Progressive Rock 101: Why PROG is essential for the Evolution of Mankind.

[GaryT]

On 06/09/2020 at 4:02 PM, Janjuc said:

Hi Proggers,

 

Fear Of A Blank Planet, Porcupine Tree

 

 

 

JJ

Thats one I need to track down a vinyl copy of. Listening to Anesthetize right now.

[likwidsh0k]

I was sure I started a Porcupine Tree thread yonks ago...

 

Are always a regular spin but even more of late and especially The Incident with Time Flies really resonating with me as I close in on 50. His solo stuff is great too, but would love to hear a new PT album.

 

Perhaps a pity he gave them such an odd obscure name as he really deserves greater success.. mainstream success.. not just among us audio snobs lol

[likwidsh0k]

Been a while since I was here...
and hope I wasnt out of line with that crack about audio snobs 

[Janjuggler]

Hi All,

 

Steven Wilson, Hand. Cannot. Erase.

 

 

JJ

[progladyte]

6 hours ago, likwidsh0k said:

Been a while since I was here...
and hope I wasnt out of line with that crack about audio snobs 

 

Aren't we all audio snobs to some degree?

 

Some of us are anal about having the music while other get anal about how the music sounds.

 

I'm into both sides of the argument although my budget and sense of value prevented me from delving in too deeply with crazily priced gear.

 

My $3.00 crystal set from Radio Shack will do me just fine!

[betocool]

23 hours ago, likwidsh0k said:

Been a while since I was here...
and hope I wasnt out of line with that crack about audio snobs 

Welcome back!

 

Audio snobs? I feel that is most of the time a fitting description for most of us!

 

Cheers,

 

Alberto

[progladyte]

NEW PROG ALERT!

 

 

Guys,

I need to alert you to an upcoming album by a relatively unknown prog multi-instrumentalist called David Minasian.

 

 

His 4th album is due out soon and is called, "The Sound of Dreams". It features a plethora of excellent musicians including Steve Hackett, Annie Haslam, Billy Sherwood, Justin Hayward and others.

 

 

I have been playing a few teasers from www.progstreaming.nl and I am blown away by the lush and melodic interplay between the guitars and keyboards. I already own one of his earlier albums called "Random Acts of Beauty" so am hoping this one is even better.

 

 

Prog streaming normally play whole albums from start to finish but for some reason, it seems to only play snippets of each song but repeats them all for however long you want.

 

 

I know from previous discussions with many of you guys, this album should appeal if you enjoy melodic symphonic prog. Steve Hackett's signature is all over this album so should please those fans of his style.

 

 

It might be hard to track down from your usual sources but www.payplay.com.fm are anticipating its arrival shortly and will be available as an MP3 download if that interests you. I believe that Spotify is also streaming this now.

 

 

David's music is inspired by the likes of early Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, melodic Pink Floyd, early King Crimson, Renaissance, Strawbs, Barclay James Harvest as a four piece, and of course Camel.

 

 

Here's a few other links including a review of his previous album:

 

 

http://progstreaming.nl/pages/play-album.php?activeAlbum=2020-09-11-02 - David Minasian - The Sound of Dreams

 

 

https://www.dprp.net/reviews/2010-060#minasian

 

Enjoy!

Edited September 12, 2020 by progladyte

[awayward]

27 minutes ago, progladyte said:

NEW PROG ALERT!

 

 

Guys,

I need to alert you to an upcoming album by a relatively unknown prog multi-instrumentalist called David Minasian.

 

 

His 4th album is due out soon and is called, "The Sound of Dreams". It features a plethora of excellent musicians including Steve Hackett, Annie Haslam, Billy Sherwood, Justin Hayward and others.

 

 

I have been playing a few teasers from www.progstreaming.nl and I am blown away by the lush and melodic interplay between the guitars and keyboards. I already own one of his earlier albums called "Random Acts of Beauty" so am hoping this one is even better.

 

 

Prog streaming normally play whole albums from start to finish but for some reason, it seems to only play snippets of each song but repeats them all for however long you want.

