Top Albums of the Year 1991: 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.

1991 was not, in terms of progressive rock music, a very good year.

My Favorite Albums of 1991:

1. SOUL FAMILY SENSATION New Wave

2. JULIA FORDHAM Swept

3. ANDY M. STEWART Songs of Robert Burns
4. LUTHER VANDROSS Power of Love
5. MR. BUNGLE Mr. Bungle

6. LLOYD COLE Don't Get Weird on Me, Babe

7. MICKEY HART Planet Drum

8. SEAL Seal

9. PEARL JAM Ten
10. P.M. DAWN Of The Heart, Of The Soul And Of The Cross: The Utopian Experience

11. RAIN TREE CROW Rain Tree Crow

12. MY BLODDY VALENTINE Loveless

13. KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION Strange Free World

14. MASSIVE ATTACK Blue Lines
15. OZRIC TENTACLES Strangeitude

16. ROBERT WYATT Dondestan

17. TALK TALK Laughing Stock
18. KLF The White Room

19. CLEPSYDRA Hologram

20. DJAM KARET Burning the Hard City

Honorable Mentions:

PENDRAGON The World

ATHEIST Unquestionable Presence

THE COMMITMENTS The Commitments

THE DREAM ACADEMY A Different Kind of Weather 

Five Star Prog Masterpieces 

(Ratings of 100 to 93.34) 

None

The Minor Masterpieces

(Ratings of 93.33 to 90.0)

1. MR. BUNGLE Mr. Bungle

An album cover that is so perfect for preparing the listener for what they're about to hear--but in no way preparatory for the incredible virtuosity of the musicians and composers contained within.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Mike Patton " Drac" / vocals

- Trey Spruance "Scummy" / guitar

- Theobald Brooks Lengyel / alto & baritone saxes

- Clinton McKinnon "Bär" / tenor sax

- Trevor Dunn / bass

- Danny Heifetz / drums

With:

- Robert Bornum "Maximum Bob" / backing vocals 

- Jennifer / backing vocals 

- Kahli / backing vocals 

- Kristin Yee "Yeesus Krist" / backing vocals 

- John Zorn / alto saxophone (9), co-producer

- David Shea / turntables

1. "Quote Unquote" (6:56) opens with recording of a dude snoring! Then, after 30 seconds, we are blasted into wakedness by a wave of rock instrumentations. The song settles into a cabaret noir/carnival-esque motif over which singer Mike Patton sings in a crazed, pitch-bending voice halfway between Joe Jackson and Andy Partridge. Genius! The addition of background vocalist Robert Bornum's deep baritone is perfect--leading to a punch-in-the-face chorus--is perfect! Quite the complement! Several other motifs--each very disparate from the carnivalesque one--enter and exit, quickly, giving this an even more feel as if I'm walking through a horror-fun house. What a journey! Like the Cardiacs with a sense of humor! I love it! In the end, the dreamer, I think, is finally awakened. (15/15)

 
2. "Slowly Growing Deaf" (6:59) slow floating synth wash chords over which singer is singing in a crooner GINO VANELLI-type voice--for the first minute. Then the band breaks into another rock cabaret-like motif and the voice changes theatrically to match. Talk about Multiple personalities--and personality! I don't think I've encountered this kind of adventurous spirit since discovering LES NEGRESSES VERTES (in 1989) and HUMBLE GRUMBLE (2011). Round and round the band and singer take us on a merry-go-round of moods and emotions. Wow! Punctuated by a finish in which a man runs to a sink and proceeds to throw up for over 30 seconds while a radio voice eggs him on! (14/15)

3. "Squeeze Me Macaroni" (5:38) bass, percussion, fast rhythm guitar support this PRIMUS-like fast-spewed hyper-theatric vocal performance. (Now I can see where black midi's Greep gets some of his vocal stylings.) Making the mundanities of life seem so ludicrous and celebrating it full force! What a performer! What a band! Not quite sure what the song is about, though it feels as if I'm witness to an unchaperoned high school or college party. (9.5/10)

4. "Carousel" (5:13) Trey Spruance's Django-like rhythm guitar opens the song play a few rounds through a fast moving chord sequence before the rest of the band bursts in to launch into a loosely tense pyschedelic thriller. Again, HUMBLE GRUMBLE comes to mind--though later heavy and surf-music riffs again make this music so challenging to--and the psychedelia side of things reminds me of several of the KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD albums. (8.75/10)

5. "Egg" (10:38) sounds like a band taking David Byrne's early Talking Heads sound several steps further--using virtuoso musicians and composers to do so--plus, let me not forget to extoll the incredible production here: amazing clarity to all/every instrument. There are even Adrian Belew- and Worrell-like flourishes here and there--as well as the LES NEGRESSE VERTES-like craziness. Amazing stuff! Amazing theater and entertainment! And to think that six-plus guys are all on board with this, able to stay on the same page with each other. Astonishing! Even the tech metal/prog metal worlds have little to offer to compare/compete with this! Even with the three minutes of train ride banter among the band members at the end, this is so well produced and performed that I find it hard to find fault with any of this! Were it not for the existence of Seal's "Crazy" (and all of its many versions), this would be my favorite song from 1991. So much fun! (20/20)

6. "Stubb" (7:19) more carnival music to open this, even moving into a gentle waltz with gentle choral vocals before deteriorating into a "family" gypsy fest. This is just inexplicably crazy music! How does one even envision this kind of music (except by having been exposed to a lot of Jewish, Eastern European, or  traditional celebration music or klezmer, Some of the bands from my limited experience that come to mind when hearing this stuff include FARMERS MARKET, HUMBLE GRUMBLE, ESTRADASPHERE, MAJOR PARKINSON, Frank Zappa, The Beach Boys, and the Cardiacs. I feel as if I'm listening to a peak into the terrifying moments of being a boy lost in Coney Island. A little unsettling! (14/15)  

