tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41778897697265753122024-03-28T07:48:06.698-07:00Prog Is Alive and Well in the 21st CenturyDrew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.comBlogger268125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-31348744819830484432024-03-15T15:19:00.000-07:002024-03-25T13:26:24.249-07:00Important Dates in the Incubation and Emergence of Jazz-Rock Fusion<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>July 1955 -</b> Miles Davis performs for the first time at <b>The Newport Jazz Festival</b>. This event is considered to be one of the most significant to the history of music.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>August 17, 1959 -</b> Blue Note Records releases <b>Miles Davis</b>' <b><i>Kind of Blue</i>.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>February 1960 - </b>Atlantic Records releases <b>John Coltrane</b>'s <i style="font-weight: bold;">Giant Steps</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>March 1961 - </b>Atlantic Records releases <b>John Coltrane</b>'s <b style="font-style: italic;">My Favorite Things</b>, an album whose sales and radio play proved that jazz music had a place in pop culture.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>January 1965 -</b> Impulse! Records releases <b>John Coltrane</b>'s <i style="font-weight: bold;">A Love Supreme</i>. The record was recorded in one day, December 9, 1964.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>January 1966 -</b> release of <b>The Free Spirits</b>'<i> <b>Out of Sight and Sound</b></i>, <b>Larry Coryell</b>'s first New York City band's miserable (and failed) attempt at capturing their dynamic live sound in a studio setting.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>September 18, 1966 - </b>Day three of <b>The Monterey Jazz Festival.</b> During Sunday afternoon's legendary set, trumpeter and bandleader <b>Don Ellis</b> used his off-beat humor and educational speaking skills to connect with the audience, teaching them what made his songs unusual (the very, very odd time signatures and polyrhythms being played by his 20-person stage "orchestra"). The young audience members responded with a surprising affection as well as a very unexpected inclination to dance! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Late 1966 -</b> Columbia Records releases the <b>Don Ellis Orchestra</b>'s <b style="font-style: italic;">'Live' at Monterey !</b> The vinyl recording of the now-legendary concert performance(s) of a couple of months before.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>February 15 & March 7, 1967 -</b> the studio recording dates for </span><b>John Coltrane</b><span>'s album, </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Expression</i><span>. This would be the last studio album that John would see through to production before his July 17 death. The feeling of John's full presence leaves the listener thinking that he might have known that these were to be his last studio recordings. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1967 -</b> <b>Gary Burton</b> <b style="font-style: italic;">Duster</b>, considered by many to be <b>the first true Jazz-Rock Fusion album</b>. Gary's forward-thinking genius was in his ability and willingness to try and adapt to new trends and sounds in music--here employing electric guitars of Larry Coryell with the dynamic rhythm section of Steve Swallow and Roy Haynes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>July 17, 1967 -</b> <b>death of John Coltrane</b>--an event that sent shock waves throughout the music world.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>September 1967 -</b> Impulse! Records releases <b>John Coltrane</b>'s <i><b>Expression</b></i>, the artist's last album that he had personally authorized. Personally, this is my favorite John Coltrane album.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>September 19 & 20, 1967 -</b> Columbia Records releases <b>Don Ellis Orchestra</b>'s <b style="font-style: italic;">Electric Bath</b>. Moving quickly to take advantage of the recent explosion in interest in Don's Orchestra, jazz record producer John Hammond was able to nail Don and his large ensemble down to recording dates immediately following the 1967 Monterey Jazz Festival at which the Orchestra performed as the Festival's headliner--due to the popular acclaim from the previous year. Don was very excited to try to record some of his new ideas with his 21-man band. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>May 1968 -</b> <b>Miles Davis </b>starts dating 22-year old model and aspiring singer, Betty Mabry. The two would marry in September and divorce one year later. The association would dramatically expand Miles' musical and cultural perspectives--especially in Betty's exposure to the music of James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, and Jimi Hendrix. (Previously, Miles was notoriously obsessed with classical and jazz music to the utter exclusion of radio, pop, and television.) She even introduced Miles to Sly Stone and her friend Jimi Hendrix--with whom Miles would form an instant and profound connection and bond (despite his marriage-ending jealousy of him).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Late 1968 - </b>Polydor (Norway) releases 21-year old guitarist/composer <b>Terje Rypdal</b>'s first album, entitled <i><b>Bleak House</b></i>, under his own name, marking the new direction(s) that the young artist will be choosing to explore for the rest of his life. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span><b>February 18, 1969 -</b> studio recording session for <b>Miles Davis</b>' <b style="font-style: italic;">In a Silent Way</b>. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">After half a year of hearing the amazing things going on in the world of pop music, Miles opened himself up to "the future of music"--a future in which the electronic instruments and engineering treatments flooding the world of rock 'n' roll could and would be combined with, or rather, merged with jazz. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Despite his excitement for the introduction of his "new" Quartet (to include </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">dynamic drummer Jack DeJohnette, electric and acoustic bassist Dave Holland, and experimental keyboard player Chick Corea, </span><span style="font-size: large;">and, later, saxophonist Wayne Shorter under the "Quintet" format), Miles invited newcomers John McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams to sit in on the session in an unprecedented expanded, electric lineup. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: white;">March 1969 -</b><span style="background-color: white;"> Recording sessions for </span><b style="background-color: white;">Larry Coryell</b><span style="background-color: white;">'s ground-breaking album, </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i>Spaces</i></b><span style="background-color: white;">, occurs in March of 1969. Guest artists John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, and Chick Corea were coming straight out of the February 18 recording sessions with Miles Davis for what would become the album, </span><i style="background-color: white;">In a Silent Way</i><span style="background-color: white;">. Larry is quoted as saying that it took a whole day of recording for his guests to 'come back down to earth' in order to play his compositions as he set forth. Consequently, none of the music recorded from Day One ended up being used on the published album. </span></span></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>March 1969 -</b> Fontana Records releases </span><b>Colosseum</b><span>'s </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Those Who Are About to Die Salute You</i><span>. Formed from former members of the New Jazz Orchestra, Graham Bond Organization, and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and their long-time friends, Dave Greenslade and Tony Reeves, the band members' intentions in forming were completely focused on the fusion of jazz, blues, and rock.</span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>April 28, 1969 -</b> Columbia Records releases <b>Chicago</b>'s debut album, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Chicago Transit Authority</i>. Though expressing themselves through a variety of established styles, the overall feeling of the album is quite progressive and often clearly a fusion of rock 'n' roll with jazz and blues rock. Aside from the astonishingly groundbreaking arrangements of the amazingly tight horn section, critics and musicians (including one Jimi Hendrix) are immediately magnetized to the dynamic virtuosity of guitarist Terry Kath and drummer Danny Seraphine. Side One of the four-sided album represents the most polished progressive rock/jazz-rock fusion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>May 11-12, 1969 - </b>fairly fresh from February's studio recording sessions with Miles Davis (which would become the <i>In A Silent Way </i>album) and most likely already having seen Tony WIlliams' Lifetime trio in a live setting (multiple times), <b>Chick Corea </b>books some studio time for the exploration of some new ideas of his own. Employing Miles' other Second Great Quartet members (of which he was also a member), Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette as well as other experimental fusion enthusiasts Bennie Maupin and Hubert Laws, Chick's septet records four songs that, unfortunately, don't get released until 1972 as the Groove Merchant album, <i>Sundance</i>. The music is still founded in post-bop jazz but boasts some more aggressive play and sound dynamics than previous albums--especially from drummer DeJohnette and Chick himself.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>May 26 & 28, 1969 -</b> Dates of revolutionary drummer <b>Tony Williams</b>' studio recording sessions with John McLaughlin and Larry Young for what will become the album <b><i>Emergency!</i> </b>Fusion giants Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea all mention the loud and aggressive sound and play of Lifetime guitarist John McLaughlin as transformational in their personal visions of the future possibilities of music. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>July 1969 -</b> <b>Newport Jazz Festival<i>.</i></b> The <b>Miles Davis</b> Quintet performs a set in the early evening of Saturday's lineup as a quartet as saxophonist Wayne Shorter got stuck in traffic and never made it. The day's lineup included Art Blakey, Dave Brubeck, Gary Burton Quartet, and John Mayall's new post-Bluesbreaker US lineup before Miles' appearance and then Sly & The Family Stone and Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention afterwards. Whether or not Miles saw or heard any of the other artist's music remains obscure: Knowing the social nature of his still-wife Betty, it is a possibility; knowing the moodiness that Miles' jealousy and his response to Wayne Shorter's lateness might have cause, the chances dim considerably. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>July 30, 1969 -</b> Columbia Records releases <b>Miles Davis</b>' <i><b>In a Silent Way.</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>August15-18 1969 -</b> The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, otherwise known as "<b>Woodstock</b>." Sunday night's closing act is Jimi Hendrix--performing a now-legendary set less than 12 hours before the historic <i>Bitches Brew </i>recording sessions were to begin. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>August 19-21, 1969 -</b> dates of the studio recording sessions for <b>Miles Davis</b>' <i>Bitches Brew</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>September 1969 -</b> Verve Records releases <b>The</b> <b>Tony Williams Lifetime</b>'s debut album,<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Emergency! </i>The double album represents a major landmark in the emergence of the Jazz-Rock Fusion movement of progressive rock music.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>November 1969 -</b> Vertigo Records releases of <b>Colosseum</b>'s <i><b>Valentyne Suite</b></i>. With its 17-minute side-long title song suite, <i>Valentyne Suite</i> represents a true landmark in and representative of progressive rock music's new Jazz-Rock Fusion subgenre.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>January 12-21, 1970 -</b> the recording session of Ian Carr's new band, </span><b>Nucleus</b><span>. Fresh out of a five-year stint with Don Rendell, Carr envisions the fusion of electric instruments within his beloved jazz music. According to Carr, this was before he or any of his band members had heard Miles Davis'</span><span> </span><i>In a Silent Way</i><span> much less the as-yet-unreleased</span><span> </span><i>Bitches Brew</i><span>. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>March 1970 -</b> Vertigo Records releases <b>Nucleus</b>' debut album, <b style="font-style: italic;">Elastic Rock</b>. Over the course of the next four months, Ian Carr's band would win first prize at June's Montreux Jazz Festival as well as appear in July at The Newport Jazz Festival and perform at New York's prestigious Village Gate jazz club.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>March 30, 1970 -</b> Columbia Records releases <b>Miles Davis</b>' <i><b>Bitches Brew</b></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>June 1970 -</b> CBS/Columbia Records releases of <b>The Soft Machine</b>'s <b style="font-style: italic;">Third</b>. Recorded and band-produced from January through May, they were now working with a quartet lineup that included Robert Wyatt on drums and vocals, Mike Ratledge on keys, bass guitarist Hugh Hopper, and saxophonist Elton Dean. Relased as a double album, it contains four side-long songs, each representative of four different inspirations and objectives. </span><span>The opening song, "Facelift" was a Hugh Hopper-composed, Miles Davis-inspired jam recorded live on two different occasions in January at two different venues and then elaborately and laboriously spliced together with various other studio tracks and techniques to make the version presented on the album. "Slightly All the Time" is a medley of various instrumental pieces (some of which would end up on future Caravan albums). Robert Wyatt's three-part "Moon in June" is a Softs song that represents the quirky art rock direction from which the band members had emerged whereas the first two songs were more indicative of the jazz-rock fusion direction they would go. The final song, "Out-Bloody-Rageous," is an instrumental experiment of Mike Ratledge's that was inspired by the recent minimalist electron</span><span>ic work of Terry Riley (</span><i>In C</i><span> and </span><i>A Rainbow in Curved Air</i><span>, specifically</span><span>).</span><span> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>July 1970 -</b> Douglas Records releases guitarist </span><b>John McLaughlin</b><span>'s second album, <b><i>Devotion</i></b>--his first to be recorded in the USA. It featured a lineup that included organist Larry Young, Billy Rich on bass, and </span><span>former member of Electric Flag and Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys </span><span>drummer, Buddy Miles. John immediately distanced himself from the album as he was disappointed in the way producer Alan Douglas "destroyed" the music when mixing the songs down in John's absence.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>Fall of 1970 -</b> Chisa Records' <b>The Jazz Crusaders</b> decide to to drop the "jazz" part of their name in an effort to expand their potential listenership.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>November 1970 -</b> Vanguard Records releases <b>Larry Coryell</b>'s ground-breaking album, <i><b>Spaces</b></i>. It is a mystery as to why an album recorded in March of 1960, 19 months ago(!), has taken so long to reach the public.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>January 1971 -</b> Vertigo Records releases </span><b>Nucleus</b><span>'s sophomore album, </span><b style="font-style: italic;">We'll Talk About It Later</b><span>. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>February 1971 -</b> CBS/Columbia Records releases of </span><b>The Soft Machine</b><span>'s fourth studio album, titled</span><b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">4</i><span><b>, </b><i>"<b>Four</b>," or<b> </b>"<b>Fourth</b></i></span><i>." </i><span>Despite the core membership remaining the same as the previous record, </span><i>Third</i><span>, the album sees the participation of five "guest" artists, including double bass player Roy Babbington: the first of the band's refugees emigrating from Ian Carr's Nucleus.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>May 12, 1971 -</b> Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter release their first eponymously-titled </span><b>Weather Report</b><span> album. Recorded in February and March, two of the rhythmists on board (Airto Moreira and Don Alias) are also carryovers from Miles Davis' <i>Bitches Brew </i>sessions the previous August. Readers of DownBeat Magazine voted <i>Weather Report </i>their jazz Album of the Year.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>May 1971 -</b> After 15 albums in the 19760s, The Jazz Crusaders release their first album as <b>The Crusaders</b>. It is entitled <i><b>Pass the Plate</b> </i>and is their second and final album with the Chisa label. Interestingly, the music contained herein--six songs and one 15-minute five-part suite--were all composed exclusively within the band: three by Wayne Henderson, three by Joe Sample, and one by Stix Hooper. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>June 1971 -</b> Columbia Records releases <b>John McLaughlin</b>'s third album as bandleader, entitled, <i><b>My Goals Beyond</b></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>August 14, 1971 -</b> fresh off of the March recording sessions that would lead to the June release of his third studio album, </span><i>My Goals Beyond</i><span>, guitarist John McLaughlin was inspired to take a step further into the aggressive music of rock-powered jazz fusion. Thus, the </span><b>Mahavishnu Orchestra</b><span> was born. Here he used an international lineup of musicians, some of whom he had used on </span><i>My Goals</i><span>, including American violinist Jerry Goodman and Panamanian drummer Billy Cobham, with Irishman Rick Laird performing the bass duties and Czechoslovakian-born keyboard wizard Jan Hammer rounding out the quintet. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>November 3, 1971 -</b> Columbia Records releases </span><b>The Mahavishnu Orchestra'</b><span>s debut album, </span><i><b>Inner Mounting Flame</b></i><span>. After this, "John McLaughlin" would become a household name.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>December 1971 - </b>Finnish record label Love releases <b>Wigwam</b>'s<b> </b><b style="font-style: italic;">Fairyport</b>, a landmark in European music and one of the pinnacles of Continental jazz-rock fusion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>February 1972 - The Crusaders</b> release their first album with their new label, Blue Thumb, entitle <i><b>Crusaders 1</b></i>. It is the first of ten albums the band would release with Blue Thumb throughout the 1970s, all the while conforming to tremendous pressures to incorporate more easy listening jazz covers of recent pop hit songs.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>July 1972 -</b> CBS/Columbia Records releases <b>The Soft Machine</b>'s fifth studio album, titled<i style="font-weight: bold;"> 5</i>, or "<i style="font-weight: bold;">Five</i>," or "<i style="font-weight: bold;">Fifth</i>." </span><span>The band's lineup still includes Ratledge, Hopper, and Dean, but drummer Robert Wyatt has departed and double bassist Roy Babbington plays alongside Hugh Hopper while the drumming duties are split between Phil Howard on Side One and Nucleus ex-pat John Marshall on Side Two.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>September 1972 -</b> ECM Records releases </span><b>Chick Corea</b><span>'s </span><i><b>Return to Forever</b></i><span>. Recorded in New York City, the album's Brazilian-dominated lineup (vocalist Flora Purim and drummer Airto Moreira providing the album's percussion tracks) resulted in a more Latin-jazz-expressive album than the RtF successors will have. The album's song "Crystal Silence" will become the central title piece to Chick's duet with vibraphone player Gary Burton in the following year. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>September 1972 -</b> RCA Records records and releases</span><b> Perigeo</b><span>'s</span><b> </b><b style="font-style: italic;">Azimut</b><span>.</span><i> </i><span>Recorded in Rome in 1972, the Miles Davis-inspired music is raw and electric. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>December 6, 1972 -</b> recording date for ECM of <b>Chick Corea & Gary Burton</b>'s historic duet, <i><b>Crystal Silence</b> </i>with Manfred Eicher in Oslo, Norway.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>December 1972 -</b> Love Records releases Finland's <b>Pekka Pohjola</b>'s debut album as a solo artist and bandleader, entitled <i style="font-weight: bold;">Pihkasilmä</i><b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Kaarnakorva</i>. Before Wigwam's bass player was fully ready to commit to a career on his own, Pekka created this album. The influences of Frank Zappa and Samla Mammas Manna are pretty apparent.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>January 1973 -</b> release of </span><b>Deodato</b><span>'s </span><i><b>Prelude</b></i><span> with its breakout AM and FM radio hit, "Also Sprach Zarathustra" proving that Jazz-Rock Fusion has reached the mainstream of popular music. Aside from Eumir's employment of eight highly-regarded and prominently up-and-coming American jazz artists (Stanley Clarke, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, John Tropea and Jay Berliner, Airto Moreira and Ray Barretto) the maestro incorporated a full 26-member jazz orchestra throughout all of the songs.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>January 1973 -</b> Polydor Records releases Chick Corea's <b>Return to Forever</b>'s second studio album, <i><b>Light as a Feather</b></i>. The mostly acoustic lineup remains the same from the debut album though perhaps a little less Latin-oriented.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>February 1973 -</b> CBS/Columbia Records releases <b>The Soft Machine</b>'s sixth studio album, titled<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Six</i>. The band's lineup has shrunk back down to a quartet with Mike Ratledge and Hugh Hopper remaining as two former-Nucleus members now join in: John Marshall sitting in on the drum kit and newcomer Karl Jenkins providing reed instruments as well as additional keyboards.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>March 26, 1973 -</b> CBS/Columbia Records releases <b>The Mahavishnu Orchestra</b>'s album <i><b>Birds of Fire</b></i>, a masterpiece of virtuosic performances that is considered by some as the pinnacle of the fusion of jazz with rock 'n' roll. The exhausted and frustrated band would crumble and fall apart during recording sessions in June at London's Trident Studios.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>April 27, 1973 </b>- Columbia Records releases <b>Weather Report</b>'s third album, <i><b>Sweetnighter</b></i>. Recorded in early February, the album represents a step forward for the band's experimentation with electric instruments.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>July 20, 1973 - </b>Columbia Records releases the Santana-Mahavishnu confabulation, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Love Devotion Surrender</i>, a celebration of John Coltrane's spirituality between Sri Chimnoy devotees "Devadip" Carlos Santana and members of his band with Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and remnants of his Mahavishnu Orchestra and other solo projects. A polarizing album among many fans and critics both then and today, I happen to consider <i>Love Devotion Surrender</i> as one of the finest achievements of the Jazz-Rock Fusion movement. The work of organist Khalid Yasin (Larry Young), electric bass phenom Doug Rauch, and the Santana percussion section transcend all expectations and Carlos' melodic guitar work has never been better though John's pyrotechnics are sometimes a bit over-the-top. Still, this sits in my list of Top 10 Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums from the Classic Era. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>September 5, 1973 -</b> Cramps Records releases Milanese band <b>Area</b>'s debut album, <i><b>Arbeit Macht Frei</b></i>. Though not quite as polished--with all band members' full virtuosity on display--as future albums (especially my favorite, <i>Crac!</i>), this was an Earth-shattering debut in the scene of Rock Progressive Italiano as well as European Jazz-Rock Fusion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>September 1973 -</b> RCA Records releases Roman band <b>Perigeo</b>'s sophomore album, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Abbiamo tutti un blues di piangere</i>. The band members have all matured and congealed better than their impressive debut,<i> Azimut</i> from the year before: The skill level of American-born guitarist Tony Sidney and saxophonist Caludio Fasoli have improved markedly as have the support skills of keyboard player Franco D'Andrea making this one of the finest Continental jazz-rock fusion albums of the Classic Era.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>September 23, 1973 -</b> BMG Records releases the first and only studio album from Napolitano band <b>Cervello</b>, entitled <b style="font-style: italic;">Melos</b>. The album announces to the world the arrival of 17-year old guitar phenom Corrado Rustici, one of my favorite guitarists of all-time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>October 1, 1973 - </b>Atlantic Records releases<b> Billy Cobham</b>'s <i><b>Spectrum</b>.</i> This was the drumming superstar's first foray into solo band leadership. The collaboration between Billy and </span>keyboard virtuoso Jan Hammer was o<span style="font-size: medium;">bviously the result of the continued creative respect and appreciation the two retained for one another after the demise and disbandment of Mahavishnu Orchestra's first incarnation. The list of other musicians employed for the studio sessions reads as a cornucopia of ages and backgrounds--all that was necessary to help them complete their "flying by the seat of our pants" vision. These include young "Section" bassist Leland Sklar on electric bass and veteran Ron Carter on acoustic, Tommy Bolin and John Tropea on electric guitars, Ray Barretto on percussion, and Joe Farrell and Jimmy Owens on winds and horns, respectively. The album is often touted as one of the best jazz-rock fusion albums of all-time and is legendary for the oft-covered 10-minute drummer's fantasy classic, "Stratus."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>October 1973 -</b> CBS/Columbia Records releases <b>The Soft Machine</b>'s seventh studio album, titled<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Seven</i>. The only remaining founding member is Mike Ratledge; his quartet's lineup now includes three former members of Ian Carr's Nucleus: Karl Jenkins, Roy Babbington, and John Marshall. (Kind of makes one wonder what it was like working with Ian Carr). With only seven months between releases, the collaboration with the former Nucleus team is obviously quite fertile.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>October 1973 -</b> Polydor Records releases <b>Return to Forever</b>'s third album, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy</i>. The significant lineup change with electric guitarist Bill Connors, electric bassist Stanley Clarke, and Tony Williams-like drumming phenom Lenny White replacing all of his previous collaborators, thus announcing leader Chick Corea's desire to take his jazz-rock fusion more into the realm of electrified rock-oriented sounds and dynamics. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Late 1973 -</b> Trident Records releases<b> Dedalus </b>debut album<b> </b><b style="font-style: italic;">Dedalus</b>.<i> </i>The Turino-based band's instrumental jazz evokes the sound of The Soft Machine's early jazz works.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>January 3, 1974 -</b> ECM Records releases <b>Julian Priester,</b> aka "Pepe Mtoto"'s album <i><b>Love Love</b></i>. Recorded on June 28 and September 13 of the previous year, it is the final studio album recorded with the final lineup of Herbie Hancock's famous Mwandishi septet (plus a few other guests). I consider this album along with it's "twin" Eddie Henderson's <i>Inside Out</i> to be two of the very best examples of jazz-rock fusion at its very pinnacle of form and quality. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>January 1974 -</b> Capricorn Records releases trumpeter <b>Eddie Henderson</b>'s sophomore album as a band leader, <i><b>Inside Out</b>. </i>Recorded in October of 1973, it is one of the last albums made with the entire Mwandishi lineup from Herbie Hancock's <i>Sextet</i> sessions. In my opinion, the music recorded here represents the absolute peak of the exploratory movement that became known as "Jazz-Rock Fusion."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>February 1974 -</b> Love Records' release of Finnish band's <b>Wigwam</b>'s fifth album,<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Being</i>. Band leader and principle keyboard artist and vocalist Jukka Gustavsson and bassist Pekka Pohjola's last album with the band. Some regard this as Wigwam's best album while many prefer its predecessor, <i>Fairyport</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>March 24, 1974 -</b> Columbia Records releases <b>Weather Report</b>'s fourth album, <b style="font-style: italic;">Mysterious Traveller</b>, noting the band's continued evolution with multi-tracking and even more expeirmentation with sound and sound effects on their instruments (including Wayne's saxophones) for their less-amorphous, more-structured song compositions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>March and April 1974 -</b> the studio recording sessions and subsequent release of new music from <b>The Mahavishnu Orchestra</b>'s <b>second incarnation</b>. Gayle Moran, Jean-Luc Ponty, Ralphe Armstrong, and Narada Michael Walden formed John McLaughlin's support crew with the resultant album, <i><b>Apocalypse</b></i>, also fully incorporating the orchestral arrangements of Michael Gibbs with pianist Michael Tilson Thomas leading the </span><span style="font-size: large;">London Symphony Orche</span><span style="font-size: large;">stra..</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>July to September 1974 -</b> recording studio time and release of Chick Corea's <b>Return to Forever</b>'s fourth studio album, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Where Have I Known You Before</i>. This is the electric quartet's first album with 20-year old guitar phenom <b>Al DiMeola</b>, replacing much-beloved Bill Connors. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>October 1974 -</b> After hearing <b>George Martin</b>'s production of the Mahavishnu Orchestra's 1974 album <i>Apocalypse</i>, <b>Jeff Beck</b> decided to hire the legendary engineer/producer for his next project. With friends Stevie Wonder and Max Middleton and Carmine Appice, Martin was able to guide Beck into a new form of sound. The result would be his Grammy Award-winning album (and highest selling album of all-time), <i>Blow by Blow</i>. In my opinion, this is the album that opens the door for the explosion of lush, melodic, and "watered down" "jazz" music--some of it by known and established jazz musicians, much of it from pop- and sales-oriented wannabes--that would become known as "Smooth Jazz." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span><b>December 1974 -</b> Finnish label Love releases Wigwam bass player's <b>Pekka </b></span></span><b>Pohjola</b><span>'s </span><span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Harraka </i></span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Bialoipokku </i><i>(The Magpie)</i><span>,</span><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i><span>his second solo album but his first since he had officially stepped away from his original band. Pekka's classical-sounding piano modulations are sometimes solo, sometimes matched by electric bass and keyboards as well as drums and horns. A stellar contribution to the J-R Fusion cause and one of the Continent's finest releases during the "Classic Era."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>December 1974 / February 1975 -</b> recording and release of Columbia Records' <i><b>Visions of the Emerald Beyond</b></i> from the second incarnation of John McLaughlin's <b>Mahavishnu Orchestra</b>. Of all the Mahavishnu albums, this one is the one I listen to most--the one I most enjoy.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>January 1975 -</b> Opus Records releases Slovakian band</span><b> Fermáta</b><span>'s debut album,</span><b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Fermáta</i><span>. The o</span><span>bviously-impressive musicians are here modeling their sound and expression on that of The Mahavishnu Orchestra; the music on this excellent album is, in my opinion, trying too hard to impress, not enough to engage and be remembered.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>February 1975 -</b> Polydor Records releases <b>Return to Forever</b>'s fifth studio album, <i><b>No Mystery</b></i>, its second with the Corea, Clarke, White, and DiMeola lineup. The album earned the group a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance, Individual or Group.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>March 22, 1975 -</b> Harvest Records releases <b>The Soft Machine</b>'s eighth studio album, entitled,<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Bundles</i>. The band here expands once again to a quintet with the band's fourth former-Nucleus member, guitarist <b>Allan Holdsworth</b>. In my opinion, <i>Bundles </i>is one of the Top 10 Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums of All-time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>March 29, 1975 -</b> Epic Records releases<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b><b>Jeff Beck</b>'s<b> </b><b style="font-style: italic;">Blow by Blow</b>. The new jazz-rock style conveyed by Beck and producer George Martin would earn the guitarist household recognition as well as record album sales (over one million) and universal acclaim among the critics. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>June 15, 1975 -</b> Cramps Records releases Milanese band <b>Area</b>'s third studio album, entitled <i><b>Crac!</b></i> which is, in my opinion, the finest example of Jazz-Rock Fusion to come from any Italian or Continental band during the "Classic Era" of progressive rock music. It is not only in my Top 10 list of All-Time "Classic Era" Favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums but an album that I think surpasses anything to have been released by any of the incarnations of John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra. Drummer Giulio Capiozzo should be in every music lover's discussions of the very best drummers who ever lived. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>October 1975 - </b>Columbia Records releases <i style="font-weight: bold;">Believe It</i>, drummer Tony Williams first album with his newly-reformed <b>New Tony Williams New Lifetime </b>band. A quartet that is perhaps as famous for its having lured guitar phenom Allan Holdsworth away from a pretty good gig with The Soft Machine as it is for being one of Tony's best albums, Allan recalled his association with Tony at this point in his career as "the most influential and formative" of his life.<b> </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>March 1976 -</b> Columbia Records releases <b>Return to Forever</b>'s sixth studio album and third with its Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, Al DiMeola, Lenny White lineup, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Romantic Warrior</i>--the last with guitar sensation Al DiMeola. This is another of my Top 20 Favorite Albums of the Classic Era of Jazz-Rock Fusion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>March 11, 1976 -</b> Columbia Records releases <b>Weather Report</b>'s sixth studio album, considered a transitional album, entitled<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Black Market</i>. The band's lineup consists of leaders Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter with electric bass duties being shared by Alphonso Johnson and newcomer Jaco Pastorius (fretless on two songs), drumming duties split/shared by newcomers Chester Thompson and Narada Michael Walden (on two tracks), and percussion duties split between Alex Acuña and Don Alias (on two songs). The critically-acclaimed Afro-funk themed album is considered a landmark album for both the band and Jazz-Rock Fusion. It was the band's most successful album commercially up to that time. Bass phenom Pastorius would affix himself to the band for the next six years, boosting sales, audience numbers, as well as critical success before leaving after the release of the band's 1982 self-titled album.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>September 27, 1976 -</b> GAD Records releases<b> SBB</b>'s sophomore album,<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Pamiec</i>. The Polish power trio of includes Jósef Skrzek on keyboards and bass guitar, Apostolis Antymos on guitars, and Jerzy Piotrowski on drums. This is my all-time favorite SBB album and, in my opinion, one of the Top 10 Jazz-Rock Fusion albums of the Classic Era--for the whole world, not just the Continent.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>October 25, 1976 -</b> Columbia Records releases <b>Al DiMeola</b>'s debut solo album to great critical acclaim. It is called <i><b>Land of the Midnight Sun</b></i>. It enlists the support of all of his Return to Forever bandmates as well as several Weather Report members and other jazz-rock fusion all-stars like Anthony Jackson, Mingo Lewis, Barry Miles, and Steve Gadd.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>March 1977 -</b> Columbia Records releases<b> Weather Report</b>'s seventh album, <b style="font-style: italic;">Heavy Weather</b>. With a lineup that is now solidified with Zawinul, Shorter, Pastorius, Ales Acuña on drums, and Manolo Badrena on percussion. Buoyed by its massive hit, "Birdland," the album sells over a million copies in the US, making it one of Columbia's biggest jazz sellers of all-time, and is voted "Album of the Year" by <i>DownBeat</i> magazine.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>April 1977 -</b> Columbia Records releases <b>Al DiMeola</b>'s sophomore solo album, <i><b>Elegant Gypsy</b></i>. Highly acclaimed at the time and now, sold over 500,000 units in the US and nearly as much in the rest of the world. It is considered a peak landmark album in the development of jazz-rock fusion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>August 1977 - </b><span>Drummer </span><b>Bill Bruford</b><span>, a past member of bands Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, and National Health, sets off on his own in order to better satisfy his strong leanings toward jazz drumming. The result is the band Bruford. The lineup for the band's debut album, </span><i>Feels Good to Me</i><span>,</span><span> includes American bassist Jeff Berlin, vocalist Annette Peacock, keyboard genius Dave Stewart (of Egg, Khan, Hatfield and the North, and National Health fame--</span><i>not</i><span> The Eurhythmics</span><span>), and guitar phenom Allan Holdsworth.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>September 23, 1977 - </b><span>ABC Records releases</span><b> Steely Dan</b><span>'s </span><b style="font-style: italic;">Aja</b><span>.</span><span> It was founding duo Donald Fagen and Walter Becker's sixth studio album, selling over 5 million copies. The album is considered a landmark for successfully crossing jazz-rock over into the realm of pop music--letting the industry know that "pop infused with a little jazz was a good thing." ("Yacht rockers" Billy Joel, Boz Scaggs, Chris Rea, and Rickie Lee Jones apparently heard the message.) </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Late 1977 -</b> Opus Records releases Slovakian band<b> Fermatà</b>'s third album,<i style="font-weight: bold;"> Huascaran</i>.<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>An even more impressive album than their debut, each song seems to emulate a different jazz-rock or progressive rock band's sound and style with the symphonic overtones of something very romantic in the 13-minute opener, the Al DiMeola-era Return to Forever, <i>Black Market </i>Weather Report, and smoother, more melodic second incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra as it's most obvious targets. The central figure is, of course, technically-gifted guitar wizard Frantisek Griglák, but bassist Ladislav Lucenic's presence is huge. Too bad this is his only album with the band. Also, Tomas Berka's increasing use of synths is actually very tastefully done--never gaudy or kitschy, always expanding the music and its soundscapes in fuller, more beautifl ways. Though perhaps a little too familiar due to the close emulation of its source inpirateurs, this is a very impressive display of nearly-perfect performances of very mature and well-developed, complex compositions. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>January 1978 -</b> EG/Polydor Records releases fusion band <b>Bruford</b>'s debut album, <i><b>Feels Good to Me</b></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><b>Early 1978 -</b> Supraphon Records releases<b> SBB</b>'s<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i></span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><i>Wołanie o brzęk szkła (</i></span><i style="font-weight: bold;">"Slovenian Girls").</i></span><span> Two songs, "Julia" and "Anna," one for each side of the vinyl disc. Melodic and highly accomplished musicianship that satisfies on many levels.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>May 1978 -</b><span> E.G. Records releases British supergroup </span><b>U.K.</b><span>'s self-titled debut album, </span><i><b>UK</b></i><span>. Though satisfying the progressive rock lover's appetites, the music of the supergroup's debut album definitely checks off the requirements of any Jazz-Rock Fusion effort as well--especially thanks to Bill Bruford's complex rhythms, Allan Holdsworth's free-flowing incendiary solos, and Eddie Jobson's masterful electric violin play. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1979 - </b><span>Dig It Records releases </span><b>Pekka Pohjola</b><span>'s fourth album as a bandleader,</span><b> </b><span>called</span><b> </b><span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Visitation</i><b>.</b> It is regarded by many as Pohjola's finest album from the Classic Era.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>June 1979 -</b> </span><span>EG/Polydor Records releases the band </span><span><b>Bruford</b>'s most highly- and universally-acclaimed album, </span><i><b>One of a Kind</b></i><span>. The lineup is now reduced to a quartet that includes original members Bruford, Holdsworth, Stewart, and Berlin. The album was recorded after Bruford and Holdsworth's super group, UK's first album release and tour during the previous year, and, thus, surprised no one to have incorporated versions of two Bruford-penned songs that UK had performed live while on their tour, "Forever Until Sunday" and "Sahara in the Snow." (UK keyboard/violinist Eddie Jobson even appears as the violinist on the former song.) <i>One of a Kind </i> is considered by most as Bruford's finest album and a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music's Jazz-Rock Fusion sub-genre.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>December 9, 1979 - The Crusaders </b>release their first album with new label MCA and their 12th studio album of the decade. The album, <i><b>Street Life</b></i>, contained the 11-minute version of the mega hit title song which helped launch singer Randy Crawford's career. What a perfect way to end the decade!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></p>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-53825713041567696652024-03-13T05:29:00.000-07:002024-03-27T08:58:21.243-07:00Prog Lists: My All-Time Favorite "Classic Era" Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums<p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><u>First Wave of "Pure" Jazz-Rock Fusion (1967-1975)</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. LENNY WHITE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Venusian Summer </i>(1975) 95.55</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. CARLOS SANTANA and MAHAVISHNU JOHN MCLAUGHLIN</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> Love Devotion Surrender </i>(1973) 95.0</span></p><div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. AREA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Crac!</i> (1975) 95.36</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4. JOHN MCLAUGHLIN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Devotion</i> (1970) 90.95</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>5. SANTANA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Caravanserai</i> (1972) 94.09</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>6. EDDIE HENDERSON </b><i><b>Inside Out</b> </i>(1974) 91.91</span></p><div><div><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>7. JULIAN PRIESTER</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> aka "</i><b>PEPE MTOTO"</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> Love, Love </i>(1973) 96.25</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>8. MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA <i>Apocalypse</i> </b>(1974) 93.45</span></p></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>9. ARTI E MESTIERI </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Tilt </i>(1974) 92.81</span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>10. TERJE RYPDAL </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Bleak House</i> (1968) 94.29</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>11. THE SOFT MACHINE <i>Bundles </i></b>(1975) 92.38</span></p><div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>12. PERIGEO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Abbiamo Tutti un Blues da Piangere</i> (1973) 92.50</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>13. CERVELLO <i>Melos</i> </b>(1973) 92.86</span></p></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>14. DEODATO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Prelude</i> (1973) 91.96</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>15. DON ELLIS ORCHESTRA <i>Electric Bath</i> </b>(1967) 89.1666667</span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>16. CHICAGO <i>Chicago Transit Authority</i></b> (1969) 89.45</span></div><div><div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>17. MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA </b><i><b>Visions of the Emerald Beyond</b> </i>(1975) 90.29</span></p></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>18. HERBIE HANCOCK <i>Crossings</i> </b><span style="background-color: white;">(May 1972) 92.89</span></span></div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b>19. PERIGEO </b><i>Azimut</i> </b>(1972) 90.36</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">20. AREA <i>Arbeit Macht Frei</i> </b><span style="background-color: white;">(1973) 93.08</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>21. HERBIE HANCOCK <i>Mwandishi</i> </b>(March 1971) 92.94</span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><div><span><b>22. NUCLEUS <i>Let's Talk About It Later</i></b> (1971) 90.953</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><div><b>23. MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Birds of Fire</i> (1973) 93.6111</div><div><br /></div><div><b>24. WEATHER REPORT <i>Sweetwater </i></b>(1973) 91.11</div><div><br /></div><div><b>25. RETURN TO FOREVER </b><i><b>Where Have I Known You Before</b> </i>(1974) 93.95</div><div></div></span></div></span></span></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b><u>Second Wave of Jazz-Rock Fusion (1975-1979)</u></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><b>1. CHICK COREA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Mad Hatter </i>(1978) 98.41</div><div><p><b>2. JAN AKKERMAN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Jan Akkerman</i><span style="background-color: white;"> (1976) 93.01</span></p><div><b>3. JEAN-LUC PONTY <i>Cosmic Messenger</i> </b><span style="background-color: white;">(1979) 93.18</span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><div><b>4. SHAKTI <i>Natural Elements</i></b> (1977) 94.36</div><div><br /></div><div><b>5. JONI MITCHELL <i>Don Juan's Reckless Daughter </i></b> (1977) 93.97</div><p><b>6. STEELY DAN <i>Aja</i> </b>(1977) 94.69</p><p><b>7. FREDDIE HUBBARD <i>The </i></b><b style="font-style: italic;">Love Connection </b><span>(1979) </span>(94.21)</p><p><b>8. SBB <i>Pamiec </i></b>(1976) 94.68</p><p><b>9. RETURN TO FOREVER </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Romantic Warrior </i>(1976) 92.25</p><p><b>10. U.K. <i>UK</i></b> (1978) 95.79</p></span></div><p><b>11. EBERHARD WEBER </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Following Morning </i>(1976) 91.40</p><p><b>12. JEAN-LUC PONTY </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Imaginary Voyage</i> (1976) 91.43</p></div><div><b>13. NOVA <i>Vimana</i></b> (1976) 92.08</div><div><p><b>14. FERMÁTA </b><i><b>Huascaran</b> </i>(1977) 91.66667</p><p><b>15. RICKIE LEE JONES <i>Rickie Lee Jones</i></b> (1979) 91.93</p></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">16. BRUFORD <i>One of a Kind</i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: times;">(1979)</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> 87.89</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">17. BRUFORD</span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;"> Feels Good to Me </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">(1978) 86.81</span></div></span></span></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><b>18. JEFF BECK <i>Blow by Blow</i> </b><span>(1975)</span> 93.04</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>19. WEATHER REPORT <i>Black Market</i></b> (1976) 88.0</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>20. RONNIE LAWS <i>Pressure Sensitive</i> </b>(1975) 90.0</div><div><br /></div><div><b>21. GEORGE BENSON </b><i><b>Breezin'</b> </i>(1976) 93.166667</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>The Most Highly Acclaimed "Classic Era" J-R Fuse Albums from the US & Canada:</b></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Chicago </span><i style="font-family: times;">Chicago Transit Authority</i><span style="font-family: times;">, </span><i style="font-family: times;">II</i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Tony Williams Lifetime<i> Emergency!</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Miles Davis <i>In a Silent Way</i>, <i>Bitches Brew</i>, <i>Jack Johnson </i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">John McLaughlin <i>Devotion</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Mahavishnu Orchestra </span><i style="font-family: times;">Inner Mounting Flame</i><span style="font-family: times;">, </span><i style="font-family: times;">Birds of Fire</i><span style="font-family: times;">, </span><i style="font-family: times;">Apocalypse</i><span style="font-family: times;">, </span><i style="font-family: times;">Visions of the Emerald Beyond</i><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Santana<i> Abraxas, Caravanserai</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Carlos Santana & Mahavishnu John McLaughlin<i> Love Devotion Surrender</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Herbie Hancock </span><i style="font-family: times;">Mwandishi</i><span style="font-family: times;">, </span><i style="font-family: times;">Crossings</i><span style="font-family: times;">, </span><i style="font-family: times;">Sextant</i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">The New Tony Williams Lifetime </span><i style="font-family: times;">Believe It</i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Billy Cobham <i>Spectrum</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Return to Forever <i>Romantic Warrior</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Weather Report <i>Black Market</i>, <i>Heavy Weather</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Steely Dan<i> Aja</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">George Benson <i>Breezin'</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Maneige </span><i style="font-family: times;">Maneige</i><span style="font-family: times;">,</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span><i style="font-family: times;">Les Porches</i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Sloche <i>J'ai un oeil</i>, <i>Stadaconé</i></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">The Most Highly Acclaimed "Classic Era" J-R Fuse Albums from the UK</span></span></span><span style="font-family: times;">:</span></b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Colosseum <i>Valentyne Suite</i></span></div></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Nucleus <i>We'll Talk About It Later</i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">The Soft Machine </span><i style="font-family: times;">Bundles</i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Jeff Beck <i>Blow by Blow</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">Buford <i>One of a Kind</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;">U.K. <i>UK</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>The Most Highly Acclaimed "Classic Era" J-R Fuse Albums from the European Continent:</b></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Terje Rypdal <i>Bleak House</i>, <i>Terje Rypdal</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Cervello <i>Melos</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Wigwam <i>Fairyport</i>, <i>Being</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Dedalus <i>Dedalus</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Perigeo <i>Azimut</i>, <i>Abbiamo tutti un blues da Pangere</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Area <i>Arbeit Macht Frei</i>, <i>Crac!</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Arti E Mestieri <i>Tilt</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Modry Efekt (Blue Effect) <i>A Benefit of Radim Hladík</i><i>, Svitanie</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">SBB <i>Pamiec</i>, <i>Slovenian Girls</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Fermáta <i>Fermáta</i>, <i>Huascaran</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Pekka Pohjola <i>The Magpie</i>, <i>Visitation</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Eberhard Weber <i>Colours of Chloë</i>, <i>The Following Morning</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;">Jan Akkerman <i>Jan Akkerman </i></span></div><div>Jean-Luc Ponty <i>Aurora</i>, <i>Imaginary Voyage</i>, <i>Enigmatic Ocean</i>, <i>Cosmic Messenger</i>, <i>A Taste for Passion</i></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div></span></span></span></div></span></span></div><b></b></div><b></b></div><b></b></div><b></b></div><b></b></div><p></p><b></b>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-71774113341505151612024-03-09T05:52:00.001-08:002024-03-09T05:53:19.862-08:00Favorite Bass Players<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is an ordered list of my favorite bass players of all-time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tony Levin </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Doug Rauch</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">James Jamerson</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Nick Beggs</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">John Camp</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Danny Thompson</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eberhard Weber</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Scott LaFaro</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Steve Rodby</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jaco Pastorius</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Percy Jones</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ralphe Armstrong</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ron Carter</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Stanley Clarke</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chris Squire</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Pekka Pohjola</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Antoine Fafard</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Simon Raymonde</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Pino Palladino</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Trevor Horn</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chuck Rainey</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mick Karn</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bert Ruiter</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Quinn Coniguliaro</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Richard Sinclair</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jannick Top</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sara Aliani</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eddie Gomez</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-14016381183355649742024-03-01T00:57:00.000-08:002024-03-01T10:47:28.192-08:00The Birth of Progressive Rock Music: 1967<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b><u> 1967 </u></b></span></p><div><br /></div><div><span><div><b style="font-family: Times; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLHF_GIhZiZdpTvYrozCdw412FqC9oy6UyTECVgfR5mkLo9Mf-s4M6qKZ_FCrmCzIQMmdq0wKgbZNOgZXZbiF1HYT0QWsHPGj6OaF8CVvu89gPlOnOupUW7Y9y4CFpUUIpitvaby1MidcDzhRJSTSYvQUZl86swK_JLKeiqUXOIILcfyjB3ACtEsav1Ta/s1025/cover_1349181832016_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLHF_GIhZiZdpTvYrozCdw412FqC9oy6UyTECVgfR5mkLo9Mf-s4M6qKZ_FCrmCzIQMmdq0wKgbZNOgZXZbiF1HYT0QWsHPGj6OaF8CVvu89gPlOnOupUW7Y9y4CFpUUIpitvaby1MidcDzhRJSTSYvQUZl86swK_JLKeiqUXOIILcfyjB3ACtEsav1Ta/w312-h320/cover_1349181832016_r.jpg" width="312" /></a></div></span></b><span style="font-weight: bold;"><div style="font-family: Times; font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">January -<b> </b></span></span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THE FREE SPIRITS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Out of Sight and Sound </i>A band with an international lineup who all met and coalesced in New York City for a brief period in 1966 and 1967. The common goal, or glue, that brought and held them together was a shared vision that they could create a kind of music that was unlike any other--something "years ahead of its time"--which turned out to be a more jazzified blues-rock music. This album is often touted as one of the very first to meld jazz and rock into what would become known as "jazz rock"--a genre that guitarist Larry Coryell would take even further into the founding of a sub-genre of progressive rock music known as "Jazz-Rock Fusion." </span></span></div><div style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b><span style="font-weight: 400;">- Larry Coryell / lead guitar, sitar (2), vocals</span><br style="font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">- Columbus "Chip" Baker / rhythm guitar, vocals</span><br style="font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">- Jim Pepper / tenor saxophone, flute</span><br style="font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">- Chris Hills / bass</span><br style="font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">- Bobby Moses / drums</span><br style="font-weight: 400;" /><br /></span></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Out of Sight and Sound</i> is the one and only studio album this quintet ever put out: they HATED it. To really hear the kind of music the boys were trying to create catch the "Live at the Scene 1967" album that Sunbeam Records issued 40+ years after the band broke up. It was recorded live in concert on February 22, 1967--not long after <i>Out of Sight and Sound</i> was released but only weeks before the two guitarists left the band. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1ZAwgI6evIQLuTt-_iyyrL8MusqmpUB408oGA19C0cKMX_Mui92aH42JLQGeMBImxsriAfZ-XrbZpacZL5lqLtFBwwYeCAtOe9ElLRbHG5O7Wf8xYznCDiZlzNnroqXZQcLeUXUcQn9EI5dBPsuPm-ByAKAGsht8q5mq9VDxcSA_OkMb8F6smzBfflTs/s1000/cover_5320134112016_r.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1ZAwgI6evIQLuTt-_iyyrL8MusqmpUB408oGA19C0cKMX_Mui92aH42JLQGeMBImxsriAfZ-XrbZpacZL5lqLtFBwwYeCAtOe9ElLRbHG5O7Wf8xYznCDiZlzNnroqXZQcLeUXUcQn9EI5dBPsuPm-ByAKAGsht8q5mq9VDxcSA_OkMb8F6smzBfflTs/w320-h320/cover_5320134112016_r.webp" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>January 4 - </b><span><b>THE DOORS</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> The Doors</i> An album (and band) that needs no introduction. The song seven-minute song "Light My Fire" alone helped to create a whole new sound and approach to rock music--one that would lead to the birth of "Progressive Rock" music. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Jim Morrison / vocals<br />- Ray Manzarek / Vox Continental organ, piano, keyboard bass, Marxophone (5)<br />- Robby Krieger / guitar, bass overdubs (2,7)<br />- John Densmore / drums<br /><br />1. Break On Through (to the Other Side) (2:30)<br />2. Soul Kitchen (3:35)<br />3. Crystal Ship (2:34)<br />4. Twentieth Century Fox (2:33)<br />5. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) (3:20)<br />6. Light My Fire (7:08)<br />7. Back Door Man (3:34)<br />8. I Looked at You (2:22)<br />9. End of the Night (2:52)<br />10. Take It as It Comes (2:17)<br />11. The End (11:43)<br /><br />Total Time 44:28<br /><br /><span><span> I became aware of this album due of my brother's playing it a lot in the early 70s and, but it was the event of becoming aware that the song "Light My Fire"--which received, in both its Doors and José Feliciano forms, near-</span><span>incessant play </span><span>on the AM radio stations and even television during the late Sixties--had yet another form other than the one I knew. </span><span>(For a while I was more enamored of guitarist José Feliciano's versions of this song as I found his live performances on television shows in the late 60s quite mesmerizing--even inspiring me to pick up a guitar!) </span><span>As I began to discover the phenomenon known as WABX--a local (Detroit) radio station that changed format to that of rock and local garage band "album-oriented radio" in 1969--I began to become aware of the fact that radio-friendly "singles" (or, as I called them, "45s") could often be different than the versions of a song as heard on its album form. When I heard the seven-minute </span><span>"the album version" or "original </span><span>version" of "Light My Fire"--with its Vox Continental organ solo filling up the entire third minute and more and the massive 2:15 guitar solo from Robbie Krieger during that expansive instrumental passage--</span><span>I couldn't have been more stunned. This news of the existence of </span><span>"radio edits" and "album versions"</span><span> opened a whole new world to me: that is, the world of the album. Though I continued to collect 45s for a couple more years, I was now open to exploring the massive world of the album--of recognizing a band (and producer)'s stylistic diversity, the phenomenon of "filler" songs pulled together quickly in order to issue an album in order to take advantage of the "wave" of popularity created by the radio hits in order to increase record company sales (and, thereby, make their investment in a band feasible and profitable).</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> To this day "Light My Fire" remains a favorite song of mine--no matter what the version--though not much of the rest of the Doors discography ever caught my favor ("Riders on the Storm" being the only other exception). </span><span>Even numerous "best of" albums, Ray Manzarek's "Carmina Burana," or the Val Kilmer film did nothing to raise them or their music in my esteem. The band's debut album was, however, I have to admit, something that is still quite impressive and praiseworthy--especially when put into perspective of all that was going on at the time--all that had come before and all that was to follow.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><b style="font-family: times;"><i><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /></i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif618g3KOydGVoXnCXXp3Gi_-glyRmYFESBkiGXipwsCmKaW5SD5ngPiHXuPgZ_7dT4TjR5cQGv-l8IEhC7Skt1HxxxoFXPBWZsB7Ij45qlkqn3j1ogtumLr8Xap31B9QKystaESmxfuQPmwAa6EQBnt8JVp-9mu5onoCFEFxizSKui4ZdtLT7qMi-vZyB/s300/cover_1439223112009.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif618g3KOydGVoXnCXXp3Gi_-glyRmYFESBkiGXipwsCmKaW5SD5ngPiHXuPgZ_7dT4TjR5cQGv-l8IEhC7Skt1HxxxoFXPBWZsB7Ij45qlkqn3j1ogtumLr8Xap31B9QKystaESmxfuQPmwAa6EQBnt8JVp-9mu5onoCFEFxizSKui4ZdtLT7qMi-vZyB/w320-h320/cover_1439223112009.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /></b></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>January - DON ELLIS ORCHESTRA <i>'Live' at Monterey!</i></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span>"Concerto for Trumpet" was recorded at the Pacific Jazz Festival, 10/18/66, the rest of the selections are from the Monterey Jazz Festival, 9/18/66. Along with the concert and teaching performances of Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar, Babatunde Olatunji, and Hugh Masakela, this was one of the most impactful live performances in the exposure and exchange of East-West musical traditions--even prompting a sudden burst of "Where is Don Ellis?" bumper stickers appearing across the country. <br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>Don Ellis / quarter-tone trumpet<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Side A:<br />1. "33 222 1 222" (9:50)<br />2. "Concerto for Trumpet" (11:50)<br />Side B:<br />1. "Passacaglia and Fugue" (Hank Levy) (6:20)<br />2. "New Nine" (11:18)<br /><br />On 1988 CD Reissue:<br />1. Introduction By Jimmy Lyons (1:18)<br />2. 33 222 1 222 (9:51)<br />3. Passacaglia And Fugue (6:13)<br />4. Crete Idea (6:14)<br />5. Concerto For Trumpet (11:48)<br />6. 27/16 (6:01)<br />7. Beat Me Daddy, 7 To The Bar (8:24)<br />8. New Nine (11:18)<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span><span>An amazingly intimate and accessible recording of this genre-bending modern big band ensemble on a large stage at a large outdoor concert in 1966--an event at which Don educated his audience on the elements of the with notable ease and "off-the-wall" humor. The performances captured here on this recording--and the expanded one from the issue of the CD in1988--present a fusion of jazz, bossa nova, classical, American folk musics as well as those of other non-Western cultures</span><span>. Several writers I've come across cite this performance--the Don Ellis Orchestra performance at the 1966 Monterey Jazz Festival--as one that blew people away, and inspired many, many musician-performers into wildly radical changes to their approaches to music and performance. It is considered the event that launched Don into national consciousness--and pr.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> Reputedly, Don Ellis never wrote or played a song in straight time (4/4) and this is certainly true for this concert. At Monterey, Ellis was expressing his 15-year enchantment-now-obsession with breaking free from the confines of conventional symmetry in music</span><span> </span><span>(4/4 time)</span><span>, which had resulted in recent graduate studies in ethnomusicology at UCLA. There he had fallen in love with Eastern musics, particularly Indian (as well as Turkish): its mind-expanding differences from Western traditions--like its meters and scales. Thus, his previous (and concurrent) work with his own Hindustani Jazz Sextet, an experimental East-meets-West combo created with </span><span>Harihar Rao,</span><span> his professor and friend at UCLA (who was himself a disciple of Ravi Shankar),</span><span> as well as his infatuation with his quarter tone trumpet (developed by Turkish friend Arif Mardin and heard in this concert and a lot more on the three studio albums his Orchestra would record over the next two years) was paying great dividends. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> Part of the meteoric phenomenon that occurred with this concert performance was due to the Orchestra's ability to </span><span>play incredibly complex, multi-layered music in such strange/odd/difficult time signatures and yet make it listenable, accessible, even danceable, as well as enjoyable to the average audience member (and, later, listener)--a</span><span>nd this when big band music was in a twilight period. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> In my own journey to become familiar with this album I have, from the beginning, been intensely aware of the rhythm section: three bassists, three drummers, as well as a handful of percussionists, all playing on stage, at the same time! During the performances one cannot help but marvel and how impressively tight and breathtakingly skilled they are. One of these drummers was a very young Ralph Humphrey, (read "Ralph Humphrey--The Legend of Odd Meters" in DRUM! magazine or any of the myriad tributes eulogizing him after he death in April of 2023). Ralph later became a mainstay of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention lineup, but he also become well known (and in great demand) as a studio musician--performing on many of America's great pop and jazz records of the 1970s and 1980s. His longest and most active association, however, was with Frank Zappa--a band leader whose exacting (and sometimes cruel and almost unrealistic) demands of his musicians is beyond legendary.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> Another drummer, also very young (he was in high school when Don hired him), was Steve Bohannon. Steve has received mention from several writers/critics with respect to his short-lived legacy as a fearless (Steve would say "naïve") musician despite his few years on the planet. (He died in an automobile accident in October of 1968 at age 21--which would have made him 19 at the time of this concert). </span><span>Even Don himself gives credit to Steve for being perhaps the greatest inspiration and motivator for him to commit to and persevere with the Orchestra's big band format--"the foundation of [our] rhythm section." Drummers/percussionists Ron Pollock and Alan Estes were also straight out of high school.</span><span> This was a young, eager, naïve, and eminently teachable group of musicians--which probably also helped gain the Orchestra some sympathy from the high percentage of youth in the Festival audience.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> On <i>'Live' at Monterey</i> we are treated to some very clear recordings of these drummers' exceptional prowesses. Apparently it was this performance and recording that propelled Ellis into the world's view. For the next thirteen years his music, recordings, performances, and books would stir controversy in the jazz and music world. What continues to amaze me about this album is how well it has preserved the passion and energy of the performances of that day--and how much I enjoy all of the songs and the light-heartedness of the performances.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> I know that heart issues would lead to Don's backing away from concert performing and even studio work in the 1970s (as well as to his sad and inopportune death in 1978), but one can't help but wonder what kind of effect</span><span> </span><span>the loss (and death) of such a shining star as Steve Bohannon might have had</span><span> on his</span><span> enthusiasm for these complex type of kind of musics he had been creating and performing.</span><span><br /><br />A five star masterpiece of progressive music from a VERY serious envelope-pusher. This album is a treasure that we are very lucky to have.</span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIk3-5Q3sdELXwliH90WD4xUp1HYEYu4iQ5zjXo_snPfGWBpa8dXBGcw-p7FIlXhoGpkZ5dJ6jzJQQ3BV4lZNJXF8xeC9rCGB98FKJncwQOxqJ67nvR2to3mwpp09X1YYoJZXGh0EoSVNDybs76m6VxwmFzOZ-5K9hYYIyA4qJuZAHsnWB8Ck8m-tu7_a6/s1000/cover_4839141762017_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIk3-5Q3sdELXwliH90WD4xUp1HYEYu4iQ5zjXo_snPfGWBpa8dXBGcw-p7FIlXhoGpkZ5dJ6jzJQQ3BV4lZNJXF8xeC9rCGB98FKJncwQOxqJ67nvR2to3mwpp09X1YYoJZXGh0EoSVNDybs76m6VxwmFzOZ-5K9hYYIyA4qJuZAHsnWB8Ck8m-tu7_a6/w320-h320/cover_4839141762017_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">February 1 -</span><span><b> JEFFERSON AIRPLANE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Surrealistic Pillow</i> Many people having explored this album due to the presence of the two iconic Grace Slick-led performances of "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit"--two songs that happened to have been brought to the Airplane by Ms. Slick from her now disbanded former band, The Great Society. On January 14, the band's new lineup performed at Bill Graham's now-iconic "Human Be-in," an all-day "happening" in Golden Gate Park alongside the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver. After this hugely successful event, an album was in demand--for which Dead leader Jerry Garcia championed and even provided "background production" talents--which the band gratefully acknowledged with their "spiritual guru" credit on the album's liner notes. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span> Recorded and produced in 13 days, the album was released in February. It's single releases,, the first, former drummer Skip Spence's "My Best Friend," failed miserably before "Somebody to Love" (with "She Has Funny Cars" as its B-side) and "White Rabbit" ("Plastic Fantastic Lover") sky-rocketed up the charts. Radio play and influential television performances on <i>The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson</i>, <i>The Ed Sullivan Show</i>, and <i>The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour</i> prompted a meteoric rise in public awareness. Their</span></span><span> new type of unapologetic electronic psychedelic rock 'n' roll defied all trends in that it felt comforting and even romantic--bridging a gulf that no band before had been able to so successfully and ably reconcile.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> In June the band was asked to help headline the Monterey International Pop Festival being billed for the headliner spot of Saturday night. Though the festival was greeted with mixed reviews, many critics and audience members recognized the contrast between the "old" artists and their kind of music--which was "on their way out"--and the new artists--the "future"--of which the performance of the Airplane--and especially the mesmerizing (some called it "possessed") presence and performance of Ms. Slick.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Marty Balin / vocals, guitar<br />- Grace Slick / vocals, piano, organ, recorder<br />- Jorma Kaukonen / lead & rhythm guitars, vocals<br />- Paul Kantner / guitar, vocals<br />- Jack Casady / bass, fuzz bass, rhythm guitar<br />- Spencer Dryden / drums & percussion<br />With:<br />- Jerry Garcia / musical & spiritual adviser<br /><br />1. She Has Funny Cars (3:13)<br />2. Somebody to Love (2:57)<br />3. My Best Friend (3:03)<br />4. Today (3:00)<br />5. Comin' Back to Me (5:24)<br />6. 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds (3:45)<br />7. D.C.B.A.-25 (2:40)<br />8. How Do You Feel (3:35)<br />9. Embryonic Journey (1:52)<br />10. White Rabbit (2:32)<br />11. Plastic Fantastic Lover (3:44)<br /><br />Total Time 35:45</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The band's next album, <i>After Bathing at Baxters </i>is the Airplane's true announcement that they were knocking on the door of all that would become "progressive rock" music.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJW2j6ACDDl9_U4CBOx5s-6uewK8uFND73qkGSYtNnWB1oJ3qjmqywnwwGBWotXOgwmoMuGy9ZejkeisS27rFhBo6F2fBCpLs2IVncEo5dpZv-uxMr1uSd06St6G7FdX94onxbcf_kWdSe6Foqgg812BJscmvFxRXdb1B1V9Syj1nDu29tphu5Zrmqu1_/s316/Part_One.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJW2j6ACDDl9_U4CBOx5s-6uewK8uFND73qkGSYtNnWB1oJ3qjmqywnwwGBWotXOgwmoMuGy9ZejkeisS27rFhBo6F2fBCpLs2IVncEo5dpZv-uxMr1uSd06St6G7FdX94onxbcf_kWdSe6Foqgg812BJscmvFxRXdb1B1V9Syj1nDu29tphu5Zrmqu1_/s1600/Part_One.png" width="316" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><b>February -</b><span><b> </b>Reprise Records releases <b>THE WEST COAST POP EXPERIMENTAL BAND </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Part One</i>, oil tycoon </span></span><span>Bob Markley's</span><span><span> second attempt at fame under this band name after the previous year's <i>Volume One</i>. The album is eminently enjoyable, containing examples of the new and upcoming sound and engineering effects used in the psychedelic world--many of which will become staples and jumping off points to the new "progressive" artists. it also contains covers of songs by innovative artists like Frank Zappa, P.F. Sloan, Van Dyke Parks, Baker Knight, and Bob Johnston as well as a few songs using baroque instruments.</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8h7796NYLp_FjBYAiCjweWhyphenhyphenWa4fdu3wC0FHsbdHEtd871SpNQI-kdThtnqmSZ8W-VgIEuaSa24s_0mjrDOrf5F4cPl2fhZSQ4F59RQjXcM6AgpLtkj6qUtg5X5jM3i-qDN300ZOzersU_XlQLW2uMGiK5w70JX5bXrmSAo3pdO2sNC7hQViEj_P2rqsZ/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8h7796NYLp_FjBYAiCjweWhyphenhyphenWa4fdu3wC0FHsbdHEtd871SpNQI-kdThtnqmSZ8W-VgIEuaSa24s_0mjrDOrf5F4cPl2fhZSQ4F59RQjXcM6AgpLtkj6qUtg5X5jM3i-qDN300ZOzersU_XlQLW2uMGiK5w70JX5bXrmSAo3pdO2sNC7hQViEj_P2rqsZ/w320-h320/download.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">April - </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reprise Records releases the <b>ELECTRIC PRUNES</b>'s self-titled debut album,<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Electric Prunes</i><span>. While the</span> album is known more for its contribution to the formation and development of the psychedelic rock movement, the clever, mystical lyrics and constant experimental and near-excessive use of effects on the instruments (flange and wah-wah pedal, a Vox organ) and other tracks engineering (reverbs on vocals and even drums) marks a bold commitment to a new type of sound--one that will become essential to and a mainstay of the sound of the progressive rock music that is to come. I can definitely understand why several critics have placed this album on their lists of "100 albums to hear before you die": it is an excellent and highly entertaining listen from start to finish--and though dated, the songs hold up remarkably well over these 55 years later.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4p3qxdOq6jc05v2vFuRqchL1JWwhSt2_-anUnM0fXLbkisS4GAFr0thdOgc00-z089_nVv4NGjvYwFGWUjbf4Fk72kZIwLvWkow8GHJyBK_axuovbZF_54WO1eW3qcalme1MM_ppHPNRXmHCjQVldPxixvmu_p5Gmomwo-pWKWkzX17GCn3lSE7Ezkzw/s1020/cover_451457112016_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4p3qxdOq6jc05v2vFuRqchL1JWwhSt2_-anUnM0fXLbkisS4GAFr0thdOgc00-z089_nVv4NGjvYwFGWUjbf4Fk72kZIwLvWkow8GHJyBK_axuovbZF_54WO1eW3qcalme1MM_ppHPNRXmHCjQVldPxixvmu_p5Gmomwo-pWKWkzX17GCn3lSE7Ezkzw/w314-h320/cover_451457112016_r.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>May 12 - </b>MCA Records releases<b> THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE</b>'s first album,<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Are You Experienced?</i> Loaded with electric blues-rock music with both an aggressiveness and technically mind-blowing musicianship not heard (or seen) before, Jimmy's relocation to London in September of 1966 and quick meeting and rapport with future collaborators Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell began paying off quickly with huge word-of-mouth demand for their dynamic live performances. Manager/producer Chas Chandler was equally quick to try to harness the trio's magical energy into the form of an album--creating a phenomenon that literally shook the ground upon which all previous rock 'n' rollers had formerly stood. </span></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Jimi Hendrix / guitar, vocals, piano (?)<br />- Noel Redding / bass, backing vocals (1,8 and "Purple Haze")<br />- Mitch Mitchell / drums, backing vocals (6 and "Stone Free")<br />With:<br />- The Breakaways / backing vocals ("Hey Joe")<br />- Chas Chandler / Voice (9-uncredited), producer<br /><br />1. Foxy Lady (3:22)<br />2. Manic Depression (3:46)<br />3. Red House (3:53)<br />4. Can You See Me (2:35)<br />5. Love or Confusion (3:17)<br />6. I Don't Live Today (3:58)<br />7. May This Be Love (3:14)<br />8. Fire (2:47)<br />9. 3rd Stone from the Sun (6:50)<br />10. Remember (2:53)<br />11. Are You Experienced? (4:17)<br /><br />Total Time 40:52</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Though fully-entrenched in blues-rock traditions, the amplified and distorted play of the three dynamic musicians quickly resounded across the globe--promoting a huge increase in the number of musicians moving into the world of electronic instruments and heavy rock 'n' roll.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjyL4HxLluYdrbu1P6xAxUCg2EIPHUX5zE3cqhU0YhlQD3MmzuMIfG68JQ-01P4OtpaZHfxRq9q2c9MXvl3YB0nDMxb55aT922CYy0gmYBri61mFNZXzug7yyrQb_EbV5Jz9W8H-rdYkx72xrQlzjYS0GeIiZgDauaJEveQ2-hafiKToucWxbaqOy8U2s/s1000/cover_214621962023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1000" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjyL4HxLluYdrbu1P6xAxUCg2EIPHUX5zE3cqhU0YhlQD3MmzuMIfG68JQ-01P4OtpaZHfxRq9q2c9MXvl3YB0nDMxb55aT922CYy0gmYBri61mFNZXzug7yyrQb_EbV5Jz9W8H-rdYkx72xrQlzjYS0GeIiZgDauaJEveQ2-hafiKToucWxbaqOy8U2s/w320-h317/cover_214621962023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span></b><span><div style="font-family: times; font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>May - THE ZODIAC </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Cosmic Sounds </i><span>Twelve songs, one for each of the signs of the Zodiac, each paired with a second title. I don't know how appropriate or well-matched each song's subtitle and subtext is to actual information with regards to how to use/read the signs of the zodiac, but then, hearing the words and deriving meaning from song lyrics are not my strengths (or, for that matter, interests). It is the ambiance--the climate and atmosphere of this album's music that singles it out for proto-prog consideration--that and the sincere theatricity of the narrator's delivery. The album is also notable for the presence/participation of Los Angeles' "Wrecking Crew"--the same group of incredibly versatile studio musicians that provided the music for so many of Phil Spector's hits in the early 1960s with their "Wall of Sound" and, later, for an unimaginably diverse list of bands and albums, including Jan and Dean, Sonny & Cher, The Mamas and the Papas, the 5th Dimension, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, the Byrds, the Monkees, Ricky Nelson, Ike & Tina Turner, Johnny Rivers, and the Beach Boys.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span><span><span> When I listen to the music on this album </span></span></span></span><span>I find myself reminded of the music that will come from bands like LOVE, the Grass Roots, Spanky & Our Gang, Mason Williams, "MacArthur Park," BRAINTICKET, and even MIKE OLDFIELD. </span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Mort Garson / composer, arranger, conductor<br />- Cyrus Faryar / narration<br />- Paul Beaver / Moog, electronic instruments<br />- Mike Melvoin / keyboards<br />- Bud Shank / bass flute<br />- Carol Kaye / bass guitar<br />- Hal Blaine / drums<br />- Emil Richards / percussion<br /><br />1. Aries - The Fire-Fighter (3:17)<br />2. Taurus - The Voluptuary (3:38)<br />3. Gemini - The Cool Eye (2:50)<br />4. Cancer - The Moon Child (3:27)<br />5. Leo - The Lord Of Lights (2:30)<br />6. Virgo - The Perpetual Perfectionist (3:05)<br />7. Libra - The Flower Child (3:28)<br />8. Scorpio - The Passionate Hero (2:51)<br />9. Sagittarius - The Versatile Daredevil (2:06)<br />10. Capricorn - The Uncapricious Climber (3:30)<br />11. Aquarius - The Lover Of Life (3:45)<br />12. Pisces - The Peace Piper (3:19)<br /><br />Total Time 38:25</span></div><div><div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmLwHyOL9kTLGo3yDR7iQA5ZmpWHSdWM_tlUMJL58aqBbEuCJL_e3_wwLjrZjAE6BHMA4FZ6pueEKAbL6_9lnz_YZhTRdViAYoLlNU2HVQNj533c4BDkDeXwlaN03ENDmYmCu09kQ0xaoJ6ffgllT45tCaGw919B1gnm3U2yt0SAMZk0L7vF7Y1GOZ-EQ/s1000/cover_5626111262016_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1000" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmLwHyOL9kTLGo3yDR7iQA5ZmpWHSdWM_tlUMJL58aqBbEuCJL_e3_wwLjrZjAE6BHMA4FZ6pueEKAbL6_9lnz_YZhTRdViAYoLlNU2HVQNj533c4BDkDeXwlaN03ENDmYmCu09kQ0xaoJ6ffgllT45tCaGw919B1gnm3U2yt0SAMZk0L7vF7Y1GOZ-EQ/w320-h319/cover_5626111262016_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>May 26 - </b>Verve Records releases Frank Zappa's <b>THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Absolutely Free</i>. Much like their <i>Freak Out! </i>debut from the year before, <i>Absolutely Free</i> is a display of complex music fully supporting Frank's political and social satire. </span></div><div></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><div><b><br /></b></div>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Frank Zappa / guitar, vocals, conductor, arranger & co-producer<br />- Ray Collins / vocals, tambourine<br />- Roy Estrada / bass, vocals<br />- Don Preston / keyboards<br />- Jim Fielder / guitar, piano<br />- Bunk Gardner / saxophone<br />- Jim Black / drums, vocals<br />- Bill Mundi / drums, percussion<br />With:<br />- Suzy Creamcheese (Lisa Cohen) / vocals (14)<br />- John Balkin / bass (6,10)<br />- Jim Getzoff / violin (14)<br />- Marshall Sosson / violin (14)<br />- Alvin Dinkin / viola (14)<br />- Armand Kaproff / cello (14)<br />- Don Ellis / trumpet (14)<br />- John Rotella / contrabass clarinet (14)<br />- Herb Cohen / cash register machine sounds (15)<br />- Terry Gilliam, girlfriend and others / voices (15)<br /><br /><span>- Absolutely Free (19:34) a seven-part ode to prunes:<br />1. "Plastic People" (3:40) a great start that let's you know straight off what the band's intentions are: Humorous satire! (8.75/10)<br />2. "The Duke Of Prunes" (2:12) so <i>this </i>is where The Soft Machine extracted the "Moon in June" phrase! And mock-opera/show tune fare. Todd Rundgren got the idea for his tongue-in-cheek operatic vocals on his early albums and "Freak Parade." An excellent song. (5/5)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. "Amnesia Vivace" (1:01) quite possibly where Todd Rundgren got the idea for his tongue-in-cheek operatic vocals on his early albums and "Freak Parade." (4.5/5)<br />4. "The Duke Regains His Chops" (1:45) I love the pseudo-Broadway finish. (4.375/5)<br />5. "Call Any Vegetable" (2:19) some great performances despite the heavy satire. (4.375/5)<br />6. "Invocation & Ritual Dance Of The Young Pumpkin" (6:57) a mostly instrumental slash of Dick Dale/Surfer music and Roger McGuinn's famous 12-string guitar slash-fest in The Byrds' "Eight Miles High." The tight rhythm section keeps it together as guitarists Frank Zappa and Jim Felder and soprano saxophonist Bunk Gardner slash away on their respective instruments (Gardner's a tongue-in-cheek parody of John Coltrane??). Don Preston's keys are somewhere down in the mix--probably hidden beneath Ray Collins' tambourine. Nice jam. (13/15)<br />7. "Soft-Sell Conclusion & Ending Of Side #1 (1:40) the multi-style conclusion to the Vegetable Medley. (4.3333/5)<br />- The M.O.I. American Pageant (18:35) more parodies on American social and political events and themes:<br />8. "America Drinks" (1:52) (4.25/5)<br />9. "Status Back Baby" (2:52) impressive guitar solo in the second minute--and a great finish--to an otherwise quoditian song. (8.66667/10)<br />10. "Uncle Bernie's Farm" (2:09) funny vocal and lyric with masterfully-performed music to match. Great choral "bar room" vocals. (4.5/5)<br />11. "Son Of Suzy Creamcheese" (1:33) the encore return of Suzy Creamcheeze! Great construct--demanding very tight performances from all--now usurping the "Louie, Louie" melody. (4.5/5)<br />12. "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" (7:26) more theatric cabaret for satiric social commentary. A veritable multi-part suite in and of itself. So many themes, so many motifs, so many quips. (13.25/15)<br />13. "America Drinks & Goes Home" (2:43) Frank's satirical "tribute" on the intoxicating and intoxicat<i>ed</i> world of the lounge scene. Amazing. Not the most progressive musically but an excellent indictment of a world that deserves the same criticism to this day. (9.25/10)<br /><br />Total time 38:09<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Though progressive rock music in general does not conform to the trail of socio-political satire as blazed by Frank's Mothers, the complex theatric entanglement of multiple themes within the framework of single songs and suites will become quite <i>de rigueur. </i></span></div><div><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">88.75 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; an excellent album in the same satirical vein as Freak Out!--fodder for the formation and development of early progressive rock. Not sure I'm ready to welcome this album as something deserving of a true "progressive rock" label, but be assured: the seeds have been sown.</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8TNTUtBwX3795nB5FRThmGAgiPBpbIwKXMYOfnZKYND0_N4w1szNhG7dDBzPT8_KtKt2hR0Ehpp9050Xvtsp7UerUOU8kdF7s9LEyWF40huw8satMqPzLk6lh6sXf1LteQXBd9sBAz2f5UoAl2ERHu85XrXyPLW0Lk99BIaARFffqtT4YKZymB7JAs0Q/s1000/cover_4312125112016_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8TNTUtBwX3795nB5FRThmGAgiPBpbIwKXMYOfnZKYND0_N4w1szNhG7dDBzPT8_KtKt2hR0Ehpp9050Xvtsp7UerUOU8kdF7s9LEyWF40huw8satMqPzLk6lh6sXf1LteQXBd9sBAz2f5UoAl2ERHu85XrXyPLW0Lk99BIaARFffqtT4YKZymB7JAs0Q/w320-h320/cover_4312125112016_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></b><span><div style="font-family: times; font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>June 1 - </b>Parlophone releases </span></span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THE BEATLES</b>'<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</i><i>.</i></span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Sgt. Pepper experience--innovative, fresh, cerebral music PLUS amazingly entertaining/engrossing packaging--is, to me, the real leap into all that made progressive rock what we know and love today: Intelligent song-writing with intricately constructed and performed songs that used a lot of new recording techniques and effects plus an amazing album cover WITH THE PRINTED LYRICS! We don't have the epic, non-radio-edit length songs but all of the songs virtually bleed into one another, which must count for something. Plus, the development of psychedelia is in full force on this one!