 

 

I know from previous discussions with many of you guys, this album should appeal if you enjoy melodic symphonic prog. Steve Hackett's signature is all over this album so should please those fans of his style.

 

 

It might be hard to track down from your usual sources but www.payplay.com.fm are anticipating its arrival shortly and will be available as an MP3 download if that interests you. I believe that Spotify is also streaming this now.

 

 

David's music is inspired by the likes of early Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, melodic Pink Floyd, early King Crimson, Renaissance, Strawbs, Barclay James Harvest as a four piece, and of course Camel.

 

 

Here's a few other links including a review of his previous album:

 

 

http://progstreaming.nl/pages/play-album.php?activeAlbum=2020-09-11-02 - David Minasian - The Sound of Dreams

 

 

https://www.dprp.net/reviews/2010-060#minasian

 

Enjoy!

Available on Tidal also, I’ll give it a spin tomorrow.

[progladyte]

Another new prog alert!

 

Gazpacho (prog band from Norway) have released their latest album called Fireworker which has scored a preliminary rating of 4.01 on www.rateyourmusic.com

 

This is a very high score these days but may reduce slightly as more people hear it and rate it later on.

 

Gazpacho are a very capable and consistent band who have been around since 2003 with about a dozen spinners under their belt.

 

I'll be playing this one later to see what it's all about.

 

Here's the ratings for their earlier albums if you're interested in latching onto this one. Should be a cracker!

 

Prog

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by progladyte

[JukKluk2]

Anyone had a listen to Talk of the Town, the new EP from Ayreon? It's on HD Tracks for US$7.48.

[awayward]

16 minutes ago, JukKluk2 said:

Anyone had a listen to Talk of the Town, the new EP from Ayreon? It's on HD Tracks for US$7.48.

I haven’t, but I’ll have a listen on Tidal later today, the 4 songs appear to be off the upcoming Transitus album which is odd, Transitus is released next week.

[JukKluk2]

Well I just purchased and downloaded them, however, my wife has just arrived home from work so listening to them may prove to be something that will happen on another day.

[awayward]

2 hours ago, JukKluk2 said:

Well I just purchased and downloaded them, however, my wife has just arrived home from work so listening to them may prove to be something that will happen on another day.

You’re in for a treat, all four songs are excellent, and the SQ is top shelf, song Get out! Now! with Dee Snider on vocals and Joe Satriani on guitar is a highlight, I can’t wait for the full album to arrive.

Edited September 19, 2020 by awayward

[progladyte]

Another New Prog Alert

 

Rick Wakeman - The red Planet

 

Well this one took me by total surprise.

 

I listened to a few clips from www.progstreaming and decided to explore further by buying a downloadable copy.

 

What a great album - very accomplished playing and full of excellent musicianship from all on board. 8 medium to longish tracks full of soaring synth lines and imaginative song writing all prove the guy still has it.

 

I'm giving it a solid 4 / 5 stars but that may increase with repeated spins.

 

Here's a review from RYM

 

 

 

********************************************

 

Anyone who has read the extremely entertaining autobiographical record "Grumpy Old Rockstar" knows that this guy, who grew up north-west of London 71 years ago, is completely crazy. You could also say: an eternal child.

 

His career as a band member includes illustrious names like the Strawbs and of course Yes, on whom he left his mark as a keyboardist and pianist with five (!) Memberships over fifteen years.

 

He helped other musicians like David Bowie (1969, 1971), T.Rex (1971), Cat Stevens (1971) or Black Sabbath (1973) to achieve immortal titles with his playing.

 

Wakeman's solo output is so extensive that the number of his releases can hardly be traced. Apart from the incredibly successful early albums in England and the USA between 1973 and 1977 at the latest, none of them sold particularly well.

 

And now the instrumental album The Red Planet, which could just as easily be called The Blue Planet or Eight Tracks or whatever and has appeared in various, sometimes very imaginative editions.

