Tag: Tom Brislin

Almost 50 Years In, Kansas Still Carries On

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock3 Comments

kansas_point-of-know-return_2cdRecently legendary prog band Kansas released their latest live album, Point of Know Return Live & Beyond. The album features performances taken from various shows during their 2019 and 2020 fortieth anniversary tour of Point of Know Return, one of the finest albums in rock history.

I’ve seen Kansas live only once, and that was back around 2008 or so. It was a free show at my town’s annual week-long Independence Day festival. The lineup featured Steve Walsh on keyboards and vocals, Phil Ehart on drums, Rich Williams on guitar, David Ragsdale on violin, and Billy Greer on bass and vocals. I enjoyed the show, and in fact that show launched me into Kansas’ music. But there was no denying that at the point Walsh’s voice was long past its prime, and it was no surprise when he decided to retire from Kansas in 2014. 

Kansas’ new lineup formed, and they have since taken the world by storm with their 2016 album The Prelude Implicit and 2020’s The Absence of Presence. Their recent live lineup (as heard on this live record) features Ronnie Platt on vocals. His voice has its own sound, but he’s absolutely phenomenal singing this music, kind of like Nad Sylvan singing for Steve Hackett’s Genesis Revisited shows. The band’s rendition of “Nobody’s Home” sounds almost identical to the original record.

Combine Platt’s voice with the winning combo of Phil Ehart on drums, Rich Williams and Zak Rizvi on guitars, David Ragsdale on violin, Billy Greer on bass, and Tom Brislin on keyboards, and you’ve got an unstoppable prog rock powerhouse. The energy levels on this live record remind me of the energy Kansas had in the 70s. I imagine Platt isn’t dancing like a maniac at the keyboards the way Walsh used to, but the audio has that same intensity. 

In addition to playing all of Point of Know Return, the band include a few newer tracks as well as some other hits and deep cuts. It’s great to hear “Song For America” and “People of the South Wind” (Monlith is an underrated album). “Two Cents Worth” was a surprise, but it’s cool to hear that blues element that appeared in Kansas’ early work. From beginning to end this live record is a must-listen. I’m so glad the band continues to carry on and bring this music to old and new fans. Kerry Livgren’s lyrics are some of the best out there, and they deserve to be heard for years to come. 

Order the album: https://kansas.lnk.to/PointofKnowReturn-LiveBeyond

CD1
1. Cold Grey Morning
2. Two Cents Worth
3. The Wall
4. Song for America
5. Summer
6. Musicatto
7. Taking in the View
8. Miracles Out of Nowhere

CD2
1. Point of Know Return
2. Paradox
3. The Spider
4. Portrait (He Knew)
5. Closet Chronicles
6. Lightning’s Hand
7. Dust in the Wind
8. Sparks of the Tempest
9. Nobody’s Home
10. Hopelessly Human
11. Carry On Wayward Son
12. People of the South Wind
13.Refugee
14. Lonely Wind

https://youtu.be/D3S-1p18_So

New and Noteworthy on Bandcamp!

On By kruekuttIn art rock, jazz rock, pop, progressive rock3 Comments

Nearly six months into the worldwide coronavirus epidemic, Bandcamp continues to be a lifeline for musicians.  Since March, fans have purchased more than $75 million worth of music and merchandise there  — including more than $20 million from four Bandcamp Fridays, when the website has waived its fees for artists and labels.  Last week, the announcement was made that Bandcamp Fridays will continue for the rest of 2020.

So (as your pocketbook permits), what’s worth your hard-earned cash on August 7, September 4, October 2, November 6, or December 4?  From my Bandcamp collection and wishlist, a few suggestions:

iatmw things unseenI Am the Manic Whale, Things Unseen:  I’m blown away by the energy, humor and sheer delight these young British proggers bring to their story-songs; this third album could be their best yet, with crystal clear production by Rob Aubrey.  There’s wickedly cheery satire in “Billionaire” and “Celebrity”, an atmospheric trip to Narnia in “The Deplorable Word” and unbounded joy at the gift of children in “Smile” and “Halcyon Days”.  Not to mention IAtMW’s very own train song, “Valenta Scream”, challenging Big Big Train with (in my opinion) the best lyrical simile of 2020: “Making it look so very easy/Eating up the distance like a cheese sandwich.”  Really.

