Prog Is Alive and Well in the 21st Century: Top Albums of the Year 1990: Masterpieces and More

Though Prog Is Alive and Well in the 21st Century, I have decided to go back and "fill in" the years upon which the 21st Century is built, and not just the "classic" years of 1967-76. Each year will be given its own page, containing reviews of the albums I determine are worthy of recognition (both positive and negative). As usual, these pages will be works in progress, to which I'll be adding information as it comes my way.

My Favorite Albums of 1990:

1. JONN SERRIE Tingri
2. OTTMAR LIEBERT Nouveau Flamenco

3. AFTER CRYING Overground Music

4. DEAD CAN DANCE Aion
5. COLLAGE Basnie
6. ENIGMA MCMXC a.D.

7. HAPPY MONDAYS Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches

8. ANTHONY PHILLIPS Slow Dance

9. MR. SIRIUS Dirge

10. OZRIC TENTACLES Erpland

11. THE SUNDAYS Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
12. LUSH Gala
13. GEORGE MICHAEL Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1
14. ASTURIAS Brilliant Streams
15. MY BLOODY VALENTINE Glider
16. PROPAGANDA 1234
17. TOAD THE WET SPROCKET Pale
18. TRASHCAN SINATRAS Cake

19. KALABAN Don't Panic

20. PETER MURPHY Deep

Honorable Mentions:

SOLARIS Solaris 1990

RIDE Nowhere

Five Star Prog Masterpieces

(Ratings of 100 to 93.34)

None

The "Minor" Masterpieces
(Ratings of 93.33 to 90.0)

1. ANTHONY PHILLIPS Slow Dance

Line-up / Musicians:

- Anthony Phillips / synths (Jupiter 8, Casio CZ5000), acoustic (6- & 12-string), classical & electric guitars, fretless bass, drum machines (Roland 808, Tom), Emax sampler, sequencer, co-producer
With:
- Julie Allis / harp
- Michael Cox / flute, piccolo
- Ian Hardwick / oboe
- Tjbörn Holtmark / trumpet
- Martin Robertson / clarinet
- Ian Thomas / drums
- Frank Ricotti / percussion, "Off Spin"
- Speachi Quartet
- John Owen Edwards / strings conductor
- Gavyn Wright / strings leader

Curio (joke): Speachi quartet on the "Harp" section conducted by Sir Ralph Bernasione (sic)

1. Slow Dance (Part One) (24:01) (44.5/50) = 8.9
2. Slow Dance (Part Two) (26:27) (47.75/50) = 9.55

Total Time: 50:28

92.25 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music.

2. MR. SIRIUS Dirge

After 1987's amazing and surprising debut, "Barren Dream," Kazuhiro Miyatake comes back for a 1990 follow up--and he brings back extraordinary mezzo soprano vocalist Hiroko Nagai and drummer Chihiro Fujioka with him. It is a solid and worthy followup if not quite as surprisingly fresh as the debut--which seemed to come out of nowhere with it's pristine sound, sophisticated compositions, and virtuosic performances.

As previous reviewers have remarked, the heavier, more intricate sections of the compositions sound much like country mates KENSO and AIN SOPH, while the more pastoral passages feel close to the stylings of ex-GENESIS soloists, ANT PHILLIPS and STEVE HACKETT, while the vocal passages feel forceful and dramatic enough to fit on the stages of Broadway or London's West End. The complexity of vocal symphonic passages are quite reminiscent of Keith EMERSON as well as jazz musicians like MANHATTAN TRANSFER and today's MOETAR.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Lisa Ohki (Hiroko Nagai) / vocals
- Shigekazu Kamaki / guitars
- Kazuhiro Miyatake (Mr. Sirius) / flute, acoustic guitar, keyboards, composer & co-producer
- Hidehiko Muraoka / bass
- Chihiro Fujioka / drums, percussion
With:
- Hiroshi Takayama / synth & orchestral arrangement (7)

1. "Fanfare - Legal Dance" (3:28) this instrumental starts out with a beautiful pastoral soundscape before exploding into a breakneck speed jazz-rock piece of multi-virtuosity. Only lacking melodic engagement. (8.75/10)

2. "Love Incomplete" (7:52) full on prog dynamism moving effortlessly between bombast and classical pastoralism with the lovely voice of Hiroko Nagai gracing the top (this time singing in Japanese). Great sound engineering and balancing with great instrumental interplay by all band members. (13.5/15)

3. "A Land Dirge" (3:14) classical guitar with flute. This I like. Very ANT PHILLIPS-like. (10/10)

4. "Super Joker" (5:44) high-powered and fast-paced jazz-rock fusion in the vein of BRUFORD, KENSO, or even JEAN-LUC PONTY. The vocals remind me more of the vocal stylings of INNER EAR BRIGADE or MOETAR leads Melody Ferris or Moorea Dickason, respectively. Great talent but I'm not always enamored of their MANHATTAN TRANSFER-like melodic sensibilities. (8.75/10)