</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Though this is not my favorite Beatles album (that one goes to <i>Magical Mystery Tour </i>for some personal reasons), it is one that I will play to this day from time to time. It takes one on quite a ride--another thing a good prog album should do. This one I do think is essential for a true collection of progressive rock music. This is one of the timeless masterpieces that helped get the ball moving! "A Day in the Life" is one of the greatest, freakiest psychedelia songs ever. Too bad it wasn't written by Quantum Fantay--it would've gone on for an euphoric 20 minutes!</span></div><div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5IPCXh7F76P7sWhHVlaswDH-ec7w0XTXxj3vEwuojHKaLAI6xx3z1aayc8rPEk0e4gLge6P7hBF2Y-NMY8PAu9Vo7WkJdcKR0AdAjQpID6c9MIjN8_TYHwl14MQhXPDpoV7J18p9nURr954GqeonPwUhZf5kYSfXDH8o_YaEuWfzGaaUkI83R8-DoP0_d/s304/Vanilla_Fudge_Debut.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="304" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5IPCXh7F76P7sWhHVlaswDH-ec7w0XTXxj3vEwuojHKaLAI6xx3z1aayc8rPEk0e4gLge6P7hBF2Y-NMY8PAu9Vo7WkJdcKR0AdAjQpID6c9MIjN8_TYHwl14MQhXPDpoV7J18p9nURr954GqeonPwUhZf5kYSfXDH8o_YaEuWfzGaaUkI83R8-DoP0_d/w320-h317/Vanilla_Fudge_Debut.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>June 2 - </b><span><b>VANILLA FUDGE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Vanilla Fudge</i> Though a poor example of proto-prog--especially since all of the songs used were covers of other previously-successful songs--the psychedelic sound palettes created throughout the album offer a great example of the direction that electric instrumentation was heading--creating soundscapes that would be familiar to the nascent Prog World for the next five or six years. Also, a majority of listeners seem to agree that many if not all of these songs here are better than their original versions. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><div><br /></div></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcQwcsj582PxTldYYMOdvnKWPyo6SKHO_t6J0tz5YMyf5BvDmO6C-nKq0Km-kqJ-VEY9yzsb5k66RGirhDq2f1tQtL37hxEEUjrxdizyBMHE6K-YOGjZ-50m9_hNHPZarK22vO5ZwAB7lmuggK58ZZeHe-6El2S9nE_tghc93pEfUFR6x4YlEd-I0VHmE/s300/PinkFloyd-album-piperatthegatesofdawn_300.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcQwcsj582PxTldYYMOdvnKWPyo6SKHO_t6J0tz5YMyf5BvDmO6C-nKq0Km-kqJ-VEY9yzsb5k66RGirhDq2f1tQtL37hxEEUjrxdizyBMHE6K-YOGjZ-50m9_hNHPZarK22vO5ZwAB7lmuggK58ZZeHe-6El2S9nE_tghc93pEfUFR6x4YlEd-I0VHmE/w320-h320/PinkFloyd-album-piperatthegatesofdawn_300.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>August 5 - </b>EMI Columbia Records releases<b> </b><b>PINK FLOYD</b>'s<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Piper at the Gates of Dawn</i></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The album represents Floyd's only full album with member and, at the time, leader Syd Barrett's full presence and participation. The album is well known for its wildly inventive treatment of tracks and sound--some of which sounds a bit embarrassing for the immature and underdeveloped technology (and knowledge) available at the time of its creation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Personally, I've never been able to connect with any of the early Pink Floyd music much less the two highly-acclaimed Syd Barrett albums--perhaps its due to my inability to "hear," comprehend, or connect with the words/lyrics/messages. In fact, if I'm being completely honest I've never been able to enjoy any of Pink Floyd's music or live performances before 1973's <i>Dark Side of the Moon</i> except maybe for "One of These Days," "Echoes" and "Embryo." </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaSRpnJ58AUJbXpMX10PjV_C_fXJSiuJ_KtEgNSXjWwl6TXz-24pmBcLYXLw_JQLkilVEflhSqYQjsFIvbiZxk7cbXrrYbqL__TPq4NDGInalboqhKhMvaOf1C25ljrAOdyhZIjqz-1Re3w02uBbyqND1IAX7C0A2kr5YDnsyWjzK7oMh4hmaRVekGoBNW/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaSRpnJ58AUJbXpMX10PjV_C_fXJSiuJ_KtEgNSXjWwl6TXz-24pmBcLYXLw_JQLkilVEflhSqYQjsFIvbiZxk7cbXrrYbqL__TPq4NDGInalboqhKhMvaOf1C25ljrAOdyhZIjqz-1Re3w02uBbyqND1IAX7C0A2kr5YDnsyWjzK7oMh4hmaRVekGoBNW/w320-h320/download.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">September 1, 1967 - </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Deram Records releases <b>PROCOL HARUM </b><i><b>Procol Harum.</b> </i>How can one not include the album that spawned "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Conquistador" much less the iconic (to prog rockers) "Cerdes (Outside the Gate of)" and "Kaleidoscope/Salad Days (Are Here Again)"?</span><span> Despite Deram's mother company, Decca, having the expressed intention of using Deram's studios to record and release fully stereophonic albums, <i>Procol Harum </i>was released as a mono (in the UK) and stereo-rechanneled vinyl album in the US. The dominant force of Matthew Fisher's organ influenced many soon-to-be prog rock keyboard artists. </span></span></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ByRqMppcywynE5ROw2IxKDLOnC7X_uLZ1c0EIA6rmW6jP5vcgwfd47kOL5dgJ4EAJgZ9pPmhVDk8znXQ9c-YOoXgnQsbmE7ymO3Ieyvxp_gMOqYNeLfOJoNXxM2tlCelduGe61SVF-CSMa44TLKJ0ATSIenwvfolDPVt0gcqa9lCz-2NxnDVJFO8G9Dr/s316/Smileysmilebeachboys.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ByRqMppcywynE5ROw2IxKDLOnC7X_uLZ1c0EIA6rmW6jP5vcgwfd47kOL5dgJ4EAJgZ9pPmhVDk8znXQ9c-YOoXgnQsbmE7ymO3Ieyvxp_gMOqYNeLfOJoNXxM2tlCelduGe61SVF-CSMa44TLKJ0ATSIenwvfolDPVt0gcqa9lCz-2NxnDVJFO8G9Dr/w320-h320/Smileysmilebeachboys.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>September 18 - A</b><span>fter a contentious period with their record label, Capitol, t</span><span>he Wilson brothers' own </span><span>Brother Records co-releases The</span><b> </b><b>BEACH BOYS</b><span>'</span><span><b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Smiley Smile</i>, a simpler, mellowed-down alternative to the unfinished and never-published <i>Smile</i>. The studio work for Smile had gone on for over six months with no satisfaction and great frustration, so Brian took his brothers into his own in-home basement studio to perform and engineer all of the minimally-constructed segments which were then cut-and-pasted/macro-spliced into "finished" songs by Brian and his brothers, eschewing all sessions musicians and collaborating on the engineering and production as a unit. The album also presents as the first album to house the previous year's mega-hit, "Good Vibrations," which was also engineered using the same sut-and-paste splicing techniques as the rest of the album.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5dJP8xM7Y88Dwo13MWxdXcKAgKzTCzHiBi96FRhbMAbteKDVWSNomgq54tvT7U_Me7qqc00AR35zUAYdssGjLocFZsM4DzEoggUy_uu_0s0xUOYEq2C7f0k-bgZb0MaoOZW0EgETF75UM43U1gSabvDV5I4vpo4NfaP-Winmv-xSU4HjcUI_iMYYNEin/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5dJP8xM7Y88Dwo13MWxdXcKAgKzTCzHiBi96FRhbMAbteKDVWSNomgq54tvT7U_Me7qqc00AR35zUAYdssGjLocFZsM4DzEoggUy_uu_0s0xUOYEq2C7f0k-bgZb0MaoOZW0EgETF75UM43U1gSabvDV5I4vpo4NfaP-Winmv-xSU4HjcUI_iMYYNEin/w320-h320/download.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span><div style="font-family: times; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: times;"><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Late September - </b>Impulse! Records releases<b> JOHN COLTRANE</b>'s<b> </b>final studio album,<b> </b>called<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Expression</i>. Recorded in two sessions, February 15 and March 7, the album comes out just over a month after the jazz pioneer's unfortunate July 17 death at the age of 40 from liver cancer. <i>Expression </i>is the last studio album that John personally participated in as it was being developed for publication.</span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Within <i>Expression</i>'s four tracks there is contained a variety of musical styles. The opening song, "Ogunde," is surprisingly brief at three and a half minutes whereas its live versions (best heard on the <i>The</i> <i>Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording</i>)<i> </i>were often 10- to 20-minute sprawling jams. Here it almost sounds like an overture yet it may, in fact, be intended as a finale. (Despite his "sudden" and "shocking" death, John supposedly knew--or at least had a presentament that he was going to die soon.) </span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> The song that follows, the 16-minute "To Be," imparts a peaceful and meditative-like spell on the listener--making one feel as if John may in fact have been fully aware of his demise and impending death. This also happens to be the only recording we have on which John played flute (and Pharoah Sanders piccolo). I love the beautiful and gentle support of wife Alice's gentle piano chord play beneath her husband's poignant panegyric: to me, it sounds like something pretty close to unconditional love.</span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> The third song, the eight-minute contemplative improvisation titled "Offering," opens with a kind of reprise of the iconic opening melody of <i>A Love Supreme</i>'s opening movement, "Acknowldegment." After that, John's playing feels more expressive of something more current: he feels quite present, grounded in the here-and-now, and yet his continuous play is transcendent like a solo bird playing on the wind currents, rising and gliding, as if celebrating life, freedom, and the ennervating power of Existence, the Sun, and God. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span> </span></span><span>The album's final piece, the title song, is a bit more fully expressive of the wide spectrum of human emotion. E</span><span>xpressed, by John, with a relaxed maturity and detachment that seems totally accepting and resigned to Fate, to All that is or might be coming,</span><span> t</span><span>he feeling I come away with every time I listen to is that here is a human being that is at peace with his position and role in the Universe. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span>Throughout much of the album's music the rhythm section is sparsely present, as if in support only when their Icarus needs it--to help with take offs and perhaps Earth and Sky orientation. Alice (<i>née</i> McLeod) Coltrane's piano tends to be made up of slow, grounding piano chords, never demanding, much less asking for the lead, always supportive of her husband's </span></span><span>exaltations and prayers, his </span><span><span>rants and raves. All the while, </span></span><span>drummer Rashied Ali accents and occasionally spurs and urges John on with his equally-transcendent play </span><span>and </span><span>bassist Jimmy Garrison's double bass serves, as always, as John's steadfast wingman. Though the prog community extolls final albums by the likes of David Bowie, Daevid Allen, and Ryuichi Sakamoto for the powerful ways in which they expressed a celebration of life while in the throes of and full-awareness of their dying, I would place this album by John Coltrane in that same company--more likely above them. For me, t</span><span>his album, as a whole, exists as a beautiful and inspiring example of one man's attainment of self-forgiveness, self-acceptance, and, perhaps, Self-realization; </span><span>I know that I feel existentially bolstered and unfettered after each time that I've been listening to it, which makes this a priceless gift … for which I am extremely grateful.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> How it contributed to the birth and formation of progressive rock music--or even Jazz-Rock Fusion, for that matter--is in its spiritual essence: in the example of one man's endless and animating quest for perfect human expression of his Cosmic gratitude through his chosen art form, that being music--a quest that I think many prog artists embrace (or have learned to embrace) as well, including: Frank Zappa, John McLaughlin, Carlos Santana, Zakir Hussein, Pat Metheny, and Kate Bush. Though some would argue that the advent and exploration of LSD and other hallucinogenics may have had a lot to do with birthing and boosting the burst of creativity that became known as the progressive rock movement, I would argue that they may have, in fact, served more as windows into altered or "expanded" forms of consciousness and perception which then allowed a reference point for creative potential that was larger/bigger than what they had envisioned before, that experiences of altered or expanded consciousness enable a person to envision and strive for a higher potential for their own creative output more than improve their IQ or skill/virtuosity/dexterity levels. It is through the empowerment of the Self through increases in self-esteem and self-confidence that higher forms and frequency of creative output occur. </span></div><div><span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2W3FYGCq4CQYmf2YXzO_ryCm_S1xV16UWU-NqxeEF6m1JMlJSBJAO8ZFUt_NJLODNIXLQcGWx2hF0Po7pNK3H_QestvuyzBJxNGWpy830BKQynpa2BhOpfCsYgz9dHZmAAEm2z0QNNv3R2fofIFZk6mgAdFmPVVWbFz2fh8JCifDQ8DXq-nAeFhAPEyi/s600/R-1352126-1347816079-6691.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="597" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2W3FYGCq4CQYmf2YXzO_ryCm_S1xV16UWU-NqxeEF6m1JMlJSBJAO8ZFUt_NJLODNIXLQcGWx2hF0Po7pNK3H_QestvuyzBJxNGWpy830BKQynpa2BhOpfCsYgz9dHZmAAEm2z0QNNv3R2fofIFZk6mgAdFmPVVWbFz2fh8JCifDQ8DXq-nAeFhAPEyi/w318-h320/R-1352126-1347816079-6691.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span>October - </span></span><span><b>STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Incense & Peppermints</i> </span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">In an interesting aside, the famous single was released as a B-side to "Birdman of Alkatrash" in April under the band name "Sixpence"--which had released two other singles earlier in the same year. The B-side, "Incense and Pepermints" [sic] started gaining radio play, which prompted the band, now renamed as the Strawberry Alarm Clock, to re-release "Incense and Peppermints" as an A-side on May 19. It reached #1 in November.</span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The music on this album has definitely been influenced by the impressive debut album of The Doors as well as the energy of the Monterey Pop Festival and successive "Summer of Love" whereas it has remained oddly unaffected by any of the music coming across the Pond from the UK--like Hendrix or </span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Lineup / Musicians:</b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Mark Weitz / organ, piano, harpsichord, vocals</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Randy Seol / drums, bongos, vibraphone, vocals</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Ed King / lead guitar, vocals</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Lee Freeman / rhythm guitar, harmonica, vocals</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- George Bunnell / bass, vocals</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Gary Lovetro / bass, vocals</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Steve Bartek / flute</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Greg Munford / lead vocals on "Incense and Peppermints"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Gene Gunnels / drums, cowbell on"Incense and Peppermints"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Side 1</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. "The World's on Fire" (S.A. Clock) ((8:21) a surprise opener with an unusually long DOORS-like instrumental jam and some very catchy melodies, flute and organ playing, and excellent multi-voice harmony vocals. Also surprising is its very polished form. (19/20)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. "Birds in My Tree" (George Bunnell, Steve Bartek) (1:53) great vocal melodies and lyrics over some great guitar and steady rhythms. (4.75/5)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. "Lose to Live" (Mark Weitz, S.A. Clock) (3:13) an okay song with great instrumental performances. (8.875/10)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. "Strawberries Mean Love" (Bunnell, Bartek) (3:01) great lyric and multi-voice harmonized vocal choir singing over Ed King's pre-Robert Fripp sustained electric guitar lead play. Stands up so well today! (9.5/10)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Side 2</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow" (Bunnell, Bartek) (3:05) another excellent song feeding directly into the psychedelia of the Summer of Love zeitgeist. With the gorgeous harmony vocals, bongos, and flirtatious flute, the music here seems to harken back to a Beat-era sound--but then the electric bass and harpsichord (and lyrics) ground it in the more current fashions. (9.5/10)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>2. "Paxton's Back Street Carnival" (Bunnell, Bartek) (2:01) reflects some of the recent music of The Zombies, </span><span>Lovin' Spoonful,</span><span> </span><span>The Animals, and Shocking Blue. (4.625/5)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. "Hummin' Happy" (Bunnell, Randy Seol) (2:25) built over another DOORS-like bass and organ motif, the vocals, lyrics, and drumming give this one its own distinctive sound. Another winner! (8.875/10)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. "Pass Time with the SAC" (S.A. Clock) (1:21) a little jazzed-up vamp interlude with harmonica and extended electric guitar soloing. (4.375/5)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. "Incense and Peppermints" (John S. Carter, Time Gilbert, Mark Weitz, Ed King) (2:47) a song that I always liked but never loved. Nevertheless, I recognize its significance as one of the era's iconic songs. (9/10)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">6. "Unwind the Clock" (Lee Freeman, Ed King) (4:10) a more traditional rhythm and blues instrumental that is jazzed up enough to allow organist Mark Weitz, vibraphonist/drummer Randy Seol some space and freedom in which to show their very capable chops (Randy on <i>both</i> of his instruments) before the group vocalizes their thanks and goodbyes. Unfortunately, it's pretty obvious that this is just fill. (8.75/10)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Though the band was under tremendous pressure to put this album together quickly in order to ride the wave of popularity of their #1 hit single, I am incredibly impressed with the polish and full development of the ideas expressed by each of the songs as well as the consistent and cohesive vibe expressed from the album overall. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">91.44 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and a shining star example of the psychedelic craze that came out of the U.S.'s West Coast in 1967--especially after the "Summer Love." It may come as a surprise to my readers that this album, which I only became aware of in this third decade of the 21st Century, has become <b>my favorite album of the 1960s</b>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: times;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0zenSs8Jj2FxeAYSdz8NVUtIEwPBJlrvTksK3nmTtAcTFwvsFnz3T9cN8iPl4UECeTRU6zb13sMoT4LtM8lETZ_2QbulA2QzGtyw5RyF0cd72ZhhrlbIGEf9r3Oaygxbtw6dd4twDP5k9QqoPMbhvARv_LyKAxdVEgzTvQ0-9W3qONqmO9MkOc4Lebd2/s600/R-9258738-1477509737-7874.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0zenSs8Jj2FxeAYSdz8NVUtIEwPBJlrvTksK3nmTtAcTFwvsFnz3T9cN8iPl4UECeTRU6zb13sMoT4LtM8lETZ_2QbulA2QzGtyw5RyF0cd72ZhhrlbIGEf9r3Oaygxbtw6dd4twDP5k9QqoPMbhvARv_LyKAxdVEgzTvQ0-9W3qONqmO9MkOc4Lebd2/w320-h320/R-9258738-1477509737-7874.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></i></b></div><div><span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span><span><span><b>October - </b></span></span></span></span><b>H.P. LOVECRAFT - </b><span><span><span><span>Following Dunwich Records' June release (through Mercury Records) of George Edwards' singles, "Anyway That You Want Me"</span></span></span></span><span>(Chip taylor, 1966)</span><span><span><span><span>/"It's All Over for You" under the H.P. Lovecraft name, the record label scrambled to actually create a full band to continue working for them, with George and multi-instrumentalist and classically-trained four-octave vocalist, Dave Michaels, under this new name. A cover of the traditional American gospel/folk song, "Wayfaring Stranger" was released in September by the Mercury Records subsidiary, Phillips. Phillips released Chicago-born and -based band</span></span></span></span>'s self-titled debut album, <i style="font-weight: bold;">H.P. Lovecraft</i>. While the majority of the album's songs were covers of previously-recorded material, the album's centerpiece, "The White Ship," was an Edwards-Michaels composition that, in November, began receiving quite a bit of attention from underground FM and college radio stations. The band is especially notable for its exceptionally-crafted multi-voice vocal arrangements and liberal use of odd and baroque instruments and stylistic elements. As interesting and eclectic as this album is, it is the band's second album, the significantly more psychedelic <i>II</i>, which provides the true fodder for the new Progressive Rock movement.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFSopNkcSK0Un7ArcKgWOyMFlBY4LDHMkyTL1T-sSzPMjFx3-ercY2RyUdw9FXBaKrNerGvBvFLGyjnK3vNbESzCatJckfr0oST1kTw7pAG3WRzmPpeKas3kp2qMF9yfS6pxC4uLq0SgDh-CCUxgSKSOvqz3HDbDqL4oOSiHiD-mGVshwU5jQt1rCeLQ4/s316/Miles_Davis_Sorcerer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFSopNkcSK0Un7ArcKgWOyMFlBY4LDHMkyTL1T-sSzPMjFx3-ercY2RyUdw9FXBaKrNerGvBvFLGyjnK3vNbESzCatJckfr0oST1kTw7pAG3WRzmPpeKas3kp2qMF9yfS6pxC4uLq0SgDh-CCUxgSKSOvqz3HDbDqL4oOSiHiD-mGVshwU5jQt1rCeLQ4/s1600/Miles_Davis_Sorcerer.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>October 23 - </b>Columbia Records released<b> MILES DAVIS QUINTET </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Sorcerer</i>, the third of six albums with his 1960s "second" Quintet--which included Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, and newcomer Wayne Shorter. <i>Sorcerer </i>is an album that has received mixed reviews from critics and fans over the years due to its sophisticated layering; it is recognized as a "transitional" album for Miles, the start of his opening up to Sixties pop culture, which would then continue with the influence of second wife Betty Mabry and his <i>In a Silent Way</i>, <i>Bitches Brew</i>,<i> </i>and<i> Jack Johnson</i> albums.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">P.S. It is often assumed that the record covers for <i>Sorcerer</i> and <i>Nefertiti </i>were somehow mixed up (by the record label): that Miles' wife, actress Cicely Tyson (above photo), was intended for the latter instead of <i>Sorcerer</i>,<i> </i>and that Miles' own portrait, as seen on 1968's <i>Nefertiti</i>, was meant <i>Sorcerer.</i></span></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="font-family: times;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzbZsafcYq57OIQgtPJCY6_cJmMTzrjos72j7wB96GbnbVKGfjnrHXaYeoIX_wULfTWC16gWvfvCTonzNdxQH9AcbnOJNNxT0FQWgsUYBCGHzAQRqqhPSv3m3UjfYdt6uFRHMpG4KUpGITlS_FDGLOvkNP9dWR6KyMMBMa21nt-9-O2Yd3ETkUcJ7Xab7/s480/R-2634224-1294265117.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzbZsafcYq57OIQgtPJCY6_cJmMTzrjos72j7wB96GbnbVKGfjnrHXaYeoIX_wULfTWC16gWvfvCTonzNdxQH9AcbnOJNNxT0FQWgsUYBCGHzAQRqqhPSv3m3UjfYdt6uFRHMpG4KUpGITlS_FDGLOvkNP9dWR6KyMMBMa21nt-9-O2Yd3ETkUcJ7Xab7/w320-h320/R-2634224-1294265117.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><b>November 1 - </b>Electra Records releases Los Angeles band<b> </b><b>LOVE</b>'s third album, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Forever Changes</i>. It marks the band's deepest dive into the psychedelic movement of West Coast music as it was occurring in the 1960s. It also marks the end of the fairly successful song writing collaboration between Arthur Lee and guitarist Bryan MacLean--something that may have been provoked by </span><span>Lee's increasing disillusionment with himself and his place in the hippie/countercultural movement.</span><span> </span><span>Though the album did not fair very well on the US charts, it did climb to #24 on the British charts and has been upheld as an influential and important example of the 1960's psychedelic movement in music. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> What I really like about this album is its very smooth and consistent flow--as well as the fact that every song is written from within the band. Also, there really isn't a bad song on the album, each and every song strong in terms of composition, complexity, performance, emotional delivery, and production--plus, each and every song holds up extremely well even 55 years later.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJYiZPwK7zL3QK6DX4-WQr-ZqPvysZr2k44TTegGbXPXQLzc160UDf9kSdxVKzxwC7HZBe1sjeEi56SR25T4oAruPcxqwIasWoeVxK3Y5ZShoaqZPWiFIzpobE2J8yWJ-sUk5GuGprl_QRtjjte-wVnFky3hqLorl6NPTM5v4ROCS6zqppJls-SGwL169/s316/Duster_(album).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJYiZPwK7zL3QK6DX4-WQr-ZqPvysZr2k44TTegGbXPXQLzc160UDf9kSdxVKzxwC7HZBe1sjeEi56SR25T4oAruPcxqwIasWoeVxK3Y5ZShoaqZPWiFIzpobE2J8yWJ-sUk5GuGprl_QRtjjte-wVnFky3hqLorl6NPTM5v4ROCS6zqppJls-SGwL169/w318-h320/Duster_(album).jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>November - </b>RCA Records releases<b> The GARY BURTON Quartet</b>'s album<b> <i>Duster</i> </b>Often cited as the"first" jazz-rock fusion album: </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Although Burton's basic sound had not changed from the previous year, his openness toward other styles--including those brought by new electric guitarist Larry Coryell--made his Quartet one of the most significant jazz groups of the period."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><b style="font-family: times;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcx_fBLJah6009yPgqxUkVZDNfn_natB4zjZMURfRknWakfm-yXJ5h0BmXuJtM1pdlPDTpZ0StE2_gHZuvmD71_YKHoDebE2bl6aUl-SNRWei-qHEvRC3TNyTcuc8RKjkn-PTjUnpSyt_nevwDDge_hTsHrCyO-C7dzqCV1KuzOKmt1tWgcJ111hicwMB/s1000/cover_3920912112016_r.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcx_fBLJah6009yPgqxUkVZDNfn_natB4zjZMURfRknWakfm-yXJ5h0BmXuJtM1pdlPDTpZ0StE2_gHZuvmD71_YKHoDebE2bl6aUl-SNRWei-qHEvRC3TNyTcuc8RKjkn-PTjUnpSyt_nevwDDge_hTsHrCyO-C7dzqCV1KuzOKmt1tWgcJ111hicwMB/w320-h320/cover_3920912112016_r.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 10 -</span><span><b> </b>Decca Records released<b> THE MOODY BLUES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Days of Future Passed </i>under its new Deram subsidiary--a label that was intended to promote the mother company's dedication to the new stereo recording and production techniques. The album also notes the arrival of Justin Hayward and John Lodge to replace Denny Laine and Clint Warwick, respectively, as well as Mike Pinder's Mellotron, resulting the creative shift that resulted in this album. And what courage and genius to set the whole concept to orchestral support, start to finish from the London Festival Orchestra with Peter Knight conducting.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> How can one belittle one of <i>the</i> sacred albums that started it all? Still a masterpiece forty-three years later, <i>DoFP </i>is still one of my favorite start-to-finish listens--and there aren't many of those out there, believe me! A masterful blend of orchestral music with folkish pop song 'interludes' engaging one on a journey through a single day of towing the line of modern human life while occasionally being reminded of the ubiquitous and omnipresent background, the matrix of life, as provided by good old Mother Nature. Beautiful poetry, beautiful voices--spoken and sung. Beautiful music throughout all culminating in one of the greatest mood shapers of all-time: "Nights in White Satin" (album version only, please). I cannot recommend this album highly enough.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmkpLRaLbBsCWxuElLkXl2YZN77VJBeQztasFK-UQQmXviIlciMbKE-36ljOtOlZ1r7Z7_bcDw21iodysByc1SKdqUmDjTb-S5R5MTvAZmSkhkOkyZlYvJbo1YI2hXQllS9n-qkQf4S0axmbqUINsQQxMfFqeiHimi_PZCmBzvnmYjunFxS5BAGNBKVlc/s220/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmkpLRaLbBsCWxuElLkXl2YZN77VJBeQztasFK-UQQmXviIlciMbKE-36ljOtOlZ1r7Z7_bcDw21iodysByc1SKdqUmDjTb-S5R5MTvAZmSkhkOkyZlYvJbo1YI2hXQllS9n-qkQf4S0axmbqUINsQQxMfFqeiHimi_PZCmBzvnmYjunFxS5BAGNBKVlc/w320-h320/download.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-size: large;"><br /></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">November 24 -</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> Fontana Records released the debut album from the London-based band,</span><span><b> KALEIDOSCOPE</b>.<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Tangerine Dream</i> is that album. E</span><span>xcept for the straightforward and incongruously upbeat and uptempo "Holiday Maker" and the spoken-word narrated story in "A Lesson Perhaps,"</span><span> <i>Tangerine Dream</i></span><span> consists of full-on psychedelic music that sounds a lot like the Dream Pop and Shoegaze music of the 1985-95 decade wherein the band is fully-committed and fully-immersed in heavily-effected sound scapes with every track, every instrument being subjected to some kind of treatment or modification. The song lyrics are quite poetic though the subject matters are disarmingly quotidian; they are often delivered with an unusual, for the time, snark and pretentious cynicism that betrays a punk or post-punk attitude. In short, the music and emotion conveyed through the songs on this album seem far ahead of their time--which leads me to concur in my surprise that this album, band, and music never achieved widespread popularity. There is a general precocious wisdom and maturity in the overall spirit of this album that, in my mind, elevates it to prog relevance. In fact, the excellent eight-minute song "Sky Children" alone may make the album (and band) worthy of induction into Prog Valhalla!</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="font-size: medium;"></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOoXzrlX7JhZhy5rN91lbac3MDXCsTxcA_pBUogiRiaF3qbmm3jOplvUz5b_UKKhRsUfK9gpax-BMNtH8CilmAV9DnVbx0kmcWTrxMHSrTQEH0yiuH9VCfXn-fHgeCIyBYzUTsc6U941T8GVGUdAlTsaZAzGu8nxEAwYSV_lPwSaSm3L3PxvfCPwGZe_wH/s1000/cover_3318135112016_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="1000" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOoXzrlX7JhZhy5rN91lbac3MDXCsTxcA_pBUogiRiaF3qbmm3jOplvUz5b_UKKhRsUfK9gpax-BMNtH8CilmAV9DnVbx0kmcWTrxMHSrTQEH0yiuH9VCfXn-fHgeCIyBYzUTsc6U941T8GVGUdAlTsaZAzGu8nxEAwYSV_lPwSaSm3L3PxvfCPwGZe_wH/s320/cover_3318135112016_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 27 -</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>Parlophone releases</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span><b>THE BEATLES</b>'<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Magical Mystery Tour</i><i>. </i>Paul is dead. (Obviously: just look at the pages of evidence inside <i>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</i>'s myriad photos on the cover and inner liner pages of the gatefold packaging. <i>Magical Mystery Tour </i>continues the hoax … to <i>great </i>effect : <i>"I buried Paul</i>," John says between "Strawberry Fields" and "Penny Lane."</span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> The emotional journey I went on when listening to this album as a child, when it first came out (my mother was an avid Beatles fan), was so wild it was like the greatest rollercoaster ever devised: Joy, Beauty, engagement, laughter, amazement, fear, creepiness, terror, nightmare-producing, hysterics, awe, silliness, mind- and mood-altering, escapist, world-view challenging, memorable, lyrical, impressionistic, complex simplicity, beautiful eeriness, edgy calmness, hallucinatory persiflage, hypnotic zombitude, distorted perspicacity, unqualified histrionics, profound psychobabble, etc., etc. It is quite simply a master work of audience manipulation, an extraordinary escape from the oppression of everyday dross. Pure genius. "I am the Walrus" has got to be one of the greatest, most powerful weird songs of all time. Side Two in particular drew me back over and over and over. Listening to "Strawberry Fields Forever" was like a drug--like watching a scary movie: mesmerizing and addictive. The "I buried Paul" in the psycho-bleed from SFF to "Penny Lane" was enough to give me nightmares. (I was nine and ten years old.) The dichotomy of going from the former to the latter was enough to forever cast "Penny Lane" with a pall of shadow for me. "Baby, You're a Rich Man" is a cool non-Beatlesish song far ahead (or behind) its time--just what I needed to continue the de-escalation from the "Strawberry Fields" experience of fear and terror. And then, thank you very much, the end with LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! Nowadays I listen to Side One with pure joy and admiration. (I've never seen the movie. Is it worth seeing?) Though </span><i>Magical Mystery Tour</i><span> is my favorite Beatles album, I recognize that it is NOT their most sophisticated or innovate or envelope-pushing or prog-birthing album. Still, it is, IMHO, an excellent addition to any prog music collection.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span> Mention need also be made of the use of the Mellotron in "Strawberry Fields Forever," after </span></span><span><i>Days of Future Passed </i><span>and Manfred Mann's "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr. James (Oct. 1966) </span><span>one of rock's earliest uses of the instrument in rock music.</span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxDUEgXF9o1_eQQ8Lq46MAi3tVsOLhZ3WcPnU6MK1TI6ZQIZJfp0kwYE4TzH752SAyx8SaeRMvt0qQpViC6HdyzvC4z3IfzYD-WSucMMqPJ_2kbwntUdmnKcp2bwLiSwk1lHkdtTi5I4bmYMoPIEptJ9aNGOY5O6aYjX3Tcmq3lP2xgN_Zdwv7TMlD9Tt/s300/After_bathing_at_baxters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxDUEgXF9o1_eQQ8Lq46MAi3tVsOLhZ3WcPnU6MK1TI6ZQIZJfp0kwYE4TzH752SAyx8SaeRMvt0qQpViC6HdyzvC4z3IfzYD-WSucMMqPJ_2kbwntUdmnKcp2bwLiSwk1lHkdtTi5I4bmYMoPIEptJ9aNGOY5O6aYjX3Tcmq3lP2xgN_Zdwv7TMlD9Tt/w320-h320/After_bathing_at_baxters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">November 27 - </span><span>RCA Victor releases </span><span style="font-weight: 700;">JEFFERSON AIRPLANE</span><span>'s third album,</span><span> <i style="font-weight: 700;">After Bathing at Baxter's</i>. It was a very experimental album on which the band was consciously trying to break the mold of their previous albums--purposely trying to push their sound and songwriting beyond the proscribed formula of the album serving as hit-generators surrounded by fluff or fill. Each song, even the flow of the album, is finely crafted, with not one but five multi-song themed suites--all at a level of consistency as to make the entire listening experience engaging and immersive--like <i>Sgt. Pepper's Loney Hearts Club Band</i>, providing the listener with a rewarding and theatric sight-seeing journey. I gladly call this album one of the first true examples of progressive rock music: the album being transcendently more important to being the provider of hits and AM radio attention. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_a6p6HfjdfAspGlv-esgHTdT860cV-QwvREuFDGckKVGpQhyphenhyphen1EEQNkZeDT2rIskgpeYtauRtZpFzcX4zUVHk2z7Eu5hTETbFJotf466O5WEFaHifM5P3PEVR107-EtKZlGF65SrpRwtan6yJbtLxE57C0SC8bKPe7Udbuz-qCkfNy35KWrtxidRh6N_r1/s300/cover_25501215102009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_a6p6HfjdfAspGlv-esgHTdT860cV-QwvREuFDGckKVGpQhyphenhyphen1EEQNkZeDT2rIskgpeYtauRtZpFzcX4zUVHk2z7Eu5hTETbFJotf466O5WEFaHifM5P3PEVR107-EtKZlGF65SrpRwtan6yJbtLxE57C0SC8bKPe7Udbuz-qCkfNy35KWrtxidRh6N_r1/w318-h320/cover_25501215102009.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><i style="font-family: times;"><br /></i></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><b>Late 1967 -</b><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>Columbia Records releases their first collaboration with The </span><span><b>DON ELLIS ORCHESTRA</b> in the form of a studio album entitled, </span><span><i><b>Electric Bath</b></i>.</span><span> Fresh out of the euphoric haze of two very successful live albums and a year of almost continuous touring to festival and rock 'n' roll audiences, Don welcomed the new partnership with Columbia producer John Hammond and with it the chance to work out some of his ideas in a studio setting. Over the course of two days in September (the 16th & 17th) the band put down on tape several songs, five of which would end up on the Grammy Award nominated and <i>Down Beat</i> magazine "1968 Album of the Year." </span></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Don Ellis / trumpet<br />- Ruben Leon / alto & soprano saxophones, flute<br />- Joe Roccisano / alto & soprano saxophones, flute<br />- Ira Shulman / tenor saxophone, piccolo, flute, clarinet<br />- Ron Starr / tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet<br />- John Magruder / baritone saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet<br />- Steve Bohannon / drums<br />- Frank DeLaRosa / bass<br />- Alan Estes / percussion, timbales, vibraphone<br />- Bob Harmon / trumpet<br />- Michael Lang / piano, keyboards, clavinet<br />- Ron Myers / trombone<br />- Tom Myers / trombone<br />- Ray Neapolitan / bass, sitar<br />- Dave Parlato / bass<br />- Mark Stevens / percussion, timbales, vibraphone<br />- Glenn Stuart / trumpet<br />- Chino Valdes / bongos, conga<br />- Edward Warren / trumpet<br />- Alan Weight / trumpet<br />- Alan Wight / trumpet<br />- Terry Woodson / trombone<br />- Mike Lang / piano, clavinet<br />- David Sanchez / trombone<br /><br /><span>1. "Indian Lady" (8:07) When I first heard the opening bars to this piece, I was immediately drawn to a comparison to the music of ROBERT WYATT's "Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road" from his 1974 comeback album, <i>Rock Bottom</i>. The song, played in 5/4 time throughout (and released as a single in a shortened three-minute version), is actually rather famous for its almost-comical multiple "attempts" to end throughout the song. Despite the large ensemble of musicians, the music somehow comes across smoothly, far more easy for the brain to accommodate than one might expect. Heck! There are even some melodic HERB ALPERT-like riffs and motifs. (13.5/15)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. "Alone" (5:32) soothing and filled with gorgeous melodies, this one reminds me of some of the mellower pieces on my beloved 1970s albums by Eumir Deodato and Bob James as well as many of the jazzy television music providing background and mood for popular television shows that I would watch as a small child in the late 1966s--like <i>I Dream of Jeannie</i>, <i>Bewitched</i>, and <i>The Newlywed Show</i>. Lots of big banks of horns. (9.5/10)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />3. "Turkish Bath" (10:29) dynamic music with an Indian base coming from the sitar, tabla and other Indian percussion, as well as flutes and slurring horns. Once set in motion the Latin rhythms and melody structure give it a feel quite similar to Billy Page's song "The 'In' Crowd" as made popular by Dobie Gray and Ramsey Lewis. Who knew that Indian instruments, big band horns, and electric clavinet could be melded together so easily into a bassa nova song?!! (18/20)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />4. "Open Beauty" (8:27) beautiful and yet haunting in a psychedelic way thanks to the electric effects applied to the keyboard and vibraphone. Unusual for the minimal presence of drums or other percussives. The extended quarter-tone trumpet solo with echo effect from 5:30 to 8:05 is also remarkable for its particular singularity. (17.5/20)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />5. "New Horizons" (12:21) this is a song that sounds to my untrained ear like a pretty standard big band jazz piece. If there are extraordinary things happening I'm not able to pick them up; it's just another long piece with minimal melodic hooks played within a base of a Latin-rock rhythms. (21.75/25)<br /><br />Total Time 44:56</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The musicianship is incredible all-around; how 20 musicians can play such complex music so seamlessly and cohesively is nothing short of amazing. Don's mission to open the West up to the odd meter times "naturally" used in the rest of the world's folk traditions had begun in earnest and would not quit through the rest of the Sixties, only take a slight Bulgarian left turn in the Seventies thanks to his meeting and pairing up with Bulgarian jazz and piano sensation Milcho Leviev. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">90.25 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of boundary-pushing jazz-rock fusion.<br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /></span></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhZAt0AUF5e5Ws4yw3FCnuE79u-wBifh342vZmwj0HeiII5LEiDxC0VvvS-btj3stf3F9ZlSOd0GSArROx71w2ujcw5oCl9pJRw9nxTbo1irEam4x5AxsoFamTgP_62F8ObP0ozfTml77yU6bIYA-1_r4E6DGUOsfUH5glegEUJDC8O5zYkEk7taA3282/s200/cover_532113312009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhZAt0AUF5e5Ws4yw3FCnuE79u-wBifh342vZmwj0HeiII5LEiDxC0VvvS-btj3stf3F9ZlSOd0GSArROx71w2ujcw5oCl9pJRw9nxTbo1irEam4x5AxsoFamTgP_62F8ObP0ozfTml77yU6bIYA-1_r4E6DGUOsfUH5glegEUJDC8O5zYkEk7taA3282/w320-h320/cover_532113312009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></b><span><div style="font-family: times; font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>December - </b>O</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">riginally released on Limelight, </span><span style="background-color: white;"><i><b>Cauldron</b></i></span><span style="background-color: white;"> is the legendary psychedelic jazzy rock and electronic album by Californian band <b>FIFTY FOOT HOSE</b>. Fifty Foot Hose formed in San Francisco in 1967. Like few other acts of their time, they consciously tried to combine the contemporary sounds of rock with electronic instruments and avant-garde compositional ideas. They were one of the most radical groups of the psychedelic era, and their experimentalism still has the power to shock and surprise even now. What set them apart were the pioneering experiments in electronic music, like the band they are often compared to, </span><b style="background-color: white;">The United States of America</b><span style="background-color: white;">. Incorporating Theremin, siren, audio generators, and other various electronic effects, as </span><b style="background-color: white;">Cork Marcheschi</b><span style="background-color: white;">, the band's original bass player, had developed an acute interest in the dadaist/futurist experiments of composers like </span><b style="background-color: white;">John Cage</b><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><b style="background-color: white;">Edgar Varese</b><span style="background-color: white;">. </span><b style="background-color: white;">David</b><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><b style="background-color: white;">Nancy Blossom</b><span style="background-color: white;"> brought both psychedelic and jazz influences to the band. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Cauldron</i></span><span style="background-color: white;">, their only album, was released in December 1967, including "Fantasy", "Red The Sign Post", and "God Bless The Child", a </span><b style="background-color: white;">Billie Holiday</b><span style="background-color: white;"> cover. Their sound experiments differentiated them from their contemporaries and most audiences didn't quite know what to make of them. Fifty Foot Hose's music leans more towards </span><b style="background-color: white;">White Noise</b><span style="background-color: white;">, </span><b style="background-color: white;">Silver Apples</b><span style="background-color: white;">, and especially United States of America, rather than to flower power movement. After only one album, the proto-cyber psych outfit passed as quickly as they came. Their only mention would be a name-check in </span><b style="background-color: white;">Ralph J. Gleason</b><span style="background-color: white;">'s 1969 book, </span><span style="background-color: white;"><i>The Jefferson Airplane And The San Francisco Sound</i></span><span style="background-color: white;">, published over a year after their demise. Ralph J. Gleason wrote: "</span><span style="background-color: white;">I don't know if they're immature or premature.</span><span style="background-color: white;">" History has proven them to be the latter. Today, the original album is very collectable and considered a touchstone of avant-garde rock music. Cork Marcheschi on the record: "The concept was to expand what contemporary popular music was. I thought the avant-garde could have had a home with this new group of listeners but they turned out to be pretty conservative -- intellectually. Drugs were fine -- sex was fine -- stop the wars was good but when challenged with abstract art., they reacted like conservative people look at a </span><b style="background-color: white;">Jackson Pollock</b><span style="background-color: white;"> painting." </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80Fg7e2NpF_6RxLsA2JLpExSEGfuF6REG4vsJB_Q9V2gAToAf8uBbdGgRpK8ywg5xT__H2rndn4D4pjXQVNYuccZRzmf4VHvOc31YylLsg5auTkwxyf-6-wNYQpPU-dys8ZesluHgif6xpP2U4EiGghoFIq7HLZJCIqz-ONVKC9xuoaGHibN05ktjLZUh/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80Fg7e2NpF_6RxLsA2JLpExSEGfuF6REG4vsJB_Q9V2gAToAf8uBbdGgRpK8ywg5xT__H2rndn4D4pjXQVNYuccZRzmf4VHvOc31YylLsg5auTkwxyf-6-wNYQpPU-dys8ZesluHgif6xpP2U4EiGghoFIq7HLZJCIqz-ONVKC9xuoaGHibN05ktjLZUh/w320-h320/download.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>December - </b>Epic Records released<b> </b><span style="font-weight: bold;">DONOVAN</span>'s <i style="font-weight: bold;">Wear Your Love Like Heaven </i>in the US--the first (and electrified) disc of his <i>A Gift from a Flower to a Garden</i> double album release (which was also released as a solo album--at the same time). The songs contained therein continued to express Donovan's adaptation (albeit reluctant--as evidenced by the all-acoustic, solo guitar folk "children's" album that accompanied this album in its double album form) to the world of electrified instrumentation and its psychedelic explorations--a trend he began with1966's <i>Sunshine Superman</i> and continued with Mellow Yellow. </span></span></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><u><span style="font-size: medium;">Honorable Mentions:</span></u></i></b></div><div>THE BYRDS <i>Younger Than Yesterday </i>(Feb. 6, 1967)</div><div>DONOVAN <i>Mellow Yellow </i>(February 1967)</div><div><span style="font-family: times;">THE YARDBIRDS </span><i style="font-family: times;">The Yardbirds Greatest Hits</i><span style="font-family: times;"> (March 1967)</span></div><div></div><div>THE ASSOCIATION <i>Insight Out </i>(June 8, 1967)</div><div>MOBY GRAPE <i>Moby Grape </i>(June 1967)</div><div>SMALL FACES <i>Small Faces</i> (June 23, 1967)</div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="font-family: Times;"><div>THE SEEDS <i>Future</i> (Aug. 1967)</div><div><span style="font-family: times;">THE CHOCOLATE WATCH BAND</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span><i style="font-family: times;">No Way Out</i><span style="font-family: times;"> (September)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">THE DOORS <i>Strange Days</i> (Sept. 26, 1967)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: Times;">13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS</span><span style="font-family: Times;">'</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-style: italic;">Easter Everywhere</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> (Oct. 25, 1967)</span></span></div><div><br /></div></div></span></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> My Favorite Albums of 1967:</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">1. STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK <i>Incense and Peppermints</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">2. THE MOODY BLUES <i>Days of Future Passed</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span><b>3</b></span><span><b>. DON ELLIS ORCHESTRA <i>'Live' at Monterey!</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>4. THE ASSOCIATION <i>And Then… Along Comes The Association</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span><b>5</b></span><b>. LOVE <i>Forever Changes</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>6. </b></span></span><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>DON ELLIS </span><i>Electric Bath</i></span></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">7. KALEIDOSCOPE <i>Tangerine Dream</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">8. JOHN COLTRANE <i>Expression</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">8. THE DOORS<i> The Doors</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">9. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE <i>Surrealistic Pillow</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>10. </b></span><b><span style="font-size: medium;">THE ZODIAC <i>Cosmic Sounds</i></span></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>11. THE BEATLES <i>Magical Mystery Tour</i></b></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>12. GARY BURTON<i> Duster</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>13. THE WEST COAST POP EXPERIMENTAL BAND <i>Part One</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>14. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">FIFTY FOOT HOSE <i>Cauldron</i></span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>15. THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION <i>Absolutely Free</i></b></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>16. THE JEFFERSON AIRPLANE <i>After Bathing at Baxter's </i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><span><span>17. </span></span><span>THE BEACH BOYS </span><i>Smiley Smile</i></b></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>18. H.P LOVECRAFT <i>H.P Lovecraft</i></b></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>19. THE BEATLES <i>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>20. THE BEAU BRUMMELS <i>Triangle</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><b><i><u><span style="font-size: medium;">Honorable Mentions:</span></u></i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE </span><i>Are You Experienced?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">THE CHOCOLATE WATCH BAND <i>No Way Out</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>THE FREE SPIRITS <i>Out of Sight and Sound</i></span><span><span><i> </i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>THE YARDBIRDS </span><i>The Yardbirds Greatest Hits</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">PROCOL HARUM <i>Procol Harum</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>THE DOORS </span><i>Strange Days</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">MOBY GRAPE <i>Moby Grape</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">THE BYRDS <i>Younger Than Yesterday</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">DONOVAN <i>Mellow Yellow</i> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">THE ASSOCIATION <i>Insight Out</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">SMALL FACES <i>Small Faces</i> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><div>PINK FLOYD <i>The Piper at the Gates of Dawn</i></div><div>VANILLA FUDGE <i>Vanilla Fudge</i></div><div>THE SEEDS <i>Future</i> </div><div>13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS <i>Easter Everywhere</i></div><div>MILES DAVIS QUINTET <i>Sorcerer</i></div></div></span></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><i><br /></i></span></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-32471185354062669872024-03-01T00:52:00.000-08:002024-03-01T00:53:17.401-08:00In Praise of Unsung Genius: Jon HassellMy "Celebrating Some Unsung 'Genius'" series is intended to shine the spotlight on artists who, in my opinion, continue to be under appreciated. While not necessarily in any particular order, I feel compelled to write about the artists that I feel A) the most personally geeked about and B) are most deserving of the added attention and appreciation.<div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQcRxNU1LdooTY0ZIRkd5mip-DvCgXX_ij_yWWirmgCMmIpD8Ecf6is2uLfrvJREKPvuWhh5aEcBnQUUtwbCWJhCV6f5oi5hI6qCUhynGk7u0BsmcVtJknQnqT-CtZKFwSbLGtdrtMsGAqkhg1Dz58Uhs1mjjSHTBpYKIaaswr0Fgx-GB9Vk5txh3_pbuX" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQcRxNU1LdooTY0ZIRkd5mip-DvCgXX_ij_yWWirmgCMmIpD8Ecf6is2uLfrvJREKPvuWhh5aEcBnQUUtwbCWJhCV6f5oi5hI6qCUhynGk7u0BsmcVtJknQnqT-CtZKFwSbLGtdrtMsGAqkhg1Dz58Uhs1mjjSHTBpYKIaaswr0Fgx-GB9Vk5txh3_pbuX=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>For the invention of a sound.</b> Jon Hassell burst into my awareness with the creation of an otherworldly sound that I had never heard before--that I have never heard replicated much less mastered: what I call the "ghost trumpet." I'm pretty certain that it was on Side Two of the Talking Heads' 1980 album <i>Remain in Light </i>(in particular the song "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjIR1ESQLI0&ab_channel=TalkingHeads-Topic" target="_blank">Houses in Motion</a>" but, in fact, the whole side) that I first heard the unique sound of Jon's breathy horn, but it really wasn't until I heard Brian Eno's 1982 release, <i>Ambient Music 4: On Land</i>, and, in particular, the fourth song, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoREyjBR228&ab_channel=watungedoe" target="_blank">Shadow</a>," that I realized how unique and effective a tool Jon's breathy trumpet could be as a lead instrument. This album had an enormous impact on me as it was the first musical source that helped create the perfect conditions for my first mind-expanding out-of-body experiences--with no little debt to the role that Mr. Hassell played on it. Needless to say, this core-shattering event led me to seek out albums and songs to which Jon had contributed. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnJ4mUWRbBqmn6aTUo6kBNu_sj8OhDTt9RH87DYQwlC27MxO0e8lrwvf5bcfsOec5zErpzlcsUsXqF5jxdAvGZfhxG2LJHfxbFRNAUl8_dON6IetoWPjHGzdecvFKHlWrN7AvqEN9HetoUfHrS1k1pRj2uA2EhO00JzW8JsnAtRN1g1UWtMDept_mt3duA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnJ4mUWRbBqmn6aTUo6kBNu_sj8OhDTt9RH87DYQwlC27MxO0e8lrwvf5bcfsOec5zErpzlcsUsXqF5jxdAvGZfhxG2LJHfxbFRNAUl8_dON6IetoWPjHGzdecvFKHlWrN7AvqEN9HetoUfHrS1k1pRj2uA2EhO00JzW8JsnAtRN1g1UWtMDept_mt3duA" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL6wA3xI5FXAaXSfZJevHYwEDZi3bOeuf0khO6i9uzoz_Rlr--yq_Qk9L7Ydba5UnhGC79Gh0ZKfaoJbT2GONe2Fo4yWJOjc0JZAlc3xMIqkMW9uIw4ETmxYB81RgRA7w_nuGdVD2B6P_E-APQAPsJEchd3EGTSh6VZmGHbiJtKwZBw0fXRRtmGmCq2Ncq" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL6wA3xI5FXAaXSfZJevHYwEDZi3bOeuf0khO6i9uzoz_Rlr--yq_Qk9L7Ydba5UnhGC79Gh0ZKfaoJbT2GONe2Fo4yWJOjc0JZAlc3xMIqkMW9uIw4ETmxYB81RgRA7w_nuGdVD2B6P_E-APQAPsJEchd3EGTSh6VZmGHbiJtKwZBw0fXRRtmGmCq2Ncq" width="240" /></a></div> It had been a new friend that I had met while in line to go to a U2 concert in 1981 (their second ever US tour, the <i>October</i> tour) who had really kick-started a major broadening of my musical horizons. <i>Remain in Light </i>was one of the first albums that he introduced me to as a whole new world that began and end with Brian Eno began to open up for me. I was introduced to Jon's two <i>Fourth World </i>collaborations with Brian Eno, <i>Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics</i> (1980) and <i>Dream Theory in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjIR1ESQLI0&ab_channel=TalkingHeads-Topic" target="_blank">Malay</a>a: Fourth World Volume Two</i> (1981) as well as the Eno & David Byrne album <i>My Life in the Bush of Ghosts</i>. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwDeMdJ0Ns5phN8c67Yv7kXXCOfCVRVH_aI96zIbykt8chnkQRh9eFOGyMfAs7RAFF0M65VH4A-Ddf3u0-sVw1HbuzXPL7KrVJJyaELXDWsCFqEnDfPHuDl0GUjh49S5KYYgq5g2oWOJTwzNvpvzfA__mNUn1xSipxF9bTYMCdS2ASiNF6wg8lJ43uz3Q_" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="227" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwDeMdJ0Ns5phN8c67Yv7kXXCOfCVRVH_aI96zIbykt8chnkQRh9eFOGyMfAs7RAFF0M65VH4A-Ddf3u0-sVw1HbuzXPL7KrVJJyaELXDWsCFqEnDfPHuDl0GUjh49S5KYYgq5g2oWOJTwzNvpvzfA__mNUn1xSipxF9bTYMCdS2ASiNF6wg8lJ43uz3Q_" width="245" /></a></div>From there I was on my own. Since this was long before the Internet existed, my sole means to such discoveries were record stores, word of mouth, and articles in the music industry's trade magazines. Luckily, we were still in the era in which 13-inch vinyl albums with their large package forms were the dominant form available to music consumers. There, the back side of an album often listed all of the musicians helping out. Also, my new music mentor had introduced me to a record store in Ann Arbor that set a new bar for excellence in my life: Schoolkids Records. This was 1982. Coincidentally, my friend and I were also huge Genesis and Peter Gabriel fans. 1982 was the year of the first World of Music, Arts, and Dance (W.O.M.A.D or WOMAD) Festival. The resultant album that was released as an attempt to commemorate the first festival (at Shepton Mallet in the summer of that year) was a double album, which I picked up immediately upon discovery. It contained an Eno/Hassell song from the first <i>Fourth World</i> album, "Ba-Benzélé," as well as a great song by XTC ("It's Nearly Africa") which helped to finally convince me to start checking out <i>their </i>album production.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAN5CSu-lcIOflA6g5FIV42z9r6fqmES3qm0Qd-nExjNhzuBV7KysiceF1ZDOmP0Yd3sJx6Yp0RTcfpHW3TPt1VuJqqriwqaYtMTv4b8MFsZzLsMa6DEqVSQmHCSAj2WU90zBM1ZaCVv9DN9RGJKmzHcGOGXYhhri16PPy24JChR99GCoKqGdCfEDodlQU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAN5CSu-lcIOflA6g5FIV42z9r6fqmES3qm0Qd-nExjNhzuBV7KysiceF1ZDOmP0Yd3sJx6Yp0RTcfpHW3TPt1VuJqqriwqaYtMTv4b8MFsZzLsMa6DEqVSQmHCSAj2WU90zBM1ZaCVv9DN9RGJKmzHcGOGXYhhri16PPy24JChR99GCoKqGdCfEDodlQU" width="240" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> Having been introduced to Eno's Ambient Music series and concepts (I had even set up my music listening area according to the specifics mapped out by Eno in the liner notes of his album <i>Before and After Science</i>), I was always looking for the latest Eno/Ambient album or anything that he had had a hand in creating, so it was a no brainer when <i>Ambient 4: On Land </i>came out; it was just a happy accident that he'd employed Jon Hassell on that one track--the track that sent me searching for everything and anything that Jon participated in.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> After leaving Michigan State University I was able to secure my first job in the teaching profession--in Rockville, Maryland. As I was kind of bored socially, I picked up a part-time job outside of school--at Waxie Maxie's in the Gaithersburg Mall. This was my first time working in a record store, 1983-4 (where I quickly came to realize that retail is not the world for me). There I had access to the inner sleeves and "liner notes" to all of the albums that we would play in the store--which was not inconsiderable. This was also the year that I purchased my first CD player, a Sony CDP200 (one of Sony's originals) and in which I began my upward climb into the world of "audiophile" listening and ownership (which leads to a whole different discussion topic). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> I returned to Michigan at the end of 1984--having been wooed to accept a job at the private "academic-oriented" school that my music friend from MSU now worked. This period of my life found my musical interests broadening to embrace the 1980s techno Soul and R&B that was quite prevalent on Detroit, Flint, and Ann Arbor area radio stations at the time. At the same time, this did not prevent me from including frequent trips to Schoolkids Records where my UK, Jazz, and Classical music interests could also be fed.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjl8CJ57kC4F-jINiF9tIfgwAB3eMly54fRp-H6APIQQ4rSiw0TH_Cmd2-63bI1-QA-qn2Ug-g6DIt-fMPLMmL2MQJFMFOg1zpaO4Harfd7ZQsKArNQN_M5Fl-fZdHcmEsLYMfMwCs0ywfVY4hXeaenJKl3YH_n7LlS7O4kcnT_jIcjVqTzkAQwrAQ3MDYf" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVZSLbg1YDw7JsabeNQJ6ZLksChJH1fT-2IbXfULOLFDH8Vlpvu6VdeolzGLr_uoj59o3IQMD5lesrd0TEE47ZRyaKz7t2uJOy-1dUnvHJfQao3cGrR8BPpg89bmiDX4Xlxgt6pYF160ZY0xVARpphF7wi_FNT8n4Qf-iixM6TH179M3gZWV8L_CMmqRya" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVZSLbg1YDw7JsabeNQJ6ZLksChJH1fT-2IbXfULOLFDH8Vlpvu6VdeolzGLr_uoj59o3IQMD5lesrd0TEE47ZRyaKz7t2uJOy-1dUnvHJfQao3cGrR8BPpg89bmiDX4Xlxgt6pYF160ZY0xVARpphF7wi_FNT8n4Qf-iixM6TH179M3gZWV8L_CMmqRya" width="240" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> In 1984 David Sylvian's <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2kGvZN2fNg&ab_channel=Teimuraz67" target="_blank">Brilliant Trees</a> </i>appeared--which just happened to include an entire side of three songs that featured Jon Hassell as a key component of the musical fabric. In December of 1985 Jon's breathy trumpet appeared on David's cassette, <i>Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities. </i>The first Jon Hassell solo album that I could find, 1986's <i>Power Spot,</i> was a fair album. It was also the same year on which he appeared on Tears For Fears' masterpiece, <i>The Seeds of Love</i>. His presence is integral to the songs "Standing on the Corner in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxpAsZxd3pE&ab_channel=TearsforFears-Topic" target="_blank">Third World</a>" and "Famous Last Words." </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNX1Dxi_kOa7A3D6Nv1r487ioEUHZa9nnoB-rxtSVu3uzYf_C-PICWVZINPf-UdIzJQo2BRVQmb_b2Oz5pyIe6jm-OAIfROZK7H_nUuiOA-HD_P9X1LpibqOpC8bgZpoIjWuYlwQR90UfmJO9eYEHkZR7Y4qF5rspI2WuGj4JGsM6mJAo3x7__fEg-8k5a" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNX1Dxi_kOa7A3D6Nv1r487ioEUHZa9nnoB-rxtSVu3uzYf_C-PICWVZINPf-UdIzJQo2BRVQmb_b2Oz5pyIe6jm-OAIfROZK7H_nUuiOA-HD_P9X1LpibqOpC8bgZpoIjWuYlwQR90UfmJO9eYEHkZR7Y4qF5rspI2WuGj4JGsM6mJAo3x7__fEg-8k5a" width="240" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Also one can find the presence of Jon's mystery horn on Peter Gabriel's two soundtrack albums, </span><i>Birdy </i><span>(1985) and 1986's soundtrack to the Martin Scorsese film, </span><i>Last Temptation of Christ</i><span>, which Peter called </span><i>Passion</i><span>. Much later I went back to listen to Jon's solo albums, including 1978's </span><i>Vernal Equinox</i><span>, 1983's </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9PtaAYqiQw&list=PLFVCg_I7-s_PV-fcT0bY8vZrTiNi3F8R3&index=2&ab_channel=toomuchsumo" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Aka</a><i> / Jabari / Java</i><span>, and 1986's </span><i>Power Spot</i><span>.</span><span> After that I found myself a bit on overload. (Jon's albums make </span><i>great </i><span>background music for daily chores and other activities). Of these early solo albums, I prefer </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9PtaAYqiQw&list=PLFVCg_I7-s_PV-fcT0bY8vZrTiNi3F8R3&index=2&ab_channel=toomuchsumo" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Aka</a><i> / Jabari / Java </i><span>over the others but I think I prefer the use of his "ghost trumpet" in David Sylvian's work more than anything.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhV7ZGg1OwVDYsHK3gN8Y-CK836jlAIoqRGoDXmZkML2U_LO213FEH9XwqnwRWaCmawUw1rWjXAd_0xI9R9dlhA3ux1Y_NQJEeMTYF3BgDEft_DWYQxaw2gPbzlz235xNMsndSEPYOVKxORH52mzjPL42ii-siPE5ej9gPEgdI0RJMdomJkaP6iLQn8tq6z" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhV7ZGg1OwVDYsHK3gN8Y-CK836jlAIoqRGoDXmZkML2U_LO213FEH9XwqnwRWaCmawUw1rWjXAd_0xI9R9dlhA3ux1Y_NQJEeMTYF3BgDEft_DWYQxaw2gPbzlz235xNMsndSEPYOVKxORH52mzjPL42ii-siPE5ej9gPEgdI0RJMdomJkaP6iLQn8tq6z=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> June 26, 2021 is a day that came and went without my awareness of Jon's departure from the human vehicle he'd been using since 1937. He was 84 years old.</span></div></div></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-31160068850408034652024-02-25T13:45:00.000-08:002024-03-12T07:05:50.943-07:00Fusion, Jazz Fusion, Jazz-Rock Fusion<span style="font-size: medium;">"Fusion," "Jazz Fusion" or "Jazz-Rock Fusion" implies multiple elements being fused or synthesized into . . . one(?!). In progressive rock music, this most typically involved experiments in mixing jazz and rock, but as we shall see, the influences of classical and world/ethnic musics has also played a powerful role in the formation and development of these sub-genres of jazz, rock, and progressive rock music.</span><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0Le5JHm83nxgl3AdrezEC8inUHo8-E6hrcAGnizlWERjMlln4B36p8sTWFDcgMinPeXQAIrtAxPckj4p_DwwaTsFWyNJoODvoiLIfoBWH_qjxsIiwlGSFz0izkga2U8k0V2zjhsLG8iAOMyvWIx7xwTkzhY4wk_D0XrDFAiYduHojea4pMISDDav7p9Yu" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0Le5JHm83nxgl3AdrezEC8inUHo8-E6hrcAGnizlWERjMlln4B36p8sTWFDcgMinPeXQAIrtAxPckj4p_DwwaTsFWyNJoODvoiLIfoBWH_qjxsIiwlGSFz0izkga2U8k0V2zjhsLG8iAOMyvWIx7xwTkzhY4wk_D0XrDFAiYduHojea4pMISDDav7p9Yu" width="240" /></a></div><br />
The inspirational influence of new or previously unencountered art and culture on another person can be profound--especially when the subject of that new encounter is him or herself an artist. Some encounters result in personal transformations that can be physical, emotional, mental, and/or spiritual in nature. Folklorists had been collecting recordings of unusual indigenous musics since the advent of sound recording but it was only with the deep contacts made during World War II with "primitive" and isolated third world cultures all over the planet that a science of ethnomusicology exploded. In the 1950s, with a burgeoning popular music scene fast rising in capitalistic countries, Western entrepreneurs in the music industry decided to take a chance to test the popular appeal of non-Western musics on the Western populations. It was, of course, helpful that many of these new artists of Indian, African, Caribbean, and Latin American origins had been immigrating to places like New York, London, and Paris, where record company R & D men could encounter them. Thus, we were exposed to musics of India by artists like Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar, to West African traditions from artists like Babatundi Olatunji, to Caribbean and Latin American sounds from Cubans Mongo Santamaria and Tito Puente, as well as a plethora of new dance styles in the form of songs mamba, cha-cha, bassa nova, salsa, Calypso, Reggae, and the many other unfamiliar styles and tempos. Jazz artists Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, and Pharoah Sanders were some of the early artists to show the influence of these international sounds though pop artists like The Tokens and do-wap bands also made good on the new rhythms and sounds they were hearing.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3n753s17B9UYkM8IX5roQ9V-gquEo6Bl0WcaTrL9U1hgE8iDJgLNYvUCKHzYfk2IucSt2Y2eo3SbX111NJB9jTcVv9ozJf44Ls8J3MTC5e1MLPKNwvdPJ6bcOScHyMB2kN_HYCv8rAP6tFNRf9_uzYYusCEZkmSF4TskeH-mIXhmHvzk_XJdeZiLZC5Zf" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3n753s17B9UYkM8IX5roQ9V-gquEo6Bl0WcaTrL9U1hgE8iDJgLNYvUCKHzYfk2IucSt2Y2eo3SbX111NJB9jTcVv9ozJf44Ls8J3MTC5e1MLPKNwvdPJ6bcOScHyMB2kN_HYCv8rAP6tFNRf9_uzYYusCEZkmSF4TskeH-mIXhmHvzk_XJdeZiLZC5Zf=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Cross-cultural bridges can be formed by the immigration of one musician to another place or by the popularization or media attention to visiting musicians--as was the case with not only Shankar and Khan but also with South African Hugh Masekela, Nigerian native Babatunde Olatunji, and many Cubano musicians and groups (including Beny Moré, </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Mongo Santamaria, and Desi Arnaz) </span><span>spreading the Rumba across the Caribbean before the country became with its Communist politics. In the Sixties, Terry Riley, Don Ellis, Simon and Garfunkle and even the Beatles and many, many others are examples of artists who expressed this kind of influence in their music.<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> One cannot forget or overstate the influences of the "free jazz" movement in the 1950s. Jazz innovators such as</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, Joe Maneri, and Sun Ra pushed boundaries of popular music (remember, jazz was <i>very</i> popular at this time), while Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, and Sonny Sharrock were later carriers of the torch. </span></span></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0sRgv9kRAoh18cNa0bbpwN25_HhEunPDXBOx1963DkHssr-2dYDHBIjrVBa-jFSkrWeQKRw8ythkfcBmOqiM-163XxSg6K_QKVOKzvq6bwPdeEcDB1-3OFVVnekXP4_XQnKvccW0GOnTgChQnwsl71TiJL1fvzXRpgXYyJNlf7h46m44yB_lGvlzqGT5n" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="598" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0sRgv9kRAoh18cNa0bbpwN25_HhEunPDXBOx1963DkHssr-2dYDHBIjrVBa-jFSkrWeQKRw8ythkfcBmOqiM-163XxSg6K_QKVOKzvq6bwPdeEcDB1-3OFVVnekXP4_XQnKvccW0GOnTgChQnwsl71TiJL1fvzXRpgXYyJNlf7h46m44yB_lGvlzqGT5n=w398-h400" width="398" /></a></div><br /></span>
Spiritual and religious transformations can be another means to personal shifts in musical styles, forms and evolutions, as the Anglo-European world saw in the 1950s with the effect of the European and American tours of Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Kahn. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>The influences of Eastern philosophies, religions, culture, and music here are incredibly important with Ravi Shankar and Paramahansa Yogananda, Alan Watts, Sri Chimnoy, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi just a few of the names included in this list of world music disseminators; there would probably have never been a Don Ellis Orchestra, Santana's </span><i>Caravanserai</i><span>, or John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu music had these spiritual leaders not impregnated the Anglo-American consciousness. </span><span><br />
John Coltrane had been a spiritual seeker ever since the "epiphany" that led to his break from his heroine and alcohol addictions in 1957. Though from a home in which both of his grandfathers were Christian ministers, and having found Islam through his first wife, Naima, in 1955, 'Trane was really a universalist and sought and believed there were truths to be found in all religions. Likewise developed his interest in world musics--all of which can be heard in his own musical expression and <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">development over the last ten years of his life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> There are many arguments as to what caused the formation and evolution of certain artists to explore the fusion of jazz and rock. As suggested above, the experimentation and integration went both ways: both jazz and pop-rock artists experimenting with the styles, instruments, polyrhythms, and odd time signatures of non-Western musics. Tec</span>hnological advances in recording and electrification and electric treatments of instruments also played into the new sounds in music. Technological advances caused keyboard players and guitarists to want to experiment with these new sounds. For example, jazz pianist Bill Evans' award-winning and top selling 1963 album, <i>Conversations with Myself</i>, featured Evans playing piano on three separate tracks throughout the album--with no other accompaniment. Classical composer and electronica pioneer Terry Riley claims that Evans and his studies with Indian music teacher, Pandit Pran Nath, most inspired him to experiment with both multi-tracking and a more "minimalist" composing style as evidenced on both his "In C" composition (which virtually unleashed the "Minimalist" movement) and the two long, self-performed compositions released on his 1968 album, <i>Two Rainbows in Curved Air.</i> It is these recordings that are almost universally credited with birthing the "electronica" movement.<br />
Then there is the trickle down effect: The Byrds' Roger McGuinn is reputed to have entered the recording sessions for the band's revolutionary song, "Eight Miles High" having listened repeatedly, for hours on end, to albums by Ravi Shankar and to John Coltrane's <i>Impressions</i> and <i>Africa/Brass</i>--in particular the song "India" from the former album. "It was our attempt to play jazz," claims McGuinn. Should one listen to the two songs ("Eight Mile High" and "India") back-to-back, one will find virtually the same exact melody line from "India" being played by McGuinn on his 12-string guitar (his surrogate sitar).</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgM4l51GO6mnUdnE518Ro5ja4yPgC01SK9SjEfhIwFsxS4HY4DizKgXKIQdjZhnRWF5Z4GBRkv4Vacy3l7LaIyZfADk1u-iG7nhvYNNabKD20E52P5U84CiLf62C7N1lP_LSnJzTBt33JbTo_ULQEf4g-FTYXG-g8kii7GU0x4djjio7rl4vRrAPxDQbqfW" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="591" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgM4l51GO6mnUdnE518Ro5ja4yPgC01SK9SjEfhIwFsxS4HY4DizKgXKIQdjZhnRWF5Z4GBRkv4Vacy3l7LaIyZfADk1u-iG7nhvYNNabKD20E52P5U84CiLf62C7N1lP_LSnJzTBt33JbTo_ULQEf4g-FTYXG-g8kii7GU0x4djjio7rl4vRrAPxDQbqfW=w393-h400" width="393" /></a></div><br />
Guitarist Larry Coryell was experimenting with rock chords and sound effects from the time he arrived in New York City (from Seattle) in the Fall of 1965. Working with Chico Hamilton in the latter's Quintet, Larry began experimenting with a more rock-oriented band in the same year who called themselves The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JrDWEpgxU" target="_blank">Free Spirits</a>. Though they only released one studio album, the band gigged live enough to make a name for themselves--and to let Larry find the sounds and styles he wanted to continue exploring. His playing with both Chico and The Free Spirits got him noticed by adventurous and "inclusionist" jazz vibe player Gary Burton. Larry left his former bands and played with Gary's Quartet with whom he recorded and released four albums in two years, 1967 and 1968, one of which, <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjo2Xg7T-Uw&list=PLMXJ9yz9BSmCIRjN4sXlqoH_HIp64Bi_9" target="_blank">Duster</a>,</i> is largely considered one of the first, if not <i>the </i>first, true jazz fusion album. Burton had for some time called himself a nondenominational musician. Claiming that he not only liked the music of his age but felt open and comfortable incorporating the sounds, styles, structures and melodies of all musics into his own performances, compositions and recordings.<br />
At the same time, Coryell continued exploring his own ideas in the studio. With the support of disgruntled John Coltrane rhythm section, drummer Elvin Jones and bassist Jimmy Garrison, as well as friend Bob Moses, Larry produced a solo album in 1968 that was released in early 1969 called <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qOij1GO8i0&list=PLMcAyJX7t2dFGEs2VT9gD9nAlFoHlZPwb" target="_blank">Lady Coryell</a></i> (inspired by his new artist wife, Julie Nathanson--his inspiration and collaborator). This album shows definite attempts to merge jazz music with rock sounds and stylings.<br />
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In England, jazz, rock, and blues traditions had been flourishing since the 1940. Artists like Sidney Bechet, Ronnie Scott, Chris Barber, Joe Harriott, Kenny Ball, Chris McGregor were busy spreading their sound as well as inspiring, grooming, and even mentoring some of jazz-rock's future stars like Mike Westbrook, Graham Collier, Michael Garrick, Mike Gibbs, John McLaughlin, Dave Holland, and Kenny Wheeler. Bands/musicians like The Yardbirds, John Mayall, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Daevid Allen were playing with smoothing out the boundaries between musical genres like the blues, rock, and the "free jazz" movement with electronic and taping effects to incite a burgeoning psychedelic scene. All of these musicians were extremely and profoundly effected by their introduction to the music and live concert performances of Jimi Hendrix. The 1966-68 trio of Baker, Bruce and guitarist Eric Clapton, known as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPIXJ7B2I7E" target="_blank">Cream</a>, may have been the most famous and successful of the crossover artists. By the close of the 1960s, Jazz-Rock and Jazz Fusion had found a firm place in the British music scene--especially in the Canterbury Scene.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The San Francisco Bay Area/West Coast psychedelic scene was also legendary for its influences on music as well as pop culture. Without the experimentalist <i>zeitgeist</i> of California's counter-culture that led to events like and Bill Graham's January 14, 1967, "Human Be-in" event in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park or the Monterey International Pop Concert of June of 1967 there might not have been a full-blown "Summer of Love"--which exhibited itself in the form of a tidal wave of "hippie love" psychedelia in the American music scene.<br />
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Miles Davis had some early forays "outside" the accepted boundaries of jazz (more accurately, Miles was one of the artists who was always pushing at the boundaries of jazz, taking it into new territory which would then become absorbed as an acceptable part of jazz) with such albums as <i>Round About Midnight</i>, <i>Milestones</i>, and <i>Kind of Blue</i>. It cannot be said, however, that Miles musical shifts were instigated or inspired by spiritual inputs as was the case for so many others. Rather, Miles' shifts occurred through exposure (often social and accidental) to other 'new' musics and other musicians with their new ideas and own personal influences. While all of the band members he used through the years brought strong personalities and their own ideas and growth trajectories, it might be said that Miles served as a catalyst for many musicians in the same way that a chemical reaction is sped along by the addition of some new substance or information. Or perhaps a better interpretation of the results was that the mix of each new band 'concoction' provoked transformative change in all present--even Miles. Whatever the case, the list of musicians who jammed or recorded with Miles through the years might make up half of the roster of the Jazz and Jazz Fusion Hall of Fame. Jazz music--and jazz fusion--were prodded along by Miles and these musicians.<br />
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Where was Miles' biggest shift in his evolution to a true jazz-rock fusion? Arguably, it was the 1967 Newport Jazz Festival. He brought with him to the festival his second "great quintet." This band included future fusion pioneers and stars as piano-keyboard player, Herbie Hancock (the five "Mwandishi" albums of 1971-3), saxophonist Wayne Shorter (The Jazz Messengers, WEATHER REPORT), drummer Tony Williams (The TONY WILLIAMS LIFETIME, V.S.O.P.) and bassist RON CARTER (who stuck most closely with his jazz roots). The Quintet had already produced albums like <i>E.S.P.</i>, <i>Miles Smiles</i>, <i>Sorcerer</i>, <i>Nefertiti</i>, <i>Miles in the Sky</i>, and <i>Filles de Kilimanjaro</i> as well an album that is often considered their crowning achievement, <i>The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965</i>.<br />
This had been a relatively stable time in Miles' life--and this is reflected in the music of these albums. While The Miles Davis Quintet was on the evening bill for the final night of the 1967 Newport Jazz Festival, had he been present as an audience member on either of the previous days he might have seen the experimental and proto-fusion work of the likes of Babatunde Olatunji, Gary Burton and The Gary Burton Quartet ("With Larry Coryell"), Albert Ayler, Dizzie Gillespie, John Handy, and Herbie Mann. In 1968 he could have seen the likes of The Don Ellis Orchestra, more of the Gary Burton Quartet (with Larry Coryell), as well as Mongo Santamaria and Hugh Masakela. Also in 1968, Miles married young model-singer Betty Mabry. Betty was the sole reason Miles was introduced to a lot of pop culture stars that had been a part of her own New York social circles--including Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. In a curious shift in patterns, Miles brought in new musicians for the February 1969 recording sessions at New York's Columbia Studios--musicians who were busy experimenting with electronic sounds. These included British guitarist John McLaughlin, and a second and third keyboard player in Hungarian keyboard whiz Joe Zawinal and Chick Corea to play with Herbie Hancock. The result was released at the end of July as <i>In a Silent Way</i>.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUstaxYHzIeTb279jWqdcf9adJ5HWLNx5X5L9T1qtLAgSk2AG2ptzcSEnkxOHDGfj4PotOTJPgNv9p0IQlbOU6RZ25RN8IgGkAAXot8q-CW6lIK9s8b66pg10QG7ZfMDQWmdIdROuUkRV2bRU2A-3yr4SalHb4Y0zV9-4sqcbWEc3u7fQ17RX_2awWEbG2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="591" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUstaxYHzIeTb279jWqdcf9adJ5HWLNx5X5L9T1qtLAgSk2AG2ptzcSEnkxOHDGfj4PotOTJPgNv9p0IQlbOU6RZ25RN8IgGkAAXot8q-CW6lIK9s8b66pg10QG7ZfMDQWmdIdROuUkRV2bRU2A-3yr4SalHb4Y0zV9-4sqcbWEc3u7fQ17RX_2awWEbG2=w393-h400" width="393" /></a></div><br />Though Miles and Betty divorced in 1969, Miles had the occasion to share billing in July at the 1969 Newport Jazz Festival with several of Betty's friends--including Sly Stone. It was this Newport Jazz Festival of 1969 that changed everything--for Miles and for jazz music. Featuring a more-expanded list of musical genres--especially representative of the pop scene--Miles would have had the chance to see the Sun Ra Archestra, John Mayall, James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, as well as Blood, Sweat and Tears, Jeff Beck Group, Jethro Tull, Steve Marcus, and Alvin Lee and Ten Years After on Friday night's "Evening of Jazz-Rock" and B.B. King and Johnny Winter and Led Zeppelin on the final night. As some observers note, Miles came away from Newport "on fire;" there was Miles before Newport 1969 and then Miles <i>after</i> Newport.<br />
The first studio project after the Newport Jazz Festival came in August--the 10th through the 21st, to be exact. Though <i>In A Silent Way </i>came out later that same July, it had been recorded months before. For these August studio sessions Miles recruited a large ensemble, many of whom had been experimenting with electronic instruments for some time. The <i>Bitches Brew</i> sessions are famous for the presence of a large group of studio musicians--even more expanded than on <i>In A Silent Way</i>. Miles invited long-time collaborators Wayne Shorter on soprano saxophone and Dave Holland on double bass, and then guitarist John McLaughlin and the three keyboard players from the previous album, Joe Zawinal, Chick Corea, and Herbie Hancock. Gone was the powerful drumming of Tony Williams--who had left to from his own power jazz trio with John McLaughlin and organist Larry Young. Instead he used the more subtle, Latin-influenced work of Don Alias, Lenny White, Jack DeJohnette and percussionist Juma Santos (sometimes all at once). Also, a second bass player, Harvey Brooks, was included to provide the contrasting electric bass guitar to Dave Holland's acoustic stand-up. Perhaps the most effective and eerie addition was that of bass clarinetist Bennie Maupin.<br />
On the first day, at Columbia Studio B in New York City, the band of twelve musicians cranked out three songs including the title song, "John McLaughlin," and a new version of Wayne Shorter's "Sanctuary"--the last two minus bassist Harvey Brooks.<br />
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<dt style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> On the next day the same ensemble minus drummer Lenny White gathered to complete the "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" (14:04 in length on the vinyl album release). On the final day the ensemble was expanded again with the the return of Lenny White and the addition of organist Larry Young as the third and "center" channel's electric pianist in place of Herbie Hancock. The day produced two songs, "Spanish Key" and a cover of Joe Zawinal's "Pharoah's Dance." (All other songs are credited to Miles.)</span></span></dt>
<dt style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> <b>Every name mentioned from the recording sessions of these two albums went on to become major players in the Fusion explosion that occurred in the following year or two.</b></span></span></dt><dt style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></dt><dt style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></dt>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM2aFiJzO6RyF7iCASeVExQza8sjYnBUtd1gyu3pUKPTWmyHFSX5JSvG_V7UTBtiedts50OqPh6Vw6M9oct_mwyk8oh_cbIQTuCoZrlWqfTVpMvPWdpCXPWA3VySSm1YHau1qhvU5EWHvz1scaSvN0JOI_OApc3ESHpQElkC7_cjSzUlA6F0m58ve2pvRF" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="600" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM2aFiJzO6RyF7iCASeVExQza8sjYnBUtd1gyu3pUKPTWmyHFSX5JSvG_V7UTBtiedts50OqPh6Vw6M9oct_mwyk8oh_cbIQTuCoZrlWqfTVpMvPWdpCXPWA3VySSm1YHau1qhvU5EWHvz1scaSvN0JOI_OApc3ESHpQElkC7_cjSzUlA6F0m58ve2pvRF=w400-h389" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u><span style="font-size: large;">Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums from the Classic Era</span></u> <span style="font-size: medium;">(1967-1979)</span></i></b><span style="font-size: medium;">:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Don Ellis</b>: <i>'Live' at Monterey ! </i>(1967), <i>Electric Bath</i> (1967), <i>Shock Treatment</i> (1967), <i>Autumn</i> (1968), <i>Connection</i> (1972)</span><br /><b>Gary Burton</b>: <i>Duster </i>(1967), <i>Crystal Silence (with Chick Corea)</i> (1973), <i>The New Quartet</i>, <i>Ring (with Eberhard Weber and Pat Metheny)</i> (1974), <i>Dreams So Real</i>, <i>Passengers</i></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Larry Coryell</b>: <i>Coryell </i>(1969), <i>Lady Coryell </i>(1969), <i>Spaces</i> (1970), <i>Barefoot Boy</i> (1971), <i>Offering </i>(1972), </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Eleventh House</b><i>: Introducing the Eleventh House with Larry Coryell</i> (1974), <i>Planet End</i> (1975), <i>The Eleventh House: Level One</i> (1975)<br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Tony Williams' Lifetime</b>: <i>Emergency! </i>(1969), <i>Believe It</i> (1975)<br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Miles Davis</b><span>: </span><i>In a Silent Way</i><span> (1969), </span><i>Bitches Brew</i><span> (1970), </span><i>A Tribute to Jack Johnson</i><span> (1971), </span><i>On the Corner</i><span> (1972)</span></span></div></div><div><div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>John McLaughlin</b>: <i>Extrapolation</i> (1969), <i>Devotion </i>(1970)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mahavishnu Orchestra</b>: <i>Inner Mounting Flame </i>(1971)<i>, Birds of Fire </i>(1972)<i>, Between Nothingness and Eternity </i>(1973),<i> Apocalypse </i>(1974)<i>, Visions of the Emerald Beyond </i>(1975)<br /></span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Santana</b>: <i>Abraxas </i>(1970)<i>, Santana 3</i> (1971)<i>, Caravanserai </i>(1972)<i>, Welcome </i>(1973)<i>, Borboletta</i> (1974)<i> </i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Devadip Carlos Santana & Mahavishnu John McLaughlin</b>: <i>Love Devotion Surrender </i>(1973)</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Billy Cobham</b>: <i>Spectrum </i>(1973)</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Jean-Luc Ponty</b>: <i>Aurora </i>(1976)<i>, Imaginary Voyage </i>(1976), <i>Enigmatic Ocean</i> (1977), <i>Cosmic Messenger</i> (1978)<i> </i></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Eberhard Weber</b>: <i>The Colours of Chloë</i> (1974), <i>Yellow Fields </i>(1976), <i>The Following Morning </i>(1976)<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>Pat Metheny</b>: <i>Bright Size Life</i> (1977), <i>Watercolors</i> (1977), </span><i>New Chautauqua</i><span> (1979)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Pat Metheny Group</b><span>: </span><span><i>Pat Metheny Group </i>(1978),<i> American Garage </i>(1979)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Ralph Towner</b>: <i>Solstice </i>(1974), <i>Matchbook (with Gary Burton) </i>(1975),<i> Sargasso Sea (with John Abercrombie)</i> (1976)</span></div></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Shakti</b><span>: </span><i>A Handful of Beauty</i><span> (1977), </span><i>Natural Elements </i><span>(1977)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>CoDoNa</b><span>: </span><i>Codona </i><span>(1979)</span><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Colosseum</b>: <i>Those Who Are about to Die Salute You</i> (1969), <i>Valentyne Suite </i>(1969), <i>The Grass Is Greener</i> (1970), <i>Daughter of Time</i> (1970)<br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Nucleus</b>: <i>Elastic Rock</i> (1970), <i>Let's Talk About It Later </i>(1971)<br /><b>The Soft Machine</b>: <i>Third </i>(1970)<i>, 5 ("Fifth"), Six, Seven, Softs, Bundles </i>(1975)<br /><b>National Health</b>: <i>National Health </i>(1978), <i>Of Queues and Cures </i>(1978)<br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Weather Report</b>: <i>I Sing the Body Electric </i>(1972)<i>, Sweetnighter </i>(1973), <i>Mysterious Traveller </i>(1974)<i>, Black Market </i>(1976)<i>, Heavy Weather</i>, (1977), <i>Mr. Gone </i>(1978)<br /><b>Joni Mitchell</b>: <i>The Hissing of Summer Lawns </i>(1975)<i>, </i><i>Hejira </i>(1976)<i>, </i><i>Don Juan's Reckless Daughter </i>(1977)<i>, Mingus </i>(1979)<i> </i><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Herbie Hancock</b>: <i>Fat Albert Rotunda </i>(1969), <i>Mwandishi </i>(1971)<i>, Crossings </i>(1972)<i>, Sextant </i>(1973)<br /><b>