7. "My Ass Is on Fire" (7:47) opens with what feels and sounds like a funked up excursion by some heavy metal dudes. But then, at the one-minute mark, the vocalist enters amid a fairly quiet, empty space, to sing in a fairly "normal," pleasant manner. But, Fake! It's all a diversionary ruse as the music turns quickly back to some very eclectically integrated and synthesized heavy music. The self-talk in the fourth minute is hilarious--a parody take on Robert DeNiro's Travis talk in the mirror during Taxi Driver. I'm still not sure what caused the singer's ass to catch fire--or even if it's a digestive track reaction to super-spicey food (I don't think so)--but I have to admit it's far more interesting and entertaining--and far less infantile-feeling than most of Frank Zappa's potty humor (though that seventh minute of cacophony is a bit over the top). And then the Mr. Bungle political compaign add at the end! Will this band's sophisticated imagination and ballsy courage never stop? (13.25/15)  

8. "The Girls of Porn" (6:42) a song about exactly what the title says--and the accompanying exercises in self-gratification that often go along with such exposure. Very graphic and confessional. Great funked up music. Incredibly entertaining if one can get past the self-conscious embarrassment of the explicit details. (9/10)

9. "Love Is a Fist" (6:01) opens with a metallic KING CRIMSON sound and feel but then quickly turns klezmer and classic heavy metal and avant garde (those sax solos!) Crazy craziness over fairly "tame" metal foundation and chords (though it all feels contrived to be very much a lampoon of the "real" stuff). (8.75/10) 

10. "Dead Goon" (10:02) Despite some amazing bass and rhythm guitar play, the first two minutes of this HUMBLE GRUMBLE-like song offer very little to engage or excite me. The Swedish Chef mumble-jumble words serve to express the title's protagonist very well, but then the lyrics become clear, English--is this a dialogue? More gypsy/klezmer like rhythms over the awesome fretless bass play of the awesome Trevor Dunn (Of late from JOHN ZORN and SECRET CHIEFS 3). The more sedate, cemetery-like seventh and eighth minutes lose me a little--though it could be great fodder for a B-Movie horror flick. (17/20)

Total Time: 73:15

Excuse me if words fail me: I have just had my macaroni squeezed!

92.32 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a minor masterpiece of truly progressive (though also eclectic) rock music--an album that should be in the possession of every self-proclaimed lover of progressive rock music. 

2. MICKEY HART Planet Drum

1. "Udu Chant" (3:40) extraordinary rhythm weave (thanks in large part to Airto Moreira) with a rather annoying (and domineering) bass pluck front and center. (8.75/10)

2. "Island Groove" (5:44) the vocals (thanks to the amazing Babatunde Olajunji and Airto Moreira) are the most enticing thing throughout this song (the rhythm play a little too filled with cliché). (8.875/10) 

3. "Light over Shadow" (3:51) featuring the husband-wife team of Airto Moreira and Flora Purim with Babatunde Olatunji, this one is nice but drags on a bit. (8.75/10)

4. "Dance of the Hunter's Fire" (2:59) an all-percussion display. Vikku Vinayakram really shines. (9/10)

5. "Jewe 'You Are the One'" (4:06) great male vocals and body percussion with Flora Purim adding her vocals to the mix in the low end as the "bass." Very infectious. (9/10)

6. "The Hunt" (3:51) amazing song, amazing weave, the drumming interplay of  Mickey Hart's drum kit with all that Zakir Hussain, Babatunde Olatunji, and Sikiru Adepoju's talking drum have to offer is so crisp and precise. What a joy to have this committed to recorded music! A top three song. (9.5/10)

7. "Temple Caves" (3:14) percussion music that conveys such an atmosphere of intrigue and mystique. The cave feeling is definitely uber-present. (9.25/10)

8. "The Dancing Sorcerer" (2:57) Zakir's tabla play supporting Airto's berimbau virtuosity. Another top three song. God! I love these instruments! (9.25/10)

9. "Bones" (4:10) a percussion weave that uses bones, sticks, DunDun, gourd marimba (balafon) to create polyrhythms. Vocals of Flora Purim and Babatunde Olatunji enter in the third minute. (8.875/10)

10. "Lost River" (2:58) Babatunde and Flora use their voices again to create a wordless weave over Mickey's drum kit and all kinds of percussive instruments used by Airto, Sikiru, and Zakir. (8.75/10)

11. "Evening Samba" (4:30) a cool drum circle-feeling weave with deep drums and many metal percussives and shakers over the top. Very hypnotic and trance-dance-inducing. About halfway through the low end drums stop allowing the bells and other metal percussives to have full reign over the final half of the song. (9.25/10)

12. "Iyanu 'Surprises'" (2:02) Babatunde Olatunji-led vocals and handclaps are the lead for this as Airto and Mickey provide minimal drumming on gourds and bamboo beneath. (4.5/5)

13. "Mysterious Island" (5:49) the best song on the album: it takes the listener on such a beautiful alate night island trip. It's hard to believe that there is no electronic keyboards/synthesizers, or programming on this lushly hypnotic song. (10/10)

91.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of World Music (it won DownBeat and Grammy awards for such) and a minor masterpiece of progressive Jazz-Rock Fusion.

4.5 Star Near-Masterpieces 

(Ratings 89.99 to 87.50)

3. ATHEIST Unquestionable Presence

I can see why thrashers like this: you can actually sing and play along with it (pretend or otherwise)! I fee this band owes a LOT of thanks to predecessors THIN LIZZY for blazing the trail.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Kelly Shaefer / lead vocals, guitar

- Rand Burkey / guitar

- Tony Choy / bass

- Steve Flynn / drums

1. "Mother Man" (4:34) rock bass, crazed Keith Moon-like drumming, metal guitar chugging and riffing, and some strange vocals: high-pitched harmonics in talk-like growls that sound like a higher-pitched version of Alice Bowie in Cheech & Chong's "Earache My Eye." (8.5/10) 

