Tag: Cathedral

Connor’s Best of the Obscure

On By Connor MullinIn progressive rock1 Comment

Much to my shame, I have listened little to the latest offerings from the eclectic world of prog. I am currently working on changing this bad habit of mine, but I confess it has been difficult, as I still have many obscure gems to unearth (and I will continue my list soon – I promise!). Anyway, in no particular order, here are my top ten obscure prog artists (out of an ongoing list currently standing at thirty-four):

  1. Cathedral – Stained Glass Stories: the first album review I ever wrote for Progarchy just so happened to concern one of the better obscure gems I have discovered thus far, a symphonic masterpiece evocative of Yes or Genesis.
  2. Universe – Universe: psychedelia mixed with a dash of Christianity makes for a rare but beautiful bird of an album in the rich world of 1970s music.
  3. Alloy Now – Twin Sister of the Milky Way: space prog at its finest. Major Tom would have been better off if he had this album on his final journey through the heavens.
  4. Jan Dukes de Grey – Mice and Rats in the Loft: Nursery Cryme‘s obscure cousin, an album both comical and horrifying at the same time. Also, Derek Noy shreds on twelve-string guitar. Shreds.
  5. Island – Pictures: a cover designed by Giger and music blending the darkness of Van der Graaf Generator with the dexterity of Gentle Giant? These chaps certainly offer one of the more complex obscurities out there.
  6. Hands – Hands: America’s answer to Gentle Giant. But these chaps are no copy cats: they are top notch musicians who gave to the world their own idiosyncratic sound.
  7. Lift – Caverns of Your Brain: a superb effort by a group of young American musicians. Aficionados of symphonic and space prog will love this gem.
  8. Fruupp – The Prince of Heaven’s Eyes: as a chap of Irish descent, I suppose I have a soft spot for young Mud Flanagan and his adventures. And if this band were talented enough to open for Queen and King Crimson back in the day, they’re probably worth a listen or two.
  9. Touch – Touch: one of those groups that could have been a contender: Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger were fans. Alas, it was not to be. But thanks to YouTube, you can listen for free to some incredible vocals and even more impressive work on the keyboards.
  10. Circus – Circus: Mel Collins in the days before he was cool (I joke of course; Mel Collins has always been cool). But it is Mel Collins in the days before King Crimson – and his band, although not entirely original, was really good.

The Best Prog Bands You’ve Never Heard Of (Part One)

On By Connor MullinIn Uncategorized6 Comments

Cathedral

Hello Progarchy! As a new member, I’d like to start off with a series that focuses on underappreciated prog rock groups, and Cathedral will be the first. In 1978, this quintet released one of the better American prog albums, Stained Glass Stories, which took elements of Yes, Genesis, and Gentle Giant, and combined them into one beautiful symphony.  The album consists of five songs, two of which (Introspect and The Search) are wonderful epic pieces reminiscent of some of Yes’s finest music.  Gong is a shorter instrumental piece that hearkens back to Peter Gabriel-era Genesis.  The other two songs (The Crossing and Days & Changes) also have a captivating symphonic sound that will remind listeners of Relayer-era Yes or King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King.

Overall, Cathedral did a superb job creating symphonic music inspired by their more popular British contemporaries while also maintaining their own distinct sound. The musicianship is top notch (listen to the crisp sound of Fred Callan’s Rickenbacker bass and Rudy Perrone’s dexterous handling of lead guitar) and let’s not forget the great cover art.  The beautiful pastoral setting (dare I say Tolkienian?) arouses a sense of awe and suits the music perfectly. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I did.