Eddie Henderson</b>: <i>Realisation </i>(1973)<i>, Inside Out </i>(1974)<br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">Bennie Maupin</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">:</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b> </b><i>The Jewel in The Lotus </i>(1974)</span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: times;">Julien Priester</b><span style="font-family: times;">:<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i><i>Love, Love </i>(1974)</span></span><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Return to Forever</b><span style="background-color: white;">:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i>Return to Forever </i>(1972)<span style="background-color: white;">,</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i>Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy </i>(1973)<i>, Light as Feather </i>(1973)<span style="background-color: white;">, </span><i>Where Have I Known You Before </i>(1974)<span style="background-color: white;">,</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i>No Mystery </i>(1975)<span style="background-color: white;">, </span><i>Romantic Warrior </i>(1976)<span style="background-color: white;">,</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i>Musicmagic </i>(1977)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Lenny White</b>: <i>Venusian Summer</i> (1975)<i>, Big City</i> (1976)<br /><b>Stanley Clarke:</b> <i>Children of Forever </i>(1973)<i>, Stanley Clarke </i>(1974)<i>, Journey to Love </i>(1975)<i>, School Days</i> (1976)<br /><b>Al DiMeola</b>:<i> Land of the Midnight Sun</i> (1976), <i>Elegant Gypsy</i> (1977), <i>Casino </i>(1978), <i>Splendido Hotel </i>(1980)</span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Chick Corea</b><span style="background-color: white;">: </span><i>Crystal Silence (with Gary Burton) </i>(1973)<span style="background-color: white;">, </span><i>My Spanish Heart </i>(1976)<span style="background-color: white;">, <i>T</i></span><i>he Lepruchaun </i>(1976)<span style="background-color: white;">, </span><i>The Mad Hatter </i>(1978)</span></div></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Jeff Beck</b>: <i>Orange </i>(1972)<i>, Blow By Blow </i>(1975)<i>, Wired </i>(1976)<br /><br /><b>Freddie Hubbard</b>: <i>Polar A-C </i>(1975), <i>The Love Connection </i>(1978)</span></div><div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Wigwam</b><span style="background-color: white;">:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i>Fairyport (</i>1971)<span style="background-color: white;">,</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i>Being </i>(1974)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pekka Pohjola</b>: <i>Pihkasilmä Kaarnakorva</i> (1972), <i>The Magpie</i> (1974), </span></span><i>Keesojen Lehto (</i><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The Mathemetician's Air Display; The Consequences of Indecisions)</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> (1977), </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Visitation </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">(1978)</span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Brand X</b>: <i>Unorthodox Behaviour</i> (1976), <i>Moroccan Roll</i> (1977),<i> Masques</i> (1978), <i>Product</i> (1979)<br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Bruford</b><span style="background-color: white;">: </span><i>Feels Good to Me </i>(1978)<span style="background-color: white;">, </span><i>One of a Kind </i>(1979)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Moraz & Bruford</b>: <i>Music for Piano and Drums </i>(1983)</span><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Fermata</b>: <i>Fermáta </i>(1975), <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Pieseň z hôľ </i>(1977), </span></span><i>Huascaran </i>(1978)<br /><span><span style="background-color: white;"><b>SBB</b>: <i>Nowy horyzont </i>(1975), </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Pamięć </i>(1976)<i>, </i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Ze słowem biegnę do ciebie </i>(1977), </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Slovenian Girls </i>(1978)<i>, </i></span><i>Memento z banalnym triptykiem</i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(1981)</span></span><br /></span><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Deodato</b><span style="background-color: white;">: </span><i>Prelude </i>(1973)<i>, II </i>(1973)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><div><b>Dedalus</b>: <i>Dedalus </i>(1971)</div><div></div><b>Perigeo: </b><i>Azimut</i> (1972), <i>Abbiamo tutti un blues da Piangere </i>(1973)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Area</b>: <i>Arbeit Macht Frei </i>(1973), <i>Caution Radiation Area</i> (1974), <i>Crac! </i>(1975), <i>Maledetti </i>(1976)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Arti E Mestieri</b>: <i>Tilt - immagini per un orecchio </i>(1974), <i>Giro di vlazer per domini </i>(1975)</span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Cervello</b>: <i>Melos </i>(1973)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Nova</b>: <i>Blink</i> (1975), <i>Vimana</i> (1976), <i>Wings of Love</i> (1977), <i>Sun City</i> (1978)</span><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Atila</b><span style="background-color: white;">:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i>Reviure </i>(1978)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><br />The list is by no means exhaustive: I'm certain I've left out many, many albums that are deserving of being included; these are but. the albums I know and can vouch for.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;">In upcoming posts I plan to offer an ordered list of My Favorite "Classic Era" Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums as well as a detailed "Compendium" of album details with reviews of some of these key albums. Enjoy!</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-4505071274301062642024-02-19T12:46:00.000-08:002024-03-01T10:48:06.885-08:00"Progressive Soul"<p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZhjXw5np8tk10A2t8xgRhh0o0N23jVLowaVzA9TkYp71NESzvJI2KMXd5UJGOVTaZ17POxcYQXX2qHjI3p3D0sZaBEPVMKHURbsdACXeA2iHV5c3K-WEmt76H6koklg97ggGAuhAGA6iWe6IzqTfpkL9oRHilSLU19hBqENFKp21RKsc8I-8ULkfCjZf/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="224" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZhjXw5np8tk10A2t8xgRhh0o0N23jVLowaVzA9TkYp71NESzvJI2KMXd5UJGOVTaZ17POxcYQXX2qHjI3p3D0sZaBEPVMKHURbsdACXeA2iHV5c3K-WEmt76H6koklg97ggGAuhAGA6iWe6IzqTfpkL9oRHilSLU19hBqENFKp21RKsc8I-8ULkfCjZf/w398-h400/download.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><span><p><span style="font-size: medium;">While growing up in the 1960s and 1970s I was surrounded by the music of my parents in the form of my mother's love of The Beatles and folk music, my father's love of jazz--especially New Orleans jazz and the wave of Latin-based pop-jazz artists such as Herb Alpert and Sergio Mendes. The AM radio stations played in our home or in our cars contained a lot of silly pop music but growing up in Detroit gave us an advantage to hearing radio stations saturated by Motown and other African-American/Black artists. In fact, I can remember that to my young brain I knew no distinction between the music coming from The Mamas and the Papas or The Fifth Dimension, The Carpenters or The Supremes, The Osmond Brothers or The Jackson Five. But, as the harder, more psychedelic and rebellious elements of the "counter culture" began to assert itself into the music being produced at the time, onto the music that was played on the radio, I began to notice. By this time my independent musical tastes and preferences were forming. I became affixed to local AM radio station CKLW, which listed a weekly Top 30, presented each week over a two hour periods. </span></p></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcq6Kquvdb7EXnmV3MIpSf9QYlKCfpgO1PrHfwYqu1ciQV6_CSkUzVidHwc1At2JKlr-AahQnbH2ydLNCpRlLkuJmkZFJot6VegQQkZGYowaJTZVctznIKeHbchELrobKoLGGtNzul83dodGx-Hsz-_77LgwYhlhXVfRoHGmt7BzyoGu6NjLGzKKaONyPF/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcq6Kquvdb7EXnmV3MIpSf9QYlKCfpgO1PrHfwYqu1ciQV6_CSkUzVidHwc1At2JKlr-AahQnbH2ydLNCpRlLkuJmkZFJot6VegQQkZGYowaJTZVctznIKeHbchELrobKoLGGtNzul83dodGx-Hsz-_77LgwYhlhXVfRoHGmt7BzyoGu6NjLGzKKaONyPF/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Born into a family whose maternal line was obsessed with keeping lists, CKLW's Top 30 lists were something that I immediately latched onto: I began my own list-keeping, spending hours on my new radio dialing through the AM channels to hear and tabulate the songs from the previous week's Top 30. Despite my innate impairment to being able to hear the words, lyrics, and messages of the songs I hear, I could feel a change occurring the emotional essence and intention of music I was hearing. Fading was the dominance of the innocuous happy-go-lucky or silly teeny-bopper songs of the naïve 1950s and 1960s. I think the impact of protest songs the folk singers was infiltrating, gradually working their way into the mainstream through integrated Broadway plays like <i>Pippin</i>, <i>Hair!</i>, <i>Joseph and The Technicolor Amazing Dreamcoat</i>, <i>Godspell</i>, and <i>Jesus Christ Superstar.</i> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEx0ICD48sp7UPzcYaL8B9jLYCBva-y2-0UYegWYvAkunQiUz6IfnP8TdGRD5_FpHjSbuxf-TbxWhQPi5kTITD3ZZA1NuJLQofqmi8_UQT9Prtf8zLgJ2MfHejvGVA_osXgOkoC_vXvej34o3YStnAsZEmw5zqv926K8fapbFZ0d2YYRb2xv17KTGoBXjd/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEx0ICD48sp7UPzcYaL8B9jLYCBva-y2-0UYegWYvAkunQiUz6IfnP8TdGRD5_FpHjSbuxf-TbxWhQPi5kTITD3ZZA1NuJLQofqmi8_UQT9Prtf8zLgJ2MfHejvGVA_osXgOkoC_vXvej34o3YStnAsZEmw5zqv926K8fapbFZ0d2YYRb2xv17KTGoBXjd/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>The Civil Rights Movement had spawned new hope in the Black population, the heinous assassinations of Malcom X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy inciting anger and even violence. The music began to reflect this; the artists were shifting. New technologies--many of which were pioneered by George Martin and The Beatles--were also becoming more present and more influential in the songs the radios were disseminating. At this same time I discovered FM radio--a vast universe in which Detroit saw the pioneering of two album-oriented music stations: WABX at 99.5 in 1969, and, in February of 1971, WXYZ FM at 101.1 changed WRIF. While the former station began with a more </span><span>local, garage-band exposure philosophy--</span><span>like Rare Earth, The Stooges, MC5, The Amboy Dukes, Saving Grace, Grand Funk Railroad, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper, and J. Giels--</span><span>these stations still played the more serious pop hits heard on the AM channels. While my ears and tastes hadn't really accommodated raw, raunchy, anger-ridden rock 'n' roll--and especially hard rock--the engineering and electronic nuances entering the music coming from new and old Soul and Rhythm and Blues artists was immediately noticeable: it was interesting and likable. What I heard from Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone, Santana, Chicago, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Billie Preston, Eddie Kendricks, Earth Wind and Fire, Kool and the Gang, and The Temptations amazed and astounded me. Had I been more attentive I'm sure I would have caught wind of the amazing stuff The Chamber Brothers, Parliament, </span><span>Eric Burden and War, Gil Scott-Heron, Mandrilll, Osibisa, Earth Wind and Fire, Herbie Hancock, and </span><span>Kool and the Gang</span><span> were doing, but alas! My heart was still in the hands of the mainstream pop side of the Soul/R&B world; while "What's Going on," "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Also Sprach Zarathustra" were enjoyable, I was bathing in the glorious melodies of The Stylisitcs, Aretha, Roberta Flack, Barry White, and the Motown, Stax, and Philadelphia sounds. </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyTqNDXNMJpf8aEkHHt9bKxVKPqlMNRNxx2xMVY2S58YuB_02Bzht5r0_qFL2ZQ8Y8KjsK94XcogkDVpfBh0F3z_amaa3MLvTK_EnqtguqfdArP4V6W_DsUdrbzEbE7dOTZCG5c0BY6kaoPsqEeda4KdmHBtbo6rMuwAKSmdTmnxCSdnWvkl6l75L83Rh/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyTqNDXNMJpf8aEkHHt9bKxVKPqlMNRNxx2xMVY2S58YuB_02Bzht5r0_qFL2ZQ8Y8KjsK94XcogkDVpfBh0F3z_amaa3MLvTK_EnqtguqfdArP4V6W_DsUdrbzEbE7dOTZCG5c0BY6kaoPsqEeda4KdmHBtbo6rMuwAKSmdTmnxCSdnWvkl6l75L83Rh/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span><p><span style="font-size: medium;">My point here is that, even in the Black community of music making all of the things that would later be considered "progressive" were happening and affecting their soundscapes: organs, synthesizers, electric bass, expansive jazz-rock drum-and-percussion sets, and, of course, wild guitar solos were infecting these artists. The only thing lacking here is, perhaps, the classical training tht many white musicians may have had and, instead of the American folk traditions to draw from, the African-American Southern and Chicago blues traditions. (Many musicologists might jump in here to extoll the rich "classical" traditions available to the African-American community in the way of Jazz music.) Thus, I think it not far-fetched to endorse the category of progressive rock music coined as "Progressive Soul." In fact, I would argue that many of the techno-synth techniques employed by the Rap and Hip-Hop worlds might not have existed without the infatuation of new musical technologies being explored by their "progressive" forebears--and lord knows I love me some Prince, Newcleus, Run-DMC, Cameo, Whodini, and practically anything Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis have touched!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVS5OhXGBlayS8YZ4KfzMnBU67np92h0-nEnUjP0boWIM4DmYyuBrBMre7dQCfUQ0wXAvfzPe4aGgYOf3LkCFY-gamd497UZQQ_e_PobG6FekH7n5hPUxOTmi9LtYQWyX1dr4aLcpag2gV26voAJ7HZrt3hOJ6msizXelR9hLwoZ7lbsJM6qr8Wz4xq6qo/s210/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="148" data-original-width="210" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVS5OhXGBlayS8YZ4KfzMnBU67np92h0-nEnUjP0boWIM4DmYyuBrBMre7dQCfUQ0wXAvfzPe4aGgYOf3LkCFY-gamd497UZQQ_e_PobG6FekH7n5hPUxOTmi9LtYQWyX1dr4aLcpag2gV26voAJ7HZrt3hOJ6msizXelR9hLwoZ7lbsJM6qr8Wz4xq6qo/w400-h282/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbnKOs5yjs6dOU8VPn-QJWOLH17VBZpCNKAScJO8_Pno81kZLZNtIjoFITXY0zTTRpGR6PV96U141bi6TbGEys0aMTvjO4h_2QlS3xAOKQu19RS_Lj8W79AA0FbepEXJz2oEgtKQwfirkyGaUsyhU7SBI5J79mrlKbN1HSaR6NnbHbxLmoFKELyY0EA6T/s600/R-9059531-1474059304-4809.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbnKOs5yjs6dOU8VPn-QJWOLH17VBZpCNKAScJO8_Pno81kZLZNtIjoFITXY0zTTRpGR6PV96U141bi6TbGEys0aMTvjO4h_2QlS3xAOKQu19RS_Lj8W79AA0FbepEXJz2oEgtKQwfirkyGaUsyhU7SBI5J79mrlKbN1HSaR6NnbHbxLmoFKELyY0EA6T/w400-h400/R-9059531-1474059304-4809.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-32709879093285613192024-02-14T05:17:00.000-08:002024-03-01T10:48:39.067-08:00The Birth of Progressive Rock Music: 1965<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>1965</u></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The most important music events of the year--ones that contributed to the birth of Progressive Rock Music.</span></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iJtRk-0m-C4noK02WAVbYuG5Eg6V3gtMTr8WgAXbZGJd_2GWXTSRfdL8I1AaINQbiEZDA-3WoG77VxXk0KkTjYE4k-Km0-zoPL1xkjJGeneEjzRTXw5e5oPkZNozepgobkmow1MbZ47bp3L9cjFeUpMCTDOeBJaWEGqjWdbYC_ydNay_OyQD7G8JYF2G/s599/R-374507-1700242359-9349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="594" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iJtRk-0m-C4noK02WAVbYuG5Eg6V3gtMTr8WgAXbZGJd_2GWXTSRfdL8I1AaINQbiEZDA-3WoG77VxXk0KkTjYE4k-Km0-zoPL1xkjJGeneEjzRTXw5e5oPkZNozepgobkmow1MbZ47bp3L9cjFeUpMCTDOeBJaWEGqjWdbYC_ydNay_OyQD7G8JYF2G/w396-h400/R-374507-1700242359-9349.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>January/February</b> - Impulse! Records releases <b>JOHN COLTRANE</b>'s genre-changing album,<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">A Love Supreme</i><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0l7rYiM5Q-oK0kVD3q2caYrxUrQPSlL8s3BsUhQ6dqZqw1UyPA9pXwLx5IdPVi6HY-JcenIyY790HdoTwJLWOzTiIP1VejZNmV_X4KV_xhf7HnF9OvvyOHfkrAeINtYyhvElvrp4D8CrV9VLtiPH288GXgNxV-RN0RuXsCIpv8tRETjm1-Dwq1Vzsxv4/s600/R-1307299-1552670811-5800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0l7rYiM5Q-oK0kVD3q2caYrxUrQPSlL8s3BsUhQ6dqZqw1UyPA9pXwLx5IdPVi6HY-JcenIyY790HdoTwJLWOzTiIP1VejZNmV_X4KV_xhf7HnF9OvvyOHfkrAeINtYyhvElvrp4D8CrV9VLtiPH288GXgNxV-RN0RuXsCIpv8tRETjm1-Dwq1Vzsxv4/w400-h398/R-1307299-1552670811-5800.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>January</b> - Parrot Records release <b>THE ZOMBIES</b>' debut album, called <i><b>The Zombies</b></i>. The album contains two mega hits that were released in late 1964, "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No" as well as "You've Really Got a Hold on Me." The album is also remarkable for containing seven original songs penned by band members Rod Argent or Chris White.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>April 13</b> - at the Grammy Awards the big winners are Joao Gilberto and Stan Getz and "The Girl from Ipanema," celebrating the rising popularity and impact of Brazilian bassa nova.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>May - July</b> - Simon & Garfunkle's "Sounds of Silence," The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction," and The Beatles' "Yesterday" are all penned and recorded.</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><table class="tracklist_3QGRS" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "Nimbus Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; table-layout: auto; width: 873.594px;"><tbody><tr data-track-position="A1" style="border-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><td class="trackTitle_CTKp4" style="padding: 2px; position: relative; width: 775.188px; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /><br /></b></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHcgfCRzGImVdd2sU7VrjSqUfFLslJNkuyuCvwzZ77Yk2YEe__4nf8uzYP7VcbtZlAWL1p6gVudwKc0OhU9bJIaK3Mgpv-qLU4pUJY0tEzyqf5eGj9pzFqqFAUgHufLFpQTVJukTLyy6J3r9PIbIvzTSNOQYtkHDGe-eM64ds1CGUwZjjTL3ZoR0O4DCl/s600/R-1016967-1543849396-8842.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="600" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHcgfCRzGImVdd2sU7VrjSqUfFLslJNkuyuCvwzZ77Yk2YEe__4nf8uzYP7VcbtZlAWL1p6gVudwKc0OhU9bJIaK3Mgpv-qLU4pUJY0tEzyqf5eGj9pzFqqFAUgHufLFpQTVJukTLyy6J3r9PIbIvzTSNOQYtkHDGe-eM64ds1CGUwZjjTL3ZoR0O4DCl/w400-h399/R-1016967-1543849396-8842.jpg" width="400" /></b></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><br />July 5</b> - Epic Records releases <b>THE YARDBIRDS</b>' first US album, <i><b>For Your Love</b></i> on which Jeff Beck's electric guitar play on three tracks receives major notice for representing "the future sound" and "true direction of" the band, while Eric Clapton's guitar work on the remainder of the songs is touted as "some of the best blues-based rock & roll of its era."</span></td><td class="duration_2t4qr" style="color: #444444; padding: 2px 10px 2px 2px; text-align: right; width: 35.0312px;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table class="tracklist_3QGRS" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "Nimbus Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; table-layout: auto; width: 873.594px;"><tbody><tr data-track-position="A1" style="border-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><td class="trackPos_2RCje" style="padding: 2px 14px 2px 2px; width: 17.375px;"><br /><br /></td><td class="artist_3zAQD" style="padding: 2px 14px 2px 0px; text-align: right; width: 0px;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></td><td class="trackTitle_CTKp4" style="padding: 2px; position: relative; width: 775.188px; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></td><td class="duration_2t4qr" style="color: #444444; padding: 2px 10px 2px 2px; text-align: right; width: 35.0312px;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaKrb-C1KN9gnVNqKUeXCEsH2HpBa5n7pHFZwf49PTN_cTDNpUID0aOIDGaB0-G9K-G6G0JDqfO1HO2FHkcVdsJfExVzDtELzRD-ZoDirp2bKm1SJ3SiD97P0m2xSezUIiA247hpuhCZH8yU7FsDb9vKO-1YFHYiHzC3QnpJW8oFsXMPT1EK6IBbc9X1m/s600/R-6590004-1422648212-9623.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaKrb-C1KN9gnVNqKUeXCEsH2HpBa5n7pHFZwf49PTN_cTDNpUID0aOIDGaB0-G9K-G6G0JDqfO1HO2FHkcVdsJfExVzDtELzRD-ZoDirp2bKm1SJ3SiD97P0m2xSezUIiA247hpuhCZH8yU7FsDb9vKO-1YFHYiHzC3QnpJW8oFsXMPT1EK6IBbc9X1m/w400-h400/R-6590004-1422648212-9623.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>August 30</b> - Columbia/CBS Records releases <b>BOB DYLAN</b>'s genre-creating ("Folk Rock") album,<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Highway 61 Revisited</i>, oft-considered one of the greatest and most influential records of all-time.</span></p>1. "Like A Rolling Stone" (5:59)<br />2. "Tombstone Blues" (5:53)<br />3. "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry" (3:25)<br />4. "From A Buick 6" (3:06)<br />5. "Ballad Of A Thin Man" (5:48)<br />6. "Queen Jane Approximately" (4:57)<br />7. "Highway 61 Revisited" (3:15)<br />8. "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" (5:08)<br />9. "Desolation Row" (11:18)<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><b style="font-size: large;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtv608FhXIyEox_2mSMiWX87t5f0EPcqGPvp1L1oWbtxypA0BVHmwvPteS0E-5DlkyL68QwQKTjnGphqPJyvEf_4nC01Y5FygLHX63fZXuzONkTUVhN3U2Tw7jiGhFFTforvrdbFYOULIngA1hNIFQ9ia9C4kkZWBQsKpOp0UExW7A8S9h6u7OQxSezNSr/s300/AnimalTracksUSCover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtv608FhXIyEox_2mSMiWX87t5f0EPcqGPvp1L1oWbtxypA0BVHmwvPteS0E-5DlkyL68QwQKTjnGphqPJyvEf_4nC01Y5FygLHX63fZXuzONkTUVhN3U2Tw7jiGhFFTforvrdbFYOULIngA1hNIFQ9ia9C4kkZWBQsKpOp0UExW7A8S9h6u7OQxSezNSr/w400-h400/AnimalTracksUSCover.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div><b><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>September<span style="font-weight: 400;"> - MGM Records releases</span><b style="font-weight: 400;"> THE ANIMALS' </b></b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Animal Tracks</i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The album is most notable for accumulating the band's recent singles using their very successful "dirty rhythm and blues sound" with songs that were mostly written by the band themselves instead of covers. </span></span></p></b><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>November 5</b> - Brunswick Records releases The Who's single, "My Generation."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPF9jMgwx2YiF2YpCFEB7BllgIrPpzS15BjsWDnNufnc_Tz1swQxPZuuHqifGv0MMb9efTkck8ykv6XsGKEBVYID_t5NO9AMTnEbw7u_Apec9L0j2FAtMT1uijj-AGFghq2xCArvFnOxfl6XHkfS1nKsaVluSWlJ4FRDrsPxT_e04Fezi1puf9M15f-sAa/s600/R-15307775-1589506252-8249.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPF9jMgwx2YiF2YpCFEB7BllgIrPpzS15BjsWDnNufnc_Tz1swQxPZuuHqifGv0MMb9efTkck8ykv6XsGKEBVYID_t5NO9AMTnEbw7u_Apec9L0j2FAtMT1uijj-AGFghq2xCArvFnOxfl6XHkfS1nKsaVluSWlJ4FRDrsPxT_e04Fezi1puf9M15f-sAa/w400-h400/R-15307775-1589506252-8249.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><p><b style="font-weight: bold;">November 15 </b><b style="font-weight: bold;">- THE YARDBIRDS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Having a Rave Up</i><span>, an album which notes the replacement of dissatisfied blues-oriented guitarist Eric Clapton with adventurous/experimental electric guitarist, Jeff Beck. Side One contains six studio recordings with Jeff Beck providing the guitar playing while Side Two contains recordings from live performances in which Eric Clapton was the band's guitarist. </span></p></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMjd4E0UlYNplPlTb6XeXhgcvDGIXqmM5gxtARkDK4qQMqplNRN5xSX1bid_chg50FXXLwLCK5cB1Zq5wgKd4WrTWpJhArYqHxbqneM4QivdRPVyFJOULDLigpcYyDaeTCddoWs0vzsOl-UoX5Rfm6qNlsGxsRDL4zr2U2VAcLNDzoQ7K2crWYjRFlXrY/s600/R-375379-1364394758-6224.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMjd4E0UlYNplPlTb6XeXhgcvDGIXqmM5gxtARkDK4qQMqplNRN5xSX1bid_chg50FXXLwLCK5cB1Zq5wgKd4WrTWpJhArYqHxbqneM4QivdRPVyFJOULDLigpcYyDaeTCddoWs0vzsOl-UoX5Rfm6qNlsGxsRDL4zr2U2VAcLNDzoQ7K2crWYjRFlXrY/w400-h400/R-375379-1364394758-6224.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>December 5 </b>- Parlophone Records releases <b>THE BEATLES</b>' <b style="font-style: italic;">Rubber Soul</b>,<i> </i>in the UK (in mono, of course).</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><i><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>My Favorite Albums of 1965:</u></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></b></div></i></b><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">1. JOHN COLTRANE <i>A Love Supreme</i></span></b></div></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>2. THE ZOMBIES <i>The Zombies</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>3. BOB DYLAN <i>Highway 61 Revisited</i></b><br /><b>4. THE YARDBIRDS <i>For Your Love</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>5. THE YARDBIRDS <i>Having a Rave Up</i></b></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>6. THE ANIMALS<i> Animal Tracks</i></b></span></div><br />Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-45998685237208203442024-02-13T09:52:00.000-08:002024-03-01T10:48:55.440-08:00The Birth of Progressive Rock Music: 1966<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>1966</u></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The most important music events of the year that contributed to the birth of Progressive Rock Music.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">January 17 - Columbia Records releases <b>SIMON & GARFUNKLE</b>'s album,<b> </b><i>Sounds of Silence</i> in a great rush in an effort to take advantage of the duo's first hit single of the same name. Interestingly, the song "<b>Sounds of Silence</b>" first appears on the duo's debut album from 1964, <i>Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">February - Impulse! Records releases <b>JOHN COLTRANE's </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Ascension (I) </i>album. Two long jams of abrasive and aggressive free form jazz that many people surmise was John's effort to let loose of some dissonant emotion after the previous year's <i>A Love Supreme</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">February 25 - the release of <b>THE YARDBIRDS</b>' single "<b>Shapes of Things</b>" a song that was highly influential, even pivotal, to many budding and future rock and progressive rock musicians.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">February 28 - Dunhill Records releases <b>THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS </b>sophomore album,<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">If You Can Believe Your Eyes</i>, an album that spawns numerous mega-hits, including "California Dreaming," "Monday, Monday," and "Go Where You Wanna Go." It continues to receive acclaim as one of rock's best and most influential albums of all-time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">March 14 - CBS Records releases <b>THE BYRDS</b> single version of "<b>Eight Miles High</b>" as the B-side to the single, "Why?" Both songs use Roger McGuinn's electric 12-string guitar in a crazed, unruly, almost-sitar effect but the former gives the guitar an unprecedented amount of time and space for its unusual solos both in the intro and extended instrumental passage after the second verse and chorus.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">May 16 - the release date of <b>THE BEACH BOYS</b>' landmark album, <b style="font-style: italic;">Pet Sounds</b>, an album that is said to have influenced many of rock's bands to use the engineering room as a veritable tool for expression and experimentation. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">June 20 - Columbia/CBS Record's release date of BOB DYLAN's <i>Blonde on Blonde.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">June 27 - release date of <b>Frank Zappa</b>'s <b>MOTHERS OF INVENTION</b>'s first album, on Verve Records, <i><b>Freak Out!</b></i>--an unusual (for the time) double album of songs that totally parody the pop and rock world but which also contains the three-movement suite, "Help, I'm a Rock" and the 12-minute "unfinished ballet in two tableaus" called "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>June - Elektra Records releases <b>THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND</b>'s self-titled debut album, <i><b>The Incredible String Band</b></i>, a folk album which uses some electrified instrumentation and rock formats. This has yielded a near-universal opinion that </span><i>The Incredible String Band</i><span> is to be considered the first "Prog Folk" album. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">July 18 - Columbia/CBS Records' release of <b>THE BYRDS </b>seminal album,<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Fifth Dimension</i><span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span><span>Besides housing the hit, "Eight Miles High," it featured nearly all original songs penned by Roger McGuinn and his band mates with the one notable exception being Californian Billy Roberts' "Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)"--a song that the band had to sanitize with a change in the lyrics from "Where you gonna go with that gun in your hand" to "… money in your hand." </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">July - Valiant Records releases <b>THE ASSOCIATION</b>'s debut album,<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">And Then… Along Comes The Association.</i> It is an album filled with several mega hits, including "Along Came Mary" and "Cherish,"some of which became hits in successive years through being re-released on "greatest hits" and "anthology" albums. The album is especially notable for two main reasons: all of the songs were written by the band as well as its incorporation of an unusually wide assortment of influences, including folk-rock, psychedelia, baroque pop, and sunshine pop--of which it remains a cornerstone.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>August 5 - Parlaphone Records releases </span><b>THE BEATLES<i>'</i> <i>Revolver</i></b><span> in both stereo and mono formats. It is the first Beatles album to show the band (and George Martin)'s new experimentation in the engineering room--which results in the still-iconic song, "Tomorrow Never Knows." Also, the elaborate and lush orchestration on "Elenor Rigby" gives a nod to The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson's recent studio overtime work on </span><i>Pet Sounds</i><span>. The baroque pop song, "In My Life," proudly displays the classically-trained producer's harpsichord work.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">August 26 - Epic Record's release of folk artist <b>DONOVAN</b>'s<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Sunshine Superman</i><span>., first in mono, shortly thereafter, in stereo. Donovan's third album, it was, interestingly, only released outside the artist's native UK due to contractual disputes at the time. It is the first album on which Donovan is backed by rock musicians on every song--which lead many to consider this the first truly psychedelic <i>album</i>. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">August - Impluse! Records releases <b>JOHN COLTRANE</b>'s<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Meditations</i>, a return to the more meditative, spiritually-inspired music of <i>A Love Supreme</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">October 17 - International Artists' release of <b>13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS</b>' debut album, <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators</i>, a definitive representative of the new realm of "psychedelic" music. An album that every prog lover really needs to hear.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">October 21 - Fontana Records releases Manfred Mann's version of "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr. James," one of the first recorded rock songs to contain the use of the <b>Mellotron</b>, an instrument that would become almost synonymously associated with the progressive rock movement. Though meant to be a "household" item, it initially cost around £1000 (the equivalent of nearly $25,000 in our times) which, of course, made it a prohibitively expensive item. In an interesting side note, it was created from pirated versions of the American Chamberlin keyboard (invented and first marketed in the late 1950s) which Harry Chamblerlin's chief salesperson, Bill Fransen, brought with him to London, England and proceeded to relabel and sell as his own. The original Chamberlin used direct, unedited recordings of samples of virtually any sound or instrument whereas the British modification that became known as the Mellotron used modified or engineered sound recordings. Both instruments are, in fact, instances of the first examples of sound sampling.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>October 24 - Columbia/CBS Records' release of <b>SIMON & GARFUNKLE</b>'s<b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme</i><span>, in this writer's opinion, one of the most </span></span><span>boundary-pushing</span><span> albums of </span><span>inventively-constructed and socially-conscientious songs ever put together.</span></span></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>December 9 - release of </span><b>CREAM'</b><span>s debut album, </span><span><b style="font-style: italic;">Fresh Cream </b>by </span><span>Robert Stigwood's </span><span>Reaction Records, a subsidiary of </span><span>Polydor</span><i><b>.</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">December 16 - release date of <b>THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE</b>'s first single, "<b>Hey Joe</b>." And the rest, as they say, is history.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span><b><i><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"> My Favorite Albums of 1966: </span></u></b></div></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span><span><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span><span><b>1. </b><b>SIMON & GARFUNKLE <i>Parsely, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme</i></b><br /><b>2</b><b>. </b></span></span><b>DONOVAN</b><b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Sunshine Superman</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>3. THE ASSOCIATION </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">And Then… Along Comes The Association</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>4. 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators</i></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">5. JOHN COLTRANE <i>Meditations</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span>6. </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: medium;">THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION <i>Freak Out!</i></span></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">7. THE BYRDS <i>The Fifth Dimension</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><span>8. THE BEATLES <i>Revolver</i></span></b><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">9. THE YARDBIRDS<i> Over Under Sideways Down</i></span></b></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><span>10. </span></b><b>THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">If You Can Believe Your Eyes</i></span></div><div><b style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;">JOHN COLTRANE <i>Ascension</i></span></span></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-75942913028140576372024-02-08T10:18:00.000-08:002024-02-13T12:13:10.547-08:00Why 2023 might be The Best Year for Progressive Rock Music in this 21st Century.<p> Year: # Mastrpieces - # of Minor - # Near-Master- - # Other Excellent - # "Indespensible" <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Masterpieces pieces Albums Albums</p><p> _______ ________ __________ _________ _________ ____________</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2000: 0 - 5 <span> </span>- 1 - 10 - 16/9</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2001: <span> </span><span> </span>0 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>7 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>3 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>13 <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span>23/18</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2002: <span> </span><span> </span>1 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>3 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>3 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>7 <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span>14/8</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2003: <span> </span><span> </span>1 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>1 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span><span>2</span></span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> 9</span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>-</span><span> </span><span> </span>13/12</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2004: <span> </span><span> </span>1 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>5 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>2 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>6 <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span>14/12</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2005: <span> </span><span> </span>4 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>5 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>2 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>5 <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span>16/18</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2006: <span> </span><span> </span>2 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> 9</span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>1 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> 9</span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>- <span> 21</span>/20</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2007: <span> </span><span> </span>2 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> 8</span> <span> <span> </span> </span>- <span> </span><span> 3</span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> 8</span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>- <span> 21</span>/26</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2008: <span> </span><span> </span>1 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> 8</span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> 4</span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>6</span></span></span> <span> <span> </span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span>19/28</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2009: <span> </span><span> </span>2 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>11 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>1</span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> 7 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>-<span> </span><span> </span></span>21/29</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2010: <span> </span><span> </span>0 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>10 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>3</span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> 8 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>-<span> </span><span> </span></span>21/34</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2011: <span> </span><span> </span>6👏 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span>12 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>3</span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> <span> 6 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>-<span> </span><span> </span></span></span>27/35</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2012: <span> </span><span> </span>2 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>14 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>3</span> <span> </span><span> </span><span>- </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>7 </span><span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span>27/30</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>2013: </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>6👏 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>- </span><span> </span><span>10 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>- </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>12👏 </span><span> </span><span>- </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> 5 - </span><span>33/38</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2014: <span> </span><span> </span>4 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>15 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>3</span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span> 7 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>- <span> </span><span> </span></span>29/30</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2015: <span> </span><span> </span>4 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>15 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>5 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>10 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>-<span> </span></span>34/40</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2016: <span> </span><span> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">7💪 </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>19 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> 1</span>2👏 <span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>13 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>-<span> </span><span> 51</span></span>/45</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2017: <span> </span><span> </span>4 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>25👏 <span> </span>- <span> </span><span> 10</span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>19 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>-<span> <span> </span></span></span>58/42</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2018: <span> </span><span> </span>3 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>22 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> 6</span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>28👏 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>- <span> </span></span>59/39</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2019: <span> </span><span> </span>1 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>19<span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span><span>7</span></span><span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>15 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>-<span> </span><span> </span></span>42/33</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2020: <span> </span><span> </span>3 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>12 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> <span>10<span> </span><span> </span><span>-<span> </span><span> </span><span>26</span></span></span></span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span>51/40</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2021: <span> </span><span> </span>3 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>15 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>9</span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> 13</span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>-<span> </span><span> </span></span>40/47</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2022: <span> </span><span> </span>2 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span>23 <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> 9</span> <span> </span><span> </span>- <span> </span><span> </span><span>23 </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>-<span> </span><span> </span></span>56/48</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2023: 4 - <span style="color: #2b00fe;">33</span>💪 - <span style="color: #2b00fe;">14💪</span> - <span style="color: #2b00fe;">32💪</span> - <span style="color: #2b00fe;">83</span>/<span style="color: #2b00fe;">49</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">While 2023 does not present Prog World with the most outright masterpieces of the 21st Century, it does have the most "minor masterpieces," the most "near-masterpieces," and the most "excellent albums." Also, having 49 albums that I've designated as "indispensable" to my music collection puts the year at one more than 2022--a year I do not consider to be in the conversation for "Best Year of the 21st Century." While it is true that I have reviewed more albums in the last 14 years than the previous nine, (in 2016, my most dedicated year, I listened to over 350 new album releases, averaging about 200 for the other years since 2008), this does not, however, seem to skew the ratings results as the number of albums that I consider "indispensable" from my music collection fares no better than the years in which I listened to half as many albums, i.e. quantity does not predict quality. The number of <i>quality</i> albums that I heard (and reviewed) in 2023 was 83. This is 24 more than the previous best years (2018; 25 more than 2017). While I cannot argue that I may have missed some great albums in the years 2000 through 2008 due to my having not been engaged in the world of progressive rock music during those years (thus, everything I've come to know has been retroactively), I would argue that I have tried, that quality (and quantity) in those years was lacking when compared to more recent years. I mean, I've only found 11 true masterpieces and 46 "minor" masterpieces from those first nine years of the 21st Century--and I can guarantee you it's not from lack of trying!</span></p>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-66816983620684750982024-02-01T04:14:00.000-08:002024-02-01T04:14:27.139-08:00In Praise of Unsung Genius: Elizabeth FraserMy "Celebrating Some Unsung 'Masters'" series is intended to shine the spotlight on artists who, in my opinion, continue to be under appreciated. While not necessarily in any particular order, I feel compelled to write about the artists that I feel A) the most personally geeked about and B) are most deserving of the added attention and appreciation.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZXR2tSZRkWVZ8jAMwpXcqAH7oB9xTfqe4N997BdQ3BiOS9RLMsSa1KjiaCS0BsKnfGuLfuPGPM1sthKJk47Pnwcth4Nv0SDaBiu4_7WtuJ5RXxoJ7EKFtTPUzWoJAqlJGUKeo2UaN4YKh-junYPt1KGkRwSvperLrBmWqBS3CHzYc2YeHHxWJAzGM7wT/s237/images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="213" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZXR2tSZRkWVZ8jAMwpXcqAH7oB9xTfqe4N997BdQ3BiOS9RLMsSa1KjiaCS0BsKnfGuLfuPGPM1sthKJk47Pnwcth4Nv0SDaBiu4_7WtuJ5RXxoJ7EKFtTPUzWoJAqlJGUKeo2UaN4YKh-junYPt1KGkRwSvperLrBmWqBS3CHzYc2YeHHxWJAzGM7wT/w359-h400/images.jpg" width="359" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4uP3YZl8ceA1rDCLqPRIW4JQq7KMtIY8KhSVUlaIGLyjZtf7fyb5ozAPFfLy3gf85ZsZgEqkI5Oeas6Avmi2hKUa3PO_gPhldABx4HufOozO_BnMllU0P_pgk7zt-ZLCQDoQotsVMm_zwkyOgh8K4NGlIqSPr_x0DBLvKfhr1OZ2e6M7JnIHAxsTPBIM/s228/images.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="221" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4uP3YZl8ceA1rDCLqPRIW4JQq7KMtIY8KhSVUlaIGLyjZtf7fyb5ozAPFfLy3gf85ZsZgEqkI5Oeas6Avmi2hKUa3PO_gPhldABx4HufOozO_BnMllU0P_pgk7zt-ZLCQDoQotsVMm_zwkyOgh8K4NGlIqSPr_x0DBLvKfhr1OZ2e6M7JnIHAxsTPBIM/w310-h320/images.jpg" width="310" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The best response I have as to why I've selected Elizabeth Fraser as one of those dozen or so Unsung Geniuses to post about can be summarized in one phrase that I read in one British reviewer's review in NME in 1986 regarding her work over a two year span of two LP records and three EPs: "Vocal acrobatics." No singer I have ever heard better represents that phrase than Elizabeth Fraser. She didn't use her voice to merely sing, to rain down on us mere mortals notes and melodies of sheer angelic proportion, but danced, jumped, lept, astonished, performed feats--tricks some would say--that no other human I'd ever heard perform--not even Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or the finest Italian coloratura opera singer. No one. The story goes that Robin Guthrie would lay down his heavily-effected and treated guitar and drum machine tracks and then Elizabeth would come in and try to add her own input through her voice. What I would have done to have been a fly on the wall during those recording sessions. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLARaDJCH43zgwrfOWd7oTFU1QhDFNe0vHKJFlIWATn3ychyHBqYLaaqs7Hmlg8_jO1arLbxqC5SJM12mj1nNRrtmbnwlyYXuCsa0imM-uKXqVIAt3lQFAwcyI2ef2XwbW-FGBRjTDBLOGQcOP_O0m2dDjttXcbUcmYTvOQ-n_Z_nui5mgTw3MqE2MoTec/s250/download.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="202" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLARaDJCH43zgwrfOWd7oTFU1QhDFNe0vHKJFlIWATn3ychyHBqYLaaqs7Hmlg8_jO1arLbxqC5SJM12mj1nNRrtmbnwlyYXuCsa0imM-uKXqVIAt3lQFAwcyI2ef2XwbW-FGBRjTDBLOGQcOP_O0m2dDjttXcbUcmYTvOQ-n_Z_nui5mgTw3MqE2MoTec/s1600/download.jpg" width="202" /></span></a></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The problem became when it came time for the band to try to perform their songs live, on stage, in a concert setting: they had to use tapes of many of their songs' tracks and then Elizabeth had to choose which of her multiple tracks to try to replicate (an extraordinarily impossible feat to accomplish). Needless to say, it is in the extraordinary sound production of the band's studio albums that you really get to know and understand the exceptional and extraordinary talents of Miss Elizabeth Fraser. Plus, as my brother and sister-in-law can attest from their own attendance of a Cocteau Twins concert in Soho in 1987. Elizabeth does not have much of a stage presence: she is definitely a nervous shoegazer. (Plus, she had the sniffles. They actually hated the concert.)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>My own personal discovery of the band Cocteau Twins goes back to a period of my life in 1984 in which I was collecting new music by going into Schoolkids Records (in Ann Arbor, Michigan) and thumbing through the album bins on an almost daily basis. My method of looking for albums at this time included the use three typical criterion for my piqued my curiosity: 1) album covers/art, 2) publishing labels, and, most importantly, 3) the names of the contributors to an album's production: musicians, guests, engineers, producers, and ancillary people the band might be thanking in their liner notes. For me, the attraction to Cocteau Twins' </span><i>Treasure</i><span> was immediate due to its amazing album cover:</span><span> </span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgkBzJfBhyphenhyphenGYvGgph2OghMwyanflc98D1_S2CiTAvmwZVr2cmps9Db3Kbq_CGZMQEoo2QVj4hSG5qArIHK-W4rQtxYwATWQ0JsNFoQyAdDyUS1XOs0FvBBGwZ3tGpiBnAUCZqWPzz6Ui8np27Mq1WDi9y7F9F0DhSWEaFIudYfBspnS4-hAsExb4TWgCP/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">As a matter of fact, all of 4AD's album covers during this period were breathtakingly artful--which is why, over the next year, </span><span style="font-size: large;">I found myself owner of albums by several other 4AD stable members, including This Mortal Coil, Clan of Xymox, Dif Juz, Colourbox, Cocteau Twins, and even The Pixies. I now look at this fact--that art played such a huge role in my selection of new music--as something</span><span style="font-size: large;"> quite ironic. The music industry in 1984 was going through a radical transition: the physical size and form of the consumer's music was moving away from the large, bulky and somewhat fragile 13-inch vinyl form that had dominated for the previous 30 years; it was being supplanted by that of the new medium of the compact disc™ or "CD" with its 5 1/2" by 5" jewel case--which is</span><span style="font-size: large;"> much less conducive to displaying art and information to the naked eye than the 13-inch and 12-inch forms.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Something else </span><i style="font-size: large;">Treasure </i><span style="font-size: large;">had that won me over into purchasing it, having never heard a note, was the titles in the tracklist. Later I read in an interview with Elizabeth that the song names came from street names the band had encountered while walking around the streets of Amsterdam. But look at these names:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Side One:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1. "Ivo"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">2. "Lorelei"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">3. "Beatrix"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">4. "Persephone"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">5. "Pandora"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Side Two:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1. "Amelia"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">2. "Aloysius"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">3. "Cicely"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">4. "Otterley"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">5. "Donimo"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="track-listing" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I could not <i>wait </i>to get home to hear this tantalizing purchase. The potential energy sitting in that Schoolkids bag on the passenger seat next to me was almost palpable. Little did I suspect that the kinetic reality contained therein would far exceed any suspected potential. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> I will never forget hearing the first song, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL-X46Dl51c&ab_channel=CocteauTwins-Topic" target="_blank">Amelia</a>," for the first time: those heavily-treated 12-string and electric guitars, the heavily-treated drums, deep rolling bass, and then, as if someone had brought down from another world a duo of two women singing as if in opposition to one another: the first, an angelic almost operatic soprano singing in an undecipherable language that was foreign and totally inaccessible to me (which I only learned today was the lyric, "Who've been wounded, who should wound her, heart on a grasp" and things like "Heart, heart, heart, heart, ba da da da"), </span><span style="font-size: large;">while the other sings in a low voice that displays all the affect of a cynical bitch whose lazy, almost disinterested "Ba da da da"'s turn into what sounds like "Somebody call. He never calls." I was stunned (which is the same reaction I got when I first played it for my equally adventurous--and equally-4AD-devoted--brother the first time)! The entire album played out as if I had been taken on a trip down the River Styx, into Hades' Underworld--or Plato's Cave. It was stark and despondent, alien and utterly foreign--this despite Elizabeth's</span><span style="font-size: large;"> obviously gorgeous singing, Robin Guthrie's lush soundscapes, newcomer Simon Raymonde's hypnotic bass lines, as well as Robin's generous use of major seventh chords (and variations thereof).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> For decades I fought against any possibility that there were actual lyrics to Elizabeth's singing. Yes, I could hear words--sometimes foreign or made-up or exaggerated words--but mostly I thought I was hearing the playful explorations of "possible" pronunciations of randomly selected--perhaps even extemporaneously selected--words, syllables, sounds, or phrases--sound combinations that provided particular interest to Elizabeth (and Elizabeth alone) according to some curious and highly-idiosyncratic "radar of personal-intrigue-bordering-on-obsession." (I flat out refuse to believe the generally-accepted lyrics for "Pandora" are as printed.) </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> I was immediately able to recognize the unique genius of this band's music--of this album--an album which has remained in the Top 10 of my list of All-Time Favorite Albums ever since. (Coincidentally, with this same purchase from which I also brought home another album that has remained in my list of Top 10 Albums of All-Time: David Sylvian's <i>Brilliant Trees</i>.) </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQM2R66dqtukDvYWO_Nn4PC7gEVGezOxIjMD2KzhyphenhypheniXnRfluxIVRZ6NK5rzZCo9t3k9q-vZG0cmIrSeCy7NBsP7Ev4nPef5CyFuDi83_fgxuBDYwYIpucrC1Lbw1qIp7xzpFhVAHIKxCe-Eqko5A4QDnr5ASXz2NgW4hdXmD76e0vRVadxkepOCw9hcKV/s291/images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="291" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQM2R66dqtukDvYWO_Nn4PC7gEVGezOxIjMD2KzhyphenhypheniXnRfluxIVRZ6NK5rzZCo9t3k9q-vZG0cmIrSeCy7NBsP7Ev4nPef5CyFuDi83_fgxuBDYwYIpucrC1Lbw1qIp7xzpFhVAHIKxCe-Eqko5A4QDnr5ASXz2NgW4hdXmD76e0vRVadxkepOCw9hcKV/w400-h238/images.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">While the creative rollercoaster of the Cocteau Twins ran a course parallel to that of Robin and Elizabeth's relationship/marriage, I am of the opinion that Elizabeth vocal talents remained of a very hight quality even into the 21st Century; I am of the opinion, however, that her well of highly-unique and -creative arrangements peaked with <i>Blue Bell Knoll </i>and started to run dry thereafter: the vocals on <i>Heaven and Las Vegas</i> and <i>Four-Calendar Café </i>are gorgeous with wonderfully worming melodies, but the layered arrangements and more clear use of words and meaningful sentences, for me, represented a downturn in the band's uniquity. While there are some wonderful songs and performances on <i>Four-Calendar Café</i>, there is only one song that maintains some kind of foothold into the magical formula that came before, and that is "Know Who You Are at Every Age." But I do not wish to cast aspersions upon a creative output of an astonishingly high level that lasted from August 1984 through 1988, covering four full-length albums and four four-song EPs. Few artists have soared so high.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">For a sampler of Elizabeth's extraordinary vocal acrobatics I welcome you to start and study the following songs: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFWKJ2FUiAQ&ab_channel=4AD" target="_blank">Song of the Siren</a>" from 1984's <i>This Mortal Coil</i>, "How to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqsHqY4oElU&ab_channel=CocteauTwins-Topic" target="_blank">Bring a Blush to the Snow</a>" from 1986's <i>Victorialand</i>, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF8fnsyjCoI&ab_channel=CocteauTwins-Topic" target="_blank">Ivo</a>" from 1984's <i>Treasure</i>, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRZMN382ZXk&ab_channel=CocteauTwins-Topic" target="_blank">Quisquose</a>" from 1985's <i>Aikea-Guinea</i>, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDTiyR339Mw&ab_channel=CocteauTwins-Topic" target="_blank">Pink Orange Red</a>" from 1985's <i>Tiny Dynamine</i>, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x-ke1riAg0&ab_channel=CocteauTwins-Topic" target="_blank">Cico Buff</a>" from 1988's <i>Blue Bell Knoll</i>, and/or "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRqAbabw0Cs&ab_channel=jiya" target="_blank">Pur</a>" from 1993's <i>Four-Calendar Café</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWOD0tUqLc3TmeiP4TIG7urZyafFpzEJ5KAZmETkjSQdb_M0_Eu-z5v_z2aWA2HZ-NWjWysDCgVH3_otBaFu_FC-TrjfCFao48fun_RLY5GaJ4cFp8rEs_9vP_bHMbhrU0uW6i6Qbd3NbOyIA08FQ9WwEIU-aCtprJABERL9ivZScDq_5CP4Gbn2_Fowl/s266/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="266" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWOD0tUqLc3TmeiP4TIG7urZyafFpzEJ5KAZmETkjSQdb_M0_Eu-z5v_z2aWA2HZ-NWjWysDCgVH3_otBaFu_FC-TrjfCFao48fun_RLY5GaJ4cFp8rEs_9vP_bHMbhrU0uW6i6Qbd3NbOyIA08FQ9WwEIU-aCtprJABERL9ivZScDq_5CP4Gbn2_Fowl/w400-h286/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></span></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-22985716092441806732024-01-30T08:10:00.000-08:002024-01-31T04:57:28.907-08:00Praise for Unsung Genius: Jeff BeckMy "Celebrating Some Unsung 'Masters'" series is intended to shine the spotlight on artists who, in my opinion, continue to be under appreciated. While not necessarily in any particular order, I feel compelled to write about the artists that I feel A) the most personally geeked about and B) are most deserving of the added attention and appreciation.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumSBVSdHUXldBBzRydQ_fJmj4ReHKPDKNYPN-laK7XLn3irBsZbFxmSEYtw18hMUv5o7Oa8ygBNROjmGJC0mC7Z_OOacayW_wkOIdaUzD6CjR-jG6upawuNQwFCrfaH621NYNjd9RM5vE8jGf1eOFxsS64HE1d1VfV3ONbLs6g5IFUy0A1PNgQ7hmpsTi/s258/images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="258" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumSBVSdHUXldBBzRydQ_fJmj4ReHKPDKNYPN-laK7XLn3irBsZbFxmSEYtw18hMUv5o7Oa8ygBNROjmGJC0mC7Z_OOacayW_wkOIdaUzD6CjR-jG6upawuNQwFCrfaH621NYNjd9RM5vE8jGf1eOFxsS64HE1d1VfV3ONbLs6g5IFUy0A1PNgQ7hmpsTi/w400-h304/images.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><br /><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jeff Beck was (he died a few months before I began writing this--though I had placed him on this list back in 2013) the most innovative, fluid, and gifted guitar genius I've ever heard. His play seemed to come from a universe different than <i>anyone</i> else; his solos tapping into forms and constructs that no one else on the planet has ever come close to, ever. He was to guitar play what Roger Federer was to tennis: simply the most gifted, beautiful, elegant player on the stage (and we're <i>not</i> talking about his look or attire)--and the stage, by the way, is where Jeff excelled, where his magic could really (maybe <i>on</i>ly) be seen and appreciated. Even back in the 1960s when he was playing with The Yardbirds, the stories of his creative prowess and imaginative skills are the stuff of legend. More than any other individual guitarist of the past 50 years, "Jeff Beck" has been the first and quickest response to the question, "Who is the greatest [or best] guitarist on the planet?" His skill and imaginative play are often cited as "totally unique" in the world of music. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I will never forget my personal introduction to the music and guitar playing of Jeff Beck. In the Fall of 1973 my brother Brian went away to a boarding school for his freshman year of high school. My brother had always been a much more adventurous music listener and collector than I, his tastes much more rock-oriented than my own CKLW pop and Soul/R&B predilections, often introducing me to albums he'd purchased</span><span style="font-size: large;"> by the likes of artists like the Rolling Stones, Iron Butterfly, The Allman Brothers Band, and The Beatles,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> but when he came home for the Christmas holidays at the end of 1973, he was packed with milk crates of albums from a much more diverse bandwith of names than I'd ever heard of despite the fact that I had begun regularly spinning my radio dial among the FM stations now that WRIF had joined WABX as two album-oriented rock 'n' roll radio stations. Now present in Brian's collection were bands like Mountain, Alvin Lee, Humble Pie, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Jeff Beck. Jeff Beck <i>Truth</i>, Jeff Beck <i>Rough and Ready</i>, <i>Jeff Beck Group</i> or "Orange" as all of his flock call it, and <i>Beck, Bogart and Appice</i>. Not much of a fan of heavy or raw, blues-rock rock 'n' roll, I was able to hear something special in Jeff's music--especially in his unique and unusual way of getting sound out of an electric guitar. To this day, the "Orange" album remains steadfast among my list of all-time favorite albums. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXYB63aGSQwd9-zxU-1nHMuN-zV_ImFeKZU-PKBxWWu2kKuNefSXf0No2G6QgPzsAsMizGI95ALWcheVd4s_-5R5UoJfHubfTugk_cU61oLEUJtp66pti6w3FilG9FkMGIm20mMhIeyfrMLv2LW0_UzZ9JXqa5S5sGoQrwMAYmCmA4NTVOQuisojJYviw/s220/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXYB63aGSQwd9-zxU-1nHMuN-zV_ImFeKZU-PKBxWWu2kKuNefSXf0No2G6QgPzsAsMizGI95ALWcheVd4s_-5R5UoJfHubfTugk_cU61oLEUJtp66pti6w3FilG9FkMGIm20mMhIeyfrMLv2LW0_UzZ9JXqa5S5sGoQrwMAYmCmA4NTVOQuisojJYviw/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> During a recent review of Jeff's career discography (including guest appearances on other people's studio albums and live on stage concerts) and interviews, it became obvious both A) how revered and respected he is--<i>by everyone</i>--as well as B) how passionate and respectful he was of music, music history, and musical talent. Also, it is amazing how genuine are his humility and self-deprecating humor at all times. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> If you've been living under a rock and have never really heard or experienced any of Jeff's music or guitar play, I urge you to YouTube the songs "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmzv5xJ4wE4&ab_channel=RickYon" target="_blank">Going Down</a>," "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6jHlW414sQ&ab_channel=JeffBeck-Topic" target="_blank">Freeway Jam</a>," "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw8fBR_XiPs&ab_channel=feedbackbro" target="_blank">Cause We've Ended As Lovers</a>," "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t0BLzHCAb4&ab_channel=JeffBeck-Topic" target="_blank">Nadia</a>," or, better yet, just plug in the entire video recording of his 2007 performance, <i>Live at Ronnie Scott's</i>. I guarantee you won't regret it; you will be amazed and astonished--or watch any of the footage or commentary and interviews from the tributes and tribute concerts that have flooded the media since his passing. Of the Olympian Gods of guitar I'd call Jeff the equivalent of one of the Big Three: if not Zeus, a place that might be better suited to someone like Jimi Hendrix, then his brother, ruler of the water domains, Poseidon. (Interesting proposition to create a pantheon of 12 "gods of guitar" quicksilver-fast John McLaughlin as the messenger god, Hermes, Eddie Van Halen as the Vulcanic God of the Forge, Hephaestus, Pat Metheny as Apollo the Sun God, etc., etc.) Better yet, watch Rick Beatto's YouTube video that he made just before Jeff died, entitled "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=nV9bnaqqfq8&ab_channel=RickBeato" target="_blank">Why JEFF BECK is UNCOPYABLE</a>".</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5DIaveDLcd3lt8zDxzWe8kusXeUGrZ00xE5suO1aX77H300L6vscso5P-_odvsCJGs3Kzy1_p2JSzpfSFBbhNxdaI6VS38qk_8D9JmHdsr70TjxStPQ7byzlj1ID1JwdOR_VJ0AgoRjOupDelJP5uRMHan8SQTy4wqWeA11sN7KX5M5LCdotB17GLH3x/s2990/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-30%20at%2010.02.04%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1692" data-original-width="2990" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5DIaveDLcd3lt8zDxzWe8kusXeUGrZ00xE5suO1aX77H300L6vscso5P-_odvsCJGs3Kzy1_p2JSzpfSFBbhNxdaI6VS38qk_8D9JmHdsr70TjxStPQ7byzlj1ID1JwdOR_VJ0AgoRjOupDelJP5uRMHan8SQTy4wqWeA11sN7KX5M5LCdotB17GLH3x/w640-h362/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-30%20at%2010.02.04%20AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-37827958804331925772024-01-25T14:19:00.000-08:002024-01-27T14:59:40.089-08:00Kate Bush<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTDPWmHwmfNAE3G5By-vtyVAo5A_E2rXQxp6Bc3gxRJBtxblCB_Fv_7JE-20WiSp8xqzX60_yQAFfmDqapE4-2GgxA8Pt2wTm4Zj6ruU6l4i2CBWSTq1HIuettSSxn_3ZsrZIm0_VOfXGH4rFri3MEj38_LxToBk1aT61ZlOQB-GcVcpilc-OwLEjOoBm/s227/download.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="227" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTDPWmHwmfNAE3G5By-vtyVAo5A_E2rXQxp6Bc3gxRJBtxblCB_Fv_7JE-20WiSp8xqzX60_yQAFfmDqapE4-2GgxA8Pt2wTm4Zj6ruU6l4i2CBWSTq1HIuettSSxn_3ZsrZIm0_VOfXGH4rFri3MEj38_LxToBk1aT61ZlOQB-GcVcpilc-OwLEjOoBm/w320-h313/download.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJKBmgyxhsflDEfp_ZYYsdOfv3wy-bGQOeAH2Q9SDDayvG4DQiwJZ2umoHmmmUDnoP1nRdr4vrZZKdKS7UCrOO5ZTZUsZFAGKcyCf0yNLRl8EDr9nb9HNNastdPQI71ot-H7Ba0gCn3E8tZk09wYXNQA_ij4XgN9iwRDbv1rtycKy7PoOwj1U25X9f3dG/s225/download.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJKBmgyxhsflDEfp_ZYYsdOfv3wy-bGQOeAH2Q9SDDayvG4DQiwJZ2umoHmmmUDnoP1nRdr4vrZZKdKS7UCrOO5ZTZUsZFAGKcyCf0yNLRl8EDr9nb9HNNastdPQI71ot-H7Ba0gCn3E8tZk09wYXNQA_ij4XgN9iwRDbv1rtycKy7PoOwj1U25X9f3dG/w320-h320/download.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>Though I'd (unwittingly) seen Kate in concert (in November of 1978, as the opening act at a Peter Gabriel concert in Nancy, France), I had no clue as to who <b>Kate Bush </b>was and never really connected with the name or music until I first heard the amazing song "The Dreaming." This would have been 1982, during my years in graduate studies at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. As was my custom, it had become part of my beat to stop in at at least one of the record stores after classes were over--this one called Wazoo Records, beneath the Cnetre Pompidou-like parking garage a block from the world's most beautiful college campus. This would have been 1982, either late August or early September, as the song was released (in the US) as a promotional single the week before the release of the album of the same name. I loved that album--played it to death--always on the headphones, always in the intimacy of my own privacy due to the incredibly nuanced sound engineering. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujd1MHqDd2oUql3T0-_4Ns7pA5RI6YJ5PkpVETTjvTIf7tKDvKzMFvc978UY5ZQ34lkG5TQO_mZzm8S1VcMtfUV3BXEj_JEKGqe21u_9tNkxX7q95hGb9LPTDCZO10VZf9-J62N_fJkSdDTQoYmKKfYp2NW18qeErfFAPgJHIxbUBcT6Q0qZnbl-jY_zK/s316/Katebushthedreaming.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujd1MHqDd2oUql3T0-_4Ns7pA5RI6YJ5PkpVETTjvTIf7tKDvKzMFvc978UY5ZQ34lkG5TQO_mZzm8S1VcMtfUV3BXEj_JEKGqe21u_9tNkxX7q95hGb9LPTDCZO10VZf9-J62N_fJkSdDTQoYmKKfYp2NW18qeErfFAPgJHIxbUBcT6Q0qZnbl-jY_zK/s1600/Katebushthedreaming.png" width="316" /></a></div><div>The following year I started a job working in a record store in Gaithersburg, Maryland ("Waxie Maxie's") in 1983. That was the year that I started reviewing each year's albums, rating them metrically song-by-song and in toto. <i>The Dreaming </i>came out as the "best" album of 1983. At the time I thought <i>The Dreaming</i> the best album I'd ever heard and for many years it remained the highest rated album I ever reviewed. Every moment of every song feels so personal, so heart-felt, so carefully- and intentionally- crafted. </div><div><br /></div><div>On an interesting aside, for years (at least 20) I proclaimed "Get Out of My House" as the best song I'd ever heard. It was so powerful--told such a powerful story--from several perspectives--in a very cool, theatric way (like all of the songs from <i>The Dreaming</i>). I was sure it was about rape--the first and most powerful feminist "me too" song ever! You can imagine my terrible disappointment, years later, when I found out that it is not, in fact, about rape. But, it always worked for me as fuel for my own hatred of the violence inherent in the biological programming of my own sex, something I'd developed and cultivated from an early age (perhaps even and issue or sentiment I'd carried forward from previous lifetimes). Anyway, I still think this is one of the most creative storytelling contrivances I've ever heard. Leave it to Kate to help reveal even more of the hidden power of music! </div><div><div><br /><div>In the Autumn of 1985, I happened to be in England--I was actually in a car, being driven to Cheltenham by a Brit friend named Andrew--when I first heard "Running Up That Hill," which, the radio DJ announced, was the first song (and album) by a female artist to ever debut in the Number One position on the UK charts. That song was so different! And so infectious. (It still is--as we all witnessed in 2022 when it became a #1 hit worldwide due to its use as a character [Sadie Sink's "Max Mayfield"] theme song in the Netflix series <i>Stranger Things</i>!) Needless to say, Kate's penchant for creating incredibly personal and often-archetypical and cinematic video interpretations for her songs--especially her hits--is quite unusual and, for a time, unusually prolific--even though this was definitely the MTV/VH1 era. Many of Kate's most memorable (and popular) videos came from <i>Hounds of Love. </i>Unfortunately, I often find many of her videos to be embarrassingly hokey, the dancing and movement almost grotesquely exaggerated as if in parody to her intended meanings, so now I usually avoid them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jJ0FGEoX8NLV7GEYI940cERgIHt5leHIrDVt5pusir4alfP0HIp2yHy9yFaF-Xv5mX7DsebOoWAbBtgeOCcm6UKIxyE8zGUU1g3yD6QGQpmmpMZWssSKcHeff-Lu6foOsp278jDRYAXwF8pXqmdrn-7fW9o3uIcrZCCTFlKxLMNTP9AHWzxTbhYst8XB/s316/Katebushhoundsoflove.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jJ0FGEoX8NLV7GEYI940cERgIHt5leHIrDVt5pusir4alfP0HIp2yHy9yFaF-Xv5mX7DsebOoWAbBtgeOCcm6UKIxyE8zGUU1g3yD6QGQpmmpMZWssSKcHeff-Lu6foOsp278jDRYAXwF8pXqmdrn-7fW9o3uIcrZCCTFlKxLMNTP9AHWzxTbhYst8XB/s1600/Katebushhoundsoflove.png" width="316" /></a></div><div> A few months later, back in the USA, I had the weird and serendipitous (or was it?) occasion to be standing next to the phone inside a record store in Ann Arbor, Michigan, when Kate called just to chat up her latest album with whomever might answer the phone. If memory serves, she had just taken a ship across the Atlantic (she had always expressed her hatred/fear around flying)--which in itself was actually a news-worthy item at that time. Apparently, she was calling a random list of record stores across the US from some place in New York City at the request (demand) of her record label. Small talk ensued: literally the weather!); nothing else of substance was parlayed. Too bad. (I remember wanting so badly to grab the phone from the store employee--if only to express my gratitude for her ground-paving creativity). Anyway: What are the chances? I'm not sure Kate believes in coincidences. (Something about her words and music make me believe that she has a Jungian worldview--perhaps even naturally/inherently so.) </div><div><br /></div><div>After my record-store discovery of <i>The Dreaming</i> and now bolstered by the arrival of <i>Hounds of Love</i>, I began to seek out Kate's back catalogue of studio albums. I will not lie: The Kent-born artist's first two albums have always been impenetrable to me--even nearly-repulsive; no matter how much I've tried, it has been <i>very </i>difficult for me to find any source of enjoyment and pleasure from <i>Lionheart </i>and/or <i>The Kick Inside</i>. These albums issued forth a barrage of <i>very </i>quirky pop songs--songs that seemed poised to garner attention and praise from an exclusively British (or maybe exclusively literate or lyrics-oriented) audience. In fact, with all of the inside colloquialisms and English-only references contained in many of the songs, it felt as if she was courting an almost-exclusively British audience. It wasn't until I found her <i>Never For Ever </i>album that I felt any kind of connection to her previous music (though the British bias remained odiously obvious.) This is when her toes first crossed over into the "proggy" side of music's landscape.</div><div> Kate's evolution into "progressive" sound and music devices and constructs coincides with her discovery of the Fairlight CMI in 1979. (Thank you, Peter Gabriel!) This one of the major events that aligns with the beginning of her unique and rather imaginative experimentation with sound engineering. It was also the transition time in which she began shedding many of the mainstay band members that had become the "KT Bush Band"--those musicians who had been touring with her through 1979. These were guys who had arrived via previous bands like TAME (Del Palmer and Brian Bath) and The Bay City Rollers and Pilot (David Paton and Ian Bairnson--the latter of whom also guested with Renaissance on "Ashes Are Burning") and Preston Heyman. Though bassist (and now-boyfriend) Del Palmer was kept on, the rest were now being replaced or worked into "shared" duties with more skilled and accomplished musicians like journeyman Max Middleton (Gary Moore, Cozey Powell, Jeff Beck Group, Nazareth, Hummingbird), session man/guitarist Alan Murphy (Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Ace), drummers Preston Heyman and Stuart Elliot (who had played with Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Al Stewart, and Alan Parsons Project) along with various family members (including brother Paddy, who played quite an assortment of traditional folk/Celtic instruments) and myriad "big name" guests (Morris Pert, Geoff Downes, Duncan Mackay, Larry Fast, John Giblin, Roy Harper). The result is her 1980 release, <i>Never For Ever.</i> Suddenly, Kate's music had become much more interesting, much more enhanced and sophisticated, with many songs fully able to stand up on the music alone--not existing to serve only as pop vehicles for her acrobatic vocals and quirky story lines--the mastery of which would first reach the public in the form of her first masterpiece two years later.</div></div><div><br /><div>The majority of people consider <i>Hounds of Love </i>to be Kate's masterpiece but it grew old on me: it sounds dated and has always remained oblique to my sustained interest and enjoyment. Even at the time of its release, with so many shining examples of quirk genius and originality, I found it hard to give repeated listens--especially to Side One with all the hits. Side Two, "The Ninth Wave" suite, however, has always held my undivided attention. The odd and often-awkward videos that came out with the album may have also posed as considerable elements to the souring of my enthusiasm for the album. But, when <i>The Sensual World </i>came out, in 1989, I was held captive--not in the same intimate way that <i>The Dreaming</i> had intoxicated me but in a more shock and awe-struck kind of way: for the expression of genius in her chosen topics and subject matter; for her unique song and sound designs as well as the odd, raw performances she'd managed to inspire from her rather unusual lineup of collaborators. Once again she'd opened with a song that I knew instantly was a timeless classic: one of the most sultry/seductive songs ever created by an intellectual white woman. This then paves the way for a remarkable (and often obtuse) musical journey: (I purchased the CD format right off the bat--which contained an eleventh song, "Walk Straight Down the Middle" as its "bonus" song) ten more unique and separate "worlds" to walk through--including one about Hitler(!). The experience was like traveling through a complex labyrinth that is mined at every turn with video game dingers, pop out clowns and monsters, and plenty of incredible musical rewards, surprising and (I should think) delighting the adventurer from start to finish (assuming one can find her/his way out). </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEcgv798CY1hE7Mm7Wm83HJdSZt0tXLtbDx9DkMm8ORTvr-O3HSyNsU2XJVTRepFuYBq3npFThp3p6J3yYntF-30ed-NBN2D_RceoBlY_ToTzvftGUab-2t-LdPnINHgTIbosFKR9DHAv5twQqtssbrt90ceBSPODmCv_UNkHn3qNNSXNo2Bu5HJv2W41/s300/The_Sensual_World.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEcgv798CY1hE7Mm7Wm83HJdSZt0tXLtbDx9DkMm8ORTvr-O3HSyNsU2XJVTRepFuYBq3npFThp3p6J3yYntF-30ed-NBN2D_RceoBlY_ToTzvftGUab-2t-LdPnINHgTIbosFKR9DHAv5twQqtssbrt90ceBSPODmCv_UNkHn3qNNSXNo2Bu5HJv2W41/w320-h320/The_Sensual_World.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div>While only three songs from <i>The Sensual World </i>remain on my all-time "Kate" playlist, they are three of my Top 10 all-time favorite Kate Bush songs--a number that is higher than any other of her albums. And, talking about collaborators, two of these songs, "Never Be Mine" and "Walk Straight Down the Middle," contain remarkable performances from bassist Eberhard Weber while "Never Be Mine" also includes the magical and unseemly fit of Trio Bulgarka. </div><div> Other than <i>The Dreaming</i>, there is no other 20th Century release from Kate that I hold in so high esteem as <i>The Sensual World</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>1993 brought <i>The Red Shoes</i>. For me this has always been--and continues to be--a complete-throwaway album. Perhaps there was a lot of turmoil or distraction in Kate's world; perhaps it was an album that was being rushed by some external or internal clock or deadline, but, to me, it's almost unlistenable.</div><div> Then Kate took a break: a 12-year break. During this unusually long spell she also saw the end of her long-time romantic relationship with collaborator/band mate Del Palmer (who, sadly, just passed away at the beginning of this month of January of 2024), the death of her mother, her flame and marriage to guitarist/collaborator Danny MacIntosh, and the birth, in 1996, to her one and only child, son Albert "Bertie" MacIntosh. One cannot say that she wasn't busy.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAjRRRFGmQTo4ieGH4nT8z23EgAdJnigxiTQOcOL-mTBL1gXwtxVeINCsLbgzw4P_-n8krzZfRmfKuUYagfrL5gI6QAL2cZcT_zNcdVcSJwG4QHjyLEUXQEpj1Sf11I3qv7HJ8W8hd94uZMrCcoCHs4AwyPaRQNX3dk5lP6xZPeXz7WoIFRkc5ttVNWqz/s316/Katebushaerial.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAjRRRFGmQTo4ieGH4nT8z23EgAdJnigxiTQOcOL-mTBL1gXwtxVeINCsLbgzw4P_-n8krzZfRmfKuUYagfrL5gI6QAL2cZcT_zNcdVcSJwG4QHjyLEUXQEpj1Sf11I3qv7HJ8W8hd94uZMrCcoCHs4AwyPaRQNX3dk5lP6xZPeXz7WoIFRkc5ttVNWqz/s1600/Katebushaerial.png" width="316" /></a></div><div>2005's release of the double disc entitled <i>Aerial</i> is another amazing journey into genius song-rendering (especially Disc Two). While Disc One has a wide variety of song styles, each occupying and representing its own universe, and all providing interesting and totally mature and masterful songwriting, it is the "single flow" lineup of songs built within the concept of a single day in the life of a child immersed in Nature that hits it out of the park (and previews the styles and approaches used on her next album six years later). The journey is so engaging, so enticing and mesmerizing, that one finds one as unaware of the passage of time as a if one <i>were </i>a child passing a single day. Kate's intimate vocal and piano play, often augmented by simple traditional folk instruments, hand percussion, and/or Michael Kamen's exquisite orchestral work as well as the little spoken samples of birdsong and human speak (performed by the family: Kate, Dan, and Bertie himself) make for such a warm and engaging listening experience. Definitely another masterpiece in the artistry of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire Catherine Bush.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKg3jCSIlBor4uMsWf3jEkKYQFa0YNX33RXx5FXFoet91ykPWZXnira2D0srvPnXhTRkdmeue0HAKwY91FSRRralHoRZoRuYl4TvTW3FwHk1jOhsgefyrjPIMi6hayF8d8LEBvfK5ddk51BgHqWl90l_eHfdeB44qtztSuea8AnJc77mia5gZsh6rVp6WM/s300/Kate_Bush_-_50_Words_for_Snow.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKg3jCSIlBor4uMsWf3jEkKYQFa0YNX33RXx5FXFoet91ykPWZXnira2D0srvPnXhTRkdmeue0HAKwY91FSRRralHoRZoRuYl4TvTW3FwHk1jOhsgefyrjPIMi6hayF8d8LEBvfK5ddk51BgHqWl90l_eHfdeB44qtztSuea8AnJc77mia5gZsh6rVp6WM/s1600/Kate_Bush_-_50_Words_for_Snow.png" width="300" /></a></div>In 2011 the world received another surprise with the unexpected drop of <i>50 Words for Snow</i>: an absolute master class in sound engineering and aural comfort and familiarity; for me, it was like being invited back into the womb of one of humankind's most maternal beings--even the typical corny-schmaltzy subject matter and verbiage passed through with flying colors due to the nature of the healing sound bath her music buoyed us in. Though the music is not always as exciting or dynamic as that of her first 20 years, I feel as if this sadly underrated album from the last decade displays a mastery of sonic perfection that has rarely been achieved in the history of studio albums. Each and every song invites the listener into the same universe as the singer-pianist; one feels no distance or separation from the performer--in fact, feels as if you are there in the center of the studio--perhaps even being treated to a a private concert performance all on ones own. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Looking back over Kate's distinguished career, I think that it is through her collaborations that she really excelled; gathering virtuosic musicians around her in order to not only help her realize her musical visions but in order to trust in their seasoned abilities to offer cogent contributions of their own based upon their own experience and mastery. Some of my favorite collaborations on Kate albums have been with the likes of Swedish bass player Eberhard Weber, Danny Thompson and his loyal double bass, Victoria, Trio Bulgarka (who were members of the Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choir, the group that the London-based independent record label, 4AD, made world-famous in 1986 and 1988 with their release of two international best-selling albums under the Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares title) and her son, Bertie. Other notable collaborations have occurred with with David Gilmour (her founder and long-time champion and friend), Peter Gabriel, Mick Karn, Steve Gadd, and Elton John.</div><div> </div></div><div> I think my adult-life-long infatuation with Ms. Bush also stems from the fact that she was born a month after me in 1958 into place and family that I idealized with a kind of elevated mediæval reverence. She is one of those people that I'd love to thank personally, face-to-face, for her not insignificant contributions to my life. Though I have been unable to find any kind of access point that would allow me to enjoy any single song from <i>The Kick Inside </i>or <i>Lionheart</i> (despite the fact that I do comprehend the ways in which these two albums express the extraordinary uniqueness of this idiosyncratic artist), it really wasn't until her 1980 discovery of and experimentation with the Fairlight CMI (thanks, Peter Gabriel!) that she began to express herself with any kind of music that might be considered "progressive," and, in my opinion, it wasn't until <i>The Dreaming</i> that she actually crossed the line over into Prog World--and, while I've never been much of a fan of <i>The Red Shoes</i>, at least she was still using forms and sound palettes that prog lovers might be accepting of, something she was not doing (mostly out of ignorance) for those first two pop albums. <br /><br />These are my 20 Favorite Kate Bush songs:</div><div><br />1. "Blow Away" - <i>Never For Ever</i><br />2. "The Sensual World" - <i>The Sensual World</i><br />3. "Snowflake" - <i>50 Words for Snow</i><br />4. "Running Up That Hill" - <i>Hounds of Love</i><br />5. "Somewhere in Between" - <i>Aerial</i><br />6. "Get Out of My House" - <i>The Dreaming</i><br />7. "Experiment IV" (12" version) - <i>The Whole Story</i><br />8. "Walk Straight Down the Middle" - <i>The Sensual World</i></div><div>9. "The Dreaming" - <i>The Dreaming</i></div><div>10. "Never Be Mine" - <i>The Sensual World</i></div><div><br /></div><div>11. "Prologue" - <i>Aerial</i></div><div>12. "Lake Tahoe" - <i>50 Words for Snow</i><br />13. "Delius" - <i>Never For Ever</i><br />14. "Houdini" - <i>The Dreaming</i></div><div>15. "Aerial" - <i>Aerial</i></div><div>16. "Waking the Witch" - <i>Hounds of Love</i></div></div><div>17. "Night of the Swallow" - <i>The Dreaming</i></div><div>18. "Wild Man" - <i>50 Words for Snow</i></div><div>19. "Nocturn" - <i>Aerial</i></div><div>20. "Army Dreamers" - <i>Never For Ever</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-9911833176685277782024-01-23T06:15:00.000-08:002024-02-14T05:27:27.992-08:00Prog Lists: My 60 Favorite Prog Albums of the Naughties<p><b style="font-size: x-large;">These are my 60 favorite prog-related albums of the 2000s</b><span style="font-size: x-large;">: </span><span style="font-size: large;">They're not all pure prog but all have contributed greatly to the forms and sounds that has became known as "progressive rock music."