 

I bought it for a lot of money as a normal CD with an autograph. Why did i do this I dont know. Maybe because after a full life with lots of junk food and even more alcoholic beverages, the man now looks so exhausted that you have to reckon with his death at any time? After all, he suffered his first heart attack as early as 1975 at the tender age of 26.

 

But now finally to the (excellently produced) music: The catchy opener "Aseraeus Mons" could be the overture or the finale of an album by The Alan Parsons Project. Mr. Wakeman listened really well!

 

"Tharsis Tholus" begins like an early piece by Camel or Nektar, before it continues after three minutes, very wakeman-like and playful, before returning to the starting topic after five minutes. Very nice!

 

With "Arsia Mons" the master first gets into rock. Then spacy synth swaths as an homage to Jean Michel Jarre and later an acoustic guitar create pleasant goosebumps. With this varied mixture, it continues to the end. A certain Mike Oldfield could well have been the godfather here.

 

"Olympus Mons" is very reminiscent of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, but is enhanced by an electric guitar. The same applies to "The North Plain" after a gentle one and a half minute introduction, which also contains certain Deep Purple influences. In between it becomes floating and meditative again. What a lively act!

 

The lively bouncing "Pavonis Mons" in tango (?) Rhythm might even have been a single hit in a version shortened to four and a half minutes in the seventies.

 

The first seconds of "South Pole" awaken the memory of the beginning of the super hit "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner, only to pour into a romantic keyboard melody, which is interrupted by classical piano sounds.

 

 

With the grandiose ten-minute final track "Valles Marineris", which submits to a continuous, bolero-like rhythm, the master goes all the way once more. Let yourself be surprised!

 

Rick Wakeman is supported by a real rock formation on this album. Dave Colquhoun (guitars), Lee Pomeroy (bass) and Ash Soan (drums) are all seasoned session musicians who have worked with him for years as part of the English Rock Ensemble.

 

The Red Planet is a (maybe the last?) Highlight in the long history of the eternal child Wakeman. If you look at the fifteen (!) Videos that he released under the title "Recording The Red Planet" between February and July 2020, then you should not be able to purchase this fabulous album (in whatever physical or digital form) don't get around.

 

******************************************************

 

 

 

 

[progladyte]

Another new prog alert - This one is for those who enjoy Italian prog (and who doesn't?)

 

LogoS — Sadako E Le Mille Gru Di Carta - 2020

 

Origami In SOL (2:16), Paesaggi Di Insonnia (11:27), Un Lieto Inquietarsi (10:48), Il Sarto (6:00), Zaini Di Elio (12:38), Sadako E Le Mille Gru Di Carta (21:20)

 

I have just bought a digital download of this and expect some more brilliance from this Italian prog band. This, however, seems to be receiving rave reviews and has scored 3.85 on RYM.

 

***************************************************

 

Here's 2 reviews:

 

 

I must admit that my expectations were high when I realised that after six years of absence, Italian prog band LogoS had come up with a new release called Sadako E Le Mille Gru Di Carta (Sadako And The Thousand Paper Cranes).

 

Not only had the predecessor, L'Enigma Della Vita from 2014 received a top-notch rating from my fellow reviewer Martin Burns, it had also been acclaimed throughout the prog rock community. Personally, I consider it as one of the best Italian progressive rock albums ever. Have my expectations been fulfilled? Let me try to answer that question by starting with a bit of history.

 

LogoS were formed in Verona in 1996 by Luca Zerman (keyboards, lead vocals), Alessandro Perbellini (drums), and Fabio Gaspari (guitar, bass) and started as a cover band of Le Orme. A couple of years later they were joined by Massimo Maoli (lead guitar), and recorded two self-produced albums, Logos in 1999 and Asrava in 2001.

 

Thereafter, the band underwent a few changes in line-up. Notably, Massimo Maioli left in 2010, but this departure did not prevent him from reappearing on LogoS' third release, L'Enigma Della Vita. Its realisation took place without founding member Alessandro Perbellini, the role of drummer having been assumed by bass player Fabio Gaspari, and with a second keyboarder, Claudio Antolini.