 

mcstine minnemannMcStine and Minnemann: left-field, shreddy art-pop to get your adrenalin flowing. Randy McStine (guitars, vocals, other stuff) and Marco Minnemann (drums, vocals, other stuff) prove steady hands on the steering wheel for wild rides like “Your Offenses” and “Activate”, as well as the stark ballad “The Closer”.  Sure, the songs are short; they’re also stuffed to the gills with ethereal melodies and harmonies, woozily evocative lyrics, ear-grabbing riffs, impossible  drum fills, freaky collages of sound and radical mood shifts.  Don’t expect to focus on anything else while you’re listening to this — just hold on tight and have fun.

 

sancious eyes wide openDavid Sancious, Eyes Wide Open:  a charter member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Sancious led the critically acclaimed trio Tone before tackling wingman duties for Peter Gabriel and Sting.  The focus of Eyes Wide Open (finished before lockdowns and protests swallowed news feeds whole) on today’s cultural unrest proves eerily prescient; the vocal tracks “Urban Psalm #3” and “If” and the instrumental “War in Heaven” are ambitious statements on universal human dignity that can lay claim to the moody, magnificent heights of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.  Sancious sings on half the tracks and plays burning guitar and keys throughout, fusing jazz, rock and gospel into winning combinations, atop unbelievably funky drumming by Vinnie Colaiuta, Will Calhoun (Living Colour) and Michael Bland (Prince).  

 

spiraling transmitterSpiraling, Transmitter:  Back in the early 2000s, Tom Brislin (now tearing up the keys in Kansas) led this obscure, wonderful power-pop band in between side gigs with Meat Loaf, Yes and Camel.   On this re-release from 2002, Brislin’s sardonic, appealing vocal delivery perfectly matches the bone-dry wit of “The Girl on Top (Of the Piano)”, “The L Word III” and “(Get Your Own) Holy Grail”.  And the music is built to match: irresistible hooks, propulsive rhythms and riffs that take unexpected detours, every sonic crevice crammed full of nifty synth riffs, effects and solos.  This is unbelievably catchy, unbelievably sharp stuff.   (Check out Brislin’s new, punky public service announcement too!)

 

tmt still aliveTiger Moth Tales, Still Alive/A Visit to Rockfield:  This isn’t the Tiger Moth Tales album Peter Jones planned to release this year — but it’s definitely one that fits the moment.  His gift for melody and innate hopefulness gives these six new tracks (well, five plus a reprise) an effervescence and a glow that can warm the coldest heart.  There’s a beautiful, broad range of expression here, from the optimistic fortitude of the title track and the epic sweep of “The Mighty Fallen” to the rhythm box-laden goofiness of “Whistle Along.”   The bonus DVD features Jones and TMT in session at the legendary Rockfield Studios.  Enjoy this love letter to the world from deepest Nottinghamshire.

 

soft machine baked potatoMoonJune Records: Soft Machine’s Live at the Baked Potato is the latest release from global impresario Leonardo Pavkovic.  On this beauty, the Softs’ explorations are every bit as daring and delectable as when I heard them live in 2018.  Plus, there are plenty of other face-melting instrumental jazz/rock/avant/ethno albums coming soon from Stick Men, touch guitarist Markus Reuter, guitarist Mark Wingfield and a host of other international talents!  Watch for more news at the MoonJune Bandcamp page, or do what I did; subscribe and get everything MoonJune releases for a year!

 

— Rick Krueger

Kansas “Point of Know Return” Tour Resuming; Band to Return to Studio in August

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Kansas – ‘Point of Know Return’ Anniversary Tour Resumes March 1st
Photo credit: EMily Butler Photography
KANSAS INTRODUCES KEYBOARDIST TOM BRISLIN AS NEWEST MEMBER OF ICONIC BAND

KANSAS RETURNING TO STUDIO IN AUGUST

ATLANTA, GA – KANSAS is excited to announce keyboardist Tom Brislin as the newest member of the band.  Brislin replaces departing keyboardist David Manion.