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tI0uhFhAYc4LHbbEfGUOLN8GVqLRFaWP7rY2UtzjZs1v_Tfr0pyFnelm81XSt7X41JSuzgNWWMNfcQAqPMtqTEwCkWYXqLZUEJkdwUFklXdaTHYAhluaOU5cD8KIz7L0qjl7RIetYnmHqZZKVv-aiHo4-D2dvoyVsVt-cH1A0ApH24iTyf_J59FXDh6K/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tI0uhFhAYc4LHbbEfGUOLN8GVqLRFaWP7rY2UtzjZs1v_Tfr0pyFnelm81XSt7X41JSuzgNWWMNfcQAqPMtqTEwCkWYXqLZUEJkdwUFklXdaTHYAhluaOU5cD8KIz7L0qjl7RIetYnmHqZZKVv-aiHo4-D2dvoyVsVt-cH1A0ApH24iTyf_J59FXDh6K/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">ODYSSEY: "The Greatest Tale" </i>(2005)</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmS_mJ5ffF81ljoQ-ECyfagSylhchVIbgo7xso9PwPR4Ep-smQ1PdVuUgI7vJUVkYc8gehe7lyJzp7odJ4frsW2y3HyB1HAxi403UNbhVem7uABi-7Wwe4ZGOOz7JLNJmKG6II-12ooBaq4Hsh4PdcQZFxEyOpuxALCpGIrz3zEOyb-6PdnPt9d1CnU8oh/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmS_mJ5ffF81ljoQ-ECyfagSylhchVIbgo7xso9PwPR4Ep-smQ1PdVuUgI7vJUVkYc8gehe7lyJzp7odJ4frsW2y3HyB1HAxi403UNbhVem7uABi-7Wwe4ZGOOz7JLNJmKG6II-12ooBaq4Hsh4PdcQZFxEyOpuxALCpGIrz3zEOyb-6PdnPt9d1CnU8oh/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. DOVES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Lost Souls </i>(2000)</span></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pJfYNy0Z8Vu1fLqOp1-lUjBkswWlOqqK8qghSq3wXONGncQ57HNOP-CGAS1fRAVUB8vaaRp-axMo8AnaeUhboZ5kD0_PpdEKwW4KaHFu0TIFz42GaIcBg4SRK4NHvEX7G8v85Ev9J3XDqpGSK34YiloHIRZiBEZOudjlMfhWJifp3vFQ_0X8RrBlfOlf/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pJfYNy0Z8Vu1fLqOp1-lUjBkswWlOqqK8qghSq3wXONGncQ57HNOP-CGAS1fRAVUB8vaaRp-axMo8AnaeUhboZ5kD0_PpdEKwW4KaHFu0TIFz42GaIcBg4SRK4NHvEX7G8v85Ev9J3XDqpGSK34YiloHIRZiBEZOudjlMfhWJifp3vFQ_0X8RrBlfOlf/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. IONA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Open Sky</i><b> </b>(2000)</span></span></div></div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcOke-05se0cozNbMmBPyCLcs7Uon32WFBaA2fKFicPT1ISzYIkZP7YPfAlNf7tee2xn-esmoQW3Oe2GyYiPo86vew7K4woOoF85cHrNeQkw4UTILyOxYWHMbzKUmNLyfK6oeI3zmS8ZITXIVAl0cJ5ih9PbYM4e7rZgITZOpiyI221I84JcvIguY8Pdm/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcOke-05se0cozNbMmBPyCLcs7Uon32WFBaA2fKFicPT1ISzYIkZP7YPfAlNf7tee2xn-esmoQW3Oe2GyYiPo86vew7K4woOoF85cHrNeQkw4UTILyOxYWHMbzKUmNLyfK6oeI3zmS8ZITXIVAl0cJ5ih9PbYM4e7rZgITZOpiyI221I84JcvIguY8Pdm/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. BJÖRK </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Vespertine </i>(2001)</span></span></div></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5e8-iWAJJvH_3cLxsDoAVpXgUVe4p0-0U934rno7wXNX-3jDi9OuppuE5SapMFSh203aIjFCnFzEgap64-dPHI-LJ7siXh5vWEUGlj39BFHXadXGn05WLKg0WJj2jGDTUHUTO4AViSsi8aNu60vsIlOxR-BjvlZCcjWnDuyEMfTB6LgX9NL3T0kLabZd/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5e8-iWAJJvH_3cLxsDoAVpXgUVe4p0-0U934rno7wXNX-3jDi9OuppuE5SapMFSh203aIjFCnFzEgap64-dPHI-LJ7siXh5vWEUGlj39BFHXadXGn05WLKg0WJj2jGDTUHUTO4AViSsi8aNu60vsIlOxR-BjvlZCcjWnDuyEMfTB6LgX9NL3T0kLabZd/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. BIG BIG TRAIN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Difference Machine </i>(2005)</span></span></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyrANptvN2Wf6DoZpDqb_pY0aotL2JSTK81Y3tDA7ceNpu9_Rf_ZXb33Svb5lBYkWbliQrBR7AuP5rMZsan3nwfrVVguIwftBNJaSE0IV01yZ4TqLtobRlgnISqgpK6l57x-RGkzJtuTaPMULnYGbeMMS-qxjkw4LwH0hmQUfUyk1rkHqQEnElx0nZiiP/s233/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="233" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyrANptvN2Wf6DoZpDqb_pY0aotL2JSTK81Y3tDA7ceNpu9_Rf_ZXb33Svb5lBYkWbliQrBR7AuP5rMZsan3nwfrVVguIwftBNJaSE0IV01yZ4TqLtobRlgnISqgpK6l57x-RGkzJtuTaPMULnYGbeMMS-qxjkw4LwH0hmQUfUyk1rkHqQEnElx0nZiiP/w400-h371/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. MAUDLIN OF THE WELL </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Part the Second </i>(2009)</span></span></div></div><div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPdWtK1omMi71GRpEkRUZQPbqLa-1isIkbvN1yUTtj-NLR8M2xKhAWZojbs4ct9YPUvE08RDFFnG4D6OYz7yIYjJPWIuMjisMzQWE0v3Ee-51GxTYyq94oxWol8zuiVcW1-LEyzAau7R_XkUl6-Inl-uxxyekr2lRpMcEhHW4iS8SFo_Ppn-2IdJBOFBG/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPdWtK1omMi71GRpEkRUZQPbqLa-1isIkbvN1yUTtj-NLR8M2xKhAWZojbs4ct9YPUvE08RDFFnG4D6OYz7yIYjJPWIuMjisMzQWE0v3Ee-51GxTYyq94oxWol8zuiVcW1-LEyzAau7R_XkUl6-Inl-uxxyekr2lRpMcEhHW4iS8SFo_Ppn-2IdJBOFBG/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. NIL </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Nil Novo Sol </i>(2005)</span></span></div></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAJd0eG6wsLPNDDXyTcXLdFltWbBuy8Wh1irwJw76lJSxFoZwgH7raQB5zvBSIHrC9SE5muaNiupW9K1ZSzOpXFKtkDXmjhZIeHzeECaSWVKnUo8Utnlya-ZW4FZPOkhWHZ6nhfphXV6GPcIt2DUvWG_vUAsxQM24IT8d1ErYysaCnF74vSIDijfi9ZA2/s226/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="226" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAJd0eG6wsLPNDDXyTcXLdFltWbBuy8Wh1irwJw76lJSxFoZwgH7raQB5zvBSIHrC9SE5muaNiupW9K1ZSzOpXFKtkDXmjhZIeHzeECaSWVKnUo8Utnlya-ZW4FZPOkhWHZ6nhfphXV6GPcIt2DUvWG_vUAsxQM24IT8d1ErYysaCnF74vSIDijfi9ZA2/w400-h395/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. ULVER </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Shadows of the Sun </i>(2007)</span></span></div></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1g2icDBpFIbtW9FgZgI94YRorKFKw2XPpV0f8lWlA4emJYJ1RccndQD9JEqwQnv_l9O7rzyzKrExrIkTo06KdryHNjB6c6iPVTpQV7Hye5D-9cf5SjcTU8SqiejU4cn7GZ44AFJue6pR8zwxvWS-0uPbpXq_VD7o2uitt1hccNXqUBqQ1KY_-h_Mex8Q/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1g2icDBpFIbtW9FgZgI94YRorKFKw2XPpV0f8lWlA4emJYJ1RccndQD9JEqwQnv_l9O7rzyzKrExrIkTo06KdryHNjB6c6iPVTpQV7Hye5D-9cf5SjcTU8SqiejU4cn7GZ44AFJue6pR8zwxvWS-0uPbpXq_VD7o2uitt1hccNXqUBqQ1KY_-h_Mex8Q/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. PROGHMA-C </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Bar-do Travel </i>(2009)</span></span></div></div><div><div><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqA_A4x5yONCKkqd5YfmzXYl_xOUDerYotaWXWdAVmaL2fP127o4NDKjyyts6nyd1nC440YY6gtiSZVDKswSZ474OdhlcYaez5eDmmhUmXfPelgwDn0Ju5A5NbGo7RsXzuHfKbwb5niJmA6EXyYT8Ba3p2vdoxw50v1mgg-Jh-BWCM3S1H_CUQ9zn9KWH7/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqA_A4x5yONCKkqd5YfmzXYl_xOUDerYotaWXWdAVmaL2fP127o4NDKjyyts6nyd1nC440YY6gtiSZVDKswSZ474OdhlcYaez5eDmmhUmXfPelgwDn0Ju5A5NbGo7RsXzuHfKbwb5niJmA6EXyYT8Ba3p2vdoxw50v1mgg-Jh-BWCM3S1H_CUQ9zn9KWH7/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. MOTORPSYCHO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Phanerothyme </i>(2001)</span></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>11. PÄATOS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Timeloss</i> (2002)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>12. OCEANSIZE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Everyone Into Position </i>(2005)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>13. FAUN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Renaissance </i>(2005)<br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>14. DOVES </b><b style="font-style: italic;">The Last Broadcast </b>(2002)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>15. KARDA ESTRA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Eve</i> (2000)</span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>16. PURE REASON REVOLUTION </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Third </i>(2006)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>17. SYLVAN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Posthumous Silence </i>(2006)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>18. BARK PSYCHOSIS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Code Name: DustSucker </i>(2004)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>19. RIVERSIDE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Second Life Syndrome </i>(2005)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>20. JANNICK TOP </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Infernal Machina </i>(2008)</span></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>21. KOTEBEL </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Omphalos </i>(2006)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>22. THE FLAMING LIPS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots </i>(2002)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>23. THE GATHERING </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">If_then_else </i>(2000)</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>24. AIRBAG </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Identity </i>(2009)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>25. GA'AN - </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Ga'an </i>(2009)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>26. MAGENTA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Seven </i>(2004)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>27. MAGMA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré </i>(2009)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>28. </b><span><b>QUIDAM </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Time Beneath the Sky </i>(2002)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>29. NOSOUND </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">LightDark </i>(2008)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>30. MAUDLIN OF THE WELL </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Leaving Your Bodymap </i>(2001)</span></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>31. MAD CRAYON </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Preda </i>(2009)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>32. BOX </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Le horla de Montpassant </i>(2009)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>33. AISLES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">In Sudden Walks </i>(2009)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>34. KBB </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Lost and Found </i>(2000)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>35. STEREOLAB </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Sound-Dust </i>(2001)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>36. ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Mild Profundities </i>(2003)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>37. PORCUPINE TREE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Fear of a Blank Planet </i>(2007)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>38. HIROMI’S SONICBLOOM (HIROMI UEHARA) </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Time Control </i>(2007)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>39. MOTH VELLUM </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Moth Vellum </i>(2007)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>40. SIGUR RÓS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">( ) </i>(2002)</span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>41. KLAUS SCHULZE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Kontinuum </i>(2007)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>42. KARDA ESTRA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Constellations </i>(2003)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>43. MAUDLIN OF THE WELL </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Bath </i>(2001)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>44. KATE BUSH </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Aerial </i>(2005)</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>45. THORK </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Wê-ila </i>(2004)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>46. BONDAGE FRUIT </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">V - Skin </i>(2002)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>47. DUNGEN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">4 </i>(2008)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>48. THORK</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> Nula Jedan </i>(2007)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>49. </b><span><b>CORDE OBLIQUE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Stones of Naples </i>(2009)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>50. FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Mourning Sun </i>(2005)</span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">51. MAGYAR POSSE </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Random Avenger </i><span>(2006)</span></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>52. VIOLETA DE OUTONO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Volume 7 </i>(2007)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>53. IONA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Circling Hour </i>(2006)<br /><b>54. FROST* </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Milliontown </i>(2006)</span></div><div><span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>55. ESPERS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">II </i>(2006)<br /><div><span><b>56. UZVA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Uomo </i>(2006)</span></div><div><span><b>57. OOIOO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">TAIGA </i>(2006)</span></div><b>58. ELECTRIC ORANGE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Morbus </i>(2007)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>59. GAZPACHO</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> Night </i>(2007)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>60. MAGMA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">K.A. </i>(2004)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">MONO <i>You Are There </i><br /><span style="text-align: center;">VIIMA </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal; text-align: center;">Ajatuksia Maailman Laidalta</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">YVES POTIN <i>Elsewhere</i><br />iNFiNiEN <i>How to Accept</i><br />PAATOS <i>Silence of Another Kind</i><br />MAGISTER DIXIT <i>Cellules de Crises</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">KARDA ESTRA <i>The Age of Science and Enlightenment</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>RADIOHEAD </span><i>In Rainbows</i></span></div><div style="font-family: times;"><i style="font-family: times;"><br /></i></div></span></div></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-6450778734392345222024-01-19T07:07:00.000-08:002024-01-27T14:59:40.089-08:00Aisles<p style="text-align: center;"><i><b> My favorite South American band.</b></i></p><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIft6e7iueS8y8N3rRfnUAqfdmD4bQnXqTL9EHBUR5-rF1QE4qmc6W4fLw2XsADtJK4DzyPxhiDko0PBiRuKDY4Rm-BRLt-dNE9lxytjyopHHIBec4kIONYFqR7KvvsWRewcuuAkOGI6oVjy0QUP8hZbXlwrpD3_FvbgJtI6P_nYD438GzpV-8u97dKQ/s1000/cover_1439132512023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIft6e7iueS8y8N3rRfnUAqfdmD4bQnXqTL9EHBUR5-rF1QE4qmc6W4fLw2XsADtJK4DzyPxhiDko0PBiRuKDY4Rm-BRLt-dNE9lxytjyopHHIBec4kIONYFqR7KvvsWRewcuuAkOGI6oVjy0QUP8hZbXlwrpD3_FvbgJtI6P_nYD438GzpV-8u97dKQ/s1000/cover_1439132512023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIft6e7iueS8y8N3rRfnUAqfdmD4bQnXqTL9EHBUR5-rF1QE4qmc6W4fLw2XsADtJK4DzyPxhiDko0PBiRuKDY4Rm-BRLt-dNE9lxytjyopHHIBec4kIONYFqR7KvvsWRewcuuAkOGI6oVjy0QUP8hZbXlwrpD3_FvbgJtI6P_nYD438GzpV-8u97dKQ/s320/cover_1439132512023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div></div><br /><div><b>AISLES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Beyond Drama</i> (2023)</div><br />Chile's 21st Century prog stalwarts are back with yet another lineup change. ("And then there were three.") Founding members guitarists Germán Vergara and Rodrigo Sepúlveda are still with the band as is drummer Felipe Candia. 2012 addition Daniel Concha is back on bass as is keyboard player Juan Pablo Gaete (2014), but the band has had to find a new vocalist. Israel Gil has been brought in to try to fill Sebastién Vargara shoes.</div><div>This album is actually a collection of individual songs that the band worked on and released as singles, one by one, over the time span of early 2021 through February of 2023.</div><div> <br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Israel Gil / vocals<br />- Rodrigo Sepulveda / guitars<br />- German Vergara / guitars, vocals<br />- Juan Pablo Gaete / keyboards<br />- Daniel Concha / bass<br /><div>- Felipe Candia / drums</div><div><br /></div><div>1. "Fast" (4:38) love the "fade in" fast-strum two chord progression that the song opens with but the mix remains too muted and distant for my likes. When keys and vocals join the rhythm section, it's with a MOTORPSYCHO-like sound and feel. Very cool! (I love Motorpsycho.) Despite its flaws (sound engineering) this is a great, catchy song with lots of impressive (and loveable) subtle nuances (keyboard, bass, and drum flourishes). Great drumming from Felipe Candia. (8.875/10) </div><div><br />2. "Megalomania" (6:25) styled very much like a KARNIVOOL or LEPROUS song (the main melody is practically lifted from the Aussie band's "We Are"--one of my favorite songs of the 2010s), the instrumental palette/soundscape is far too weak and thin to pull it off (as is the voice of lead vocalist Israel Gil), and yet the imitation (borrowing) of the afore-cited Heavy Proggers continues. Still, I do enjoy the slap and percussion styles used on the guitars and bass as well as the drum exhibition around the six-minute mark. (8.75/10)</div><div> <br />3. "Thanks to Kafka" (4:18) Pleasant but not very memorable (other than the lyrical line of literary homage). At this point in the album my jury is still out on Israel; here he's impassioned but the vocal isn't mixed well into the mix of the song (it's buried too much in the mix--behind the bass and lead guitar). I do, however, appreciate the lyrical intent. (8.6667/10)</div><div><br />4. "Disobedience" (7:18) I love the set up and rhythmic foundation of this one: fast-moving drums with thoughtful phrasing from the bass and keys with great vocal deliveries. Reminds me of early PAATOS. And the reach for heaviness really works on this one. I love the FIXX-like chords used for the awesome chorus motif. Great tune! Definitely a top three song. (14.25/15)</div><div><br />5. "Time (A Conversation with My Therapist)" (6:40) quite a melodically captivating song. Once in, you're stuck--but it's such a nice, soul-balming place. I think I could stay here forever. (Aisles has always the ability to do that to the listener with their music.) A top three song for me. (9.5/10)</div><div><br />6. "The Plague" (11:06) opening with those delicate, virtuosic guitar notes is so magical--so much of what I think of when I recall Aisles. (Which makes me think that this song may have been carried forward from a long time ago.) I love the atmospheric soundscape established to back Israel's MARCO GLÜHMANN-like (Sylvan) vocal delivery. As a matter of fact, the whole song to this point has a LOT in common with the music of SYLVAN. The chorus starts out a little blandly but then Israel and Germán (and others) come forward to win the day. Great drumming, keys, and thrumming bass beneath the lead guitar solo in the fifth minute. Then begins the echoed guitar chord play that feels signatory to this band. Very powerful use of choral voices in the sixth and ninth minutes (reminding me of MOTORPSYCHO). Great, emotional song. Almost a top three song. (18.5/20)</div><div><br />7. "Surrender" (6:44) a beautiful piano intro is soon joined by the rest of the band with such mature subtlety. What a gift is this band! Israel enters with an equally delicate vocal, but then everybody amps up for the brief chorus preview (with some awesome lead guitar riffing). Man the bass sounds so great on this album: I love how forward and full those notes are coming from Daniel Concha. Just a beautifully constructed, performed, and engineered song. My only complaint is that the drums aren't as forward as the bass. (Felipe is also such a master of subtlety in his drum play.) The instrumental passage in the fifth minute is good, just not as blow-me-away good as the rest of the song (though the drums come through a little better). The vocal delivery sounds so heartfelt--even from German on background vocals! My favorite top three song. (9.75/10)</div><div><br />8. "Needsun" (2:09) fades in as if coming from a previously recorded song--a sentimental salvage job by the band. (It's gorgeous--with great drumming and powerful vocals--so I can see why.) (4.5/5)</div><div><br />9. "Game Over" (6:28) melodic yet using an industrial sound palette to get its syncopated CRIMSONIAN ideas across, this was one of the band's last single releases before completing and compiling this album. It's interesting--and very much like the condensed style of Jem Godfrey's FROST* releases of the past decade--with some great electric guitar playing (also in a John Mitchell style)--but I find myself missing/wanting Israel/the band's vocals! Fortunately, the song just keeps getting stronger as it goes along--until it wins you over! Impressive! (9/10)<br /><br />Total Time 55:46</div><div><br /></div><div>I must admit to being prejudiced against the possibility of liking this album as I have such love and admiration for the music (and lineup) of the band's 2009 incarnation and album, <i>In Sudden Walks</i>, but I'm won over. This music is great. It's different, but 14 years later you'd kind of hope that a band would grow and develop--not repeat the same sounds and songs over and over. Aisles have accomplished this in spades. I'm so glad the band persevered during the COVID years (and years of political and internal turmoil in Chile and within the band, respectively) to polish, perfect, and publish these songs!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>91.79 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music. Aisles continues their stellar contribution to 21st Century progressive rock music. My #11 <b>ranked</b> album of 2023 and my #2 <b>favorite</b> album of the year. </div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjP4ml8CeyRkILz-5TBH_IczPH_h449sU8HMtzwsDEOCjkAUtCkCVOU0HfFAGtWKPxX4EQaqyb0hoTzLTfMnutZ34lrWjqwS5IiUKlFGOMzHizY4WX405rQ7-UduN0hCWwkZNVfNQHmIBZpt65VDoOfhzEIUf92n27CRBaQD3EbxLjbaoE2Xq-md_R3gmf/s300/cover_22132552016_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjP4ml8CeyRkILz-5TBH_IczPH_h449sU8HMtzwsDEOCjkAUtCkCVOU0HfFAGtWKPxX4EQaqyb0hoTzLTfMnutZ34lrWjqwS5IiUKlFGOMzHizY4WX405rQ7-UduN0hCWwkZNVfNQHmIBZpt65VDoOfhzEIUf92n27CRBaQD3EbxLjbaoE2Xq-md_R3gmf/s1600/cover_22132552016_r.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b>AISLES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Hawaii</i> (2016)</p>This true 21st Century band releases its fourth studio album: a double album conveying a rather dour and emotional perception of the chaotic, slow demise of our planet, our species, the band's home country of Chile, as well as for the band and perhaps some of the individual members of the band (especially the Vergara brothers). <div><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Sebastian Vergara / vocals<br />- Rodrigo Sepulveda / guitars<br />- German Vergara / guitars<br />- Juan Pablo Gaete / keyboards<br />- Daniel Baird-Kerr / bass<br />- Felipe Candia / drums</div><div><br /></div><div>Voice actors on "Club Hawaii":</div><div>- Matthew Baxter / Newcomer </div><div>- Sebastián Vergara / Club Regular 1 (spoken & sung)</div><div>- Germán Vergara / Club Regular 2</div><div>- Rebecca Bell / Announcer</div><div>- Sebastián Vergara / Steward<br /><ul class="list_1HutQ" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "Nimbus Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li><br /></li></ul><div>1. "The Poet Part I: Dusk" (10:06) a solid construct--complete with the band's now familiar impeccably-woven sophisticated multi-layered instrumental construction. I'm not so fond of the hard-drivin' straight-forward rock rhythm choices nor the multi-voice approach to lead vocals. (17.5/20)</div><div><br />2. "The Poet Part II: New World" (4:18) gorgeous melodies created by Sebastian Vergara over this surprisingly simple (but adequate) song construct. Great drumming. Not sure Daniel Baird-Kerr's bass playing style is the best fit for the band. Not the most polished or best engineered song the band has produced, but it's still a winner. (9/10)</div><div><br />3. "Year Zero" (4:36) nice dreamy two-guitar, two channel foundation with solid bass presence and background drumming over which Sebastian sings in a high pitch (and frail-sounding) voice. (Is he sick? Is his [heretofore amazing] voice failing?) Nice Berlin School-like synth patterns takes over in the third minute, at first supplanting the two guitars while Sebastian sits back on the sidelines, later re-introducing the two guitars for a bit before they yield to the piano that finishes the song. Interesting! (8.875/10)</div><div><br />4. "Upside Down" (4:53) piano with bass and delicate drumming open this before guitar strums and big tom-tom hits signal the entry of double-tracked lead vocals (both Sebastian, I believe) mirroring the piano. It's like a stage musical's central aria. It's okay, just not the Aisles we all (in the prog community) want to here Still, the topic expressed in the lyrics is quite heavy and, therefore, appropriately expressed with serious passion. Nice solos from the two guitarists and synth player in the fourth minute. (8.6667/10)<br /><br /></div><div>5. "CH-7" (12:33) oddly sparse and simple music behind a rather passionate vocal performance by Sebastian Vergara. Unfortunately, Seb's voice (which is surprisingly lacking any melodic "hooks" to gain our interest and enjoyment) is not enough to carry the song all by itself. (I swear: On this album it feels as if Sebastian's voice is failing--this despite his sincere passion behind many of the messages he's trying to convey.) But carry it he does: for over six minutes--and when the musicians begin to offer more to the soundscape it still feels thin (though it does, admittedly, take a noticeable amount of pressure off of Seb's performance). The musical construct beneath the song's instrumental passage in the ninth minute is rather laughable for its syncopation minimalism--despite everyone's participation. When everybody kind of congeals in the tenth we finally feel a bit of the inviting warmth that I've come to associate the band with. Finally! This section persists into the twelfth minute before taking a turn down a faster-paced downhill street. Unfortunately, the sound palette chosen throughout this song is one that never quite wins me over. Too bad! That instrumental finish was almost worth it. (21.875/25)</div><div><br />6. "Terra" (8:03) nice gently-picked acoustic guitar with fluid fretless bass and sustained volume-controlled pedal steel guitar chords open this one giving the listener quite a relaxing, almost lullaby-like setting. Sebastian's voice enters matching the angelic music with great delicacy, amazing vulnerability. Gorgeous. At the four-minute mark a "sonic boom"-like noise enters--as if signaling the event of some disaster. At 5:40 the vocalist (not Seb?) enters with an almost-operatic tenor, amping up the tension and drama of the song. He is soon joined by Sebastian and multiple other voices in harmonized choral form while the piano and strummed acoustic guitars keep time and the drums, bass, and odd synth noises create a very unsettling chaos--at first in the background, but then usurping the soundscape for the finish. A song of lament and regret? on behalf of the planet? Interesting and unique. This is the kind of creative song creation that keeps me coming back for Aisles music. (13.5/15)<br /><br /></div><div>7. "Pale Blue Dot" (9:53) tick-tocking percussion with layers of guitar and synth play over which Sebastian eventually joins--singing his long-held notes in a clear, frail, high register. The music that bridges to a new variation at the three-minute mark is a bit circus-like, while the next motif is more of a standard rock musical experience with Sebastian singing more in front of the mix (with his melodic flow feeling a bit forced and even, at times, incongruous with the musical landscape). Still, there is something not quite right with the musical coherence here: as if the Sebastian and the rest of the band are on two different, diverging paths of musical vision. In the final quarter of the song, there are even several instances in which Seb tries reaching for high power notes and fails to achieve pitch accuracy. (17/20)<br /><br /></div><div>8. "Still Alive" (4:46) an emotional radio-friendly song that does a great job at expressing the insecurities and unknowns of daily life in these frail "three-minutes-to-midnight" era of human existence. (9/10)<br /><br /></div><div>9. "Nostalgia" (2:11) Perfectly understandable considering the flow and concept behind this album. We all want to feel the security of nostalgic escapes to past memories or past art forms. This song conveys this rather effectively while still expressing the underlying tension (pace) rushing us through a process of escapism. (4.66667/5)<br /><br /></div><div>10. "Club Hawaii" (7:22) a very interesting, entertaining, and effective theatric musical play. Quite brilliant--and emotional! (14.5/15)<br /><br /></div><div>11. "Falling" (2:11) solo piano over which Sebastian sings in a very high, delicate, almost feminine operatic way. With progress into the song, Seb's vocal definitely expresses more masculinity--though of a very vulnerable emotionality. (4.5/5)<br /><br /></div><div>12. "In The Probe" (6:53) interesting and, yes, a bit depressing with a single destabilized guitar occasionally strumming some disharmonic chords and a very sparsely-employed drum machine rhythm track serving as the only two instruments, but, again, it is very effective considering the psychological and emotional goals of the band on this album. I'm very much reminded of the stark soundscapes of TALK TALK's TIM HOLLIS as well as the delicate vocal abilities of Marillion's Steve Hogarth. Very effective. Thank you, Sebastián. You have served commendably. (13.33333/15)<br /><br />Total time: 77:45</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite the space of three years since the band's last album, a lot of the music on this album feels forced--as if the idealistic fire that was present in 2009 (on <i>In Sudden Walks</i>) is flickering. However, knowing the cynical space the band was in during its making--about their native Chile, about the planet, about the future of Sebastián's participation with the band--I can better understand (and forgive--as well as learn to grow with) the often sparse, stripped-down soundscapes employed in their musical expressions here. <br /><br />89.01 on the Fishscales = B+/four stars; an admirable and quite emotional ride through a band's cynicism and decay. A listening experience that requires attention but then, after several listens, can be truly and fully enjoyed for the artistic expression it is. Highly recommended to any prog lover. My #37 ranked album of 2016 and my 25th favorite. <br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmgUoROIkFi-gfZ58Y2TetGB6IXswVN708Vf3WPUB_zNldzDfikiwlhno27Np7CLLc7mN6nDZYP1s_ngpWTcFtyN06S_vIaxEMreBvZ9R_aHMIWy2XJcouH9-zPSaHB9-hsCREVt4XSG9NSfG0qSRQ_vGFPcuc-Vu-3uHIXQCc2iO-35EfA6wvCxTgP43/s300/cover_721017102013_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmgUoROIkFi-gfZ58Y2TetGB6IXswVN708Vf3WPUB_zNldzDfikiwlhno27Np7CLLc7mN6nDZYP1s_ngpWTcFtyN06S_vIaxEMreBvZ9R_aHMIWy2XJcouH9-zPSaHB9-hsCREVt4XSG9NSfG0qSRQ_vGFPcuc-Vu-3uHIXQCc2iO-35EfA6wvCxTgP43/s1600/cover_721017102013_r.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>AISLES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">4:45am</i> (2013)</div><div><br /></div><div>The band's third studio album sees them taking on a new bass player. While the rest of the lineup reamins constant, there are a lot of guest performers to help the band on their journey--here taking a step toward back to the shorter more radio-friendly pop-oriented songs that they burst onto the scene with on their debut.</div><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Germán Vergara / Guitars, Vocals and Keyboards<br />- Felipe Candia / Drums and Percussion<br />- Rodrigo Sepelveda / Guitars and Vocals<br />- Sebastian Vergara / Lead vocals<br />- Alejandro Melendez / Keyboards<br />- Daniel Baird-Kerr / Bass</div>With:<br />Constanza Maulén / Vocals (Tracks 1, 3 & 8)<br />Alejandro Barría / Cello (5, 8 & 9)<br />Nelson Arriagada / Contrabass (5, 8 & 9)<br />Valentina Maza / Viola (5, 8 & 9)<br />David Nunez / First violin (5, 8 & 9)<br />Diana Brown / Second violin (5, 8 & 9)<br />Track 3 Voice Actors [DJs] / Chris Trout, Nicoló Rossi, Trinhity Tran<br />Track 2 & 10 Voice Actors [Mom and kid] / Soraya Castillo<br /><div><div><br />1. "4:45am" (4:06) like a late 1970s AOR song from ART IN AMERICA or RUSH. I have to admit to being a little surprised at the directional choice exhibited by this song--obviously chosen to represent the band's new vision/sound in its being the album's opener. The extraordinary musicianship and dedication to complex minutia is, of course, still obvious, but this is definitely more of a pop-oriented song. (8.75/10)</div><div><br />2. "Gallarda Yarura" (4:32) a long guitar-centric instrumental that could very well have supported vocals makes me wonder if lyricists were either preoccupied with other parts of life or whether Sebastian Vergara was not as heart-fully engaged in the project. (8.666667/10)</div><div><br /></div><div>3. "Shallow and Daft" (4:52) there's quite a bit of 1980s jazz-pop in this one--sounding a <i>lot</i> like HOWARD JONES, ICEHOUSE, and/or JOHNNY HATES JAZZ. Interesting choices for radio samples they included in the final minute. Melodically quite pleasing but technically and instrumentally quite a step down from the complexity of their past stuff. (8.5/10)<br /><br /></div><div>4. "Back my Strength" (4:54) 1980s BRIAN FERRY! Such a simple four-chord song that I feel quite disappointed. Even the beautiful little delicate passage in the middle is diminished by the standard radio fare that it is sandwiched between (though I do like the homage to WHITESNAKE in the instrumental guitar solo). (8.5/10)<br /><br /></div><div>5. "The Sacrifice" (5:08) lone acoustic guitar being gently picked shows promise--raises my hopes. Sebastian's delicate vocal (later harmonized) matches perfectly. Gorgeous. But, it never really develops into anything more than this (which leaves it locked out of the prog world, relegated to pop-stage craft). Even the buildup and crescendo in the fifth minute is not enough--more emotion than compositional genius. (8.75/10)<br /><br /></div><div>6. "The Ship" (0:57) ship noises--more engine and industrial gear than water.<br /><br /></div><div>7. "Intermission" (5:02) the opening weave here seems to suggest that "Side 2" might be more proggy.I love this! The long sustained notes up front make me think that there might be an electric violin involved. Something we might have heard from BRUCE COCKBURN when he had HUGH MARSH working with him. I even love the more percussion-oriented reprise at the end. Great instrumental! My favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)<br /><br /></div><div>8. "Sorrow" (6:57) acoustic guitars being picked with more traditional percussion sounds (like talking drum!) and Sebastian and harmony vocals worked into a nice gentle weave. I love the deep throb of the bass play. The interplay of the two or three guitarists alone is magical! I don't really like the way Sebastian's voice is compressed and held in the back. And why is the beautiful female vocalist's name (Constanza Maulén) uncredited? My other top three song. (13.375/15)<br /><br /></div><div>9. "Hero" (8:11) a slow methodical progression of blues-rock guitar arppegi (using a soundscape quite similar to that of THE GATHERING on the twin towers of "Analog Park" and "Herbal Movement") with support drums and bass and frenzied synth noises flitting in and out turns into a more familiar Aisles style at the 90-second mark with some cool time and thematic twists and turns accented by guitar, synth, percussion, and vocalise flourishes here and there and ended by an almost Gregorian chant bridge at the four-minute mark that takes us into a very ENIGMA-feeling cave/cathedral place for a minute or so. Drums and distant power chords and aggressive but distant guitar play join in during the sixth minute as DAVID GILMOUR/BRIAN MAY-like strummed chords and RICHARD WRIGHT-like synth solos a bit. At the seven-minute mark the joinder and presence of the string quartet becomes quite noticeable. The final minute sees the song resort to beautiful classical guitar being picked over the remnants of the string quartet. Nice ending to a surprisingly long instrumental. hard to believe that these formidable vocalists did not create anything magical to complete the fully-dimensional realization of this one! Still, I call this a win--and it definitely pleases one's prog sensibilities! My second favorite song on the album. (18/20)<br /><br /></div><div>10. "Melancholia" (10:41) a little slow in its distorted blues-rock orientation, the full and theatric story and lyrics get a bit lost in the one-dimensional three-chord music that plays pretty much from start to finish. I like the way the instrumental portion of the music recedes over the final 90 seconds while the vocals lag behind, staying forward. (17.333333/20)<br /><br />Total time (55:19)</div><div><br /></div><div>Were it not for "Side 2" (the last four songs) this album would not be worth any prog lover's while.<br /><br />87.02 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; a bit of a disappointment; as if the band was torn as to which stylistic direction(s) to go and was also kind of forcing an album out while lacking inspired, fully-committed contributions from the full complement of collaborators.</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zltikiycs9i1nnf3KfXflhZI6rfHCm5sJ1EcKeMHzCtrqRcNsUGsLMkHLYlEFr1KYwWTdW4IxOdIcrCPABrTkYdR0QcagHqNPU9QTTkxKo2LJKa-kxPGHdjbIX2fN5CbhFz3c16W7DKL/s1600/DownloadedFile.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zltikiycs9i1nnf3KfXflhZI6rfHCm5sJ1EcKeMHzCtrqRcNsUGsLMkHLYlEFr1KYwWTdW4IxOdIcrCPABrTkYdR0QcagHqNPU9QTTkxKo2LJKa-kxPGHdjbIX2fN5CbhFz3c16W7DKL/s1600/DownloadedFile.jpeg" /></a></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>AISLES </b><i style="font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In Sudden Walks</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> (2009)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The band now have found/hired not only a drummer (Felipe Candia) but a bass player (Felipe Gonzales) thus freeing up founding member Rodrigo Sepulveda to concentrate on guitar playing to go along with his compositional and engineering/production roles. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><b>Line-up / Musicians:</b></div><div>- Rodrigo Sepulveda / guitars</div><div>- Felipe Candia / drums</div><div>- Alejandro Melendez / keyboards</div><div>- German Vergara / guitars</div><div>- Luis Vergara / keyboards</div><div>- Felipe Gonzales / bass</div><div>- Sebastian Vergara / vocals</div></div><div><br /></div><div>1. "Mariachi" (9:59) a mini-television romance <i>telenovela--</i>complete with the grevelly voiced old man and tortured young nymphomaniac. The music, as fine as it is, seems so subordinate to the teleplay going on in front. It would not surprise me to find out that these guys were, in fact, studio musicians for the making of soundtracks for some of Peru's telenovelas. (17.333/20) </div><div>2. "Revolution Of Light" (4:41) the album's only weak point--and it is, unfortunately, quite weak. (7.5/10)</div><div>3. "Summer Fall" (9:56) One of the best prog epics of the year! (19.5/20)</div><div>4. "The Maiden" (9:28) Another incredible epic that really puts some earworms into your brain. (19/20)</div><div>5. "Smile Of Tears" (4:00) (8.75/10)</div><div>6. "Hawaii" (14:58) Yet another great prog epic! What a treat! What an album! (27/30)</div><div><br /></div><div>Total Time: 53:02</div><div><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-align: center;">AISLES' second album, </span><i style="text-align: center;">In Sudden Walks</i><span style="text-align: center;">, is brilliant! It is symphonic, melodic, ethnic, emotional, well performed, well engineered and recorded, beautifully sung, and very fresh and new feeling--very much, I think, (like MAD CRAYON's beautiful </span><i style="text-align: center;">Preda</i><span style="text-align: center;">,) due to its ethnic influences. Three of the album's six songs clock in at around 10 minutes with a fourth at nearly 15--and all are of the highest caliber symphonic prog. Only one song--one of the shorts, "Revolution of Light" (4:41) (7.5/10)--falls short of the standard and feel set by the rest of the album. </span>I love "Mariachi" exploitation of the overt sexuality so typical of Latin American television. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGwtANtnt5o" target="_blank">Summer Fall</a>" (9:56) (19.5/20) and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYIszn_636g" target="_blank">The Maiden</a>" (9:30) (19/20) should, IMHO, be in everyone's playlist of classic prog epics. Their multi-layered instrumental interplay is so pervasive and playful, with so many twists and turns yet with equally as many returns to very catchy melodic hooks, while all the while threaded together by some great, almost mythic, lyrics sung in absolutely beautiful vocal performances. "Hawaii" (14:58) (27/30) is often pacifying, calming, dreamy, though it too has its tempo and mood changes (in the second half). Overall, an incredibly enjoyable and engaging listening experience. Highly recommended!!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I quite agree with fellow reviewer Cesar Inca: this little gem was one that was sadly overlooked from among the 2009 harvest. But: It's not too late!<br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">90.08 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of truly unique progressive rock music and definitely an essential acquisition for any prog music lover's music collection. MY #12 ranked album for 2009!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqNC_7u9JyH2ZF2_7cLJVI-H3AlSwKgPxc61_arY5QAxqvRQG5WSt8P1kRmgiT7pA24nM13aUm-BhAlI9767w6wHWR30zGanjdgsgxsVJLTiNvLTK-2NC4SzKwDjiVLFBqBuG-AvezWc3purWjD-ikUQSe1kp6-z1lFWBVsEI_IpX90oFsZhZjmdZb99W/s500/cover_2749181112009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqNC_7u9JyH2ZF2_7cLJVI-H3AlSwKgPxc61_arY5QAxqvRQG5WSt8P1kRmgiT7pA24nM13aUm-BhAlI9767w6wHWR30zGanjdgsgxsVJLTiNvLTK-2NC4SzKwDjiVLFBqBuG-AvezWc3purWjD-ikUQSe1kp6-z1lFWBVsEI_IpX90oFsZhZjmdZb99W/s320/cover_2749181112009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><b>AISLES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Yearning</i> (2005)<br /><br />As far as I know, this is the band's first album.<br /><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Sebastian Vergara / lead & backing vocals, flute<br />- German Vergara / electric & acoustic guitars, basses, backing vocals<br />- Luis Vergara / piano, keyboards<br />- Alejandro Melendez / keyboards, piano, drum programming<br />- Rodrigo Sepulveda / electric & acoustic guitars, basses, backing vocals, drum programming<div><br /></div><div>1. "The Wharf That Holds His Vessel" (11:21) a song that feels to me, start to finish, as if I'm listening to a band playing in the orchestra pit for a theatric stage musical; this would/could quite easily pass for an overture! (17.5/20)</div><div><br />2. "Uncertain Lights" (4:05) a very nice opening with very delicate vocal track sung over beautifully picked classical guitars and synth three-way weave. The harmony vocals here are also quite sublime. These musicians are so talented! So skilled! The only song on the album that really puts on display the amazing vocal arrangements so well-developed and exploited in their future songs. Quite mature SIMON & GARFUNKEL-like songwriting. (8.875/10)<br /><br /></div><div>3. "Clouds Motion" (7:07) here's the first song that conjures up for me more references to "classic rock" bands like JOURNEY or RUSH. It's also the first song to drop a few of those melt-my-knees gorgeous riffs, chord changes, bridges that the band becomes so adept at with their future albums. A top three song. (13.5/15)<br /><br /></div><div>4. "The Rise of White Sun" (4:57) A 1990s sound palette (or one quite like 1978's BABYLON) doesn't totally spoil another heart-felt vocal from Sebastian Vergara. It's comforting to comprehend how much more fluent Seb becomes with the English language (especially it's pronunciation) as well as with creating highly melodic vocals and vocal arrangements in the future. (8.75/10)<br /><br /></div><div>5. "The Shrill Voice" (4:59) portends some of the band's extraordinary future music with the unusual quick-mixture of multiple motifs in short spaces of time--and then repeating them throughout the song from time to time. Not Seb's best vocal, the street voice is interesting, but it's the driving motif that follows 1:50 that is, for me, my first real glimmer of the genius of this band: an extended heavy PINK FLOYD-like instrumental passage that sucks one in and entertains with the numerous surprise instrumental and vocal flourishes and nuances. Despite the many out-of-date instrument sounds chosen, this one serves, as another top three song. (8.75/10)<br /><br /></div><div>6. "The Scarce Light Birth" (7:34) a near-GENESIS-like ballad format in which we see the capture of some of Sebastian's most seductive vocal melodies yet. My third favorite song. (13.125/15)<br /><br /></div><div>7. "Grey" (16:37) almost completely flat and unexciting. (25/30):<br />- i. The Yearning<br />- ii. Unit Land<br />- iii. Path of Gleams<br /><br />Total Time 56:40</div><div><br /></div><div>Hearing these songs makes me wonder how much time these musicians spent together (or separately) as theater musicians, as cover band for "classic rock" music like Journey, and how long they worked on these songs. They certainly have a tremendous amount of courage and "maturity" in order to take on these fast-changing, multi-themed, unusually-complex and multi-dimensional songs. The chapter-like/epic storytelling flow of each and every song is quite extraordinary. Unfortunately, the band has not yet mastered its capture of great "earworm" melodies in the way it will in their next albums. Also, the "dated" computer keyboards and poor effects chosen for the drums do affect my enjoyment of the music. Again, I apologize to the band for not getting the songs whose commitment to the words/lyrics/message is paramount: it's your music that I've grown to love; I know not your intended messages! <br /><div><br /></div></div><div>86.82 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent debut album from this totally unique theatric symphonic band.</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-33593514998422368572024-01-11T15:19:00.000-08:002024-01-29T05:06:06.872-08:00Prog Lists: My 40 Favorite Albums from the 1980s<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">These are my 40 favorite prog-related albums of the 1980s</b><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">: </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">They're not all pure prog but all have contributed greatly to the forms and sounds that has became known as "progressive rock music."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GcpKwatLAe7wGxmZ4nt2RxLmV1xgp8XzS2QSYSZh9dnywgn7Ft2I7ByNGwTrdCHCpzfPwKa5D79qNVj-CJif0impO2JLASYLLN8_AxBwIaui7CrTKSIYcKIEBdqmqaYoCZLKohCeLjGKqlIil54OONnn2SHmxtiRdcaGy4vohjDV-cBVdDiREUOKK65y/s226/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="223" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GcpKwatLAe7wGxmZ4nt2RxLmV1xgp8XzS2QSYSZh9dnywgn7Ft2I7ByNGwTrdCHCpzfPwKa5D79qNVj-CJif0impO2JLASYLLN8_AxBwIaui7CrTKSIYcKIEBdqmqaYoCZLKohCeLjGKqlIil54OONnn2SHmxtiRdcaGy4vohjDV-cBVdDiREUOKK65y/w395-h400/download.jpg" width="395" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">1. COCTEAU TWINS <i>Tiny Dynamine/Echoes on a Shallow Bay</i></b><i style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">(1985)</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzb889AIx0xel77yKNaSV_yFnThbChxR5xTkDgFp2b002zou-E3l4SRP9rI5XSwpKCmI5yq_02m7wk_SApen0cGOkhDYD9C_2P2h8Jwovaxxl4a6XgtA6alsBGGcRmDHLikT7-MJRA_KxTKO6o08Ox2IiChRTsbCKk8FJ1OM_sN9Lgaz8L0e77eXEalq8/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzb889AIx0xel77yKNaSV_yFnThbChxR5xTkDgFp2b002zou-E3l4SRP9rI5XSwpKCmI5yq_02m7wk_SApen0cGOkhDYD9C_2P2h8Jwovaxxl4a6XgtA6alsBGGcRmDHLikT7-MJRA_KxTKO6o08Ox2IiChRTsbCKk8FJ1OM_sN9Lgaz8L0e77eXEalq8/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">2. THE FIXX <i>Reach the Beach</i> (</b><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">1983)</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFeBC4zIeY2BqdBoRDNo0HpVRUJi6ic6nSMaw0jnP-muWrbzcsKCpU36nlYHicH7GBGlpxVeXLJpPX_bUB5PFF_Kll1n_ZI85p_85Yv3UBlKqgbmM2vOdLgeuL-wLZPPHoLT3S5KEOBbTsS1h8thqk7RUZoQvJpcwSZpgRnzuWiEQ2CFrYJoJaKlo4ArG/s220/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFeBC4zIeY2BqdBoRDNo0HpVRUJi6ic6nSMaw0jnP-muWrbzcsKCpU36nlYHicH7GBGlpxVeXLJpPX_bUB5PFF_Kll1n_ZI85p_85Yv3UBlKqgbmM2vOdLgeuL-wLZPPHoLT3S5KEOBbTsS1h8thqk7RUZoQvJpcwSZpgRnzuWiEQ2CFrYJoJaKlo4ArG/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">3. DAVID SYLVIAN <i>Brilliant Trees</i></b><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> (1984)</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCQ3taTNNzNPxJL3VCgY-t_W46jipf-bGMJ-zdgDU3GLumaR468_u2eQ4xiYP8_ooHx8173yRK2cDBBd6zDT3Pg7DHErdulCKomI61NEz_3kjXUWW8N5l1mWQ3y4WkXP7ny0UTOSbrNkQIRY-3qd3OrtfJvOrwX1F7T777fak5yfprHfNT_8ByJF-XoaC/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCQ3taTNNzNPxJL3VCgY-t_W46jipf-bGMJ-zdgDU3GLumaR468_u2eQ4xiYP8_ooHx8173yRK2cDBBd6zDT3Pg7DHErdulCKomI61NEz_3kjXUWW8N5l1mWQ3y4WkXP7ny0UTOSbrNkQIRY-3qd3OrtfJvOrwX1F7T777fak5yfprHfNT_8ByJF-XoaC/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">4. THE CURE <i>Disintegration</i></b><i style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">(1989)</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnBjQLNUUFS_yGhmKRg7SRdVvmo9DdRT1vnWW-TU4h2rQd_JahcT1fkDCsG9rX8gdJFq1ta5Alw-vPOCOC73oKVNNtv_RaQvstDe3Jc0Bt-AtxpOsFoh-zYz_gc5yd9VE6GmcbiiMss-Hga_UCLwzuiikgaqHUn1fNvVTcxeCuLGy-TOBLSiVW-czsyzA/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnBjQLNUUFS_yGhmKRg7SRdVvmo9DdRT1vnWW-TU4h2rQd_JahcT1fkDCsG9rX8gdJFq1ta5Alw-vPOCOC73oKVNNtv_RaQvstDe3Jc0Bt-AtxpOsFoh-zYz_gc5yd9VE6GmcbiiMss-Hga_UCLwzuiikgaqHUn1fNvVTcxeCuLGy-TOBLSiVW-czsyzA/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">5. PAT METHENY GROUP </b><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Still Life (Talking) </i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">(1987)</span></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1CPbfYeVJ_3QzJb5fBHWDRyj5MjdALBHyFCg915Uf8_gZYXxL-JeFjwAHUBwVAwHZ4I1SlZOZRxfP_GiAITh2I9ptNBkpe5TvnSphc6-ZVx_Omagg7yYpx5o9kwXOu_s6_i7TMc6lmptC0AAG1xLKDwbBSk9jhDWuFuMoFqnZsL6EHTNZNpLas55HZ0_/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1CPbfYeVJ_3QzJb5fBHWDRyj5MjdALBHyFCg915Uf8_gZYXxL-JeFjwAHUBwVAwHZ4I1SlZOZRxfP_GiAITh2I9ptNBkpe5TvnSphc6-ZVx_Omagg7yYpx5o9kwXOu_s6_i7TMc6lmptC0AAG1xLKDwbBSk9jhDWuFuMoFqnZsL6EHTNZNpLas55HZ0_/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">6. COCTEAU TWINS </b><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Treasure</i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> (1984)</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYXNOrVkA89Baopvw-uI5v7p0bFLO3tCcwcq4SUcWlT0f8pYQrwQozj7AEziITRokj5J2NlS440zU88xSIQZFrzvYdgp7gxRRVflflg6x0EXGmiZbOPvVpEzAYC_BXh60sk7njZXfwv96eS7vlv_wLAjjXYq6zkxPvxDeHVZx16c2cXHXc5WYr1iwCvHD/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYXNOrVkA89Baopvw-uI5v7p0bFLO3tCcwcq4SUcWlT0f8pYQrwQozj7AEziITRokj5J2NlS440zU88xSIQZFrzvYdgp7gxRRVflflg6x0EXGmiZbOPvVpEzAYC_BXh60sk7njZXfwv96eS7vlv_wLAjjXYq6zkxPvxDeHVZx16c2cXHXc5WYr1iwCvHD/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">7. SIMPLE MINDS </b><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">New Gold Dream: (81-82-83-84) </i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">(1982)</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZ_kfUu6emc6cXGOlU4HT9i4BqrSd7RdbTZ2BIltTkHgE9c9SEP8GuJevod9bv8lPaW_w8XMlu3r8cU08DAE1vHR-qd-BgEO5pbinueaQVspolLIiOFlr23LfkvlYhKjsyDXoWkJCAb0qKNV3wL5jPkQhCgY1mW-nVxdQlrSXmyWrwsjzwkVr1esk2-XV/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZ_kfUu6emc6cXGOlU4HT9i4BqrSd7RdbTZ2BIltTkHgE9c9SEP8GuJevod9bv8lPaW_w8XMlu3r8cU08DAE1vHR-qd-BgEO5pbinueaQVspolLIiOFlr23LfkvlYhKjsyDXoWkJCAb0qKNV3wL5jPkQhCgY1mW-nVxdQlrSXmyWrwsjzwkVr1esk2-XV/w400-h398/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">8. ESKATON </b><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">4 Visions </i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">(1981)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaX-Ec8FNpvaEgJD0yKTnmpb-hlsXJQhhQeR4Pdjr_Ia1ktWvmfQwahilm0YZVuDdWK-HvIxTNneaxuX51zF0pX49850DAj1FbSlAZ3OEyDAggZo4qkhyphenhyphenz7fU0ynjrNEc30Llg7UGYgaNRrvWNmgz7gGYIQwV3J9Yh5JJzuOaonEesqBvyFQUDnZ8Dy2f/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaX-Ec8FNpvaEgJD0yKTnmpb-hlsXJQhhQeR4Pdjr_Ia1ktWvmfQwahilm0YZVuDdWK-HvIxTNneaxuX51zF0pX49850DAj1FbSlAZ3OEyDAggZo4qkhyphenhyphenz7fU0ynjrNEc30Llg7UGYgaNRrvWNmgz7gGYIQwV3J9Yh5JJzuOaonEesqBvyFQUDnZ8Dy2f/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">9. </b><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">RYUICHI SAKAMOTO </b><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Ongaku Zukan (Illustrated Music Encyclopedia) </i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">(1984/6)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4uYi2gAd2yWr22W9MElz3zzD3n3tp9Ly3IrdKsbf_WD8pLp9QUUbAFWtQMNkIuqJk_LeX-BxlTU_leqyW3srz9jgDNoIVLesIJm4r5teeVX-5IZ02FOHv8ScvcPT6S440TapuBI9nrI_USqzRVoUok1kiizDWUruj3X5e_VdIVfOVOjflU4aoeTkwxSs/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4uYi2gAd2yWr22W9MElz3zzD3n3tp9Ly3IrdKsbf_WD8pLp9QUUbAFWtQMNkIuqJk_LeX-BxlTU_leqyW3srz9jgDNoIVLesIJm4r5teeVX-5IZ02FOHv8ScvcPT6S440TapuBI9nrI_USqzRVoUok1kiizDWUruj3X5e_VdIVfOVOjflU4aoeTkwxSs/w400-h398/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">10. DAVID SYLVIAN </b><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Gone to Earth </i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">(1986)</span></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>11. TALKING HEADS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Remain in Light </i>(1980)<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>12. THE MOON AND THE MELODIES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Moon and the Melodies </i>(1986)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>13</b><b>. FLAIRCK </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Gevecht met de Engel </i>(1980)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>14. ANTHONY PHILLIPS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">1984 </i>(1981)<br /><b>15. PAT METHENY & LYLE MAYS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">As Falls Witchita, So Falls Wichita Falls </i>(1981)<br /><b>16. KING CRIMSON </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Discipline </i>(1981)<br /><b>17. KATE BUSH </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Dreaming </i>(1982)<br /><b>18. <span style="background-color: white;">TEARS FOR FEARS </span><i>The Hurting</i></b><span style="background-color: white;"> (1983)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>19. TEARS FOR FEARS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Seeds of Love </i>(1989) </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>20. </b><b>SOLSTICE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Silent Dance </i>(1984)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>21. KATE BUSH </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Sensual World </i>(1989)</div><div><b>22. </b><span style="background-color: white;"><b>MANUEL GÖTTSCHING </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">E2-E4 </i>(1984)</span></div><div><b>23. PAT METHENY GROUP </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">First Circle</i><b> </b>(1984)</div><div><b>24. THE POLICE <i>Ghost in the Machine</i> </b>(1981)</div><div><b>25. PROPAGANDA <i>A Secret Wish</i></b><br /><div><b>26. BRUCE COCKBURN </b><i><b>Stealing Fire</b> </i>(1984)<br /><b>27.. FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Welcome to the Pleasuredome </i>(1984)</div><div><b>28. XTC </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Big Express </i>(1984)</div><span><b>29. ANTHONY PHILLIPS & ENRIQUE BERRO GARCIA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Private Parts & Pieces III: Antiques </i>(1982)</span><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><b>30. STYLE COUNCIL </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Confessions of a Pop Group </i>(1988)</span></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>31. MR. SIRIUS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Barren Dream </i>(1987)</div><div><b>32. </b><span><b>AMENOPHIS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Amenophis </i>(1983)</span></div><div><b>23. BRUCE COCKBURN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Big Circumstance </i>(1988)</div><div><b>34. PETER GABRIEL </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Passion (Original Soundtrack Music from the motion picture The Last Temptation of Christ) </i>(1989)</div><div><div><b>35. XTC </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Mummer </i>(1983)<br /><b>36. HOWARD JONES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Human's Lib </i><b>(</b>1984)<br /><b>37. U2 </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Unforgettable Fire </i>(1984)</div><div><b>38. JANE SIBERRY <i>No Borders Here</i> </b>(1984)</div><div><b>39. LOS JAIVAS</b><i><b> Obras de Violeta Parra</b> </i><span>(1984)</span></div></div></div><div><b>40. SBB <i>Memento Z Banalnym Tryptikiem </i></b>(1980)</div><div><br /></div><br /></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-83093787293093755192023-12-17T08:51:00.000-08:002024-01-27T14:59:40.090-08:00Mystery<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">My Favorite Neo Prog Band</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Québec band Mystery has produced a very consistently high grade of lush NeoProg since their founding in late1980s. Incorporating contributions from a consistently virtuosic number of contributors, including drummers Steve Gagné and, later, Nick D'Virgilio and <span style="background-color: white;">Jean-Sébastien Goyette</span>, vocalists Gary Savoie, Benoît David, and Jean Pageau, bassists Patrick Bourque, Antoine Fafard, and François Fournier, and, of course, founder/leader, mainstay and main composer Michel St-Père on guitars, keyboards, production, and just about everything else, the band has produced years of high quality performances as well as eight high quality studio albums--five of which have come in the last 14 years. Besides the high level of skillsmanship offered by each and every one of its contributors over the years, it's been the sound quality and compositional acumen that have been so impressive. Then there is the factor of Michel St-Père's extraordinary guitar playing: Like legendary guitarists Steve Hackett, Steve Howe, Allan Holdsworth, and Robert Fripp, he is a master of his instrument(s), a man whose solos are always the high point of every song, always the thing that I wait for as I listen to each song, rarely a phenomenon that disappoints. </div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZECjLMSP-7oQHmu3PAf9RlEjWTQ5F5bHq9M0_ZHg0y86N9SA_XJ8yMSkYuN0DVVKMeXdhY39gqwIXJJ_TBFGhpBJmQHac6EH9TybyHTiYWU5cG4xKlEXTWpcrx1L3TK3Q3O8QMflUH3doLmDGSVN-Gta49Ac0tH0mVpzhgDpi5Yqufblv_FjKSd8xCBP/s300/cover_474417942009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZECjLMSP-7oQHmu3PAf9RlEjWTQ5F5bHq9M0_ZHg0y86N9SA_XJ8yMSkYuN0DVVKMeXdhY39gqwIXJJ_TBFGhpBJmQHac6EH9TybyHTiYWU5cG4xKlEXTWpcrx1L3TK3Q3O8QMflUH3doLmDGSVN-Gta49Ac0tH0mVpzhgDpi5Yqufblv_FjKSd8xCBP/s1600/cover_474417942009.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><b>MYSTERY <i>Theatre of the Mind</i> </b>(1996)<br /><br />Despite having formed in 1986, this is the band's first studio release. (I don't know the band's story: why it took ten years to produce their first album; perhaps it's all about record companies, fresh material, and funds--and perhaps the band spent several years performing as a cover band while honing their skills and building up some experience and knowledge as to how to compose and perform their own material.)<div><b><br /></b><div><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Gary Savoie / lead & backing vocals<br />- Michel St-Père / electric, classical, 6- & 12-string acoustic guitars, synthesizers, producer<br />- Michel Painchaud / classical & acoustic guitars<br />- Benoît Dupuis / keyboards<br />- Richard Addison / fretted & fretless basses<br />- Stéphane Perreault / drums & percussion, drum programming, glockenspiel, synthesizers<br />With:<br />- Pierre Léger / string arrangements, flute<br />- Marie Lacasse / violin<br />- Marie-Claude Masse / violin<br />- Ahimsa Gilbert / cello<br />- Patrice Bédard / keyboards<br />- Gilles Peltier / synth Fx<br />- Serge Gangloff / synth Fx<br />- Sylvain Langlois / tenor & soprano saxophones<br />- Patrick Bourque / bass (7)<br />- Josée Larivière / backing vocals</div><div><br />- The Reality:<br />1. "Theatre of the Mind" (6:04) what sounds like pretty standard JOURNEY material with some skillful lead guitar work on display. (8.5/10)</div><div> <br />2. "Lonely Heart" (4:30) the JOURNEY comparisons are even more appropriate for this saccharine classic rock ballad. Gary definitely has a great STEVE PERRY-like voice. (8.4/10)</div><div><br />3. "Peace of Mind" (4:49) acoustic guitar with flute gives this one a DAN FOGELBERG/DAVE MASON feel but as Gary's vocals move along the instrumental support grows in breadth and volume entering into more of the symphonic metal territory being explored by contemporary bands like QUEENSRŸCHE and IRON MAIDEN (though some of the Southern Rock sound from the opening is still being felt throughout the song). (8.666667/10)</div><div><br />- The Dream:<br />4. "Virtual Mentality" (1:18) nice, original intro/overture to this conceptual suite. (4.75/5)</div><div><br />5. "The Inner Journey" (Part I) (3:39) gently picked acoustic guitar with background synth washes and Gary Savoie's STEVE PERRY voice singing plaintively over the top. A nice composition that shows some nice maturity (patience) from the band. (8.75/10)</div><div><br />6. "Black Roses" (8:02) wind and wooden flute open this very cinematic tune. At times giving it an almost "Nights in White Satin" sound and feel. Gary joins in during the second minute and the whole feel changes--even moreso as the rock instruments enter and multiply. An interesting and entertaining song but a little too quirky and disjointed ("scattered"?) for my brain--especially with that wooden flute continuing to run its own race throughout the song, front and center--even garnering primary attention over the rock instruments <i>and</i> vocals! Plus, the lyrics leave a lot to be desired. (12.5/15)</div><div><br />7. "Rythmizomena" (1:51) percussives, tuned and untuned, form the gentle rhythmic foundation to this before electric bass and crazed disembodied spirit voices join in. The syncopated piece that develops feels like a rhythmic exercise (and perhaps should not have been included on the album). (4.2/5)</div><div><br />8. "In My Dreams" (5:08) more acoustic guitar picking with atmospheric synth & organ support for Gary Savoie's STEVE PERRY-like vocal. A nice venture into symphonic/orchestration land--and quite a divergence from NeoProg, prog, and metal music. (8.6666667/10)<br /><br /></div><div>9. "Believe in Your Dreams" (6:41) 80s/90s synth-backed three-chord hard rock. Nice but definitely sounds dated. More JOURNEY, TRIUMPH, or WHITESNAKE-like fare with some nice lead guitar and lead synth on display. (8.75/10)<br /><br /></div><div>10. "The Inner Journey (Part II)" (4:34) cinematic synth washes open this. Gary eventually joins in, singing a plaintive first verse before a bridge of reed instruments preps us for the second. Heavy rock instrumentation joins in during the second verse as both Gary and the full band's music takes on a Richard Addison's fretless bass play on this song is quite remarkable--a real highlight. (8.75/10)<br /><br />Total Time 46:36<div><br /></div><div>A bit too much of experimentalism here--as if this is a band that is still struggling to discover its own identity. </div><div><br /></div><div>87.30 on the Fishscales = B-/four stars; a nice addition of JOURNEY-like music that a lot of prog lover's will no doubt find attractive. </div><div><br /><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjmeBbaS0wVEhPrvVloLbkmofNL24_GRKOZdmBLSu9AH72eatyHK7yx19p1NJmb494leheaFRSHp_8VPXJjrX_Zvww6NAV5lDjn0-sE124ocwaPrulv0vI56CB3RPsTLDTqXagi_ySWrfJkvDKM7htpOyAsQahHuKBoG2dZHe5qmfCCdh5z3fP3c0VRj9/s1000/cover_3144161732017_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjmeBbaS0wVEhPrvVloLbkmofNL24_GRKOZdmBLSu9AH72eatyHK7yx19p1NJmb494leheaFRSHp_8VPXJjrX_Zvww6NAV5lDjn0-sE124ocwaPrulv0vI56CB3RPsTLDTqXagi_ySWrfJkvDKM7htpOyAsQahHuKBoG2dZHe5qmfCCdh5z3fP3c0VRj9/s320/cover_3144161732017_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><b>MYSTERY </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Destiny? </i>(1998)<br /><br />Founded in 1986, the band had only released one studio album previous to this one. Obviously the band was still trying to solidify its identity much less a vision for itself.<div><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Gary Savoie / lead & backing vocals<br />- Michel St-Père / electric, classical, 6- & 12-string acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, producer<br />- Patrick Bourque / fretted & fretless basses<br />- Steve Gagné / drums<br />With:<br />- Olivier Demers / violin<br />- Serge Gangloff / special Fx<br />- Dré / "strange personalities"<br />- Anne Gangloff / French narration<br />- Diane Hébert / backing vocals (5)<div><br /></div><div>1. "Legend" (2:42) affected schlock. (4/5)</div><div><br />2. "Destiny?" (4:56) nice music to support Gary Savoie's Robert Plant/Steve Perry-like vocal styling. I really like the clarity given to all of the guitar parts: the soundscape is not nearly as lush and pervasive as the band's future sound becomes. Quite an excellent song! (9.5/10)</div><div><br />3. "Slave to Liberty" (5:35) more excellent guitar-based sonic landscape--almost like peak WHITESNAKE ("Is This Love?"). Great vocals over really nice song construction. Really portentous of some of the great songwriting/production of the future. (9.125/10)</div><div><br />4. "Before the Dawn" (6:29) Gary Savoie masterfully sings to help firm the establishment of the band's tradition of great ballad deliverers. Solid. (8.75/10)</div><div><br />5. "Queen of Vajra Space" (9:20) pure RUSH/JOURNEY imitation. Nice guitar performances but otherwise too imitative. (17/20)</div><div><br />6. "The Mourning Man" (4:47) starts delicately but then bursts out as a kind of Caribbean-infused heavy metal hair band song. Some very impressive guitar playing from Michel St-Père. (8.666667/10)</div><div><br />7. "Submerged" (7:53) a very solid and fresh 1980s metal-influenced song with great performances from all. (13.25/15)</div><div><br />8. "Shadow of the Lake" (14:55) another song that sounds very much like future Mystery: expressing a musical form and vision that is what becomes their own. Great composition with perfect performances and production--the attention to nuances is really wonderful. And Gary Savoie's vocal performance is perfectly matched to the music, never over the top or below grade. The middle section drags on a bit (could have been shorter) but the buildup, peak, and dénouement are top notch. I love that final section--and especially Gary Savoie's performance and Michel's long, protracted guitar outro. So emotional! One of the great prog epics of the 1990s! (28.75/30)<br /><br />Total Time 56:37<br /><br /></div><div>90.04 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of classic rock-influenced heavy NeoProg.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl7EPusEN5jJw9kqbwCawpHmLGVq_LYY4BHz4JQ3SfCI-siaiJ-GKeeiiyVITgf-33xuOtFRki-vP-KqmZL5gv4SK89NfK1fj8HBll19Sg4ig-MEJ4ZxRqa4QbfC1GYkKirgvbtAJUqYAQkMQEDEqY0vq96x8VSqB7stk8DBa8lxqTaajWlDat_qkC4no/s1000/cover_210171732017_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1000" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl7EPusEN5jJw9kqbwCawpHmLGVq_LYY4BHz4JQ3SfCI-siaiJ-GKeeiiyVITgf-33xuOtFRki-vP-KqmZL5gv4SK89NfK1fj8HBll19Sg4ig-MEJ4ZxRqa4QbfC1GYkKirgvbtAJUqYAQkMQEDEqY0vq96x8VSqB7stk8DBa8lxqTaajWlDat_qkC4no/s320/cover_210171732017_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>MYSTERY </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Beneath the Veil of Winter's Face </i>(2007)</div><div><br /></div>Only the band's third studio album since their founding in 1986, we find the band's heavier NeoProg sound being firmly committed to. This is also the album that announces the arrival of extraordinary bass player Antoine Fafard.<div> <br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Benoît David / vocals<br />- Michel St-Père / electric & acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, producer<br />- Patrick Bourque / bass (5,8)<br />- Steve Gagné / drums<br />With:<br />- Antoine Fafard / bass (3,4,9)<br />- Benoît Pépin / bass (1,6,10)<br />- Serge Gangloff / Fx<div><br />1. "As I Am" (5:41) nice music that chugs along while Benoît David's voice is mixed a little further back than will become the band's norm. Flashy electric guitar leads flourishing in and around the music throughout the second half. (8.75/10)</div><div><br />2. "Beneath the Veil of Winter's Face" (5:58) cool opening with some chant vocals and changing spacious motifs that grow progressively more dense as the song develops. (8.875/10)<br /><br /></div><div>3. "Snowhite" (4:07) Antoine Fafard's debut song with the band--and he is immediately impressive. The heavy, ominous opening motif turns off at the end of the first minute as the band chooses a lighter, more keyboard-based palette to support Benoît's opening vocals. A nice return to the guitar-led heavy stuff for the bridge between verses. Man! Antoine is a bassist of a different ilk: his melodic playing is powerful enough to almost garner lead billing. Without a chorus (worded) the songs feels a bit incomplete, otherwise it's powerful. (8.75/10)<br /><br /></div><div>4. "Travel to the Night" (8:38) keys and guitars open this with a quickly-paced upper register weave before organ and bass take the song into almost RUSH territory--which is especially confirmed by Benoît's Geddy Lee-like vocal performance. Antoine Fafard is definitely making an impact on this band's sound! Weak BÖC-like chorus leads into an almost jazzy instrumental passage with the full band performing some intricately arranged weaves. At the midway point Michel St-Père's flute-like lead guitar shows up impressively. Then we move into a GENESIS-like passage within which guitars and keys really show off while the rhythm section (and especially Antoine) stabilize the low end with some truly motivating lines. Wow! Listen to that bass! It's a bit of a let down when the music returns to the vocal sections. (17.75/20)<br /><br /></div><div>5. "The Scarlet Eye" (5:35) a little tame and by-the-numbers after the previous two songs. Nice bass play from Patrick Bourque--and nice vocal arrangements. Michel's bluesy guitar licks start to pepper the vocal sections in the third minute yet Benoît's vocals have yet to be infused by any passion or emotion. Nice second part to the instrumental passage with bass, drums, guitars, and especially keyboards really clicking. The final vocal passage finds Benoît giving a little more effort but a little too little a little too late. (8.75/10)<br /><br /></div><div>6. "The Third Dream" (6:11) more fairly standard classic-rock infused fare. The song never really develops or reaches any exciting heights. (8.666667/10)<br /><br /></div><div>7. "Voyage to the Other Side" (6:24) I love the "distant storm" intro--even with Benoît's "distant" vocals. Cool stuff from Michel's guitar + fx. Shifts into gear in the second minute with some cool tom-tom work and even more pronounced guitar manipulations. Then Michel starts to wail almost unaccompanied before Benoît sings the next verse. Full band finally kicks in in the fourth minute with power chords and great lush melodic walls of sound--over which Michel really sizzles. There are so many fascinating threads within this song's weave! Definitely a top three song. Michel's first breakthrough song of this album. Bravo! (9/10)<br /><br /></div><div>8. "The Sailor and the Mermaid" (5:23) a beautiful little ballad both from the musical/melody perspective as well as from the vocal/lyrics/storytelling perspective. (Nice work Benoît!) A glimpse of another of the band's perpetual strengths. Another top three song. It's just so pretty! (8.875/10)<br /><br /></div><div>9. "The Awakening" (11:12) opens with gently picked/strummed solo electric guitar (seeming to continue the mood and key of the previous song). Benoît enters to sing a plaintive vocal with no little emotional investment. Tender lead guitar in the space between vocal verses, then the band kicks into full spectrum with a slow, heavy bluesy pace for a minute or so before then turning down a side road to seemingly chase a rabbit. But then just as quickly and suddenly they turn back to the previous plodding motif for Benoît to raise his game (and voice) with an intense commitment to an impassioned delivery. The music, unfortunately, rather drags--is bolstered by Benoît's wonderful performance--even when the instrumental solos begin to show up in the seventh and eighth minutes, there's just something in the plodding heaviness of the main flow beneath that seems to drag the instrumentalist's performances down (despite some great play by Michel). And I never get to hear Antoine flourish as he's always holding down the insidiously slow bottom end with his power chords. (17.375/20)<br /><br /></div><div>10. "The Preacher's Fall" (3:30) bursts into gear with the insistence of a Thin Lizzy song. Guitars and keys announce a melody before stepping back to make space for Benoît to belt it out over the chugging Lizzy motif. This is so much more like the old classic rock hair bands than Prog or NeoProg. (8.66667/10)<br /><br />Total Time 62:39<div><br /></div></div><div>88.72 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you're into the heavier side of the NeoProg scene.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wlvkYWP21gx4zg3cVZannFhLCr9muVUuNZ-EyvE6kQTWuI07tq4mZqcD0ACOxUSX50kpeN6Xl05xdnxMJxsL71VDbPhr8ImQP6fn4wlHm7nHzyq3XQmz0FAyIBSCr6aPr7fBNic-_qLX6hsyNbmuuENRRNC6Ohi4hFSf_PAXygGCpHwtaFuXsnWh118O/s1000/cover_3145171732017_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wlvkYWP21gx4zg3cVZannFhLCr9muVUuNZ-EyvE6kQTWuI07tq4mZqcD0ACOxUSX50kpeN6Xl05xdnxMJxsL71VDbPhr8ImQP6fn4wlHm7nHzyq3XQmz0FAyIBSCr6aPr7fBNic-_qLX6hsyNbmuuENRRNC6Ohi4hFSf_PAXygGCpHwtaFuXsnWh118O/s320/cover_3145171732017_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><b>MYSTERY </b><i><b>One Among the Living</b> </i>(2010)<br /><br />This is the album with which I first became aware of the Mystery sound--the rich, polished, emotional sound that, to these ears, epitomize all that is right with the Neo Prog movement. Replete with more-modern sounds that were pioneered by the <i>Trick of the Tail </i>and, especially, <i>Wind and Wuthering</i> albums and from which the Neo Prog movement was born, what makes Mystery such a delight to listen to is not just the wonderful standards set by their vocalists--here Benoît David--or the interesting and complex compositions of Michel St-Pére or even the great evenly-distributed performances by the instrumentalists or even the oft-soul-melting melodies, but, for me, the anticipation of waiting for each electric guitar solo offered by Michel. His guitar play is so amazing, so melodic though technically proficient, that I find myself perking up every time I see him guesting on other people's albums.<div><br /></div><div><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Benoît David / vocals<br />- Michel St-Père / electric & acoustic guitars, keyboards, producer<br />- Steve Gagné / drums<br />With:<br />- Dean Baldwin / guitar (13)<br />- Daryl Stuermer / guitar solo (14)<br />- Benoît Dupuis / keyboards (1,2,11,12,14)<br />- Oliver Wakeman / Moog solo (5)<br />- François Fournier / bass (12), Taurus pedals<br />- John Jowitt / bass (5)<br />- Antoine Fafard / bass (2-4,6-11,14)<br />- Richard Lanthier / bass (13)<br />- Claire Vezina / backing vocals (14)<br />- Dahlie-Yann St-Père / children laughter<br />- Damellia St-Père / children laughter</div><div><br />1. "Among the Living" (1:13)<br /><br />2. "Wolf" (5:53) a solid, varied rocker with great vocal and great instrumental contributions spread among all contributors. Benoît David has such a gorgeous voice--in the league with the Journey and the greats of the 80s hair bands. (9/10)<br /><br />3. "Between Love And Hate" (5:53) a pretty straightforward heavy rocker, power chords and all, highlighted by a powerful guitar solo in the fourth minute. (8.25/10)<br /><br />4. "Till The Truth Comes Out" (9:25) a gentle, emotional Neo Prog song, complete with syrupy layers of imitation strings to build into the full band breakout in the third minute. Interesting time shift at 3:45 into a more dynamic, multi-instrumental instrumental section. Awesome! Wonderful performances by all. (17.75/20)<br /><br />5. "Kameleon Man" (5:01) another heavy rocker, more in the vein of 1980s hair bands, spiced up a little by some awesome precision lead guitar work and Oliver Wakeman's CAMEL-esque Moog solo in the middle. (8.25/10)<br /><br />- "Through Different Eyes" (suite) (22:34) (41.5/45): 6. "I. When Sorrow Turns To Pain" (3:56) standard fare, not Benoît's best vocal melody. (8.25/10) 7. "II. Apocalyptic Visions Of Paradise" (1:48) Hackett/Genesis-like instrumental interlude. (5/5) 8. "III. So Far Away" (5:51) tender, 12-string arpeggi-based. Pretty, nice vocal melodies. Builds to an awesome bass pedal crescendo. (8.75/10) 9. "IV. The Point Of No Return" (2:21) a spacey-industrial expression of war-like conflict. (4.5/5) 10. "V. The Silent Scream" (5:57) back to sensitive acoustic guitar-based, Benoît's vocal here is similar to modern RPI singers like Alessio Calandario--more straight-foward and raw, powerful yet vulnerable, emotional. Michel picks up the vocal melody with his electric guitar and does what we've really been waiting for: he soars. When Benoît returns, it is in a higher octave--soaring in a way to match Michel's guitar while those deep bass and bass pedal lows keep killing us. Michel really lights it up in the second half. Wow! Amazing! (10/10) 11. "VI. Dancing With Butterflies" (2:42) returning to the opening lyrics and themes, vocals expressing through multiple tracks, keys and guitars flying steady and free beneath, the song wends its way to a long, gorgeous dénouement and fade with seagull noises and children's laughter. (5/5)<br /><br />12. "One Among The Living" (6:27) great sound from the start, very GENESIS-like, with Banksian keys and Hackett-esque guitar and Collins-like drum patterning. Even when it goes heavy at 2:30, the ensuing section is awesome and still very much in the Genesis-vein. Not my favorite vocal or lyric, definitely an amazing composition and sound. Best song on the album. (9.5/10)<br /><br />13. "The Falling Man" (7:39) based on an ominous repeating 10-chord sequence of chunky bass and guitar power chords, Benoît sings in his best DEF LEPPARD voice while all instrumentalists do their best to promote and maintain that heavy substrate. A couple surprise twists are short-lived and only temporary tangents, the music always returning to that 10-chord base. Well done, great whole-band discipline. (13/15)<br /><br />14. "Sailing On A Wing" (4:55) classic Neo Prog song, great vocal melody hook and awesome lead guitar work. (9/10)</div><div><br /></div><div>Total Time 69:01<br /><br />89.42 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and the album that skyrockets Mystery into the top echelon of Neo Prog.<div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: "open sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 5px;"><div><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZd3Lbz3dY7TZSEaVYhZTJvnrFj9gdGRCalyPk9cAsyCp5wD9D15Vb7oHTho3xN_Ca3zdsDV2yjcy44r4i73mbq2lJEEF1oGTYMrKiz1UA0lauLoN6c1_QZwUZiyp9wNA7zNM80tsMPlWgdoAHjqUX-v88M4pRSoXsHoThJbT8-oLaVHjcl7GW-vOP_uev/s1000/cover_323171732017_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZd3Lbz3dY7TZSEaVYhZTJvnrFj9gdGRCalyPk9cAsyCp5wD9D15Vb7oHTho3xN_Ca3zdsDV2yjcy44r4i73mbq2lJEEF1oGTYMrKiz1UA0lauLoN6c1_QZwUZiyp9wNA7zNM80tsMPlWgdoAHjqUX-v88M4pRSoXsHoThJbT8-oLaVHjcl7GW-vOP_uev/s320/cover_323171732017_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>MYSTERY <i>The World Is a Game</i></b> (2012)</div><div><br /></div><div><div>This is a pleasant surprise--and my favorite Mystery album to this point. The musicians are all clicking on the same wavelengths, the songs are sufficiently constructed to raise this band from what I call "second tier" prog into the halls of the real thing. (Obviously, M. David has learned a lot from his experiences with other bands--most notably, YES. And Nick D'Virgilio continues to only get better with the years--his intuitive skill at meshing his drumming with the musicians and ideas with which he works is IMHO unsurpassed in present-day prog. Just look at what he did for BIG BIG TRAIN!) Aside from the two intro/interlude songs ("A Morning Rise" and "The Unwinding of Time"), we have here six meaty songs with mature compositional value and great sound production. This latter aspect is one reason I give this album the bump up to the five star level. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Benoît David / lead vocals<br />- Michel St-Père / electric & acoustic guitars, keyboards, mixing & producing<br />- Antoine Fafard / fretted & fretless bass, acoustic guitars<br />- Nick D'Virgilio / drums<br />With:<br />- Marilène Provencher-Leduc / flute<br />- Damellia & Dahlie-Yann St-Père / children sounds</div><div><br /></div><div>The second song, "Pride" (11:28) has a fairly simple construct and nothing terribly surprising--feeling like a cross between RUSH Signals-era and GENESIS And Then There Were Three: lots of catchy melodic hooks and some awesome drumming--though the soft section at the eight minute mark (beginning with the acoustic guitar arpeggio riff from "Midnight Cowboy theme) owes everything to maestro, JON ANDERSON (and a little of LOVERBOY). The individual performances are perfection and are especially noteworthy for the coheseive "team" feeling to it all. (19/20) </div><div><br /></div><div>The album's jewel, however, IMO, is the third song, "Superstar" (6:59) A laid back tune with heart-breaking melodies much in the same vein as MOTH VELLUM. The vocals, guitar soli, drumming, bass and keyboard work are all absolutely perfect! One of my Top 10 songs for Y2K12. (15/15)</div><div><br /></div><div>The title song, (7:57) has its gorgeous parts--including the guitars and piano--but the vocal and melody lines feel a bit too syrupy---like the group AIR SUPPLY from the 70s and 80s. Even when it hits third gear at the four minute mark it feels too much like 707, STYX or JOURNEY (three of my "second tier" "prog-wannabees"). (12/75/15)</div><div><br /></div><div>6. "Dear Someone" (6:21) has quite an awesome beginning (even if it reminds me of one of my favorite JOHN DENVER songs--or CHRISTOPHER CROSS' "Sailing"), which evolves into an equally gorgeous DEF LEPPARD-like section, thanks to an awesome electric guitar sound. Great melodies throughout this one--and some really hopeful, heart-warming lyrics. (I hear you, Benoit: I have children!) Incredible work sur le batterie, Sir Nick, from the fourth minute on! Love the electric guitar, flute, and drum interplay at the very end. (8.7/10) </div><div><br /></div><div>7. "Time Goes By" (6:04) has a bit more use of odd, thoughtful, melody lines woven together in an interesting and, I would guess, (for this band) risky way. The chorus melody reminds me tremendously of THE BUGGLES' "Rainbow Warrior". This one never really grabs me until the last minute in a half when the drums, bass, and guitar start playing off each other in an awesome display of instrumental "inter-PLAY." I appreciate this song's 'adventurousness'. (8.75/10) </div><div><br /></div><div>8. "Another Day" (19:02) is one of my favorite epics of the year--mostly because I feel so strongly as if I am back listening to the best stuff from COLLAGE's Moonshine or SATELLITE's A Street Between Sunrise and Sunset. I love the harpsichord feeling of the piano-12-string guitar pairing during the opening motif. The motif built in the sixth minute around the "Stranglehold" riffs borrowed from Ted Nugent are worthy of a few demerits, however. The seventh and eighth minutes are bridged by yet another borrowed classic rock riff but then devolve into a lovely dream-sequence before re-amping back up into that motif. Odd pairing of revolving motifs. The song's second half, however, is nearly flawless--with some excellent chords, bass playing, singing, and awesome work from Nick D'Virgilio! (35/40)</div><br />Total Time 59:58</div><div><div><br /></div><div>The World Is a Game is not a masterpiece that propels the evolution of progressive rock forward, but it is a very solid, excellent sounding piece of prog ear candy--with some excellent group and individual performances. Definitely recommended for 'classic rock' and prog lovers.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>90.1818 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; a minor masterpiece of NeoProg.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9210KblMfrbbTFwGASh6nzANU58brWrpf_dB1OxYfEIzQKKDoSZQ98nbmpMV6b6N15XJKlOYLzM68_6yLycFzlJpoV5PAcLCQSlJLRg1t7DjRbUiaGeqNGhni9pxP53zU7TW0hWsze7tH3aKHCMcZ74ah04_ZFQinNja3WE7xHsMORKTpAwW3wfWoZUU/s1000/cover_2742171732017_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9210KblMfrbbTFwGASh6nzANU58brWrpf_dB1OxYfEIzQKKDoSZQ98nbmpMV6b6N15XJKlOYLzM68_6yLycFzlJpoV5PAcLCQSlJLRg1t7DjRbUiaGeqNGhni9pxP53zU7TW0hWsze7tH3aKHCMcZ74ah04_ZFQinNja3WE7xHsMORKTpAwW3wfWoZUU/s320/cover_2742171732017_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>MYSTERY </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Delusion Rain</i> (2015)</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="review-text-zone" style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 80px; text-align: left;">If Neo Prog has to be over-the-top bombastic, let it be like this band, Mystery, and this album, <i>Delusion Rain,</i> their best to date. Simply the best sound, best song construction, best lead vocalist, best tempos and best lyrical topics I can think of in the Neo Prog realm. So what if they sound like 80s hair bands WHITESNAKE, SKID ROW, QUEENSRYCHE, GREAT WHITE, DEF LEPPARD or BON JOVI. They have a clarity and consistency, a masterful command of melody and chord progressions and a solid confidence that puts them in your face but in an emotional, sympathetic way.<br /><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Jean Pageau / lead vocals, keyboards, flute<br />- Michel St-Père / electric & acoustic guitars, keyboards, producer<br />- Sylvain Moineau / electric guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar<br />- Benoît Dupuis / keyboards<br />- François Fournier / bass, Taurus pedals, keyboards<br />- Jean-Sébastien Goyette / drums<br />With:<br />- Antoine Michaud / guitars<br />- Sylvain Descôteaux / piano<br /><br />1. "Delusion Rain" (10:04) A solid song that just never elevates itself into heavenly standards of memorability. (17.5/20)<br /><br />2. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdhVg0JAQ20">If You See He</a>r" (6:11) A prog ballad by-the-numbers but done to perfection. The keyboard embellishments and restrained guitar soli (especially in the fifth minute) are wonderful. (9/10)<br /><br />3. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLxVDJn1ixY">The Last Glass of Wine</a>" (6:47) Great pacing, great singing and lyrics, incredibly engaging chord progressions and melodic hooks, amazing sound and instrumental clarity, and hugely chunky bass, and yet nothing over-the-top or overdone. This is about as good as Neo Prog can get. (15/15)<br /><br />4. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4jzMc5YNHM">The Willow Tree</a>" (19:30) A few choices misfire and a few opportunities were missed--and it may drag on a bit longer than it needs to, but, still, overall, another beautiful and wonderfully restrained presentation. "Have you seen your eyes" is definitely a brainworm. (37.5/40)<br /><br />5. "Wall Street King" (6:39) Despite the cogent topic, pleasant opening and great fifth minute, this is one of the weaker songs on this otherwise stunning album. (8.75/10)<br /><br />6. "A Song for You" (12:35) is a little on the cliché bombastic side, but I cannot argue with the gorgeous melodies, heart-wrenching chord progressions, tasteful guitar soli and amazing synth soli. Change the first 6:15 a bit and you have an outright masterpiece. (22/25)<br /><br />Total Time 61:46<br /><br />91.46 on the Fish scales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece and another wonderful contribution to the world of progressive rock music from these masters of Neo Prog.<br /><br />Sorry, Thomas, but this,<i> <span>Delusion Rain</span></i>, is the greatest Neo Prog album ever made. (Just kidding. That honor would have to go to either <span><i>Moonshine</i></span> or <span><i>Seven</i></span>.) If all Neo Prog were like this, I might like more of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYOjuUoqFm26gzPhMQLulzp0qwkHURZGco5HgQoEIm4CRycIq1rcytx7LGr0U-JzWBeB9VSkrssQKkqugOCj04DcBvBmh3DUjKzcj2l3F1zZX8lB-PvBml-2U2LxYnlk-V9lFDW9naU9QNW4N0fJvVsCag_nOO7iLcw8-XLdTtmjknTXlinLXWLaKj9rm/s1000/cover_16731372018_r.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYOjuUoqFm26gzPhMQLulzp0qwkHURZGco5HgQoEIm4CRycIq1rcytx7LGr0U-JzWBeB9VSkrssQKkqugOCj04DcBvBmh3DUjKzcj2l3F1zZX8lB-PvBml-2U2LxYnlk-V9lFDW9naU9QNW4N0fJvVsCag_nOO7iLcw8-XLdTtmjknTXlinLXWLaKj9rm/s320/cover_16731372018_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>MYSTERY <i>Lies and Butterflies</i> </b>(2018)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">I enter the first listen of any new MYSTERY album with no expectations. I am always surprised by the rich and consistent sound the band has used over the course of its career. This is the first time that that sound may be feeling a little old, a little tapped out.</span><br /><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b><b style="background-color: white;">Musicians / Line-up</b><span style="background-color: white;">: </span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Jean Pageau - lead vocals, flute, keyboards</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Francois Fournier - bass, keyboards</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Jean- Sebastien Goyette - drums</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sylvain Moineau - guitars, keyboards</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Antoine Michaud - keyboards</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Michel St-Pere - guitars, keyboards</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. "Looking For Something Else" (16:54) opens with crowd cheering and clapping before a "door-shutting" noise and acoustic guitar harmonics section and acoustic piano section ensue. It sounds like diddling around on stage while the concert fans empty from the stadium. After about 90 seconds the little impromptu rift is taken over by the full electronic band. Impressive cohesion, however, after another two minutes of this single arpeggio riff being repeated and bashed about, I find myself looking (hoping) for something new, a shift or variation. The music does empty down but flute and piano and acoustic guitar perpetuate the riff while Jean Pageau enters to sing. Piano and acoustic guitar continue to carry "the riff" while the instrumental lineup and dynamics go through some shifts. Chorus. Electric guitar solo. Return to full band and vocal push of "the riff." In the seventh minute things lay back again, though the bass remains thick and there is still an occasional power chord, so that Michel can really sink his teeth into a long guitar solo. It's okay; nothing very new or super-exciting. And yet it continues. For four minutes. Synths take a laid back turn in the lead. When things finally settle down in the eleventh minute, church organ leads us in, but then piano and acoustic guitars take back the lead in a soft, delicate "Confusion Will Be My Epitaph" section over which Jean sings. The King Crimson inspiration continues with flute and Mellotron (making it even more blatant) until things explode into full "orchestral" mode at 13:25. Nice vocal, nice lead guitar solo follow (still following the "Epitaph" melody lines). It's different enough that I can let go of the blatant "lift" of the music. Plus, the players feel so emotionally connected to this section. It's pretty damned good even if it is borrowed. Great drum an</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">d bass play throughout. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">(31.5/35)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">2. "Come To Me" (5:17) sounds too much like a WHITESNAKE song. Too filled with sonic and structural clichés; one or two catchy riffs or chord progressions do not make for a great song. (7/10)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. "How Do You Feel?" (4:53) pretty chords gently played by multiple guitars and keys set up Jean Pageau for an emotional vocal--which he delivers in spades. Perfect power, perfect melodies, perfect lyrics. Great guitar work in the rhythm and solo departments throughout. A MYSTERY masterpiece. (9.5/10)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">4. "Something To Believe In" (7:34) Oh, oh! A Colin Tench song! At least, that's what the opening suggested. The stripped down, country-rock verses bely something a little different but not far off my original impression. Man! Michel St-Pere can play guitar! Maybe even better than Colin could! Drums are a little too busy for my tastes, don't really work in this mix. Electric piano arpeggi segue into a new section with a bit of a classical feel--even guitars and flute maintain that feel. But then a power chord from the electric guitar serves notice of a return to rock 'n' roll. Joe Walsh-era EAGLES come to mind here. (11.25/15)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">5. "Dare To Dream" (6:54) Synth-strings note and dated electric piano chords open this slow song before cymbol play and guitars join in to support the vocal. Again, the song stays in such conservative, formulaic territory that I find myself disappointed, even turned off. Great little guitar solo at the very end of the second minute. Both the verses and choruses are failing to bring me in. I'm so sad! Nice instrumental section in the fourth minute and usual great lead guitar solo in the fifth. Sensitive scaled back section in the sixth minute over which haunting synth solos. Vocals return in harmonized multiplicity but they aren't grabbing me! Such ambivalencies! (12.75/15)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">6. "Where Dreams Come Alive" (7:26) electric guitar and electric piano arpeggi provide an opening background over which Michel's lead soars for a few seconds before we switch into second gear with chunky plucked bass line and syncopated drumming. The vocals enter over this. It's not working. Guitars and keys join in and still it's not quite clicking on all cylinders. Michel's occasional flourishes on lead guitar are magical but once again they cannot float or fly a poorly constructed ship. I would like to see more future compositions using more of Jean Pageau's flute. (12.75/15)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">7. "Chrysalis" (15:08) opens softly before bursting into a long introduction of a theme that feels familiar from one of the previous songs. Things then quiet down in the second minute for some nice acoustic guitar work. A minute of this with support of synth washes and we're finally introduced to the vocal. There's a BLUE ÖYSTER CULT </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Spectres</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> feel to this one (more specifically, "I Love the Night"). Song builds in the fifth minute and then breaks down for the delicate, heart-felt "Butterfly, spread your wings and fly" section. Then a sudden shift takes us into a heavier, metallic section of power chords, searing guitar, and almost growling vocal narration before Jean's more-projected vocal soars in the foreground. At 8:35 the dominant riff shifts to bridge us to another delicate, dreamy section (though a chunky bass continues at the bottom--as if to remind us that this is a scary story) with nice melodies from guitar and vocal. This is intermixed with alternating returns to the "Godzilla"-like guitar power chords. Even Michel's guitar solo over this heaviness has a Buck Dharma sound and feel to it! The twelfth and thirteen minutes maintain a nice albeit still heavy chord progression beneath which the drummer has some show-off time. Then we shift into a heavy yet full-orchestra feeling final section over which powerful Jean's vocal carries us to the delicate end. (25.5/30)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Total Time 64:06</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">84.81 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's collection (though not as good as some of Mystery's previous releases).