2. "Unquestionable Presence" (4:07) an unquestionably more appealing song than the opener. I like the music as well as the two-voice vocals (though most of the song is led by the same Alice Bowie character from above). This time the drums sound as if they're having trouble keeping "in the pocket" whereas the djenty bass-end power chord rhythm strumming of the guitarists feels as if they are carrying the song. Long live the THIN LIZZY tradition of twin lead guitars! (8.75/10)

3. "Your Life's Retribution" (3:17) this time the two vocalists are trading lines/words with each other. (If I'm correct, this is one vocalist using multiple tracks or two mics each being fed through the mixing board with two totally different trains of effects.) Nice instrumental section: I love all the twists and turns the music takes during this short section! (8.75/10)

4. "Enthralled In Essence" (3:38) nice majestic, unstoppable pace with great drumming and lead guitar interaction. My favorite song on the album. Still feel/hear a LOT of Thin Lizzy, though. (9/10)

5. "An Incarnation's Dream" (4:53) is the inclusion of one acoustic ballad a requisite of all metal artists? Well, that guitar in the lead is not exactly acoustic, just turned down low--until everybody shifts into Drive in the second minute. Great section for the lead guitarist's soli in the third minute. Another top three song for me. (8.75/10)

6. "The Formative Years" (3:30) giddieup! We're on a horsie ride, racing the Union Pacific across the Great Plains. Incredible drum play--especially from the feet. Very cool quick-movin' chord progression in the middle of the third minute, but then it all goes back to horse galloping. (8.5/10)

7. "Brains" (3:41) stop and go start, congeals into another rush to the finish line--but wait! They actually slow down for the curves! Awesome bass play here. Probably the most impressive song, to me, in terms of composition and performance. Nice brief little Buck Dharma solo at the end of the third minute. My final top three song. (9.25/10)

8. "And The Psychic Saw" (4:45) update of something from BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's early years ("Flaming Telepaths"? "ME262")? At least until Alice arrives again. Again, the drummer outshines them all. Drummer: 10; rest: 8.5 (8.75/10)

Total Time: 32:25

Funk Bass! Sustained power chords (a la RUSH). Growl/scream vocals that can be understood! Where Unquestionable Presence fails for me is in its homogeneity: one song seems to seamlessly bleed into the next with little or too little change in sound, pace and style. Songs 2 & 3 seem to be the same song (though songs 5. "An Incarnation's Dream," 7. "Brains," and 8. "And the Psychic Saw" feel like pure death metal updates of THIN LIZZY songs). Plus, with a length of only 30 minutes, this can hardly be considered a complete album.

For me what makes this album and band stand out is the clear presence and outstanding musicianship of the bass player. The drummer is also quite impressive. He is very quick and possesses uncanny precision, and is not prone to over-fill or overdo.

Favorite song: the intro of the BLACK SABBATH-like 6. "The Formative Years" (8.5/10)

87.8125 on the Fishscales = B/four stars. It might not be your cup of tea but the instrumentalists alone make it worth checking out.

Other Excellent Albums

(Ratings of 85.0 to 87.50)

4. CLEPSYDRA Hologram

Prog from Switzerland! Who knew!? The miraculous thing about this album, these musicians, is that they purposely chose progressive rock! In 1991!

Line-up / Musicians:

- Aluisio Maggini / lead & backing vocals
- Gabriele Hofmann / guitars, keyboards
- Philip Hubert / keyboards
- Andy Thommen / bass
- Pietro Duca / drums
With:

- Marco Zappa / lead guitar (13)

1. "Sunrise" (1:20) the opening of a bookend pair with the finale, "Sunset," church bells chime as bass, distant drums, single plucked guitar chord and keys rise and kick into full gear before seering electric guitar ends the song. (4.25/5)

2. "New Day (Part 1)" (5:11) piano opens before Aluisio joins in singing in a relaxed, as if tired, voice. The second verse is joined by synth strings as Aluisio perks up, switching up an octave, singing with much more force and clarity. Drums and bass join in for the "time pass me by" chorus before launching into the guitar-led instrumental section. Keys do a very reserved solo as drums play beneath until sax-like guitar returns at the 3:00 mark to signal time to slow down again for Aluisio to sing, starting low and tired before quickly jumping into his more urgent pleading voice. Another melodic guitar solo finishes it off. Nice song. (8.75/10)

3. "4107" (5:12) typing on an old manual typewriter as typist recites that which he is typing. Low bass note, glockenspiel synth arpeggio and drums form spacious support to Aluisio's plaintive vocal. Electric guitar takes the lead at the end of the second minute and into the third before slowing to play arpeggiated chords. Then the music shifts for keyboard play before Gabriele takes the lead again at 3:00. Nice horn-like METHENY-ish guitar tone (in the upper registers). (8.5/10)
4. "Fleeting Moments" (3:13) opens softly, sounding like Steve Hogarth on Marillion's Marbles. Aluisio's sensitive voice in the second minute is so heart-breakingly fragile and vulnerable! What a vocalist! (9/10)

5. "Fading Clouds of Time" (3:50) opens with slow emotional electric guitar lead over synth strings until 0:54 when piano, bass and drums kick into gear. Vocals join in with a STARSHIP, JOURNEY or even BON JOVI type of sound. Song alternates soft spacious sections with full, uptempo, power chord sections while ending with a slower section for an electric guitar solo. (7.75/10)

6. "Poem For a Rainy Day" (2:11) stairway footsteps and child's voice preempt this electrified acoustic guitar lullaby. Some synth support and the addition of a classical guitar in the second minute. Nice. (There are no words to this "poem.") (4.5/5)

7. "New Day (part 2)" (6:13) up and down, as the previous version, from soft and spacious to loud and bombastic. Still, Aluisio's voice can almost win me over no matter what else is going on around or beneath him--and this is one of his finest performances on the album. Also one of the best chord progressions and electric guitar solos. (9.25/10)

8. "Sandfow" (3:17) general train station restaurant conversation, dishes noises, and PA announcements lead into a cymbal and synth supported electric guitar solo. The chorus-delayed sound of the guitar is cool. At 1:35 drums kick in and band amps up to announce their presence for a few seconds before backing down to leave a really cool, almost eerie spacious soundscape. Electric guitar eventually steps into the void with a melodic bluesy solo to the end. (5/5)

