this proggy double bill – it will be a monumental meltdown of melodic prog – not to be missed.”
The two bands will perform 12 dates across 6 countries, and you find the full list of shows below, tickets on sale now:

1st December – Bahnhof St. Pauli, Hamburg, Germany
2nd December – Musikzentrum, Hannover, Germany
3rd December – OK Andaluzia, Piekary Slaskie, Poland
4th December – Klub U Bazyla, Poznan, Poland
6th December – Burgerweeshuis, Deventer, Netherlands
7th December – De Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
8th December – Scala, London, UK
9th December – Piano, Dortmund, Germany
10th December – Columbia Theater, Berlin, Germany
11th December – Amager Bio, Copenhagen, Denmark
12th December – Brewhouse, Gothenburg, Sweden
14th December – Kraken, Stockholm, Sweden

The Flower Kings started as an outlet for guitarist/singer/composer Roine Stolt in 1994 – a time when prog-rock wasn’t mere history, nor a dirty word. The band quickly gained momentum and was one of a handful of bands helping to revive the progressive rock scene worldwide. Roine has since collaborated with a host of legendary musicians across various projects, including his acclaimed 2015 album with Yes-legend Jon Anderson, progressive-rock supergroup Transatlantic alongside Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy & Pete Trewavas, and a year as bass player with Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. The Flower Kings however, has always felt like home for Roine and the other band veterans Jonas Reingold & Hasse Fröberg.
TFK former bassplayer,singer – Michael Stolt guest on 4 songs – and there is also real strings on one track by Paul Cartwright; Violin & John “Zach” Dellinger; Viola.

THE FLOWER KING’s online:
https://www.roinestolt.com/…/www.reverbnatio…/theflowerkings
https://www.facebook.com/pale.rider.127

INSIDEOUTMUSIC online:
www.insideoutmusic.com
www.youtube.com/…/InsideOutMusic
www.twitter.com/insideouteu”

The Big 2019 Fall Prog (Plus) Preview!

On By kruekuttIn art rock, pop, progressive rock, Rock and Roll2 Comments

What new music, live albums, reissues (regular, deluxe or super-deluxe) and tours are heading our way between now and All Hallows Eve?  Check out the exhaustive (and potentially exhausting) sampling of promised progressive goodies — along with other personal priorities — below.  Click on the titles for pre-order links — whenever possible, you’ll wind up at the online store that gets as much money as possible directly to the musicians.

 

 

  • August:
    • Dave Kerzner, Static Live Extended Edition: recorded at the 2017 Progstock festival.  Kerzner’s complete Static album in concert, plus selected live highlights & new studio tracks.  Pre-orders ship in late August.
  • August 30:
    • Sons of Apollo, Live with the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony: recorded at Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s Roman amphitheatre (the site of previous live efforts from Anathema and Devin Townsend).  Available in Blu-Ray, 3 CD + Blu-Ray, and 3 CD + DVD + Blu Ray versions.
    • Tool, Fear Inoculum: Tool’s first album in 13 years.  Available via digital download, as well as “a deluxe, limited-edition CD version (which) features a 4” HD rechargeable screen with exclusive video footage, charging cable, 2 watt speaker, a 36-page booklet and a digital download card.”  Really. 

Continue reading “The Big 2019 Fall Prog (Plus) Preview!” →

Going All the Way Back With @bigbigtrain

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock2 Comments

The title of this post is more dramatic than it should be, but I randomly decided to listen to Big Big Train’s first album, Goodbye to the Age of Steam, this afternoon. Early Big Big Train gets very little press these days, yet this album is quite good. There are obvious differences between the Big Big Train of the early 1990s and the Big Big Train of 2019, yet there are still similarities. Spawton’s writing style is instantly familiar, with his lyrics as good as they’ve ever been. The gentle piano moments certainly remain in today’s version of the band, and the guitar work has similarities, even with different musicians. Yes, this album is a bit more synth heavy in places, but that seems to be more of a Neo-prog influence from the 1980s than anything else. The vocal harmonies on “Blow the House Down” are exceptional, reminding me very much of Moon Safari. I’d love it if the band incorporated more of that.

This album is as old as I am, and while I can act like a grumpy old man at times, this album still sounds remarkably fresh. The current iteration of the band has toyed with live re-workings of pre-Longdon songs, such as “Wind Distorted Pioneers” on Stone and Steel and “Summer’s Lease” (off of The Difference Machine) on 2018’s Swan Hunter EP. It was interesting to hear the current version of the band put their own spin on the music, as opposed to creating a verbatim recreation. And so in 2019, the 25th year since the release of Goodbye to the Age of Steam, I would be interested in hearing the band re-visit some of these songs, perhaps in a live setting or a live-in-studio setting.

These are good songs, and they sound great on the original album. Since the band is firing on all cylinders these days, it would be a treat to hear them interpret this music, especially since only one member remains from the 1994 line-up. Imagine what Rachel Hall could add with her violin and her beautiful voice. Think of the brilliant guitar solos Dave Gregory could bring to the table. David Longdon could bring an entirely different sound to these pieces, allowing us to hear them in a whole new light.

Do I think the band will actually do this? Not really. They have so much material from the current version of the band, and they and the fans are much more familiar with those songs. It may not make financial sense for them to spend the time and money to re-visit these early songs, but maybe we will get a couple more re-recorded and re-interpreted over the next few years. Whether the band chooses to celebrate the anniversary of this release or not, it is definitely worth listening to again. Even if it isn’t quite as good as their output over the last decade, it is still a solid album by any prog standards.