</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsJ7-4tLinigEcTXNKJT8vKUs1Z64uMbGdEhVOe86vp3eL9M8UEzX_oytIyyWnQY5N3loC9JIHKC_LtoFPMpAgCK1RD8zf1DwCayqpuX65z1TBMOa_ryknwJh0hF05Cdt8NXYzSvOzRmt1y0SUtszwwxKORNA1jALEv90eW52eC9pBpakm8kCYPlveA/s1000/cover_2132111032023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1000" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsJ7-4tLinigEcTXNKJT8vKUs1Z64uMbGdEhVOe86vp3eL9M8UEzX_oytIyyWnQY5N3loC9JIHKC_LtoFPMpAgCK1RD8zf1DwCayqpuX65z1TBMOa_ryknwJh0hF05Cdt8NXYzSvOzRmt1y0SUtszwwxKORNA1jALEv90eW52eC9pBpakm8kCYPlveA/s320/cover_2132111032023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><div><b>MYSTERY </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Redemption </i>(2023)</div></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>Québec's NeoProg masters are back with their thirteenth album since 1992 and fourth studio album with the same lineup.</div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Jean Pageau / vocals<br />- Antoine Michaud / keyboards<br />- François Fournier / bass, keyboards<br />- Jean-Sébastien Goyette / drums<br />- Sylvain Moineau / guitars<br />- Michel St-Pere / guitars, keyboards<br /><br />1. "Behind the Mirror" (6:46) it's been a while since I've heard Mystery's sound this thick, this heavy. It feels good. Solid. But not enough flash and dynamic change (except for from the drummer and bass player). Quite a solid song--one that reminds me of all that I love about NeoProg and Mystery in particular--but one that also reminds me of just how difficult it is to deliver perfect heart-melting melodies and/or chord progressions. (13.25/15)</div><div><br />2. "Redemption" (6:36) the incredibly full and deep bass is the key to the "new" sound. (8.875/10)</div><div><br />3. "The Beauty and the Least" (9:15) from the opening notes and chords one can sense that we're in for some of Mystery's very best song-crafting. The bass is, again, very full and heavy beneath Jean's melodies and the rest of the band's great chord progressions. The guitar solo at the end of the third minute, though brief, is among Michel St-Pere's best--and he is <i>definitely </i>one of the best--but this is quickly moved away from into a more pastoral weave of multiple guitar and keyboard arpeggi. Michel starts to wind up again within and over this two-chord passage, striking some truly epic bursts and moments. In the second half of the sixth minute, the band switches chord motifs--goes for a heavier sound--as drummer Jean-Sébastien Goyette gets to really shine within the walls of glorious sound. The eighth minute reveals a more 'tron-dominated Genesis-scape before emerging into what feels a classic Mystery "reveal" with Michel and Jean rising above the dense and beautiful heavy prog soundscape. Mystery doing what Mystery does best. (18.75/20)</div><div><br />4. "Every Note" (6:01) two chorus-treated electrified 12-string guitars provide the background support for Jean to sing a heart-wrenching vocal--whichis understqandable considering the wording of this powerful love song. But, despite continued amazing musical background throughout, I feel that Jean's investment in his message loses some of its depth and/or sincerity in the middle (but, thankfully, he regains a bit of it in the final climactic 75 seconds). Great music--especially the guitars--but the drumming feels a little over the top. (9/10)</div><div><br />5. "Pearls and Fire" (12:43) a "coming of age" story about a boy that is counseled by his parents to hold back his tears in order to "be a man" who then ends up joining the military to continue to prove his manhood. The ensuing description of Leo's war experience gets quite graphic as he is "caught in the crossfire" during a particular battle. The instrumental passage that follows this revelation is the best on the album so far. Prog at its best. In the sixth minute we come out of the mayhem of battle into a space of silence--used to sing about Leo's death. These are the kinds of passages in which both Jean Pageau and Mystery excel: encasing scenes of emotional weight in stunningly gorgeous music. The eighth minute, then, shows the band exploring some electronically-framed spurts of heaviness, coming out with a passage of keyboard-soloing over prime NeoProg. At the nine-minute mark we switch to a heavier version of a previous motif for some electric guitar soloing weaving in and around Jean's singing. (Man this guy can sing!) The sudden switch at 10:35 to a more 1980s sound palette and motif is short-lived, a bridge to another round of the current heavy motif, but it returns each time Jean takes a break from singing. The lesson of "Pearls and Fire" is that no one can really control the outcomes/consequences of a young man's dreams. A very good though not really ground-breaking or earth-shattering epic of highly professional, proficient, masterful heavy NeoProg. (22.5/25)</div><div><br />6. "My Inspiration" (8:24) opens with arpeggio-picked multiple guitars like a setup for a heavy ballad. Jean joins in over the guitars and keyboard synth washes and tuned percussives while drums and bass hold back until the chorus. The drums and (awesome) bass remain for the rest of the song as Jean sings with no little emotion about his "inspiration." Several of the brief instrumental bridges in the mid-section feel quite <i>Wind and Wuthering</i>-era GENESIS-like (which is exactly one of the foundational definitions of NeoProg, isn't it?) Beautiful, dreamy, magnificent, pompous and bombastic. (18/20)</div><div><br />7. "Homecoming" (5:10) cool change-up with a multi-voice choral approach to the vocal deliveries over the opening 90 seconds. A long and heavy instrumental passage follows. The vocals rejoin (some solo Jena, some choral-crafted) with some excellent RICHARD WRIGHT-like keyboard work before Michel's guitar takes over. Very nicely (and differently) crafted song. (9.25/10)</div><div><br />8. "Is This How the Story Ends?" (19:11) opens with a couple of minutes of excellent msuic with the rhythm section feeling so tight, so polished, that I'm reminded of Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford at the absolute peak of their skills/powers. The instrumental passage beneath the dramatic narration in the eighth minute is among those sublime high points of Mystery's career. The final three minutes are about as classic 1976 GENESIS as one can get--so heavily dripping in Mellotron and bombast. (35.25/40)<br /><br />Total Time 74:06</div><div><br /></div><div>In my opinion drummer Jean-Sébastien Goyette and bassist François Fournier make up the best rhythm section Mystery have ever had and this, their seventh album and ninth year together, serves to capture their finest performance. I can listen to this music/album over and over in large part due to the amazing performances of these two. (Jean comes in a close second). Unfortunately, I think Michel extraordinary guitar skills never really hit the highs of previous albums--though they are <i>always</i> of the very highest caliber of skill and appropriateness. (It must be so hard to continually have to either reinvent your self/your style or try to top your shining moments from year to year, album to album--especially over a 30-year career and over 11 albums. The only other guitarists I've known to accomplish such a feat are Jeff Beck, Nick Barrett, and maybe Steve Hackett.) There are many pleasing, great moments of guitar play, but none so memorable of those I still get chills from during <i>One Among the Living</i>,<i> World Is A Game</i>, and <i>Delusion Rain</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>89.916667 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of NeoProg--narrowly missing "masterpiece" status (though, who knows what further/future familiarity while reveal).</div><div><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-30610217678251649872023-12-15T14:00:00.000-08:002024-02-13T10:19:32.624-08:00Prog Lists: My Favorite Albums of Each Year<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><u> 2023 </u></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">1. </span>OIAPOK <i>OisoLün</i></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>2. <span>AISLES </span><i>Beyond Drama</i></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>3</b><b>. </b><b style="text-align: center;">EARTHSIDE <i>Let the Truth Speak</i></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>4. BILLIE BOTTLE'S TEMPLE OF SHIBBOLETH <i>Billie Bottle's Temple of Shibboleth</i></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>5. </b><b><span style="text-align: center;">HOMUNCULUS RES</span><i style="text-align: center;"> Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi</i></b></div><b>6. MOTORPSYCHO <i>Yay!</i><br />7. VESPERO <i>De ludo globi</i><br />8. JACK O' THE CLOCK <i>The Warm, Dark Circus</i><br />9. THE MERCURY TREE <i>Self Similar</i></b><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><b>10. </b></span></span><b>KARMAMOI <i>Strings from the Edge of Sound</i></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><b>11. MICE ON STILTS <i>I Am Proud of You.</i></b></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="text-align: center;">12. </span></b><b>OK GOODNIGHT<i> The Fox and the Bird</i></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>13. BATTLESTATIONS <i>Memoirs of Once</i></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>14. </b><b>AMOEBA SPLIT <i>Quiet Euphoria</i></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>15. LAZULI <i>11</i></b><b><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="text-align: center;">16. STEFANO PANUNZI <i>Pages from the Sea</i></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>17. ZOPP <i>Dominion</i></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div><b><span>18. </span>AGUSA <i>Prima Material</i></b></div><div><b>19. CARAVELA EXCARLATE <i>III</i></b></div><div><b>20. DOMINIC SANDERSON <i>Impermanence</i></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>21. </b><b>NE OBLIVISCARUS <i>Exul</i></b></div><div><b>22. </b><b style="text-align: center;">DEPOSED KING <i>One Man's Grief</i></b></div><div><b>23. </b><b>HANIA RANI <i>Ghosts</i></b></div><div><b>24. </b><b>KARNATAKA <i>Requiem for a Dream</i></b></div><div><b>25. EYELESS OWL <i>Murmurations</i></b></div><div><b>26. AVKRVST <i>The Approbation</i></b></div><div><div><b>27. ATSUKO CHIBA <i>Water, It Feels Like It's Growing</i></b></div></div><div><div><b>28. THE FILIBUSTER SALOON <i>Going Off Topic</i></b></div></div><div><b>29. RASCAL REPORTERS <i>The Strainge Case of Steve</i></b></div><div><b>30. </b><b>ADVENT HORIZON <i>A Cell to Call Home</i></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>31. FISH ON FRIDAY <i>8mm</i></b></div><div><b>32. SEVEN IMPALE <i>Summit</i></b></div><div><b>33. <span style="text-align: center;">AVIATIONS <i>Luminaria</i></span></b></div><div><b>34. </b><b>OZRIC TENTACLES <i>Lotus Unfolding</i></b></div><div><b>35. ISOBAR <i>III</i> </b></div><div><b>36. <span>ACTIONFREDAG</span><span> </span><i>Turist i eget liv</i></b></div><div><b>37. AGLAIA <i>Existentialism</i></b></div><div><b>38. CAIRO <i>Nemesis</i></b></div><div><div><b>39. ULTRAPHAUNA <i>No No No No</i> </b></div><div><b>40. SEQUENTIA LEGENDA<i> Alcyone</i></b><b> </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>41. </b><b>SONAR (with David Torn and J. Peter Schwalm) <i>Three Movements</i></b></div><div><b>42. CROWN LANDS <i>Fearless</i></b></div><div><b>43. MANNA/MIRAGE <i>Autobiographie</i></b></div><div><b>44. SWANS <span style="font-style: italic;">The Beggar</span></b></div><div><div><b>45. AETHER <i>Aether</i></b></div><div><b>46. SQUID <i>O Monolith</i></b></div><div><b>47. SUNCHILD <i>Exotic Creatures and a Stolen Dream</i></b></div><div>48. LARS FREDRIK FRØISLIE <i>Fire Foretellinger</i> </div><div>49. SINGLE CELLED ORGANISM <i>Event Horizon</i></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: center;">50. MYSTERY <i>Redemption</i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div><div><i><u><b>Honorable Mentions:</b></u></i></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div><div><div style="margin: 0px;">ISPROJECT <i>The Archinauts</i></div><div style="margin: 0px;">ENSLAVED <i>Heimdal</i></div></div><div>UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY<i> Planetary Overload, Part 2 - Hope</i></div><div>THE GREAT WIDE NOTHING <i>Hymns for Hungry Spirits, Vol. II</i><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">KATATONIA <i>Sky Void of Stars</i></div></div><div><div style="margin: 0px;">BARONESS <i>Stone</i></div></div><div>ARNAUD BUKWALD <i>La marmite cosmique 7 - Uncle Bizarre</i><br /></div><div>THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN <i>The Songs & Tales of Airoea, Book I: The Tale of Father Robin (State of Nature)</i><br /></div><div>NINE SKIES <i>The Lightmaker</i></div><div><div>MONIKA ROSCHER BIGBAND<i> Witchy Activities and the Maple Death</i></div><div>COSMIC GROUND <i>Entropy</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><u><i>Special Mentions:</i></u></b></div><div><div><b>ÓLAFUR ARNALDS<i> Live from Hafursey, A Cercle Production</i></b></div><div><b>PAT METHENY <i>Dream Box</i></b></div></div></div></div><div><b>FRENCH TV</b><b> <i>A Ghastly State of Affairs</i></b></div><div><b>IO EARTH<i> Sanctuary</i></b></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></div><div><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"> 2022 </span></u></b></div><div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b>1. </b></span><b>iNFiNiEN <i>Beyond the Veil</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b>2. </b></span></span><b><span style="font-family: times;">WIPPY BONSTACK <i>22</i></span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times; text-align: center;">3. RANESTRANE <i>Apocalypse Now</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. FIVE-STOREY ENSEMBLE <i>Presence</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b style="text-align: center;">5. </b><b>GADADU <i>The Weatherman Is Wrong</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">6. GREEN ASPHALT <i>Green Asphalt</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">7. </span></b><b style="font-family: times;">BREIDABLIK <i>Alduorka</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">8. IKARUS <i>Plasma</i></span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">9. MOTORPSYCHO <i>Ancient Astronauts</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">10. KLAUS SCHULZE <i>Deus Arrakis</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. </b><b>OHMA <i>Between All Things</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. DAVE BRONS <i>Return to Arda</i></b><b> </b></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>13. </b><span><b>W</b></span><b>ESERBERGLAND <i>Sacrae Symphonae nr. 1</i></b></span></div><div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">13. KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD <i>Changes<br /></i></span></b></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b style="text-align: center;">15. </b><b>TOEHIDER <i>I Have Little to No Memories of These Memories</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b style="text-align: center;">16. </b><b>ELDER <i>Innate Passage</i></b></span></div><div><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">17. RETURNED TO THE EARTH <i>Fall of the Watcher</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>18. </b><b>DREADNAUGHT <i>The Endless</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">19. STRANGE POP <i>Ten Years Gone</i></span></b></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">20. TANGERINE DREAM <i>Raum</i></span></b></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>21. </b><b>BLACK MIDI<i> Hellfire</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>22. </b><b>GRICE <i>Polarchoral</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>23. </b><b style="text-align: center;">JAMBINAI <i>Apparition</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">24. ALIANTE <i>Destinazione Oblique</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">25. STEVE VAI <i>Inviolate </i></span></b></div></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">26. MIDLAKE <i>For the Sake of Bethel Woods</i></span></b></div></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">27. BIRTH <i>Born</i></span></b></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>28. </b><b>MARILLION <i>An Hour Before It's Dark</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>29</b><b>. KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD <i>Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms, & Lava</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>30.</b><b> SILENT TEMPLE <i>Faery Revolution</i></b></span></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">31. HAVEN OF ECHOES <i>The Indifferent Stars</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">32. JONAS LINDBERG & THE OTHER SIDE <i>Miles from Nowhere</i></span></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; display: inline; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">33. INNER PROSPEKT <i>Grey Origin</i></span></b></div></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">34. VON HERTZEN BROTHERS <i>Red Alert in the Blue Forest</i></span></b></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">35. BEN CRAVEN <i>Monsters from the Id</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">36. BIG BIG TRAIN <i>Welcome to the Planet</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="text-align: center;">37. ALMS </span><i style="text-align: center;">The Trial</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>38. ONSÉGAN ENSEMBLE <i>Realms</i></b><b> </b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;"><b>39. ROLAND BÜHLMANN <i>Emnalóc</i></b></span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="text-align: center;">40. THE POWER OF THREE </span><i style="text-align: center;">Time Horizon</i></span></b></div><div><br /></div></div><div><b><i><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></i></b></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">THE LIGHT IN THE OCEAN </span><i style="text-align: center;">Deep Reef Dream</i></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">PURE REASON REVOLUTION </span><i style="text-align: center;">Above Cirrus</i></div><div>MOON X <i>Zap!</i></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>KARFAGEN <i>Land of Green and Gold</i></div><div>GHOST TOAST <i>Shade Without Color</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><b><u>Special Mention:</u></b></i></div><div>JAMBINAI <i>Apparition</i></div><div>KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD <i>Laminated Denim</i></div><div>SON LUX Original Soundtrack Music for the film<i> Everything, Everywhere, All the Time </i></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"> 2021 </span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b>1. </b></span><b>NEEDLEPOINT <i>Walking Up That Valley</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">2. GIANT SKY <i>Giant Sky</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>3. </b><b style="text-align: center;">ACCORDO DEI CONTRARI <i>UR-</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">4. HANDS OF THE HERON <i>13 Moons</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>5. CALIGONAUT <i>Magnified As Giants</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">6. SHAMBLEMATHS <i>2</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">7. RACHEL FLOWERS <i>Bigger on the Inside</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">8. MONOBODY <i>Comma</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">9. BATTLESTATIONS <i>Splinters, Vol. 2 - Bruise</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">10. YOO DOO RIGHT<i> Don't Think You Can Escape Your Purpose</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">11. MANNA / MIRAGE <i>Man Out of Time</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">12. SKE <i>Insolibilia</i></span></b></div><div><div><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">13. MONO <i>Pilgrimage of the Soul</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">14. A FORMAL HORSE <i>Meat Mallet</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>15. </b><b>BLACK MIDI <i>Cavalcade</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">16. KANT FREUD KAFKA <i>Historias el acantilado</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">17. SMALLTAPE <i>The Hungry Heart</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">18. CICCADA <i>Harvest</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">19. KRISTOFFER GILDENLÖW <i>Let Me Be a Ghost</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">20. ARGOS <i>The Other Life</i></span></b></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">21. JORDSJØ <i>Pastoralis</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">22. GLASS KITES <i>II</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>23. </b><b>AGUSA <i>En annan värld</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">24. INNER PROSPEKT <i>Canvas Two</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">25. BEAUTIFUL BEDLAM <i>Beautiful Bedlam</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>26. </b><b style="text-align: center;">PALE MANNEQUIN <i>Colours of Continuity</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>27. </b><b>DAVE<i> </i>BAINBRIDGE<i> To the Far Away</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">28. KONOM <i>Konom</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">29. BIG BIG TRAIN <i>Common Ground</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-weight: 700; text-align: center;">30. EMERALD DAWN </span><i style="font-weight: 700; text-align: center;">To Touch the Sky</i></span></div></div><div><i style="font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: center;"><div style="display: inline; text-align: left;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions</u>:</b></div></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: center;"><div style="display: inline; font-style: normal; text-align: left;">FROST* <i>Day and Age</i></div></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">CAST <i>Visegimus</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">SYLVAN One to Zero</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>MISTER ROBOT </span><i>Robot Dreams</i></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"> 2020 </span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b>1. </b></span><b style="background-color: white;">MAGICK BROTHER & MYSTIC SISTER <i>Magick Brother & Mystic Sister</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>2. </b><b>PENDRAGON <i>Love over Fear</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">3. THE RETICENT <i>The Oubliette</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b>4. </b></span><b>THE LIGHT IN THE OCEAN <i>The Pseudo-Scientific Study of Oceanic Neo-Cryptid Zoology</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b>5. </b></span><b>BATTLESTATIONS <i>Inform</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b>6. </b></span><b>NEON HEART <i>Neon Heart</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>7. </b><b style="background-color: white;">ONCE AND FUTURE BAND <i>Deleted Scenes</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">8. ARNAUD BUKWALD <i>La marmite cosmique, no. 6</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">9. WESERBERGLAND <i>Am Ende der Welt</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">10. ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF <i>All Thoughts Fly</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. </b><b>JOHN LUDI <i>Mistakes Have Been Made</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. </b><span><b>HOMUNCULUS RES </b></span><b><i>Andiamo in giro di notte e ci consumiamo nel fuoco</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>13. </b><b>ABEL GANZ <i>The Life of the Honeybee and Other Moments of Clarity</i></b></span></div><div><b><b><span style="font-family: times;">14. VESPERO <i>The Four Zoas</i></span></b></b></div><div><b><b><span style="font-family: times;">15. GALIA SOCIAL <i>Rise</i></span></b></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">16. MARJANA SEMKINA<i> Sleepwalking</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>17. </b><b>DAI KAHT <i>II</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">18. JARDON <i>The Fading Thought</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. </b><b>MOTORPSYCHO <i>The All Is One</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">20. JOHN HOLDEN <i>Rise and Fall</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>21. </b><b>HIBISCUS BISCUIT <i>Reflections of Mine</i></b></span></div><div><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">22. UBI MAIOR <i>Bestie, Uomini e Dèi</i></span></b></div><span style="font-family: times;"><style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica}
</style><span style="text-align: center;"></span></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>23. </b><b style="text-align: center;">THE OCEAN <i>Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">24. PAT METHENY <i>From This Place</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>25. </b><b style="text-align: center;">KARFAGEN <i>Principles and Theory of Spektra</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">26. CORDE OBLIQUE <i>The Moon Is a Dry Bone</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b style="text-align: center;">27. </b><b>LOGOS <i>Sadako e le mille gru di carta</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>28. </b><b>MOURA <i>Moura</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">29. THE BARDIC DEPTHS<i> The Bardic Depths</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">30. ELLESMERE <i>Wyrd</i></span></b></div></div><div><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><i><br /></i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><b><i><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ANTONY KALUGIN <i>Marshmallow Moondust</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">VICTOR GO <i>The Leap</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">PURE REASON REVOLUTION <i>Eupnea</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times";">FREN <i>Where Do You Want Ghosts to Reside?<br /></i><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times; text-align: left;">LA MASCHERA DI CERA <i>S.E.I.</i></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; text-align: center;">LUNATIC SOUL <i>Through Shaded Woods</i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; text-align: center;">ZIO <i>Flower Torenia</i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; text-align: center;">MOON MEN<i> Tales of Space Pirates</i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></span></div></span></span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;"> 2019 </span></u></b><br /><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">1. TIRILL <i>Said the Sun to the Moon</i></span></b><br /><b style="background-color: white;">2. JAMBINAI <i>Onde</i></b><br /><b style="background-color: white;">3. THIEVES' KITCHEN <i>Genius Loci</i></b><br /><b><b><span style="background-color: white;">4. FUZZ PUDDLE <i>Speciecide</i></span></b></b><br /><b><b><span style="background-color: white;">5. SEVEN STEPS TO THE GREEN DOOR <i>The? Lie</i></span></b></b><br /><b><b><span style="background-color: white;">6. FLY PAN AM <i>C'est ça</i></span></b></b><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b><span style="background-color: white;">7. HAMMOCK <i>Silencia</i></span></b><br /><b><span style="background-color: white;">8. </span></b></span><b><span style="background-color: white;">THE LOOMINGS <i>Hey, Weirdo!</i></span></b></span></div><span><b><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">9. MONKEY3 <i>Spheres</i></span></b></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b><b><span style="background-color: white;">10. </span></b></b></span><b style="background-color: white;">STEVE HAUSCHILDT <i>Nonlin</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">11. THE TEA CLUB <i>If / When</i></span></b></div><div><b><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">12. ARNAUD BUKWALD <i>La marmite cosmique V</i></span></b></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">13. BENT KNEE <i>You Know What They Mean</i></span></b><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>14. </b><b>IAMTHEMORNING <i>The Bell</i></b></span><br /><b><span style="background-color: white;">15. MONO <i>Nowhere, Now Here</i></span></b></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b>16. BLACK MIDI <i>Schlagenheim</i></b></span></span></div><div><b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;">17. DIZZY MYSTICS <i>Wanderlost</i></span></span></b></div><div><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">18. UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY <i>Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">19. STEVE UNRUH <i>Precipice</i></span></b><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><b>20. </b><b>KARFAGEN </b><b><i>Echoes from Within The Dragon's Island</i></b></span><br /><b><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">21. MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE <i>Night Dreams & Wishes</i></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>22. </b></span><b><span style="background-color: white;">DIAGONAL <i>Arc</i></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>23. </b><b><b>IQ <i>Resistance</i></b></b><br /><b>24. CONSIDER THE SOURCE <i>You Are Literally A Metaphor</i></b><br /><b>25. CHARLIE CAWOOD <i>Blurring Into Motion</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>26. THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE <i>Mother's Tales</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">27. EX CANIX </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shaman</i></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">28. BIG BIG TRAIN <i>Grand Tour</i></span></b><br /><b style="background-color: white;">29. ALIO DIE & INDALASKA<i> Tempus Fugit</i></b><br /></span><div data-block="true" data-editor="a6a2t" data-offset-key="2l3tn-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="2l3tn-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="2l3tn-0-0"><b><span style="font-family: times;">30. RETROSPECTIVE <i>Latent Advidity</i></span></b></span></div></div><div data-block="true" data-editor="a6a2t" data-offset-key="d27k4-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="d27k4-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><br /></div></div></div><div><b style="color: #1c1e21; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></i></b></div><div><span style="color: #1c1e21; white-space: pre-wrap;">FORMAL HORSE <i>Here Comes a Man from the Council with a Flamethrower</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #1c1e21; white-space: pre-wrap;">OPETH<i> In Cauda Venenum</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #1c1e21; white-space: pre-wrap;">JORDSJØ <i>Nattfiolen</i></span></div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="background-color: white;">ELECTRIC ASTURIAS <i>Trinity</i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i><b><u>Special Mention:</u></b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>DE LORIANS <i>De Lorians</i></b></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;"> 2018 </span></u></b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b>1. UNAKA PRONG <i>Salinity Now!</i></b></span><br /><span><b>2. </b></span><b>MIDAS FALL <i>Evaporate</i></b><br /><b>3. </b><b>KEOR <i>Petrichor</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. TOBY DRIVER <i>They Are the Shield</i></b><br /><b>5. STARVING DAUGHTERS <i>Strange Valley</i></b><b><i>s</i></b><br /><b>6. LOW <i>Double Negative</i></b><br /><b>7. MONOBODY <i>Raytracing</i></b><br /><span><b>8. </b></span><b>IVAR BJØRNSON & EINAR SELVIK <i>Hugsjá</i></b><br /><b>9. JULIA HOLTER <i>Aviary</i></b><br /><b>10. </b><b><span>HYPNO5E </span><span style="background-color: white;"><i>A Backward Glance on a Travel Road:</i> </span><i style="background-color: white;">Alba - Les Ombres Errantes</i></b><br /><b><span><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span>11. ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF <i>Dead Magic</i></span></b><br /><b><span>12. </span></b><b style="background-color: white;">ALL TRAPS ON EARTH <i>A Drop of Light</i></b><br /><b>13. ALTO PALO <i>Frozen There</i></b><br /><b>14. NOSOUND <i>Allow Yourself</i></b><br /><b><span>15. SEQUENTIA LEGENDA <i>Renaissance</i></span></b><br /><b style="background-color: white;">16. </b><b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">LA DOTTRINA DEGLI OPPOSTI </span><i style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">Arrivaderci sogni</i></b><br /><span><b>17. </b></span><b>SEVEN REIZH <i>L'albatros</i></b><br /><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">18. </b></b><b>HOMUNCULUS RES </b><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white;"><i>Della stessa sostanza dei sogni</i></span></b><br /><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">19. REGAL WORM <i>Pig Views</i></b></b><br /><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">20. METHEXIS <i>Topos</i></b></b><br /><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></b></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">21. DEAD CAN DANCE <i>Dionysus</i></b></b><br /><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">22. VAK <i>Budo</i></b></b><br /><b><span>23. GLEB KOLYADIN <i>Gleb Kolyadin</i></span></b><br /><b>24. </b><b style="text-align: center;">BUBU <i>El eco del sol</i></b></span></div><div><b><b><span style="font-family: times;"><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">25. FEM <i>Mutazione</i></b></b></span></b></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><b><span>26. ATMOSPHERES <i>Reach</i></span></b></b><br /><b><b>27. </b><b>PiNioL <i>Bran Coucou</i></b><br style="font-weight: 400;" />28. RICHARD WILEMAN <i>Veil</i></b><br /><span><b style="background-color: white;">29. </b></span><b>MIDLIFE <i>Phase</i></b><br /><span><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;">30. JOSÉ MARIA BLANC <i>La herencia de Pablo</i></b></b></span><br /><b><span><br /></span></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span>31. </span><span>SONAR (with David Torn)</span><span> <i>Vortex</i></span></span></b></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span>32. </span><span style="background-color: white;">CANTURBE </span><i>Flotteur</i></span></b></div></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span>33. GALASPHERE 347 </span><i>Galasphere 347</i></b><br /><span><b style="background-color: white;">34. </b></span><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">DEWA BUDJANA<i> Mahandini</i></b></span></div><div><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;">35. DAAL <i>Decalogue of Darkness</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span>36. EMPEROR NORTON </span><i>Emperor Norton</i></b><br /><b><span>37. JOHN HOLDEN </span><i>Capture Light</i></b><br /><b><span>38. THE FLOOD </span><i>Chamber Music</i></b><br /><b>39. MONNAIE DE SINGE<i> The Last Chance</i></b></span></div></div><div><div></div></div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span>40. STEVE ROACH </span><i>Molecules of Motion</i></span></b><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><i><u><b>Honorable Mentions:</b></u><br /></i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">GALAHAD </span><i style="text-align: center;">Seas of Change</i></span></span><br style="font-family: Times;" />CATU KUÁ <i>Que Vengan los Párajos</i></span></span><br style="font-family: Times;" />ALIO DIE & AGLAIA <i>Amitabha</i></span></span><br style="font-family: Times;" />MANNA/MIRAGE </span><i style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Rest of the World</i><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">NOT A GOOD SIGN </span><i style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Icebound</i><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">ÁNGEL ONTALVA & VESPERO </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Carta Marina</i><br /><br /></div></div><div><b><u>Special Mention:</u></b><br />STOP MOTION ORCHESTRA <i>Lightworks</i><br />ARNAUD BUKWALD <i>La marmite cosmique, menu no. 4</i></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;"> 2017 </span></u></b><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>1</b><b>. DEMEN <i>Nektyr</i></b><br /><b>2. RYUICHI SAKAMOTO <i>async</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>3. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">BATTLESTATIONS <i>Vixit</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">4. CICADA <i>White Forest</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>5. FIVE-STOREY ENSEMBLE <i>Night en Face</i></b><br /><b>6. </b><b>TREE TOPS <i>Ghosts Don't Dance with Shoes</i></b><br /><b>7. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">ANATHEMA <i>The Optimist</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>8. THE CONTORTIONIST <i>Clairvoyant</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>9. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">SOUP <i>Remedies</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">10. BELIEVE <i>Seven Widows</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. YVES POTIN/JAZZCOMPUTER.ORG <i>Forest Stairways</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. CHEER-ACCIDENT <i>Putting Off Death</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>13. BRIAN ELLIS <i>Suspension</i></b></span><b style="font-family: times;"> </b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>14. </b><b>BIG BAD WOLF <i>Pond Life</i></b><br /><b>15. </b><b>UNAKA PRONG <i>Adult Contemporary</i></b><br /><b>16. </b><b>KANT FREUD KAFKA <i>Onírico</i></b><b> </b><br /><b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">17. </span></span></span></span>PSYCHIC EQUALIZER <i>The Lonely Traveller</i></b><br /><b>18. </b><b>SIIILK <i>Endless Mystery</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">19. AQUASERGE <i>laisse ça être</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span>20. SEQUENTIA LEGENDA </span><i>Ethereal</i></b><br /><b><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;">21. DAM KAT </span><i>ALAWN</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">22. EKOS <i>Otra Dimensión</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span>23. SOUL ENEMA </span><i>Of Clans and Clones and Clowns</i></b><br /><b><span style="background-color: white;">24. BUBBLEMATH </span><i>Edit Peptide</i></b><br /><b>25. EYOT <i>Innate</i></b><br /><b><span style="background-color: white;">26. AMAROK </span><i style="background-color: white;">Hunt</i></b><br /><b>27. CAST <i>Power and Outcome</i></b><br /><b>28. INNER EAR BRIGADE <i>Dromology</i></b><br /><b>29. </b><b>CAMEMBERT <i>Negative Toe</i></b><br /><b>30. KOTEBEL <i>Cosmology</i></b><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">31. WOBBLER <i>From Silence to Somewhere</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>32. </b><b>ALIO DIE & LINGUA FUNGI <i>Lento</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span>33. </span><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">WESERBERGLAND </span><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i>Sehr Kosmish Ganz Progisch</i></span></span></b></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="background-color: transparent;">34. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">SEAS OF MIRTH <i>Hark! The Headland Approacheth</i></span></b></span><br /><b><span style="background-color: white;">35. </span></b><b>ACCORDO DEI CONTRARI <i>Violato Intatto</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>36. BIG BIG TRAIN <i>Grimspound</i></b><br /><b><span style="line-height: 16px;">37. ALIO DIE </span><span style="background-color: white;"><i>They Grow Layers of Life Between</i></span></b><br /><b>38. <span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">HIMMELLEGEME </span><i style="text-align: center;">Myth of Earth</i></b><br /><b>39. </b><b>BENT KNEE <i>Land Animal</i></b><br /><b>40. DRAW THE SKY <i>Humanity</i></b></span><b><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></b></div><div><u><b><br /></b></u><i><u><b>Honorable Mentions:</b></u><br /></i><span style="background-color: white;">KETTLESPIDER <i>Kettlespider</i><br />ROBERT JÜRJENDAL </span><i>Simple Past/Lihtminevik</i><br />SILHOUETTE <span style="background-color: white;"><span> </span><i>The World Is Flat and Other Alternative Facts</i></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div><div>ELECTRIC MOON <i>Stardust Rituals</i></div><div>TANGERINE DREAM<i> Quantum Gate8</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b><u>Special Mention:</u></b><br />UTOPIANISTI <i>Brutopianisti</i></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;"> 2016 </span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. ALEXANDRE DESPLAT </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Danish Girl </i><i>(The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)</i><br /><b style="background-color: white;"><b>2. MICE ON STILTS <i>Hope for a Mourning</i></b><br style="font-weight: 400;" /><b>3. TONY PATTERSON <i>Equations of Meaning</i></b><br style="font-weight: 400;" /><b>4. </b><b>GHOST MEDICINE <i>Discontinuance</i></b><br style="font-weight: 400;" /><div style="font-weight: 400;"></div>5. THE GHOSTS OF JUPITER <i>The Great Bright Horses</i></b><br /><b>6. AXON-NEURON <i>Metamorphosis</i></b><br /><b>7. VANETA <i>Antimemory</i></b><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>8. </b><b>UNAKA PRONG <i>Margot</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>9. </b><b>STARSABOUT <i>Halflights</i></b><br />
<b>10. </b><b>THE MERCURY TREE <i>Permutations</i></b><br />
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<b>11. MOTHER TURTLE <i>II</i></b><br />
<b>12. IAMTHEMORNING <i>Lighthouse</i></b><br />
<b>13. </b><b>STARE AT THE CLOUDS <i>This Clear Divide</i></b><br />
<b>14.</b><b><b> UTOPIANISTI <i>The Third Frontier</i></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>15. </b><b>PROMENADE <i>Noi al dir di di noi</i></b><br />
<b>16. </b><b>THE ARBORIST <i>Acrylic Road</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>17. LOST WORLD <i>Of Things and Beings</i></b><br />
<b style="font-style: normal;">18. GADI CAPLAN <i>Morning Sun</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>19.</b><b> iNFiNiEN <i>Light at The Endless Tunnel</i></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>20. </b><b>MANTRA VEGA <i>The Illusion's Reckoning</i></b><br />
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<b>21. </b><b>DUNGEN <i>Häxan</i></b><br />
<b><span>22. THE WINSTONS <i>The Winstons</i></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><span><b><span>23. ILL WICKER <i> Untamed</i></span> </b></span><br />
<b><span>24. </span><span>ANAKDOTA </span><i>Overloading</i></b><br />
<span><b>25. KAYO DOT <span style="font-style: normal;"><i>Plastic House on Base of Sky</i></span></b></span><br />
<b>26. ULVER <i style="text-align: center;">ATGCLVLSSCAP</i></b><br />
<b>27. THENCE <i>We Are Left With A Song</i></b><br />
<b>28. GRAVITY SAYS_I <i>Quantum Unknown</i></b><br />
<b>29. WHALEPHANT <i>KaMMA</i></b><br />
<b>30. JACK O' THE CLOCK <i>Repetitions of The Old City - I</i></b></span><br />
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<b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b><br />
31. THE COLIN TENCH PROJECT <i>Hair in a G-String (Unfinished but Sweet)</i><br />
32. YVES POTIN <i>Waters</i><br />
33. ANTOINE FAFARD <i>Sphère</i><br />
34. PLINI <i>Handmade Cities</i><br />
35. SHAMBLEMATHS <i>Shamblemaths</i><br />
36. INGRANAGGI DELLA VALLE <i>Warm Spaced Blue</i><br />
37. SEVEN IMPALE <i>Contrapasso</i><br />
38. NOSOUND <i>Scintilla</i><br />
39. AMOEBA SPLIT <i>Second Split</i><br />
40. AKT <i>II (Binario)</i><br />
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41. ARNAUD BUKWALD <i>La marmite cosmique</i><br />
42. AMPLEDEED <i>BYOB</i><br />
43. MYRATH <i>Legacy</i><br />
44. YUGEN <i>Death by Water</i><br />
45. VESPERO <i>Lique Mekwas</i></div>
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46. RESINA <i>Resina</i><br />
47. ZHONGYU <i>Zhongyu</i><br />
48. MATTHEW PARMENTER <i>All Our Yesterdays</i><br />
49. LOST KITE <i>Remains</i><br />
50. SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO <i>Work in Progress</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><b><u> 2015 </u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-weight: 800;">1. CICADA <i>Light Shining Through the Sea</i></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: 800;">2. </span><b>ALIO DIE & LORENZO MONTANÀ <i>Holographic Codex</i></b><br />
<span style="font-weight: 800;">3. BATTLESTATIONS <i>The Extent of Damage</i></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: 800;">4</span><b>. </b><b>STEVEN WILSON <i>Hand. Cannot. Erase.</i></b><br /><b>5. </b></span><b style="background-color: white;">MYSTERY <i>Delusion Rain</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">6. ZA! <i>Lolosimo</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">7. SYLVAN <i>Home </i></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>8. </b><span>LA COSCIENZA DI ZENO </span><b><i>La notte anche de giorno</i></b></div></span></b><b><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span>9. </span><span>ANEKDOTEN</span><i> Until the Ghosts Have All Gone</i><span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>10. NEEDLEPOINT <i>Aimless Mary</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>11. PROGRESSION BY FAILURE <i>Sonic Travelogue</i></b></div></span></b><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">12. ABIGAIL'S GHOST <i>Black Plastic Sun</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-weight: 800;">13. </span></span><b style="background-color: white;">THIEVES' KITCHEN <i>The Clockwork Universe</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-weight: 800;">14. OZRIC TENTACLES </span><i style="font-weight: 800;">Technicians of the Sacred</i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">
<span style="font-weight: 800;">15. CICCADA</span><i style="font-weight: 800;"> The Finest of Miracles</i><span style="font-weight: 800;"> </span><br /><span style="font-weight: 800;">16. THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE </span><i style="font-weight: 800;">The Sunstone</i><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>17. DUNGEN <i>Allas Sak</i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>18. JAGA JAZZIST <i>Starfire</i></b></span><span style="background-color: white;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-weight: 800;">19. VOLA <i>Inmazes</i></span><span style="font-weight: 800;"> </span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><b>20. KLONE <i>Here Comes the Sun</i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>21. THE AMAZING <i>Picture You</i></b></span><br /><b><span style="background-color: white;"><span>22. </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">MANNA/MIRAGE </span><i style="background-color: white;">Blue Dogs</i></b></span></div><div><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;">23. MAGMA <i>Slag Tanz</i></span></b></div><div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>24. </b><span style="font-weight: 800;">MONOBODY </span><i style="font-weight: 800;">Monobody</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">25. JAM IT! <i>Following the Unknown</i></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><b style="background-color: white;">26. 3RDEGREE <i>Ones & Zeroes, Part 1</i></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;">27. LEPROUS <i>The Congregation</i></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>28. SVETAMUZIKA <i>Present Simple</i></b><br />
<b>29. <span>ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF <i>The Miraculous</i></span></b></span><br /><b style="background-color: white;">30. HOMUNCULUS RES <i>Come si diventa ciò che si era</i></b></span><br />
<br />
<i><u style="background-color: white; font-weight: 800;">Honorable Mentions:</u><br /></i>
<span style="background-color: white;">
31. CORVUS STONE </span><i style="background-color: white;">Unscrewed </i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">
32. </span>METHEXI<span>S </span><i>Suiciety</i><span> </span><div><span><span>33. </span>NEMO <i>Coma</i></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">
34. TOE</span><i style="background-color: white;"> Hear You </i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">
35. ABSTRAKT</span><i style="background-color: white;"> Limbosis </i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">
36. ADVENT </span><i style="background-color: white;">The Silent Sentinel </i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">
37. THE TEA CLUB </span><i style="background-color: white;">Grappling</i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">
38. NATIVE CONSTRUCT </span><i style="background-color: white;">Quiet World</i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">
39. COSMIC GROUND </span><i style="background-color: white;">2</i><br /><span style="background-color: white;">40. KARDA ESTRA </span><i style="background-color: white;">Strange Relations</i><br /></div><div><i style="background-color: white;"><br /></i></div><div>
<i style="background-color: white;"><br /></i>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><b><u> 2014 </u></b></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. BENT KNEE <i>Shiny Eyed Babies</i></b><br />
<span style="font-weight: 800;">2. </span><b>ANTOINE FAFARD <i>Ad Perpetuum</i></b><br />
<b>3. FAUN <i>Luna</i></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times; font-weight: 800;">4. KANT FREUD KAFKA <i>No tengas miedo</i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;">5. </span><span style="font-weight: 800;">SEVEN IMPALE</span><i style="font-weight: 800;"> City of the Sun</i><br />
<span style="font-weight: 800;">6. </span><b>AALTO<i> Ikaro</i></b><br />
<b>7. THE MERCURY TREE <i>Countenance</i></b><br />
<b>8. HUMANA PROG<i> Flori, Frutti, Farfalle</i></b><br />
<b>9. HANS ZIMMER </b><i><b>Interstellar </b>(music from the Original Motion Picture soundtrack)</i><br />
<span style="font-weight: 800;">10. SYD ARTHUR </span><i style="font-weight: 800;">Sound Mirror</i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>11. PINGVINORKESTERN <i>Push</i></b><br />
<b>12. </b><b>JAKOB <i>Sines</i></b><br />
<b>13. PRINCE <i>Art Official Age</i></b><br />
<b>14. JERZY ANTCZAK <i>Ego, Georgius</i></b><br />
<b>15. MOTORPSYCHO <i>Behind the Sun</i></b><br />
<b>16. UT GRET <i>Ancestor's Tale</i></b><br />
<b>17. ELECTRIC ORANGE <i>Volume 10</i></b><br />
<b>18. </b><b>HOMÍNIDO <i>Estirpe Lítica</i></b><br />
<b>19. MONO <i>The Last Dawn</i></b><br />
<b>20. MAGIC BUS <i>Transmission from Sogmore's Garden</i></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>21. IAMTHEMORNING <i>Belighted</i></b><br />
<b>22. FEM <i>Sulla bolla di Sapone</i></b><br />
<b>23. TAYLOR WATSON <i>(A)Synchronous</i></b><br />
<b>24. CIRRUS BAY <i>In Search of Joy</i></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>25. DISTORTED HARMONY <i>Chain Reaction</i></b><br />
<b>26. DREAM THE ELECTRIC SLEEP <i>Heretics</i></b><br />
<b>27. <i>Begin Again</i> (music from and inspired by the original motion picture)</b><br />
<b>28. NOMADS OF HOPE <i>Breaking the circles for a while</i></b><br />
<b>29. KAYO DOT <i>Coffins on Io</i></b><br />
<b>30. DAVE BAINBRIDGE <i>Celestial Fire</i></b></span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b><br />
31. PHI <i>Now the Waves of Sound Remain</i><br />
32. AGORÀ <i>Ichinen</i><br />
33. FREDDEGREDDE <i>Brighter Skies</i><br />
34. ATOMIC APE <i>Swarm<b> </b></i><br />
35. CORVUS STONE <i>II</i><br />
36. SUNN O))) and ULVER <i>Terrestrials</i><br />
37. ALEX CARPANI <i>4 Destinies</i><br />
38. MARGIN <i>Teatime</i><br />
39. HELIOPOLIS<i> City of the Sun</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><u> 2013 </u></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;"><b>HOMUNCULUS RES </b></span><b><i>Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto</i></b><br />
<span style="font-weight: 800;">2. FIVE-STOREY ENSEMBLE </span><i style="font-weight: 800;">Not This City</i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-weight: 800;">3. THE GABRIEL CONSTRUCT </span><i style="font-weight: 800;">Interior City</i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times; font-weight: 800;">4. VOTUM <i>Harvest Moon</i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;">5. JAMES BLAKE <i>Overgrown</i></span><br /><b>6. </b><b>SETNA <i>Guérison</i></b><br /><b>7. KARNIVOOL </b><b><i>Asymmetry</i></b><br /><b>8. </b><b>EDISON'S CHILDREN <i>The Final Breath Before November</i></b><br /><b>9. </b><b>AIRBAG <i>The Greatest Show on Earth</i></b><br /><b>10. MIDAS FALL <i>Wilderness</i></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>11. MIDLAKE <i>Antiphon</i></b><b> </b><br />
<b>12. </b><b>NOT A GOOD SIGN <i>Not A Good Sign</i></b><br />
<b>13. TIRILL <i>Um Himinjǫður</i></b><br /><b>14. FLICKER <i>How Much Are You Willing to Forget?</i></b><br />
</span><div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>15. </b><b>LIFESIGNS <i>Lifesigns</i></b></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>16. KOSMOS <i>Salattu Maailma</i></b><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;"><div style="font-weight: 400;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>17. STELLARDRONE <i>Light Years</i></b></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"></div></div>18. EMPTY DAYS </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;"><i>Empty Days</i></span><br /><b>19. ULVER <i>Messe I.X-VI.X</i></b><br /><b>20. LIZARD <i>Master & M</i></b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>21. BROTHER APE <i>Force Majeure</i></b><br /><b>22. MIDDAY VEIL <i>The Current</i></b><br />
</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">23. INNER EAR BRIGADE <i>Rainbro</i></span></b></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">24. MOTORPSYCHO <i>Still Life with Eggplant</i><br /></span></b><div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>25. SCARLET STORIES <i>Scarlet Stories</i></b><br />
<b>26. DAYS BETWEEN STATIONS <i>In Extremis</i></b><br />
<b>27. THIEVES' KITCHEN <i>One for Sorrow, Two for Joy</i></b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">28. INGRANAGGI DELLA VALLE <i>In hoc signo</i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-family: times;">29. THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE <i>The Tale of The Golden King</i></span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">30. UNREAL CITY <i>La crudelta di Aprile</i></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
31. THE GATHERING <i>Afterwords</i></div>
32. BEYOND-O-MATIC <i>Relations in the Border Between</i><br />
33. THE WORM OUROBOROS <i>Of Things That Never Were</i><br /><div style="margin: 0px;">34. VIENNA CIRCLE <i>Silhouette</i></div>35. STEVEN WILSON <i>The Raven That Refused to Sing (and Other Stories)</i></div><div style="margin: 0px;">36. HAKEN <i>The Mountain</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><u> 2012 </u></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. </b><b>VIOLETA DI OUTONO </b><b><b><i>Espectro</i></b></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>2. </b><b>IAMTHEMORNING ~</b><br />
<b>3. L'ESTATE DI SAN MARTINO <i>Talsette di Marsantino</i></b><br />
<b>4. SWANS </b><b><i>The Seer</i></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>5. KOTEBEL </b><b><i>Concerto for Piano and Electric Ensemble</i></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>6. </b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>BIG BIG TRAIN </b><b><i>English Electric, Part 1</i></b></span></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>7. </b><b>SYLVAN <i>Sceneries</i></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>8. BATTLESTATIONS </b><b><i>In a Cold Embrace</i></b></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>9. MAGMA </b><b><b><i>Félicité Thösz</i></b></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>10. THE TEA CLUB </b><b><i>Quickly, Quickly, Quickly</i></b><b> </b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><b><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><br /></b></div>11. </b><b>JENSEN CODE <i>The True Colors of Mars 2</i></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">12. I AND THOU <i>Speak</i> </span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-family: times;">13. NINE STONES CLOSE <i>One Eye on the Sunrise</i></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>14. </b><b>MYSTERY<i> The World Is a Game</i></b><br />
<b>15. ÄNGLAGÅRD </b><i><b>Viljans Ôga</b></i><br />
<b>16. DAAL <i>Dodecahedron</i></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>17. MOTORPSYCHO <i>The Death Defying Unicorn</i></b><br />
<b>18. VAURA <i>Selenelion</i></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. METHEXIS <i>The Fall of Bliss</i></b><br /><b>20. ARANIS <i>Made in Belgium</i></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">21. THE GATHERING <i>Disclosure</i></span></b></div></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">22. DEAD CAN DANCE <i>Anastasia</i><br /></span></b><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>23. ANATHEMA <i>Weather Systems</i><br />
24. CICADA <i>Let's Go</i><br /></b><b>25. THINKING PLAGUE <i>Decline and Fall</i></b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">26. TO-MERA <i>Exile</i><br />
27. 3RDEGREE <i>The Long Division</i></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-style: normal;">28. THE ENID </span>Invicta</b></span></i></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times; font-style: normal;"><b>29. DISTORTED HARMONY <i>Utopia</i></b></span></i></div></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">30. DEAN WATSON <i>Imposing Elements</i></span><br /><br /></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div><div style="margin: 0px;">RIVERSEA <i>Out of an Ancient Sea</i></div><div style="margin: 0px;">RHYS MARSH & THE AUTUMN GHOST <i>The Blue Hour</i></div></div></div></div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><div style="font-size: medium;"></div></span>
<div><br /></div><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><u> 2011 </u></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. THE AMAZING </b><b><i>Gentle Stream</i></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>2. </b><b style="background-color: transparent;">LAGARTIJA <i>Particelle</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">3.<i> </i>FAUN <i>Eden</i></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>4.</b><b> CORDE OBLIQUE <i>A Hail of Bitter Almonds</i></b><br /><b>5.</b><b><b> NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA <i>I a Moon</i></b></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times; font-weight: normal;"><b>6. SLEEPMAKESWAVES </b><b><i>…and so we destroyed everything</i></b></span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>7. </b><b>ANATHEMA </b><b><i>Falling Deeper</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">8. WOBBLER <i>Rites at Dawn</i></span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>9. </b><b>THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE </b><b><i>The Dream of the Magic Jongleur</i></b><br />
<b>10. </b><b>MY BROTHER THE WIND</b><b><i> I Wash My Soul in the Stream of Infinity</i></b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>11. PENDRAGON <i>Passion</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. KATE BUSH<i> 50 Words for Snow</i></b><br /></span><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"></div></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>13. AKT <i>Blemmebeya</i></b><br /></span><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>14</b><b>. CAMEMBERT<i> Schnörgl Attahk</i></b></span></div>
<b><span style="font-family: times;">15. CICADA <i>Pieces</i></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>16. </b><b>SANHEDRIN<i> Ever After</i></b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">17. SKE <i>1000 autunni</i></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-family: times;">18. WHITE WILLOW <i>Terminal Twilight</i></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. FREQUENCY DRIFT <i>Ghosts…</i></b><br /><b>20. AUTUMN CHORUS <i>The Village to the Vale</i></b><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">21. FAUNS <i>Awaiting the Sun</i></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">22. TUNE<i> Lucid Moments</i></span></b></div>
</div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">23. FEN <i>Epoch</i></span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>24. ABRETE GANDUL <i>Enjambre Sismico</i></b><br />
<b>25. IONA <i>Another Realm</i></b><br />
<b>26. DUNGEN <i>Skit I Allt</i></b><br />
<b>27. HUMBLE GRUMBLE <i>Flanders Fields</i></b><br />
<b>28. MOOGG <i>Le ore, i giorni, gli anni</i></b><br />
<b>29. FACTOR BURZACO <i>II</i></b><br /><b>30. TENHI <i>Saivo</i></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b><br /><div style="margin: 0px;">31. THE FUTURE KINGS OF ENGLAND <i>Who Is This Who Is Coming?</i> </div>32. KARDA ESTRA <i>New Worlds</i></div>
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33. INTROITUS <i>Elements</i></div>
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34. BON IVER</span><i style="background-color: white;"> Bon Iver</i><br />
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35. EDISON’S CHILDREN </span><i style="background-color: white;">In the Last Waking Moments</i><br />
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36. SOLUS3 <i>Corner of the World</i></div>
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37. UNEXPECT <i>Fables of the Sleepless Empire</i><br />
38. AMPLIFIER <i>The Octopus</i><br />
39. LEPROUS <i>Bilateral</i></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">40. DISCIPLINE </span><i style="background-color: white;">To Shatter All Accord</i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">
41. SEAN FILKINS </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i>War and Peace and Other Stories of Love and Hate</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><u> 2010 </u></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. </b><b>CICADA </b><b><i>Over the Sea/Under the Water</i></b><br />
<b>2. </b><b>FUNIN <i>Unsound</i></b><br />
<b>3. BROTHER APE <i> A Rare Moment of Insight</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>4.</b><b> </b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>DOMINA CATRINA LEE <i>Songs from the Breastbone Drum</i></b></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: times;">5. GIFTS FROM ENOLA <i>Gifts from Enola</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>6. </b><b>ATARAXIA <i>Llyr</i></b><br />
<b>7. VESPERO </b><b><b><b><i>By the Waters of Tomorrow</i></b></b></b><br />
<b>8. COLLAPSE UNDER THE EMPIRE </b><b><i>The Sirens Sound</i></b><br />
<b>9. </b><b>FOURTEEN TWENTY-SIX <i>Lighttown Closure</i></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: times;">10. CICCADA <i>A Child in the Mirror</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b><br /></b>
<b>11. </b><b>MY EDUCATION </b><i><b>Sunrise</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. MR. GIL <i>Skellig</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>13. ANATHEMA <i>We’re Here Because We’re Here</i></b><br />
<b>14. T <i>Anti-Matter Poetry</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>15. YUGEN<i> Iridule</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>16. LUNATIC SOUL<i> II</i></b><br />
<b>17. UNIVERS ZERO <i>Clivages</i></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: times;">18. FROGG CAFÉ <i>The Bateless Edge</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. ARANIS <i>RoqueForte</i></b><br />
<b>20. JAGA JAZZIST <i>One-armed Bandit</i></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b><br /></b>
<b>21. THE TEA CLUB <i>Rabbit</i></b><br />
<b>22. ALCEST <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Écailles de lune</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;">
<b>23. STICK MEN <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Soup</i></b><br />
<b>24. KHATSATURJAN <i>Disconcerto Grosso</i></b><br />
<b>25. HYPNOS 69 <i>Legacy</i></b><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>26. IL TEMPIO DELLE CLESSIDRE <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Il tempio delle Clessidre</i></b></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>27. QUANTUM FANTAY <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bridges of Kukuru</i></b></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>28. AREKNAMÉS <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In Case of Loss</i></b></span><br />
<b>29. ARGOS <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Circles</i></b><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>30. ALGERNON <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ghost Survelliance</i></b></span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span></i></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u style="font-style: normal;"><b>Honorable Mentions:</b></u></i></span></i></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">SHAOLIN DEATH SQUAD <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Five Deadly Venoms</i></span></i></span></i></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">DUNGEN <i>Skit I Altt</i><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">RED SPAROWES <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer</i></span></i></span></i></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">THE LENS <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Regeneration</i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Myth of Dying</i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b style="font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></i></b>
<i><br /></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><u> 2009 </u></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. </b><b>PROGHMA-C </b><b><i>Bar-do Travel </i></b><br />
<b>2. MAUDLIN OF THE WELL <i>Part the Second</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>3</b><b>. </b><b>THE BOX </b><b><i>D’après le horla de Montpassant</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. </b><b>AIRBAG </b><b><i>Identity</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">5. MAGMA <i>Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">6. MAD CRAYON <i>Preda</i></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>7. </b><b>CORDE OBLIQUE <i>The Stones of Naples</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>8. AISLES </b><b><i>In Sudden Walks</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>9.</b><b> </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">GA'AN - </b><b style="font-family: times;"><i>Ga'an</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: times;">10. BIG BIG TRAIN <i>The Underfall Yard</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">
<br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. </b><b>THE APPLESEED CAST <i>Sagarmatha</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. </b><b>TOE <i>For Long Tomorrow</i></b><br />
<b>13. THE CLIENTELE <i>Bonfires on the Heath</i></b><br />
<b>14. </b></span><b>BEARDFISH <i>Destined Solitaire</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: times;">15. ARCANE <i>Chronicles of the Waking Dream </i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: times;">16. THE NERVE INSTITUTE <i>Fictions</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">
<b>17. YVES POTIN <i>Out of The City</i></b><br />
<b>18. ANUBIS <i>230503</i></b><br />
<b>19. WOBBLER <i>Afterglow</i></b><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span">20. GÖSTA BERLINGS SAGA </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Detta Har Hänt</i></span></b><br /></span><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">21. CIRRUS BAY <i>A Step into Elsewhere</i></span></b></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>22. KOTEBEL <i>Ouroboros</i><br />23. </b><b>PINKROOM <i>Psychosolstice</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">24. IZZ <i>The Darkened Room</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">25. RISHLOO <i>Feathergun</i></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>26. DELIRIUM </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Il nome de vento</i><br /><b>27. iNFiNiEN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">iNFiNiEN</i><br /><b>28. MASTODON <i>Crack the Skye</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>29. CASPIAN <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tertia</i></b><b> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">30. KARNIVOOL <i>Sound Awake</i></span></b><br /><br /></span></div><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">FEN <i>The Malediction Fields</i></span></div><div>IOEARTH <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">IOEarth</i></div><div><div>KARDA ESTRA <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Weird Tales</i></div><div><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><u style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"> 2008 </u></div></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">1. NOSOUND <i>LightDark</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">2. DUNGEN <i>4</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">3</span></b><b><span style="font-family: times;">. JANNICK TOP <i>Infernal Machina</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. BERSARIN QUARTETT <i>Bersarin Quartett</i></b><br /><b>5. </b></span><b><span style="font-family: times;">DATURAH <i>Reverie</i></span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">6. JEAVESTONE <i>Spices, Species and Poetry Patrol</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>7</b></span><b style="font-family: times;">. PENDRAGON <i>Pure</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>8. FROM.UZ <i>The </i><i>Overlook</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>9. </b></span><b><span style="font-family: times;">UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA <i>The Magus</i></span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">10. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: times;">WILLOWGLASS<i> Book of Hours</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">11. THOM BRENNAN <i>Stories from the Forest</i></span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">12. DIAGONAL <i>Diagonal</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>13. </b><b>PINEAPPLE THIEF <i>Tightly Unwound</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">14. VON HERTZEN BROTHERS <span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Love Remains The Same</i></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>15. </b><b>MAGENTA <i>Metamorphosis</i></b><br /><b>16. </b><b style="text-align: center;">MILLENIUM <i>Exist</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">17. RATIONAL DIET <i>At Work</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>18. </b><b style="text-align: center;">PANDORA </b><i style="text-align: center;"><b>Dramma di un Poeta Ubriaco</b> </i></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">19. MOON SAFARI<i> Blomljud</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>20. </b><b style="text-align: center;">THIEVES' KITCHEN <i>The Water Road</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">21. FARMERS MARKET <i>Surfin' USSR</i></span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>22. VOTUM<i> Time Must Have a Stop</i></b><br /><b>23. SYRINX <i>Qualia</i></b><br /><b>24. JELLY FICHE <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tout ce que j’ai rêvé </i></b><br />
<b>25. FROST* <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Experiments in Mass Appeal</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">26. THE QUIET EARTH ORCHESTRA <i>The Quiet Earth Orchestra</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">27. LUNATIC SOUL <i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lunatic Soul</span> </i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">28. BELIEVE <i>Yesterday Is a Friend</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">29. MOONGARDEN <i>Songs from the Lighthouse</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">30. DARK SHOT <i>One Shot</i></span></b></div>
<br />
<b><u><i>Honorable Mentions: </i></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">SOMA PLANET <i>Bholenath</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">
PANZERBALLETT<i> Starke Stücke</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 2007 </u></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: times;">1. ULVER <i>Shadows of the Sun</i></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: times;">2. BIG BIG TRAIN <i>The Difference Machine</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: times;">3. HIROMI’S SONICBLOOM (HIROMI UEHARA) <i>Time Control</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. K</b><b>LAUS SCHULZE <i>Kontinuum</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>5. </b><b>VIOLETA DE OUTONO <i>Volume 7</i></b><br />
<b>6. MOTH VELLUM <i>Moth Vellum</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>7. </b><b>PORCUPINE TREE <i>Fear of a Blank Planet</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>8. </b><b>ELECTRIC ORANGE <i>Morbus</i></b><br />
<b>9. YVES POTIN <i>Elsewhere</i></b><br />
<b>10. GAZPACHO</b><b><i> Night</i></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>11. OMAR RODRIQUEZ-LOPEZ <i>The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. </b><b>ØRESUND SPACE COLLECTIVE<i> The Black Tomato</i></b><br />
<b>13. THORK <i>Nula Jedan</i></b><br />
<b>14. </b><b>QUIDAM <i>Alone Together</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">15. RADIOHEAD <i>In Rainbows</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>16. SETNA <i>Cycle I</i></b><br /><b>17. RETROSPECTIVE <i>Spectrum of the Green Morning</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>18. KNIGHT AREA<i> Under a New Sign</i></b><br />
<b>19. RIVERSIDE <i>Rapid Eye Movement</i></b><br />
<b>20. CORDE OBLIQUE<i> Volontà d'arte</i></b><br />
<b><br />21. SATELLITE <i>Into the Night</i><br />22. RITUAL<i> The Hemulic Voluntary Band</i><br />23. DEVIN TOWNSEND <i>Ziltoid the Omniscient</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">24. EPICA<i> The Divine Conspiracy</i></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">25. KARDA ESTRA <i>The Last of the Libertine</i><br />26. NIGHTWISH<i> Dark Passion Play</i></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">27. SENOGUL <i>Senogul</i></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">28. THE FLOWER KINGS<i> The Sum of No Evil</i></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">29. OCEANSIZE <i>Frames</i><br />30. THE REASONING <i>Awakening</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b><u>Honorable Mentions</u>:</b><br /></i><div>OUTERLIMITS<i> Stromalite</i></div>NEW TROLLS<i> Concerto Grosso, The Seven Seasons</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
MANNING<i> Songs from the Bilston House</i><br />
PHIDEAUX <i>Doomsday Afternoon</i><br />
THIS WILL DESTROY YOU<i> This Will Destroy You</i><br />
LAZULI <i>En avant doute...</i><br />
RATIONAL DIET <i>Rational Diet</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">DUNGEN <i>Tio Bittar<br /></i>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 2006 </u></b></span><br /><div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">1. KOTEBEL <i>Omphalos</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">2. PURE REASON REVOLUTION <i>The Dark Third</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>3. MAGYAR POSSE <i>Random Avenger</i></b><br /><b>4.</b><b> </b><b>SYLVAN <i>Posthumous Silence</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>5. </b><b>ROBIN GUTHRIE <i>Continental </i>and 2 EPS,<i> </i></b><b><i>Everlasting </i></b><b>and<i> Waiting For Dawn</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>6. KARDA ESTRA <i>The Age of Science and Enlightenment</i></b><br /><b>7. IONA <i>The Circling Hour</i></b><br /><b>8. PAATOS <i>Silence of Another Kind</i></b><br /><b>9. MAGISTER DIXIT <i>Cellules de Crises</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>10. </b><b>FROST* <i>Milliontown</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Double Eggs with Chips (and Beans)</i><br /><b>12. iNFiNiEN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">How to Accept</i><br /><b>13. ESPERS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">II</i><br /><b>14. MONO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">You Are There </i><br /><b>15. <span style="text-align: center;">VIIMA </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal; text-align: center;">Ajatuksia Maailman Laidalta</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">16. UZVA <i>Uomo</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>17</b><b>. OOIOO <i>TAIGA</i><br /></b><b>18. MIDLAKE <i>The Trials of Van Occupanther</i></b><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">19. RED SPAROWES <i>Every Red Heart Shines Towards the Red Sun</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">20. ØRESUND SPACE COLLECTIVE <i>Øresund Space Collective</i><br /></span></b><br /></div><div><b><i><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></i> </b></div><div><div><div>21. NEXUS <i>Perpetuum Karma</i></div><div></div><div></div>22. BELIEVE <i>Hope to See Another Day</i><br />23. TO-MERA<i> Transcendental</i></div><div></div>24. UNEXPECT <i>In a Flesh Aquarium</i></div><div>25. RUSSIAN CIRCLES<i> Enter</i></div><div>26. PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI <i>Stati di immaggionazione</i><br />27. ESTRADASPHERE<i> Palace of Mirrors</i><br />28. THE GATHERING <i>Home</i><br />29. THE D PROJECT <i>Shimmering Lights</i></div><div><span style="font-family: times; text-align: center;">30. </span>NEGURA BUNGET <i>Om</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 2005 </u></b></span><br /><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">1. <i>ODYSSEY: "The Greatest Tale"</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>2. </b><b>OCEANSIZE <i>Everyone Into Position</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">3. MEDIAEVAL BAEBES <i>Mirabilis</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. </b><b>NIL </b><b><i>Nil Novo Sol</i></b><br /><b>5. FAUN <i>Renaissance</i></b><br /><b>6. RIVERSIDE <i>Second Life Syndrome</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>7. </b><b>SEIGES EVEN <i>The Art of Navigating by the Stars</i> </b><br /><b>8.</b><b> PAT METHENY </b><b><i>The Way Up</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>9. </b><b>NOSOUND <i>Sol29</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">10. KATE BUSH <i>Aerial</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. </b><b>FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM <i>Mourning Sun</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">12. THE MARS VOLTA <i>Frances The Mute</i></span></b></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">13. KVAZAR <i>A Giant's Lullaby</i><br />14. KOENJI HYAKKEI <i>Angherr Shisspa</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">15. WILLOWGLASS <i>Willowglass</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">16. GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT <i>All Is Violent, All Is Bright</i><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">17. ANTHONY PHILLIPS <i>Field Day</i></span><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;">18. SIGUR ROS <i>Takk...</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. THE EVPATORIA REPORT <i>Golevka</i><br /></b><b>20. MY EDUCATION <i>Italian</i></b></span></div></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><u>Honorable Mentions</u>: </i></b></div><div></div><div>INDUKTI<i> S.U.S.A.R.</i></div><b></b><div>THE FUTURE KINGS OF ENGLAND <i>The Future Kings of England</i></div><div>RED SPAROWES <i>At the Soundless Dawn</i></div><div>PORCUPINE TREE<i> Deadwing</i></div>
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<div style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u> 2004 </u></b></div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. BARK PSYCHOSIS <i>Code Name: DustSucker</i></b><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>2. </b><b>MAGENTA <i>Seven</i></b></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>3. </b><b>AMAROK <i>Quentadharken</i></b></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>4. </b><b>MAGMA <i>K.A.</i></b></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. KARDA ESTRA <i>Voivode Dracula</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. PAATOS </b><b><i>Killo</i></b><b><i>cain</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. STEREOLAB <i>Margerine Eclipse</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. </b><b>DUNGEN<i> Ta Det Lugnt</i></b></span></span></div>
<div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. </b><b>DAVE BAINBRIDGE <i>Veil of Gossamer</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. ANGRA <i>Temple of Shadows</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. THORK<i> Weila</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>12. MY EDUCATION <i>5 Popes</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>13. SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEM<i> Of Natural History</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>14. INDUKTI <i>S.U.S.A.R.</i></b></span><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>15. WHITE WILLOW <i>Storm Season</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>16. ASTURIAS <i>Acoustic Asturias: Bird Eyes View</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>17. ORPHANED LAND<i> Mabool--The Story of the Three Sons of Seven7 </i></b></span></span></div>
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<div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>18. GUAPO<i> Five Suns</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>19. KNIGHT AREA<i> The Sun Also Rises</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><div><span style="font-size: small;"><b>20. MATTHEW PARMENTER <i>Astray</i></b></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></div>
</div><div style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><u><b>Honorable Mentions:</b></u></span><br /></i>
<span style="font-size: small;">BIG BIG TRAIN<i> Gathering Speed</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">IQ<i> Dark Matter</i></span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">MARILLION <i>Marbles</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">AYREON <i>The Human Equation</i></span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><div><span style="font-size: small;">UNIVERS ZERO <i>Implosion</i></span></div><div><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 2003 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. HANS ZIMMER </b><i><b>The Last Samurai </b>(Original Motion Picture Score)</i><br />
<b>2. MASSIVE ATTACK <i>100th Window</i></b><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>3. ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS <i>Mild Profundities</i></b></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>4. KARDA ESTRA <i>Constellations</i></b></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>5. Colossus/Musea Records presents: </b><i><b>Kalevala: A Finnish Progressive Rock Epic</b></i></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>6. </b><b>FAUN <i>Licht</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. </b><b>KAYO DOT <i>Choirs of the Eye</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. THE MARS VOLTA <i>De-loused in the Comatorium</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. </b></span><b>OCEANSIZE <i>Efflouresce</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. MEW <i>Frengers</i></b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: times;">NIL<i> Quarante jours sur le Sinaï </i></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b style="font-family: times;">12. SATELLITE <i>A Street Between Sunrise and Sunset</i></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: times;">13. RIVERSIDE<i> Out of Myself</i></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">14. LA MASCHERA DI CERA <i>Il Grande Labrinto</i></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">15. FROGG CAFÉ <i>Creatures</i> </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>16</b></span><b style="font-family: times;">. MOONGARDEN<i> Round Midnight</i></b></div></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>17</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>. TAAL <i>Skymind</i></b></span></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>18. THE GATHERING <i>Souvenirs</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>19. EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY <i>The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place</i></b></span><b style="font-family: times;"> </b></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>20. AFTER CRYING<i> Show</i></b></span></div></div></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u><b><i>Honorable Mentions:</i></b></u></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small;">ESPERS<i> Espers</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">BLUR <i>Think Tank </i></span></div><div>