5. "A Sea Dirge" (4.38) synth strings and solo flute give the opening of this one a kind of ERIK SATIE feel. Nice but nothing so special--nothign to write home about. (Those old synth strings sounds no longer stand up to the high quality sounds captured and delivered by 21st Century keyboards.) (8.5/10)

6. "The Nile for A While" (21:29) (36.5/40)
.. a) Chase of infinity
.. b) Home forgotten
.. c) Dual sight
.. d) Colony
.. e) Bliss for a day
.. f) Beyond the glory

7. "Requiem" (3:50) synth strings and orchestra with Lisa Ohki singing in English. Nicely mixed. Beautiful performance by Ms. Ohki. Love the addition of the church organ in the second half. (9.25/10)

Total Time: 50:15

90.71 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music. Though not as stunning or perfect as its predecessor, this is still deserving of five stars for its stellar performances and compositional acumen.

4.5 Stars; Excellent Additions to Prog World

(Ratings 89.99 to 86.67)

3. DEAD CANDANCE Aion (1990)

This is my favorite Dead Can Dance album of all-time. I think this is due to the fact that it's instrumentation is more acoustic, more Euro-centric (not that I don't love other world musical traditions), and more "authentic" in terms of the instrumentation and song choices. As a matter of fact, since many of the songs here (all of Side One?) are "covers" or Brendan and Lisa's interpretations of classic mediæval and Renaissance songs (even chant!), I guess "authentic" is the appropriate, and operative, word here. As a representative of the Prog Folk sub-genre, I am much happier when a band is closer to folk than prog (electric) and rock (band formatted) and I am never happier than when ancient and old music forms and styles are attempted--especially when they are successfully rendered--as they are here.

Favorite songs: "The End of Words" (5/5); the brief hurdy-gurdy joy, "Mephisto" (5/5); "Wilderness" (5/5); the mesmerizing, "The Garden of Zephirus" (5/5); "The Arrival and The Reunion"(4.75/5); the gorgeous Celtic weave that is "As the Bell Rings The Maypole Spins" (9/10); "Saltarello" (9/10); the gorgeous multi-Lisa-voiced, "The Promised Womb" (8.75/10); "Fortune Present Gifts Not According to the Book" (8.75/10); "The Song of Sybli" (8.5/10), and; "Radharc" (8.5/10) and "Black Sun" (8/10).

It's funny how I often find the songs on which Brendan singing the lead vocal among my favorites but not so here. I guess his long-sustained, reverbed notes don't lend themselves so well to the ancient European traditions.

89.74 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and a near-masterpiece of Prog Folk as well.

4. AFTER CRYING Overground Music

This debut album from Hungary must be heard to be believed--so rich and mature are its constructs and performances. Steeped in classical training and traditions, the band also shows the influences of Phase Two King Crimson, Keith Emerson, Frank Zappa, big band-era jazz, as well as Hungarian folk and "Minimalist" classical traditions. The heavily accented (though surprisingly similar to John Wetton) male vocals are often derided and criticized, but, if you can get past this, the music here is quite heavenly. Plus, the female vocals (as rendered by Judit Andrejszki) are sublime and quite top notch/professional. But it's the unusual piano-strings-&-brass/woodwinds uses that really make this album--and this group--stand out from all other music being done at the time (or maybe of all time). Complicated symphonic structures within a rock (though some question its "rock" foundations--quite justifiably as there is little drum-and-bass rhythm foundation and guitars are totally absent) format. Quite remarkable.

This is a debut album! I can think of few if any debut albums that have this kind of maturity of composition and performance (Hybris?) Too much is demerited for the heavily accented voices of the male vocalists--especially since one has a voice remarkable for its similarity to that of legend JOHN WETTON. Balance that with the virtuosic voice of female singer Judit Andrejszki, and the virtuosic play from all of the other instrumentalists but then add the fact that this music is deeply engaging, often amusing, and incredibly creative in its conception and I cannot conclude anything other than I am listening to the fully realized work of master music makers. If you disagree, then I challenge you: You try to perform it!

There is a valid issue raised with respect to this music's inclusion into the "rock" world: There are no guitars and very little bass-and-drum rhythm. But then, where does it belong? Jazz? Avant-garde? Post Rock? Neo-classical?