In Concert: Jon Anderson’s State of Independence

On By kruekuttIn progressive rock1 Comment

Jon Anderson, 1000 Hands Tour — 20 Monroe Live, Grand Rapids, Michigan, August 8, 2019.

The crowd was surprisingly sparse — was every other music fan in town at Sarah MacLachan’s orchestral show?   Regardless, Jon Anderson lit up 20 Monroe Live Thursday night.  Backed by a blazing new band from around the world — four young guns plus four experienced veterans  — Anderson shone brightly throughout an evening of the expected Yes classics, solo career tasters and highlights from his new 1000 Hands, radiating joy and nailing every high note. A former governor of Michigan used to blab on and on about “relentless positive action”; this was two hours of the real thing.

After all, it takes serious confidence to kick off a show with your single biggest hit, “Owner of a Lonely Heart”.   It takes even more guts to go beyond recreating past glories — as Steve Howe’s version of Yes did so effectively in the same venue a year ago — launch your best-known music off in head-snapping new directions, and keep a crowd of die-hard fans on your side throughout.  But that’s exactly what Anderson and his merry band pulled off.

Continue reading “In Concert: Jon Anderson’s State of Independence” →

Review: Drummond – In Sand

On By NickIn progressive rockLeave a comment

In Sand

Bedroom composing and producing has been on the rise in recent years. Drummond, a young songwriter from NewYork, has just launched his second EP “In Sand” in June.

There’s a real sense of movement in each of the three tracks here. “Submerge” feeds the ear a lovely set of liquid guitar chords, tasty synths and irregular rhythms, while “Root” laces its main melody and harmonies with bustling, positive energy.

The closing title track features extensive lead guitar that complement a busy drum kit and the tracks build confidently rather than hurtling towards their crescendos.

It’s tough to ignore the incredible versatility, technical prowess and emotion in the lead guitar’s phrasings. Talented musicians often overload their music with impressive, yet characterless fretboard acrobatics. Thankfully, Drum does not subject his audience to the same ordeal. The solos are wholesome yet light, devastating yet controlled. His sound is smooth, well-rounded, and, at its core, brimming with delightful energy. The record puts listeners into motion—they can soar and eventually reach a celestial landscape, sweating from the trip and anticipating the next step in this young guitarist’s growth.

For more info about Drummond visit his website.

Richard Henshall Interview: The Progarchy Podcast @RichHaken

On By Time LordIn progressive rock2 Comments

Richard Henshall by Anne-Marie Forker-2237

Listen above to the Progarchy Podcast interview with Richard Henshall of Haken.

Henshall takes us track-by-track through his forthcoming solo album The Cocoon.

You will love listening to his inside perspective on the musicians he worked with and all the musical themes and influences on the album.

Look for The Cocoon at the beginning of August. It’s full of thrilling musical explorations that connaisseurs of prog will not want to miss.

The Band
Matt Lynch – Drums
Conner Green – Bass
Richard Henshall – Guitar, keyboards and vocals

Guest Musicians
Ben Levin – Guest vocals on ‘Lunar Room’
Jessica Kion – Guest vocals on ‘Lunar Room’
Ross Jennings – Guest vocals on ‘Twisted Shadows’
Jordan Rudess – Guest keyboard solo on ‘Twisted Shadows’
Marco Sfogli – Guest guitar solo on ‘Lunar Room’
David Maxim Micic – Guest guitar solo on ‘Silken Chains’
Chris Baum – Guest strings on ‘Afterglow’
Adam Carrillo – Guest saxophone on ‘Cocoon’

Music by Richard Henshall
Lyrics by Richard Henshall with the exception of ‘ Lunar Room’ by Ben Levin
Additional drum arrangement by Matt Lynch
Additional bass arrangements by Conner Green
Additional string arrangements by Chris Baum on ‘Afterglow’
Co-produced, reamped, mixed and mastered by Simon Grove at Nerve Studios Additional drum editing by Joe Hamilton
Produced by Richard Henshall
Artwork by Sevcan Yuksel Henshall Portrait painting by Anthony Rondinone

*Correction: Haken L-1VE was actually released in 2018. I mistakenly assumed that because it came before Vector (2018) that it was released in 2017. In fact, they were both released in the same year.

COCOON-COVER

In Concert: Olé ELO!

On By kruekuttIn art rock, pop, progressive rock, Rock and Roll3 Comments

Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids Michigan, July 23, 2019.

Parsing this band’s name closely pays off.  This isn’t an Electric Light Orchestra reunion by any means; rather, it’s reclusive ELO main man Jeff Lynne, touring North America with the music that made his bones for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Armed with fistfuls of Top 20 hits and key album tracks, Live Nation’s deep pockets, a dozen top-notch hired guns — including progressive rock role players Milton McDonald (Anderson Bruford Wakeman & Howe) on guitar and Lee Pomeroy (Anderson Rabin & Wakeman, Steve Hackett, It Bites, Headspace) on bass — and visual production rivaling Pink Floyd, Lynne delivered the goods to a pumped-up, near-capacity crowd Tuesday night.  Sure, the show was polished and manicured (and doubtless click-tracked and auto-tuned) within inches of its life — but it was also irresistible to the ears and dazzling to the eyes, an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish.

Continue reading “In Concert: Olé ELO!” →