<span style="font-size: small;">ARCADE FIRE <i>Arcade Fire</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">KBB <i>Four Corner's Sky</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">DJAM KARET <i>Night in Baku</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">OSI <i>Officeof Strategic Influence</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">ANATHEMA <i>A Natural Disaster</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">MAR DE ROBLES <i>Mar de Robles</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">ROBERT WYATT <i>Cuckooland</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 2002 </u></b></span><br /><div style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><b><span style="font-family: times;">1. PÄATOS <i>Timeloss</i></span></b></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">2. </span><span style="font-weight: 700;">THE FLAMING LIPS </span><i style="font-weight: 700;">Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">3. QUIDAM <i>The Time Beneath the Sky</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. DOVES </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Last Broadcast</i><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">5. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">SIGUR RÓS</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">( )</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">6. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">FAUN </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Zaubersprüche</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">7. BONDAGE FRUIT</span><span style="font-weight: 700;"> </span><i style="font-weight: 700;">V - Skin</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">8. </span><span style="font-weight: 700;">AGALLOCH </span><i style="font-weight: 700;">The Mantle</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. PAT METHENY</span><i style="font-weight: bold;"> Speaking of Now</i><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">10. </span><b>PAIN OF SALVATION <i>Remedy Lane</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;">11. 35007 <i>Liquid</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">12. IZZ<i> I Move</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">13</span><b>. THE FLOWER KINGS<i> Unfold the Future</i></b><span style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">14. GRAND STAND <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tricks of Time</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">15</span><b><span>. KENSO </span><span><i>Fabulis Mirabilibus De Bombycosi Scriptis</i></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span>16. LA MASCHERA DI CERA </span><i>La Maschera di Cera</i></span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="background-color: white;"><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span>17. TAAL </span><i>Skymind</i></span></b></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">18. FROGG CAFÉ<i> Frogg Café</i></span></b></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. </b><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span>PORCUPINE TREE</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><i>In Absentia</i></b></span></div><div><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span><span style="font-family: times;">20. GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR <i>Yanqui U.X.O.</i></span><br /><br /></span></b></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><u>Honorable Mentions</u>:</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">TÉMPANO</span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> The Agony and the Ecstacy</i></div><div><span>PETER GABRIEL</span><i> Up</i></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">MOTORPSYCHO </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">It's a Love Cult</i></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">PARALLEL OR 90 DEGREES </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">More Exotic Ways To Die</i></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">ULVER <i>Lyckantropen Themes</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">HIDRIA SPACEFOLK<i> Symbiosis</i> </div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i></i></div><b><br /></b></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 2001 </u></b></span><br /><div style="font-size: medium;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><b>1. </b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>BJORK <i>Vespertine</i></b></span></b><br /><b>2. </b><b style="background-color: white;"><div style="display: inline; margin: 0px;"><b><div style="display: inline; margin: 0px;"><b><div style="display: inline; margin: 0px;"><b>MOTORPSYCHO <i>Phanerothyme</i></b></div></b></div></b></div></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">3. MAUDLIN OF THE WELL <i>Leaving Your Bodymap</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. </b><b>KARDA ESTRA <i>Eve</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>5. </b><b>KOENJI HYAKKEI <i>Nivraym</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">6. MAUDLIN OF THE WELL <i>Bath</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">7. SEVEN REIZH <i>Strinkadenn Ys</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">8. STEREOLAB <i>Sound-Dust</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>9. </b><b>TOOL <i>Lateralus</i></b><br /><b>10. </b><b style="text-align: center;">BUBBLEMATH <i>Such Fine Particles of the Universe</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. OPETH </b><b><i>Blackwater Park</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">12. ANATHEMA <i>A Fine Day to Exit</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">13. THE WATCH <i>Ghost</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>14. NO-MAN </b><b><i>Returning Jesus</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">15. HAMADRYAD<i> Conservation of Mass</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">16. BILL BRUFORD'S EARTHWORKS <i>The Sound of Surprise</i></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: times;">17. NEXUS <i>Metanoia</i></span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>18. </b><b style="text-align: center;">PÄR LINDH PROJECT <i>Veni, Vidi, Vici</i></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">19. PEKKA POHJOLA <i>Views</i></span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">20. JAGA JAZZIST<i> A Livingroom Hush</i></span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div><br /></div><div><b><i><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></i></b> </div><div>PALLAS <i>The Cross & The Crucible</i></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div><br /></div></div><span style="font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 2000 </u></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. DOVES <i>Lost Souls</i><br />2. IONA <i>Open Sky </i><br />3. THE GATHERING <i>If_then_else </i><br />4. KBB <i>Lost and Found </i><br />5. PORCUPINE TREE <i>Lightbulb Sun </i><br />6. COLDPLAY <i>Parachutes <br /></i>7. RADIOHEAD <i>Kid A <br /></i>8. THE FLOWER KINGS <i>Space Revolver </i><br />9. CABEZAS DE CERA <i>Cabezas de Cera </i><br />10. WHITE WILLOW <i>Sacrament </i><br /><br />11. </b><b>EVERON <i>Fantasma</i></b></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. TAAL <i>Mister Green </i><br />13. CHROMA KEY <i>You Go Now</i> <br />14. ULVER <i>Peredition City</i> <br />15. DON CABALLERO American Don <br />16. CAFEINE <i>Nouveaux mondes </i><br />17. GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR <i>Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven </i><br />18. DEADWOOD FOREST <i>Melodramatic </i><br />19. TRISTEZA <i>Dream Signals in Full Circles</i> <br />20. </b><b>PAIN OF SALVATION <i>The Perfect Element - Part 1</i></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div></div></div><div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><i>Honorable Mentions:</i></u></b></span></div><div>SYMPHONY X <i>V - The New Mythology Suite </i></div></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div>ECHOLYN<i> Cowboy Poems Free</i><br />STEVE & JOHN HACKETT <i>Sketches of Satie</i></div>STEVE WALSH <i>Glossolalia</i><div>FATES WARNING <i>Disconnected</i></div></div></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1999 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1. SIGUR RÓS Á<i>gætus Byrjun</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">2. OLGA KHARITIDI & JIM WILSON </span><span><i>Entering the Circle</i></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>3. PERRY BLAKE <i>Still Life</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. THE FLOWER KINGS <i>Flower Power</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>5. EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL <i>Temperamental</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>6. ON THE VIRG <i>Serious Young Insects</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">7.<i> </i></span></span></b></span><b style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">CAMEL <i>Rajaz</i></span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">8. JOHN CORIGLIANO <i>The Red Violin</i> <i>(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)</i></span><br />9. DAVID SYLVIAN <i>Dead Bees on a Cake</i></span><br /></b></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">10. </span>FINISTERRE <i>In ogni luogo</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">11. </span>THE FLAMING LIPS <i>The Soft Bulletin</i></b></span></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">12. MR. BUNGLE <i>California</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">13. </span>ANEKDOTEN <i>From Within</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">14. </span><span style="background-color: white;">LINKIN PARK <i>Hybrid Theory</i></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>15. DIDO <i>No Angel</i><br /></b></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">16. ANATHEMA <i>Judgment</i></span><br />
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>17. BILL BRUF/ORD'S EARTHWORKS <i>A Part, and Yet Apart</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">18. BONDAGE FRUIT <i>IV</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">19. LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT <i>2</i></span><br />20. SINKADUS Cirkus<br /><br /></b></span></div></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span><br /></i></div><div>OPETH <i>Still Life<br /></i></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">THE BETA BAND <i>The Beta Band</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">FRENCH TV <i>The Violence of Amateurs</i></span></div><div>DREAM THEATRE <i>Scenes from a Memory</i></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">PORCUPINE TREE </span><i style="font-family: times;">Stupid Dream</i></div><div>SOLARIS <i>Nostrodamus: Book of Prophecies</i></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA <i>Rituel Alieno</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1998 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1. MASSIVE ATTACK <i>Mezzanine</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2. </span>CARLOS NAKAI & NAWANG KHECHOG <i>Winds of Devotion</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">3. BRUFORD LEVIN UPPER EXTREMITIES <i>Bruford Levin Upper Extremities</i></span><br />4. THINKING PLAGUE<i> In Extremis</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">5. </span>CHROMA KEY <i>Dead Air for Radios</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">6. THE GATHERING <i>How to Measure a Planet?</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">7. ABRAXAS <i>Centurie</i></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">8. ANATHEMA <i>Alternative 4</i></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">9. AYREON <i>Into The Electric Castle</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">10. </span><span style="font-size: small;">TORTOISE <i>TNT</i></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span>
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span><br /></i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">NIGHTWISH <i>Oceanborn</i></span><br />MORTE MACABRE<i> Symphonic Holocaust</i></span><br />MESHUGGAH<i> Chaosphere</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1997 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1. STEREOLAB <i>Dots and Loops</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2. ALAIN ESKANAZI/BRAINSCAPES <i>Chakradancer</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. </span>PAT METHENY <i>Imaginary Day</i><br />4. PÄR LINDH PROJECT <i>Mundus Incompertus</i><br /><div>5. HÖYRY-KONE <i>Huono Parturi</i></div><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></b></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>6. OLIVE <i>Extra Virgin</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>7. MONO <i>Formica Blues</i></b></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>8. BJÖRK <i>Homogenic</i><br />9. VOLARÉ <i>Uncertainty Principle</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">10. RADIOHEAD <i>OK Computer</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">11. THE FLOWER KINGS <i>Stardust We Are</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">12. THE GATHERING <i>Nighttime Birds</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">13. ART ZOYD <i>Häxan</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">14. IN THE WOODS <i>Omnio</i></span><br />
</b></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">15.</span> DISCIPLINE <i>Unfolded Like Staircase</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;">16. FATES WARNING <i>A Pleasant Shade of Gray</i></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>17. AFTER CRYING <i>6</i><br /></b></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">18. SINKADUS<i> Aurum Nostrum</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">19. ROBERT WYATT <i>Shleep</i></span><br /><b>20. DJAM KARET </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Devouring</i><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><i><br /></i></u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><i>Honorable Mentions:</i></u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">DAVID CROSS <i>Exiles</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">BONDAGE FRUIT <i>III - Récit</i><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">SYMPHONY X<i> The Divine Wings of Tragedy<br /></i><i><br /><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1996 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1. LANDBERK <i>Indian Summer</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2. EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL <i>Walking Wounded</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. BONDAGE FRUIT <i>II</i></span><br />4. RUYICHI SAKAMOTO <i>1996</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. DEAD CAN DANCE <i>Spiritchaser</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">6. QUIDAM <i>Quidam</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">7. ANGRA <i>Holy Land</i></span></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">8. </span>OLIVE <i>Extra Virgin</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>9. ULVER <i>Kveldssanger</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">10. AFTER CRYING <i>De Profundis</i></span><br /><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><div style="background-color: white;">11. STEREOLAB <i><span>Emperor's Tomato Ketchup</span> </i></div><span>12. JAMIROQUAI <i>Travelling Without Moving</i></span><br />13. SHIELA CHANDRA <i>Bone Crone Drone</i></span><br /><div>14. TOOL <i>Ænima</i></div>15. FIONA APPLE <i>Tidal</i><br /><span style="background-color: white;">16. PAULA COLE <i>This Fire</i></span><br style="background-color: white;" /><div>17. CARDIACS <i>Sing to God</i></div></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">18. PORCUPINE TREE <i>Signify</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">19. STEVE HACKETT <i>Genesis Revisited</i></span><br />
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>20. BECK <i>Odelay</i></b></span><br /><br /></span></div><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></i><div><span style="font-size: small;">TORTOISE <i>Millions Now Living Will Never Die</i></span></div>KULA SHAKER <i>K</i><br /><div>THE FLOWER KINGS <i>Retropolis</i></div><div>PENDRAGON <i>The Masquerade Overture<br /></i>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1995 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1. PORCUPINE TREE <i>Sky Moves Sideways</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2. STANLEY CLARKE, AL DI MEOLA, & JEAN-LUC PONTY <i>Rites</i> <i>of</i> <i>Strings</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3. <span style="background-color: white;">THE TEA PARTY <i>The Edges of Twilight</i></span></span></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. THE FLOWER KINGS <i>Back in the World of Adventures</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">5. SECRET GARDEN <i>Songs from a Secret Garden </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">6. VANGELIS <i>Voices</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><div><span style="font-size: small;">7. ALANIS MORISSETTE <i>Jagged Little Pill</i></span></div>8. CASSANDRA WILSON <i>New Moon Daughter</i><br />9. </span>NATALIE MERCHANT <i>Tiger Lily</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>10. PAT METHENY GROUP <i>We Live Here</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">11. </span><span style="font-size: small;">DUNWICH </span><i>Il chiarore sorge due volte</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. MR. BUNGLE <i>Disco Volante</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>13. BJÖRK <i>Post</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">14. DON CABALLERO <i>2</i><br />15. KLAUS SCHULZE <i>In Blue</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">14. RADIOHEAD <i>The Bends</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">15. ANNIE LENNOX <i>Medusa</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">16. TO ROCOCO ROT <i>To Rococo Rot</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">17. ALBION <i>Albion</i></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>18. SCOTT WALKER <i>Tilt</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. KING CRIMSON <i>Thrak </i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>20. ANEKDOTEN <i>Nucleus</i></b></span></div><div><b><br /></b></div><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span><br /></i><div>GARBAGE <i>Garbage</i><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">THE GATHERING <i>Mandylion</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1994 </u></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1. LANDBERK <i>One Man Tells Another</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">2. BONDAGE FRUIT <i>I</i></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">3. COLLAGE <i>Moonshine</i></span><br /></b></span><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>4. BARK PSYCHOSIS <i>Hex</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">5. JON ANDERSON <i>Change We Must</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">6. SEAL <i>II</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">7. KINGSTON WALL <i>III: Trilogy</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">8. ÄNGLAGÅRD <i>Epilog</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">9. </span></b></span><b style="background-color: white;">VANGELIS <i>Blade Runner OST</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">10. PÁR LINDH PROJECT <i>Gothic Impressions</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">11. JULIA FORDHAM <i>Falling Forward</i></span><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL <i>Amplified Heart</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>13</b></span><b style="font-family: times;">. AFTER CRYING <i>Föld És Ég</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>14. OZRIC TENTACLES <i>Arborescence</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>15. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">DREAM THEATER <i>Awake</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">16. DES'REE <i>I Ain't Movin' </i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>17. BEASTIE BOYS <i>Ill Communication</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>18. ROINE STOLT <i>The Flower King</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>19. MARILLION<i> Brave</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">20. CITZEN CAIN <i>Somewhere But Yesterday</i></span><br /><br /></span></div><div><div><b><u><i>Honorable Mentions:</i></u></b></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">CLEPSYDRA<i> More Grains of Sand</i></span></span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">PORTISHEAD <i>Dummy</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">SOUNDGARDEN <i>Superunknown</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">THE CRANBERRIES <i>No Need to Argue</i></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1993 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1. OZRIC TENTACLES <i>Jurassic Shift</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2. JANET JACKSON <i>Janet.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3. COCTEAU TWINS <i>Four-Calendar Café</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">4. NEW ORDER <i>Republic</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. </span></span>CONCRETE BLONDE <i>Mexican Moon</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>6. ISRAEL KAMAKAWIWO'OLE <i>Facing Future</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">7. DEAD CAN DANCE <i>Into the Labyrinth</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">8. DEPECHE MODE <i>Songs of Faith and Devotion</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">9. KINGSTON WALL <i>II</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">10. DURAN DURAN <i>Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)</i></span></b></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span><br /></i>
<span style="font-size: small;">CYNIC <i>Focus</i></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">IONA <i>Beyond These Shores</i></span></div><div>BJÖRK <i>Debut</i></div><div>
THE CRANBERRIES <i>Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?</i><br />
LENNY KRAVITZ <i>Are You Going to Go My Way?</i></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">PATRICK GAUTHIER <i>Sur les flots verticaux </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">VOIVOD <i>The Outer Limits</i> </span><br style="font-family: times;" /><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1992 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1. SADE <i>Love Deluxe</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2. PAT METHENY <i>Secret Story</i></span><br />
3. AFTER CRYING <i>Megalázottak é Megszomorítottak</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. SWING OUT SISTER <i>Get In Touch With Yourself</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times;"><b>5. LUKA BLOOM <i>The Acoustic Motorbike</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>6. OPUS III <i>Mind Fruit</i></b></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>7. <span style="font-size: small;">ECHOLYN <i>Suffocating the Bloom</i></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>8. K.D. LANG <i>Ingénue</i><br />9. TORIO AMOS <i>Little Earthquakes</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>
10. PAUL WELLER <i>Paul Weller</i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. THE CHURCH <i>Priest=Aura</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. IONA<i> The Book of Kells</i></b></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">13. ALICE IN CHAINS<i> Dirt</i></span><br />14. ÄNGLAGÅRD <i>Hybris</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>15. PSYCHOTIC WALTZ <i>Into The Everflow</i></b></span></div><div><span><span><span style="font-family: times;"><b>16. DREAM THEATER<i> Images and Words</i></b></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>17. KINGSTON WALL <i>I </i></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b>18. LUSH <i>Spooky</i></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b>19. ANNIE LENNOX Diva</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b>20. THE CURE <i>Wish</i></b></span></div><div><br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span><br /></i></div><div><div>PETER GABRIEL <i>Us</i></div><div><div><span style="background-color: white;">SUZANNE VEGA <i>99.9ª F</i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">STONE TEMPLE PILOTS<i> Core</i></span></div><div>MONTEFELTRO <i>Il Tempo di Far la Fantasia</i></div></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1991 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1. JULIA FORDHAM <i>Swept</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2. ANDY M. STEWART <i>Songs of Robert Burns</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3. LUTHER VANDROSS <i>Power of Love</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">4. SOUL FAMILY SENSATION <i>New Wave</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">5. </span>MR. BUNGLE <i>Mr. Bungle</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>6. SEAL <i>Seal</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">7. PEARL JAM <i>Ten</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">8. P.M. DAWN </span><i><span style="font-size: small;">Of The Heart, Of The Soul And Of The Cross: The Utopian Experience</span></i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">9. LLOYD COLE <i>Don't Get Weird on Me, Babe</i></span><br /><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. MICKEY HART <i>Planet Drum</i><br />
12. RAIN TREE CROW <i>Rain Tree Crow</i><br />
</b></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">13. MY BLODDY VALENTINE <i>Loveless</i></span><br /></b></span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b>14. KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION <i>Strange Free World</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">15. MASSIVE ATTACK <i>Blue Lines</i></span><br />16. ROBERT WYATT <i>Dondestan</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>17. TALK TALK <i>Laughing Stock</i><br /><span style="background-color: white;">18. KLF <i>The White Room</i></span><br /></b></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. CLEPSYDRA <i>Hologram</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>20. DJAM KARET</b></span><i><span style="font-family: times;"><b> Burning the Hard City</b></span><br /></i></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><i>Honorable Mentions:</i></u></b></span><i><br /></i></div><div>PENDRAGON <i>The World</i><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">ATHEIST <i>Unquestionable Presence</i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">THE COMMITMENTS <i>The Commitments</i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">THE DREAM ACADEMY <i>A Different Kind of Weather </i></span><br style="background-color: white;" /></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div>
<i><br /></i>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1990 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1. JONN SERRIE <i>Tingri</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2. </span></b></span><b style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">OTTMAR LIEBERT <i>Nouveau Flamenco</i></span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. AFTER CRYING <i>Overground Music</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">4. DEAD CAN DANCE <i>Aion</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">5. </span><span style="font-size: small;">COLLAGE <i>Basnie</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">6. </span></b></span><b style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">ENIGMA <i>MCMXC a.D.</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>7. HAPPY MONDAYS <i>Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches</i><br /></b></span><div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>8. ANTHONY PHILLIPS <i>Slow Dance</i></b></span></div></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">9. MR. SIRIUS <i>Dirge</i></span><br />
</b></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>10. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">OZRIC TENTACLES <i>Erpland</i></b></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">11. THE SUNDAYS <i>Reading, Writing and Arithmetic</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">12. LUSH <i>Gala</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">13. GEORGE MICHAEL <i>Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">14. ASTURIAS <i>Brilliant Streams</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">15. MY BLOODY VALENTINE<i> Glider</i></span><br /><b>16. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times;">PROPAGANDA </span><i style="font-family: Times;">1234</i><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">17. TOAD THE WET SPROCKET <i>Pale</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">18. TRASHCAN SINATRAS <i>Cake</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. KALABAN <i>Don't Panic</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>20. PETER MURPHY <i>Deep</i></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span><br /></i><span style="font-size: small;"><div><span style="font-family: times;">SOLARIS <i>Solaris 1990</i></span></div>RIDE <i>Nowhere</i><br /><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1989 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. THE CURE <i>Disintegration</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. KATE BUSH <i>The Sensual World</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. JULIA FORDHAM <i>Porcelain</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. SWING OUT SISTER <i>Kaleidoscope World</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. </b></span><b>PAZZO FANFANO DI MUSICA <i>Pazzo Fanfano di Musica</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">6. BLUE NILE <i>Hats</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. MARY BLACK <i>No Frontiers </i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. TEARS FOR FEARS <i>The Seeds of Love</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. PAT METHENY GROUP <i>Letter from Home</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. JANE SIBERRY<i> Bound by the Beauty</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">11. PETER MURPHY <i>Deep</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">12. THE NEVILLE BROTHERS <i>Yellow Moon</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">13. ALLAN HOLDSWORTH <i>Secrets</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">14. XTC <i>Oranges and Lemons</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">15. PETER GABRIEL <i>Passion</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">16. YOUNG MC <i>Stone Cold Rhymin'</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">17. SIMPLY RED <i>A New Flame </i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">18. INDIGO GIRLS <i>Indigo Girls</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">19. NEIL YOUNG <i>Freedom</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">20. STEVE REICH <i>Different Trains</i></span></span><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>
<i><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b><br /></i><span style="font-size: small;">CARDIACS <i>On Land and Sea</i></span><br />HECENIE <i>Légendes</i></div><div>LISA STANSFIELD <i>Affection</i><br />THE STONE ROSES <i>The Stone Roses</i><br />
PRIMUS <i>Suck on This!</i><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1988 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL <i>Idlewild</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. LOVE AND MONEY <i>Strange Kind of Love</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. COCTEAU TWINS <i>Blue Bell Knoll</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. SADE <i>Stronger Than Pride</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. LES NEGRESSES VERTES <i>Mlah!</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. THE STYLE COUNCIL <i>Confessions of a Pop Group</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. WIM MERTENS <i>Whisper Me</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. </b></span><b>BRUCE COCKBURN <i>Big Circumstance</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. </b></span></span><b>MARK ISHAM <i>Original Soundtrack Music for the film </i>Les Modernes</b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">10. JANE SIBERRY <i>The Walking</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. PREFAB SPROUT <i>From Langley Park to Memphis</i></b></span><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">12. GALADRIEL <i>Muttered Promises from an Ageless Pond</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">13. BOBBY BROWN <i>Don't Be Cruel</i><br />
14. OFRA HAZA <i>Shaday</i><br />
15. TALK TALK <i>Spirit of Eden</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">16. </span>DEAD CAN DANCE<i> The Serpent's Egg</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">17. GIPSY KINGS <i>Gipsy Kings</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">18. FRANK ZAPPA <i>You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 2</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">19. JOHNNY HATES JAZZ <i>Turn Back the Clock</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">20. </span></span><span style="font-family: times;">SUGARCUBES </span><i style="font-family: times;">Life's Too Good</i></div><div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span><br /></i>
<span style="font-size: small;">THOMAS DOLBY <i>Aliens Ate My Buick</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">MIDAS <i>Beyond the Clear Air</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">TONI CHILDS<i> Union</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">HOTHOUSE FLOWERS <i>People</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">JULIA FORDHAM<i> Julia Fordham</i></span></div><div>ASTURIAS <i>Circle in the Forest<br /></i>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1987 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. SWING OUT SISTER <i>It's Better to Travel</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. </b></span><b>PAT METHENY GROUP<i> Still Life (Talking)</i></b><br />
<b>3. MR. SIRIUS <i>Barren Dream</i></b><br />
<b>4. THE CURE <i>Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. DAVID SYLVIAN <i>Secrets of the Beehive</i></b></span><br />
<b>6. LES MYSTÈRES DES VOIX BULGARES <i>Les Mystères des Voix Bulgares</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. GEORGE MICHAEL <i>Faith</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. PRINCE <i>Sign 'O The Times</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. THE ART OF NOISE <i>In No Sense? Nonsense!</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>10. DANNY WILSON <i>Meet Danny Wilson</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. </b></span><b>DEAD CAN DANCE <i>Within the Realm of a Dying Sun</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>12. JANE SIBERRY <i>The Walking</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>13. DEF LEPPARD <i>Hysteria</i></b></span><br />
14. JOHN SERRIE <i>And The Stars Go With You</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">15. LOVE AND ROCKETS <i>Earth, Sun, Moon</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">16</span><span style="font-size: small;">. ROBBIE ROBERTSON <i>Robbie Robertson</i></span><br />17. SUZANNE VEGA<i> Solitude Standing</i></span></div><div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">18. U2<i> The Joshua Tree</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">19. DEPECHE MODE<i> Music for The Masses</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">20. WHITESNAKE<i> Whitesnake</i></span><br />
</span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">21. PET SHOP BOYS<i> Actually</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">22. STING<i> ...Nothing Like The Sun</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">23. ZAKIR HUSSEIN <i>Making Music</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">24. BILL BRUFORD'S EARTHWORKS <i>Earthworks</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">25. RYUICHI SAKAMOTO <i>Neo Geo</i></span><br />26. SWANS <i>Children of God</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">27. </span>DAVID TORN <i>Cloud About Mercury</i></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">28. JANE'S ADDICTION </span><i style="font-family: times;">Jane's Addiction</i></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">29</span></span>. VIOLETA DE OUTONO <i>Violeta de Outono</i></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">30. </span><span style="background-color: white;">ALLAN HOLDWORTH <i>Sand</i></span></div><div><br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span><br /></i></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">VOIVOD </span><i style="text-align: center;">Killing Technology</i></div><div><i style="text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1986 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. ANITA BAKER <i>Rapture</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. </b></span><b>RYUICHI SAKAMOTO <i>I</i><i>llustrated Musical Encyclopedia</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">3. DAVID SYLVIAN <i>Gone to Earth</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. </b></span><b>THE MOON AND THE MELODIES <i>The Moon and the Melodies</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. COCTEAU TWINS <i>Victorialand</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. </b></span><b>ROSIE VELA <i>Zazu</i></b></span><br /><b>7. JULIAN BREAM, JOHN ELIOT GARDINER and THE MONTIVERDI ORCHESTRA <i>Rodrigo's Concerto de Aranjuez</i></b><br /></span><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">8. EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL <i>Baby, The Stars Shine Bright</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. ASTOR PIAZZOLLA <i>Tango: Zero Hour</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">10. </span>XTC <i>Skylarking</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">11. PETER GABRIEL <i>So</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">12. PET SHOP BOYS <i>Please</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">
13. THE BEASTIE BOYS <i>Licensed to Ill</i><br />
14. TALK TALK <i>The Colour of Spring</i><br />
15. CLAN OF XYMOX <i>Medusa</i><br />
16. CLAIRE HAMMILL <i>Voices</i><br />
17. IT'S IMMATERIAL<i> Life's Hard and Then You Die</i><br />
18. JANET JACKSON <i>Control</i><br />
19. WHAM! <i>Music from the Edge of Heaven</i><br />20. CAMEO <i>Word Up!</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">21. CROWDED HOUSE<i> Crowded House</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">22. THE HOUSEMARTINS<i> London 0 Hull 4 </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">23. THIS MORTAL COIL <i>Filigree and Shadow</i><br />
24. HERBERT VON KARAJAN / BERLIN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA <i>Beethoven: Symphony NO. 9 "Choral"</i><br />
25. CHRIS REA <i>On The Beach</i><br />
26. HERBIE HANCOCK & Others<i> 'Round Midnight Movie Soundtrack</i><br />
27. UNIVERS ZERO <i>Heatwave</i><br />
28</span><span style="font-family: times;">. AIN SOPH </span><i style="font-family: times;">Hat and Field</i></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">29. NEWS FROM BABEL <i>Letters from Home</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">30. THE LOVER SPEAKS <i>The Lover Speaks</i></span></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><i>Honorable Mentions:</i></u></b></div><div>CAMBERWELL NOW<i> The Ghost Trade</i></div><div>SHUB_NIGGURATH <i>Les Morts Vont Vite</i></div><div>THE BLOW MONKEYS <i>Animal Magic</i></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">ROBERT CRAY</span><i style="font-family: times;"> Strong Persuader</i></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1985 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. COCTEAU TWINS <i>Tiny Dynamine/Echoes on a Shallow Bay</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. THE DREAM ACADEMY <i>The Dream Academy</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. TEARS FOR FEARS <i>Songs from the Big Chair</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. PREFAB SPROUT <i>Steve McQueen</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. COCTEAU TWINS <i>Aikea-Guinea</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. DIF JUZ <i>Extractions</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. KATE BUSH <i>Hounds of Love</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. PROPAGANDA <i>A</i> <i>Secret Wish</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. YELLO <i>Stella</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. MINIMAL COMPACT <i>Raging Souls</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. </b></span><b>DEAD CAN DANCE <i>Spleen and Ideal</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>12. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL <i>Love Not Money</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>13. KIP HANRAHAN <i>Vertical's Currency</i></b></span><br /><b>14. CLANNAD <i>Macalla</i></b><br />
<b>15. THE STYLE COUNCIL <i>Our Favourite Shop</i></b><br />
<b>16. SADE <i>Promise</i></b><br />
<b>17. PHAROAH SANDERS <i>Shukuru</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>18. </b></span><b>LOREENA McKENNITT <i>Elemental</i></b><br />
19. JANE SIBERRY <i>The Speckless Sky</i><br />20. THE SMITHS <i>Meat Is Murder</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">21. SUZANNE VEGA <i>Suzanne Vega</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">22. RY COODER <i>Paris, Texas</i></span><br />
23. ANNE PIGALLE <i>Everything Could Be So Perfect</i><br />
24. SIMPLY RED <i>Picture Book</i><br />
25. PENDRAGON <i>The Jewel</i> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">26. RUN-D.M.C. <i>King of Rock</i><br />
27. BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE <i>This Is Big Audio Dynamite</i><br />
28. GENE LOVES JEZEBEL <i>Immigrant</i><br />
29. PAUL HARDCASTLE <i>Paul Hardcastle</i><br />30. BRIN FERRY <i>Boys and Girls</i><br /></span><b><br /></b>
<i><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b><br /></i><span style="font-family: times;">CLAN OF XYMOX <i>Clan of Xymox</i></span><br />PRESENT <i>Le poison qui rend fou<br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1984 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. DAVID SYLVIAN <i>Brilliant Trees</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. COCTEAU TWINS<i> Treasure</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL <i>Everything But the Girl</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL <i>Eden</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. NEWCLEUS <i>Jam on Revenge</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6</b></span><b>. FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD <i>Welcome to the Pleasuredome</i></b><br /><b>7. BRUCE COCKBURN <i>Stealing Fire</i></b><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. JANE SIBERRY <i>No Borders Here</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. </b></span><b>PAT METHENY GROUP<i> First Circle</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>10</b></span><b>.</b><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span><b>SOLSTICE <i>Silent Dance</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">11. THE STYLE COUNCIL <i>Café bleu</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>12. HOWARD JONES <i>Human's Lib</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>13. CHANGE <i>Change of Heart</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>14. </b></span><b>PRINCE <i>Purple Rain</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b style="background-color: white;">15. MANUEL GÖTTSCHING <i>E2-E4</i></b><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>16. LAURIE ANDERSON <i>Mister Heartbreak</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>17. DAVID GILMOUR <i>About Face</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>18. M + M <i>Mystery Walk</i></b></span><br /><b>19. XTC<i> The Big Express</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">20. U2 <i>Unforgettable Fire</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>21. SOLARIS <i>Marsbéli Krónikák (Martian Chronicles)</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>22. NEVILLE MARRINER AND THE ACADEMY OF ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS </b><i><b>Amadeus </b>(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>23. </b><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">LOS JAIVAS <i>Obras de Violeta Parra</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">24. SADE <i>Diamond Life</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>25. DAVID & STEVE GORDON <i>Peaceful Evening</i></b></span><br />
26. CAMEO <i>She's Strange</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">27. WHODINI <i>Escape</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">28. AMBITOUS LOVERS <i>Envy</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">29. KING CRIMSON <i>Three of a Perfect Pair</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">30. RUN-D.M.C. <i>Run-D.M.C.</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">31. JOE JACKSON <i>Body and Soul</i></span><br />32. UNIVERS ZERO <i>Uzed</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">33. TALK TALK <i>It's My Life</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">34. ART OF NOISE <i>Who's Afraid of The Art of Noise?</i><br />35. THE SMITHS <i>The Smiths</i><br />36. STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN AND DOUBLE TROUBLE <i>Couldn't Stand the Weather</i><br />37. MICHAEL HEDGES <i>Aerial Boundaries</i><br />38. AL JARREAU <i>High Crime</i><br />39. DON HENLEY <i>Building the Perfect Beast</i><br />40. NENA <i>99 Luftballons</i></span><br /><br /></div><i><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b><br /></i><div>
THE CARS <i>Heartbeat City</i><br />
SIMPLE MINDS <i>Sparkle in the Rain</i><br />
CLANNAD <i>Legend</i><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1983 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. </b></span><b>THE FIXX <i>Reach the Beach</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. </b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AZTEC CAMERA <i>High Land, Hard Rain</i></b></span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">3. TEARS FOR FEARS <i>The Hurting</i></span></b></div><div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. BARBRA STREISAND <i>Yentl</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. BRUCE COCKBURN<i> The Trouble with Normal</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. XTC <i>Mummer</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. GENESIS <i>Genesis</i></b></span><br />
<b>8. RE-FLEX<i> The Politics of Dancing</i></b><br />
<b>9. AMENOPHIS <i>Amenophis</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>10. JEAN-LUC PONTY <i>Individual Choice</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. MARK ISHAM <i>Vapor Drawings</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>12. U2 <i>War</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>13. </b></span><b>THE STYLE COUNCIL <i>Introducing The Style Council</i></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">14. </span><span style="font-size: small;">A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS <i>Listen</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">15. ROBERT PALMER <i>Pride</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">16. MARIANNE FAITHFULL <i>A Child's Adventure</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">17. JAH WOBBLE, THE EDGE, HOLGER CZUKAY <i>Snake Charmer</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">18. </span>THE CHURCH <i>Seance</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">19. KING SUNNY ADÉ <i>Synchro System</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">20. </span>WILLIAM ACKERMAN <i>Past Light</i></b><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">21. MONSOON <i>Third Eye</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">22. THE POLICE <i>Synchronicity</i></span></div><div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">23. MADONNA <i>Madonna</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">24. JAPAN <i>Oil on Canvas</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">25. GANG OF FOUR <i>Hard</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">26. </span>AL DI MEOLA <i>Scenario</i><br />
27. KAJAGOOGOO <i>White Feathers</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">28. THOMAS DOLBY <i>Blinded by Science</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">
29. DIVINYLS <i>Desperate</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">30. YES <i>90125</i><br />
<br />31. SHADOWFAX <i>Shadowdance</i><br />32. THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER <i>Bodies and Souls</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">33. CODONA <i>3</i></span><br />34. PINK FLOYD <i>The Final Cut</i><br />35. ESKATON <i>Fictions</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">36. JOHN CAFFERTY AND THE BEAVER BROWN BAND <i>Eddie and the Cruisers OST</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">37. KLAUS SCHULZE - <i>Trancefer</i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">38. MORAZ - BRUFORD <i>Music for Piano and Drums</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">39. TEENA MARIE <i>Robbery</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">40. FLIM & THE BBs <i>Tricycle</i></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span></span><br /></i><div>DEF LEPPARD <i>Pyromania</i></div><div>STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN <i>Texas Flood<br /></i>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1982 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. HAIRCUT ONE HUNDRED <i>Pelican West</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. KATE BUSH <i>The Dreaming</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. </b></span><b>JOE JACKSON <i>Night and Day</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. GEORGE WINSTON <i>December</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. THE NEW AMERICAN ORCHESTRA <i>Blade Runner Soundtrack Music </i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. TRACEY THORN <i>A Distant Shore</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: times;">ANTHONY PHILLIPS & ENRIQUE BERRO GARCIA <i>Private Parts and Pieces III: Antiques</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">8. SIMPLE MINDS <i>New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">9. PETER GABRIEL<i> Peter Gabriel ("Security")</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. MICHAEL JACKSON <i>Thriller</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: times;">A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS <i>A Flock of Seagulls</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">12. THE ROCHES <i>Keep On Doing</i></b></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>13. ROXY MUSIC <i>Avalon</i></b></span><br /><b>14. </b><b>ANNETTE PEACOCK <i>Sky-skating</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">15. BRIAN ENO </span><i style="font-family: times;">Ambient 4: On Land</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>16. NINA HAGEN <i>NunSexMonkRock</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">17. BERLIN <i>Pleasure Victim</i></span><br />
18. KING CRIMSON <i>Beat</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">19. PHILIP GLASS <i>Glassworks</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">20. ADRIAN BELEW <i>Lone Rhino</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">21. ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER <i>Caverna Magica</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">22. ICEHOUSE <i>Primitive Man</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">23. </span></span><span style="font-family: times;">KING SUNNY ADÉ </span><i style="font-family: times;">Juju Music</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">24. PAT METHENY GROUP <i>Offramp</i></span><br />
25. XTC<i> English Settlement</i><br />
26. ANDY SUMMERS AND ROBERT FRIPP <i>I Advance Masked</i><br />
27. PRINCE <i>1999</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">28. </span><span style="font-family: Times;">THOMAS DOLBY </span><i style="font-family: Times;">The Golden Age of Wireless</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">29. KENSO <i>II</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">30. </span>TWELFTH NIGHT <i>Fact and Fiction</i> </b></span></div><div><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span><br /></i><span><span style="font-size: small;">PHIL COLLINS <i>Hello, I Must Be Going</i></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: small;">JEFFREY OSBORNE <i>Jeffery Osborne</i></span><br />EAST <i>Hüség</i> </span></div><div>LAURIE ANDERSON <i>Big Science</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">MICHAEL CRENSHAW <i>Marshall Crenshaw</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">GENESIS <i>Three Sides Live</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">FRIDA </span><i>Something's Going On</i></div><div><i><br /></i>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1981 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. RICKIE LEE JONES <i>Pirates</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. KING CRIMSON <i>Discipline</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. JEAN-PIERRE RAMPAL, ALEXANDRE LAGOYA, and MICHEL LEGRAND</b></span><b> <i>Pastorales de Noël</i></b><br />
<b>4. ANTHONY PHILLIPS <i>1984</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER <i>Behind the Gardens - Behind the Wall - Under the Tree...</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. </b></span><b>ESKATON <i>4 Visions</i></b><br />
<b>7. PAT METHENY & LYLE MAYS <i>As Falls Witchita, So Falls Wichita Falls</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. BRIAN ENO & JON HASSELL <i>Fourth World Possible Musics, Volume Two: Dream Theory in Malaya</i></b></span><br />
<b>9. U2 <i>October</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. TOM TOM CLUB <i>Tom Tom Club</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. THE POLICE <i>Ghost in the Machine</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>12. JOHN MCLAUGHLIN <i>Belo Horizonte</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">13. JOHN MARTYN <i>Glorious Fool</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">14. TANGERINE DREAM <i>Thief </i>OST</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">15. BRUCE COCKBURN<i> Inner City Front</i></span><br />
16. LOS JAIVAS <i>Alturas de Machu Picchu</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">17. SBB </span><i>Memento z banalnym triptykiem</i><br />
18. GENESIS <i>ABACAB</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">19. CAMEL <i>Nude</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">20. VAN HALEN <i>Fair Warning</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">21. </span>AL JARREAU <i>Breakin' Away</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">22. UNIVERS ZERO <i>Ceux du Dehors</i></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">23. PHIL COLLINS <i>Face Value</i></span><br />24. STEVIE NICKS <i>Bella Donna</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">25. BUDDY GUY <i>Stone Crazy!</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">26. EIDER STELLAIRE <i>I</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">27. SANTANA <i>Zeebop!</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">28. OSIRIS <i>Osiris</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">29. THE TUBES <i>The Completion Backwards Principle</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">30. EAST <i>Játékok</i></span></div><div><br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span><br /></i>JOAN ARMATRADING<i> Walk Under Ladders</i></div><div>
<span style="font-size: small;">MATERIAL <i>Memory Serves</i></span></div><div><div>STEVE HACKETT <i>Cured</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1980 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. </b></span><b>U2 <i>Boy</i></b><br />
<b>2. BRIAN ENO with Harold Budd Ambient Two: <i>Plateaux of Mirror</i></b><br />
<b>3. TALKING HEADS <i>Remain in Light</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. </b></span><b>LARAAJI <i>Ambient 3: Day of Radiance</i></b><br />
<b>5. </b><b>GEORGE WINSTON <i>Autumn</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. </b></span><b>FLAIRCK </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Gevecht met de Engel</i><br />
<b>7. </b><b>STEELY DAN <i>Gaucho</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">8. THE BUGGLES <i>The Age of Plastic</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">9. AC/DC <i>Back in Black</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. STEVE TIBBETTS <i>Yr</i></b></span><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. KATE BUSH<i> Never For Ever</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>12. BRIAN ENO & JON HASSELL <i>Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1</b></span><b>3. SBB <i>Memento Z Banalnym Tryptikiem</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>14. GENESIS <i>Duke</i></b></span><br /><b>15. </b><b>ITOIZ <i>Ezekiel</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">16. ANTHONY PHILLIPS <i>Private Parts & Pieces II: Back to the Pavillion</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">17. PAT BENETAR <i>Crimes of Passion</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">18. PERERIN <i>Haul Ar Yr Eira</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">
19. PETER GABRIEL <i>Peter Gabriel ("Melt")</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">20. THE POLICE <i>Zenyattà Mondatta</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">21. </span>YES <i>Drama</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">22. XTC <i>Black Sea</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">23. HAROLD GROSSKOPF <i>Synthesist</i></span><br />24. AL DI MEOLA <i>Splendido Hotel</i><br />
25. BARBRA STREISAND <i>Guilty</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">26. </span><span style="text-align: center;">IVORY <i>Sad Cypress</i> </span></span></div><div></div><div style="background-color: white; padding-left: 5px; text-align: center;"></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">27. MIKE RUTHERFORD <i>Smallcreep'</i><i>s Day</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">28. </span>ZAMLA MAMAZ MANNA <i>Familjesprickor</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">29. PRESENT <i>Triskaidekaphobie</i></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">30. PETE TOWNSEND <i>Empty Glass</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">31. BLUE ÖYSTER CULT <i>Cultösaurus Erectus</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">32. LOVERBOY <i>Loverboy</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">33. THE ROMANTICS <i>The Romantics</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">34. JEAN-LUC PONTY <i>Civilized Evil</i><br />35. BRAND X <i>Do They Hurt?</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">36. ASIA MINOR <i>Between Flesh and Divine</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">37. THE PSYCHEDELIC <i>The Psychedelic Furs</i></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">38. DAVID BOWIE <i>Scary Monsters</i></span><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">39. ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVERS IN THE DARK <i>Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><div>40. STEVE WINWOOD <i>Arc of a Diver</i></div></span></span><div><br /></div><div><b><u><i>Honorable Mentions:</i></u></b></div>QUEEN <i>Flash Gordon </i>OST</div><div>SKY <i>Sky 2</i></div><div>ULTRAVOX <i>Vienna</i></div><div><div>YELLO <i>Solid Pleasure</i></div></div><div><br /></div><div>
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1979 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. RICKIE LEE JONES <i>Rickie Lee Jones</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. FREDDIE HUBBARD <i>The Love Connection</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. LAURENT THIBAULT <i>Mais on peut pas rêver tout le temps</i></b></span><br />
<b>4. MICHAEL JACKSON <i>Off the Wall</i></b><br />
<b>5. NEIL YOUNG <i>Live Rust</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>6. STEVE HACKETT <i>Spectral Mornings</i></b><br /><b>7. TOTO <i>Hydra</i></b><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. </b></span><b>BRUFORD <i>One of A Kind</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">9. TANGERINE DREAM <i>Force Majeure</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. </b></span><b>ANYONE'S DAUGHTER <i>Adonis</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>11. CRUSADERS <i>Street Life</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>12. </b></span><b>JOE SAMPLE <i>Carmel</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>13. CONVENTUM <i>Le bureau central des utopies</i></b></span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">14. PAT METHENY <i>New Chautauqua</i></span></b></div><div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>15. PINK FLOYD <i>The Wall</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>16. PAT BENATAR<i> In the Heat of the Night</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>17. ANDRE FERTIER's CLIVAGE <i>Mixtus Orbis</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>18. </b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>CHRISTOPHER CROSS<i> Christopher Cross</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>19. HERB ALBERT <i>Rise</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>20. MARIANNE FAITHFULL <i>Broken English</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>21. </b><b>HENRY COW<i> Western Culture</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">22. IVORY <i>Sad Cypress</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">23. JEAN-LUC PONTY <i>A Taste for Passion</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">24. ANTHONY PHILLIPS <i>Sides</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">25. </span></b><b style="font-family: times;">NEUSCHWANSTEIN <i>Battlement</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">26. TIDELINE <i>The Crowded Room</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">27. ATLAS <i>Blå Vardag</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>28</b></span><b><span style="font-family: times;">. FRANK ZAPPA <i>Joe's Garage, Parts 1, II & III</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">29. UNIVERS ZERO<i> Hérésie</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">30. PASSPORT <i>Garden of Eden</i></span></b></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b><br /></i></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">PEKKA POHJOLA <i>Visitation</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">ROBERT FRIPP <i>Exposure</i></span></div></div><div>TRILOGY <i>Here It Is</i></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><div><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1978 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. NINA HAGEN BAND <i>Nina Hagen Band</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. </b></span><b>UK <i>UK</i></b><br />
<b>3. HAROLD BUDD <i>Pavillion of Dreams</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>4</b></span></span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">BABYLON <i>Babylon</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. STEVE REICH <i>Music for 18 Musicians</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. KLAUS SCHULZE <i>X</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. MIKE OLDFIELD <i>Incantations</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>8. CHICK COREA <i>The Mad Hatter</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: times;">FLAIRCK <i>Variaties Op Een Dame</i></b></div><div><b>10. JEAN-LUC PONTY <i>Cosmic Messenger</i></b></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">GROBSCHNITT <i>Solar Musik Live</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. ANNETTE PEACOCK <i>X-Dreams</i></b><br />
<b>13. NATIONAL HEALTH <i>Of Queues and Cures</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>14. ANTHONY PHILLIPS <i>Private Parts & Pieces</i></b></span><br />
<b>15. PAUL WINTER CONSORT <i>Common Ground</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>16. BRUFORD <i>Feels Good to Me</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>17. REO SPEEDWAGON <i>You Can't Tune a Fish, But You Can Tune a Piano</i></b></span><br />
<b>18. </b><b>STEVE HACKETT <i>Please Don't Touch</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>19. THE CARS <i>The Cars</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>20. GENESIS <i>And Then There Were Three…</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>21. ANTHONY PHILLIPS <i>Wise After the Event</i></b></span><br />
<b>22. ZYMA <i>Thoughts</i></b><br /><b>23. FERMÁTA <i>Huascaran</i><br /></b></span><b><span style="font-family: times;">24. RONNIE LAWS <i>Flame</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">25. GÒTIC <i>Escenes</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">26. TOTO <i>Toto </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">27. SBB <i>Slovenian Girls</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">28. THE MUFFINS </span><i>Manna/Mirage</i><br />29. CATHEDRAL <i>Stained Glass Stories</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>30. </b><b>ANGE <i>Guet-Apens</i></b></span></div><div><i><br /></i>
<i><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b><br /></i>HAPPY THE MAN <i>Crafty Hands</i></div><div>PETER GABRIEL <i>Peter Gabriel ("Scratches")</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">NATIONAL HEALTH <i>National Health</i></span></div><div>JEAN-MICHEL JARRE <i>Equinoxe</i></div><div>ALAN PARSONS PROJECT <i>Pyramid</i></div><div>HEART <i>Dog and The Butterfly</i></div><div><span>AL DI MEOLA <i>Casino</i></span></div><div><span>DAVID GILMOUR <i>David Gilmour</i></span></div><div><span>BLUE ÖYSTER CULT <i>Some Enchanted Evening</i></span></div><div><span><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1977 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. JONI MITCHELL <i>Don Juan's Reckless Daughter</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. </b></span><b>STEELY DAN <i>Aja</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. JAN AKKERMAN <i>Jan Akkerman</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. RENAISSANCE <i>Novella</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. ANTHONY PHILLIPS <i>The Geese and The Ghost</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. SHAKTI (with John McLaughlin) <i>Natural Elements</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. BILLY JOEL <i>The Stranger</i></b></span><br /><b>8. PINK FLOYD <i>Animals</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. EBERHARD WEBER <i>The Following Morning</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. ALAN PARSONS PROJECT <i>I, Robot</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. </b></span><b>SUPERTRAMP <i>Even in the Quietest Moments...</i></b><br /><b>12. GENTLE GIANT <i>Playing the Fool</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>13. JOHN MARTYN <i>One World</i></b><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>14. GENESIS <i>Seconds Out</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>15. PETER GABRIEL <i>Peter Gabriel ("Car")</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>16. YES <i>Going for the One</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>17. BRIAN ENO <i>Before and After Science</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>18. LOCANDA DELLE FATE <i>Forse le lucciole non si amano più</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>19. BOB JAMES <i>BJ4</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>20. KENNY LOGGINS <i>Celebrate Me Home</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>21. </b><b>NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN <i>I Cry, I Smile</i></b><b><i><br /></i></b></span><b>22. ATOLL <i>Tertio</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">23.<i> </i>PULSAR <i>Halloween</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">24. ISLAND <i>Pictures</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">25. </span></span></b><b style="font-family: times;">FERMÁTA <i>Huascaran</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">26. KLAUS SCHULZE <i>Mirage</i></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">27. ATILA <i>Reviure</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">28. BOB JAMES <i>Heads</i></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">29. </span></span>BLUE ÖYSTER CULT <i>Spectres </i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">30. WEATHER REPORT <i>Heavy Weather</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">31. TANGERINE DREAM <i>Encore (Live 1977) </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">32. RICK WAKEMAN <i>Criminal Record</i></span></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: small;">33. UNIVERS ZERO <i>Univers Zero (1313)</i></span></div><div>34. SANTANA Moonflower </div>35. AL DI MEOLA <i>Elegant Gypsy</i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">36. JEAN-LUC PONTY <i>Enigmatic Ocean</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">37. ENGLAND <i>Garden Shed</i></span></div><div>38. GROBSCHNITT <i>Rockpommel's Land</i></div><div>39. BRAND X <i>Moroccan Roll</i></div><div>40. HAPPY THE MAN <i>Happy the Man</i></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">KLAUS SCHULZE <i>Mirage</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">FORGAS <i>Cocktail</i></span></div><div>HAWKWIND <i>Quark, Strangeness and Charm</i></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">ELOY<i> Ocean</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1976 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. JAN AKKERMAN & KAZ LUX <i>Eli</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. </b></span><b>GENESIS <i>A Trick of the Tale</i></b><br />
<b>3. </b><b>PICCHIO DAL POZZO <i>Picchio dal Pozzo</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. RETURN TO FOREVER <i>Romantic Warrior</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. </b></span><b>NOVA <i>Vimana</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. COS <i>Viva Boma</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. SBB <i>Pamiec</i></b></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. </b></span><b>POLLEN <i>Pollen</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">9. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: times;">CELESTE <i>Principe di un giorno</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">10. PETER FRAMPTON <i>Frampton Comes Alive!</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">11. GENESIS<i> Wind and Wuthering</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">12. ALAN PARSONS PROJECT <i>Tales of Mystery and Imagination</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>13. BOSTON<i> Boston</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>14. BILL CONTI <i>Rocky Original Motion Picture Soundtrack </i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>15. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: times;">HEART <i>Dreamboat Annie</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">16. STEVIE WONDER <i>Songs in the Key of Life</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>17</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>. STEPHEN BISHOP <i>Careless</i></b></span><br /><b>18. </b><b>JEAN-LUC PONTY <i>Imaginary Voyage </i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. </b><b>BOZ SCAGGS <i>Silk Degrees</i></b><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">20. AL STEWART <i>The Year of the Cat</i></span><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">21. CAMEL <i>Moonmadness </i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">22. RAGNARÖK<i> Ragnarök</i></span><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">23. THE OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS <i>Men from Earth</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">24. HARMONIUM <i>L'heptade</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">25. </span>SLOCHE <i>Stadacone</i><br />
26. GOBLIN <i>Roller</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">27. WEATHER REPORT <i>Black Market</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">28. JEAN MICHEL JARRE <i>Oxygène</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">29. AREA <i>Maledetti</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">30. MAGMA <i>Üdü Wüdü</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">31. OPUS-5 <i>Contre Courant</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">32. ZAO <i>Kawana</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">33. FAR EAST FAMILY BAND <i>Parallel World</i></span><br />34. KLAUS SCHULZE <i>Moondawn</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">35. BRAND X <i>Unorthodox Behaviour</i><br />36. EAGLES <i>Hotel California</i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">37. FINCH <i>Beyond Expression</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">38. SCHICKE & FÜHRS & FRÖHLING <i>Symphonic Pictures</i></span><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: small;">39. BOB JAMES <i>Three</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;">40. STEELY DAN <i>The Royal Scam</i></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span></i><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;">JEAN-LUC PONTY <i>Aurora</i></span><br /><div><span style="font-size: small;">MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA<i> Inner Worlds</i></span></div><div>AL DI MEOLA <i>Land of the Midnight Sun</i></div><div>MAHOGANY RUSH <i>IV</i></div><div>STOMU YAMASH'TA, et al. <i>Go</i></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1975 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. HARMONIUM <i>Si on avait besoin d’une cinqième saison</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">2. RENAISSANCE <i>Scheherazade and Other Stories</i></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. LENNY WHITE <i>Venusian Summer</i></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">4. TODD RUNDGREN <i>Initiation</i></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. FOCUS <i>Mother Focus</i></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">6. GENTLE GIANT <i>Free Hand</i></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">7. AREA <i>Crac!</i></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">8</span></span></b></span></span><b style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">. CHRIS SQUIRE <i>Fish Out of Water</i></span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">9. THE EAGLES <i>One of These Nights</i></span></span></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">10. </span></span></b></span><b>STRAWBS <i>Ghosts </i></b></span></div><div><b style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">11. THE SOFT MACHINE <i>Bundles</i></span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">12. GINO VANNELLI <i>Storm at Sunup</i></span></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">13. STEVE HACKETT <i>Voyage of the Acolyte</i></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">14. SUPERTRAMP <i>Crisis? What Crisis?</i></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>15. NEKTAR <i>Recycled</i></b></span><br /><b>16. JEFF BECK <i>Blow by Blow</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>17. FRIPP & ENO <i>Evening Star</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>18. MAXOPHONE <i>Maxophone</i></b></span><br /><b><span style="font-size: small;">19. </span>ATOLL <i>L'Araignée-Mal</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">20. 10CC <i>The Original Soundtrack</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">21. GRAND FUNK RAILROAD <i>Caught in the Act</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">22. HATFIELD AND THE NORTH <i>The Rotters' Club</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">23. </span><span style="font-size: small;">MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA <i>Visions of the Emerald Beyond</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">24. MANEIGE <i>Maneige</i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">25. ZAO <i>Shekina</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">26. CHERRY FIVE <i>Cherry Five</i></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;">27. TANGERINE DREAM <i>Rubycon</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">28. MANEIGE <i>Les Porches</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">29. KLAUS SCHULZE <i>Timewind</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">30. GILGAMESH <i>Gilgamesh</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">31.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> GOBLIN <i>Profundo Rosso</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="font-family: Times;"><div>32. AMBROSIA <i>Ambrosia</i></div><div>33. RETURN TO FOREVER <i>No Mystery</i></div>34. TRACE <i>Birds</i></div><div style="font-family: Times;">35. SLOCHE<i> J'un oeil</i></div><div style="font-family: Times;">36. APOTEOSI <i>Apoteosi</i></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: small;">37. SEBASTIAN HARDIE <i>Four Moments</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;">38. STEELY DAN <i>Katy Lied</i></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: small;">39. STYX<i> Equinox</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: small;">40. RICK WAKEMAN <i>The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and The Knights of The Round Table</i></span></div></span></div><div><br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">VANGELIS <i>Heaven and Hell</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">AEROSMITH <i>Toys in the Attic</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">THE BEE GEES <i>Main Course</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1974 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. GENESIS <i>The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. UTOPIA<i> Todd Rundgren's Utopia</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. </b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MIKE OLDFIELD <i>Hergest Ridge</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. </b></span><b>SUPERTRAMP <i>Crime of the Century</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. </b></span><b>YES<i> Relayer</i></b><br /><b>6. </b><b><span style="background-color: white;">PTARMIGAN</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i>Ptarmigan</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>7. </b><b>TODD RUNDGREN <i>Todd</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">8. FOCUS<i> Hamburger Concerto</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. COS<i> Postaeolian Train Robbery</i></b></span><br /><b>10. HATFIELD AND THE NORTH <i>Hatfield and the North</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. </b></span><b>ARTI & MESTIERI <i>Tilt</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>12. DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES <i>War Babies</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>13. </b></span><b>RENAISSANCE <i>Turn of the Cards</i></b><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>14. </b></span><b>GINO VANELLI <i>Powerful People</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>15. </b></span><b>GENTLE GIANT <i>The Power and The Glory</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">16. STEELY DAN <i>Pretzel Logic</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>17. PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI <i>L'isola di niente</i></b></span><br /><b>18. QUELLA VECCHIA LOCANDA <i>Il tempo della Gioia</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">19. JONI MITCHELL <i>Court and Spark</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>20. </b><b>BLUE ÖYSTER CULT <i>Secret Treaties</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">21. IDRIS MUHAMMAD <i>Power of Soul </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">22. FRUUPP <i>Seven Secrets</i> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">23. NEKTAR <i>Down to Earth</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">
24. DOOBIE BROTHERS <i>What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits</i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">25. BRIAN AUGER'S OBLIVION EXPRESS <i>Straight Ahead</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">26. ROBIN TROWER <i>Bridge of Sighs</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">27. </span>STRAWBS <i>Hero and Heroine</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">28</span><span style="font-size: small;">. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">GRYPHON </span><i style="font-family: times;">Midnight Mushrumps</i></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">29. AREA </span><i style="font-family: times;">Caution Radiation Area</i></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">30. MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA <i>Apocalypse</i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;"><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">31. EDDIE HENDERSON <i>Inside Out</i></span></span><br />32. GONG <i>You</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;">33. CAMEL <i>Mirage</i></div><div style="font-family: Times;">34. CHRISTIAN VANDER <i>Tristan et Isolde (Wurdah Itah)</i></div><div style="font-family: Times;">35. ANGE <i>Au-dela du délire</i></div><div style="font-family: Times;">36. TRIUMVIRAT <i>Illusions on a Double Dimple</i></div><div style="font-family: Times;">37. EGG <i>The Civil Surface</i></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: small;">38. GRYPHON <i>Red Queen to Gryphon Three</i></span><br /><div>39. KING CRIMSON <i>Red</i></div><div>40. RETURN TO FOREVER <i>Where Have I Known You Before?</i></div></div></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span></i><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;">BILLY JOEL </span><i style="font-family: times;">Streetlife Serenade</i></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1973 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. MAGMA <i>Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. </b></span><b>DEVADIP CARLOS SANTANA & MAHAVISHNU JOHN McLAUGHLIN <i>Love, Devotion & Surrender</i></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b>3. GENESIS <i>Selling England by the Pound</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="background-color: white;">4. PINK FLOYD <i>Dark Side of the Moon</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. STEVIE WONDER <i>Innervisions</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. AREA <i>Arbeit Macht Frei</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. </b></span><b>LED ZEPPELIN <i>Houses of the Holy</i></b><br /><b>8. GENTLE GIANT <i>In a Glass House</i></b><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: times;">DEODATO <i>Prelude</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">10. CARAVAN <i>For Girls Who Go Plump in the Night</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">11. NEKTAR <i>Remember the Future</i></span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">12. THE WHO <i>Quadrophenia</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>13. </b></span><b><div style="display: inline;"><b>CERVELLO <i>Melos</i></b></div></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">14. IL ROVESCIO DELLA MEDAGLIA <i>Contaminazione</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>15. </b><b>ELTON JOHN <i>Goodbye Yellow Brick Road</i></b></span></div><div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>16. PINK FAIRIES <i>Kings of Oblivion</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>17. </b></span><b>THE ISLEY BROTHERS <i>3 + 3</i></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">18. STEELY DAN <i>Can't Buy a Thrill</i></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">19. RENAISSANCE <i>Ashes Are Burning</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">20. </span>HENRY COW <i>LegEnd</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">21. </span><span style="font-family: times;">GENTLE GIANT </span><i style="font-family: times;">Octopus</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>22. FRUUPP <i>Future Legends</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>23. FRANCO BATTIATO <i>Sulle corde di Aries</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">24. ALPHATAURUS <i>Alphataurus</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">25</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">. BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO <i>Io sono nato libero</i></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-size: small;">26</span><span style="font-size: small;">. </span>TODD RUNDGREN <i>A Wizard, A True Star</i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>27. ELTON JOHN <i>Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>28. THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND <i>Brothers & Sisters</i><br /></b></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">29. </span><span style="font-size: small;">JOHN MARTYN <i>Solid Air </i></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>30. RICK WAKEMAN <i>The Six Wives of Henry VIII</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">31. </span>MIKE OLDFIELD <i>Tubular Bells</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>32<i>. </i>SPIROGYRA<i> Bells, Boots & Shambles</i></b></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>33. STYX <i>II</i></b></span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">34. JOE WALSH </span><i style="font-family: times;">The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get</i></b></div><div><b>35. GRYPHON <i>Gryphon</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: small;">36. GONG <i>Radio Gnome Invisible Part 2: Angel's Egg</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><span>37. MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA <i>Birds of Fire</i></span></span></span></span></span></b></div><div><b>38. SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA <i>Måltid</i> </b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>39. EDDIE HENDERSON <i>Realization</i></b></span></span><br /><div>40. PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS <i>Band on the Run</i></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span></i><br /></div><div><div>BRAINTICKET <i>Celestial Ocean</i></div><div>JUMBO <i>Vietato ai minori di 18 anni?</i></div></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1972 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. </b></span><b>ALAN STIVELL<i> Renaissance of the Celtic Harp</i></b><br />
<b>2. </b><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SANTANA <i>Caravanserai</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. </b></span><b>KHAN <i>Space Shanty</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. </b><b>PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI <i>Per un amico</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">5. GENESIS<i> Foxtrot</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. YES <i>Close to the Edge</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. </b></span><b>URIAH HEEP<i> Demons and Wizards</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8</b></span><b>. </b><b>NEKTAR <i>A Tab in the Ocean</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">9. FOCUS <i>3</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>10. IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO <i>Ys</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. POPUL VUH <i>Hosianna Mantra</i></b></span><br />
<b>12. AGITATION FREE <i>Malesch</i></b><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>13. </b></span><b>JEFF BECK GROUP <i>"Orange"</i></b><br /><b>14. TODD RUNDGREN <i>Something / Anything</i></b></span><br />
<b>15. </b><b>STEELY DAN <i>Can't Buy a Thrill</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>16. HÖLDERLIN <i>Hölderlin's Traum</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>17. PENTANGLE <i>Solomon's Seal</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">18. REALE ACCADEMIA DI MUSICA<i> Reale Accademia di Musica</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. SOFT MACHINE <i>Fifth</i></b><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">20. RENAISSANCE <i>Prologue</i></span><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">21. GENTLE GIANT <i>Three Friends</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">22. CYMANDE </span><i style="font-size: medium;">Cymande</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">23. SUPERSISTER <i>Pudding en Gisteren</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">24. APHRODITE'S CHILD <i>666</i><br />25. HERBIE HANCOCK <i>Crossings</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">26. JETHRO TULL<i> Thick as a Brick</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">27. QUELLA VECCHIA LOCANDA <i>Quella Vecchia Locanda</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">28. STEVIE WONDER </span><i style="font-family: times;">Talking Book</i></div><div>29. STRAWBS <i>Grave New World</i><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">30. MOVING GELATINE PLATES <i>The World of Genius Hans</i></span></span></div></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">URIAH HEEP</span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> Magician's Birthday</i></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">WEATHER REPORT<i> I Sing The Body Electric</i></span></span></div><div>LE ORME <i>Uomo di Pezza</i></div><div>BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO <i>Banco del Mutuo Soccorso<br /></i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">GNIDROLOG <i>Lady Lake</i><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span></i></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1971 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. GIL SCOTT-HERON <i>Pieces of a Man</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. AMERICA <i>America</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: times;">PAUL & LINDA McCARTNEY<i> Ram</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">4. MARVIN GAYE<i> What's Going On?</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. EGG <i>The Polite Force</i></b></span></span><b style="font-family: times;"> </b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">6. YES <i>Fragile</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. </b></span><b>FOCUS <i>Moving Waves</i></b><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. GENESIS<i> Nursery Cryme</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. </b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>CARAVAN <i>In the Land of Pink and Grey</i></b></span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">10. SUPERSISTER <i>To the Highest Bidder</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. </b></span><b>THE ORIGINAL CAST <i>Godspell</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>12. CAROLE KING <i>Tapestry</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>13. THE ORIGINAL CAST <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i></b></span><br />
<b>14. </b><b>NEKTAR <i>Journey to the Centre of the Eye</i></b><br />
<b>15. </b><b>SPIROGYRA <i>St. Radigunds</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">16. THE CARPENTERS <i>Carpenters </i></span></b></div><div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>17. LED ZEPPELIN <i>"IV" or "Runes"</i></b><br />
<b>18. </b><b>GENTLE GIANT <i>Acquiring the Taste</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">19. FOTHERINGAY <i>Fotheringay</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">20. HERBIE HANCOCK <i>Mwandishi</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">21. </span>COMUS <i>First Utterance</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>22. ASH RA TEMPEL <i>Ash Ra Tempel</i></b><br /><b>23. </b><b>THE WOODS BAND <i>The Woods Band</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">24. VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR <i>Pawn Hearts</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">25. BRÖSELMASCHINE <i>Bröselmaschine</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">26. ROY HARPER <i>Stormcock</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">27. MELLOW CANDLE <i>Swaddling Songs</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">28. OSIBISA <i>Osibisa</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">29. </span>THE WHO <i>Who's Next</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">30. NUCLEUS <i>We'll Talk About It Later</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">31. ALICE COLTRANE <i>Universal Consciousness</i></span></b></div><div><div><b>32. SANTANA <i>III</i></b></div><b>33. BRAINTICKET <i>Cottonwoodhill</i><br /></b><div><b>34. MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA <i>The Inner Mounting Flame</i></b></div><div><b>35</b><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">. </span>EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER <i>Tarkus</i></b></div><b>36. TRAFFIC <i>The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys </i><br /></b><div><b>37. JAN DUKES DE GREY <i>Mice and Rats in the Loft</i></b></div><div><b>38. YES <i>The Yes Album</i></b></div></div><div><div><b>39. TUDOR LODGE<i> Tudor Lodge</i></b></div></div><div><b>40. FUCHSIA <i>Fuchsia</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><i>Honorable Mentions:</i></u></b></div><div>41. <span style="font-family: times;">TERJE RYPDAL <i>Terje Rypdal</i></span></div><div>42. URIAH HEEP <i>Look At Yourself</i></div><div>43. <span style="font-family: inherit;">JETHRO TULL</span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> Aqualung</i></div><div>44. WIGWAM <i>Fairyport</i></div><div>45. GONG <i>Camembert Electrique</i><br />46. McDONALD AND GILES <i>McDonald and Giles</i></div><div>47. ALICE COLTRANE <i>Journey in Satchidinanda</i><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1970 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG <i>Déjà Vu</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">2. GENTLE GIANT <i>Gentle Giant</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">3. GENESIS <i>Trespass</i></span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">4. </b><b style="font-family: times;">EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER <i>Emerson, Lake & Palmer</i></b><b style="font-family: times;"> </b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>5. SOFT MACHINE <i>Third</i></b><br /><b>6. THE CARPENTERS <i>Close to You</i></b><br /><b>7. ELTON JOHN <i>Elton John</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>8. VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR <i>H to He, Who Am the Only One</i></b><br /><b>9.</b><b> SUPERSISTER <i>Present from Nancy</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">10. </span></b><b style="font-family: times;">CARAVAN <i>If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. SANTANA <i>Abraxas</i></b><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. </b><b>EGG <i>Egg</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>13. </b><b>LARRY CORYELL <i>Spaces</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">14. AHORA MAZDA <i>Ahora Mazda</i> </span></b></div><div>
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>15. STEELEYE SPAN <i>Hark! The Village Wait</i></b><br />
<b>16. DREAMS <i>Dreams</i></b><br />
