DJ Brass Camel is a prog-loving collective of amazing musicians. They performed the concert of the year in 2018, as I wrote in my review earlier on Progarchy. Enjoy their entire debut album, embedded above. Prog on!
The Progarchy Interview: Tim Bowness, Part 1
Tim Bowness first made waves in the art-rock world in the 1990s via No-Man, his longtime collaboration with Steven Wilson; albums like Flowermouth and Wild Opera led to Bowness’ working with Robert Fripp, Phil Manzanera, Nosound’s Giancarlo Erra (on Memories of Machines’ Warm Winter) and many others. Since 2014, Bowness has also pursued a solo career, with a trio of critically acclaimed albums released on Inside Out Music.
Bowness’ latest album, Flowers At The Scene, is out on March 1. Having previously interviewed Tim in 2015 and 2017, it’s been exciting for us at Progarchy both to hear the new album in advance — and to talk about it with Tim in depth. In the first part of a 3-part interview, Tim lays out what’s led up to Flowers At The Scene, and how it’s different from his previous solo albums — and also teases No-Man’s first new music in more than a decade!
So first of all, congratulations on the new album; I’ve really enjoyed listening to it. What a prolific run in the last five years!
Thank you! Yep!
Could you unpack for us how the albums you’ve made for Inside Out, starting with Abandoned Dancehall Dreams – how have they led up to Flowers at the Scene?
Well, I think that Flowers At The Scene is kind of a statement in itself, really; it feels like a reset of the solo career. And I think that the other three Inside Out solo albums really were leading up to Lost In The Ghost Light. I think that was the conclusion of a particular way of working.
It started off really with – when I’d written Abandoned Dancehall Dreams, that was an album that I presented to Steven Wilson as a possible No-Man album, and it was pretty much how we’d done No-Man’s Schoolyard Ghosts – that I’d written songs and I’d co-written songs, and I’d brought what I thought was the best of that to Steven and had an idea for an album. And with Schoolyard Ghosts, we then worked on the material together, produced the material together, Steven added to what I’d written and so on. But with Abandoned Dancehall Dreams, he was in the middle of working on his Raven album, and just said, “Look, I’ll mix it; this is your album. Release a solo work!”
So that’s how the recent run of solo albums started; it was something I’d assembled with a No-Man album in mind, and it became what feels like my debut solo album. (I know it’s my second solo album, but it feels like my debut solo album!) Stupid Things That Mean the World emerged out of that, really, in that Abandoned Dancehall Dreams had got a very positive reaction and I was feeling very energized by that, really, so I was writing quite a lot of the time.
And with Lost In The Ghost Light, that was the conclusion of a project that I’d kind of been working on probably for about ten years. And some of the songs in that concept had been on Schoolyard Ghosts, some on Abandoned Dancehall Dreams, some on Stupid Things That Mean the World. And I didn’t think I was going to complete it! But there was a certain point in 2016 when I focused on it and it all came together.
And with Lost In The Ghost Light, it felt like a conclusion to a particular way of writing and working, and I think specifically that pieces like “Smiler at 50” from Abandoned Dancehall Dreams or “Sing to Me” from Stupid Things That Mean The World, that it was almost like an album-length exploration of that type of music. And of course, it had a very specific overall concept, which is the first time that I’ve ever worked, really, with a kind of narrative concept album. The Lost In The Ghost Light story was one that I’d been writing about for years and one that I really wanted to finish. So I was delighted when it was finished!
But after that, it really felt like I needed to do something completely fresh, completely refresh my own musical palette to keep things exciting.
Thanks! The other thing that you’ve done recently is you’ve also gone back even deeper into your past. I know that you worked with Brian Hulse and David K. Jones to re-record the music of your very first band, Plenty. And It Could Be Home is a really delightful album. Was that part of your process for trying to find something new? How did that project feed into this new album?
I think you’re right; I think it did feed into this album in some ways. Because what was interesting is that we’d not worked together for thirty years, and it was actually very creative. Going back to that material, we wanted to be faithful to it. But what was exciting was that we were doing something new with it, and it was taking us to new places. Partly, in my case, it was re-introducing me to ways of singing and writing I’d long abandoned. And so, as much as it was old material, it really felt like it was a new project. And we enjoyed doing that so much that Brian and I continued writing together.
And we just felt that what we were coming up was something that wasn’t Plenty, and it was kind of hinting at what I wanted to do on my next solo album. So it definitely directly fed into Flowers At the Scene, the fact that we just continued to write, record, produce together. And eventually there was a project that we were both excited about, and that became Flowers At The Scene. And of course, there are other collaborations and other methods of writing used on the album. But yeah, I think the Plenty experience directly led to this and fed into it.