9. "For Her Eyes" (4:41) CURE-like electric guitar and electric piano open this one until Aluisio enters around the half-minute mark. The song becomes standard rock ballad support, still sounding like THE CURE though also WHITESNAKE and other 1980s hairbands. (8.5/10)

10. "Steve and Jane" (5:19) synth wash, electric piano and Aluisio open this one. Despite indications that it's going to get loud and heavy, the boys show restraint and stay quiet for the first 90 seconds. Then there is shift as a fast-picked guitar arpeggio chord sequence triggers some latent power from the keys (orchestra hits). When Aluisio returns, the music beneath is still defining itself. The keys definitely get much more prominence on this one that the rest of the album. (8.5/10)

11. "New Day (Part 3)" (2:01) opens sounding like airport/spaceport music before electric piano enters. At 1:00 synth strings form support for electric guitar to solo over. Nice brief emotional melodic solo. (4.75/5)

12. "Hologram" (7:40) Aluisio singing over amplified classical guitar turns proggy after the first minute with the arrival of drums, bass and keys. What a voice. He makes it sound so effortless! A shift at 2:45 leads to more theatric storytelling approach from Aluisio before the band kicks in and jumps forward. What sounded like they were going full SCORPIONS turns instead to something more spacious like COLLAGE. The instrumental jam we thought was coming several times before starts, in part, at 5:45 as Gabriele solos over the churchy organ and gated drums--into a long, slow fade out. (13/15)

13. Sunset (1:21) reprise of the opening song with full band engaged from opening and electric guitar doing an aggressive rock solo from the start, then ending with church bells. (4.25/5)

Total Time: 51:29

87.27 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection and recommended for anyone interested in hearing a truly gifted male vocalist.

I have to report that I do prefer the original sound over the "remaster." I've never been a fan of gated or compressed drums--one of the biggest mistakes Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins ever made. It's also too bad that the 1990s had to deal with such poor, cheap sounding keyboard sounds from the plethora of everybody-can-afford cheap keyboards coming out at the time. We're still paying for it to this day with some bands that refuse to let go of those cheap old things. Overall, there is just a lot of music here that sounds as much "Prog-Wannabe" or "Near Prog" as Neo Prog.

5. DEATH Human

The highly-acclaimed project of Chuck Schuldiner shows signs of metamorphic breakout as Cynic members Paul Masvidal (guitar) and Sean Reinert (drums) and new bassist, Sean Reinart inject a whole new speed and technical skill into Chuck's ideas. The Flaw for me here is not in the music but in the singing: Chuck's delivery is very much one dimensional in every way possible--even pitch. Therefore, I will warn the reader that my song-by-song ratings are based more on the instrumental contributions though I cannot help but downgrade for the presence of the grating drone thread of Chuck's voice in every song. 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Chuck Schuldiner / vocals, guitar, producer
- Paul Masvidal / guitar
- Steve DiGiorgio / bass
- Sean Reinert / drums, percussion
With:
- Skott Carino / bass (7, first half) 

1. "Flattening of Emotions" (4:28) impressive sound, technical skill, and timing. Great albeit brief lead guitar touches. But that vocal! (8.5/10)
2. "Suicide Machine" (4:19) flat. (8/10)
3. "Together as One" (4:06) a little variation in the screaming. (8.5/10)
4. "Secret Face" (4:36) less vocal presence = more instrumental shine. (8.75/10)
5. "Lack of Comprehension" (3:39) What! Sensitivity and delicacy--and flanged drums and effected guitar! Short-lived but interesting. (8.25/10)
6. "See Through Dreams" (4:26) I find the time shifts on this one, as well its bridges and extended guitar solos, to be more in the vein of music that I like--despite the fact that the time shifts often feel a bit random and inexplicable (i.e. unnecessary). I like hearing the bass this prominently. (9/10)
7. "Cosmic Sea" (4:23) An instrumental! paced a little more humanely over its first half, with more standard metal arrangement and sonicsphere, this one definitely feels more like what I'd call "progressive rock music" or "prog." guest bassist Skott Carino's work is also quite prominent and interesting. The second half's STEVE VAI-like guitar work is also different and quite impressive. This, to me, is a great prog metal song, one filled with more broad strokes and effects than most of the other songs. (10/10)
8. "Vacant Planets" (3:48) the sound is now well established, as are the vocal stylings, here we get to hear some more extended lead guitar solos. As impressive is the drummer's low end stamina, the snare work here does not always fit very well with the guitars and bass. (8.5/10)

Total Time 33:45

I am most impressed with the skill of these musicians--especially with drumer Sean Reinert and the way guitarist Paul Masvidal can sneak in some incredibly effective and memorable lead flourishes into such small spaces. 

86.875 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a solid submission to Prog World that will probably be an exciting addition to any Prog Metal lover's music collection.

6. TALK TALK Laughing Stock

Mark Hollis and stallwarts Lee Harris (drums) and Tim Friese-Greene (organ, piano, harmonium, producer) share a vision toward increasingly minimalist sound in order to express themselves musically. This is their final studio effort together. 

Line-up / Musicians:

- Mark Hollis / organ, guitar, piano, Variophon synth, vocals

- Lee Harris / drums
With:
- Tim Friese-Greene / organ, piano, harmonium, producer
- Simon Edwards / acoustic bass
- Ernest Mothle / acoustic bass
- Martin Ditcham / percussion
- Henry Lowther / trumpet, flugelhorn
- Dave White / clarinet, contrabass
- Mark Feltham / harmonica
- Wilfred Gibson / viola
- Jack Glickman / viola
- Garfield Jackson / viola
- Levine Andrade / viola
- George Robertson / viola
- Stephen Tees / viola
- Gavyn Wright / viola
- Paul Kegg / cello

- Roger Smith / cello

1. "Myrrhman" (5:33) so spacious you can hear the "brush strokes" of the effects pedals' oscillations. Mark's singing is almost Louisiana bluesy. It's the incidentals and odd chord and key progressions that help keep this Venning in the Prog Rock, but really, this could be jazz--or, in the chamber strings section, modern classical--as much as Post Rock. Hypnotizing! Definitely a top three song for me.(9/10)

2. "Ascension Day" (6:00) about three times uptempo as the previous song, there's actually some rock to this one--kind of raw, 1960s WHO feel, before Mark's vocal enters. (Man! I never thought of this before: but there is a striking similarity in his singing voice to that of PETE TOWNSEND! Pitch, tone, style, though not diction.) Drums are recorded so raw and natural--probably one single mic doing the job. Lee starts out with a kind of Steve Jansen style and patters before turning pure jazz rock.