<b>17.<i> </i></b></span><b style="font-family: times;">JOHN McLAUGHLIN <i>Devotion</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">18. ALICE COLTRANE <i>Ptah, The El Daoud</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>19. CHICAGO <i>II</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">20. FOTHERINGAY <i>Fotheringay</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">21. HERBIE HANCOCK <i>Mwandishi</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">22. </span></b><b>TREES <i>The Garden of Jane Delawney</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>23</b></span><b>. YES <i>Time and a Word</i></b></div><div><b>24. BLACK SABBATH <i>Paranoid</i></b><b><i><br /></i></b><div><b>25. SPIRIT <i>The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus</i></b></div><div><b>26. NUCLEUS <i>Elastic Rock</i></b></div><div><b>26</b><b>. MILES DAVIS <i>Bitches Brew</i></b></div><div><b>27. AMON DÜÜL <i>Yeti</i></b></div><div><b>28. TRAFFIC <i>John Barleycorn Must Die</i><br />29. SUPERTRAMP <i>Supertramp</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>30. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">JAN GARBAREK <i>Afric Pepperbird</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<i><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></i></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">KING CRIMSON </span><i style="font-family: times;">Lizard</i></div><div>THE MANDRAKE MEMORIAL <i>Puzzle</i></div><div>GRAND FUNK RAILROAD <i>Closer to Home</i></div><div><br /></div><div><i><br /></i>
<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><u> 1969 </u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. KING CRIMSON <i>In the Court of the Crimson King</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. CHICAGO <i>Chicago Transit Authority</i></b></span><br />
<b>3</b><b>. SOFT MACHINE <i>Volume Two</i></b><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">SANTANA <i>Santana</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">5. </b><b><span style="font-family: times;">IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY<i> It's a Beautiful Day</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">6. PENTANGLE <i>Basket of Light</i></span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">7. RENAISSANCE <i>Renaissance</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">8. THE BEATLES <i>Abbey Road</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>9. </b></span><b>LED ZEPPELIN <i>II</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">10. TERRY C. RILEY <i>A Rainbow in Curved Air</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>11. AMON D</b><b>ÜÜ</b><b>L II <i>Phallus Dei</i></b><br /><b>12. FRANK ZAPPA <i>Hot Rats</i></b><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>13. COLOSSEUM <i>Valentyne Suite</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">14. TONY WILLIAMS LIFETIME <i>Emergency!</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">15. GENESIS <i>From Genesis to Revelation</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">16. LARRY CORYELL <i>Lady Coryell</i></span></b></div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>17. FAIRPORT CONVENTION <i>Liege & Lief</i></b><br /></span><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">18. BLIND FAITH <i>Blind Faith</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">19. THE WHO <i>Tommy</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">20. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: times;">RARE BIRD <i>Rare Bird</i></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><i>Honorable Mentions:</i></u></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">JETHRO TULL <i>Stand Up</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">THE MANDRAKE MEMORIAL <i>Medium</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">SPIRIT <i>Spirit</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1968 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>1. THE COLLECTORS <i>The Collectors</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. ULTIMATE SPINACH <i>Behold and See</i></b></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>3. FRANK ZAPPA and the</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra <i>Lumpy Gravy</i></b></span></span></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">4. CARAVAN <i>Caravan</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. IRON BUTTERFLY <i>In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. THE </b></span><b>PENTANGLE <i>The Pentangle</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>7. STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK <i>Wake Up … It's Tomorrow</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>8. H.P. LOVECRAFT <i>II</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. </b></span></span><b><span style="font-family: times;">TERJE RYPDAL <i>Bleak House</i></span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">10. </b><b style="font-family: times;">ULTIMATE SPINACH <i>Ultimate Spinach</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">11. DON ELLIS <i>Autumn</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">12</b><b style="font-family: times;">. FAMILY <i>Music in a Doll's House</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">13. PROCOL HARUM <i>Shine On Brightly</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">14. DON ELLIS <i>Shock Treatment</i></span></b></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>15. </b></span><b>TERRY RILEY <i>In C</i></b></span></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">16. THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION <i>We're Only in It for the Money</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">17. THE PRETTY THINGS <i>SF Sorrow</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">18. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA <i>The United States of America</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">19. MILES DAVIS <i>Nefertiti</i></span></b></div><div><b>20. THE SOFT MACHINE <i>The Soft Machine</i></b></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div><b><u><i>Honorable Mentions:</i></u></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">THE BEATLES <i>The Beatles </i></span><i style="font-family: times;">(The White Album)</i></div><div>APHRODITE'S CHILD <i>End of the World</i></div><div>DAVID AXELROD<i> Song of Innocence</i></div><div>SPANKY & OUR GANG <i>Like to Get to Know You</i></div><div>BLUE CHEER <i>Vincebus Eruptum</i></div><div>BLUE CHEER <i>Outsideinside </i></div><div>THE MANDRAKE MEMORIAL <i>The Mandrake Memorial</i></div><div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1967 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: times;">STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK <i>Incense & Peppermints</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">2. THE MOODY BLUES <i>Days of Future Passed</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>. DON ELLIS ORCHESTRA <i>'Live' at Monterey!</i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>4. THE ASSOCIATION <i>And Then… Along Comes The Association</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5</b></span><b>. LOVE <i>Forever Changes</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>6. </b></span><b><span style="font-family: times;">THE DOORS<i> The Doors</i></span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">7. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE <i>Surrealistic Pillow</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">8. </b><b style="font-family: times;">THE BEATLES <i>Magical Mystery Tour</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: times;">9. GARY BURTON<i> Duster</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">10. THE WEST COAST POP EXPERIMENTAL BAND <i>Part One</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>11. </b></span><b>THE CHOCOLATE WATCH BAND <i>No Way Out</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">12. </span></b><b style="font-family: times;">THE BEATLES <i>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">13. THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE <i>Are You Experienced?</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>14. THE BEAU BRUMMELS <i>Triangle</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">15. JOHN COLTRANE <i>Expression</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">16. FIFTY FOOT HOSE <i>Cauldron</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">17. THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION <i>Absolutely Free</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">18. THE ZODIAC <i>Cosmic Sounds</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">19. </span></b><b style="font-family: times;">THE FREE SPIRITS <i>Out of Sight and Sound</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">20.<i> </i></span><span style="font-family: times;">DON ELLIS </span><i style="font-family: times;">Electric Bath</i></b></div><div><i style="font-family: times;"><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">THE YARDBIRDS </span><i style="font-family: times;">The Yardbirds Greatest Hits</i></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">PROCOL HARUM <i>Procol Harum</i></span></div><div>KALEIDOSCOPE <i>Tangerine Dream</i></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;">THE DOORS <i>Strange Days</i></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> 1966 </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. </b><b>SIMON & GARFUNKLE <i>Parsely, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme</i></b><br />
<b>2</b><b>. JOHN COLTRANE <i>Ascension</i></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">3. SIMON & GARFUNKLE <i>Sounds of Silence</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">4. JOHN COLTRANE <i>Meditations</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">5. </span></b><b style="font-family: times;">THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION <i>Freak Out!</i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">6. THE BYRDS <i>The Fifth Dimension</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">7. THE BEATLES <i>Revolver</i></span></b><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-family: times;">8. THE YARDBIRDS<i> Over Under Sideways Down</i></span></b></div><div>
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>__1965__</u></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: times;">1. JOHN COLTRANE <i>A Love Supreme</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>2. BOB DYLAN <i>Highway 61 Revisited</i></b><br /><b>3. THE YARDBIRDS <i>For Your Love</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. THE YARDBIRDS <i>Having a Rave Up</i></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-88579589808425023622023-12-15T11:00:00.000-08:002024-01-27T14:59:40.090-08:00Mono<p style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;">My Favorite Post Rock Band</span></b></p><p>From Japan, I've been enjoying the music of this Post Rock band since I first discovered them upon my re-entry into Prog World in 2008. Their mastery of tremolo guitar leads, soul-piercing melodies, sparse, prolonged intros, all building to wonderfully satisfying crescendos is unparalleled in the Post Rock world. And, despite some line-up changes over the years--and some experimentation with styles and producers--their musical output has remained fairly consistent while their quality has steadily improved.</p><p><br /></p><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEDxzhG9pxMsqU2LtBKnLKsSyfhGINTx9lXLzXwquQ0nrwfGy-v_KzjWiVEvcs-egmMp0AmwtO2KyENSo2006AxQ5FlTTPX_EV06cM48RX00ImQwAsbyCWBa8_pzb-18CyyAqUznUkhyphenhyphenp/s1600/Unknown-3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEDxzhG9pxMsqU2LtBKnLKsSyfhGINTx9lXLzXwquQ0nrwfGy-v_KzjWiVEvcs-egmMp0AmwtO2KyENSo2006AxQ5FlTTPX_EV06cM48RX00ImQwAsbyCWBa8_pzb-18CyyAqUznUkhyphenhyphenp/s1600/Unknown-3.jpeg" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><b>MONO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">You Are There</i> (2006)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">(Formerly) My favorite of the MONO albums (before I heard the amazing <i>The Last Dawn</i>), I very much admire their overall approach to the Math Rock/Post Rock sub-genre: full of power and emotion, thick atmospheres with stellar instrumentalism. The guitar is especially powerful for its out-of-the-ordinary "soloing" feel as the pick or fingers rapidly, rhythmically pluck a single string while a single note sustains an then slides up or down the same string. Very talented. Drums entering at the high 'crescendo' parts are strong and yet do not overpower the guitars. Electric guitars in these parts are often very distorted.<br /><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Takaakira Goto / guitar, string arrangements<br />- Hideki Suematsu / guitar<br />- Tamaki Kunishi / bass<br />- Yasunori Takada / drums<br />With:<br />- Alison Chesley / cello<br />- Diana Parameter / cello<br />- Inger Peterson Carle / violin<br />- Thomas Yang / violin<br />- Susan Vøelz / violin, string arrangements</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">1. "The Flames Beyond the Cold Mountain" (13:29) (26/30)<br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">2. "A Heart Has Asked for the Pleasure" (3:44) simple but pretty. (8.6666667/10)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">3. "Yearning" (15:38) a long song that takes a few turns that almost lose me. As things begin to thicken and gain momentum in the seventh minute, I find the melodies quite satisfying despite the strings accompaniment sounding a bit like a Mellotron. Then the prerequisite calm comes at 7:30--but only briefly as the full wall of sound comes exploding back within 20 seconds--to <i>great </i>effect! I love the djenty low end (bass) and near-constant crash of cymbals. This tremolo guitarist is truly amazing! Then there is the unusual (for the Post Rock genre) prolonged comedown after the storm--a full two and a half minutes--to the song's finish.(26.75/30)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">4. "Are You There?" (10:25) my first favorite Mono song. Such a starkly beautiful opening, two slow-builds and crescendos with another prolonged tender dénouement. (18/20)<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">5. "The Remains of the Day" (3:41) crowd noises and tremolo guitar in the background as child-like piano plays in the foreground. Very SIGUR RÓS-like. Beautiful if simple. (9/10)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">6. "Moonlight" (13:04) gently tremoloed guitars with Fender Rhodes electric piano. Strings join in at the end of the third minute but they're a bit too uniform for my tastes--offering little that a keyboard couldn't provide. At 3:40 there is a return to the stark soundscape of two (or three) electric guitars interplaying. One goes tremolo while the other maintains the main melody and pace as the drummer begins to provide cymbal play. Female voice as if caught in a conversation in a café or kitchen appears in the background as drums and bass join in. The music is building as we reach the seventh minute--where the drums and orchestra issue full power (though not necessarily full dynamics). Walls of sound reach their fullest in the ninth minute but then the volume and power slowly begins to back off, one instrument at a time, until the tremolo-strumming distorted electric guitar is left as the main noise-maker. The main lead guitar maintains a constant dedication to the main melody to the end despite chaos and cacophony occurring in the genlty collapsing soundscape around him. Nice concept and construct though anchoring in that one melody for so long gets a bit monotonous. (22/25) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />Total Time 60:00</div></div><p>88.333 on the Fish scales = B/sold four stars;<i> You Are There </i>is an excellent addition to any prog lovers' music collection. </p><p><br /></p><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PquZ0nqkZCIflob4S3ZskLwj_jRc9j7x9cdWI3guFq2fJxiCiKZm5y546KzRJ7IO0M8p7Nf9rxp_DUitMyhQPgXayggMus_UpanMxk4KIHDcWLEUd3wP31B8q-bfttVHgBtt6b7PSShc/s1600/Unknown-3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PquZ0nqkZCIflob4S3ZskLwj_jRc9j7x9cdWI3guFq2fJxiCiKZm5y546KzRJ7IO0M8p7Nf9rxp_DUitMyhQPgXayggMus_UpanMxk4KIHDcWLEUd3wP31B8q-bfttVHgBtt6b7PSShc/s1600/Unknown-3.jpeg" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>MONO <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hymn to the Immortal</i> </b>(2009)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Some may describe this album as "more of the same" from Japanese Post Rock/Math Rock maestros, Mono, and while it is similar or continuous with my favorite Mono album, 2006's <i>You Are There,</i> the music is still fresh and unique enough--and the Mono approach to Post Rock/Math Rock so pleasurable--that I still can only give this album my highest recommendation. It's great--and very emotional--when given your undivided attention, but also very pleasant as beautiful background music.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Takaakira Goto / guitar, string arranger<br />- Hideki Suematsu / guitar, Hammond B3<br />- Tamaki Kunishi / bass, piano, harpsichord, glockenspiel<br />- Yasunori Takada / drums, timpani, cymbals, glockenspiel<br />With:<br />- Jennifer Clippert / flute<br />- Mary Stoper / flute<br />- Dave Max Crawford / string conductor<br />- Paul Von Mertens / string conductor<br />- Strings ensemble / violins, violas, cellos & contrabass<br /><br />1. "Ashes in the Snow" (11:46) standard Post Rock formula: soft opening, slow-build tsunami rise to full-scale crescendo, calm and repeat. Great second crescendo. (21.75/25)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />2. "Burial at Sea" (10:39) more formulaic, albeit orchestrated, Post Rock. Built upon an okay melody. (17.25/20)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />3. "Silent Flight, Sleeping Dawn" (6:00) a melodic favorite; very emotional. (9.125/10)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">4. "Pure as Snow (Trails of the Winter Storm)" (11:26) spacious and delicate, even cinematic. (17.5/20)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">5. "Follow the Map" (3:56) lap steel guitar leading the way over piano and lush strings orchestration. I like the way the band lets the strings step into the fore in the second half--Joe Hisaishi-like. (8.875/10)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />6. "The Battle to Heaven" (12:51) droning guitar provides the background as guitar, bass, and drums gradually, slowly build a song around/above it. Low end note play leads the way for the first three minutes. I really like the "monstrous" uptake at 4:10. Nice drumming throughout. The song has nice swings and sways through different melodic octaves but overall it's a bit long/overextended. (21.75/25)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />7. "Everlasting Light" (10:23) droning (tremoloed) electric guitar with near-classical piano playing over the top for the first two minutes. Awesome orchestral boost with the piano's "chorus" at the two-minute mark. When the rock instruments and orchestra build to the point of drowning out the piano (and almost the drums) it's pretty dramatic but not quite as melodic as some of their all-time great songs--though I do love the effect at the nine-minute mark when the high-end guitar playing drops to low (I can really hear the drums and orchestra then). (17.625/20)<br /><br />Total Time 67:01</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />87.60 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a wonderful aural experience. Great album art--one of the reasons I picked up the album in the first place. (This was my first Mono acquisition.) Definitely recommended to the Post Rock lover. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mONUXIOa1aeGcSoHMipv2ye0MP7kqZMEJ_rV27vMEIhq5FCjwj2aCafXU9x-CCcfExDOUesQGhICBlCdP-XxU-wt5nEsOdHE9AODmkZxJj0zyysWRoh5JfGdLjzj7NHSTHxx8pA_Yw6V9Kez4NXNdgHLgQ7GxGp66VGJw6odlHCwYJeREsx20-sw2tsP/s1000/cover_205273092016_r.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mONUXIOa1aeGcSoHMipv2ye0MP7kqZMEJ_rV27vMEIhq5FCjwj2aCafXU9x-CCcfExDOUesQGhICBlCdP-XxU-wt5nEsOdHE9AODmkZxJj0zyysWRoh5JfGdLjzj7NHSTHxx8pA_Yw6V9Kez4NXNdgHLgQ7GxGp66VGJw6odlHCwYJeREsx20-sw2tsP/s320/cover_205273092016_r.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><b>MONO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">For My Parents</i> (2012)<br /><br />Master tremolo melody-maker Takaakira Goto issues a collection of songs contrived to bring up nostalgic themes that remind him of his parents.<br /><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Takaakira Goto / guitar<br />- Hideki Suematsu / guitar<br />- Tamaki Kunishi / bass, piano, glockenspiel<br />- Yasunori Takada / drums, timpani, gong, tubular bells, glockenspiel<br />With The Holy Ground Orchestra:<br />- Jeff Milarsky / conductor<br />- Yuki Numata, Courtney Orlando, Emily Ondracek, Patti Kilroy, Conrad Harris, Ben Russel, Caroline Shaw & Amanda Lo / violin<br />- Caleb Burhans, Nadia Sirota, Erin Wight & Jeanann Dara / viola<br />- Clarice Jensen, Brian Snow, Caitlin Sullivan & Laura Metcalf / cello<br />- Logan Coale / bass<br />- Shayna Dunkelman / timpani<br />- Yuri Yamashita / cymbals<div><br /></div><div>1. "Legend" (11:51) sounds like a Russian promotional soundtrack extolling the virtues of their Siberian landscapes; very cinematic (it feels almost contrived to pull on psychological heartstrings). (21.25/25)</div><div><br />2. "Nostalgia" (12:05) the melodies here are a bit more engaging than the previous song but they're so simple and repeated to exhaustion despite the excellent build (too slow) and cataclysmic crescendo. (21.75/25) </div><div><br />3. "Dream Odyssey" (8:03) piano and nylon-stringed guitar open this one (using the same pace and format as their other songs). After 90 seconds drums and electric guitar join in, gradually increasing their contributions. Very pretty and emotional. At 3:20 they start round two with electric guitar taking over the lead melody on its lower end. Very satisfying and complete if a little too simple. (13.5/15)</div><div><br />4. "Unseen Harbor" (14:04) another pleasant and nostalgic folk melody is built upon, over and over, with even a key change at 4:30 in the middle of the SIGUR RÓS-like orchestrally-expanded soundscape (which, to be honest, sounds a bit murky to my ears). Yasunori Takada's drum kit begins to play a more dynamic role after 5:40, but then everything cuts out and clears out at 6:40 for a two-guitar, strings-supported restart. Now <i>this</i> is quite stunning: the orchestra very clearly making their contributions heard--especially the timpani. At 9:05 the guitars shift gears, take up a different melody while one of them turns to exclusive tremolo style delivery. By the end of the eleventh minute the full band and orchestra have rejoined and the wave-like buildup to the crescendo gets serious with full tsunami flooding occurring from the 13th minute on. A pretty awesome composition. (27/30)</div><div><br />5. "A Quiet Place (Together We Go) (9:24) a song on which the orchestral parts have an even more significant contribution--sometimes even scored without any support or contribution from the rock instruments. I like the thought of Goto and company composing with orchestra first in mind rather than as an exclusively support animal (though this does make the music more classical/symphonic than rock 'n' roll). Beautiful song. (18/20)<br /><br />Total Time 55:27<div><br /></div><div>88.26 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you enjoy solid, nostalgic, symphonic Post Rock. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORUQt3qQ0P5Y7ydXBicj4PoLDkg6ESpnNkU1KiVo9Ef9X31l5tkEryGIzVp36W-buRWYZUwBzymGfRuut7uVVYjIeyZDV1ZguPbp5RJvb77qT4dfmAB5dp9uGwdZ-zqz6pb55VtB5dwUz/s1600/imgres.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORUQt3qQ0P5Y7ydXBicj4PoLDkg6ESpnNkU1KiVo9Ef9X31l5tkEryGIzVp36W-buRWYZUwBzymGfRuut7uVVYjIeyZDV1ZguPbp5RJvb77qT4dfmAB5dp9uGwdZ-zqz6pb55VtB5dwUz/s1600/imgres.jpg" /></a></div><div class="p1"><b><br /></b></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>MONO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Last Dawn</i> (2014)</div></div><div class="p2"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: center;">How this band stays beneath the radar I have no clue. Master ‘storytellers’ with their musical soundscapes, their music is always meditative, deeply emotive and, despite seemingly 'simple' song structures, the band always performs at a flawless level. </div></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: center;"> I realize that Post Rock is not for everyone--and I rarely find a Post Rock album to be worthy of the "masterpiece of all-time" status—but this dedicated, focused, persevering Japanese band may have achieved such a status with this 2014 release. And, with the inclusion of its companion release, <i>Rays of Darkness</i>, the deal may be sealed. </div></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: center;"> As described on their Facebook page, <i>The Last Dawn</i> is the “lighter” of the two albums and probably the more melodic and “prettier” of the two. It also reveals a scaled-back, slimmer lineup of musicians when compared to their releases in the mid and late Naughties. Yet the two 2014 releases offer quite a variety of instrumental companions—piano, tuned percussives—all the while remaining firmly reliant on their one consistent and remarkable trait: the heavily effected tremolo strummed electric guitars of Hideki “Yoda” Suematsu and Takaakira “Taka” Goto. The influences of Minimalists like Henryk Górecki, soundtrack artists like Ennio Morricone and Lars von Trier, and shoe gaze innovators like Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie and My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields are quite evident throughout the album(s). </div><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Takaakira Goto / guitar<br />- - Hideki Suematsu / guitar<br />- Tamaki Kunishi / bass, piano, guitar, glockenspiel<br />- Yasunori Takada / drums & percussion, glockenspiel<br />With:<br />- Andrew Simpson / cello<br />- Danielle Karpala / cello<br />- Emily Grace Karosas / violin<br />- Walker Konkle / violin</div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Last Dawn</i> starts out rather sedately with the quiet, spacious, rather low-key, “The Land Between the Tides/Glory” (11:35) The song begins its post-rock climb to climactic release in the third minute but then falls slowly and delicately after the seven minute mark—which, I think, marks the end of the “Glory” part of the two-part song. (Is this song—or album—an eulogy to WWII Japan?) (16/20)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">2. Katana” (6:21) (10/10) marks one of the most beautiful post-rock melodies/songs I’ve ever heard—a feeling that continues through the next three songs, 3. “Cyclone” (6:24) (10/10) with its awesome bass grounding throughout and amazingly sustained peak at 3:00, and 4. “Elysian Castles” (8:11) with its gorgeous piano-based Japanese folk melody and ever-so delicately woven guitar and cello threads. (20/20)</div></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">5. “Where We Begin” (7:25) just sounds a little bit old and tired—like an old U2 song that pulses and rocks but never really goes anywhere. (10.5/15)</div></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">6. “The Last Dawn” (8:37) contains some extraordinarily beautiful, slowly developing three-part threads woven into a rather brilliant and unusual harmonic tapestry. At 2:45 an almost Gospel plea arises momentarily from the tremolo-picked lead guitar but then just as suddenly disappears. The weave deconstructs down to just one single instrument by the four minute mark before being reconstituted with sliding blues-chords, crescendoing cymbols and chime-like two-note arpeggi. Gorgeous yet understated. The power and strength established by the seventh minute sustain themselves through toward the end of the song, the end of the album, but then quietly dissipate as if into the night mist. Really emotional! So powerful and yet not over-the-top or bombastic. Masterful. (19/20)</div></div><div class="p2"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: center;">Again, I am not sure of the “story” Mono are trying to tell with the music on this album: end of the Japanese empire? end of Industrial society? end of human occupancy of planet Earth? Could be all or none of these. Regardless, the band has put together a collection of songs that convert power, grace, beauty, and loss with a kind of emotional impact rarely heard/felt in modern music.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">90.0 on the Fish scales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of the finest Post Rock albums of the 21st Century. My #17 rated album for 2014.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8k5TFPhDJfIaS4Uf99H5DXZNaOD_KIcgKp9HP7EFLXDd69FbZzannCcPgz9vXIkCSgwKHfHCuH4zX9qP8MPEjLcDT_RZqWzh_Gs5vxc-NopwQreFt5JxS0_5qt9ftiEDobWtMnSvj4cE/s1600/imgres.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8k5TFPhDJfIaS4Uf99H5DXZNaOD_KIcgKp9HP7EFLXDd69FbZzannCcPgz9vXIkCSgwKHfHCuH4zX9qP8MPEjLcDT_RZqWzh_Gs5vxc-NopwQreFt5JxS0_5qt9ftiEDobWtMnSvj4cE/s1600/imgres.jpg" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><span style="text-align: left;"><b>MONO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Rays of Darkness</i> (2014)</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="p2" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">Companion release to <i>The Last Dawn</i>, <i>Rays of Darkness </i>is really, at 35 minutes in length, almost an EP—though in 1960-70 time it qualifies as a full album. This album is by all admissions and intentions a much darker, more depressing album than its companion--and the first album in 15 years in which the band foregoes the employment of support from orchestral instruments (other than trumpet).</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Takaakira Goto / guitar<br />- Hideki Suematsu / guitar<br />- Tamaki Kunishi / bass<br />- Yasunori Takada / drums<br />With:<br />- Jacob Valenzuela / trumpet<br />- Tetsu Fukagawa / vocals (3)</div><div><br /><div class="p1">1. “Recoil, Ignite” (13:19) unfortunately for these ears, contains a very James Bond-like theme in the main melody of its first section (first seven minutes) which, at this pace and in this style, just doesn’t work for me--though I do like the unusual touch of gently strummed acoustic guitar chords paired with the deep rolling bass notes. Tremolo guitar and drums dominate in the fifth and sixth minutes. Around 5:25 the theme gets reconfigured a bit: enough, for the middle section to make the experience somewhat better with strummed bass chords and plodding drums beneath Goto's tremolo. At 7:35 it gets heavy, full band, full release of tension and suspense, full tsunami. The "Bond theme" returns around 8:30. The heavier, more squealing angular eleventh and twelfth minute do more to distract me with thoughts of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” or “She’s So Heavy” and other stuff.</div><div class="p1"> Revisitng this song a few years later I find that the "Bond theme" doesn't bother me nearly so much--it's a <i>very </i>beautiful melody line that the song is built over. Also, the diversity and inclusion of several "movements" makes the song so much more interesting than past A-B-A-B compositions. (26.5/30)</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">2. “Surrender” (7:41) suffers from identity issues—it never seems sure of who or what it is and/or where it wants to go. I love the presence of the trumpet/horns holding part of the harmonic weave, but, again, it just never seems to gel or congeal, never shifts into gear. (Maybe that is the point: dis-integration, distress and dis-function.) Disturbing and unsettling. Thanks, Jacob Valenzuela, for the first trumpet in the final two minutes—which stands sadly alone for a spell. (13/15)</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">3. “The Hand That Holds the Truth” (7:44) has become renowned for the presence of a vocal (Tetsu Fukagawa’s death metal growls). The YouTube video of this is quite entertaining and enlightening as to the group’s individual contributions as bassist/pianist Tamaki Kunishi-Yuasa dons an electric guitar to help produce the three-part weave that forms the second part of this three-part song (intro, weave-building, and climactic main explosion). (13/15)</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">4. “The Last Rays” (6:39) is an exercise in noise from distortion and atonal string plays. Again, if the theme of this album is the end of the world, then all of the compositions here make perfect sense. What surprises me is the dispassionate, detached feeling of the music—and this from a band that usually seems SO invested in the emotional impact of their songs! Maybe to them the end of the world is so matter-of-fact, such a foregone conclusion, that they have decided to present it like this as an exercise in detachment. I commend them for their efforts but have to admit that I much prefer the impassioned efforts of albums like ULVER’s <i>Shadows of the Sun</i> or Nikitas Kissonas’ <i>Suiciety </i>to represent a sad goodbye to human dominion over the planet. Interesting and powerful if downright scary. (8.75/10)</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">Total Time 35:00</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">87.50 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a good album that is better intellectually—especially when considering the tough subject matter. </div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPLtFh8TIpU4-lNIAjS0c5nP-3l_CxhDzg8WGL4l2LbJTlBWIk0wdRmDw_emxSNykyGRBb8QE6T7rtg0-G_Ege93WMsBlRnRJeDp4U_EG6mJhkVHXWSbXHioxfl2RgAwxC1lOlW_dmksC/s1600/a2637567525_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPLtFh8TIpU4-lNIAjS0c5nP-3l_CxhDzg8WGL4l2LbJTlBWIk0wdRmDw_emxSNykyGRBb8QE6T7rtg0-G_Ege93WMsBlRnRJeDp4U_EG6mJhkVHXWSbXHioxfl2RgAwxC1lOlW_dmksC/s320/a2637567525_16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;"><b>MONO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Requiem for Hell </i>(2016)</span></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;">I love Mono and what they do, but I have to say that this album is quite a disappointment after their previous three albums--which were all great.</span></span></span></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="p1"><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Takaakira 'Taka' Goto / guitar<br />- Hideki Suematsu / guitar<br />- Tamaki Kunishi / bass<br />- Yasunori Takada / drums<br />With:<br />- Susan Voelz / violin, orchestration<br />- Inger Petersen Carle / violin<br />- Andra Kulans / violin<br />- Vannia Phillips / violin<br />- Nora Barton / cello<br />- Veronica Nettles / cello<br />- Alison Chesley / cello (2)<br />- Nick Broste / trombone (3)<br /><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;">1. "Death in Rebirth" (8:05) a typical slow building Mono song but what's up with the drummer? He seems to be way off and too militaristic. The song finally gets good at the (prolonged) crescendo and when the drums disappear. (7.5/15)</span></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;">2. "Stellar" (4:58) starts off with some awesome strings and then piano to play the slow weave of arpeggi. Tuned percussion joins in in the third minute and then the staticky guitar feedback. Very nice, if simple, tune. (8.5/10)</span></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;">3. "Requiem for Hell" (17:48) opens with two guitars weaving their arpeggi to perfect beauty. Things start getting a little raunchier (in a good way) with some distorted guitar tracks and bells in the third minute. When the drums join in at the five minute mark it's like someone stuck a needle into a balloon--it diminishes the beautiful effect that had been built up to this point. How could the band and producer not hear the horrible effect the drums have on this music? Luckily, there is a reprieve from the drums starting at 9:15. By 10:15 the song is starting afresh with all new arpeggi coming from the guitars. Drum play is added in the twelfth minute, but only to accent the other instruments. Then, when all hell breaks loose (no pun intended) at 12:20, the drummer is mixed farther back in the mix and his play is more in tune with the cacophony occurring all around. This is actually quite an appropriate and effective psychedelic section for the subject matter (not unlike some of the frenzy in more recent MOTORPSYCHO songs). And it plays out for the entirety of the song's final five and a half minutes! Best song on the album. (9/35) </span></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;">4. "Ely's Heartbeat" (8:27) </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;">one of the weakest Mono songs I've heard in a long time. The drums are so off and the instrumentalists seem to be careless. (6.5/20)</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;">5. "The Last Scene" (6:43) a very pretty, slow and deliberate almost HAROLD BUDD/ROBIN GUTHRIE song. (8.5/10)</span></span></span></div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">Total Time 46:01<br /><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 21.56px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.56px;">80.0 on the Fishscales = four stars; B-; a good album that is worth hearing--especially if you are a Post Rock or Mono fan.</span></span></span><br /></div><span style="text-align: left;"><b></b></span><span style="text-align: left;"></span><br style="text-align: left;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8jh2u9VofwabPM1OI1O1wb6h5hR3A8qPtkV_x-fZxagCWQn2OaU1CiLR8Ciix1DLQ0y4d_TGF36orlwOZeXTiOOYUUQ9ihxDiFr2L0fKW-zVcJyjMX7zR61i7rzoQxSKSReHb8V2x6Bh/s1600/MONO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8jh2u9VofwabPM1OI1O1wb6h5hR3A8qPtkV_x-fZxagCWQn2OaU1CiLR8Ciix1DLQ0y4d_TGF36orlwOZeXTiOOYUUQ9ihxDiFr2L0fKW-zVcJyjMX7zR61i7rzoQxSKSReHb8V2x6Bh/s1600/MONO.jpg" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div></span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>MONO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Nowhere, Now Here</i> (2019)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Japanese Post Rock veterans release their 10th album in 20 years and continue to demonstrate their willingness and drive to grow and evolve by offering major synthesized electronic sound washes as ample aqueous solutions in which to launch, buoy, and bathe the vehicles of their instrumental constructs. They have been kind of stumbling along, trying to grow and try new things in recent years but their efforts have not proven successful critically or in sales. Here, now, they have broken several old Mono patterns: with first lineup change </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">ever</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> with new drummer Dahm Majuri Cipolla, rampant and all-pervasive use of electronics (computer keyboards? or MIDI?) and Tamaki's debut vocal.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Line-up / </b></span></span><b style="background-color: white;">Musicians</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">:</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Takaakira 'Taka' Goto - guitar</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tamaki - bass, vocal (3)</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Yoda - guitar</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Dahm Majuri Cipolla - drums</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. "God Bless" (1:44) "warped record" orchestral strings! It's all warped: "horns," too! Very cool! Like something from a David Sylvian record. (5/5)</span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">2. "After You Comes the Flood" (5:36) dirty, raspy synths and guitars fade into this one for a long (0:56) introduction before the full band burst forth with a solid chord progression within which the familiar MONO tremolo guitar playing moves around. Drumming is very solid, bass is loud and super-chunky, guitars are insistent. A little lull at the end of the third minute allows for a second burst into full frontal brutality--this time with the right channel guitar going rogue and freaky. Awesome stuff! Gets the adrenaline pumping to hear the band firing on all cylinders again. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">3. "Breathe" (5:24) slow low end synth "horn" chord washes open this one before the breathy "ANNE PIGALLE-like voice of Tamaki enters. Wow! This is different! And awesome! A MONO torch song! It's gorgeous if a little two-dimensional. (9/10)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">4. "Nowhere, Now Here" (10:24) opens with gentle, background untreated guitar slow-picked arpeggi before solo electric guitar enters and, then bass and slow drums and "horn" synth chords. After a brief pregnant pause, the full band jumps in with great force and a great weave (with synth strings?) at 3:15. What ensues is beautiful, insistent, emotional, and powerful. At 5:05 the drums and bass start a constant quick-pulse just before a break in which the two guitars continue playing off of each other in their own repetitive styles. Bass and snare rolls reenter in the second half of the seventh minute and then kick drum. At 7:50 everything gets loosed but this is weak until the tremolos really speed up and the cymbal crashes get going. I don't like the drums' backing off as the guitars continue screaming. (17/20)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">5. "Far and Further" (5:41) guitar arpeggi with heavy reverb is counterpointed by gently picking guitar and then by super chorused and two channeled guitar strums and thick bass notes. Nice weave that stays mellow until the three minute mark when bass drum and bowed instrument check in. At 3:40 the raunchy electric guitar tremolos show up as cymbals and orchestral sounds join. Never reaches fast speed or frenetic playing, but effectively conveys a mood. (8.75/10)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">6. "Sorrow" (8:30) the two guitars, with their two styles, playing gently, each with more lush electronic effects that usual, before steady blues-rock drums join in until the two minute mark when a pulse of bass and wall of shifting orchestral strings chords joins in for fifty seconds pure beauty. Then things get quiet and more sparse again for thirty seconds before swaths of "singular" strings begin swooping in and around the music to the most gorgeous, emotional effect. At 4:45 the beat intensifies as the drums and bass begin pounding and crashing while the musical soundscape becomes awash in the thickness of a constant kind of tremolo. Beginning at the end of the eighth minute Taka's full-chord tremolos with keyboard mirror bombard and bathe us until the song's Berlin School sequenced demise in the final 30 seconds. Definitely a top three song; probably my favorite song on the album. (19/20)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">7. "Parting" (4:25) piano and strings! It's so MONO but it's unlike anything they've ever done before. Could be Jesy Chiang and her CICADA band. Very pretty, very emotional. (8.75/10)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">8. "Meet Us Where the Night Ends" (9:05) opens with odd sequence (arpeggio) of computer-sampled vocal loops before guitar arpeggio joins in. Very cool! At the one minute mark a second guitar enters playing some echoed and spaciously placed notes. In the third minute the second guitarist doubles his slow pace as bass and cymbals (and then full drums) and "orchestration" join in. Not very complex music but all threads are woven into a nice tapestry. Around 3:20 things break down to the original voice and guitar foundation before low-end guitar tremolo and orchestral strings' rising and falling chord progression ensues. Drums re-emerge at the five minute mark. Searing electric guitar flames in at 5:36 to add his emotional input. At 6:45 drummer signals "it's time to get real" as everybody seems to amp up their intensity (especially the drums--which erupt into full freak out mode at 7:17). Awesome! And different! (18/20)</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">9. "Funeral Song" (3:21) flutey church organ swirling around a cycle of a few chords before a sequence of "trumpet plus horn chords" join in. And woven together with some reverb and other effects and that's it! Awesome! (9/10)</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">10. "Vanishing, Vanishing Maybe" (6:14) Yoda's heavily reverbed guitar arpeggi (on the left) are soon joined by Taka's own louder sound on the right. Add Wurlitzer-like organ in the second minute. The melodies and harmonic structure here is so cool, so familiar. Drum kit enters at 2:10. Sounds like practice, nothing too challenging or groundbreaking in terms of structure until the third ROBIN GUTHRIE-like shoe-gaze guitar comes sliding in at 3:28. Now </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">that</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is cool! Just a solid COCTEAU TWINS instrumental. (8.75/10)</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Total Time 60:24<br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">90.60 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music--one of the few Post Rock albums that have ever earned five stars from me, but this is a dazzling display of the core basic best that the sub-genre has to offer juxtaposed with a band's maturity plus the rewards it can reap with it's willingness to take risks and try new things. My #16 ranked album of 2019. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Bravo! Taka, Tamaki and Yoda for your metamorphosis.</span><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuQCNwu8b-EtcDbPl3GoFf7EfOAtrvSB0IDmFPLmFuDZbn3eyymNA-lT62arSldZVKxqc0CIwft-q4FXOntWL2A-nV8jZAdYk3jlCeCemYrn4OEBWDJooMakrQ0EL4wJVPoBwszGT_5l-/s1000/cover_105081892021_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuQCNwu8b-EtcDbPl3GoFf7EfOAtrvSB0IDmFPLmFuDZbn3eyymNA-lT62arSldZVKxqc0CIwft-q4FXOntWL2A-nV8jZAdYk3jlCeCemYrn4OEBWDJooMakrQ0EL4wJVPoBwszGT_5l-/s320/cover_105081892021_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>MONO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Pilgrimage of the Soul</i> (2021)</div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>Expanding, growing, still willing to experiment, this is a 22-year old band that is setting the example for all other bands. Here they have nicely added/embellished their sound with orchestral instruments and arrangements.</div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Takaakira 'Taka' Goto / guitar<br />- Tamaki / bass, piano<br />- Yoda / guitar<br />- Dahm / drums<br />With:<br />- Susan Voelz / violin & orchestrator<br />- Andra Kulans / violin<br />- Vannia Phillips / violin<br />- Emi Tanabe / violin<br />- Alison Chesley / cello<br />- Anna Steinhoff / cello<br />- Nora Barton / cello<br />- Kelsee Vandervall / cello<br />- Chad McCullough / trumpet & brass co-arrangement<br />- Liz Deitemyer / French horn<br />- Matthew Davis / trombone<br /><br />1. "Riptide" (5:51) powerful in the best way that MONO can be. Opens with horns in the background as delicately picked electric guitar--until 1:20 when a volume 10 tsunami of sound crashes in (scaring the bejeezus outof me everytime I hear it!) The intensity is almost militaristic--but maybe stronger--like a volcanic eruption! And just as relentless! By song's end I feel beaten to a pulp! Awesome! Could be a top three song--if only for it's long-lasting effect on my nervous system. (9/10)</div><div><br />2. "Imperfect Things" (6:25) delicate loop of a harp-like arpeggio opens this before being joined by slow, distinct guitar and bass notes. Such a contrast to the previous song's barrage (from which I am still reeling--my nervous system still recovering from). Second slow-picked guitar and second windy-synth loop join in during the third minute. The loops build in the fourth minute until deep bass chords and disco drum play join in. Guitars return now playing full chords where they had only submitted single notes before, but the timing/pace is the same. The drummer's snare play takes us out of Disco-realm. At the five-minute mark guitars and strings enter, taking the music in a different direction--while the rhythm section remains constant. All pressure is relieved at the six-minute mark for a finish of just the loops. Nice. (8.75/10)</div><div><br />3. "Heaven in a Wild Flower" (7:10) sustained organ note (dyad?) with electric piano playing slowly over the top. At 1:20 far background bowed electric guitar and second hand of electric piano and bass join in. It's slow and old feeling. At 2:28 horns join in from the distant background. At 3:03 distant background electronic percussive noises, and then, at 3:40, cellos, while full brass section moves to the fore. Full strings join in the next round as horns become a little more expanded and expressive. At 5:50 things begin to break down, leaving single cello to solo over the basic foundation of electric piano chords, samples & loops. Surprised to have such little representation of the band's electric guitar-oriented sound--and no drums! (13/15)</div><div><br />4. "To See a World" (4:00) two arpeggiating guitars with full strings support are joined in the second minute by cymbals, snare drum and, at 1:45, finally, by the full band--bursting forth in a full rock/Post Rock wall of sound. The stark and untreated snare drum hits feel a bit incongruous with the deluge of murky treatments given all the other instruments (except, perhaps, the bass guitar). Nice, old-fashioned, orchestra-supported Mono Post Rock. (8.5/10)</div><div><br />5. "Innocence" (8:10) female choir chord and percussive guitar notes open this before being joined by an overture-like quick series of band + orchestra chord progressions--a pattern that is repeated over and over until 2:30 when tremolo-electric guitar seems to be trying to take us in another direction. But, no! The pattern is too strong; the rondo of power chords sustains and maintains its dominance--until 4:26 when a single drum hit signals the unleashing of a full-on Mono barrage of sound. It's wonderful! Great chord progression under the command of these masters of contrast and melody. Then, at 6:05, things fall into spacey stillness before guitar and organ notes and reverse percussives start to creep forward and populate the cosmic field. Interesting--and unusual. (13.25/15)</div><div><br />6. "The Auguries" (7:30) Taking on a rather cinematic musical style, the band create a kind of James Bond-like feel--even as they take it the music into new heights at the end of the second minute. The typical Mono construct of rondo cyclical approach ensues as each band member takes turns adding to or embellishing their sound and or contribution. Yoda"s searing MY BLOODY VALENTINE-like guitar play in the fifth minute is heart-wrenching, to say the least. Super powerful--and quite haunting. A top three song for me. (13.75/15)</div><div><br />7. "Hold Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand" (12:21) sustained oscillating Hammond organ chords to which are added bee-like horn notes (sampled?) and then xylophone arpeggi. At 3:00 gentle guitar and bass notes are entered. These are soon joined by drums. Beautiful! A heart-wrenching melody. Tremolo guitar joins the mix at the very end of the fifth minute followed buy a ramping up of the strings in background support. Around the six-minute mark we return to the bare-bones weave of the opening section--like starting over--before drums, guitars, bass, and strings rejoin--this time with more intensity and complexity. All the while, the gorgeous base melody line is held strong. At the eight-minute mark the rock elements all intensify, taking the walls of sound up a few notches, while maintaining the core. In the second half of the tenth minute, the march-time of the drum seems to spoil a bit of the integrity of the melodic and emotional impact. To bad! This had all the makings of one of Mono's finest! Despite this little hump, the final 70 seconds of entropic cacophony is awesome. My other top three song. (22.75/25)</div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: Times; text-align: left;">8. "And Eternity in an Hour" (5:51) slow, hypnotic (lullaby-like) piano arpeggi--at first by one and then by two hands--are soon joined by full spectrum of orchestral strings. Beautiful minimalist chamber music! Start to finish! Wow! Who'd have thought this possible from a heavily electrified Post Rock band? A top three song. (9.5/10)</span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Total Time 57:18</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">89.54 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and the finest Post Rock album of 2021! What a musical treat! My #13 favorite album of 2021 (#20 on the Fishscales). Highly recommended!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-40617656050998768182023-12-05T15:56:00.000-08:002024-01-27T14:59:40.089-08:00Homunculus Res<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">My Favorite Canterbury Style Band</span></b></p><p>Most probably my single favorite 21st Century newcomer band are the young men from Palermo, Sicilia, Italia, who burst onto the prog scene (as a much-misclassified "RPI" band--for seven years!) with 2013's <i>Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto</i>, an album that immediately struck me as so totally refreshing, so upbeat and fun, while also being so impressive with the skillsets and compositional uniquities on display, that it quickly established a place in the top 10 of my list (of now over 1000 albums) of <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4177889769726575312/3448500406498078693" target="_blank">Favorite Albums of All-Time</a>.<i> (It has been sitting at #3 for several years now). </i>While the band's four successive albums have not quite lived up to the debut album's indominatable spirit of lightness, joy, fun, and youthful humor, they have all stood enough of the test of time to still command high rankings on my year-end lists of favorites--and the most recent album, 2023's <i>Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi</i> has come the closest to reaching those heights (though more for the mastery of mixing nuance and subtlety into fairly simple song constructs). </p><p>What started out as a little AltrOck Productions oddity of four core band members and six significant collaborators/contributors grew and contracted as other similarly-spirited musicians heard about the band and expressed interest in working with them. Of the original four founding members, three remain yet as steadfast stalwarts, but one of the band's original collaborators/guests, guitarist Mauro Turdo, has now been swallowed up and officially designated a full-fledged band member, and bassist Daniele Crisci stepped into founding member, Domenico Salamone's shoes after the release of the debut album--where he has remained ever since. Also, many of the guest collaborators and contributors who started with the band on that first album have continued to "guest" and collaborate ever since--including members of other Canterbury Style band members and enthusiasts like PICCHIO DAL POZZO, RASCAL REPORTERS, ALCO FRISBASS, and, of course, the AltrOck stable! </p><p><br /></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGpyOxmUxJDPahP-kOAHKXEBBPDneiX2MjsFZJ0IXArqjB9CQyrBi_LNnzvtMF-DPJagS1H-dxNzkYtSHcasLGsJ2q8_g1GOkZCR42iT1gfZDm2_hrae7GJCIaySyL68sCskhAjutY2aKO1VVAARfQIeBGb-eBCq6YH4UtD2i_QgLh6T_UmZF_cvSvw/s1000/cover_475683152023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGpyOxmUxJDPahP-kOAHKXEBBPDneiX2MjsFZJ0IXArqjB9CQyrBi_LNnzvtMF-DPJagS1H-dxNzkYtSHcasLGsJ2q8_g1GOkZCR42iT1gfZDm2_hrae7GJCIaySyL68sCskhAjutY2aKO1VVAARfQIeBGb-eBCq6YH4UtD2i_QgLh6T_UmZF_cvSvw/s320/cover_475683152023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>HOMUNCULUS RES</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi </i>(2023: #5 on Favorites"; #32 on Fishscales.)</div><div><br /></div>My favorite band from Sicily is back with their fifth studio album since their 2013 debut. Though the official band membership has shrunk (to five), the number of guest contributors remains big. The music is simpler than the the quirky, jerky fun stuff on 2013's debut, but the subtleties and nuances that only begin to come shining through after three or four listens have made this album increasingly grow in my esteem. Thus, despite its less-than-masterpiece rating, it finished 2023 as my #5 ranked "favorite" album.</div><div><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Dario D'Alessandro / vocals, rhythmic guitar, keyboards, glockenspiel, bass (1)<br />- Davide Di Giovanni / organ, piano, synth, bass (4)<br />- Mauro Turdo / lead guitar<br />- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums, percussion<br />- Daniele Crisci / bass<br />With:<br />- James Strain (RASCAL REPORTERS) / oud (1)<br />- Massimo Giuntoli (SKE) / keyboards (2)<br />- Giorgio Trombino (VERTEBRA ATLANTIS, MESSA, BEDSORE) / Alto sax, flute (2)<br />- Dominique D'Avanzo (STERBUS) / vocals, flute, recorder, clarinet (4)<br />- Emanuele "Sterbus" Sterbini (STERBUS) / vocals (4)<br />- Giuseppe Turdo / French & English horn, oboe, trumpet (4,7)<br />- Marco Monterosso (MEZ GACANO) / guitar (5)<br />- Alan Strawbridge (SCHNAUSER) / vocals (8)<br />- Giovanni Parmeggiani (ACCORDO DEI CONTRARI) / moog, polysix, Fender rhodes (8)<br />- Andrea Cusumano / whistle (9)<br />- Dario Lo Cicero (MEZ GACANO) / panaulon, flute, bassoon, trombone, cristal baschet (9,10)<br />- Mila Di Addario / Tangent piano (9), Angelica glass harp (10)<br />- Federico Cardaci / arp odyssey, oberheim, digitone, memotron (10)<br />- Luciano Margorani (LA 1919) / guitar (10)<br />- Enea Turdo / vocals (10)</div><div><br /></div><div>1. "Il gran finale" (3:52) the music here retains the spry Canterbury feel and sound palette of the band's stupendous debut, <i>Limiti all'eguauglianza della parte con il tutto</i>, but the songs are more streamlined with longer working passages instead of the short and frequent time and thematic shifts; they're polished and mature, more listener-friendly, but not quite as quirky and fun as the former. (8.75/10)</div><div><br />2. "Quintessenza la la la" (6:06) a song that seems to parody music in all of the silliness of its seriousness--both the singing/lyrics and the music. Quite fun and funny! (8.875/10)</div><div><br />3. "Il bello e il cattivo tempo" (3:52) opens like a BEACH BOYS song from the 1960s. It's nicely melodic and flows very smoothly, but he music kind of drags as it is obvious that the lyrics are meant to be the focus. (8.75/10)</div><div><br />4. "Viaggio astrale di una polpetta" (5:17) this jazzier piece sounds very much like a MUFFINS/DAVE NEWHOUSE composition with some shifts into GRYPHON territory due to the recorders et al. until Emanuele Sterbini's vocals enter in the final third. Interesting! (8.75/10)</div><div><br />5. "Fine del mondo" (4:07) one of the more quirky, funny songs on the album--even the instrumental sound choices are often humorous/silly. (8.875/10)</div><div><br />6. "Pentagono" (5:23) a slowly hypnotic Math Rock kind of song evolves into something quite melodic as the vocalists sing and harmonize in the second minute. The upright piano sound used gives the song a bar- or school-room feel to it. A top three song for me. (9/10)</div><div><br />7. "Parole e numeri" (3:05) this slowed down number is unusually plodding but supremely melodic and engaging, simple but beautiful. Another top three song. (9.25/10)</div><div><br /></div><div>8. "Cinque sensi" (4:00) very cool upbeat and cheerful song again of a simpler form and structure, it's just too charming to not love. Another top three song. (9.25/10)</div><div><br />9. "Fiume dell'Oblio" (4:15) a bit of the avant and Sgt. Pepper-like psychedelic mixed into the straightforward simple pop forms. Still, there is so much lovable quirk and uniquity here as to make my smile creases crack. And Andrea Cusumano is quite the whistler! My fourth top three song. (9/10)</div><div><br />10. "Doppi sensi" (10:04) As if Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello dropped in to help compose and produce a collage of great unconventional chord progressions and melodies while using a number of whimsical, ever-changing time signatures. Then, at 4:50 Robert Wyatt and John Lennon step in to direct, creating a dreamy musical playground in which even children can roam around and play. While I like both halves, the first is definitely more to my liking. (18/20)<br /><div><br /></div><div>Total Time: 50:01</div><div><br /></div><div>While I like this album a lot--it has really grown on me--I still idolize that debut album more than any of the band's others. Here the music is often simpler, engaging the listener for longer stretches of time, but the band have done an excellent job of reclaiming the quirk and humor so naturally championed by that first album--something that has not always remained constant in their other three albums. <br /><div><br /></div></div></div><div>89.77 on the Fishscale = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of wonderfully entertaining Canterbury Styled progressive rock music. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9R93wiAanCsG8HVV9NBLZnKNV0FfUb2TBi3026SszdFTogFL6a6rP3l9_BBnNaHhRwNvMHEBkv2VqpoyJPyHrpE9LrWatRO9KSphqfU9HVsMS5z5r12sC-LQsAKP4bq4KVHF4JOkWFOM/s1600/cover_47682272020_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9R93wiAanCsG8HVV9NBLZnKNV0FfUb2TBi3026SszdFTogFL6a6rP3l9_BBnNaHhRwNvMHEBkv2VqpoyJPyHrpE9LrWatRO9KSphqfU9HVsMS5z5r12sC-LQsAKP4bq4KVHF4JOkWFOM/s320/cover_47682272020_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>HOMUNCULUS RES<i> </i></b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Andiamo in giro di notte e ci consumiamo nel fuoco </i>(2020: #12 on "favorites"; #18 in Fishscales.)</span></div></span><div><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>My wife and I just sold our farm (happy/sad). We just returned from two days of cleaning out and driving to storage the family valuables (happy/sad). But then I opened up my computer after a couple days of absence to find that one of my favorite bands of the 21st Century had released its new album--on my mother's 85th birthday (happy/HAPPY). AUTO-BUY! I have to report that the band has (finally) returned to the (full) form of sophisticated Canterbury quirk of their 2011 debut. I am SO HAPPY to be listening to this beautiful yet happy music--especially in these COVID times. Thank you, Dario & company! And thank you to The Universe for releasing this album on my mother's 85 birthday! It will always make this album feel so special--like it was just for me.<br /><br />Full, more detailed review in the days to come (as I will, no doubt, be listening to this album non-stop throughout the weekend). The PERFECT SUMMER ALBUM! If you want happy, melodic music to play on your days by the water, I could not think of a better one than this.<br /><br /><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:</b></div><div>- Dario D'Alessandro / vocals (1-4,6-10), rhythm guitar (1-4,8,9), keyboards (1-6,8-10), glockenspiel (2,5)<br />- Davide Di Giovanni / piano, organ, synthesizer, guitar (7)<br />- Mauro Turdo / solo guitar (1-6,8-10)<br />- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums<br />- Daniele Crisci / bass (1-6,8,10)<br />With:<br />- Giorgio Trombino / alto saxophone (1,2)<br />- Petter Herbertsson / banjo, guitars, vibraphone, double bass (3)<br />- Giuseppe Turdo / oboe & French horn (4)<br />- Antonio Tralongo / viola (4)<br />- Emanuele Sterbini (STERBO) / vocals & guitar (5)<br />- Dominique D'Avanzo (STERBO) / vocals, flute, clarinet (5)<br />- Danilo Mancino / bass (7)<br />- Dario Lo Cicero / transverse flute, bass flute & bassoon (8,10)<br />- Patrick Dufour (ALCO FRISBASS) / electric piano (9)<br />- James Strain (RASCAL REPORTERS) / bass (9) </div><div><br /></div><div>1. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhlyFiaFnTU&ab_channel=HomunculusRes-Topic">Lucciole per Lanterne</a>" (4.54) Canterbury and Homunculus Res perfection! (9.5/10)<br />2. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUB6SCBXY9M&ab_channel=HomunculusRes-Topic">Il Carrozzone</a>" (3:42) (9.75/10)<br />3. "Buco Nero" (6:44) (8.75/10)<br />4. "Supermercato" (6:21) (8.75/10)<br />5. "La Spia" (4:36) (8.75/10)<br />6. "La Salamandra" (6:25) (9/10)<br />7. "In Girum" (3:37) sounds more like THE WINSTONS' debut album (and, therefore, MATCHING MOLE/Robert WYATT). (8.5/10)<br />8. "La Luccicanza" (4:27) (8.75/10)<br />9. "Tetraktys" (3:33) (8.75/10)<br />10. "Non Dire No" (3:45) opens as if a teacher/parent singing to (or for) children. When flute supplants vocal it becomes more rich and though still community feeling. Cool, different song. (9.5/10)<br /><div><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">The album starts out on a real high with the first two fast-paced joy-fests, but then then tempos settle into the middle inviting the listener to tune in more carefully to hear the clever and quirky nuances that the band throws in. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><div style="font-family: Times;">Total Time 47:59</div></span></div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and such a refreshing addition to my (so far) rather weak 2020 collection.</span></div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">P.S. How could ANYONE call this music anything but Canterbury???!!!! This is NOT a RPI band!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><div><br style="text-align: center;" /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRH6jfPAUAPpFEJM_BoQ_ughOQpLAhkhX_ifekZCr74FaPuUwYugy4oAVNSfHfrZk-AcMVI4DdK6YFW2Nskze_wRzt55-F0nZF3EbrvPDo7WAKX_pTwZ3D_wdty11tRtkS2dhOAnzlxKh/s1600/Homunculus+Res.jpg" style="font-family: times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRH6jfPAUAPpFEJM_BoQ_ughOQpLAhkhX_ifekZCr74FaPuUwYugy4oAVNSfHfrZk-AcMVI4DdK6YFW2Nskze_wRzt55-F0nZF3EbrvPDo7WAKX_pTwZ3D_wdty11tRtkS2dhOAnzlxKh/s1600/Homunculus+Res.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;"><b>HOMUNCULUS RES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Della stessa sostanza dei sogni</i> (2018: #19 on "favorites"; #25 on Fishscales.)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The third full-length album release from these creative artists from Palermo reveal a band that continues to grow and experiment though their sound and style while remaining as refreshingly quirky, humorous, and Canterburian as ever. The songs are far more complex, far more avant on some layers, while, gratefully, maintaining the light, even humorous approach to rendering music. I even feel somewhere in my gut that there has been a slight return to the loose, enjoyable spirit that was so prominent and prevalent throughout their 2013 debut, <i>Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto</i>, (one of my top five favorite albums of all-time). <o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Line-up / Musicians:</b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Dario D'Alessandro: guitar (R), voice, keyboards, bass (5)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Davide Di Giovanni: piano, organ, synth, acoustic guitar (9)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Daniele Di Giovanni: drums, percussions</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Mauro Turdo: guitar (L)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Daniele Crisci: bass</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;"> With</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Dave Newhouse (THE MUFFINS, RASCAL REPORTER, MANNA / MIRAGE): saxophones, clarinets, flute (1, 2, 5, 9, 12)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Luciano Margorani (LA1919, NichelOdeon): guitar (5, 10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Tommaso Leddi (STORMY SIX): mandolin (5), trombone (10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Rocco Lomonaco (BREZNEV FUN CLUB): winds orchestration (3), guitars and bass (11)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Petter Herbertsson (Testbild!): rhodes, keyboards, vibraphone, bass (final part) (6)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Lorenzo Leddi (Mamma Non Piangere, Ensemble Havadià): guitar (7</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Giuseppe Turdo: oboe, french horn, english horn (3, 12)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Giorgio Trombino (Furious Gorgie): alto sax (1, 8), voice (5)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Paolo Botta (SKE, YUGEN, NOT A GOOD SIGN): synthesizers, hammond, wurlitzer (1, 4, 5, 9, 10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Dario Lo Cicero: flutes (3 and 7), chamois horn (12)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Alessandra Oria Bollino: voice (7)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Valerio Mirone (UTVEGGI): voice (2)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Sara Zerilli: voice (12)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Pivio: electronics and samples (5)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Giovanni Rotondi: clarinets (11)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Marco Monterosso: whistle (9)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">1. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnX5ZPb0pXU" target="_blank">La Cabala</a>" (4:00) smooth with typically catchy HR melodies (9.5/10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">2. "Faccio una pazzia" (2:49) more odd, humorous, and avant than before. Quirky vocals similar to those explored by AltrOck stable mates HUMBLE GRUMBLE on their early release, <i>Flanders Fields</i>. I love the thick fretless bass contrasted by the sharp, staccato, odd-tempo hits of the horns and rhythm section. Funky sax solo by Dave Newhouse at the end. (10/10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">3. "Bianco supremo" (3:32) a pretty, bucolic song with melodies and sound renderings that harken back to the idyllic summer musics of the late 1960s. How many instruments can one clearly weave into one song? (9.25/10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">4. "Non sogno più" (2:44) This one has the feel of a late-1960s Latin jazz pop song. Fun, engaging, danceable, and gorgeous. (9.75/10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">5. "Mentre dormi" (4:16) opens like a Ben Watt/Tracey Thorn song before becoming all HR. Great shift at 0:45. I love the woodwinds and mandolin in the mid-section. Another great shift just before the three-minute mark leads into the electric guitar solo in an awesome reed-based outro. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">6. "</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--isTRsg35k" style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;" target="_blank">Rimedi ancestrali</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">" (3:39) an odd-tempoed piano-based song with aged electro-pop sounds (the return of the Casio VL-TONE Vl-1?!!) performing some of the song's base fabric. I love Dario D'Alessandro's vocals on this one. Another top three song. (9.25/10)</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">7. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0f6WvTcOhY" target="_blank">Se la mente mentisse</a>" (4:16) a fun pop song with lead vocals from Alessandra Oria Bollino. The second part, instrumental/post vocal, sounds so much like a 70s Canterbury song. Then we return to the poppy vocal section while Alessandra scats the main melody with "la-la-las" in place of the words. Great flute work here from Dario La Cicero. Just pure fun—makes me so proud to be a human being (despite our inanities)! I cannot decide between this song and the album opener for my third top three song. (9.25/10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">8. "Il nome di Dio" (2:34) a quirky jazzy song with odd multi-voiced vocals over the top (and below). Great jazz rhythms and horn work after the 1:00 mark. I like the multi-layered synth work in that solo in the second minute. The song bounces back and forth from quirk vocal to jazz section one more cycle while ending with a nice little Casiotone solo. (8.5/10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">9. "Denti cadenti" (4:41) presents a very different recording soundscape with tons of reverb on multiple tracks (not just the voices). Harpsichord and other older-sounding instruments. Even a Hammond and Mellotron to go with piano and other more-"classic/common" prog instruments. (8.5/10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">10. "Dopamine" (3:49) another song that uses instruments and sounds sounding like they're straight out of the 1970s Canterbury Scene bands' repertoires. Great raunchy electric guitar work over the jazzy organ-led foundation. (8.5/10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">11. "Preludio e distrazioni" (2:09) is a slow, sentimental song with piano and multiple layers of woodwinds. Pretty first minute, shifts, then more gorgeous, ending with acoustic classical and electric guitar duet. (8.5/10)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">12. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVl1b8FoYT8" target="_blank">La casa dei sogni</a>" (2:54) fun, horn-based, carnivalesque song with lead vocals by female singer, Sara Zerilli. Starts out slow but then picks up at 0:37 becoming more bouncy and upbeat. This could almost be a Stereolab song. (8.75/10)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Total Time 41:2</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"></span><br /><div style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">90.21 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music in the Canterbury style. Not as amazing or ground-breaking as their debut, but I do like this one better than their sophomore release—which left me kind of flat.</span></div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_jtwRDmuEAfm0RLjquAIOmJW2oJ0GJGlQjrwqFg21iM5Dtp43USLOJI9vu1BRxpBYJFOVPdOXq6iZnfdRi-eW2aKIi-0mwn7FJI-rs0OoQ4OrGPQQVzXfMnx4Xef2mY3zZ0hCzikEfRI/s1600/imgres.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_jtwRDmuEAfm0RLjquAIOmJW2oJ0GJGlQjrwqFg21iM5Dtp43USLOJI9vu1BRxpBYJFOVPdOXq6iZnfdRi-eW2aKIi-0mwn7FJI-rs0OoQ4OrGPQQVzXfMnx4Xef2mY3zZ0hCzikEfRI/s1600/imgres.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></b></div></span><br /><b>HOMUNCULUS RES <i>Come si diventa ciò che si era</i></b><i> </i>(2015; unrated in both year-end categories.)<br /><br />While not quite as new, fresh, happy, upbeat, melodic, or loose and quirky as their debut, this is still an excellent album release fully within the Canterbury sound. The music feels to me as if it is now more work, more effort, less fun, less imbued with the frivolity of youth and its devil-may-care joy. I miss some of the layers and sudden stops and shifts, and I do not like the way the drums are recorded. I hope the future music of this wonderfully spirited band veers more toward songs like "Balacqua" (3:40) and the epic "Ospedale civico" (17:52) and less like the opening few songs here.<br /><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="background-color: white; padding-left: 5px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Dario D'Alessandro / guitar, Casiotone (2,7,12), MS10 synth (3,8-10,12), MS2000 synth (4,5,11), bass (4,7,10-12), glockenspiel (6)</span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Mauro Turdo / guitar</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Davide Di Giovanni / Nord Electro synth (2), keyboards & synth (13), bass (8,13), drums & percussion (13)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Daniele Crisci / bass</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums, percussion</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">With:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Aldo De Scalzi (PICCHIO DAL POZZO) / vocals & organ & guitar (4)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Wyatt Moss-Wellington / vocalese & backing vocals (10)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Fabrice Chouette </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(ALCO FRISBASS) </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">/ Yamaha MOX6/CS15d (2)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Patrick Dufour (ALCO FRISBASS) / Yamaha MOX6/CS15d (2)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Jarrod Gosling (REGAL WORM) / Mellotron, Philicorda organ & Octave Kitten synth (3,6)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Paul "Ske" Botta (SKE, YUGEN, NOT A GOOD SIGN, / ARP Odyssey (5), OSCar synth (2,9), Roland RS 202 (11), mixing</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Steven Kretzmer (RASCAL REPORTERS) / piano (8)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Giuseppe Turdo / oboe & English horn (1)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Giorgio Trombino / alto saxophone (3,5,14)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- David Newhouse (THE MUFFINS, MANNA / MIRAGE) / saxofones (soprano, alto, tenor & baritone) & bass clarinet (9,10)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Dario Lo Cicero / flutes & flageolet (10)</span></div></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; padding-left: 5px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. "Operazione Simpatia" (2:11) (8/10)<br />2. "Doppiofondo del Barile" (2:50) (8/10)<br />3. "Vesica Piscis" (6:22) (8.25/10)<br />4. "Dogface reprise" (1:50) (/5)<br />5. "Opodeldoc" (4:26) (9/10)<br />6. "La Felicità" (1:27) (/5)<br />7. "Ottaedro" (2:45) (/10)<br />8. "Egg Soup" (0:50) (/5)<br />9. "Belacqua" (3:39) (9/10)<br />10. Ospedale Civico (17:52) (32/40)<br />11. Dogface (3:40) (9/10)<br />12. S invertita (0:52) (/5)<br />13. Paum/ (1:53) (/5)<br />14. Schermaglie (1:51) (/5)<br /><br />Total Time: 52:28</span></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div style="background-color: white; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;">84.29 on the Fishscales = B-/four stars; a decent album by but by no means a shining example worthy of high praise or universal recommendation. For those with an undying love for all things Canterbury.<br /><br /></div></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGY5OYgQbZA1RK0StjffKl5hOzzL3hpe6VpfVIG3OHxaXeyV7iq2JZgQblhq2lyepjtjkzBYR4cjhHSLz4w8u-OnrBdifs3647MAnUtKjh2cseD5gXqniVhwMIgYJF_ESkq9MYNvDPTPv/s1600/imgres.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGY5OYgQbZA1RK0StjffKl5hOzzL3hpe6VpfVIG3OHxaXeyV7iq2JZgQblhq2lyepjtjkzBYR4cjhHSLz4w8u-OnrBdifs3647MAnUtKjh2cseD5gXqniVhwMIgYJF_ESkq9MYNvDPTPv/s1600/imgres.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><b>1. HOMUNCULUS RES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Limiti all'eguaglianza della Parte con il Tutto </i>(2013: #1 on "favorites"; #1 on Fishscales; #2 on list of All-Time Favorite Albums.)</div></div><div><br /><div>A band from Italy in the AltrOck Productions stable whose debut album, 2013's <i>Limiti all'equalianza della parte con il tutto</i>,<i> </i>offers wild and humorous musical stylings that definitely evoke that light, airy Canterbury feeling. All songs (but one) are short (less than four minutes) and quirky in the SOFT MACHINE/Matching Mole style. Great keyboard and synthesizer work, drumming, and rhythm section as each and every song incorporates amazing and unexpected whole-band syncopation and tempo and key shifts throughout. The laid-back vocals of composer and Casiotone virtuoso Dario ALESSANDRO are awesomely soothing. The Di Giovanni brothers, Daniele and David on drums and keyboards, respectively, flutist Dario Lo Cicero and not one, not two, but three keyboard players (including AltrOck ubiquity, Paolo "SKE" BOTTA), serve Dario's songs amazingly well. </div></div><div><div><br /></div><div><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Dario D'Alessandro / guitar, Casiotone (2,7,11,18), Minimoog (4,5,16,17), Mellotron (9), glockenspiel (1), percussion (4,18), vocals<br />- Davide Di Giovanni / organ, piano, Korg MS10 (5,10,17), bass (16), drums (15-17), acoustic guitar (6), vocals (1,16)<br />- Domenico Salamone / bass<br />- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums & percussion, acoustic guitar (6,9), vocals (1)<br />With:<br />- Mauro Turdo / guitar (1)<br />- Federico Cardaci / Minimoog (6,8,12), Mellotron (4,11,12), organ (12)<br />- Dario Lo Cicero / Akai EWI (2,6), flutes (7,8,18), sordone (9)<br />- Paolo "Ske" Botta (YUGEN, SKE) / ARP Odyssey (1,7,11), Wurlitzer & glockenspiel (1), Farfisa organ (3,12,14), OSC OSCar synth (4,15), Syntorchestra (8,9,12), Hohner Pianet (8)<br />- Giovanni Di Martino / Korg synth (3)<br />- Totò Puleo / trumpet (3)</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>Imperfect songs: 5. "Sintagma" (1:09) (8/10); 8. "Rifondazione unghie" (3:18) (9/10); 14. "Centoquarantaduemilaottocentocinquantasette" (2:06) (9/10), and; "Puk 10" (2:25) (9/10).</div><div><br /></div>Perfect songs: All of the others! (14 of them!!)</div><div><br />Total Time 48:02</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Besides being my #2 favorite album of ALL-TIME, this is the Best Canterbury album of the 21st Century and perhaps the best of all-time!!</div></div><div><div><br />97.22 on the Fish scales = 5 star album; a masterpiece of progressive rock music.<br /><br /></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"></div></div></div><div><br /></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-48107816559698814062023-11-12T06:43:00.000-08:002024-01-27T15:12:08.245-08:00Prog Lists: My 40 Favorite Albums from the 1990s<p><b style="font-size: x-large;">These are my 40 favorite prog-related albums of the 1990s</b><span style="font-size: x-large;">: </span><span style="font-size: large;">They're not all pure prog but all have contributed greatly to the forms and sounds that has became known as "progressive rock music."</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFzx8TdzJKC0FHV9CsFN206Pxc4uYvuczre2znhIOwLYR5xOVwFfV7JiSsxC-EKNMaCDPe-V2gtkIbancYiVYi32vIMwJ6-u-YHaGg3k_ngjOj_h9xUF2OEbdz8HwMWMPs7nyszQoQV1Z0nHvY4FLePkTSx5rG7dMlt1Tpg_JRRa4k0YS5S8a6XO9bWbj/s1200/a0594022163_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFzx8TdzJKC0FHV9CsFN206Pxc4uYvuczre2znhIOwLYR5xOVwFfV7JiSsxC-EKNMaCDPe-V2gtkIbancYiVYi32vIMwJ6-u-YHaGg3k_ngjOj_h9xUF2OEbdz8HwMWMPs7nyszQoQV1Z0nHvY4FLePkTSx5rG7dMlt1Tpg_JRRa4k0YS5S8a6XO9bWbj/w400-h400/a0594022163_10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. STEREOLAB </span></b><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dots and Loops</span> </i><span style="text-align: left;">(1997)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFutRDqpe6m8aAysSMGKnNOxPp_P9Y68OSys4FJcDnsSrO57yYuZxbbWzDbjk6qNhbarZbGz-NOYHlcR_o0EUEVoKvpRvfg-vYfBTFiCVb4ytfe2y9kUkYbxtsIVlSgiv7HYTYpspAmfN7udjxw-lDuEFm00nX6AIhhS0KdzaIFItFNVgbtyBeah7Wy0UW/s599/R-1597395-1513556762-2682.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="599" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFutRDqpe6m8aAysSMGKnNOxPp_P9Y68OSys4FJcDnsSrO57yYuZxbbWzDbjk6qNhbarZbGz-NOYHlcR_o0EUEVoKvpRvfg-vYfBTFiCVb4ytfe2y9kUkYbxtsIVlSgiv7HYTYpspAmfN7udjxw-lDuEFm00nX6AIhhS0KdzaIFItFNVgbtyBeah7Wy0UW/w400-h391/R-1597395-1513556762-2682.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>2. LANDBERK </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Indian Summer </i></span><span style="text-align: left;">(1996)</span></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETtUx7LWSilUV_sP7cL3A0ehySNQ1WHz6QE85-VQzeWvhY1vn5RXFoHvkubGovCWp3aY43nMciQ1HMACIvwkDy2mDcNOeIkwVsthyqsgHMs_qQIr9QEpXZjbKp5a06CN72Z1i2yFTbBzTVAJP6O28tmoz5SNrS7AEJFUHSznKjvluKKDu7H4T1wtdMm3t/s600/R-2854321-1413396748-1033.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="600" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETtUx7LWSilUV_sP7cL3A0ehySNQ1WHz6QE85-VQzeWvhY1vn5RXFoHvkubGovCWp3aY43nMciQ1HMACIvwkDy2mDcNOeIkwVsthyqsgHMs_qQIr9QEpXZjbKp5a06CN72Z1i2yFTbBzTVAJP6O28tmoz5SNrS7AEJFUHSznKjvluKKDu7H4T1wtdMm3t/w400-h399/R-2854321-1413396748-1033.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. PAT METHENY </span></b><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Secret Story</span> </i><span style="text-align: left;">(1992)</span></div></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBONIYOnznsXYp04QJtv0eVafSDf7YM81kslggpfEsHdecuqtM8-AT72BEWTFPa-QCQnSOMi3v6GFntVbTUyTx8eesgeNaCig5pOPqRqYQpVCsNAWUqqSQmC89H50hiTWYCigk9dXaXRVVI6ZxZPLYyIANv2f-PsMkbCUCwUSQ-slu-kkwfnLDI0X6i1do/s503/R-1595882-1444907950-1899.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBONIYOnznsXYp04QJtv0eVafSDf7YM81kslggpfEsHdecuqtM8-AT72BEWTFPa-QCQnSOMi3v6GFntVbTUyTx8eesgeNaCig5pOPqRqYQpVCsNAWUqqSQmC89H50hiTWYCigk9dXaXRVVI6ZxZPLYyIANv2f-PsMkbCUCwUSQ-slu-kkwfnLDI0X6i1do/w398-h400/R-1595882-1444907950-1899.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>4. LANDBERK </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">One Man Tells Another </i></span><span style="text-align: left;">(1994)</span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwVr-ueR7mXwoAA1uthl7NJ80XZSirhQVb0M8JM8sBHyjjevXJP5yUpcuLRCA4DljSqVmnSwlBYFrYOCaCIfHjNNRNUfdsJE6p17a-3Py25LPkLA_XWsPt_-3795A7wlyv8TbmhbzHl5CZevkXfo1S29r0G1Ob4e4Jm3aNIIv2rZtAKI4XjmrYJcKBvfQ/s600/R-435255-1421439583-2339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwVr-ueR7mXwoAA1uthl7NJ80XZSirhQVb0M8JM8sBHyjjevXJP5yUpcuLRCA4DljSqVmnSwlBYFrYOCaCIfHjNNRNUfdsJE6p17a-3Py25LPkLA_XWsPt_-3795A7wlyv8TbmhbzHl5CZevkXfo1S29r0G1Ob4e4Jm3aNIIv2rZtAKI4XjmrYJcKBvfQ/w400-h400/R-435255-1421439583-2339.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>5. SADE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Love DeLuxe</i></span><span style="text-align: left;"> (1992)</span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42D-68odSJcdCqiVgV4PfFYi4eb4l7adUr0dtZH9eMgcWCRfASX9XpZc8aKbJsjjIuxEz0wnYeaHo9ZQCAVpqre8wnbLQFwgMqWS1FCV-TlPJCAQ-Tq2RupP1e9X_k_2mak3GkvSeHUf7K_5gm0JjqF-_bFvoRRuHmDY_PX00lCTD2qQZ8UstZSiOxnbo/s700/a1511067166_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42D-68odSJcdCqiVgV4PfFYi4eb4l7adUr0dtZH9eMgcWCRfASX9XpZc8aKbJsjjIuxEz0wnYeaHo9ZQCAVpqre8wnbLQFwgMqWS1FCV-TlPJCAQ-Tq2RupP1e9X_k_2mak3GkvSeHUf7K_5gm0JjqF-_bFvoRRuHmDY_PX00lCTD2qQZ8UstZSiOxnbo/w400-h400/a1511067166_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="text-align: left;">6. ECHOLYN </b><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Suffocating the Bloom</i><span style="text-align: left;"> (1992)</span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktruXAnHEeGaFwmeMPoEZiX9AiaHPpGyTnUhVA_-EDPQH1ZtSWR8d7ozGuAUj_zuPDqeWtfHa1dIBP3tixddWy3vhqeoXJDIzFi1bNWPgI9xCbdM7YwQlE4eLc5KZm8n_RIlnsBHWPm36buFdRGXlVld-BWIOEdtJPya2lRjfT2bouEZB8zhQmc5QZk6h/s700/a1658309588_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktruXAnHEeGaFwmeMPoEZiX9AiaHPpGyTnUhVA_-EDPQH1ZtSWR8d7ozGuAUj_zuPDqeWtfHa1dIBP3tixddWy3vhqeoXJDIzFi1bNWPgI9xCbdM7YwQlE4eLc5KZm8n_RIlnsBHWPm36buFdRGXlVld-BWIOEdtJPya2lRjfT2bouEZB8zhQmc5QZk6h/w400-h400/a1658309588_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">7. OZRIC TENTACLES </b><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Jurassic Shift </i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">(1993)</span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-I21dWagUyCPHPb3M6Ul6fYGDCqqKLf5b5Yzehtw1D9OFxzjdtos1mswGUmtPIrOB3vYMahQvqgpBrkPyxPs_QPie_vTilmn7o0QD6Hu9rL9e7ym7Gn0GkS3B2Cct5881Q1MIPNsdNlMgu3ReONv5w5O3QaTy9aF0ZtA-X7w1FR_LOu-MB9RJTkFO3O1W/s700/a3309609168_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-I21dWagUyCPHPb3M6Ul6fYGDCqqKLf5b5Yzehtw1D9OFxzjdtos1mswGUmtPIrOB3vYMahQvqgpBrkPyxPs_QPie_vTilmn7o0QD6Hu9rL9e7ym7Gn0GkS3B2Cct5881Q1MIPNsdNlMgu3ReONv5w5O3QaTy9aF0ZtA-X7w1FR_LOu-MB9RJTkFO3O1W/w400-h400/a3309609168_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">8. SIGUR RÓS </b><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Ágætus Byrjun </i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">(1999)</span></div></span></div><div><span><b style="font-size: large;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdbR1Ip4cPRuKHrA52TRil6KSeeloeMKqVICcWcYOhqkXuye3SzDevz5-zxFUV-e_HwdNBUOZaege_AYIkSfjOOXlOX_wDQOE8bYm1Wn7eEyhArj9i_nBO5SMARHnRfSZtPslRdjYx7eiajStfH1oZ1LVYYIOW6pRjKtydBJTS7_1f5SfMvP1hgqg-xrE/s599/R-1276659-1628090809-9829.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="599" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdbR1Ip4cPRuKHrA52TRil6KSeeloeMKqVICcWcYOhqkXuye3SzDevz5-zxFUV-e_HwdNBUOZaege_AYIkSfjOOXlOX_wDQOE8bYm1Wn7eEyhArj9i_nBO5SMARHnRfSZtPslRdjYx7eiajStfH1oZ1LVYYIOW6pRjKtydBJTS7_1f5SfMvP1hgqg-xrE/w400-h394/R-1276659-1628090809-9829.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="text-align: left;">9. BONDAGE FRUIT </b><i style="text-align: left;"><b>I</b> </i><span style="text-align: left;">(1994)</span></span></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx32nkjbFLqxXz9pk5axn12GIWXHRBQHQImNDOJ9V1lzAePlM2LtmYIR4Gha6U_w8sGKI02qGhUZdlrmNEaQBQ6p6K9PM9OKXaMaLojQlTlpj44oyptj-hIcvzf1ZlJxfNnT3vjDwpw3v9T8d2HOjGd1nVmDkw2UesfWIowOkWjwGhty_a-sQKm8GWcJSL/s600/R-9059531-1474059304-4809.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx32nkjbFLqxXz9pk5axn12GIWXHRBQHQImNDOJ9V1lzAePlM2LtmYIR4Gha6U_w8sGKI02qGhUZdlrmNEaQBQ6p6K9PM9OKXaMaLojQlTlpj44oyptj-hIcvzf1ZlJxfNnT3vjDwpw3v9T8d2HOjGd1nVmDkw2UesfWIowOkWjwGhty_a-sQKm8GWcJSL/w400-h400/R-9059531-1474059304-4809.