Line-up / Musicians:

- Csaba Vedres / piano, synth, lead (1,3,5,6) & backing vocals
- Péter Pejtsik / cello, lead (2,4) & backing vocals
- Kristóf Fogolyán / flute
- Zsolt Maroevich / viola
With:
- Judit Andrejszki / lead (8) & backing vocals
- Pál Makovecz / trombone (2,5,6,8)
- Ottó Rácz / oboe (1,5,8)
- Aladár Tüske / bassoon (1,5,6,8)
- Balázs Winkler / trumpet (1,2,5,6,8)

1. "European Things (Hommage À Frank Zappa)" (8:27) despite the heavily-accented English, there is definitely a Zappa-like precision and quirk to this rather "classical" music. While Csaba Vedres' piano play is stunning, I'm a bigger fan of the "loose" cello play of Mr. Pejtsik. (18/20)

2. "Ébredés (Don't Betray Me)" (3:02) a nice jazzed up love ballad sung in Hungarian. (8/10)

3. "Confess Your Beauty" (6:50) gorgeous classical-oriented piano playing and John Wetton voice stylings. (13.75/15)

4. "Madrigal Love Part One" (2:14) (4/5)
5. "...To Black..." (5:05) opens up with a very chamber-like classical feel with Balázs Winkler doing his usual amazing job on trumpet (my favorite songs in the After Crying repertoire always seem to include Balázs trumpet.) The three or four twists and turns over the course of the song definitely give it a very theatric/cinematic feel. I love it! (9/10)
6. "Madrigal Love Part Two (Over Every Sea)" (3:00) could be an old-time (Cole Porter) jazz song except for the Phillip Glass-like minimalist sections between vocals. So creative! (9/10)
7. "Madigral Love Part Free" (0:51) a continuation using some modern recording effects.
8. "Shining (...To The Powers Of Fairyland)" (10:44) (19/20)

Total Time: 40:13

I really love the 22-minute "Madrigal Love" series, especially the 11-minute "Shining (...to the Powers of Fairyland)" (10:45) finale. The weakness in After Crying's amazing music is, and always will be, its heavily-accented vocals being sung in English. It feels more right when they sing in their native Magyar tongue.

89.72 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music that I'd rate up higher due to its status as a gift to the world in a period virtually bereft of quality symphonic "rock" music, this stands out. Brave, impassioned, and unusual. To this day. It is one for the ages. An inspiring reminder to those listening in 1990 (and listening still): "This is what music can do!!"

5. KALABAN Don't Panic

The debut album by this group of Americans from Provo, Utah. Solid musicians performing their own interesting, very proggy compositions competently and engagingly. Definitely of the Neo Prog sub-genre.

Line-up / Musicians:

- David Thomas / lead & backing vocals
- Randall Graves / guitars, bass, backing vocals
- Michael Stout / Yamaha CP30 piano, Korg DSS-1/M1, Rhodes Chroma, Yamaha TX81Z
- Gary Stout / drums, percussion, effects
With:

- Craig Poole / bass (1,2)

1. "Intro" (1:49) nice instrumental album intro. (4.25/5)

2. "Between the Lines" (4:43) very pretty music over which singer David Thomas performs a nice STYX Tommy Shaw-like vocal. I don't understand the complaints over David's vocals: he does a remarkable job of hitting and holding notes, of creating catchy melodies, and conveying convincing emotion. (9.25/10)

3. "Grayslayer" (2:37) an instrumental of nice sophistication and excellent performances that reminds me a lot of the work of band HAPPY THE MAN. (4.75/5)

4. "Procyon's Demise" (9:52) some timing issues with the opening (unless they're actually trying to express the instruments in a polyrhythmic weave). Unfortunately, all of the instruments sound as if they're being generated from or feed through some fairly cheezy effects boxes or engineering console. Again, the musicianship is top notch, the composition fairly sophisticated (and without question proggy), it's just the sound that suffers (the first four minute section being the worst). The slowed down, spacey middle section that begins at the four minute mark is quite IQ-like before going slightly over toward FOCUS. The Jan Akkerman-like guitar play over the piano and synth strings is quite lovely. At 6:35 begins a bit of a tarantula rhythm by piano and percussion. The lead guitar joins in and shreds us into another section--first fast, then slowed down. Nice keyboard performance throughout even if the sound is flawed. (17.75/20)

5. "Mutants Over Miami" (12:17) almost avant/RIO in its tongue-in-cheek comic feel. Reminds me of the debut album from Uzbekestani band FROM.UZ, Overlook. Nice instrumental performances over some very sarcastic (Frank Zappa-like) music. (22.5/25)

6. "Midnight Comet Dreams" (12:56) spacey intro forming into YES-like "Machine Messiah" start, turns quickly to classical guitar finger-picking display on heavily-reverbed electric guitar. Interesting! David Thomas joins in, singing over the guitar as bass, keys, and drums join in. Switch at the chorus to a not-unpleasant, more dynamic STYX-like sound and feel. The next section, a fast-moving rock section provided to allow the instrumentalists to display their dueling skills, is okay (a step down, actually). I really like the drums and keybaord strings support here; the soli are okay (too much reverb). Back to the vocal sections for the 8th minute--the vocalist's story-telling style (and maybe the story itself) are getting a little tiring. Then a Andy Summers-type of strummed synth-guitar interlude ensues over the ninth and tenth minutes, sadly turning into a kind of blues-rock, STYX-like jam as the band slowly spews forth over the gradually speeding up music. (21.5/25)

Total time 44:08

Solid and sophisticated Neo Prog from America that could have used some better sound engineering (but feels right for the 1980s--which this came out of). There is a nice diversity of prog styles attempted here--all fairly adequately composed and performed. Sound is the main issue.