Continue reading “The Progarchy Interview: Tim Bowness, Part 1”
A musical valentine for the soprano in your life
Here’s some essential reading for the soprano in your life:
“A soprano’s-eye view of choral music”
It begins like this:
I feel like I’m entering a war zone writing about this topic: being a soprano in a choir. There are so many preconceived notions about sopranos. Let’s get those stereotypes out of the way now.
We sopranos don’t have ears. We just sing the melody. We don’t have brains. We’re divas. We always sing sharp. We always sing flat. We have vibrato the size of a donkey. The minute we read harmony the world falls apart. The list goes on and on and on.
It’s OK. In their careers, a lot of musicians have met that one soprano who simply ruined it for them. We’ve all met her. She’s ruined it for all of us. Sure, maybe she was oblivious and self-centered.
But maybe she was having a hard day because she was a little tired of leading her superhero life. Yes, sopranos are superheroes: It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a half-woman, half-boy! Wow!
Kinetic Element, The Face of Life
I first encountered Kinetic Element at 2017’s Progtoberfest III in Chicago:
As I entered Reggie’s Rock Club on the final day of Progtoberfest, the Virginia band Kinetic Element were winding up their set … their take on classic prog, spearheaded by keyboardist Mike Visaggio, sounded accomplished and intriguing; I wished I could have arrived earlier and heard more. Plus, you gotta love a band with a lead singer in a kilt!
I’m still working on arriving earlier; fortunately, Kinetic Element has stepped up with more to hear. Forged in the crucible of key personnel changes, KE’s new The Face of Life is a sturdy album of ambitious, appealing prog from the grassroots. Visaggio, longtime drummer Michael Murray, bassist Mark Tupko, vocalist Saint John Coleman (he of the kilt), and new guitarist Peter Matuchniak rise to a tricky challenge — shaping music that’s steeped in the “founding proggers” while striving for fresh sonic territory and aptly framing the cultural and spiritual musings of Visaggio’s lyrics.
Album opener “Epistle” lays out Kinetic Element’s approach; seven minutes of space-age blues melded with a modernized take on 1 Corinthians 13, it’s a driving showcase for Tupko and Murray’s grounded groove, Visaggio and Matuchniak’s timbral variations and upbeat solo flights, and Coleman’s forthright delivery. The epic “All Open Eyes” admittedly kicks off in familiar Yes Album territory, as a cappella vocals trade off with wistful guitar/mellotron licks. But KE quickly heads their own way, building from a ear-catching symphonic overture through dramatic piano-led balladry (which Coleman aces) into an exciting instrumental with hot licks aplenty from Matuchniak, Tupko and Visaggio, as tempos, textures and the players’ roles constantly shift. The return to the ballad for the big finish is a classic prog move (just ask Neal Morse), but Coleman’s portrayal of the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting is utterly committed, and Tupko’s “Heart of the Sunrise” tribute toward the end tastes like a delicious cherry on top, not like half-baked leftovers.
Similarly, the title track’s opening can’t help but recall Going for the One’s “Awaken” to my ears. But again, there’s a swift upshift to a more aggressive vibe, as Matuchniak and Visaggio push hard atop Tupko and Murray’s steamrolling riffs, Coleman testifies over gospel-inflected piano, and the band cycles through an organic, consistently surprising rotation of related ideas. “Last Words” is an affecting coda to the album, a two-verse meditation sung first to Visaggio’s digital string quartet, then to a full band backing that floats to a serene conclusion. Throughout, the mix by Glass Hammer’s Fred Schendel and Steve Babb is full, present and warm.
So if you want meat and potatoes prog that’s more than a hackneyed rehash of the past, Kinetic Element’s proudly blue collar efforts fill the bill. The Face of Life is a satisfying listen and a genuine achievement, splendidly realizing the latent potential of a fine band.
For more on Kinetic Element and the new album, check out this article at (of all places) Broadway World. The Face of Life is released on February 28, when physical and digital versions will be available from Bandcamp, Melodic Revolution Records, CD Baby, and Syn-Phonic Music. Or, to pre-order the new album (along with previous albums and t-shirts) direct from the band, message Mike Visaggio on Facebook. I did!
— Rick Krueger
Star Wars-themed album cover mash-ups
If you have not yet seen them all, take a look. But a few samples are given below.
The Best Albums of January 2019
January is always an interesting month. I find myself still listening to some of the best albums of the previous year, as well as exploring albums from other people’s Top Ten lists for the previous year that I somehow missed.