 

Another six years later, Sadako E Le Mille Gru Di Carta sees the light of day with the return of Perbellini, but without Massimo Maioli, who appears on guitar a guest musician on the title track only, and Fabio Gaspari switching back to bass. To cut a long story short, LogoS, on this release, consists of two keyboard players, but does not have a fully-fledged guitarist (the additional role of which is taken over by bassist Fabio Gaspari). With this line-up, there is no necessity for speculation with respect to what LogoS' music might sound like.

 

Sadako E Le Mille Gru Di Carta is a concept album centering around the fate that the Japanese city of Hiroshima suffered with the dropping of the atomic bomb (coincidentally, I started writing this review on August 6, which marked its 75th anniversary). The title track is based on the story of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who survived the disaster being two years old. At the age of 12, she was diagnosed with leukaemia, a disease lots of survivors were affected by. In hospital she was told a legend, according to which anyone being able to fold a thousand origami paper cranes, would have one wish fulfilled. Sadako died a few months later after having folded 644 cranes, the remaining ones are said to have been completed by relatives and friends. Sadako's heroic battle against her disease was the subject of many narratives, making her Japan's best known Hibakusha (survivor of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic disasters) and establishing origami paper cranes as a symbol of the international peace movement and the resistance against nuclear war.

It is at touching story, musically translated in a perfect way, as are the additional topics throughout the release.

 

Defining LotoS' musical style is a fairly straightforward task, as it is characterised by two factors. It is pure, unadulterated RPI, and it is keyboard-driven. The song structures and harmonies are symphonic and bear many elements of classical music. I would not go as far as stating that they are as classical musically-oriented as Ekseption and Trace, but influences from classical music are obvious on many occasions.

 

Besides Le Orme, LogoS mention Banco, PFM, Genesis, ELP, and King Crimson as their main sources of inspiration. Given the sometimes melancholic harmonies and the lyrical melodies, I tend to supplement this list with some of the keyboard-led Scandinavian bands such as Brighteye Brison and Magic Pie.

 

Speaking about keyboards; hardly have I ever come across a release where keyboards play such a prominent role, being responsible for both lead and background instrumentation. It reminds of what ex-GDR band Stern Combo Meissen did with three (!) keyboard players in their early work, and also of the keyboard-oriented music of Little Tragedies, Triumvirat and La Torre Dell' Alchimista.

 

Despite guitars almost not being present, especially not as soloing instruments, one does not feel overwhelmed by the keyboards. The lively and accurate rhythmic background provided by Fabio Gaspari and Alessandro Perbellini, as well as the perfect musical complementarity of the two keyboarders Luca Zerman and Claudio Antolini, provide for something that is very much a band effort rather than a solo project of/by a keyboard player. I did not regret that guitars were that under-represented, but here and there got the feeling that the band had unnecessarily deprived themselves of using the full musical spectrum, compared to what heard on their last release. However, being a keyboard aficionado, this did not trouble my overall excellent impression.

 

The album is full of vintage keyboard sounds (obviously) and solos, catchy melodies, hooks and choruses, breaks and tempo changes, lyrical and poetic vocals. Luca Zerman's warm voice is in Italian which is perfectly suited to convey an impression of melancholy, poetry, and solemnity. It's difficult for me to single out any of the tracks, but Zaini Di Elio is my "primus inter pares" due to its musical virtuosity, its variety, the catchy synthesizer melodies and the classical music-oriented harmonies.

 

Highly recommended for the fans of RPI and of keyboard-led, symphonic, melodic, accessible, perfectly played, arranged and produced music on a release that came out amidst the corona pandemic, a fact that has my full appreciation and respect.

 

We are barely eight months into the (prog music) year 2020 and I am prepared to commit myself: unless something totally unforeseen happens prog music-wise (or unless I change my taste, but that's unlikely to occur), I think that I have just reviewed the number one on my "most favourite albums of the year-list". I hope that this answers my question raised above.