     Near the halfway point a discordant passage from the chamber strings section throws everything into temporary turmoil, but then we come back to some bluesy jazz before releasing the "early Who" motif to take us back to Mark's vocals. Harmonica and organ join in in the fifth minute. Interesting. (8.75/10)

3. "After the Flood" (9:39) roving piano notes gradually reveal a pattern as organ and reverse electric guitar notes rise up from beneath over the first minute. Simple, straight time "plein air" jazz drums, bass, and soft jazz electric guitar arpeggi then rise up during the second minute. Bass and organ become the most active and interesting. By minute three Mark's singing voice has entered. This is a lot like a combination of "I Believe in You" and "Life's What You Make It"--especially as Mark's vocal becomes more impassioned. Lots of additional instruments making incidental contributions. Raw, sustained electric guitar screaming solo in the fifth and sixth minutes while piano plays gently beneath--and the drums and bass play on as if nothing is happening. I like the steadfastness of the drums--and the fellowship of the bass and organ in tandem. Lots of cluttering incidentals join in during the seventh and eighth minutes--even while Mark is singing. The final 90 seconds are left to the main rhythm section to play out in their faithful way while several more incidentalists throw their contributions into the mix--to fade. Nice song. Another top three for me. (18/20) 

4. "Taphead" (7:30) odd discordance or disharmony exists right from the start between the guitar's gentle finger picking, the keys, and Mark's vocal. Even the horn and strings' contributions seem only to magnify this message: as if the waywardness and dissonance of each of the individual instruments is intended to demonstrate disunity--or perhaps the difficulty of individuals to harmonize. I like the mysterious "message"--and understand the genius expressed here--but I am not really a fan of the music. (13/15)

5. "New Grass" (9:40) piano, gently picked chords of a jazz guitar, and jazz drumming accompany Mark's frail voice from the opening moment. The lyrics, I think, are what Mark thinks are the most important element of this song (a kind of numinous spiritual vision?) as the music beneath changes very little in pacing or expansion over the course of the entire ten minutes--only one instrument joins in for some soloing (beside piano and jazz electric guitar) and only a couple others for incidental contributions. Okay song. (17/20)

6. "Runeii (4:58) extra-bare, minimal support for Mark's almost-whispered vocal. Slow tremolo picking of single guitar strings is the only constant, with incidental cymbal play, and upright piano chords in a distant background. Nothing very special here. (8/10)

Total Time: 43:20

I can defintely see why so many people revere this band/man's work after (and, for some, including) The Colour of Spring. There is such purity of spirit to this music, so much to listen to because of the clear soundscapes. There might even be interesting messages being conveyed by Mark's vocals (I just don't hear them).

86.76 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent and definitely unusual addition to any prog lover's music collection. 

7. PENDRAGON The World

Entering the 90s we find this band of Brits still refining their sound. Though their commitment to a NeoProg sound palette feels fairly solid, the "borrowing" of themes and styles from other 1980s pop bands is a bit surprising.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Nick Barrett / guitars, vocals
- Clive Nolan / keyboards
- Peter Gee / bass
- Fudge Smith / drums

1. "Back In The Spotlight" (7:39) a surprisingly one-dimensional first with basically two synth wash chords and Flock of Seagulls rhythm guitar over straight time bass and drums. Part two is a little better, a little more 1980s Genesis like. (12.75/15)

2. "The Voyager" (12:15) looped sample of water flow with MIDIed marimba-bell synth open this one before dobro and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence-like computer MIDIed Japanese keyboard sound arpeggi enters. Guitars, acoustic, picked, and beautiful sustained elecric guitar notes enter before bass and drums and voice enter. Very pleasant, melodic vocal passage enters before moving into an okay chorus whereupon the song's full sound palette congeals and settles into place. Vocal bridge at the end of the fifth minute leads into a pretty instrumental passage in which "harmonica" solo introduces its own repetitive melody arpeggio. Vocals and whole band reenter. Nice drumming here. At the end of the seventh minute we move into a softer, more dream-like weave, which then moves into a very GENESIS Trick of the Tail/Wind & Wuthering-like passage over which Nick's plaintive lead guitar eventually starts to sing in a David Gilmour way. Nice solo: creative, engaging, and original--lasting well over a minute. No complex time signatures here, just solid, melodic NeoProg beauty. (23/25)

3. "Shane" (4:25) a little Pink Floyd foundation for an odd little poppy song here. Nice lead guitar work in the C section--even though it ends up being a near replication of David Gilmour's "Time" solo. The best song on the album. (8.5/10)

4. "Prayer" (5:21) the piano opening here made me think I was going to hear "Islands in the Stream"! The 80s ballad format surprises me as I thought these guys were supposed to be a prog band. The second section does amp things up a little, but then we return to the ballad motif: big let down. Another guitar solo with a familiar melody (Does Nick hear old familiar melodies while creating his solos?) (7.75/10)