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="text-align: left;">10. JANET JACKSON </b><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Janet. </i><span style="text-align: left;">(1993)</span></span></div></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>11. PÄR LINDH PROJECT </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Mundus Incompertus</i><b> </b></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">(1997)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>12. BARK PSYCHOSIS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Hex </i>(1994)</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times; font-weight: bold;">13. PAT METHENY </span><i style="font-family: times; font-weight: bold;">Imaginary Day </i><span style="font-family: times;">(1997)</span><br /><b>14. COLLAGE </b><i><b>Moonshine</b> </i>(1994)<br /></span><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>15. </b></span><b>KINGSTON WALL </b><i><b>III: Trilogy</b> </i>(1994)</span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>16. JEAN-LUC PONTY, AL DIMEOLA, STANLEY CLARKE </b></span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Rite of Strings</b> </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">(1995)</span></span></div></div><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">17. AFTER CRYING </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Megalálzottak és Megszomorítottak </i>(1992)</span></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>18. THE FLOWER KINGS </b><i><b>Flower Power</b> </i>(1999)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>19. ANGRA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Holy Land </i>(1996)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>20. BONDAGE FRUIT </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">II </i>(1996)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span><b>21. JON ANDERSON </b><i><b>Change We Must</b> </i>(1994)</span></div><div><span><b>22. HÖYRY-KONE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Huono Parturi </i>(1997)</span></div><div><span><b>23. DEAD CAN DANCE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Aion </i>(1990)</span></div><div><span><b>24. PORCUPINE TREE </b><i><b>The Sky Moves Sideways</b> </i>(1994)</span></div><div><span><b>25. QUIDAM </b><i><b>Quidam</b> </i>(1996)<br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b>26. IN THE WOODS... <i>Omnio</i></b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"> (1997)</span></span></div><div><span><b>27. AFTER CRYING </b><i><b>Föld És Ég</b> </i>(1994)<br /><b>28. ART ZOYD </b><i><b>Häxan</b> </i>(1997)</span></div><div><span><b>29. FATES WARNING </b><i><b>A Pleasant Shade of Gray</b> </i>(1997)</span></div><div><span><b>30. ANTHONY PHILLIPS </b><i><b>Slow Dance</b> </i>(1990)</span></div><div><b><span><br /></span></b></div><div><span><b>31. DEAD CAN DANCE <i>Into the Labyrinth</i> </b>(1993)</span></div><span><b>32. COLLAGE<i> </i></b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Baśnie</b> </i>(1990)</span></span></span><div><span><span style="font-family: times;"><b>33. VOLARÉ </b></span><i style="font-family: times;"><b>The Uncertainty Principle</b> </i><span style="font-family: times;">(1997)</span></span></div><div><span><b>34. MR. SIRIUS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Dirge</i> (1990)</span></div><div><span><b>35. BRUFORD LEVIN UPPER EXTREMITIES </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">B.L.U.E. </i>(1998)<b> </b></span></div><div><span><b>36. AFTER CRYING </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Overground Music </i>(1990)</span></div><div><span><b>37. AFTER CRYING </b><i><b>De Profundis</b> </i>(1996)</span></div><div><span><b>38. MR. BUNGLE <i>Mr. Bungle</i> </b>(1991)</span></div><div><span><b>39. THINKING PLAGUE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">In Extremis </i>(1998)</span></div><div><span><b>40. DISCIPLINE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Unfolded Like Staircase </i>(1997)</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><i style="font-family: times;"><u><span>Honorable Mentions:</span></u></i></div><div><span>ÄNGLAGÅRD <i>Epilog</i> (1994)</span></div><div><span><span>ULVER </span><i>Kveldssanger </i>(1996)</span></div><div><span>CYNIC <i>Focus </i>(1993)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">TOOL <i>Ænima </i>(1996)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">DREAM THEATER <i>Awake</i> (1994)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-69205191087451634142023-11-12T06:10:00.000-08:002024-01-29T05:18:11.359-08:00Prog Lists: My Favorite Albums of the 2010s<p><b style="font-size: x-large;">These are my 40 favorite prog-related albums of the 2010s</b><span style="font-size: x-large;">: </span><span style="font-size: large;">they're not all pure prog but all have contributed greatly to the forms and sounds that has became known as "progressive rock music."</span></p><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYF6sbkcBcmFpIHip9lB0GeHNdhitKupS0rlss8WawsjLhYLB1DGv4AeZ8yAjqWFv4CjPtl0N6BJkfZmACt_ce6hlMbH9aa559RKSP1cX0A76YUjxk3v0CRDkdpWqt1dadG0Pz-97I95zFQ4vY3DwNsASCEl-Zi2Qu1Zi9dpgph714rJMDbN3V7-nWPJE/s700/a2057355067_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYF6sbkcBcmFpIHip9lB0GeHNdhitKupS0rlss8WawsjLhYLB1DGv4AeZ8yAjqWFv4CjPtl0N6BJkfZmACt_ce6hlMbH9aa559RKSP1cX0A76YUjxk3v0CRDkdpWqt1dadG0Pz-97I95zFQ4vY3DwNsASCEl-Zi2Qu1Zi9dpgph714rJMDbN3V7-nWPJE/w400-h400/a2057355067_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. HOMUNCULUS RES </span></b><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto</span> </i><span style="text-align: left;">(2013)</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxFTkuti9alKEyemxVqRc5oUIkwQO0JV_TUgGNHFlngb7LPOxC325bPigeMDs66FbAHKa41iH0WxIyuBjkEIe0OHHSHbGpVDdnFZ6OjQGBDgt0iVozGnTPa2qXDHHHv5G-waWAp52J77mQstgetLfJn3IxcW030ohyphenhyphenvQ9LRfPPPVfjfuBKCKaEUTdIwe8/s700/a3717628025_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxFTkuti9alKEyemxVqRc5oUIkwQO0JV_TUgGNHFlngb7LPOxC325bPigeMDs66FbAHKa41iH0WxIyuBjkEIe0OHHSHbGpVDdnFZ6OjQGBDgt0iVozGnTPa2qXDHHHv5G-waWAp52J77mQstgetLfJn3IxcW030ohyphenhyphenvQ9LRfPPPVfjfuBKCKaEUTdIwe8/w400-h400/a3717628025_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. UNAKA PRONG </span></b><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Salinity Now!</span> </i><span style="text-align: left;">(2018)</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pHZwfFSF-Ir3ibA5yUqYyfhKCUyf7RBGClJTw7D4Pos4Uy96GRD3DZQ9Pm8nPMLcBoA2q7jQdNeLhJHg5e8ixjk_nk60aIMZN4oBgkpqoqrm6Tg_fAPykU46bE6faR-YF1y0RcvAwUtfvcS-_kbScFy_d6n2P7WGrzdEPfNX8SPxNPBgRkgnlUl0UFDK/s700/a0450293751_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pHZwfFSF-Ir3ibA5yUqYyfhKCUyf7RBGClJTw7D4Pos4Uy96GRD3DZQ9Pm8nPMLcBoA2q7jQdNeLhJHg5e8ixjk_nk60aIMZN4oBgkpqoqrm6Tg_fAPykU46bE6faR-YF1y0RcvAwUtfvcS-_kbScFy_d6n2P7WGrzdEPfNX8SPxNPBgRkgnlUl0UFDK/w400-h400/a0450293751_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. THE AMAZING </span></b><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gentle Stream</span> </i><span style="text-align: left;">(2011)</span></div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8SqCScVgxuqT-KxXjLX-y7JwpzSezjetaszDZAwlTKKOf6UDQvTZJ5ucDb8ZhaqQYHbQb3s7IgGOyYOWLK8I8jSINLv1CBbxdHPgTpZ9oU-QtoygXVL1aHvpZgN0_Nc1K2dar_BK7j8Z5osoBkIIuiVNBaUHGxSeUw-RdGs4LhWMU3u65pTcs7YTEYiN/s700/a0752198009_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8SqCScVgxuqT-KxXjLX-y7JwpzSezjetaszDZAwlTKKOf6UDQvTZJ5ucDb8ZhaqQYHbQb3s7IgGOyYOWLK8I8jSINLv1CBbxdHPgTpZ9oU-QtoygXVL1aHvpZgN0_Nc1K2dar_BK7j8Z5osoBkIIuiVNBaUHGxSeUw-RdGs4LhWMU3u65pTcs7YTEYiN/w400-h400/a0752198009_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">4. DEMEN </b><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Nektyr </i><span style="text-align: left;">(2017)</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-JZXIpgLasCjSHU_yn4kpC5DFVnStS_bnm4GHnUBNYPHEJiH3VOq6en0IljUI1ZGdnIVh_mmWw_PqNzPh1VHipbh-OPEVQ0zWLnKPYnxY6z6o9OUtM3Qhe6ZRazQEDqiPhhOdTlPJ6ePQgz6pMz_jol_HyDoCF1qx4PyLhU8jtDC0CtEPf6WNP7ZaFyL/s700/a4010306172_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-JZXIpgLasCjSHU_yn4kpC5DFVnStS_bnm4GHnUBNYPHEJiH3VOq6en0IljUI1ZGdnIVh_mmWw_PqNzPh1VHipbh-OPEVQ0zWLnKPYnxY6z6o9OUtM3Qhe6ZRazQEDqiPhhOdTlPJ6ePQgz6pMz_jol_HyDoCF1qx4PyLhU8jtDC0CtEPf6WNP7ZaFyL/w400-h400/a4010306172_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">5. </b><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">FIVE-STOREY ENSEMBLE </b><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Not That City </i><span style="text-align: left;">(2013)</span><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"> </i></div><div><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></i></div><div><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoC5EZQqfodD3__5ngCdbq6zE2JL8-WCzaPD-ZMPn-Bu_wdE_n76CI2MOkILZivIvLCCBTx9Z2gdPPK-W6thLadTBPKAq7bHd2TRhWZzbt0VTWlgHZhiL2CGC-WvlQhTdDaN22QBmrCKlRQSnOFnF8TXwuGiUqYoEKhcpdVi3bfIVyHHCGP2m2VzMEPmS5/s700/a1900807563_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoC5EZQqfodD3__5ngCdbq6zE2JL8-WCzaPD-ZMPn-Bu_wdE_n76CI2MOkILZivIvLCCBTx9Z2gdPPK-W6thLadTBPKAq7bHd2TRhWZzbt0VTWlgHZhiL2CGC-WvlQhTdDaN22QBmrCKlRQSnOFnF8TXwuGiUqYoEKhcpdVi3bfIVyHHCGP2m2VzMEPmS5/w400-h400/a1900807563_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-size: large;">6. ALIO DIE & LORENZO MONTANÀ <i>Holographic Codex</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></b><span style="text-align: left;">(2015)</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcSv1emrmbYUmHlYGNPrvLRFmGvBzJ0ndmKF0Jzj_BMX-aeGoN0ejULEWep7HRHe1S64CM7LgBPnTjH7I7JurvuVbOds3vNSer7x7snQLVHKXhgaJ4Fwfu95xPNHcm5F4gzC2v15pBKzzcE6tvjbbLrfwTKbOK7As2sBt4mclWXC2YKKzKwbgLxNq9A5M/s700/a0753807422_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcSv1emrmbYUmHlYGNPrvLRFmGvBzJ0ndmKF0Jzj_BMX-aeGoN0ejULEWep7HRHe1S64CM7LgBPnTjH7I7JurvuVbOds3vNSer7x7snQLVHKXhgaJ4Fwfu95xPNHcm5F4gzC2v15pBKzzcE6tvjbbLrfwTKbOK7As2sBt4mclWXC2YKKzKwbgLxNq9A5M/w400-h400/a0753807422_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><span><b>7</b><b>. TONY PATTERSON </b></span><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span>Equations of Meaning</span> </i></span><span style="text-align: left;">(2016)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQg0SV1PzhrmzojfqHQKTK7NWzO12_ShZpTW6qwR-47Rlv-Fl0l2kC2T53c6b1PqKANkY1QxYLIEAmYXfGbidLTRY-nbkYxEymOsMsPm4AEOFy2rsLWR3Tmg7AOHTIjyC-VWJ3TDsRpDP8SBb7pcxAF8UVhD4IxOcVU_n8Wdoi5lqGVgs69Xd9ZgmY461/s700/a0500440210_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQg0SV1PzhrmzojfqHQKTK7NWzO12_ShZpTW6qwR-47Rlv-Fl0l2kC2T53c6b1PqKANkY1QxYLIEAmYXfGbidLTRY-nbkYxEymOsMsPm4AEOFy2rsLWR3Tmg7AOHTIjyC-VWJ3TDsRpDP8SBb7pcxAF8UVhD4IxOcVU_n8Wdoi5lqGVgs69Xd9ZgmY461/w400-h400/a0500440210_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><span>8. LAGARTIJA </span></b><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span>Particelle</span> </i></span><span style="text-align: left;">(2011)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQut35MZaJpoGFMxv8cGBXzVg-i39m0PmnGLrEDPZ8i7EPobjokxJSTqrnBUw0xsQFLibeQA0hyphenhyphenqicZ8jeHDzwcp2m6TDrG5Yn3AB41Nvy9bhc7YttfbWecdR8dGflMserZEFgtgtCRJ-xSKMS8i5IY1qeUm5ptJ8gYaIcir3n6bP35FC1qF3OWJfT2_A/s700/a3063306332_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQut35MZaJpoGFMxv8cGBXzVg-i39m0PmnGLrEDPZ8i7EPobjokxJSTqrnBUw0xsQFLibeQA0hyphenhyphenqicZ8jeHDzwcp2m6TDrG5Yn3AB41Nvy9bhc7YttfbWecdR8dGflMserZEFgtgtCRJ-xSKMS8i5IY1qeUm5ptJ8gYaIcir3n6bP35FC1qF3OWJfT2_A/w400-h400/a3063306332_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">9. BENT KNEE </span></b><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Shiny Eyed Babies</span> </i><span style="text-align: left;">(2014)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnTtp58Qf8rFkhtupVqYUADadeqe9FGSHejklVZTzZf379GPK1tNPvkKD_n7TWmuK2bHHa4OjVzTiEvDwXhiRxCr-nu-CwD9PxKjFTpH2xln9zewoPTe6y2mtiB23Bvm6o_4yiznVdgGdb5wbPAh3Kf_5LmOyN2vqoyVcT1QbWbIkgXZre_7EleT-e_sR/s700/a0047973603_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnTtp58Qf8rFkhtupVqYUADadeqe9FGSHejklVZTzZf379GPK1tNPvkKD_n7TWmuK2bHHa4OjVzTiEvDwXhiRxCr-nu-CwD9PxKjFTpH2xln9zewoPTe6y2mtiB23Bvm6o_4yiznVdgGdb5wbPAh3Kf_5LmOyN2vqoyVcT1QbWbIkgXZre_7EleT-e_sR/w400-h400/a0047973603_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">10. CICADA </span></b><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Light Shining Through the Sea</span> </i><span style="text-align: left;">(2015)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>11. MICE ON STILTS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Hope for a Mourning </i>(2016)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>12. </b><b>VOTUM </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Harvest Moon</i> (2013)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>13. </b><b>BATTLESTATIONS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The extent of damage </i>(2015)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>14. AXON-NEURON </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Metamorphosis </i>(2016)<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>15. FAUN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Eden </i>(2011)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>16. GHOST MEDICINE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Discontinuance </i>(2016)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>17. GHOSTS OF JUPITER </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Great Bright Horses</i> (2016)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>18. MIDAS FALL </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Evaporate</i> (2018)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>19. </b><b style="background-color: white;">MEER </b><i style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;">Meer </i><span style="background-color: white;">(2015)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>20</b><b>. SEVEN IMPALE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">City of the Sun </i>(2014)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span><b>21. RYUICHI SAKAMOTO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">async </i>(2017)<br /></span><div><span><b>22. JAMBINAI </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Onde </i>(2019)</span></div><div><span><b>23. AMOEBA SPLIT </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Dance of the Goodbyes </i>(2010)</span></div><div><span><b>24. BROTHER APE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">A Rare Moment of Insight </i>(2010)</span></div><div><span><b>25. THE GABRIEL CONSTRUCT </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Interior City </i>(2013)</span></div><div><span><b>26. </b><b>BATTLESTATIONS </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Vixit </i>(2017)</span></div><div><div><span><b>27. FAUN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Luna </i>(2014)</span></div><div><span><b>28. STEVEN WILSON </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Hand. Cannot. Erase. </i>(2015)</span></div><div><span><b>29. THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Dream of the Jongleur </i>(2011)</span></div><div><span><b>30. EDISON'S CHILDREN </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Final Breath Before November </i>(2013)</span></div><div><b><span><br /></span></b></div><div><span><b>31. ANATHEMA </b><i><b>Falling Deeper</b> </i>(2011)</span></div><div><span><b>32. CORDE OBLIQUE </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">A Hail of Bitter Almonds </i>(2011)<br /></span><div><span><b>33. FUNIN <i>Unsound</i> </b>(2010) </span></div><div><span><b style="background-color: white;">34. </b><b>IAMTHEMORNING ~ </b>(2012)</span></div><div><span><b style="background-color: white;">35. STEVE HAUSCHILDT </b><i style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;">Strands </i><span style="background-color: white;">(2016)</span></span></div><div><div><span><b>36. FROGG CAFÉ <i>Bateless Edge</i> </b>(2010)</span></div><span><b>37. KATE BUSH <i>50 Words for Snow</i></b> (2011)</span></div><div><span><b>38. ANTOINE FAFARD </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Ad Perpetuum </i>(2014)</span></div><div><span><span style="font-weight: 800;">39. KANT FREUD KAFKA </span><i style="font-weight: 800;">No tengas miedo </i><span>(2014)</span></span></div><div><span><b>40. AIRBAG </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Greatest Show on Earth </i>(2013)</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><i><u><span>Honorable Mentions:</span></u></i></div><div><span>IAMTHEMORNING <i>Lighthouse</i> (2016)</span></div><span>STARVING DAUGHTERS <i>Strange Valleys </i>(2018)</span></div><div><div><span>TREE TOPS <i>Ghosts Don't Dance with Shoes </i>(2017)</span></div><div><span>STARSABOUT <i>Halflights</i> (2016)</span></div></div></div><div><span>IVAR BJØRNSON & EINAR SELVIK <i>Hugsjá</i> (2018)</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-3779177413492103392023-11-11T18:35:00.000-08:002024-01-27T14:55:45.512-08:00Prog Lists: My Favorite Albums of the 1960s<p><b style="font-size: x-large;">These are my 30 favorite prog-related albums of the 1960s</b><span style="font-size: x-large;">: </span><span style="font-size: large;">they're not all pure prog but all contributed greatly to the forms and sounds that became known as "progressive rock music."</span></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8MItLuZb6KBw4LOkzvvYGTEPPn0itUvALZhgYHzLuIXvjoCZqRLX1vCA2GsrzdJJwmnvaIixwrvInoRA7tE1IGMJPKDEiyRbDMv-P1TW-6TmXtm3o4f5FIwT9ZBU50stvU0LZbd6ygz8i_MfIwIX9-KPB_wli4sHEYTE0-Z_WD0dSxnTOFCPOSpRsw_m/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8MItLuZb6KBw4LOkzvvYGTEPPn0itUvALZhgYHzLuIXvjoCZqRLX1vCA2GsrzdJJwmnvaIixwrvInoRA7tE1IGMJPKDEiyRbDMv-P1TW-6TmXtm3o4f5FIwT9ZBU50stvU0LZbd6ygz8i_MfIwIX9-KPB_wli4sHEYTE0-Z_WD0dSxnTOFCPOSpRsw_m/w344-h344/download.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>1. STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Incense & Peppermints </i></span><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">(1967)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPo7ol-CsdLF5inZ6NJEH5RhlR5OXqwe5L_l3xl0YZzw2pu7QNDeeuLkS4ozWjPDnl7Cdiue20dBHGGGqYt180HhP5R8s4lTn3MJfm2pYdNdJiGhVM0We38duGu-Yp2mvbhsRrR3Ycqa-rOHGBFZIg9SMhbd8UTIFBakmaUdaQF84wqHaKaNZxu4YyX7-C/s500/cover_493961992009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPo7ol-CsdLF5inZ6NJEH5RhlR5OXqwe5L_l3xl0YZzw2pu7QNDeeuLkS4ozWjPDnl7Cdiue20dBHGGGqYt180HhP5R8s4lTn3MJfm2pYdNdJiGhVM0We38duGu-Yp2mvbhsRrR3Ycqa-rOHGBFZIg9SMhbd8UTIFBakmaUdaQF84wqHaKaNZxu4YyX7-C/w400-h400/cover_493961992009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. KING CRIMSON <i>In The Court of the Crimson King</i> </span></b><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">(1969)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Y1PT3rslDDz04lia7-sgMraudn49gf1_IB_1vjXV06W8aReUY9lhPSo6DUfPUB300s1FsS9yFJuUeBhlHRtQSfyvfxBifXj5dVBhfpjmEaU3Is2RIWFk6QTG1-GtcdpghVA69CVKi76fP-SevHHinFd1JqgMHRjpU2IJrJsAleqjDRqP27dVCBU3YE5y/s1000/41DHVAefROL._UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="996" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Y1PT3rslDDz04lia7-sgMraudn49gf1_IB_1vjXV06W8aReUY9lhPSo6DUfPUB300s1FsS9yFJuUeBhlHRtQSfyvfxBifXj5dVBhfpjmEaU3Is2RIWFk6QTG1-GtcdpghVA69CVKi76fP-SevHHinFd1JqgMHRjpU2IJrJsAleqjDRqP27dVCBU3YE5y/w399-h400/41DHVAefROL._UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" width="399" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>3. LILY & MARIA </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Lily & Maria</i> </span><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">(1968)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLC1M6NZp6rSTZKKZqSFNmqW3yPoLQ2krBJoPmwl_v8G-2dzGISvvPTkGkC-XuHTBBaYaMy2oljQvUTzm-e7FFbb-Gdsxe21014Q6ESB4nwgJnJOnF_ZaXDchTchyfRBbClJESjxMD3BDg0K2-Tc_rAw0xXD2MrL2AFssCGBpCFU4nE9chVhcYKg6Wdn3Q/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLC1M6NZp6rSTZKKZqSFNmqW3yPoLQ2krBJoPmwl_v8G-2dzGISvvPTkGkC-XuHTBBaYaMy2oljQvUTzm-e7FFbb-Gdsxe21014Q6ESB4nwgJnJOnF_ZaXDchTchyfRBbClJESjxMD3BDg0K2-Tc_rAw0xXD2MrL2AFssCGBpCFU4nE9chVhcYKg6Wdn3Q/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">4. THE ASSOCIATION </b><i style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Greatest Hits </i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">(1968)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS92qwlNf_UkxiVVxymM0Nf3Q9sGRMM7DCEePH5SIKfODELJtZ0Zbxf5T9on20cwq_20gCIaJyjPzxDcCp9HtGDG1asCortUG0RAG-dPz0xl_it_kXoVOHz2OUocTiQE-2sULQ-j8LExGOvdOIrxA_nBtMFEg-j2P4iebcBA8MoW0rsnm_URrdmoV5NZvq/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="224" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS92qwlNf_UkxiVVxymM0Nf3Q9sGRMM7DCEePH5SIKfODELJtZ0Zbxf5T9on20cwq_20gCIaJyjPzxDcCp9HtGDG1asCortUG0RAG-dPz0xl_it_kXoVOHz2OUocTiQE-2sULQ-j8LExGOvdOIrxA_nBtMFEg-j2P4iebcBA8MoW0rsnm_URrdmoV5NZvq/w399-h400/download.jpg" width="399" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">5. THE COLLECTORS </b><i style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b>The Collectors</b> </i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">(1968)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgRyo83HRUzSinE5x1IpGpzovogi10295XUCZBvXf9_MHHYJEd7HBRxoRPPIoielmb1zYdDQd9N722rD2k0RSOSeBQ2MAvikuU_HE98IGLkro_jKav3wEf4CauYrZiduotyph7KbWhQodROt08hfQnt_HVEvTq2NrwCvCsTmMYOc67C4GwZsfrnwGh2cs/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgRyo83HRUzSinE5x1IpGpzovogi10295XUCZBvXf9_MHHYJEd7HBRxoRPPIoielmb1zYdDQd9N722rD2k0RSOSeBQ2MAvikuU_HE98IGLkro_jKav3wEf4CauYrZiduotyph7KbWhQodROt08hfQnt_HVEvTq2NrwCvCsTmMYOc67C4GwZsfrnwGh2cs/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: times; text-align: left;">6. SIMON & GARFUNKLE </b><i style="font-family: times; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme</i><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;"> (1966)</span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdmgO6_6uD1G0zegm4ZB1lp3rVKSeO_uXouS_8dSW8QP9WHa2zbcrZqxr4HeeDrrwS9npXtVyubKB4jeaJ0iFv0OK7q_JXbj1rL8rNyBuk8hjU9GH-07KePDkp_3oF3uhp1ryrgLmHkOe9qmgHkbrrB0kq8l4J51xKkbQRs1K0dQVj5aOLnx97EFRXZq4/s226/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="223" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdmgO6_6uD1G0zegm4ZB1lp3rVKSeO_uXouS_8dSW8QP9WHa2zbcrZqxr4HeeDrrwS9npXtVyubKB4jeaJ0iFv0OK7q_JXbj1rL8rNyBuk8hjU9GH-07KePDkp_3oF3uhp1ryrgLmHkOe9qmgHkbrrB0kq8l4J51xKkbQRs1K0dQVj5aOLnx97EFRXZq4/w395-h400/download.jpg" width="395" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span>7.</span><span> </span></span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b>THE BEATLES <i>Magical Mystery Tour</i> </b><span>(1967)</span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgu03GuRWnPQS_06vkhb4BZGmh6F9w1kY31QIBFuyv6PzT6NuCKXu5pit7MXt5Jx66iVk3NUU8oK8Nr3A1IbyLuL7vm7oPOuSeyqgHEAbuW7IfPt308hP-vlFxSewiuASqD2BC07cdClhFkeUm_HTkn3oBwRyOer-dj2RwulyTmlsOSgEzQnejgkzO0TJ/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgu03GuRWnPQS_06vkhb4BZGmh6F9w1kY31QIBFuyv6PzT6NuCKXu5pit7MXt5Jx66iVk3NUU8oK8Nr3A1IbyLuL7vm7oPOuSeyqgHEAbuW7IfPt308hP-vlFxSewiuASqD2BC07cdClhFkeUm_HTkn3oBwRyOer-dj2RwulyTmlsOSgEzQnejgkzO0TJ/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">8. THE MOODY BLUES </b><i style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Days of Future Passed </i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">(1967)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYfUUkS4XaqRhPBSSoGWWqUGzEnaye7u3p1flX4M-Ntw2cEaqiEejUkWHfpyXNaZ-YNIOl15mHMXY7C7K2nQM7QIjzZUujXBktjy7aZdN0kwmuI6mRi6e45JN2jk7VM8MyVimXwMVLup1pWn__XSiO0G16Ww0DH-3xPA7BGkFzoTpXlr00YYlrZkjkc27/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYfUUkS4XaqRhPBSSoGWWqUGzEnaye7u3p1flX4M-Ntw2cEaqiEejUkWHfpyXNaZ-YNIOl15mHMXY7C7K2nQM7QIjzZUujXBktjy7aZdN0kwmuI6mRi6e45JN2jk7VM8MyVimXwMVLup1pWn__XSiO0G16Ww0DH-3xPA7BGkFzoTpXlr00YYlrZkjkc27/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">9. DON ELLIS ORCHESTRA </b><i style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">'Live' at Monterey!</i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> (1967)</span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0ZFFOhkDfYsalrsF2-AcXGlq7syg_9P326JabhCXw19ou94kn_1PRIDBs2giU4HWGYltPIzwLaJc_VB3spm7x-HixDGXhxw9PWdXTVmox0kmq43tPCQfCIbJmSkUHLELENawo0xLJ_iutXzZA8Sf-1gjScvyK0t84UnpuZW1fooFbh8-aWRxQxKgupTs/s227/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="222" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0ZFFOhkDfYsalrsF2-AcXGlq7syg_9P326JabhCXw19ou94kn_1PRIDBs2giU4HWGYltPIzwLaJc_VB3spm7x-HixDGXhxw9PWdXTVmox0kmq43tPCQfCIbJmSkUHLELENawo0xLJ_iutXzZA8Sf-1gjScvyK0t84UnpuZW1fooFbh8-aWRxQxKgupTs/w391-h400/download.jpg" width="391" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">10. CHICAGO </b><i style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Chicago Transit Authority </i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">(1969)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: Times;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: Times;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: Times;">11. JOHN COLTRANE </b><i style="font-family: Times; font-weight: bold;">A Love Supreme </i><span style="font-family: Times;">(1965)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>12. </b></span><b><span style="font-family: times;">ULTIMATE SPINACH </span><i style="font-family: times;">Behold & See</i></b><span style="font-family: times;"> (1968)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: times;">13. RENAISSANCE <i>Renaissance</i> </b><span style="font-family: times;">(1969)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>14. SANTANA </b><i><b>Santana</b> </i>(1969)</span><br style="font-family: times;" /></span><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>15. FRANK ZAPPA <i>Lumpy Gravy</i> (</b>1967/8)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>16. SOFT MACHINE </b><i><b>Volume Two</b> </i>(1969)</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>17. STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK <i>Wake Up … It's Tomorrow </i></b>(1968)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>18. H.P. LOVECRAFT </b></span><i style="font-family: times;"><b>II</b> </i><span style="font-family: times;">(1968)</span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><div style="font-family: Times;"><b>19. TONY WILLIAMS LIFETIME <i>Emergency! </i></b>(1969)</div><div style="font-family: Times;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">20. THE PENTANGLE </span><i style="font-family: times;">Basket of Light</i></b><span style="font-family: times;"><b> </b>(1968)</span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: times;"><b>21. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE </b></span><i style="font-family: times;"><b>Surrealistic Pillow</b> </i><span style="font-family: times;">(1967) </span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: times;"><b>22. THE DOORS </b><i><b>The Doors</b> </i>(1967)</span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: times;"><b>23. </b></span><b style="font-family: times;">GENESIS <i>From Genesis to Revelation</i></b><span style="font-family: times;"> (1968)</span></span></div><div><span><b style="font-family: times;">24. IRON BUTTERFLY <i>In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida </i></b><span style="font-family: times;">(1968)</span></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-family: times;">25. LOVE </span><i style="font-family: times;">Forever Changes </i></b><span style="font-family: times;">(</span><span style="font-family: times;">1967)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>26. THE BEATLES <i>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</i></b> (1967)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>27. COLOSSEUM <i>Valentyne Suite</i> </b>(1969)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>28. CARAVAN <i>Caravan</i> </b>(1969)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>29. ULTIMATE SPINACH</b> <i><b>Ultimate Spinach </b></i>(1968)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>30. FRANK ZAPPA <i>Hot Rats</i></b> (1969)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-87599649028799519192023-11-11T17:08:00.002-08:002024-01-29T04:50:08.297-08:00Favorite Album Covers/Album Art from the 2020s<p>Album cover art has always been something I've appreciated and enjoyed. I can remember sitting in the 1960s and 1970s with an album cover and, if it had one, its inner sleeve liner notes for the 17 to 34 (Todd Rundgren albums) minutes it took to hear the music of the day's vinyl albums. I have my favorites: Pink Floyd's <i>Dark Side of the Moon</i>, Todd Rundgren's <i>Something / Anything</i>, The Beatles' <i>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</i> and <i>Magical Mystery Tour</i>, and all of Nina Hagen's albums. (Nina's 1982 album release, <i>NunSexMonkRock, </i>is without a doubt my all-time favorite album for its liner notes.)</p><p> In recent years it seems as if album cover art has taken a sharp rise in interest and creative competence. To celebrate this trend, I've decided to post some of my favorite album covers from the 2020s.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">2023</span></u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQFHfBBUDrLFf3ozQFeMRIHGBpF2JbCCR_opFAImmK4JgnJ-BIuCUfT52cGNZRVf1uIZP3Lp41EAq1qZn66n6CvzKbDvfbyykEontU0H7Lt3lUVIKb7jW1XtdRbd56D3wFcknkxaB9NuVVgYLsYbDzENTkiZAsd-koBZbDoe0I5LC-rNiyhH4pnNK_u9o/s1000/cover_475683152023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQFHfBBUDrLFf3ozQFeMRIHGBpF2JbCCR_opFAImmK4JgnJ-BIuCUfT52cGNZRVf1uIZP3Lp41EAq1qZn66n6CvzKbDvfbyykEontU0H7Lt3lUVIKb7jW1XtdRbd56D3wFcknkxaB9NuVVgYLsYbDzENTkiZAsd-koBZbDoe0I5LC-rNiyhH4pnNK_u9o/s320/cover_475683152023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></u></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">HOMUNCULUS RES <i>Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWygcMlh6KaSiGbU2HbY3xcQ8pZ4w_I5hxmcQ_Hnic6wsZKAq8qqSSXFC2NyJbmWvP3u-wbxim19dy5AlTprpYe-CzP2oDKTeanX_kQEKwyACvKXAYFDlBDxWoAnScK2srT4wCy6mxRSULBtuG5QcHmArHdIgTQ81cmvLsh5opOTRCBrgV6D5iQU6CuWz_/s1000/cover_314841532023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWygcMlh6KaSiGbU2HbY3xcQ8pZ4w_I5hxmcQ_Hnic6wsZKAq8qqSSXFC2NyJbmWvP3u-wbxim19dy5AlTprpYe-CzP2oDKTeanX_kQEKwyACvKXAYFDlBDxWoAnScK2srT4wCy6mxRSULBtuG5QcHmArHdIgTQ81cmvLsh5opOTRCBrgV6D5iQU6CuWz_/s320/cover_314841532023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">LUMSK <i>Fremender Toner</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWy82nj6dR7aBBezhiRhN5PtM5QmZStwWmuKBQ_D0MKUBa6fQ21ZgtTYTQLHkzMEMM3GP9rnJ19O_PwwClRtY3FkgXbsbnoFR2tph41lDhYy3C5sM8CE9D2olg_o-U9dBn-mbmUhZLnKg7FGJqogqjeK21uamHQv7rf9d_-Vn2kbM2Fgu8iZ9PESnsjbU1/s1000/cover_121683062023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWy82nj6dR7aBBezhiRhN5PtM5QmZStwWmuKBQ_D0MKUBa6fQ21ZgtTYTQLHkzMEMM3GP9rnJ19O_PwwClRtY3FkgXbsbnoFR2tph41lDhYy3C5sM8CE9D2olg_o-U9dBn-mbmUhZLnKg7FGJqogqjeK21uamHQv7rf9d_-Vn2kbM2Fgu8iZ9PESnsjbU1/s320/cover_121683062023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">BARONESS <i>Stone</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bQMUoGykrsYBvWRg1qYyogeUGrMht3xhPWu87Xt2v4rJGTmpTXrzIM3blU6MyEtfdhscXM6a0wZ7o5AFh054_rkZOCzCXYJ1F3jSsgp0z2XLNgpyxCK-IpqSenfFQH9tjlTF14McWncle4k5CWKxL0pm_5k061z_cyuxG7bccEarbfbxg0lWfo2InjZh/s1000/cover_257173082023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bQMUoGykrsYBvWRg1qYyogeUGrMht3xhPWu87Xt2v4rJGTmpTXrzIM3blU6MyEtfdhscXM6a0wZ7o5AFh054_rkZOCzCXYJ1F3jSsgp0z2XLNgpyxCK-IpqSenfFQH9tjlTF14McWncle4k5CWKxL0pm_5k061z_cyuxG7bccEarbfbxg0lWfo2InjZh/s320/cover_257173082023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center;"><br /></b></div><b style="text-align: center;">THE MERCURY TREE <i>Self Similar</i></b><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiLaCxRvSW5Bjpi5jHQbFSBqGOflLoQ6-DmzNb35zW0UmVSScIfXBxxYxdTZXku7p9tighXhRdGJLLOiivl6xXC5hj8Z2lZwhsYmMj5l07DXxChA6f0cHvroWgOBu4w427zbA_aRRqsXsl6ytMH7XNnPe2bPGIMNAwTkczEz9EhHR7grK02nY45LP8PFp/s1000/cover_571611762023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiLaCxRvSW5Bjpi5jHQbFSBqGOflLoQ6-DmzNb35zW0UmVSScIfXBxxYxdTZXku7p9tighXhRdGJLLOiivl6xXC5hj8Z2lZwhsYmMj5l07DXxChA6f0cHvroWgOBu4w427zbA_aRRqsXsl6ytMH7XNnPe2bPGIMNAwTkczEz9EhHR7grK02nY45LP8PFp/s320/cover_571611762023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">IO EARTH <i>Sanctuary </i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHcaIROZIRtdAHq2ViwBJ_2R8yAXpcnhPIQ63O3T3QFz7NhMFgMkHdPizV-gpZTXg9HR3fdY1818D9BR76_6XrTaZreuGncqFx9GR5_WNa5MelMXcYYdTNrPDj1Hn9gMbrDyCY-i0YKOFTeBM4CzSsenKpo7zmMZVCa4iL1nffQhirTf0EYZ3CNY9szTU/s1000/cover_5453202862023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHcaIROZIRtdAHq2ViwBJ_2R8yAXpcnhPIQ63O3T3QFz7NhMFgMkHdPizV-gpZTXg9HR3fdY1818D9BR76_6XrTaZreuGncqFx9GR5_WNa5MelMXcYYdTNrPDj1Hn9gMbrDyCY-i0YKOFTeBM4CzSsenKpo7zmMZVCa4iL1nffQhirTf0EYZ3CNY9szTU/s320/cover_5453202862023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER <i>The Songs & Tales of Airoea Book I: The Tale of Father Robin (State of Nature)</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgiTl05XkgJpF_mQs0cUHN32wPrDU9AwDpVp8cdnql6Rns5WcLCve4K0jTM6FpSCdwS73mXxnFvlkKWx9nxPkgqkSmkXLIFZbQE06IbLxfabJVhncbfF6No3uAyc2JACBr72HPy1h-vdtIMXdo391UxMrtiX9bqYDNwwXMcFxOWNCBL5DO7e5YUpceDro/s1000/cover_417191772023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgiTl05XkgJpF_mQs0cUHN32wPrDU9AwDpVp8cdnql6Rns5WcLCve4K0jTM6FpSCdwS73mXxnFvlkKWx9nxPkgqkSmkXLIFZbQE06IbLxfabJVhncbfF6No3uAyc2JACBr72HPy1h-vdtIMXdo391UxMrtiX9bqYDNwwXMcFxOWNCBL5DO7e5YUpceDro/s320/cover_417191772023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">OIAPOK<i> OisoLün</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUjGCYoXlQ3WWS9IQWaIDVLaJ1dXFEwzM_tSj70v6KCZefI3ahb1JdEXQvN9IrzpWL6Zaiz-a2B1EhfbW9W13TyMnSOMZzXLnQkP5JFa1YH3eFLRSbsgrk5UTpyw0CP-SBnuvMVSJ4uCgTkwnBk5uaM8-S8rs17KRxPV3BHC98fOk8eTEd9fQ-q7NctLJ/s1000/cover_1439132512023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUjGCYoXlQ3WWS9IQWaIDVLaJ1dXFEwzM_tSj70v6KCZefI3ahb1JdEXQvN9IrzpWL6Zaiz-a2B1EhfbW9W13TyMnSOMZzXLnQkP5JFa1YH3eFLRSbsgrk5UTpyw0CP-SBnuvMVSJ4uCgTkwnBk5uaM8-S8rs17KRxPV3BHC98fOk8eTEd9fQ-q7NctLJ/s320/cover_1439132512023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">AISLES <i>Beyond Drama</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1rgx5RpSLYi4W3OqluHuujICNRBwteu7M7zTXlit2HfzZtw9cnS1l7xDlhPiTHhV_jNZFdm676m8bxNRUDMsL73YShqADaNhyphenhyphenoDtc1xIQPqA-Tt-fUWLYhBer7teldNzcfHjI-kUwYURQmnhRxEnlAIJaL82aNF6X8knRlIp1dz1vJvJUpNTUmOLJiM0/s999/cover_51281182023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="999" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1rgx5RpSLYi4W3OqluHuujICNRBwteu7M7zTXlit2HfzZtw9cnS1l7xDlhPiTHhV_jNZFdm676m8bxNRUDMsL73YShqADaNhyphenhyphenoDtc1xIQPqA-Tt-fUWLYhBer7teldNzcfHjI-kUwYURQmnhRxEnlAIJaL82aNF6X8knRlIp1dz1vJvJUpNTUmOLJiM0/s320/cover_51281182023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">JORDSJØ <i>Salighet</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCM1sAMENo_MHYSX_-awm3rt6y4hTSal-NO1A86eii13eDxk03kfViSq9UPlZGmByrQ551pweI5-r6aYU8m_mJ6ulS-f-MXVveLYRnxM5jhiVBoNHMwC4uFpVz3qchUWdGd1rvl7cnXF7QwfH3nitexQse_k7czpb_KkXGF7vnTGEguKKmgYUbazlqkOMZ/s1000/cover_3539122532023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCM1sAMENo_MHYSX_-awm3rt6y4hTSal-NO1A86eii13eDxk03kfViSq9UPlZGmByrQ551pweI5-r6aYU8m_mJ6ulS-f-MXVveLYRnxM5jhiVBoNHMwC4uFpVz3qchUWdGd1rvl7cnXF7QwfH3nitexQse_k7czpb_KkXGF7vnTGEguKKmgYUbazlqkOMZ/s320/cover_3539122532023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b style="text-align: center;"><br />DEPOSED KING <i>One Man's Grief</i></b><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></b></p><h1 style="font-family: "Open Sans", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; letter-spacing: -0.06em; line-height: 1em; margin: 5px 0px 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgb(204, 204, 204) 1px 1px 1px;"><br /></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Open Sans", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; letter-spacing: -0.06em; line-height: 1em; margin: 5px 0px 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgb(204, 204, 204) 1px 1px 1px;"><br /></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u><i>2022</i></u></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7kLtmq2e6pqcyK_4K4RPFZGKLPEhp3XcEoCtx-JyMTQhXVWptWUjir1DXCRuG5U69iKXNjiZTRzGu2_eW9_tP1UwiYfm18kZOoGXNcDO1-eSzXfofJI4b5GYR85JX6dcK_xo48Nb1UYnbNrgI3pszM_PKX5XI5PDAquMqr-QVcW6w-yMB7itLehxNxE6/s1000/cover_57429572022_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7kLtmq2e6pqcyK_4K4RPFZGKLPEhp3XcEoCtx-JyMTQhXVWptWUjir1DXCRuG5U69iKXNjiZTRzGu2_eW9_tP1UwiYfm18kZOoGXNcDO1-eSzXfofJI4b5GYR85JX6dcK_xo48Nb1UYnbNrgI3pszM_PKX5XI5PDAquMqr-QVcW6w-yMB7itLehxNxE6/s320/cover_57429572022_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><b>DREADNAUGHT <i>The Endless</i></b></p><p><br /></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowbQNJqu5Py6K9rF4YdBv3soLJcvHuk2dHgdNE3MR_qIoRsz2hxNw0snjx7wOiJ0xyqhEVfD83Cf8S6kaoN86YYB-5DFwylgMmI9dJ7Qe-6i6EW1OpDpU0DEqBoUeEhWSMnDcMzSK-8XlrTqWK5bmYPqzlYf-AoOjLbxSPOxA3Fl7Zb7hdVfXDBF6thzF/s1000/cover_238924102022_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowbQNJqu5Py6K9rF4YdBv3soLJcvHuk2dHgdNE3MR_qIoRsz2hxNw0snjx7wOiJ0xyqhEVfD83Cf8S6kaoN86YYB-5DFwylgMmI9dJ7Qe-6i6EW1OpDpU0DEqBoUeEhWSMnDcMzSK-8XlrTqWK5bmYPqzlYf-AoOjLbxSPOxA3Fl7Zb7hdVfXDBF6thzF/s320/cover_238924102022_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><p><b>SIIILK <i>Eemynor</i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcADWdWosa4IDKzXzoK8UPs0LdDQ93WoQVMOTZhoeA5-IxIiTt2HnU8Mj7350l7etT7TeuUA8UT1kalSGyfIabONXjkEpiJSbHrL5IPQxhDvLneSvwm5fhckhkvwpO3VBKdSBIAANZvI_OIrCWslgPTky2zeZrJJBJCPOnRPUHgWD6QKA6ZaTKyhpgm2R/s1000/cover_34412842022_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcADWdWosa4IDKzXzoK8UPs0LdDQ93WoQVMOTZhoeA5-IxIiTt2HnU8Mj7350l7etT7TeuUA8UT1kalSGyfIabONXjkEpiJSbHrL5IPQxhDvLneSvwm5fhckhkvwpO3VBKdSBIAANZvI_OIrCWslgPTky2zeZrJJBJCPOnRPUHgWD6QKA6ZaTKyhpgm2R/s320/cover_34412842022_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>THE TANGENT <i>Songs from the Hard Shoulder</i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIFfQlKRy-ti5EmvfGpmDk4shuT7QnFOR9nLz4p_KXLsN8PPUvrm4VJ1Yztiiv2bsqdemgVypRHJCcVPPfDKjn5MUgZF6Z0f-svc4gCJuUlpFvqhHh9gRjyZ82biaex0dtVO5U5Vs_jYALNU5VkFt20pqk8jbI6p5PUfyMy-tM8ABQqAV9HaKRWGQ3VtF/s1000/cover_212917112022_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIFfQlKRy-ti5EmvfGpmDk4shuT7QnFOR9nLz4p_KXLsN8PPUvrm4VJ1Yztiiv2bsqdemgVypRHJCcVPPfDKjn5MUgZF6Z0f-svc4gCJuUlpFvqhHh9gRjyZ82biaex0dtVO5U5Vs_jYALNU5VkFt20pqk8jbI6p5PUfyMy-tM8ABQqAV9HaKRWGQ3VtF/s320/cover_212917112022_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><b>ANTIMATTER <i>A Profusion of Thought</i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTdd44fk9Im3E8roLrLJ_fcLqAzcDJdUMUGYS29K9NiXxJKIWq9VZ1fo3t0Ei-XzbwxgMNg3RNbi67wtnx_YUT6AoQ9zimfYcbXOf-syH55NVV-SfPVMCsTc0C50ATf8Aa-3hb7gLV4gS-awfGGRpjjS_K8_vJiw9RA7ctTOzOeU-Dp19g_9bHycevmIT/s1000/cover_324211762022_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTdd44fk9Im3E8roLrLJ_fcLqAzcDJdUMUGYS29K9NiXxJKIWq9VZ1fo3t0Ei-XzbwxgMNg3RNbi67wtnx_YUT6AoQ9zimfYcbXOf-syH55NVV-SfPVMCsTc0C50ATf8Aa-3hb7gLV4gS-awfGGRpjjS_K8_vJiw9RA7ctTOzOeU-Dp19g_9bHycevmIT/s320/cover_324211762022_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><b>AREA <i>The Theory of Molecular Inheritance</i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7qBnK6n_8R23cJXDO1PBWWt96rkPVmKMFbzXtU2IFHe_uClFoHIvwKC1yEQdMO6yiJID-mEFoZcCtDeWcfKw48agp5z3DG_2y8VzgYMclVTHLh3l1EpxbxuE-1BHz78ULvUCvM0WdNLx8vMt5chW0FeQxIB3K8Aj-64H6bnjDFhtHewae10K2hRwHzm5/s1000/cover_057824102022_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7qBnK6n_8R23cJXDO1PBWWt96rkPVmKMFbzXtU2IFHe_uClFoHIvwKC1yEQdMO6yiJID-mEFoZcCtDeWcfKw48agp5z3DG_2y8VzgYMclVTHLh3l1EpxbxuE-1BHz78ULvUCvM0WdNLx8vMt5chW0FeQxIB3K8Aj-64H6bnjDFhtHewae10K2hRwHzm5/s320/cover_057824102022_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><b>ELDER <i>Innate Passage</i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>2021</u></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjINWj9pg79nU4DCsyUbsVCmnNXrr7pML0IXTg9FqSOUZuXXSDHr-gpCVx3me9Gg2NEdOyNL2NXql5st5O0Yb38vdZ2QbdrqqEU2OLbijxWENSah6zKxYYqj8xNMv9uHngt1_RxM73V3DGKrqyVGcsGC6YnXzEwY0HWhZE3NDmvCD8jsj9xmnL9hWI64Mc/s1000/cover_272791022021_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjINWj9pg79nU4DCsyUbsVCmnNXrr7pML0IXTg9FqSOUZuXXSDHr-gpCVx3me9Gg2NEdOyNL2NXql5st5O0Yb38vdZ2QbdrqqEU2OLbijxWENSah6zKxYYqj8xNMv9uHngt1_RxM73V3DGKrqyVGcsGC6YnXzEwY0HWhZE3NDmvCD8jsj9xmnL9hWI64Mc/s320/cover_272791022021_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>CAST <i>Visigemus</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3DRaAgMzlBAneiT1HdNEu3GOU_OgrmcGTwuCPpUDqCaSP65ar3WxQO1lnz9SJBhqexXZ2f1tto4E6bMpHYHZ1RFjAFVRykzV6U6gD1i0JPQSs5msL2LEOdo64kR-RhFQq-IQ2cXJCSsvFCJ0VOHBIKBPnmQwbiaB41DWN48p7nRgllV0lFF8EA2D3N3j/s1000/cover_432681442021_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3DRaAgMzlBAneiT1HdNEu3GOU_OgrmcGTwuCPpUDqCaSP65ar3WxQO1lnz9SJBhqexXZ2f1tto4E6bMpHYHZ1RFjAFVRykzV6U6gD1i0JPQSs5msL2LEOdo64kR-RhFQq-IQ2cXJCSsvFCJ0VOHBIKBPnmQwbiaB41DWN48p7nRgllV0lFF8EA2D3N3j/s320/cover_432681442021_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>MONOBODY <i>Comma</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YU6ZEMJRHtoBQUz-6FPgeUI64wG03Ijr9EyM_dgWV3OCVgacwxXfAp4nWmUDWebAyBZS9GbP2jR1KlSwBj064kXjonMT84JjS9VlP9LZHpkBWh8OiU3q6eTC36aoRipHoOg6vMbYmirLfJXl-beHSLaodayWp-Ii-MRPRMveb7itslE99t90S-zcgV8B/s1000/cover_3028131522021_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YU6ZEMJRHtoBQUz-6FPgeUI64wG03Ijr9EyM_dgWV3OCVgacwxXfAp4nWmUDWebAyBZS9GbP2jR1KlSwBj064kXjonMT84JjS9VlP9LZHpkBWh8OiU3q6eTC36aoRipHoOg6vMbYmirLfJXl-beHSLaodayWp-Ii-MRPRMveb7itslE99t90S-zcgV8B/s320/cover_3028131522021_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>KONOM <i>Konom</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvXpgmJw9xPJVBMuwRCRW0PZj6ROXEz8DsjiYtlBISj3qQO4fj2gR-kRBuG5Aj4xDoQN5hyeIBLPj1ycllt1BWVRan_pvb6L-xEKyZLvbXqLK1zrpdbQYI8UA8sLjMHbLFGzQuLVkVNxS4jpX-mOpPkGXVopjSyJ6AnKhZHPoEkZIbmK3PZv9pfXaF8jW/s1000/cover_53248732021_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1000" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvXpgmJw9xPJVBMuwRCRW0PZj6ROXEz8DsjiYtlBISj3qQO4fj2gR-kRBuG5Aj4xDoQN5hyeIBLPj1ycllt1BWVRan_pvb6L-xEKyZLvbXqLK1zrpdbQYI8UA8sLjMHbLFGzQuLVkVNxS4jpX-mOpPkGXVopjSyJ6AnKhZHPoEkZIbmK3PZv9pfXaF8jW/s320/cover_53248732021_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>THE EMERALD SKY <i>To Touch the Sky</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh981rvUWKCyTcyNp5HBkU3_0JfcJP52SRLVdgDMzkDMqhbAQAoYyeKZJlxSXCRqT85ti6CqUrHLqoCrtHOsb5yrrM57lRGntBQJMVE_LyMPNqNjkMs2_T_L6ff4ukuqBK-kqQU3Ge5IP6Pge0IdhgbCnwjNDxnQB6lNE1XKf6jqsOTy_oQ2aZ7g_wJ-7Xm/s1000/cover_111414622021_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh981rvUWKCyTcyNp5HBkU3_0JfcJP52SRLVdgDMzkDMqhbAQAoYyeKZJlxSXCRqT85ti6CqUrHLqoCrtHOsb5yrrM57lRGntBQJMVE_LyMPNqNjkMs2_T_L6ff4ukuqBK-kqQU3Ge5IP6Pge0IdhgbCnwjNDxnQB6lNE1XKf6jqsOTy_oQ2aZ7g_wJ-7Xm/s320/cover_111414622021_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>INNER PROSPEKT <i>Canvas Two</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUXseRHQoeLD8xpAWNI3aZx1jD34Ff5PqwLn15ilUoE8sDaWe9nHj3WbukyMhxt2lzQKk0csWiqzJz0d79GkPromcJfUVh4_BGk_KcaU3_bJORZ1O56InyYYacE1i9nj7yQSAkCTKeYnuBVoCI8An28ora2VWudWy_KANJNSxaZA482K9bCvjkpPOB6nF/s1000/cover_45378822021_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUXseRHQoeLD8xpAWNI3aZx1jD34Ff5PqwLn15ilUoE8sDaWe9nHj3WbukyMhxt2lzQKk0csWiqzJz0d79GkPromcJfUVh4_BGk_KcaU3_bJORZ1O56InyYYacE1i9nj7yQSAkCTKeYnuBVoCI8An28ora2VWudWy_KANJNSxaZA482K9bCvjkpPOB6nF/s320/cover_45378822021_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>JOHN HOLDEN <i>Circles in Time</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVDHWrGzEKt1KJZqzcCQxvwPLDtfEmtxua4ivUFW_TnhPbwimG8Dw2dw3WolC2rG2QN3cA6ESXRwqOXyT0RKbdLcPRNx7r3q_bcXByx3iNXLBsnPNOjGrFDInpEK_1nkJnJv4wtvMnbSGEVibJ2MJ9qxv2T0ys3ZU_7iQWUqaitQkbETjEsLx1FNG1oWE/s1000/cover_922821112021_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVDHWrGzEKt1KJZqzcCQxvwPLDtfEmtxua4ivUFW_TnhPbwimG8Dw2dw3WolC2rG2QN3cA6ESXRwqOXyT0RKbdLcPRNx7r3q_bcXByx3iNXLBsnPNOjGrFDInpEK_1nkJnJv4wtvMnbSGEVibJ2MJ9qxv2T0ys3ZU_7iQWUqaitQkbETjEsLx1FNG1oWE/s320/cover_922821112021_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b>KANT FREUD KAFKA <i>Historias del Acantilado</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_HzKBZ0Axm5dDGSQ0EM8ZK0W_g3LCEVu2UGIjP5hxznlxDE0HzkymSVue0_OlUQVjUngETTh1RoWYgnuggXTAs4t8clvtlFL5WQ3N7PEsukCYN0kKf_RvZIdhObJgZ-Mlv4svY2ifxiOJf8W1D0FaM7OPc8Uh0HB_tmLcn4TbUbqkKEegkbigZvOpbp9O/s1000/cover_3548181262021_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_HzKBZ0Axm5dDGSQ0EM8ZK0W_g3LCEVu2UGIjP5hxznlxDE0HzkymSVue0_OlUQVjUngETTh1RoWYgnuggXTAs4t8clvtlFL5WQ3N7PEsukCYN0kKf_RvZIdhObJgZ-Mlv4svY2ifxiOJf8W1D0FaM7OPc8Uh0HB_tmLcn4TbUbqkKEegkbigZvOpbp9O/s320/cover_3548181262021_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>BEAUTIFUL BEDLAM <i>Beautiful Bedlam</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJQCXaWKW2NfABVzdHpHXyR90uRbCEaFX8LiLTaTM3nA8lCDoMz7cfZzntA3hKf4oUW9Y4SRFnzHD6lcNuHJx22nkzG6nJNoBhtZZaI7YEkoNVnspC7u58aN3CFOO_z6RztAyXIN84mW7yDiXoNCPhC0cXjw_gcESC9YWORqI6Uhn4j3rJXAvtTnWefm1/s1000/cover_44538392021_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJQCXaWKW2NfABVzdHpHXyR90uRbCEaFX8LiLTaTM3nA8lCDoMz7cfZzntA3hKf4oUW9Y4SRFnzHD6lcNuHJx22nkzG6nJNoBhtZZaI7YEkoNVnspC7u58aN3CFOO_z6RztAyXIN84mW7yDiXoNCPhC0cXjw_gcESC9YWORqI6Uhn4j3rJXAvtTnWefm1/s320/cover_44538392021_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>ANTONY KALUGIN <i>Chameleon Shapeshifter</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFOMVvDsQrdOnVgRBXBReettE-Ly1Iw5HGOgWksGrbKQ1HEEu4LzDtnSl0ivpd6c3b4-v5WR3lYnIjBb__BSWZgizgcySo7xLdp2c2F0Ev5wRhogDADTKn4755nSIVd8qkp2tbE5UrB9gPsgvprSihRUD2YPa-y6VZkUUHXDlS0STR4tyV9eOoVeDNRn0/s1000/cover_199532021_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFOMVvDsQrdOnVgRBXBReettE-Ly1Iw5HGOgWksGrbKQ1HEEu4LzDtnSl0ivpd6c3b4-v5WR3lYnIjBb__BSWZgizgcySo7xLdp2c2F0Ev5wRhogDADTKn4755nSIVd8qkp2tbE5UrB9gPsgvprSihRUD2YPa-y6VZkUUHXDlS0STR4tyV9eOoVeDNRn0/s320/cover_199532021_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>CICCADA <i>Harvest</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>2020</u></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7LzCEozeMRMUvPuRqKP-sByHVJ96SoZoEIrQKVQFWGGbvecYO4TJOPmFcS9YelVYkEiTc1EehutKyGIGSnY9pRtQVqX9IgE5d3y_iLEjuy6E623CQmdIblzHT_OZ6slO1kkChbP9GiFKfzvbsjHaUuJw78uDOqbJCV769EHuXwRzrTdB2Vph9z77m3JV/s1000/cover_61602752020_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7LzCEozeMRMUvPuRqKP-sByHVJ96SoZoEIrQKVQFWGGbvecYO4TJOPmFcS9YelVYkEiTc1EehutKyGIGSnY9pRtQVqX9IgE5d3y_iLEjuy6E623CQmdIblzHT_OZ6slO1kkChbP9GiFKfzvbsjHaUuJw78uDOqbJCV769EHuXwRzrTdB2Vph9z77m3JV/s320/cover_61602752020_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>FRENCH TV <i>13: Stories Without Fingerprints</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunhMEuIVWnH9QMP3xKrPF8CJGh4i2JpyO69c8qa7_NPwzhnHx_wC0JTKa6b6uawKARsz8Tlx7OmcwAVNqiyTeTXthKOv6gtZqDzDxSaJX3rJ_iSchMaCibofpevJ3waSVBfwSTKnWItzlwsGcYJI_fUaFGKAhCIHOkKnsGBDPp7y5DaX_yRiyw7PXVSOc/s1000/cover_414197102020_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunhMEuIVWnH9QMP3xKrPF8CJGh4i2JpyO69c8qa7_NPwzhnHx_wC0JTKa6b6uawKARsz8Tlx7OmcwAVNqiyTeTXthKOv6gtZqDzDxSaJX3rJ_iSchMaCibofpevJ3waSVBfwSTKnWItzlwsGcYJI_fUaFGKAhCIHOkKnsGBDPp7y5DaX_yRiyw7PXVSOc/s320/cover_414197102020_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>MAGICK BROTHER AND MYSTIC SISTER <i>Magick Brother and Mystic Sister</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUUFGngcmpi1f93ndQ-DZ_DtcYnUs4ETK6NJyfxkrRh9GqiXCnH0woNB6tgxrxyFYp8sDZqdAoq0x3fQgxseyums_MI9ahmot7cF8d5OucWFfTPag30Ezzau2yCzjfUNDFNFjSQ5p8o7DNO-goLS0ACEUHSodHgya7SNZmHQF2Bb1y5AcYYipWwpuZAR5/s1000/cover_54615892020_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUUFGngcmpi1f93ndQ-DZ_DtcYnUs4ETK6NJyfxkrRh9GqiXCnH0woNB6tgxrxyFYp8sDZqdAoq0x3fQgxseyums_MI9ahmot7cF8d5OucWFfTPag30Ezzau2yCzjfUNDFNFjSQ5p8o7DNO-goLS0ACEUHSodHgya7SNZmHQF2Bb1y5AcYYipWwpuZAR5/s320/cover_54615892020_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>ARNAUD BUKWALD <i>La marmite cosmique six</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7xZyk5AzUFpV6P8KOlLOzy1p2afA-CD0iG18v7LiEFkYfxqXE8XKVTen4jB1ofehF9jUrHC5CWW_bSnmGzm8XPp5XkDk__BbOxX52_rpxdFSraeTi7b0Vzf4HqDJhcg9m1sq1UHh7eICrCW7g6RIP7vrFUJcTxrr2TnclgF3BSWjLuBx5qjGPacdMUMr/s1000/cover_640212832020_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7xZyk5AzUFpV6P8KOlLOzy1p2afA-CD0iG18v7LiEFkYfxqXE8XKVTen4jB1ofehF9jUrHC5CWW_bSnmGzm8XPp5XkDk__BbOxX52_rpxdFSraeTi7b0Vzf4HqDJhcg9m1sq1UHh7eICrCW7g6RIP7vrFUJcTxrr2TnclgF3BSWjLuBx5qjGPacdMUMr/s320/cover_640212832020_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>ABEL GANZ <i>The Life of the Honeybee and Other Moments of Clarity</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktLD6Sk6Df4g3EKf5bEq-nLPRaDr3CayWF4rIKxJmEvy6wdSLT0w8OJyjR2pnOBgCGR7PveVpGf_JFZPpf4q3d2EuD7gH2MZGjZ7WT-NHWzQV9vf033A8wOA8vRT_fDumRZCs5vz03Rcctif-mB6wndJANKvVL4c2n5A76LE0uNNXbxY2thfJFAKbjMm4/s1000/cover_54348482020_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktLD6Sk6Df4g3EKf5bEq-nLPRaDr3CayWF4rIKxJmEvy6wdSLT0w8OJyjR2pnOBgCGR7PveVpGf_JFZPpf4q3d2EuD7gH2MZGjZ7WT-NHWzQV9vf033A8wOA8vRT_fDumRZCs5vz03Rcctif-mB6wndJANKvVL4c2n5A76LE0uNNXbxY2thfJFAKbjMm4/s320/cover_54348482020_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>ESP <i>Phenomenon</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CRsJiUz3YdYmb-UaNxN5qm_260rJwlZeYVmPrmbEdIT6AlB9cttmjt4WxzSfBf-zNppGGVkPoJK5P0zhhN4bAgF06lg7fg7acWdzbsrYLoUVJ7V3MUAU5ti0PAMsNdIJRIfxWoez7pV_eS0tf7zYrn9E1M75mPLdPPrdnBOSbh_Hrd9cVNU7vaizi-E2/s1000/cover_342582342020_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CRsJiUz3YdYmb-UaNxN5qm_260rJwlZeYVmPrmbEdIT6AlB9cttmjt4WxzSfBf-zNppGGVkPoJK5P0zhhN4bAgF06lg7fg7acWdzbsrYLoUVJ7V3MUAU5ti0PAMsNdIJRIfxWoez7pV_eS0tf7zYrn9E1M75mPLdPPrdnBOSbh_Hrd9cVNU7vaizi-E2/s320/cover_342582342020_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>VESPERO <i>The Four Zaos</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwfKhtVrYM57cdoduuL62SRHWRgpSrvoJ9TCSSLCFSslz5S32MpAY4cyIdlMQGCJf0SIUpt5DxeiWqivWoxvLJJ0XiRzFwiEJ4cWKj7AHoJqoiL6dv3GAoRhVwIA3YdR7ct5e61hKfbFAfUW5fomwSrouJR9jzF9AmGBDejl8g_PdVK1CQUIVnPO9VyIJ/s1000/cover_1128122020_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwfKhtVrYM57cdoduuL62SRHWRgpSrvoJ9TCSSLCFSslz5S32MpAY4cyIdlMQGCJf0SIUpt5DxeiWqivWoxvLJJ0XiRzFwiEJ4cWKj7AHoJqoiL6dv3GAoRhVwIA3YdR7ct5e61hKfbFAfUW5fomwSrouJR9jzF9AmGBDejl8g_PdVK1CQUIVnPO9VyIJ/s320/cover_1128122020_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>STEVE THORNE <i>Levelled - Emotional Creatures Part 3</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevY_f9sAIsYLwuaPKlDurztlCeOOylNdywAg1IHMXxZpMt0jscZQ5ikHngfXDuwKPkKLLHDi9VfidHflp7VgtCAZJ5QcQmE75EkV7bL5PO2cJYgJFc8Lnu-H786HNv6vml2T6inhLJVr4uig74vkTGMJ7nm6YRPE4VxgnJWCBlStaReZ0Hc4pXw_W-Pf2/s1000/cover_283113362020_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevY_f9sAIsYLwuaPKlDurztlCeOOylNdywAg1IHMXxZpMt0jscZQ5ikHngfXDuwKPkKLLHDi9VfidHflp7VgtCAZJ5QcQmE75EkV7bL5PO2cJYgJFc8Lnu-H786HNv6vml2T6inhLJVr4uig74vkTGMJ7nm6YRPE4VxgnJWCBlStaReZ0Hc4pXw_W-Pf2/s320/cover_283113362020_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>HAIL SPIRIT NOIR <i>Eden in Reverse</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKPbmLL6dU6apKSFpGqweWj1OmKvPNwGYJqkDQCTuL8BCG3zmFWTmnsxKPueJwr4OSC_88terrhZWf160hd-DfkGpWcREd3djktXXNQhC5IvL-UZ6gupTGqjubxTyJHeDfWxwzRkTdiXtE_P_PI3mv1MDyI49nQuCH6_6CWu5-s7yLqQV1BIURBacPve2/s1000/cover_335581432020_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKPbmLL6dU6apKSFpGqweWj1OmKvPNwGYJqkDQCTuL8BCG3zmFWTmnsxKPueJwr4OSC_88terrhZWf160hd-DfkGpWcREd3djktXXNQhC5IvL-UZ6gupTGqjubxTyJHeDfWxwzRkTdiXtE_P_PI3mv1MDyI49nQuCH6_6CWu5-s7yLqQV1BIURBacPve2/s320/cover_335581432020_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>DAI KAHT <i>II</i></b></p></b><p></p>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4177889769726575312.post-72856237790335190942023-10-12T09:19:00.000-07:002024-02-15T06:35:20.524-08:002023, Part 4: Other Albums worth checking out for yourselves<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZjAfszNVCznxD_ue0xiWcZGHg-j94YXY3cKkPNM8PHHvq-3PEht5msyUlXjOC9MQpJejnS-s8EYVXsgarAM9gE6B1KUStuSVTuwAJFwkyXUbyq2TeYCq1IlMILqWmsquby50ASmbqhHtXv6z0YEO3QXbEwlJWcflk2IIHKuhdBQthNeLsHPDdgCFDduG/s1000/cover_144181232023_r.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZjAfszNVCznxD_ue0xiWcZGHg-j94YXY3cKkPNM8PHHvq-3PEht5msyUlXjOC9MQpJejnS-s8EYVXsgarAM9gE6B1KUStuSVTuwAJFwkyXUbyq2TeYCq1IlMILqWmsquby50ASmbqhHtXv6z0YEO3QXbEwlJWcflk2IIHKuhdBQthNeLsHPDdgCFDduG/s320/cover_144181232023_r.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>GODSTICKS <i>This Is What a Winner Looks Like</i></b></div><div><br /></div>A band whose previous albums have projected much promise.</div><div><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Darran Charles / guitars, vocals, keyboards<br />- Dan Nelson / bass<br />- Gavin Bushell / guitar<br />- Tom Price / drums<div><br />1. "If I Don't Take It All" (3:25) (8.66667/10)<br />2. "Eliminate and Repair" (4:52) kind of a boring song vocally but contains some great instrumental play. (8.75/10)<br />3. "This Is My New Normal" (3:49) the songs are getting weaker, less fresh-feeling. (8.33333/10)<br />4. "Devotion Made to Offend" (4:12) something a little different but still never rises above (8.75/10)<br />5. "Silent Saw" (3:25) Decent. Great "rap-like" third minute. (8.75/10)<br />6. "Throne" (4:31) the first really good djenty music is spoiled by a less-than-stellar vocal. (8.666667/10)<br />7. "Don't Say a Word to Me" (5:03) interesting synth opening turns old heavy metal with the joinder of the guitars. I like the style of Darran's vocal here: long sustained notes in his upper register. Weird to hear such an "old-style" guitar solo in the fourth minute. (8.75/10)<br />8. "Mayhem" (3:44) nice complex djent beneath Darran's vocal. Musically the most proggie song on the album, unfortunately it loses a lot from its dull/forgettable vocal. (8.66667/10)<br />9. "Lying" (4:01) dialing it in? There feels like zero enthusiasm behind this song--from any of the musicians! (8.33333/10)<br />10. "Wake Up" (5:06) a couple of interesting ideas and melodies here but once again it fails to rise above the mundane "we've heard many songs like this before." (8.666667/10)<br /><br />Total Time 42:08</div><div><br /></div><div>The music shows little fresh ideas or progression in either technical or compositional skill. As a matter of fact, I call this a real step backwards since the wonderful 2017 release, <i>Face With Rage</i>. <br /><div><br /></div><div>86.33333 on the Fishscales = C/three stars; fair music but not much here for the true prog lover to waste his or her time on.</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5GZHsFvSnaJunOi9xVDwpx4rptWUkal_VfUIOzqxJAYZlV77rt8McuHiVcRkseyxSouMlGMC_SbQKAQNXXXcHZdHrpVxf66siP1gYKSFW1SFFj2YgLANqhZIdJcLdX8kzNrk6Aetl-e_TLxA-0UZvVSbSBfCpKs_AjByJocsDy1OXuq1VAAM2KaN4ZUk/s1000/cover_1727131142023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5GZHsFvSnaJunOi9xVDwpx4rptWUkal_VfUIOzqxJAYZlV77rt8McuHiVcRkseyxSouMlGMC_SbQKAQNXXXcHZdHrpVxf66siP1gYKSFW1SFFj2YgLANqhZIdJcLdX8kzNrk6Aetl-e_TLxA-0UZvVSbSBfCpKs_AjByJocsDy1OXuq1VAAM2KaN4ZUk/s320/cover_1727131142023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div><b><br /></b></div>TRITOP <i>The Rise of Kassandra</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>Well-composed and -performed Retro Prog from Italia. The sound engineering is faulty in many places but overall it's pretty good.</div><div><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Ivo Di Traglia / drums<br />- Pierfrancesco Di Pofi / keyboards, piano, Hammond, synth, Mellotron<br />- Francesco Caponera / electric guitar<br />- Jacopo Tuzi / bass<br />- Mattia Fagiolo / vocals<br />With:<br />- Peter Cornacchia / acoustic & classical guitars, mandolin<br />- Simone Cozzetto / electric, steel & acoustic guitars<br />- Andrea Ricci / electric guitar<br />- Vincenzo Mancini / electric guitar<br />- Emanuele Andolfi / electric guitar<br />- Pasquale Ripa / electric guitar</div><div><br />1. "Rise of Kassandra" (13:00) the vocalist is great when he's singing low and soft, horrible (very pitchy) when belting it out. Another guitarist who has taken up the BRIAN MAY guitar sound. Too many times I find myself doing double takes as I hear riffs that have been totally and completely lifted out of classic 1970s prog. (21.25/25)</div><div><br />2. "Delighted Insanity" (5:46) showing some instrumental skill, this is definitely a tighter, cleaner song than the previous rendering, it's just not very exciting or new. (Sounds a lot like Spock's Beard [over-]doing 'Classic Era' STYX.) (8.5/10)</div><div><br />3. "Island of Servitude" (5:11) some nice meat and sound rendering with no excitement or flair. Like eating spaghetti for the 1,234th time. (8.5/10)<br /><br /></div><div>4. "The Sacred Law of Retribution" (23:46) they're no Orphaned Land or Neal Morse Band, but the Christian references are not lost upon me. Most of the time on this one I find myself listening to (and enjoying) the drumming--or the chunky bass. <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i> may have set the precedent but it's rarely been done as a <i>serious</i> entertainment very well and Ivo and company do little to change my perception of this--even with their Genesis "Firth of Fifth" homage at the end. (43/50)<br /><br />Total Time 47:43</div><div><br /></div><div>85.52 on the Fishscales; C+/3.5 stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you're into constant direct citations from "Classic Era" prog and Classic Rock music.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjZhGzDJ8_6Aa68WkHsPRtX7oreFNp1QHmuxT3Xhj2-cZqBQ1R1XWEQ6QB9lHU9rRaN7fsxFhh_21B_SquHYiCZ098T1skUi_LRA_tOEq0kOTyXAcB6W5ZhzZVVFd5giCgg148_RyrGgjJ05k794muX4smlZop4ofYS_GG-RnEXymLD92fySHWbOs1zlg/s1000/cover_1244182112023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjZhGzDJ8_6Aa68WkHsPRtX7oreFNp1QHmuxT3Xhj2-cZqBQ1R1XWEQ6QB9lHU9rRaN7fsxFhh_21B_SquHYiCZ098T1skUi_LRA_tOEq0kOTyXAcB6W5ZhzZVVFd5giCgg148_RyrGgjJ05k794muX4smlZop4ofYS_GG-RnEXymLD92fySHWbOs1zlg/s320/cover_1244182112023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>TEN JINN <i>Ardis</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Pennsylvanian NeoProg band is back with an album conceptualized around Jack London's political sci-fi novel, <i>Iron Heel</i>. </div><div><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- John Strauss / lead & backing vocals, piano, keyboards<br />- Mark Wickliffe / drums & percussion, bass, synth, guitar, backing vocals<br />- Mike Matier / electric & acoustic guitars<br />- Matt Overholser / bass, Stick<br />- Matt Brown / keyboards, backing vocals<br />- Kenneth Francis / electric, acoustic & EBow guitars, keyboards, bass, backing vocals<br />With:<br />- Stan Whitaker / guitar solo (4)</div><div><br /></div><div>1. "Elegy I" (1:29) computer-generated piano and strings open this with a melodic cinematic piece to set the scene. (4.25/5)</div><div><br />2. "Brotherhood of Man" (4:02) the musical construction, vocal talents, instrumental sound choices, and NeoProg bombast of this song are all rather simple and "borrowed," i.e. every element of this song feels old and already done. It's pretty, melodic, and proggy, to be sure, but it's just … old--sounding/feeling like the work of a regional prog cover band, not an artist who has aspirations to contribute something on an international level that might serve to progress progressive rock music. (8.4/10)</div><div><br />3. "Slaves of the Machine" (5:47) sounds a bit like or ICEHOUSE or SAGA with John Strauss's Michael Sadler voice. The music is solid but just there, providing nothing exceptional to distinguish itself--and the QUEEN-modeled vocals, while competently delivered, are so vanilla! Plus the aged keyboard sounds continue to grate on me. (8.5/10)</div><div><br />4. "Say Aye / Bishop's Vision" (6:45) Such a weird blend/phase out/phase in to two different songs. Why not just have them be separate? (12.66667/15)</div><div><br />5. "Elegy II" (5:49) an instrumental that shows John and his band members' true talents (despite the aged sounds coming from those keyboards) as both composers and performers (and engineers). (8.75/10)</div><div><br />6. "Adumbrations: Beginning of the End" (3:52) I can see why this song was released as a single: it's very poppy, reminding me quite a bit of 1974's PILOT (with the hit "Magic") or THE BAY CITY ROLLERS. (8.25/10)</div><div><br />7. "The Red Virgin" (7:54) again a dated, "already been done" feeling comes with every note of the first three minutes of this song--even if parts of it are blended together from multiple inspirational sources. Very nice instrumental weave in the fourth minute which, to my utter surprise (and delight) turn into a Tony Levin/King Crimson in the fifth! And then it continues on its angular, Crimsonian path--until the chorus at the very end of the sixth minute. The choral vocal melody weave and following section in the seventh minute are very likable and more original expressions. Easily my favorite three minutes of the album. (13.33333/15)</div><div><br />8. "Nightmare" (4:15) another instrumental, this time trying to convey in the domain of the menacing--through the use of very cinematic sounds and contrivances in order to do so. (8.66667/10)</div><div><br />9. "Ardis / Elegy III" (7:32) I very nice mix of excellent instrumental performances--especially from the Rick Wakeman-like keyboards, drums, and bass--but the vanilla Michael Sadler voice of John Strauss just (Or maybe it's how John's voice is engineered/effected cuz he's actually quite talented and stays on pitch incredibly well.) Plus, I have a strong aversion to the Brian May guitar sound--which is used almost exclusively in this song. (13/15)<br /><br />Total Time 47:25</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, and continually when I listen to this album, I feel as if I'm listening to 1970s/early 1980s SAGA or even Australia's ICEHOUSE or Detroit's ART IN AMERICA. The keyboard artists, guitarists, bass/stick players, and drummers are all very skilled and talented, but the compositions often lack originality and are definitely held back by dated computer-keyboard sounds. I'll grant that the album's songwriting and musicianship is solid--and that most of it seems to gel better as the album goes on--but I just can't get past the too-familiar soundscapes and their out-dated keyboard sounds.</div><div><br /></div><div>85.82 on the Fishscales = C+/3.5 stars; a pleasant listen of melodic SAGA-like music that might be of interest to many prog lovers. Give it a chance! You may love this! </div><div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4KPDklOxDUSZlrEXeU_0tbdVmYiFk3HRjEoxSfQT4sz9cYmToJzHH9-tE140w9SEGrop10Z7G3nZpuWiekiCeq4pjGYpNkPMQjkgtOcISusL_ODUDOyxFduLJ1lTnaXk1--19BxE9lIgcaBAvophUbP9eShs5gAfPod_mA4_nEDbXKCIXASsWxBU2k8u/s1000/cover_41318482023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4KPDklOxDUSZlrEXeU_0tbdVmYiFk3HRjEoxSfQT4sz9cYmToJzHH9-tE140w9SEGrop10Z7G3nZpuWiekiCeq4pjGYpNkPMQjkgtOcISusL_ODUDOyxFduLJ1lTnaXk1--19BxE9lIgcaBAvophUbP9eShs5gAfPod_mA4_nEDbXKCIXASsWxBU2k8u/s320/cover_41318482023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><b>ED ZERO<i> Introspection / Retrospection</i></b><br /><br />A Spanish (Argentine-born) artist that is new to me who has a reverential fascination with classic rock and 1970s pop sounds and forms.<br /><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Ed Zero / everything<div><br /></div><div>Part 1 - Introspection (46:09)<br />1. "Alright It's Repeating" (5:35) sounds like second-tier hard rock from the late 1970s--early AC/DC, Golden Earring, or Head East. (8.5/10)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />2. "Fragile" (5:10) Gorgeous. As if 10CC and STEVEN WILSON merged or collaborated. (9/10)</div><div><br />3. "Silence at Sundown" (5:03) excellent, emotional acoustic guitar work opens this one up--even when Ed turns to syncopated strumming to support his vocal track. Equally as engaging and balanced with the entry of the lush full-band instrumentation. The acoustic guitar work throughout is sublime--so perfectly conveyed and never overplayed. (8.875/10)</div><div><br />4. "Your Own Time" (7:44) an attempt at some prog bombast--with all the classic bells and whistles--but, alas! there is very little refreshing or exciting--except for the near-Allan Holdsworth start of the instrumental passage in the third minute. It's good but, in the end, not very refreshing. The ensuing bass and drums interplay is cool, but then the return to the opening pace reminds one of how bland and standard the foundation is--it's the solos that soar (as they should) but the three-chord rock foundation persists in weighing everything else down--plus, nothing in the realm of solos or sounds are very innovative. (12.5/15)</div><div><br />5. "Sailing the Vastness" (22:37) nice spacey electronica opening before turning into a CURE-meets-Angel Ontalvo Goth-Flamenco. At 2:40 flutes and vocals top the placid chorsued-guitar based Pink Floyd rock foundation. It's good though it does drag a bit. The electric guitar solo starting at 4:45 is nice. At 6:30 we move into an uptempo passage for some RUSH-like guitar and precision multi-instrumental interweaving. At the eight-minute mark we gently transition into a more quirky cabaret/theatric piano-led section reminding me a bit of PHIDEAUX--which pauses at 9:50 for a half minute before building back up for a synth-led instrumental passage before returning to the Broadway-like chorus. More soloing electric guitar throughout the 12th minute (with some nice drumming beneath) until another go at the chorus around the 13-minute mark. This is then followed by a rather stark and emotional spacious piano section over which Moog-like synth solos mournfully. The piano continues this mournful mood in the fifteenth minute until bombastic cymbal hits signal a shift into a more classic rock standard rock 4/4 motif. Ed sings forcefully in an almost Billy Joel like voice over this "Beautiful Loser" (Bob Seger) passage. At 16:45 the music shifts back to one of the previous themes for what sounds/feels like a "finish" vocal section before a very emotional electric guitar solo fills a minute between 17:30 and 18:30. A quirky staccato multi-guitar section ensues over which Ed sings in a kind of ending overture like way--as if he's summarizing the plight and fight his hero just went through. Synth solo and then a key change to help switch back to a previous motif for singing about the moral of the story. Sounds very much like SPOCK'S BEARD "The Light." (38/45)<br /><br />Part 2 - Retrospection (48:00)<br />6. "A Whole New Beginning" (8:49) an interesting and entertaining mélange of seemingly disparate styles and moods, from heavy blues-rock to light Latin and more. (17.666667/20)</div><div><br />7. "Retrospection" (5:00) a very classic rock/prog-wannabe pop song (like The Atlanta Rhythm Section or mellowed out Buggles--or even Jackson Brown). Purely set up to rely on the impact of the words. (8.66667/10)</div><div><br />8. "Summer of Saudade" (4:56) another song that sounds and feels more like a conventional pop Indie- or techno-pop song--except mellowed out by Ed's rather smooth, Don Henley-like vocal. (8.66667/10)</div><div><br />9. "Imaginary World" (4:47) speaking of The Eagles, here's some acoustic guitar strumming that reminds one of BREAD or the mellower side of Bruce COCKBURN. Even when Ed's subdued voice joins in, his sensitive almost-melancholy delivery reminds me of BREAD ("Maybe I'm a Want You") or simple AMERICA. (8.3333/10)</div><div><br />10. "Beyond the World of Dreams" (24:28) From the opening notes here I am reminded of THE FLOWER KINGS: form and format, sounds and sound palettes, even the odd, unpredictable switches in motifs are so much like Roine Stolt's habit. The syrupy pop motif in the fifth and sixth minutes is a bit of a downshift, but then at 5:52 Ed shifts into a little more forward-moving direction with a catchy theme to help him end the schmaltz and transition into a more 1970s STYX-URIAH HEEP-like Hammond organ-led motif. The cow bell is a bit of distraction (thanks to SNL's Y2k sketch!) In the tenth minute we return to a little more prog-oriented rock with some syncopated drumming and portentous rhythm guitar play but then Ed's voice in the chorusy parts gets (too-)heavily distorted. Then there is a rather sudden and clear-cut door opening to a schmaltzy lounge piano solo to bridge us into a ominously heavy blues rock passage in the thirteenth minute. The blues guitar soloing within the left-center is pretty cool. Ed's voice joins in in the 14th minute and does well to maintain the mood until the chorus-part where all gets lost in major chord melodies that do not fit. But he chooses to return to the sinister motif for one more round before switching to an odd psuedo-Reggae rhythm after the second cheesy chorus. It's an odd (almost Genesis "A flower?"-like) until the 17-minute mark when a strummed acoustic guitar and disco rhythm section brings us back into a very Flower Kings-like passage. I haven't mentioned the lyrics which are about conquering one's (entirely unecessary) fears. They're also over-the-top trite and sappy in the way that power-of-positive-thinking aphorisms can get. At 20:24 another purely-1970s pop-derived passage over which Ed performs a decent guitar solo for over a minute. At 22:16, everything stops and the darkened stage is left with a doleful solo piano to take us out--with a <i>very</i> long fade out before radio-television static noises close out the song--and album. (42/50)<br /><br />Total Time 94:09</div><div><br /></div><div>While I admire the talent (and courage) necessary to pull together such disparate sounds and styles and sequence them into a convincingly-related flow--into one long suite--I am not as convinced of the overall songwriting skill of this artist--or of the completeness of his finished product; that is, I think the additional inputs of other collaborating artists would help provide the skill sets necessary from the instrumentalists in order to "fill" the soundscapes with more nuanced incidentals. I think there needs to be more than just Ed's ideas and renderings in order to bring these compositions to the next level. In the end, this is, to me, just nice pop- and album-oriented rock bordering on Prog Lite--which makes it arguable as to whether or not it belongs in Prog World. </div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>85.37 on the Fishscales = C/three stars; a nice addition to any retro-rock-loving music lover's album collection. The album provides pleasant listening but there are many areas of Ed's production and skill levels that I hope to see improvement upon in the future--especially opening up to collaboration and engineering/production inputs. </div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkDsxY4WtkJWm6cTcYmzzSkyOmysU_jFnjdw1Gmr4NZ1OlNln_0x8FOIiDCAPnbcKRVRNAWQA5n-rr2hUKvMsEYG4oooRimD0be-qtPnNASJsoWXyjnpA3wHGq0mdr9w_-HA8Fk4qFERb7rL6RqGGB5qQZPL44edkVdRYwykURalLjP-5n9lFEAG-6zNN/s1000/cover_173781142023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkDsxY4WtkJWm6cTcYmzzSkyOmysU_jFnjdw1Gmr4NZ1OlNln_0x8FOIiDCAPnbcKRVRNAWQA5n-rr2hUKvMsEYG4oooRimD0be-qtPnNASJsoWXyjnpA3wHGq0mdr9w_-HA8Fk4qFERb7rL6RqGGB5qQZPL44edkVdRYwykURalLjP-5n9lFEAG-6zNN/s320/cover_173781142023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><p><b>ATON FIVE <i>Aton Five</i></b></p></b><p></p><div>A new heavy prog band from Russia that seems quite inspired by both Rush and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra phenomenon.</div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><b>Line-up / Musicians:</b><br />- Alexander Seleznev / guitars, keyboards, voice (5)<br />- Anton Ablov / organ, synth, piano<br />- Mikhail Zenkov / bass<br />- Roman Makushev / drums<br />With:<br />- Matthew Borun / organ & piano solos & strings arrangement (4)<br /><br />1. "Alienation" (8:32) this soulless totally familiar heavy prog-by-the-numbers doesn't sound very alien to me. (17/20)<div><br />2. "Naked Void" (8:32) competent heavy prog, performed by proficient musicians, recorded with very good sound engineering, that, unfortunately, brings nothing new to the prog lexicon that I can hear. (17.75/20)</div><div><br />3. "Clepsydra" (3:23) is this supposed to be a reference to the excellent Swiss prog band, a Greek water clock, or the deeper meaning, "water thief"? Nice sonic field textures and melodic weave. (8.875/10)</div><div><br />4. "Danse Macabre" (8:00) Ooo! Some angular metal! I like the start of this one as it feels emotion-driven and creative. Unfortunately, after the first 45 seconds it begins to sound too derivative/imitative of RUSH. Despite some impressive play from all band members, the song never quite lifts itself into the realm of anything new or ground-breaking; just solid, competently played heavy prog. (13/15)<div><br />5. "Lethe" (22:01) feels like such an incomplete, under-developed piece: the instrumental performances are replete with mistakes, the weaves are simplistic, even rudimentary--they seem underdeveloped and left to chance in a one-take type of recording scenario--which makes me think the band members either very lazy, very disorganized and uncommitted to their musical project, and/or quite pressed for studio (and/or practice) time. Don't get me wrong: there are some nice ideas here, some nice solos, and great sound, but everything just sounds so ... soulless. (37/45)<br /><br />Total Time 50:28</div><div><br /></div><div>An album that I found impressive for its sound and competent musicianship but also found sorely lacking in creativity.<br /><div><br /></div><div>85.11 on the Fishscales = C/three stars; a collection of good heavy prog songs that deserves independent attention from the individual prog lover.<br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIJ9Qhw9ZO0VIfYcVLKFXXOjxUN4LjkL4qK4swnhO7V-v3ZEAM9Lh7pwQPTvaG58uXHt0B2BlqLlwW4OqlL6eqvrw6JNRAAoyWsIh4vIlTkciz1bM-myGCfOF9Z-pNst5svS0wuIUQq_1d8kVsgyotkyIRPdJ4geQGz-Z6mOiATURrj3ermpLsK99GxpH/s1000/cover_54211262023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIJ9Qhw9ZO0VIfYcVLKFXXOjxUN4LjkL4qK4swnhO7V-v3ZEAM9Lh7pwQPTvaG58uXHt0B2BlqLlwW4OqlL6eqvrw6JNRAAoyWsIh4vIlTkciz1bM-myGCfOF9Z-pNst5svS0wuIUQq_1d8kVsgyotkyIRPdJ4geQGz-Z6mOiATURrj3ermpLsK99GxpH/s320/cover_54211262023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>DREAM THE ELECTRIC SLEEP<i> American Mystic</i></b></div><div><br /></div>Lexington, KY's crossover rockers are back with yet another high-quality album--their fifth studio album release since forming in 2009.</div><div><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Matt Page / lead vocals, guitar, keyboard<br />- Chris Tackett / bass, keyboard, backing vocals<br />- Joey Waters / drums, backing vocals<div><br /></div><div>1. "And the Buried Rise" (0:43) a brief choir album intro turns heavy halfway through. (4.333/5)<br />2. "Beyond Repair" (5:21) full on U2-<br />(/10)<br />3. "Forged in the Furnace" (3:32) (/10)<br />4. "After the Fallout" (6:02) (/10)<br />5. "The Lessons They Bring" (9:21) (/20)<br />6. "American Mystic" (4:04) (/10)<br />7. "Steal the Love" (6:42) (/10)<br />8. "Love Letters" (4:21) (/10)<br />9. "Lay Down the Cross" (6:02) (/10)<br /><br />Total Time 46:08</div><div><br /></div><div>There is an "old" classic era sound and feel to this--kind of as if 1980s U2 and DEF LEPPARD or BON JOVI had united and tried to perform a live concert of original compositions together. The music is okay--it's interesting and refreshing despite its retro sound--but once again I am left feeling as if I'm "on the outside looking in" for the importance of the lyrics/verbal messages of these songs. My apologies to the band for my disability, but, then, here I am. I am an authentic audience member.</div><div><br /></div><div>on the Fishscales = C/three stars;</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBACSjEe74iQ6XKsKjDpTElPmXAi6nvzIwJp26WcTE3FY4A5rLOofO1RPOh-h3IxhYK-fGcKxLQ0-2gx5JzL5NupamlRbLcpuZr1p9jIpR1arNqKOzbJWkYNurC58rclaVRqCnHjkevvS0XQMrWtiG3ZNJUaG7ZcSD9d_iUHAZdxp3Gs0p5M0ePE2BEdV/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBACSjEe74iQ6XKsKjDpTElPmXAi6nvzIwJp26WcTE3FY4A5rLOofO1RPOh-h3IxhYK-fGcKxLQ0-2gx5JzL5NupamlRbLcpuZr1p9jIpR1arNqKOzbJWkYNurC58rclaVRqCnHjkevvS0XQMrWtiG3ZNJUaG7ZcSD9d_iUHAZdxp3Gs0p5M0ePE2BEdV/w400-h400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><b>RYUICHI SAKAMOTO </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">12 </i>(2023)</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Published in January of the year that the Maestro died, this was Ryuichi's last album.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>1. "20210310" (6:54) (/15)</div><div>2. "20211130" (5:23) (/10)</div><div>3. "20211201" (5:33) (/10)</div><div>4. "20220123" (8:41) (/20)</div><div>5. "20220202" (6:23) (/10)</div><div>6. "20220207" (7:02) (/15)</div><div>7. "20220214" (9:10) (/20)</div><div>8. "20220302 - sarabande" (3:11) (/10)</div><div>9. "20220302" (2:53) (/10)</div><div>10. "20220307" (2:32) (/5)</div><div>11. "20220404" (2:27) (/5)</div><div>12. "20220304" (1:09) (/5)</div><div><br /></div><div>A big disappointment to me as the music here sounds to me like weaker, under-developed/unpolished attempts to replicate Harold Budd and Brian Eno's work from 1980's <i>Ambient 2: Plateaux of Mirror</i>.</div></div><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-V2IT11fJpSuki53qFSbGmZgPfCR8PX9Kjhqn5NJU3vMbVJJ_Ey3ZySQav7iVP3mrcrObtxA2RzyWTmv-Imq_JUCd-sQtQvxT2-JXp5hs8B-spvayHcBnIAzEC1osMmcks054tmNs9he9pJgWMIgcAJOU54BQ3HU8F71zRBfUHrb0t5IKlVVyd7tiVDwc/s1000/cover_403816692023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-V2IT11fJpSuki53qFSbGmZgPfCR8PX9Kjhqn5NJU3vMbVJJ_Ey3ZySQav7iVP3mrcrObtxA2RzyWTmv-Imq_JUCd-sQtQvxT2-JXp5hs8B-spvayHcBnIAzEC1osMmcks054tmNs9he9pJgWMIgcAJOU54BQ3HU8F71zRBfUHrb0t5IKlVVyd7tiVDwc/s320/cover_403816692023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div><b>MOON SAFARI <i>Himlabacken Vol. 2</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>Only the popular Swedish band's fifth studio album release since 2004. </div><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Petter Sandström / lead & backing vocals, acoustic guitar<br />- Simon Åkesson / lead & backing vocals, piano, organ, Moog<br />- Pontus Åkesson / lead & backing vocals, electric & acoustic guitars<br />- Sebastian Åkesson / backing vocals, assorted keyboards, percussion<br />- Johan Westerlund / lead & backing vocals, bass<br />- Mikael Israelsson / drums & percussion, backing vocals<br />With:<br />- Jamison Smeltz / saxophone (8)</div><div><br />1. "198X (Heaven Hill)" (3:55) (/10)<br />2. "Between the Devil and Me" (10:38) (/20)<br />3. "Emma, Come On" (3:19) (/10)<br />4. "A Lifetime to Learn How to Love" (8:28) (/20)<br />5. "Beyond the Blue" (2:12) (/5)<br />6. "Blood Moon" (5:44) (/10)<br />7. "Teen Angel Meets the Apocalypse" (21:04) (/40)<br />8. "Forever, for You" (10:09) (/20)<br />9. "Epilog" (3:22) (/10)<br /><br />Total Time 68:51</div><br />With each and every attempt to listen to this album I find myself so repelled by the overly familiar, overly saccharine, overly non-progressive foundational aspects of the music (every song!) that I have to abort. I try again and the same response. The thought of having to listen to 70 minutes of this drivel leaves me depressed and angry: "How will I be able to reclaim my wasted time?" And this is even before trying to pull together words for a respectable review. In the end I have decided that I cannot do it; I am not willing to subject myself to the abuse. The rating and 100 words of contempt will have to suffice. To summarize: This is Moon Safari sounding exactly like Moon Safari: stuck inside some kind of time and dimensional warp in which they think this is best product that they can produce. Sorry to disagree. They are very respectable musicians, but their music feels to me like that of the Beach Boys and I've never liked/enjoyed the Beach Boys; I respect them, but I listening to their music is an unnecessary and unwanted exercise in exposure therapy.<div><br /></div><div><div>on the Fishscales = C/three stars; </div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZHa-BB-HtxsJ3a13WKz_O9EJtWKHAkdsjhCSAUbUm9oSyDhp7Qqe_O8GAvUfqDU2q_8C_gNNDJtmXAeYviON4DoAomI2dvWgOd9HKYadI4mw9cMbswJyyCReiB2ah_0-hn4khozaWdLCo_vMEMvGcF-De3qKgtodokZuOPimHFUS72QpdBKkWClgTtjt/s1000/cover_1352314112023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZHa-BB-HtxsJ3a13WKz_O9EJtWKHAkdsjhCSAUbUm9oSyDhp7Qqe_O8GAvUfqDU2q_8C_gNNDJtmXAeYviON4DoAomI2dvWgOd9HKYadI4mw9cMbswJyyCReiB2ah_0-hn4khozaWdLCo_vMEMvGcF-De3qKgtodokZuOPimHFUS72QpdBKkWClgTtjt/s320/cover_1352314112023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>ROZ VITALIS <i>Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt</i></b></div></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Ruslan Kirillov / bass guitar except [8], [9]<br />- Vladislav Korotkikh / low whistle [2], [4], flutes<br />- Ivan Rozmainsky / harpsichord, grand piano [4], synths except [3], [10], metallophone [6], conception<br />- Vladimir Semenov / Tyan-Shansky / acoustic and electric guitars<br />- Evgeny Trefilov / drums, synth piano [3], [10], other keyboards, mixing, mastering, production<br />with thanks to:<br />- Alexey Gorshkov / trumpets<br />- Serghei Liubcenco / guitars [8], [9], rubab [8], doira [8]<br />- Igor Luniov / ukulele [8], [9], slide guitar [9]<br />- Max Lokosov / bass guitar [8], [9]<br />- Leonid Perevalov / clarinet [8], bass clarinet [9]</div><div><br /></div><div>1. "Bait of Success" (5:55) the opening motif was so cheezy and hokey that I nearly skipped the song. The slowed down middle section is somewhat better but sometimes I really think a group of teenagers could play, record, and engineer the music on these Roz Vitalis albums to a better end form than Ivan publishes them in. (8.3333/10)</div><div><br />2. "Daybreaking" (6:29) a saccharinely beautiful opening turns two chord rock at the end of the second minute before collapsing into some kind of multi-continental mish-mash in the third. (8.5/10)</div><div><br />3. "Fountain" (1:28) solo piano played delicately with feeling and poignancy. Probably the best song on the album. (4.25/5)</div><div><br />4. "Se Camminiamo Nella Luce" (LP Version) (5:49) a song that plods when it feels that the band should be able to easily step up <i>at least</i> double time (and when they do, what was the purpose of those first three minutes: respect for the dead?!) The bass is mixed so incongruously with the rest of the band. The Mike. Oldfield organ is my favorite (next to Vlad Korotkikh's trumpet play, of course). (8.375/10)</div><div><br />5. "Premonition" (9:07) Was Ivan/the band in so much of a hurry to publish an album before the end of the year that they never tested these songs on anybody before they pushed "go"? It's an engineering mess! The weave of separate and innocuous melodies emanating from multiple in the fifth and sixth minutes is so messy and contradictory. The song should be called "Tower of Babel." (16.75/20)</div><div><br />6. "Walking" (5:19) bluesy R&B/jazz? Why not: Ivan's tried it before. 1970s Bob James with Eric Gale on guitar, Hubert Laws on flute, and Ruslan Kirillov on distorted, mushy bass. Bob can't resist, of course, to show off his chops on his newest instrumental purchase: a harpsichord. Then the band jumps back on board to … who? what? Who's the leader here? (8.5/10)</div><div><br />7. "Wides" (6:24) an attempt at some cinematic music in which the inability of the individual band members to stay in sync with one another is intentional (to evoke the sense of tension and disharmony on the movie screen). Unbelievable! Are they even in the same universe? This is a song that my brothers (and daughters) and I could pick and play infinitely better than this crew! (Not that we'd want to, though.) Maybe there <i>is </i>a limit to how much ethanol a Russian can imbibe while still maintaining functionality.(6.5/10)</div><div><br />8. "The Man Whose Wings Were Cut Off" (LP Version) (7:48) Now here's something that is syncopated and yet everyone seems capable of staying together with. There must have been magic in the vodka during this recording session. Around the four minute mark I start to hear the VESPERO influence. Not quite as tight or smooth as their country mates, but a fairly decent product. (12.75/15)</div><div><br />9. "Beautifulness" (LP Version) (4:06) an odd mish-mash that sounds as if it could be a soundtrack to a Russian puppetry performance. I hear some skill in both the composition and performances but, once again, it just feels unfinished/unplished. (8.666667/10)</div><div><br />10. "Nocturne" (1:23) solo piano piece to wrap things up. Too bad they couldn't find a real piano anywhere. Guess the computerized one had to do. (Expedience, mates!) (4/5)<br /><br />Total Time 53:48</div><div><br /></div><div>Ivan and company obviously have skills--and I understand Ivan's desire and inclination to display his versions of blending world styles and sounds, but I don't know who his test audience members are because, in my opinion, his blends only work about one in five times; the rest of the times are awkward, sometimes conflicting or contradictory, and never mixed into a "polished" version. It is SO FRUSTRATING because I <i>know</i> these guys have talent and I <i>like</i> a lot of Ivan's ideas, they just rarely feel fully worked out much less finished. Alexey Gorshkov is the album's only saving grace for me. And, occasionally, Vlad Korotkikh's flute.</div><div><br /></div><div>Were I a professional musician with any sense of pride whatsoever, I would never have published these songs in the states of partial-completion that they're in. It is, to my mind, disgraceful.</div><div><br /></div><div>83..93 on the. Fishscales = C-/three stars; the worst album rating I've had to hand out in over a decade! It's so flawed and unpolished but, okay, listen to it for yourselves if you must!</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVaGeIIUBpAp2apL1fhGTlRSyU0KrBSqrRmqjX384Ry1i8hsfjOZ34mt90reFLwFeGUMt3YSO4qwm6a8fdtjLUmfwL6_HRr0JV5LxLnalH4X1bOKDZpxufe8UOt_GS2XBkNFoy8HWmYFNa29jz-5pRGeDWPGGnf56IdeuKJdvcRx4GqvfPCon7qiW5UQ/s1001/cover_42217332023_r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVaGeIIUBpAp2apL1fhGTlRSyU0KrBSqrRmqjX384Ry1i8hsfjOZ34mt90reFLwFeGUMt3YSO4qwm6a8fdtjLUmfwL6_HRr0JV5LxLnalH4X1bOKDZpxufe8UOt_GS2XBkNFoy8HWmYFNa29jz-5pRGeDWPGGnf56IdeuKJdvcRx4GqvfPCon7qiW5UQ/s320/cover_42217332023_r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>JAVIER MIRANDA <i>Departures</i></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Though this is Javier's fifth studio album release, this is only my second encounter with a Javier Miranda product. Based on my favorable review and impression of one of his previous albums, 2021's <i>Strange Imperfection</i> and the raving reviews this album is currently receiving, I've decided to give it a listen.</div><br /><b>Line-up / Musicians:<br /></b>- Javier Miranda / all music, keyboards, synths, programming<div><br />1. "Everything" (11:03) a repeat loop of two quick-arpeggiated chords from a piano over which various strange, unsettling 21st Century almost-industrial sounds are mixed, all the while the original piano loop is slowly fading into the background is not quite enough, in my humble opinion, to warrant a whole eleven minute song; perhaps as an exploration, but not for publication and a demand of consumer compensation. (15/20)</div><div><br />2. "In Transit" (9:00) another two-chord repetition <i>ad infinitum</i>. There is a mood, an emotional provocation going on here, I'm just not sure what it is (supposed to be). (16.75/20)</div><div><br />3. "The Descent" (11:04) another (basically) two-chord keyboard repetition over which some post-apocalyptic horror sounds are woven cannot assuage my frustration and disappointment. (17/20)<br /><br /></div><div>4. "Resurrection" (13:07) are the dissonant oscillations of a flange effects box really what Javier thinks the "in-between"/Bar-Do sounds/feels like? Then bring into the mix the fact that he uses the sound of some preset rhythm track from a cheesy Casiotone-like drum machine to represent the gradual rise of the resurrecting being is comical, even farcical! I do appreciate, however, the gradual and variable speeds Javier uses to represent the dys- (or a-)temporal "processs" that resurrection might require. (21.5/25)<br /><br />Total Time 44:14</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm disappointed with Javier's regression. A pre-occupation with two-chord baseline formats is not enough without further threads in the weave, without ample development over the top. <br /><div><br /></div></div><div>82.65 on the Fishscales = C/three stars; a rather disappointing and unsatisfying offering to the lexicon of Progressive Electronic music. Unfortunately, it is my opinion that the four songs here are not representative of anything of long-lasting interest to the music world.</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CM9HRiF1WSsyCE6asVsGTDNfNjBts5gSaFFMjkhJddlHahsDJPC48fCXGh4YZId-s0uHOqrbJiF4Y3ojOHypUxzsu-Du8oL9ljM8laJw-F0sRvEW2d4FFQvmwq48hjKjAMvO5h7q55Q3x-ynSAfxiMzaEt0ZeqSxFAvHmC8QX9UA3pURzNhn8jzYcYJM/s700/a3880017399_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CM9HRiF1WSsyCE6asVsGTDNfNjBts5gSaFFMjkhJddlHahsDJPC48fCXGh4YZId-s0uHOqrbJiF4Y3ojOHypUxzsu-Du8oL9ljM8laJw-F0sRvEW2d4FFQvmwq48hjKjAMvO5h7q55Q3x-ynSAfxiMzaEt0ZeqSxFAvHmC8QX9UA3pURzNhn8jzYcYJM/s320/a3880017399_16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>SOURCECODEX <i>When Time Is But a Dim Memory . . .</i></b></div><div><div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>Space ambient music of the Vangelis kind.</div><div><br /></div><div>1. "Obsidian Tower in the Jungle" (11:23)</div><div>2. "Unseen Things at the Edge of the Universe" (12:18)</div><div>3. "Ancient Universe Echoes" (14:33)</div><div>4. "Unknown Stars" (7:55)</div><div>5. "When Time is but a Dim Memory … " (14:43)</div><div>6. "Cryosleep Fever Dream" (9:01)</div><div><br /></div></div><div>Total time:</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite lacking any kind of rhythm programming or instrumentation (even sequencers), this is some very nice, evocative music--especially for creativity or meditation. </div><div><br /></div><div>on the Fishscales = C/three stars; </div></div></div><div><br /><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKl7EV-H0n1Nm9rwDLEUmTUe8HjLiIv3Qb-kB07dWJ9gQq0Fv9rwA4U45_V2NWlwXQmg_T10hgrcVyhQ1UiqUUgHbaJ3sIi5s1c4cdM-rNqU6WbQJNvuHXH0JgVnDtDRaYsVFQfUI-BlAwq7Z7XmOgYkSP5wXOVR_UzGzxOPUTO__I3e2S2djEnHU3FnVe/s700/a1891400969_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKl7EV-H0n1Nm9rwDLEUmTUe8HjLiIv3Qb-kB07dWJ9gQq0Fv9rwA4U45_V2NWlwXQmg_T10hgrcVyhQ1UiqUUgHbaJ3sIi5s1c4cdM-rNqU6WbQJNvuHXH0JgVnDtDRaYsVFQfUI-BlAwq7Z7XmOgYkSP5wXOVR_UzGzxOPUTO__I3e2S2djEnHU3FnVe/s320/a1891400969_16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>POH HOCK <i>Gallimaufry</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Though only a 20-minute EP, Poh Hock's music is from the school of Berklee School of Music's NATIVE CONSTRUCT (2015's minor masterpiece <i>Quiet World</i>) with his latest set of compositions blending cinematic big band and pop with jagged metal sounds and constructs in the same way that his predecessor had done. (<i>Quiet World</i>'s vocalist, Robert Edens, even makes an appearance here as vocalist and production assistant on "Fragile Space.")</div><br /><div><b>Lineup / Musicians:</b></div> - Poh Hock (Guitars and other instruments, composition, arrangements, and production) - Zak Baskin (Bass)<br /> - Joey Ferretti (Drums and Percussion)<br />With:<br /> - Noah Calvaresi (Tenor and Alto Sax on "foreword.")<br /><div> - Josh Faia (Trumpets on "foreword.")</div><div> - CHYLD (Sound Design on "Another One Of Those Times")<br /> - Debo Ray (Vocals on "Another One of Those Times")<br /> - Shilpa Satish (Vocals on "I Don't")<br /> - Robert Edens (Vocals, Lyrics, Synth and Additional Production on "Fragile Space")<br /> - Jenntheredman (Keys on "L.A.S")<br /><div><br /></div><div>1. "forword." (0:58) (/5)<br />2. "Another One of Those Times" (featuring – <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/6104594-Debo-Ray">Debo Ray</a>) (3:32) (/10)<br />3. "I Don't" (3:38) (/10)<br />4. "Fragile Space" (featuring – <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/6070765-Robert-Edens">Robert Edens</a>) (4:15) (/10)<br />5. "L.A.S" (7:38) (/15)</div><div><br /></div><div>A 2023 release that deserves some attention for its compositional prowess as well as for its theatric prog metal sound and stylings.</div><div><br /></div><div>on the Fishscales = C/three stars; </div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><br /><br /><table class="tracklist_3QGRS" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "Nimbus Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; table-layout: auto; width: 728.5px;"><tbody><tr data-track-position="5" style="border-top: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); vertical-align: top;"><td class="trackPos_2RCje" style="padding: 2px 14px 2px 2px; text-wrap: nowrap; width: 7.78906px;"></td><td class="artist_3zAQD" style="padding: 2px 14px 2px 0px; text-align: right; width: 0px;"></td><td class="trackTitle_CTKp4" style="padding: 2px; position: relative; width: 647.461px; word-break: break-word;"><br /></td><td class="duration_2t4qr" style="color: #444444; padding: 2px 10px 2px 2px; text-align: right; width: 27.25px;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilssPI5x6bHAoJnXgP5OHY_EpALSMNA8Q9MyfzjolRM6dHh_fM9kC4tbtfzspM5iBBMccJ6_BcyXNrfVstgrpVOQmqSh1dPuCAe6N-n5UNOqleKYFBlFDyxWEIdeqigaBTsxM3CVBtjuTu10xxz4AHwoUOrQr1dfWeqletAlWFkDdgBCkzrPclxL5UpjWN/s320/Atom%20Child%20Cover%201.1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilssPI5x6bHAoJnXgP5OHY_EpALSMNA8Q9MyfzjolRM6dHh_fM9kC4tbtfzspM5iBBMccJ6_BcyXNrfVstgrpVOQmqSh1dPuCAe6N-n5UNOqleKYFBlFDyxWEIdeqigaBTsxM3CVBtjuTu10xxz4AHwoUOrQr1dfWeqletAlWFkDdgBCkzrPclxL5UpjWN/s1600/Atom%20Child%20Cover%201.1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>CONFUSION FIELD <i>Atom Child</i></b></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Drew Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03288895422924973359noreply@blogger.com0