88.89 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and a fairly surprising debut album.

6. OZRIC TENTACLES Erpland (1990)

For many people, this is the album that finally launched Ozrics into prominence and respect--the album in which the band meshed to produce some really fine, engaging compositions all performed with great band cohesion and skill.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Ed Wynne / acoustic & electric guitars, synthesizer, programming, sampling, bass (10), producer
- Joie Hinton / synthesizer, sampling
- John Egan / flute, voice (11)
- Roly Wynne / bass, fretless bass (5)
- Merv Pepler / drums
- Paul Hankin / percussion (congas, bells, shaker, talking drum)
- Marcus Carcus / ethnic percussion (tabla, shaker, tambourine, congas, bongos)
With:
- Steve Everett / synthesizer (9), sampling (5, 9)
- Tom Brooks / Reggae "bubbles" - EMS synth swoops (11)
- Generator John / tambourine (11)
- Neil Coles / bodhrán (12)

1. "Eternal Wheel" (8:20) bouncy synths pan around the field before chunky low-end bass and steady drum beat root this one into an engaging, hair-thrashing groove. Then Ed Wynne's heavily treated bluesy lead guitar enters and takes over (and almost never stops!) Bass and drums sure shine on this--as does the foundational contributions of the airy synths. Fun to listen for the odd percussives and synth flourishes occasionally thrown into the mix. And cool synth-treated & -accompanied flute play near the end. Great opener! (18.25/20)

2. "Toltec Spring" (3:03) very pleasant slow groove that makes you feel as if you are walking through a jungle while paying attention to the amazing array of flora and fauna around and above you. Great melody, too. Gorgeous and mesmerizing! (9.5/10)

3. "Tidal Convergence" (7:14) awesome spacey synths and percussives open this one before funky bass line and full speed drums join in just before the end of the first minute. Melodic shift at the two minute mark signals the entry of Ed Wynne's searing lead guitar (though it stays in the background). After a little bridge/diversion, the original "verse" returns with Ed playing some very cool combinations of whip-strummed treble chords over the top at 2:30. At 4:20, after another round of verse and "chorus" (these are all instrumentals, we must remember), Ed bursts into the lead with some impressive lead guitar over the third verse. It's a highly charged and very engaging & upbeat cosmic jam. (14.25/15)

4. "Sunscape" (4:02) opens with picked acoustic guitar arpeggi that are joined by layers of other instruments, many percussive, before flute and electric guitars take on the lead roles. Reminds a lot of Corrado Rustici's 1970s NOVA project--especially the Vimana album. Unfortunately, this one doesn't quite come together or soar to the heights of the previous three songs. (8.5/10)

5. "Mysticum Arabicola" (9:14) opens with weird samples before letting an Arabian sounding instrument, sound, and multi-instrumental pattern establish itself as the foundational groove. The instrumental array and arrangement is very impressive--as are the lead performances, but the foundational riff/pattern, I think, needs more development, more variation, and more length to it in order for it to not become aggravating/annoying. This song is really more of a showcase for the exotic instruments and the percussionists. (16/20)

6. "Cracker Blocks" (5:40) more exotic percussives with arpeggi of guitar harmonics and steady background synth support (and ChapmanStick-sounding bass notes) for the first two minutes. New subtle instruments join in in the third minute giving the song a "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls" feel to it. It's a pretty cool, almost Crimsonian weave. Could've used a little more development or shifts and variation but it's a pretty cool, interesting, and immersive song. (8.75/10)

7. "The Throbbe" (6:21) Opens with a MARK ISHAM horn and synth soundtrack feel to it. At 0:57 a tin can hit and drum beat and bass-synth note establish themselves as the baseline groove, signaling the step into the meat of the song. An Arabian male vocalise becomes the lead instrument. Synth player takes over "lead" in the third and fourth minutes while percussionists and Ed's STEVE HILLAGE-like delay/echo guitar snakes around beneath the baseline groove. (8.75/10)

8. "Erpland" (5:32) opens with a POLICE "Synchronicity"-like pace and sound while samplist has fun playing with all of his myriad sounds and noises. In the second minute Ed's straightforward guitar chord playing leads for a bit before spacey synths get some showtime. A second guitar chord chord pattern takes over in the third minute before pace and melody play quickens--electric guitar turning into lead soloist á la Steve HILLAGE. Great, complex section bridges this section at the end of the fourth minute into a new, super fast-paced multi-leveled jam in the fifth minute. Return to the "Synchrocity" formula for the final 30 seconds. (8.5/10)

9. "Valley of a Thousand Thoughts" (6:32) more jungle play--this time African. Love these guys' adventurousness! Once again, they follow the formula of 55-second intro before the foundational groove is established, and, like "Toltec Spring" song, the first three minutes are filled with so many subtleties that you can feel as if you're walking through a jungle, taking in all of the sights and sounds. A few rampages of searing guitar and percussives enter like wild animals. Simply awesome! (9.5/10)