 

**********************************************

 

Greek for “word,” “discourse” or “reason,” the word LOGOS encompasses many meanings whether it refers to the pre-Socratic philosophy, the divine wisdom of Hellenistic Judaism or the Christian references to the creative word of God. It also makes a mighty fine and majestic sounding band name which has in fact been adopted by a few other musical acts including an Argentinian heavy metal band, an obscure psychedelic folk band from Kansas, a Belarusian power metal band (albeit in Cyrillic) and a cheesy new age act from France but it goes without saying that the BEST band to adopt this moniker and unleash some of the coolest Italian symphonic prog to rock on the planet since the 70s has come from this LOGOS that originates from Verona, Italy.

LOGOS began as far back as 1996 and released a couple early albums such as the self-titled debut in 1999 and the followup “Ásrava” two years later. While a little rough in the production department, LOGOS fronted by Luca Zerman and Fabio Gaspari nevertheless displayed a talent in crafting massive prog sprawlers that evoked the epic nature of 70s Italian prog from the greats such as Premiata Forneria Marconi, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and Museo Rosenbach however something was clearly lacking from those early albums. With a lackluster production that sounded like a DIY tribute to the past, LOGOS slowly slipped into a coma and spent thirteen long years crafting an album worthy of standing in the shadows of the great Italian musical gems that preceded. “L’Enigma Della Vita” was released in 2014 to great fanfare which hit all the right notes for symphonic prog lovers and established LOGOS as one of the most memorable Italian prog bands of the 21st century.

“L’Enigma Della Vita” was an absolute treasure trove of Italian prog that mined heavily from the past but also included many aspects of the modern neo-prog word as well as interesting electronic supplementing not to mention a crystal clear production job that far exceeds most albums of not only the past but of the present as well. The pacing of the tracks was perfectly placed and while the album evoked the now traditional framework of Italian symphonic prog, the album managed to take you somewhere else entirely and still remains one of my favorite prog albums from the last 10 years. With a team of musicians so dedicated to perfection, we easily could’ve expected another decade to lapse before a followup would find the light of day but lo and behold the fourth album SEDAKO E LE MILLE GRU DE CARTA ( Sedako And The Thousand Paper Cranes ) has finally emerged in 2020 a mere six years after its predecessor and prog fans can giddily cheer that this band strikes again with another perfect mix of Italian prog of yore fortified with unexpected modernities.

SEDAKO E LE MILLE GRU DE CARTA does not deviate from the band’s established sound. This album mines the past greats such as PFM and Banco for brash retro sounding Italian prog that includes plenty of knotty, sinewy classically infused prog rock with occasionally excursions into mellotron-fueled jazz. Complete with a conceptual narration of a small girl named Sedako who lived in Hiroshima during World War II and the tragedy of the day when a nuclear bomb dropped forever changed the entire world. With this microcosm of time and place in mind, LOGOS crafts a musical accompaniment that mixes lengthy instrumental passages, often quite dramatic along with more sensual vocal led song sections. Of course like any great Italian band, LOGOS exclusively uses the Italian language which IMHO is much more emotionally expressive than English in many ways.

While six years may be a long time to wait for the next album, LOGOS does not disappoint with SEDAKO E LE MILLE GRU DE CARTA. This album easily skirts past the 64 minute playing time and entertains with six satisfying tracks that begin with the organ heft intro of the all instrumental “Origami in SOL.” With four of the six tracks exceeding the ten minute mark, this is serious prog with plenty of time for tracks to develop strong interconnected melodies, excursions into lengthy time signature rich improvisations and then like magic return at the drop of a hat to the main melodic theme. The tracks are exquisitely designed and showcase a maturity often reserved for the most serious classical composers or soundtrack geniuses. Because of the complexities involved, this is not an album to throw on and say you understand it in one sitting. This one will instantly appeal to one’s prog sensibilities on a single listen but multiple spins will only reinforce a magnanimity that is on par with some of the greatest Italian prog releases of the past five decades.