And then there are the new releases of the year. Sometimes January can blow you away, as artists release something new in January that is so good, you just know it will be on your Top Ten for that new year.
So far in 2019 we have had an incredible January. Two giants of prog have each given us masterpieces. Steve Hackett has released his magnificent At the Edge of Light and The Neal Morse Band has given us The Great Adventure, both of which Progarchy has reviewed at length, because both are top notch releases that no lover of great music should miss.
Also of note is that Dave Kerzner has launched Acceleration Theory — Part 1 with his In Continuum exercise in collaboration. It’s pretty good but, because it recycles some material destined for the second Sound of Contact album that never happened, it has some unevenness and lack of cohesion. Yet it does also have some really great moments, and I am particularly fond of the crazy “Bjork from space” episodes as delivered by the protagonist’s love interest on the “AlienA” track, as well as the album’s more conventional prog awesomeness on “Hands of Time.”
Kerzner’s solo albums are all superb, so let’s hope he brings Part 2 more into focus. Still, he may have saddled this project with too silly of a story line to make it possible to achieve a higher musical elevation. Then again, prog has a tradition of transfiguring the silly idea into a classic epic. Try explaining the best concept albums to someone without the music. They sound like jokes, right?
Meanwhile, on the new Dream Theater album, the only track I can like is “S2N,” because while the musicians undeniably have technical skill, my main first impression is the album overall lacks interesting or emotionally engaging songs.
Other new albums that I have been listening to in 2019 have been Weezer’s superfun Teal Album and Damian Wilson and Adam Wakeman’s intimate Stripped, both of which supply plenty of emotional impact, since both exhibit what great songwriting is (be they originals or cover songs).
There are four albums from 2018 that I still cannot stop listening to in 2019, and so I commend them all to you, in case you missed them:
Subsignal, La Muerta
Wytch Hazel, II: Sojourn
Greta van Fleet, Anthem of the Peaceful Army
Phaeton, Phaeton
Don’t forget, Soen’s Lotus is released tomorrow (on February 1), and I can guarantee its excellence. I have already written a preview review of it for you on Progarchy. It’s their best release ever, and if you love prog metal you cannot miss it, since it offers songs with serious emotional depth as well as unusual musical skill.
Kansas “Point of Know Return” Tour Resuming; Band to Return to Studio in August
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The Neal Morse Band, The Great Adventure
I was skeptical when I heard about the Neal Morse Band’s new project. A concept album that’s a sequel to their previous concept album? Might Neal, Eric Gillette, Bill Hubauer, Randy George and the ever-prolific Mike Portnoy have finally taken this “epic of epic epicness” thing too far?
But then, I was skeptical about 2016’s The Similitude of a Dream, too. A double album based on John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress sounded like a disaster in the making to me. (Yes, this lifelong Lutheran still bore psychological scars from Morse’s Sola Scriptura.) But, to my ears, Morse and crew rose to the challenge, unreeling Bunyan’s basic narrative with an enticing flow of steady invention, high style, and hearty commitment. And on the evidence of the Similitude of a Dream Live and Morsefest 2017 videos, the work got sharper, more dramatic and more engrossing the more the NMB played it. At this point, along with the two Testimony sets and ?, Similitude is firmly ensconced in my Top Ten of Morse-led albums. (Which Transatlantic still rules. But I digress.)
So I gave The Great Adventure a chance — and I’m glad I did. It’s got enough continuity with Similitude to feel like a genuine sequel, but also enough musical and lyrical freshness to stand on its own merits. On initial hearings, I think it’s a smashing success that will reward repeated listens.
District 97 previews new track “Ghost Girl” @District97
Get ready for a new release this year from prog metal masters District 97.
Here’s a foretaste! (Just click Track #9 below: “Ghost Girl”)
Andy Tillison – Now on Bandcamp!
From Andy Tillison, posting on the Tangent’s Facebook group page:
Hello – and as promised, here is a link to my very own Bandcamp page. I would like you to consider this a BETA, or work in progress. A few things I need to make clear. These are flac/wav/mp3 downloads only. I am doing this to make the music available – the re-release of these limited interest titles on any form of media would be impossible to finance. I’m sorry that the world ended up like that. However, the quality is exactly the same as the original CD releases. Nothing for your shelves… but plenty for your ears. …
Yes – the albums have to be paid for, I’m sorry but assure you that I plough as much as possible into the development of new work. Most of you realise this. More titles are in preparation from Po90, The Tangent and my own solo work. Same time next week?
What’s in Tillison’s first wave of Bandcamp releases, you ask? Follow the jump for the details!
Continue reading “Andy Tillison – Now on Bandcamp!”
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