10. "Snakepit" (3:17) a return to an Arabian themed song/sound at a medium pace, but then things amp up and the soundscape fills with many instruments and sound streams as Ed's heavily-treated guitar wails away. Not as engaging melodically as some of the others, but still impressive for its intricate weave. (8.5/10)

11. "Iscence" (4:37) settles into a Jamaican Rasta groove (bass, percussion sounds, and guitar/synth chord play stylings--though the drums are less succesful at mimicking the Rasta sounds and stylings) before male vocalise and assorted instruments bring in their added flourishes and passages. (8.5/10)

12. "A Gift of Wings" (9:46) very steady base of large percussion ensemble over which amazing lead performances from synths, treated guitars, Arabian stringed and wind instruments. Cool, cool, mesmerizing song! (18.75/20) = 9.375

Total Time: 73:38

88.87 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and a shining example of world-space jam fusion.

7. COLLAGE Baśnie (1990)

The debut album from the first Polish Neo Prog masters--and what a debut it is! Can a band of young artists create a masterpiece right from the get go? Apparently many of these songs had been floating around since the mid-1980s, so the band obviously had time to practice, perform, and re-work much of the content that ended up on this album.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Tomek Rozycki / vocals
- Mirek Gil / guitars
- Przemek Zawadzki / bass guitar
- Wojtek Szadkowski / drums, percussion
With:
- Jacek Korzeniowski / keyboards

1. "Jeszcze jeden dzien (One More Day)" (4:10) opens with a tight full force guitar wailing sound. Yep! This is Collage! Singer Tomek Rozycki joins in before the end of the first minute singing in Polish, sounding like FALCO. The guitar's counter-punch power chords offsetting Tomek's "yesh dai em" vocals are very cool, otherwise the vocal is rather lame and unengaging. One can't help but listen to the powerful wailing of Mirek Gil's guitar going on with increasing frequency and increasing fire throughout the song. Also, the drumming is quite good. (8.5/10)

2. "Ja i ty (Me and You)" (3:20) has a bit of a folk sound to both its structure and its melodies. The vocal is a bit weak but the song is refreshing. (8/10)

3. "Kołysanka '87 (Lullaby)" (4:50) (fragment) Despite being a supposed fragment from an 1987 tape called "Change," this song has all of the sounds, stylings, and positive attributes of the best of Collage's 1990s output. The background wash of the keys, the reverbed vocal, the catchy melodic hooks and the adventurous, emotional playing of a young, fiery Mirek Gil. (8.75/10)

4. "Baśnie (Fairy Tales)" (10:00) Though the title song and, thus, a centrally focused feature of the album, this may be one of the weaker songs on the album. It opens nicely, with some very pleasant key and gtr sounds playing arpeggi of two very pretty chords, and then it jumps into hyper drive around the one minute mark while retaining its pleasing sounds and melodies (thanks to the keys), but the vocal is a little strained and feels a little mismatched to the music. While the music continues to feel lively over the two chord structure (especially the drumming), there is little surprise or flair in the first four minutes. Then there is a slowed down, strumming guitar section through the fifth minute in which the singer returns, telling his story. The instrumentalists pick it up at the 5:00 mark followed by a nice Mirek Gil solo, but the vocal sections just fail to attain the same heights of interest or engagement. At 6:45 there is another stop gap before the music takes a right turn into a different key and chord progression but neither the vocal nor the instruments (other than awesomely chunky bass playing) fail to excite. Then, at 8:20, the chills begin as a single note from the oh-so familiar and oh-so revered Mirek Gil guitar sound peels forth from the lower registers of the A string. It's as if the floor is cleared on the basketball court to let Michael, Kobe or LeBron show us some of one-on-one their magic. Though the solo doesn't achieve mind-blowing heights--and is cut off by a much-to-early finish to the song--it does give us that shot of excitement and reminder of all that is to come from this guitar maestro. (17.5/20)

5. "Dalej, dalej (Farther and Farther)" (7:00) opens with electric guitar arpeggio and multiple layers of fairy-like synth sounds. Mirek switches to strumming just before the singer enters at 0:50. The music still hasn't quite gelled but the vocal is good, the music finally filling in fully at the 1:40 mark--just before a brief passage for a guitar solo. When Tomek returns to sing his voice is much more delicate, almost whispery. Nice melodies--especially the one dueted by Mirek and Tomek at the end of the third minute. Awesome guitar and synth solos in the fourth minute! Wow! Stunning peak! Lull and then everybody's back with Tomek singing before another wild though brief passage of synth and guitar solos. The section that follows is very pretty (guitar chord progression) and then we're into another Tomek-Mirek dual melody making before the final "tin whistle" synth solo before the Tomek-Mirek finish. Awesome, amazing, powerful song! (15/15)

