by Rick Krueger
After the jump are the new albums and videos from 2017 that grabbed me on first or second listen, then compelled repeated plays. I’m not gonna rank them except for my Top Favorite, which I’ll save for the very end. The others are listed alphabetically by artist. (Old school style, that is — last names first where necessary!) Links to the ones I’ve previously reviewed are embedded in the album titles.
Continue reading “Kruekutt’s 2017 Favorites: New Albums & Videos”
Having previously (in the last couple days) shared my 20 “Honorable Mentions” and the first half of my TOP TWENTY ( numbers 20 through 11) I come now to the pay-off. The following ten albums are, obviously my favorite discs, but also I submit, The Best 10 Progressive Albums of 2017. Making no apologies for my penchant of melody over rhythm, of consonance over dissonance, I have selected ten works that are heavily laden with beauty and harmony rather than experimentation and edginess (hey! while my friends were listening to the Rolling Stones I was chilling to The Moody Blues)
THE TOP TWENTY: # # 10 through 1
10) COMEDY OF ERRORS/House of the Mind
After their great 2015 release SPIRIT, this Glasgow band returns with their crowning achievement. HOUSE OF THE MIND surpasses their prior releases with a mixture of large-scale symphonic fervor and slower and delicate textured emotionalism. The band is tight and Joe Cairney’s vocals are a real highlight. My favorite tracks are the two longer songs ‘House of the Mind’ and ‘Wandering Jacomus.’ Some of the best new prog is coming from Scotland and Comedy of Errors is perhaps the best of the best. A+
Continue reading “Watson’s Best Prog Albums of 2017: Part 3 — TOP TWENTY # # 10 — 1”
Progarchy 