The main musicians include Luca Zerman on lead vocals and keyboards, Fabio Gaspari on bass, guitars, mandolin and vocals, Claudio Antolini on additional keyboards and Alessandro Perbellini on drums however four guests contribute extra vocals, guitar, drums and saxophone. “Paesaggi di insonnia” and “Un lieto inquietarsi” generate the prog steam to hook even the most hardened progger but after the six minute “intermission” “Il Sarto” which is a melodic vocal rock ballad, the true prog workouts bedazzle the soul in the form of the near 13-minute “Zaini di Elio” and the sprawling title track which extends past the 21 minute mark. Now that’s what i call PROG!!! While the concept of the album may be lost to non-Italian speakers, this album doesn’t rely on any lyrical connection as the music is so divinely inspired that the melodies and motifs will give you goosebumps as they are so gorgeous.

In the music saturated world where artists come and go, i never really put any faith that any given band will follow up with any album much less one that matches the magnificence of a prior masterpiece but LOGOS has many tricks up its sleeves and proves without a doubt on SEDAKO E LE MILLE GRU DE CARTA that this act is one to be reckoned with and worthy of being grouped into the big boys club of all the greats that have come and gone. This album is satisfying on all levels. It excels with beautiful melodies that adopt classical hooks along with local Italian flavors but dedicates much of the album’s real estate to hefty proggy workouts that will leave you gasping for air! All in all, LOGOS delivered a huge surprise with my top pick for best prog album for 2020. Like many other artists of recent years such as Wobbler and All Traps On Earth, LOGOS has crafted some satisfying retro prog that brings the classic sounds up to date without missing a beat. This album is really addictive. It didn’t hit me as the masterpiece it is until about the fifth listen. Do yourself a favor. Listen to this album! If you love classic Italian prog then this is certainly a mandatory listening experience.

 

 

**************************************************

 

 

I am really looking forward to getting stuck into this one!

 

 

[awayward]

Flying Colors - Third Stage: Live in London

 

[progladyte]

Flying Colours are really on top of their game these days. I can not think of another prog band that would appeal more to the general record buying public, such is the nature of their very infectious sound.

 

And hasn't Casey McPherson got a great voice? I thought that Neal Morse could sing but this guy hits it out of the park.

 

Love your work guys so keep up the momentum!

[progladyte]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Janjuggler]

Hi Proggers,

 

Snap @progladyte for Flying Colors, excellent album.

 

 

JJ

[progladyte]

Think I've just been snapped!

 

This is indeed a cracker of an album and one I am positive most of the progsters on SNA would enjoy.

 

Go fetch guys, you won't be sorry.

[awayward]

Windchase - Symphinity, what an amazing album from 1977, probably Australia’s second prog band, formed by a couple of band members of the first prog band Sabastian Herdie.

 

Edited September 21, 2020 by awayward

[Full Range]

On 21/09/2020 at 7:56 PM, awayward said:

Windchase - Symphinity, what an amazing album from 1977, probably Australia’s second prog band, formed by a couple of band members of the first prog band Sabastian Herdie.

I have that album and it sounds great ( because I played it recently ) 

If one closes their eyes while listening you get a feelIng of flying and being close to a seascape in the music 

Edited September 25, 2020 by Full Range

[Janjuggler]

Hi Proggers,

 

Ayreon's latest, Transitus. As good as any previous Ayreon release, and comes with a 24 page graphic novel style booklet which you can follow the story. 

 

 

JJ

Edited September 25, 2020 by Janjuc

[awayward]

8 minutes ago, Janjuc said:

Hi Proggers,

 

Ayreon's latest, Transitus. As good as any previous Ayreon release, and comes with a 14 page graphic novel style booklet. 

 

 

JJ

 Just giving it a listen now via Tidal, unfortunately my vinyl is stuck in the Sydney port due to the workers go slow campaign for a pay rise

[cazzesman]

 

Regards Cazzesman