6. "Stare ściezki (Same Old Paths)" (6:45) triangle and horn-synth open this one with a lush synth wash backdrop before Tomek enters around the 45 second mark. Drums and bass join in the middle of second minute and then Mirek Gil after the first verse with a different Pat Metheny-horn-like sound. Mirek and Tomek trade bursts of vocals and lead guitar, respectively, until a big switch in palette and pacing occurs at 2:30. From here the vocals are more constant while Mirek moves to more support with arpeggi and Jacek Korzeniowski's keyboards take over the role of adding bursts of synth riffs between phrases. At 3:52 the music moves back to the slightly slower base for an awesome instrumental passage with Mirek leading the way but bass and drums also embellishing a lot. At the end of the fifth minute Tomek returns in softer vocal style. In the sixth minute drums and bass drop out while synth wash, guitar arpeggi, and vocalese offer a very pretty soundscape which l=plays out to the end fadeout. Very nice song. (13/15)

7. "Fragmenty (Fragments)" (4:28) opens with strummed electric guitar before drums enter with flair and panache. Chunky bass, synth background, and wailing lead guitar then join in for a spell before alternating turns with Tomek's impassioned vocal. Mirek and Jacek really get to shine here, taking turns soloing between every moment of Tomek's singing. At 2:45 there is a prolonged bridge of power chords before Jacek switches keys and Mirek takes another turn at duelling melodic riffs before Tomek re-enters. The turn-taking continues through to the end. Powerful song on the line of "Heroes Cry" except with something lost because I don't know what Tomek is singing about due to my lack of translation of his Polish. (9/10)

8. "Rozmowa (Conversation)" (4:45) a song from their long-time stage play in which the drums and vocals play the most noteworthy roles though Mirek's captivating screaming guitar is strongly present throughout. I've had the privilege of hearing the band's 1986 studio recording of this song and I must say I like it very much: the delicate instrumental work in the middle (piano and electric guitar) is quite remarkable. Wish they'd stuck with piano, powerful drumming, and variety of guitar sounds. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 47:28

The album has such a polished feel to it despite its use of dated keyboards from the late 1980s; yo can tell the band had had a lot of time to rework and polish their repertoire to end up with such a mature-sounding sound and album. Still, after hearing some of the earlier versions of these songs I wish they had retained some of the styles and dynamics from their earlier days.

87.0 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog rocker's album collection and a truly remarkable Neo Prog debut.

Not As Good As Advertized

MIKE OLDFIELD Amarok

Like a series of door-openings on the Laugh In wall, a bunch of Mike preferences and ideas strung together in an idiosyncratic way.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Mike Oldfield / acoustic, classical, 12-string, electric, flamenco, sitar, bowed & Glorfindel guitars, bouzouki, bass, mandolin, ukulele, banjo, acoustic & electric pianos, organs (Farfisa, Lowrey, Hammond, Vox Continental), marimba, glockenspiel, bodhran, Northumbrian bagpipes, melodica, psaltery, Jew's harp, spinet, Pan pipes, violin, bongos, bass drums, timpani, synthesizers (Roland D50 & vocoder), tubular bells, assorted percussion & effects, co-producer
With:
- Janet Brown / "voice" of Margaret Thatcher
- Bridget St. John / vocals
- Clodagh Simonds / vocals
- Paddy Moloney / Uillean pipes
- Julian Bahula / African musicians leader (choir & percussion)

1. Amarok (60:04):

00:00 - Fast Riff Intro - pig noises, Fairlight-like orchestra hits, and fast-picked arpeggi (like Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Two Tribes") from multiple stringed instruments. Weird combo. (4.25/5)
02:32 - Intro - vocals & structure like "Incantations" with weird samples dispersed throughout. (8/10)
05:46 - Climax I - 12 Strings - explodes into full-on MO lead guitar with usual support plus sampled incidentals. (4/5)
06:18 - Soft Bodhran (4/5)
07:20 - Rachmaninov I - more Trevor Horn stuff. (4/5)
08:35 - Soft Bodhran 2 (4.25/5)
09:29 - Rachmaninov II (4/5)
09:56 - Roses - Adiemus (4.25/5)
10:42 - Reprise I - Intro (4/5)
12:45 - Scot (4.5/5)
13:16 - Didlybom (/5)
15:00 - Mad Bit (/5)
15:56 - Run In (/5)
16:11 - Hoover - Where's "kitchen sink"? (4.25/5)
18:00 - Fast Riff - more stringed instruments picking away at each other. (4.25/5)
19:57 - Lion - Oh, no! Not one of these sections! (/5)
21:57 - Fast Waltz - impressive play. (4.5/5)
23:42 - Stop - (4.25/5)
24:33 - Mad Bit 2 - (4.25/5)
24:46 - Fast Waltz 2 - (4.25/5)
25:06 - Mandolin - (4.5/5)
26:07 - Intermission - "Tubular Bells"? (4/5)
26:23 - Boat - nothing new or very exciting here. (8.25/10)
29:27 - Intro Reprise 2 - "saucey" 1960s vocal version. (4.25/5)
32:07 - Big Roses - (4.25/5)
33:13 - Green Green - (4.5/5)
34:24 - Slow Waltz - electric piano! Étude?! Good ending. (4/5)
36:04 - Lion Reprise - way better than the original. Nice guitar work. (5/5)
37:05 - Mandolin Reprise - interesting transition. Some weird additions that don't work. (4/5)
37:47 - TV am / Hoover / Scot - As sure as eggs is eggs! (4/5)
39:50 - Fast Riff Reprise - better than the previous two. (4.75/5)
42:22 - Boat Reprise - (/5)
43:32 - 12 Rep / Intro Waltz -
44:12 - Green Reprise -
44:46 - Africa I: Far Build (/10)
48:00 - Africa I: Far Dip
48:46 - Africa I: Pre Climax
49:32 - Africa I: 12 Climax
50:24 - Africa I: Climax I
51:00 - Africa II: Bridge
51:17 - Africa II: Riff
51:34 - Africa II: Boats
51:52 - Africa II: Bridge II
52:10 - Africa II: Climax II
54:22 - Africa III: Baker (/10)