5. "Queen Of Hearts" (21:46) (39/45)
- a) Queen Of Hearts (8:18) sounds like a sappy 1980s hair band ballad using a GENESIS "There Must Be Some Misunderstanding" chord sequence and Tony Banks sound palette. It's pleasant enough--with a fair vocal performance. Nice impassioned 12-string Fish-era MARILLION section starting at 4:05--even down to the eventual keyboard sound choices and lyrical content. At the six-minute mark it seems to go wrong before a wailing STEVE ROTHERY-like guitar leads us into a powerful vocal section. Excellent guitar here--really sucks the listener in. Good parts, with some weaknesses but overall a good section. (18/20)  
- b) ... A Man Could Die Out Here ... (8:08) back into 1980s GENESIS territory--where they seem to be trying to extract some of Phil and Steve's magic from the 1970s but end up sounding Invisible Touch-era. Disappointing choices in sound and rhythm at the 2:45 mark--sounding a bit like yet-to-come Petri Walli KINGSTON WALL--and further diminished by odd Xanadu lyric, eventually contracts at the 5:00 mark into a more spacious Bar-do feeling section. When things re-amp up in the seventh minute the drum beat and Gilmour/"Run Like Hell" guitar rhythms carry us into another quasi-Reichian jazz section before handing it over to the last section. (13/15) 
- c) The Last Waltz (5:15) more 80s classic rock keyboards (computer electric piano and MIDIed other keyboard sounds) eventually lead into Nick's vocal. It's rather bland, even when choral vocals are used to back Nick's lead in the chorus. Very nostalgic lyric about dance hall days. At 3:15 there is a little bridge into a brief instrumental passage in which weird lyricon-"harmonica" is used for the lead solo instrument. This should have been a TOTO song. (8/10)

6. "And We'll Go Hunting Deer" (7:14) long synth intro is finally joined by guitar and electric piano in the second minute. But, still, we don't really get out of the atmospheric "interlude" phase until late in the third minute. The song that is established feels so much like Genesis' "Afterglow" (12.25/15)

Total Time: 58:59

86.04 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an very nice addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially for a lover of NeoProg. 

Not As Good As Advertised

SLINT Spiderland

The Slint album that helped push music critic Simon Reynolds toward coming up with a new denomination for a music that he considered beyond rock--for which he coined the term, "Post Rock."

Line-up / Musicians:

- Brian McMahan / guitar, vocals

- David Pajo / guitar

- Todd Brashear / bass

- Britt Walford / drums, vocals, guitar (3)

1. "Breadcrumb Trail" (5:55) quite an odd combination of styles and sounds: punkish Americana with pretentiousness and the anger of youth. (8.5/10)

2. "Nosferatu Man" (5:34) sparse, punk-rock-like instrumental sounds with minimalist, angular performances match up well with the same split personality of the vocalist from the opening song: calm, pretentious spoken word sections boxed in by screamed punk-like sections. I can almost see where Simon Reynalds felt that rock might be dead; kind of a combination of Beat-era poetry slamming and King Crimson-infused punk rock. (8.25/10)

3. "Don, Aman" (6:28) opens with more spoken word vocals, "Don stepped outside." Walford's bland electrified guitar strums along with dour chords as McMahan continues relaying his angsty narrative of this all-too-mundane "event." After two minutes and lots of spacious emptiness (is this why TALK TALK got lumped into the Post Rock sub-genre?) the strumming turns less staccato and more constant--though all the time using only soft finger tips to do the strumming. Bass has joined in, then electric guitar, then drums, as the angst (in Don) builds. Weird song that never really seems to resolve itself. (8.25/10)

4. "Washer" (8:50) different singer. Little more "full" musical sound palette--not far from that of contemporaries TALK TALK. A little more "complete" of a song--especially musically--with A and B parts (perhaps even a C!) Still, not anything to write home about--except in terms of how dull music and artistic expression has become. (17/20)

5. "For Dinner..." (5:05) slow, suspenseful start with bass and hi-hat, and then guitar and rest of drums.Alternating between the sparse opening and "full" complement of band members. Lots of bass chords and very careful strumming of the two guitars in just a few chords repeating over and over. In the third minute we get a little variation and dynamic action. Not sure how excited I'm supposed to get: there are no vocals, no story (so far as I can tell) being related. Perhaps that's the key to Post Rock: celebrating the mundane with bland (mundane) music! (8/10)

6. "Good Morning, Captain" (7:39) opens with two distorted slow tremolo dyads accompanied by full bass and drums. Spoken word vocals enter: perspective of a lone survivor of a storm of sea as he catches sight of land. The first song that really demonstrates what kind of skills the instrumentalists have (in particular, the drummer). Definitely a theatric rendering of a scene from a novel or short story. I love how everything ramps up in the final minute. Now THIS is a masterful use of music. Not quite what I'd call progressive rock but definitely art rock. The best song on the album. (13.5/15)

Total Time: 39:31

Soundtracks for a suppressed storyteller? I'm often reminded of the emotional musically-accompanied poetry readings of ANNE CLARKE--though these narrations are less poetic as story scenes. Still literary, though.

84.67 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; not quite something that I can or would recommend to everyone but definitely an interesting album for those adventurous souls who like to hear everything that music has to offer. The stories are often compelling, even engaging, but the music is often … not.   

Other Highly Recommended Prog Albums

(Other albums recommended by prog lovers)

BILL BRUFORD'S EARTHWORKS All Heaven Broke Loose

Line-up / Musicians:
- Bill Bruford / electronic, acoustic & chordal drums
- Django Bates / keyboards, E-flat peck horn, trumpet
- Iain Ballamy / saxophones
- Tim Harries / acoustic & electric basses

1. Hotel Splendour (4:41)
2. Forget-Me-Not (8:26)
3. Candles Still Flicker in Romania's Dark (4:35)
4. Pigalle (6:31)
5. Temple of the Winds (5:00)
6. Nerve (6:09)
7. Splashing Out (5:23)
8. All Heaven Broke Loose (9:23) :
- i) Psalm
- ii) Old Song

Total Time 50:08

CAMEL Dust and Dreams

Line-up / Musicians:
- Andrew Latimer / vocals, guitars, flute, keyboards, producer
- Tom Scherpenzeel / keyboards
- Colin Bass / bass
- Paul Burgess / drums
With:
- David Paton / vocals (6)
- Mae McKenna / vocals (6)
- Don Harriss / keyboards
- Kim Venaas / timpani, harmonica
- John Burton / French horn
- Neil Panton / oboe
- Christopher Bock / drums