An internationally acclaimed musician, Brislin has performed and toured with a variety of artists, including Yes (appearing on Symphonic Live), Meat Loaf, Debbie Harry of Blondie, Camel, Renaissance, Dennis DeYoung formerly of Styx, and many others. For years he fronted the band Spiraling and produced his debut solo album Hurry Up and Smell the Roses.

Most recently, Tom co-founded the progressive rock group The Sea Within. Along with guitarist Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings, bassist Jonas Reingold of the Steve Hackett band, and drum star Marco Minnemann, they released their first album in 2018 on Sony/Inside Out Music, joining KANSAS on the label’s roster. Tom has also formed Gold Rotation, a collective of diverse musicians and songwriters who premiered with a performance at Progstock Festival in 2018.

KANSAS original member and drummer, Phil Ehart comments, “We are extremely excited for Tom Brislin to be the newest member of KANSAS.  We think KANSAS fans will really enjoy what Tom brings to the band.  Rehearsals for the spring have been going great.  We cannot wait to get back out on the road and perform for KANSAS fans. Then, it’s into the studio in August to begin a new KANSAS album, and back out on tour in September.”

Brislin adds, “It’s an honor to be asked to join a such legendary band as KANSAS. Their music has been in the soundtrack to so many of our lives, and their repertoire has enduring depth, beauty, and power. I’m thrilled to perform the classics and I’m equally excited to be a part of the new music that KANSAS creates.”

Brislin’s first performances with KANSAS will be aboard the Rock Legends Cruise in February, followed by March 1 in Baltimore, MD at the Modell Lyric where the band will be resuming the Point of Know Return Anniversary Tour.  The band will perform a set of KANSAS Classics at shows throughout the summer, before returning to the studio to begin a new KANSAS album in August 2019.

A complete list of announced 2019 KANSAS tour dates is listed below.  Ticket & VIP Package information can be found at KansasBand.com

SPRING 2019 KANSAS POINT OF KNOW RETURN TOUR DATES
March 1         Baltimore, MD     The Modell Lyric
March 3         Wilkes-Barre, PA     F.M. Kirby Center
March 8         Des Moines, IA        Hoyt Sherman Place
March 9         Peoria, IL        Peoria Civic Center Theater
March 15       Salina, KS        Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts
March 16       Salina, KS        Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts
March 21       Charleston, WV     Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences
March 23       Louisville, KY         Louisville Palace Theatre
March 29       Beaver Creek, CO    Vilar Performing Arts Center
March 30       Denver, CO       Paramount TheatreApril 2            Tucson, AZ          Fox Tucson Theatre
April 4            San Diego, CA     Balboa Theatre
April 6            Los Angeles, CA      The Orpheum Theatre
April 7            Santa Barbara, CA    The Arlington Theatre
April 10          Oakland, CA      Paramount Theatre
April 12          Portland, OR     Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
April 13          Seattle, WA      Paramount Theatre
April 24          Vancouver, BC, Canada       The Orpheum
April 26          Edmonton, AB, Canada       Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
April 28          Calgary, AB, Canada            Jack Singer Concert Hall
April 30          Saskatoon, SK, Canada       TCU PlaceMay 1             Regina, SK, Canada       Conexus Arts Centre
May 3             Winnipeg, MB, Canada    Burton Cummings Theatre
May 10           Rockford, IL            Coronado Performing Arts Center
May 11           Fort Wayne, IN        Foellinger TheatreSUMMER 2019 KANSAS CLASSICS DATES  May 17          Ocala, FL              Square Cultural Center
May 18          Coconut Creek, FL      Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
May 24          Biloxi, MS             Beau Rivage Resort & Casino
May 30          Bethlehem, PA      Sands Event Center
May 31          Atlantic City, NJ           Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
June 1           Atlantic City, NJ           Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

The Progarchy Interview: Tom Brislin of The Sea Within

On By kruekuttIn progressive rock6 Comments

Tom Brislin first came to prog fans’ attention as the keyboardist for Yes’ 2001 Symphonic tour, going on to work with numerous other bands in the genre.  Recently he joined guitarist Roine Stolt, bassist Jonas Reingold, drummer Marco Minnemann, and vocalists Daniel Gildenlöw and Casey McPherson in the new collective The Sea Within.  Their debut album for InsideOut is released on June 22, and Tom graciously talked about his career and TSW with us.