Total Time: 60:04

The use of same bass and rhythms of previous works over which a constantly revolving array of instruments get thrown over is no basis for a system of musical composition. I can see, from personal experience, the amusement in throwing in all these humorous samples--something I would expect from Anthony Phillips (because of his wonderful sense of humour), but, musically, now that we're 30 years on, is this really either representative of what we would call "good music" or a true reflection of the skills and styles of their times? I wonder.

Another question, do all of these song titles really pertain to the subject matter of the song/album title? E.g. "Lion"? "Hoover"? "Africa"? "Roses"? "Stop"? "Boat"? "Green"? The whole Thatcher thing?

85.0 on the Fishscales = B/four stars.

Is this where Karl Jenkins got the idea for the Adiemus project?

FISH Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors

Line-up / Musicians:
- Derek Dick "Fish" / lead vocals, arrangements (4,8,9)
With:
- Frank Usher / guitar (1-4,6,7,9,11,12,14)
- Hal Lindes / guitar (1-5,7,11)
- Janick Gers / guitar & arrangements (8)
- Mickey Simmonds / keyboards, arrangements (4,8,9), drum programming (12), grand piano (13)
- Davy Spillane / pipes & whistles (1)
- Phil Cunningham / whistle, bodhrán & accordion (4,11)
- Aly Bain / violin (4,11)
- Gavin Wright / violin & string orchestration (4), string & horn orchestrations (5)
- Alison Jones / violin (12)
- John Giblin / bass (1-4,6-9,11)
- Mark Brzezicki / drums (1,2,4,6-9,11)
- John Keeble / drums (3)
- Luis Jardim / percussion (2-4,9)
- Carol Kenyon / backing vocals (2,3,7,9)
- Tessa Niles / backing vocals (2,7,9)
and Kick Horns:
- Roddy Lorimer / brass (2)
- Tim Sanders / brass (2)
- Simon Clarke / brass (2)
- Paul Spong / brass (2)

1. "Vigil" (8:46) great when it's soft and simple, becomes more mundane when it grows into a big rock production. (17.5/20)
2. "Big Wedge" (5:25) coming out of the 80s with fanfare: plenty of synth horns and choir background vocals to celebrate. Lacks melodic hooks to successfully engage the listener. (What is "the big wedge"?) (7.75/10)
3. "State of Mind" (4:45) Fish getting political--with direct lyrics? He's no Peter Gabriel (as much as he might try). (8/10)
4. "The Company" (4:07) the first very Marillion song. It's okay. (I've never been very impressed or satisfied by anything Marillion's ever done.) The jig with traditional instruments transitioning into orchestrated version is cool. Hence, the song becomes a modern version of a Robert Burns-like drinking song. (8.75/10)
5. "A Gentleman's Excuse Me" (4:20) gentle, with a voice from you and me all supported by orchestrated to give it a stage-theater sound and feel. (8.5/10)
6. "The Voyeur (I Like to Watch)" (4:45) it's proggy, but it's too Peter Gabriel-like (ten years before). (8.25/10)
7. "Family Business" (5:22) the best song on the album--both musically and vocally--and it's still not great (weird topic for such passion and poetry). (8.75/10)
8. "View from a Hill" (6:39) another top three song. Powerful music and vocal delivery. (8.75/10)
9. "Cliché" (7:06) another proggy Marillion-like song that actually feels like a leftover from one of the band's 1980s albums (or else a ROGER WATERS album). (13/15)

Total Time 51:15

Lovers of this album must be A) prepared for non-proggy musics, B) in the mood for a wide variety of musics, and C) quite aware/attuned to the messages in song lyrics because, for the life of me, I can't figure out what's proggy and what's attractive (or memorable) from this album. A totally disappointing and unremarkable album for me.

83.42 on the Fishscales.