1. Dust Bowl (1:54)
2. Go West (3:42)
3. Dusted Out (1:35)
4. Mother Road (4:15)
5. Needles (2:34)
6. Rose of Sharon (4:48)
7. Milk n' Honey (3:30)
8. End Of The Line (6:52)
9. Storm Clouds (2:06)
10. Cotton Camp (2:55)
11. Broken Banks (0:34)
12. Sheet Rain (2:14)
13. Whispers (0:52)
14. Little Rivers And Little Rose (1:56)
15. Hopeless Anger (4:57)
16. Whispers in the Rain (2:54)

Total Time: 47:57

STEVE HOWE Turbulence

Line-up / Musicians:
- Steve Howe / acoustic, electric & pedal steel guitars, mandolin, koto, dobro, fretted & fretless basses, Taurus bass pedals, keyboards (9), percussion, congas, arranger & producer
With:
- Billy Currie / keyboards, viola (8)
- Andrew Lucas / organ (1)
- Bill Bruford / drums 
- Nigel Glockler / drums (3,6)

1. Turbulence (4:57)
2. Hint Hint (3:28)
3. Running the Human Race (4:23)
4. The Inner Battle (3:32)
5. Novalis (2:25)
6. Fine Line (3:25)
7. Sensitive Chaos (4:25)
8. Corkscrew (3:56)
9. While Rome's Burning (4:25)
10. From a Place Where Time Runs Slow (3:43)

Total Time: 38:39

JETHRO TULL Catfish Rising

Line-up / Musicians:
- Ian Anderson / vocals, flute, acoustic & electric mandolin, electric & acoustic guitar, drums, percussion, harmonica, keyboards, producer
- Martin Barre / electric guitar
- David Pegg / electric & acoustic basses
- Doane Perry / drums
With:
- Andy Giddings / keyboards (1,4,8)
- Foss Paterson / keyboards (10)
- John "Rabbit" Bundrick / keyboards (11)
- Matt Pegg / bass (1,4,7)
- Scott Hunter / drums (7)

1. This Is Not Love (3:57)
2. Occasional Demons (3:50)
3. Roll Yer Own (4:26)
4. Rocks on the Road (5:33)
5. Sparrow on the Schoolyard Wall (5:23)
6. Thinking Round Corners (3:32)
7. Still Loving You Tonight (4:32)
8. Doctor to My Disease (4:35)
9. Like a Tall Thin Girl (3:38)
10. White Innocence (7:54)
11. Sleeping with the Dog (4:26)
12. Gold-Tipped Boots, Black Jacket and Tie (3:42)
13. When Jesus Came to Play (5:03)

Total Time 60:31

MARILLION Holidays in Eden

Line-up / Musicians:
- Steve Hogarth / lead & backing vocals
- Steve Rothery / guitars
- Mark Kelly / keyboards
- Pete Trewavas / basses, backing vocals
- Ian Mosley / drums, percussion
With:
- Christopher Neil / backing vocals, producer

1. Splintering Heart (6:54)
2. Cover My Eyes (Pain and Heaven) (3:54)
3. The Party (5:36)
4. No One Can (4:41)
5. Holidays in Eden (5:38)
6. Dry Land (4:43)
7. Waiting to Happen (5:01)
8. This Town (3:18)
9. The Rakes Progress (1:54)
10. 100 Nights (6:41)

Total Time 48:20

OZRIC TENTACLES Strangeitude (1991)

Line-up / Musicians:
- Ed Wynne / guitars, synthesizer, sampling & programming, producer
- Joie Hinton / synthesizer, "bubbles", bongos (4 bonus CD)
- John Egan / flute, voice
- Roly Wynne / bass
- Merv Pepler / drums

1. "White Rhino Tea" (5:55) the band going for something heavier--almost in the TED NUGENT vein of music. Some really cool elements but, as a whole it just doesn't come together well. (8.75/10)

2. "Sploosh! (6:24) real water sounds with TD sequencer joined by synth sploosh bass and flanged bass start this one off but the recordings of water being manipulated seem to be the lead instrument that everything else is trying to buoy. In the third minute speed-manipulated guitar play enters for a bit but alternates with splooshy sounds and other keyboard oddities every 20 seconds or so. I'm sure this was fun to create in the studio, but as a listening pleasure it holds little interest. (8.6666667/10)

3. "Saucers" (7:30) the band moves into its now-recognizable Arabian-influenced musical spectrum with some fancy almost-Bayou guitar and rock drums and bass. Spacey keys join in during the second minute. The melody picked up at the two-minute mark for the "chorus" is very familiar from (so many) other OT songs of this ilk. About halfway through, as the soundscape thickens, the Arabian flavours turn more Spanish--and hold this way throughout the more rockin' second half. (13.25/15)

4. "Strangeitude" (7:29) Arabian nose horn opens this as if a call to prayer while monstrous bass notes float and morph ominously beneath. a great groove from the rhythm section drives this one into and through multiple aural dimensions without suffering veer or deviation. Some very sound manipulation at the beginning of the fourth minute cuts off the opening motif, cleaning the slate for a totally new groove to set up. It sounds like the dance music from The Matrix Reloaded (which doesn't come out for another 12 years). Then alien voices and other odd "vocal"izations flit in and out while the future rave continues. Pretty cool. The coolest, most original and innovative song on the album. (13.5/15)

5. "Bizarre Bazaar" (4:04) a very engaging song with Nature/animal sounds (of course) but a nice jazz-rock fusion flow and feel to it (with some Arabian inflections). (8.875/10)

6. "Space Between Your Ears" (7:46) time for a jaunt into Rastafarian jungle lands. The bass holds the line with spacious drumming doing the Jamaican time keeping while a wild assortment of odd noises are thrown into the soup--until the third minute when a righteous slide guitar seems to want to direct traffic--but then, lo! and behold! it just disappears, allowing more oddities and keyboard sounds to be thrown in. It's like we're viewing a constantly flowing jumble of random items (thoughts and ideas). I like the shift in drumming (percussion) in the fourth minute and then the hyper bass in the fifth--before the guitar re-enters to wail away. Pretty cool song despite my usual aversion to all-things Reggae. The final two minutes are pure rockin' jam-ba-lam. (13.35/15)

Total Time: 39:08

88.52 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent display of creative sound engineering over great grooves. 