On becoming a musician:

“It’s a funny thing; I had this sort of clear sense of purpose for a long time.  I don’t know really how to explain it.  I don’t know if it was from the time I first heard my sister’s record collection and saw what a rock band was, and how there was this team of people that collaborate to make this music.  But it always fascinated me, and I’d always been trying to form bands – I think my first band was when I was ten years old.  And we were just always going for it, and it never stopped.  I just always identified as a musician and took lessons and played with whoever I could – and here I am now!”

On Tom’s major musical influences and heroes:

“Like I said, I was first exposed to my family’s record collection, mostly the ‘70s rock stuff from Foreigner to Yes to Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin – you name it.  But it was in the ‘80s when I was a little kid that I discovered music on my own through the radio.  So a lot of those bands that were really iconic in the early ‘80s, like The Police, Men at Work, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, groups like that were exciting to me, because that was the music I discovered on my own.  And to this day I think there’s still a little bit of their influence.  As I became more serious about playing piano, I got really into Emerson Lake & Palmer and Gentle Giant and a lot of progressive bands, and also heavy into jazz, which I ended up going to college for. And I would say that from that time is when I really got into players like Herbie Hancock, who I guess is one of my dearest influences, because I just always admired his versatility and his mastery and pretty much anything he does musically.”

About playing with Yes:

“I had been Meat Loaf’s piano player for about three years, and we did VH1 Storytellers and a lot of UK television, and we had done a couple world tours.  Meat Loaf and Yes shared the same management company at one point.  And someone from management had been at one of our Meat Loaf concerts.  And we got to talking about Yes, and I told them that Yes was a huge influence, and how I grew up playing all that music, and that I was raised on it, practically.  And they must have remembered that!  So when the need came up, they looked me up and asked me to submit a CD playing some of [Yes’] music. And I got the gig!”

“It’s interesting, ‘cause the Meat Loaf experience was like a muscular or athletic and theatrical type of thing.  It was high-energy, three hours of Jerry Lee Lewis-influenced piano, and it was really interesting; it sort of brought me into that mentality of playing for large audiences and playing big arenas and big venues.  The Yes experience was, of course, the more cerebral challenge.  Even though there was an orchestra behind us, by the end of my first phone conversation with Jon Anderson, he wanted me to do everything a Yes keyboardist does, whether or not there’s an orchestra.  Especially once they found out I could sing, Chris Squire was especially keen on me singing backing vocals in addition to all that stuff.”

“So there was a lot of juggling going on, too.  Because, you know, a typical Yes keyboardist gets to have thirteen keyboards on stage, [laughs] and because of the orchestra being there, we didn’t have a whole lot of room, and they just wanted me to fit in with four keyboards – which in any other gig would be more than enough!  But I had some technical tap dancing to do to get all the sounds that were needed for the concert, and to bring out these parts that were initially recorded by such iconic, different-styled keyboard players.”

Continue reading “The Progarchy Interview: Tom Brislin of The Sea Within” →

Album Review: The Sea Within

On By kruekuttIn progressive rockLeave a comment

If you think you know what The Sea Within will sound like just from knowing who’s involved — The Flower Kings’ guitar/bass team of Roine Stolt and Jonas Reingold, Pain of Salvation’s Daniel Gildenlöw and Flying Colors’ Casey McPherson singing, Tom Brislin on keyboards and Marco Minnemann on drums — think again.  Sure, put these six proggers together in a studio, and they’ll work from their signature sounds and strengths.  But they also play off each other in unique ways, stretch out in unexpected directions, and come up with a rewarding, thoroughly listenable debut.

Continue reading “Album Review: The Sea Within” →