Other Highly Recommended Prog Albums

(Other albums recommended by prog lovers)

U TOTEM U Totem

Line-up / Musicians:

- Emily Hay / voice, flute, piccolo
- Sanjay Kumar / piano, keyboards, sitar
- Eric Johnson / bassoon, contrabassoon, soprano sax
- James Grigsby / bass, guitar, vibraphone, tapes
- David Kerman / drums, percussion, tapes
With:
- Kaoru Mansour / voice (1)
- Howard Shepard / voice (1)
- Maria Moran / guitar (1)
- Becky Heninger / cello (1)
- Herbert Diamant / soprano sax (2)
- Curt Wilson / voice (4)
- Greg Conway / guitar (4)
- Georgia Grigsby / voice (5)
- Rod Poole / guitar (5)
- Dave Lizmi / guitar (6)

- Miriam Meyer / violin (7)

1. "One Nail Draws Another" (14:54) (26/30) = 8.67

2. Two Looks at One End (6:57)
3. "Dance of the Awkward" (2:18) a mix of carnivalesque and klezmer/Romary styles, sounds, and melodies. (4.25/5)
4. "Both Your Houses" (7:49) a song that meanders from street to street as it passes through many neighborhoods--each with their own personalities and moods--on your journey from one house to the other. Some very interesting, entertaining, and, at times, quite melodic and engaging sections. Spanning feelings from Univers Zero to Henry Cow and even Gang of Four and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Excellent song. (13.75/15)

5. Yellow Umbrella Gallery (5:04)
6. The Judas Goat (10:01)
7. "Vagabonds Home" (14:46) (26.5/30) = 8.833

Total Time: 62:23

9. SOLARIS Solaris 1990

Line-up / Musicians:

- István Cziglán / electric & acoustic guitars
- Csaba Bogdán / guitar
- Róbert Erdész / keyboards
- Attila Kollár / flute
- Tamás Pócs / bass
- Gábor Kisszabó / bass

- László Gömör / drums

Disc 1 (52:56)
1. A Viking Visszatér (4:00)
2. Ellenpont (4:05)
3. Óz (5:13)
4. Mickey Mouse (3:19)
5. Éden (6:05)
6. Hullámok (3:01)
7. Egeszséges Optimizmus (3:50)
8. "Los Angeles 2026" (23:21) by (44/50) = 8.8

Disc 2 (50:30)
- Éjszakai Tárlat :
9. Éjszakai Tárlat (5:15)
10. Közjáték A (0:54)
11. Szabadjáték (6:17)
12. Közjáték B (1:15)
13. Éjféli Valcer (2:34)
14. Közjáték C (0:49)
15. Józsi Mátészalkára Megy (4:20)
16. Közjáték-d (1:38)
17. Éjszakai Tárlat V.(1990) (3:34)
18. Közjáték E (1:08)
- Ünnepi Koncert :
19. E-Moll Concerto (allegro Con Molto) (3:41)
20. Paella (2:31)
21. A Kígyó Szive (3:20)
22. Ez Nem Kán-kán (0:56)
23. Magyar Tánc (3:34)
24. Duo (4:27)
25. Solaris 1990 (4:15)

Total time 103:22

QUEENSRŸCHE Empire

Line-up / Musicians:
- Geoff Tate / vocals, keyboards
- Chris DeGarmo / 6- & 12-string acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards & backing vocals (1)
- Michael Wilton / 6- & 12-string acoustic and electric guitars
- Eddie Jackson / fretted & fretless basses, backing vocals
- Scott Rockenfield / drums, percussion
With:
- Michael Kamen / strings orchestration (8)
- B.O.B. / (gang-) voices

1. Best I Can (5:34)
2. The Thin Line (5:43)
3. Jet City Woman (5:22)
4. Della Brown (7:04)
5. Another Rainy Night (4:29)
6. Empire (5:24)
7. Resistance (4:51)
8. Silent Lucidity (5:48)
9. Hand On Heart (5:33)
10. One And Only (5:54)
11. Anybody Listening? (7:41)

Total Time: 63:23

Albums on the Fringe of Prog World

MY BLOODY VALENTINE Glider

Kevin Shields' sonic innovations are legendary and deserving of some credit for "progressing" rock music.

RIDE Nowhere

Taking the Shoegaze movement/sound into new and accessible territories.

THE TRASHCAN SINATRAS Cake

Great songwriting over another shoegaze/dreampop soundscape based in guitars and catchy melodies. Definitely an Indie highlight of the year (and decade!).

LUSH Gala

Inspired and aided by Cocteau Twins, 4 A.D. and even Robin Guthrie himself. Wonderful album in the CT/Shoegaze vein.

THE HAPPY MONDAYS Pills 'n' Thrills & Bellyaches

Wonderfully engaging upbeat drug-oriented world fusion.

ENIGMA MCMXC a.D.

Again, innovations need to be celebrated: here the employment of church choir samples and exotic themes (like Marie Callas and Marquis de Sade).