 

Albums on the Fringe of Prog World

SOUL FAMILY SENSATION New Wave

A gem of a trip hoppy album that flew under the radar, filled with techno-enhanced crossover prog music with some very catchy, hypnotic grooves, melodies, and lyrics. Kudos to Guy Batson and Johnny Male.

1. "Perfect Life" (4:46) (/10)

2. "Messed Up and Blue" (5:00) amazing melodies, lyrics and use of trumpet. (9/10)

3. "The Sheffield Song" (5:41) (9.25/10)

4. "The Day You Went Away" (4:21) (8.5/10)

5. "Japanese Technology" (4:54) one of the best songs, if not THE best song, of the year! (11/10)

6. "747 Tonight" (4:34) amazing horns from The Little Big Horns. (9.5/10)

7. "I Don't Even Know If I Should Call You Baby" (3:43) a mix of old Motown (strings) and modern trip hop (bass and programmed drum lines). (10/10)

8. "Who Ever Said" (3:57) (/10)

9. "Other Stuff" (4:37) reminds me of the awesome dance grooves of OPUS III (9.25/10)

10. "All Across the Network" (4:22) I WANT YOU! (9.5/10)

If this were a true prog album, it would, no doubt, occupy the #1 spot on this page.

JULIA FORDHAM Swept

The follow-up to 1989's sophomore masterpiece, Porcelain. This may be her best; she has certainly blossomed fully into her most mature form.

 Lineup / Musicians:

Julia Fordham / Vocals

Grant Mitchell / Keyboards (1, 3-5, 9-11)

David Sancious / Keyboards (2, 6)

Pino Palladino / Bass (1, 2, 6, 9, 10)

Alan Thomson / Fretless Bass (3, 4, 5)

Dominic Miller / Guitars (1, 2, 3, 6) 

David Rhodes / Guitars (1, 4, 5, 9, 10)

Manu Katché / Drums (1, 9, 10)

Percussion / Miles Bould (1-6, 9, 10)  

Vinnie Colaiuta / Drums (2, 6)

Andy Barron / Drums (4, 5, )

Frank Ricotti / Vibraphone (4)

Angie Nettles / Vocal (1)

Dashiell Rae / Vocals (1) 

Martin McCarrick / Cello (3)

Dave Lewis / Saxophone (4) 

Dónal Lunny / Bodhrán drum, Bouzouki (5)

Graham Henderson / Accordion (5)

John Lubbock / Conductor (7)

Gavyn Wright / Viola (7)

Isobel Griffiths / (7)

Chris Hooker / (7)

Larry Klein / Bass (8)

Mike Fisher / Percussion (8)   

1. "I Thought It Was You" (5:10) (10/10)

2. "Patches of Happiness" (3:49) (9.5/10)

3. "Swept" (4:57) (10/10)

4. "Rainbow Heart" (4:55) (9/10)

5. "Betrayed" (4:14) (9.5/10)

6. "Talk Walk Drive" (4:13) (8.875/10) 

7. "Shame" (3:56) (8.75/10)

8. "(Love Moves in) Mysterious Ways" (4:36) (8.75/10)

9. "As She Whispers" (4:50) (9/10)

10. "Scare Me" (5:59) (9.125/10)

11. "Tied" (3:02) (8.875/10)

92.16 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of classy/sophisticated jazz-infused pop music. 

MY BLOODY VALENTINE Loveless

Singer/guitarist/song-writer Kevin Shields and engineer Alan Moulder team up to produce one of the most eye-opening and sound-busting albums of the 80s and 90s--one that influenced so many now superstars. The 'hit' "Soon" (7:01) (16/15) sounds as fresh and innovative today as it did in 1990 (also on the EP, Glider).

SEAL Seal

Though Trevor Horn and Seal's first hit single, "Crazy" (5:57) (11/10) was released in 1990 (and is the best song of 1990), it was 1994's Seal II that would be the one to earn them a landslide of music awards around the world, this 1991 album is the one that introduced us to the dynamic crossover team of producer/technical master, Trevor Horn, and a voice/composer-in-a-million, Seal. Need I say more?

PEARL JAM Ten

The debut album from a group of musicians who had only recently been cobbled together after the drug-overdose death of one of previous incarnation's Mookie Blaylock's band members. Five songs were already ready in instrumental demo state. The band found Eddie Vedder, who put lyrics to the songs and went into the studio with the Mookie Blaylock (former college basketball star with the 1988 NCAA runners-up Oklahoma Sooners and #10 on the NBA New Jersey Nets) band members to record the rest of the music. 

1. "Once" (3:51)

2. "Even Flow" (4:53)

3. "Alive" (5:41)

4. "Why Go" (3:19)

5. "Black" (5:44) (10/10)

6. "Jeremy" (5:18) (10/10)

7. "Oceans" (2:41)

8. "Porch" (3:30)

9. "Garden" (4:58)

10. "Deep" (4:18)

11. "Release" (5:04)

12. "(silence)" (0:15)

13. "Master / Slave" (3:47)

KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION Strange Free World

Containing the amazing song "Drive That Fast" and a hard-rockin' Shoegaze style deserves some attention!

MASSIVE ATTACK Blue Lines

KLF The White Room

THE COMMITMENTS The Commitments

A soundtrack that is definitely made better by the film's live performances.

THE DREAM ACADEMY A Different Kind of Weather 

Two GREAT songs in a cover of John Lennon's "Love" and "Waterloo"